Managing to Keep Up With the Grass
For many of us this spring, we’ve had typical weather: unpredictable. Forage growth and quality has really been good for some and with some of the early warm days and adequate moisture in most areas,...
View ArticleGood Grazing and Soil Health Protection When There’s Too Much Rain
For much of Indiana, where I live, and a lot of other parts of the country June was quite wet. Some areas had in excess of 10 inches of rain dumped on them. A recent map from the Midwestern Regional...
View ArticleReseeding Pastures? Here’s What You Need to Know Now
Early August to mid-September is an excellent time to plant cool-season grasses. One of the advantages of seeding this time of the year as compared to a spring seeding is lower competition from weeds...
View ArticleProcrastinated Pasture
Sometimes a pasture just gets away from you. That's what happened to Victor this summer. But it's all good, and he'll tell you why!
View ArticleWinter Feed Math
Do you have enough forage for the winter? Here's help so you can be sure. Victor includes info on grazing corn stalks PLUS, which forages become toxic after the first frost. Be sure to know what to...
View ArticlePre-Winter Feed Inventory and Tips for Grazing the Last of Your Cover Crops
Back in October we talked about taking an inventory of your pastures, hay, and other feed stuff and weighing that against what your ruminant livestock would be requiring until next spring. I hope that...
View ArticleIt’s Time for Frost Seeding Legumes
If you have any frost-seeding of legumes to do, now is the prime time to get it done. It is important to try and get some seed to soil contact if possible when broadcast seeding. This can be...
View ArticleDon’t Let “Spring Fever” Hurt Your Forages
"Spring Fever" is the disease many of us get this time of year. Symptoms include wanting to get your livestock out on green grass as quickly as possible and when the disease isn't controlled, we might...
View ArticleDances With Grass – Managing Your Grazing to Match Your Forage
Reading this piece from Victor, I realized that what he was describing was just like following your partner when you're dancing together. When your partner speeds up, so do you and when your partner...
View ArticleTo Bale or Not to Bale? To Clip or Not to Clip? Here Are Some Answers
Let’s ponder two questions with this article: “To bale or not bale?” and “Should I put up hay or just buy what I need?” I think everyone, no matter how efficient or the type of grazing system, should...
View ArticleShould We Mow/Clip Pastures? It Depends.
We talked about clipping pastures in June. I’m still getting questions and comments by email about it; all good. There certainly are two sides to this fence: those that think mowing or clipping...
View ArticleTime to Start Prepping Your Pastures for Fall
My dear Mother always said that the older you get, the faster time goes, she was right. I really don’t know what happened to the summer. But here it is, August already. This is the prep month for the...
View ArticleFall Stockpiling and Pasture Housekeeping Tips
Here's what Victor has been doing to get ready for his extended grazing season. It's been a little different this year thanks to all the moisture he's gotten. Whether its been dry or wet where you are,...
View ArticleTips As You Prep for Winter Grazing and Feeding
It is the time of year to be thinking about winter or at least preparing for it. So what should we be thinking about? We’ve discussed some of these before, but friendly reminders are never bad. Balance...
View ArticleGrazing Stockpiled Pasture How-Tos
Victor lives in Indiana where conditions are now perfect for grazing stockpiled pasture. No matter where you are, here are great tips for making the most of what you’ve got. When to Start If possible...
View ArticleA Walk in the Rain Tells You A Lot About Your Pasture’s Health
Is your soil and forage healthy and absorbing rain and moisture? Grab your raincoat and talk a walk with Victor Shelton to see what your pasture tells you.
View ArticleWait! Grazing Too Early Is Harmful to Your Pasture’s Health
You and your livestock might be itching to start grazing. Victor Shelton tells us why it's not a good idea to start too early, and what you can do in the meantime to scratch that itch without causing...
View ArticleRunaway Grass – What Can You Do?
If you're looking out at pastures that are growing so fast you don't know how to keep up, here are some tips for managing your grazing so that you slow the speed that forage matures, and you maintain...
View ArticleTimely Tips for Managing What’s Happening in Pastures Now
This is great info for those folks on irrigated pasture or those in areas of decent precipitation. For those of you working in the arid west and parts of Texas, see if this gives you ideas for how to...
View ArticleStart Stockpiling Pasture for Fall and Winter Grazing
Tall fescue is great for stockpiling. Here's how much you need to lengthen your grazing season, along with tips on managing grazing now to get the most out of your winter pastures.
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