From Grass to Resilience: Kenny Mullis’ Sustainable Grazing Practices in South Carolina

Kenny Mullis, a dedicated agricultural advocate from Blythewood, South Carolina, graduated from Clemson University with a focus on agricultural sciences. Currently, he works in the agricultural sector, where he specializes in sustainable land management practices and raises grass-fed beef cattle. Mullis is actively involved with the South Carolina Forage and Grazing Lands Coalition, promoting improved forage quality and grazing techniques that benefit local farmers. Additionally, he engages with the Richland Soil and Water Conservation District. Kenny’s commitment to raising grass-fed beef not only supports sustainable agriculture but also aligns with his passion for advancing resource conservation and improving the environmental landscape in his community.

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1) What one thing have you done that has been the most important to the success of your operation?

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Probably the one thing I've done that has had the most positive effect on my operation is to divide up pastures and rotate grazing.

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2) Can you recall a moment in time when the light bulb went on for you to change the way you were grazing?

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As far as changing the way I managed my pastures, it was kind of a gradual thing. I talked to people, went to pasture walks, different field days, and tried to engage with things I've never heard before. Some of the things I heard were so different from what I was used to, and some of that stuff I dismissed as a bunch of bologna, but once I saw the results that other people were having from it, that indicated that I could change the way I'm doing things. So, one way to put it is that I kind of evolved into a more environmentally friendly grazer.

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3) What surprised you the most when you changed the way you were grazing?

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I guess the thing that surprised me the most when I went to rotational grazing was the increased amount of forage I had for my cattle and the quality of the forage.

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4) What would you say is the biggest misconception people have who are not managing their grazing systems for resilience?

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I see a lot of farmers that don't close the gate. They don't rotational graze, they leave them open to the entire pasture all the time, and they think that's the more effective way of doing it because there's less labor involved. But it really makes a big difference when you move your cattle from one place to another.

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5) Is there something you'd like to do on the farm that you haven't yet done?

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One thing that I'd like to do, that I need more time to do, is manage my herd a little better. I’d like to pay more attention to the individual cattle and the health of each calf and do a little more selection. I could just generally do a better job of managing my pastures.

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6) What advice would you have for someone who is considering changing the way their grazing system works to one that's better for building soil health?

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The advice I'd give to someone who is wanting to improve their grazing system is to talk to somebody who's already doing it successfully, because a lot of the time what everybody’s done for years is not necessarily the best. So, there's a lot better way to do things out there now than years ago. Most everyone that I have run into that is doing a good job with this rotational, regenerative grazing is very helpful and very willing to help you and share their information with you.

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7) When you walk across your pastures, what do you look for as an indicator of healthy grass and soil?

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Well, the normal things that I look for when I’m walking across my pastures to indicate healthy grass, forage, and soil, is the presence of dung beetles and healthy looking grass that grows up and is thick with a good stand.

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8) What change have you made that you at first thought would never work?

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Traditionally, every time you see a weed you spray herbicide on it and you put fertilizer out every year, and it took a long time for it to sink in that that’s not all really needed. I learned if you monitor the quality of your soil, you don't need herbicide, there's other ways to control weeds. And there's other ways to fertilize other than commercial fertilizers. I still use both of those, but I use a lot less, and it's a lot easier on my pocketbook to do that.

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9) What are the signs that your land is resilient and what does resilience mean to you?

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Well, something I've kind of already touched on is that some of the signs that my pastures are resilient are a good, healthy stand of productive forage, where I’m able to put down less input, allowing mother nature to take care of some things that I used to micromanage myself that aren't necessary. I think that's what resilience means to me.

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10) We have three things we talk about– rotate, rest and recover. Of those three is there one that stands out to you more than the others?

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As far as managing pastures, they all three kind of go together. It's hard to make one more important than the other, you've got to pay attention to all three or, in my opinion, it's not going to work very well.

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