Cattle can help rebuild soil, grass, profitability

LANGHAM, Sask. — As Steven Balzer watches his herd of Black Angus calmly graze fresh forage, he knows his land is gradually improving.

What once seemed like separate pieces — cows and grass — are now inseparable for him.

“There was never a connection between the utility of the animals and the pasture and that those things can be done really well together,” said the central Saskatchewan rancher.

“The cattle aren’t there just taking feed. They’re out there taking feed in a manner that allows the plant to really benefit and grow.

“The cattle are like a tool. They’re a tool to benefit the land.”

That knowledge has transformed a former 150-acre hay field near Langham into a living demonstration of how rotational grazing can improve soil health, increase forage production and strengthen resilience during drought years.

Balzer calls it an advanced grazing system: carefully fenced land using electric wire, divided into smaller paddocks that let him move cattle in a tight, deliberate rotation.

He recently met with producers, industry representatives and forage specialists at his operation as part of the Guardians of the Grasslands Tour, hosted by the Saskatchewan Cattle Association.

The United Nations has declared 2026 the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists. The June 15 event highlighted the role of beef producers as modern pastoralists and long-term stewards of Saskatchewan’s grazing landscapes.

The first of two tour stops during the day, Balzer’s operation focuses on innovative grazing practices and the importance of healthy grasslands to Saskatchewan’s beef industry.

“A strong beef sector needs a strong forage sector to keep producing the quality Saskatchewan beef that we are known for,” said Morgan Kitchen, forage technician from the Canadian Forage and Grassland Association, which works to support forage production, grassland conservation and grazing management.

“We know this type of work is important as it will help determine how we, as producers, manage the effects of climate change,” she said.

“How do we make adapting to these impacts while remaining profitable achievable?”

Balzer said he has found the answer beneath his boots.

While livestock had always interested him, he said it was only after returning to the family farm eight years ago that he discovered cattle were not the end point of his passion but the gateway.

“What I found very quickly with cattle was more. Yes, I still love it, but the passion behind forage, forage production and growth is where it was like a burning ember in my heart,” he said.

“Incorporating these advanced grazing systems using the cattle to strategically graze and enhance the ground and the pastures has been my kind of offshoot to the passion of cattle.”

The original 150 acres of hayland have been sliced into a series of smaller paddocks using electric fencing and strategically placed water systems. The cattle are rotated every three to five days, allowing plants such as legumes and tame and mixed grasses to recover while maintaining high-quality forage.

“We started with 30 head on here. Today, the system supports approximately 80 head, including (40) cows and (40) calves,” he said.

He points out that 2021, the year he took over the farm, was one of the driest many producers can remember.

“The first year, we put a specific number of cattle in here, rotational grazed. We had enough grass for the season. The next year we increased that number, I think almost by double, and the same thing,” he said.

Each year, stocking rates have increased while forage supplies remained adequate.

However, while more carrying capacity is important, Balzer said the biggest changes are happening underground with steadily improving soil health.

“On a one to 10, condition had been traditionally just swathed and hayed. I would give it a three out of 10,” he said.

“I would say we are upwards of a seven today.”

“The ground is far more spongy now, which means it’s holding a lot more moisture. It’s not hard‑panned, and the density of grass is significantly increased,” he said.

“You’ll see patches of really green, overly green. That’s all the manure that’s being dropped and fuelling that kind of regrowth of that forage.”

One of the most telling indicators is how the ground feels when he builds fence.

“Those first few years, we pretty much couldn’t put a fence up unless it rained, the ground was so hard. Now we can put up a fence anytime,” he said.

And as the soil structure improves, so too does biological activity and biodiversity, which is helping the land retain moisture and remain productive.

“By doing what we’re doing, we’re improving the soil and the soil health. We’re increasing the biodiversity in that soil, which increases its water holding capacity,” he said.

“Again, you have more production, more growth, even in those drier years.”

The benefits of rotational grazing have paid valuable dividends, particularly during recent drought years, which surprised Balzer.

“In those drought years, we actually saw more production than we would have if we just cut it for hay,” he said.

“It’s pretty cool.”

He said the concept is straightforward. Instead of allowing cattle to continuously graze the same area, they are moved frequently and can only eat the most nutritious portion of the plant before being moved to fresh forage.

“It’s the concept of mowing grass. You’re just clipping the top. You’re not clipping it so short that the plant is losing all its solar panels. A lot of guys say the top one-third and then you move to a new paddock,” he said.

And it doesn’t take long for cattle to learn the routine and are eager to move on.

“Interestingly enough, all the deliciousness of the grasses is in the top third, so the cattle always want to move to that next paddock where they’re clipping the top. They very quickly learn that behaviour,” he said.

Along with improved pasture health, Balzer said the payoff is visible and measurable with calf performance (using a combination of genetic improvements and grazing management).

“The average weights of my calves off of these kinds of systems is noticeable, for sure,” he said.

“I’ve made a spread of 75 pounds on every calf.

“The physical condition of the animals in fall, leaving a properly rotational grazed system, (they) are in far better shape and added a lot more pounds than they would (in the) traditional way,” he said.

“In today’s market, especially with the price per pound on small calves, I’m getting a fantastic reward for these efforts of rotational grazing.”

However, beneath the economics lies a deeper drive to which Balzer keeps returning.

“It’s the stewardship of the land. I am passionate about cattle and cattle management but have developed this almost obsession with improving the land and benefiting the land, while using the cattle to do that.”