June 3, 2008
This is a picture of a new Beef Bank Pasture that was drilled into thick tall fescue sod 5 weeks ago in Southeast Iowa. The farmer mowed the fescue down to about 2 inches and sprayed with glyphosate then drilled right into the sod. There is still some fescue that survived the spraying but hopefully not enough to crowd out the High Sugar Grasses and clovers. Farmers in this area are desperate to find an alternative to tall fescue in their pastures and if this planting works, it will be a great example of a low cost, low labor method of replacing tall fescue pastures. We've already shown that the Beef Bank mix works well here in an area where Perennial Ryegrass generally struggles.
Brent
Fairfield, IA
May 22, 2008
The cows were turned lose in the Beef Bank pasture last week and the sound of these 30 or so cows huffing and puffing and inhaling the Beef Bank was amazing. Sounded like someone was driving a street sweeper thru the pasture. They were in the pasture for 2 days and grazed it down to about 3" uniformly. The rapid re-growth of the HSG's should have this ready to be grazed again for cut for hay in about 6 weeks.
Brent
Fairfield, IA
May 21, 2008: I talked to Bruce and he said a deer knocked down his electric fence yesterday and the cows made a bee-line for the Beef Bank. They weren’t in there long but he had a helluva time getting them out. The fields are dry for the first time in a month so he thinks he may put the cattle in the BB pasture today or tomorrow. He promised he’s call me when he does that. The Quickdraw really looks healthy and the HSG’s are coming on strong.
Brent
Fairfield, IA
Doo-Hong Min, Ph.D.
Michigan State University
Jim Parsons
Field Representative
Salem, OR
July 2007 “I was eager to see how the cows would like the Beef Bank pasture. When I turned them out, they first went to finish off some corn stubble but it didn't take them long to leave it and go straight for the Beef Bank. They grazed steady for a week and left the field looking like it had been mowed. No clumps of grass that they didn't find palatable were left behind. What really struck me was that they left a strip of alfalfa and bromegrass alone while they grazed the Beef Bank pasture.”
Spring 2007 - “I was pleased with the establishment of the Beef Bank pasture that I planted this Spring. It came in quick and clean without a nurse crop despite some cool weather in April. I look forward to turning the cattle onto it later this summer.”
Bruce
Cattle Farmer
Fairfield, IA