2025 Range & Pasture Steward Magazine - v2

10 MEET THE 2024 ESAP WINNERS 16 INTRODUCING NOVAGRAZ ™ HERBICIDE

26 FIRE RISK PREVENTION 34 NEW PRACTICES PAY OFF

21 12 26 34

02 Ruminations 03 Opt in for eSteward

19 6 Tips for Effective Weed Control 20 Adding White Clover to the Menu 21 Know What to Expect 24 Weed Control Outlook 25 The Importance of Hay 26 Fire Risk Prevention 28 Mesquite Control 30 Next Generation of Cattlemen and Women 32 Know Your Weed Enemies

04 Our Range & Pasture Portfolio 06 Anxiety Weeds and Solutions 07 7 Digital Resources

08 UltiGraz SM Pasture Weed & Feed 10 Meet the 2024 ESAP Winners 12 Curbing Invasives on the Ranch 14 Honoring Top Stewards 16 Introducing NovaGraz ™ Herbicide 17 NovaGraz ™ Herbicide: By the Numbers 18 Feature // Asphalt Farm

33 McCrea Family Farms 34 New Practices Pay Off 36 Pastures & Healthy Cattle

\\ WELCOME! // Caring for the Land, Together Our partnership stretches beyond the sale.

Welcome to your 2025 range and pasture reference issue of Range & Pasture Steward Magazine! We’re excited to bring you the latest pasture and rangeland management news and advice. Our goal with Range & Pasture Steward over the last 35-plus years has been to help you care for the acres under your watch in a way that helps you — as we so hear often — leave the land in better condition than you found it. We appreciate your business. With your ongoing support, we continue to invest in discovering, developing and bringing new solutions to market. New NovaGraz™ herbicide is the latest example. At last, when you ask, “Do you have anything that will take the weeds out of my pastures without killing my white clover?” our resounding answer is, “Yes!” You can find much more about NovaGraz throughout this issue. But rest assured, we view our role as a trusted industry partner as much more than marketing products. Our local Range & Pasture Specialists aim to do more than just help you control pasture weeds and brush. Maybe one of our products isn’t the best solution. Or perhaps a tweak to your grazing program is the best solution. You can count on our dedicated field specialists for answers or help finding answers. It’s this role as a trusted adviser, partner and advocate we value most. We’d sure like to stay in touch and bring you localized, timely reminders throughout the year. Simply visit KeepSteward.com to sign up and opt in for email updates, including eSteward and unlimited access to the digital version of Range & Pasture Steward. Meanwhile, read through this edition, and hang on to it for all the pasture management information you need when you need it. Have a great 2025 grazing season!

MORGAN BOHLANDER // U.S. Range & Pasture Portfolio Marketing Lead // Corteva Agriscience

Keep It Coming — Renew Your Subscription You receive this annual Range & Pasture Steward reference issue each January — but there’s more! When you sign up at KeepSteward.com, you can stay in the loop with the latest information on pasture and rangeland improvement. For starters, you can expect: > Timely insights and specific recommendations on managing the toughest pasture weeds > Success stories featuring real cattle producers > Updates on new products and solutions that can help produce more forage for your herd > So much more! When you sign up, be sure to opt in for monthly pasture management tips delivered to your email. The process is quick and easy, and we promise not to overload your inbox. We just need your permission and confirmation of your mailing address. Renew your free subscription today at KeepSteward.com and tell your friends to sign up too! Subscribe today at KeepSteward.com.

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Optimize Your Investment & Your Pastures Corteva Agriscience is dedicated to helping cattle producers and land managers maximize the potential of every acre and every animal — every day. Corteva offers a complete portfolio of products and services designed specifically for controlling weeds and brush in permanent pasture and grazed rangeland, all supported by a sales and technical staff with unmatched industry knowledge.

Broadleaf Weed Control DuraCor ® herbicide

Brush Control Remedy ® and Remedy ® Ultra herbicides Brush control on your terms. For down-to-the-roots control of over 35 brush species, choose Remedy® and Remedy® Ultra herbicides. Both Remedy and Remedy Ultra can be applied in-season as foliar sprays or year-round in low-volume basal and basal cut-stump individual plant treatments (IPTs). Smaller package sizes (1 and 2.5 gallons) make Remedy herbicide ideal for IPT, while Remedy Ultra is available in 30- and 250-gallon package sizes. Sendero ® herbicide The smart choice for mesquite control. For control of tough mesquite, choose Sendero® herbicide. Sendero offers best-in-class grass safety; strong, consistent mesquite control; and minimal nontarget species effects. The result? Increased grass production and improved wildlife habitat. Spike ® 20P herbicide Flexible, long-lasting brush control. Spike® 20P herbicide offers long-lasting control of tough brush species like big sage, tarbush, creosote, shinnery and other oaks, giving you increased carrying capacity and improved plant diversity and wildlife habitat. Add in flexible application methods, and you have a brush control product that can help get the most from every acre.

The most extensive pasture weed control available. DuraCor® herbicide provides control of more than 140 broadleaf weeds. But the benefits of DuraCor go far beyond weed control; low use rates, a low-odor formulation, lasting residual control and zero grazing restrictions help make DuraCor the easy choice for broadleaf weed control in pastures. NovaGraz™ herbicide Control weeds, maintain desirable forages with NovaGraz™ herbicide. NovaGraz™ herbicide is a groundbreaking weed control solution that allows you to preserve the nitrogen-fixing capabilities of white clover and annual lespedeza while providing enhanced control of broadleaf weeds like ironweed, cocklebur, wild carrot, buttercup, biennial thistles, ragweeds, plantain, woolly croton, poison hemlock and many others.

