Join the movement toward safe, healthy, sustainable grass-fed cattle farming. Take advantage of the naturally efficient relationship between cattle and pasture to create a profitable, financially stable enterprise, regardless of the size of your farm, the climate where you live, or your current farming practices. Cattle are wonderfully adept at converting grass into meat, fat and milk. Here, Julius Ruechel gives you the management and marketing tools you need to meet your personal, financial and farming goals. Whether you are beginning a new enterprise or changing from a more conventional feeding and management system, "Grass-Fed Cattle" offers complete information on running a profitable, environmentally sustainable farm based on the efficiency of cattle and grass.

and#8220;For people starting out in raising grass-fed beef, this book is essential. For the experienced grass farmer, this book is an important addition to the library.and#8221; and#8211; Temple, Grandin, designer of humane livestock facilities; author of Animals in Translation

and#8220;This book walks the reader through every phase of grass-fed beef production, often detailing aspects found wanting in textbooks on the subject. Its lessons are international and conquer the environmental differences under which grass is grown and fed. Outstanding!and#8221; and#8211; Charles Walters, Executive Editor of Acres, USA

and#8220;An excellent how-to book for grass-based natural cattle productionand#8230;one you will want to read and re-read many times.and#8221; and#8211; from the foreword by Allan Nation, Editor of The Stockman Grass Farmer

Julius Ruechel spent three years converting his familyand#8217;s beef cattle ranch in British Columbia into a certified organic farm with grassfed cattle and organic field crops. He then established his own grassfed beef farm in Canadaand#8217;s Yukon Territory. He currently resides in North Saanich, British Columbia.

Part ONE: The Fundamentals of Grass-Based Beef 5

The Great Herds and Their Grasslands 6

The Ticking of Geologic Time and#8226; The Great Herds and#8226; L essons from the Herd

Genetics and Breeding: Selecting the Right Animals for Your Herd 18

The Pitfalls of Single-Trait Selection and#8226; E nvironment and Climate and#8226; Characteristics of the Ideal Breeding Animal and#8226; Culling Animals: Training Your Predatory Eyeand#8226; Breeding for Your Target Market

The Cattle Year on Grass 33

The Calving Season and Predator Exposure and#8226; The Calf: Birth to Sexual Development and#8226; The Heifer Calf: Sexual Development to Calving and#8226; Photoperiod: Sunlight and Fertility and#8226; The Bull Calf: Sexual Development to Breeding and#8226; Cattle Processing: The Human Role in the Cattle Year and#8226; Marketing Grass-Fed Cattle and#8226; Moving the Calving Season

4 Grass and Grazing 56

The Rumen: The Forge that Turns Grass into Beef and#8226; Root Reserves and the Ideal Grazing Interval and#8226; A Recipe for Healthy Soil and#8226; Grass Varieties and#8226; Rejuvenating Old Pastures

Part TWO: Infrastructure and Management 65

Electric Fences and Rotational Grazing 66

Factors to Consider and#8226; E nergizers and#8226; Permanent Wires and#8226; Posts and Braces and#8226; Insulators and#8226; Permanent Gates and#8226; Portable Electric Fencing and#8226; Training Cattle to Respect Electric Fences and#8226; Understanding the Goals of Pasture Rotation and#8226; Pasture Rotation: Herd Migration in Your Own Backyard and#8226; Training the Herd for Pasture Moves and#8226; Managing the Calving Season on Pasture

Livestock Water 86

How Much Water Do Cattle Need to Drink? and#8226; Peak Water Supply and#8226; Water Quality and#8226; Direct Access to Open Water and#8226; Pumping Water and#8226; Water Storage and#8226; Piping Water and#8226; Cattle Behavior at the Water Trough and#8226; Rotational Grazing Patterns and Water and#8226; Laying Pipe and#8226; Winter-Grazing Patterns and Water and#8226; Watershed Conservation: Managing Riparian Areas

Planning for Winter Grazing 106

Winter Grazing: The Twelve-Month Plan and#8226; Supplementation and Forage Analysesand#8226; Low-Cost Winter Feed for the Transition to Winter Grazing

Planning for Drought 127

A History Lesson and#8226; Preparing a Drought Plan

Managing Your Herd 132

Integrated Herd Management and#8226; Low-Stress Handling

Pests, Parasites, and Diseases 153

The Mechanisms of Disease and#8226; Preventing Disease and#8226; S pecific Diseases, Pests, and Parasites and#8226; Making Healthy Soil for Healthy Animals and#8226; Complementary Grazing Species

