2019 has seen the biggest winter storms on record, a remarkably late spring, even snow in May - and we’re only halfway through the year. Looking ahead into the future, the only constant we can expect is change.
That's why we're excited to announce PastureMap's Forage Forecasting and Scenario Planning features. So you can make big decisions during the grazing season, backed by smart data.
Oh hey. Two cold, cold months into 2019 and we're badly in need of some fun during these winter doldrums. Let's go somewhere else. Imagine sunny days, green grass, and rocking this swag on your ATV. The neighbors will either be confused, still clueless, or jealous of your sweet threads.
Vote for your favorite T-Shirt slogan, or submit your own. We'll tally up the winning votes and favorite audience submission (crediting you, of course!) and print these in time for spring.
We'll also have the winning T-shirts available at The Grassfed Exchange: Regeneration Rising in Santa Rosa, April 3-5, 2019. Register now to hang with a community of 300+ grazing nerds like you in the rolling foothills and wine country of Sonoma. You deserve it.
[UPDATE]: Yes, these shirts will be sourced locally. We'll want to direct this community's dollars to regenerative fiber as our fiber producers need love too. If you have a recommendation for apparel makers, ping us.
I sat down to nerd out with Clay at Working Cows Podcast last week. We talked about what we're seeing at PastureMap from the ranch businesses we serve. I shared a few of the best ranch management practices that we're seeing from the ranches that we serve.
Now it's an unseasonably cold winter (albeit nothing compared to the Midwest) and I was a little sniffly to start. But be forewarned - when I get warmed up, I talk fast! :)
Click here to listen to PastureMap on the Working Cows Podcast.
When it comes to planning for next grazing season, having a grazing plan is critical preparation. Everyone can benefit from grazing planning. You don't have to be a adaptive grazing expert to use a grazing chart.
But getting started with a grazing planning chart can be an intimidating project. If you're planning a grazing chart for the first time, all the cells to fill in with ADAs, ADs, rest periods, AUs can get your head spinning before you even begin.
A grazing chart is a living document. It's not a set-it-and-forget-it one time deal. Use the grazing chart as a guiding tool to think through key grazing decisions before cattle hit your pastures, and to make decisions during the season. This is the most powerful part of a grazing chart!
Use the grazing chart effectively, and it will make you better at grazing management every step of the way.
When it comes to grazing management, the basic questions are always the same. How many cattle to stock? What's my stocking rate and carrying capacity on these pastures?
Many producers have been running a set stocking rate for years and never think about their stocking rate or carrying capacity. But when you start doing adaptive grazing or planning on a grazing chart for the first time, the grazing math can quickly feel complicated.
You might wonder: How long should I graze cattle in each pasture? How do I measure carrying capacity in adaptive grazing? What is an AUM? What is a Stock Day/Acre (SDA)? Is it the same as an Animal Unit (AU)? SDAs, AUs, ADAs....all these acronyms can be confusing.
Grazing management is a function of grass, cows, and time. Whether you're rotational grazing, trying out adaptive grazing, or into management intensive grazing, the basic grazing math is very similar.
How do I know how much forage I've actually got on my pastures? What should my stocking rate be? How do I estimate my carrying capacity?
While recording a pasture inventory is quick and easy in PastureMap, actually estimating the available forage inventory per acre or calculate carrying capacity for each of your pastures might seem a little more complicated. Here are four ways to estimate available forage inventory, ranging from a quick estimate to an exact measurement.