Beef Farm Sustainability
Checksheet

ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service
PO Box 3657
Fayetteville, AR 72702
Phone: 1-800-346-9140 --- FAX: (479) 442-9842

By Ron Morrow
NCAT Agriculture Specialist

The PDF version of this document is available at
http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/PDF/beefchec.pdf
16 pages — 268 kb

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Introduction

This checksheet is designed to stimulate critical thinking in planning a farm on which a primary land use is production of beef cattle. The sustainability of a farm relates to many factors revolving around farm management, use of resources and quality of life. The series of questions is intended to stimulate awareness rather than serve as a rating of management practices. Carefully think about how decisions made in one area impact the results in other areas of your farm. Use this guide to define areas in your farm management which might be enhanced as well as to identify areas of strength.

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Note to the educator: Suggestions on how to use the check sheet

The checksheet is quite lengthy and can be rather intimidating, to both educator and producer. Having evaluated the use of the checksheet on several farms, the authors make the following suggestions for its use:

Send the checksheet to the producer prior to the first meeting. Allow 2-3 weeks for the producer to work through it.
Be flexible. The producer and the educator should be comfortable in working through the process. Remember that the checksheet is a guide to assess the operation as to strengths and weaknesses.
Review the questions beforehand. Then, when going through them with the producer, don’t just read the questions but address them in your own words. If a question has been addressed in general conversation, or if a question doesn’t need to be answered because of the way a previous question was answered, move on to the next question. If the producer doesn’t have a problem in a certain area, then the subset of questions pertaining to that problem need not be addressed. Having aerial photos, soil maps and topographic maps on hand during the assessment has proven useful.
Since the time needed to completely work through the checksheet may be longer than available for a single farm visit, two or more visits may be in order. The checksheet is most useful in making the producer aware of management alternatives. Therefore, defining the items for which he or she needs more information is most important.
Support materials can be procured from ATTRA to use as references.

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This document was developed by Ron Morrow (PhD) and Ann Wells (DVM), technical specialists with NCAT/ATTRA (Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas). The project was funded by a Southern SARE-PDP grant. Contributors to the process were ATTRA technical specialists Alice Beetz, Anne Fanatico, Lance Gegner and Preston Sullivan; cattle producers Lisa Cone Reeves and John Spain; representatives of USDA-NRCS Travis James, Sheri Herron and Claire Whiteside; University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension agents Merle Gross, Robert Seay and Larry Sandage; and University of Arkansas Experiment Station faculty Ken Coffey (Animal Science) and Chuck West (Agronomy).

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INVENTORY OF FARM RESOURCES AND MANAGEMENT

INSTRUCTIONS: Complete the following questions to present an overview of the farm and management priorities.

Size of farm (owned)________________________________________________
Acreage rented ____________________________________________________

Number of:

Other types of animal and farm enterprises
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

Breeds of cattle
________________________________________________________________

Number of pastures on farm__________
Number of ponds and water sources ________________

Livestock market and months you market in
________________________________________________________________

Months you calve in
________________________________________________________________

How many acres of the following do you have?
predominantly cool season perennial grasses_______________________________
predominantly warm season perennial grasses______________________________
mixture of warm and cool season grasses_________________________________
pastures with legumes________________________________________________
cool season annuals_______________ warm season annuals__________________
pastures that can be stockpiled for late fall/winter grazing______________________

Which practices are part of your grazing system? short duration, slow rotation, continuous grazing

Give major soil types and productivity indexes for the farm
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

When and with what do you fertilize?_____________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

What are the top five strengths of your operation? _________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

What are the top five problems?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

Do you have written goals for your operation (briefly list if you do)? _________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

INSTRUCTIONS: In the margin for each question, place a checkmark if it needs further thought. Leaving the item blank indicates that the area covered in that question is not a problem or an issue in the management program. Keep in mind that some questions are repeated to show interrelationships.

I. CATTLE AND FORAGE PROGRAM
A. Herd health and reproductive management

Well-nourished, stress-free animals are the foundation of a sustainable beef cattle program. This means animals are healthy and perform better, are easier to manage and care for, and can more easily handle adverse conditions. While seemingly a simple question, this is intended to stimulate quick evaluation of any stress the animals may have. Simply walk into your herd and take a look at your animals.

