Volume 27, No. 7 ‘by graziers, for graziers’ August-September 2020 Harvesting sunshine Thistle Creek Farms does what it takes to produce quality grassfed beef

By Tamara Scully The same customers also pur- chase grassfed lamb produced Tyrone, Pennsylvania — by the 150-ewe flock that grazes George Lake figures his job, and acreage not suited to the cattle. that of his beef cattle, is to “harvest Thistle Creek Farms consists sunshine” by grazing and mechani- of 400 acres of hilly and some- cally harvesting forages at peak sugar times steep pasture ground, plus levels. woodlands. He also rents a farm To achieve that goal, George is several miles away to provide willing to invest in improved grasses, baleage. seed multi-species crops for summer George says that while many grazing, offer up to five daily breaks things are important to produc- to growing calves, and put in the ef- ing the kind of beef that will fort needed to make “hay in a day”. attract customers and keep them This is certainly not a laid-back coming back, everything starts beef grazing operation. beneath his feet. But it is a successful beef grazing “It is all about the soil first. operation. George says daily gains are All the little critters I’m trying Photos : Thistle Creek Farms good year-round, including through to get into the soil,” he explains. the winter months in central Pennsyl- “It’s a romance for me.” Strip grazing of polycultures is an important management practice. vania. pastures, constantly building organic then select for the genetics they want Generally he’s able to finish 1,200- Building soils matter and growing the microbial rather than selling their herds and pound animals in 22 to 26 months on His soils weren’t always great. community and structure of the soils. starting anew. grazed forages, plus baleage fed on When George took over the family sacrifice paddocks through the winter. place in the early 1980s, it had been “Cow hooves are the best tillage “Don’t sell the cows and get new Over nearly four decades George conventionally farmed for genera- equipment there is,” he says. “You’ll cows, just change the next calf,” he built a forage-based operation that tions. see what a lot of stomping with cows’ explains. today sees 200 head marketed annu- He was left with land, but no feet will do.” Today, he breeds primarily with ally under his Thistle Creek Farms animals or equipment. The soils were Instead of fertilizer, he used ma- bulls, looking to build wide-barreled label — mainly wholesale through depleted, with no earthworms in sight. nure. George hasn’t used chemical cows with moderate frames. George distributors to restaurants and CSAs, George set out to build the soils fertilizers or insecticides in decades likes the Angus cows that come from but also directly to a growing list of naturally through grazing. Grassfed on the grazed land. Some fertilizer is Aberdeen, Scotland — round, black customers. beef allowed him to start with very applied to the rented property where “loaves of bread on sticks”— known little capital and hay is made. as Aberdeen Angus. raise meat cost- George hasn’t had problems with While he selects for marbling, effectively, all internal parasites, controlling them weight gain and tenderness, attitude while improv- through paddock rest periods of more is the primary trait George looks to ing the soils. than 35 days. He tests cattle each bring to his herd. He stills uses some Grazing year, and never finds any parasites. AI, but now mainly employs natural wasn’t dis- His cows have always stayed out- breeding. cussed much side all year, in all weather, relying on back then, so natural shelterbelts — abundant here Endophytes not wanted George under- along the leeward side of the Appa- Early on, his grassfed cattle suf- took much of lachians — for protection from the fered poor growth rates. While the his learning wind and rain. soils were subpar, George also felt the independently. grasses typical in area pastures — in- Instead of till- Humble cow beginnings cluding dominant stands of Kentucky- ing, he used George began with sales barn cows 31 tall fescue — were not going to be hooves. and used artificial breeding to select good enough to produce the gains and He learned bull traits to improve the herd. He taste qualities he was seeking. Cattle that hoof action advises those new to grazing to build Border collies work cattle at Thistle Creek Farms. enhances the their herds with what they have, and continued on page 2

Corn Natural Pasture Taking Bonding Serengeti grazing parasite vs. milk the leap your dog lessons for dairy control

Pages 4-5 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 12 Page 14 Page 2 August-September 2020

move to the sorghum-sudan, which day is an hour before darkness falls. Harvesting sunshine is cut and left to lay before the first George’s goal is to achieve “one- grazing so the roots aren’t pulled out. quarter million pounds of hoof The cool season grasses are rested and pressure per acre, per day. You need mixes of crimson clover and rye with continued from page 1 stockpiled for winter grazing. that hoof pressure to build soil.” It’s the sorghum-sudangrass that provides The sorghum-sudan mix is grown harder to build soil with cow-calf were gaining only about a pound per late-summer grazing. for two years in the rotation cycle pairs, as they can’t be grouped as day on these forages. Each year a five-species pollina- before being planted back to pasture tightly as the feeders, he notes. Today he employs a variety of strat- tor mix (Ray’s Crazy Mix) is seeded grass in the second fall. George likes George wants to “feed sunshine”. egies to do the job. Perennial seedings to a field due for renovation and new fall planting for better non-chemical He focuses on harvesting when Brix are mainly GreenFast, a King’s Agri- pasture seeding as a way of providing weed control. readings are highest, saying the better seeds mix that includes festulolium, good grazing and non-chemical weed Cover crops are planted when the sugar levels greatly increase ADG. orchardgrass, perennial ryegrass and control. sorghum is done after the second both red and white clovers. Hay in a day Two cattle herds cutting or grazing event. The third He also has some Kora grass, an cutting or grazing will include some That focus includes harvested for- endophyte-free tall fescue that freezes For grazing, the cattle are grouped of these cover crops, which will then ages, which are put up as round bale in the fall but keeps its nutrient value into two herds: cows/calves and feed- persist into the spring. Soybeans or baleage, most of which is cut, baled until green-up, thus making a good ers. All animals are on pasture year- pearl millet are often interseeded to and wrapped the same day. Up to winter feed for stockpiling. round, with calving done outside in a the sorghum-sudangrass. 2,500 bales are offered each winter in 60-day window beginning May 1. George believes that any grass- “We rarely plant a monoculture,” feeder wagons moved across sacrifice finisher “really trying to make product Stock water is piped through 1.5- George explains. “We don’t like bare paddocks. Sorghum-sudangrass is that is tasty” has to stay away from inch buried lines year-round, with ground. It pasteurizes your microbes.” also put up as baleage. endophyte-infected forages. tanks made from old industrial tires The rented farm is used exclu- “We get rid of endophytes any way lined with concrete. While the tank Up to five daily moves sively for harvesting baleage, while we can, because they so reduce your water may freeze in winter, the cows The feeders are moved to a new the home farm is all pasture — some rate of gain.” He says ADG can reach are generally able to keep ice buildup strip up to five times daily while graz- of which is also put up as baleage. 3.0 lbs. on good stands in the right at a minimum. ing the sorghum-sudan. Though they Whether from sorghum-sudan or pe- grazing conditions. The cow-calf pairs graze together are a mixed-age group, “the bunk is rennials, the baleage is fed in winter While perennial, George’s stands until weaning at seven or eight always moving”, George notes. So along with the stockpiled pasture are not permanent: his endophyte-free months when the calves reach 500 the younger calves have no problem forages. grass mixes tend to stay viable for lbs. accessing feed. “We can marble in the winter. Our five to seven years. Still, that’s longer Weaned calves immediately join Three daily moves are the norm for Brix counts are high when we cut the than what is typically advertised, and the feeders, with the total group num- the cool-season pastures, with “top- forage,” George explains, although he he credits this longevity to the soil bering about 400 head. The feeders third” grazing of thigh-high forages notes that a cloudy growing season health he’s been building for decades. are on cool season perennials in the the goal. The day’s first move is in the creates challenges in that regard. He’ll rarely grow a monoculture. spring before moving to warm season morning, and a new break is offered Post-weaning, the 110-cow herd Alfalfa is often interseeded with grasses, which are typically grazed in the early afternoon as plant sugars grazes separately from the feeders, a spring grass mix and cover crop into July. At that point the animals are increasing. The last move of the usually on steeper, rougher acres. The

Opitz Dairy ProCROSS Experience Scott Opitz- Texas

“We began using ProCross semen on our Holstein herd in 2005. With the Holsteins, our calving intervals were too long and cull rates were too high. Our cull rate has dropped from 42% to 28% and our conception rates consistently run between 48-52%, with no fertility drugs used on the herd. We have been able to increase production and components through this transition. We see 50% less problems at calving and rarely pull a calf.

Replacement heifers have done an outstanding job of staying healthy and are able to maintain body condition much better on pasture. We noticed a difference as the first calves were born. We are now a complete ProCross herd and the calves became more hardy as we go further into our breeding program.” - Scott Opitz

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800-640-BULL Creative Genetics of California, Inc. “ The Leader in Crossbred Genetics” Toll Free: 800-640-BULL(2855) • Phone: 209-848-1531 www.creativegeneticsofca.com • www.procross.info • Email: [email protected] Page 3 goal is to maintain body condition and their ability to graze on ground the get them bred again. cattle shouldn’t be on, whether that’s Standing corn plays a major role along waterways or in areas the cattle here. About 20 acres of corn is plant- can’t easily access. ed into the winter sacrifice paddocks. “They really complement our sys- Most is drilled by a custom operator, tem,” George says. with broadcasting in some areas. The farm has just two human The farm has no problem with corn employees aside from George and his rootworms (these fields are planted to family, but he says his border col- corn every six to eight years) and he lies do the job of many men. Of Irish no longer needs to use a starter due genetics, these dogs work with both to the high levels of organic matter in the cows and the sheep, following the this farm’s soils. same commands for both. The breeding cows strip-graze the Border collies commonly work cat- corn, consuming ears along with most tle in Europe. “They can move cattle of the plants. George says the corn is from one pasture while I’m setting an older, non-GMO variety from Mas- up another pasture,” George says. “I ters Choice with “flour type” grain don’t have to be running everywhere selling beef and lamb to high-end res- “We continue to grow, but only to along with softer stalks and higher trying to move cows.” taurants and some other outlets in the where we can control the product,” he sugar levels. “The cattle flank so well with the region, his retail business has recently explains. “A finished animal is kind of Cows are on the corn from the time dogs. They are a major part of our grown by 20% solely through word of like a fine wine.” the stalks fully dry down in October workforce. I really just like to go out mouth. But no matter the market, he’s a until calving season begins, with and work cattle with dogs.” He also He never wanted to focus on the firm believer that to succeed, farmers mineral and salt the only supplements. uses horses and ATVs to move the retail trade, but it seems customers “have to have a good product first” to “You can maintain mamas on this stock, which are regularly moved to have found him anyway. establish return customers. With succession plans in place, his with good genetics,” George says. He pastures several miles down the road. George is trying to adjust to meet son Chris is ready, willing and able to estimates daily cost to keep the cows that demand. He now has an online take the lead when George, who is 74, through winter at between 26 and 41 Wholesale and retail sales store, an active Facebook page and is ready to fully retire. cents per animal. Nearly all cattle are marketed offers beef by the half, quarter and George says he’s not worried about through non-commodity channels. eighth while selling retail cuts as well. competition for his business, and he Sheep graze own areas Thistle Creek ships cattle to five The meat is available at some area wants to do his part in helping small The other livestock raised on slaughter plants within a 150-mile farm stands, too. family farms to survive and thrive. If radius, and most of the meat is then Thistle Creek Farms are the flock of Some upscale grocery chains have you’d like to contact him, call 814- distributed to a wide variety of buyers 150 ewes and their lambs. They graze also been asking to sell his beef, but 632-8609, or go to www.thistlecreek- in the East. areas along streams, keeping over- George doesn’t think they’re the right farms.com growth and undesired plants in check. George says his markets are grow- fit for Thistle Creek Farms. Neither Normally George doesn’t graze sheep ing without much effort. While this is having other people grass-finish Tamara Scully is a writer based in with the cattle, as their value is in is primarily a wholesale operation animals for his label. Columbia, New Jersey. Page 4 August-September 2020

