Implementing regenerative grazing as a rancher means taking a different, more mindful approach to how we manage our land and cattle. It’s about letting the land heal and thrive while ensuring our animals are healthy and productive.
Understanding the Land
As a rancher, the first thing I have to do is get a good handle on the condition of my land. I look at the soil — is it packed tight and dry, or is it loose and rich with organic material? Good soil holds water better and supports more plant growth, which ultimately feeds my cattle. I also pay attention to the variety of grasses and plants. The more diverse the pasture, the better it is for both the soil and the animals. Biodiversity means my land will be more resilient during droughts or tough weather.
Moving Cattle Regularly
One of the biggest shifts in regenerative grazing is how I move my cattle. Rather than letting them roam over a big area, I rotate them through smaller paddocks, giving each section of the pasture time to rest and regrow. This mimics how wild herds naturally graze, where they move quickly through an area and don’t stay long enough to overgraze. Once they move on, the plants are able to recover and grow stronger. The key here is timing — if I move them too soon or too late, the plants might not recover properly.
Letting the Land Rest
I keep a close eye on how the plants are recovering. The rest period is just as important as the grazing. After the cattle leave a section, I let the grass grow back before bringing them back. Sometimes it takes a few weeks, sometimes longer, depending on the season and weather. The idea is to let the roots get deeper and the grass grow stronger, which means better grazing for my cattle when they come back.
Using Cattle as Tools
I’ve learned to see my cattle as more than just livestock. They’re also tools that help improve the land. Their hooves break up the soil, and their manure helps fertilize it. Sometimes I’ll follow the cattle with chickens — the chickens spread the manure and eat pests, which helps keep the pasture healthier.
Building Resiliency and Productivity
One of the best things about regenerative grazing is that over time, my pastures become more productive. Healthier soil means more grass, and more grass means I can support more cattle without having to buy extra feed. My land holds water better too, so even during dry spells, my pastures stay greener for longer.
Challenges and Flexibility
The biggest challenge is learning to be flexible. I can’t just stick to a rigid grazing schedule. Some years we get more rain, and the grass grows faster. Other years, it’s dry, and I need to give the land more time to recover. I’m always paying attention to the weather, the condition of the pasture, and how the cattle are doing. It’s more work up front, but the long-term benefits are worth it.
Long-Term Payoff
In the long run, regenerative grazing helps me make my ranch more resilient. My pastures are healthier, and I’m able to raise my cattle on better forage without relying on expensive inputs like hay or synthetic fertilizers. Plus, by improving soil health, I’m helping store carbon and contribute to a healthier environment.
From my perspective, regenerative grazing is about working with nature instead of against it. It’s a long-term investment in the health of my land, my cattle, and my business.
Who Is Our Guest Author?
This article was written by ChatGPT, an advanced AI language model developed by OpenAI. ChatGPT specializes in generating human-like text and can provide insights, summaries, and explanations on a wide range of topics based on the data it has been trained on. (In fact, ChatGPT wrote this introduction itself!)
Here are all the articles in the series:
What is Regenerative Grazing and How Do I Go About It?
What Does Regenerative Grazing Look Like to a Large-Landscape Rancher?
How Do Graziers in the Northeast, South, and Midwest Think of Regenerative Grazing?
What Do Land Management Agencies Think of Regenerative Grazing?
What Are Some Problems With Regenerative Grazing?
What Do Environmentalists Think of Regenerative Grazing?
I’m sharing this series of articles with you as an example of a tool you can use to expand your knowledge about a topic of interest. For example, I’ve been using ChatGPT as a search tool when I’m not getting the results I want from a regular Google search. It let’s me ask a question and then it responds in a more complete way instead of just showering me with sponsored links, or things that don’t relate to what I’m looking for. Then I can use ChatGPT’s responses as clues to different search terms or articles, or I can rephrase my questions to narrow in on the topic.
ChatGPT provides answers based on what it has read so there’s the potential for bias or incomplete/inaccurate answers. To test for bias, I often ask the same question, but I ask ChatGPT to describe the answer from a particular point of view. In this series of articles, I asked it to tell me about regenerative grazing from the perspectives of large landscape ranchers, smaller graziers, land managers and environmentalists. I even asked it to tell me problems folks might encounter with regenerative grazing.
From my own experience, I think it did a good job of answering these questions. But if I see something that makes me say, “What?!” I look for additional information elsewhere to confirm or refute what ChatGPT said, or I ask it about that item in particular. ChatGPT will track the thread of your questions, going with the flow as if you’re actually having a conversation. In fact, one day, after an especially helpful series of exchanges I wrote,
“You’ve been very helpful, ChatGPT. Thank you.”
To which it replied, “You’re very welcome! I’m glad I could help. If you ever have more questions or need assistance again, don’t hesitate to reach out. Take care! 😊”
If you’d like to try it out, click here and sign up for a free account.
P.S. If you’d like to know more about how it works and some of its downsides, click here.
