Renting, leasing or purchasing grassland is often a complicated and expensive proposition. While many options are available, not all are practical or realistic. For some farms and ranches, grazing cooperatives have long been an answer to this predicament and are intertwined in the normal management practices of their members.
Let’s take a look at a few of these grazing cooperatives and how they’ve allowed producers to support each other and the land from which they make their living.
Grand River Co-op Grazing Association
Grand River Co-op Grazing Association, located in northwestern South Dakota, provides pastureland for 90 members holding deeded ground with connected grazing permits. The association owns about 14,000 acres, mixed in with 155,000 acres of national forest grasslands. Patrons run 15,000 cattle, largely cow-calf pairs alongside a handful of yearling and sheep operations. Most of the 57 different pastures hold commingled ownership groups. Defined management rules cover everything from capacity limits to weed and pest control to fencing. Leasing agreements with the U.S. Forest Service are renewable every 10 years.
“Since the grazing permits are tied to deeded lands, according to the directives established back in 1940 when the association began, they stay with a family unless the land sells,” says Todd Campbell, Grand River’s executive director. “This makes a big difference to our members, as it basically doubles land size. We’re six months in the government pasture while leaving home forages for winter grazing.”
Due to the association’s size, some of the included counties hire full-time employees to handle fencing and water infrastructure, while others count on members to take on an increased workload in exchange for reduced rates. Over 600 miles of fences, 400 miles of water pipelines and 90 water wells cover the land base. Payments are per cow-calf unit per month, over a six-month season.
“It’s always tricky finding and keeping good help, plus maintaining fair rates for the members,” Campbell says. “We want to maintain enough money to complete our work while keeping costs down.”
He explains they have a solid relationship with the Forest Service, although dealing with government agencies always takes extra time. Grand River incorporates rotational grazing strategies and recently put forward some “adaptive management practices,” which include semi and permanent fencing to allow more mob grazing and system controls.
Campbell says patrons believe in being stewards of the land and hope to leave it better off than they found it. They use weed management protocols and hold over an excess of grass for not only livestock but also wildlife.
“Compared to using the private market and leasing pasture, we’ve got a good deal in place,” he says.
Horse Creek Cooperative Grazing Association
While some associations are large, others serve only a handful of producers.
The Horse Creek Cooperative Grazing Association of North Dakota accommodates six patrons, each running differing amounts of 1,082 allotted animal units. Eight sections mixed with private and long-term leased Forest Service and state lands provide pasture for five-and-a-half months of the year. Since the private land is tied to state and federal lands, permits stay within families unless patrons pass away or sell their properties. Each member supplies his or her own bull power and holds private paddocks without commingling.
Association president Bryant Steen and his wife, Betty, who recently retired as secretary-treasurer, oversee the operation’s management.
Members pay per animal unit. Depending on rainfall amounts, they stock pastures around 70% capacity, although this year, with higher levels, they’re targeting 80%. A long-term employee checks water sources and fences plus treats any health issues. When pastures need rotation, patrons work together to move cattle.
The association works with the National Grasslands and FSA for grants to ensure proper water supply and distribution plus assistance with fencing needs.
“Their help really makes a difference,” Betty Steen says. “One of our current wells isn’t producing enough water, so we’re drilling another. The National Grasslands is helping with 75 percent of the cost, along with two pipelines and some cross fences.”
Horse Creek also voluntarily supports walk-in deer, antelope and bird hunting for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department on 1,385 acres, believing in maintaining an environmental balance.
“A goal of our association is to keep the pastures within the local families and not have them acquired by large conglomerates,” Steen says. “It works well and helps us continue ranching and doing our part to take care of the land.”
Hector Cooperative Grazing Association
Cooperative grazing isn’t restricted to states known more for ranching, but also spreads to other regions of the country. In New York state, Hector Cooperative has been supporting grazing land since it was formally organized in the 1940s. Up to 40 farmers bring 1,900 cattle to approximately 4,800 acres of a 16,000-acre national forest parcel of land.
“With plenty of rain, we use about 3 acres per cow during the summer,” says secretary-treasurer Jim Fravil. “Since the land was transferred to the national Forest Service, it’s almost impossible to get out, which is a good thing, as we’re almost guaranteed to have grass.”
Most farmers individually stock the 35 pastures with cow-calf pairs and bulls, but a few parcels support a breeding bull and commingled cattle from patrons with limited numbers.
The cooperative holds a 10-year renewable lease with the Forest Service. Supplemental feed isn’t allowed (to keep out noxious weeds) and up to four full- and part-time employees handle fencing and health issues. Each pasture holds small handling corrals, plus a central headquarters offers more-advanced facilities for major concerns.
Fravil explains their organization directs a large focus toward the environmental needs of birds and wildlife. They mow a third of the land to control weeds, but only after July 15 to keep nesting birds safe. Numerous ponds are stocked with bullheads and bass, and hunting trails are popular with the public.
“Reasonable feed and care costs are the biggest benefits for our members,” Fravil says. “We bought our farm specifically with this in mind, to send our animals to the national forest in the summer and raise our winter feed at home. When we bring cattle home in October, we have second- or third-cut hay stands to graze until the real winter sets in. You can’t beat it.”