GrazonPD3™ herbicide Control you can trust.

For control of broadleaf weeds and select brush species, trust GrazonPD3™ herbicide. With two proven active ingredients and a low-volatility, low-odor, high-load formulation, GrazonPD3 allows each sprayer load to cover more acres, without sacrificing results.

GrazonPD3 ™ and Tordon ® 22K are Restricted Use Pesticides. SM ™ ® Chaparral, DuraCor, GrazonPD3, LandVisor, “One Pass. Better Grass.,” PastureGard, NovaGraz, Remedy, Sendero, Tordon and UltiGraz SM are trademarks and service marks of Corteva Agriscience and its affiliated companies. Spike ® is a registered trademark of Nutrichem used under license. White clover and Annual lespedeza exhibit some initial injury (such as lodging and loss of vigor) but recover, with NovaGraz ™ application. Under normal field conditions, DuraCor ® is nonvolatile. Chaparral ™ and DuraCor have no grazing or haying restrictions for any class of livestock, including lactating dairy cows, horses (including lactating mares) and meat animals prior to slaughter. Label precautions apply to forage treated with Chaparral or DuraCor and to manure and urine from animals that have consumed treated forage. Not all products are registered for sale or use in all states. GrazonPD3 ™ is not for sale, distribution or use in Nassau and Suffolk Counties in New York State. UltiGraz SM with fertilizer is available for use with specific herbicides in the states of AL, AR, CO, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, KS, KY, LA, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NV, OK, OR, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI, WV and WY. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your state. State restrictions on the sale and use of Remedy ® and Remedy ® Ultra apply. Consult the label before purchase or use for full details. Always read and follow label directions. © 2025 Corteva.

Broadleaf Weed & Brush Control Chaparral™ herbicide Solve tough weed control problems.

Service Offerings

LandVisor ® Advanced Brush Management A whole new way to see the potential of your land.

Chaparral™ herbicide has the broadest spectrum of weed and brush control available for pastures and rangeland. Chaparral controls a range of tough species, including pigweed, buckbrush and Canada thistle; improves hay quality by removing Pensacola bahiagrass from bermudagrass; and is a valuable fescue toxicosis management tool. PastureGard ® HL herbicide One product to control tough weeds and brush. PastureGard® HL herbicide simplifies pasture improvement and renovation by offering two active ingredients — one for broadleaf weeds; one for brush — in one product. PastureGard HL controls tough weeds and woody plants like blackberry, rose and privet — giving you an effective, nonresidual option for weed and brush control. Tordon ® 22K herbicide All-purpose noxious weed control. Tordon® 22K herbicide provides all-purpose noxious weed control as well as basic invasive weed management.

LandVisor® Advanced Brush Management is a digital support tool that uses sophisticated imagery, data, technology and expert guidance to provide actionable insights and enable the right decisions at the right time. LandVisor isn’t just technology — it’s a total land management solution that makes the tough calls easier.

UltiGraz SM Pasture Weed & Feed One Pass, Better Grass. SM UltiGraz℠ Pasture Weed & Feed combines pasture weed control and fertilizer in one convenient time- and money-saving application. Fewer trips, less time, less money — all with UltiGraz.

Ready to maximize the potential of your haying and grazing acres? Visit RangeAndPasture.com/StewardProducts to explore the complete Corteva ™ Range & Pasture Portfolio.

The Nightmare Weeds of 2025 Our annual weed survey reveals familiar names — and some new arrivals.

THISTLES > One of the more aggravating weed families, thistles come in a variety of species. Of the four main types that cause the most concern for U.S. growers and ranchers, musk, bull and Scotch thistles are all biennials, while Canada thistle is a hardy perennial. Thistles can be easily identified by the spiny leaves and round, purple or pink flowers that resemble pincushions. Not only do these prickly pests compete with forage grasses for moisture and nutrients but also they, in effect, shrink pastures because cattle avoid grazing near them. Treatment > For biennial thistles, apply NovaGraz™ herbicide at 24 fluid ounces per acre plus 1% MSO v/v. For bull and musk thistle, apply 12 to 16 fluid ounces of DuraCor® herbicide per acre or 1¼ pints per acre of GrazonPD3™ herbicide at the rosette stage, or apply 2 to 2⅔ pints per acre of GrazonPD3 from bolting to bud stage. For Scotch thistle, apply 16 fluid ounces of DuraCor per acre or 1 ¼ pints per acre of GrazonPD3 at the rosette stage, or 2 to 2⅔ pints per acre of GrazonPD3 from bolting to bud stage. For Canada thistle, apply 16 fluid ounces of DuraCor per acre or 2½ pints per acre of GrazonPD3 prior to bud stage. SILVERLEAF NIGHTSHADE > Silverleaf nightshade has foliage with a gray or silvery appearance with violet, light blue or white flowers and is 1 to 3 feet tall. Stems are sparsely covered with short, yellow thorns. Leaves and stems have a dense silvery covering of hair. Treatment > Apply 16 fluid ounces of DuraCor® herbicide per acre or 1¼ pints per acre of GrazonPD3 herbicide when plants are 4 to 6 inches tall, or 2 to 2⅓ pints per acre of GrazonPD3 when flowering or for longer residual control of later-emerging plants. Re-treatment is necessary for total control. HORSEWEED/MARESTAIL > Horseweed, also known as marestail, is a tall-growing winter or summer annual. Its’ stem usually has short bristly white hairs with many alternate and lance-shaped leaves. It blooms June to August with numerous tiny, inconspicuous flowers. Treatment > Apply 24 fluid ounces per acre of NovaGraz™ herbicide plus 1% MSO v/v, or 16 fluid ounces of DuraCor® herbicide per acre, or ⅔ to 1¼ pints per acre of GrazonPD3™ herbicide when weeds are less than 3 inches tall, or 2 to 2⅔ pints per acre of GrazonPD3 when plants are taller than 3 inches through early flowering stage. WESTERN RAGWEED > Western ragweed can be found throughout much of the United States but is particularly prevalent in the Southwest. Western ragweed grows into a bushy plant, 1 to 2 feet tall, with silvery-green leaves that may be covered with fine hairs. This drought-hardy weed is a prolific reproducer, so multiple treatments may be necessary for complete control. Treatment > Apply 24 fluid ounces per acre of NovaGraz™ herbicide plus 1% MSO v/v, or 16 fluid ounces of DuraCor® herbicide per acre, or ⅔ to 1¼ pints per acre of GrazonPD3™ herbicide when weeds are less than 3 inches tall, or 5 pints of GrazonPD3 herbicide per acre per 100 gallons of spray. For best control, apply to weeds that are actively growing but prior to flowering. LEAFY SPURGE > This deep-rooted perennial can quickly become established and crowd out desirable vegetation, making prevention and early treatment the most effective courses of action. Leafy spurge can be identified by its smooth, clustered stems, narrow leaves, with flowers enclosed by heart-shaped bracts. Treatment > Apply GrazonPD3™ at 1.2 to 2.5 quarts per acre broadcast by ground or air, applied at the true flower stage or during fall regrowth. Or, apply 2 pints of Tordon® 22K herbicide per acre or tank mix of 1.5 to 2 pints of Tordon 22K plus 1 quart of 2,4-D amine per acre. Apply at the true flower growth stage or during fall regrowth. Reapply Tordon 22K when level of control drops below 80%. If weedy worries are keeping you awake at night, we have good news. First, you’re not alone. Based on the survey results of Corteva Agriscience Range & Pasture Specialists, ranchers across the country are fighting many of the same problems. Second, Corteva Agriscience™ has a solution for just about any weed that may be causing you grief. Ready to get back to sleep? Find the solution to your nightmare weeds below.

