Ohio ValleyGrazing Exchange

Education

A core leg of the Exchange: curated partner teaching on covers, bringing livestock back, managed grazing, silvopasture, and shrinking diesel and fertilizer. We summarize and credit; the full piece lives on the author's site.

69 resources from OSU, Penn State, Kentucky, WVU, SARE, OEFFA, and Stratford — lined up with FarmTec / Stinner fossil-fuel themes.

Theme

All themesCover crops & forageIntegrating livestockCutting fossil-fuel inputsManaged grazingEquipment & on-farm energySilvopasture

Bringing animals back onto crop fields — residue, covers, and whole-farm reintegration.

Source

All partnersOSU Extension (18)Penn State Ext. (15)UK Extension (7)WVU Extension (4)SARE (4)OEFFA (7)Stratford (5)TNC (3)Bluffton (2)U-M GSI (4)

Integrating livestock

44 resources

  • OSU Extension
    Sustainable Crop Rotations with Cover Crops
    Ohioline · Ohio State University Extension · May 2009

    Authors: James J. Hoorman, Rafiq Islam, and Alan Sundermeier

    Ohioline fact sheet on cover species after wheat, soybeans, corn, and silage — including which grasses and brassicas work for grazing while building soil and recycling nutrients.

    Cover crops & forageIntegrating livestock
    Read on the source site
  • OSU Extension
    Do Cover Crops Grown for Feed Need Fertilizer?
    Ohio BEEF Cattle Letter · OSU Extension · December 2019

    Authors: Christine Gelley

    Argues strip-grazing covers beats mechanical harvest for nutrient return and machinery cost, and when soil tests plus livestock redeposit mean fertilizer can stay off.

    Cover crops & forageIntegrating livestockCutting fossil-fuel inputs
    Read on the source site
  • OSU Extension
    IDEAS Crop and Livestock Integration Project
    Agroecosystem Management Program · The Ohio State University

    Authors: Doug Jackson-Smith, Marilia Chiavegato, Ryan Haden, Steve Lyon, Ajay Shah, and Cassandra Brown

    On-farm study across eight Ohio counties comparing modes of crop–livestock integration; perennials and manure stood out for soil biological health. Team is building Extension recommendations from the work.

    Integrating livestockCover crops & forageCutting fossil-fuel inputs
    Read on the source site
  • OSU Extension
    Cereal Rye as a Cover Crop in Ohio
    Ohioline · Ohio State University Extension · March 2023

    Authors: Sarah Noggle and Rachel Cochran

    Midwest Cover Crops Council species profile for Ohio: rye rates Excellent for grazing, N scavenging, and weed fight; bump the seeding rate when livestock will graze, and terminate before corn with starter N in mind.

    Cover crops & forageIntegrating livestock
    Read on the source site
  • OSU Extension
    Oats as a Cover Crop in Ohio
    Ohioline · Ohio State University Extension

    Authors: Ohio State University Extension and Midwest Cover Crops Council

    Quick-growing cool-season cover rated Excellent for grazing and interseeding — raise the rate if animals will graze, expect winterkill in most Ohio winters, and use starter N when corn follows.

    Cover crops & forageIntegrating livestock
    Read on the source site
  • OSU Extension
    Annual Ryegrass as a Cover Crop in Ohio
    Ohioline · Ohio State University Extension

    Authors: Ohio State University Extension and Midwest Cover Crops Council

    Deep fibrous roots and Excellent grazing marks — also hard to kill and not for casual use. Termination timing, herbicide resistance risk, and when experienced producers still choose it.

    Cover crops & forageIntegrating livestock
    Read on the source site
  • OSU Extension
    Forage Turnip as a Cover Crop in Ohio
    Ohioline · Ohio State University Extension

    Authors: Ohio State University Extension and Midwest Cover Crops Council

    Brassica cover rated Excellent for grazing; keep turnips under about 35% of the diet, plant in a mix for erosion control, and raise the seeding rate on slopes or for forage.

