In Rotation: Regenerative Grazing
In our other post, Carbon Yield talks about the importance of regenerative practices. We wanted to talk more about animal integration and introduce the terms regenerative or rotational grazing. Regenerative grazing is essentially mimicking how wild buffalo grazed on the prairies for centuries. It involves corralling a large number of animals into a smaller area and moving them frequently in a rotation. While the inconvenience of “rehoming” your livestock periodically may sound significant, ultimately the benefits of this practice far outweigh those efforts.
What is Regenerative Grazing?
In the midwest almost 25% of farmland is used for continuous grazing while over 80% of said land is now unfertile, weedy and have erosion issues. These conventional grazing practices can be part of beef cattle systems, on dairy operations, or within integrated cropping systems. The conventional versions of these systems have contributed to the world’s current climate challenges. 14.5% of world greenhouse gas emissions are directly associated with livestock, cattle being the top contributor.
Farmers have the option to implement regenerative grazing and reap the benefits, which include soil health, higher profits, and new revenue streams. When we utilize regenerative grazing practices we are not giving the livestock enough time to graze the plants down to the ground and disturb the carbon stores in the ground. Healthy soils will produce anywhere from three to eight tons of forage per acre, meaning that it would take an acre or less annually to grass feed a beef steer. In leaving the stores of carbon intact we are greatly reducing the number of greenhouse gasses emitted into the atmosphere.
Benefits of Regenerative Grazing
Regenerative grazing protects soil from erosion by allowing native healthy grasses to grow deep root systems. These deep root systems stabilize and provide cover to the soil which protects it from natural elements such as wind and water. The deep root systems also reach nutrients from a depth with fewer pesticides and nitrates. While regenerative grazing produces sustainable animal products, it also protects our land and allows nutrients and organic matter to be retained. When you have a continuous grazing pasture the animals tend to create high traffic areas in which they compact the soil and restrict air and water movement. Regenerative grazing avoids compacted soil, by rotating the animals frequently they actually till the land.
Regenerative grazing cuts down on costs associated with feed and supplements for livestock. When correctly used this grazing method allows for forages to initiate regrowth and renew carbohydrate stores. Regenerative grazing also can lengthen the grazing season which will cut down on the need for stored feed. Implementing regenerative grazing allows the farmer/rancher to save on feed and fertilizer costs. Regenerative grazing protects soil from erosion, allows the soil to retain moisture, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
Challenges of Regenerative Grazing
Regenerative grazing requires the farmer/rancher to relocate the animals every three to seven days or when the animals have grazed the grass down to 2-3 inches. Livestock can return to a pasture when the grass has grown to 8-9 inches tall. Farmers/ranchers are splitting one large pasture into 4 or more smaller pastures in which they are able to rotate their livestock. Each “mini” pasture needs to have the proper fencing in place, water, and shade available for their livestock. After the planning and setting up stage of regenerative gazing is applied there is minimal to no upkeep to continue this regenerative process but the infrastructure to start can represent a significant cost.
Regenerative Grazing Provides a Financial Upside
Carbon Yield has registered a carbon project on behalf of a Missouri farm that has been implementing regenerative grazing for the last 4 years. The farmer, taking over for his dad, began pursuing integrated livestock in an effort to protect and renew the soil on his family farm. Across more than 1,000 acres he rotates his stock of cattle regularly on the alfalfa and grass-legume mixes.
On his project, he will have over 1,700 credits from his history of implementing regenerative grazing. Assuming a safe carbon price of $20, that represents over $35,000 of income. In the future 10 years of the project, the farmer will register over 4,500 credits, representing more than $91,000 at $20 price. Good news! With Carbon Yield selling the credits on your behalf, farms can get up to $100 per ton, which would mean the farmer could make more than $179K in total historical, $450K looking forward.
While this is a success story of how carbon can provide value if you are pursuing regenerative grazing, Carbon Yield recognizes that every case is unique and we are available to figure out the value stream on your specific property.