Grassland Management For Organic Farmers

A comprehensive practical manual on all aspects of organic grassland management, presenting down-to-earth advice backed up by scientific explanation Aimed primarily at organic farmers, agricultural students, and organic advisers and consultants, this guide will also be useful to the ever-increasing number of non-organic farmers wishing to move towards a low-carbon, clover-based grassland system. The author discusses making the most of clover and soil nitrogen mineralization, the role of herbs, and the efficient recycling of manures. He also covers reducing weed invasion, clean grazing systems for worm control, efficient grazing and conservation, and minimizing the environmental impact of grassland. The grass/clover ley plays a central role in most organic farms, since clover is the foundation stone for the whole farm system through its ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen. As well as providing an essential forage resource for farm livestock, grass/clover swards also form the basis of sustainable organic arable rotations.

Unique guide written by a recognised authority on the subject. Grass is the most important feed for cattle and sheep. The central theme is that organic grassland can be a productive source of nutrients for livestock provided it is managed correctly. Essential for organic farmers and for those converting to organic systems of production.

Grazing management might seem simple: just put livestock in a pasture and let them eat their fill. However, as Sarah Flack explains in The Art and Science of Grazing, the pasture/livestock relationship is incredibly complex. If a farmer doesn't pay close attention to how the animals are grazing, the resulting poorly managed grazing system can be harmful to the health of the livestock, pasture plants, and soils. Well-managed pastures can instead create healthier animals, a diverse and resilient pasture ecosystem, and other benefits. Flack delves deeply below the surface of "let the cows eat grass," demonstrating that grazing management is a sophisticated science that requires mastery of plant and animal physiology, animal behavior, and ecology. She also shows readers that applying grazing management science on a working farm is an art form that calls on grass farmers to be careful observers, excellent planners and record-keepers, skillful interpreters of their observations, and creative troubleshooters. The Art and Science of Grazing will allow farmers to gain a solid understanding of the key principles of grazing management so they can both design and manage successful grazing systems. The book's unique approach presents information first from the perspective of pasture plants, and then from the livestock perspective--helping farmers understand both plant and animal needs before setting up a grazing system. This book is an essential guide for ruminant farmers who want to be able to create grazing systems that meet the needs of their livestock, pasture plants, soils, and the larger ecosystem. The book discusses all the practical details that are critical for sustained success: how to set up a new system or improve existing systems; acreage calculations; paddock layout; fence and drinking water access; lanes and other grazing infrastructure; managing livestock movement and flow; soil fertility; seeding and reseeding pastures; and more. The author includes descriptions of real grazing systems working well on dairy, beef, goat, and sheep farms in different regions of North America. The book covers pasture requirements specific to organic farming, but will be of use to both organic and non-organic farms.

This new, fully updated and revised edition of Improved Grassland Management covers all aspects of grassland management and is of particular relevance to the UK and the Republic of Ireland, although the principles discussed apply to all temperate grassland zones. Almost twenty years ago, when the original edition of this book was written by John Frame, issues such as efficiency in the use of nutrients in manures, grassland biodiversity and greenhouse gas emissions from ruminant production were either nascent, or of no relevance to mainstream grassland farming. The intervening two decades have seen the introduction of water and, latterly, air quality directives by the EU, cross compliance, the single farm payment, and an ever-increasing need for grassland farmers to be conscious of the economics of their business. The present edition, which has been thoroughly revised by Scott Laidlaw, covers the full scope of modern grassland management. Accordingly the application of technical developments in supplying and utilizing grass and forage, which remain central to grassland management, is presented in the context of these changes.Topics covered include: breeding and evaluation of new varieties of grass to meet current needs; new technology in establishing swards; legislative constraints, background science and practice in determining forage quality and the utilization of forage either for grazing or silage; feed budgeting, grassland biodiversity, grassland and climate change, and transferring knowledge and technology; wide-ranging list of sources and references, which provides the reader with further detailed information. Essential reading for all those involved in modern grassland management including grassland farmers, agricultural consultants and advisory officers, as well as agricultural, land use and biology students. Written in a reader-friendly advisory style, it can be read and understood without an in-depth technical or scientific background. Fully illustrated with 61 colour photographs.

Using vivid images and detailed explanations, Gerrish takes graziers step by step through the MiG system. He begins from the ground up with the soil, and advances through the management of pastures and animals. Written for those new to MiG grazing, Gerrish's insight and personal experience can help experienced graziers fine tune their grazing operations for added income.

Mountainous regions, which cover nearly half of the continent’s area, are in many ways of vital importance for the European population. They supply much of the continent ́s water, are centres of biological and cultural biodiversity, provide various opportunities for recreation/ farmers. But mountainous regions are characterised by permanent natural handicaps due to topographic and climatic restrictions on economic and agricultural activity. Because of the geographical constraints to farming, work productivity is on average lower by 28% in mountain areas compared with less favoured areas, and by 40% compared with lowlands. Agriculture in mountainous regions can therefore, in general, not compete with agriculture in advantaged lowlands and, with very few exceptions, cannot hope to become competitive in adopting intensive models in response to the growing global competition.

The management of grassland and its role in the countryside has changed considerably during the 15 years since the first edition of Grass was published. The book has therefore been completely reorganised and rewritten to reflect these developments and the corresponding changes to the undergraduate curriculum. The emphasis will continue to be the agricultural management of grassland and will include recent developments in agronomy, nutrition, grazing, forage preservation, and the changing nature of farm economics in relation to changes in the basis for farm support. The scope of the book will reflect recent policy and legislative changes affecting grassland and will therefore include the role of grassland in nature conservation and landscape, grassland and amenity uses, the impact of grassland farming on the environment, and grass in organic farming.

Covering 40% of the European agricultural area, grasslands are vitally important both for agriculture and society. These grasslands serve multiple functions, including the local provision of fodder for animal husbandry (and hence high-quality food provision for people), biodiversity conservation, carbon storage and the provision of ‘traditional’ landscapes that European citizens appreciate for recreational purposes and cultural heritage. The future of grassland farming in Europe is in the hands of young farmers. Compared to other topics, grassland management has often been a weak point of teaching delivered by agricultural technical schools in several European countries. The training of future farmers and advisors could thus be significantly improved, which could lead to better grassland management in the medium and long terms. For this reason, the European project Inno4Grass created a syllabus and a set of PowerPoint presentations on practical grassland management for current and future generations of grassland farmers and advisors.