Managed Grazing Systems

1. The Root River Watershed drains just over 1 million acres from parts of six counties in southeastern Minnesota. It is a diverse watershed with the beginning of the 81-mile-long river in the flat, glaciated headwaters area in Mower County, extending eastward through karst topography in the center part of the watershed, to the blufflands at its confluence with the Mississippi River near Hokah, MN. According to 2006 land use data, 41% of the watershed is cultivated cropland, 31% is pasture/hay/grassland, 22% is forested, and 6% is urban and other land uses. In recent years, hay, grass and pasture acres are increasingly being converted to row crop production (corn and soybeans). Karst features and steep topography dominate most of the watershed, especially the eastern two-thirds. Sinkholes, springs, and disappearing streams are common creating direct connections between surface and ground water. About 42 percent of the watershed has slopes of 6 to 45 percent, and 72 percent of the land has the potential for severe water erosion. These characteristics make water resource protection and restoration challenging. There are 42 water quality impairments in the Root River for turbidity, bacteria, nitrates and impacts to fish and macroinvertebrates caused by factors such as habitat degradation, low dissolved oxygen or temperature according to the MN Pollution Control Agency. The Root River has over 230 miles of DNR designated trout streams. The cold water springs that feed these trout streams are often in the most vulnerable areas of the watershed and most are directly connected to the land’s surface and, therefore, are susceptible to pollutants from local land uses. Managed grazing and cover crops are key practices to protecting drinking water and the unique resources in the watershed. Maintaining a profitable and sustainable agricultural community, which is the basis of the local economy, plus a thriving tourism industry for those who fish, canoe, tube, kayak, hunt, ride, ski and hike the trails, and otherwise enjoy the river and the surrounding landscape, can be achieved with sustainable land use practices. Cover Crops Cover crops reduce soil erosion, capture nutrients, improve soil health by increasing organic matter and biological activity, reduce the need for pesticides, and provide additional forage for livestock. The SWCDs in the watershed have been promoting cover crops for several years using their own funds and/or funds from The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Hiawatha Valley RC&D and others. In Fillmore County alone in 2012, TNC provided $15,000 for a $15-20/acre incentive to plant over 800 acres of cover crops in the watershed. In 2013, the Rush-Pine Farmer Led Council received $10,000 from TNC for the local co-ops to purchase winter rye for farmers to plant 500 acres of cover crops at no cost to them. With the advent of the NRCS Soil Health Initiative and prevented planting acres this past year, cover crops are of “growing” interest. In Fillmore County, there are 18 EQIP contracts with about 3000 acres signed up for the general 1-3 year cover crop practice in 2013. An additional 7 contracts totaling over 1000 acres will be planted to cover crops under the 5-year soil health practice. The NRCS practice standards have been modified based on recommendations from the Grazing Specialist and other local staff to better serve the needs of farmers and increase adoption of the practice (e.g. extending the fall planting deadline and allowing mechanical harvest for livestock forage). The Grazing Specialist has assisted with the promotion of cover crops to supplement pasture and forage for grazing and, more recently, to improve soil health. Numerous field days have been held. He and other local and state staff are helping organize the third annual soil health videoconference sponsored by the Grazing Lands Conservation Association (GLCA) which can be viewed in several locations around Minnesota in December. Grazing and cover crops are central themes for the videoconference. An opportunity to add local capacity for cover crops came through the National Wildlife Federation Cover Crop Champion grants in June 2013. The Grazing Specialist and a Fillmore SWCD Board member received funds to promote the use of cover crops. A field day was held in September on a farm where prevented planting acres used a cover crop of rye, tillage radish and crimson clover. The program is expanding outreach with the local co-ops and their customers. A second grant application will be submitted in November to continue with additional Farmer Champions from the Root River watershed and other parts of the region. To further address the need for technical assistance, a FY2014 MN Clean Water Fund proposal has been submitted for the Grazing Specialist position to become an Area Soil Health Coordinator to work with producers in 11 southeast Minnesota counties to implement grazing and cover crop practices. Local SWCD staff estimate five producers per county would use additional technical assistance for cover crops. Potential local partners include local co-ops, canning companies, MN Milk Producers, SE MN Forage Council, Grazing Lands Conservation Association, MN Farmers’ Union, Farm Bureau, Pork Producers, Cattlemen’s Association, and Trout Unlimited. Managed Grazing Systems According to the MN Department of Agriculture, managed or rotational grazing provides "exceptional erosion and runoff control on uplands as well as stream corridors. It offers a productive alternative for marginal, erosion-prone or flood-prone cropland and other environmentally sensitive land, including overgrazed pastures. Rotational grazing also provides built-in manure management. Manure on healthy, well-managed grassland decomposes into the soil rather than running off.... The manure helps maintain soil fertility for new grass growth, eliminating the need to store, process, haul or spread manure as a nutrient." Four counties in the Root River watershed (Fillmore, Houston, Olmsted and Winona) are among the top ten in the state for grazing livestock numbers (cattle and calves, beef cows, and milk cows). Fillmore, Winona and Houston are also in the top ten in the state for alfalfa hay production. Pasture and hay are ag uses that provide income from marginal lands that are more prone to soil erosion and less suitable for row crop production. Maintaining livestock and keeping these operations profitable is crucial to protecting these marginal lands and reducing runoff polluted with bacteria, sediment and nutrients. The Grazing Specialist provides technical assistance to improve the efficiency and economics of these livestock operations. The more successful the practices are initially, the more likely they will continue on the land. Troubleshooting and plan modifications are constant requests from producers to keep their systems efficient and sustainable. In 2012, the position’s duties were expanded to include the Whitewater River watershed (parts of Wabasha, Olmsted and Winona counties). The Grazing Specialist coordinates publishing the Grazing Gazette in cooperation with Extension and NRCS. It is mailed to over 800 producers in MN, IA and WI every other month. Other education efforts include many field days and workshops held in cooperation with NRCS, Extension and the RC&D. He has provided input for revisions to the NRCS grazing practices standards so they better meet the farmers’ needs while protecting the environment. Research efforts include forage analyses, rate of gain studies, and testing cattle ponds for E. coli levels with partners from MN Department of Ag, NRCS and the University of Minnesota Veterinary School. PROTECTING SENSITIVE AREAS AND PRODUCTIVE LANDS THROUGH MANAGED GRAZING AND COVER CROPS IN THE ROOT RIVER WATERSHED "Cover crops may reduce nutrient and pesticide runoff by 50% or more, decrease soil erosion by 90%, reduce sediment loading by 75%, reduce pathogen loading by 60%." --Midwest Cover Crop Council No Till Winter Rye after Silage Grazing Field Day Tillage Radish Spring Grazing of Cover Crop Solar Water System Portable Water Tank Winter Rye Growing in Snow Cattle Fenced Out of Pond Fencing Demonstration Prevented Planting Cover Crop Field Day Winter Rye after Beans Proper Stubble Heights Fence and Pipeline Installation Among our partners: USDA-NRCS, local SWCDs, MN Department of Agriculture, The Nature Conservancy, National Wildlife Federation, Hiawatha Valley Resource Conservation and Development, U of M Extension, U of M Veterinary School, Rush-Pine Farmer Led Council, local cooperatives, Land Stewardship Project, Trout Unlimited, Grazing Lands Conservation Association, SE MN Forage Council Printed by Green Lands Blue Waters