Grazing4AgroEcology - European Network to promote grazing and to support grazing-based farms on their economic and ecologic performances as well as on animal welfare

Åke and Isak Johansson run the farm Lilla Hult in southern Sweden. The farm has 300 cows and 260 ha arable land and 150 ha semi-natural grasslands including silvopastures. 

This area has recurrent droughts, especially in the beginning of summer. When establishing the ley in spring one has to presume that there will be no more rain for several weeks. 

When establishing ley in this area, it is crucial to retain soil moisture. On this farm, the goal is to have no more than half a day from tillage start on ploughed ground until sowing is finished. The solution is to complete a smaller area at the time and use machinery for quick jobs. Autumn ploughing is the best method. After harrowing twice, wheat is sown using a centrifugal fertiliser spreader. Then harrowing to 3 cm depth and roll in one pass. The ley is sown using a mounted small seeder on the roll. This allows a quick job, 6 hectares in four hours. The ley establishing normally starts in mid- or end of mars. The goal is to be finished by 10th of April. 

Åke’s drought strategy can work everywhere in this area where soil types are prone to drought. Maintaining moisture is crucial for good establishment of the small seedlings of grass and legume. Every effort to retain soil moisture is important. 

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Stenhammar Estate Management in central Sweden is run by HM The King Carl XVI Gustaf with certified organic suckler cows, crop production and forestry. The farm has 280 cows of the breeds Angus, Simmental and crossbreds. The farm has 250 ha semi-natural grasslands. A great part has been restored in the latest 20 years, a considerable achievement of natural conservation. 

The grazing management emphasises the importance of handling the animals in a way that is safe both for the animals and the stockpersons. The pastures are vast and divided into many paddocks and there is a great number of cattle. Both the number of enclosures and the number of animals is large, which means a lot of handling with many human-animal interactions. For this reason, a great deal of effort is made to ensure that the animals are calm and easy to handle. Taking time but also gaining time and security. 

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Gudrun Haglund-Eriksson and Bengt Göran Eriksson run the farm Bengtstorp in central Sweden with lamb production with 300 ewes. The farm has 90 ha arable land and 60 ha semi-natural grasslands. The area is characterised by hilly and rocky terrain and is suitable for animal production and grazing. The latest two decades have seen presence of wolves, and predator attacks is a constant threat. There are also lynx in the area. 

To master the challenge of predator attacks Gudrun and Bengt Göran installed predator-deterrent fences in 2018. The fences have five wires, the lowest wire at 30 cm and the highest wire at 110 cm. There are also sheep fences with an electric wire above and on the inside. The fences have reduced the attacks from both wolves and lynx. The farm has not been attacked by wolves but by lynx. 

The fence is expensive. Initially it cost 8–10 € per meter and the price has risen since then. The shape of the land also effects the costs. At this farm the whole distance of 20 km was fenced as a single project, but many farms install fences one segment at a time as it’s expensive and labour intensive. 

The county administrative board grants agri-environmental payments of 50% of the costs upon accepted application. There are requirements for the installation of the fences that must be met in order to be accepted. Therefore, it’s important to have an agreement with the firm that install the fence. Gudrun is president of the Swedish Sheep Breeding Association and also promotes the issue about predators and lamb production on national level. Important issues are regulations that ensure that the population of predators and especially wolves is held on a suitable level and that the right animals are removed. The licensed hunting could be expanded and the procedures for hunting as nuisance wildlife management could be simplified. 

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Karl-Johan Lennartson runs the farm Intakan in southwest Sweden with a dairy production with 135 cows and 200 young cattle. The farm has 200 ha arable land and 100 ha semi-natural grasslands. The young cattle graze the semi-natural grasslands while the dairy cows graze a smaller pasture on temporary grasslands. 

The region is rich in semi-natural grasslands witch are often small areas fenced together with forest which is also grazed by the animals. Almost 10 km of fences requires time and maintenance. Karl-Johan is committed to preserving the grasslands. That’s important for the area, that otherwise would turn into forest. 

Most of the land is damp. A challenge is to get the pastures evenly grazed as the growth varies from year to year. Agri-environmental payments are crucial for the grazing and are associated with conditions for management. An important challenge is the unwanted establishment of trees and shrubs, with alder being the biggest problem. There is also meadowsweet and soft-rush. 

Many measures are taken in order to keep the land properly grazed and to clear trees and shrubs. The land is cleared manually with clearing saws or tractor clearing chains once a year. The fact that the land is moist and rocky means that access with a tractor is not always possible. Clearing is time consuming. More measures would be desirable, for example chemical control of alder. 

The cows are cross-bred with beef breed genetics in order to obtain animals that are suited for grazing on semi-natural grasslands. This regards all animals that are not selected for the dairy production. Cattle groups of 10–15 heads graze pastures rotating between 3–4 paddocks. Early grazing in april with complementary fodder is also used. 

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Linda af Geijersstam runs the farm Torslundalamm in South-east Sweden. The farm has 10 ha arable land and 20 ha semi-natural grasslands and silvopastures. The farm has 20 ewes of the sheep breed Helsingefår, a heritage breed, production of meat, furs and wool, and some fodder for sale. The sheep graze mainly semi-natural grasslands. The sale of breeding animals is also important as the sheep are a heritage breed. 

The production demands animals that can graze semi-natural grasslands and the lambs must grow enough during the grazing season to be ready for slaughter. There must be enough pasture and grass production through the whole grazing season, even during recurring drought periods. Control of parasite levels is also a challenge. 

After the first cut, the land is divided into paddocks by electric fences and grazed by ewes and lambs. Easily manageable fences and water tank stations are important. During post-harvest grazing it’s very favourable to rotate the animals. The pressure from parasites decreases, there are less ungrazed spots left and there’s less need for topping. It’s also possible to fill up the fodder demand during droughts and the grass production continues much longer in autumn so the lambs will have enough to graze until slaughter. 

The grazing management also involves animals grazing on semi-natural grasslands. The ewes selected as breeding animals and older ewes are moved to semi-natural grasslands. When the lambs are separated in July the ewes are moved to the semi-natural grasslands. Both the semi-natural grasslands and the temporary grasslands are co-grazed by cattle and horses. If the semi-natural grasslands are properly grazed in autumn, the growth in spring is delayed and grazing pressure will be easier to keep in spring. 

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Hagshults retirement home for cows lies in the middle of Southern Sweden. The farm receives and finishes culled cows from a dairy farm nearby. The farm has 50 ha semi-natural grasslands and 50 ha ley and the cows are fed on grass only. Carl-Johan Bertilsson is responsible for the farm operations and runs the farm together with Ulrika Björnhag, who is a behavioural scientist and responsible for marketing and sales. 

The cow pension concept is a way of getting a quality product out of a poorly utilized raw material. This in a sustainable way, combined with animal welfare and with a mission to spread knowledge about good food and how it is produced. The meat’s high quality is due to the cows’ grass diet and dry-age of carcasses. Carl-Johan and Ulrika also refine the by-products. The fat is refined into ”chef’s tallow” and ”golden tallow”. The bones are charred to barbecue charcoal, a product that adds flavour on the grill. 

The meat is sold directly in the farm shop or to restaurants and whole-salers. Explaining the farm’s offer is an important sales task, both to end consumers and to restaurants. The farm is active on social media such as Instagram and Facebook. Several of the expressions that the farm uses are patented. The many aspects of sustainable production such as climate certification and fossil free fuel, are used in marketing. Contacts and public relations are valued. Big efforts are made in making contacts through the farm shop, visits, farmers’ markets and trade fairs. The farm also presents itself as a showcase for the agricultural cooperative Lantmännen and Carl-Johan and Ulrika take part in podcasts and conferences. The farm evolves constantly. Collaborations and new channels are always being sought. Lately, the farm released a tune on Spotify. A desired development would be a self-service farm shop. 

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Tomas Olsson runs the farm Norrby in central Sweden. The farm has 1000 ewes lambing in January and April. The farm manages 180 ha arable land and 150 ha semi-natural grasslands. The paddocks are grazed during high season by 3–4 groups of 150 ewes and their lambs. 

In order to utilise the pastures optimally there must be a useful way of controlling and monitoring the grass growth in the paddocks. The key is to graze the paddocks in the right order and to gather knowledge and experience of how to use the pastures efficiently. The paddocks are prioritised according to their regrowth and the whole system is built for moving the animals easily between the paddocks. 

A big map on the wall in the farm office displays all the paddocks. The map is used to mark out the animal groups, which animals are grazing where and the date when they came to the paddock and when they left. The paddocks are also marked out as they are divided for strip grazing. There is also a smaller version of the map for field use, containing reference information for each paddock. 

The grazing is documented in an Excel spreadsheet where the paddocks are colour-coded. Tomas measures the grass regrowth in the paddocks to be able to decide the optimal order in which the paddocks should be grazed. A paddock is grazed when the grass is 8–9 cm and left when the grass is 4 cm. Normally the paddocks are grazed 3–4 days.  

Tomas is always looking for methods for a more efficient grazing management with influences from Sweden and abroad. Thanks to improvements the pasture production has doubled from 5 to 10 ewes per hectare. The next step is to extend the use of digital solutions, both for production monitoring, such as plate meters or drone pictures, and for planning to be able to predict growth and prioritise paddocks on a longer time scale. 

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Gunnar and Eva Danielsson in Berghult in Southern Sweden run a lamb production with 125 ewes. They both have other jobs outside the farm and they used to have up to 250 ewes. There are much semi-natural grasslands in the area and this is the base for the farm. The farm has 50 ha semi-natural grasslands and permanent pastures on arable land, and 20 ha arable land for winter fodder production. 

Having a large proportion of semi-natural grasslands is a challenge. It’s important to get the land grazed, both for the fodder production and for compliance with requirements for agri-environmental payments. Parasite control is also important. 

One of the most important things in lamb production is finding the lambing season fitting the conditions on the farm. Gunnar has tested different times of the year for the lambing and found out that lambing in the second half of June is the best time. The pastures are grazed by the ewes early in spring (April–May). This way the grazing pressure can be kept at a high level. The grass will not reach heading and the pasture is of high quality when the ewes return later. 

The semi-natural grasslands have been grazed by sheep for many decades, yet they have low parasite levels. This is due to the grazing system which is a consequence of the lambing in June. The parasites die early in spring before the susceptible animals, i.e. lambs, are let out on the pasture. The parasite level never rises enough to be a problem. 

The downside with the system is the need for complementary fodder with silage and concentrates in order to have enough grass later in the season. But the farmer believe that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. 

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Martin Ivarsson in Köinge in Southwest Sweden runs a farm with certified organic dairy production with 100 cows and 200 ha arable land. Martin’s goal is an optimised grazing management using as much grazing as possible. He is continuously improving the system. Concentrating the calving to the right time for maximum grazing is one of the improvements. Managing the pastures for maximum quality and fodder intake is another. 

The animals graze less when they return to a paddock that has been grazed before. The grass is less tasty and the animals eat less. Martin discovered this when he had cut one half of a paddock and let the other half being grazed. When the cows returned to the paddock, they only grazed the half that had been cut and not the half that had been grazed before. 

As an innovative solution Martin introduced two cuts between grazing. One part of the land is grazed in spring and the rest is harvested and grazed after that. Grazing and harvest are alternated so that each paddock is cut at least twice between grazing. The paddocks are grazed one week each. The paddocks that have been grazed are harvested as round bale silage. The hygienic quality has not been impaired from the grazing animals. As the paddocks are cut twice between grazing there are no ungrazed spots left in the sward and there’s a much better forage intake. 

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Marianne Schönning has 50 dairy cows and 130 ha on the farm in Härnebo in Northern Sweden. The farm has certified organic dairy production, and grazing is therefore important in the cows’ fodder ration. The recurring droughts in recent years’ have led to a fluctuating grass production. The uncertainty of the fodder production has been stressful. However, the lake near the farm is improving the conditions. 

Four years ago the farm invested in an irrigation system. It consists of an irrigation reel and underground pipes with connection points in all paddocks near the farm. The paddocks are grazed one day, then topped and irrigated thereafter. The dose is usually 20–30 mm. 

Today a great part of the farm’s temporary grasslands can be irrigated. The fodder supply is more resilient. There are many lakes in the area and other farms could also use irrigation. If possible, the farm would expand the system to the land remote from the farm. That would require installation of electric cables, which is costly. An extra irrigation reel would allow more intensive irrigation resulting in better yield. 

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Anna and Anders Carlsson run the farm Skogsgård in Southern Sweden with certified organic dairy production and 220 dairy cows and 20 suckler cows. The area has a lot of available pastures, but there are not enough grazing animals. Semi-natural grasslands and temporary grasslands are not suitable for young animals due to the high level of parasites. Anna and Anders tried to find a way to make use of this land. As the production is certified organic the calves are not fed with powdered milk but with the cow’s milk. 

One year ago, Anna and Anders started to make foster cows out of dairy cows, that for various reasons, didn’t fit in the dairy production. They might have low milk yield or udder health problems. They might also be with calf and ready for calving in October. The cows are given 2–3 calves and they are let out on the semi-natural grasslands. This way, calves born in spring can graze on pastures. 

Anna and Anders see several benefits of this system. The calves adapt gradually to the parasite level when they graze together with the cow and get milk from the cow. Less work is another great advantage, as the calves don’t have to be given milk. This way Anna and Anders can use pastures that otherwise wouldn’t be used. The calves learn how to graze, they get used to being outdoor and are not afraid of fences. The animals are easier to manage and they grow well. 

It’s important to find the right cows for the task and to let the animals get used to each other. Some cows are not willing at all and are deselected, while others suit well in the system and are fine with taking care for several calves. Before the cow and the calves are let out to the pastures, they stay a while in a smaller paddock to get used to each other. 

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Lars Eric Anderson and Ann-Charlotte Wallenhammar run the Åkerby manor with certified organic meat production with 40 Angus suckler cows, and 100 animals in total. The farm has 200 ha arable land. The most important resource for the animal production is the 70 ha of pastures that stretch 4 km along a lake. 

Grazing on these lands is a challenge. The water level varies considerably from year to year. 

Rain has big impact on the pastures and sometimes the cattle must be moved to another place. The nearby mountains increase the water level when heavy rains occur. As a consequence, the pasture’s size varies. The pastures are at risk of being overgrown or flooded so that the cattle cannot graze there. 

A dialogue with authorities involved in the support systems has led to better understanding Flexible support systems are desired. Agri-environmental payments are important to be able to graze the pastures. One problem is that the local conditions change from year to year while the requirements to be granted agri-environmental payments are fairly strict.   

There must be pastures on temporary grasslands as a complement due to the fluctuating supply. The farm grows timothy grass seed, and both regrowth grazing and the straw are important complementary resources. 

The problem of fencing in the water is solved by fencing when the water level is low, or from a boat. Trees and shrubs must be controlled. Willow can only be cleared when there is ice on the lake. Alder can be cleared with stump grinder, it’s an efficient but expensive method. The cattle won’t eat alder. 

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Stefan and Erica run the farm Fyledala in Southern Sweden. The farm has certified organic production with 120 suckler cows and 300 ha where half is arable land and half is semi-natural grasslands. Horses and dogs are used for moving the cattle between the pastures. 

Moving cattle between pastures is time consuming and can be dangerous and sometimes stressful for the cattle. The animals are numerous, and the pastures are at different locations, sometimes far away from the farm. 

The cattle are moved between the pastures with the aid of horses and dogs. Much time is saved compared to moving the cattle with tractor and wagon. It also works great when moving the cattle to the paddocks. The cattle stay calmer when they are managed this way, and the job gets easier. Erika and Stefan have a big interest in horses and dogs, so including them in the farm activities is a way to combine the production with their interest which makes their job more enjoyable. 

Two Quarter horses are used for the work, but there are also more horses being raised and trained. The four dogs are of the breeds Border Collie and Kelpie. It’s important to have suitable dogs and horses. For a person who wants to start with cattle drive, both horses and dogs can be used, but dogs are easier to begin with. There are ready-trained dogs for sale for people who don’t want to start with training. And there are always experienced people to ask for advice. 

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The farm Stora Mu has 160 young cattle and 140 dairy cows and use milking robot. The farm lies in the very north of Sweden in the village Svartbyn outside the town Överkalix. Hulda Wirsén and Johan Liljebäck run the farm together with Johan’s parents Karin and Bert. 

Land is scarce around the stable and the robot milking sets the limits for grazing. The farm has a high milk yield and maintaining it that way is a priority. This is the set for continuous improvements in the grazing system wherever possible.  

The improvements are motivated by the possibility of using grazing as a good and cheap fodder with benefits such as animal health and hopefully higher yield. The location near the polar circle where the sun never sets during the growing season results in a high ley production that can be used. 

The land around the stable is divided into four paddocks for young cattle and two paddocks for dairy cows. The paddocks have been rearranged so there are more paddocks to use. When the dairy cows’ grazing season is over, the young cattle can graze these vacant paddocks. The pastures are re-established after four years at the latest, with undersown barley that is harvested as whole crop. 

Hulda and Johan have a continuous discussion about potential improvements on the farm and in the grazing management. More paddocks are desired for a more intensive and better utilised rotational grazing. Acquiring more land would be favourable, but at the same time Hulda and Johan want to have the pastures near the farm in order to have a proper animal surveillance. The pastures are fertilised in spring before the first grazing and could be fertilised more times in summer. The pastures could be re-established in pure stand which would result in a new pasture that could be used the same year. 

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The farm Torpet lies in Southwest Sweden. Sofia and Gustav Kämpe have 220 cows and use milking robot and are expanding to 285 cows. The farm is 350 ha whereof a great part is semi-natural grasslands: 70 ha. The pastures are grazed by dairy breed/Angus-steers, heifers and dry cows. 

Biodiversity is important and a strong driving force on the farm. The strong commitment and the pride in managing semi-natural grasslands and producing biodiversity play a big role in the farm’s activities. Society is willing to pay for the ecosystem services through agri-environmental payments and this is a part of the farm’s economy. Maintenance in winter and the daily animal surveillance in summer takes a lot of time but makes it possible for the farm to have year-round employees. 

Sofia and Gustav are engaged in several organisations. They pay great interest in contact and interaction with society. Meetups and field walks are frequent on the farm. There are many interesting and important species on the land, which have been investigated by biologists, and the pastures are managed differently according to the needs of the red-listed species, for example grazing intensity and time to start grazing. 

