subject: Land Timeshare Relief Yields Improved Grazing Spots For Vermont [print this page] Back in March of 2009, the Vermont Agency of AG (Agriculture) put out a report to give timeshare relief to the land with a rotational grazing model. The Agriview Newsletter, published semimonthly by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture profiled the Laplatte River Angus Farm.
Jim Kleptz and his son Mark Kleptz established a beef farm with only a few head of cattle back in 1971. The cattle farm now averages between 250 and 300 mainly Angus cattle.
Because the owners of these grazing lands for the LaPlatte River Angus Farm get the benefit of land maintenance and free fertilization through the cows natural nutrients it makes this a beneficial arrangement for all parties involved. On top of this the land owners receive no maintenance fee for the land they own. This is a big part of this land timeshare relief innovation and has helped the farm grow dramatically as well as improve the grazing land quality.
In order to sustain the results, the grazing patterns are timeshared to give the land relief once the grazing has taken its toll on the grass. In the Vermont Agency of AG report, the decision to rotate the herd depends on the condition of the grass, the soil and the animals. The fields alternate between haying and direct grazing. The hay is kept for the winter to feed the cattle.
These innovative changes to the cattle farms have led to an increase of 40 percent each year for grass-fed and locally raised Vermont beef. Due to this increase of demand the local beef supply has gone up by 20 to 30 percent in 2009.
"Jim and John Kleptz illustrate an excellent example of farming success, through their innovation, creativity, and good management," said Jenn Colby, Outreach Coordinator for the Pasture Program at the UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture. "LaPlatte River Angus is a terrific example for us all to learn from."
This system of land timeshare relief can do for Vermont AG and the entire Vermont economy what it has done to help the Laplatte River Angus farm flourish into what it is today. The Kleptz family has even gone on to win the sustainable farm of the Year Award from the Vermont Sustainable Agriculture Council in 2007
