Pasture

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cattle herd grazing in pasture.

Pasture is land with herbaceous vegetation cover used for grazing of ungulate livestock as part of a farm or ranch. Prior to the advent of mechanized farming, pasture was the primary source of food for grazing animals such as cattle and horses. It is still used extensively, particularly in arid regions where pasture land is unsuitable for any other agricultural production. In more humid regions, pasture grazing is exploited extensively for free range and organic farming.

Pasture growth can consist of grasses, legumes, other forbs, shrubs or a mixture. Soil type, minimum annual temperature, and rainfall are important factors in pasture management.