Production and Utilization of Stockpiled Tall Fescue: Understanding the Basic Concepts (2020)

Frequently referred to as “standing hay” or “autumn-accumulated forage,” stockpiling is a forage management practice to accumulate late summer and fall growth of tall fescue (from August to November) as stockpiled feed for winter grazing (November through February).

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Planting Guide for Forage Crops in North Carolina (2020)

This planting guide by NC State Extension provides the best available information about planting dates, rates, and depths for forage crops commonly grown in North Carolina. The process of establishing a forage crop is very important because:

• It is expensive — $100 to $250 per acre
• Perennial crops can remain productive for several years without replanting, and thus poor stand establishment can result in long-term low forage productivity
• Soil and water conservation and animal feeding depend upon rapid establishment of persistently good forage stands

In addition to this publication, use this online tool to quickly access information about establishing forages, to use a pure live seed calculator, and to find estimates of frost dates in North Carolina.

How To “Soil” Your Underwear!

Would you like to see how bioactive your soil is? You can follow the demonstration in this video to replicate and interpret the results of this experiment.

Why “Soiling” Your Undies Matters!

The idea of using cotton men’s underwear to assess soil biological activity was developed at North Carolina State University by the “Amazing Grazing Program”. It has spread literally around the world as it tweaks people’s interest and makes them pay attention to what is going on in their soil. It is an example of how mixing active learning with something fun and a little bit crazy can really catch the attention of folks that otherwise would not take notice.

Twelve Step Plan to Amazing Grazing for Beef Cattle (2019)

We get a lot of questions about how to get from a traditionally managed farm to a place where you can see “Amazing Grazing” in action. It doesn’t happen quickly, but changing your management approach can turn a system around and begin the soil health building process.

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The Power of One Wire (2019)

In grassland agriculture it is difficult to ignore the value of temporary electric fence. Reels, poly-wire and tread-in posts coupled with a good energizer allow graziers to more actively manage their pastures. However, like with most technology getting started can be a challenge.

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Practical Fly Control (2012)

Flies are a natural part of a cattle production system, and we all need to learn to do a better job of controlling them. One of the problems with fly control, is that no matter how hard you try you can never really completely get rid of flies on your cows (at least not for long!).

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Picking Up After the Storm On Pasture-Based Livestock Farms

Pasture-based beef, dairy, sheep and goat farmers need to be diligent in checking livestock, repairing damaged infrastructure, and looking for possible hazards in pastures caused by storm damage. Whether the storm was a severe thunderstorm, a hurricane, or a tornado, storm damage can cause acute injury and further damage to livestock if tending to animals and pastures is made a low priority in the recovery process.

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Effective Use of Electric Fencing to Improve Grazing Management and Enhance Soil Health (2014)

Presented by the USDA NRCS East National Technology Support Center, this webinar explains how temporary fencing is used in intensive grazing systems and how proper operation and maintenance of equipment is key to successful management

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Using Diverse Cover Crop Mixes to Improve Soil Health and Livestock Nutrition on Grazing Lands (2014)

Presented by the USDA NRCS East National Technology Support Center, this webinar discusses the reasons behind choosing different cover crop mixes for soil health and livestock nutrition and the short term effects of these mixes on soil, plants, and livestock.

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