Grazing residual affects everything in the pasture. What is residual? Residual is the living plant material remaining after a grazing event. Residual is often confused with residue, which is the dead plant material on the soil surface. While residue definitely has its benefits, residual is everything.

The Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund United Stockgrowers of America (R-CALF) organization, along with four cattle-feeding ranchers from Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Wyoming, launched a class action lawsuit last week against four major U.S. packing companies: Tyson Foods Inc., Cargill Inc., National Beef Packing Company LLC and the U.S. branch of Brazil-based packer JBS S.A. Together, the four companies control over 80 percent of the market for U.S. fed cattle. 

As the weather gets warmer and green grass has emerged, many ranchers face some tough decisions. Should cows be turned out to graze or continue to be fed harvested forage? Perhaps harvested forage supplies are depleted, and the thought of purchasing additional feed resources sounds expensive.