Eric Sheffer How to balance milk and pasture production is certainly something I allowed to stress me out over the years. After hearing several old-timers tell me to quit advisors stressing, I finally did so. The key was keeping it all very simple. In my mind you have to pick your strategy. Do you want to have the highest- This month’s question: performing cows and care less about the costs, or do you want to maximize How do you balance milk and pasture? pasture yield and soil health while still making respectable milk volume? For me as a grazier, chasing milk is the most frustrating battle to fight. Each time If you have a question you’d like addressed, contact Graze. I’ve tried changing up a grazing or feeding strategy, I end up finding out all over again that the cows will make only what the system allows. So I gave up on setting goals for big increased milk production, and switched my focus on overall grazing efficiency. Our overall strategy is to utilize every blade of grass we possibly can while David Erb seeing slow and steady milk increases over time. These milk increases come from better forages, new varieties, genetics and hopefully at least some bet- We used to play around with the amount of grain in the ration, but now all ter management. Our days of eight- to ten-inch grass with spring turnaround we do is go up to 8 lbs. and back off to 6 lbs., and we’ve settled on a plain 11% times of 14-18 days are certainly done. We spent years pushing the soil in that ration with corn, oats and molasses. We seem to have found a sweet spot as way, and I am glad we smartened up. To me, this system is far too hard on plant our grasses and soils improved. From 2013 through 2018 our milk production roots, and I truly believe a waste of time for the cows. increased every year without making any changes in the ration. While the feed is rocket fuel and you can push milk production by matching “Grass follows the cows” this pasture with the right feeds at the barn, overall pasture intake can suffer if the sward isn’t perfectly dense. Letting the pasture get a bit taller and allow- Our motto is, “the grass follows the cows.” I know that graziers usually think ing more time for the shorter grasses and clovers in the sward to mature means it’s the opposite, but to grow grass we need the right stocking rate, enough hoof you’re not beating on the less-competitive plant, thus allowing sward density to action, and good fertility distribution. As your fertility and soil life increase persist. This is a win for the paddock. There is less protein in the grass, but not and you do not abuse the pastures, the grass follows the cows. Each farm has wasting as much protein in the cow has been a nice change. a sweet spot. For ours it’s 43 to 45 cows on 54 acres. We try to attain optimum Our rotation is now set more with soil health in mind. I do not like tall- milk while having the cows graze 60-80% of their dry matter. grazing with huge amounts of cows on tiny breaks, but we do shoot for 12- to We did the “short-grazing” thing with fewer cows and shorter rest periods, 14-inch grass that has seen no less than three weeks of growth, and most times but the energy balance just wasn’t working. Maybe this worked in the spring, more. That said, in the late spring I will have the cows graze tall paddocks to but when the heat came on in the summer the cows suffered. Now we start out avoid making baleage and to push out the rotation. The spring lush is deceiving the spring grazing grass at four to six inches with a low stocking rate of about in the Northeast, as it goes away as fast as it comes. To avoid big drops in milk, two acres per cow, and move them fast by allowing them only a couple of hours I graze tall only during the days and get the cows onto the next rotation at night. to half a day on each paddock. This usually stimulates grass growth and thick- This provides more consistent pasture intake. I very rarely alter grain feeding ens swards, and also benefits rumen health. during these tall-grazing times, as they don’t last very long. As we move into late spring/early summer, stock density is increased and we In terms of selecting stocking density, we look at it as an ever-changing ratio. follow the lead group of milking cows with either yearling heifers or one horse Our overall goal is to have 12 hours of grass at a time and leave as little waste for every 10 dairy animals, which helps maintain a more even sward while as possible while maintaining three inches of overall residual. When measuring delaying seedhead formation. By the spring flush we have a four-to six-week pasture breaks, we use estimated dry matter availability in the paddock to match grass bank and usually start using cross fences, which creates a high stock- what the ration is calling for. We alter paddock size to ensure adequate grass ing density and helps maintain the grass bank. Having five to seven acres of as long as weather permits, keeping the diet as consistent as possible. If we sorghum-sudangrass available helps maintain that bank going into the summer clip more than once in the late spring I believe we are wasting too much, and slump. we stick by that pretty closely. Underutilizing pasture to make more milk per We used to make the mistake of having the cows graze all of their forage cow is something that my stocking rate just doesn’t allow, but even if we were needs until we were almost completely out of grass. They crashed. Finally we understocked I wouldn’t be able to stomach the expense of wasting grass. realized that we have to feed earlier at the bunk. We base that on the grass bank Our last piece in balancing milk production with pasture production is the that’s out there. Now, when there are less than three weeks in the bank, we start overall ration. I truly believe that once you pick your style of grazing, the rest is feeding at the bunk. as simple as math and science. We have found our preferred way of managing We could feed more stored feed, but our land base is limited, and we find that grass, so calculating the rest is really quite easy. It all comes down to total graz- the organic feed we buy for winter is pretty expensive. If I had 10 or 12 more ing acres, average grass production, total cows and what level of milk produc- acres I would grow some corn for silage. So instead we manage our grazing tion you want to base budgets upon. There is only so much grass to graze, so with the idea of improving soil health. Soil that has lots of life produces thick balancing it needs to be done as on any other dairy. Obviously weather patterns swards of nutrient-dense forages that keep our cows healthy and happy with 20- change grass availability, but choosing diets based on the actual grass qual- 40% of dry matter intake from stored forages and just a little grain. We feel our ity and quantity we have is what allows it to all come together. Taking grass grazing management builds that soil life. samples really helps, and finding the right nutritionist is essential.

David Erb milks cows on a certified organic dairy near Brinkhaven, Ohio. Eric Sheffer milks cows on a certified organic dairy near Hoosick Falls, NewYork.

Olaf Haugen I do not think there is a tradeoff between milk production and soil health/pas- ture production. Healthier soil will produce more and higher-quality forage that makes more milk. I think the difficult part is keeping this goal of healthier soils ahead of daily milk production. Most soil health practices advocate for taller grazing with longer rest periods, which can make it difficult to harvest high- quality dairy forage. When grazing dairy cows, I try to keep the basic principles of soil health in mind by keeping ground covered, not allowing cows to go eat new growth, and allowing for adequate rest periods to promote thicker swards. We are stocked at roughly 1.2 acres per cow, and grazing density will vary by time of year and what we are grazing. On the higher-density side, we’re prob- ably around 300,000 lbs./acre while grazing summer annuals, probably closer to 100,000 lbs. through most of the grazing season, and get down to 45,000 lbs. as forage yield decreases. We do move cows every 12 hours with back fencing and at times make two or three moves during the day. Keeping cows in smaller paddocks with frequent moves helps a lot with the cows not selecting plants and keeping manure distributed. It also keeps intakes up on less desirable, maybe slightly overmature plants. My overall strategy for grazing is to push forage production into the late fall. Page 5

This means I may let pastures get a little ranker through May and June, allow- it vegetative and productive. Ten or fifteen years later, “tall grazing” and “mob ing cows to be more selective, and then clipping behind. Allowing pastures to grazing” became popular, perhaps as a backlash to failures and problems with get ranker instead of keeping them vegetative seems to help keep them thicker the former method. I am a member of a regenerative grazing Facebook group, and producing more through drier, hotter stretches, and then come back stronger and I get the impression that at least a vocal minority of commenters view mob in September/October. grazing tall pastures as the only solution for fertility, weeds, organic matter, soil This comes back to the earlier comment about not chasing daily milk produc- moisture, animal health, carbon sequestration, sward diversity, toxins, pests and tion. I look at the system as milk produced per year, not per day. By maybe giv- a plethora of other issues. ing up some milk during May and June, I think I can better set up my pastures Our grazing management falls somewhere in the middle. While we do have for producing in October and November. To me, some perennial ryegrass pastures, our climate and drought patterns don’t lend November and December is where money is made themselves to ryegrass as a whole-farm solution. Our predominant pasture mix or lost. Just about any grazing strategy works in May has alfalfa and a mixture of grasses that complement alfalfa’s taller growth and June when grass is in its flush, but it’s tough to habit. This mix doesn’t perform well with very short rotations, so it’s usually 25 graze in December if you’ve burned out your pastures to 30 days before we return to a paddock. Generally the pasture is over the top by September. of my muck boots before we turn in, and sometimes it gets to knee-high. Once Soil health goes beyond just grazing. I am all no- it is over my knees, we start to see greatly increased trampling and wastage. till even on outwintered areas, as I have found that My experience with mob grazing came in my early years before it was cool. the less you till, the less you need to till. Keeping When pasture would get ahead of us, I would make the breaks smaller and more cows on some kind of sod through the worst of the frequent in trying to account for the increased dry matter available and to force mud, and not allowing them to be anywhere too long, better utilization. This never ended well. Milk production declined. And as the will allow soils to recover pretty quickly. Seeds may rotation slowed, pasture growth got more rank, thus exacerbating the situa- need to be added, but the soils tend to recover and I tion. Lower milk production meant the cows didn’t eat as much, so the rotation can usually put these areas into the grazing rotation slowed further. It seems that mob grazing begets mob grazing. on the second go-round. Also, outwintered cows are moved as much as pos- Now I try to look past available dry matter when sible. Even on frozen ground I think damage is done to pastures if cows are left pastures are too tall, allocating area based on normal anywhere for more than 10 days. So it’s a dance around where cows can find heights. There is an inverse relationship between shelter and where I can get feed out during the winter and spring. grazing quantity and quality. This additional feed al- I do have an advantage over organic or grassfed producers in being able to lows the cows to be more selective and helps main- feed a wide variety of reasonably priced supplemental feed year-round. This tain milk production better as pasture matures. allows me to flex the demand on pasture and maybe compensate for grazing I will yield to the mob grazing dogma that trampled less-than-ideal swards while keeping milk production at reasonable levels. grass is not wasted grass. While I would much prefer Overall, I think we need to remember that we are grass farmers, and that to profitably harvest it with a cow and recycle the cows are just the most efficient harvesters. So we need to focus on growing nutrients back to the soil, soil biology can do the job, high-yielding, quality forage. That comes from healthy soil. too. I just don’t make a point of doing it this way. My job is to manage grazing the best I can in order to run Olaf Haugen milks cows near Canton, Minnesota. that grass through a ruminant and thus improve the soil. To that end, we use a follower group behind the milking herd to clean up. Bred heifers and dry cows do well on milking herd leftovers as long as you Philip Witmer leave enough residual. We give twice-daily breaks with the milking herd, aver- aging 125,000 to 150,000 lbs. of livestock per acre. Followers are moved daily I remember a dairy grazing mentor explaining to me years ago that he wasn’t at half the stocking rate of the leaders. The back fence is moved daily to keep a dairy farmer. He was a grass farmer, and dairy cows were how he harvested the followers right behind the milking herd. The idea is to clean up older forage his crop. This made perfect sense coming from him, as he had sheep and beef — not graze regrowth. before transitioning to a different harvester. For me, coming from a convention- We get fairly uniform manure distribution throughout the paddock with the al dairy background, it was a helpful reset, a paradigm shift. leader/follower system. There are the usual areas near water troughs, gates and Since then I have realized that grass farming and dairy farming can be one shade trees that get an additional helping, but other areas aren’t deficient. When and the same. If I do a good job managing the grass, my harvesting crew will be applying dairy slurry we avoid those areas. Manure spreading is a good time for well fed and productive. Since the harvesting crew also fertilizes and manages an intentional redistribution of resources. grass growth, when they are productive, so are my pastures. It is a “both-and” situation, a positive feedback loop. Philip Witmer milks cows on a certified organic dairy near Dayton, Virginia. I will admit my bias is still toward the cows. The most productive, fertile soils in the world were originally grassland systems. Large herds of ruminants LOOK TO AITCHISON!! roaming, grazing and meeting their production needs gave those soils the rich- When looking for the BEST no-till forage drill at the BEST price ness being mined by crop farming today. I think that mimicking that system by meeting grazing animals’ production needs with the benefit of the grazier’s • 7’-12’ width 5” - 6” row spacing management can improve soil and grasslands even more. • Affordable: $1100 per row Grazing management on our farm has never quite been with the “in crowd.” • Sponge-feeding system sows forage mixes When we started grazing, the New Zealand style of the late ‘90s was in vogue evenly, accurately and we were advised to graze ryegrass that was six to eight inches tall in the • Reduce seeding rates 30%+ due to increased vegetative stage, and take it down to three or four inches. Rotate fast, and keep emergence Our Drill: ┴-shaped slot 1-5/8” wide prunes competing roots, slowing the growth of the existing sward. Creates soil tilth, increasing access to soil nutrients. Retains 8x more moisture and 3x more oxygen than other planting systems. Clean, smear-free, cocoon-shaped, ideal mini-seedbed, yields consistent, uniform stands.

