Event Overview
When row crop ground is so valuable, it can be hard to justify turning it into pasture. But Scott and Amanda Holthaus are working to do just that near Ossian, Iowa. There, on the fourth-generation farm where they are renting land from Scott's parents, Scott and Amanda are paying row-crop rates but grazing the land instead. Using sheep and being resourceful with infrastructure, they have built their herd up to over 300 ewes since 2022. They are in the process of converting additional acres into pasture ground and adding more shelter without using Environmental Quality Incentive Program funding. Come learn how Scott plans to be farming full-time next year by making sheep more viable than row crops.
Meal
Supper will follow the field day.
See & Discuss
- Converting row cropland to pasture
- Grazing cover crops
- Stockpile grazing
- Winter lambing compared to lambing on pasture
- The profitability of sheep production
Sponsors
- Trout Unlimited, Inc.
- Winneshiek Soil & Water Conservation District
