Author: Jane G Jewett

Logic Model for “Contract Grazing”

Situation

Inputs

Activities

Outputs

Outcomes

*Livestock production systems that include managed grazing have positive environmental benefits due to the acres in perennial forage needed to support grazing animals.
* Grazing makes profitable use of acres that are less suitable for row crop production.
* Contract grazing; in which the landowner, livestock owner, and grazier may all be separate entities; is an entry point for beginning farmers with little available capital. It also has potential to drive retention and increase in perennial forage acres by connecting land, livestock, and graziers in mutually profitable ways.

Existing programs: Southwest Badger RC&D Grazing Broker project, Green Lands Blue Waters Perennial Forages Working Group, Land Stewardship Project’s Farm Beginnings Program, UW’s WI School for Beginning Dairy and Livestock Farmers, Iowa Beef Center’s Greenhorn Grazing and Young Farmers programs Existing materials: Contract Grazing series of 4 fact sheets from MPFWG, other contract grazing materials compiled on MPFWG website, Internship Handbook from CIAS, Grazing Broker project materials from SW Badger RC & D and WI-DATCP

* Conduct research project on how to reach and educate non-farming landowners; focusing on audiences such as women landowners and recreational landowners.
* Coordinate regional contract grazing conference to include landowners, livestock owners, graziers, Extension, agency staff
* Coordinate smaller-scale, in-depth series of 3 workshops for landowners and livestock owners in WI, IA, MN
* Launch pilot program of contract grazing mentorships/apprenticeships/equity-building effort for beginning farmers
* Develop outreach materials, sample forms, and website to support landowner-livestock owner-grazier connections.

* Publication on effective ways to reach and educate non-farming landowners, including women landowners and recreational landowners.
* ___ attendees educated about contract grazing at regional conference
* Regional conference proceedings collected and made available on website
* ___ landowners and ___ farmers recruited as presenters for in-depth workshop series; trained as contract grazing ambassadors
* ___ landowners and ___ livestock owners trained in contract grazing opportunities at in-depth workshops
* ___ Farm Beginnings instructors, ___ WI School mentors, and ___ Greenhorn Grazing instructors recruited and supported for 2 years to teach and mentor beginning farmers on contract grazing
* Online customizable contract; business model and enterprise budgets; profile/”resume” forms for landowners, livestock owners, and graziers.

Knowledge

1) Non-farming landowners will gain additional choices for land management decisions. 2)Livestock producers will learn about how to use contract grazing to improve the resilience and economic performance of their operations by providing access to additional grassland acreage. 3) Beginning livestock farmers will gain knowledge of business and production models for contract grazing, under the mentorship of experienced livestock farmers.
4) Non-farming landowners, livestock owners, and graziers will meet each other and build connections that lead to managed grazing contracts.

Actions

* ___ landowners will sign grazing contracts with livestock owners and/or graziers within ___ months of attending workshop series. * ___ livestock owners will expand their cattle herds and/or acres under managed grazing within ___ months of attending workshop series. * ___ livestock owners will sign custom grazing contracts with a grazier within ___ of attending workshop series. * ___ beginning farmers will receive specific training and/or mentorship in contract grazing * ___ beginning farmers will secure contracts as graziers

Conditions

*Increased contract grazing activity provides profitable option for land that is unsuitable for row crops, resulting in slowed conversion of perennial grassland to row crop production, and return of some row crop acres to perennial forage. This contributes to continuous living cover goals for reduced soil erosion and improved water quality.
*Increased number of beginning farmers with contract grazing knowledge leads to successful farming entry for new farmers and eventual transition to livestock ownership for a percentage of those beginning farmers.

ASSUMPTIONS: Contract grazing is a synergistic answer to issues of land access for livestock, entry points for beginning farmers, land management for non-farming landowners, and increasing continuous living cover on agricultural land. Livestock owner, landowner, and grazier entities need education on contract grazing options and connections with each other.

EXTERNAL FACTORS: Continued high cash rents for annual row crop production limit landowners’ interest in alternative systems. Fluctuations in beef prices may lead to more or less interest in grazing as an option. Changes in Federal farm-level conservation programs may increase or decrease the ease of forming grazing contracts.