We encourage anyone with questions about grazing to write or call us with your questions and we will try to find answers from people in grazing circles. Following are some excerpts from a publication called Hay and Pasture Management from USDA Soil Conservation Service. A problem that livestock producers face is knowing how short they can graze or mow the pastures and still obtain maximum productivity during an extended period. The problem is compounded by varying climate conditions, growth habits of different plants and livestock preferences for different plants. Plant growth also is affected by the time of the year and age of the plant when leaves are removed.
Plants manufacture food in their leaves through the use of solar energy.
Yet some people wrongfully assume plants produce food in their roots. Plants pull water and minerals from the soil, but the food factory is located above ground in the leaves and green stems. The leaves take in carbon dioxide from the air through tiny pores. Using solar energy, the leaves re-combine the carbon with oxygen and hydrogen to make sugars and starches. The sugars then combine with minerals from the soils to make fibers, proteins, plant oils and fats.