How Horstmann Cattle Company Maximizes Grazing Through Pasture Diversity

At Horstmann Cattle Company, we're proud to do things a little differently, and with good reason. While most farms rely heavily on a single species like fescue to support their herds, our approach is rooted in diversity, resiliency, and year-round sustainability. Through strategic planning and an intentional mix of cool-season and warm-season grasses, native plants, and forbs, we have extended our grazing period far beyond the norm. This allows our cattle to feed on green, growing forage for the majority of the year.

Let’s dig into how we do it and why it matters.

The Problem With a One-Grass Strategy

Most cattle operations across the Midwest and similar regions grow almost exclusively fescue. While fescue is hardy and productive, its growth pattern is far from ideal for sustained grazing. It follows a classic roller coaster curve:

• Spring Surge: Explosive growth as temperatures rise
• Summer Slump: A sharp drop-off during the hot, dry months
• Fall Flush: A second, smaller burst of growth as the weather cools
  
  

This boom-and-bust cycle leaves cattle producers scrambling during summer. They often rely on expensive hay and supplements or risk sacrificing herd health and weight gain.

At Horstmann Cattle Company, we have solved this problem with one key principle: diversity builds consistency.

Diversity Is the Difference

By incorporating a wide range of grasses, sedges, forbs, and native plants, we flatten the growth curve and fill in the summer gaps. This creates a grazing season that begins earlier, lasts longer, and sustains better forage quality throughout.

Here’s a look at the general grazing calendar and plant progression in our pastures:

Early Spring (Mid-March Onward)

Because we regeneratively graze our cattle and focus on soil health, pasture resiliency, and maintaining a base of browse for the cattle, we are typically able to start grazing about two weeks before most farms. 

• Fescue
• Clover
• Bluegrass
  
  

Mid to Late Spring

• Orchardgrass
• Rye
• Timothy
  
  

Early to Mid Summer

• Barnyard Grass
• Crabgrass
• Ragweed (Yes, cattle love it. It’s nutritious and often overlooked.)
  
  

High Summer (Heat-Tolerant Species Thrive)

• Giant Foxtail
• Johnson Grass
  
  

Late Summer into Early Fall

• Grease Grass
• Brome Sedge
  
  

Even now, in late October, we are still grazing grease grass and mature brome sedge. Fall rains have begun to bring back the cool-season species:

Fall and Late Fall

• Fescue returns strong
• Orchardgrass revives
• Little Timothy
  
  

Throughout the year, we also manage the land for as many native plants and forbs as possible, enhancing both forage diversity and soil health.

Benefits Beyond the Green

This extended, balanced grazing approach doesn’t just keep the cattle well fed. It supports nearly every aspect of our operation.

✅ Animal Health and Weight Gain

With a consistent supply of high-quality forage, our cattle maintain better body condition and gain more efficiently without relying on costly feed.

✅ Reduced Feed Costs

We use less hay and grain, and we move less feed around. A longer grazing season means more profit stays in the operation instead of being spent on inputs.

✅ Soil Health and Pasture Resilience

Rotational grazing and plant diversity encourage deeper root systems, better water retention, and natural fertility cycling. This builds more drought-resilient pastures over time.

✅ Biodiversity and Wildlife Habitat

Native species and forbs attract beneficial insects, birds, and pollinators. This turns our pastures into thriving ecosystems, not just grass fields.

Redefining What a Pasture Can Be

At Horstmann Cattle Company, we don’t see pastures as static fields. We see them as dynamic, living systems. By working with nature instead of against it, we have created a grazing program that is more productive, more sustainable, and ultimately more profitable.

If you are a producer still relying on fescue alone, we encourage you to take a closer look at your forage curve. With the right mix of species and a management plan to support them, it is possible to keep cattle grazing on green, growing forage for most of the year. That is good for the herd, the land, and the bottom line.

Want to learn more or see our pastures in action? Reach out or follow us on social media for updates straight from the field.