____ What is the overall appearance of your whole cattle herd?
____________________________________________________________
____ Do your cattle appear to be thrifty, contented, and performing to your
satisfaction?___________

A good health and reproductive management program will allow a producer to avoid problems. Most reproductive management problems involve poor nutrition during some period of the year. A well-defined breeding/calving season helps a producer manage a cow herd more effectively. Nutrition of a cowherd revolves around a well-designed forage management program including coordination of calving with forage availability and quality. The forage management plan, by ensuring an adequate supply of high quality forage throughout the year, will reduce the incidence of health and reproductive problems in the herd. If fed properly, cows will cycle and breed early in the season, preventing problems with open (non-pregant) cows or late-calving cows. Some people presently feel it is best to calve cows when pasture is actively growing; we would advocate that when cows reach peak lactation (30-60 days postcalving), they are on pastures when forage is in peak growth.

What are your herd health goals?________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

_____ Do you

_____ What vaccinations do you give?__________________________________
__________________________________________________________
_____ When, how often and on what basis do you deworm?___________________
___________________________________________________________

Do you have problems with (if you have problems in any area, answer indented questions; if not, go on to next one)
_____ open cows (more than 10%) or late calving cows?_____________________

_____ calving difficulty (pull more than 10% of the calves)?______________

_____ abortions/embryonic losses?__________________

_____ calf scours and/or pneumonia?_______________

_____ internal/external parasites?_____________________

_____ grass tetany?_________________

_____ other health problems?__________________________________________

(skip this section if you do not have fescue pastures)
The endophyte level in tall fescue pastures is a management concern. Because seed which is stored for a time period before being sown reduces the infection rate, farms can have pastures with various levels of infection. While most producers make the assumption that pastures are infected, sampling each pasture to determine its specific level of infection could be worthwhile. If a pasture is less than 50-60% infected, its management might be different than if 80-90% infected. Put simply, the best way to manage high endophyte pastures is to use minimal nitrogen fertilization, include legumes, control-graze and cull animals with obvious heat stress problems. Do not mistake other stresses such as parasites, poor nutrition, or extremely hot and humid weather as indicators of fescue problems.

_____ Do you have problems with fescue toxicoses (or heat stress)?_____________

Stress can be additive, in that one stressor alone may not be a problem, but when multiple stresses occur animals perform poorly or get sick. For example, parasites may not be a problem in well-nourished animals but cause problems when animals are under nutritional stress. Stress to animals can be decreased by careful design of handling facilities, proper consideration of animal behavior, adequate nutrition and awareness that drastic changes in diet (for example, weaning a calf in drylot with hay and grain) can stress animals. Behavior of animals can cause stress to both handler and animal.

_____ Are animals stressed

during weather extremes?_________________

do you have wind breaks in winter?___________

sickness at high stress times?________________________________

stress?______________________

weather?_____________

B. Breeding, genetics and selection program

Breed selection should be based on the actual merits of a particular breed for a specific marketing program or forage utilization program. Producers tend to base breed or sire selection on popularity of breed or pedigree without using a well-planned breeding or crossbreeding program. Consideration of type of cattle and of the kind of environment or management the seedstock were produced in helps predict how they will perform in another person’s program. For example, cattle from one geographical region may not perform well in another or cattle developed on a high grain diet may not perform well on a pasture program. In other words, your cattle may not match your resources. Evaluation of breeding stock must include traits of economic significance; for example, use bulls with low to moderate birth weights on heifers. Although we tend to emphasize traits such as adjusted 205-day weights, actual weaning weights or sale weights have more impact on income and thus should be used in making management decisions.

What are the goals of your breeding program?
________________________________________________________________
_____ Do your animals match your resources
_____ Do you select animals which have been raised in a management program or

environment similar to yours?______________________________________ _____ What traits do you select for or cull against when choosing sires or

_____ On what basis do you choose herd sires and where do you purchase sires?

___________________________________________________________ _____ Why did you choose the breeds you have?___________________________

