fall grazing

The cows are still on their first pass over the non-stockpiled half of the farm -- the half that we hope feeds them through December.

They start across this half in September moving pretty fast, slowing down as the days get shorter and the temperatures drop. By mid-November they'll have covered that whole half of the farm.

Meanwhile, the part that got grazed in Sept/Oct will have regrown at least some, and be headed for dormancy. So we can hit it again without doing it any harm, because the leaves they put on now are going to be done photosynthesizing -- the plant won't need them anymore. From sometime in November until -- we hope -- the end of December or so, the cows will be taking down this top-quality growth.

When this late fall forage is gone it will be time to go onto stockpile.