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“With the Aitchison Drill we now have excellent seed-to-soil contact any time we hit the field, even in dense sod. Everything we sow takes. I have sown 9 different seed species uniformly without separation.” — Joe Langmeier, Prairie Du Chien, WI

CALL TODAY FOR FEWER PROBLEMS (800) 432-4020 TOMORROW www.aitchison.co.nz • www.tigercoinc.com Page 6 August-September 2020 Joel McNair How grassfed fits within a lab meat world

If we are to believe the words of ing to fake meat booster The Good If someone has to take a hit, we shelves were often barren and prices Patrick Brown, founder and CEO of Food Institute. wouldn’t mind it being the monopo- were rising. (USDA projected retail plant “meat” purveyor Impossible So while the meat is fake, the busi- listic packers and the gigantic feedlots beef prices to increase 8%, pork to Foods, the end of traditional livestock ness sector is very much for real. In that serve them. climb 4.5%, and poultry 3% in 2020 agriculture is at hand: the marketing world, by no means And indeed there is reason to be- compared to last year.) Congressional “(P)lant-based products are going do half-truths and outright lies doom lieve these giants may fall hardest. I charges of monopolistic price-fixing to completely replace the animal- a product or happen to directed toward the “big four” packers based products in the food world a sector to think that don’t help, either. within the next 15 years. That trans- failure. Piles of smaller- Consumer beef demand did appear formation is inevitable.” money have a scale, to be strong this summer after a rocky Of course Brown’s prediction, way of over- grass- period of supply disruptions as pack- made in June on cable news network coming the based pro- ing plants shuttered and marketing CNBC, needs to be viewed as coming truth. And the ducers will channels were upended. from someone whose primary goal is meat industry survive the Still, surveys suggest trouble could to attract investment funding to grow does have onslaught be brewing. While the results could his company and make himself rich. some serious fairly well. be questioned due to the sponsor, 52% When it comes to truth in market- problems that But only of the respondents in a poll commis- ing, the ceaseless “save the planet” make it an if they put sioned by the Humane Society of the palaver surrounding Impossible easy target. a lot of United States said the food industry Foods’ flagship “Impossible Burger” As small-scale livestock produc- emphasis on customer education and should focus more on meat-free foods and the company’s newly introduced ers, we need to watch this fake stuff service. I’ll get into that further down, to reduce shortages. Half of those sur- “Impossible Sausage” has more than closely and do what we can to counter but let’s look at some of the realities veyed said the meatpackers don’t care a few holes in terms of nutrition, its effects. of where we’re at today. about their workers, and 65% had genetic modification, environmental similar thoughts about their treatment impacts and other problems. Dr. Allen Meat likely to take a hit The spotlight of animals. Williams outlined many of them in And there will be effects. While As we’ve detailed in recent issues, An annual survey by the Interna- the December 2019 edition of Graze. almost nothing can be predicted with the Covid-19 pandemic has provided tional Food Information Council, confidence during these craziest of a market boost to many grass-based which is funded by big food com- Money talks times, it is highly unlikely that the farms — especially those selling panies, found that almost 30% of But the fake meat spiel has indeed meat sector as we know it will be directly to customers. the American public ate more plant become a tremendous money magnet. gone by 2035. The pandemic also shed harsh new proteins in the previous year, with a As was noted in our previous edi- However, it is quite possible that light upon the meatpacking industry’s similar percentage saying they had tion, Impossible Foods announced the business will suffer substantial treatment of its workforce, which has cut back on their consumption of red in March that it had attracted $500 and possibly destructive declines in suffered some of the nation’s greatest meat. million during its latest investment domestic demand as the fake meats rates of infection. funding round. — both plant-based and grown from The industry certainly ranks high Targeting carnivores That was more than half of the animal cells in labs — gain traction in on America’s list of virus villains, es- Pat Brown from Impossible Meats record $930 million invested in all coming years. pecially among citizens who’ve heard smells (fake) blood as he peddles plant- and cell-based meat efforts dur- Which parts of the meat industry that huge volumes of meat were being products that aim to mimic the taste ing the first quarter of 2020, accord- will suffer the bulk of the damage? shipped to China at a time when U.S. and overall quality characteristics of

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Joel McNair Ruth McNair One year: $30 • Two years: $54 • For international rates see below Editor/Publisher Business/Advertising Director Online Contributing Editor: Martha Hoffman Kerestes, Streator, IL. Grazier Advisory Board: Olaf Haugen, Canton, MN; David Erb, Brinkhaven, OH; Visit www.grazeonline.com, click “Subscribe,” and follow instructions Philip Witmer, Dayton, VA; Eric Sheffer, Hoosick Falls, NY. from there. Contributors: Daniel Olson, Lena, WI; Jim Van Der Pol, Kerkhoven, MN; Janet McNally, Hinckley, MN; Nathan Weaver, Canastota, NY; Allen Williams, Starkville, MS; Jon Bansen, Monmouth, OR; Cheyenne Christianson, Chetek, WI; Karen Hoffman, Norwich, NY; John By mail Arbuckle, Newcastle, ME; Greg Brickner, Wonewoc, WI. Back issues Fill out the form below and mail it to: also available: Graze How to reach Graze: Web site: www.grazeonline.com PO Box 48 see page 16 Telephone: 608-455-3311 U.S. mail: Graze Belleville, WI 53508 P.O. 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Box 48, Belleville, WI 53508-0048. ISSN: 1940-6185 USPS 024-496 Please make check payable to Graze Page 7 real meat. At a June press conference phis Meats launch construction of a er market, which of course will affect Brown said the company is not trying pilot production facility. the dairy sector. No issue next month to attract the vegans and vegetarians At least three of the big packers are Higher-end cuts will survive at Graze is continuing its summer who have long chosen tofu burg- hedging their bets by investing in fake least the initial stage of pressure from publishing schedule, and there will be ers and the like. He’s going after meats and/or distancing themselves the companies manipulating soybeans no issue in September. The next edition “hard-core carnivores” in an effort to from the real thing. and peas, as it seems highly unlikely will carry an October dateline, and destroy the meat business. Tyson now refers to itself as “The that Impossible Foods or anyone else monthly publication will then resume. “That’s the only customer we care Protein Company”, and the slogan will be able to come up with a good about because our mission is to re- “Cargill Meat Solutions” has been T-bone. what we’re claiming is indeed true. place the most destructive technology changed to “Cargill Protein”. JBS That story could change if the cul- And of course many of the individual in human history, which is the use of has its own fake meat division. Down tured meat sector gets its act together, customers of direct-sales farms will animals to produce food, with much the road, National Beef may have to as it may be possible to come close want to know why what you’re doing better plant-based technology.” change its name. enough to pass such steaks onto big- is better. Earlier that day, the company an- box store customers with less discrim- In other words, we need to show nounced it had reached a deal to sell Not ready for prime time inating taste buds. them the data in addition to telling the an “Impossible Breakfast Sandwich” Despite all the hype, this stuff is This seems highly unlikely to story. We’re starting to do some of including plant-based “sausage” at not yet ready to dominate the industry. happen within the next decade or so, that, but much more is needed. thousands of Starbucks stores. Impos- Impossible Burger and its ilk sell at but such lab concoctions will need to sible Meats reports grocery store a premium to conventional, and as of be watched closely and challenged Accelerating change sales of its “Impossible Burger” have today a single burger produced from whenever possible. All told, beef is going to become doubled each month since April. cultured cells would need to sell at more “nichey”. More like dairy in The firm trumpets that in contrast much higher prices to cover produc- Grassfed’s place offering a wider array of product op- to the big meatpackers, its produc- tion costs. How does grassfed fit in such a tions. tion workers are able to maintain safe world? Hopefully pretty well. Surveys continue to indicate con- Gigantic feedlots face a none-too- social distance during the pandemic. sumer wariness of these foods — the We have great and honest stories to bright future. And while the big-four term “frankenfoods” remains operable offer our customers: superior nutri- “Clean” meat also rising meatpackers are getting into the here. tion, unique tastes, carbon sequestra- alternative game, they are still likely While the plant-based meat sub- Yet given its progress in both tion, soil conservation, water quality, to see a tremendous erosion in their stitutes are first out of the gate, science and attracting money over animal welfare, “family farm” agri- dominant positions. A large share of “cultured” or “clean” meat grown in the past decade, this sector certainly culture and support of rural econo- their current 80%-plus market share laboratories may become a bigger deserves our attention. The Covid- mies. will be stolen by a variety of non- deal for companies trying to convert 19 pandemic is likely to cause many Almost assuredly a certain segment meat companies. carnivores with misgivings about long-term changes in American life, of customers will seek such stories Covid-19 may accelerate the carbon-emitting cows and inhumane and acceleration of the decades-long due to a distrust of laboratory concoc- changes, as the pandemic has shown packing plants. move away from actual meat could be tions that will have more than a few the harshest spotlight yet upon the The process involves culturing one of them. shortcomings in these areas. seamier side of the mega-packer busi- stem cells taken from animals and But we must do our homework ness. multiplying them into fully formed Beef is the target and become even better educators. Meanwhile, boutique meat produc- meat. While it is highly unlikely that We will need to monitor the nutri- ers, certainly grassfed among them, Cultured meat may prove to be the plant and cultured meats can tional profiles of the lab stuff and be should be able to carve out their own nutritionally similar to the real stuff fully match the real stuff in terms of prepared to compare them with what special places. while not requiring genetic engineer- nutrition and taste, most likely the we’re producing. I harbor few doubts that this can ing to pull off the trick. Both are fake meats will come close enough We need more data on the environ- happen, with the biggest of those major potential advantages over the to cause severe damage to the main- mental effects of our farming vs. their doubts centering on the ability of plant-based fake meats offered by Im- stream meat sector — perhaps within manufacturing. We need more on soil smaller-scale processing facilities to possible Foods and others of its kind. the 15-year timeframe Brown is health, carbon sequestration, run-off, serve smaller producers due to the The aforementioned Good Food targeting. groundwater effects and much more. high costs of operating at such scale. Institute says that last year 27 com- And beef has the biggest target We must educate about the benefits Grassfed beef imports might also take panies worldwide were developing on its back. At least for Impossible of animal manure within relatively a hit from the lab meat, perhaps open- cellular meat to copy everything from Foods, the plan is to follow a “worst closed production systems versus ing doors for domestic producers. fish to chicken to beef. first” strategy, said spokesperson Ra- monocultures of corn and soybeans. So if the fake meats do indeed Bill Gates has poured millions into chel Konrad. Their perspective is that Not all do-good organizations and smash the dominant meat industry Memphis Meats, the most prominent beef has the most destructive impact individuals are sold on the lab meats. within 15 years, there will be opportu- of the U.S. cultured meat companies, upon consumers and the environment. More than a few entities — both not- nities to pick up the pieces, at least for saying that “clean meat” is the best So where are we headed? IF the and for-profit — are looking seri- those who are willing to act. way to feed growing populations lab-meat companies can get their ously at providing more financing and while avoiding environmental disas- costs in line and the regulators on greater market access to the grassfed Joel McNair is editor and publisher of ter. Tyson Foods and Cargill are also their side, at the very least we are sector. Graze and has a small farm in southern investors, and they’ve helped Mem- looking at a major hit to the hamburg- But they need to be convinced that Wisconsin. Winifred Hoffman and her family graze, milk and sell genetics from their Illinois herd that was established in 1936.