In the near future there is a potential for more semi-natural grasslands and the farm tries to expand whenever possible. Wolves in the area is a threat. Predator deflecting fences may be necessary. At the same time there is a great potential in virtual fencing and new technology for daily animal surveillance. A never ending job is preventing the pastures from overgrowing with trees and shrubs and the farm has recently invested in a powerful topper for this purpose (heavy-duty mower that is used to trim the vegetation to a certain height).

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The dairy family farms from Romania face multiple challenges in maintaining efficiency, finding labour force and meeting hygiene standards to avoid milk contamination. In addition, the case study family farm, located in Săndulesti Commune near the Apuseni National Park, inherited the structure of an old farm, a remnant of the communist era, which was outdated and inefficient. The farm is part of the Someş Aries Agricultural Cooperative, which is a Romanian cooperative made up of approximately 60 farmers from five counties. The main challenges are the farmers giving up, and the main reason would be the lack of labor. Some farmers have noticed this danger and have invested in new technologies, such as milking parlors. The 50 hectares pasture of the farm allows grazing from the end of May till the 1st of October and is situated on a limestone massif, experiencing variations in the fertile soil layer thus affecting the production of the grass 

As a local innovation, the farmer introduced a milking parlour equipped with an automated washing system and an entry-exit system for animals, allowing for free stabling for the 80 heads of Baltata Romaneasca breed. The motivations of the farmer were to reduce the milking time, for animal welfare, to reduce the working time for employees, with the same salary, to motivate them to continue working on the farm, to reduce personnel costs by decreasing work intensity and duration, to improve the working conditions for the employed staff and to improve compliance with hygiene and sanitary standards. This system efficiently transfers milk directly to a cooler tank, significantly reducing milking time and labour costs with 50%. The quality of the milk has increased due to the automatic washing, a fact proven by the monthly analyses. Milking time has been cut in half, the staff does not need special training because the milking principle is the standard one. 

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The Nagy Family Farm in Pădureni village, Cluj, faced difficulties in selling milk due to low processor prices and market fluctuations. Motivated by the need to enhance profitability and independence, the farm, operating with 60 dairy cows, Bălțată Românească, and 60 hectares of land, of which 15 ha are grazed on plots or forage mixture sown, ventured into milk processing and direct sales 13 years ago. The farm’s innovative leap was organizing events at the farm as part of a broader initiative with six local producers under the Leader program. This involved an investment of about €4,000 to host an event that included dairy product tastings, traditional dish samplings, farm tours, and cultural showcases, drawing hundreds of participants. The initiative was an activity within the Leader program project financed with the support of the LAG. The objective was to create a short chain of sales for dairy products. The producers also sell their products through FB page (https://www.facebook.com/p/Lactate-de-Coc),  website of the project (https://lactatecoc.ro/), and a grocery store in the nearby city. Nagy Family Farm’s innovative approach addresses milk price fluctuations, strengthens the local economy through community engagement, and reduces transportation and carbon emissions. The innovation improved the farm’s profitability and market reach, raising consumer awareness of the local agricultural and cultural richness. 

The model is replicable in areas where farms can leverage local networks and have the capacity to manage direct sales and event organization.  

The farm plans to enhance its model by expanding its reach through digital marketing and regular events, addressing threats like market saturation and regulatory changes. Dissemination could involve workshops or partnerships with agricultural extension services to share best practices with other farmers. 

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Emil Muntean, a farmer in Agriesel, Bistrita-Nasaud county, is a brilliant example of adaptation to climate change and innovation in mountain agriculture. With an area of ​​20 hectares of land, he uses these pastures to raise 16 cows of the Aubrac breed, for meat and milk production. 

In the context of increasingly unpredictable climatic conditions and a diversity of types of pastures in the mountain area, Emil Muntean made a bold choice by introducing the Aubrac breed of cows to his farm. This breed is renowned for its quick adaptability to mountain terrain and its high yield in meat production, even under the harshest grazing conditions, thus providing a stable source of income for the farm. 

By adopting this breed, Emil Muntean not only found an efficient solution for his specific needs as a mountain farmer, but also opened the way to more sustainable agriculture and adapted to climate change. His example shows how innovation and adaptability can be the keys to success in agriculture, especially in mountainous regions, where conditions are often more demanding. Before swiching to Aubrac the farmer had a local dairy cow breed. He switched to beef breed so he could have more spare time. 

Emil Munten’s farm and the Aubrac cow breed are not only an example of success in mountain agriculture, but also an inspiration for other farmers to explore innovative solutions to improve their businesses and contribute to the resilience of the agricultural sector in the face of climate change. 

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Green FarmSel is a family business from Turda, Cluj County, that owns 1,087 Angus beef cattle and uses 405 hectares of land, of which 310 are for grazing and 95 are arable land of alfalfa and grain, intended for winter fodder. Grazing is practiced on the farm for 6 months of the year (taking in consideration 1 LSU/ha) in three big parcels and has led to reduced labor and animal feed costs. 

Extensive, free grazing is practiced with approximately 250 animals (Suckler cows and suckler heifers). A large proportion of the winter feed is produced on farm, but an additional nine tons of cereals, premixes and bran are acquired each year. 

Fattening is carried out throughout the year and when the animals reach 500-600 kilograms (about 1322.77 lbs), they are sold/slaughtered.  

Although the beef market in Romania is not saturated, the problem faced by the farmer was identifying the outlets for the products on the one hand and on the other hand increasing the added value of the products obtained from the farm. For this reason, he established the ”Halal butchery” in Cluj-Napoca, which positioned itself as a niche brand specific to the “halal” concept right from the start.  

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A student of the Faculty of Horticulture and Business in Rural Development and also a passionate farmer from the village of Berindu (Cluj county), Cristina Moldovan owns a farm with 17 Romanian buffaloes with her family. It manages a land of 140 hectares, of which 110 are dedicated to permanent grazing. This area dedicated to grazing is concessioned by the Berindu Animal Breeders Association and is used jointly by its 20 members, of which Cristina is also a member. 

During the summer season, the animals have unrestricted access to the pasture for 24 hours a day. In order to reduce the effort related to the daily movement of the animals between the pasture and the stable, they set up a special space for milking, directly on the pasture. This innovative approach optimizes work and ensures animal welfare. 

Due to the volatility of the milk price, the Moldovan family did not stop at simply raising animals and selling milk to processors. In their own household, they carry on the tradition of processing milk, transforming it with skill and passion, according to traditional methods, into high-quality cheese and cream. 

Motivated by the belief in the direct connection between the producer and the consumer, they chose to distribute the products personally, without intermediaries, directly at the door of the final consumer. Family members pay special attention to quality and are involved in every stage of product distribution, bringing authenticity to the homes of those who appreciate the taste and quality of traditional products. 

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Practicing organic farming has become an option for Silvania farms, especially being motivated by the increasing trend in the consumption of organic products registered on the market, due to consumers’ concerns regarding ensuring a healthy diet. Silvania Farms is part of a Cooperative comprised of seven farms with equal rights. Their investments are financed through a combination of access to European funding, loans and own funds. 

Being focused on obtaining the highest quality products, the Silvania farms have implemented a Short Integrated AgriFood Chain, which represents a holistic approach to agriculture, encompassing production, processing, distribution and consumption within a compact and interconnected framework. Part of this innovation consists of creating a chain of stores (https://silvania.bio/) to sell products directly to the final consumer or through a small number of intermediaries specialized in the sale of organic products. Within the farm there is a bistro like Local Gastronomic Point, where clients, colaborators and visitors can try out the products produced on the farm. 

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Maintaining traditional farming in the actual regional economic context in Romania, especially in mountain areas, is a difficult goal to achieve. In the heart of Maramures County a medium size family farm, (with a herd of 27 head dairy cows Brună de Maramureș, and 350 sheep Țurcana local breeds, using rotational grazing on 110 hectares of alpine meadows, combined with mowing on 20 hectares) has embraced innovation to solve this dual challenges. With a part of the pasture in the alpine area (1700 m altitude) in the MM Mountains National Park, the farmer transformed the way local and traditional products are utilized, turning them into a source of both cultural pride and economic benefit.  

The innovation consists in establishing a local gastronomic point (LGP), with an investment of approx. 50.000 euros, offering traditional dishes crafted in their kitchen, using mostly ingredients from the farm or local producers. The LGP is located in the restored 100 old family house, offering housing for potential tourists in the area. The motivation to implement the innovation was to attract tourists to the area with fresh air, scenic views, and traditional way of living and for capitalizing on product quality through targeted marketing, obtaining additional income from accommodation services and selling traditional clothes.  

The innovation has led to increased profitability and workload efficiency by offering a unique blend of tourism and agriculture. Accurate data on the increase in profitability does not exist because the farmer does not keep a record of sales. The farm has seen improvements in local economic contributions, with a rise in tourist visits interested in authentic culinary and cultural experiences.  

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Florin Burzo, a young farmer from Agrisel, Bistrița-Năsăud county, manages a family farm on an area of 20 hectares. The farm is located in the mountain area of Bistrița-Năsud county, close to the Țibleș mountains. Approximately 13 hectares are dedicated to summer grazing, where 10 dairy cows of the Romanian Baltata breed, adapted to the conditions of the area, graze. Faced with low milk prices, Florin Burzo took the initiative to establish a cooperative (https://www.facebook.com/TiblesSomesMeles/) to bring together several milk producing farmers in the area (approximately 100), with the aim of obtaining better milk prices and to benefit from discounts on agricultural inputs purchased together (in average approximatively 10%). 

With the help of a 220,000-euro financial support obtained through the Local Action Group (GAL), they purchased two tanker trucks for the collection of approximately 10,000 liters of milk/day, which they sell to a processor about 30 km away, thus facilitating the transport and efficient management of production. Also, the members of the cooperative benefited from the issuance of certificates that gave them an advantage in accessing European CAP funds, ensuring them a higher score in the application process. 

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During the summer, the farms in the submontane and mountain areas of Romania generate many human-bear conflicts. A bear attack on livestock can result in human, livestock or bear injury. Against the background of the existence of gaps in the legislative framework and the damage compensation system, people try to protect their assets. Also, grazing in the forest background and the use of non-competitive guard dogs is another cause of the large number of losses recorded among domestic livestock. 

Hort Augustin, a farmer from the village of Halmasau, Bistrița-Năsăud county, skilfully manages 15 hectares of land, used as pasture, where he passionately cares for 17 cows of the Romanian Baltata breed, for milk production. 

To improve the surveillance of animals on the pasture and optimize the management of the farm, Hort invested in the latest technology, purchasing drones. This innovation allows him to more effectively monitor the land and quickly identify any problem or potential threat for the animals.  

A drone can quickly fly over, detect threats and provide aerial images and real-time footage (the drone has a 4k video quality camera, it is an easy to fly quadcopter with 30 min. fly time in optimal). Depending on the weather, the cow’s proximity to the farm and calving season, he flies it from 0 to 10 times per day. This allows the farmer to assess the level of danger and identify the appropriate response. This can help save time and money. Drones can monitor vast areas and provide high-quality images and video footage in real time, which could also mean that fewer on-site work force is needed to monitor the animals. Speed is another advantage. Drones are much faster than a human or a car, which allows the farmer to reach the location of the animals on the pasture several times quicker and give the opportunity to provide a rapid response. 

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Mountain agriculture in Romania is mostly carried out traditionally, in an extensive system, characterized by small farms with low production. For this reason, these farms must be oriented towards quality and efficiency. The most common problems faced by farmers are difficulties accessing financing instruments, reluctance to join cooperatives, groups of producers to ensure a unitary production, possibilities to create storage, processing and marketing infrastructure, as well as reduction of operating expenses. The mountainous area of Romania is a supplier of quality food raw materials. This aspect can be well exploited in the long term, primarily due to the increase in demand for products obtained from sustainable agriculture and coming from a territory that preserves a wide biodiversity. 

The Valean family, farmers from the village of Spermezeu, Bistrița-Năsăud county and members of the Cooperative Somes- Tibles-Meles have built a business focused on raising 13 cows of the Baltata Romaneasca breed, for meat and milk production, working an area of 15 hectares of land, of which 13 are dedicated to pastures. 

Being aware of the limited workforce and the importance of protecting the environment, the Valean family made a responsible choice, investing in building a modern and efficient stable. This innovative stable significantly reduces the farmers’ work by implementing an efficient system for manure collection. 

The integrated manure collection and utilization system contains the following elements: manure collection platform and compost management equipment (tractor and dumper). 

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In the context of the labor shortage in agriculture and the increase in land prices, farmer Vaida Sebastian has decided to address the challenges in pasture management (optimizing space, improving feed quality and ensuring nutrition throughout the year) by using an innovative rotational management system implemented in a mixed dairy and meat farm. Vaida family manages 150 cows, of which 35 heads of the Romanian Bălțată breed for milk production, 55 Aberdeen Angus heads are for reproduction and the other 60 are for meat production 

The innovation involves dividing the pastureland (150 hectares) into distinct pastures for each breed, further divided into four rotational plots each one. Cows graze on each plot for around 10 days, followed by rotation. In the meantime, the other plots are mowed and after four weeks cows can graze again on that plot. After the cows are removed from one plot all grass which was refused by animals is mowed. Additionally, hay bales are strategically placed on pastures throughout the grazing season to compensate for possible lack of grass during dry summers. With the right equipment the farmer, which the farmer does not own at the moment, can preserve the mowed grass as silage or haylage (bales) instead of hay. Every year an area of 10-15 hectares is reseeded. For dairy cows, a mix is used with 12% clover, the rest perennials (ryegrass, festulolium, fescue, timothy), and for beef cows the mix contains 20% alfalfa and perennials (ryegrass, festulolium, fescue, timothy).. The reseeding strategy led to improved forage quality, positively impacting milk production in dairy cows and meat yield in Aberdeen Angus. 

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Mihai Horvath, a farmer from the village of Paglisa, Cluj County is an emblematic figure in the agricultural landscape of the region. With an entrepreneurial vision, Mihai manages an area of ​​100 hectares of land, of which 40 are dedicated to arable farming and 60 are designated for permanent grazing, where he raises 40 dairy cows. 

While his main activity focuses on agriculture and animal husbandry, Mihai has found innovative ways to diversify income and bring prosperity to his community. Through an agritourism guesthouse (https://pensiunearafila.ro/), he opens the doors to authentic experiences in the countryside for tourists who want to enjoy nature and local traditions. Apart from accommodation, the agritourism guesthouse also offers traditional dishes, prepared with fresh ingredients directly from the farm, and authentic moments such as participation in agricultural activities. Also, for horse riding enthusiasts, it offers a unique experience with well-kept horses and scenic trails to explore the surroundings in an active and fun way. Membership of the Somes-Aries Cooperative (https://somesaries.ro/) gives him stability and access to larger markets for the milk sales. Also, through the cooperative, he can purchase agricultural inputs at competitive prices, which increases his efficiency and profitability. Annually he makes investments in the abandoned pastures by cutting the woody vegetation (approximately 3 Ha/Year;  aprox. 1000 EUR/Ha). The problem is that long-term leases cannot be made, and the clearance effort is large, with a period of non-productivity of about five years. Depending on the coverage of woody vegetation, the work is done manually in the first phase, after which mechanized intervention can be carried out. Additionally, the resulting woody residues are difficult to transport/use.  The clearings are used for summer grazing of the young cattle.  

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A graduate of the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine in Cluj-Napoca, Marius Suteu is an exponent of modern and sustainable agriculture, being a veterinarian and the representative of the Cosm Fan farm in Mociu, Cluj County. With a herd of 360 cattle, the farm is a renowned pillar in local production. 140 heads of the Aberdeen Angus breed are dedicated exclusively to meat production, and the rest are from the Romanian Balțata breed used for milk production. 

Within the farm, an integrated process of production and processing is carried out. The milk is processed into a variety of high-quality dairy products, including telemea, ham and cheese roulade, and bottled milk. This small processing unit adds value to the products and allows the farm to diversify its offer. 

The beef cows benefit from approximately 100 hectares of pasture. When they reach maturity or the required weight, they are slaughtered and then processed in the farm’s unit processing. This vertical process ensures quality control and freshness of the finished products. 

The farm’s products are distributed regionally directly to final consumers through its own network of stores “Moldovan. Carmangeria Sanicoara” (https://www.carmangeriamoldovan.ro/ ). This network provides consumers with access to fresh and local products, thus promoting sustainability and the local economy. 

In 2014, out of the desire to keep up with the times and differentiate themselves from the competition, they started a complex process of rebranding the company. This resulted not only in a new identity, but also in bringing a new butcher shop concept to the market. Thus, in Moldovan stores there is both a sales area where you can buy grocery products, and a bistro area, where hot dishes prepared by the company’s chefs are served. 

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According to official statistical data, the surface of permanent grassland (pastures and meadows) in Romania- approx. 4,83 mil hectares, of which 2,16 mil ha are in mountain area1 –  is maintained at the level of January 1, 2007, as provided in the Regulation of European Commission (Ciocan-Alupii, M., and Maciuc, V. 2020). Nevertheless, in some mountainous areas of the country, cattle farmers face a lack of land suitable for grazing.  

It is the case of Răzvan Rauca, from Petrila, Hunedoara County, who owns a family farm with 120 head of Aberdeen Angus in operation, which graze on 130 hectares in the mountainous area of ​​the town. Due to some bureaucratic constraints, although in practice there are many abandoned pastures in his area, they appear in the official documents as being exploited by other farmers who collect subsidies. In addition, the afforestation phenomenon and intensive sheep grazing have a negative impact on some of the pastures. 

In these conditions, the farmer applied an innovative practice with the rotational grazing system in the mountain area (average altitude of the land owned by the farmer is 1.830 meters), which is rarely practiced in Europe. This was achieved for more efficient pasture use, better control of the animals, and to increase pasture quality. It is the farmer who states that this system also contributes to improving the quality of the pasture, increasing the number of herbal species, and obtaining a better quality of the finished product (meat). 

The plots used have an average of 20 hectares and are established with the help of a fencing system made by the farmer himself. The poles are made from concrete iron, on which the farmer welded two insulators alongside a small iron part that can easily be pressed by foot (see video).  With their help, an area of ​​20 hectares can be easily fenced in 3–4 hours using an electric fence with two wires.  

