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Missouri Sustainable Agriculture Demonstration Awards

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Kenneth Suter pioneered intensive grazing in northeast Missouri as part of his beef operation near Wyaconda in Clark County.

Kenneth Suter, electric fence guru.
Kenneth Suter, electric fence guru.
He started his intensive grazing program in 1989 and his first unit was a wheel design around a pond that supplied water for the paddocks. Once started he attended the first grazing school held at the University of Missouri Forage Systems Research Center near Linneus to get additional ideas to further develop his system.

Suter now has an intensive grazing system established on 325 acres the family owns plus 475 rented acres. Paddocks vary in size but average about five acres each.

The Clark County cattleman keeps a herd of 65 cows but buys up to 300 head of stockers annually. He also buys cull cows at local auctions and fattens them for resale.

Suter is one of a group of beef producers that established Grassland Beef LLC. Cattle harvested by Grassland Beef are early maturing, medium framed, hormone free, ionosphere free, and feed-grade antibiotic free.

The grass fed cattle will have spent a minimum of 100 days on high-quality pasture prior to slaughter at 1,000 pounds.

Suter’s chore vehicle
This Geo Tracker is Suter’s chore vehicle.
It is equipped with the parts to make or
repair electric fencing.


Suter is known locally as an electric fence guru.
Suter is known locally as an electric fence guru, according to Bruce Lane, University of Missouri regional extension livestock specialist, Kirksville. The Suter operation was a stop during the 2001 Commercial Agriculture Beef Tour. 		Suter uses this auger to bore post holes.
Suter uses this auger to bore post holes. Above right, posts set in the seven-foot holes need no bracing for a four-wire electric fence.

Article was orginally featured in Missouri Commercial Agriculture News - Summer 2003

The Community Food Systems and Sustainable Agriculture Program is a University Outreach and Extension program, administered jointly by the University of Missouri System and Lincoln University, in collaboration with the College of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources at the University of Missouri-Columbia, and with support from the Bonnie Clark Fund for Sustainable Agriculture.

Questions? Comments? Please contact Joan Benjamin at: Joan.Benjamin@mda.mo.gov