Holistic Grazing Tips
Guidelines for Planning
Learn The Basics
To really understand how Holistic Management® Grazing Planning works, purchase the Increasing Forage & Animal Productivity: Holistic Management Grazing Planning Manual by clicking here. For a more in-depth knowledge of holistic planned grazing study Holistic Management: A New Framework for Decision Making and Holistic Management Handbook, or attend a training session.
Keep It Simple
Try to keep the number of herds to a minimum—two at most—until you have gained experience in planning and monitoring the grazings. It is also wise to avoid more sophisticated grazing strategies, such as "follow-through" grazing, until you have more experience.
Plan On Paper
Use HMI's Grazing Plan & Control Chart, which shows length of recovery periods clearly, areas of land and planned volume of grazing. The number of factors dealt with can overwhelm anyone, and it helps to have a document everyone can view when you ask for other people's help. You can order by clicking here.
One Step At A Time
To reduce stress and eliminate confusion, don't skip steps in the grazing planning process, or take them out of order, or take shortcuts. Read through each step, make sure you understand what it is asking you to do, then do it, recording what you need to on the planning chart. Then move on to the next step.
Plan Conservatively
Plan conservatively on any point on which you have doubt.
Keep It Fresh
Easy planning year after year, especially with a simple land layout and few factors to consider, may be a good starting point but will only get you so far. If you really want to increase land and animal production, you will need to constantly examine your planning process and what you are doing.
Monitor The Plan
What you put on paper is a guide—your most educated projection for the future. No matter how well you plan, events can occur that take you off plan. You have to monitor what you have planned against what actually happens, and modify the plan as needed. In the event of a major catastrophe, such as a fire that sweeps through most of your paddocks, you should replan altogether.
Want to learn about our next grazing planning class? Click here.
For a free guide to simple holistic grazing planning, click here.
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