™ ® Trademarks of Corteva Agriscience and its affiliated companies. GrazonPD3 ™ and Tordon ® 22K are Restricted Use Pesticides. White clover and Annual lespedeza exhibit some initial injury (such as lodging and loss of vigor) with NovaGraz application but recover. NovaGraz™ is not registered for sale or use in all states. Under normal field conditions, DuraCor ® is nonvolatile. DuraCor has no grazing or haying restrictions for any class of livestock, including lactating dairy cows, horses (including lactating mares) and meat animals prior to slaughter. Label precautions apply to forage treated with DuraCor and to manure and urine from animals that have consumed treated forage. Not all products are registered for sale or use in all states. GrazonPD3 is not for sale, distribution or use in Nassau and Suffolk counties in New York state. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your state. Consult the label for

Pasture Management at Your Fingertips Corteva Agriscience provides a variety of digital tools that you can access anywhere, anytime. Whether you’re in your office or out in the back 40, you can access these digital solutions from Corteva Agriscience anywhere, anytime to help you grow more grass and improve the health and sustainability of your land. 01 The Range & Pasture Weed ID Guide provides photographs, detailed descriptions, and treatment recommendations for more than 90 troublesome weeds you might encounter in your pastures. Best of all, you can download the guide to your device so you can access it even when you’re deep in the pasture and away from cell or internet service. View the guide with the QR code.

Enter some basic information in our Pasture ROI Calculator to see just how much pasture herbicides can pay o on your operation. Crunch the numbers with the QR code.

Learn more about how adopting sound pasture-management practices can translate directly to an operation’s overall profit potential in our white paper Disrupting Pasture Management: The Profit-Per-Acre Approach . View the white paper with the QR code.

Whether mixing with water or liquid fertilizer, the mixing order matters. This article outlines the do’s and don’ts of combining chemistries to improve application eicacy. Read now with the QR code.

Sign up for timely tips and insights delivered straight to your email inbox. From how-to information on basal cut-stump treatments in the winter to weed-specific recommendations in the spring, the eSteward e-newsletter is designed to bring you helpful, localized information at the ideal time. Sign up at KeepSteward.com.

Visit our online content hub RangeAndPastureSteward.com for seasonal opportunities; rancher stories; weed control and brush control articles; sustainability information; and more. It brings everything you love about the Range & Pasture Steward magazine to a searchable, online library available to farmers and ranchers 24/7/365.

Find us on social media ! Corteva Agriscience Range & Pasture social media channels oer industry news and updates; fellow rancher experiences; treatment recommendations; and more. The bite-size content is easy to peruse while you’re filling water tanks, waiting for a delivery or kicking your feet up at the end of the day. Follow @CortevaPastures on X, Facebook and Instagram.

Why Compromise? Save time, money and effort with UltiGraz SM Pasture Weed & Feed. Often, choosing from saving money, convenience and effectiveness is a pick-one or pick- two proposition at best. That’s not the case with UltiGraz℠ Pasture Weed & Feed. Producers across the country say UltiGraz delivers on all three promises and more. Just ask Carl Allison with Tombstone Cattle Company near Lake City, Florida. “I don’t see how you can maintain pastures without UltiGraz. You can’t keep the weeds out in a more efficient way,” Allison says. Tombstone Cattle Company — primarily on land that’s been in the family since 1914 — consists of a high-quality commercial hay business, catering to the horse market, along with a relatively new and growing pasture-based cattle backgrounding enterprise. Bring on the Beef! About six years ago, Allison’s daughter and son-in-law began buying 400- to 500-pound weaned calves and backgrounding them at the ranch before moving them to pastures in northern Texas or Oklahoma.

