395: Grazing Management: A Science and an Art with Jeff Goodwin

On today’s episode of the Cattle USA Daily Podcast, Lauren Moylan welcomes Jeff Goodwin, director of the Center for Grazing Lands and Ranch Management at Texas A&M, for a conversation about grazing management, ranch profitability, drought resilience, and the long-term stewardship of working lands. Jeff brings a unique perspective to the conversation, having worked with ranchers across Texas and the Southern Great Plains through USDA, Noble Research Institute, and now Texas A&M. His work focuses on helping producers better understand the relationship between grazing, water, productivity, profitability, and the land itself.

A major focus of the conversation today is the idea that there may not be one perfect grazing system that works for every ranch. Rather than prescribing a specific system, Jeff encourages producers to think about grazing as a collection of strategies that can be adapted to their own operation, environment, resources, and goals.

Links:

Jeff at Texas A&M - https://cgrm.tamu.edu/jeff-goodwin/

CattleUSA Insurance - https://info.cattleusainsurance.com/l/1102253/2025-06-04/288f5m
⁠CattleUSA Website - https://www.cattleusa.com/
CattleUSA App IOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/cattleusa/id1673147759
CattleUSA App Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.edgarmcbee.cusamobile&pcampaignid=web_share
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/cattleusamedia
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cattleusa.media/
Subscribe to our newsletter - https://www.cattleusa.shop/products/cattleusa-drive-premium-daily-newsletter?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&brid=YWdncwFNXt0EmdzFy5cJJBp84J9g
CattleUSA Media - https://www.cattleusamedia.com/
Lauren’s Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/_laurenmoylan/
Lauren’s Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@Showboatmediaco
The Next Generation Podcast Website - https://www.thenextgenag.com/

Key Takeaways:

• Grazing strategies need to fit the individual ranch and rancher
• One grazing system will not work the same way on every operation
• Resilient ranches balance ecological and economic health
• Drought preparation should begin before drought arrives
• Maintaining ground cover can improve drought recovery
• Plant diversity supports healthier grazing lands
• Gross margins and unit costs can guide economic decisions
• Conservation is the wise use of natural resources
• Recovery remains possible after grazing and weather setbacks
• Delayed management decisions can increase future costs
• Ranch management decisions can affect generations to come

Chapters:

01:05 – From Ranching to Texas A&M03:17 – Where Science Meets Ranch Management05:33 – Building Ranch Resilience06:10 – Balancing Ecology and Economics09:28 – Rethinking Grazing Systems10:19 – Strategies vs. Systems12:21 – Making Grazing Work for the Rancher14:14 – The True Meaning of Conservation17:24 – Recovering From Drought19:53 – Preparing Before Drought Hits21:53 – Building a Ranch for the Future

Jeff Goodwin, Texas A&M, grazing management, grazing strategies, ranch management, ranch profitability, cattle grazing, rotational grazing, adaptive grazing, drought management, drought resilience, ranch conservation, rangeland management, grazing lands, pasture management, grass management, soil health, cattle ranching, beef cattle, cow-calf operations, ranch economics, cattle industry, cattle producers, sustainable ranching, conservation agriculture, regenerative agriculture, grazing systems, grazing research, Texas ranching, Southern Great Plains, Cattle USA Daily, Lauren Moylan, Texas A&M AgriLife, ranch stewardship, livestock management, drought recovery, pasture recovery, ranch profitability, agricultural economics