Oakencroft Farm manages their cattle in a manner that improves water quality and maximizes grazing productivity at the same time. The protection of clean water, biodiversity and the conservation of soil is incorporated in every aspect of their daily operation.
Oakencroft Farm grazes 50 cow/calf pairs on 112 acres. Cattle are moved to new pastures on a daily basis which provides each animal with high quality forage year round. The intensive cattle management reduces hay feeding, improves cattle weight gain, and makes the pastures more productive.
Oakencroft Farm focuses on keeping high quality forage on the farm throughout the year. The pasture is never grazed below 4 inches during the grazing season and each field is given 60 days of rest which results in better forage production. Increases in forage diversity and grass yields have enabled Oakencroft to increase their stocking rate without negative impacts on the land or animals.
The farm utilizes an alternative watering system with permanent troughs and a series of quick connects which allows them to move their herd onto new pastures everyday. They believe in grazing 1/3 of the grass and leaving the rest which helps maintain a productive pasture.
The “mob grazing” approach causes the cattle to trample the majority of the grass which helps build organic matter and increase grass productivity. The pasture shown above had cattle in it a day before the picture was taken on September 9 th 2019. The forage is in great shape considering the drought conditions the farm has experienced over the past two months.
Oakencroft Farm has excluded all streams on their property which has protected over 17,400 ft of streambank. Approximately half of the exclusion was done with state funding and the remainder was installed without any financial assistance.
The installation of buffers has provided a thriving habitat for wildlife. The buffer areas help keep the stream banks stabilized, filter runoff and provide a safe haven for wildlife.
112 acres of pasture 71 acres of wildlife habitat and woodland 22 acres of riparian buffer 3.3 miles of stream bank protected Over 30 paddocks created with temporary electric fence 8 automatic water troughs, 9 hydrants, and 7 quick connects. 100% stream exclusion One of the best grazers in our District!
Recommend
More recommend
