This year’s drought has been brutal. Grass growth across the UK is running roughly 46% below average, and plenty of herds are already on supplementary feed months earlier than usual.
Some have sadly had no choice but to sell animals due to lack of forage. One farmer on our network using cell-grazed herbal leys still has around 10 days of grazing left. Soil-focused management, combined with the grazing system itself, means deeper roots, better structure, and more organic matter holding moisture for longer. Set-stocked ground nearby, without that behind it, has already moved to supplementary bales.
Of course, this isn’t a ‘quick fix’, and it’s obviously too late in this extreme season for grazing management to change much. Herbal leys and cell grazing are just part of the answer. No single tool—cell grazing, herbal leys, soil management or otherwise—guarantees against extreme weather like this, and we know farms doing everything ‘right’ are still struggling with this drought.
Deeper, more diverse root systems help pasture reach moisture reserves other swards can’t, and over time they help open up soil structure too. Real resilience means tackling the soil in the right order: fix the physical structure and compaction first, so water and air can actually move through the profile; then build soil biology and organic matter to unlock nutrient cycling and moisture-holding capacity; then get the underlying chemistry, pH and mineral balance, right so those biological processes can function properly. Get that sequence right, and well-managed grazing copes noticeably better when conditions turn dry.
With extreme weather set to become more frequent, that combination is worth exploring for the future, even where it can’t solve this year. If you’re grazing through this drought, feeding early, or just getting through it, we know how hard this season has been.
Please get in touch for a no-obligation chat if you think we can help.
About the author
After gaining an HND in Agriculture, Tom Tolputt went on to work as an Area Manager and Farm Animal Nutritionist for Agri-King for seven years. Setting out his stall as an independent consultant, he began advising a range of organic and conventional farm businesses across the UK. He also runs the family farm, raising organic beef cattle and organic cereals at Lesquite Organics with his wife, Nic, near Looe in Cornwall.
About the author
After gaining an HND in Agriculture, Tom Tolputt went on to work as an Area Manager and Farm Animal Nutritionist for Agri-King for seven years. Setting out his stall as an independent consultant, he began advising a range of organic and conventional farm businesses across the UK. He also runs the family farm, raising organic beef cattle and organic cereals at Lesquite Organics with his wife, Nic, near Looe in Cornwall.
