Pasture in Practice: Focused on Forage Field Day - In Case You Missed It Recap

Attendees listen in as Craig Haney and Dr. Grev show different forage crops and go over crop ID.

North Jersey RC&D hosted a Pasture in Practice: Focused on Forage field day on May 14 at Lima Family Farms, bringing together more than 40 graziers and livestock producers for an afternoon focused on practical pasture and forage management. The event highlighted how intentional grazing and forage planning can improve livestock performance while strengthening long-term farm resilience.

Participants toured the farm’s intensively managed pastures, where owner John Lima has developed a diverse “mosaic” of forage systems designed to provide the right forage for the right class of livestock at the right time. The approach supports consistent year-round gains in grass-finished cattle while supplying animals for the farm’s on-site USDA-inspected processing facility.

Attendees viewed seasonal forage systems in action, including spring-planted peas and oats and interseeded red clover paired with cool-season perennial grasses such as novel endophyte fescue. Discussions throughout the tour explored how forage diversity can strengthen animal nutrition and maintain forage quality across the grazing season.

Forage tests from lush fescue, a triticale mix, and a winter rye crop all supported the farm’s goal of producing grazing and baleage forages that consistently test in the high 60% range for Total Digestible Nutrients (TDN). Maintaining forage quality at that level helps ensure growing heifers and finishing cattle are capable of gaining multiple pounds per day throughout the year.

Lima also shared the evolution of the farm since purchasing the property 20 years ago. Recently, the family constructed an on-farm USDA-inspected slaughter facility to meet growing demand from their farm market, which expanded dramatically during the pandemic. Today, the need to have four grass-finished cattle ready for processing each week has further intensified the farm’s focus on year-round forage quality.

Participants gather in a pea-and-oat field.

The farm’s winter bale feeding area is currently planted to a spring pea-and-oat mix. Once harvested for baleage, the field will transition into a warm-season sorghum-sudangrass planting before returning to another cool-season forage mix in the fall as part of a carefully planned seasonal rotation. With increasing summer heat stress affecting both cattle and cool-season perennial grasses, Lima is also converting more pasture acreage near the farm’s large loafing barn to support higher-quality summer forage while giving cattle access to shade and fans during periods of extreme heat.

The field day also featured Dr. Amanda Grev of the Western Maryland Research and Education Center, who shared practical insights from her research and extension work on forage systems, pasture management, and animal nutrition. She discussed annual forage crops being utilized for the Center’s cattle and sheep “flerd” and helped attendees identify pasture species in the field using key plant characteristics.

Craig demonstrates equipment to help track pasture health and productivity.

Conversations throughout the afternoon emphasized that productive grazing systems are rarely built around a single forage species or management practice. Instead, they rely on careful observation, adaptive management, and a continual effort to match livestock nutritional needs with forage quality throughout the season.

The event reflected North Jersey RC&D’s ongoing commitment to supporting conservation-focused agriculture while creating opportunities for graziers to learn from one another and build the camaraderie that strengthens both farm communities and the land they steward. Through practical, experience-based education and peer-to-peer exchange, the field day reinforced the value of shared knowledge in improving both farm viability and long-term stewardship.