“Of the 35 cows that I calve, I select a portion of my calf crop for my grass-fed beef program every year.”

Cows participating in the Old School Farm Grass-Fed Program forage on perennial and annual pasture instead of going to a feedlot to be fattened on grains and other supplements. The diet of these animals consists solely of forage and hay, with no additional hormones, antibiotics or growth-promoting additives.

With the adoption of cover crops into his farming operation, Joel has extended the grazing season for his grass-fed beef so that he can feed less harvested hay during the winter.  For cover crops, he has used radishes, turnips, clovers, forage rape,sorghum sudangrass, forage kale, oats, annual ryegrass and cereal rye.  In addition to added forage, the cover crops help build soil health, reduce erosion and scavenge for nutrients.