Grasses & Grazing

How tall should your pasture be? Post-grazing height decisions that affect milk and profit

lxf5262@psu.edu — Tue, 19 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

In this article, we discuss novel grazing strategies with the potential to improve cow and land productivity, with a focus on grazing intensity and cow behavior.

Cover crops and manure timing: Start with the ‘why’

dsa@iastate.edu — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Cover crops and manure are both tools. When they are aligned, they improve nutrient efficiency, protect water and can even add forage value. When they are not aligned, they create management friction, yield drag and frustration.

Creating a win-win: Grazing heifers for economic and ecological returns

aschank@wisc.edu — Tue, 26 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Dairy heifer grazing increases the amount of well-managed grassland in an area – improving dairy’s climate performance and supporting the regeneration of soil, water and biodiversity resources.

Grazing and greening the dairy industry

Mon, 19 Jun 2023 12:40:13 -0400

Instead of the dairy farmer focusing on growing, harvesting and feeding rations, the focus changes to growing and managing pastures and controlling the cows’ utilization of those pastures with the goal to optimize cow nutrition, pasture quality, pasture yield and overall soil health.

Grazing: Economies of scale to lower overhead costs

Thu, 04 May 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Milk production per cow will be somewhat decreased on pasture when compared to feeding in confinement. Per cow costs of milk production also decrease when dairy farms turn to managed rotational grazing and maximize cow numbers per acre.

3 management tips to bounce back after drought

vacorriher@ag.tamu.edu — Thu, 06 Apr 2023 16:57:29 -0400

Following drought, stand damage is readily apparent – even on well-managed pastures. When drought occurs during active growth of warm-season grass pastures, it is almost certain that root growth will be restricted, in addition to the more obvious decline in forage yield.

Grazing herds aren’t all the same

Fri, 31 Mar 2023 21:10:04 -0400

Grazing cows isn’t only for dry cows, heifers or beef cattle anymore. An increasing number of dairy producers are pasture grazing the milking herd.

Extend your grazing season with a forage chain

Mon, 13 Mar 2023 16:17:01 -0400

Extending the grazing season is a good goal for all graziers to have, and creating a forage chain is one way to make that happen, says Kent Solberg, senior technical adviser of the Sustainable Farming Association.

Milking alternatives for grazing dairy herds

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 09:41:11 -0500

Adding grain to the dairy cow diet supplies energy and generally increases milk production above what the cow would produce on a forage-based diet alone. But production isn’t everything.

Dairy forage and grazing research: Practical insights

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 14:47:06 -0500

Dairy grazing isn’t a simple science. Putting the milking herd on pasture involves more than providing access to grass. It’s a multifaceted system that involves the health and productivity of animals, plants and soil.

[Podcast] Jack Mallonee: Managing an automated milking system on a pasture-based dairy and opportunities available for young people in dairy

kimmi@agproud.com — Tue, 13 Sep 2022 00:00:00 -0400

In this episode of the Progressive Dairy podcast, host Kimmi Devaney talks with a fourth-generation Washington dairy farmer about managing an automated milking system in a pasture-based system, opportunities available for young people interested in getting involved in the dairy industry, the ways automation has changed the way they manage the farm, facility upgrades and what they are doing differently to increase cow comfort, and more.

Reflections on rotational versus continuous stocking

mwallau@ufl.edu — Fri, 09 Sep 2022 12:41:11 -0400

In conversations with colleagues working in extension as well as with livestock and land managers around the country, we observed that particular assumptions and buzz words arise frequently and can dominate discussions in the realm of grazing management.

Evaluate replacement heifer cost savings through grazing

Sat, 03 Sep 2022 15:07:09 -0400

Rising feed and transportation costs have dairy farmers looking for ways to save on raising replacement heifers. A free spreadsheet planning tool called the Heifer Grazing Compass allows farmers to evaluate whether their operation can reduce cost and labor needs by creating a rotational grazing program.

Precision technologies to improve dairy grazing systems

Sat, 03 Sep 2022 10:07:56 -0400

Pasture-based dairy herds continue to grow in the U.S. as the demand for grass-fed and continued sustainable farming practices increases.

Questioning the mob

woody@woodylane.com — Mon, 29 Aug 2022 17:16:46 -0400

If there was ever an opportunity for good science, this is certainly it.

