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Grazing provides a very low cost forage that has super forage quality and to top it off, the cow does the
majority of the work!
Also because the feed is harvested fresh, vitamins and other quality components are higher and molds and mycotoxins
are lower.
Not to mention that the Cattle/BEEFALO are getting healthy exercise and are housed where they want to
be. OUTSIDE!
HOW MANY CATTLE/BEEFALO PER ACRE ?
Stocking more cattle/beefalo per acre often pay's off. In a 1999 survey of 7 Lancaster County (PA) Amish
Graziers, it was revealed that the farm with the highest profit per acre had 1.24 cattle per acre ($1,162 per acre).
The farm with the lowest profit per acre at $201 had only .37 cattle per acre.
When in doubt, contact your local extension agent about local regulations for your area.
BOTTOM LINE is that managed/rotational grazing has profit potential over grain feeding and feedlots.
Managed Rotational grazing is:
COW FRIENDLY, FAMILY FRIENDLY, ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY, and FINANCIALLY FRIENDLY !
Grazing
Grasslands Reserve Program Established in 2004
The U.S. Senate approved funding and made adjustments
to make the Grasslands Reserve Program (GRP) a reality in 2004. The program was designed to keep large grass landscapes
intact for ranching operations and conservation priorities.
Jeff Eisenberg, executive director of the Public Lands
Council and director of federal lands for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, says the GRP will provide an essential
buffer against the loss of grasslands to a variety of sources.
Especially important to cattle producers, this new
voluntary program imposes no regulation on grazing. The GRP will provide grassland owners with financial incentives to conserve
and restore important grassland ecosystems, Eisenberg says. Eligible land includes restored, improved, or natural grassland,
rangeland, pastureland and prairie. Common GRP practices include: grazing management, prescribed burning, range seeding, fencing,
and brush management. "The law enacted by the U.S.
Senate reinforces the importance of cattle producers and conservation," says Eisenberg. "In particular, the Senate passed
language to make clear that private organizations may own the title interest in a program easement if the organization is
otherwise qualified under the law."
Ranchers and other private grassland owners who enroll in the program agree to
place temporary or permanent easements on their land, prohibiting development and other activities incompatible with conserving
grassland ecosystems. In return, landowners receive annual payments for short-term contracts or either a one-time payment
for permanent easements or up to 10 annual payments for easements.
For more information about GRP and other conservation
programs, contact your local USDA Service Center, or go to http://offices.usda.gov/ . Information, including Federal Register notices and rules, also is available at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/farmbill/2002 .
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