Building Resilient Forage Systems: Managing Winter Production
Winter is always going to be a ‘trough’ in forage production, says Barenbrug advises. That doesn’t mean we can’t make plans to manage it more effectively.
Winter as the Forage Trough
No matter where your peaks of forage production occur during the rest of the year, winter is the season where we will always consume more than we can produce.
This is why conserved forage plays such a vital role in farm systems. Forage shortages are a reality for many producers, and planning ahead is crucial to protect livestock performance and future productivity.
Setting the Stage for Better Planning
As autumn takes hold, soil temperatures naturally fall, and active changes like reseeding underperforming fields are no longer practical. However, this is the perfect time to plan ahead.
Start with a forage audit or fodder budget for the months ahead. It will help you determine whether external sources may be needed and ensure pastures are left in the best condition possible for spring recovery.
Comparing this year’s fodder budget to previous years also provides valuable insight. Different weather extremes test system resilience. The question to ask: does your current production system perform adequately, or could diversifying your forage strategy help smooth the peaks and troughs?
Rethinking Your Forage Strategy
Resilience often comes from flexibility. Some questions to consider:
- Could you grow a winter crop to provide valuable grazing?
- Might this reshape your reseeding strategy?
- Could you reorganise your rotations for better long-term balance?
Looking beyond your own farm can help too. What are neighbouring farms doing differently? Have their approaches worked, and could they work for you?
Diversifying Forage Sources
We don’t know what next year will bring in terms of weather. But relying too heavily on silage, for example, may create unnecessary risk.
Think source diversification: adding flexibility to your system creates fallbacks and buffers in both good and bad years. Consider how you could raise the number of peaks or reduce the depth of troughs in production to strengthen resilience.
No one crop or system fits all. Your approach must reflect your soils, stock, and production goals. But every step towards diversification is a step toward long-term security.
Planning Ahead
It’s never too early to start planning. By building a strategy now, you’ll be better prepared to meet winter forage demands, safeguard livestock performance, and strengthen farm resilience for the future.
Make a new plan, and make it happen.