Page 8 August-September 2020 Now is the time to take the marketing leap Blaine Hitzfield sees opportunity, but convenience needs to be at the fore

By Martha Hoffman Kerestes Says Blaine: “Now more than list,” Blaine explains. “The website is ever it’s critical that farms focus on a place to land and learn about you, If you were ever thinking of jump- providing all these new buyers with and the email list builds the relation- “What a time to be ing into the direct-marketing business, a convenient buying experience that ship over time.” a farm doing direct now is the time to do it. exceeds their expectations so that At Seven Sons, website visitors can marketing!” That’s the view of Blaine Hitzfield, we can convert one-time buyers into sign up for emails that tell the story CEO of Seven Sons Farms, a family- lifetime customers.” of the farm through videos and virtual owned farm and marketing business Having customers put a down tours to build trust without asking At Seven Sons, the past few months based in Roanoke, Indiana, that sells payment on some meat and drive them to buy anything right away. of the coronavirus pandemic caused pasture-raised meats and other prod- to the processor in the fall to pick it their foodservice business to dry up. ucts across the U.S. up might have worked a decade ago They must find you But direct-to-consumer sales spiked Blaine sees the next 18 to 24 when it was hard to find grassfed Second, a farm needs to be sure and more than took up the slack. months as offering a great window meats, but Blaine says that model can- they are accessible to the customers Overall sales grew 400% in March of opportunity to connect with the not compete in today’s world where who find them. This could be remote and 1,000% in April, and since May tremendous numbers of consumers large-scale direct marketing compa- pickup locations close to the custom- have been up 300% year over year. who are newly concerned about food nies like ButcherBox and Crowd Cow er, or ship-to-door options. Going forward, Blaine wants to security and safety. are selling meat with online ordering Since the packaging and logistics maintain the direct sales side of the More people are looking for local and ship-to-door options. required to ship nationally are com- business and keep the new customers food as the Covid-19 pandemic rages, “The bottom line is they don’t plex, Blaine recommends limiting the even as foodservice opens back up. and Blaine says that farmers who’ve have a better product or a better story radius to a one-day ground shipping “The risk is spread out over thousands thought of getting into marketing — what they have is better conve- distance because cooling and packag- of customers as opposed to just a should seriously look at starting now. nience,” he says of such companies. ing options are relatively simple in handful,” he notes. “What a time to be a farm doing And that convenience is what will that time frame. Seven Sons ships direct marketing!” Blaine says. “This keep customers coming back again 80% of their products within 400 Wholesale can help is a unique window of time that is and again. “We may not like it as miles of the farm, but they also now Another way to build resilience for an opportunity to seize. It’s going to farmers, but it’s what we have to deal ship to all 48 states. the farm is through strategic use of be easier for everyone, so it’s a good with.” To eliminate extra calls and emails wholesale business. “Diversity is al- time to be getting started.” Farms The good news is that smaller-scale from people across the country, it is ways a good thing,” Blaine says. “We that are already marketing and have farms have the advantage once they helpful if the website lets customers like to focus on wholesale avenues an email list of customers have the start thinking about the customer know right away whether they are in that complement our direct-to-con- potential to see great gains as well, he experience. “As a local farm or a range of shipping or not. sumer shipping business.” adds. regional farm that has that high level For example, Blaine said the For example, Seven Sons eggs are Blaine sees that window closing of integrity, quality and authenticity, if GrazeCart software he helped develop in about three-dozen Whole Foods within 18 to 24 months assuming an you add convenience to the equation, has customers type in their zip code stores in the Midwest. This provides effective Covid-19 vaccine becomes that becomes that winning combina- when they first come to the page. If a path for potential customers to widely available. “Farmers would be tion,” he says. “The sky is the limit.” customers are not in the area, they can discover the farm and then purchase wise to keep in mind that the aware- Customer convenience has long sign up for emails to let them know if meat directly from Seven Sons. ness gained through Covid-19 will been a cornerstone of the Seven Sons and when the farm does start shipping And people who first buy Seven eventually subside,” he explains. business philosophy. “Our success in or delivering there. Sons products through home delivery He is optimistic that direct mar- direct marketing is really tied to how companies are already used to order- keters can keep many of those new mindful we’re being as far as provid- It must be available ing online, and can easily switch to customers after the pandemic passes. ing convenience to customers; how The third convenience factor is buying directly from the farm. “Retaining customers by far will be well we’re putting ourselves in our product availability — Blaine says it Home delivery retailers saw sales the greatest opportunity and has the customers’ shoes,” Blaine offers. needs to be year-round. double or triple when the pandemic potential to change the long-term tra- “If farms can focus on those three hit. Blaine says home delivery compa- jectory of so many farms right now,” Breaking it down things, over time they’ll be able to nies are getting inundated with orders Blaine says. The idea of convenience can be ab- win customers and repeat customers,” and are looking for new farms to sup- stract, so he breaks it down into three he asserts. ply products. Convenience is key main areas of application. Blaine sees farmers focusing on “It’s a good time to partner up with But capitalizing on that opportunity First, be visible to the customer, things like product quality and genet- others, whether other home delivery will require success in one area of because they have to know you exist ics. While that’s fine, additional focus retail companies or other farms with the business where farmers often fall to buy from you. on the customer is also necessary. a market established,” he says. These types of partnerships can be an oppor- short: convenience. “It starts with the website and email “At the end of the day, people want tunity for farms to sell product whole- better food, but they’re busy,” Blaine sale in quantity while building their explains. “They need farmers to make own direct-to-consumer shipping. life easier for them.” Blaine says this collaborative Right now that’s an easier task for aspect of the regenerative agricultural the direct marketer. In a world where sector is a direct contrast to what he’s requirements for facemasks and occu- seen in the software business, where pancy limits makes going to the gro- everything is proprietary and secret. cery store a chore, farmers shipping to Seven Sons wants to share what customers’ doorsteps provide an extra they’ve learned in their three years of level of simplicity and safety. direct-to-consumer shipping, par- Markets are changing ticularly with the GrazeCart website platform that includes a video course Blaine says recent market research and a Facebook group for businesses is showing an interesting trend. to share ideas and strategies. “The businesses that are thriving “We consider ourselves an open- through this current economic envi- source farm sharing what we’ve ronment are businesses focused on learned about marketing,” he ex- providing customers with a sense of plains. reassurance, trust, and safety,” he ex- plains. “Lots of customers are turning Martha Hoffman Kerestes is a local and regional for sources of many freelance writer and grass farmer goods, not just food.” based in Streator, Illinois. Page 9 Corn grazing does the job for Haugen

By Joel McNair “I like the tonnage we can get,” he replies, citing yields Olaf Haugen doesn’t like grow- up to five tons dry matter per ing, harvesting and storing corn acre, and usually at least three silage because of the costs involved. tons even under less ideal But he does like having his milking conditions. Olaf says sorghum- cows graze corn as a grazing season sudan won’t yield as well for extender. him, especially in a cooler For the past decade, Olaf, a Graze growing season. advisor who milks about 150 cows As with most of his manage- Photos: Vance Haugen in Minnesota just north of the Iowa ment, Olaf tries to stay flexible border, has been planting corn with a with the grazing corn. He’ll goal of providing his permanent pas- generally target 15 to 40 acres The milking herd tures extended mid- and late-season for renovation in a given year, grazes corn during rest periods. but realizes weather conditions the daytime hours, getting a new Also, Olaf acknowledges that he will dictate the ultimate acre- break each day. As can’t seem to get to the point where age planted to corn. none of his paddocks require renova- the bottom photo And while the goal is to tion, and corn is his primary crop of indicates, utilization have multiple corn strips avail- choice for that process. is very good able to graze at all times from “If all of our pastures were excel- mid-July through late fall, lent, maybe (the corn) wouldn’t be moisture conditions will affect worth it,” he explains. how many acres are ready for the Why corn? cows at any given time. down with glyphosate. Olaf says do the job through the late-spring and Many if not most dairy graziers are Most years he’s willing to seed he’s trying to move away from the summer months. in the same boat, but harvested hay, corn anytime between mid-May and chemical, and has had some success Barring the introduction of beef corn silage and annual grazing crops August 1. Often he’ll plant about four in establishing seedings after forcing cows or some other class of animals, other than corn are probably more or five acres at a time, which is usual- stock to graze tightly. “we’re limited in how many acres we popular in achieving these goals. Why ly enough to provide daytime grazing “It’s definitely more challenging,” can do this without the chemical,” does Olaf choose grazing corn over for a week or more. If conditions are he reports. Olaf doesn’t want to force Olaf explains. sorghum-sudangrass or some other right he’ll seed another few acres each milking cows to work this hard, and In years past he employed a con- crop that can be either grazed or me- week or two through midsummer. with the herd being entirely spring- ventional corn planter, making two chanically harvested more than once Most often seed has been drilled calved he doesn’t have a large number during the course of a season? into existing sod that has been burned of non-milking animals available to continued on page 10 Page 10 August-September 2020 Keeping your guard dog with the stock

