Let’s Talk “Total Grazing”

As i listen to podcasts and videos of various producers, hosts, and grazing gurus, i’ve found that there is a misunderstanding of the term “total grazing” as to be expected since at the front of it, simply implies grazing all the forage in front of the stock with little to no regard to forage recovery, soil, water, animal, wildlife, air, and human health or harmony. As taught in the Real Wealth Ranching program, this is not at all the definition but instead may be more aptly described as managed nonselective grazing or high harvest efficiency. 

Far too many seem to get hung up on the 4x daily moves as if that’s all they hear and summarily dismiss all the concepts. As part of a complete program, “Total Grazing” is a systems approach of directing life, land, and livestock which enhances and builds all those important aspects. I’m in my 6th year (2024) of total grazing/real wealth ranching and enjoy the improvements even though life has thrown some curves which have seldom allowed 4x daily moves. Remember the harmony part which includes less labor.

Although the understanding of the system is simple, the application of dynamic aspects of genetics, weather, people, animals, forage causing management to sometimes be quite challenging – it’s an art and science melded into a constantly changing symmetry in which the manager must be watching and shifting. Anyone involved in agriculture needs to be flexible and able to make quick and correct decisions. Too often, we become stuck in what we think is right (paradigms) and promote wrong understanding. This only works to set back newcomers and next generation. 

So what is the program often labeled as “Total Grazing”

As taught by Jaime Elizondo, who owns Real Wealth Ranching, it includes four pillars of focus which are integrated into a whole, but also includes harmony (including profitability) of the owner/operator’s life. Based on well over 30 years of ranching experience and a great deal of plant and nutrition science, he has discovered that some of the old ‘science’ has been refuted and needs discarded as new information has been brought to light. It’s a program - not a one-off.

The Four Pillars

1) Grazing – it is not leaving animals in a paddock or pasture until all the forage is destroyed and animal health is wrecked.

2) Calving Season – calving or lambing in the correct season for your area may be the low hanging fruit and quickest way to profitability.

3) Adapted Genetics & Selection – keeping replacements from your own herd may be a slow way to grow your operation, but it is the best (imho)

4) Nutrition – don’t skimp on nutrition and quality pastures for various classes and types of livestock.

Jaime is just now launching a quick start version (Ranching Made Simple) of his in-depth teaching. I recommend the whole online Total Grazing Academy, but this new program with its lower up-front cost will help introduce more producers seeking to explore options and opportunities.

“Fat Roots, Fat Land, Fat Cows, Fat Wallet”

Jaime Elizondo

The Rains Came

A couple weeks ago – about mid-July – it started raining. We’ve had some 7-8 inches of rain in a month and what a blessing, especially made so by having it come in increments instead of all at once. Our properly grazed pastures had mouths wide open backed up by spongy soil to absorb nearly every drop. The ditches barely got wet, however, with several acres of watershed area, our ponds did catch some drain although they weren’t super low.

Although Linn County, Missouri is still considered in a drought, (D1-moderate) it’s hard to tell now.

Before I left for Hungary and Scotland on May 30 (returning June 30), i asked my neighbor to brush hog about 140 acres. It may seem counterproductive to mow during a D3 drought, but the brush had encroached to the point of being out of control. My cows had grazed the full season tall forages during the past winter, so all plants had deep roots, though very little growth by late May so i knew i wasn’t going to hurt it by mowing. Athough, i was surprised that it didn’t grow back as i thought it would (due to deep roots), once the rains came, the forage production is phenomenal. Anything along a ditch (good soil and higher water table) was already 2-3 feet tall despite the drought. These acres will be grazed during the winter again. It is not the right order for #totalgrazing, but with inadequate grazing pressure, i simply have nothing to graze it. It will be very high quality and quantity for winter.

I just now (mid-August) had him mow another 80 acres. I was getting a little nervous because he didn’t get to it quite as quickly as i would have done, but it will be okay. Again, the brush and sprouts were out of control on only one paddock, but i had him do the whole place anyway. The grass had already started growing substantially these past couple weeks, but there is plenty of time to grow before a killing frost.

