The August ASGA Cafe Chat explored how solar graziers can adapt their vegetation management strategies when weather and site conditions don’t go according to plan. Members shared experiences with excessive rainfall, flooding, weed pressure, and bare ground. Eric discussed how to document challenges and communicate effectively with solar companies when site conditions affect grazing and vegetation requirements. The conversation also touched on advising developers on seed mixes, approaches to stockpiling winter forage across different regions, selecting mowing equipment, and more.
Managing Vegetation in Extreme Weather
- How to handle being behind on mowing due to excessive rainfall
- Navigating the gap between planned grazing/mowing ratios vs. reality
- Dealing with standing water that prevents field access well into the growing season
- Whether drought or flooding experience is transferable across regions
Weed Pressure & Bare Ground
- What to do when site flooding destroys seeded plantings, leaving bare ground that fills with aggressive weeds
- Tips to manage a site where much of the vegetation is inedible weeds
Communicating with Solar Companies
- How to document weather events
- How to frame requests for site improvements (spraying, replanting) without alienating the asset owner
- The importance of weekly reporting tools to manage expectations
Advising on Seed Mixes for New Sites
- Whether graziers can or should advise developers on seed mixes during the planning phase of a new site
- Balancing forage quality goals with developer requirements (ground cover percentage, stormwater permitting)
Stockpiling Winter Forage on Site
- Regional differences in stockpiling
- Forage height compliance and stockpiling
- How to communicate a stockpile grazing plan to the solar company so they understand it’s intentional, not neglect