Adding birdsfoot trefoil to the mix

Tue, 23 Aug 2022 22:52:49 -0400

Organic dairy producers must follow many rules that seem to heighten the struggles every dairy faces. One of these regulations requires all organic dairy cattle to spend a minimum of 120 days each year on pasture, which in some areas can be the entire grazing season.

Methane emissions in grazing dairy systems

kathy.soder@usda.gov — Tue, 23 Aug 2022 11:54:30 -0400

Grazing systems have been targeted as a source of greenhouse gas emissions due to high-forage diets and decreased forage quality.

Producers’ views on the value of outdoor access

annemarieke.smid@ucalgary.ca — Wed, 04 May 2022 04:18:24 -0400

Recent research from Europe and Canada has demonstrated cows have a strong preference to be on pasture, especially during summer nights.

A benefit to cows, the land and profitability of the farm: Fresh grass for high-producing dairy cows

Thu, 16 Sep 2021 00:05:31 -0400

Feeding green grass to dairy cows is nothing new, but recent innovations have made it easier to add to diets of high-producing cows.

Cultivating resilience with careful management

Thu, 31 Dec 2020 14:00:01 -0500

Management decisions such as spanning soil fertility economics, market risk management and selecting adapted breeding stock and forages can have wide-reaching impact on the resilience of a farm business.

Two cultures

woody@woodylane.com — Tue, 01 Dec 2020 14:00:01 -0500

This is a bit of a controversial topic: science versus practice. Dear Reader, if you feel comfortable with a passionate examination of a controversy, please read on. Because I’d like to visit about an emerging situation in the grazing world.

Annual cool-season forages: A viable option for feed and wastewater management

mwallau@ufl.edu — Thu, 01 Oct 2020 13:00:01 -0400

Corn silage is often the main feed source for dairy production systems. However, annual cool-season forages can be a viable option for merging forage production and nutrient management during the “off season.”

Consider contract grazing dairy heifers for feed savings, freeing up space on the farm

Fri, 11 Sep 2020 13:00:01 -0400

Raising heifers in a conventional system can be an expensive undertaking. A. Fay Benson, grazing educator with the South Central New York Dairy Team, said he thinks there is a better way that might make sense for many large dairy farms.

Dairy grazing apprenticeships take root

Fri, 11 Sep 2020 13:00:01 -0400

Dairy farmers are a breed apart. There aren’t many other occupations – and lifestyles – that can compare to the experiences raising and milking cows, and producing a commodity that is closely regulated, has a long history of volatile pricing and demands excellence in animal husbandry and environmental stewardship.

Meeks Farm: Utilizing winter-long grazing

Fri, 31 Jul 2020 06:05:00 -0400

The largest expense for most stockman is winter feed or supplements. The more time that cattle can graze without needing hay, the better. Today there are new forage varieties that can fill some gaps in the grazing calendar, enabling cattle to graze for more of the year.

What are my options if hay supplies will be short this winter?

penrose.1@osu.edu — Tue, 14 Jul 2020 23:51:23 -0400

In my part of the country, the Appalachian foothills of southeast Ohio, first cutting hay yields were very short. Late freezes and timely harvests likely contributed to this problem. If your hay supplies are likely to be short this winter, what are some options?

Summer burns and successful pastures

Fri, 05 Jun 2020 19:03:48 -0400

In Oklahoma and other surrounding states, summer prescribed fires are a common form of mitigation for cedar trees, which hinder cattle producers. Along with cedar-tree control, prescribed burns offer a number of benefits to livestock producers and wildlife habitats, says John Weir, associate extension specialist of prescribed fire at Oklahoma State University (OSU).

Generating ecosystem services revenue streams from rotational grazing

Wed, 03 Jun 2020 22:57:12 -0400

Times are tough across the agricultural sector. The dairy subsector is particularly vulnerable after five years of low milk prices, and low cattle prices are a cause of concern for beef producers.

Making summer cover crops work

james.rogers.1@ndsu.edu — Mon, 01 Jun 2020 13:00:01 -0400

Sitting here at my new kitchen-countertop office location during the COVID-19 pandemic has given me an opportunity to reflect on our past research work and contemplate new directions to take based on what we have learned.

Florida dairy farmers create Free Range 365 certification

peggy@upleveldairy.com — Fri, 17 Apr 2020 13:00:01 -0400

Four Florida dairy farmers have come together to encourage processors and grocers to give their unique milk a distinguished place in the local dairy case.