Final report for ENC22-214
Project Information
This project’s goals were to engage farmer advisors (crop consultants, private sector grazing technical service providers, and agency staff) in building skills in managed grazing and forage production systems that use diverse annual and perennial forages to meet livestock needs. In recent years, agriculture in the North Central Region has become increasingly specialized. Recent interest in soil health has led livestock and grain farmers to explore opportunities to reintegrate managed grazing of cover crops and perennial forages into their systems. No single forage species performs well across all seasons, soil types and climate conditions. A forage chain is a planning process to design a calendar of diverse forages that ensures availability of forage throughout the year. The project brought together two unique target audiences for co-learning and professional development: certified crop advisors who work primarily with cash grain and confinement dairy farmers and grazing technical service providers who work primarily with livestock graziers. Working closely with these audiences’ professional organizations, the Wisconsin Association of Professional Agricultural Consultants and the Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation Association, project partners planned and carried out educational activities to increase the availability of forage chain and grazing planning expertise. By training certified crop advisors and early career conservation professionals, building a user-friendly grazing planning website, and engaging all participants in the statewide Grazing Team network, the project ensures farmers interested in adopting managed grazing of perennials, annuals, cover crops, or crop aftermath will have access to the information and support they need.
Partnerships
A key output of the project has been new partnerships among organizations that serve technical service providers and those that serve certified crop advisors and cross-programming among these organizations. Through these new partnerships, increased information sharing has taken place on incorporating annual and perennial forages into crop rotations. Conservation and agricultural professionals have added to their toolbox resources and expertise in managing forage chains.
Website
A resources page has been added to GrassWorks website that contains all the pertinent information needed for technical service providers to create grazing plans to NRCS standards. The page includes checklists of requirements, links to specific resources needed to include in the plans, sample grazing plans, and other information to assist TSPs in creating approved grazing plans that will allow their clients to access NRCS EQIP cost-share funding for managed grazing.
Educational activities
Educational activities coordinated by the G-Team included 2 to 4 events annually, advertised statewide and showcasing a diversity of landscapes, soils, and farming operations. Events included workshops on grazing planning, grazing infrastructure design, and forage chain development; field days and pasture walks on farms implementing these practices; and other topics requested by participants. GrassWorks’ annual conference incorporated workshops on these topics as well. All educational activities where appropriate have been registered for continuing educational units through the American Society of Agronomy Certified Crop Advisor program.
Mentoring
The project has created an informal mentoring network among experienced grazing technical service providers and early career NRCS and Land and Water Conservation staff around the state. Each RC&D worked with their local Conservation Agency offices to determine need and pair interested staff with experienced RC&D staff or farmers. Mentees have gained from shadowing technical assistance providers on visits with farmers, having someone to call with questions, and gaining hands-on experience working with graziers on their farms. Farmer mentors received an honorarium for their participation.
Cooperators
- - Technical Advisor
- - Technical Advisor
- - Technical Advisor
- - Technical Advisor
- - Technical Advisor
- - Technical Advisor
- - Technical Advisor
- - Technical Advisor
- - Technical Advisor
Education
We provided multi-faceted learning methods such as workshops, discussions, demonstrations, and field experiences through cross-training of certified crop advisors, technical service providers, and other agriculture and conservation professionals. These professionals have historically sought training and networking opportunities in different places. Providing educational opportunities in one setting provided them the opportunity to learn from each other’s specialties and develop skills in the context of managed grazing and forage chains. Crop advisors learned the agronomy of forages, experienced grazing TSPs benefited from education on new NRCS requirements for grazing planning, and a new generation of early career NRCS and other agency staff, many of whom don’t have a farming background, gained experience with the mechanics of managed grazing and livestock farming.
Education & Outreach Initiatives
Offer diverse educational opportunities to certified crop advisors, technical service providers, and other agriculture and conservation professionals and demonstrate an increase in knowledge and skills.