By Janet McNally breeds tend to do their job by patrol- ling, while others are inclined to Here is one of the questions I get chase predators a good distance (up asked most often: “How can I get my to a mile) away from the stock. Still livestock guardian dog to stay with its other breeds stay very close to the livestock?” livestock, seldom venturing more than Janet McNally Usually the people asking this a thousand feet from their charges. Trained properly, a livestock guardian dog will become part of the flock. question already have a problem with a dog that is leaving the livestock to What’s your situation? ing to make a patrolling dog stay on That said, I am going to mention hang out in the yard or wander off the So first evaluate your situation, and a property of less than 100 acres is a two popular breeds that represent the property. then look for a dog that fits your man- frustrating experience at best. furthest ends of the spectrum. Getting a dog to stay with its agement style. If you live on less than My advice is to buy your dogs from The Great Pyrenees is a patrolling livestock is a process that begins a hundred acres, or you are grazing a person who manages their livestock dog. It likes really large real estate. when the pup is four or five weeks small pastures around the neighbor- similar to how you do things. Large, meaning hundreds of acres. old — a process influenced by how hood, you need a close-working dog. That means making sure the fenc- This is a poor choice for someone on the breeder, and then you, If your ing and grazing system are similar. 20 acres unless you plan to build a raise the dog for the first six livestock Buying a dog housed in a small hold- dog-tight fence. to twelve months of its life. First of two parts are graz- ing area with a six-foot high, dog- The Maremma is the opposite. This But before we even talk about ing large tight chain link fence will assure you working breed often stays within a rearing, let’s visit a bit about selecting areas consisting of several hundred of nothing! thousand feet of its charges. the right dog. acres or more, which is often the case It is not my intention to say much The rest of the breeds fit some- Staying with livestock is also in more arid environments, dogs that about breeds in this article, because where between these two. Talk to largely influenced by genetics. Some patrol may be a better fit. Attempt- that in itself is a huge topic. your prospective source, observe their dogs, and make sure they match your situation. above 9%, ADF at 33% and NDF at Grazing corn nearly 54%. Bonding starts early Says Olaf, “It’s not super-high Bonding the pup to the livestock continued from page 9 planting dates on a calendar and can quality, but we pick up in dry mat- is important in getting it to stay with just about count on turning in 60 days ter intake.” He says the cows graze them. The window of opportunity for passes in a cross-check pattern. Now later. It needs to be grazed within a the corn better than perennial pasture this bonding generally opens when Olaf uses his no-till drill with 7.5-inch week to avoid becoming too mature. in hot weather, and the taller plants the pup is four weeks old, and it is spacing. One pass works if the sod Cows are in the corn during the provide some shade. said to close at around 16 weeks of is soft enough, but sometimes he’ll daytime hours between milkings, with If conditions are right, the last age. make two passes. Olaf says ensuring a new half-acre break (for 150 cows corn planted grows into October and This does not mean the training is good seed-soil contact is one of the averaging about 1,100 lbs. body- is palatable enough to graze well done at 16 weeks. Instead this is the bigger challenges he faces with the weight) normally offered at mid-day. beyond the first fall frost. Unlike period in which the pup can be influ- corn. Two passes with a four-wheeler knock sorghum-sudangrass, prussic acid is enced to accept other species into its Seed has come from various down swathes for the hot wires. No not a concern. concept of a pack. sources, including bin-run. Right now back-fencing is done when a strip is What happens after the corn is My experience has been that pup- Olaf prefers an 84-day BMR grazing being grazed less than one week. off depends largely upon the sea- pies that are not introduced to live- variety offered by Green Cover Seed. Olaf says he hasn’t had much son, weeds and weather. If relatively stock by nine weeks will bond less “I do like the BMR, because it seems trouble controlling the herd, although clean and with plenty of moisture, a tightly to their livestock than those like the cows get more out of it.” watching them charge into a field summer-grazed strip might be planted introduced earlier. Certainly there can Early in the season he’ll drill for the first time is “a little nerve- directly to a perennial pasture mix. be exceptions, but if you are look- 110,000 seeds/acre (about 60 lbs.), wracking. They really love the stuff.” Later-grazed and weedier strips might ing to improve your odds of success, but moves the rate as high as 150,000/ Perennial pasture is offered after the stay in an annual such as oats or oats/ early introduction to livestock is key. acre by mid-summer to account for night milking. peas if seeded early enough, or winter Once you bring the pup home, have reduced plant height later in the In terms of milk production, the rye if it’s late in the season. a place ready that is puppy-tight and season. corn “will hold its own against pretty In the end, not much of this is set in with a few selected animals appropri- Olaf turns the cows in at the first good pasture,” Olaf offers. One test stone. And that’s fine with Olaf, who ate for the young dog. For sheep and hint of tasseling, saying “That’s the taken a few years ago from October has always liked the flexibility the best bang for the buck.” He marks corn showed crude protein at just grazing-based system allows. continued on page 12

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Add Fertility to Your Pastures with Healthy Soil Free Digital Subscription for Every Subscriber Round out your reading every month with an Acres U.S.A. Magazine subscription, starting at just $39 for 12 issues per year for U.S. subscribers. That’s 100 pages of articles written by professional farmers, agronomists and ecologists an issue for less than $4/month. While we know that is still a commitment, we are focused on filling every magazine with ideas that will deliver a strong ROI for your operation. Subscribers also get a free digital issue with every subscription. 1-800-355-5313, or www.acresusa.com/subscribe. Page 12 August-September 2020 Soil health lessons from the Serengeti

By Ben Bartlett, DVM The one place where grazers still migrate is the What do wildebeests, ants, lions Serengeti ecosystem in Tanza- and acacia trees have to do with soil nia and Kenya. The Serengeti health in the pastures and farmland of is huge: almost 8 million the United States? acres, or an area about 110 Lots. miles square. Ben Bartlett I have always wished I had been Within this region are Wildebeest herds helped build one of the world’s great ecosystems. around to see the 50 million buffalo some 1.5 million wildebeest, and the fertile plains they helped cre- 200,000 zebras and 500,000 gazelles and other predators. And I can’t forget It is a grazier’s paradise that I feel ate in North America. But today we that make the grazing circuit every the dung beetles that make all the lucky to have visited in February can only see what’s left of their work. year along with a few lions, hyenas dung disappear! when the wildebeest were calving.

stick with your special training group months in a barn over winter. When Training guard dogs inside the netting, but as the pup spring arrives, the livestock go out, grows change out the young animals but the pup hangs out in the barnyard. continued from page 10 comfortable with each other. Then the for slightly older ones such as dry This is a dog that has bonded to the group can be moved outside to a pen yearlings. real estate more than the animals. goats, young, recently weaned lambs made with electrified netting for a few or kids are a great choice. For poul- months. Training to behave Fixing a problem try, cattle and hogs, fenceline contact I like to start pups in electrified In doing this, it is important to To fix the barn-bound pup, either with the livestock are the safest way poultry net at six weeks of age, then know that the livestock train the pup put it on a leash and walk it out with to introduce your pup to these spe- graduate to sheep netting after they how to behave. Your job is to give the animals each day, or give it a cies until it is old enough to be among are well trained to the fence at about the dog a good learning environment, special training group inside of some them safely. ten weeks old. which means changing the animals puppy-tight fence and move them Raising pups inside electrified When pups reach five months, they from time to time to elicit good be- frequently as described above. netting with a few young animals is can join the main flockIF the flock havior from the pup. If you already have adult dogs a great way to train them to stay with is in puppy-tight fencing or inside In the training phase it is impera- that can protect the pup, it may be their livestock. I recommend intro- electrified netting. If you are using tive that the pup learn to move with necessary to tie the young dog out in ducing the pup to the new animals in strand fencing or any other fence that the livestock. Rotational grazing is the pasture where the livestock like that puppy-tight pen until everyone is is not puppy-tight, you might want to perfect for this. to rest. But be aware: tying any dog An easy way to move everyone is makes it more vulnerable to predators to set up a paddock beside the one the and the weather. pup is already in. Open up the fence If you do frequent moves and use between paddocks and coax your pup puppy-tight fencing — suitable wo- to move with the animals. ven wire, stock panels or (my prefer- Use food if necessary to help it ence) electrified netting — for the first make the move. Rinse and repeat six year, your pup will be well-bonded to to ten times, and eventually the pup the livestock and know to move with will realize that whenever the live- them. stock move, he should move, too. Training to stay with the livestock This is a fundamental lesson that is generally complete by one year of teaches the young dog to follow the age. Some dogs will learn to jump stock. Eventually the pup will actually netting after that, but that’s OK. If lead the livestock to the next paddock. you followed the process up to this If you are dealing with long walks point, the dog will want back in and between paddocks, it may be neces- won’t wander off. sary to train the pup to accept a leash Next month, how to correct the so you can walk it with the animals to problem dog. the next pasture. A good example of how NOT to Janet McNally grazes sheep near start a pup: having it spend its first six Hinckley, Minnesota.

