It STACs up

Twenty graziers gathered on the back deck of Wyena Station homestead, near Moranbah, to learn about a grazing approach that’s as good for the land as it is for livestock.

Led by respected grazing expert Dick Richardson, the workshop unpacked the Grazing Naturally method — a system designed to improve soil health, boost pasture productivity, and enhance biodiversity across grazing landscapes.

At the heart of the method is a seven-paddock rotation system, ranging from a “priority” paddock (grazed repeatedly that season) to a “Sabbath” paddock (rested for the full year). The idea is to vary the timing, frequency, and intensity of grazing to stimulate pasture growth, disrupt weeds, and strengthen the ecosystem over time.

“You need to give grass a reason to do something,” Dick told the group. “Form follows function — change the way you graze, and the landscape will respond.”

One rule of thumb is that the grass in the priority paddock should no longer be able to hide a golf ball before moving stock to the next paddock.

That paddock is then rested until the grass has time to respond in much the same way as a mowed lawn.

Short, sharp grazing pays off, Dick explained. Not only does it help manage grass levels, but it also keeps brigalow saplings, which are rich in nitrogen, at a height cattle can easily browse. This is particularly useful because protein-rich forage like brigalow helps cattle get more energy from the grass they eat.

“Without protein, they just pass grass through without really absorbing the energy,” Dick said. “Brigalow leaves can make all the difference”.

The workshop was conducted as part of NQ Dry Tropics’ Bolstering the Brigalow project aimed at helping graziers manage brigalow patches for maximum biodiversity and production benefit.

Beyond pasture performance, Dick highlighted biodiversity as another big benefit. Rotating paddocks encourages a dynamic grazing ecosystem, where birds, bugs and other species shift habitats with the changing landscape.

“This is rational grazing. Done well, it builds soil health, supports native species, and strengthens the whole system,” he said.

Dick also introduced participants to his STAC method (Sole, Toe, Ankle, Calf) — a quick and practical way to assess feed availability by visually estimating grass height.

Workshop participant Charles Williams, manager of Riverside Pastoral Co, said the session was a great refresher and a chance for his staff to get hands-on with the STAC method.

“This is the first season I’ve used STACs across our property,” he said. 

“Having the team learn it together helps us stay consistent. And you always learn something new at these events.”

After the theory, it was time to hit the paddocks with graziers (and a few enthusiastic Jack Russells) jumping into vehicles to tour Wyena’s priority and Sabbath paddocks and see the method in action.