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Barren County Farm Spotlights UK Grazing Program
By
Laura Skillman
 GLASGOW, Ky., (Aug. 29, 2007) – With the state in the throes of
a severe drought and many of his neighbors already feeding hay,
Barren County farmer Jim Landis pauses in nearly foot-tall grass
to reflect on a grazing plan he initiated last year.
Landis said he only has 120 acres and getting additional land
around him is difficult so he decided to do the best with what
he had – get the most out of each acre and utilize it and not
waste it.
“The University of Kentucky College of Agriculture came along
with the Master Grazing Program, and my wife (Baker) and I got
involved with it, and it’s worked out perfectly for us,” he
said.
The Landis family took their once large grain and hay fields and
divided them into 22 smaller paddocks where he grazes his fall
and spring cattle herds that total 101 cows. He also added
several in-field waterers for the cattle to keep them within 800
feet of their water supply and ensured that shade was also
available in each paddock.
The farm is one of 19 demonstration farms in the UK Master
Grazing Program, said Keenan Turner, program coordinator. The
program began in January 2006 and is funded through the Kentucky
Beef Network with tobacco settlement money. The program consists
of five classroom sessions followed by a field day at one of the
demonstration farms across the state. People interested in
attending the program should contact their county office of the
UK Cooperative Extension Service.
“The bottom line is we’ve found out that every day that you can
graze is cheaper than mechanically harvested and stored feed on
the farm or purchased feed,” Turner said. “Farmers like that.
They are always looking for ways to reduce expenses, and we
think we have a program that can help them do that.”
 The Landis farm is a perfect example of how good management –
rotating pastures with ample water and shade – can mean having
plenty of pasture even in a drought year, Turner said.
Landis said he likes to move the cattle when the pastures are
still three to four inches tall, because the growth will come
back more quickly than if the cattle are allowed to graze it
into the ground.
“We switch them whenever we need to, sometimes from day to day,
and sometimes there are three or four days before we move them,”
he said. “In 2006, we moved them 96 times and so far this year,
50 times. We try to pull them off when many people may be just
getting ready to put theirs on.”
Once the paddocks are established, it does not take long to
train the cattle to move, Landis said. He simply opens a gate,
drives through and they quickly follow. It makes it easier to
get them to the barn when it’s time to work them, and it helps
him to keep a better check on the cattle, so if there’s any
problem he can deal with it more quickly.
What hay he cuts comes from paddocks where the grass is growing
too quickly for the cattle to graze. Landis said he does not
plan to feed much hay, preferring to let the cattle graze. This
is cheaper and returns the undigested nutrients back to the soil
through the manure.
In the past, Landis said he’s begun feeding hay as early as
September and with this year’s drought many of his neighbors are
already doing so. But, he’s hoping to be able to pasture his
cattle into January and possibly February by stockpiling some of
the paddocks for this winter.
“2007 has been a perfect year to test the rotational grazing
program,” he said. “Where most people are out of pasture, our
cattle were fed better this year than they’ve ever been and
still have plenty to go on into winter. In a good year, anyone
can have grass, but in a year like this it takes management.”
Landis is a believer in the grazing program and has completed
the UK Master Cattleman Program as well. He said UK has a wealth
of information for farmers and encourages more people to turn to
them for their expertise.
Barren County is the largest cattle county in the state in both
beef and dairy and many farmers are looking for ways to improve
the forage and grazing programs, so having a demonstration farm
in the county is a real plus, said Gary Tilghman, Barren County
extension agent for agricultural and natural resources.
“It’s a good show and tell,” he said, “when you can bring a
producer out here and show them, and they can talk to Mr.
Landis. Once they get away from the thought that there’s a lot
of labor in it – there’s really a lot of planning and developing
a system that works good – and they can see that it is really
helpful.
“The Landis’s are great friends and great cooperators,” he said.
“They don’t mind visitors, and others can see what they are
doing first hand and say, ‘Hey I can do that.’”
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Contact: Keenan Turner, 606-679-6361
Gary Tilghman, 270-651-3818
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The UK College
of Agriculture, through its land-grant mission, reaches across
the commonwealth with teaching, research and extension
to enhance the lives of Kentuckians. |
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