Increase learning and proficiency of ag professionals in managed grazing and forage chains to support farmers in implementing these practices. Educational activities coordinated by the G-Team were offered, advertised statewide, and showcase a diversity of landscapes, soils, and farming operations. Events included workshops on grazing planning, grazing infrastructure design, and forage chain development; field days and pasture walks on farms implementing these practices; and other topics requested by participants. GrassWorks’ annual conference incorporated workshops on these topics as well. Where appropriate, educational activities were registered for continuing educational units through the American Society of Agronomy Certified Crop Advisor program.
- Over the project period a total of 25 G-Team events were held on the following topics:
- Jan 12, 2023, Heifer Grazing Compass: a decision support tool that compares the financial outcomes of raising dairy heifers on pasture compared to other approaches.
- Feb 2, 2023, G-Team GrassWorks Conference Kickoff Meeting with discussions on (1) mentorship programs for professional development, (2) forage chains and forage options, (3) NRCS updates to practice standards.
- Aug 7, 2023, Introduction to Audubon Conservation Ranching and Managing Pastures in Drought
- Dec 14, 2023, Winter grazing, cover crops with livestock integration, new NRCS cost-share practices available.
- Feb 1, 2024, G-Team GrassWorks Conference Kickoff Meeting with discussions on (1) review of the project, (2) utilizing and integrating into WI Land & Water’s Interagency mentorship program, (3) training from NRCS on new practice standards, and (4) listening session with participants and planning the year ahead.
- Feb 20, 2024, webinar training from NRCS on grazing management planning for grassland birds.
- Feb 29, 2024, webinar training from NRCS on grazing on cropland planning.
- June 20, 2024, Silvopasture training and Savanna Institute tour.
- Sep 24 & 25, 2024, Dairy heifer training and field days with discussions on (1) overview of economic and ecological benefits of raising heifers by managed grazing, (2) animal performance and nutrition, (3) Diary Heifer Compass Tool, and (4) tours of heifer grazing operations showing long-term success and incorporation of cover crops and annuals.
- Jan 23, 2025, G-Team GrassWorks Conference Kickoff Meeting with discussions on (1) GrassWorks resources for grazing professionals (2) how to start a grazing network, (3) regional networking.
- Feb 14, 2025, webinar training from NRCS on grazing on cropland planning and updates.
- Oct 7, 2025, Grazing warm season annuals & cover crops field day training: drone seeding, developing a forage chain, & extending the grazing season.
- Nov 6, 2025, Cover crop field day training: crop rotations with cover crops, boosting forage production, & extending the grazing season.
- Jan 22, 2026, G-Team GrassWorks Conference Kickoff Meeting with discussions on (1) working effectively with producers (2) NRCS updates, (3) UW Extension Wisconsin’s Grazing Roots resources, (4) introducing the Grazing Plan Writing Resource/Guide.
- Mar 18, 2026, Dairy grazing in the Driftless field day training: grazing start-up, organic certification, soil health, NRCS programs.
- Mar 24, 2026, field day training: Custom dairy heifer grazing, grazing on steep topography, using virtual collars.
- Mar 30, 2026, training: Mapping with QGIS, TSP certification, grazing plan writing.
- GrassChat Office Hours kicked off in 2026. 8 sessions held Feb-Mar, 2026 with topics including:
- Practice standards updates & implementation requirements
- EQIP, CSP, & RPP program training
- Timely topics e.g. frost seeding, pasture renovation
- Q&A
- Relaying the economics of grazing to farmers
- Building a grazing program at the county level with WI DATCP funding
- Additional conference sessions included:
- Dec 7-8, 2023, One conference session at the Wisconsin Water and Soil Health Conference (WWASH) conference on reintegrating livestock into crop rotations.
- Feb 2-4, 2023, 16 sessions during the GrassWorks Annual Grazing Conference providing CEU credits and learning for a wide range of agricultural professionals.
- Dec 17-18, 2024, Hosted a grazing roundtable session at the WWASH Conference with GrassWorks representation.
- Feb 1-3, 2024, 16 sessions during the GrassWorks Annual Grazing Conference providing CEU credits including the full range of professional development categories and drawing a wide range of agricultural professionals.
