Why should I care about regenerative grazing?
If you’re driven by profit, using regenerative practices can make you more money.
And, while you’re making more money, you’ll be improving soil quality, reducing erosion and nutrient loss, creating greater biodiversity, and growing healthier animals (which, again, makes you more money).
“Regenerative Grazing is a principle-driven farming practice of building soil health naturally through pasturing animals on perennial and annual forages and grasses with low or no synthetic inputs, and in a way that supports human and ecosystem health, farm profitability, and community and food system resilience.”
Read the full Roadmap.
Our history as the Prairie State
A grassland ecosystem covered nearly two-thirds of Illinois’ lands at the time Native communities hunted bison.
Pivotal Moments in Illinois Agriculture
By the mid 20th century, agriculture was changing from pasture-based livestock production to corn and soybean production.
In the 1980s, devastating farm economy forced a consolidate of farm ownership. Farms were getting bigger.
The 1990s saw a renewed effort to bolster livestock production and grazing, but the guarantee of crop insurance, the introduction of the ethanol industry, and the boost in crop prices of the 2000s eroded efforts to increase grassland acreage.
Today, 60% of Illinois land (that’s 16.2 million acres) is used in the production of corn and soybeans. The number of farm operators dropped from 164,000 in 1959, to 75,087 in 2019 (Illinois Department of Agriculture, Facts about Illinois Agriculture)
That increased production comes with several risks.
“Limited crop rotation; use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides; and bare unprotected soils over the winter are all hallmarks of modern commodity grain production that is typified in Illinois.”
The gain has come at great cost: poor soil quality, polluted waterways, and lack of biodiversity.
“These practices and lack of perennial cover are associated with increased nutrient loss to waterways, reduced biodiversity above and below ground, and reduced soil functionality contributing to increased flood risk.”
From sustainable to regenerative
It took a drought, coupled with low commodity prices in 2012, for people to imagine something better — for their bank accounts, for their land, and for their community. No longer was it enough to sustain or maintain; it was time to repair, rebuild, and regenerate our land to thrive in agriculture.
“Regenerative” comes from the Latin root, “regenerare,” meaning “bring forth again.” (Etymonline)
For livestock producers, regenerative practices focus on adopting regenerative grazing systems. Because farming systems are different, individual applications will be different to best suit that farm’s resources.
How to implement more regenerative practices in your livestock operation
Reduce the size of pasture paddocks, move cattle more frequently (even one or more times daily), and allow plants adequate time to grow back.
Reduce or eliminate tillage and use of synthetic inputs, such as herbicides and pesticides.
Increase grazing of cornstalks and cover crops.
Diversify plant life of pastures.
Benefits of Regenerative Grazing
Regenerative grazing, most often called adaptive grazing, is just what its name implies, adaptive based on each farm’s land, water, and labor resources. Moving cattle more frequently prevents plant loss from overgrazing and encourages faster plant growth. That means:
Livestock eat a wider range of forages and consume the more palatable parts of the plant. (Illinois Extension)
Plants grow healthier root systems that are more tolerant to drought and aid in greater nutrient uptake. (Illinois Extension)
Healthy plant structures combat the growth of weeds, soil erosion, and nutrient loss, reducing the need for chemicals and the cost of application, improving water quality, and helping to mitigate flooding. (Roadmap)
Healthy forage creates shade that lowers the soil temperature and aids in the retention of soil moisture to fight the impact of droughts. (NDSU Soil Health)
Healthy pastures promote a diverse microbiology needed for long-term soil productivity. (Illinois Extension)
Grazing cornstalks and cover crops provide low-to-no-cost feedstuff that is abundant across Illinois. Yield rates the following year after grazing showed no detrimental impact. (Illinois Extension)
New markets for grass-fed cattle are growing. (Roadmap)
“Continuous overgrazing leads to many problems. Forage yield is reduced resulting in less feed for the animal. Harvesting too much plant leaf handicaps the energy harvesting of the plant. Less leaf equates to less sunlight harvested. This robs energy from the roots of the plant and reduces root mass. Less root base makes the plant more susceptible to drought and will result in less ability to take up moisture and nutrients lower in the soil profile. (What is Overgrazing, Travis Meteer, Illinois Extension Beef Specialist)
Regenerative agriculture is not simply an environmental issue that will impact future generations. Transitioning to adaptive grazing practices has financial, environmental, societal benefits.
Sources
Travis Meteer, Illinois Extension Beef Specialist
The Pasture Project: Roadmap for Expanding Regenerative Grazing in Illinois
Author: Judy Bingman, Illinois Grazing Lands Coalition, Coordinator
This blog relied heavily on information included in the Pasture Project. The Pasture Project at the Wallace Center was completed with funding support from the Walton Family Foundation and McKnight Foundation. Read The Roadmap.