By Janelle Atyeo
Farmers with cover crops have land to graze. Ranchers have cattle with nowhere to go. Now the two have a way to connect and work out a grazing lease.
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture launched the Cropland Grazing Exchange Program this spring. The online tool has users register the location of their fields or their livestock herds. An interactive map at
www.mda.state.mn. us/cge, allows users to browse the available land and animals and work out an exchange.
The website also has information on creating a lease agreement, guidelines on herbicide restrictions and other considerations for custom grazing.
Kelly Anderson runs the program for the department of agriculture. She knows the benefit of having cattle on crop land, but for her, the exchange is easy.
She farms with family in western Minnesota. Her father-in-law grows edible beans, sweet corn and potatoes. She and her husband raise cattle, and they’re able to graze the cover crops planted after bean harvest.
With farming operations becoming larger and more specialized, many crop farmers no longer have cattle. At the same time, livestock producers have newer tools such as temporary fencing and portable waterers that allow them to bring their herds almost anywhere.
Combining cropland and cattle has a big benefit for soil health, Anderson pointed out. Cattle can be used to harvest a cover crop. They turn forages into nutrients at the same time they help break up crop residue.
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