by Traci Nachtrab, Lucky 3 Farm LLC

 

Editor’s Note: Don’t miss Greg Judy at the Sustainable Ag Conference!  He’s teaching a hands-on workshop at Braeburn Farm on Nov. 11th and a morning workshop session at the Conference in Durham!  https://www.carolinafarmstewards.org/sac11.shtml

 

 

Yep, Lucky 3 Farm fell in love with Mob Grazing last year. And we got a little crush on Greg Judy. But like all good love stories, we have to begin our tale with a little tragedy.

It was the year of 2010. In January, we had cleared trees to make more pasture. We tilled, planted, and hoped for the best. Our existing pastures looked okay – nothing to brag about, for sure. Drought came and stayed. Our existing pastures and new pastures weren’t prepared for it. And they suffered.

Pasture Management? Unless you can call planting, replanting, fertilizing, spending a boat load of money, and letting our cows wander around in our pastures eating their little hearts out a pasture management system, we had none.

We knew it wasn’t working. We had to do something. In total frustration, we signed up for the North American Devon Association conference that fall (2010) featuring the so-called paragon of pasture management Greg Judy. Yep…we had SKEPTICAL tattooed on our foreheads.

Now begins the love story. We met Greg Judy and were introduced to Mob Grazing. Well, there was a glittery beam of heavenly light shining down on Greg’s head while he was talking. (Okay, maybe I exaggerate a little, but it was close.) We were hooked. Then we proceed to just about bug Greg to death during the conference – asking questions, poking, prodding, and even asking him to draw out the system on a napkin.

WARNING: This pasture management system is not intuitive and it is completely different from anything you’ve probably done before. It requires an OPEN MIND, has a bit of a learning curve, and requires a bit of your time.  Now stick with me here…

The good news? It works! And works well! We sold our planter, hay machine, hay wagon, and manure spreader and bought temporary fencing materials. (and had a bit of $$ left over.)

SIDEBAR: Ladies, if you’re tired of your farmer husband acquiring more and more farm equipment, please hook him up with Greg Judy. Greg will give him a little slap on the face and tell him to get rid of all that stuff and let the livestock do all the work. You can thank me at traci@lucky3farm.com. I also like sweets.

Our pastures and our cattle are flourishing after only 1 year of mob grazing. I ain’t gonna lie. It was a LOT of work, but it was well worth all the hours of setting up fences, moving fences, moving the water tanks, and spreading out hay on our newbie pastures. 

Here are our goals that mob grazing is helping us move towards:

  • Flourishing, healthy pastures that requires no commercial inputs, no overseeding, and are drought resistant
  • Healthy soil that supports beneficial insects and the regrowth of native grasses
  • Healthy 100% grass fed cattle that can be supported on 1 acre of pasture/per head
  • Year-round pastures & no hay feeding

Are we there yet? No. But we are well on our way! And mob grazing is helping us get there. We are excited about the future of our pastures and our farm.

See why we fell in love with Mob Grazing and Greg Judy? As far as I’m concerned, the Friday Mob Grazing Workshop at the Sustainable Ag Conference should be a REQUIREMENT for livestock farms.  SIGN UP NOW! It will be one of the best things you’ve ever done for your farm.

And we lived happily ever after… now give me a smooch you cutie patootie Greg Judy.