Gaining Ground: Successful Graziers Tell Their Stories

A farming revolution is spreading across Virginia. Crop producers are switching to continuous no-till systems; livestock farmers are switching to rotational grazing. Both approaches save the farmer time and money. They also benefit the land, restoring soil health and dramatically cutting runoff and erosion. The net result is more profitable and productive farms- and better water quality downstream.
In our two movies, each just 15 minutes long, a dozen Virginia farmers explain how continuous no-till and managed grazing have improved their farms and their lives. Also featured are amazing soil and water demonstrations that show how these farmers are truly gaining ground.
These videos are produced by as a public service by The Downstream Project in connection with the USDA and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Пікірлер: 51

  • @microcolonel
    @microcolonel3 жыл бұрын

    That runoff demonstration is *striking*.

  • @hadiabdiyusuf8735
    @hadiabdiyusuf87353 жыл бұрын

    Greeting From Somalia, i like farming real people, real life, and beautiful in money side including you are feeding the world loved

  • @saucywench9122
    @saucywench91224 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for this. The grass fed beef tastes better. It's the only beef allowed in my house now as well as goat and forest fed pork.

  • @saddambarrow6364
    @saddambarrow63645 жыл бұрын

    Im from somalia and i love farming

  • @PiyushPatel10

    @PiyushPatel10

    5 жыл бұрын

    Good brother (y) I'm from india

  • @mikestone9129
    @mikestone91296 жыл бұрын

    The IX Ranch in Montana said it best when they said, take half, leave half.

  • @downbntout

    @downbntout

    5 жыл бұрын

    Mike Stone Better yet, take the choicest 1/3, trample the rest, bc the soil life is the real moneymaker

  • @davemi00
    @davemi004 жыл бұрын

    Smaller Frame animals allows for More Animals per acre and More Births every year. With Less Damage to the Pasture.

  • @peterclark6290
    @peterclark62902 жыл бұрын

    Regenerative Agriculture rocks. If you are a farmer you are in the earthworm business. When they are in every sod, in numbers, that land will do anything you want it to do - until you break the natural cycle. Don't plough, cover bare ground with hay and seed it with as wild a mixture of seeds as you wish (8-16 mix works best), include in that mix herbs (forbs), legumes and grasses¹, avoid industrial fertilisers (compost teas, Dr Elaine Ingham - will convert clay pans to soil). Don't drive heavy equipment on your paddocks, pick-up and heavier (compaction), all you need is an 500cc ATV with fat tyres and an electric winch. Step 2: Look into direct sales (internet) of your product. The goto word is Regenerative Agriculture, for that people will pay extra for the high nutrient density, better taste and easy to chew experience that is produced. Step 3. Smile. You got this. ¹ Grasses compete with other grasses for nutrients, a mix of plant families don't compete. Your cows, sheep, goats, horses, and even pastured pigs (who won't root if there's something else good to eat) will pay you back.

  • @allendavis3208
    @allendavis3208 Жыл бұрын

    I like what they aretalking about

  • @savedfaves
    @savedfaves4 жыл бұрын

    Some rotational grazing systems encourage moving them everyday, or every three days at most. Maybe you should make your paddocks a little smaller if you are moving them every 7 days? Still, thanks for the video. I loved your visual demonstrations.

  • @hadiabdiyusuf8735

    @hadiabdiyusuf8735

    4 жыл бұрын

    Thank you, moving is part of health as much they have grass water and every thing it is only my openion

  • @allendavis3208
    @allendavis3208 Жыл бұрын

    I like them plants

  • @benwilliams3539
    @benwilliams35392 жыл бұрын

    Amazing how expensive it is to buy just plain old grassy fields to start farming.

  • @downbntout

    @downbntout

    2 жыл бұрын

    So lease it

  • @downbntout

    @downbntout

    2 жыл бұрын

    kzread.info/dash/bejne/n2t917tqfdO6crw.html

  • @allendavis3208
    @allendavis3208 Жыл бұрын

    I like

  • @dac545j
    @dac545j5 жыл бұрын

    Um... holy cow!

  • @maharfaseeh1662
    @maharfaseeh16622 жыл бұрын

    Mashaallah Mashaallah Mashaallah

  • @DobryitrenerfromGod
    @DobryitrenerfromGod2 жыл бұрын

    22 psalm ... green pastures

  • @downbntout

    @downbntout

    2 жыл бұрын

    23rd?