“Florida is a really good cow-calf state,” Allison says. “We can buy less expensive calves here compared with what they bring out west. And grazing is the least-cost way to put weight on.” Calves — mostly steers, but also some heifers — arrive at the ranch, where they’re processed and sorted into small groups and placed on 10-acre pastures. After the new arrivals acclimate and pass health protocols, they stay on grass or, depending on the time of year, graze oats or field peas grown under center-pivot irrigation. “We move them out west, where we add a little more weight on pasture or maybe in a grow yard, before selling them in Oklahoma City,” Allison says. Success for Allison — whether in the pasture or the hayfield — hinges on maximizing forage quantity and quality. And that, he says, starts with weed control and proper fertility.

Above, Carl Allison, Tombstone Cattle Company

“It’s critical we have all the grass we can, because if our grass isn’t growing properly, we’re in trouble and we’re having to feed grain or too much hay,” he says. “We have a huge problem with pigweed. It irritates the calves’ eyes and can lead to pink eye. It’s a terrible problem.” — Carl Allison Finding Efficiency Whether on hay ground or grazing acres, fertility plays an important role in grass production for Tombstone Cattle Company. Mayo Ag Services in Lake City pulls soil samples for Allison, who jumped at the chance when it also offered the option to bring together his fertilizer and weed control in a single application. “We first learned about UltiGraz with our hayfields,” he recalls. “And then when we started the cattle operation, we started using it to clean those pastures up.” Combining fertilizer and weed control saves an application expense and can help you make the most of your lowest-cost feed source — your grazing acres.

™ ® Trademarks of Corteva Agriscience and its affiliated companies. GrazonPD3 is a Restricted Use Pesticide. Under normal field conditions DuraCor® is non-volatile. DuraCor and GrazonNext ® HL have no grazing or haying restrictions for any class of livestock, including lactating dairy cows, horses (including lactating mares) and meat animals prior to slaughter. Label precautions apply to forage treated with DuraCor or GrazonNext HL and to manure and urine from animals that have consumed treated forage. GrazonPD3 is not for sale, distribution or use in Nassau and Suffolk Counties in New York State. Consult the label for full details. Not all products are resgitered for use in all states. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your state. Always read and follow label directions. ©2025 Corteva.

UltiGraz SM Pasture Weed & Feed — One Pass, Better Grass. SM

Fertilizer alone grows pounds of grass, but it also grows pounds of weeds. UltiGraz℠ Pasture Weed & Feed brings together fertilizer and weed control for increased forage production and the potential to raise more pounds of beef per acre. A network of fertilizer retailers and custom applicators offering UltiGraz must complete extensive education and training to become certified by Corteva Agriscience. This elite group is committed to the highest standards of blending, application and product stewardship for consistent results. You’ll receive a herbicide recommendation customized to your pastures and weed spectrum. If you have your own application equipment, UltiGraz gives you the freedom to self-apply, too, as long as your equipment is exclusively used for pastures. Learn more and find a Certified UltiGraz Retailer in your area at UltiGraz.com/Steward.

\\ I don’t see how you can maintain pastures without UltiGraz. You can’t keep the weeds out in a more efficient way // Carl Allison

“UltiGraz gives us the flexibility to do a custom fertilizer blend for every single pasture and still get that herbicide application,” explains Hailey Addison, Corteva Agriscience Range & Pasture Specialist. “So, whatever your needs are fertility wise, you can get that correct fertilizer blend and still get the herbicide application in one pass.” Fewer Tracks, Less Fuel For John Pfeiffer, a fourth-generation seedstock Angus cattle producer in central Oklahoma, it was that one-pass advantage that convinced him to give UltiGraz a try in 2024. “When diesel prices go higher, every time we can save a trip over the field, it’s better,” Pfeiffer says — adding that with the bermudagrass getting an early jump last spring, one less pass meant one less set of tracks and less matted grass. “It made good, clean hay. There was no marestail. There used to be some silverleaf nightshade in that field, but it was gone too. It worked way better than I expected.” Above, Carl Allison, Tombstone Cattle Company, and Hailey Addison, Corteva Agriscience

UltiGraz SM Pasture Weed & Feed brings together fertilizer and weed control to save you time and support forage production.

Meet the 2024 Regional ESAP Winners As committed stewards of the land, cattlemen and cattlewomen must continuously evolve and innovate as they strive to be better producers and caretakers. Corteva Agriscience proudly supports these efforts in multiple ways, including serving as the longest-standing sponsor of the Environmental Stewardship Award Program (ESAP). Environmental Stewardship Award winners are nominated by local organizations, conservation groups or fellow producers. A blue-ribbon Environmental Stewardship Award Selection Committee picks the regional winners. This year’s class includes seven regional winners. The committee selects one national winner from these regional award recipients and will announce the winner during the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s Conference. Congratulations to the following 2024 Regional Environmental Stewardship Award winners!

Region I Angus Glen Farms, LLC — Watkins Glen, New York Owned and operated by Brett Chedzoy and family, Angus Glen Farms is an entirely grass-fed cow- calf operation located in New York’s Finger Lakes region. Protecting natural resources is a high priority for the Chedzoy family, which shares this dedication with the hundreds of visitors who tour the farm each year. The Chedzoys take pride in educating farm visitors on the importance of environmental stewardship and the role cattle production plays in preserving critical ecosystems. In addition to tours, Brett Chedzoy uses his forestry background and grazing experience to regularly educate cattle producers on sustainable practices, such as silvopasturing.

