Rotational grazing means moving the flock from paddock to paddock according to some kind of plan. Having a plan shapes the choices you make each day in the morning about where to put the animals. Over time, these daily choices accumulate in a good way to help you achieve your management goals.
What we present here is based in our mission and our operation size as smallholders. If you want to learn a more intricate approach, you might like to check out Holistic Management International.
Mission
Our land management mission is to make choices that build vitality, health, and joy for ourselves, the animals and birds, plants and insects, fungi and soil —all the life in and around our place.
Rotational grazing practice fits with our mission; it can help:
- Sequester carbon in the soil
- Enhance soil water retention
- Increase biodiversity below and above ground
Rotational Grazing Animals
The animals are our beloved partners in this. We want them to be comfortable and happy for their own sakes, and also, so that they can do their best work.
We have about 7 acres available for grazing on our farm. Until 2020, our small flock of sheep were limited to 1 acre of grazing in the front of the property. On about 6 acres in the back, there was no water, no shelter, and no cross fencing. January 2021 marks the beginning of true rotational grazing here on Meridian Farm.
- The flock size is now roughly “in the zone” for the amount of grass here
- Our shepherd skills are getting better
- We are using a planning tool that Amy built in an Excel spreadsheet
We have achieved liftoff! Hooray! And, there is still much work to be done.
Rotational Grazing Step by Step
You can read about how we figured this out and are putting rotational grazing into practice here, breaking it down step by step:
If you are or want to get involved with grazing and building your land’s health, we hope these pages are useful for you. The time we invested to make the plan has been time well spent.
If you want to use the tool Amy built to help with rotational grazing planning, you can read about it here.