Soil Health âŚSummer, from page 17
â so you can pull from it when times are rough,â he said. âAnd this is definitely one of those rough years.â u
Community Relations
A Greener Neighbor
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notice plenty of grassland songbirds like meadowlarks and bobolinks in their grazing paddocks, and on this day a flock of turkeys was making its way across a side-hill. The 2023 grazing season was a tough one for the Holsts, given the drought, pest problems, and low milk prices. But Jeremy said one bright spot is that his familyâs utilization of rotational grazing and continuous living cover to produce milk is seen as a community asset. âWeâre pretty lucky with the neighbors here who have wanted to try something besides corn and beans,â said the farmer. âThese acres are probably worth more on the open market, but they want to take care of the land.â u
red splotch on the map â a sign the region riving through farm country in late was suffering from extreme drought. This fall can be a monochromatic experiwas the second driest growing season ever ence. As the corn and soybean harvest is recorded for this area; the last time it was being taken in, itâs clearer than ever that this dry was in 1910. this duoculture of row crops doesnât leave The Vergins made it clear that this yearâs much life on the land once itâs removed. brutal weather has required them to make Thatâs why the hilly acres Jeremy and Jesadjustments to the management of Silky sica Holst produce milk on in southeastern Cow Farm, their organic dairy operation. Minnesotaâs Driftless Region stand out so Their herd of around 65 milkers and replacedramatically. Even in late October, the bright ment heifers relies heavily on rotational Farmer-to-Farmer green of rotationally grazed pastures pop grazing, and it was clear the lack of rain and on the landscape. The Holsts like utilizing Walking & Talking blistering temperatures had not been kind rotational grazing to produce milk with their to the grasses and forbs the Vergins have 120-head cow herd. They feel the cows are in their pastures â much of the forage was healthier and that grazing provides a lowhereâs a lot of talk about the value of stunted and had stopped growing in spots. cost source of feed. It also creates a fun, farmer-to-farmer learning, but what Fortunately, since Nathan and Amy began pleasant environment for them and their two does it look like in action? One extremely the process of taking over the farm from young children. effective way to learn firsthand about grassretired farmers Arlene and Mel Hershey five And fortunately for the family, the four based livestock production is to go on a years ago, theyâve focused on adaptation landowners they rent acres from like to see pasture walk. LSP pasture walks are fairly and flexibility. A cornerstone of their ability cows out grazing the land as well. Thatâs informal affairs and usually start out with to roll with the punches has been to utilize important, given how competitive it can be the host farmer standing in the shade of a techniques like adaptive rotational grazing tree at the farmstead and describing to build soil health and thus boost the basics of their operation, includtheir pasturesâ resiliency. For exing a little history of why they got ample, through management that built involved with adaptive rotational up a deep-rooted plant community grazing in the first place. Maybe their over a four-year period, they were permanent pastures were worn out or, able to extend the grazing season in a in some cases, perhaps the farm was formerly worn-out paddock from four dominated by row crops like corn days to over 21 days. and soybeans, and grazing provided a During the LSP pasture walk, way to transition into a livestock proparticipants were shown what adjustduction system that helps build and ments were made on Silky Cow Farm protect soil profitably with perennial during the summer of 2023, and there grasses and forbs. was an energetic discussion about But at the heart of any good what lessons were learned that could pasture walk is, well, the walk. be applied to future growing seasons. Specifically, participants take a hike As it happens, the farmers are into a pasture broken up into grazing reconsidering their past avoidance of alfalfa as a pasture forage, given how Jeremy Holst said the people he rents land from âlike having paddocks. There, they get an up close well its deep-rooted plant structure the cattle out on pasture and seeing them, and itâs given me and personal gander at whatâs growing in the pasture, how the fencing seems to ride out drought conditions. an opportunity with good neighbors.â (LSP Photo) and watering systems are set up, and Indeed, on this day, the vibrant green ways the host farmer handles issues of a grazing paddock dominated by to rent farm ground, particularly in corn and like rotations and animal health. alfalfa contrasted sharply with the dun colsoybean regions. During a late fall LSP pasOn a warm evening in mid-July â one ored pastures growing heat-stressed grasses. ture walk, Jeremy led a tour of their grazing of those nights when a passing rain made As Nathan made clear while leading paddocks while a light rain fell and a chilly it seem like a droughty summer wasnât an participants through the grazing paddocks, autumn wind blew. Participants walked by a inevitability â Nikki Meyer hosted an LSP itâs next to impossible to predict what curve patch of prairie as well as a stand of everpasture walk during which a couple dozen balls the weather will throw from year-togreens that had been planted as a windbreak farmers and landowners that represented year, which makes building a healthy soil and habitat for wildlife. When the group ara range in ages and experience hoofed it biome that can weather extremes over the rived at the deep green pasture, it was clear around the extremely hilly land she and long haul more critical than ever. it fit in nicely with the woody and prairie âThatâs what you have a soil account for Summer, see page 19⌠habitat of these hills. The Holsts say they
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No. 2, 2023
The Land Stewardship Letter
