SARE Grant, NRCS Know-How Create Unique Grazing, Watering System for Cattle

Ray Meismer wanted ideas and assistance to convert to management-intensive grazing for his cow/calf herd, but in a way that would be sensitive to his steep slopes and protect a vigorous natural spring

To improve profits and lessen the impact of his 300-acre central Illinois crop and livestock farm on the Illinois River watershed, Ray Meismer sought help from his local NRCS field office. Meismer wanted ideas and assistance to convert to management-intensive grazing for his cow/calf herd, but in a way that would be sensitive to his steep slopes and protect a vigorous natural spring.

Soil conservation technician Jim McQuilkin of the Henry Field Office suggested applying for a producer grant from SARE as the first step.

Meismer’s SARE grant application was approved in 2000. With help from McQuilkin and Extension specialist Jay Solomon, Meismer designed a new system reliant upon nutritious forages for his cattle and a unique watering system that uses a “ram” pump to power water to his pasture. The project became a three-way partnership, with Solomon mapping out pastures and a fencing scheme and McQuilkin tackling ways to manage – and protect – a natural spring on Meismer’s hillside. The forceful spring spewed 10 to 15 gallons a minute.

“A lot of farmers would love to have that spring,” McQuilkin said, “but the cattle coming to drink were trampling it.” He helped Meismer build a containment dam, install a tank to collect water and filter sediment, and lay pipes to carry water from the ram pump. The water-powered pump was strong enough to force water uphill. Meismer now moves a storage tank on a wagon among three steep sites, then, using gravity, moves water to another tank he rotates among paddocks as he shifts his herd.

By covering the soil with vegetation, Meismer has reduced erosion on his farm. Moreover, his watering system keeps cattle away from the spring, protecting water quality.

Solomon worked with Meismer to create 16 paddocks and manage grasses in those paddocks. Their rotation relies on a basic principle: move cattle into a paddock when grasses are at an optimum size of 8 to 12 inches, then out when they graze the forage back to 3 to 5 inches.

“From an environmental standpoint, the grazing rotation maintains a better vegetation cover through active plants, which helps prevent erosion,” Solomon said. “It’s a sustainable system that can easily provide continual food for livestock 10 to 11 months out of the year, so less supplementary feed is needed.”

Meismer converted some of his corn and soybean acreage to forages for cattle and increased his stocking density. Because he had better pasture, those animals gained more weight, bringing better returns. “The increased revenue from calf sales more than offset the decrease in revenue from cash crops,” Meismer said “Some of my ground was rougher and not as productive for cash cropping, but was suitable for grazing.”

In 2002, Illinois Extension educators hosted a pasture walk for area farmers to learn more about Meismer’s grazing and watering system.