When i’m home, I ‘ve been able to strip graze 3-4 times per day and cut hedge and locust sprouts in the grazed areas right behind the cows. However, once again, i had to be gone and now it’s forecasted to be about 100F for this coming week, so once a day and cows walking a lane to water and shade. It’s all working very well. However, in about 10 days, i will have to be gone again for 2 weeks, so I’ll move the cows across the road to the Bowyer Farm and start grazing it so that paddock sizes can be increased to moving them only every 3 to 4 days.

I had just about 10 days ago moved the cows to a very tiny segment of the Bowyer farm to graze around all the tornado damaged barns so as to make it easier for cleanup. However, now that it’s going to be sunny and 100F for the next week, i’m sure not going to be loading old tin into the trailer. Anyway, it’s no big deal to move them back – just a bit extra time spent. I’m very thankful for cows which are easy to handle and eager to cooperate. (training is important)

We lost 4 barns (this one was the least damaged) and two corrals in the 8 May 2023 EF2 tornado. Last tornado was 24 Oct 2021. This is getting old. However, compare to the ’21 tornado where we lost 20 cows and calves, this time we only lost 2. Incredibly, despite the amount of damage done to homes, timbers, fences, and the town of Linneus, no one was hurt or killed in either tornado.

I have to express great appreciation for Yah bringing Jaime Elizondo into my sphere of grazing schemes. This drought really showed that Real Wealth Ranching protocol of total grazing shines after only approaching my 4th year of grazing in this manner. Previously, MiG was moving me backwards from my goals.

As I transition to a sort of retirement by leasing out my farm to my cousin who lives much closer to the farm than i do, i hope to impart what i’ve learnt through the years. It will give him the opportunity to learn about proper grazing and build his own herd. It will give me a much-needed break from so much driving and hard labor. Will i completely quit? Unlikely, to be sure, but life is pretty janky right now, so it’s hard to know what the immediate needs will be.

Create something beautiful today.

Here is what total grazing protocol looks like at the end of 3 months of D3 drought! Wow! Look at the grass. The cows are fat with plenty of forage ahead of them. Now that it has rained, I’m looking at having about 200 acres of quality and quantity of winter stockpile for strip grazing.

Missouri claims the mantra of being only 2 weeks from a drought – that is because when the rain turns off, the clay soil turns into concrete. Impossible for short roots to grow or even stay alive. Proper grazing creates deep roots, giving native and desirable species the best opportunity to thrive as well as give safe harbour to wildlife.

Drought Management Ideas

North Missouri, along with some other states and areas, are experiencing deepening drought. (Currently in Linn County, MO, severe drought 6 July 23 according to US Drought Monitor).  It is important to initiate protection of future grasslands production and health, so destocking those areas sooner rather than later is imperative.  Each ranch or farm is unique with differing missions and goals, so there is no silver bullet with which animals need to go first and how to plan ahead.  However, like many decisions to be made, there are principles to follow.

