EP63 Extended Grazing

What do you do when grass, which is often considered a finite resource, is limited by drought and cold weather? In this episode, we discuss management practices that you can use to extend the growing season and avoid feeding expensive bales of hay earlier than necessary.  Ben Stuart, who runs two successful farming operations (one in Saskatchewan and the other in Hardisty, Alberta), uses stockpile grazing to extend the grazing season on his farms. But if the grass isn’t growing, how do you stockpile what isn’t available? That’s where preparation comes in. Join us as we discuss stockpile grazing and all the different forms it can take. Highlights: 3:07 – Ben paints us a picture of what his operations look like.  4:49 – What are some of the environmental factors that you need to work with? 7:17 – What are the different management practices that fall into stockpile grazing? 17:22 – Ben talks to us about drought tolerance with monocultures versus mixed crops. 20:30 – When should you begin stockpiling forage and how can rotational grazing help? 26:16 – Ben shares his advice in relation to the growing season and what to do when facing a drought. Useful Links: Young Agrarians Want to learn more? If you’d like to learn more about managing moisture on your land, we recommend listening to: Episode 24 – AMP Grazing Episode 40 – Grazing for Water Infiltration Our Farmers Blog is also a great source for stories of producers in Alberta who are going the extra mile with their management practices for the land, food and their communities.