Here in Wheatland, Wyoming it is a cold, snowy, and windy day. Perfect for planning out your grazing for the coming year! A grazing plan is where you think through what you know now, what you expect to unfold, and make a plan for the grazing in the year ahead. To get started on the grazing plan you need a few simple things to facilitate the conversation. 

A nice big map of the place and a large form grazing chart hung on the wall are the best tools for the job. You can use something like Google Earth or another mapping software to project maps on a large screen, but I prefer large laminated maps that can be written on with wet-erase markers. If your map is on the wall all the time it will stimulate more conversations and planning rather than having to make a production of getting out a projector to see the map or everyone trying to gather around your phone or computer. On the map you should have water points and permanent fences clearly identified with pasture names or numbers. If you do more management-intensive grazing, we recommend lumping paddocks into “zones” to make planning and recording simple. For example, zone 1 might include 10 individual paddocks of daily moves, but for planning and recording purposes you only need to know zone 1 was grazed during those 10 days and how many stock days were removed. To make the plan, get the team together with the map, the grazing chart, and complete the following steps ....

Take a listen to Justin Rader as he shows us how he uses a paper grazing chart on his operation, 100th Meridian Ranching in Canadian, Texas.

Director of Regenerative Ag

Carnation, WA

Carnation Farms (CF) has operated an 800+ acre certified organic farm, mixed vegetable farm with a livestock program, for many years, and the organization’s leadership will now go further to fully engage in regenerative practices that build soil health, protect watersheds, and make resources and farm assets open and available to a broader, diverse community of stakeholders. The Director will play a leading role in this transformation.

This Director will lead the development and implementation of the farm’s future regenerative agricultural strategies, in partnership with the Board and Executive Director. This leader will help shape a vision for CF’s role in promoting healthier, regenerative food and farming systems in the Pacific Northwest. This person will need to be entrepreneurial, flexible, and ready to adapt to and lead change. It is a unique moment and opportunity. It is vital that this leader be as much of a businessperson and team manager & leader as a farmer. 

Click here for the complete job announcement

Please send your resume, along with a cover letter, to pauls@carnationfarms.org

Ranch Management Consultants | 307-213-6010 | rmc@ranchmanagement.com

1560 Johnston Street Suite A, Wheatland, WY 82201

www.ranchingforprofit.com