Grazing

Resources and expertise to implement adaptive grazing on your farm

Through the Technical Assistance for Grazing Program and Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship, SFA provides support to new and experienced farmers interested in grazing. Our Beginning Grazier Handbook is designed to assist the beginning grazier in implementing a grazing system, or experienced graziers looking for additional resources.

Beginning Grazier Handbook

Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship Pasture Walk

Location:
Walter Family Organic Dairy
11034 110th St
Villard, MN 56385

Date: Sept. 7, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

NRCS Paddock Track demonstration and discussion. Look at different pasture species.

The PaddockTrac device, which is in the prototype phase, mounts to the front of a UTV or 4-wheeler and uses sonar waves to measure forage height in pastures. Once the data is saved and uploaded, its app generates a grazing wedge. The Walters drive their pastures weekly, using their eyes and the data from the grazing wedge to get a fuller picture on which to base their grazing management decisions.

Registration requested, walkups welcome

Click here to Register.

Info: angie@sfa-mn.org

Technical Assistance for Grazing Program

The Sustainable Farming Association, in partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, is working to increase and improve the amount of regenerative grazing within the prairie pothole region of west and northwest Minnesota. In our Technical Assistance for Grazing program, we will work with twenty farmers to provide:

On-farm assessment of your operation

Development of a grazing plan

Training on adaptive grazing

Training on fencing techniques and equipment

Stockmanship training

Implementation of soil health principles

Networking with other graziers

The program is designed to offer one-on-one, boots-on-the-ground training to farmers wanting to begin, improve upon, or expand their grazing enterprise.

Over two years you will work one-on-one with SFA staff and participate in field days where you will learn from and interact with other graziers in this program.

To apply, fill out this application or reach out to Jared Luhman at jared@sfa-mn.org.

Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship

SFA and the Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship have built a partnership to support the recruitment, education, and training of apprentice dairy farmers who are working with Mentor dairy graziers. The goal of DGA's work is to ensure more small family dairy operations and enhance those that involve grazing into their operation. The Apprenticeship is for farmers who are looking to mentor an individual on their operation and for people who are looking to learn how to dairy farm in a hands-on way of learning.

SFA's Central Minnesota DGA Education Coordinator is Angie Walter, who with her husband, Nate, milks 100 cows and farms 370 acres near Villard, Minn.

Contact Angie at angie@sfa-mn.org or 320.815.9293.

Visit the national DGA website here.