Perennial Forage Working Group

Green Lands Blue Waters Conference

November 20-21, 2013

Minneapolis

Livestock Agriculture can address multiple sustainability goals

Sediment losses from

Breneman farm outwintering

pastures

Pasture & Grazing in the Upper Midwest2007 Census of Agriculture

Illinois Iowa Minnesota Wisconsin

# of farms using MiG 7165 10,267 8855 11,469

Percent of all livestock farms using MiG

39% 35% 36% 33%

Total pasture acres 1,195,533 2,744,708 2,195,219 1,457,542

Long-term change in pasture and hay acreage

IL IA MN WI IL IA MN WITotal pasture acres Total harvested forage

0

500,000

1,000,000

1,500,000

2,000,000

2,500,000

3,000,000

3,500,000

4,000,000

1997 2002 2007 2012

Perennial Forage Working Group

• Mission: – To increase acreage of pasture and perennial forage crops

in the Upper Midwest– To encourage best management practices in existing

pastures.• We work to:

– Identify obstacles currently facing grazing operations and perennial forage production

– Develop & support economically sustainable strategies, tools &services to increase pasturelands and perennial forages.

Perennial Forage Working Group• Current Membership:

– Richard Cates, Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems, University of Wisconsin-Madison

– Cara Carper, Southwest Badger RC&D– Vance Haugen, University of Wisconsin Extension– Jane Jewett, GLBW/U Minnesota – Andrew Larson, Iowa State University Extension & Outreach– Richard Ness, Land Stewardship Project– Bob Olson, Cooperative Development Services– Laura Paine, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade,

and Consumer Protection (DATCP) – Jim Paulson, University of Minnesota Extension– Troy Salzer, University of Minnesota Extension– H. Joe Sellers, Iowa State University Extension & Outreach– Terry VanDerPol, Land Stewardship Project *Co-Chair

Perennial Forage OpportunitiesCategories from last year’s conference

• Networking producers and grasslands:– Corn stalk grazing– Public grasslands– Land rehabilitation and invasive species control.

• Demonstrate opportunities for young farmers.

• Outreach to non-farming landowners.• Value of perennial forages in crop rotations.

Current focus: Contract Grazing A model for livestock production partnerships

LandownerLivestock Owner

Manager

ManagerLandownerLivestock Owner

Livestock owner

LandownerManager

Livestock ownerManagerLandowner

ManagerLivestock

OwnerLandowner

Contract Grazing Fact Sheets

http://greenlandsbluewaters.net/Perennial_Forage/contract.html

2014 SARE Pre-Proposal• Title: Brokering relationships between livestock producers,

non-farming landowners, and beginning farmers• Goals:

– Beginning livestock farmers will gain knowledge of contract grazing as a means of getting started farming.

– Non-farming landowners will gain awareness of additional choices for land management decisions.

– Livestock producers will learn about how to use contract grazing to improve the resilience and economic performance of their operations by gaining access to additional grassland acreage.

• Activities:– A regional contract grazing conference.– One or more local workshop series in each state. – A mentoring program for beginning graziers by experienced

livestock producers. – Research on and outreach to non-farming landowners.

• $198,637 requested

Perennial Forage OpportunitiesCategories from last year’s conference

• Networking producers and grasslands:– Corn stalk grazing– Public grasslands– Land rehabilitation and invasive species

control.• Demonstrate opportunities for young

farmers.• Outreach to non-farming landowners.• Value of perennial forages in crop

rotations.

• Networking producers and grasslands:– LSP’s Chippewa Watershed project networks producers

& landowners with >3000 acres.– WI Grazing Broker project seeks to connect non-farming

landowners with livestock producers.– Minnesota DNR grazing initiative

Perennial Forage OpportunitiesCategories from last year’s conference

• Demonstrate opportunities for beginning farmers. Beginning farmer programs:– Farm Beginnings Program from LSP.– WI School for Beginning Dairy & Livestock Farmers– WI Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship Program– Iowa State University Greenhorn Grazing project.

Perennial Forage OpportunitiesCategories from last year’s conference

An estimated 60% of land in the region is owned by non-farming landowners

• Research and reach out to non-farming landowners.– Land Stewardship Project’s women landowners groups

(Chippewa and Root River watersheds).– SW Badger’s WI Grazing Broker project.– SARE Contract Grazing Proposal.

Perennial Forage OpportunitiesCategories from last year’s conference

• Perennial forages in rotation boost annual crop yields and reduces input costs.– Livestock agriculture makes perennial forages a potential

enterprise for not only livestock producers but also cash grain producers

– Losing livestock farming infrastructure has broad implications for agricultural economies, environmental performance, and rural communities.

Perennial Forage OpportunitiesCategories from last year’s conference