Evaluating Forage Production and Ranching in Response to Regenerative Rotational Grazing on Dryland Pastures in Southwest Colorado.

View the project final report

Commodities

• Agronomic: grass (misc. perennial)
• Additional Plants: native plants
• Animals: bovine, goats

Practices

• Animal Production: feed/forage, grazing management, grazing - multispecies, grazing - rotational, pasture fertility, rangeland/pasture management
• Education and Training: demonstration, extension, farmer to farmer, mentoring, on-farm/ranch research, youth education
• Farm Business Management: apprentice/intern training, labor/employment, new enterprise development
• Natural Resources/Environment: biodiversity, soil stabilization
• Production Systems: holistic management
• Soil Management: soil analysis, soil chemistry, soil microbiology, soil physics, soil quality/health
• Sustainable Communities: infrastructure analysis, new business opportunities, partnerships

This project will establish forage to support high-intensity short duration regenerative rotational grazing with cattle. A multi-species component of the project includes integrating meat goats into the grazing management plan to help utilize forage more effectively and encourage plant species diversity. A goal is to demonstrate that ecological health is improved on dryland pastures through regenerative grazing. No one has studied this in the southwestern region of Colorado and surrounding four corners region before. A better understanding of the role regenerative agriculture plays in this region is vitally important because it will result in major changes in how dryland is utilized while establishing farmer/rancher partnerships. Negative effects on agricultural communities occur as family farms and ranches are taken out of agricultural production (Brunson and Huntsinger, 2008). Socioeconomic effects will include increased employment, abundance of affordable meat, and effective succession of family agricultural operations. It's essential that we produce the most food with the least resources as the world’s needs and demands continues to rise (World Watch, 2017).

The McAfee family homesteaded and began farming this land in 1915--dry beans, wheat, and alfalfa. Soil preparation, planting, cultivating, harvesting, and disking caused compaction and a plow pan. Nothing beyond crop residue was returned to the soil, reducing organic matter accumulation and nutrient cycling. This is no longer feasible. The soil is degraded through erosion, compaction, and over-use.  Periodic drought is devastating for traditional dryland row-cropping. The land went into CRP in 2005 and is now in Grasslands CRP. Successes with native and non-native grasses and native shrubs demonstrate that these species are viable even in drought. Traditional cropping generally focuses on one ecosystem service to produce a commodity, while forage-based systems utilize many services, improving carbon sequestration, soil water holding capacity, wildlife habitat, etc. (Robertson and Swinton, 2005).

Pastures are divided into paddocks of approximately 100 acres. Grazing is managed using a regenerative approach of high intensity, short duration rotations utilizing a modest amount based on the growth curve. A deferred rotation system is in place allowing each set of paddocks (A, B,C paddocks) approximately 18 months of rest between grazing which is recommended in dryland range environments. Ecological monitoring includes measuring forage production, utilization, plant community composition changes, soil chemical and physical changes, and presence of key wildlife species. Outreach will be through SWCRC. As they report to their advisory committee and the public we will report with them, including field demonstrations.

Mission: The mission of the McAfees is to be exemplary stewards of the land that is entrusted to them through identification of best practices leading to improvements in soil health and increases in forage and beef production.
Specific Objectives:
1. Increase desirable soil physical properties, water absorption and retention, and carbon sequestration and storage over a three-year period beginning fall 2019.
2. Increase biomass production and ground cover by 20%, and increase species diversity over a three-year period beginning fall 2019.
3. Increase production of protein pounds per acre by increasing biomass production and introducing an additional meat production species by 25% annually.
4. Partner with SWCRC to establish and maintain an outreach program and technical assistance with statistical analysis of collected data, in place by June 2019.