Grazing

The best option for adding sheep or goats to an operation is to purchase from a reputable breeder.

The Illinois Grazing Lands Coalition announced the continuation of its free Pasture Walk series for livestock producers, with upcoming fall dates planned across the state.

Examples of typical and not-so-common cover crops used in corn and soybean rotations were featured in a recent plot tour on the Farm Progress Show grounds.

We are in that tough phase between decent residue grazing and great stockpile grazing. It is the hardest time of the year for grazing management.

The focus at Schoepp Farms LLC is to keep soil and nutrients on the land.

For more than 30 years, Cattlemen’s College sponsored by Zoetis has provided cattle producers with valuable information to help improve their herds and businesses.

Will we someday return to a more diversified Midwest agriculture economy incorporating livestock into row crop operations?

We have all but finished our harvest for the year. Corn chopping went extremely smooth with no rain delays and to my recollection only one truck needing pulled all season long — surely a record.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced up to $7.7 billion in assistance for fiscal year 2025 to help agricultural and forestry producers adopt conservation practices on working lands.

Well, it’s dry again and we really could use a good soaking rain. The grass pastures had been growing nice up to about two weeks ago when they started feeling the effects of no rain.

We’ve gone more than a month now without any rain and none in our forecast, so the pastures are thirsty. In spite of that, the cover crops on our wheat stubble are looking surprisingly well.

It certainly has dried up in a hurry and pastures are showing the ill effects of that. We have had some hot days, but for the most part temperatures have been moderate, so it could have been worse.

Armyworms are appropriately named. They definitely work like an army, moving their line forward as efficiently and rapidly as possible, attempting to overwhelm the enemy and gain territory.

Agrivoltaics works and it is going to keep growing in the United States.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded $22 million for projects in 36 states that expand access to technical assistance for livestock producers and increases the use of conservation practices on grazing lands.

The annual Orr Beef Research Center Field Day will take place at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 11 at the Ag Sciences Complex and Fred Bradshaw Learning Center at the John Wood Community College Agricultural Education Center.

A Natural Resources Conservation Service display brought the field to the Illinois State Fair. The tabletop display demonstrated the interaction between water and soils with different characteristics and management practices.

The Illinois Grazing Lands Coalition and U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin announced that the farmer-led nonprofit organization will receive a $923,458 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

An agricultural production system that integrates crops and livestock into a single interconnected practice in one field was the top yielder in Precision Technology Institute’s trials last year.

I hope you readers saw the recent AgriNews article on sheep grazing under solar farms. Land stays in production while generating electricity for the grid and cash for shepherds while saving on mowing and spraying costs.

I’ve been busy with the granddaughters’ fair schedule of showing. The oldest one can now drive, so that helps a lot, but grandpa still drives the truck and trailer to the shows.

The Illinois Grazing Lands Coalition announced two upcoming grazing schools: Sept. 6-7 in Macomb and Sept. 13-14 in Creal Springs.

While the dictionary doesn’t include the word “stockmanship,” most livestock producers know what it means: handling livestock in a calm, quiet manner that results in animals that are healthier and gain faster.

Things are really green everywhere. I feel very good about where we are in the grazing year. That is, we are ready to start the last rotation on our fescue, before we begin stockpiling for winter grazing.

The U.S. Department of Energy estimates more than 10 million acres will be converted to solar energy by 2050, and the American Farmland Trust projects over 80% could be sited on agricultural lands.

The Land Conservancy of McHenry County has received a $135,000 grant from the Chicago Community Trust to support the growth of the local food system in McHenry County.

The story of the newly married couple and their dream of continuing the family farming legacy is a tale of determination and resilience in the face of challenges.

The last two weeks have been an absolute flurry of activity here at River Oak. I have been involved more with the cows than usual with Carson tied up with chopping triticale and then mowing, raking, baling and hauling the following week.

A new rye cover crop will hit the market this fall that’s touted for its elite hybrid genetics that provide hardiness and fast germination.

Solar and wind farms have become a regular part of the rural landscape and a new report documents the impact the energy sources have on farmland.

Soil health and quality play a significant role in the nutritional value of pastures and cover crops, determining grazing strategies and sustainability.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency reminds agricultural producers that farm loan programs can be used to support a variety of climate-smart agriculture practices.

More weather events are bringing more challenges here at River Oak. The corn is planted, but a few acres will be on the list for replanting due to standing water after frequent rain the last 10 days.

One thing about having livestock on your farm, you always have job security. By that I mean there is never an end of something needing to be done.

April was an extremely busy time, mostly because we welcomed a new granddaughter. Her name is Brynlee and she is doing well. We were lucky to spend more time in Georgia in April than Illinois.

Soil tells the story of what has happened in a field for decades.

The Noble Research Institute is focused on land stewardship for improved soil health for grazing animal production with lasting profitability.

We have some water standing on pastures and fields. I had almost given up seeing that this spring. Looks like some other events may follow. Ponds aren’t full, but have been improved.

It looks so far like spring has arrived early this year. Even if we get a last blast of winter, spring has a pretty good head start — so much so that I missed my best opportunity to frost seed some clover.

At the Illinois Lamb and Wool meeting a guy told me that he didn’t know about the wool loan deficiency payments program until he read about it in my article last year. He was able to get more than the 40 cents per pound minimum by having his wool graded.

Three ounces and a cloud of dust! That phrase came to mind as I finished up the “frost” seeding in very dry warm conditions.

I just saw a map of the affected drought areas of 2012 and right now and they looked awfully similar to the one for 2024.

March weather has come in like a lamb, so if the saying is true, it will turn into a lion at some point this month. It is still winter, but we are inching closer to spring.

From a window atop my grandfather’s old barn, you can see my family’s whole farm, from the hayfields to the chicken houses to the pasture where the mama cows are grazing.

I was just having so much fun with the minus-15 temperatures and 20 mph winds last month that I just forgot to write an article. Well, the last part is true. Things have been mundane around here — unroll hay, break ice and fill water tanks.

Having just returned from two weeks of R & R in Gulf Shores, Alabama, I can’t help but share a few thoughts I have about that time spent.

The Illinois Grazing Lands Coalition opened registration for its inaugural statewide grazing conference.

Discussions and decisions made during the winter months can impact managing a beef cattle operation all year.

It appeared as though we were going to have a repeat of our luck with weather for our Illinois Grazing Lands Coalition Pasture Walk scheduled here at River Oak. We always seem to bring rain when we schedule.

Joel Gruver, a professor of soil science and sustainable agriculture at Western Illinois University in Macomb, will receive the 2024 Sustainable Agriculture Achievement Award from Practical Farmers of Iowa.