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From the perspective of a farm business, the mountainous area in Romania can present barriers. Agricultural activities can be limited due to the weather conditions, the soil and the difficultly of the terrain (access and steep slopes). Livestock farms have been identified as successful over time and remain a very good option for those who want to farm in the mountainous areas of Romania.  

The mountainous area of Cluj County is characterized by numerous and small livestock farms, but in recent years there has been reduction in the number of farms and the farm area. Farmers in the mountain area usually own their land but when it comes to grazing, there are also areas of land belonging to the territorial administrative unit with the status of commonage that can be used by all villagers, for the purpose of grazing.  

Niculina Roba, graduate of the Faculty of Horticulture and Rural Development Business, study program Economic Engineering in Agriculture. Together with her family, she manages a farm of 8 dairy cows, Bălțată Românească. The farm is located in the village of Măguri, Cluj County and has a grazing area of 8 ha. Locating the animals daily on the pasture can be a problem on the farm as the animals can travel around 17 km a day in the mountainous area and sometimes have difficulty getting home. In these situations, the Roba family had to go personally to look for the animals, which was time and labour consuming. One solution identified by the Roba family was the purchase of GPS trackers for the cows. These were purchased through the EU funds, sub-measure 6.3 and cost around €100 each. The devices are sim-card based and emit GPS signals. Now they can much more easily locate animals in mountain pastures. What’s more, the technology holds potential for wider adoption, especially in areas with extensive grasslands, and can be particularly useful for monitoring animals with health problems or those about to calve.  

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The land that gives rise to Carne D’Erva is located in the Lezírias of Vila Franca de Xira, where 100 ha are leased. Of these, 25 ha are permanent pasture and the remaining area is used to grow species such as clover for forages, to feed the farm’s animals, and to sell to other farms. Each year, they have a mean of 50 animals, but the numbers vary throughout the seasons, during winter time they choose to have only 25 animals, but they are always buying and selling. They only buy adult cows, that for some reason can’t be used for breeding and therefore lose interest in other farms. The reason for this is to keep the time between purchase and slaughter short and because they believe the quality of the meat is higher in these animals. What sets this farm apart is the fact that the animals are 100% fed on fresh grass, without any fertilizers, with rare exceptions where the farmer needs to offer stored forage to the animals, for example in periods of extreme drought. The animals are fed on the farm and sent for meat processing for later marketing by the company itself, where they sell the products through e-commerce directly to the consumer, thus becoming a farm-to-fork production. One of the manager’s next plans is to implement a video surveillance system throughout the farm with two specific objectives: to control the pastures to effectively assess which plots need more or less irrigation, thus optimizing water consumption; and to be able to track the animals, resulting in a direct and constant assessment of their welfare, while at the same time making a live stream on the company’s website that allows consumers to see the animals live, proving their welfare and the way they are produced, which can encourage the purchase of their 100% organic products and improve their e-commerce.  

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Herdade do Gamito, in Alvito, has almost 400 hectares, with 90 cows, 11 calves, and 13 horses. The farm has been converted to organic for four years now. All the crops are rainfed. Most of the farm is a Montado system with cork and holm oaks and livestock grazing the undercover pastures. There are also permanent hay crops that are used when the pasture is scarce, with the aim of reducing supplementation with purchased fodder. One of the farm’s current investments is to make smaller grazing paddocks to reduce the grazing time on each plot and to speed up the rotation between plots. In this way, while the livestock is in a paddock, pastures on the rest of the farm are growing. The quality of the grass is higher and the management of the pasture is more efficient. The farm will also plant irrigated barbary fig (Opuntia ficus-indica) in order to increase the soil’s water availability and create a green discontinuity as a fire prevention and livestock watering area. 

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Herdade da Coitadinha belongs to the Noudar Nature Park, which covers around 1000 hectares in Barrancos (South of Portugal). It is a project developed by EDIA (a public company) as a compensation measure for the impacts caused by the large Alqueva dam (full level reached for the first time in 2010,  with a catchment area of 250 km2). The work carried out on this farm is the multifunctional management of the park, integrating the areas of agroforestry, livestock, hunting, and tourism. In the area of livestock farming, the farm produces beef cattle of local breeds, as well as pigs during the winter. The farm’s main focus is nature conservation, and its current concern is to analyze the adaptation of the cork oak forest to climate change. To this end, two plots were installed, one of cork oak and the other of holm oak, both with drip irrigation, with the aim of analyzing the response of these crops to the warmer seasons. This, unfortunately, can only be replicated if there is water available. Another measure implemented was the installation of an almond grove, to enhance soil conservation and quality in the areas without trees.  In this way, new areas with tree cover were created, protect the soil, increasing biodiversity and promoting new plots for grazing. 

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Fonte do Prior is a family-run farm that has been in the family for four generations, with around 330 hectares, 200 of which of Montado (mixed farming with cork tress) and around 90 hectares of arable land, part of which is irrigated. The farm has implemented a system of grazing in small parks (around 30 ha), for its 200 Charolais bovines, which means that there is non-selective grazing, resulting in better utilization of the pasture. Due to the greater concentration of animals in each park, it is possible to improve animal and pasture management, making better use of the animals’ manure, for example. The great advantage of this grazing system is that it allows pastures to fully recover, because after grazing the parks are not used again for a considerable period of time. In addition, they also started to do direct sowing, which allows them to greatly reduce the costs of the operation, and obtaining a higher forage yield. This, in the long term, also contributes to the increase of soil organic matter and reduces compaction of the soil. 

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Herdade do Monte Branco da Loira belongs to Casa Agrícola Manuel Gil Ferreira and stands out for its large area of 680 hectares with a remarkable diversity of production and forest types. One side of the farm is occupied with cork oak forests, the other side by holm oak, with some areas of pine trees. There are also 250 hectares of arable land, of which 60 are dedicated to irrigated land, in which a successful permanent pasture of alfafa has been installed. Most of the alfalfa is for sale, the lower quality cuttings are for self-consumption, and the remaining is grazed by the property’s 1 400 sheep. 

This farm is using technology to help with the crop management, for example using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), characterized by being a measure that quantifies vegetation by measuring the difference between near-infrared (which vegetation strongly reflects) and red light (which vegetation absorbs), where healthy vegetation reflects more near-infrared and that is how they know which areas need more care in terms of irrigation, fertilizer or to understand the best periods to harvest. Adding to the NDVI they also calculate the temperature integrals of the crops, to understand the influence of temperatures on phenological stages and crop development, as well as to monitor pest influence. This record allows predictability for specific conditions or less pleasant surprises, such as pests. 

Besides these implemented practices, they incorporate pigs in their farm, during winter, to consume the acorns that come from the Montado. It is this diversification in species that provides a complete and integrated farm, with protein, acorns, grassland and cork. It is thus an outstanding example of mixed farming, harmonizing agricultural and livestock activities efficiently, as well as technology.  

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Sociedade Agrícola Mendes Jorge is a family farm of almost 800 hectares, which relies on the work of grandparents, parents and sons. They are dedicated to beef cattle production, where they have around 150 animals, and they also have a stud farm for Lusitano horses. The farm is divided into two different regions, one in Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo, and the other further south near Vilar Formoso. However, both regions have similar soil and climate conditions. Around 600 hectares are agricultural land, most of it for grazing, and 200 hectares of permanent crops. One of the practices that this farm has implemented in recent years is the reduction of stocking rates in order to promote the sustainable development of the agro silvopastoral complex, particularly the growth of younger holm oaks and oaks, to increase the forage value and improve soil health.
This allows for the regeneration of the forest component of the system, because every year some trees die due to summer droughts. The quality of the pastures also tends to increase, and there is less soil compaction due to the reduced number of animals. The results of this practice have been very positive, contributing to the economic and environmental sustainability of the farm, and, as such, they wish to continue with it.

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Monte do Tojal covers around 500 hectares of its own property, plus approximately 1500 rented hectares. They have around 800 crossbreed-limousin suckler cows. Most of the area is used for dry farming, but there is a 30-hectare irrigated plot where they implement conservation agriculture practices. This area has its own pivot and dam, although its capacity depends entirely on rainfall, as it is not a collective irrigation system with water guarantee. In the remaining areas, where pastures for hay production predominate, combining conservation agriculture, with lower productivities, with grazing cows is very hard, especially in the winter. In addition to agricultural activities, they have diversified the sources of income. Part of it is allocated to tourism, with areas available to rent for parties and events. The farm also includes a hunting component, with an area of approximately 130 hectares. 

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Herdade de São Luís is a 700-hectare family farm located in Montemor-o-Novo. They have adopted an agro-silvopastoral system, integrating cows, pigs, sheep and goats. The aim is to balance species in order to reduce costs, take advantage of natural resources and eliminate machinery and pesticides. Over the last seven years, innovative grazing management has brought greater productivity, reduced costs and improved animal welfare through the implementation of parks with optimal characteristics for animals. Permanent pastures were sown, improving the availability and quality of feed. Through these parks, animal welfare is also ensured, because the animals have space, water, food and shade, and at the same time the health of the soil is protected due to the size and rotation of the plots. In the last five years, the farm has also diversified its commercial activities, focusing on selling meat directly to the end consumer, with fewer animals and less variety of species. 

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This farm has an area of approximately 1000 hectares, and the diversity of activities is surprising. More than half of the area is dedicated to the agrosilvopastoral system, the montado, a typical Portuguese forest. The remaining is occupied by a traditional olive grove, some of which is densely planted, and annual crops (cereals and protein crops) that alternate between grasses and legumes, always with the inclusion of animals. Animal management is an integral part of the agricultural approach adopted on this farm. The aim is to promote a symbiosis between plant and animal production. Contrary to a segregated vision, here animals are seen as essential elements of the agricultural dynamic. Regarding the innovations made in recent years, the strategy involves the optimization of three components: profit crops, the implementation of cover crops and the integration of animals into the rotation cycle, through holistic management and controlled management. In addition, the farm is involved in several research projects, both at the European and national level. One of the highlights is the development of high-quality composting. This approach involves creating a compost stratum, which is then extracted in water and injected directly into the soil. This practice is particularly beneficial given the compaction of local soils. By promoting soil health through the introduction of beneficial bacteria and fungi, the farm aims to revitalize the ecosystem. 

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Herdade do Vale das Porcas de Cima belongs to Sociedade Agrícola Felizardo Prezado. It has a total of 714 hectares. Of these, 500 ha are montado, with forested areas of cork, eucalyptus and maritime pine, as well as agricultural areas for animal feed. With a flock of 650 sheep, forage management is a priority. Recently, practices have been improved, including clearing vegetation, liming the montado and introducing legumes in the seed mixtures. Organic matter has also been added, using manure from intensive pig production. It is restricted to a few areas, because it is too expensive to use in an extensive system. In the lowland’s areas, seed mixtures are cultivated with the support of liming, organic matter and fertilizers. The seed mixtures change according to the soils and drainage conditions, but usually the farmer does not know exactly what the mixtures are (or at least the proportion of each species). The mixtures usually have up to 10 different species, and are sold by a local company that does not share this information. The farm is certified in organic production and sustainable forest management, the latter by the FSC. The partnership with the University has brought the possibility of doing soil and forage analyses, which are fundamental for improvements. Herdade do Vale das Porcas de Cima is a model of agricultural sustainability and an example of how responsible practices and strategic partnerships that can benefit the community and the environment. 

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Herdade da Defesa da Pedra Alçada, located in the municipality of Alandroal, in Santiago Maior, covers 680 hectares, predominantly dryland. It has an olive grove of 6 hectares and natural grasslands with holm oak and cork oak forests. The cork oak occurs in wetter areas, near the water lines. Currently there are 180 adult cattle and a small nucleus of 60 sheep. These control the vegetation in the olive grove and are used for self-consumption. 

The new management has prioritized the cork oak forest, has implemented a forest management plan and has reduced the size of the fenced parks to around 30 hectares to optimize the farm. The increase in the number of parks and the reduction of the area of the plots are very important to improve the management of the animals (better use of the pastures), and reduce the requirements for labour. The forest management plan was hired to an external company that specializes in the management of mixed farming in Portugal. They did a long-term planning of the farm, which is now being implemented. The increase in the number of trees (through the protection of natural regeneration) has been a priority, because this was not done for decades and there was a lot of mortality in the last 30/40 years. Cork trees provide shadow for the animals and are an important economic return.  As for livestock, the breeds have evolved over 30 years. They started with the Alentejo breed, then introduced the Charolês and, recently, Limousine bulls. They have always maintained genetic diversity in the females. Despite attempts to establish permanent grasslands two years ago, low rainfall has limited the success of this initiative. Permanent grassland is less costly in the long term and better for the regeneration of the soil. 

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The organic farm Herdade da Carneira is located on the northern slopes of the Serra d’Ossa, near Rio de Moinhos, in the interior South of Portugal. The property has 500 Black Merino sheep and covers 180 hectares, divided into 50 hectares of Eucalyptus groves, 25 hectares of arable land and 90 hectares of cork oak Montado. In addition, 7 hectares of high-density olive grove of the Lecciana variety have been planted. 

This farm has a great advantage due to the fact that it has two relatively large water basins, which offer an excellent water supply to the property, serving as a reinforcement for the irrigation of fodder and the high-density olive grove. 

In recent years, there has been a greater focus on implementing practices that are beneficial for the Montado and for climate change adaptation. Those that stand out within the scope of the project are the reduction in the density of cork oaks and their phytosanitary assessment, with a careful selection of trees taking into account their diseases and health conditions, and the improvement of meadows with a mixture of clover and grasses to improve the soil and the health of the Montado mixed farming system.  

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The agricultural societies belonging to the heirs of Jerónimo Manzarra exploit an area of 1500 hectares, divided into two farms, one of which has an irrigated area. In the rainfed area, cereals are sown in the best areas and the rest is made up of natural and sown grassland, under a Montado agroforestry system, with both cork and holm oaks. In the irrigated areas, annual mixtures and cereals are sown for forage production (hay and hay-silage), as well as for grazing. The animals are Alentejo, Mertolenga breeds and commercial crossbred cattle. 

With the scarcity of water and the corresponding upward trend in the price of a cubic metre, there has been a need to optimise the use of water in crops, opting for crops that are less demanding of water, more rustic and therefore less costly. In rainfed areas, parks are selected to apply phosphate fertilisation, and other parks are selected to seed permanent grasslands. 

In this way, it is possible to guarantee the food independence of the farms, feeding the animals with forage in times of greatest food scarcity, and being able to use the grasslands at their best production period. The forage mixtures used are selected for their rusticity and their ability to be cut and grazed. 

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Wilfred Hessels and his parents run a dairy farm of 85 cows on 60 hectares of land on sandy soil in the Netherlands. They consider grasslands as really important for their farm. While many other Dutch farmers renew their pastures every few years, Wilfred likes the benefits of having older grasslands, especially with the weather getting more extreme. At the farm, most pastures are over 20 years old. These permanent grasslands have a higher organic matter content in the soil compared to temporary grasslands. This enhances resilience to extreme wet and dry conditions and requires less input such as drainage or irrigation. The extensive root structure of old grasslands enables these grasslands to thrive under less optimal growing conditions and fosters a stable and active soil life. Moreover, older grasslands support the growth of local and native herbs, increasing diversity.  

Wilfred also uses a special method to increase diversity alongside the ditches. Ditches need to be regularly cleaned. When all plant material would be removed, there is little possibility for diversity. Instead, they use mowing baskets to catch the above- and below-ground material. This material is left to decompose for a while on the side of the ditch and is then spread on the pasture. This method naturally promotes diversity, which is beneficial for the native flora and fauna. Wilfred sees this as an easy way to improve biodiversity on pastures without compromising productivity. 

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Protecting meadow birds on dairy farms is a considerable challenge, especially in densely populated regions such as the province of South Holland. In this area, Arjan Mulder and his parents run a 90-hectare dairy farm on peat soil. The 150 dairy cows graze on a platform of 65 hectares; the remaining 25 hectares consist of semi-natural grasslands. The goal is to graze for 200 days a year, during which the cows consume about 10 kg of dry matter from fresh grass daily in the summer. Arjan is passionately committed to the conservation of meadow birds on the farm. In spring, he regularly walks rounds across the land to monitor the birds’ behaviour and population numbers. Meadow birds face several threats, including the loss of suitable habitat and predation. To support them, the farm focuses on two main pillars: deterring predators and improving habitat quality. Fences have been strategically placed around the plots to keep predators such as cats, stoats, and polecats out. This gives chicks a better chance to grow safely and leave the nest independently. A remotely controlled gate allows access for cows and machinery without letting unwanted animals in. The farm also implements targeted measures to maintain an attractive habitat. Ten hectares are reserved for delayed mowing, and this area alone hosts about sixty nesting meadow birds annually. Floating nest platforms (rafts) have been placed in the ditches, which are primarily used by black terns — resulting in many successfully fledged chicks. As black terns catch insects from dung pats, this also helps reduce insect pressure on the livestock. In spring, meadow bird nests are located daily to prevent damage from mowing or grazing. Thanks to Arjan’s dedication, the meadow bird population on the farm is thriving. He is therefore determined to continue and further intensify these efforts in the coming years. 

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For dairy farms aiming to optimise milk production while efficiently utilising grassland, it is important to maximise fresh grass intake. The family farm ‘Snip Jerseys’ in the Netherlands milks 85 Jersey cows with an average milk production of 6,800 kg per year (6.2% fat and 4.2% protein). The farm has a grazing platform of 26 hectares. The goal is to maximise fresh grass intake, both by offering fresh grass in the barn and through grazing. The target is an intake of 10 kg of dry matter per cow per day during the full grazing season of 180 days, totalling 1,800 kg of dry matter per cow per year. Karst-Jan Snip, the farmer, sees mowing before grazing (pre-graze mowing) as an effective method to increase fresh grass intake during grazing. Before grazing, he cuts the grass to a height of approximately 8-9 cm. The cows follow directly and eat the mown grass while they continue grazing. This method requires labour and machinery, but Karst-Jan considers pre-graze mowing beneficial for several reasons. First, it prevents seed formation. By pre-graze mowing, the flowering grass plants are eaten rather than left in the field, preserving the quality of the pasture. Second, pre-graze mowing helps control the growth of dock (Rumex obtusifolius), a common issue in the region, by reducing its vigour and preventing seed dispersal. Additionally, Jersey cows readily consume young dock plants, further limiting its growth. Karst-Jan is pleased with the pre-graze mowing method, as it facilitates grazing, results in flat, clean, and uniform fields, and eliminates the need for additional cutting between grazings. 

