Cutting Costs in the Winter Months Through Stockpile Pastures |
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As temperatures drop, photos of families in pumpkin patches are filling the internet and pumpkin spice everything is being advertised. However, for ranchers across America, the change in season means something different. Though the long days of summer are coming to an end, grazing isn’t. The use of stockpile pastures allows grazing to continue on many ranches around the country.
Stockpile pastures are designated areas that are allowed to go untouched for a predetermined amount of time in order to let animals graze into the cooler months. This system was first researched in the 1950s in an effort to cut costs of hay production, but saw a decline in the 60s and 70s due to cheap fuel and innovation in machinery. With rising costs of inputs today, many ranchers are exploring this system again.
The use of warm season grasses versus cool season grasses determines if the pastures should go untouched for 40-50 days or 60-75 days before the first frost, respectively. According to grazing consultant Jim Gerrish, successful winter grazing is all about planning. Cool season grasses such as Tall Fescue, Orchardgrass, and Smooth Brome are more common due to their ability to hold their nutritional value longer into the winter months.
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These are general guidelines, but much like most things, there are ranch specific factors that will be learned overtime. Though we have many variations of climate patterns throughout the United States, stockpile grazing can be implemented across the country in different capacities.
In New York, Troy Bishopp views stockpile pastures as a method to increase profit margins, especially in the winter months. Any opportunity to stretch the grazing season means lower input cost. According to Bishop, this translates to $1.20 per day on grass versus $2.65 per day on full feeding. Bishopp says, “a big hurdle is the time it takes to learn the farm-specific nuances and taking the pitfalls in stride. I say to many of my friends, ‘plan to get 10 more grazing days and work your way up to a reasonable, achievable goal.’ When you pocket an extra 1,000 bucks for this planning, it goes without saying you want to implement more.”
For south Louisiana rancher Anna Duhon Stokes of Duhon Cattle Co., stockpile pastures have allowed their operation to no longer need a tractor or a bush hog. You can watch LGLCI’s full interview at Duhon Cattle here. Stokes will also be a producer speaker at the 8NGLC conference.
If stockpiling is something you’ve been interested in, we encourage you to explore the wealth of information out there. A few of our recommendations are:
Photos courtesy of Troy Bishopp
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On the last day of 8NGLC, December 9th, there are four optional training sessions and three tours to choose from.
Listed below are the optional tours to enhance your time at 8NGLC.
On the Hopsewee Plantation Tour you will get to tour the grounds of one of the South’s largest rice plantations during the time of the civil war. This plantation was built in 1840 and has been lived in until earlier this year. Lunch will be provided at the River Oak Cottage Tea Room. The cost of the tour is $67.00 per guest. The tour will depart the hotel by 8 AM for Hopsewee Plantation in Georgetown, SC. Afterward, we'll depart for Pawley’s Island for some outdoor shopping and a walk, returning to the hotel by 5 pm. Cost includes transportation, a tour, and lunch. When you register online, you can select any of these optional tours.
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Expect to say “oooo” and “ahhh” a lot on this tour. This tour is nothing short of magical. Brookgreen Gardens Night of 1000 Candles displays 2,800 hand-lit candles and countless sparkling lights. Walk the garden pathways with a warm cup of cider, cocoa, or wine. Hear the sounds of holiday music, carolers singing, and celebrate the season with family and friends! Participants will depart Embassy Suites at 5:00 p.m. Buses from day time tours will return in time. Cost includes transportation and entrance fee. $40.00 per guest.
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Agro-tourism at Thompson Farm
Based on the successful operation of the greenhouses and the changing economic outlook, Thompson Farm looked back to the principles the farm had always held. Using those principles, in 2009 Thompson Farm and Nursery opened to the general public by adding farm tours for groups and other marketing events. Participants will depart the hotel by 8 a.m. for Thompson Farm in Conway, SC, for a tour and presentation on Agro Tourism. Lunch will be provided. Afterward, we’ll depart Thompson Farm for a nearby beef cattle operation, returning to the hotel by 5 p.m. Cost includes transportation and lunch. $55.00 per person.
