August Pasture Reminders

AmericanCowman.com

GLCI Grazette, New York NRCS

August is the time to begin to plan for the end of the grazing season, especially if you are hoping to do some pasture improvement.  If you plan to seed some new ground to expand your system, getting the seeding in by the end of August is recommended to reduce competition from weeds and allow the plants to establish a good root system before winter. 

If you're not planning a new seeding, but want to interseed new plants into your pasture, August is also the time to do that.  Be sure to graze the pastures a bit tighter than you normally would (think "overgrazing"), to reduce competition from the existing sward, and then a no-till seeding is the best strategy.  Broadcasting seed is usually not as effective because there needs to be good seed to soil contact. 

Grass seed, in particular, is a challenge, because the seed is so light it doesn't drop down through the sward, or it blows away.  If broadcasting is your only option, put the animals on the area and they will push some of the seed into the soil, especially the seed that wouldn't have made it there otherwise.

To continue reading, visit the American Cowman Web site.

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Sorting Out the Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL) Rule

Courtesy of Texas and Southwestern Cattleraisers Association (TSCRA)

The National Cattleman’s Beef Association (NCBA), together with TSCRA, have labored on Capitol Hill for some time to keep the Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL) law from becoming a paperwork nightmare for cow-calf producers.

Efforts to develop a compromise version of COOL during the 2008 farm bill debates resulted in the more moderate interim final rule on COOL published Aug. 1 in the Federal Register. The interim rule incorporates provisions that make mandatory labeling more feasible for producers.

"Our focus now is on how best to implement COOL in a manner that provides maximum benefit and minimal disruption to our ranchers," says NCBA President Andy Groseta, an Arizona cattle producer. "NCBA will continue to work on behalf of our cattlemen to put in place an effective and accurate labeling system. Additionally, we will be leading the effort to educate producers on how to comply with the new rule."

To continue reading, visit the TSCRA Web site.