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Joeri Ham, a dairy farmer in the Netherlands, actively manages the proportion and quality of grass in his cows’ diet by offering two different types of pasture each day. His 70 to 80 dairy cows spend a lot of time grazing by Dutch standards, being outdoors for a significant number of hours annually. Each day, the cows graze in two different fields. While they may remain in the same field for up to three half-days, they always have access to a relatively fresh field for part of the day and an older field during another part. With this approach, the farmer aims to provide a mixed ration on pasture, hoping for a more balanced dry matter intake throughout the day. In the older field, cows tend to consume more stemmy grass, while in the fresher field they primarily eat leafy material. Joeri refers to this system as “modern rotational grazing.” The system is built on a weekly farm walk to assess pasture availability. In spring, fixed wires are used to effectively section off paddocks and maintain an organized workflow. During these walks, the farmer ranks fields from high to low in terms of grass supply, ensuring targeted use of the available forage. Joeri has observed that, despite differences in grass structure and quantity, cows show clear preferences for certain spots and even for specific fields. This highlights the importance of carefully monitoring and managing grazing behaviour to optimize forage utilization. 

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At dairy farm De Riet, located in the floodplains of the IJssel River in the eastern part of the Netherlands, the Lugtenberg family demonstrates how cow health, grazing, and nature-inclusive farming can go hand in hand. The farm keeps 150 MRIJ cows, a traditional Dutch dual-purpose breed used for both milk and meat production that is named after the rivers Meuse, Rhine, and IJssel. The focus of the farm is on keeping cows and calves healthy, aiming for a long and productive lifespan. The average age of the dairy cows at De Riet is six years and seven months, with an average culling age of eight years and five months. The lifespan for cows on the farm is long compared to Dutch standards. This longevity results in a low replacement rate: only 20 calves are retained each year. This not only reduces environmental impact but also saves costs. Grazing is at the core of the farm’s management. The cows are kept outdoors for 230 to 240 days a year (3500 hours a year). The grazing season begins in March, followed by a period of day and night grazing from Mid-April to October. During the hottest part of the year, from July 1st to September 1st, calving is avoided to reduce heat stress of the animals. When the grazing platform becomes drier in summer, around 50 animals are temporarily moved to a nearby nature reserve. These floodplains along the Ijssel River offer abundant grass growth, relieving pressure on the home grazing platform while contributing to nature conservation. The results of this approach are visible both in the barn and on the land: there are few hoof problems, udder health is good, and the cows appear robust and healthy. The Lugtenberg family is an example of a farm that shows that long-living cows and nature-inclusive farming can reinforce each other and contribute to a resilient and sustainable dairy operation. 

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Auke Spijkerman, an organic dairy farmer in the Netherlands, uses seasonal calving to optimize grass utilisation. His 100 dairy cows — a crossbreed of MRIJ, Jersey, and Holstein — graze on a 40-hectare grazing platform. The total farm area is 80 hectares, including 40 young stock alongside the 100 cows. Calving on the farm is seasonal, with approximately 60% of the cows calving in spring and 40% in autumn. Spring calving aligns well with the natural growth of grasslands, ensuring ample high-quality forage for freshly calved cows. The cows graze the same paddock 7 to 8 times per year. On average, cows are turn out when pre-grazing yield reaches 1,500 kg of dry matter per hectare. The goal is to graze down tightly to prevent formation of tall patches. It’s a careful balance between optimising milk production and optimising grass utilisation. With 3,500 grazing hours annually, the farm sources around 55–60% of the cows’ diet from fresh grass. The spring peak in grass growth is fully utilized. This approach demonstrates how strategic alignment of calving and grass growth can support an efficient and sustainable dairy farming system. 

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Rudi de Wilde and his parents run a dairy farm with 130 dairy cows and young stock in the Netherlands. They combine grazing with automatic milking (GEA), using a 20-hectare grazing platform for this purpose. In addition to the grazing platform, they also have fields for maize and natural grassland. During the grazing season, the cows spend about four to five hours outside each day. They go out in the morning and return to the barn around midday. Bringing the cows back is done with the help of a specially trained dog. By making use of the dog’s natural herding instincts, less physical labour is required, making the process more efficient. The dog — a Border Collie mix — instinctively drives the cows from behind and guides them back to the barn. Rudi only needs to walk with them for a short distance before the dog takes over the work independently. This saves time and effort, and the cows have become fully accustomed to this routine. The system works very well on their farm. 

In general, using a (Border Collie-type) dog to herd cows is a practical and efficient solution. It reduces labour requirements and makes the job easier. By leveraging the dog’s innate instincts, efficiency is improved. However, it is essential that the dog is well trained and properly handled. 

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Jan Coppelmans is a dairy farmer from Wintelre. He keeps 100 dairy cows on light sandy soil on 30 hectares. Three years ago, he started grazing his cows. The main reason for this was the societal preference to see cows in the pasture.  

Since Jan Coppelmans does not have enough pasture to graze the entire herd, he only grazes part of the herd. Therefore, it is especially important for Jan to make the most efficient use of the available space. 

This is why Jan purchased a herd of Jersey cows last year. His experiences so far are as follows: 

• Jerseys consume less feed at the feed fence 
• The heifers quickly learn to graze 
• They seem to be natural grazers, which is why Jan wants to continue with them 
• Jerseys produce less milk, but it is richer and ‘thicker’ 

Jan suggests that Jerseys are an efficient breed, known for producing high-quality milk with relatively lower feed requirements. He believes that incorporating more Jerseys could contribute to a more sustainable approach in Dutch agriculture. Additionally, their ability to thrive on pasture makes them well-suited to the country’s landscape. However, others might have differing views on the ideal breed selection to achieve these goals.

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Christian Swolfs from Woudrichem has 60 dairy cows on a mixed farm of 35 hectares. For the past 10 years, he has been milking with a milking robot. His challenge is to graze the cows for as long as possible to increase the grass intake, while ensuring that the cows return indoors on time to be milked.  

A selection gate is an important tool for Christian Swolfs to control the movements of the cows as effectively as possible. The selection gate is set up based on siesta grazing: the cows have the opportunity to go to pasture in the morning and in the afternoon. The grazing system differs between seasons: 

• Spring and fall: strip grazing with a new strip of grass in the morning and evening. When the strip is finished, the cows return indoors to be milked. 
• Summer: continuous grazing. This way, the cows get enough grass even with less grass growth. 

Additionally, Christian improves his grassland in the following ways with the aim of enhancing grass quality: 

• Sowing red and white clover to increase nitrogen fixation 
• Water level controlled drainage of grasslands using dams in surrounding ditches to maintain grass growth in times of drought 

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Maiko Kemp runs an organic dairy farm in Kortenhoef, near Hilversum (110 dairy cows, sheep and some pigs, sand/peat soil). The farm is located in the Randstad area, a densely populated urban region in the western part of the Netherlands, with many nearby residents. There are many citizens who come by and like to visit the farm. Therefore, Maiko Kemp likes to involve citizens in the farm work so they can understand what’s happening. 

Citizens are given the opportunity to help, particularly by guiding the cows across the road from the farm to the pasture. Because the grazing block is divided into three blocks, that are split by roads, cows have to cross the road when grazing. Citizens help the cows cross safely. 

This initiative was created by the citizens themselves. One neighbor started helping Maiko while he was getting the cows across the street. And soon more people followed. Then the idea came to create a WhatsApp group. Through this WhatsApp group, Maiko can easily announce that the cows are going to the pasture and citizens can sign up to help. By now, the WhatsApp group consists of about 15 participants. The citizens come in large numbers to help, wearing reflection vests for traffic safety. Sometimes, they also help with removing dock (Rumex). The citizens receive a small annual payment for their efforts in the form of a dairy or meat package. 

Maiko sees citizen participation as a great advantage. It allows him to graze his cows over a large area without having to spend much time doing it himself. Maiko encourages other dairy farmers to explore opportunities for citizen participation in their own areas. 

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Hanny and Hielke de Rooij of Farm “De Heerlijkheid” in the Netherlands manage approximately 180 dairy cows along with associated young stock on approximately 100 hectares of land, predominantly permanent grasslands. In addition to the 90 hectares of grasslands, there are 10 hectares of maize and 1 hectare of alfalfa. Both automation and diversification are found on the farm. Some years ago, the farmers introduced automatic milking. Their main challenge is to maximize grazing for the cows on their relatively small grazing platform of 22 hectares in combination with robotic milking. To achieve this, they divided the herd into two groups. The first group is allowed to graze and goes through the pasture gate around 04:00 in the morning to plot 1, while the second group goes out around 06:00 to plot 2. The first group returns inside around 09:00/09:30, and the second group can stay outside until about 12:00. This two-group method has resulted in increased grazing hours for all cows compared to the previous single-group situation, as it encouraged more individual animal behaviour and grazing time. It needed, however, some perseverance as it was not easy to realise.  

Diversity is another important theme for the farmers. They are incorporating more herbs into their grasslands with the aim of having at least 15 different herbs on the herb-rich pastures. Direct sowing is done into the grasslands using a simple 3-meter seeder with a small amount of seed, both in spring and fall. They choose a high sowing frequency and a low amount of seed due to the variable success of sowing.  

Overall, automation and diversification have proven successful on the farm, demonstrating the importance of perseverance and adaptability in agricultural practices. 

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Johnny van der Zanden runs a dairy farm in Dreumel, Gelderland, on river clay soil. He manages 135 dairy cows on a grazing platform of 40 hectares of grassland, using two milking robots. His challenge is to balance grazing time with ensuring that the cows spend enough time in the barn to be milked. 

A selection gate placed directly behind the milking robots helps distribute milking times throughout the day, effectively optimizing the robots’ capacity. 

Johnny employs two grazing systems: 

• During favourable weather: Compartmented continuous grazing, where cows graze one plot for two days before being moved to the next. 
• During less favourable weather: Strip grazing to maintain adequate grass availability. Johnny finds strip grazing more convenient when mowing or fertilising is necessary. 

Johnny remains flexible in his approach, as grass growth, temperature, sunlight, and animal behaviour constantly change. He continuously adjusts his grazing strategy based on these factors. 

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Sustainable farming can be achieved by supplying as few inputs as possible, such as artificial fertilizers and concentrates, and by using the natural resources as much as possible. Based on this philosophy, Kees van Wezel from Roosendaal (Netherlands, 68 ha, sandy soil, 140 pro-CROSS dairy cows (Holstein x Montbéliarde x Viking Red) and 2 milking robots) works with grazing in herb-rich grasslands. 

The herb-rich grasslands consist of a mix of grasses (such as timothy and cocksfoot), herbs (such as sainfoin, salad burnet, chicory), and clovers (such as red clover and white clover) which gives a lot of biodiversity and a stable grassland production. The herb-rich grasslands were established by re-seeding using rye as a cover crop. After the second year, each year 5-10 kilo of herbs per hectare is overseeded. In addition, irrigation of the herb-rich grasslands helps to maintain the herbs in the sward. The plots are fertilized with solid manure and bokashi, manure from the grazing cows and supplemental slurry if necessary. 

Kees considers it important that the herb-rich grasslands are not grazed too short, to about 10-15 of grass height, to protect soil life and to ensure rapid plant regrowth. He also allows the plants to grow for longer periods. This is achieved through strip grazing with a lead and back fence, where fresh grass is provided several times a day. Grass that remains is not considered a loss, but rather a yield for the next cut. 

Also with this management, ensuring that the cows get enough dry matter remains a challenge. Another challenge is the drought sensitivity of the herb-rich grasslands on this sandy soil. However, to achieve better harmony with nature, Kees van Wezel believes that a transition from “flat and tight” to dynamic herb-rich grasslands is beneficial. 

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Being able to graze cows long enough in combination with a milking robot is often a challenge. This is the experience of dairy farmer Roger Brosens from Wouwse Plantage (Netherlands, 125 ha, 125 dairy cows, 2 milking robots, Planet Proof).  

Grazing gives the farmer peace of mind. While the animals are outside, the cubicles can be cleaned properly. Grazing can also result in better animal health, and is rewarded by the dairy cooperatives through a premium. 

To let the cows go outside, a pasture selection box is used. This box determines whether the cows can go outside or whether they should stay inside. Between sunrise and 10:00 a.m. and between 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., the pasture selection box gives the cows that have been milked access to the pasture, and between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. and between 9:00 p.m. and sunrise, the selection box remains closed, keeping the cows inside.  

Roger experiences that the cows go outside faster when an alarm clock radio is linked to the times of the pasture selection box. The alarm clock radio is placed on top of the pasture selection box and begins playing for 1 hour at the time that outside access begins. Because the cows have paired the sound of the alarm clock radio with pasture access, this works well. 

Roger Brosens states that the combination of grazing and automatic milking is very well possible,  if you have enough grazing area around your barn. He uses the “Nieuw Nederlands Weiden” system (“New Dutch Grazing”: compartmented continuous grazing, i.e. an adapted set-stocking system in which the cows rotate on a daily basis between 4-7 compartments on one platform). 

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Reducing variable costs and improving milk yield and quality are the objectives of farmers who sell their sheep milk to industries/cooperatives and receive a payment based on milk quality. Forage mixtures based on complementary functional groups and self-reseeding species can help to meet these objectives. A functional group includes species that share the same characteristics within a mixture, i.e. legumes (L), grasses (G) or herbs (H). Self-reseeding species can regenerate dense stands in the following years without soil tilling, as long as animals are excluded from grazing from the beginning of flowering till seed falling in the soil (3-4 months) in the establishment year. A six-species three-functional group-based mixture was sown in a Mediterranean farm. The forage species had local origin and were well adapted to the soil pH (7.1): self-reseeding rigid ryegrass (G); self-reseeding burr medic and subterranean clover, and the short-lived perennial Italian sainfoin (L); perennial plantain and chicory (H). Rigid ryegrass quickly covers the soil after seeding. Annual legumes are high-quality species for winter and early spring, and suitable to heavily grazing by sheep. Italian sainfoin is highly productive in drought-prone conditions, contains moderate levels of condensed tannins which mitigate methane emission and boosts milk production. Finally, plantain and chicory are tap-rooted drought-tolerant perennial plants rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatories and contribute to the control of gastrointestinal parasites in lambs and sheep. These biodiverse mixtures contribute to reduced use of fertilisers, chemicals and agricultural inputs and improved milk quality and cheese yield. 

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Managing grazing to improve pasture productivity and animal intake is a general objective of beef farms, but it has a special importance where herbage production is scarce, and biomass is valuable to produce hay stocks. That is the case of silvo-pastoral systems in the Mediterranean region, where beef cattle commonly graze freely. The use of rationed and rotational grazing can improve herbage intake by cattle and pasture composition and quality. The farmer Gian Mario Costaggiu runs a farm which features both semi-natural permanent pastures, overseeded in late-summer, and annual pastures, sown in early autumn. Water availability on pastures is guaranteed by the presence of concrete troughs fed by spring or well water. To improve pasture utilisation by animals, the farmer adopted rationed grazing management in permanent pastures during the most favourable season (spring). Electric fences are used to delimit areas of about 3,000 square meters in which animals graze two hours a day for a maximum of three consecutive days to favour the complete grass utilisation. Rotational grazing on small paddocks is used on annual forage crops. In the latter case, paddocks are delimited by wire fences and electric fences. Finally, animals graze freely during summer months and drought periods on stubbles and dry vegetation. Animal rations are integrated with grain-legume seed mixtures accordingly to the animal needs in each season. The effect of this management on animals is to increase their herbage intake and improve weight gain with less biomass waste, which is valuable for haymaking. Moreover, pastures are protected from overgrazing. 

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The demand for more sustainable livestock farming systems, high quality and authentically genuine animal products by consumers can be a challenge to satisfy for many farms that raise high-specialised breeds in milk or meat production. Breeding dual purpose breeds could be a more sustainable option than specialised breeds. This is the choice made by two Italian farmers that decided to raise the Italian Red Pied cattle breed in their silvopastoral farm with the aim to produce high-quality, possibly grass-fed and authentically genuine meat for the local market using their own pastures and hay stocks. The Italian Red Pied has a docile temperament, an exceptional adaptability to the hot temperatures during summer and a good health as it is highly resistant to diseases. Also, the calving is easy and usually does not require veterinary interventions. This breed performs well on the natural pastures of the farm. Moreover, it has a high carcass quality and suckling cows longevity is high as well (20 years). The farmers chose to raise the breed according to the cow-calf line, but unlike the traditional way diffused in local beef farms, where calves are sold for fattening after weaning, they keep calves on pastures until the age of 14-16 months before slaughtering. Moreover, they opted for natural mating and outcrossing, with no birth synchronisation, and wild grazing in wooded paddocks used under a rotational scheme to promote pasture re-growth. Their animals are free from stress and the quality of their meat is excellent. Moreover, the farmers can reconcile work and family life, thanks to the workload reduction associated to this animal management. 

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Sociedade Agrícola Vargas Madeira is located in Mértola and manages an area of around 950 hectares within the Guadiana Valley Natural Park. Of this area, 85% is permanent grassland, including some Montado agroforestry system, which is in decline. The remaining 15% of the area is used to produce forages for animal feed. It has two thousand sheep of the Campaniça breed and a small nucleus of cows of the Alentejo breed. One of the major problems on the farm, and in the region in general, is the increase in drought periods, which has reduced the availability of forage for animal feed. The adoption of rotational grazing began five years ago as a labour management practice, but there has been an improvement and an increase in grassland productivity. In practice, they reduced the size of the parks from 25–30 hectares to 5–7 hectares and divided the herd into groups of 600 or 750 animals. In this way, they were able to achieve, on the one hand, greater grazing pressure, and better use of the grassland, and on the other, greater reproductive control of the herd.

