1. GRASS AND CATTLE
at West Wind Farm, Greenbrier County, WV
by Martha Holdridge

2. Feedlot - Oklahoma
Typical source of commercial supermarket beef
Standing in excrement + no grass + unnatural major feed
source (grain) = need for antibiotics, hormones to prevent
illness and promote rapid growth

3. Management-Intensive Grazing (MIG)
• Paddock fence -
polywire electric
• Water trough
with float valve
• Daily moves to
fresh paddock
• Paddock rest of
14 to 28 days
• Kelp/salt mix

4. Rotational Grazing
• Efficient and effective
– Cattle - 100% forage diet
• healthy meat/milk
– Ongoing pasture fertilization
• dung + carbon cycle + nitrogen cycle
– Pasture rest - then vigorous re-growth
– Protects best grasses
• Steers are moved before eating grasses too short
• At WWF, daily moves to fresh pasture
– Steers are happy to move

5. Soil Tests Show Startling Benefit
• ORGANIC MATTER
– tested by WVU soil testing service
• 2004 4.1%  2007 8.3%
• Asked WVU Prof.: Why so great a change!!
• Answer: “You’ve been sequestering carbon!”
4 tons SOC / acre in 5 years = 15 tons CO 2
• Why? How?
Organic pasture management combined with
daily rotational grazing.

6. How Does Cattle Eating Grass
Lead to Carbon Sequestration?
• Grass leaves and roots are a product of
photosynthesis (sun+CO2+green plant+water).
• When cattle eat grass leaves, the roots partially die
back, leaving organic matter in the soil.
• That organic matter is 57% carbon (C).
- It is called soil organic carbon (SOC).
• Result: C of CO2 in air is drawn into the soil
– Yield: more soil, better soil = SOIL REGENERATION
• Rotational grazing  pulsing of grass/root growth
 pulsing of carbon sequestration

7. Organic vs Chemical Management
Organic soils
enhance soil life,
grass root
structure, and
mineral nutrient
uptake. Managed
grazing causes
root dieback that
increases SOC. Organic Chemical
http://www.wtamu.edu/~crobinson/SoilFert/
section2/AR2007091900472.html

8. Clover Draws Nitrogen from the Air
Clover root nodules hold nitrogen in soil
for gradual use by both clover and grass

9. Fossil Fuel to Raise a Steer = 5 barrels/283
gal.
Gas/diesel/oil: for plowing, planting, cultivating, harvesting,
drying corn/soy beans, transport of animals & grain to feedlots.
Natural gas: used to produce chemical fertilizers, pesticides.
Credit: National Geographic, June 2004

10. Fossil Fuel to Raise a Steer on Pasture:
Less than 20 gal. (examples)
Estimates by 2 NE Pasture Consortium members: 17, 15 gal.
• No fuel for grain production, chemical fertilizers, or pesticides
• Minimal fossil fuel for spreading lime, making hay, transport.
.

11. WEST WIND FARM 
Management Intensive Grazing

12. Useful Links
• Eat Wild by Jo Robinson
– www.eatwild.com
• Rodale Institute
– www.rodaleinstitute.org
• Amazing Grazing Directory
– www.futureharvestcasa.org/publications
• West Wind Farm
– www.westwindfarm.biz/
– martha@westwindfarm.biz; Tel: 301-229-2813