    Cover crops & forageIntegrating livestockManaged grazing
    Read on the source site
  • OSU Extension
    Pearl Millet as a Cover Crop in Ohio
    Ohioline · Ohio State University Extension · March 2023

    Authors: Sarah Noggle and Rachel Cochran

    Warm-season cover rated Excellent for grazing and quick growth — raise the seeding rate when livestock will graze; not for flood-prone or shaded ground.

    Cover crops & forageIntegrating livestockManaged grazing
    Read on the source site
  • OSU Extension
    Sudangrass as a Cover Crop in Ohio
    Ohioline · Ohio State University Extension · March 2023

    Authors: Sarah Noggle and Rachel Cochran

    High-biomass summer annual rated Excellent for grazing — wait until plants are 18–36 inches, watch prussic acid and nitrate risk after drought or freeze, and bump the rate for forage.

    Cover crops & forageIntegrating livestockManaged grazing
    Read on the source site
  • OSU Extension
    Rapeseed as a Cover Crop in Ohio
    Ohioline · Ohio State University Extension · April 2023

    Authors: Sarah Noggle and Rachel Cochran

    Winter brassica cover with Very good grazing marks — increase seeding rate on slopes or for forage, and skip glyphosate-resistant varieties when planting as a cover.

    Cover crops & forageIntegrating livestock
    Read on the source site
  • OSU Extension
    Silvopasture (AMP Agroforestry Resources Hub)
    AMP · The Ohio State University

    Authors: Agroecosystem Management Program and Ohio State University

    OSU Agroecosystem Management Program hub: silvopasture by addition (trees into pasture) vs. by subtraction (thinning woods for forage), with Ohio Woodland Stewards sheets, NRCS Code 381 notes, and practitioner links.

    SilvopastureManaged grazingIntegrating livestock
    Read on the source site
  • Penn State Ext.
    Integrating Grazing into Cropping Systems: Grazing Cover Crops for Soil Health
    Penn State Extension · Updated October 2022

    Authors: Sjoerd W. Duiker, David W. Hartman, Kathy J. Soder, Justin L. Brackenrich, and Divya Pant

    Five soil-health principles for grazing covers: armor, no-till, diversity, living roots, and livestock. Emphasizes take-half/leave-half, frequent moves, and avoiding wet pugging.

    Cover crops & forageIntegrating livestockManaged grazing
    Read on the source site
  • Penn State Ext.
    Intensive Grazing Management of Cover Crops for Soil Health
    Penn State Extension

    Authors: Sjoerd W. Duiker and Divya Pant

    On-farm Adams and Franklin County results: MiG moves every 1–2 days delivered ~1,200–2,300 lb/acre DM while leaving about half the residue; bulk density recovered and soil biology often improved.

    Cover crops & forageManaged grazingIntegrating livestock
    Read on the source site
  • Penn State Ext.
    Potential to Integrate Grazing into No-Till Systems
    Penn State Extension · Updated September 2025

    Authors: Sjoerd W. Duiker and Jessica A. Williamson

    Perennial–annual rotations, grazed covers, and residue grazing on continuous no-till — grazed forage often costs half or less of machine-harvested feed, with no manure-spreading pass.

    Integrating livestockCover crops & forageCutting fossil-fuel inputsManaged grazing
    Read on the source site
  • Penn State Ext.
    Extending the Grazing Season with Plant Diversity
    Penn State Extension

    Authors: Sjoerd W. Duiker and Jessica A. Williamson

    Warm-season annuals and perennials plus cool-season annuals fill summer slumps and free perennial paddocks to stockpile — no-till makes the rotations practical.

    Managed grazingCover crops & forageIntegrating livestock
    Read on the source site
  • Penn State Ext.
    Cover Crops for Livestock Grazing
    Penn State Extension · Updated November 2025

    Authors: David Hartman

    Decision guide for grazing covers in a cash-crop rotation: fencing and wet soils, cattle class, why annuals alone rarely beat perennials for cows, and diverse mixes that cut hay bills while building soil.

