Progress report for EDS24-071
Project Information
The River Friendly Farm Grazing School (‘RFF Grazing School’) teaches farmers to implement rotational grazing in their livestock operations, a practice that demonstrably improves the health and resiliency of farmers’ soil, pasture, livestock, and waterways. Healthier pastures and soil are better able to absorb rain and filter pollutants, thus reducing the contamination of waterways. RFF Grazing School gently encourages farmers to “grass finish” their animals, a practice for which consumers will pay a premium.
The Cumberland River Compact (‘The Compact’) initially proposed to host a series of four workshops hosted in the spring and fall seasons of 2024-2026. The program generated such interest in 2024 that the Compact will be able to expand the number of workshops offered throughout the life of our organization’s contract with S-SARE.
The RFF Grazing Schools are taught and led by longtime farmer and grazing specialist Greg Brann. The RFF Grazing School is held throughout Tennessee and draws farmers from across the state. A major focus of outreach is to historically underserved farmers.
Rotational grazing responds to a number of Tennessee’s concerns. The primary forage for continuous grazing operations is tall fescue, a cool-season grass that goes nearly dormant during Tennessee’s hot summer months. Climate models suggest that Tennessee’s summers will get hotter, drier, and longer. Rotational grazing can prevent the overgrazing of tall fescue and set aside paddocks of warm season and annual grasses for summer grazing.
The time to increase adoption of rotational grazing practices is now. Studies have shown a number of unique barriers to adoption of these practices. Start-up costs can be offset by new funding to USDA NRCS cost-share programs. Increased profitability has been shown to offset high management expenses. Producer unfamiliarity with rotational grazing is among the top barriers to adoption, and the Compact’s RFF Grazing School project addresses this impediment.
Tennessee’s Department of Agriculture is tasked with approving Watershed Based Plans and administering EPA 319 Nonpoint Source Program grants. The Cumberland River Compact has written six plans and received approval on four plans with two plans pending approval. In addition, the Compact has reviewed and edited two other Watershed Based Plans written by a project partner, who contracted the Compact to provide training to their staff. The Compact’s experience with Watershed Based Plans drives our commitment to partner with the agricultural community to find profitable solutions to environmental challenges. Improving soil health through rotational grazing can yield significant water quality benefits.
Project Objectives:
- Enroll 60 farmers across Tennessee in 4 Grazing School Workshops, hosted in the spring and fall on farms in Middle and West Tennessee.
- Increase knowledge of rotational grazing practices. By providing them with this knowledge, farmers can increase their pasture health and productivity.
- Certify farmers who have implemented the multi-paddock system as River Friendly Farmers. This type of certification increases consumer trust and raises the price a farmer can charge for their product. It also establishes a outlet for peer-to-peer mentorship and connects these farmers into the future.
- Connect farmers with financial resources (NRCS, TAEP) to implement the practices learned.
- Enroll 60 farmers across Tennessee in 4 Grazing School Workshops, hosted in the spring and fall on farms in Middle and West Tennessee.
- Increase knowledge of rotational grazing practices. By providing them with this knowledge, farmers can increase their pasture health and productivity.
- Certify farmers who have implemented the multi-paddock system as River Friendly Farmers. This type of certification increases consumer trust and raises the price a farmer can charge for their product. It also establishes a outlet for peer-to-peer mentorship and connects these farmers into the future.
- Connect farmers with financial resources (NRCS, TAEP) to implement the practices learned.
Cooperators
- - Technical Advisor - Producer
- - Technical Advisor - Producer
Education
The RFF Grazing School is a full-day workshop held both in the “classroom” and in the field. The fall workshop in 2024 was held on the farm of Jared Kelley in Decatur, TN. Attendants pre-registered through the Compact’s website.
The day started at 9am in the Kelley barn. The Compact offered coffee and light pastries. The Compact gave a brief presentation connecting managed grazing practices to the Compact’s mission to improve the health of waterways. Greg Brann then gave a Powerpoint presentation to lay out the basics of a rotational system, including appropriate fencing and forage and water management. Attendees were encouraged to ask questions to address their unique situations and concerns. The Compact provided a boxed lunch at the end of the classroom portion of the day.
After lunch, Mr. Brann demonstrated several tools and pieces of equipment, including electric netting, a fence charger, the Gallagher “Smart Fence,” and a pre-wound gear reel. All equipment is available for the farmers to borrow after the class.
