When the weather is right and hayfields are mowed, there will be many farmers looking over the fence at pastures as an opportunity to make more bales. While it is important to get hay reserves built back up on your farm, I would caution producers against baling pastures.

Raising cattle is a romanticized industry. As entertaining as shows such as Yellowstone can be, beef production remains a business that depends on sustainable management of natural, monetary and human resources.

The forage produced in pastures changes yearly due to rainfall and temperature fluctuations. Changes in forage production need to be adjusted to match the herd size with the amount of forage produced to avoid pasture under- or overgrazing.

Employing a planning process is a good step for beginning and established farms. If you are just starting your business, performing a strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis on your operation is a great place to start.