Region II Kempfer Cattle Company — Deer Park, Florida Kempfer Cattle Company is a sixth-generation family ranch owned and operated by brothers Billy and Reed Kempfer and their families. Although purebred Brahmans and commercial cattle are their primary focus, the Kempfers also manage a sod company, a sawmill and a replacement heifer development ranch located in Macon, Missouri. Their approach to controlling invasive species and managing wildlife and forestry, along with their innovative use of technology for efficient sod production, showcases their holistic view of ranching as part of a larger ecosystem.

Region III Little Timber Farms — Blackduck, Minnesota Little Timber Farms is a fourth- generation farm that blazed the trail for sustainable cattle production practices in northern Minnesota. Rachel Gray and her family have been stewards of the land for generations, not because the public demands it, but because it is simply the right thing to do. Rachel started transitioning from a cow-calf herd into a heifer development operation in 2017, and the family never looked back. The Grays work diligently to implement rotational grazing, restore pastures, protect riparian areas, incorporate cover crops and manage nutrient cycling on their ranch.

Region IV Blue Ranch — Moore County, Texas

Region VI Cottonwood Ranch — Wells, Nevada

Rex and Susan McCloy saw an opportunity to expand their extensive farming and cattle operation in 2013, which led them to purchase what’s now known as Blue Ranch. Their last decade has been spent completing multiple brush management, water system and pasture improvement projects that have contributed to efficient cattle production and a thriving wildlife habitat. Today, the ranch is a benchmark for regenerative ranching. The McCloys, along with ranch manager Mike Turner constantly seek and implement environmental improvements to the sundry rolling prairie in the northwestern Texas Panhandle.

Cottonwood Ranch is a sixth-generation cattle (primarily cow- calf) and horse ranch that has been committed to environmental stewardship for more than six decades. The ranch includes 1,200 acres of private land, along with permitted cattle grazing on approximately 35,000 acres of federal lands. Currently, four generations reside on the ranch. In 2009, McKenzie Molsbee and her husband, Jason, moved back home to take on management of the ranch. Today, in addition to managing the ranch, they own most of the livestock. They sell their calves through videomarkets and offer custom beef sales.

Region V LeValley Ranch — Hotchkiss, Colorado

Region VII Downey Ranch — Wamego, Kansas

LeValley Ranch is a generational ranch owned and operated by brothers Hank and Mark LeValley, as well as their families. They run an Angus-based herd of over 425 mother cows and background more than 100 yearlings each year. They strive to integrate federal and private rangeland in a way that supports livestock production, wildlife habitat, and range vigor through diverse plant communities. The LeValleys also take pride in connecting with consumers and local residents through direct marketing of beef and co-ownership of retail stores and USDA processing facilities.

Downey Ranch, Inc. (DRI) was founded by third-generation cattle producer Joe Downey in Kansas’s Flint Hills in 1986. Today, it is owned and operated by his daughter, Barb, and her husband, Joe Carpenter, along with their daughters, Anna and Laura. DRI is a 550-head registered and commercial cow- calf operation that produces Angus and SimAngus seedstock bulls and females and feeder calves. The Carpenters strive to maintain a balance between the economics of ranching and the intrinsic ecological values of one of the world’s largest remaining native tallgrass prairies.

Learn more about each of these outstanding cattle producers at EnvironmentalStewardship.org.

JB Ranch makes management decisions with ranch sustainability top of mind Imagine heading out the door each morning to check on your cattle knowing you also might encounter fire ants, apple snails, iguanas, pythons, coyotes, vultures, panthers and bears. Oh, my! Certainly, every cattle producer in every part of the country faces unique day-to-day challenges, but the ecosystem is especially diverse – if not unusual – in southwestern Florida, says Liesa Priddy, who owns and operates JB Ranch with her husband, Russell, near Immokalee, Florida. A third-generation cow-calf operation, JB Ranch provides important habitat for more than 20 protected animal species, including panthers, the Florida state animal. The Priddys take their role in stewarding this important ecosystem seriously. “Our goal is quite simple: To ensure that the natural resources under our care are improved and maintained for the benefit of all living things that depend on the land in an economically viable way,” Liesa explains. “We utilize a variety of practices to

make that happen.” An Invasive Invasion

new peppertree seedlings using a 1% solution of Remedy® herbicide has produced excellent results. “We scout all of our pastures every year and spot treat as needed,” he adds. The strategy has worked well and requires less herbicide. Using a tractor-powered 130-gallon spray rig, they can cover any of their pastures in one to three days. Resource management goals are intertwined and inseparable, and the Priddys prioritize the removal of invasive species and water integrity. Overall, they have reduced invasive plant species by 90%. In addition to mechanical removal and herbicides, they rely on prescribed burning and grazing management. Water quality has improved with the use of control structures and solar wells. In other areas, selective, targeted applications of glyphosate are helping the Priddys get a handle on cog on grass. JB Ranch also works closely with Hailey Addison, their local Corteva Range & Pasture Specialist to develop management plans for the ranch.

