The focus of the New York Cattle Feeders’ Conference this year was Utilizing Idled Land for Grazing in New York. Over 2.9 million acres of vacant land lay idle, waiting for an opportunity. Some is abandoned farmland, some is residential vacant land over 10 acres, some is not categorized in a 2005 Rural Landowner Survey. Not all of this land should grow corn! Maybe grazing is the better fit.
Access: Whose is it? The first step is to find out who owns the land. Start with asking neighbors. Explain what you would like to do – graze livestock, not build a house. If that leads to a dead end, check the tax maps with the local town clerk. Once you find out who the property owner is, take them a pound of your ground beef or a dozen eggs to break the ice. What may sweeten the deal is explaining the benefits of agricultural land assessment and what that would mean to their property taxes.
Get it all in writing Time and effort is involved in setting up a grazing system. Make sure it is spelled out who installs the fence, where electricity comes from for the fence and the water source, to name a few points. If you install items and the lease ends, make sure you spell out who gets the hardware. Spell out what happens if the landowner dies during the duration of the lease. You probably want a lease for at least 3-5 years. I have some examples of leases in my office; give me a call if you’d like one.
Fence Fencing serves two purposes: to keep livestock in and keep predators out. This is no place to skimp since these animals are not in your backyard. You don’t want a call in the middle of the night that your livestock are out. The least expensive way is to have the landowner pay for installation. That way the fence stays where it is if the lease is terminated. Another option would be to obtain cost share for fencing.
The landowner could apply for cost share through either NRCS or the county Soil & Water Conservation District. Make sure you plan where the power is coming from; from a meter on the pole or the landowner. Another option is to install it yourself. Use good quality fence posts and pay particular attention when installing corners, ends and gates.
Management and forage quality This may need some work. My first recommendation would be to soil test, but it may be easier to take a sample after the pasture is brush hogged. Lime as needed, but don’t try to apply more than 2 tons/acre if you are not plowing it down. Remember the benefit of this whole system is to keep costs down. Give the pasture 2 or 3 years before you decide to renovate. If fertility is really low, you may need to fertilize at recommended rates.
Livestock are a great way to improve pastures as well. New, lush growth provides a salad bar. They will eat what they like and leave the rest. You may need to clip or mow pastures to eliminate some weeds, such as goldenrod. The best time to mow for weed control, specifically goldenrod is full bloom. When weeds are controlled, sunlight will reach the ground and some of the grass seeds in the seed bank will germinate. Tap into them and give them a chance before you decide to reseed. And remember, it may take a few years to reach your optimum carrying capacity.
Rotation is essential for pasture improvement. The shorter residency period the better for forage production. When livestock graze for more than a day, they will go back and graze the nice, soft regrowth. Ideally, cattle should be moved daily, but that’s not always practical. Move them to a new paddock as often as possible, to fit your schedule.
Water The lowest cost nutrient is water. Your animals will need a sufficient supply of clean water. Is there a pond or spring that could be developed? Livestock can drink from a pond or creek with limited access. Will the neighbors let you run a hose? Maybe a water wagon is the best option for the location. You may need a portable tub that moves with the livestock.
Cattle handling You will eventually need to catch those critters after a time on pasture, whether it’s to move or sell the livestock or treat a sick one. Cattle need to be acclimated to it and not frightened by it. One grazer brings his cattle through his corral every time he moves them. That may be more than necessary, but think about that. It could be a moveable or temporary facility.
There are many grazers that have implemented this system. One is Troy Bishopp of Madison County. He owns 100 acres and leases about 400 acres. You may want to start smaller than that and learn from the experience!
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