1. Immediately take full accounting of current inventory of forages.  This includes grasses and hay.  Of course, we don’t know when or if it will rain again, but at a certain date – say July 1 for us, we definitely know how much forage is available now and what will be available for winter grazing. 
2. If there are some tax helps from selling due to drought, contact your tax man or read up to see what the rules are to take advantage of any tax strategies which may mitigate the increased income from sales. Be careful not to offset income with unnecessary depreciating assets considered ‘monuments to tax avoidance.’
3. It’s easier to sell dry bred stock vs those with young calves just from a logistical standpoint.  Any bred stock calving out of season (late calving or fall calving) without calves are good candidates for shipping. Often, too, fall calvers may be easier to sell than the May-June spring calvers unless you can find a specialty market. Most ranchers want Feb-Mar calving cows.
4. Yearlings or stockers could be sold immediately if you need to maintain a quality cow herd.  However, selling cows (depreciating assets) first may be preferable – especially if you haven’t been culling and have a lot of poor producers, bad dispositions, bad bags, or other nasty qualities. 
5. Sell pairs. This is difficult if you have been carefully selecting quality cows for years, but it may be that it must be done.  The mantra to sell ‘old, open, and onery’ is a good guideline, but old may be your best cows – keep the calves – sell the cows.  Otherwise, it’s easy to pull off the bottom 30% to 50%.  It’s been said that everyone has a bottom 30% and that’s likely very true and those are easy to identify.  Check the forecast and hopefully find a cool day or start early and walk the pairs into the corral.  Plan ahead so that the cows are near the corral or in a large holding area the night before to simplify this task.  Tag the calves and pair them with their mums.  Cows, by and large, will depreciate in value – they’ve reached their limit, but do bring in a ticket.  It had better be a good ticket.
6. If possible, cull down to the number of mouths which can be fed through the winter without substitutionary feed (IE hay, grain, etc) 
7. In regards to replacement heifers – many experts will say to sell them, take the cash or send them on to feedlots.  However, if these have been carefully selected for decades and represent the future (after the drought), then I question selling them out.  You cannot buy better or more adapted genetics for your operation.  Same goes for replacement bulls.  They eat half as much feed as a cow and should be appreciating in value vs decreasing. 
8. One herd is preferable to multiple.  This is one of the best strategies for managed grazing hands down, drought or no drought.  If you are still chasing around 4 or more pastures with a few cows everywhere, this is a recipe for disaster for the pasture, cows, and labor (huge lack of harmony).  Stop it. Going a step further, identify the pasture which potentially can produce winter grazing as close to your headquarters as possible.  This may mean shifting around animals, but long run will be easier to feed hay and check/chop water through the long winter months if closer to home.

Turning the group into a large pasture with no mobbing will result in overgrazing and undergrazing on the same field. I recommend to the extent you can muster a nonselective grazing scheme as proposed by Jaime Elizondo. Other teachers hit close to the mark with once a day moves. One must remember that nonselective grazing requires a steady, stable, and somewhat uniform diet to keep the ‘bugs’ in the rumen intact and healthy. Observe manure for proper digestion of forages. It might mean feeding some sort of high protein if your drought or mature forage has lignified. In north Missouri, grasses will try to grow within three-four days of being grazed. Consider using a back fence to protect those tender plants from a second bite.

1. Drought times or life changes may not be the best time to implement major changes in your operation which may cause excessive challenges.  It may be tempting to breed heifers as yearlings even if you haven’t done so for years so that you get a ‘ticket’ earlier after destocking, but remember that you may have calving difficulties that have not been an issue in the past – are you physically capable of dealing with that?  No one else wants to. 

What are your destocking strategies?  Drought is not the only reason for culling heavily.  Plan well ahead so life changes don’t sneak up on you and disaster looms resulting in a complete sell out.  Have an annual, month by month, schedule written down and have an exit strategy in times of turmoil so that difficult decisions are not made in the midst of emotional upheaval.  Recognize your own physical and emotional limits and start making changes.  In fact, reducing labor, unnecessary work, and expenses at any time is likely a good strategy even before you have to do it.  Mindfully, consider that no one else has your passion to micromanage livestock for no reason and little pay.  The management of 100 years ago, 50, or even 20 years ago will NOT work in today’s extremely tight margin economy.

Create something beautiful today.

Livestock and Pasture Resources:

Kick the Hay Habit – Jim Gerrish

Real Wealth Ranching – Jaime Elizondo

For giggles and a reality check!

Top Ten reasons not to cull that Old, Open and Ornery Cow

Quickest Ways to Profitability & Harmony

This list is old news, but reviews are seldom a waste of time. Oftentimes, we need to revisit a topic to find the low hanging fruit of our business or keeping a home to be more effective in our lives.

Questions to ask yourself:

“Am i asking the right question?” How can i do this without spending money? Do i need to do this? Am i very efficiently doing the wrong thing?