Florida seems to be a magnet for all things invasive: plants, insects, reptiles, mollusks, etc. Of the various types of invasives found at JB Ranch, the most visible — and most expensive to manage — are the plants. Brazilian peppertree, followed by cogongrass and Old World climbing fern, poses the greatest environmental threats. Brazilian peppertree tops the list because of how widespread it is, how large it grows and how hard it is to remove. Plus, it crowds out native vegetation, taking over valuable grazing areas. Removal techniques include mechanical methods and herbicides. Both require extensive use of employees, equipment and materials. JB Ranch has invested hundreds of thousands of dollars over the last 10 years to rid it of this dangerous invasive plant. The Priddys say they are within a few years of managing Brazilian peppertree with spot treatments. “We mechanically remove the large, mature trees,” Russell says. “But that soil disturbance sprouts a mass of new seedlings.” Following up within 12 months and treating

™ ® Trademarks of Corteva Agriscience and its affiliated companies. GrazonNext ® HL has no grazing or haying restrictions for any class of livestock, including lactating dairy cows, horses (including lactating mares) and meat animals prior to slaughter. Label precautions apply to forage treated with GrazonNext HL and to manure and urine from animals that have consumed treated forage. Consult the label for full details. GrazonNext HL is not registered for sale or use in all states. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your state. GrazonNext HL is not for sale, distribution or use in New York state and San Luis Valley of Colorado. State restrictions on the sale and use of Remedy ® and Remedy ® Ultra apply. Consult the label before purchase or use for full details. Always read and follow label directions. ©2025 Corteva.

\\ Imagine heading out the door each morning to check on your cattle knowing you also might encounter fire ants, apple snails, iguanas, pythons, coyotes, vultures, panthers and bears. Oh, my! //

“Having Hailey ride across the ranch with us to learn about what we’re currently doing and what our next goals are over time, and then writing prescription recommendations for us, has been extremely helpful,” Russell says. Beyond the Pasture Gate Taking an active role in stewardship and sustainability can help reassure consumers as their concerns about the quality of their meat and where it comes from continues to grow, the Priddys say. Management decisions are never made without keeping ranch sustainability in mind. In 2023, the Environmental Stewardship Award Program (ESAP) recognized JB Ranch as a regional award winner due to the Priddys improving habitat and following best management practices. Established in 1991, ESAP celebrates outstanding land stewards in the cattle industry. Regional ESAP winners come from every corner of the country and undertake stewardship efforts unique to their environment, landscape and resources. Corteva Agriscience proudly represents the longest-tenured sponsor of this prestigious industry program. “As ranchers, it is our responsibility to provide a product that meets consumers’ needs,” Liesa says. “Success of the ranch depends on how well it can satisfy consumer purchasing preferences. The public wants food producers, not just ranchers, to implement environmentally friendly management procedures.”

The Transformation of Blue Ranch On the rolling sun-scorched prairies of northwestern Texas, rain is more likely a distant memory than a current event. For a crop of any kind to grow, everything has to come together just right. Only then does the ground yield, and then only reluctantly. As a lifelong Texas cattleman, Rex McCloy knew what he and his wife, Susan, were getting into when they purchased Blue Ranch, a 19,000-acre operation near Dumas, in 2013. “It was a good ranch,” he says. “The fences had been cleaned out by the previous owner, but there were upgrades that were needed. We needed to do extensive work on the water system. It was obvious we had to make some renovations if we were going to handle large numbers of cattle.” At the urging of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the McCloys started the transformation of Blue Ranch with an overhaul of the existing water infrastructure. They added 120,000 gallons of water storage capacity, along with more than 40 miles of water lines and pumps serving individual 3,000-gallon troughs. But their plans involved more than just updating infrastructure and tidying up fences. They wanted the ranch to be a sustainable, regenerative cattle operation incorporating best practices for pasture management, habitat enhancement,

rangeland restoration and water usage. Hitting Challenges Head-On

Ranch manager Mike Turner knows the northwest Texas ground like other people know the streets of the neighborhoods in which they were raised, and he recognized the challenges the McCloys would face in their pursuit of operational and environmental excellence. To start, years of heavy use and inattention had created bogs in low-lying areas, blocking perennial creeks and springs.

“We had a large canopy of black willow, so much so that the deer had a hard time walking through,” says Turner. “We did mechanical controls, then came back with individual plant treatments using a 2,4-D spot spray. We’re a cotton county, so I can’t apply 2,4-D after May 1, so I’ve also used Surmount® herbicide. I’ll definitely use Surmount again; it gives us good cholla and prickly pear control, again with no 2,4-D.” \\ Next on Turner’s to-do list was freeing the water to return to its natural path. // “We rechanneled the original stream bank and put the water back on its original path,” Turner says. “Once we did that, we opened up more corridor area for wildlife, and we had more water flowing than we’d ever had before.” More water meant the potential for a larger herd. Historically, the ranch had sustained 300 to 350 cows, with lower numbers during drought years.

The McCloys wanted to increase those numbers and have enough forage available during wetter years to handle several hundred head of stocker cattle. Foundational Change To create the additional capacity while still operating according to their original intent, the McCloys switched from the three-pasture format used by the previous operator to a high-density, low-frequency grazing system utilizing 62 grazing cells of approximately 300 acres each. Instead of reseeding to renovate the tired ground, Turner relied on the natural seed-spreading ability of the herd.

14 ™ ® Trademarks of Corteva Agriscience and its affiliated companies. Surmount, Tordon ® 22K, Tordon ® 101M and Tordon ® K are Restricted Use Pesticides. Always read and follow label directions. ©2025 Corteva.

