By Sherry Hoyer and Denise Schwab
Pastures in northeast Iowa can be a challenge for producers, especially those who want to establish a beneficial grazing program. However, one farm in Clayton County is making it work, according to Iowa State University extension beef specialist Denise Schwab. Matt and Cassie Winters will host a pasture walk to share their progress with rotational grazing.
“This pasture is very typical of a lot of northeast Iowa pastures with creeks cutting up the grazing area, some trees, especially in the valleys, and the challenge of getting water where we need it in the pastures,” Schwab said. “These pastures are really challenging to subdivide in order to optimize grazing potential, and we’ll talk about various options to help do that.”
The pasture walk is set for Wednesday, Aug. 13, beginning at 6 p.m. at the Winters farm west of Volga. It will feature their rotational grazing program with cow-calf pairs and horses, and their watering system that includes a heavy-use creek crossing, a spring development and buried water lines to tanks.