Grasses

We produce or contract grow several warm season grasses for production, these crops are also grown under irrigation and intensive management to allow us high quality products to sell our producers and other markets.

Big Bluestem

Schizachyrium Scoparium

Big Bluestem is a native, warm season, perennial grass that is found throughout most of the Midwest and Northeast. It adapts well to a wide variety of soils and has a high drought tolerance. Big bluestem reaches a height of 6 to 8 feet where it is protected from grazing. The seed heads have 3 spike lets that look like a ‘turkey foot.’

Height:: 6-8 ft
Soil types:: It grows well in a wide variety of soils.
Livestock:: Big bluestem is an excellent forage grass for livestock. It should be planted by itself for best results but can be mixed with other grasses for heavy, rotational grazing.
Wildlife:: Big bluestem provides good nesting and cover for all kinds of birds in the summer and winter.
Erosion control:: Big bluestem is one of the best choices for erosion control.

Little Bluestem

Andropogon Gerardii Vitman

Little Bluestem is a native, warm season bunch grass that begins growing in late spring. Little Bluestem grows from 18 inches to 3 foot in height depending on soil types and moisture. It has blue-green foliage with a purple tint at the base. The entire plant turns red after frost which makes it a good plant for winter landscapes. The seed heads are about three inches long.

Height:: 18-36"
Soil types:: It grows well in a wide range of soils.
Livestock:: Little Bluestem is a fairly good forage plant and can be grazed by cattle. It isalso suitable for haying.
Wildlife:: It provides food and cover for all types of birds and wildlife.
Erosion control:: Little Bluestem is usually mixed with other grasses for erosion control.
Landscaping:: Little Bluestem has blue-green leaves which turn red after frost which makes it a useful plant for in ornamental planting.

Sand Blue Stem

Andropogon hallii Hack

Sand bluestem is a native, sod forming, warm season, bunch grass. Sand Bluestem is very tall and ranges in height from 4-7 ft. It also has seed heads with 3 spike lets that look like a ‘turkey foot.’

Height:: 4-7 ft.
Soil types:: It grows well in sandy soils and has a high drought tolerance.
Livestock:: Sand bluestem is high yielding and because of it’s palatability it makes excellent forage.
Wildlife:: Sand bluestem is a good food source for all wildlife and provides nesting habitat for birds.
Landscaping:: Sand bluestem is an excellent plant for landscapes because of its shape and height. It has a high drought tolerance which makes it useful in xeric landscaping plantings.

Blue Grama

Bouteloua gracilis

Blue grama is a warm season, fast emerging, grass that is found throughout the Western States. It is 10 to 20 inches tall and grows in bunches. Blue grama has a good drought tolerance and can be burned if it is dormant. It does not tolerate wet soils.

Height:: 6 - 8” tall
Soil types:: Blue grama adapts well to a wide variety of soils and is drought tolerant.
Livestock:: It can be use for grazing or haying.
Erosion control:: Blue grama is used in grass mixes for erosion control, medians, recreational areas and mine renegotiation.

Sand Dropseed

Sporobolus cryptandrus

Sand dropseed is a warm-season, tender, bunch grass. It ranges in height from 2 to 3 feet and grows well in a mixture of other grasses. Sand Dropseed adapts well to sandy soils and will reseed itself if overgrazed or following periods of drought. It is palatable to livestock and an excellent hay producer.

Height:: 2-3 ft
Soil types:: Sand drop seed prefers sand soils and grows well in gravel.
Livestock:: It can be used for grazing or haying.
Wildlife:: It is a food source for birds.
Erosion control:: Sand Drop seed is used for erosion control and surface restoration.

Buffalo Grass

Bouteloua dactyloides

Buffalograss is a short, native, warm-season grass found throughout the Midwest. It grows best on clay loam to clay sandy soils and requires little fertilization. Buffalo grass is well suited for xeric lawns as it needs only 10-25 inches of annual moisture and is low maintenance. Buffalo grass is propagated by seeding or plugs.

Height:: 6-8 inches
Soil types:: It grows well in a wide variety of soils and has a high drought tolerance.
Livestock:: Buffalo grass is an excellent pasture grass.
Wildlife:: It is a good food source for wildlife.
Erosion control:: Buffalo grass is used in roadside erosion control.
Landscaping:: Buffalo grass is an excellent choice for xeric lawns because of its low maintance and drought tolerance.

