Fall on the Farm...What's Happening in the Soil?

Fall in the Midwest is a wonderful time for folks to enjoy cooler weather, bright colors, fun festivals and delicious seasonal meals (and treats) 😁

It's also a wonderful (and important) time of year on the farm.

While the grass has been growing robustly all season long, the grazing season is winding down. We farmers can be tempted to let the livestock eat the last bit of grass down to the roots before winter sets in.

However tempting this may be, here are two reasons why we do not want to overgraze the grass going into the winter. 
 

#1 Taller grasses maximize feeding "life" in the soil.   

As the evening temperatures finally begin to get cooler, energy in the grass begins to increase. (Think sugars)

This leads to more nutrients being shuttled into the soil through the roots which feeds organisms living in the soil throughout winter. The taller the grasses remain, the more sunlight we're able to capture to maximize the delivery of nutrients.

There's a direct correlation between grass height and how much food is sent down to the soil.
 

#2 We want to keep our soil biology warm and active throughout the winter. 

As we move into winter, taller grasses actually act like a blanket over the soil.

They keep soil temperatures warmer so that all the biology in the soil stays more active and alive throughout the winter. The end result of creating active soil life throughout winter (even our COLD Northern Indiana winters) is that our Spring grasses will green up much quicker so that the cattle can began grazing fresh new grasses sooner in the spring. 

Did you learn something in reading that?

I sure hope so. While my brothers and I proudly serve 18,000 families with our pasture-raised meats, it may be surprising to you that we first consider ourselves humble grass farmers.

We love the soil and obsess about making it as lively as possible so that our animals continue to eat well, and you can eat nutritiously.

Lastly, here are a few pics from recent weeks.

Enjoy my niece helping out with the pumpkin display, the sheep taking a walk through our timber and a sunrise to remember.

I was hoping to share some stunning fall foliage pictures, but fewer cool nights in early autumn have delayed the arrival of color-popping trees.

Thanks for reading.

Your farmer,

Blake Hitzfield