Tag: pasture management
Pasture review: Your end-of-growing-season evaluation
As the growing season ends, Ohio State's Jordan Penrose says you should evaluate how your pastures, hay fields and grazing rotations held up against extreme weather. Review forage performance, identify drowned-out or overgrazed paddocks, and plan ahead for frost seeding and management decisions for next year.
Follow these essential fall steps for healthy spring pastures
Preparing pastures in the fall is critical for cool-season forage survival. OSU Extension outlines key management practices—from soil testing and fertilizer to weed control and proper grazing height—to protect plant roots and ensure strong pasture regrowth next spring.
Fall forage inventory: 4 steps to measure your winter feed
As winter approaches, evaluating fall forage is essential for livestock producers. Learn how to calculate livestock demand, measure pasture dry matter, evaluate stored hay quality, and extend your grazing season with four practical steps to avoid costly emergency feed purchases.
Pasture evaluation checklists for fall and beyond
Ohio State University Extension specialist Emma Matcham provides seasonal pasture evaluation checklists for fall, winter and spring. Learn how soil sampling, weed scouting, and stem density checks can help repair pastures and set up your farm for healthy spring growth.
To cut or not to cut: Weighing the risks of making...
Facing a delayed hay harvest? Ohio State University Extension educator Allen Gahler weighs the risks of late-season alfalfa cutting, offers advice on making balage over dry hay, and outlines crucial moisture monitoring steps to prevent spontaneous combustion and hay fires.
Cleaning up after the waters recede — who is responsible?
After heavy flooding, farmers face the task of clearing debris. Noble SWCD's Kirstin Roman talks about who is responsible for cleanup, key safety checks before turning livestock into pastures, and proper regulations for clearing stream log jams to protect your land and animals.
Pasture management after storms
Heavy summer storms and flooding can quickly ruin pastures and endanger livestock. Ohio State University Extension Educator Sandra D. Trushel shares key steps for storm recovery, including removing stock from saturated soils, clearing hazardous debris, preventing foot rot, and testing pasture recovery.
Get back to the basics when restoring weed-infested hay fields
Struggling with heavily weed-infested hay fields? Ohio State Extension educator John Yost breaks down the essential basics for successful field restoration—from soil testing and seed-to-soil contact to working backward from frost dates to build a realistic reseeding timeline.
Stock density vs. stocking rate: What’s the difference?
What is the difference between stock density and stocking rate? Ohio State University Extension Educator Josh Winters breaks down these essential grazing management concepts, explains how to calculate animal units, and shows how a grazing stick helps measure dry matter for optimal pasture output.
How an Ohio farmer delayed hay harvest to save nesting bobolinks
After learning that early hay harvest destroys bobolink nests, Jefferson County farmer Adam Costarella delayed cutting until July. By adjusting his grazing and haymaking schedule, he helped restore habitat for these long-distance migratory birds on his eastern Ohio farm.
