Micro-Grazing - by Beth Dougherty & Shawn Dougherty (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Managing pastures for livestock is a popular topic, but this new grazing guide is the only one specifically written to guide small-scale homesteaders on a modest budget.

In Micro-Grazing, the authors introduce the novice to the principles that underly intensive rotational grazing methods:

• Grass physiology
• Soil science
• The symbiosis between pasture and ruminant in a grazing system that mimics nature.

The Doughertys fully cover the tools of intensive grazing, particularly components of permanent perimeter fencing and the use of portable interior fencing and fence chargers. They explain the practical details of how to handle and energize portable electric fencing and how to set up a grazing system, as well as how and where to get tools and equipment. Detailed descriptions coupled with multiple diagrams serve to present the theory and practice of creating paddock layouts and how to use portable fences to achieve those layouts. The authors share their experiences on how to apply fencing tools and appropriate grazing methods to regenerate damaged land. Readers will learn how to make grazing management decisions to maximize the benefits for both pasture and livestock, including beef cattle, dairy cows, goats, sheep, and pigs. The book includes real-life examples and anecdotes from both the authors' farm and those of other homesteaders across the country.

About the Author

Shawn and Beth Dougherty are the authors of One-Cow Revolution and The Independent Farmstead. They have been farming together since the 1980s, for the last three decades in eastern Ohio, where they manage 27 acres designated by the state as "not suitable for agriculture," as well as a monastery farm of 100 acres. Using intensive grazing, they raise dairy and beef cows, sheep, farm-fed hogs, and a variety of poultry, producing most of the food, and feed, on the farm. They have been featured main-stage speakers for major homesteading events including Homesteaders of America, Hardison Mills Homestead Festival, and the Modern Homesteading Conference. They have been featured in video series for The School of Traditional Skills and created online classes for the Homesteaders of America.