Novak recipient of grassland award
Kelly Novak of rural Tampa has a novel approach to grass. He looks at it as a crop. In his opinion, the only difference between grass and grain crops is that cattle do the harvesting.
During the past seven years, Novak has implemented four permanent rotation systems and utilizes a wide variety of forages to provide nearly year-round grazing for approximately 220 cows and calves.
Nearly 20 years ago, Novak utilized the Marion County Conservation District and Natural Resources Conservation Service to tap into a natural spring for a fresh water supply for his cattle. The water is drawn into four tanks.
For his innovative development of a rotational grazing system, Novak has been chosen to receive the 2003 Grassland Award sponsored by Sharp Brothers Seed Co. and Marion County Conservation District.
When he decided to go to rotational grazing, he had three pastures totaling 1,200 acres. Now the grassland is split into 47 paddocks.
In addition to the spring-fed tanks which serve 12 paddocks, Novak laid about three miles of pipeline to provide fresh water to all the cattle. He said none have to walk more than one-fourth mile for water. He also installed about 17 miles of fencing.
According to Novak, rotational grazing allows more cows per acre because the animals utilize all the grasses in a paddock before being moved to a fresh plot. Forages are kept in the highest quality condition because they are always in the growing state and are eaten before they mature.
"The healthier state you can keep your pasture in, the more water you can collect and the less erosion you'll have, combined with cleaner water downstream," Novak said.
The cattle in each system are funneled to a central location for their water supply. From there, Novak can disperse them into numerous paddocks. The arrangement also allows him to monitor the health of his herd because he sees them often.
Novak is a member of the Flint Hills Graziers, a group of ranchers from Marion and Morris counties. They get together and pool ideas.
He said he has learned a lot from Sara Kay Carrell, rangeland management specialist with the Natural Resources Conservation Services office. She has helped him identify the different grasses and weeds.
Novak acknowledged that rotational grazing isn't for everyone.
"It takes time, it takes management, and you have to like to do it," he said. "Your grass has to be a priority."