_____ On what basis do you sell surplus animals?___________________________

_____ Do you raise or purchase replacement heifers?________________________

Could you purchase them more economically than raise them?_________

C. Nutrition management

Grazing system and choice of forages are the key components of a cattle nutrition program. All aspects of grazing, including when and for how long animals graze, change the pasture by affecting plant species diversity, plant population and plant density. In a sustainable system, these changes should improve the pasture’s ability to meet the nutritional needs of the animals, minimizing the need for harvested forages and purchased feeds. Most beef cattle producers have two ways of harvesting forages: baling hay or grazing animals. We Americans have tended to allow animals to graze grass down to the ground and then when pasture becomes limiting, feed hay and/or purchased supplements. Producers in other parts of the world avoid the prohibitive costs of baling hay (equipment needs, fertilizer costs, fuel use, etc.) by using management techniques that more efficiently utilize the forage and lessen dependence on harvested forages. By knowing what forage is produced, when and how, we can feed our animals on good pasture for a longer period of time. We can change the forage production curve through management. Additionally, we can impact the animal’s needs by changing the time of the greatest nutrient requirement, peak lactation, by timing calving and matching the forage production to the lactation curve. While most people strive to have cows in condition score 5 at calving, the critical point is to have cows gaining weight before breeding.

What are your goals related to nutrition of your cattle program?________________
_______________________________________________________________
_____ Does your forage base match your animals’ needs--can you meet those needs

season?_________

for lactating cows to gain well before breeding?_____________

before winter?______

_____ Does your forage management program ensure adequate forage availability

during the grazing season?_______________________________

do you run out of forage and have to feed hay in late summer?______________
do short pastures decrease performance (weaning weight) of calves?_________

to extend grazing season?________________________________

If not, would more species diversity help either option?_________

_____ Could changing calving season allow you to more adequately meet nutrition

_____ Do you cut hay at the proper time to insure good quality?________________

Under continuous grazing, as the season progresses grazing becomes spotty, as some areas within a pasture are overgrazed and others are undergrazed. Some plants mature and quality decrease while other plants do not persist because of depleted root reserves. Consequently, animal performance declines because of poor availability of quality forage and subsequent decreased intake by the grazing animal. Controlled grazing allows pastures to be grazed sooner in the spring and later in the fall, with an availability of forage that allows high animal intake and at the same time gives other pastures the opportunity to grow and rest. Some producers can accomplish this simply by closing gates and using separate pastures in sequence.

_____ Do you have enough pastures to set up a rotational grazing program, i.e.

_____ Do your cattle have access to all your pastures in late winter when cool season

_____ Do your animals spot-graze pastures to the point that some areas are severely

overgrazed and some areas undergrazed and then mowed off?____________ _____ Does your haying program include cutting pastures which are not needed for

grazing rather than allocating areas of the farm just for hay production?______ _____ Do you use haying to control pasture growth and cut the excess early enough

_____ Are special grazing techniques such as forward grazing used to meet the needs

_____ Is stock density high enough to allow adequate control of pastures or could you

group cattle to increase stock density?_______________________________

The comfort zone of beef cattle is 30-75° F (effective temperature including wind chill). Outside of that temperature range, cattle have to expend energy to keep warm or cool. A cow of average condition has an increase in energy requirement of 1% per degree drop below 30 degrees; a thin cow has an increase of 3% per degree drop. Thus, having adequate condition on cattle going into the winter can help decrease maintenance costs and save feed/hay. Approximately 30 days before onset of cold weather, condition score cattle and address the following:

_____ Do you prepare your cattle for winter by adding condition?______________
_____ If spring calving, have calves been weaned before cold weather to decrease

_____ Are some of the mature cows too thin going into winter ?_______________

excessive condition?___

quality forage?_____

limiting?____________

_____ Have pastures been conditioned for putting weight gain on cows by stockpiling

II. FARM MANAGEMENT
A. Records

The decision-making process needs to include a standard analysis of farm records to evaluate production and to determine if and how production might be increased economically. Many times decisions are based on recommendations to increase the biological efficiency of an operation, e.g., increasing weaning weights of calves, without any thought given to the economic efficiency ( i.e., does increasing weaning weight increase net return.) Actual costs of production should be calculated for each farm, as cost averages from other operations may be quite different from your own farm’s costs.

What are your farm management goals?__________________________________
_____ Do you make good use of a record-keeping system?___________________
_____ Do you evaluate production based on per acre costs or per cow costs when

making decisions?___ _____ Do you know your actual cost of production per acre?________________

per animal?___________ _____ How many pounds of beef do you sell per acre?_____________

per cow?________________

Hay is a major expense for many cattle operations. Usually grass is considered cheap, but baling hay costs are quite variable, depending on land values, fertility costs, labor, and availability of equipment. Before a producer makes decisions related to producing or buying hay, using more pasture (stockpiling) or feeding hay a longer period, these costs should be calculated.

