How do our goats restore soil, preserve wild habitat, and sequester tons of carbon at the same time?

Regenerative rotational grazing is the answer!

 

What Is Rotational Grazing?

Every 3-4 days our herd is rotated to fresh pasture using a method called intensive rotational grazing. It's a practice that mimics the natural grazing patterns of wild herds across the prairies, and it does amazing things for soil, plant, and animal life. At each rotation, the herd gets 1-2 acres of fresh, perennial grass and shrubs to munch on, and the soil receives manure (nature's fertilizer) and gentle aeration from the goat's hooves. The goats won't return to the same pasture for 3 months, giving it plenty of time to regenerate.

 

How It Started...How It's Going

We've been implementing this practice for nearly 10 years, and the improvement to our soil and grasslands is HUGE! When we moved to Little Seed Farm in early 2012 our fields were stripped of much of their biodiversity and the soil quality had been depleted over years and years of taking hay off the fields and not replacing the nutrients. Today, our fields are lush, the grass and brush is diverse, insects, birds, reptiles and wildlife are plentiful, and the soil is deep and healthy. 

 

Carbon Sequestering

The lush, healthy pastures sequester carbon dioxide via deep root systems and act as a "carbon sink", storing and converting carbon into soil. Grasslands are shown to sequester MORE carbon dioxide when properly managed in combination with grazing animals, all while maintaining habitat for grassland birds, insects and mammals.

 

Protecting Native Plants & Wildlife

When soil is nourished, biodiversity flourishes! Native plants and animals thrive in their natural habitats on our pastures and there isn't a day when we're not surprised by some gorgeous butterfly, birds nest, or wild flower that we've never noticed before.

The symbiotic relationship between soil, plants, and animal life is truly a beautiful thing! Don't you agree?