Sand Lovegrass

Eragrostis trichodes

Sand Lovegrass is an early emerging, warm season bunch grass. It grows primarily in the central and southern states. It ranges in height from 2-3 ft. Sand Lovegrass is usually included in grass mixtures for livestock, and provides good fall and winter forage for cattle.

Height:: 2-3 ft.
Soil types:: It prefers sandy soils.
Livestock:: Sand lovegrass provides fall and winter grazing for livestock.
Wildlife:: It is an excellent food source and cover for wildlife.
Erosion control:: Sand lovegrass is used in mixes with other grasses for all kinds of erosion control.

Tall Fescue

Schedonorus phoenix

Tall fescue is a long-lived bunch grass that is found throughout much of the United States. It is fast growing and easy to establish. Tall fescue is mainly used for erosion control and as a forage grass. The fine leafed verities are often used as a turf grass.

Height:: 3-4 ft.
Soil types:: Tall fescue does well in a wide variety of soils.
Livestock:: It is used for grazing.
Erosion control:: It is used to control soil erosion
Landscaping:: Used as a turf grass in lawns and on golf courses.

Sideoats Grama

Bouteloua curtipendula

Sideoats grama is a fast emerging, warm season grass. It is found throughout most of the United States. It can range in size from 15 to 36 inches tall depending on soil and moisture conditions. Sideoats grama is usually part of a range mixture and increase forage production.

Height:: 15” to 3 ft
Soil types:: Sideoats grama adapts to a wide variety of soils and can grow in rocky soils.
Livestock:: It provides excellent hay and forage grass for livestock.
Wildlife:: Sideoats grama is a good food source and provides cover and habitat for wildlife and birds.
Erosion control:: It is used in mixes with other grasses for surface restoration.

Indian Grass

Sorghastrum nutans

Indian Grass is a tall, perennial, warm-season grass that grows 3 to 5 feet tall. It should be planted from early May to the end of June. Indiangrass is found throughout the Northeast and plains states. It grows well in most soils types.

Height:: 3-7 ft.
Soil types:: It prefers well-drained soils.
Livestock:: Indian grass is excellent hay produces and forage crop for livestock.
Wildlife:: It is a good food source for butterfly larva and its seeds are eaten by birds.
Erosion control:: Indian grass is used in mixes with other grasses for roadside cover and grassland restoration.
Landscaping:: It is used as an ornamental grass in landscapes because of its large size and showy seed heads

Switch Grass

Panicum virgatum L.

Switchgrass is a perennial grass that is native to most of the United States. It grows 3-5 foot tall and has an open, spreading seed head. Switchgrass grows well on sandy soils, prairies or poorly drained soils. It has become an important biomass producer

Height:: 3-5 ft.
Soil types:: It adapts to a wide variety of soils but does not do well on heavy soils.
Livestock:: Switch grass grows well in late spring and early summer and provides good pasture and quality hay for cattle.
Erosion control and Biomass Production:: It is a good plant for soil stabilization on strip mines, sand dunes and road side reclamation areas. Several verities are excellent biomass producers.
Wildlife:: It is a good food source and provides habitat and nesting cover for turkeys, quail, pheasants and small mammals.

Kentucky Bluegrass

Poa pratensis L.

Kentucky bluegrass is a sod forming perennial grass that is found throughout most if the United States. It grows 30 -90 cm tall and is listed as an invasive weed in certain areas. Kentucky bluegrass is a good forage grass for livestock. It grows on a variety of soils but does best on well drained, humus areas. It requires large amounts of nitrogen.

Height:: 30-90 cm tall.
Soil types:: It adapts to a wide variety of soils but prefers well drained soils.
Livestock:: Kentucky bluegrass is a good pasture grass for cattle and smaller livestock.
Landscaping:: It is a popular grass for lawns; a golf course etc. but requires plenty of nitrogen and abundant moisture.
Wildlife:: It is a good food source and provides winter forage for elk, deer and small mammals. Also provides habitat and cover for small mammals and birds.

Barenbrug Grass Blends

Beefmaster

Beefmaster is a special formulation of forage grasses for raising stocker cattle; and beef cows and calves. Beefmaster contains soft leaf tall fescue varieties which are highly digestible and increase overall dry matter intake compared to rough-leaf tall fescues. Along with soft leaf tall fescue; the orchard grass varieties included in Beefmaster are grazing tolerant and maintain their productivity even under close grazing. Highly productive, high energy forage varieties in Beefmaster provide rapid weight gains in beef cattle. Beefmaster also contains new persistent varieties of perennial ryegrass which further improve the forage quality of the pasture.