    Cover crops & forageIntegrating livestockManaged grazingCutting fossil-fuel inputs
    Read on the source site
  • Penn State Ext.
    Silvopasture Could Work on Your Farm
    Penn State Extension · Updated October 2025

    Authors: David Hartman

    Why managed trees-plus-livestock differs from unmanaged woods grazing: shade gains without manure campouts, site selection, and Northeast learning paths before you thin or plant.

    SilvopastureManaged grazingIntegrating livestock
    Read on the source site
  • Penn State Ext.
    Grazing Management to Avoid Soil Compaction
    Penn State Extension

    Authors: Sjoerd W. Duiker

    Wet-weather grazing playbook: ball test for fitness, quick-draining fields first, taller residuals, 20–30 day rest, and a sacrifice area when mud is inevitable so paddocks can heal.

    Managed grazingIntegrating livestockCover crops & forage
    Read on the source site
  • Penn State Ext.
    Alternative Forages for Spring and Summer Planting
    Penn State Extension · June 2026

    Authors: Penn State Extension

    2026 Extension update on millet, sorghum-sudangrass, teff, crabgrass, and brassicas for summer/fall grazing — introduce brassicas slowly and keep them under about 75% of the diet.

    Cover crops & forageManaged grazingIntegrating livestock
    Read on the source site
  • UK Extension
    Grazing Cover Crops
    UK Master Grazer · University of Kentucky Extension

    Authors: Ray Smith, Christopher Teutsch, and Jeff Lehmkuhler

    Master Grazer guidance for KY: wheat and cereal rye mixes, fencing realities on cropland, which cattle classes pay, and contracting with a neighbor when you lack the planter.

    Cover crops & forageIntegrating livestockManaged grazing
    Read on the source site
  • UK Extension
    Extending Grazing and Reducing Stored Feed Needs (AGR-199)
    University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension

    Authors: Don Ball, Ed Ballard, Mark Kennedy, Garry Lacefield, and Dan Undersander

    Southern Extension classic: warm-/cool-season mixes, stockpile math (~80 cow-days/acre at 70% efficiency), crop residue, dormant alfalfa, and strip grazing to shrink hay dependence.

    Managed grazingCutting fossil-fuel inputsIntegrating livestock
    Read on the source site
  • UK Extension
    Managing Small Grains for Livestock Forage (AGR-160)
    University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension

    Authors: University of Kentucky Forage Extension

    Wheat, barley, oat, rye, and triticale as dual-purpose grain, cover, and livestock forage — grazing, silage, and hay while scavenging residual N after summer annuals.

    Cover crops & forageIntegrating livestock
    Read on the source site
  • WVU Extension
    Grazing for Appalachian Sustainability (GRASS)
    WVU Extension · Applications open through September 2026

    Authors: WVU Extension

    USDA-backed WVU Extension project helping beef and sheep producers shift to soil-health grazing — prescribed grazing, fencing, watering, silvopasture, and related NRCS practices. Summer 2026 applications close mid-September.

    Managed grazingIntegrating livestockSilvopasture
    Read on the source site
  • SARE
    Let’s Talk! Integrating Crops & Livestock (infographic narrative)
    USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) · 2022

    Authors: Green Lands Blue Waters and SARE

    Spectrum from hauling cover forage to temporary fence and in-field grazing — grazing cuts fuel, equipment wear, and manure-handling compared with mechanical harvest and feedlot feeding.

    Integrating livestockCover crops & forageCutting fossil-fuel inputsManaged grazing
    Read on the source site
  • SARE
    Maximizing Integrated Crop & Livestock Systems Value
    SARE / Green Lands Blue Waters · August 2022

    Authors: Laura Paine, Amy Fenn, Jane Jewett, and Erin Meier

    Midwest Forage Association piece from a SARE-funded project: grazing aftermath and covers saves stored feed, labor, and manure handling that enterprise accounting often misses.

    Integrating livestockCutting fossil-fuel inputsCover crops & forage
    Read on the source site
  • SARE
    Grazing Cover Crops (Managing Cover Crops Profitably, Ch. 12)
    USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE)

    Authors: SARE

    SARE chapter on why grazing is often the fastest path to making covers pay: cool- and warm-season windows, MiG moves that limit trampling, and how manure and saliva feed soil biology while cutting hay dependence.

