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About the author

Jim Gerrish

Jim Gerrish is the author of "Management-Intensive Grazing: The Grassroots of Grass Farming" and "Kick the Hay Habit: A Practical Guide to Year-around Grazing" and is a popular speaker at conferences around the world. His company, American GrazingLands Services LLC is dedicated to improving the health and sustainable productivity of grazing lands around the world through the use of Management-intensive Grazing practices. They work with small farms, large ranches, government agencies and NGO's to promote economically and environmentally sustainable grazing operations and believe healthy farms and ranches are the basis of healthy communities and healthy consumers. Visit their website to find out more about their consulting services and grazing management tools, including electric fencing, stock water systems, forage seed, and other management tools.

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3 Comments

1. Richard Sparks says:

   September 6, 2016 at 4:26 pm

   Jim: I assume you have gotten your nozzle package fixed for the proper pressure and flow rate for each pivot. You didn’t mention this. Do you use pressure regulators? If so, closing the valve down may have reduced pressures below the minimum for regulators to even work, and nozzles (even if new) will not work as designed. If you are not using pressure regulators, that is one option you could look into so you don’t have to close the valve down. Glad to provide a little pro bono advice if you are interested.

   You pictures do show an amazing difference in pasture growth.

   Richard Sparks

   • Jim Gerrish says:

     September 6, 2016 at 7:52 pm

     The system had pressure regulators on the drops. Because our water is unfiltered direct from the creek, we get a lot of scouring through the regulators & nozzles. Ir was time they needed to be changed. It is in the budget for next year & will happen in the Spring.

     • Richard Sparks says:

       September 7, 2016 at 8:06 am

       OK. Good deal. Check your pressures, even if you put new regulators and nozzles on. You must maintain 5 psi above pressure regulator PSI. I had one this year that was 40 psi at 900 gpm. When the flow decreased to 700 gpm the pressure went below the minimum for regulators. They ceased to work, and pressure dropped clear down to 14 psi.