Events and Activities : Pasture walk to focus on timber pasture improvement

Managing timbered pastures is a challenge to balance between forage production and lumber production.

A pasture walk will be held at the Paul Mohlis farm near Fayette on Tuesday, July 12, starting at 6 pm. Utilizing EQIP and CSP contracts, Mohlis and his tenant Craig Allen of Allen’s’ Hilltop Angus have subdivided the 100+ acre pasture into about 10 acre paddocks, improved the stand by frost seeding legumes, and installed a spring water development with gravity flow distribution to paddocks. They have also fenced off a timber area to be flash grazed and managed for both forage and lumber.

Dr. Jesse Randall, ISU Extension & Outreach forester, will attend to speak on the compatibility of cattle and timber management, Aaron Anderson, Fayette NRCS will discuss EQIP and CSP funding, and Denise Schwab, ISUEO beef specialist, will discuss pasture improvement. Allen and Mohlis will share what they have done for improvements, and how a landlord and tenant work together on these projects. The Fayette County Cattlemen will be grilling dinner following the pasture walk.

To get to the pasture from Fayette, take Wadena Rd east which turns into Kornhill Rd. Turn left onto Hemlock Rd about 3 miles, then turn left onto Grain Rd about 1.2 miles to the farmstead at 15316 Grain Rd. For assistance or details on traveling to the pasture contact Craig Allen at 319-415-9456.

Pasture walks are informal educational programs designed to demonstrate key areas of pasture management, as well as answer any questions you might have. Each has a slightly different focus and all producers who are dependent on forage production are invited to attend to improve their own pasture management.

This event is co-sponsored by the Fayette County Soil & Water Conservation District, NRCS, ISU Extension and Outreach and the Iowa Beef Center, and the NE Iowa Angus Association. For more information, please contact Denise Schwab at 319-472-4739 or email at dschwab@iastate.edu .