“The seedbank was there,” says Turner, “We just had to bring it back through animal impact. One thing we did was put our entire herd together into one; graze a large herd on a small landscape and you mimic what the bison did for thousands of years. We were able to use forage better, and we got more hoof action. By year 3, we were seeing a lot of the tall prairie grasses come back; by year 5, the growth was exponential.” Turner says the cell-grazing system helps maximize animal impact for short-duration grazing and provides maximum rest periods for the grazing cells. “Ideally, all cows graze for about six days in each cell,” he says, “and we try to graze each cell in one calendar year. That way, at any given time 90 to 95 percent of the ranch is being rested.” McCloy and Turner base cell stocking rates on forage biomass. It’s a delicate balancing act requiring attention to data as well as faith in the weather; while the average annual rainfall may be 16 to 18 inches, recent years produced an average just over 12 inches. The Payoff

Their calculations – and their faith – have paid off. Multi-year forage inventories show forage production going from 1,200 to 1,300 pounds of biomass per acre to 2,500 pounds per acre – and that’s after a three-year drought. Cow-calf stocking rates have increased from about 350 pairs to about 450 pairs, thanks to the high- density, low-frequency grazing system. In wet years, Blue Ranch can also handle 250 or more head of stocker cattle. In addition to improved water flow in the two perennial creeks, air quality is up due to better grass management and increased biomass coverage. But Turner and the McCloys are perhaps most excited about the return of the beloved ice- cream grasses.

“Once we implemented the rotational grazing system and maximum rest periods for the paddocks” says Turner, “we noticed the growth of eastern gama grass, switchgrass, Indian grass and other tall prairie grasses like bluestem.” The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association has recognized the emphasis Blue Ranch places on stewardship and sustainability with the Region 4 Environmental Stewardship Award, a program for which Corteva Agriscience is the longest-tenured sponsor. Today, Blue Ranch serves as a model of agricultural sustainability, and a teaching ranch that attracts educators, students, Extension specialists and other ranchers from across the state and around the country. “The McCloy family and Mike Turner have demonstrated the potential for owners and managers to craft and execute a vision for rangeland improvement,” says David Lust, PhD, West Texas A&M University. “Their results are apparent to everyone who visits. The ranch is a trusted resource that shares its success by providing outstanding educational opportunities to the community.” Rex McCloy is a bit more humble. “Above all,” he says, “our mantra is ‘do no harm.’” Photo top, Rex McCloy, center, and his wife, Susan (left), with ranch manager Mike Turner (right) Blue Ranch switched to a high-density, low- frequency grazing system utilizing 62 grazing cells of approximately 320 acres each. “Ideally, all cows graze for about six days in each cell,” says ranch manager Mike Turner, “and we try to graze each cell in one calendar year. That way, at any given time 90 to 95 percent of the ranch is being rested.” Photo left, The transformation of Blue Ranch began with an overhaul of the existing water infrastructure. The McCloys added 120,000 gallons of water storage capacity, along with more than 40 miles of water lines and pumps serving individual 3,000-gallon troughs.

Introducing NovaGraz ™ Herbicide

NovaGraz changes that. “This has been a long-standing need — something producers have asked us for,” says Morgan Bohlander, portfolio marketing lead , U.S. Range & Pasture, Corteva Agriscience. “Without effective broadleaf weed control, the harm weeds cause to forage production and quality can outweigh the benefits these legumes provide.” More Forage, Higher Quality Eliminating weedy competition in cool-season grass/white clover pastures increases the amount of forage produced and improves utilization. In research trials where NovaGraz controlled broadleaf weeds and preserved white clover, pastures produced 21% more total forage compared with untreated sites. (See table.)

New NovaGraz ™ herbicide controls pasture weeds and preserves white clover. NovaGraz™ herbicide, the first product to offer broad- spectrum weed control while preserving white clover and annual lespedeza in pastures, is now registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This advancement in pasture weed control helps producers have cleaner pastures AND retain the benefits of white clover and annual lespedeza. The nitrogen-fixing capability of legumes, including white clover and annual lespedeza, enhances forage quality for better animal performance and improved soil fertility. Until now, pasture herbicides couldn’t take out broadleaf weeds without also removing white clover.

FORAGE PRODUCTION AND UTILIZATION

NovaGraz ™ herbicide

Untreated

SPRAYER SIZE

Total Forage Production (LB/DM/A)

8,344

6,882

Forage Utilization (%)

61%

37% 890 265

End of Season Broadleaves (LB/DM/A) 30-Day Adjusted Forage Regrowth (LB/DM/A)

827

Forage Remaining at End-of-Season (LB/DM/A) 1,156 LB/DM/A = Pounds of Dry Matter per Acre - Biomass measurements comparing untreated pastures treated with NovaGraz™ herbicide at Sarcoxie, Missouri site. Data was collected from July 1, 2019 through October 8, 2019. Pastures were grazed to a residual height of approximately 4 to 6 inches followed by a 30-day rest period. 2,158

Increasing forage quality by adding clovers in grass pastures also can help improve animal performance. In a Georgia trial, a significant population of white clover in endophyte-infected (E+) tall fescue pastures improved stocker gain per acre by 58% compared with grazing only E+ fescue. Stockers’ average daily gain nearly tripled. In an Alabama trial, white clover in an E+ fescue pasture increased stocker gain per acre by 55% compared with E+ fescue alone. Average daily gains increased 44%. Improved forage quality also boosts cow-calf enterprises by delivering a higher plane of nutrition to benefit body condition, reproduction, milking and weaning weight. “Anytime those gains come from grazed forages, it benefits the livestock producer’s bottom line,” says Sam Ingram, Ph.D., field scientist, Corteva Agriscience. “Grazing is the lowest-cost feed source.” Control Most Common Weeds Multiple years of testing show NovaGraz provides broad-spectrum control of important broadleaf species, including ironweed, cocklebur, wild carrot, buttercup, biennial thistles, ragweed, plantain, woolly croton, poison hemlock and many others. Among the features, NovaGraz herbicide: • Preserves white clover and annual lespedeza for an abundant, diverse, high-quality forage that helps improve livestock production. • Controls a broad spectrum of weeds in permanent grass pastures, rangeland, hayfields and Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres. • Provides an effective, broad-spectrum nonresidual weed control option. • Is the only broad-spectrum, nonresidual weed control product that preserves white clover and annual lespedeza.

