River Friendly Farms Grazing School

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Commodities

Practices

• Education and Training: decision support system, farmer to farmer, networking, workshop
• Farm Business Management: agricultural finance, budgets/cost and returns, business planning, financial management, grant making, labor/employment, marketing management, new enterprise development, whole farm planning
• Production Systems: holistic management
• Sustainable Communities: analysis of personal/family life, employment opportunities, leadership development, local and regional food systems, new business opportunities, partnerships, public participation, quality of life, social capital, social networks

The River Friendly Grazing School proposes to teach 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. It will encourage farmers to “grass finish” their animals, a practice for which consumers will pay a premium.

A series of four workshops will be hosted in the spring and fall seasons of 2024-2026 and be led by renowned farmer, soil scientist, and grazing specialist Greg Brann. It will draw farmers from across Tennessee. 

With grant funding, the Grazing School will be low-cost to farmers. It will draw historically underserved farmers through a partnership with the educational non-profit, the Tennessee Local Food Summit, as well as through outreach with the HBCU Tennessee State University’s New Farmer Academy. 

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 this River Friendly Grazing School project will address that 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 Cumberland River Compact has also reviewed and edited two other Watershed Based Plans written by a project partner, who contracted the Compact to provide training to their staff. Our 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.

• 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.