Managed Grazing for Improved Pastures and Clean Waters
The Cumberland River Compact’s Grazing School teaches farmers the skills of managed grazing to improve pasture health and maintain clean waterways.
“Managed grazing” simply means rotating livestock into designated paddocks so that other previously munched pastures can recover. It is also known as rotational grazing, prescribed grazing, or adaptive multi-paddock grazing.
Properly implemented, managed grazing systems are proven to improve forage quality and increase stocking densities. They also improve soil health, which decreases erosion, protects waterways, and can even help to sequester carbon.
Registration for the Fall 2026 Grazing School is now closed
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Course Details
Through a holistic framework, Grazing School workshop attendees will learn how to inventory their farm and assess how their goals can be met with the land and resources available to them. They will learn many aspects of profitable and sustainable livestock management, including:
- Construction of fencing (both temporary and permanent) and bracing
- Low-stress animal handling
- Determining the carrying capacity of their land
- Identifying plant indicator species
Who is this class for?
Farmers interested in implementing or increasing livestock rotations to improve soil health.
What is the cost?
This course is offered at no cost to participating farmers, thanks to a grant from the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (S-SARE) and the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA).
For additional information on the River Friendly Farms Grazing School or our River Friendly Farms Program, contact Kaela Walton-Sather at kaela.walton-sather@cumberlandrivercompact.org.
