Grazing distribution isn’t just about weather and terrain – it’s also about the cattle and vegetation.

Michael Thompson walks the same Kansas fields his great-great-grandfather broke in 1888, but his vision reaches far beyond tradition.

In 1940, my great-grandfather, Joe Mendel, started the Mendel family farm, located outside of Doland, South Dakota. What started as a diversified farm with beef, hogs and small grains is today an operation focused on corn, soybeans, wheat and sunflowers, as well as a 1,000-head feedlot and 600-head cow-calf operation.

For Deer Creek Ranch, a 1,200-head cow-calf operation spread across 24,000 acres of leased land and 21,000 acres of deeded land, productive success builds on a healthy ecosystem where wildlife thrives alongside livestock.

Doug Lathem and Chad Schoonover weren’t trying to prove any kind of point when they made the decision to convert their farming and beef cattle operation near Dalhart, in the Texas Panhandle, to organic production. But when they sat down and took a good, long look at their resources, operating costs and market, it became clear: If they wanted to give the next generation a shot at coming back and making a living on the place, the conventional route wasn’t going to cut it.

One of the largest cattle operations in North America, Douglas Lake Cattle Company in British Columbia, has a long history. Founded in 1884, Douglas Lake has been operating continuously for 141 years.

Cowboys and farmers tend to emphasize the differences between pasture and range, but when we bring it back to the plant level, there are more similarities than differences.

Ranchers rely on equal parts faith and science to have adequate grass to maintain their cow herd and ensure quality calves for beef. Faith comes through praying for the right growing conditions, while science implements good land and resource management to enhance the soil, grass types, moisture levels and more to get the most grass from each acre for as long as possible.

If I asked 10 different producers, “How good of quality do you think your CRP (Conservation Reserve Program) forage is for grazing?” I would expect that nine would respond with something to the extent of “Not much better than trees.”