Beef specialist takes holistic approach to grazing alternatives

By MATTHEW WEAVER

Capital Press

When Washington State University Extension beef specialist Don Nelson asks a group of farmers how many consider themselves beef producers, most hands go up.

The number of hands drop when Nelson asks for grass farmers, as some focus strictly on cattle, and even fewer are raised when he asks for solar energy harvesters.

But Nelson is calling for a shift in thinking. He asks farmers to take a holistic approach to their operations, look at grazing cattle as a tool to change their landscape and place values on actions and services they don't typically consider.

Nelson recently finalized a report for the Beefing Up the Palouse Project, a yearlong program designed to produce revenues that equal or outstrip what the USDA Farm Service Agency's Conservation Reserve Program would pay. CRP typically pays between $50 and $80 per acre on the Palouse, according to a WSU Marketing and News Services press release.

Planned cattle grazing is a possible alternative to having land included in CRP, depending on what the goal is, Nelson said.

Under new CRP provisions, which are not yet released, it's likely the program will be more restrictive and specific to highly erodible sites, wildlife habitat and the like, he said,

"There probably is going to be land that comes out of CRP that's not going to eligible to be re-enrolled," Nelson said.

Nelson said most CRP land is owned by retired farmers who live in the area but not on the farm, or who live out of state and are counting on the revenue for their retirement. With the current cost of wheat production, there need to be alternative uses for marginal land. Grazing is an obvious possibility.

Gains were higher if the farmer owned the cattle, but Nelson said landowners probably won't want to own or run the cattle. Many CRP sites would also require fencing or livestock water distribution, requiring a lease agreement long enough to justify the cost of making improvements.

Dick Coon, president of the Washington Cattlemen's Association, has been working with neighboring farmer Gregg Beckley of G&L Farms, in Benge, Wash., for the project. Coon designed the grazing setup for 200 to 300 head of cattle, owned by a feeder operation, on Beckley's acreage. The land was seeded with grass and legumes and not eligible for CRP.

He advises farmers to ensure they have sufficient water on their operations or farmsteads to handle livestock.

The cattle must be attended daily, Coon added, with intensive, controlled grazing necessary in order to get the desired profit, giving the ground several periods of rest.

This fall, Nelson will examine the impacts of mob grazing, which is high-density, short-duration grazing with long recovery periods. He will compare results with different land treatments, and explore how to diversify revenue and develop further collaborative efforts for land owners, such as hunting leases or trail rides.

A lease decision aid is being developed to assist land owners and cattle owners to reach an agreement for their mutual needs.