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Silvopastoral systems are characterized by the presence of trees where the understorey forage is grazed by animals throughout the year. The proper design of these systems can improve the availability of forage, provides shade during summer, maintains a high level of biodiversity and promotes the release of ecosystem services, the economic diversification of the farm and the animal welfare. Sometimes the understorey pastures alone are insufficient to sustain an economically viable animal production. An inspirational example of an improved design of these systems can be found on the farm of Gianmario and Luca Sanna, lying in Mediterranean environment. The objective of the farmers is to increase the availability of mixed-use temporary grasslands to complement understorey pastures, and possibly become self-sufficient in hay and grain production. Their decision involved the cleaning of shrubs and the understorey, the thinning and pruning trees, predominantly downy oaks, to lighten and give an upright habitus to the tree crowns, as well as the cultivation of mixed-use pastures, i.e. binary mixtures of ryegrass and clovers, which are used under a rotational management including understorey pastures. The trees are maintained at the right height, size and density of the tree crown by pruning branches and suckers. The farmers prune downy oak trees after the appearance of leaves, which are palatable for sheep and represent a useful diet integration when pastures begin to dry because of summer drought. Acorns are eaten as well by sheep. The example from the Mediterranean farm demonstrates how a well-planned design of these systems can lead to sustainable management, ensuring both animal welfare and integrated resource exploitation. 

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Supporting sheep lactation with permanent pastures is a convenient practice both for economic and environmental aspects. Pasture potential depends on soil traits and species present on pasture, as well as on grazing management. Part-time rotational grazing of improved or semi-natural permanent pastures is carried out as management practice in many sheep farms. The sheep farm of G. Pulinas in Sardinia adapted this type of grazing management to the local conditions and sheep grazing preferences. Grazing starts at the early stages of grass growth, when the grass height is about 4-5 cm because plants already have deep roots and sheep cannot damage them. Sheep graze only one day in each grazing paddock, from 9-10 to 16 o’clock. Then, the following day, they are moved to another paddock. This helps pastures to recover promptly from sheep trampling and to re-grow faster because sheep leave an adequate amount of green photosynthesizing plant parts. The pasture surface is always covered with grass and protected from the runoff. Moreover, the farmer assessed that lactation is stimulated by the fresh pasture, because sheep have a higher intake rate. There are 8 grazing plots on the farms, which area spans from 2 to 6 hectares, depending on pasture quality and terrain limitations. The daily rotation of pastures does not involve all of them, but the farmer alternates 2-3 paddocks for a certain period to let sheep graze all the grass and then he moves them to new paddocks. This management can be applied also with the use of mobile fences within the same paddock. 

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Agricultural hilly soils are often prone to erosion and soil degradation occurs especially when temporary crops that leave the soil bare for a long time are sown, as well as heavy-mechanization and traditional tillage are used, reducing yields and the value of lands. The use of conservative soil tillage can help solving this issue, controlling soil erosion. In Mediterranean livestock farms, the problem is particularly acute. A solution comes from the application of no-till techniques for seeding, possibly in combination with the cultivation of permanent pastures. Being partner of an Operational Group, a farmer could compared the benefits derived from no-till vs minimum soil tillage preceeding the seeding of self-reseeding pasture mixtures in early November. In one case, he controlled weeds with glyphosate (0.5 l/ha) sprayed after a late-summer rain (20 mm) that stimulated weed germination and then sowed; in the other case, he broke up the soil to 20 cm deep after rainfall, and then harrowed, seeded with a precision seeder. DAP was broadcasted before (150 kg/ha) and rolling was carried out after both seedings. Two tailored-made mixtures were used, differing only for the presence of barley or rigid ryegrass, in combination with clovers and herbs bought on the market. Both mixtures covered well the soil. No-tillage allowed abetter control of soil erosion before and after the mixture establishment. The no-till technique has great potential, but it requires a general knowledge of its pros and cons in different environments and soils, as well as the suitability of the dedicated equipment to the specific farm conditions.  

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Reducing variable costs is a requirement on many livestock farms, as well as optimising the daily farming routines to counter the lack of skilled manpower. Introducing legumes in pastures helps to reduce the use of fertilisers and concentrates. In a Mediterranean dairy sheep farm, pastures are cultivated in paired paddocks: each grass or cereal pastures is sown nearby a pure-legume pasture or a legume-based pasture. Sheep graze after the morning milking, which is the only one carried out per day, despite a small loss of milk yield (5%) compared to the twice a day milking. Each day, sheep graze on the grass or cereal pastures in the morning, and in the pure-legume or legume-based pastures in the afternoon (part-time grazing). During springtime and long days, sheep complete their forage ration grazing again on the grass-based pasture. The farmer adjusts accordingly the administrations of concentrates, considering grass availability and quality of pastures. Clean water is available in each paddock. A rotational grazing scheme is applied in the management of paired paddocks (from 1 to 2-3 days or more, depending on grass growth). Grazing grasses or cereals first and then legumes has two advantages: preventing health disorders related to the consumption of legumes in sheep and, legumes have a better quality in late morning. With this management, sheep increase their grass and protein intake, and the farmer enjoys more free time in the evening, when he only has to recover sheep and feeding them hay. The legume-based pastures can be annual, but it requires annual soil tillage, or permanent crops, when self-reseeding legumes are preferred (e.g. subterranean clover, burr medic). This latter choice would allow to save fuel and time and preserve soil. 

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Alexander Agethle and his family run an organic dairy farm at 1,000 metres a.s.l in “Mals”, located in in South Tyrol (Italy). Currently, they manage 12 hectares of grassland. The milk from their 13 local Tyrolean Brown Swiss dairy cows is processed into cheese and directly marketed. 

The grazing management is challenging. The land belonging to the farm is highly fragmented, with small non-contiguous paddocks surrounding the farmstead. Despite the land fragmentation, Alexander drives his cows to the short-sward pasture early in spring. The farmer´s passion for seeing animals grazing is his motivation for undertaking the daily cattle drive.  

During the summer months, the animals graze on a mountain alpine pasture. Throughout this period, the pastures around the farmstead are fertilised with compost and mown at least once.  

Grazing also offers economic advantages for the farm, as it reduces the need for machinery. The animals feeding themselves, offering an economic advantage to the farm.  

The family´s commitment to grazing reflects their dedication to sustainability, as proven by the successful direct marketing of their cheese products.  

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Herdade da Torre is a family farm with 7200 hectares located in Torre das Vargens, in Ponte-de-Sôr (Center of Portugal). 700 ha have eucaliptus, and of the rest, around 5500 ha are Montado area (mixed system with cork trees), and 1000 ha are pasture (200 ha irrigated). The farm adopts an agro-silvopastoral system, integrating around 400 cows and 200 steers. The aim of the new livestock management system is to synchronize birthings so that they can put together all the birthing animals, guaranteeing the best management and welfare and at the same time balancing the farm’s cash flow by distributing the profit over all the months of the year. On the other hand, through artificial insemination and genetic improvement, it is possible to obtain animals with the optimum characteristics for their production, increasing the farm’s productivity and reducing costs. Another aim is to test the practice of intensive grazing, to assess soil improvement and natural regeneration. Through this practice, it is possible to reduce fertilizer costs and there is the possibility that grazing will offer advantages to the soil, the pasture, and the carbon cycle. The main principle in this activity is that the land has time to regenerate and recover after grazing, as it will only be used for a long time afterward. 

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Daily grazing of the Original Braunvieh cattle is a special form of social cohesion for the farmer’s family. It is an attraction for other villagers and tourists who enjoy observing the animals along the roads, hiking trails and cycle paths.  

Günther Wallnöfer uses these daily interactions with consumers to highlight and to explain the benefits of grassland farming and mountain agriculture. Additionally, he actively engages in conversations with people outside the farming community. For the farmer, this communication with consumers is crucial to encourage the local and direct purchase of products from the farms. This plays a significant role in sustaining the economic security of farming families. 

The farm delivers the milk from its 22 dairy cows to a local dairy cooperative. During summer, most of the animals graze on the alpine pasture because of to the high temperatures in the valley and the presence of mosquitoes. The cheese produced on the summer pasture is marketed directly by the farm and thus generates a higher income. In general, direct marketing plays an important role for the farm. This makes possible to run the farm as a full-time business. 

The grazing areas at the farmstead are fragmented and small sized, requiring considerable effort for fencing and frequent paddock changes. Nevertheless, grazing significantly reduces machinery and energy costs.  

Despite the considerable effort involved, grazing fits in very well with the Wallnöfer family’s business concept. The social component in particular motivates the family to continue grazing. 

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Managing pastures on steep slopes presents a dual challenge for farmers: minimizing erosion damage while ensuring mechanical workability despite treading damages caused by cows. 

At the Premstaller family’s Ötzerhof farm in Durnholz, South Tyrol, the cows graze on areas with an average slope of around 50%. It is also important for the farmers to have a suitable land management that will enable the mowing of the steep grasslands.  

The compartmented short sward grazing system enables the farmers to guide the animals precisely across the area. This does not only promote effective grazing management, but also facilitates the constant regeneration of the grass. During rainy weather, less steeper paddocks can be used. Implemented trough hourly grazing with the animals returning to the barn to ruminate and rest, this system preserves the land, prevents the formation of lying patches, and mitigates problematic nutrient loads. 

The choice to use the Tyrolean Grey cattle breed, a local breed adapted to the alpine conditions with the ability to produce milk under limited resources, is crucial for grazing on steep slopes.  

For the Premstaller family, the main advantage of grazing on steep slopes is that the animals are farmed according to the guidelines of organic farming. Additionally, high-quality feed is provided from the farm’s own grassland. This means that the farm has significant savings on expenditures for the purchase of concentrated feed (30-50%). 

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On the Laatscher Alm, at an altitude of 2,020-2,350 metres a.s.l, rotational grazing is implemented across 10 paddocks. 58 dairy cows graze on the alpine pasture from the beginning of June to the beginning of September, covering an area of approximately 100 hectares. Minimal external feed is given to the cattle during this period.   

To make use of the whole growing season, which has shifted forward due to climate change, the farmer Elmar Frank consistently advances the start of the grazing period each year. This practice challenges the traditional schedule for commencing and concluding the summer alpine grazing season, setting it apart from other dairy pastures in South Tyrol.  

Early grazing ensures the optimal use of the first protein-rich grass of the year. The advantage of rotational grazing is that the areas remain free of shrubs, leading to an increase in grass density and more uniformly grazed paddocks.  

Despite a significant reduction of forage supplementation in comparison to the previous management, this approach not only ensures a good milk yield but also enhances the overall grass growth and density.  

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The farm “Oberniederhof” specialized in beef production, is located in Schnalstal, South Tyrol. The farmer Fabian Tappeiner has chosen a suckler-cow husbandry system for ethical reasons. The calves, whether male or female, stay with their mother until weaning, ensuring a natural and gradual separation between calf and cow.  

What´s distinctive for this farm is the combination of grazing close to the farmstead pastures and grazing on the summer mountain pastures. This gives the animals the opportunity to graze throughout the entire vegetation period. On the alpine pastures  at the “Mitterkaser Alm”, situated at 2000 meters a.s.l, the animals have access to 240ha from early July to mid-September. Here, the suckler cows and pregnant cows are kept in 3 paddocks near the alpine hut. 

During the grazing period at the summer mountain pastures, neither conserved forage nor concentrates are fed to the cows. Keeping the animals at the summer mountain pastures, significantly saves time for the farmer allowing to focus on tasks like forage harvesting, direct marketing and guest services.  

The beef produced on this grassland-based cattle fattening farm can be effectively marketed directly by the farm. 

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The goat farm “Trumsberg”, owned by the Stecher family, is located over Kastelbell at 1,450 metres a.s.l. The milk from their 50 dairy goats is processed on-site in the farm dairy and the cheese is directly marketed. 

The family attaches great importance to animal health and welfare. This is a reason why the family decided to keep goats, as these animals are well-suited for grazing on the farm´s steep slopes.  

During spring, the pastures near to the farm buildings are managed as short sward grazing systems, while in summer, the goats are kept on summer alpine pastures at a remote location. The summer pastures are used in common with other farms and don´t need to be directly managed by the Stecher´s family. The reduction of workload over the summer months gives the family the opportunity for a break and enables the farm to be successfully run as a side business.  

Grazing in general, but in particular on the alpine pastures, serves as an ideal combination to minimise parasite pressure within the goat herd and ensure animal health. Individual animal deworming is based on the results of faecal sample tests, which reduces the use of anthelmintics. 

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Maximising labour and feed efficiency, especially when using your own forage, is a pivotal issue for all livestock farms.  

The Stockner family at Schnagererhof has developed over many years a pasture-specialized management system aiming at matching cattle needs and grass availability while minimising labour and resources.   

The key steps in this process were the introduction of full grazing in combination with a short sward grazing system and seasonal spring calving. There was also a switch from an all-year-round indoor housing with Braunvieh breed to a grazing-based production with the Jersey breed.   

By consistently focusing on an intensive grazing system, the farm achieves the best forage quality from the permanent pastures and produces fully grass-based milk. By not using concentrated feed, there is no food competition with humans.   

Grazing significantly reduces work processes in the field: fertilisation, mowing, field curing and harvesting of forage are strongly reduced. This leads to a considerable reduction in the amount of machinery required and therefore in fuel consumption.   

Seasonal calving allows taking a break of about 8-12 weeks from milking during the winter, which increases the family’s life quality.  

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Preliminary data from research studies have shown plantain, a forage herb, has been shown to complement PRG-WC swards by further increasing milk production efficiency while reducing the risk of nitrogen leaching and nitrous oxide emissions. In a series of experiments in New Zealand, the inclusion of plantain was demonstrated to increase the overall nitrogen use efficiency of lactating dairy cows by partitioning a greater proportion of the excreted nitrogen into faeces rather than urine and alter the animal’s urinary physiology, resulting in waste with a lower nitrogen concentration. 

Michael Doran has tested different perennial ryegrass and white clover varieties on his swards in Co. Wexford. He recently wanted to test how plantain would work on his farm and has included it in half of his new reseeds on the farm. Michael farms around 2km the sea and there is a long growing season. The farm is 170 ha (25ha in cereal rest in grassland). There are 245 cows on the milking platform. To incorporate plantain 1kg/ acre is included in reseeds with white clover and ryegrass in the last 3 years. From a management point of view Michael no longer sprays herbicide post establishment of seed after reseeding as there is no plantain, clover and ryegrass safe herbicide. Michael also sees the cows do not find the sward as palatable in spring but once they have that grazing completed there is no difference for the remainder of the grazing season.  

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Billy, along with his wife Anne, operate a contract heifer rearing system, rearing over 200 heifers a year. The system has changed over the years, moving from a mixed system consisting of an autumn-calving suckling system, a spring-lambing flock and tillage enterprise.  

Billy and Anne operate a contract rearing system. Contract heifer rearing is a written agreement whereby the dairy farmer supplies a heifer to be reared at an agreed fee per head per day. In return the contract rearer undertakes to care for and return an in-calf heifer in good condition. The replacement heifers may be moved from and returned to the owner’s farm at different ages depending on the individual agreements made. 

On the Gilmore farm, calves are gradually turned out to grass after arriving on the farm and Billy puts a huge emphasis on the importance of grass measuring for the calves and year-old heifers. This ensures animals have high quality grass ahead of them and allows Billy and Anne to reduce the inputs of concentrate and feed animals from majority home-produced forage in the diet. This reduces the overall costs.  

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Killian Brennan farms in Kilcogy, Co. Cavan with his wife Madeline and their 3 children. The Brennan’s farm on a 34ha milking platform with 113 cows and have a 20ha support out block and all their young stock are contract reared. The farm has put an emphasis on improving soil fertility and incorporating clover over the last 10 years. White clover for the grazing paddocks and red clover for the silage paddocks is included in the reseeding programme on the farm. They have also spent money on upgrading and putting in cambered roadways to improve access to paddocks. They have also included astroturf on high volume areas of the roadways to improve cow flow and help reduce lameness. There are multiple access points to every part of the paddock and this has allowed the cows to have increased days at grass on their farm. 

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Spur roadways play a crucial role in enhancing both cow grazing and sustainability on Irish dairy farms, particularly during challenging weather conditions. By providing easier access to distant pastures, spur roadways help maintain efficient grazing rotations, ensuring that cows can move to fresh, high-quality grass without damaging the pasture or compacting the soil. This effective use of spur roadways not only supports optimal milk production by enabling cows to graze on well-managed paddocks but also reduces the need for supplemental feed, which lowers both costs and the farm’s environmental impact. In addition, spur roadways contribute to improved cow welfare and farm sustainability by facilitating increased days at grass and reducing environmental degradation, making them a valuable investment for long-term farm productivity. 

Spur roadways are especially beneficial during early spring and late autumn, when conditions are typically wet and paddocks are more vulnerable to damage. These roadways are narrow, usually the width of a single cow, and allow cows to access different sections of a field, minimizing damage to the pasture. Installed off the main cow roadways, spur roadways are primarily used in wet grazing conditions when traditional routes may be impassable. 

James Barber, a spring-calving, pasture-based dairy farmer in Co. Laois, has recently upgraded his grazing infrastructure by incorporating multiple spur roadways. With 7 spur roadways now in place, James can access 21 paddocks, which has allowed him to continue grazing into the autumn and early spring, when many other local farmers are feeding silage. The system James has implemented enables him to divide paddocks into multiple grazing areas, using 12-hour grazing breaks to prevent cows from re-accessing areas that have already been grazed. The spur roadways are fenced with wooden stakes and feature multiple access points, allowing for easy movement of cows in a single file. 

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Global positioning system (GPS) has been incorporated into agricultural machinery to improve the accuracy and evenness of fertiliser spreading to optimise yield and grass quality and to protect the environment. One of the biggest savings results from switching the spreader on and off at the correct time when turning at the headland. Headland control and getting the ins and outs right is particularly important for grassland farmers. Farmers can also set the spreader to spread lower amounts particularly if clover is incorporated on farm. 

Denis O Dea farms in Limerick, Ireland. The farm is a pasture-based spring calving dairy farm and they spread their own fertiliser using a GPS system. They want to improve efficiency when spreading fertiliser and reduce any waste. Denis finds the system simple to use. It is easy to calibrate and allows them to spread their desired level of fertiliser when required.  

