How do I create a pasture?

[genebo]

Start by contacting your local soil and water conservation agency. Your extension agent should direct you to them. They'll enroll you in the grass and forage classes that they offer and advise you of the programs they administer. These programs can cut your cost for establishing a pasture by quite a bit. Especially if you are converting cropland into pasture.

They can tell you what forage to plant for your area and how to plant it. In some cases, they can rent you the equipment to plant with, like a grain drill.

Allow plenty of time to establish the pasture before putting animals on it. Grass grows and spreads when left alone, but not many grasses can flourish while being grazed.

In my experience, broadcasting seed yielded very little. A grain drill gave me the best results, a thick stand.

Genebo
Paradise Farm

[woodspirit]

Hi,
The best thing to do first is check with the county ext. agent. I did that here this summer. Each area of the country and county will have grass/legume choices that do best in the particular soil you have. What you're going to put on the pasture, are you going to rotate pastures, and other factors are important. I used white clover, timothy, calibra rye grass, and empire trefoil. The timothy won't hold up for perennial grazing. I put lime down but I know I'll need more. I only did a half acre. I used a hand cranked spreader for the seed and lime but had to go back and refill often, but they are pretty cheap to buy. I did mine in early August and we got tons of rain this fall, so it's coming up nice but the roots will really develop this winter so by spring it should shoot up strong....I hope.It's a learning process and I'm sure I'll be modifying it too as time goes.

[james dilley]

Depends on the stocking rate you want to use. Alfalfa won't stand up to heavy grazing. I would consider Frost seeding this winter. You might want to check on A pasture mix suited to your area.,As others have stated talk to the county agent, Another good source would be other farmers ,Ask them what their pastures are planted with.

[pygmywombat]

As the people at the local grainary/ feed store. Ours is very knowledgeable and makes up mixes of pasture seeds that are custom for the area and the animals.