- Jan 23-25, 2025, 16 sessions during the GrassWorks Annual Grazing Conference providing CEU credits including the full range of professional development categories and drawing a wide range of agricultural professionals.
- December 16–17, 2025, GrassWorks served on the planning committee for the 2025 conference and attended for networking and interaction.
- Jan 22-24, 2026, 15 sessions during the GrassWorks Annual Grazing Conference providing CEU credits including the full range of professional development categories and drawing a wide range of agricultural professionals.
- Regional RC&Ds carried out 16 additional events from October 1, 2022 - December 31, 2023, 17 additional events from January 1, 2024 - December 31, 2024, and 13 additional events from January 1, 2025 - March 31, 2026 for a total of 46 events including pasture walks, demonstrations, and three local conferences. These educational activities promoted professional development for attendees including agency, nonprofit, and extension staff, researchers, crop advisors, and TSPs. Partners also identified farmers to host field days and serve as mentors for early career agency staff.
Build new partnerships and connections among organizations that serve technical service providers and those that serve certified crop advisors as well as building networks between individuals.
Through these new partnerships and professional connections, increased information has been shared on incorporating annual and perennial forages into crop rotations. Conservation and agricultural professionals have added skills to their toolbox of resources and expertise in managing forage chains.
- Participant records indicate that the G-Team expanded its reach substantially over the course of the project; the number of unique organizations represented and receiving outreach grew from 35 at the start to 72 by the end of the project period.
- Over the project period, a total of 36 different partner organizations participated in G-Team educational activities, providing expert speakers and training. 67 farmers hosted events and/or were speakers at workshops and field events.
GrassWorks G-Team Project Participant Summary
Figure 1: Participant types across three reporting periods for G-Team activities.
- Over the project period, a broad range of ag and conservation professionals participated in G-Team activities. Programming remained flexible to address the evolving requirements of participants. In 2023, Agency staff comprised 32% of participants, in 2024 59%, and in 2025 through March 31, 2026, declined to 29% (Figure 1). The number of Agency staff participating in the G-Team reflects a loss in these staff positions across the state during 2025 and 2026. On the other hand, Nonprofit participants remained steady in 2023 and 2024, but increased in 2025. One possible explanation for the shifting participation numbers is that nonprofit organizations filled the gap left by declining agency staff in 2025 and 2026, providing necessary managed grazing implementation support to farmers.
- Educators, researchers, independent TSPs, and farmers participated in smaller numbers, but were essential members of the G-Team. By creating environments where conservation and agricultural professionals attended the same sessions as farmers, we fostered cross-training and established vital mentoring pathways between experienced farmers and early-career staff.
- While Crop and Soils Consultant engagement fell below our initial expectations, we successfully established valuable ties with this group. Our involvement was notably strengthened through participation on the planning committee and our presence at the WWASH conference.
- At the project's inception, the contact list was found to overestimate participating agency staff, pointing to a need for updates to account for staff retirements and turnover. Initial G-Team efforts focused on establishing a robust support network and recruiting a wider array of professionals, with a particular emphasis on enhancing the skills of NRCS agency staff and TSPs. This targeted training aimed to meet the growing demand for NRCS grazing plans and related practices, including supporting bird habitats and grazing on cropland.
- Partner events exhibited similar attendance diversity, but the majority of attendees were farmers over the project period.
- In 2023, the goal of developing a session at the Wisconsin Water and Soil Health conference was to connect to a conference that largely focuses on concerns of soil health and resilient cropping systems but does not have a large part of the program dedicated to livestock grazing. This session gave an introduction and overview of the benefits and opportunities to integrate livestock into cropping operations, ideas on how to partner with neighboring farms, winter management, custom heifer grazing, and water and soil improvements. A panel discussion provided information on the economics of integrating livestock, how simply it can be done, and situations to avoid. In 2024, GrassWorks staff participated in a roundtable discussion on grazing practices that engaged a wide audience from this annual conference which many agricultural professionals attend. In 2025, at this largely crop-focused event, GrassWorks was the voice for managed grazing and speaks to the benefits of integrating livestock and grazing practices into agricultural landscapes and cropping systems.
