One of the most common questions that grazing planners and technical service providers get is “What should I plant in my pasture?” The forage base is the foundation of successful managed grazing, and building a robust pasture should be a high priority for every grazing operation.

But how exactly do we build a forage base for grazing? Does it always require planting new pasture? While planting new pasture may be the proper first step in some situations, it is not always necessary. How do you know if the right approach for your farm is to plant new pasture or just work with an existing forage base?

You must consider your farm’s goals and take inventory of your existing resources to decide whether or not planting new pasture is necessary.

This fact sheet was designed to walk you through that decision-making process and assist you in selecting forage species that are compatible with your farm and complimentary to each other. While there are many great seed mixes that are commercially available, this resource is intended to empower farmers to develop an establishment plan that fits their objectives and design a seed mix that is tailored to their farm.