Producers keen to see the grazing roadshow

Dick Richardson, Grazing Naturally, (left), explains the science and biology behind creating healthy soils and pastures and how grazing systems could be adapted to help regenerate and build soil structure and boost biological activity. He spent a day with White Kangaroo grazier, John Skinner, pictured sitting opposite Dick, and Inkerman grazier Matthew Woodward.

Graziers keen to discuss and dissect grazing systems and approaches to help improve soil health, pasture performance and herd productivity, took the opportunity to meet with grazing specialist, Dick Richardson in September.

Dick Richardson and Cody Dugmore, Grazing Naturally, and NQ Dry Tropics grazing extension officers visited Terry Creek, Flagstone and White Kangaroo stations during a three-day tour. Matthew Woodward, a grazier from Inkerman attended the day at White Kangaroo.

The aim of the property visits, which included ‘walking the landscape’ with graziers to discuss what was happening on-ground, was to work out ways to improve grazing plans to suit local conditions. It also included conducting forage budgets using the STAC method.

It was an opportunity to learn more about the relationship between ecosystem function and patterns of grazing, with the Grazing Naturally method demonstrated as a viable solution to address ecological decline in changing climate and economic conditions.

Topics covered include:

  • how plants, animals and living organisms build soil;
  • the effects of light and heavy set stocking;
  • building soil carbon and soil depth, using natural grazing patterns of animals;
  • the basics of the Grazing Naturally method; 
  • matching stocking rate to carrying capacity;
  • assessing feed availability using the STAC method; and 
  • a practical session on plant health and soil building in the paddock.

White Kangaroo grazier John Skinner took the opportunity to show peers his bulloak country to discuss its grazing value, and issues around implementing appropriate grazing practices for improved landscape function.

Soils in this type of country are unstable and prone to erosion, and John was keen to discuss ways to address associated erosion issues.

At Flagstone, graziers visited previous NQ Dry Tropics projects that focused on improving fencing and water infrastructure to spread grazing pressure. 

They also visited a landscape rehydration project site that was delivered by NQ Dry Tropics and The Mulloon Institute, aimed at reinstating hydrological function in areas with erosion issues.  The site was a historic alluvial fan that had formed off the steep hillside near a creek.

The interventions are working well, and graziers noted pasture growth and infiltration across the landscape had improved. They discussed options to manage grazing pressure, as well as long standing issues for many properties about accessing water in difficult and hard to reach parts of properties, and track access.

Cody Dugmore, Grazing Naturally, guided graziers on how to use the STAC method, and forage budgeting. He also helped Terry Creek grazier Wes Pepper and Flagstone grazier Brett Scott create grazing plans for each property for the remainder of the dry season to prepare for wet season grazing regime.

An important tenet of the LDC project is to hold neighbour days to foster peer-to-peer learning that’s self-directed, and supported by technical experts and extension staff, to help deliver skills and knowledge.

To be successful, graziers openly share their real-word experiences. It requires mutual respect for one another’s ideas, opinions and suggestions.  Everything gets shared – what works, what doesn’t and why. 

The graziers from Flagstone, White Kangaroo and Terry Creek have been involved in a wide range of NQ Dry Tropics projects, field days and training events.

Brett Scott, Flagstone, has completed multiple projects focused on improving fence and water infrastructure. He has hosted a Mulloon field day for local graziers to discuss landscape rehydration techniques, presented at a LDC bus tour and community event, and has attended and supported multiple grazing field days and training workshops.  

White Kangaroo grazier John Skinner has completed multiple projects to increase sustainable beef production while reducing exposure to drought and variable seasons.

His focus has been to install critical fencing and water infrastructure to enable grazing rotation to increase rest periods for pasture to encourage the recovery of perennial, productive and palatable (3P) grasses.

John attended the five-day trip to The Mulloon Institute near Canberra, hosted by NQ Dry Tropics, to see advanced regenerative grazing techniques that had been in place for a long time. He has also hosted a LDC project panel visit, and attended multiple grazing field days and training workshops.

Terry Creek grazier Wes Pepper has also completed multiple NQ Dry Tropics projects to improve pasture cover and composition, soil health and landscape function. Terry has hosted a Dick Richardson Grazing Naturally workshop, and attended multiple grazing field days and training workshops.

The Landholders Driving Change project hosted the three-day tour at properties near Bowen and Collinsville. 

This project is part of the Landholders Driving Change Program funded by the partnership between the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.

Dick Richardson, Grazing Naturally, (left), White Kangaroo grazier, John Skinner, discussing options for remediating bare country.

Brett Scott explains how he uses his property map for asset mapping and paddock planning.

Inkerman grazier Matthew Woodward, left, Dick Richardson, and White Kangaroo grazier John Skinner conduct STACs.

Grazing plans: the trick is getting the balance right in different conditions

The Grazing Naturally method is to graze a priority paddock repeatedly and intensely during the pasture-growing season, then spell it for up to 12 months. 

The trick is to get the balance right, and every grazing operation is different. 

As cold soils warm up, plants grow leaves with stored carbohydrates. The leaves produce food for the plant by using photosynthesis to grow more leaves, stems, roots and seeds. 

Plant growth makes forage, and plants store excess food (e.g. carbohydrates and protein) to make next year’s forage. Depending on management strategies, grazing can slow or enhance plant growth. 

Grazing can enhance plant growth by allowing growing leaves to gain access to sunlight or by recycling nutrients, but during the growing season, grazing removes leaves that were capturing energy. 

Not grazing allows leaves to continue growing, producing forage up to a point. However, forage for animal production is of the highest quality while plants are green and growing. 

Therein lies a principal challenge for grazing management. Using the different plant communities across a property, producers strive to have livestock graze green forage while it is at its most nutritious value for as long as possible, especially when livestock nutritional needs for production and reproduction are greatest. 

To grow useful forage plants, producers manage the timing, duration, and intensity of grazing, and the timing and duration of recovery periods. Grazing management requires strategy and planning.

A lot of planning goes into implementing a grazing regime.

The Landholders Driving Change Program is funded by the partnership between the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.