Year Round Grazing is the Holy Grail

JOHN WOOD FARM

P.O. Box 9
Monticello, MO 6345
(660) 341-2789

4-22-2015

Year around grazing is the holy grail for dedicated grass farmers in the USA.  Living in the upper Mississippi River Valley we endure 120 days of limited forage growth and must rely on the clever use of stock piled forages, brassicas, and stored hay/haylage resources to cover Mother Nature’s weak link in the Northern growing areas of the USA.

I paid a visit to the Willamette Valley of Oregon in February of 2014, and was impressed with the available forage on the West side of the Cascades.  The Willamette Valley is ideal for sheep, but a challenge for cattle in the very wet winter climate.   Grass seed and winter wheat producers cannot tolerate heavy pugging in the grass seed capital of the USA.  

Going on the down to California you can find pockets of oasis for year round grazing but rainfall is the limiting factor; unless you are in few select area with coastal low land soils that can benefit from specific soil structure and tap rooted legumes to bring moisture to the surface.  

What would I-10 and grazing have in common besides a perfect environment for year around parasite production?  75 inch rainfall and year around grazing will follow I-10 from SE Texas all the way to Florida. This belt of along the Gulf Coast is probably the most under-utilized livestock area in the USA.   

US Wellness Meats has had the opportunity to work on year around grazing along the Gulf Coast and has had upped successful grazing months to 10 months out of the year.  Once we master the October 15 to December 31 grazing window, we will have a model that will work in a number of Southern States.  February 15 to May 1st is the perfect storm for winter annuals, good rains and cool night time temperatures for rapid grass-fed gain that will rival any region in the world.  

Please note the two attached pictures taken in March and April showing outstanding forage and cattle gaining at a great clip.  We have been sending cattle to harvest in the Spring of 2015 that are grading well over 50% choice off of winter grasses.  

I just hope I live long enough to see cow numbers double and triple from SE Texas to junction of I-10 and I-75 in Florida.  Selective thinning of forested areas would be a perfect cow calf haven, and better soils converted to a mix of annual and perennial forage for year round grass finishing systems would be a win-win for producers in the 900 mile I-10 corridor.  

In the next 5 years researchers like Dr. Jerry Taylor, professor of genetics, at University of Missouri will break the  DNA code on typing baby calves on their ability to resist fescue, resist parasites and adapt to summer heat while breeding back and dramatically increasing efficiency in tough climates like the Gulf Coast.

The 2016 Grassfed Exhange on April  27-29 in Perry, Georgia will be an excellent opportunity to encourage increased beef production in a high rainfall year around grazing environment with the right blend of grazing, soil, cattle DNA and human endeavors.  However, let’s not look past the 2015 conference on September 16-18 in Mt. Pleasant, MI which will consist of perfect Fall weather with plenty of grass fattened cattle to see in grazing systems and meat fabrication venues.  See you there!

In closing, I view the sandy soils of the Gulf Coast as a utopia for grass-fed beef production once management practices overcome heat, parasites, and seasonal forage challenges.  It has been a pleasure sorting off loads of grass fats the past six weeks that are slick, tight, show fully developed briskets, tail fat and over all finish.