If you think it won’t work for you, then it won’t. If it’s something we don’t want to change, we will set up the situation to fail on purpose. We often are the biggest stumbling block to harmony in our professions and relationships by refusing to seek a solution which, oddly, in many situations would not only enhance our lives, but be more productive and profitable as well!

As Kit Pharo says, ‘The easiest money you will ever make is the money you don’t spend – and that money is tax-free.”

In ranching:

1. Combine animals into as few herds as possible. One or two is best. One cow herd, one bull herd kept separate until breeding season. Having one cowherd will greatly reduce the number of bulls you need to cover the cows. A single herd moved multiple times per day will actually improve productivity of the soil and increase desirable plant species (aka regenerative ranching) more rapidly than some popular managed selective grazing programs. Think outside the box on this one. Although one herd is ideal, sometimes there may be a reason for another. In the season of life you are young, strong, energetic, it is important to have cash flow and other income streams. Use separate pastures (leased or owned) for short term use. For instance, you may have a herd of yearling heifers or steers. Perhaps you want to breed your yearling replacement heifers to easy calving bulls. If you have many multiple pastures, miles apart – consider another use for the far-reaching ones. Perhaps hay it in the summer, then allow to grow for short term yearling grazing (sell the animals before winter). Lease or sell the land and focus on the main portions. Chances are very good that profitability will increase, labor will decrease, family life will improve.
2. Calve in sync with nature. In our part of the world of north central Missouri, one would look back in history and learn when the bison calved. This is typically mid-May through June, perhaps a bit into July. Oftentimes you may hear, ‘when do the deer fawn?’ But deer are more like sheep or goats than cattle and breeding season weather needs consideration in many parts of the world. While you are at it, shorten the breeding season to discover your most fertile cows.
3. Let cows raise their calves. In extreme weather conditions, it may be necessary to wean calves early and sell either them or their mommas or both!
4. Select animals for your breeding herd from your own stock. Starting out, try to find local animals raised the way you will be. This will likely be nearly impossible, and you’ll end up culling a lot. Expensive up front, but long term is the best solution to finding adapted animals which can perform without expensive inputs.
5. Incorporate some sort of managed grazing which allows adequate rest from grazing. I use Real Wealth Ranching techniques which is a way of incorporating nonselective grazing, identifying adapted animals, matching calving/breeding season with forage availability, increasing profitability, and creating harmony in your life and human relationships. There are other management practices that may fit your lifestyle or season of life better. Explore and understand the protocols, realizing that often you cannot pick and choose and still have the management work.
6. ‘Kick the Hay Habit‘ is the name of a book by Jim Gerrish, but it is also great advice for reducing costs. Hay and all the labor and machinery expense associated with it seldom makes sense in today’s ranching world. There are exceptions – especially weather related – but by and large it takes a huge bite out of the bottom line.
7. Reduce overheads! Stan Parsons said you only need a hammer and a wheelbarrow to be a financially successful rancher, and the wheelbarrow was questionable. Now, i might be paraphrasing, but his point is clear; that which rusts, rots, and depreciates is not an asset and likely adds labor and other unnecessary costs. Machinery, buildings, vehicles, even a stack of hay!

Decades ago, i sat in on an introductory Ranching for Profit course taught by Stan Parsons and i thought he had the craziest ideas. I’ve long since embraced many of his precepts, but the concepts need to be revisited to keep on track. I’m constantly making mistakes and forgetting to keep my life in harmony with my work.

Hopefully, future blog entries will dig a bit deeper into each point with real life, personal examples, and experiences.

Shabbat Shalom!

Create beauty and harmony!

To Burn? Or Not To Burn?

Burning grasslands is a landscaping management tool used by many to burn off old, thatched grasses and forbes which are preventing new seedlings from growing thereby creating dead zones where nothing is growing. It’s not necessarily a ‘bad’ management tool, but i prefer not to use it because:

1. it releases carbon and smoke pollution into the atmosphere
2. completely eliminates all habitat for small wildlife
3. often burns up those small critters overtaken by fire and smoke
4. can be dangerous by getting away due to high winds and massive fuel (dry grasses)
5. for safety, burning requires multiple people and management equipment to prepare the site in advance as well as continued monitoring

These are reasons i choose not to burn -plus honestly, fire simply scares me. Brush piles, i’ll burn, but even those can get away.

