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Minnesota Department of Ag launches Cropland Grazing Exchange

The Minnesota Department of Ag has launched a new program designed to help connect landowners with livestock producers.

Kelly Anderson, administrator of the Cropland Grazing Exchange, says the purpose behind the online tool is improving soil health by incorporating animals.

“The hooves of the livestock walking over the litter or residue left on the field can help to break up some of the carbon and reincorporate it into the soil.  Also, just the motion of the livestock trampling the soil helps to generate energy for the microbial activity to increase in the soil.”

She tells Brownfield as farming has become more specialized, many crop farmers have fewer connections to producers with livestock.

“The Cropland Grazing Exchange provides a simple way for them to put their information out their and kind of advertise what they have available, so that livestock producers can get ahold of them or vice versa.”

Anderson calls the Cropland Grazing Exchange a solution to a complex issue by allowing crop and livestock farmers to register their locations online and provide basic information.