New forecasting and monitoring tools are helping ranchers stay ahead of forage shortages before they hit.

Heavy hay inventories are colliding with deepening drought, wildfire losses and stalled late-spring pastures across major beef regions. As more cattle move into drylot management, stored forage is becoming a critical lifeline.

Landon and Anne Plagge show how soil-first farming, community leadership and a willingness to innovate can expand conservation efforts far beyond their own acres.

Graeme Finn could have been happy raising cattle anywhere in the world, so long as there was grass to graze and land to improve. He and his family ended up raising cattle, grazing grass and improving land in the foothill country of western Alberta near the town of Madden.

Resting a pasture for two growing seasons postburn is a common recommendation in the Intermountain West since at least the ’80s. “The question is, ‘Is there a real reason two full years rest are needed after fire?’” says University of Idaho (U of I) area extension range educator K. Scott Jensen. “Can it occur sooner than that without delay or harm to postfire recovery? We wanted to put some science to it.”

When you understand your soils and grazing goals, choosing the right pasture species becomes a more strategic decision.

Whether up north in last summer’s ash or down south in the dust, winter feeding is nearing its end, and the need for a grazing plan is mounting. Year over year, producer efforts to balance grazing and growth will hopefully result in profitable calf crops as well as healthy grasslands.