For Minnesota Cattlemen, Yesterday's Prairie Can Bring Tomorrow's Profit

For Minnesota Cattlemen, Yesterday's Prairie Can Bring Tomorrow's Profit Item Type text; Article Authors Kajewski, Glen A. Citation Kajewski, G. A. (1980). For Minnesota Cattlemen, Yesterday’s Prairie Can Bring Tomorrow’s Profit. Rangelands, 2(3), 141-143. Publisher Society for Range Management Journal Rangelands Rights Copyright © Society for Range Management. Download date 28/09/2021 12:55:07 Item License http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ Version Final published version Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/638221 For Minnesota Cattlemen, Yesterday's Prairie Can Bring Tomorrow's Profit Glen A. Kajewski Besides being the land of PaulBunyan and headwatersof the mighty Mississippi, Minnesota was once part of the tall grass prairie. The majority of the original prairie has long since become the richest farmland in the state and only about 3 million acres of range remain. Northwestern Minnesota Rangeland Today, northwestern Minnesota'sflat Red River valley has some of the best cropland in the world. Once, though, it was all under water. The Red RiverValley of northwesternMinne- sota was formed by glacial Lake Agassizduring the time of the big cold. Lake Agassizat its highest point once covered was the largest and last to be formed before Lake Agassiz 17,000 square miles in Minnesota. From its northern border finally drained. in Canada to its southern border in Minnesota, it once The Campbell ridge and a few other minor ridges once stretched for 700 miles and was up to 700 feet deep. As the served as a highway for early settlersand traders. Known as lake fluctuated and shrank, beaches were formed whenever the Pembina Trail, this was an oxcart route from St. Paul to the lake stayed at one level. Thewave action ofLake Agassiz Pembina, North Dakota, and into Canada. History books dumped coarse material along the shoreline formingthese state that theoxcarts groanedand creakedso much that they beach ridges. The Herman beach marks the eastern boun- could be heard long beforethey were seen.Some of the ruts dary of the grand old lake. The Campbell beach to the west made by the huge wheels can still be seen today. Moose, white-tailed deer, and ruffed grouse frequent the The author isDistrict Conservationist,Soil ConservationService, Madison, Minnesota. beach ridge range. They use the poplar, aspen, alder, and For assistance with this article the author gives special thanks to: Tom willowthickets for browseand cover.The beachridges prove Gahm, public information officer and Dwayne Breyer, Conservation to be travel lanes for in when low Agronomist,both ofthe state SCS office, St. Pauland Hilding Hokanson,SCS popular big game spring soil scientist, Marshall, MN. areas between the ridges are flooded. Indiangrass is a major grass on severalrange sites in Minnesota;it is a popular forage plant for livestock. 142 Ranqelands 2(4). August 1980 The beach ridges also provide ideal habitat for the prairie chicken and sharp-tailed grouse. Booming grounds for the prairie chicken rangefrom Rothsay in WilkinCounty (Minne- sota's Prairie Chicken Capital) to central Polk County in northwestern Minnesota. Many ofthese booming areashave been acquired by the Nature Conservancyand Minnesota's Department of Natural Resources. The remaining areasare contained on some of the larger cattleoperations. Rare plants in this area are skeleton plants and ricegrass found on the sand dunes near Fertile, and the white-fringed prairie orchid, which can be seen on some of the wetter range sites. Southwestern Minnesota's Rangeland Another area of range is in southwestern Minnesota. Rough, steep, or stonysoils preventplowing this land, which is the main reasonwhy so much range remainsin this areaof the state. This line of soils begins in northeastern South Dakota, with its eastern edge cutting across southwestern Minnesota and into Iowa. Known as Coteau des Prairies, Rock outcropping is a typical sighton some range areas. These "highland ofthe prairies," it consistsof glacial driftdeposited rocky areas are a stronghold for range in southwesternMinnesota. on quartzite and cretaceous shales and sandstones. The ridges were created on this "bedrock high" as the glaciers movedthrough and left moraines.The Bemis moraineforms making these areas hard to convert to cropland. the crest of the Coteau des Prairies. In additiontothebuffaloat Blue MoundsState Park,white- Rock outcroppings can be seen in many areasof south- tailed deer are common along with pheasant, Hungarian western Minnesota. Blue Mounds State Park gets its name partridge, ducks, and geese. