By Scout Nelson
The National Animal Nutrition Program’s Feed Management Committee (NANP-FM) is working to improve livestock feeding practices while supporting conservation and farm profitability. This committee brings together experts in animal science, nutrition, and resource management, with members from universities, industry, NGOs, and USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
Feed Management (FM) refers to the careful planning and use of animal diets to improve livestock productivity while reducing negative impacts on natural resources. It focuses on four key areas: animal health and nutrition, economic viability, natural resource conservation, and food system resilience.
With greater attention on sustainability in agriculture, FM gives producers and conservation professionals tools to reduce nutrient losses, improve feed efficiency, and enhance animal performance. By helping animals convert feed more effectively, producers can reduce waste, improve soil health, and lower costs.
The NANP-FM Committee follows a “Producers First” approach, ensuring that strategies are practical, cost-effective, and beneficial for farmers and ranchers. Key stakeholders include producers who apply these practices, researchers who provide science-based models, and policymakers who use research to guide programs and regulations.
The USDA’s NRCS plays an important role by providing technical and financial assistance to farmers, ranchers, and landowners who adopt conservation practices. Because livestock feed production affects soil, water, and wildlife, proper feed management is essential both for environmental protection and for lowering production costs.
Better feed management offers many benefits, including lower nitrogen and phosphorus losses, stronger soil health through improved grazing strategies, better energy efficiency, healthier livestock, and higher profit margins.
To expand these efforts, NANP-FM and NRCS are partnering to provide producers with tools, training sessions, webinars, farm tours, and summits. These activities aim to share practical strategies that protect natural resources, strengthen U.S. agriculture’s competitiveness, and reduce costs across livestock feeding systems.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-jacqueline-nix
Categories: South Dakota, Government & Policy, Livestock