Soil Fertility 165

The Importance of Soil Analyses and#8226; What Does the Cow Think of Soil Fertility? and#8226; How Healthy Soil and Grass Work and#8226; Calcium and Magnesium Revisited: Proper Ratios Are Critical and#8226; Organic Matter, Humus, and Nitrogen and#8226; The Scoop on Macronutrients and#8226; And a Pinch of Micronutrients

Weeds 182

What Is a Weed? and#8226; Variety Is All and#8226; When and Why Certain Plants Emerge and#8226; Quick Fixes Versus Long-Term Solutions and#8226; Educate Yourself, Then Put Your Cattle to Work and#8226; Weeds to Remedy Nutrient Deficiencies

Soil Moisture and Irrigation 192

Decreasing Evaporation and#8226; Reducing Runoff and#8226; I ncreasing Water Infiltration and#8226; Take Responsibility for Water and#8226; The Disadvantages of Irrigation and#8226; Calculating Your Irrigation Needs

Part THREE: Business Planning and Marketing 205

Land and Equipment 206

Acquiring Land for your Natural, Grass-Based Cattle Enterprise and#8226; Equipment

Market Options 211

Commodity-Market Opportunities and#8226; Niche-Market Opportunities and#8226; Determining Your Target Market and#8226; Three Case Studies

Stocker Cattle 223

The Cattle Cycle and#8226; Sell/Buy Economics and#8226; Stocker Logistics

Grass-Finished Beef 231

The Art of Grass Finishing and#8226; The Health Benefits of Grass-Fed Beef and#8226; Lessons from the Slaughterhouse and#8226; Cutting and Wrapping and#8226; I nspections and#8226; Pricing Your Meat and#8226; Pickup and Delivery and#8226; Cooking Grass-Fed Beef

Organic Certification 246

Seeking Certification After the Transition and#8226; Headaches of the CertificationProcess and#8226; Choosing the Best and#8226; Solving the Most Common Challenges

Dynamic Marketing 251

Developing a Profile of Your Target Customers and#8226; Demystifying Product Labels and#8226; Your Advertising Strategy and Label and#8226; Market Exposure

Helpful Business-Management Tools 262

Importance and Urgency and#8226; Getting the Biggest Bang for your Buck and#8226; Weighing Decisions, Solving Problems, and Handling Crisesand#8226; 10 Percent Chance, 90 Percent Work and#8226; Your Unfair Advantage

Part FOUR: Your Business Plan: Putting Principles into Practice 267

Your Goals and Market Opportunities 268

Your Business Plan and#8226; S tarting with Goals and#8226; Your Goals and#8226; Assessing Your Market Environment

Your Financial Plans 274

Determining the Focus of Your Business and#8226; C onscious Profit Planning and#8226; Determining the Price of Your Direct-Marketed Beef

Your Cattle Year on Grass 295

Planning the Ideal Cattle Year on Grass

Your Grazing Infrastructure 300

Planning for Your Herdand#8217;s Water Requirements and#8226; Preparing Your Farm Mapand#8226; Piping Water

Your Grazing Plan 311

Your Summer-Grazing Plan and#8226; Your Winter-Grazing Plan: Managing the Grass Reserve and#8226; The Winter Grazing Map

Your Herd Nutrition Plan 324

Developing Your Herd Nutrition Program and#8226; Procuring Samples for Forage Analyses and#8226; What the Livestock Nutritionist Needs to Know and#8226; Locating a Livestock Nutritionist and#8226; Formulating Supplements and Monitoring BCS

Your Grass-Finishing Plan 327

Grass-Finishing Essentials and#8226; Slaughterhouse Considerations

Your Marketing Plan 331

Developing Profiles of Your Target Customers and#8226; Designing Your Product Label and#8226; Formulating an Advertising Strategy

Planning for Adversity 334

Drought and#8226; Financial Preparedness and#8226; Crisis Management

Planning for Change 344

Committing to the Change and#8226; Plan Thoroughly and#8226; Moving the Calving Season and#8226; Turning on Your Herdand#8217;s Migration and#8226; Switching to Winter Grazing and#8226; Making Additional Changes