  • @davemi00
    @davemi004 жыл бұрын

    The Parasites are in the Bottom of Grasses, too. So keep them from Grazing near ground level.

  • @coreyacre6070
    @coreyacre60706 жыл бұрын

    what about grazing Dairy cows? I want to know about grazing dairy cows in Michigan.

  • @bks7842

    @bks7842

    5 жыл бұрын

    kzread.info/dash/bejne/ooB4rbSRgNy1mJc.html

  • @downbntout

    @downbntout

    5 жыл бұрын

    See the website for the PureEire Dairy. www.pureeiredairy.com/

  • @yasirsukhera5938

    @yasirsukhera5938

    5 жыл бұрын

    Me too friend

  • @hairymanonetwo

    @hairymanonetwo

    5 жыл бұрын

    @@bks7842 The youtube video you posted here...... well lets say..... kinda sad ! He had or has many other issues related to being a dairy farmer. Often this is the case. So called farmer trying to find an easy way to make money.

  • @gavnonadoroge3092
    @gavnonadoroge30922 жыл бұрын

    drought enters the room

  • @jthepickle7
    @jthepickle7 Жыл бұрын

    A sight rarely seen; cows, knee deep in fresh, green grass. During my 20 minute trip to town I pass unhappy cattle on over-grazed land. Ignorant people think cows eat grain and fermented cornstalks! - that chickens eat corn and dried sardines! - that urea nitrogen is helping soil and plant! (cows eat grass/chickens eat bugs/ plants eat microbial exudates )

  • @hairymanonetwo
    @hairymanonetwo5 жыл бұрын

    Im a previous dairy farmer...pastured cattle for 33 yrs..What I see here in this video is poorly managed pastures !!!! Cows belly deep in grass.....yes sure in poor quality grass !!!! The vegetative stage has long since passed That is at 2 to 6 inches tall.These pastures should have been mowed 15 days ago. These cows eat very little of the grass in front of them....they trample most of it ! After the second go round of pasturing 50% if the area is manured...imagine if someone put manure beside your plate at the table..would you eat the food ? Same is true with any animal ! Expect a cow to eat manured grass ? After each 3 pasturing.....mow it for hay. Then re-establish the cattle for much better eating ! The manure smell is still there though... deal with it ! These guy are missing the entire point relating to grazing. They seem more like " rocking chair " farms.... do as little as possible and expect miracles ! It dont happen !

  • @marktdoyle

    @marktdoyle

    5 жыл бұрын

    Irv Farmer you need to watch Greg Judy KZread videos and you will change your mind very quickly he doesn’t own a baler or tractor only an ATV and a pickup truck

  • @hairymanonetwo

    @hairymanonetwo

    5 жыл бұрын

    @@marktdoyle Yes......Ive seen those producers too... here locally.... They soon quit milking cows too. Poor production across the board. Once the grass is beyond the vegetative stage a cows wont eat it.......at least with out lowering production. Salvaging that same grass as winter hay for dry cows..adds to the productivity . Also.....imagine eating your meals with manure beside your dinner plate ????? Same with a cow.... even worse ! They " will " eat around it....and after pasturing a field maybe twice.... its over 50% manured. Now its time to remove the cows....and let it rest..and bale it for hay. Notice.. cows still eat around their manure pies even after two years. Ive very much aware how others farm. Not my cup of tea. Thanks for your feed back !

  • @marktdoyle

    @marktdoyle

    5 жыл бұрын

    Irv Farmer I am assuming you have not read anything regarding this subject www.carolinafarmstewards.org/falling-in-love-with-mob-grazing-and-greg-judy/ it is worth a look dairy prices down, beef feed costs rising it is worth taking a look

  • @jacobfurnish7450

    @jacobfurnish7450

    4 жыл бұрын

    Is a larger quantity of poor forage better than a lower quantity of great forage?

  • @savedfaves

    @savedfaves

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@hairymanonetwo Cows aren't supposed to produce the amount of milk you are used to. It's completely unnatural and more important not sustainable as the grain needed to give you that milk is devastating the soil biomass and the health of the cows. Some famers are using these systems with certain breed to produce both dairy and meat from the same cows (increasing profit even further). What's more crucial, though, is this system is far cheaper to run, so while you may get less milk per individual cow you end up making more money. And to increase the milk rate you do the sensible thing and add more cows rather than bloating up and making unhealthy individual cows. Cows using these systems basically never need any injections of any kind. Some farmers find this difficult to believe but it's true.