_____ Do you know what it costs to produce, harvest, and feed a bale of hay?_____

B. Farm planning

One goal of a whole farm plan is to determine whether the land can be used more efficiently; for example, grazing cattle and sheep on the same pasture or using goats to control brush. Additional enterprises such as poultry or hogs can add to the income of the farm.

_____ Would diversification with other animal species add some benefit or add extra

Fertilization of pastures can be a great expense for cattle producers. A rotational grazing program helps to minimize these costs by having the manure from the grazing animals distributed back on pastures rather than in isolated areas, such as around shade trees, water tanks, etc. Another opportunity is to use chicken litter or similar on-farm products to increase organic matter and nutrient content of soils. Conversely, producers who have used chicken litter extensively might be able to sell litter for cash toward purchased fertilizer (lime, N). An important but often overlooked component of a good pasture fertility program is level of organic matter, which influences the microbial activity of the soil.

_____ Are you testing soils in each pasture or field at least every three years?______
_____ Are you making effective use of your fertilizer expenditures?______________
_____ Are you using the additional forage you produce with purchased inputs?_____
_____ Could you decrease N fertilizer through more effective use of legumes?______
_____ Are you using chicken litter/animal manures/municipal sludge products?______

_____ Would using lime allow a decrease in fertilizer expenditures?______________

Equipment expenditures on a farm can be very costly, yet also be part of the tax consideration, which has an impact on purchasing decisions. Proper sizing of equipment to the job and minimizing equip-ment maintenance and operational costs are also important. In some cases, hay can be purchased or custom baling used to decrease farm costs. Some producers make equipment purchases for non-economic reasons and have equipment which cannot be justified based on economic return to the farm.

_____ Do you own more equipment than you need?_________________________
_____ Could you decrease the equipment you need if you relied more on

grazing?_________________ _____ Do you buy equipment for tax reasons, even though you don’t need the

equipment?___________ _____ Does that equipment expenditure for tax reasons really increase your net

income?____________

Feed expenses are usually estimated at 70% of the cost of maintaining a cow for a year. Having to purchase supplemental feeds and using harvested forages can increase the expenses of a cattle operation. As referenced earlier, good grazing management can decrease those out-of-pocket expenses. Conversely, there are times when supplements can be used very effectively and buying hay might be more economical than producing it on the farm.

_____ What are your primary purchased feed expenditures? protein, energy,

minerals, hay _____ Could you decrease these by

_____ How do you know which, if any, of the purchased feeds you actually

need?________

C. Marketing

Marketing cattle is an area where most producers could easily increase their net income. Knowing when to buy and sell cattle has a large impact on returns. There are many options producers can consider, such as being part of a marketing alliance or cooperative, creating markets for specialty products, timing marketing better or owning cattle longer.

What are your marketing goals?________________________________________
_____ Do you market your animals when the price is best?____________________
_____ Could you change your management (forage, calving season, etc.) to allow you

to sell cattle on a more timely basis?________________________________ _____ Other than the local sale barn, what merchandising options are there for your

cattle?__________ _____ Would it be cost effective to retain ownership of your cattle through another

growth phase?_____ _____ Could you produce a more marketable product with a change in your breeding

program?_______ _____ Are you in an area where niche marketing could be established, such as near a

_____ Could you cooperate with neighbors to produce packages of cattle to be

marketed at a premium, i.e., potload of similar cattle?__________________

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III. FARM GOALS

Farm planning is an on-going process which requires that farm families to know where they want to go and how to get there. In determining goals, most farmers have a general idea but lack specific plans. Putting goals on paper can provide a framework for making management decisions.

_____ As you consider the goals of your farming operation, are you

Once you have written down your goals, other decisions are easier. You can plan for farm expenditures rather than buying what seems to be needed at the time.

_____ How do you decide your priorities for expenditures on the farm with a given

_____ Do you know your return on investment for those expenditures?___________
_____ Is the farm income distributed over the year--are there things you can do to

spread out income?__

The following questions are a summary of your thought processes to this point. The three sections that follow are intended to be stand alone assessment tools for evaluating pastures, soils and watershed management to finalize your farm assessment.

