Managing Pasture: A Complete Guide to Building Healthy Pasture for Grass-Based Meat & Dairy Animals

Managing Pasture: A Complete Guide to Building Healthy Pasture for Grass-Based Meat & Dairy Animals

by Dale Strickler
Managing Pasture: A Complete Guide to Building Healthy Pasture for Grass-Based Meat & Dairy Animals

Managing Pasture: A Complete Guide to Building Healthy Pasture for Grass-Based Meat & Dairy Animals

by Dale Strickler

Hardcover

$35.00 
  • SHIP THIS ITEM
    Qualifies for Free Shipping
  • PICK UP IN STORE
    Check Availability at Nearby Stores

Related collections and offers


Overview

The health and profitability of grass-based livestock begins with the food they eat. In Managing Pasture, author Dale Strickler guides farmers and ranchers through the practical and ideological considerations behind caring for the land as a key part of running a successful grass-based operation, from the profitability of replacing expensive grain feed with nutrient-rich native grasses to the benefits of ecologically-minded land management.

In-depth examinations of the biology and benefits of grazing plants and different grazing strategies accompany detailed plans for paddock and fencing set-ups, livestock watering, and effective methods for dealing with common pasture problems throughout the seasons, from mud to drought. For readers invested in pasture improvement strategies that offer environmental benefits beyond better meat and dairy, including carbon sequestration, erosion prevention, increased pollinator resources and wildlife habitat, and improved water quality, Managing Pasture is an approachable, accessible guide to creating and caring for the grassland that feeds animals and future generations.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781635860702
Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC
Publication date: 04/30/2019
Pages: 288
Sales rank: 420,891
Product dimensions: 8.10(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Dale Strickler is the author of Managing Pasture and The Drought-Resilient Farm and Chief Agronomist at regenerativewisdom.com, a farm and ranching consulting service. An internationally recognized agroecologist, speaker, and consultant, Strickler has more than 30 years of experience as a highly successful farmer and rancher in his own operation, as well as 15 years teaching in higher education and 20 years of industry experience with companies such as Land-o-Lakes and GreenCover Seed. Strickler has developed effective crop and grazing systems for numerous farms and ranches with a range of often challenging climates and soil types and his articles have appeared in publications like Mother Earth News, Acres USA, Stockman Grass Farmer, and Grit. He was the recipient of the 2013 Water and Energy Progress Award Model of Innovation and the Kansas Farm Bureau Natural Friend of Agriculture Award in 2021.

Table of Contents

Introduction: The Past & Promise of Pasture
Part 1: Increasing Pasture Production & Profitability
  1  What Makes a Pastured Livestock Operation Profitable
  2  Why Grazing Plants Behave the Way They Do
  3  How Animals Digest & Utilize Forage
  4  Improving Pasture Productivity: Minerals, Water & Sunlight
  5  Providing Year-Round Grazing
  6  Determining a Proper Stocking Rate
  7  Grazing Systems & Management
Part 2: Selecting & Managing Pasture Plants
  8  Perennial Warm-Season Grasses
  9  Perennial Cool-Season Grasses, Legumes & Forbs
  10  Annual Forages
  11  Silvopastures & Browse Plants
Part 3: Solving Practical Problems of Pasture Management
  12  Pasture Fencing
  13  Developing Drinking Water
  14  Dealing with Too Much or Too Little Water
Part 4: Managing Pasture for Different Livestock Species
  15  Beef & Dairy Cattle
  16  Sheep & Goats
  17  Horses
  18  Swing & Poultry
Part 5: Increasing the Ecosystem Services of Pasture
  19  Honey Bees & Other Pollinators
  20  Wildlife
  21  Pastures, Climate, Water & People
Conclusion: Final Words of Pasture Wisdom
Glossary
Metric Conversion Charts
Resources
Index
From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews