Previous Grazing Projects

Capital RC&D's ​grazing support program promotes resources for new and experienced graziers in our region and throughout Pennsylvania, such as the farmer-to-farmer grazing advisement program; support for the Franklin and Lebanon County Grazing Networks and the PA Grazing Lands Coalition (PA-GLC).  

Mountains-to-Bay Project Summary

Capital RC&D partnered with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and other agencies and organizations throughout the Mid-Atlantic region to support the Mountains-to-Bay Alliance. The Mountains-to-Bay Grazing Alliance works with farmers to implement and improve grazing management and reduce feed costs, effectively increasing rotational grazing throughout the region. Learn more about the alliance by visiting m2ballince.org and see Capital RC&D's impact through the project summary. ​

Now Available: Dry Season Grazing Management Webinar 

The recording and resources from the May 31, 2023 Dry Season Grazing Webinar are available on the Education page.  

Catch up on the Graziers Grapevine Podcast!


*Latest Episodes* 
Episode 44: Nutritional Deficiencies with Dr. Robert Van Saun
Cheryl Burns speaks with Dr. Robert Van Saun, Extension Veterinarian and
Professor of Veterinary Science at Penn State University. The focus of this episode is on nutritional deficiencies and issues graziers may experience.

Episode 43: Soil Health with Lisa Blazure
Cheryl Burns speaks with PA Soil Health Coalition Coordinator, Lisa Blazure, about the importance of soil health in grazing systems.

*Episode featuring Capital RC&D Executive Director, Ann Basehore
​Episode 29: Are You Kidding? Pt. 1, Episode 30: Are You Kidding? Pt. 2
Guest host, Cheryl Burns, speaks with  Ann Basehore Starbard, author of The Dairy Goat Handbook and Capital RC&D Grazing Advisor, about preparing for and providing support to does and ewes during birth.

Pasture Condition Score and Step Point Training for Conservation Professionals and Farmers

This video is to support conservation staff training and to provide farmers assistance in scoring their pastures using the Pasture Condition Score (PCS) and step point techniques. Funding for this resource was provided by the Mountains-to-Bay Grazing Alliance and with the technical support of USDA-NRCS staff in Pennsylvania and from the USDA-NRCS East National Technology Support Center.

Cover Crop Grazing Project

​In July 2019, Capital RC&D kicked-off a two year cover crop grazing project, funded through a National Fish & Wildlife Foundation’s Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grant, that examines the inclusion of a grazed cover crop as part of a regular crop rotation on livestock farms. The project, Promoting Grazing and Cover Cropping by Developing Better Practice Information, Outreach and Cost-sharing, will develop and share best practices for grazing cover crops and soil health, follow the progress of four beef farms implementing cover crop grazing systems, as well as providing cost share for grazing infrastructure and technical assistance to farmers in the Capital RC&D region.  
In addition to Capital RC&D staff, the project team includes researchers from Penn State University, Grazing Specialists from USDA-NRCS, Grazing Advisors from Capital RC&D, as well as support from staff at Capital RC&D region conservation districts and the PA-Grazing Lands Coalition.

A summary of the results of the study can be read here.

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Case Study Videos

Cover Crop Grazing Project Research

Graziers Grapevine Podcast, Cover Crop Grazing Episodes

The Graziers Grapevine podcast will feature a series of episodes about the cover crop grazing project. These episodes will feature interviews the farmers, researchers, and advisers who are participating in the project, as well as guests who can address key topics related to implementing grazing as part of a cropping system. All of the Graziers Grapevine podcast episodes are available on the PA GLC website, iTunes, or Spotify. Episodes directly related to the project are available below:
Another component of the cover crop grazing project is to provide cost share for grazing projects that convert cropland or extensively grazed pasture into rotationally grazed pasture. Farms that were eligible and awarded funding are located within the Capital RC&D region (Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, and York counties) and are implementing projects including exterior fencing, interior fencing, stabilized stream access points, stabilized stream crossings, alternative livestock watering systems, stabilized livestock walkways, or any other best management practice (BMP) associated with rotational grazing. Funding for the cost share is provided by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and Chesapeake Bay Foundation. 

Conservation Innovation Grant

In 2014, Capital RC&D was awarded funds from Pennsylvania NRCS Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) Program as a matching grant to conduct a project entitled, Employing Short-Term Adaptive Management Strategies to Improve Pasture Soil Health and Climate change resilience on Prescribed Grazing Operations.  This three year project was designed to address the long-term impact of prescribed grazing management targeting soil health and pasture resilience. The project will work with farms to address both improved prescribed grazing and also four focus areas: 1. Multi-species forages, 2. Flash grazing of riparian areas, 3. Invasive species control and 4. Soil organic matter improvement. 

​Successful grazers take the role of Grazing Advisor or Champion and are selected for their experience in managing with respect to the focus areas (Locations of Grazing Champions are shown on map below). One of the several deliverables of this project are video testimonies to document project progress and showcase innovative techniques used by producers working with the project. The videos below highlight the six Grazing Champions who participated for the 2014 round of the project.

​2015-2016 follow-up videos are now viewable via the CapitalRCD YouTube Channel or by selecting the appropriate link below:
​Advancing On-Farm Understanding and Application of Silvopasture Technologies in Pennsylvania
In 2013, several partners including the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Pennsylvania Grazing Lands Coalition, USDA's Agricultural Research Service, and USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service, utilized grant funding through Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research Education (SARE) program to collaborate with Dickinson College Farm in Boiling Springs, PA and Wyebrook farm in honeybrook, pa and began a multiyear project to investigate and apply adaptive management for silvopasture establishment in both woody and open pasture environments. This video features thoughts an reflections of project participants including successes, issues experienced during the course of the project, and thoughts for the future.