The case farm is comprised of 114 acres which are currently divided into two areas each with permanent fence. The perimeter fence is woven wire and in good condition. The 20 acre meadow is used primarily for hay production and the eight acre adjacent woodlot currently is not fenced out.
The balance of the farm has a fescue based forage mix. A small pond feeds a concrete water tank and an excellent road leads to the interior of the farm. The pond is currently limited in capacity, but is located high enough on the landscape to provide water via gravity flow to much of the farm. The intermittent stream has been repaired with grass waterways above the uppermost Y. Below the grass waterway, the stream is narrow and deep with constant flow only in the winter. The brushy area is on an east-facing slope and forms an excellent windbreak for winter winds from the west and north. The producer has a cow-calf operation.
With a minimum amount of added high tensile fence, a waterline extension and two additional water tanks, the farm can be divided into six areas rather than two. Diversions increase the area providing runoff to the pond by 300%. The meadow area can now be grazed in late summer or fall since a water source has been provided.
A few more fences increase the number of paddocks to 10. To increase grazing management in the meadow field, a single wire down the center of the field is added with wide openings on each end. This wire does not interfere with hay harvest, while portable fence can create a totally flexible grazing system with minimal effort. A water line under the wire provides water everywhere in the field. Additional water development is needed to provide water to all paddocks as livestock are now fenced out of the stream. The area within the stream is wide enough to periodically graze for short periods to utilize the forage and prevent brush development in the stream corridor.
The plan can be implemented in stages based on the producer's goals, available time and money. Development in stages allows a producer to increase the herd size and utilize the additional forage produced by improved grazing management.
