At first it feels like winter and a slow spring will never go away, and then suddenly it's summer.

But when is the moment to get the animals off of stored feed and onto the pasture?  We took advantage of the rare simultaneous availability of four members of the Center's Pasture Program team to talk about how they know when their paddocks are ready.  Here's a 22-minute video in which Jenn Colby, Kimberly Hagen, Juan Alvez and Colene Reed talked about how they approach the start of the season.

Give a look for tips on:
- recognizing when grasses are making their own energy through photosynthesis instead of relying on stored energy in their roots.
- using marginal areas to let your soil and plants be fully ready before animals are on them.
- using careful observation and timing so that you can preserve and build soil health through the season.
- using your animals to beat back invasive species.

And there are lots of other tips too.  Take a look and let us know what you think, and how the season is starting off for you.

This story was originally shared in the May 2020 Fresh from the Field newsletter.