Many articles will argue first that fire is nature’s way of managing grasslands. Hmmm – maybe, but unless the prairies and plains are mismanaged, there are very, very few situations in which fire is ‘natural.’

It is true, however, that if you have land enrolled in CRP (Conservation Reserve Program) and you receive payments from the government for letting land lay idle year after year, then mowing or in some situations fire or chemical is required to keep those payments coming.

My choice is let the livestock, and to a lesser extent, wildlife, manage the grasslands with far less danger to man and beast, less erosion, natural fertilization, increased forage diversity, no pollution or carbon release, and small creatures, like mice, turtles, voles, moles, and other ground nesting animals are completely unharmed.

I am talking about a managed grazing technique called ‘Total Grazing.” Total grazing is not over grazing, it’s not grubbing the plants into the ground, it’s not selective grazing. All plants are grazed AFTER they have been allowed to grow tall and even to full maturity if needed before being grazed. This results in a balanced diet for the animals, habitat for nearly all wildlife until grazed, and lets those plants develop deep roots which stabilize the soil and prepare for growth. Thatch is grazed along with the green portion of the plants opening up the space for more desirable plant species. Deep roots create humus, organic matter is not humus. Organic matter still needs to be broken down and incorporated into the soil profile before it can even think about becoming food for soil microbes. Roots are ready made snacks. Grow fat roots for fat plants for faster recovery, but don’t graze until the plants are at the proper stage and don’t allow that second bite. Total grazing spreads out the manure across the paddocks for even coverage of nutrients.

Total grazing requires a good amount of education, just like burning, before diving in. Animal adaptation, observation, mobbing and shifting stock at the appropriate time, not allowing that second bite,

OR

CREATE SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL TODAY!

Landscaping

Having been involved in total grazing protocol for only 2 1/2 years now and still being understocked for such a venture, I’m only starting to see some grazing pressure on tree sprouts and multiflora rose bushes. Therefore, i’m still full on with cutting sprouts and treating stumps with Tordon.

Granted, control would be much faster if the time spent moving the cows 4 times a day at the right time would be effective. However, distance, time, and weather simply won’t allow it. However, i bet i’m getting close to at once a day over the course of the year.

This morning, at long last, i’ve met with a couple men who are equipped to clean out the junk trees along my ditches and draws so that quality trees can be allowed to grow (if they are away from the ditch), the ditches will be cleared of shade, so mud will be greatly reduced, which should result in my losing fewer cows to getting stuck and dying each year. On top of that, without trees on ditch banks, deep rooted native grasses will be allowed to take hold and stop the erosion caused by rushing waters. Trees simply are not designed to hold soil in place. Managing trees and brush will much profit the land, wildlife, water quality, viewshed, and timber harvests of the future.

Using livestock and a few small tools early on is a good plan, but, in my case, i’m way behind the eight ball, so big equipment, strong backs, and expertise will be the most effective use of time and money to get my farm in good working order quickly.

On this tiny plot after total grazing, i lopped about 140 tree sprouts and 30 some multiflora roses! I was glad to find several sprouts had had the tops and buds chewed off, others were broken off. Both signs of cattle molesting the plants for nutrition and a bit of a scratch.

Sure, it’s not knocked back enough to kill it, but smaller ones could be decimated. In the meantime, i keep after them.

Shabbat Shalom

Create something beautiful today!

Cows Grazing Weeds

We know that goats and sheep are excellent for eating weeds and brush and cows – not as much.

However, with adapted, trained cattle in a nonselective grazing protocal really do a fabulous job with a whole lot less labor and infrastructure (ie – fence that will hold water)

Compare these two photos taken before and after mobbing with total grazing principles.

Before

After

Shabbat Shalom!