    Integrating livestockCover crops & forageManaged grazingCutting fossil-fuel inputs
    Read on the source site
  • SARE
    2026 National Cover Crop Survey Report
    USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) · 2026

    Authors: SARE, CTIC, and ASTA

    About one in three cover-crop users grazed or fed covers; 77% of those graziers said it improved profitability. Survey highlights fencing, water, and virtual fence as the next barriers to scale.

    Cover crops & forageIntegrating livestockCutting fossil-fuel inputs
    Read on the source site
  • OEFFA
    Soil Health, Silvopasture, and Other Grazing Adaptations
    OEFFA · Ohio Organic Farmer Researcher Network · June 2025 event archive

    Authors: Matt Falb and Ohio Organic Farmer Researcher Network

    Ohio Organic Farmer Researcher Network seminar with Wayne County farmer Matt Falb on silvopasture and grazing covers on neighboring farms — OEFFA / Central State / OSU collaboration.

    Integrating livestockManaged grazingCover crops & forageSilvopasture
    Read on the source site
  • OEFFA
    Cover Crops and Grazing (Ohio No-Till / TNC field day)
    OEFFA events · Ohio No-Till / TNC · June field day archive

    Authors: Ohio No-Till Council and The Nature Conservancy

    Listed on OEFFA’s calendar: Ohio No-Till Council and The Nature Conservancy soil-health field day tying regenerative covers to grazing — gateway to TNC Ohio ag programming.

    Cover crops & forageIntegrating livestockManaged grazing
    Read on the source site
  • OEFFA
    Silvopasture in Practice: Buckskin Valley Farms tour
    OEFFA events · Rural Action · August 2025

    Authors: Charlie Eselgroth and Rural Action

    Charlie Eselgroth’s dairy planting trees into pasture for shade, tree crops, and habitat — Rural Action on hand for technical assistance and funding paths.

    SilvopastureManaged grazingIntegrating livestock
    Read on the source site
  • OEFFA
    Silvopasture Tour: Krusling Farm
    OEFFA events · Rural Action · September 2025

    Authors: Krusling Farm and Rural Action

    Athens County hair-sheep operation — 400 ewes on fescue-clover pasture plus rented annuals and a reclaimed gravel mine converting to native grazing; Rural Action silvopasture series.

    SilvopastureManaged grazingIntegrating livestock
    Read on the source site
  • OEFFA
    Grazing Innovations and Opportunities (Grim Dairy)
    OEFFA Farm Tour Series

    Authors: Eric Grim, Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship, and OEFFA

    Eric Grim on dairy grazing infrastructure, Pasture.io forage tracking, and Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship paths — OEFFA Farm Tour with OOFRN.

    Managed grazingIntegrating livestock
    Read on the source site
  • OEFFA
    Ask an OEFFA educator
    Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association

    Authors: OEFFA Education Team

    Help desk for soil health, covers, organic transition, USDA programs, and sustainable production — John and Adam’s team as a living education resource.

    Cover crops & forageIntegrating livestock
    Read on the source site
  • Stratford
    Life on the farm: no-till drill, roller/crimper, and pasture dividers
    Stratford Ecological Center · May 2023

    Authors: Pauline Scott and Farmer Jeff

    Pauline Scott’s farm journal: permanent pasture dividers for better grazing patterns, early season clover/alfalfa grazing, and a donated Great Plains no-till drill plus roller/crimper so Farmer Jeff can plant into covers without tillage.

    Managed grazingCover crops & forageEquipment & on-farm energyCutting fossil-fuel inputsIntegrating livestock
    Read on the source site
  • Stratford
    Life is good at Stratford: corn nurse-crop covers for graze or hay
    Stratford Ecological Center · July 2026

    Authors: Pauline Scott

    Field 6 mix of corn with winter peas, barley, and crimson clover — corn comes off in fall; the understory stays as high-protein cover for spring hay, balage, or grazing, which the farm calls the most beneficial use.

