Every beef producer knows their pastures, but there is a distinct difference between keeping a plan in their head and putting ink to paper. A grazing management plan does not have to be complicated — or cover every pasture — to be useful.
Grazing plans are quickly becoming one of the most powerful tools in a rancher’s management and marketing arsenal. That was a central message from Hugh Aljoe, Noble Research Institute director of ranches, outreach and partnership, and Kansas rancher Debbie Lyons-Blythe during a recent Trust In Food event hosted in Elmdale, Kan. They encourage producers to start with the goals and challenges most relevant to their own operations.
A written plan also establishes a starting point. The plan gives a rancher a place to record what is happening on the land, make decisions intentionally and assess progress over time. It can also help document work that might otherwise be difficult to explain to buyers or the next generation of managers.
Producers can compare later observations with that first benchmark and evaluate progress against their own objectives, rather than measuring themselves against another operation.
“Anything is better than nothing,” Lyons-Blythe says, urging ranchers not to let the prospect of a detailed plan keep them from starting.
The 50% vs. 10% Gap
Most cattle producers are already practicing intentional grazing management, whether they realize it or not. However, documenting those practices remains a critical industry hurdle.
According to Aljoe, research conducted alongside Trust In Food revealed a significant disconnect across the cow-calf sector: About 50% of producers reported having a grazing management plan, but only 10% had it written down.
“I kind of have a little saying that I know I had Christmas last year and I got gifts, but you ask me what I got from who, I can’t tell you,” Aljoe explains. “I think it’s the same thing with our grazing management at times is that we know we’ve grazed these pastures. We kind of know what we did, but it’s the detail that’s important. And if we’ve got those details, we can make better decisions.”
Aljoe emphasizes putting a plan on paper is not about external regulation or competing with neighbors. “You’re not competing against anyone. What you’re trying to do is demonstrate continual improvement on an intentional basis.”
He advises keeping the plan concise and practical. The U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (USRSB) offers a grazing management plan workbook on its website, he explains.
Producers can use it to organize their thinking, then revisit it and fill in information that matters to their goals. A plan is most useful when it is reviewed. He recommends keeping enough records to assess progress toward objectives and revisiting the plan at least annually.
Real-World Value: From Brush Management to Generational Transfer
For Lyons-Blythe, a founding member of USRSB, a written grazing plan is an essential day-to-day management tool across her family’s registered seedstock and commercial operation.
Faced with severe woody encroachment, the Blythe Family Farms based in White City uses a detailed written plan to systematically reclaim a two-square-mile pasture — more than 1,200 acres — in the Flint Hills by cutting and burning every eastern redcedar tree. The work involved deciding where to start, how to proceed and what equipment would be needed.
The effort reflects a broader concern: cedars can displace grass, use water and reduce the productive grazing area available to cattle. Lyons-Blythe stresses their ranch documented the work so the family could organize and carry it through.
“Every single cedar tree in our 1,200-acre pasture has been cut and burned, and we cleared that out. That took a heck of a plan,” Lyons-Blythe explains. “We had to write all of that down and organize ourselves. Our plan for that pasture looks different from some of the other pastures, but we wrote it down, and that has helped us to follow through and do it.”
Not every farm or ranch needs the same plan. Lyons-Blythe says her ranch has about 15 pastures, and conditions — including rainfall — can differ between them. Some ranches may be able to begin with one plan covering similar pastures; others may choose to focus first on one pasture or one management challenge.
Beyond land management, she points out that documentation is vital for multi-generational ranch succession and transfer of knowledge. She describes using a spreadsheet and photographs from previous years when discussing cattle moves with her sons. Past records give the family a reference point for comparing grass conditions and decisions across seasons.
Expanding the Herd Without Buying Sky-High Land
With pastureland prices reaching historic highs, purchasing more acreage is out of reach for many producers looking to grow. A well-executed grazing plan provides a viable alternative by optimizing existing forage production.
“I don’t have the money to pay these insane land prices to expand, but with this cow herd right now, I would love to be marketing more calves in two years,” Lyons-Blythe says. “Well, the way you do it is through a grazing management plan to manage that grass to graze it better and more appropriately. A grazing management plan can help you grow your herd without having to buy more land.”
Taking the Emotion Out of Tough Decisions
Establishing pre-determined contingency triggers before dry spells occur eliminates reactive crisis management.
Aljoe highlights setting benchmarks for drought or forage deficits allows producers to act decisively rather than reactively. “What are you going to do if it turns dry? What are those contingency plans and the indicators of when you’re going to pull the trigger?” Aljoe asks. “You’re more apt to get it accomplished if you’ve got a plan in place and you identify the trigger to set you off. And it takes all the emotion out of some of those decisions.”
Meeting the Market at the Table
As supply chain demands evolve, buyers and downstream partners are increasingly asking producers if they have written sustainability or grazing management protocols in place.
Lyons-Blythe says a buyer asked if the ranch worked with a sustainability coordinator or focused on sustainability. Because the family had a written grazing management plan, she could answer yes.
She emphasizes sitting at the table with packers, retailers and consumers through organizations like the USRSB helps ranchers defend their autonomy while proving their stewardship.
“I thought the retailers and the packers were our enemies. Sitting at the table with them, I learned some of the pressures that they have around the word sustainability and greenhouse gases,” Lyons-Blythe summarizes. “They are being talked to by activists and by their own shareholders. Let’s get our information together. Let’s get a grazing management plan. Let’s show them that is proof that we’re doing it right and give them the opportunity so they can continue to sell the heck out of our beef.”
Key Takeaways:
Keep It Simple and Usable: A grazing plan does not need to be a lengthy academic paper. The USRSB provides a free, downloadable Grazing Management Plan Workbook designed to capture essential goals, stocking rates and pasture records in a straightforward format.
Make It Meaningful to Your Ranch: Focus on your operation’s highest priorities first — whether that is targeted brush control, pasture recovery, rotational schedules or drought contingencies.
Establish Clear Trigger Dates: Pre-determine your operational steps for dry years — critical rainfall dates, herd culling triggers, supplemental feeding protocols — to eliminate stress and emotional decision-making in real time.
Unlock Existing Forage Potential: Strategic rotational management and pasture rest periods can increase carrying capacity on existing acres, providing a path to herd expansion without high capital land acquisitions.
Secure Future Market Access: Written documentation provides verifiable proof of good land stewardship, helping protect individual ranch viability and positioning cattle for premium and sustainability-focused marketing programs.
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