Last month, we talked about stockpiling fescue and how it’s one of the best tools we’ve got to extend the grazing season and reduce hay feeding. We covered the basics, clipping pastures in late August, fertilizing (if the weather cooperates), and letting that forage rest and grow until after the first frost. But today, I want to talk about what happens after all that hard work—when it’s time to actually graze that stockpiled pasture.

Because here’s the thing: If we just turn cows loose into the field, we lose a lot of that forage. As they walk around, they trample dry grass and waste a big part of what we spent time and money to grow. That’s why grazing management matters just as much as forage production.

This takes me back to a 2015 trip I made to New Zealand. It’s a small island in the middle of the Pacific, about the size of 2.6 Tennessees—so not much land to spare. But what impressed me the most was how efficient they were with what the forages they had grown. Every farm I visited, big or small, used electric fences to graze stockpiled and annual forages in strips. No pasture was ever fully opened up. Cows got a strip at a time, based on how much forage was available and how much the animals needed. Some farmers moved their fences daily, others every few days… it all depended on their schedule. But the idea was the same: protect what you’ve grown and make sure the cows eat it instead of walking on it.

Now, before you ask—no, I’m not saying you need to move fence every single day. I’m just suggesting we think about how we graze our stockpile fescue. Could a few hours with a polywire and step-in posts save you from moving hay bales in February? Maybe. And here’s another plus: you don’t need a second water source or a second fence line. Since not much will regrow after it’s grazed, you can just move one fence away from your water, a strip at a time.

That trip to New Zealand taught me that with a couple hundred bucks in fencing supplies and a few minutes of effort, we can stretch our forage supply, feed cattle better, and rely less on hay. Just some food for thought this September. Maybe it’s time to test a strip grazing plan on your farm this fall to extend the grazing season and reduce reliance on hay later in the year.