Grass/Pasture Management

Grass/pasture management is defined as the practice of growing healthy grass and related plants to profitably sustain forage availability and livestock production while ensuring ecological health.

Grass/pasture management practices provide strategies for conserving and enhancing native grass, improving forage production, restoring soil quality and quantity, improving plant communities and reducing overall operational costs.

Well-managed grasslands and pastures contribute signiﬁcantly to the sustainability of a ranch operation and the health of surrounding ecosystems. Many ranchers now assert that their primary activity is growing grass, not beef. Nevertheless, grass management practices have traditionally been categorized under ecosystem or grazing management. The literature review revealed an increase in beneficial management practices relating specifically to grass/pasture management strategies, warranting the creation of a separate management category.

Caring for the Green Zone: Riparian Areas and Grazing Management

Cows and Fish Program, Alberta

This document for agricultural producers covers general grazing management principles and beneficial practices for grazing in riparian areas. Case studies documenting successful grazing in riparian areas are also provided.
Chinook Ranch Ltd.

Longview, Alberta

Located near Longview, Alberta, Chinook Ranch displays a long-term vision of sustainable ranching. During the growing season the cattle graze a maximum of two to five days in one area to prevent overgrazing, and the potential spread of invasive species into native habitats.
Circle H Farms

Brandon, Manitoba

Circle H Farms, located in Brandon, Manitoba, is a working cattle operation. The owner-operator, Brian Harper, is a conservation leader in the community and conducts tours on his operation for other producers, demonstrating the various management approaches he has applied to his land.
Della Ranches Box Country, Utah

Tanner Family

Della Ranches is located in Box Elder County in Utah. The ranch “runs about 1,000 cattle on 192,000 acres of private, state and federally owned lands.
Dolen Ranch

Spirit River, Alberta

The Dolen Ranch is located in the Peace River Region of northwestern Alberta. This region often sees harsh winters and has struggled with inconsistent summer precipitation. Conrad Dolen was born and raised in the area and has been farming the ranch’s “North Fork” for the last ten years.
Ejido Casa de Janos

Janos, Chihuahua

With the implementation of sound management practices, Ejido Casa de Janos seeks to improve both the grazing system and the grassland conditions, which will result in a better habitat for fauna.
Funk Farms Trust

Shirley, Illinois

Located in Shirley, Illinois, Funk Farms has long prioritized environmental stewardship. As one of the oldest farms in Illinois, management has continually adhered to sustainable practices. The farm has implemented a number of beneficial practices including water management through 35 miles of waterways and soil erosion control through 25 miles of terraces.
Gentry Ranch Partners LLC

Barber County, Kansas

Gentry Ranch Partners LLC is located in the heart of the Great Plains within southwest Kansas. The ranch manages Angus- and Hereford-based cow/calf pairs on an area with a diverse native plant community, abundant wildlife, springs, and caves. Practices carried out through this 1,426-hectare project included firebreak establishment and prescribed burns.
Ginn Family Farm

Clinton, ON

Located in Clinton, Ontario, the Ginn Family Farm operates a purebred red Angus cow‐calf operation. Over the past 25 years, the farm has taken major steps to create a healthy and productive ecosystem.
Gould Ranches Ltd.

Consort, Alberta

The Gould Family has ranched south of Consort, Alberta, for nearly 100 years. The operation includes native range, reseeded forage and annually cropped acreage near the center of Special Area 4.
Grasslands of Central North America

Food and Agriculture Organization, North America

Chapter 6 of Grasslands of the World focuses on the grasslands management systems of central North America. While a majority of the chapter serves as a historical summary of grassland management practices, it also provides useful general management recommendations…
Grasslands: Towards a North American Conservation Strategy

Commission for Environmental Cooperation

This publication is intended to provide a framework for tri- and binational cooperation between Canada, the United States and Mexico that promotes the conservation and sustainable use of central North American grasslands.