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Farming in partnership with a family member has been encouraged in a succession farm partnership by the Irish Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine since 2017. This is to combat the fact that one in three farmers in Ireland are over the normal retirement age (65) and only one in 20 farmers are under the age of 35. The aim is to try to change the apparent reluctance to legally transfer lands to the next generation; it encourages the transfer of farm assets to the next generation, while also providing some security for the transferors by allowing them retain ownership of up to 20% of their farm assets. The initiative allows young farmers to become involved in the farm operations with their parents and integrate into the management of the farm business at an earlier stage. In order for farms to remain competitive, the partnership also provides an opportunity to increase scale, maintain security of labour and improve quality of life through better work–life balance, while also enhancing farm safety. It will also assist in reducing rural isolation and improve the social demographics of Irish farms. The partnership gives younger generations responsibility and decision making powers and is an important step in the development of the young person as a farmer. It provides an ideal transition of the farm business from parent to child. All parties remain involved in the day-to-day running of the enterprise. Responsibilities are shared as agreed in the partnership agreement. As the successor now has a share in the profits, they are incentivised to really get involved, take responsibility and develop the farm business. Evan Hunt farms in partnership with his father John in Tobercurry Co. Sligo. They are currently milking 128 cows on 52ha. Evan and John began their partnership in 2019 and expanded from milking approximate 60 cows to nearly double now. They plan to increase to 140 cows.

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Robert O Dea has always wanted to maximise utilisation in his pastures, and he considers grass utilisation to being key to his success as a dairy farmer. With the view to improving his grass allocation, Robert measures grass on a weekly basis. Robert uses the cut and weigh method. First, a representative area of the paddock is selected, avoiding biased factors such as gaps or waterlogged areas. The grass is then cut to a predetermined height, typically the target post-grazing height (e.g., 4 cm), using a grass shears. The equation used to calculate the dry matter (DM) yield in a paddock is, the weight of grass (kg) x grass DM% x 40,000 (Number of quadrats in a Ha) = kg DM/ha. Robert follows table 1 when determining the DM of his grass. The weekly grass-walk determines the herbage mass (kg DM/ha) of each paddock using the cut-and-weigh-technique. The results are then fed into the Pasture Base application. “Pasture Base Ireland” (PBI) is a decision support tool that helps pasture-based farmers to better manage their grazing and make decisions. Robert uses the Pasture Base app to efficiently manage his pasture and livestock. He regularly enters weekly grass cover estimations to monitor pasture growth, records grazing events to track when and where livestock graze, and logs fertilizer applications with details like type, amount, and date. He also inputs livestock data, such as numbers, feed intake, and milk production. Additionally, Robert uploads soil tests and other relevant data, helping him make informed decisions and optimize farm management.  

After several years of weekly grass walks and the use of PBI for grass allocation, Robert has seen a better utilisation of his herbage produced and has made better decisions around his grassland management which led to improved production on his farm and reduced the input costs. Robert benefits from the Pasture Base Ireland (PBI) tools by using the PBI app for easy and quick data entry. 

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Pasture-based farmers in Ireland are recommended to reseed paddocks on their grazing platform yearly. There are many beneficial reasons for reseeding perennial ryegrass dominant pastures. It will provide more grass in the shoulder periods (early spring and late autumn). Response to nitrogen is improved by 25% compared to old permanent pasture. Paddocks have higher feeding quality and a faster re-growth after grazing. To help select varieties for intensively grazed paddocks on the platform Teagasc developed the Pasture Profit Index (https://www.teagasc.ie/news–events/daily/grassland/identifying-the-best-perennial-ryegrass-varieties-when-reseeding.php). This evaluates varieties performance in the grazing utilisation, quality, spring/autumn DM and other traits such as silage harvest.  

Michael Gowen is a spring calving dairy farmer in a pasture-based system in Kilworth Co. Cork. To improve the productivity of his paddocks Michael reseeds 10% of his farm area yearly. To reseed previously Michael used to plough however, they have now adopted a disc and one pass system where the seed is rolled in. Michael measures grass weekly and it helps him evaluate how different paddocks are performing on his farm. For example, how diploids are performing compared to tetraploids. Now Michael feels that tetraploids are superior in terms of graze out performance from the cows and the grass quality is better. When selecting a variety Michael looks for good spring growth rates, reasonable mid-season quality and a grass variety that is palatable to the cows within the Pasture Profit Index. Alongside ryegrass, Michael incorporates white clover into paddocks to reduce reliance on chemical nitrogen and improve sward quality in the mid-season. Other varieties such as plantain have also been trialled.  

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PastureBase Ireland (PBI) is a free decision support tool for grassland farmers. It has a range of tools available to farmers to assist in short, medium and long-term farm management decisions. With the rising incorporation of clover on farm it is important that farmers are enabled with knowledge to make decisions on farm. Clover scoring has been incorporated as a decision support tool on PBI. This allows farmers to account for their clover percent on farm and they can make decisions to reduce chemical nitrogen if there is an adequate clover content (between 20-40%) on their paddocks.  

Mark Bateman runs a dairy farm in Warrenscourt, Co. Cork. He has implemented clover on farm and utilises the clover scoring app and it helps him to make decisions on whether to reduce chemical nitrogen on his grazing swards. Overall, Mark has reduced his reliance on chemical nitrogen by measuring the clover content on his farm and reducing chemical nitrogen on his clover paddocks with a content over 20%.  

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The focus of autumn grazing management in an Irish pasture-based system is to increase the number of days at grass and improve animal performance, but also to set the farm up during the final rotation to grow grass over winter and provide grass the following spring. Generally, rotation length should be extended from 10 August. The focus of this period is to gradually build pre-grazing covers, targeting covers of 2,000kg to 2,200kg DM/ha in mid-September.  

Mike Bermingham farms in partnership with his wife Tina and daughters Sarah and Kayleigh near Fermoy Co. Cork. The Berminghams farm a 40ha platform with a spring calving dairy herd milking twice a day. The grazing season on the farm is approximately 280 days of the year, and they work hard to get cows to grass in the challenging weather in spring and autumn.  In autumn to lengthen the grazing season, from August the round is lengthened by 2 days a week to increase the pre-grazing yield. Excess stock is also removed from the platform. This helps to reduce the demand on the block and give the cows more days at grass. Mike puts up a 12 hours strip wire in between milkings to allocate cows grass and ensure the post grazing sward height is 3.5cm to allow a clean base in the sward over the year. Mike finds ensuring there is grass in the diet in autumn reduces labour on the farm as they don’t have to feed out silage or lime and scrape cubicles.  

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Ireland experienced difficult grazing conditions from autumn 2023 to spring 2024 due to above average rainfall. The ground has been completely saturated and rain continuously fell making it very difficult for farmers to let their cows out without causing long term damage on the paddocks through poaching. 

To increase the level of herbage in the diet, Kevin practiced on-off grazing. On-off grazing consists in letting the cows out for few hours per day to allow them to graze fresh grass. Having short periods outside enables the cows to have access to high quality feed and to minimise the damage to paddocks. Cows eat 95% of their intake in two 3-hour grazing bouts compared to cows given 4.5 hours at grazing.  

As a result, Kevin decreased his feed cost, had better milk solids and milk production compared to when cows were only inside and fed on silage of lower quality than spring grass. However, Kevin points out that on-off grazing requires more work, as farmers need to go check on which paddock to allocate the cows, what allocation of grass, and bringing cows in outside of milking times.  

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John and his wife believe that there is a huge value in learning from other farmers. Therefore, they have emphasised being available to take students onto their farm in spring. 

John has currently three students on the farm, one from Sweden and two from Ireland. They participate to the daily tasks of the farm, such as grassland management, bringing cows in for milking, and milking and cleaning the sheds. The students have access to YouTube videos and guideline sheets present at different places on the farm to learn the procedures of each task. Moreover, John shows the students around the farm and accompanies the students for the first few days. John believes that it is important that the students are trusted with responsibilities on farm so that they can fully engage. He says that trust works both ways and is very important for the successful running of the farm. John encourages open communication on the farm. 

Having students on the farm eventually enables a decrease of the workload for John once the students are fully independent. Moreover, John sees that they learn a lot every day and are able to take responsibilities if something has gone wrong. But John also points out that it does not work with every student.  

To adopt this innovation, it is important to welcome the students and be ready to trust. It is also important to have guidelines and information points at each station to make sure all the tasks are carried out correctly.  

John and his wife will continue to have students on their farm, as it is important for them to transfer their knowledge to younger generation and vice-versa.  

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Jim White and his family farm in Clonlahy, Co Tipperary. Jim runs a dairy herd with just over 200 cows in a spring calving system. Jim began incorporating white clover in his grazing swards through over-sowing and reseeding in the last number of years. White clover can increase the tonnes dry matter grown (+1 t DM/ha), increase animal performance (+20-40 kg milk solids/cow) as it is a higher quality feed, and it can reduce the need for chemical nitrogen (-30-50 kg N/ha). The benefits of white clover tend to occur from May onwards as sward white clover content increases. Specifically increased herbage quality compared to grass-only swards in the summer months, increased dry matter intake in summer and autumn, higher milk production, nitrogen fixation from the atmosphere making it available for plant growth and reducing the requirement for nitrogen application in the summer.

Over-sowing is a simple and low cost method of introducing white clover into swards. Success is very much dependent on soil fertility, weather conditions at sowing, soil moisture, post-sowing grazing management and competition from the existing sward. Suitable paddocks for over- sowing are those with good soil fertility, high perennial ryegrass content and low weed content. Jim selects his paddocks to oversow by ensuring the soil fertility has a pH greater than 6.5 and P and K index over 3. Paddocks are oversown, by Jims farm machinery contractor in April on a freshly grazed sward using an earth seeder. After the seed is set Jim then ensures the pre-grazing yield of the swards remains under 1000 kg DM/ha (grazed approximately every 10 days) for the rest of the summer grazing season. This has allowed Jim to successfully establish clover for the following grazing season in an established sward, the use of clover has allowed Jim to reduce N input by between
30-40kg N/ha. However not all of the farm has fully established clover content and this is an ongoing objective.

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Improved grassland management relies upon robust grazing infrastructure and this will allow for the extension of the grazing season in spring and autumn.  Often, existing farm layouts, roadways and water systems have been largely untouched in many years and it can be easy to overlook the restrictions these place on farm management. One improvement in infrastructure can be spur roadways which are roadways that are the size of cow tracks and cannot fit machinery on them. They can be installed as extra roadways off normal wider roadways or at the end of the main farm roadway to facilitate grazing of areas of paddocks that would not be accessible otherwise, particularly in bad weather. Spur roadways are generally only suitable for short runs and are useful for getting access to out of the way paddocks and make grazing management easier early and late in the season. They can make up for gaps in the main roadway network and are a useful and cheap alternative to standard roads in less trafficked areas. 

William Dennehy is a spring calving pasture-based dairy farmer in Co. Kerry. William has updated his grazing infrastructure through incorporation of multiple spur roadways. This allowed William to graze in the autumn and spring when other farmers in the area were feeding silage. The roadway William has put in allows him to divide the paddock into four grazing areas. This allows him to allocate the correct amount of grass for a short grazing and then the cows are not allowed access back over the paddock and this reduces damage. William makes sure to drive a wooden post at the end of his spur roadway to ensure there is no break out by the cows. To put in the roadway William removed the subsoil and put a bucket width amount of pencil trunking and rolled it with a vibrating roller. William finds huge benefit in spur roadways and plans to incorporate more on his farm. It allowed him to increase the days at pasture throughout the year especially in spring.

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Young farmer Stilla Seemann and her husband manage a dairy farm with 190 cows and 150 ha agricultural land, which includes 50 ha grassland (clay, peat) and 100 ha arable land.  Her vision is to convert from a full housing management system to a grazing system including grass clover swards on arable land as grazing platform.  

The idea came from the experimental organic farm Lindhof of the university of Kiel. On that experimental farm the grass clover swards were grazed by 100 Jersey cows. The biennial grass clover swards rotate with cash crops. The grazing system is an optimised rotational grazing system based on the Irish model. The main source of energy is grass in combination with protein-rich white and red clover and herbs such as chicory and plantain. Optimum utilisation of grass is achieved through seasonal calving. This means, that all animals calve in the period from mid-February to mid-April, so that the increasing feed requirement after calving can be optimally covered by the simultaneous increase in grass growth. Winter feeding is based on the farm’s own clover-grass silage with the addition of self-produced concentrated feed consisting of triticale and lupins. This has the advantage of producing high quality feed for dairy cows and ensuring higher yielding cash crops by additional nutrients that the grass-clover brings to the soil.  

Currently, the Seemanns grow maize on 40 ha of the 100 ha of total arable land, and they would like to replace the maize by 40-45 ha grass-clover. Their current feeding management includes high input feeding with concentrates, maize and grass silage, and they would like to convert to grazing. They would also like to change from Holstein Frisian dairy cows to Jersey genetics as Jerseys are more suitable for grazing and more productive under reduced concentrate feeding. Reducing carbon emissions per unit of produced milk and enhancing biodiversity are also important items for the Seemanns.

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In Lower Saxony, Hannover, the young farmers Jan and Felix and their families run a dairy farm with 150 Holstein Friesians, which are produced exclusively on the farm’s 50 ha arable land and 80 ha permanent grassland. The dairy cows graze from April to October on 30 ha grassland. To create a second foothold in their milk sales and to become more independent from fluctuating milk prices, Felix and Jan´s parents build their own small dairy and successfully created a direct marketing system which allows them to not only reach more revenue per product for their milk, but also to establish a personal relationship with their customers. They produce preferred milk in their own dairy on the farm. Preferred milk is produced under higher quality standards, and it is pasteurized at a lower temperature, maintaining a fresher taste and slightly more nutritional value. It’s considered a higher-quality alternative to regular supermarket milk. Through the customers’ subscriptions, they deliver their milk twice a week to private households, kindergartens and schools. The customers receive fresh milk regularly, delivered directly from the farm to their homes. The subscription involves a set amount of milk (weekly or monthly) at a fixed price. The farm also offers other products like pasteurized milk at higher temperatures and yoghurt. Keeping the value chain partially on the farm comes with additional workload, too, including the bottling, cleaning and delivery. Technology was installed for the cleaning and bottling process. The Initial challenges upon implementation of their direct sales were opening and keeping the local customer base and maintaining communication with customers. It involved a learning process and once these hurdles were cleared, the increased income speaks of the benefits of more market independence and closer customer relationships.

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Young farmer Gerben Gäting and his family manage a dairy farm with 130 ha grassland and 145 dairy cows including young stock in a coastal area in Northern Germany. During the last years they invested in a more efficient slurry management. A barn cleaner for the slatted floor improves hoof health and keeps the cow’s udder and tail clean. To reduce the need for costly synthetic N fertiliser they started to separate and dewater the slurry.  Twice a year, they contract a company to separate excess moisture from the slurry by a press screw separator. The  liquid phase can be used as fertilizer with higher nitrogen efficiency and a reduced risk of forage contamination. The solid phase  can be sold to a biogas plant for producing energy. Another opportunity is to spread the solid phase of the slurry as manure with a manure spreader on the 12-ha crop land for maize. This also improves the soil fertility by adding organic material to the soil.   

The farm also invested in slurry techniques with a trailing shoe, which was to 40% subsidised by the government. The slurry is deposited in a thin strip beneath the shoots, which reduces gaseous losses and fosters a more efficient nitrogen uptake by the roots. In the future, they would like to invest in an own separation system with dewatering to be more independent. They also want to use the solid and dewatered phase of the manure as bedding material for cubicles in the cow barn. They believe that this might increase animal welfare and improve lying behaviour. However, the technology is expensive. 

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The organically managed Tangsehl farm is located on sandy soil in Northern Germany and manages 110 ha grassland and 50 ha arable land. As a diverse, mixed crop-livestock farm, they milk a crossbred herd of about 30 cows. Their main challenge on this rather dry site has been the availability of water to maintain a certain level of grassland productivity. Also, they manage leased land which comes with some degree of uncertainty and less planning security for the future. 

To cope with a drier climate and sandy soil conditions, they saw the need for a type of management that supports the build-up of humus and good soil cover by retaining high levels of organic matter: as soon as the grass enters the three-leave-stage, cows are rotated across the paddocks rather fast and in high densities, allowing them to take up only the upper third of the sward which reduces the risk f grass entering the reproductive phase. Due to the high stocking density and short grazing period, trampled residues remain and form a mulch layer. The idea is that this return of organic material increases soil  fertility, microbiome, and water retention capacity. Therefore, in contrast to other grazing strategies, residues are not considered a waste, but a valued input of organic matter. This approach does not require investments in technology but planning and know-how of the interactions between growth period, livestock, and soil. 

However, such a system implies lower levels of production output. To compensate for this and to foster independence from market prices, the farm adopted direct-marketing of milk and dairy products. Through solidarity-based agriculture, the farm established close ties with a network of local clients whose financial contributions to the farm are returned to them in form of products from the farm.  

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In the salty marshes of coastal Northwestern Germany, W. and K. run a pasture-based dairy farm with 130 dairy cows and about 170 young stock. Their focus lies on optimizing calf health by ensuring both the calf and cow receive the highest possible forage quality at the time when it is needed. In order to match the nutritional requirements of their animals with the quality of their grass, they perform frequent forage value analyses.  

As some pastures are regularly flooded by saltwater, the herbal and nutritional composition differs from the other pastures. Forage from these sites has a high nutritional and mineral potential and is therefore, if well monitored, intended particularly for the dry cows. The farmers perceive that this nutrient-rich feed makes calvings easier for the mothers and yields high-quality colostrum for newborn calves, giving a boost to their immune system during the critical early days. By monitoring the quality, they ensure the right timing for their cuts and adjust forage quality to lactation stage. In addition, they analyse urea levels every second day and adjust their feeding pattern accordingly. 

Linking in this way animal health and forage quality, monitoring has been their proven strategy for over 10 years with notable results mirrored in reduced veterinary costs and constant productivity. 

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In the coastal region of North Germany, Johannes G. and his family manage almost 170 ha of grassland with around 160 dairy cows. In order to reduce the costs for feed and the dependency on external feed market prices, he transitioned his formerly intensive and high-input production to a low-input production system. 

The main approach was therefore the transition of the former herd of Holstein-Friesian to a new herd of traditional dual-purpose German Black Pied cattle. This local breed has a lower milk volume but is known for being a very efficient grass protein utiliser. To maximize the herd’s energy intake from the pasture, the farmer follows a short sward grazing system and full grazing in summer. He managed to drastically reduce the use of concentrate feed and keeps using it only in winter to lure the cows into the parlour. To match the best timing of vegetation period and energy demand of lactating cows, he shifted to block calving with most cows calving between mid-January and mid-May. Since the quality of their pastures and the breed match perfectly, also animal health has improved compared to the previous high-input system. 

