By Roz Brown, Public News Service
It’s not yet a buzz word but “adaptive grazing” is gaining traction in New Mexico for its ability to improve soil health.
Done right, adaptive grazing – frequently moving livestock from one pasture to another – can mimic historical patterns of bison herds. It improves land health by preventing overgrazing, distributing manure evenly and allowing plants to recover.
Sandi Wilkie, a rancher near Carlsbad, said whether it is raising cattle or growing crops using fertilizer and pesticides, new management practices have rewards.
“Going from our traditional systems, that we’ve done for hundreds of years and then switching over to more sustainable, healthier practices, in the long run, a producer’s going to save money,” Wilkie asserted. “You’re going to be more productive because your healthier soils don’t require all that stuff.”
Wilkie and her husband were recipients of a grant from New Mexico’s Healthy Soil Program, from which promotes keeping soil covered, maximizing biodiversity and integrating animals into land management. Applications are managed by the state’s Department of Agriculture.
Jack Chatfield’s Triangle Ranch in northeast New Mexico boasts 21 native seasonal grasses, each of which fulfills a different function. He said adaptive grazing can enhance the diversity of species on rangeland and lead to greater drought resilience.
“I try to rest the grassland as much as possible,” Chatfield explained. “I rotationally graze, and whenever I leave an area, I try not to go back very soon, I try to let it stay at rest as long as possible.”
Chatfield acknowledged what works on one ranch does not always work on another, calling it more of an art than a science. He learned a lot about grasses and grazing cattle from his grandfather, noting adaptive grazing might be “so old, it’s new again.”
“We have learned how to rotationally graze, we do have trucks to haul cows in and haul cows out, we do have pipelines that can distribute our water more evenly,” Chatfield outlined. “We have a lot of luxury that some of the old-timers didn’t have.”
Adaptive grazing is among the methods and tools helping New Mexico deal with ongoing drought, water scarcity and extreme weather events.
Adaptive Grazing Resources
The Art of Grazing
The importance of high intensity planned grazing and rest to restore soil health in New Mexico’s brittle environment
‘Growing Soil’ Through Adaptive Grazing
Fernando Falomir describes the use of cattle as the primary tool for land restoration
Adaptive Multi-Paddock Grazing in a Nutshell
Multiple small paddocks facilitate short duration/high stock density grazing followed by adequate rest and recovery periods
New Mexico Grazing Exchange
This interactive website facilitates matchmaking between landowners and livestock farmers or contract graziers
Graze-a-thon at El Sueño Ranch
A real-life example of how grazing planning is done to address production needs and conservation goals
Playlist: Adaptive Grazing for Soil Health
Adaptive grazing in combination with the soil health principles is a powerful tool to restore land health and ranch productivity.
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