Grazing Management Project
Grazing through the four seasons of the year can improve farm profitability and protect water quality. This project provided forage information and a free on-farm consultation using the Kansas Grazer planning tool, a software program designed by Kansas State University. This planning tool creates an inventory of the existing forages and cattle on the farm. The planning tool then compares forage availability against the nutritional needs of the beef herd. This analysis identifies periods of forage surplus and deficit. The farmer then can explore a mix of complementary forages to extend the grazing season throughout the year. Experimenting with different calving dates allows the grazer to better match nutritional needs with available forages. All of these strategies help reduce feed costs and manure runoff into streams.
Funding for this project, “Assisting Small Diversified Family Farms Implement TMDLs through Forage Use Efficiency” was provided by an EPA Section 319 grant through the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
Coordinator: Mary Fund, ksrc@rainbowtel.net