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This is a place where short-duration Here’s what the researchers dis- The key to reducing runoff and get- the plants and the life below. The grazing by large herds helped build covered. If the giraffe didn’t graze ting that rainfall into the soil is pore biting of a plant stimulates increased one of the world’s most unique eco- the acacia, the acacia quit providing space created by gums and glue from growth, and it trims a few roots that systems. feed for the biting ants that lived in microorganisms. No “bugs”, no pore become dinner for soil microbes. Seeing this “mob” grazing in the the galls. With fewer biting ants to space, and thus reduced water infiltra- And we can’t forget that more than wild is a special experience. While control them, there were more stem tion. It’s that simple. 80% of the nutrients in the grazed the predators keep the grazers in bore ants making homes for more The next challenge is to hold that plant get recycled into microbe- larger herds that can stretch for miles, wood-boring beetles, thus producing moisture for future plant use. Organic friendly dung and urine. Plus the hoof it is the rain that really controls their more wood-boring beetles that lead to matter is the key, and more organic action makes the uneaten material movements. unhealthy acacias. matter equals more water-holding more accessible to the microbes for As the grass gets short, these From the Serengeti I learned that capacity. future processing. groups move on to the next area that ecosystems of animals, plants and soil Organic matter is created not by received rain. As the rainy season life are much more complicated than “plowing down green manures”, but Grazing is necessary ends, they begin their northern migra- we have realized. by microbes creating mineral-organic When people talk about the nega- tion to grass and areas with permanent matter bonds that can last for centu- tive environmental impacts of live- drinking water in Kenya. Realizing the complexity ries. No “bugs”, less organic matter, stock, I joke that it’s a good thing we We humans want simplistic expla- less water-holding capacity. It’s that killed off all those buffalo before they Building diversity nations; that A causes B, and that’s the simple. ruined the prairie. Grazing animals The Serengeti also harbors a be- entire story. But that is not the way it turn plants into soil life food. It’s that wildering diversity of birds, insects, works in real life. Real plant food simple. small mammals, plants, trees and For me, the other important les- Fertility — the N, P and K that There is one critical element that other life. I’ll share a couple of stories sons are that it’s all interconnected, comes in bag or bulk — is not really makes your farm’s soil life system about the interaction that go beyond and that it may take some time to see the plant food we think it is. About different from the Serengeti’s: YOU. the predator-prey relationship and the full impact of a change. We work 85% of the nutrients utilized by the The wildebeest, hyenas and ants all show how nature may be more com- in months and years at best, while plant first go through a microbe that know what to do, as they have been plicated than first appears. Mother Nature works in decades and could be a bacteria or fungus. If that doing it for thousands of years. We Kudu are large antelopes that centuries. I love the Serengeti because life isn’t there, then the commercial have not been really managing the browse acacia. The kudu do this so much of the ecosystem is visible. fertilizer won’t provide very much of growing of grass anywhere near that browsing on the downwind side of the What we need to appreciate is that a growth boost. long, and still have a lot to learn. We trees so the acacias don’t know they the soil life ecosystems we have on The plant provides carbon in the have made mistakes by not appreciat- are coming. Sounds crazy, but let me our farms are just as complicated form of carbohydrates to the mi- ing our ecosystems’ complexity and explain. and interconnected as those of the crobes, and the soil life trades back to interconnectedness. According to South African re- Serengeti. While we can’t see these the plant other nutrients, plant pro- In the Serengeti we can see and search (Wouter Van Hoven, Pretoria ecosystems, we can realize their tection and water. Mycorrhizal fungi count the balance between the prey University), when acacia are browsed productive capacity if we understand can partner with roots to increase the and predators. We have not been able they emit ethylene into the air that can how to grow grass. range of the plant’s water and nutrient to see and count the life in the soil travel up to 50 yards to “warn” other Growing grass feeds us, cleans gathering by 700%. and are only beginning to appreci- acacias to boost their tannin levels our air and plays an important role Unless you want to grow grass ate the huge role that soil life plays. and make their leaves unpalatable and in recharging our aquifers. While the hydroponically and provide all the nu- And we have not fully considered the toxic to grazers. This can occur in ecosystem is complicated, there are trients you think the plant needs, you principles that are straightforward and just five to ten minutes. Defenseless principles that drive it. need soil life to be a partner in plant relatively simple. plants? What grows grass? Sunshine, nutrient fertility. It’s that simple. Grass needs sunshine, water, fertil- Since the ethylene travels with the water, fertility, diversity and grazing Diversity goes against most human ity, diversity and grazing livestock to wind, by grazing downwind of the livestock. desires. We want our lawns green thrive, and our management needs to trees, the kudu are able to eat acacia Sunshine is the energy for the with no dandelions, our corn rows include the life in the soil we can’t leaves that are lower in tannin and entire system because the sun, in con- straight and clean, and our alfalfa see. less toxic. junction with water, CO2 and green fields to be purely alfalfa. Another acacia, known as whistling leaves, generates carbohydrates to However, each plant species has its Redefining success thorn, has galls that harbor biting feed both plants and soil microbes. If favorite microbes. More and differ- We need to redefine success not as ants. As part of a Stanford University you don’t have green, growing plants, ent kinds of plants produce larger gross yield in one growing year, but experiment (Robert Pringle), these you don’t have photosynthesis, and populations and a wider diversity of as net productivity — output minus acacias, a favorite browse of giraffes, you don’t feed the soil microbes. It’s microbes, meaning more gums and the inputs we provide — over many were protected from this browsing for that simple. glues for pore space, more organic years. It’s our management of the 10 years. We all know that regular supplies matter potential, and a more robust people, animals, plants and soil life One would expect that the pro- of water are required to grow grass. nutrient- and water-barter community. partnership that will determine our tected acacia would be bigger than Those plants can provide a barrier It’s that simple. future. the nearby trees that had been nipped against high temperatures and evapo- We graziers know, and my Serenge- regularly by giraffes, but that wasn’t ration while buffering the soil from ti visit confirmed for me, that plants Ben Bartlett grazes sheep and stocker the case: they were looking poorly. raindrops and erosion. getting eaten can be good for both cattle near Chatham, Michigan. Page 14 August-September 2020 Natural parasite control is possible Good genetics and grazing management can protect without using chemicals

By Allen R. Williams, Ph.D. can be accomplished. I will outline parasites, as some will exhibit few Since flies can fly, distancing from a six-step program that will greatly signs of infestation and others will external parasite hatches is more dif- Parasite control in livestock is a reduce and even eliminate the need seem to be routinely infested. ficult. At times of heavy fly hatches it major issue and has been heavily fo- for treatment. Moving livestock daily in an may be necessary to move livestock cused upon for several decades now. All livestock species possess some adaptive grazing program makes this a long way from recent hatches. That Numerous anthelmintics (chemical level of natural resistance to internal selection process much easier. You are may mean altering your normal graz- dewormers) are available for internal and external parasites. Individu- seeing the livestock on a daily basis as ing rotation. parasites, and a host of pyrethroid and als within each species, breed, and they pass by while entering the fresh organophosphate products are offered herd or flock display high degrees of paddock. Note the ones that appear to 3. Beneficial insects help for fly control. parasite tolerance, while others are have issues and record their ID. A host of beneficial insects are The issue with any of these prod- more susceptible. By identifying each, These would be animals to cull as available to help control parasites, ucts is that they are chemicals that we can start the process of culling soon as feasible, and I would not keep both internal and external. These in- impact not only the target pest, but susceptible animals and selecting for any of them as breeding stock. In the clude dung beetles, yellow dung flies also beneficial organisms. Parasite resistance. meantime, I recommend treating the (also known as golden dung flies), control products can negatively affect affected individuals. This can be ac- black dump flies, immature dragon dung and other beetles, earthworms 1. Quit mass treatment complished with pour-ons and sprays flies, damsel flies, fire ants and para- and a host of other beneficials. The first step is to quit mass treat- while they move from one paddock to sitic wasps. They are also costly. The treatments ment, also known as metaphylactic the next. Globally, there are more than 8,000 themselves cost several dollars per treatment (treatment for prevention). dung beetle species, with up to 90 head, and administering them carries Mass treating on a routine basis 2. Frequent movements species common in North America. costs such as labor and shrink if stock makes it quite hard to identify sus- One of the best ways to reduce in- Dung beetles can smell fresh ma- are penned to apply treatment. Total ceptible and resistant individuals. ternal and external parasite pressure is nure and be on a newly deposited annual costs to treat cattle for internal Stopping the treatment and using keen to keep livestock moving away from patty within seconds of it hitting the and external parasites can run from daily observation allows you to clear- recent hatches. By utilizing adaptive ground. $25 to almost $50 per head. ly identify the animals suffering from grazing practices and moving the Since adult dung beetles have Is it possible to develop a herd that fly pressure and internal parasites. livestock daily, it becomes easier to wings and can fly, they can easily fol- needs little or even no parasite control In any herd you will notice some keep livestock distant from the new low the livestock as they move from intervention? There’s no doubt that individuals that are routinely covered hatches. paddock to paddock. A single adult the answer is “yes”. in flies, while others are relatively fly- In warm weather, fly eggs can dung beetle can bury up to 250 times The real question is how this goal free. The same can be said for internal hatch within one or two days, with its weight in dung each day. That’s a larvae feeding for three to five days lot of manure incorporated into the and then pupating four to six days soil in a short period of time, which before emerging as flies. can greatly reduce hatches of flies and Tired of the stress and For internal parasites, infected live- internal parasites. complications caused stock pass eggs through the manure Virtually all chemical dewormers onto the ground. During the warm and fly control products cause col- by elastrator rings? season, eggs can hatch, go through lateral damage to these beneficial several larval stages, and become insects. Earthworm populations also ... Put a WEE in infective in as little as six days. take a hit when chemical dewormers your pocket today! Livestock swallow the infective are used. larvae, especially when soil tempera- tures are between 55 and 85 degrees 4. Graze high F. and grasses are kept moist from With internal parasites, one of the frequent rainfall. best ways to prevent re-infestation is Re-infestation by internal parasites to graze high. Stomach-worm larvae is usually our fault because if we are are very susceptible to desiccation moving daily, there is very little op- from sunlight and heat, so they tend COMPRESSION portunity for re-infestation to occur. to stay within the first three to four ANALGESIC Rest periods between grazing inches of growth above the soil. Made in USA events are also important. I reommend Allowing livestock to graze too a minimum of 30 days rest before al- close puts them at risk of ingesting CallicrateBanders.com lowing a pasture to be grazed again to infective larvae on a continual basis. 1-800-858-5974 break the parasite cycle. This is easily resolved by managing

