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Pasture
Pastureland is typically that land, left fallow or actively grazed, that is used by farmers and ranchers for their stock on the hoof-cattle, hogs, horses. On the earth today, about half of all land is grazed in one form or another. And, hay lands, rangelands and grazing area make up about half of the U.S. landmass, according to the United State Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service.
The ARS also notes that more than 85% of the 307 million acres of publicly owned lands in the western United States are grazed. These lands, the plants that grow on them, and the domestic and wild animals that graze them, all contribute to the environmental, economic, and social well being of our Nation. The estimated annual value of U.S. hay production alone is $11 billion, third in value behind corn and soybeans, and exceeding the value of wheat, vegetables, cotton, and non-citrus fruits. Livestock numbers vary with time, but grazing lands are usually home to more than 100 million cattle and eight million sheep, supporting a livestock industry that annually contributes $78 billion in farm sales to the U.S. economy.
Grazing lands also function as watersheds. Maintaining adequate supplies of clean water for irrigated agriculture, industrial uses, and urban areas is critical to society, and much of our water supply originates as rainfall or snowmelt on rangeland watersheds, according to the ARS.
Pasture Links:
Agricultural Research Service
Realtors Land Institute
Urban Land Institute
Outside Pride - Pasture/Wildlife Food Plot Seed
Farm Seeds
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