In 1986, 14 Oregon ranchers formed a cooperative—Country Natural Beef—to escape the roller-coaster cycles of the commodity cattle market and achieve predictable, relatively stable, premium prices. For its rancher members, simply changing their mindset from producing for a commodity market to producing for a final consumer was a major challenge that paid off. [...more]

Grass Clippings features grazing research from the University of Wisconsin and beyond. In this issue: Fertility and pastures, beef and dairy cattle gains on different pastures, beef cattle on pasture and supplements, and Gildersleeve accepts Extension grazing job. [...more]

Finishing beef animals on pasture can potentially reduce the overhead costs of facilities and equipment compared to confinement finishing. Researchers at UW-Madison set out to learn if beef animals finished on pasture can make the Select and Choice quality grades for conventional meat markets. [...more]

Do orchardgrass, fescue or legume/grass combinations produce more meat on growing, pastured beef animals? Do beef steers, beef heifers or dairy steers show the most gain on pastures? Researchers in the departments of Animal Sciences and Agronomy at UW-Madison recently finished a three-year study to answer these questions. [...more]

Grass Clippings is a newsletter that features grazing-related research from the University of Wisconsin and beyond. The April issue features: Pure live seed Meadow fescue Different dairy farm systems yield similar satisfaction Fertility and pastures Wisconsin’s beef industry Custom heifers on pasture Read this newsletter (pdf file) [...more]

While Wisconsin is known as America’s Dairyland, the state’s beef industry is also thriving. Beef cows, beef heifers over 500 pounds, steers and other heifers (excluding dairy heifers) account for nearly 23% of the total cattle population in the state. Wisconsin’s beef farmers and livestock specialists understand the overall characteristics of the beef industry in Wisconsin, but [...] [...more]

Grass Clippings is a quarterly newsletter that features grazing-related research from the University of Wisconsin and beyond. The August issue features: Invasive weeds on the move in Wisconsin: Hill mustard and perennial pepperweed Stockpiling pastures Cheese from the pasture strikes a chord Upcoming events: Wisconsin School for Beginning Dairy and Livestock Farmers available at three sites Read this newsletter (pdf [...] [...more]

This report describes managed grazing projects funded by the Wisconsin Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative from 2002-2003. Seventeen education projects supported a variety of networking activities, as well as programs for beginning and transitioning farmers. Five research projects looked at ground and surface water quality, nitrogen management strategies, late season grass growth, soil compaction, and outwintering [...] [...more]

Stocker production can help farmers convert pastures to profits, particularly if they have a surplus of grass but not a lot of facilities. Managing pasture, animals, costs, and markets plays a key role in determining the level of profit that farmers can expect, however. Researchers with the Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems at the University of [...] [...more]

Video and satellite auctions provide a number of marketing advantages to cattle producers who live long distances from markets or feeding areas. A five-year research and demonstration project at the UW-Madison Hayward Agricultural Research Station evaluated a number of methods for marketing beef cattle. “Marketing livestock in farming areas like northern Wisconsin requires a lot of planning [...] [...more]