Winter grazing isn’t just a cost-saver – it’s a smart strategy for livestock health and performance.

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.”

It is easy to focus on your cows and calves this time of year. As your bulls provide 50% of the genetics in your calf crop, it is also important to evaluate your herd’s performance from the bull’s point of view.

That green field of alfalfa might look lush from the roadside – but what’s lurking in the mix could be quietly reducing your forage quality, lowering animal intake and even risking nitrate toxicity. Learn which weeds do the most damage, how they impact feed value and what you can do to protect your first cutting and your herd.

Making strategic decisions around moisture content, weather conditions and equipment performance not only helps protect forage value and animal performance but also supports better outcomes across the entire operation.

Swath grazing is an economic management strategy that helps ranchers extend their grazing practices into the spring and winter months. It has been shown that swath grazing can reduce the cost of beef production by over 40%.

Fall is a wonderful season for agriculture and a time to, hopefully, reap the bounty of the year’s production.