How well-managed grazing rebuilds soil, water, and wildlife habitat.
As pastures slow down for fall, it’s a good moment to look at what’s happening underground. On AGA farms and ranches, cattle, sheep, goats, and bison aren’t just raised on the land. They help build it.
When animals graze and then move on, they trim plants, press seed and manure into the soil, and leave the pasture to rest and regrow. Done well, that cycle feeds soil life, keeps living roots in the ground, and helps rain soak in instead of running off.
That’s the idea behind AGA’s Regenerative Land Health Standards. The goal is simple: improve the relationship between animals, soil, and ecosystems. Producers following the standards work from six principles:
• Understand the farm’s own context: soil, climate, and landscape
• Disturb the soil as little as possible
• Grow as many kinds of plants as possible
• Keep the ground covered
• Keep living roots in the soil year-round
• Bring livestock into the pasture’s nutrient cycle
Source: American Grass Fed