Training - Grazing
Minnesota NRCS
 

The following courses/workshops are available to producers, service providers, and other groups. They make up Minnesota’s Managed Grazing Systems School.

These courses are designed to present to small groups, from 4-20 individuals. They are made to be brought to your site. The description of each course indicates if it is taught in a classroom session, field session, or combination of these. To schedule a course for your group, just send a message to the Grazing Specialist that serves the county you live in.

Other courses can be offered as the demand or the need requires this. If you would like to see courses offered on subjects not listed, contact the appropriate Grazing Specialist for your county.

• Planning Rotational Grazing Systems
  This is a two day indoor workshop for producers. The objective is to develop a rotational grazing plan for your pasture using information contained in the publication “Grazing System Planning Guide” and “Pastures for Profit”. Both of these publications will be provided to participants. Because of the intense nature of the class, the size is limited to 4 participants per instructor. Offered all year.
   
• Pasture Forage Plant Identification
  This course is a one day indoor session, but the length can be extended to 2 days if participants desire a “hands-on” practical exercise in a pasture. The objective is to be able to identify common pasture grasses (cool season and warm season) and legumes in a seedling stage, vegetative stage and mature stage of development. Seed identification is also included. Discussions of values for hay and grazing forage, site adaptation, and common characteristics are included. Class size is limited to 20 participants.
  Offered in May and June.
   
• Pasture Seeding
  This is a one day indoor session. The objectives are
  * Seedbed preparation and preparations prior to seeding
  * Interseeding existing pastures
  * Management of the stand during the establishment period
  * Establishment of legumes, cool season and warm season grasses
  * Species selection, compatibility, and site adaptability
  * Machinery considerations
  Class size is limited to 20 participants.  Offered all year.
   
• Fencing for Livestock
  This is a one day indoor session. Objectives are to understand:
  * Planning considerations
  * Compare woven, barbed, and high tensile wire fences
  * Costs of fencing, estimating costs of materials
  * Construction specifics of woven and barbed wire fences
  * Construction specifics of electrified fences
  Class size is limited to 20 participants.  Offered all year.
   
• Livestock Watering Systems
  This is a one day indoor session, but could be expanded to 2 days if demonstration sites are available. Objectives are to understand:
  * Benefits of providing water
  * Identification of water sources
  * Assessing water quality
  * Determining quantity needed
  * Determination of pumping and delivery system to use
  - Actual examples of a sling pump, a nose pump (pasture pump), a floating solar pump, and 3 different hydraulic ram pumps will be available for inspection. If a site is available, some of these can be set up for demonstration.
  * Other considerations, such as overwintering, soils, topography, existing utilities, and contingency plans.
  Class size is limited to 20 participants.  Offered all year, but the demonstration portion is not done during the winter.
   
• Strategies for Maximizing Forage Production in Pastures
  This is a one day indoor session. Objectives are to understand how to improve forage production in pastures by managing the forages in away that benefits the plants. Eleven strategies are discussed that will improve your pasture management ability, improve pasture yields, and have very positive impacts on your soil, water, and wildlife resources.
  Class size limited to 20 participants.
  Offered all year.
  
  Sensitive Areas Identification and Management in Grazing Systems
  This is a one day session, with the morning inside and a field session in the afternoon. Objectives are to:
  * Understand the importance of treating sensitive areas within their capabilities.
  * Identify sensitive areas
  * Understand how to manage these areas
  * Monitoring of sensitive sites
  Class size is limited to 20 participants.  Offered in spring, summer, and fall.
   
• Pasture Monitoring
  This is a one day session, with the morning inside and a field session in the afternoon. Objectives are to:
  * Understand importance of monitoring to pasture management
  * Understand the Reserve Herd Days concept
  * Know soil and water related factors to monitor
  * Field exercise to practice the concepts
  Class size limited to 20 participants.  Offered in June through August.
  
  Weed Control in Pastures
  This is a one day indoor session. Objectives are to:
  * Identify significant pasture weed species
  * Learn the effects on livestock
  * Learn cultural, mechanical, and chemical control methods
  Class size is limited to 20 participants.  Offered all year.
  
  Drought Management for Grazing Systems
  Materials are not yet developed.
  
  Economics of Grazing Systems
  Materials are not yet developed.
  
  Overwintering Methods
  Materials are not yet developed.
   

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