Winter of 2025 is especially challenging following a summer of drought that strained forage management and an early heavy snow across much of the state of Illinois. The Illinois Grazing Lands Coalition team discusses managing late fall grazing and concerns following a hard freeze. As we look deeper into winter, the group discusses the nutritional needs of fall pairs, winter feeding strategies, and fighting the mud we know is coming.

Like all Grow and Graze webinars, the session was designed as a conversation rather than a presentation. Christian Lovell, ILGLC executive director, moderates the discussion, joined by Dan Sanderson of Pasture Grazed Regenerative Farm and David Kleinschmidt of Progressive Agronomy Consulting. Together, the panelists shared updates from their operations, real-world challenges, and strategies Illinois graziers can apply in their own systems.

Highlights from the Discussion

0:00 Introduction of hosts and panelists

2:20 Drought's impact on forage and livestock management

8:33 Outlook on fall calving

10:38 Baling vs grazing cornstalks

14:51 What to do after a hard freeze

15:36 Prussic acid dangers

17:42 Annual rye grass, red clover, and forage collards seeding with drone

19:10 Solutions for semi-permanent fencing around cornfields

23:15 Establishing winter pastures

26:50 Can you graze plants down to the ground in winter?

30:44 When do you begin stockpiling fescue?

34:25 Keeping fall pairs in condition through the winter

35:10 Using Oklahoma State University Extension Cowculator

36:45 Hay quality

37:47 Feeding hay: bale unrolling, bale grazing

41:22 Fighting mud

43:36 Protein cost comparison

46:18 Illinois Grazing and Forage Hub free resources

47:19 Illinois Grazing Lands Coalition Grazing Schools Summary