Cow-calf raisers can boost their pasture productivity with a few simple management changes and good planning, Iowa State University (ISU) Extension beef specialist Chris Clark said last week. 

Clark and other experts provided advice for evaluating pastures along with tips for making improvements at a pasture walk at the Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) Dallas County farm.

For starters, Clark recommends dividing pastures into smaller paddocks and moving cattle to fresh grass more frequently to provide a rest period that permits forages to initiate regrowth.

“That ...