What Is Rotational Grazing and Why Is It So Important?
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What is Rotational Grazing and Why Is It So Important? To address environmental, economic and social issues through one method of agricultural management affecting the most acreage, choose grazing. Rotational grazing, management‐intensive grazing, rational grazing or holistic grazing are all methods to describe the movement of animals through subdivided pasture areas. The key elements to a successful grazing system are the limited time animals stay in each paddock and the amount of rest the pasture plants receive before being grazed again. In a healthy grazing system plant roots grow deeply into the ground, plant leaves harvest solar energy and cycles of water, minerals, energy and community dynamics are in balance. 1) Grazing has been proven to lower feed expenses, reduce nutrient loading in our waterways, stabilize farm financial longevity, and create an aesthetic working landscape. With the increasing pressures on Vermont farms, these benefits are critical to maintaining many farms in this state. 2) Research has shown that grazing production systems require less fuel than those that depend heavily on machinery and pesticide inputs, drying crops, ventilating buildings and the use of inorganic fertilizers. 3) Because much of the agricultural land in the state is best suited for forage production because of soil, site and climatic limitations, sustainability of agriculture in the region depends on keeping forage‐based livestock systems competitive and profitable while protecting the environment. 4) Consumers are choosing grass‐fed meat and milk on stores shelves, as measured through the 2010 Vermonter Poll. 49% of respondents indicated they purchased grass‐fed meat in the previous 12 months. 42% indicated they purchased grass‐fed milk. Some Facts About Vermont's Grazing & Pasture Use and Vermont's Changing Landscape 11% of Vermont's agricultural land is in permanent pasture, up from about 7% in the years 1992‐2002 55% of Vermont's farmers have some permanent pasture land on their farms From 2002 to 2007, Vermont's total agricultural sales jumped $200M to nearly $674M. One major contributor to the increase in sales: organic dairy transition. An essential element to organic dairy certification: required pasturing minimums. The number of farms selling poultry, swine, sheep, goats, llamas and rabbits is on the increase, representing increased need for technical assistance and support in these areas. Marketing efforts to increase regional beef sales and the sales of bulk organic dairy and direct‐sale raw milk are expected to be continued areas of growth. The inventory of livestock raised for meat increased by 46% between 1997 and 2007 How Does Pasturing Livestock Fit in the Farm to Plate Strategic Plan and the Working Landscape Partnership? Processing infrastructure has highly seasonal demand, based on the need to maximize pasture and reduce overhead costs. Research, technical assistance and outreach into grazing season extension is key to addressing slaughter capacity and farmer profitability. Humane animal care and handling are important attributes of the growing local food system, particularly when local foods are sold outside of Vermont and carry the Vermont brand. Pasture‐based systems allow animals to express their natural behaviors and maintain high water and soil quality. Historical shipment of grass‐based livestock in the fall season and challenges of producing a consistent year‐round product mean creative options must be developed to get the most gain out of grazing. Visit www.uvm.edu/pasture to learn more about our work Who are the Vermont Grass Farmers and How Do We Fit in Policy Discussions? VT Grass Farmers Association (VGFA) is a 16 year old non‐profit farmer‐run organization. VGFA's mission is to support and educate farmers around grazing issues and methods to improve their grass‐based farms. Our board includes dairy, beef, pork, lamb, poultry and equine farmers. Our goals: a. Work to help farmers generate wealth from grass farms b. Be inclusive of all methods of grass farming c. Assume a leadership role in grazing issues d. Support and assist statewide grazing programs e. Serve local farmer discussion groups with coordinating and administrative functions f. Increase number of farms with good grazing practices and improve relationship with water quality issues. VGFA provides the vision and direction to the VT Pasture Network, a partnership among the UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture and VT NRCS. VT NRCS and UVM Extension provide some funding to the UVM Center for coordination and support of VGFA. VGFA has income from memberships and from the VT Grazing & Livestock Conference, which has grown to more than 350 attendees from 6+ states each year and is seen as the premier grazing event in New England. On the statewide level, VGFA serves on the State Technical Committee, which guides USDA‐NRCS program development and implementation. Few farmers are able to take the time to review how programs will impact their choices; VGFA makes it a priority to maintain a representative on behalf of VT's grass‐based livestock farms. In 2006, VGFA was officially recognized by VT‐NRCS as the Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative Steering Committee, helping to advise NRCS on how federal dollars are spent in VT to best improve grazing practices and implementation. For over 10 years, VGFA/VPN have participated in the Northeast Pasture Research Consortium, an entity federally funded in 1994 to coordinate and "promote applied pasture research, link existing resources, and foster continued state/federal and public/private partnerships for research in this area". Again, few farmers are able to attend the annual meeting of the Consortium and VGFA has made a commitment to supporting the attendance of interested board members. What Can We Do to Promote Grazing at All Levels? Listen to the questions and concerns of grass‐based livestock farmers Attend a pasture walk or grazing workshop this year: topics will include high‐density planned grazing; teaching livestock to eat weeds (instead of using chemical or mechanical weed controls); slaughter & processing workshops; grazing for beginners; results from season extension and winter animal management research; using subsoil plows and tillage radishes to address pasture compaction; and more. Encourage the University of Vermont to redevelop the Miller Farm on Spear Street to include diverse and grass‐ based agriculture. Learn more about the flow of federal dollars for grazing into Vermont. Increasingly NRCS staff spend time in the office administering cost share programs, not out in the pasture developing relationships and trust with farmers. In this age of fiscal responsibility and tight budgets, let's work together to help grazing farms get the information and technical assistance they need. Foster relationships between VT Grass Farmers Association and organizations or agencies working on water quality or economic development issues. Recognize that relatively small investments in grass‐based farms will yield high returns in environmental conditions, economic growth and Vermont's quality of life. For More Information, Contact: Kimberly Hagen, President [email protected], (802) 229‐4096 Jennifer Colby, UVM Center for Sustainable Ag Pasture Program [email protected], (802) 656‐0858 .