Research: Pasture Management and Grass-based Agriculture

Proper pasture and grazing management – also known as “Management Intensive Grazing (MIG),” "grass farming," "rotational grazing" or "prescribed grazing" -- is a sustainable farming practice that allows livestock farmers to minimize production costs while protecting water quality, soil resources, animal health, and improving farm family quality of life. New England's climate, soils, and topography are well suited to grass-based farming systems. Emerging information about the nutritional benefits of grass-fed meat and milk products is also raising consumer awareness about grass farming. New England Land Grant University research is helping local farmers implement and maintain sustainable pasture management and grass-based agricultural systems.

New England research projects with links to their CRIS records are found here.

Proposed USDA ARS Pasture Research Center of New England and Eastern New York

In March 2005, various departments at the University of Massachusetts (UMASS) as well as an Ad Hoc stakeholder committee received an endorsement of a pre-proposal to establish a USDA-ARS pasture based research and learning center for New England and Eastern New York. The proposed pasture research center will be located at the current UMASS Crops and Animal Research and Education Center (CAREC) farm.

people learning in field UMASS held 2 stakeholder meetings and 4 conference calls with farmers and partners to conduct a needs assessment and shape the future of the research center mentioned above. Research and education activities are currently being supported by grants from Northeast SARE (a joint collaboration with UVM and USDA ARS PA and on-farm research trials throughout New England) and the Massachusetts Agricultural Innovation Center and UMASS Extension, totaling over $550,000.

The proposed research center is a result of requests from livestock producers throughout New England for basic information and advanced research on increasing the use of pasture; and improving pasture use and production efficiency. The main theme of this sub-regional ARS center will be the ecology and management of short season (and long winter) grass-based farming systems. The center will be unique in the attention it gives to “short season” grazing, multi-species grazing and mixed farming systems. For more information about the proposed pasture research center contact Stephen Herbert, UMASS Crops, Dairy, Livestock.

Southern New England Grazing Network

As part of the proposed pasture center coordination and needs assessment, MA NRCS took the lead in developing a group website to create a Southern New England Grazing Network. Farmers, organizations, Extension and NRCS from MA, CT, and RI belong to this network where information about grazing is freely exchanged including regional pasture walks and events.

USDA-CSREES sponsored research projects in New England pertaining to Pasture Management and Research

This table links to records containing a project summary, progress report, impacts, and publications of individual projects on the Current Research Information System (CRIS) website (http://cris.csrees.usda.gov/). CRIS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) documentation and reporting system for ongoing and recently completed research projects in agriculture, food and nutrition, and forestry.

Project ID	Title	Investigator(s)	Affiliation
0206301	NORTHEAST PASTURE RESEARCH AND EXTENSION CONSORTIUM	Herbert, S.	UNIV OF MASSACHUSETTS
0200996	FOOD SECURITY AND OPEN SPACE CONSERVATION THROUGH INTEGRATED CROP/LIVESTOCK GRAZING SYSTEMS	Carroll, J. E.	UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
0193469	PASTURE YIELD RESPONSE TO IRRIGATION, N FERTILIZER, AND ORGANIC AMENDMENTS	Murphy, W. M.	UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT
0401419	IDENTIFY AND SUMMARIZE PASTURE RESEARCH AND EXTENSION RESOURCES IN THE NORTHEAST	ROTZ C A and KERSBERGEN R	UNIVERSITY OF MAINE

For more information on pasture and grazing management:
USDA Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program
Northeast Pasture Research and Extension Consortium
University of Vermont, Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Pasture Network Program
USDA ARS, Pasture Systems and Watershed Management Research Unit, University Park, PA
USDA NRCS/Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative