Forage Gardening for Small Farms

What is forage gardening?

Forage gardening means growing crops for animals, harvested by cutting or by letting animals graze, in plots too small for a hay field. It can hold greens for chickens, leafy crops for rabbits or annual grazing for goats and sheep.

It works best as a supplement, not as the whole diet.

Garden-scale plots suit goats, sheep, rabbits and poultry better than large animals. A quarter acre of well-managed forage goes a long way for a few animals, but it will not feed a cow through a season. Remember that a forage garden also needs fencing and water. A plot that animals cannot reach safely or that lacks water for them will sit unused.

Which annual forage crops are used?

Extension forage specialists describe cool-season annuals, such as oats, cereal rye and brassicas, and warm-season annuals, such as sorghum-sudan types and millets. Each has different strengths and cautions.

Some annual forages can cause health problems if grazed at the wrong stage or after stress such as frost or drought. Ask your extension office and your vet about the crop you choose.

Match the crop to your animals, your soil and your season. Always look up the crop's risks. Some forage plants cause bloat, nitrate problems or other illness at certain stages, and a short call to your veterinarian before grazing is cheap insurance.

• Cool-season annuals: sown in spring or late summer, relative to frost dates
• Warm-season annuals: sown after soil has warmed
• Brassicas: useful for fall grazing with limits
• Legumes: add nitrogen but can bloat animals

How do I plan the timing?

Plan around your last spring frost, first fall frost and soil temperature, not fixed calendar dates. Cool-season crops tolerate cooler soil, and warm-season crops need warm soil.

Stagger plantings so one plot is ready as the last runs low. Keep notes on when each plot grew best.

Seed mixes marketed for wildlife or cover crops are not always meant for livestock. Read the tag and ask your extension office whether a given mix has a record of safe grazing. Write the plan for each plot on paper, including who eats what and when, so you do not run short in a dry spell.

How do I prepare the soil?

Take a soil test first. The result shows pH and nutrient needs, and your extension office can explain it. Fertilizer and lime rates should come from the test, and product labels are the law.

Prepare a firm seedbed and keep weeds in check early, since young forage crops compete poorly.

Compost or manure used as fertility should be applied following your local guidelines and waiting periods, and with a soil test as the guide. Keep runoff away from wells and streams. Weeds can take over an unprepared plot, so a clean seedbed and quick early cultivation or mowing give the crop a head start. The label is the law for any herbicide, and many small growers skip them entirely.

How do I graze or cut it safely?

Do not turn hungry animals onto lush forage without a plan. Introduce new feed gradually and watch for bloat, scours or lethargy.

If an animal shows signs of trouble, call your veterinarian right away. Fence the plot so animals graze evenly and the plants can regrow.

Rotation of animals across plots gives the plants time to recover. Moving animals at a regular interval, with enough rest, keeps plots productive and cuts parasite pressure. Give regrowth time before animals return. Plants grazed down to the ground recover slowly, while those left with some leaf area come back faster.

Is forage gardening worth it for me?

It pays off when you have idle space and a clear plan for the animals. It struggles when it is added without testing soil or planning for harvest.

Start with one small plot and compare cost and results with buying feed.

Keep a notebook with plot sizes, seeding dates, cut or graze dates and animal response. Over two seasons you will see which crops earned their space. Talk with neighbors who keep similar animals. They know which plots hold up in your weather and which annuals have failed locally.

What does a forage garden cost?

Costs fall into categories: seed, soil testing, lime or fertilizer if the test calls for it, fencing, water, tools and your own time. Compare these with the cost of buying hay or feed for the same weeks.

Your extension office may have enterprise budget tools that help you estimate. Build the budget before you buy seed so you know what you are committing to.

Last reviewed: November 12, 2026. Written by the Homestead & Small Farm Editorial Team. See our editorial policy.