Do We Irrigate Pastures?

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posted on

May 16, 2023

We love all the questions folks ask us about our operation and animals, and when we can we try to explain in deeper detail.

This week I wanted to write about an interesting question I got at the farmers market recently. It was the first time we’ve been asked this and though not a common question I thought it would be a good topic to dig into.

A customer came up to the tent at market and saw the picture below. As you can see the cows are walking into a nice, thick, and tall stand of green grass, and they’re excited about it!

The question posed was, “do you irrigate your pastures or just reply on rain when it comes”?

Excellent question! And the short answer is no, we do not irrigate any of our pastures.

Why would we irrigate our pastures?

Obviously, keeping pastures irrigated would be a big help in maintaining grass growth through the summer and any drought conditions we experience.

And before we go too far, I don’t necessarily think there’s anything wrong about irrigating pastures. It’s fairly common in more arid climates around the world.

It all comes back to personal context, irrigation is a “tool in the toolbox” and if you need it you use it!

There are plenty of advantages to irrigating, especially in those areas out west where the average annual rainfall is in the single digits! They need a little help to get the grass growing!

In our area, we tend to get enough annual rain that we can avoid the need to irrigate pastures.

Other practices can help!

We’ve talked a lot about our rotational grazing, soil health principles, and allowing our pastures to have adequate rest time.

Through rotational grazing our animals are moving constantly which helps minimize compaction to the soil in areas allowing it to absorb moisture better.

One of the key soil health principles is maintaining cover on the ground which is accomplished by not letting the animals stay in an area too long and allowing that pasture to rest before grazed again. This cover helps in 2 ways. First, the roots of the plants and that above ground cover minimize runoff and slow down the water as it flows. Secondly, that continued cover helps keep the sun from reaching the soil’s surface minimizing the evaporation of water from the soil keeping it in the soil for use.

All of these practices continue to help us retain more rainfall at each rain event, thus reducing our water loss and helping our pastures stay green and lush longer! I have heard stories of ranchers out west who have been able to reduce or eventually eliminate the need for irrigating their pastures as they have adopted these practices and been able to change their soil conditions.

Now, that took a long time! In most cases 20 or more years to get such drastic change.

And while we are benefiting from our new practices and are seeing increased water retention….we’re not perfect. Our grass doesn’t always look so good!

We have dry spells, and we have times when the grass doesn’t want to grow.

The above referenced picture was taken August 20^th, 2022. So not too bad for the heat of summer…but that was just that pasture, others didn’t look so good!

We’re always making changes, trying new grasses, working to improve our herd genetics to continue to work within our context.

This summer a lot of folks are predicting a drought for our area, and couple that with we have more animals on the farm than ever before….we will be getting tested this summer.

So, to summarize my ramblings, irrigation has its place. It doesn’t fit within our context, but not using it presents its own challenges to us as well!

Cozy Kitchen Recipes for Winter!

I don't know about you, but during winter I just want to eat cozy comfort foods that are warm and make me feel all warm inside!! We put together a short list of a few cozy recipes we thought you might enjoy that highlight some of our favorite cuts that we offer and will keep you cozy this winter! Herb-Roasted Whole Chicken with Root Vegetables Ingredients: 1 whole C&F Farms chicken (4-5 lbs) 4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped 1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced Salt and pepper, to taste 1 lemon, quartered 1 large onion, quartered 4 carrots, peeled and chopped 4 medium potatoes, chopped 2 tbsp olive oil Instructions: Preheat oven to 425°F. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and place it in a roasting pan. In a small bowl, mix butter, rosemary, thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper. Gently lift the chicken’s skin and spread the herb butter underneath, then rub the remainder over the skin. Stuff the cavity with lemon and onion quarters. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Toss the carrots and potatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then arrange around the chicken in the roasting pan. Roast for 1.5 hours, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F. Let rest for 10 minutes before carving. Serve with the roasted vegetables. Classic Beef Stew Ingredients: 2 lbs C&F Farms beef stew meat 3 tbsp all-purpose flour 3 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 3 carrots, peeled and chopped 3 celery stalks, chopped 3 medium potatoes, chopped 4 cups beef broth 2 tbsp tomato paste 1 cup red wine (optional) 2 bay leaves 1 tsp dried thyme Salt and pepper, to taste Instructions: In a bowl, toss beef with flour, salt, and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and brown the beef in batches. Remove and set aside. Add onion and garlic to the pot; sauté until softened. Stir in tomato paste. Deglaze the pot with wine (if using), scraping up browned bits. Return beef to the pot, add carrots, celery, potatoes, broth, bay leaves, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally, until beef is tender. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve hot with crusty bread. Crispy Chicken Skillet with Lemon and Garlic Ingredients: 1 C&F Farms whole chicken, cut into pieces 2 tbsp olive oil Salt and pepper, to taste 1 lemon, sliced 6 cloves garlic, smashed 1/2 cup chicken broth 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped Instructions: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Place chicken skin-side down in the skillet; cook until golden brown (about 4-5 minutes per side). Remove and set aside. Add garlic to the skillet and sauté until fragrant. Deglaze with chicken broth, scraping up browned bits. Return chicken to the skillet, add lemon slices, cover, and simmer on low heat for 20-25 minutes until fully cooked. Garnish with parsley and serve with rice or crusty bread. Breaded Pork Chops with Gravy Ingredients: 4 C&F Farms bone-in pork chops 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp garlic powder Salt and pepper, to taste 2 eggs, beaten 1/4 cup vegetable oil 2 tbsp butter 2 tbsp flour (for gravy) 2 cups milk Instructions: Combine flour, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish. Dredge pork chops in flour, dip in beaten eggs, then coat again in flour mixture. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Fry chops 3-4 minutes per side, until golden and cooked through. Remove and set aside. Reduce heat and melt butter in the skillet. Stir in 2 tbsp flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually add milk, whisking until smooth. Simmer until thickened. Serve pork chops with gravy over mashed potatoes. Italian Sausage and Bacon White Bean Soup Ingredients: 1 lb C&F Farms Italian sausage links, sliced 4 slices bacon, chopped 1 onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 cans white beans, drained and rinsed 4 cups chicken broth 1 can diced tomatoes 2 cups chopped kale or spinach 1 tsp dried thyme 1/2 cup heavy cream (optional) Salt and pepper, to taste Instructions: In a large pot, cook bacon until crispy. Remove and set aside. Add sausage to the pot and cook until browned; remove and set aside. Sauté onion and garlic in the drippings until softened. Add beans, broth, tomatoes, thyme, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes. Return sausage and bacon to the pot, stir in kale, and cook until wilted. Add cream (if using) for richness. Adjust seasoning as needed. Serve with grated Parmesan and crusty bread.

Do We Irrigate Pastures?

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