_____ Have your perceptions of your weaknesses and strengths changed?
_____ What are the highest priority areas for you to emphasize?
_____ Have you put on paper your goals for your family and your operation?

IV. ASSESSMENT OF INDIVIDUAL PASTURES

Routine pasture assessment can be used effectively as a feed budgeting process as well as an evaluation of how well your grazing program is working and how individual pastures (paddocks) should be managed. Individual pastures should be regularly evaluated to determine short-term management decisions, such as grazing pressure, fertility needs, forage availability within a short time span, potential for hay production, etc. Pasture assessment can be as important to your operation as animal evaluation (and economically, may be more important). Each pasture should be assessed at various times of the year. Additionally, when assessing a pasture, evaluate how previous management and use over time has influenced the pasture.

What are your pasture management goals?_________________________________

____________________________________________________________ _____ Do you need to make better-quality forage available, which might be

_____ Do you know how individual pastures rank in productivity?

___________________________________________________________ _____ Are there spots of bare ground within pastures?_______________________
_____ Do you have any erosion problems?________________________________
_____ What changes in plant species are occurring?_________________________
_____ Are these changes desirable or undesirable?__________________________
_____ Is the pasture grazed fairly uniformly or are there areas of spot

grazing?____________________ _____ Is there adequate but not excessive residue in the pasture?_______________
_____ Is the residue decomposing properly or is it thick enough to contribute to lack

_____ Are the animals doing a good job of controlling the edible weeds, such as

ragweed, when vegetative?______________________________________ _____ Which weeds or brush are not being controlled by grazing?

___________________________________________________________ _____ Are there compaction or pugging problems?__________________________
_____ Could a change in water/mineral feeder location or the shape of pasture impact

the grazing pattern?_____________________________________________ _____ Is wildlife habitat appropriate?____________________________________
_____ Is water runoff excessive, especially on slopes?________________________
_____ Do you need more forage, which might be gained through an application of

fertilizer or a longer rest period?___________________________________ _____ Are pastures resting long enough to allow proper plant regrowth and

_____ Are there areas of pastures which need fertilizer and other areas which don’t?

___________________________________________________________ _____ Which field areas dry out first, second, and last under drought conditions?

___________________________________________________________ _____ Do you have a plan for which pastures are used at various times of the

year?_______________________________________________________ _____ Do you drive on pastures, which may retard pasture growth and create

compaction problems?__________________________________________

V. ASSESSMENT OF SOILS

Soil is the natural resource foundation of any farm. Proper management of the soil is the basis for managing the plant-animal interface necessary for a sustainable livestock farm. Whole farm planning includes assessment of soil characteristics. First, study how everyday management influences nutrients, moisture levels and tilth. This is the basis for decisions on fertility and grazing, which will affect species diversity and erosion problems. It is important to understand where your quality soil is as well as how to improve the quality of all your soil. A nutrient management plan can be used to determine sources of nutrients which can improve the farm’s productivity at minimum costs.

_____ Do you have soil maps of your farm and understand the productivity index of

each soil type? _____ _____ Do you have specific problems to address, such as fragipans, poor drainage,

compaction?______ _____ What is the microbial activity in your soil?_________

What does the soil smell like?__________ _____ What is the tilth?_________________

What does a handful feel like?_____________________ _____ Do you have a nutrient management plan for each pasture?_______________
_____ When was your last soil test?__________________________
_____ What is soil pH, salinity and sodium (Na) saturation?___________________
_____ Do you routinely use lime?___________________
_____ What is the organic matter level in your pastures/fields?__________________
_____ How deep is the dark surface layer?________________________

Is it less than the natural undisturbed soils in your area?__________________ _____ How many days does it take grass or crops to exhibit drought

stress?_________________ _____ How hard are earthworms to find? ______________________________
_____ Is there evidence of earthworm activity such as castings on the

surface?____________________ _____ How fast do manure piles and forage thatch degrade?__________________
_____ Are any plants yellow, spotty or purple-colored?______________________
_____ Do you have any soil nutrient deficiencies or imbalances that impair forage and

animal production?_____________________________________________ _____ Do you have considerable variation of productivity level and nutrient level

within pastures? ____ _____ Are soil fertility levels adequate to meet forage production targets?_________

