December has a way of bringing the year into focus. By the time the last leaves have blown away, and the pasture has stopped changing from week to week, we finally get a chance to look back and evaluate what the season gave us. Weather patterns across Indiana varied throughout 2025. Some areas received decent moisture; others dealt with dryness or rain that came out of rhythm with forage needs. Even within my own operation, some pastures held up beautifully while others struggled. My forage quality was also precarious. Every year reminds us that the only constant is variability. Even so, winter always arrives, and with it comes the shift from growing forage to managing what we’ve grown.

Stockpiled forage is the backbone of winter grazing, and this year is no different. Tall fescue continu

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