Learn more at NovaGraz.us/ByTheNumbers

™ ® Trademarks of Corteva Agriscience and its affiliated companies. White clover and Annual lespedeza exhibit some initial injury (such as lodging and loss of vigor) with NovaGraz application but recover. NovaGraz™ is not registered for sale or use in all states. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your state. Always read and follow label directions. ©2025 Corteva.

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NovaGraz ™ Herbicide: By the Numbers Reap the benefits of white clover in your pastures. With the introduction of NovaGraz™ herbicide, the white clover conundrum ends. You no longer need to sacrifice white clover to control broadleaf weeds in your pasture. White clover provides several benefits to producers, pastures and livestock by increasing forage quality for better animal performance and improving soil fertility due to the nitrogen-fixing capability of legumes. Until NovaGraz, pasture herbicides couldn’t control most broadleaf weeds without also removing white clover and annual lespedeza. As the only product on the market that controls a broad spectrum of weeds and preserves white clover and annual lespedeza, NovaGraz can help:

» Improve conception rates by up to 25% with white clover in cool-season grass pastures. » Increase stocker average gain by up to 50% with the inclusion of white clover in pastures. » Raise soil nitrogen by up to 150 pounds of nitrogen per acre with white clover. The numbers speak for themselves, but we understand if you want to dig deeper into the data. We’ve created a new interactive guide to show you how the benefits of white clover add up. Click — or tap — through the guide for videos, application tips and photos of NovaGraz in action. Browse this guide with the numbers and the trials that back them up at RangeAndPasture.com/ StewardByTheNumbers.

Browse the interactive guide about NovaGraz ™ herbicide by scanning the QR code.

Striking a Balance with Fescue-Based Pastures Kyle McClure has a love-hate relationship with the tall fescue that makes up most of his southwestern Missouri pastures. The drawbacks of fescue pastures are, unfortunately, very well known to many cattle producers, with fescue toxicity estimated to cost the beef industry $1 billion every year 1 . “The problems we typically see are fescue foot and loss of blood flow to extremities, such as the tail switch,” says Kyle McClure, manager of Willard Asphalt Farm. “Losing the tail switch poses a real challenge for cattle, especially in the summer when the horse flies are out.” But McClure knows that the pros of primarily fescue-based pastures can outweigh the cons, so he implements pasture management practices to strike a balance between fescue and beneficial white clover and annual lespedeza in his southwestern Missouri pastures. The fescue starts growing in early spring and lasts McClure’s 1,200-head cow-calf herd until December most years. “We live and die by fescue here. It’s a thick, resilient grass that helps us extend the grazing season,” he says. The operation grazes stockpiled fescue and supplements with silage rather than spending money on hay during the winter months. This helps keep cows in great condition without breaking the bank.

“NovaGraz will be a huge benefit to this whole fescue area, because we’ll be able to keep our white clover and annual lespedeza,” he says. “The herbicide will help control weeds without losing the all-important legumes.” Pasture Work Pays Off Each Breeding Season Unsurprisingly, the work doesn’t stop once cattle go out to pasture. McClure employs a strategic rotational grazing program to give the legumes ample rest and ensure cows get the nutrients they need for a successful breeding season. “Like most legumes, white clover doesn’t handle overgrazing stress as well as the fescue does,” he says. “Pasture rotation allows time for legumes to come back in full force and balance out the fescue throughout the summer months. This helps keep cows in better shape and improves conception rates when it comes time for artificial insemination.” That’s when the years of hard work, planning and making the most of fescue-based pastures really pay off. 1 Ball, D. M., et al. 2015. Understanding the Tall Fescue Endophyte. https://forages.ca.uky.edu/files/understanding_the_tall_fescue_endophyte.pdf

Planting the Seed, Literally The lush, diversified pastures that the calves are raised on every year weren’t always this way. “They call it the Ozark Hills here for a reason. We’ve had to clear timber with dozers and excavators to make new pasture ground,” McClure says. “It can be really challenging to get all the sprouts and weeds cleared out of new ground the first few years, but we have help from GrazonNext HL, Remedy and Tordon herbicides.” Once pastures get to a point that they’re primarily fescue- based, he intercedes annual lespedeza and white clover. “Those legumes add diversity to the pasture and dilute the fescue,” he says. “This helps reduce the effects of fescue toxicity in our cattle. The legumes also provide extra protein for the cattle in the summer months.” McClure looks forward to adding NovaGraz™ herbicide to his pasture weed management program and how it can help protect the desirable forages he’s worked so hard to establish. In fact, he’s seen the benefits firsthand through trial and demonstration sites he’s hosted in the pastures he manages.

™ ® Trademarks of Corteva Agriscience and its affiliated companies. Tordon ® 22K, Tordon ® 101M and Tordon ® K are Restricted Use Pesticides. White clover and Annual lespedeza exhibit some initial injury (such as lodging and loss of vigor) with NovaGraz application but recover. NovaGraz ™ is not registered for sale or use in all states. GrazonNext ® HL has no grazing or haying restrictions for any class of livestock, including lactating dairy cows, horses (including lactating mares) and meat animals prior to slaughter. Label precautions apply to forage treated with GrazonNext HL and to manure and urine from animals that have consumed treated forage. Consult the label for full details. Not all products are registered for sale or use in all states. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your state. GrazonNext HL is not for sale, distribution or use in New York state and San Luis Valley of Colorado. State restrictions on the sale and use of Remedy ® and Remedy ® Ultra apply. Consult the label before purchase or use for full details. Always read and follow label directions. © 2025 Corteva

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