Dairymaster

Dairymaster is an exciting mixture. It is scientifically formulated to provide a dairy quality pasture. Also very well suited for replacement heifers, lactating beef cows, and stocker operations. Dairmaster contains the best of all species: perennial ryegrass, very soft leaf tall fescue, and meadow fescue. All varieties used are winter-hardy, persistent, and high in energy and protein. Dairymaster also contains Alice white clover. Alice will fix Nitrogen as well as improve protein and energy levels of the sward.

Stockmaster Mix

Stockmaster is a pasture seed mix, formulated with the top varieties for each region of the USA. These mixes with improved varieties allow for highly digestible, vigorous, and persistent pastures suited for all classes of livestock. Its complex formula allows it to be used even under less than ideal conditions. It is a perfect mixture for smaller acreage fields that require a long lasting, high quality pasture. Stockmaster, like Horsemaster stands, may be used for hay fields after it is established.

Horsemaster Mix

Horsemaster Mix is a mixture especially made for horse pastures. Because horses have both upper and lower teeth, they graze the grass close to the soil. Also horses are very active animals and put a lot of traffic pressure on grass. With these facts in mind, Barenbrug developed Horsemaster. Different mixtures have been composed for different climates, but all mixtures include at least timothy, orchard grass, and ryegrass. Horsemaster is guaranteed entophyte-free.

Barenbrug Brassicas

Brassicas are used to extend the grazing season into late fall/early winter, or to provide very high quality summer grazing. Brassicas will not lignify in hot weather which results in very high-quality feed. They can be seeded in a mix with Mega-Millet or Sorghum Sudan. The seeding rate is very low and it makes cows pick up in milk. Sometimes cattle won't eat it the first day or two. Introduce them slowly and make sure adequate effective fiber is being fed. Brassicas are low in fiber. Typical forage analysis: 25% protein, 215 RFV.

Barkant Forage Turnip

Barkant is a vigorous summer/autumn turnip from Holland. It is extremely high yielding and bred specifically for increased leaf growth. As the highest concentration of protein and yield is in the leaf, it is obvious why Barkant performs so well. The tankard shaped bulb offers good accessibility. It's suitable for milking, lamb fattening, ewe flushing or hog rearing. It can be grazed about 3 times. Barkant had a higher yield over two grazing than Sudex in a Berks County, Pennsylvania trial.

T-Raptor Forage Brassica

This is a hybrid brassica that looks like a turnip without the bulb. It is the best brassica for multiple grazings and is the fastest brassica to be ready to be grazed (10 days earlier than the quickest turnips and rapes). Capable of 3 plus high yield grazings. Also T-Raptor is better adapted to mixing with sorghum sudangrass than turnips.

Barnapoli Forage Rape

Barnapoli is very productive and nutrient-rich supplement forage for summer and for fall feeding. It provides high digestibility and crude protein levels at a low cost.

Rangiora Forage Rape

This New Zealand forage rape variety is fast in its establishment and can be grazed multiple times. Rangiora is used for both wildlife and livestock grazing purposes.

Barabas

Barabas is a tetraploid turnip variety with high fresh matter yields. It provides quick build development after sowing. It is more shoot yield than bulb yield. Barabas also has good frost tolerance. Barabas is later in maturity than Barkant and has good resistance to bolting. It holds bulb quality longer than Barkant. Barabas has high digestibility (88-91%). It is good for mixtures with Barkant for strip grazing and stockpiling.

Sorghums for Forages

HP 101 BMR - Forage Sorghum

Significantly lower stem lignin concentration
Improved digestibility equals milk production of corn
Requires 1/3 less water than corn for same production

HP 101 BMR is a Brown Midrib hybrid Forage Sorghum type. The lignin content of the stem has been dramatically reduced which significantly improves digestibility by 40 percent over conventional forage sorghums. This improvement in digestibility allows HP 101 BMR to equal the milk production of corn. The reduced lignin content of the HP 101 BMR stems makes it more prone to lodging than conventional forage sorghums. Because of these weaker stems, HP 101 BMR should be planted at the recommended rates for your area and harvest should be done on time. The water requirement is 1/3 less than that required to produce an equivalent amount of corn. This high water use efficiency of HP 101 BMR makes it ideally suited where water is a major yield-limiting factor.