- In 2023, the GrassWorks Grazing Conference provided 44 sessions, in 2024 36 sessions, in 2025 34 sessions and in 2026 42 sessions. Over three days, the conference provided exposure and opportunities for educational and social networking among G-Team participants and GrassWorks extended grazing community network.
These events promoted co-learning and cross-training for a range of attendees, all of whom have been added to the G-Team database, which supports mutual communications. 53 new agricultural professionals were added in 2023, 22 in 2024, and 25 in 2025/2026 to the contact database increasing the total G-Team participant list from 79 at the beginning of the project to 158 at the end (100 total added, but 29 also lost due to staff losses, retirement, etc.). 23 email newsletters were sent out in 2023, 32 in 2024, and 46 in 2025 -March 31, 2206, promoting GrassWorks and partner events. Statewide and regional events from partners are collected and posted on the GrassWorks Events Calendar to promote collaborative learning.
Educational & Outreach Activities
Participation summary:
Learning Outcomes
Project Outcomes
Outcomes during this reporting period focus on Awareness Outcomes including gaining awareness, knowledge, and skills in:
- Integrating annual forages, cover crop grazing, perennial forages, and building forage chains
- Participants gain skills and knowledge in planning grazing and forage management systems using annual and perennial forages and cover crops
- Participants gain knowledge of NRCS grazing planning standards and skills in writing grazing plans
- Diversity in agricultural professionals attending and CEUs offered.
Event topics for GrassWorks and partners included pasture systems and animal carrying capacity, managing pastures in drought, warm season native perennial pastures, managing for wildlife habitat, grazing cover crops, extending the grazing season, winter grazing, soil health and nutrient management, promoting grassland bird habitat, grazing on public lands, and grazing multiple species.
- Evaluations were performed for GrassWorks-hosted pasture walks and workshop events.
- Throughout the project, respondents indicated they had increased knowledge, the majority indicating they increased knowledge by at least 2 points on a scale of 1 (very little knowledge) to 5 (expert knowledge) across a range of topics.
- Throughout the project, 11% of activities organized by GrassWorks and its partners included the active involvement of mentors and early-career staff. Our experience with these routine activities has highlighted the need for more intentional planning to better facilitate connections between experienced farmers and staff new to the field. Specifically, more focus is required to document these interactions and establish pathways for ongoing professional development. While most events offered informal learning opportunities for early-career staff to interact with experienced farmers, the process would benefit from a more structured approach.
- In 2024 at the G-Team February 1 training, evaluation respondents indicated that they increased their knowledge by 1 point from 2.4 to 3.4 on the same scale of 1-5. At the Sept 24 & 25, 2024, Dairy heifer training, respondents scored themselves 2.6 on a scale of 1 (learned nothing new) to 5 (learned a great deal), indicating that they learned something but not a great deal. Attendee comments pointed out that the Heifer Compass Tool training topic was complex. An average score of 2.6 suggests that further training on the topic would be beneficial.
- In 2025, at the G-Team January conference kickoff training, evaluation respondents indicated that they increased their knowledge on a scale of 1-5 from 4.3 to 4.7.
- In 2026, at the G-Team January conference kickoff training, 94.1% of the participants indicated that they learned from the training and increased their comfort level in how to communicate effectively with producers.
- GrassWorks’ Annual Grazing Conference continued to be a focal point event with the following summary table of registrations and CEU credits offered from 2023 -2026.
| Year | # of Registrants |
# of Sessions offering CEU Credits
|
| Feb 2-4, 2023 | 499 | 16 |
| Feb 1-3, 2024 | 434 | 16 |
| Jan 23-25, 2025 | 391 | 16 |
| Jan 22-24, 2026 | 365 | 15 |
- Session topics closely related to this SARE-PDP project included:
- 2023: Oak savannah on prairie, outwintering and feeding, entomology and grazing, latest forage research, nutrient management, grazing warm season native grasses, developing a forage chain, soil carbon considerations, soil health and nutrient management, grazing planted prairie, multi-species grazing, and weeds talk.