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63 Holsteins with some Jersey crosses. RHA is 16,500, DHI test on June 30, still at 70 lbs. milk. 85% confirmed pregnant on May breeding, bred to Angus sire. Contact Mike Meier, 417-236-3015 Monett, Missouri Page 15 grazing events so that the livestock sor of behavioral ecology at Utah sites with cattle, so a pasture grazed A six-way combo are not routinely grazing forage below State University, has conducted more by cattle is considered safe for sheep You now have six ways to effec- five to six inches. than 30 years of research into the ben- and goats. tively control livestock parasites with- efits of plant species diversity. Most issues occur in the spring Chickens and pigs scratch and root out the expense and complications of with the new flush of forage growth, Fred said in an Understanding Ag through manure patties in search of chemical controls. as many graziers are anxious to get Seminar (“Let feed and food be our larvae to consume, thus greatly reduc- By combining all six in your their livestock out and grazing as soon medicine”) that “landscapes with ing the chances of internal larvae management strategy you will reduce as they notice the first tinge of green. diverse arrays of plants are nutrition surviving to infective stage, and fly input costs and significantly improve This short, highly vegetative growth centers and pharmacies with vast ar- larvae completing pupal stage. livestock performance and health. can be loaded with infective-stage lar- rays of phytochemicals.” If you have pastured chickens and vae, and livestock can quickly incur a His research shows that animal pigs, you can move them through fol- Dr. Allen Williams is a partner in Under- heavy parasite load. health improves when livestock graze lowing cattle and sheep. I recommend standing Ag, LLC, based in Starkville, This can be avoided by using the a diverse mix of plants. moving the chickens through about Mississippi. He can be reached at 662- right early spring grazing strategy. Forbs often produce the greatest three to five days after the ruminants, 312-6826 and [email protected] One idea is to reserve a pasture that array of these vital phytochemicals, and then following with the pigs. was stockpiled through the winter being rich in tannins and other anti- for that first spring grazing. The mix parasitics. of tall, stockpiled grasses and new Many times I’ve watched stock growth coming in underneath can purposefully selecting leaves from
 help prevent an infestation. many different types of forbs. The 
      Another strategy is to hold off animals doing this are the ones that $VZLWKRXUERGLHVRXUVRLOVUHTXLUHDOOPLQHUDOVDQGWUDFHHOHPHQWV on initial grazing until forages have show far fewer signs and symptoms WRSURGXFHKHDOWK\FURSVDQGOLYHVWRFN achieved an average height of at least of internal and external parasite infes- eight to ten inches. tation. 
      Not only is this beneficial for pre- By viewing most forbs as weeds             
     venting internal parasite infestation, and thus trying to eliminate them,          
  
    but it also boosts forage production too many graziers are depriving their        through the entire season compared to stock of the opportunity to deworm     
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May 2018: Small New England dairy making a go of processing. Advisors get cows bred. Also available at Thoughts on marketing your own milk. Starting a grazing farm from scratch. Establishing www.grazeonline.com forages in a newly opened woodlot. Organic forum: dealing with flies. Don’t clip! June-July 2018: Gabe Brown and Allen Williams on how to avoid cover crop failures. Cover crops for sheep grazing. Advisors manage summer pasture. Marketing milk as back issues burgers, butter and pork. Grassfed hopes rising in the Northeast. August-September 2018: Can pigs be finished without grain? Managing late-season pasture. Starting from scratch: buying beef cows. Cover crop success stories. Grassfed February 2016: Pooling resources to start an organic dairy. Tips for transitioning to organic forum: addressing lower prices. Managing vegetation in silvopasture. 100% grassfed dairy. Balancing soils and milk production with alternative crops. Blue-sky October 2018: A cash grain farmer moves to no-grain dairy. Advisors discuss what they calf housing. Good grazing requires good handling. Organic mistakes and successes. feed, and why. Selling pasture butter. Creating shade on pastures. How one sheep gra- March 2016: Building a resilient, 100% grassfed dairy. How small farms can thrive. Ani- zier fights parasites. Run the numbers before reducing grain feeding for pastured pigs. mal welfare concerns benefit graziers. Moving cow-calf pairs on pasture. Van Amburghs November 2018: Building a grassfed genetic base. Advisors tell how they raise replace- stick close to nature in raising grassfed dairy calves. Making resources work for you. ment heifers. Grassfed Alliance to promote “authentic” milk and meats. What if “local” isn’t making enough money? Grassfed organic forum: Dealing with weird weather. June-July 2016: Surprises along the path to no-grain. Why the advisors feed grain. Allen Williams offers proof for soil health benefits. How to make a Bud Box crowd pen work. December 2018: Why a cheesemaker values grazing. Wet weather forces grazing How one farm prices its grassfed beef. Grazing strategies for the organic, no-grain dairy. changes for an Ohio dairyman. Getting minerals into cows. Tackling cobalt deficiency in sheep. Microbes mine soil minerals. Study showed special qualities of pasture milk. August-September 2016: On-farm ice cream plant overcoming obstacles. All U.S. beef could be finished on grass. Keeping track of pasture. Think convenience in marketing ef- January 2019: A hybrid grazing dairy calculates most profitable pasture intake. Advisors forts. Should newborn lambs be tagged? Adding up the costs of growing grassfed beef. on dealing with tough times. Sheep grazing lessons learned. Restoring land with pigs. New soil tests offer interesing insights. Grassfed organic forum: our toughest challenges. October 2016: Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship offers opportunities to a new generation. A little grazing helps a big confinement dairy. Analyzing fodder sprouting. Winter feed tips February 2019: This locker plant invites the public to visit. Feeding forages with butterfat for no-grain dairy cows. Providing evidence for the benefits of sward diversity. in mind. A policy plan with family-scale farmers in mind. “Living barns” provide low-cost winter shelter. Grass farmers need to define grassfed dairy. We need each other. November 2016: Grass dairy rebuilds with help from friends. Getting paid to graze goats. Graziers must record what we’re doing for future generations. Farm store tips April 2019: A specialty cheese maker values great grazing. The farming side of a direct- from Seven Sons Farms. Farm policy insanity. A different way to a better farm policy. market business. Getting water to pastures. How to build a regenerative movement. Internet marketing examples. Soil health and the health of the people. January 2017: Small and large dairies adapting to changing markets. Gabe Brown’s soil regeneration proof. Challenging residual gospel during a drought. Find flies before they May 2019: One grazier’s robotic milking report. The fallacy of “feeding the world”. Adding find you. Pigs stack well with a grassfed beef operation. Raising calves without grain. legumes to pastures. How to have pigs improve soils. Grassfed organic dairy challenges. Not all grassfed beef is created equal. Farm programs for the soil and the people. February 2017: A Missouri dairy where grass is king. We can build soils faster than conventional wisdom says. Fighting pasture flies. A holistic grazing plan. Dealing with the August-September 2019: Grass-based dairy producers moving ahead. Advisors talk chaos of a diverse farm. No-stress weaning starts long before the actual event. soil fertility strategies. What’s with those MUN readings? Unintended consequences. Fake meat, big money. Hue Karreman on organic fly control. Managing in wet weather. March 2017: Dairy outwintering system isn’t pretty, but it works. Advisors on managing the spring growth flush. Grazing lessons learned. Selecting sheep for parasite resis- October 2019: Grazing as an organic soil health tool. More on soil fertility strategies. Are tance. Rebuilding soils. No-stress weaning. Organic forum: avoiding skinny cows. micro-dairies the answer? Mob vs. rotational grazing in the Northeast. Regenerating soils with cattle and pig grazing. Allen Williams: more unintended consequences. April 2017: Ben Simmons stacks grassfed enterprises in the Deep South. Advisors on their use of grazing annuals. What to look for in a grassfed dairy cow. Soil healh indica- November 2019: Micro-dairies look to get better, not bigger. To vaccinate or not. Ques- tors you can see. Perennial pastures as the goal. Embrace those crazy consumers! tioning grazing research. In search of low-cost grazing. Dealing with rain and cold during lambing season. The twin crises of farm people and their land. May 2017: Charles Opitz and Ted Miller re-invent dairy grazing in Louisiana. Advisors deal with heat stress. Watch mineral intake in no- and low-grain rations. How to profit December 2019: Grazing works better than plowing for PA dairy. Assessing a tough from consumer tendencies. Explaining fatty acids. Grassfed soil fertility strategies. year. Telling the real story about fake meats. Putting grazing at the forefront of value- added. Finishing lambs when the rain won’t stop. Getting cattle out of the mud. June-July 2017: Deep South graziers building soil health. Advisors on establishing pas- Ohio dairy grazier says no-grain and once-daily milking work well togeth- ture. Stockmanship: getting problem animals going. How to produce grassfed lamb, part January 2020: er. Putting numbers to once-daily milking. Advisors on improving milk quality. Improving a one. Start with the head when looking for a grazing cow. Tapping the guilt market. pastured pig operation. Avoiding overgrazing. Returning livestock and people to the land. August-September 2017: Grassfed dairy pioneers look to future. Handling dry weather. In cattle breeding, let form follow function. Saving organic dairy from itself. Leaving linear February 2020: Doing what it takes to launch a grass dairy. Resilience for difficult times. thinking behind. Finishing lambs on grazed forages. Mineral programs for no-grain dairy. Boosting forage productivity in a no-grain dairy. More thoughts on once-daily milking. Al- len Williams: health is for the living. Telling the public about how we’re different. October 2017: Ohio company turning cropland into organic dairy pastures. Advisors deal with dry weather. Water’s role in the carbon cycle. Cobalt often overlooked in sheep March 2020: Fall calving and no-grain milk production. Cow comfort affects no-grain pastures. What’s new in perennial grazing forages. In mating, treat cows as individuals. success. Advisors control pasture weeds. Janet McNally likes her new sheep handling system. Allen Williams: Returning our land to what it was. Managing swards for decades. November 2017: Midwestern farmers are planting trees in their pastures. Fake meat is going nowhere. What’s with those “happy lines” on cows? Retrofit milking parlors revis- April 2020: Organics and grazing keep a farm in the family. Advisors say why they aren’t ited. Grassfed organic forum: keeping good forages in front of no-grain cows. going no-grain. Grassfed/organic dairy forum returns. Cow sidewalks work for these dairy graziers. The downsides of modern cattle breeding. Waiting for others to change. December 2017: Schlatters keep pace with changing direct-market situation. What farm owners need to know about motivating employees. Advisors: drying off and freshening May 2020: Direct marketers seeing sales surge. Allen Williams says food system’s weak- cows. The value of livability PTAs. Exploring soil frontiers. Community marketing. nesses are showing. Advisors deal with bloat. Once-daily calf feeding. Janet McNally: managing rank pasture growth with sheep. Personalized dairy breeding indexes. January 2018: Paying off the mortgage with no-grain dairy. Advisors on raising calves. Dairy heifer grazing economics. Soils grow up. Money talks in hiring. Grassfed organic June-July 2020: Leveraging a lamb market premium. Finding a mating strategy. Pinkeye forum: what makes a good dairy cow. How to graze amid trees. Relationship marketing. solutions. A promising bottled milk startup. Ten tips for successful summer grazing. February 2018: Grassfed beef co-op success, and lack of success. Gabe Brown on Grassfed/organic forum: making hay. Three-in-two milking tips. Too much demand? improving your degraded resource. Grazing math for healthy soils and wallets. Janet McNally: which sheep work best on pasture? Ensuring grassfed dairy’s future. Send $5 U.S. for each issue to: March 2018: Selecting cows for a 14,000-lb. no-grain herd. Advisors on manure han- Please specify issues being dling. The real benefits of diversity. McNally’s picks for pasture-based lamb production. requested Thinning a woodlot for pasture. Organic cow treatment. Gabe Brown’s better soil test. P.O. Box 48 Belleville, WI 53508 April 2018: A Minnesota couple does what it takes to improve soil health. Advisors See www.grazeonline.com for sample articles. describe their perfect cow. How cows help the environment. Getting a grip on grassfed