Are forage production targets too high, leaving inputs that are undesirable for environmental or economic reasons?________________________________ _____ Would a change in fencing allow better use of pastures based on productivity

of soil?_________ _____ Are any erosion problems due to a lack of water flow control, lack of adequate

cover or lack of infiltration?______________________________________ _____ Do you have soil compaction problems in any fields?____________________
_____ How long does it take for standing water to seep in?____________________
_____ Do you regularly sample soil of individual fields or soil types?_____________

VI. ASSESSMENT OF WATERSHED

Every farm is part of a watershed. Water flows onto the farm and leaves the farm. What happens in the process is the responsibility of the farm owner and can have an impact on the water quality downstream as well as influencing the soil erosion problems on the farm. An understanding of the geological formations of the farm may assist in evaluating water flow and managing the water quality.

_____ What are the water drainage patterns into and from your farm?

_________________________________________________________ _____ Are there litter banks (debris piles, usually wood) present anywhere on your

land?_____________________________________________________ _____ How efficient are you in retaining water on your farm and in your

soils?_____________________________________________________

Riparian areas are the edges of streams, wet weather creeks, ditches or any area where water flows through at various times of the year. Management of these areas can have an impact on erosion and water quality.

_____ Do you have major riparian areas, with flowing water in them most of the

time?______________ _____ Do you have riparian areas with large amounts of water at limited times during

the year?_______ _____ Do you have a management plan for your riparian

areas?__________________________ _____ Does your plan allow livestock frequent, limited access to help manage the

vegetation of riparian areas?__________________ _____ Are riparian areas managed for wildlife habitat?_______________________
_____ Do you have buffer zones adjacent to the riparian areas?________________
_____ Are farm ponds full of algae?_______________________
_____ Considering your whole farm as a watershed, do nutrients which contribute

to poor water quality leave your farm?_______________________ _____ Do you time your fertilizing or spreading of litter/manure to prevent runoff of

nutrients?___________________________________________________ _____ Do aquatic organisms downstream indicate good water quality?____

Has this changed?______ _____ Do you use pesticides/herbicides tactically for localized infestation?_________
_____ If using poultry litter or other manures, do you test soil to monitor nutrient

management of individual pastures?____________________ _____ Does your soil absorb and retain rainfall?____________________
_____ Is the vegetation adequate to allow water penetration into the soil and prevent

excessive water flow?_______________________ _____ Are some areas overgrazed to the extent that water flow is excessive?_______
_____ Do you have an understanding of the nutrient flow on your farm (inputs and

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VI. SUMMARY

Now that you have completed the assessment of your farm, go back through the questions you indicated as high priority for increasing economic or environmental sustainability. Then use appropriate reference materials/educators to explore potential changes in your management program or planning. Spend time reviewing the areas that could be emphasized to allow you to meet your goals.

A. Manual

An information manual is planned for 1999 that can be used to address the points in the check sheet that are determined to be high priorities. ATTRA technical specialists are always available to suggest further resources and references.

B. Related ATTRA materials

Listed below are ATTRA publications that may be useful for addressing many of the questions presented in the check sheet. These may be ordered at no charge by calling the ATTRA office, 1-800-346-9140.

Sustainable Pasture Management

Rotational Grazing

Matching Livestock and Forage Resources in Controlled Grazing

Meeting the Nutritional Needs of Ruminants on Pasture

Nutrient Cycling in Pastures

Sustainable Soil Management

Integrated Parasite Management for Livestock

Introduction to Paddock Design and Fencing-Water Systems for Controlled Grazing

Alternative Beef Marketing

Sustainable Beef Production

Grass-Based and Seasonal Dairying

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Some web browsers may not display this checksheet the right way. The print version of this checksheet is formatted for readability and ease of use when filling in answers to the questions on the checksheet. To receive a printed copy, contact ATTRA at 1-800-346-9140 or send e-mail to Ron Morrow, NCAT Agriculture Specialist, at ronm@attra.org.

ATTRA is the national sustainable agriculture information service operated by the National Center for Appropriate Technology under a grant from the Rural Business-Cooperative Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. These organizations do not recommend or endorse products, companies, or individuals. NCAT has offices in Fayetteville, Arkansas (P.O. Box 3657, Fayetteville, AR 72702), Butte, Montana, and Davis, California.

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Beef Farm Sustainability Checksheet

Beef Farm Sustainability
Checksheet