    Cover crops & forageIntegrating livestockManaged grazing
    Read on the source site
  • Stratford
    Stratford Ecological Center — educational farm & preserve
    Stratford Ecological Center

    Authors: Stratford Ecological Center

    236-acre certified organic demonstration farm and nature preserve in Delaware County: livestock, gardens, 8-year rotations, and hands-on programs for children and adults.

    Integrating livestockManaged grazingCover crops & forage
    Read on the source site
  • Stratford
    Stratford field trips and outdoor classroom
    Stratford Ecological Center

    Authors: Stratford Ecological Center

    Guided farm and nature learning — animals, sustainable practices, and where food comes from — for schools booking the outdoor classroom.

    Integrating livestock
    Read on the source site
  • Stratford
    The first snow of winter at Stratford
    Stratford Ecological Center · November 2025

    Authors: Madison Corna and Stratford Ecological Center

    November 2025 farm journal: cows and calves moved onto thicker grass at the east ends of Fields 4 and 5 after five autumn calves — winter grazing stretch before barn hay, plus patchwork spelt, cereal rye, and clover plantings.

    Managed grazingCover crops & forageIntegrating livestock
    Read on the source site
  • TNC
    Sustainable Agriculture in Ohio
    The Nature Conservancy · Ohio

    Authors: The Nature Conservancy Ohio

    TNC Ohio regenerative-ag hub: cover crops, diverse rotations, 4R nutrient stewardship, and rotational grazing — plus Farmers for Soil Health technical help aimed at tens of thousands of cover-crop acres.

    Cover crops & forageIntegrating livestockManaged grazingCutting fossil-fuel inputs
    Read on the source site
  • TNC
    North America Regenerative Grazing Lands
    The Nature Conservancy · March 2023

    Authors: The Nature Conservancy

    TNC fact sheet on keeping U.S. grazing lands ecologically intact: management plans, regenerative practice pilots, and supply-chain partnerships that scale soil, water, and climate outcomes on working ranches.

    Managed grazingIntegrating livestockCutting fossil-fuel inputs
    Read on the source site
  • Bluffton
    FEAST field trips — farm, environment, and agriculture
    Bluffton University · FEAST · 2026

    Authors: Bluffton University and Little Riley Creek Farm

    Stinner Endowment–funded free field trips to Bluffton’s Nature Preserve and Little Riley Creek Farm: soil health, organic CSA practices, livestock, and food-system learning with OSU Extension and TNC on the planning committee.

    Integrating livestockCover crops & forage
    Read on the source site
  • U-M GSI
    Regenerative Agriculture Field Tour (Western Lake Erie Basin)
    U-M Graham Sustainability Institute · August 2024

    Authors: Graham Sustainability Institute and University of Michigan

    Graham Institute WLEB advisory tour archive: cover crops, grazed covers, reduced tillage, rotational grazing, and diversified rotations demonstrated on Upper Maumee farms with soil-health educators.

    Cover crops & forageIntegrating livestockManaged grazingCutting fossil-fuel inputs
    Read on the source site
  • U-M GSI
    Regenerative Farming Practice FAQs (WLEB education packet)
    U-M Graham Sustainability Institute · 2024

    Authors: Graham Sustainability Institute and University of Michigan

    Field-tour handout with soil-health principles, cover-crop benefits, rotational grazing notes, and fall cover-crop mix carrying-capacity tables (~74–147 cow-days/acre depending on stand).

    Cover crops & forageManaged grazingIntegrating livestock
    Read on the source site
  • U-M GSI
    It’s Not the Cow, It’s the How: cover-crop grazing research
    U-M School for Environment and Sustainability

    Authors: Will Brinkerhoff and Jennifer Blesh

    U-M SEAS on-farm trials (Dexter and partner farms): cattle terminating covers to cut feed costs while manure and hoof action help soil accrue carbon and nutrients — with USDA and NSF support.

    Cover crops & forageIntegrating livestockManaged grazingCutting fossil-fuel inputs
    Read on the source site

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Attribution

Every card names the authors and publisher and links to their post, PDF, or project page. Summaries are written for the Exchange; they are not reprints.

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