OUTDOOR CORNER: DEMONSTRATION FARM TO HOLD FIELD DAY

When I'm visiting with landowners, they commonly ask how they can manage their land to make a living and still improve fish and wildlife habitat. To help answer these questions, demonstration areas have been developed around the state to show land use practices that benefit both the landowner and the environment.

One of these demonstration areas is the Southeast Missouri State University Demonstration Farm located north of Cape Girardeau off of Highway W on County Road 618. This 413 acre farm was a dairy operation from 1976 to 1995 and then convert to a beef operation. It was during this conversion that the University asked other governmental agencies to join them in demonstrating the benefits of management intensive grazing systems.

The partners involved with this project, contributing technical expertise and funds, are the Missouri Department of Conservation, Cape Girardeau County Soil and Water Conservation District, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the University Outreach and Education (University Extension).

When the Demonstration Farm was a dairy operation, the forest, fish and wildlife habitat was in poor shape. Pastures were over grazed and cattle had access to the woodlands and Williams Creek. Gully and streambank erosion was a problem. The management intensive grazing system was an opportunity to fix these problems and to educate landowners and students on the benefits of this practice. So what has been done?

They developed a Management Intensive Grazing System. This is a practice that allows cattle to be rotated through a series of small pastures (paddocks) as forage condition, livestock needs and weather conditions dictate. The idea behind this system is to keep livestock on a given paddock for a short period of time before being moved. In return, each paddock will have a rest period to allow regrowth of the vegetation.

In this type of grazing system there will be fewer weeds, better pasture health, longer grazing time, less fertilizer cost, better wildlife habitat and less soil erosion on the pastures. Warm-season Grasses Establishment - Over 85 acres of native warm-season grasses (Eastern Gamagrass, Bluestem, Indiangrass, Switchgrass, and Sideoats Grama) were planted. These provide excellent summer grazing and food and cover for wildlife.

Caucasian Bluestem, an exotic warm-season grass, was also established to provide summer grazing but it is not as good for wildlife. A study is being conducted to compare these grasses for forage production and wildlife benefits.

Over 2.7 miles of Williams Creek and tributaries were fenced and a 25- to 100-foot riparian corridor (strip of land bordering the stream) was established. Trees and shrubs were planted to provide food and cover for wildlife, to prevent streambank erosion, to filter excess nutrients entering the stream, and to provide shade for the stream. Cattle were fenced from the stream to reduce erosion and to improve water quality.

Since cattle were fenced from the stream, another alternative watering source for the cattle needed to be provided, plus water needed to be available at every paddock if the intensive grazing system was to work. A spring on the farm had a solar water pump installed to pump water to a tank at the highest part on the farm. From this tank water was then gravity-fed to each paddock. This was an efficient, low-cost way to provide water to the whole farm.

Most of the larger forested areas were fenced to exclude cattle, thereby reducing the damage to trees, soil compaction and erosion, and destruction of wildlife habitat.

To see first hand what has been developed on the Demonstration Farm plan to attend a field day that is schedule for October 3, 1998 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Speakers will talk about management intensive grazing systems, warm-season grasses, riparian corridor development and management for wildlife and water quality, spring developments, solar watering systems, estrous synchronization studies, and stockpiled fescue. There will also be vendor displays. A pre-registration fee of $2.00, which includes a steak lunch, is requested before September 28, 1998. To pre-register contact the Cape Girardeau County Extension at (573) 243-3581.

Brad Pobst is an aquatic services biologist for Missouri Department of Conservation.