Mr. Kelley then provided a tour of his farm. The class rode on haybales on a trailer behind his tractor throughout the farm, stopping at various points of note along the way.
The class looked at a creek that was mostly fenced off from cattle, except for limited drinking water access. This led to a discussion about minimizing the impact of cattle on stream health if complete exclusionary fencing is out of reach for topographic concerns, as was the case at Kelley Farms.
The class greatly enjoyed an impromptu conversation with Alex Tamboli, a Wildlife Biologist for Quail Forever, about the economic and ecological benefits of planting native grasses on unproductive pastures. Mr. Kelley previously worked with Quail Forever to convert a marginal area of pasture into native grasses and had great success with it. (With their deep root systems, native grasses are able to withstand drought, reduce erosion, and thrive in places where more finicky European or nonnative grasses cannot.)
Other highlights included a conversation about improving managed grazing practices to reduce herbicide application and costs. We also looked at a recently installed heavy use area and watering trough.
Conversations were led by the producers’ interests. Other technical advisors were on site from the University of Tennessee Extension service and NRCS.
Survey feedback on the course was positive. Follow up by the Compact months later showed that farmers are implementing what they learned and moving toward the use of greater conservation practices.
Educational & Outreach Activities
Participation Summary:
Following the RFF Grazing School, the Compact consulted with 6 farmers about improving grazing practices on their land. This included consultation about riparian improvement and invasive removal, converting conventional crop land to managed grazing, erosion on thin soils, fencing, and avoidance of herbicide application.
The Grazing School included a presentation and farm tour, a demonstration of grazing and fencing equipment. Two River Friendly Farms newsletters featuring the Grazing School went out to subscribers. 62 people attended the school, including 56 farmers and 21 people who work as an agricultural professional. (Some people farm and are also ag professionals for Extension or similar.) 24 of the enrolled farmers are historically underserved, which goes beyond the Compact’s stated goal to reserve 25% of seats for historically underserved farmers.
Tennessee Local Food also included the Grazing School on their website and newsletter. The county co-op posted a flyer at the store. Local SWCD and NRCS helped us spread the word too.
Upon completion of the Grazing Schools, materials from the classes will be available through the River Friendly Farms page of our website, CumberlandRiverCompact.org. Participating farmers will be spotlighted in our River Friendly Farms newsletter, and we will encourage all farmers who implement the multi-paddock systems to apply for River Friendly Farms certification. The certification is an entry point for farmers to engage in conversation with customers about their production methods and why they are more beneficial than conventional methods.
Learning Outcomes
Improving soil health
Managed grazing
Improving forage health
Protecting waterways and riparian areas
Project Outcomes
The Compact has held one of four RFF Grazing Schools and enrolled 56 of the promised 60 farmers.
The RFF Grazing School is designed to push livestock farmers forward in their conservation journeys, regardless of where they currently stand on the sustainability spectrum. The class appeals to ruminant livestock farmers of all stripes, whether they raise large or small animals or use continuous or AMP grazing.
Twenty-six farms participated in the Fall ‘24 RFF Grazing School. Farmers controlling 8,364 acres of land confirmed in a post-event survey that they will implement what they learned.
Everyone in the class learns about optimal timing for moving animals to fresh grass. Everyone learns to identify and control various forages and weeds. The class teacher, Greg Brann, teaches farmers methods that will allow them to reduce herbicide and fertilizer applications (if they use them). This reduction improves long-term pasture health and saves the farmer money.
The use of native grasses on suboptimal pasture is a topic that arose during the Fall 2024 Grazing School. Farmers learned to work with NRCS or another organization, like Quail Forever, to plant deep-rooted, perennial, native grasses rather than fight unproductive land, which is very expensive. Our farm host has seen excellent gain on his cattle with minimal input with his native grass.
Of course, there are also social and community-building benefits to bringing farmers together for a day of learning. Our time in Decatur, TN showed us that farmers in more rural areas of Tennessee are underserved by environmental and educational nonprofits such as the Compact. The Compact’s efforts were appreciated, as evidenced by the incredible turnout (56 people!) at the Fall ‘24 Grazing School. 24 of the enrolled farmers are historically underserved, which goes beyond the Compact’s stated goal to reserve 25% of seats for historically underserved farmers.