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Upcoming Events & Updates |
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In the agriculture community, there’s a stigma attached to sharing struggles, stressors, and concerns. However, World Mental Health Day was created as an international day for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy against social stigma.
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Registration Price is Increasing October 15th!
If you have not already done so, make sure to register for the conference by October 15! Prices will increase from $395 to $475. Click HERE to be directed to the conference site.
View the full conference agenda here!
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This grant is designed to support cattle producer attendance at impactful education events. It is made possible by a partnership between the National Cattlemen’s Foundation and Cargill Protein, and is administered by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.
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The National Grazing Lands Coalition is proud to offer the Lynn Myers/Hezekiah Gibson Producer Memorial Scholarship for the 8NGLC. This scholarship will provide two producers $500 to cover the costs associated with attending the conference. The deadline to apply for the scholarship is October 15, 2021. Scholarship recipients will be notified by November 15, 2021.
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The SCFGLC is providing scholarships up to $500 per applicant to attend the NatGLC meeting in Myrtle Beach Dec. 6-9, 2021. Use the link to read the requirements an to submit an application.
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TXGLC recently launched a podcast and discussed the emerging carbon markets in the first episode. On the Love the Land podcast, host Lee Burton interviews Anson Howard who is an attorney and a rancher in San Antonio, Texas. Howard discusses both the legal process and his personal triumphs as a rancher when it comes to carbon sequestration and regenerative grazing. Howard spent time adding fences to his ranch in order to have longer rotation and rest periods which has allowed them to see a major change in pasture conditions. Through this process, his lands are also being evaluated through the carbon credit agreement and he will be able to see the benefits of the regenerative grazing overtime. You can listen to "Love the Land" here.
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I’ll keep this brief so that we can get right into our day moving cattle and stewarding the land. THE FUTURE OF GRAZING & CONSERVATION. I hope that you’re thinking about this. I hope that you’re curious. Perhaps excited or inspired. I hope that you’re joining us in December because you’re interested in what it takes to make grazing lands the model of conservation in the future. I hope you’re joining us because you want to be part of this model and want to shape the future of conservation. I hope you’re joining us because you’re proud to be an American. We’re lucky to live in a country prosperous in economy, natural resources, and people. We have the opportunity to explore and show how bringing these together benefits each in a way that is much more than 1+1+1 = 3. So what is the future of grazing and conservation? To us, It’s collaboration. It’s innovation. It’s economics. It’s a positive Return on Conservation. It’s private. It’s public. It’s using resources in imaginative ways. It’s a new way of looking at all of these. It is true, deep partnership and commitment between everyone such that conservation is not a separate project, group, or conversation but part of our DNA. Conservation must be part of who we are — as citizens, family members, leaders, entrepreneurs, humans. It is partnership that yields innovation and returns that positively shape our resources, health, and economy. |
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There are seven times more pigs than people in the state of Iowa! On average, the state has around 24 million pigs and a little over three million residents. According to the Iowa Pork Producers Association, Iowa has more than 5,400 pig farms and raises ⅓ of the amount of hogs raised across the country. Iowa’s pork industry directly employs nearly 150,000 people, with one in 10 working Iowens having a job tied to the industry. Click here to learn more about Iowa pork.
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8NGLC CONFERENCE
Click HERE to watch videos from
past conferences.
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Want to stay up to date on events? Click the image to see the NatGLC Calendar!
Have an event you want to add to the calendar?
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Where did all the buffalo go across the great American prairie? Bring in the COWS. Learn about the super powers of cows, controlled burns, and native grasses at the Ebel Grasslands Ranch. The tallgrass prairie is a rich biodiverse ecosystem and IN PERIL - less than 1% of the tallgrass prairie remains in Texas!
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