- 2024: Tools for improving the sustainability of grassland agriculture, managing changing weather, grazing in a drought, improving wildlife habitat, animal nutrition on pasture, providing cover crops for year-round grazing, planning alternative forage systems, and numerous sessions related to soil health/fertility.
- 2025: What should I plant in my pasture, grazing native prairie, certified organic production, grazing infrastructure, graziers’ math, bale grazing, livestock & crop integration, soils & grazing plans, and more!
- 2026: Establishing silvopasture, maximizing photosynthesis, grazing warm-season perennials/prairie plants, Wisconsin’s pasture grasses, identifying grassland birds, pasture plant mixes, pasture ecology & new technologies in dairy, NRCS farmer resources, forage chains that make sense, and more!
- In 2023 110 conference attendees responded to an evaluation. 93% indicated that session topics were very or extremely relevant. Average knowledge on a scale of 1-5 was 3 before the conference and increased to 3.9 after the conference. The target session on forage chains was well received with 13 evaluation respondents indicating that the session was helpful or very helpful.
- In 2024, 121 conference attendees responded to the evaluation. 97.5% indicated that session topics were relevant to extremely relevant. Average knowledge on a scale of 1-10 was 6.5 before the conference and increased to 7.6 after the conference. The target session on alternative forage systems was well received with 23 evaluation respondents indicating that the session was helpful to very helpful.
- In 2025, 66 conference attendees responded to the evaluation. 97% indicated that session topics were relevant to extremely relevant. Average knowledge on a scale of 1-10 was 6.3 before the conference and increased to 7.1 after the conference. The target session on grazing native prairie was well received with 17 of 20 respondents indicating that the session was helpful to very helpful.
- In 2026, 97 conference attendees responded to the evaluation. 96.7% indicated that session topics were relevant to extremely relevant. Average knowledge on a scale of 1-5 was 3.5 before the conference and increased to 4.0 after the conference. The target session on forage chains was well received with 16 of 18 respondents indicating that the session was helpful or very helpful.
A partnership between the G-Team and the Grassland 2.0 Academy was developed in 2024. The Academy is a sub-project under Grassland 2.0 that trains ag professionals to develop NRCS grazing plans. Because of a loss of funding in 2025, Wisconsin Land & Water Association has taken over this project and we continue to collaborate with the Academy program. In this partnership, GrassWorks identified advanced and specialized topics for further training that continue to hone the skills of ag professionals. G-Team activities work in tandem with participants who have completed the Academy training.
Over the course of the project, because of training provided through the G-Team, participants responding to our post-project survey indicated:
- 64.5% had increased the # of graziers that they engage with by 1-10 farmers and 19.4 % indicated that they increased that # by 10-25 farmers.
- 43% indicated that they increased the number of grazing plans they produced per year by 1-5 plans.
- 90.3% rated the training information and resources they received was relevant or very relevant.
- Based on our post-project survey, 40% of G-Team participants reported reaching a level of "very confident" in key areas, including building farmer networks, communicating with producers, utilizing economic tools, updating NRCS practice standards, and organizing pasture walks and field days.
.
Project participants responding to our post-project survey said:
- After attending the pre-conference presentation about grazing networks my org helped found a new grazing network.
- The GrassChat Series has been super useful for sharing resources other graziers use. I have learned so much about resources that I didn't know about before. I apply all the knowledge I learn through the G-Team trainings and meetings when working one on one with farmers and implement this knowledge into grazing plans.
- When I am out talking to landowners about land possibilities, I can now mention all of the grazing alternatives available for their land.
- Before I was inside of NRCS, the G-Team trainings were incredibly important. TSPs are expected to perform to NRCS standards, but there is no good way to learn these standards without the G-Team. As NRCS pushes for more partnerships and TSP services, the G-Team will become even more necessary.
Farmer responses from our Annual Grazing Conference:
- Coming from Michigan we are SO thankful we made the trip and took the time. This was an amazing experience, with a fantastic group of people. THANK YOU. We will be back - I work in the conservation field and help lead educational events here in Michigan, you guys did absolutely amazing. Super relevant topics, new info, great diversity for new and old graziers. Again, thank you.