The mission of the North Dakota Grazing Lands Coalition (NDGLC) is to improve stewardship by providing education and technical assistance to producers regarding regenerative and profitable grazing management and building conservation awareness by educating citizens and policymakers. As part of this mission, the Coalition launched “Grazing Logic,” a series of grazing education events co-hosted with local partners on topics of interest to their communities in 2024.
At each Grazing Logic event, NDGLC mentors and special guests share their knowledge and expertise with farmers and ranchers, resource professionals, and the public. The Coalition partners with soil conservation districts, North Dakota State University Extension county offices, and other conservation organizations (e.g., Audubon Great Plains, North Dakota Wildlife Federation, NRCS, Pheasants Forever) to select topics of interest for host communities and promote the events. These topics have included winter grazing strategies, multi-species grazing, cover crops, soil health, electric and virtual fencing, and succession planning. The events are offered free of charge.
Grazing Logic builds awareness of the Coalition mentor network and the North Dakota Grazing Exchange tool for producers and resource professionals. Presenters speak to the importance of preserving the grasslands and incorporate topics for a broader audience like birding, plant identification, and pollinators.
The Coalition has hosted 10 Grazing Logic events to date, serving all five soil conservation district areas in North Dakota. Two more are already on the schedule for 2026. All Grazing Logic participants are invited to the annual Grassroots Grazing Summit in Bismarck.
On evaluations, attendees have indicated that they plan to test and implement many of the practices they learned about at Grazing Logic, including bale grazing, swath grazing, cell grazing, and estate planning. When asked what they liked about Grazing Logic, attendees said:
- “Very real topics and discussions were had on a difficult subject. Honesty and even openness in some areas were appreciated.”
- “Diversity of content/perspective/experience was important. Appreciated hearing from younger operators and more experienced operators.”
- “Local producers lend knowledge for local producers.”
The North Dakota Grazing Lands Coalition is grateful for the partnership and support of the Prairie Pothole Joint Venture as we work toward our vision of healthy grazing lands for today and future generations.