Solberg on Soil: New Cropland Grazing Exchange Website Links Producers to Build Soil Health

Kent Solberg

By Kent Solberg • SFA Livestock & Grazing Specialist

One of the five tenets of soil health is incorporation of livestock, and recent data underlines the value of managed livestock integration into cropping systems. After hearing multiple requests from both livestock and crop producers interested in a method of connecting with other producers to incorporate livestock onto croplands, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture along with the NRCS and SFA have developed the Cropland Grazing Exchange (CGE) website.

This website will serve to help connect livestock producers with crop farmers interested in using livestock to build soil health. The website creators recognize that each situation is different; the website was created to begin a conversation between producers, not to provide all pertinent information. Further discussions will be essential to workout details of any arrangement.

Templates for grazing agreements are provided to aid producer discussions. Producers are encouraged to review pesticide application history on the proposed fields for any potential residue conflicts with forages or grazing. Current points on the map are for instructional purposes. You can add actual field points beginning March 1, 2017.

Check it out here: http://www.mda.state.mn.us/cge.