Grazing

Spring has finally sprung in the northern Rockies. Grass is growing, irrigation water is flowing, and it will look green as Ireland for about another four to six weeks till we start going dormant and dry again.

Much has been written about Kentucky 31 (KY-31) tall fescue over the last few decades. Most cattle producers living in the approximately 35 million-acre fescue belt (which encompasses Missouri and Arkansas, the mid-Atlantic states and most of the Southeast) understand the negative effects KY-31 tall fescue grass can have on production.

It takes a lot of knowledge, determination, dedication and grit to even attempt raising stocker or backgrounded cattle. Of these individuals, there are those who go on to becoming successful in their businesses and fewer still recognized for exceptionality in what they do.

Calving season is not only stressful and physically demanding for ranchers and hired hands but also stressful and nutritionally challenging to cows.

The sentiment is unanimous – among the day-work cowboys anyway, and maybe a few “wanna be” ranchers seeking leased land. “That lady is crazy. There’s plenty of grass on that ranch.”

The U.S. is covered in vast amounts of rural farm and ranch land. But as urban sprawl continues to stretch farther out and develop rural lands, landowners want to preserve their property from such expansion.