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Ser- from the bluish green lichens which color the rock bluffs in vice and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources the park. American Indians drove buffalo to theirdeath over own aconsiderable acreageof wildlife land along the Minne- that same rock outcropping. Today a small herd of buffalo sota River in Big Stone and Lac qui ParleCounties. This is a has been reestablished on the state park land. prime resting stop for migrating waterfowl in spring and fall. The Altamont moraine contributes another large area of Quite a change in temperatureextremes and growing sea- range in western Yellow Medicine County. Thismoraine was sons takes place from the Canadian border to the Iowa line. formed during the same period as the Coteau des Prairies Averagetemperatures are 5-10° F cooler inthe north and the and has the same soils. The otherarea of range in southwest growing season is 3 weeksshorter. Averageannual precipi- Minnesota is along the Minnesota River from the South tation in the range country is 20-26". Winter temperatures Dakota line to an area near Redwood Falls. The river has often go below -30° F while summer temperaturesclimb to rocky bluffs and ridges lining much of its course, again 1000 F. Quality Herefordcalves are produced on northwesternMinnesota grasslands, this cow-calf operation enjoys the tered poplar and aspen thickets during bad weather. Ran gelands 2(4), August 1980 143 Production on Minnesota Rangeland take advantage of better weather for calving on open pas- On southwestern Minnesota's rangeland, soil conditions tures. Scattered poplar and aspen thickets in the pastures vary from dry, shallow-to-gravel areas to wetter sites. The provide needed protection from freezing drizzle, sudden shallow-to-gravel rangeconsists of medium length and short snowstorms and other bad weather. grasses. Common medium length grasses are needleand- Most cattlemen do not know all they couldabout manag- thread, little bluestem,prairie dropseed,and sideoatsgrama. ing the native grassesthat make up Minnesota'srangeland. Blue grama is the most common short grass. The result is that the majority of range in Minnesota is in a Grassesthat are in aclimax or excellent condition produce steady to declining condition. Littleof it is being managedin about 2,6000 pounders per acre on these driersites. Produc- a way that will increase its productivity and value to the tion of dry matter ranges from 2,200 to 3,200 pounds per owner. acre. Most landownersdo not understandthe role of rangeland Higher production can be expected on the wetter sites, in a grazing system, and they are not aware of its specific where dry matter yields averageabout 7,000 pounds per acre managementneeds. Instead, the rangeland is being over- when grass is in a climax condition. Prairie cordgrass, blu- grazed a condition that it takes years to recover from. ejoint, northern reedgrass, and reed canarygrass are the Some landownersare using rotation grazing on their pas- most common grasses on wetter sites. Sedges comprise tures. Rotation grazing results in healthier stands and more about 20 percent, while switchgrass and Canada wildrye forage on both cool and warm season grasses. When used, grow on the edges where conditions are drier. rotation grazing is usually balanced in a three pasturesys- Beef operations are smaller in this area of the state com- tem. Pastures are rotated on a three-pasture,3-year sche- pared to northwest Minnesota.The majority of theseopera- dule. Grazing periods are staggered so that no pasture is tions are located in Pipestone,Lincoln, and western Yellow grazed at the same time during the 3 years. Medicine county along the major moraines mentioned Rotation grazing seemsto be the exception, though, and earlier. overgrazing is the standard on much of Minnesota's Most of northwestern Minnesota's range is along the rangel and. Campbell beach ridge. Livestock can usually begin grazing safely between May Coarse materials of sands and gravels formed the ridges, 15 and June 1 in thenorth and should end around September but as Lake Agassizsubsided, finer textured materials were 10 to protect native grasses. This grazing period can be deposited between the ridges. This makesfor an interesting extended 2-3 weeks in the south. transition from droughty soilson the ridgesto poorly drained in a state where cropland and other resourcestake a front soils between them. Due to poordrainage, much of the land seat, range management often becomes a neglected by- is better suited for livestock, hay, and wildlife production stander. This has beenthe trend, but through education and than for crop production. work that Soil Conservation Service personnel and range Cattle operations in this partof the state vary in sizefrom a managementspecialists from the University of Minnesota few hundred acres to severalthousand acres. Management are doing with landowners, the trend is being reversed varies with the size of the operation. Larger operations usu- slowly. Although a minor resource the Minnesota, with the ally consist of a complete beef operation, from cow-calf to proper effort, rangeland can become Minnesota's best finished feeder.Calving is timed to occur in April and Mayto managed resource. Increase Forage Production Plant PERMA-PEL Range & Pasture Mixes Depend on Ramsey Seed — long a leader in range improvement programs — for the finest clover, sub- clover, and grass seed mixes. Ramsey provides 3 general mixes for varying rainfall and soil conditions plus special mixes for special situations.

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