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Organic milk sales Perfect Day lands fat (2%) milk sales were reported up Day, which creates dairy through fell 0.5% in 2019 9.6% and 2.6%, respectively. big new funding fermentation, has made many steps While the market has been looking But the lower-fat categories (1% Animal-free dairy producer Per- forward in its product development. up since late last year, organic milk and skim) saw double-digit percent- fect Day announced $160 million of It had its first launch with another sales declined 0.5% for all of 2019. age sales declines in 2019, USDA new investments in July, bringing the manufacturer, selling four flavors of The calendar year drop compared to said. company’s total funding to $361.5 N’Ice Cream. It’s doubled manufac- 2018 came despite a 5.7% December Overall organic dairy product sales million. turing capacity, the company said in a increase in organic milk product sales, increased nearly 2% last year, accord- The lead investor in the new fund- release. And its whey protein received according to a USDA estimate. ing to the Organic Trade Association. ing round is the Canada Pension Plan generally recognized as safe status As has been the case for most The OTA said that organic dairy Investment Board, which put $50 from the FDA. months in recent years, whole milk sales totaled $6.6 billion in 2019. The million toward Perfect Day as the “We never doubted we’d reach this led all sales categories with a 9.9% organic dairy and eggs sector ac- first investment for its new Climate point, we just didn’t expect to get here reported increase for December and counted for just over 8% of the total Change Opportunities program. so quickly,” said Ryan Pandya, co- a 6.2% gain for the year. Reduced dairy and eggs market. In the past several months, Perfect founder and CEO of Perfect Day. Page 18 August-September 2020 Conversations with the land Big questions about climate and markets

By Jim Van Der Pol Also, young animals require more for the winter. It is much cheaper to management if they are to graze move cattle than to transport the hay Questions about the It feels like I shot behind the flying evenly. And without the cows there to to feed them. duck rather than leading it to compen- consume some of the rougher, tougher markets hover. sate for time and movement. grasses, we must question the useful- Climate unknowns ness of a few of our acres for finish- After two — perhaps three — truly The weather, or perhaps more and install a collection pond to help in ing. So maintaining forage quality is a miserable wet grazing seasons on properly, the climate, is the unknown moving the water off the soil surface challenge. these low, heavy, poorly drained soils, driver of much of what we do at this and allow a little breathing room for But to be honest, having a surplus we moved the cow herd off site. We point. While we have had a more the soil life. have access to two sites with land that of hay and plenty of grass reasonable amount of If on the other hand we are look- is higher and in places sharply rolling ahead, as well as active rain this season, loca- ing at 35- to 40-inch average annual with lighter, drier soils. and rising beef sales, tions near us have had rainfalls by ten years from now, with Both sites are at some distance looks more like an oppor- regular downpours, much of it in single rains, there is from home, adding to the manage- tunity than a problem. reminiscent of last little point in starting. The existing ment complications. But the home Much of it is just ad- year. It still seems evi- drainage outlet will not handle that pasture was becoming severely justment. We have been dent that we will need kind of downpour. pugged in places, and I had seen all trying to improve grazing to look at improving As we plan water management we I wanted to see of newborn calves in habits by offering twice drainage in our pas- mud up to their hips. daily moves, basically by tures from the point of are doing what we can to get best use dividing each paddock in view of soil health. of what we have. Garrison creeping Things turned on a dime half and advancing them And this is difficult. foxtail was seeded on about ten of our Part of the reason we were able late morning and again Grazing and large lowest acres this spring. to relocate the cows is that we had early evening. It is more capital improvements These paddocks are mostly under- culled the herd down to about half so work, but may be worth the effort. do not seem to go hand in hand. The water in every heavy rain, usually that the appetite matched our low sup- And if the cows stay off site, which grazing idea has been based upon muddy on the surface, and grow fox- ply of hay. is still the plan, and if the weather a perception that income can often tail barley and what we call Junegrass, The cows brought fire sale prices, stays a bit more on the dry side so that best be improved by pushing expense a weed perennial that grows eight but the move seemed necessary as the we can count on reaching all the pad- down, primarily by using a cow’s inches in the spring, puts on a seed cash flow was crippled due to the dif- docks, we will need more appetite. mouth rather than a hay baler. head, and stands there doing nothing ficulties in making hay and the poor The 58 head of youngstock that But others have found that certain the rest of the season. crops due to the wet seasons. Buying came into this season turned out to be things just need to be done, such as We grazed it as hard as we dared hay seemed like a bad idea. about half of what we needed to keep good, fast milking facilities and cattle with the market herd, seeded it direct- But now our beef sales are trending up with all of the grass. For us, cut- lane improvements in a grazing dairy. ly into the grass and then mowed it as up pretty sharply, thus thinning the ting much of the pasture in spring is The prudent man fixes his roof while low as possible about a week later. We number of youngstock available for not desirable, especially as we already it is not raining, because he well will see. One of the farmers I talked grazing. Meanwhile, I have learned have to produce quite a bit of hay knows what will happen when it does. to thought it was aggressive enough (or maybe just forgotten to remember) in the cropping system to make our Installing drainage requires making to crowd out reed canarygrass. I have that pound for pound, young animals organic rotation work. assumptions about the changes we my doubts. At this point I am just do not come close to equaling cows in So we either calve more animals will see in the weather, and I have no hoping it sprouts and starts. appetite. ourselves, buy them, or offer graz- crystal ball. I could approach it by as- A 750-pound stocker/feeder does ing for dairy heifers. If we buy them suming that our average rainfall will The marketing future? not come close to consuming half of or put in dairy heifers, we will need increase from the 25 inches per year Questions about the markets hover what a 1,300-pound cow will eat. So some simple health protocols so that where it has been hovering most of over this. Right now our sales are we cut seven of twenty-eight pad- we don’t get into purchasing health my farming life, to something around trending up strongly — partly, I docks for hay, and that may not have problems. 30, with a good proportion coming in suspect, because the thinking is that been enough. I would rather be in the cattle busi- heavy events. Covid-19 originated in the crowding At the same time we have caught ness than the hay business. In fact, the This seems like a good assumption. of natural habitat by the human popu- up with our hay seedings in the crop- hay necessary for the organic crop- If it holds for ten or twenty years, it lation. Some of us think the pangolin ping rotation, and thus show a real ping rotation, plus the corn crop resi- would be possible to install and pay and other exotics should probably not possibility of producing a hefty feed due, makes a pretty good argument by for some pattern tile in our flat bot- have been eaten. surplus. itself for bringing the cow herd home tom, hook it to the existing drain line Couple this suspicion with a

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Price Foundation (p.7) westonaprice.org To advertise in Graze, call Ruth at 608-455-3311 Page 19 distrust of the fact that sick people 3-D printers Redefine Meat has worked with implicitly that they could trust him are working at insane line speeds in butchers, chefs, food technologists because he was one of their own,” major plants to slaughter animals and making fake meat and flavorings company Givaudan U.S. Attorney William McSwain said process meat for sale, and the result 3-D printing appears to be the latest to create a product that replicates in a written statement. “Riehl preyed is that many are looking for “clean” in “fake meat” technology. the look, taste, texture and cook- upon that trust, swindling them out of food. Grassfed beef slaughtered in a ing behavior of steak. The company tens of millions of dollars in an effort A Russian bioprinting company, 3D small, closely held plant shines. says there are more than 70 sensorial to keep his creamery business from Bioprinting Solutions, which helped But we must be careful. Americans parameters incorporated into the prod- going under.” produce a 3D printed steak on the are notoriously fickle. Increasingly uct. The company’s proprietary 3D A federal judge ordered Riehl to International Space Station last year, unable to work together to accomplish printers take three plant-based ingre- pay restitution, though authorities announced recently that it would be anything and having little or no feel dient blends — known as Alt-Muscle, acknowledged that Riehl’s victims working with KFC in Russia to 3D for anything like the common good, Alt-Fat and Alt-Blood — and put won’t be made whole. print chicken nuggets that are a hybrid we respond only to the guy we see in them together to create a multi-lay- of cell-based meat and plant proteins. the mirror. ered plant-based steak. Hog producers 3D Bioprinting Solutions approached The economist Milton Friedman KFC about a collaboration, said sales taught us that right and wrong have Trickling Springs see huge losses and marketing director Andrei Ru- mostly to do with the profit motive, U.S. hog farmers have lost nearly kavishnikov, and they were extremely owner gets jail time and then Ayn Rand and her libertar- $5 billion this year due to market enthusiastic. ians convinced us that only the indi- The former majority owner of disruptions caused by the Covid-19 vidual matters. “So what we decided to do is, by Trickling Springs Creamery in Cham- pandemic, according to an analysis Into this emotional and ethical stew the end of this year, we’re gonna bersburg, Pennsylvania, was sen- produced by the National Pork Pro- enters the reality of fake meat and its bring the first chicken nuggets made tenced in July to 10 years in federal ducers Council. simplistic answer to a generalized fear of chicken, not just plants,” Rukav- prison after defrauding hundreds of An estimated two million hogs and poor understanding of the situa- ishnikov said. “We will use different Amish and Mennonite investors of remained backed up on farms in July, tion with the climate. chicken cells, and, of course, this will nearly $60 million. according to an analysis by Steve The possibility exists for this profit- be a hybrid. Not 100% chicken meat, Court documents said Philip Riehl Meyer, an economist with Kerns & driven “moral” trend to do to the meat but it will be a hybrid of plant-based lured investors to a fund that made Associates. Meyer said it appears and milk business what the climate meat and chicken meat.” most of its loans to Trickling Springs losses will continue into next year. did to my farm over the last three Meanwhile in Israel, Redefine Meat and paid off older investors with “This is, by far, the worst finan- years. Things could change complete- recently announced its “Alt-Steak” — money from new investors. He and a cial disaster ever for American hog ly in very short order. a plant-based product it says has the co-conspirator also sold promissory farmers,” said Meyer. “If Covid At the least, we will need to be texture, flavor and appearance of the notes in an effort to prop up the strug- prompts additional plant disruptions, nimble and very clear as to what part real thing — would be tested at some gling creamery, lying to investors that a real possibility, the number of hogs of the market belongs properly to our high-end restaurants in Israel, Ger- it was profitable when in reality it was backed-up on farms will swell.” farms, and how to keep and build many and Switzerland later this year. losing money. The business abruptly “Many U.S. hog farmers will upon it. The company plans to make the Alt- closed last fall. not survive this crisis,” said NPPC Steak widely available at restaurants “The people who invested their President Howard Roth, who urged Jim Van Der Pol grazes and markets in Europe starting in 2021, and in the money, sometimes their entire life’s Congress to pass legislation providing from his farm near Kerkhoven, MN. U.S. at the end of 2021. savings, with Philip Riehl believed aid to producers. KINGFISHER SYNERGYX ALFALFA

Synergy: mutually advantageous combined action The root systems of alfalfa varieties vary—creeping root, branching root, large tap root. What if we combined the action of di erent roots? Would there be an advantage in yield and endurance? Rooted in research The forage research team at Byron Seeds tested this concept of harnessing the power of synergy with high-performing alfalfas. Field trials have con rmed it. Mixing high-quality alfalfas increases yield up to 15% over individual varieties.

Incredible! That’s what farmers are saying. Our King sher SynergyX mixes of top-quality alfalfas have exploded across the Midwest. Don’t miss out on the powerful advantage of SynergyX. Call a Byron Certi ed Forage Specialist today. 844-294-2228 Page 20 June-July 2020