Deep Root Ranch: Making Soil Health a Priority€¦ · Deep Root Ranch: Making Soil Health a...
Transcript of Deep Root Ranch: Making Soil Health a Priority€¦ · Deep Root Ranch: Making Soil Health a...
-
Deep Root Ranch: Making Soil Health a Priority
Doug Sieck
Doug Sieck, owner and operator of Deep Root Ranch located near Selby,South Dakota, has been implementing novel grazing practices such as mobgrazing and bale grazing to improve soil health, grazing efficiency, and reduceexpenses. He also has incorporated full season cover crop grazing on hiscropland to improve soil health and cut feed costs. Doug is an active boardmember of the South Dakota Grassland Coalition and recently became theChair of the newly formed South Dakota Soil Health Coalition. Doug wasawarded the Excellence in Range Management Award in South Dakota at theannual meeting of the South Dakota Section in 2015.
Doug grazes 1250 acres of native rangeland and 470 seeded pasturewith 200 cows, 180 yearlings, and 12 bulls. He also farms 1000 acresof cropland and manages 250 acres of hayland.
Winter bale grazing
Grazing cage for studying mob grazing
Head Quarters (South of Selby 8 miles) where Doug practices bale grazing on nearby hayland
Lowry pasture (3 miles north of Lowry) where Doug practices mob grazing
Full-season cover crop grazing
Management Changes
Cross fencing 14 milesWater pipeline 2 miles underground, 1 mile aboveground
Later calving date from March to now in May
Smaller framed cattle, lower milk EPD,10 month weaning age
Fewer shots, no insecticides
Once to twice over land use with long rest periods
Rotational grazing 1-5 day moves; year round
1/4 of cropland to full-season cover crops
Grazing more hay ground buying more hay instead
Seeded 470 acres of cropland back into grassland
SelbySouth Dakota