COLLABORATIVE Producer Supported Research
Research. Programs. Resources.
Why Does Soil Sampling Initiatives Matter to You as a Cattle Producer?
Understand the Health of Your Soil
Healthy soils are the foundation of productive pastures. By measuring soil carbon at multiple depths, you’ll gain a clear picture of your land’s ability to retain moisture, cycle nutrients, and support forage growth — all of which directly affect cattle performance.
See How Your Grazing Is Working
This isn’t just research for research’s sake. The sampling shows how your current grazing practices are influencing soil carbon — a key indicator of long-term land health and resilience. You’ll learn if your management is helping build soil or if adjustments could boost pasture productivity and longevity.
Be Ready for Future Incentives
Soil carbon is increasingly linked to markets, cost-share programs, and sustainability certifications. By participating, you’ll have credible, science-backed data that may support access to emerging carbon markets or conservation funding — without needing to guess or self-assess.
Know Where You Stand
Most producers don’t have a baseline soil carbon measurement. This project provides one — using proven, research-grade methods — so you can track real progress over time and make more informed land management decisions.
The Texas Beef Cattle Efficiency Initiative
If you are apart of the project, welcome, and hopefully by now, our Ph.D. student Robert Corkren has met most of you, but definitely taken the first set of soil samples. What exactly is the Texas Beef Cattle Efficiency Initiative?
The project aims to help Texas beef cattle producers reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve beef sustainability by eLearning and adopting management practices geared towards improving the overall beef cattle supply chain. It is designed as a pilot program that could be scaled to regional and national levels.
CGRM’s portion of the project centers around soil health, better understanding of the currently grazing management, and how these impact emissions and carbon sequestration.
Goals
- Increase adoption of best management practices
- Empower producers through knowledge and tools
- Improve soil health, operational resilience and production efficiency
- Strengthen the long-term resilience of the beef supply chain
What’s Required
- Host soil sampling on one representative pasture. (12 cores per 10 acre sample site. 1 site per ranch)
- Submit basic grazing records quarterly (we provide simple tools to help you)
- Complete a short annual survey covering general production and management practices
- Participate in eLearning modules that cover animal health, reproduction, nutrition, genetics, grazing management and more
Benefits
- Complimentary access to eLearning platform; Get research-backed guidance on animal health and wellbeing, reproduction, genetics, nutrition, grazing management, and more.
- Customized soil health reports; Gain detailed insights on your land’s soil condition to help inform management.
- Opportunity to get paid for best management practices; Optionally participate in more in-depth data collection through a trusted third-party partner to be eligible for payment and additional technical assistance.
So now where are we with the project, what’s going on, and what should be expected next.
Project Updates
The soils are currently at the Agrilife Research Center in Lubbock to begin the soil analysis. I will be intimately involved with the soil analysis, as well as all aspects of the project, and I plan to share updates as we navigate this project together.
Next up, we will be reaching out to the producers and start the collection of grazing management data for the pastures that we have collected soil samples from. Thank you to those who have already started sending data in. A spreadsheet has been shared, for you all to record herd movements in, however we are exploring other avenues for this in order to make it as easy as possible for the participants. Robert will have an update for you very soon on this and will walk through expectations/answer any questions you may have at that time.
The CGRM staff has also decided we want to organize a dinner meeting in each of the regions. Here we will give an update on CGRM, the project, and answer any questions you might have. You all are a part of a very large project, and we are believers of peer-to-peer learning and networking. The dinner will be a great chance to meet the CGRM team and the other producers in your region. More details on this to come.
News
Texas A&M AgriLife builds beef cattle efficiency through producer education
Efforts equip producers with proven strategies to cut costs, improve herds and protect resources
November 20, 2025 – by Kay Ledbetter
