14. Beef cattle at Shane Doyle Farms grazing a rye cover crop (Photo Credit Bridgett Hilsh

Grazing Resources

WHAT IS PASTURE MANAGEMENT?

Pasture management is the art and science of caring for grazing lands to ensure they remain healthy and productive. The goal is to balance livestock needs with the capacity of the land to regenerate, reducing the risks of soil degradation, erosion, and loss of biodiversity. In turn, the pastures will support the animals over time. Effective pasture management can also increase the quality and quantity of forage for livestock.

WHAT IS ADAPTIVE MULTI-PADDOCK (AMP) GRAZING?

AMP grazing involves the flexible management of multiple, smaller paddocks that livestock rotate through in a planned sequence, with the goal of controlling grazing pressure and promoting the regeneration of pastures. Rather than a rigid grazing schedule however, pasture and weather conditions dictate the techniques and strategies used to allow pastures to rest and recover after grazing, mimicking natural grazing patterns.

ADVANTAGES OF INCORPORATING MORE PASTURE AND GRAZING

Incorporating more pasture and grazing provides numerous environmental and economic benefits including improved soil health, enhanced biodiversity (and resilience), carbon sequestration, increased forage production and thus lower feed costs and better financial sustainability, improved water cycling, and better animal health and welfare.