Soule: Cows Are Growing, So Is the Grass

There are no births on the farm yet; we expect 12 calves, but none have arrived, and the cows keep getting bigger and bigger. By this time in 2020, five bundles of joy had arrived. This year we continue to wait. By this time in 2020, five babies had arrived. As we wait, the grass is growing, freezing weather or not. The tender green blades are yummy, much tastier than hay. It's ice cream to a cow. Within a few weeks, those blades of grass will go to seed. The stems will get "woody," and most cattle will ignore them and search out the juicy stuff.

Eating in Moderation

The trick is to get the cattle to eat the tops of the growing grass, but not eat it down to the ground. A few inches should be left so the grass can regrow another crop. If you cut your lawn too short, it turns brown and takes longer to regrow. Same thing with a pasture. You can set the height of your mower blades, but how do we tell Topper and Virginia, "Don't be greedy. Leave some grass for the next time."? Cattle cannot master the concept of eating in moderation.

So instead, we move them to another pasture and let the eaten stems regrow. The technical term is "rotational grazing," and when done correctly, it can provide luscious green feed for a herd all summer.

Summer Camp for Cattle

We don't have enough pasture to rotationally graze our entire herd here, so we lease fields elsewhere. Two favorite remote pastures are in Canterbury, and a third is the St. Paul's School pasture next to the Audubon Society in Concord. Some of our cattle are already munching away in Canterbury, and soon steers Galen and Cooper, and Ferdinand the bull will be at the Audubon pasture.

The pregnant cows will stay home in case they need birthing assistance.

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Carole Soule is co-owner of Miles Smith Farm, in Loudon, N.H., where she raises and sells beef, pork, lamb, eggs, and other local products.