Of course, the local dual-purpose breed yields less milk volume than Holstein-Friesian cows, but as a certified organic farm they usually also obtain a higher milk price. 

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Syds-Jan's farm manages grassland on marsh and clay soils and milks 170 Jersey cows. As an intensive full-grazing farm, his aim is not only to further reduce the costs of buying in feed, but also to utilise the pasture as efficiently as possible as the farm's own high-quality feed source. 

As a grazing strategy, they top the grass from June to August. Topping means to cut the upper part of the grass just before it goes into seedhead. The cut part is left, and the plot is grazed after a short wilting of the cut. This has two advantages: Firstly, the grass growth is stimulated again so that the animals can graze a plot with high forage quality more quickly. Secondly, the slight drying out of the cut results in higher palatability and feed intake by the animals, which is reflected in slightly higher productivity. Topping is carried out from June to August until the grass no longer goes into seedhead. The time of cutting and the weather must be right for topping. The grass should not already be too high, otherwise the animals will no longer eat the lower part and there will be too much residue. The grass must also be dry.

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Marko and his family farm about 140 ha of gley grasslands and 17 ha arable land set aside for maize in the coastal plains of Northwestern Germany. As a grazing-oriented farm with 180 Holstein dairy cows, they have a lot of high-yielding cows to feed from the pastures. Their challenge therefore was to satisfy the animals’ high energy demand with what can obtained from the grass. Therefore, they invested in their farm road infrastructure and built the mainly used farm roads with concrete. In this way, they ensure smooth transitions between the pastures to the milking parlor making the paddock rotations easier and faster. Another important and often overlooked requirement for pasture-based milk production, especially with high-yielding breeds, is the sufficient provision of water. Thus, another investment included the extension of multiple water troughs into all paddocks, providing water ad libitum to the grazing animals. To oversee the extensive network of water pipes on the farmland, to measure the exact consumption and to monitor leaks, Marko equipped every trough with a water meter. 

Besides his focus on infrastructure optimization, Marko aims at making the most of the grazing season and grazes his animals as early in spring as possible and keeps them on the pastures as late in the year as grass quality allows it. This includes day-and-night-grazing during June, July and August, when animals go back indoors for the milking only. 

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The Schwarting dairy farm lies in Northwestern Germany with 130 ha grassland and 150 dairy cows. As a longstanding family-owned farm, they converted to organic production in 2022. The cows have access to fully conjunct pastures surrounding the barn. A concrete path and generally good farm road infrastructure allows moving the cows conveniently and maintaining a rotational grazing system. Each paddock has access to fresh ground water and is provided with mobile troughs for a sufficient water supply for high-lactating cows. 

To reduce the workload and create a more flexible workflow, they decided to install an automatic milking system (AMS). Initially, there were concerns that full grazing and AMS would not go together, but the installation of selection gates helped to ensure more than two milkings per cow per day despite a full grazing system. The farmer installed the selection gates 100 metres from the barn at the intersection of the paths, thus connecting the two grazing blocks. Instead of feeding concentrates as attractant feed, they motivate the cows by giving them access to fresh grass and thereby ensure sufficient milking performance. 

The cows have access to two grazing blocks between which they alternate, depending on the last milking time: after milking, between midnight and 10 a.m., cows have access to the first block. After 10 a.m., cows have access to the second block. Their allocation to the two grazing blocks also depends on the feed requirements and the number of cows. Fresh grass is allocated daily in each grazing block, and after 10 a.m. each cow is given access to a new block. 

The farm recently focuses more closely on including clover and herbs in the sward for fixing nitrogen and the productivity being more resilient to increased summer rainfall variability. 

Key points: 

• Optimisation of the automatic milking system under full pasture with high grass intake and maintenance of high yields 
• Introduction of resistant swards with herbs and legumes to divers

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In Northwestern Germany, in a region close to the North Sea, Joost manages a dairy farm with 180 cows. The grasslands on his farm are representative for the coastal region with a lot of marshes, gley soil, and ditches which carry the water of drained grasslands. Due to its favourable conditions, grazing in this region has a long-standing tradition and it is a common practice to have the cows drink from ditches which form natural boundaries to the paddocks. In terms of animal health, however, this has always been a concern for farmers and veterinarians as parasites, such as liver fluke, remain a common problem – also for Joost and his farm. Also, Joost knows about the important role of sufficient water provision to optimize milk production, especially in summer. So, he decided to solve two problems at once and equip his 115 ha grasslands with troughs and 2.5 km of water pipelines connected to clean municipal water. For this, he made use of discarded 1,000 L-IBC feed tanks, which had already been present on the farm, and modified them to their needs. This low-cost investment has been associated with improved animal health and productivity and allows greater flexibility in their daily grazing management. However, he often has to carry out additional maintenance work to fix leaks and broken floaters in such a large network of troughs. Joost could partially address the additional workload by implementing shut-off valves which allows to work individually at each trough. 

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In Northwestern Germany, Jan G. and his family manage 105 ha permanent grassland with about 50 heads beef cattle. The former dairy farm experienced economic uncertainty due to high dependency on the dairy market and thus fluctuations of the milk price. Reducing this dependency and being able to reconnect with local clients were their main motivations to transform the farm from a dairy to a suckler cow system in 2019 and to keep the added value of the farm products through direct marketing. 

To also reduce dependency on feed markets, the family opted for Angus cattle which is a suitable breed for 100 % grass-fed beef production. Today, Jan feeds them only farm-produced feed  with no addition of concentrates; they follow a full grazing system in summer and feed hay and silage in winter. They successfully set up a farm shop to directly sell their beef products to clients. To further strengthen their sales in the customer catchment area of the nearby big city, the family plans to strengthen ties with private and community catering services. 

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In Northwestern Germany, the family-run Bartels farm manages almost 190 ha of arable and grassland with around 200 dairy cows on a rather sandy soil. Initial challenge of the farm was old building infrastructure which could no longer accomodate large high-performing breeds. Since they did not want to compromise their production level, simply introducing a smaller breed was not an attractive option. Also, they have been running an intensive short sward grazing system on their pastures which requires good animal mobility and road quality. 

A three-breed crossbreeding system was introduced to cater for these requirements, with each breed bringing along a desired trait: Holstein-Friesian was the initial breed and still remains as the carrier of high milk yield. They are then crossed with Swedish Red-and-White for better hoof health, mobility, fertility and milk components. The third in the rotational breeding was chosen to be the dual-purpose breed Montbéliard for its milk components, as well as for better sales revenue for the male weaners. Since the initiation of crossbreeding in the year 2000, they have been observing additional benefits such as very good calf health and low calf mortality. Improved overall fertility facilitates easy block calvings in the winter months from November to February. 

Reaping the benefits of their herd’s genetics, they also managed to optimise pasture utilisation and have their grasslands grazed as efficiently as possible by running a short sward grazing system. 

Further adjustments are planned to optimise animal health and production including the provision of water pipes to each paddock and the further improvement of road quality. 

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In Northwestern Germany, Renke W. manages an organic family farm of 120 ha. After taking over his parents’ farm, Renke W. decided to no longer be dependent on a single branch of production and changed the focus from intensive milk production to suckler cow husbandry with the German Black Pied cattle. On 70 hectares of grassland, 60 animals are kept in a full grazing system, additional arable farming ensures total feed self-sufficiency. Why the decision for this specific traditional dual-purpose breed? For Renke W. it was important to manage the pasture as efficiently, but also as ecologically as possible. This breed is efficient in forage utilisation and still utilises poor-quality forage very well. It has also enabled the farm to establish several grasses and herbs on the pasture which creates greater grassland diversity and allows a later cutting time. With this conversion, Renke W. was able to establish a system of diverse farm branches, which are important economic pillars of the farm: 

1. Pasture fattening programme 

The “Earl of Lowlands” programme offers Renke W. contractual direct marketing to retailers and catering wholesalers and thus long-term planning security. In addition to keeping the German Black Pied cattle as an old livestock breed, there are other criteria for this marketing channel which profitably valorise the offspring and the meat as a premium product. 

2. Public funding for nature conservation services for 

• meadow bird protection 
• late cutting 
• species-rich grasslands 
• certified organic land management 
• the use of finger-bar mowers as a cutting method less harmful for small insects 

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Young farmer Theis Jansen manages a dairy farm on peat soil located in northern Germany, Lower Saxony, only 2 kilometres from the North Sea. The pasture provides roughage for 150 dairy cows and 100 heifers as youngstock of the cross breed Holstein Friesian x Red Holstein. Since an internship on an Irish dairy farm, Theis has aimed to improve his pasture management and establish seasonal block calving. He chose calving in autumn instead of spring calving as is common in Ireland.  

Reasons for autumn calving: 

– Maintain high milk yield of 10,000 l/cow with grazing
– Lactation curve of the dairy cow fits the quality curve of the grass
– Good quality feed supply of the herd in the barn until lactation day 100
– Start of the grazing period prolongs high yielding period 
– Good fertility of his crossbreds
– No calving in late summer when forage quality on peat soils is insufficient for dairy cows 

How does his system work: 

– 80% of the herd calves from September to December 
– 20% are calved until March
– 4 years conversion phase to autumn calving
– Importance of good time management and fertility monitoring 

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 Nicolas Rubin is an organic milk producer in Argentré-du-Plessis, Brittany. He produces 364,000 litres of milk per year with 53 crossbred cows on 52 hectares. The forage system is based on grazing, and to continually optimize it while gradually renewing the pastures, he has implemented rotations with grazable species. 

In the first rotation, the pasture is replaced by fodder rape and then fodder beet. These two fodder crops are located in adjacent plots to allow animals to graze them simultaneously. The goal is to take advantage of the energy from the fodder beet and the nitrogen from the fodder rape to balance the winter ration. 

In the second rotation, chicory is sown in June after the grassland. It will be grazed during the summer and until the following spring, before sowing maize silage. The objective is to benefit from productive forage in the summer and initiate soil mineralization for maize crop. 

These rotations provide grazable resources throughout the year, in both summer and winter. With grass, fodder rape, fodder beet, and chicory, the ration is diversified, and the cows find energy, nitrogen, and minerals in the field. During the grazing period, harvest and distribution costs are zero. Furthermore, fodder beet and chicory are two crops that adapt well to climate change. Fodder beet adjusts its cycle and growth to rainfall, and chicory is a species that thrives in the summer. 

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Romain GUEGAN and his partner Emilie DOUSSAL own a herd of 100 Normande dairy cows. Located in Brittany, the farm covers 85 hectares, including 59 hectares of pasture. The cows produce 550,000 litres of conventional milk per year, amounting to 5,500 litres per cow, produced with 200 kg of concentrate per cow per year. The grazing area per cow is 45 ares. 

Innovations implemented in the farming operation regarding grazing include the creation of 1.5 kilometres of tracks for the cows and the construction of a cow tunnel. The objective was to increase the grazing area by 40 hectares, to be able to lead the cows to the pastures independently, and to enhance tranquillity, as the cows no longer have to cross roads. The construction of the cow tunnel cost €18,000 and the paths cost €10,000. The cow tunnel was straightforward to implement as it passes under a small road: its length is only 10 meters and the administrative procedures for the authorization were simple. The construction of the tracks was largely carried out by the farmers themselves, reducing costs. The expansion of grazing has reduced the feeding cost for the cows by half, from €100 per 1000 litres of milk to €50, and has saved 30 minutes of daily work time related to leading the cows to the pastures. To further improve the cattle crossing, it would be necessary to consider installing mud traps before and after the crossing tunnel to avoid the burden of manually removing mud four times a year. For the paths, maintenance every three years to replenish sand is needed, or even the installation of a hard surface (concrete or asphalt) for the first 500 meters leading out of the building. 

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Thomas LECLERC and Jérémy VILLALON own a herd of 71 cross-bred dairy cows in northern Brittany. The farm covers a total area of 84 hectares, all of it grassland. The cows produce 347,000 litres of organic milk, an average of 5,000 litres per cow, without concentrates thanks to spring block calving. The area grazed per cow is 0.80 ha. 

In 2023, the entire farm was converted to grassland. The farmers first stopped growing wheat and other cash crops, and later maize silage. In 2022, they acquired a further 17 hectares of land, which was sown with multi-species grassland consisting of perennial ryegrass, tall fescue, white clover and red clover. Hybrid ryegrass was added to the mix for cut grasslands only. These 17 hectares are used to fatten animals for meat production and to achieve self-sufficiency in fodder. With an all-grass system, they aim to reduce input and fuel consumption, minimise working hours on the farm and introduce a more seasonal aspect to their work. With animals fed 100 % grass, their aim is to maximise grazing, reduce the need for fodder storage and reduce the feeding costs for the cows. Mechanisation is also kept to a minimum despite the fragmented layout of the farm. 

Thomas LECLERC and Jérémy VILLALON recommend to gradually increase the proportion of grassland in the system and to seek advice on grass and pasture management from technicians and other farmers. Visiting other farms with extensive grass-based or all-grass systems is also helpful. 

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Upon their establishment in 2015, Sylvia and Jean François aimed to set up a 100% grass-fed and organic dairy farm. Their objective is to achieve "the best income per hour possible." They aimed for food self-sufficiency to minimize expenses and worked on reducing working hours. Their 54 dairy cows are thus managed through once-a-day milking, with a stocking rate reaching 1 hectare per cow. They produce an average of 4,500 liters of milk per cow without purchasing concentrates.  

However, the summer period is challenging to pass with 100% grazing using "traditional" pastures, due to very dry conditions. In 2017, they introduced summer pastures based on chicory (Cichorium intybus), plantain (Plantago lanceolata), and clover into their grazing rotation. These pastures are intended to provide high-quality standing forage in the summer and ensure good regrowth. For this purpose, approximately 4 hectares of this type of pasture are available each year, accounting for 10% of the total area.  

Today, they have achieved their goal: the cows graze all summer, milk production is maintained, and the cows are in good condition. The investment is low,  and the grazing period has been extended rapidly. 

Their advice: chicory should be dominant in the mix. It should not be mixed with a "traditional" grazed pasture, otherwise the cows will selectively graze other species. Ungrazed chicory then bolts and is no longer consumed by the animals. 

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As in many automated dairy farms, the installation of the milking robot resulted in a decrease in grazing at Tangi's farm. The cows were only grazing on 10 hectares and their feed was almost exclusively composed of stored supplies, leading to high feeding costs. Therefore, Tangi decided to gradually increase the grazed area. He quickly reached 0.25 and then 0.35 ha per cow, ultimately exceeding 0.45 ha per cow with the installation of a cow tunnel. 

The goal is to control the quantity of the grass and maximize its utilization through grazing. To help with the grazing management, Tangi started out using a mechanical plate meter but now uses an electronic one.  He taught himself, completed many trainings, and today, he draws inspiration from Breton and Irish methods in his grazing management. 

The electronic plate meter also allows "Grass Hopper®" to quickly transfer data for analysis, which saves time. Tangi uses computerized decision support tools such as the "Herbavenir®" tool from the Chamber of Agriculture of Brittany. 

His objectives have been achieved: his feeding costs have significantly decreased, and his working time is satisfactory thanks to grazing. His advice: start with a simple system and seek guidance! 

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When Florian set up on the family farm in 2018, his aim was to maintain the grazing system put in place by his parents while increasing the size of the herd by 40% (80 dairy cows today). The system of 0.4-0.45 ha of pasture per dairy cow meets their objectives: 7,200 litres of milk sold per cow, a controlled feed cost of less than 70 €/1000 L and the maize silage silo closed for several months while grazing exclusively. 

With limited accessible land around the milking site, Florian and his father decided to install a mobile milking parlour to graze two more distant sites. In 2020, they began discussions with their neighbours and offered to swap land. Florian and his father sold 11ha to different neighbours and gained 4ha for crops and 7ha of nice grasslands that can easily be grazed by the dairy cows.This opportunity means that they will no longer have to move the milking parlour, which has shown its limitations in terms of arduousness and working time (washing and moving the milk in particular). 

Today, they can invest in a building for the dairy cows and a fixed milking parlour to further improve their working comfort, while continuing to graze the herd. 

Florian's advice: don't hesitate to talk to your neighbours, the renewal of farmers is an opportunity to shake things up and review the organisation of the land. 

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Etienne Leretrif is a milk producer in Montreuil-sous-Pérouse in Brittany. He has a GAEC partnership with his father and employs one person. The farm has 145 ha with 100 cows that produce 526,455 litres of milk per year.

With 130 ha of grassland, the cows’ feed is based on grazed grass, and to make the most of it, since 2018, Étienne has been cross-breeding 3-way dairy breeds. He is looking for smaller and wider cows that will graze further afield, have a good milk solids content and breed easily. In short, cows suited to his low-input grazing and production system.

The original Prim’Holstein herd was first crossed with the Jersey breed, then with the Swedish Red and the New Zealand Friesian. Etienne had to take over the management of the matings: choice of bulls, ordering of semen doses, and so on.

Even if the cows produce a little less milk than before, cross-breeding has many advantages. The cows are healthier, the fat and protein levels are higher and the animals are more fertile. The heifers are now calved at two years of age, and are grouped with the cows. Grouping the heifers makes it easier to organise the work, and having healthy animals means that less time is spent looking after them.

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Romain Chevrel is an organic milk producer in Val-d'Izé, Brittany. His father and he are partners in a farming partnership (GAEC) and employ one worker. The farm sells 664,000 litres of milk per year produced with 120 crossbred cows on 124.5 hectares. 

In 2017, to reduce the workload, Romain installed two milking robots while maintaining a grazing and economical forage system. The cows graze for 330 days/year, including 120 days with a forage ration composed of 100% fresh grass! To achieve this result, the robot is equipped with a sorting gate to direct the cows to the grazing plots. The land is divided into day paddocks and night paddocks to encourage the animals to go to the robot: after milking, the cows know they will have access to a good meal of fresh grass. Finally, 900 meters of tracks have been arranged to facilitate the movement of cows between the paddocks and the robot. The amount of concentrates distributed by the robot is 500 kg/cow/year and consists solely of dehydrated corn ears produced on the farm. The forage system is also self-sufficient. 

