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 Midwest
2007 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%
1,195,533
2,744,708
2,195,219
1,457,542
Total pasture acres
Long-term change in pasture and hay acreage
4,000,000
3,500,000
1997
2002
2007
2012
3,000,000
2,500,000
2,000,000
1,500,000
1,000,000
500,000
0
IL
IA
MN
Total pasture acres
WI
IL
IA
MN
Total harvested forage
WI
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 Opportunities
Categories 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
Landowner
Livestock Owner
Landowner
Livestock Owner
Manager
Landowner
Manager
Landowner
Landowner
Livestock
Owner
Manager
Livestock
owner
Livestock owner
Manager
Manager
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 Opportunities
Categories 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.
Perennial Forage Opportunities
Categories from last year’s conference
• 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 Opportunities
Categories 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 Opportunities
Categories from last year’s conference
• 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.
An estimated 60% of land
in the region is owned by
non-farming landowners
Perennial Forage Opportunities
Categories 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.