We're Half Way There: Windy Hill Farm

Scott Miller Half Way There

A rotational grazing system Miller implemented on his farm has made working his cows easier.

Bobby Whitescarver.

(Swoope, VA)—"It's February and I've still got grass!" Scott Miller exclaimed. He's the owner of Windy Hill Farm and excited about his recently installed rotational grazing system for his commercial cow-calf operation.

He took over farm from his father in 2011.

"I took a measuring wheel and measured how far my cows had to walk for water—2,830 feet, that's half a mile," Miller said.

"If I was going to make this work, there had to be more waterers for the cows and better grazing distribution," Miller explained.

Miller enrolled in the Natural Resources Conservation Service's (NRCS) Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) in 2016. His contract included two "frost-free" watering troughs, internal cross fencing to create a total of seven grazing pastures, and exclusion fence to keep cows out of a thirty-two-acre forest.

"We used to feed cattle in a section of the woods next to the pasture. All those trees died," Miller said. "We put a fence around the woods so the cows couldn't get in there. That made our EQIP application rank higher. And besides, I was tired of chasing cows and calves in there and I was tired of worrying about acorn poisoning."

Moving cattle from the far reaches of the farm to the barn used to be difficult. Dividing the pastures into smaller units with access to water in each one allowed Miller to rotate his pastures and afforded much greater ease of herd movement.

"It used to take us two days and four or five people to get the cows into the barn to work them. Now I can get them into the barnyard by myself in an hour," Miller said.

Windy Hill Farm is in the Middle River watershed, in the headwaters of the Shenandoah River. It clearly produces more forage, faster growing timber, and saves this farmer time, thanks to the funding and technical assistance of EQIP. "The EQIP program made this happen," Miller said.

Bobby Whitescarver 90x110

Bobby Whitescarver

Former CBF Consultant, CBF

[email protected]

Issues in this Post

Agriculture   Agriculture   Water Quality  




Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in the media or articles on this site are those of the speakers or authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions held by CBF and the inclusion of such information does not imply endorsement by CBF. CBF is not responsible for the contents of any linked Website, or any link contained in a linked Website, or any changes or updates to such Websites. The inclusion of any link is provided only for information purposes.


The Bay Needs You

The State of the Bay Report makes it clear that the Bay needs our support now more than ever. Your donation helps the Chesapeake Bay Foundation maintain our momentum toward a restored Bay, rivers, and streams for today and generations to come.

Donate Today

Stay Up-to-Date on Bay News

Want to stay up-to-date on all news and happenings in your region and across the Chesapeake watershed? Join our digital community.

Sign Up
x
This website uses cookies to tailor and enhance your online experience. By continuing, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. For more information, including details on how to disable cookies, please visit our Privacy Policy. Close