Romain finds that the cows are calm with the robots: they move freely, are never pushed, and are less stressed. Robotic milking has significantly reduced the workload. On weekdays, the workday starts at 9:00 am and ends at 6:00 pm. For the weekend, one person can complete the work in 3 hours/day. The robots have allowed a different organization of work and freed up time for each partner: for example, Romain doesn't work on Wednesdays and takes care of his children! 

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François PINOT and his companion have a herd of 85 dairy cows in northern Brittany. Their farm is about 91 ha, including 37 ha of grassland. Their herd produces 573,000 liters of conventional milk per year. Each cow produces 9,000 litres of milk per year and consumes1,000 kg of concentrates. Every cow has access to 0.40 ha of grassland for grazing.  

Over the last four years, the dairy cows graze multi-species grasslands made of 15 kg of perennial rye grass, 3 kg of white clover, 2 kg of hybrid rye grass and 3-4 kg of tall fescue, as well as of another complementary species, namely red clover, hybrid clover, timothy, or birdsfoot trefoil. In order to be in line with the expected level of milk production, the aim is to have mixes adapted to animal’s needs, homogeneous grasslands, higher grass yield and a better nutritional value all year round thanks to a lot of legumes (clover). The objective is also to have grasslands adapted to wet conditions and drought resistant. The different species match each other well and offer grass at every time of year. Because of the higher seeding density, seeds cost more. Moreover, it’s not always easy to have grasslands which remain homogeneous in the long term, to keep good proportion and a great density of legumes, and to prevent weeds from developing. Before sowing multi-species grasslands, it’s very important to start by thinking carefully about the use of the grassland and to take time to choose the correct species and varieties to ensure the mix is as suitable as possible: the ideal is to buy the seeds individually and to make your own mixes. 

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Franck Le Breton and Maud Cloarec have a herd of 47 dairy cows in an all-grass system (69 ha). The cows produce 190,000 litres of milk with spring block calving, are milked once a day  without any concentrates. 

Calving is grouped together from March 1st to mid-April, in order to adjust the highest needs of the cows to the period of full grass growth in the spring. The production level is 4,200 litres of milk per cow produced with maximum grazing. 

The milking parlour is thus closed for 2 months in January and February. Work is also greatly reduced in winter. To move towards a completely successful economical system and towards an optimization of working time, once a day milking all year round was also implemented a few years later. 

It took four years to group the calving period and close the milking parlour. At the time, calving used to take place all year round. To reach this grouped period, it has been necessary to gradually shift the calving of the cows and take some cows out of the herd. To succeed in spring block calvings, two key points must be mastered: reproduction and grass management. They pay great attention to insemination: cows in heat are observed and marked from the beginning of April, i.e. two cycles before the start of inseminations on May 25th. Heifers calve at 24 months. Cows and heifers are scanned in September. 

Spring is the most important and busiest period of the year, but summer is then calmer and easier for family life. 

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Etienne is a young farmer who recently took over his farm in Cast, Western Brittany. Etienne wants to improve grazing on his farm and is looking for the best association of rye grass and white clover for his permanent grassland. The farm has an oceanic climate. Etienne prefers a simple system for his 42 cows, the forage supply is made of maize silage, grass silage and the herd has access to grazing paddocks from February to November.  

Etienne's aim is to reduce the use of concentrates by grazing high-quality pastures with white clover for at least half the year. His innovation consists in testing different combinations of several varieties of ryegrass and white clover to test how well they do in his system. He will evaluate combinations in terms of cow palatability, early grass growth capacity, biomass production, drought tolerance and clover durability. The aim of this is to identify the best sustainable composition adapted to the farm's pedoclimatic context. Etienne hopes not to have to reseed his meadows for another 10 or 15 years. 

As Etienne is testing different grassland combinations on a small surface, the sowing cost is low and this will help him choose the best combination of varieties in relation to climate change for his grazing platform. 

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Guylène and Gilbert Tromeur are organic farmers in the commune of Collorec, Finistère. They run a herd of 120 Jerseys in a once a day milking, spring calving and grass only system.  

For the past 4 years, they have been practicing once a day milking all year round, which saves them an estimated 3 hours a day compared with twice a day milking. It was a desire to have more family time available in the evenings and to reduce working hours. Once a day milking has modified the feeding system, as the animals go directly out to the pasture after the milking in the morning. They do rotational grazing eight months a year, staying from one to two days on 2 ha paddocks. They have stopped giving maize silage. Now, the animals have access to grass all year round. In winter, they are supplemented with haylage. 

From an economic point of view, once a day milking has led to a reduction in milk volume of only 14% when milk solids are taken into accounts, because fat and protein content increased. Moreover, the economic analysis was carried out taking into account the energy savings associated with once a day milking (milk tank, electricity, forage savings due to reduced feed intake). The overall economic loss compared to twice a day milking was only -2%. Finally, the herd size was increased with the switch to once a day milking. Before taking the plunge, Gilbert and Guylène recommend carrying out a technical-economic study and getting support from advisors. 

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Patrice Tranvoiz is a farmer based in Plabennec in North Finistère, Brittany, with a herd of 45 dairy cows on 45 ha, with 50 acres/land accessible per cow. Patrice has always favored grazing in his system to reduce feed costs. For the past 4 years, he has been sowing forage rape in summer for grazing in autumn or winter. If weather conditions are good, grazing is possible two months after sowing (> 50 days). The use of forage rape in intercropping has several advantages: firstly, its low cost (€25 to €30/ha), secondly, its rapidity and flexibility of operation, and thirdly, it enables grasslands to be renewed without stopping grazing. The technique remains unpredictable depending on the year and sowing conditions, as the plant needs a lot of rainfall to develop (50 to 100 mm of rain during the 2 months of growth), so the ideal is to sow areas in staggered rows to encourage different climatic conditions and allow grazing at different stages of development later on. What's more, forage rape is palatable to animals. This technique enables him to maintain access to grazing on his plot and to have forage available in the autumn. To find areas to graze, good paths are also necessary and to adapted time of grazing in the event of heavy rains. The share of forage rape in the cows' ration is limited to 30% of the total DM of the ration (5 to 6 kg of DM maximum) which reduces the risk of undesirable taste of the milk. 

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Styven Thomas is a young organic farmer, with single milking, crossbreeding and group calving in spring. He is located in the commune of Le Faou in Finistère.  

Quad seeding of meadows is an innovative practice for seeding small areas. The main advantages are its speed (just 20 min/ha), pleasant working in the open air at around 20 km/h, less soil compaction than a tractor and an economic advantage, with less fuel consumed. The added value is also the homogeneity of seeding with broadcast seeding, which avoids row seeding, which was unsatisfactory from the point of view of soil coverage and developpement of weeds. The seeding is done 3.5 m apart in rows, then diagonally across the field to ensure good coverage. What's more, the pellet spreader is easy to use, attaching directly to the quad. It can be purchased, in this case from a CUMA (cooperative for the use of agricultural equipment). This innovation can be reproduced for different types of seeding, but should be reserved for small areas requiring broadcast seeding. Another tip: check your equipment and spreader settings before sowing. 

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As soon as he settled into organic dairy production in 2018, Thibault wanted to set up a grass-fed farming system. Two main objectives: to reduce the working loads as much as possible and to be able to manage the breeding by limiting the time of on-call  for better quality of living. He quickly milked his 60 jerseys once a day (2020) and seasonal spring calving. Quite naturally, the question of rearing calves with foster cows arose for reasons of working time and the health of the calves. After 4 years of practice, today there are 45 calves (heifers and veal calves) raised by 15 foster cows. The cows and the calves are doing rotational grazing in spring, which has improved the calves’ health in addition to reducing feed costs. The calves start grazing quickly. The foster cows of the male calves and crossbred females return to the milking parlours when their calves leave for the slaughterhouse. 

For Thibault, grouped calvings support this technique, but it is not compulsory. Finally, according to him, rearing calves with grazing foster cows only has advantages: fewer health problems, fattening calves reach their slaughter weight one month earlier, grazing heifers and above all comfort and a reduction of his workload. 

His advice: Don't hesitate to take the calves out early in spring to have a healthier and more robust herd. 

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Nicolas Floc is a dairy farmer breeding “Pie Rouge” cows in northern Brittany. His farm covers 60 ha, including 40 ha of grasslands. The herd’s total milk production is 315,000 litres per year. Each cow yearly produces 6,430 litres and is fed 950 kg of concentrates. The grazing area per cow is of 0.38 ha. As the accessible grazing area is limited, the cows can't graze as much as Nicolas would like. His aim is to keep as much grassland around the barn and maintain a high level of grass production. He therefore wishes to avoid long grass/corn/wheat rotations in the accessible area to renew his grasslands. This led him to try sowing grasslands under a mixture of cereal and protein crops. 

Cereals and protein crops are sown using a cereal drill, while grassland is broadcast. The cover is cut for silage in mid-May and the grassland can finally take over. The advantages of this technique are: greater forage production in the first year thanks to the cover, better grassland establishment and the absence of bare soil. What's more, this practice saves time: grassland and cover are sown at the same time. It is particularly interesting in view of climate change: grassland can be sown under cover until mid-October, whereas grassland alone can only be sown until the end of September. As late summer droughts are becoming increasingly frequent, it is worthwhile sowing later without compromising the establishment of the grassland. The seeding equipment used was "tinkered" by Nicolas, even though there are specific seeders on the market for seeding grassland under cover. 

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The Hanken farm is a grass-based dairy farm with 220 dairy cows and young stock located in northern Germany. Dirk manages 160 ha permanent grassland on peat soil. In 2023, he installed two solar panels from the company Sun Farming as agrivoltaics on his pasture. The agrivoltaics are part of a scientific study about the interaction of the solar panels with animals and grazing management. The solar panels offer an added value to the farmers income and the animal welfare. Solar panels are usually installed on extensively managed grassland and have an impact on the sward composition. In the first year of the experiment, only the behaviour of the animals has been recorded so far.  

The farmer could not imagine installing a large-scale solar park on his farmland. He would prefer to install single panels in each paddock, as those can also be used as a shelter from heat and rainfall. 

Animals’ behaviour: 

• The cows do not pay attention to the panels.
• The module was only used as a shelter and weather protection when it was very hot and sunny.
• On rainy days it was sometimes used as shelter.  

Management under the panel: 

• The sward density and quality under the panel has not changed significantly.
• No mowing under the panel was needed.
• No fertilisers were needed. 

Installation tips for solar panels on peat soil: 

• When installing the panels, it is important to ensure distances to ditches and drainages to be able to mow, mulch or clean.
• The panel construction is anchored for 1.40 meters in the ground.  

In Ireland, it is necessary to reduce the use of chemical fertiliser without compromising the herbage production, leading to economic and environmental benefits for the farm. Danny Cremin has reduced his reliance on chemical fertiliser by incorporating clover on his paddocks and maximising the use of slurry on the farm. 

White clover is one of the most commonly used legumes for grazing. It is capable of fixing up to 100 kg N/ha of atmospheric nitrogen (N) into the soil and provides the sward with a source of N. To ensure a good establishment and persistence, Danny chooses the paddocks where soil fertility is optimum (pH > 6.3, P & K index 3 or 4). After a reseed or oversow of clover, Danny grazes paddocks at a lower cover to enable light to get through to the base of the sward. 

Slurry is a very valuable source of organic N with on average 9 units of N, 5 units of P (Phosphorus) and 32 units of K (Potassium) per 1,000 gallons of cattle slurry. Danny has tested his own slurry to know its composition and takes regular soil samples of the farm. He spreads the slurry using LESS (Low Emission Slurry Spreading), which prevents the loss of nutrients in the environment and improves the nutrient uptake.  

In 2023, Danny spread slurry to the value of 41 kg N/ha on his milking platform. Through soil sampling, Danny was able to recognise the areas of the farm that had low P & K soil indexes and targeted them with slurry to maximise the utilisation. Danny was able to reduce his chemical fertiliser use to 150 kg N/ha in 2023 from 193 kg N/ha in 2020 while still producing 13.4 tonne DM/ha in 2023. He experienced economic benefits as less fertiliser was bought. Danny saved approximately €125/ha on nitrogen fertiliser. 

If farmers want to take on this innovation, Danny stresses on the importance of having good soil fertility for the clover. Moreover, talking with grassland advisors before introducing clover on farm is a necessity for Danny, as they

When you graze cows in a peat meadow area, you face several challenges. This also applies to dairy farmer Jan Vonk from Goudriaan (115 dairy cows, 61 hectares, milking parlor). 

Peatland areas are characterized by very narrow, long parcels surrounded by ditches. The parcels of Vonk consist of clay and peat. The parcels have moderate drainage and low carrying capacity and are susceptible to trampling. They are suitable for grassland and grazing but less suitable to other agricultural use and heavy machinery.  

Grazing of cows in a peat meadow area requires appropriate management. By maximum grazing (more than 200 days a year, day and night), grasslands are optimally used. To provide the cows individually with concentrates, it is given in the milking parlor during milking. After the cows have been milked in the milking parlor, they walk about 1.5 kilometers along a narrow cow path of about 1 meter wide to one of the pastures (grazing system: New Dutch Grazing). The narrow path works well: cows naturally walk behind each other. When additional grass silage or hay is fed during the summer period, it is baled to prevent heating. 

Because of the narrow parcels with high susceptibility to compaction, the dairy farmer avoids heavy machinery as much as possible. For necessary work with machines, contractors are hired because they have special machines adapted to the narrow plots. 

Extensive grassland is characterized by minimal cultivation intensity, including fewer cuts per year, lower livestock density per area in pastures, and generally poor soil nutrient content, often resulting in nutrient levels matching or falling below those exported by forage use. At the Schornhof, the Lintner family decided to preserve their extensive grassland and integrate it into their forage production.   

The existing farm grassland areas comprise 24.1 ha, of which 11.4 ha are larch meadows, which consist of a combination of a meadow plant stand with a thin larch stand (agroforestry). Agroforestry describes the simultaneous use of surfaces, as well as in forestry use and agricultural production either in combination with livestock farming or by direct cultivation of crops arable or produce. Larch meadows are generally species-rich grassland. They have been managed by grazing instead of by mowing for more than 20 years on the Lintner farm.  

To minimise machinery inputs and reduce labour, suckler cow husbandry (Tyrolean Grey, Original Braunvieh x Limousin) was chosen. The larch meadows not only make a major contribution to biodiversity, but also increase forage security in an area prone to drought. The shade provided by the trees cools the soil and undergrowth, reduces wind and thus evapotranspiration.   

The combination of microclimate under the trees and open areas creates a diverse range of forage. Open areas provide early forage, while under the trees the forage grows more slowly and stays fresh for longer.  

Main recommendation:  

By minimising external inputs and maximising self-sufficiency, the farm strives for profit-oriented livestock farming.  

Franck Le Breton and Maud Cloarec have a herd of 47 dairy cows in an all-grass system (69 ha). The cows produce 190,000 litres of milk with spring block calving, are milked once a day  without any concentrates. 

Calving is grouped together from March 1st to mid-April, in order to adjust the highest needs of the cows to the period of full grass growth in the spring. The production level is 4,200 litres of milk per cow produced with maximum grazing. 

The milking parlour is thus closed for 2 months in January and February. Work is also greatly reduced in winter. To move towards a completely successful economical system and towards an optimization of working time, once a day milking all year round was also implemented a few years later. 

It took four years to group the calving period and close the milking parlour. At the time, calving used to take place all year round. To reach this grouped period, it has been necessary to gradually shift the calving of the cows and take some cows out of the herd. To succeed in spring block calvings, two key points must be mastered: reproduction and grass management. They pay great attention to insemination: cows in heat are observed and marked from the beginning of April, i.e. two cycles before the start of inseminations on May 25th. Heifers calve at 24 months. Cows and heifers are scanned in September. 

Spring is the most important and busiest period of the year, but summer is then calmer and easier for family life. 

Martin Ivarsson in Köinge in Southwest Sweden runs a farm with certified organic dairy production with 100 cows and 200 ha arable land. Martin’s goal is an optimised grazing management using as much grazing as possible. He is continuously improving the system. Concentrating the calving to the right time for maximum grazing is one of the improvements. Managing the pastures for maximum quality and fodder intake is another. 

The animals graze less when they return to a paddock that has been grazed before. The grass is less tasty and the animals eat less. Martin discovered this when he had cut one half of a paddock and let the other half being grazed. When the cows returned to the paddock, they only grazed the half that had been cut and not the half that had been grazed before. 

Martin wants two cuts between grazing. One part of the land is grazed in spring and the rest is harvested and grazed after that. Grazing and harvest are alternated so that each paddock is cut at least twice between grazing. The paddocks are grazed one week each. The paddocks that have been grazed are harvested as round bale silage. The hygienic quality has not been impaired from the grazing animals. As the paddocks are cut twice between grazing there are no ungrazed spots left in the sward and there’s a much better animal growth. 

During the summer, the farms in the submontane and mountain areas of Romania generate many human-bear conflicts. A bear attack on livestock can result in human, livestock or bear injury. Against the background of the existence of gaps in the legislative framework and the damage compensation system, people try to protect their assets. Also, grazing in the forest background and the use of non-competitive guard dogs is another cause of the large number of losses recorded among domestic livestock. 

Hort Augustin, a farmer from the village of Halmasau, Bistrița-Năsăud county, skilfully manages 15 hectares of land, used as pasture, where he passionately cares for 17 cows of the Romanian Baltata breed, for milk production. 

To improve the surveillance of animals on the pasture and optimize the management of the farm, Hort invested in the latest technology, purchasing drones. This innovation allows him to more effectively monitor the land and quickly identify any problem or potential threat for the animals.  

A drone can quickly fly over, detect threats and provide aerial images and real-time footage (the drone has a 4k video quality camera, it is an easy to fly quadcopter with 30 min. fly time in optimal). Depending on the weather, the cow's proximity to the farm and calving season, he flies it from 0 to 10 times per day. This allows the farmer to assess the level of danger and identify the appropriate response. This can help save time and money. Drones can monitor vast areas and provide high-quality images and video footage in real time, which could also mean that fewer on-site work force is needed to monitor the animals. Speed is another advantage. Drones are much faster than a human or a car, which allows the farmer to reach the location of the animals on the pasture several times quicker and give the opportunity to provide a rapid response. 

In an age where agriculture faces increasingly complex challenges, such a