According to University of Kentucky publication ID-188 winter feeding of cattle on unfrozen ground almost always leads to mud.  Combined with feces and urine deposited around hay rings or feeding areas, it can result in an area of concentrated pollutants that post a threat to nearby water resources. The net result is pollutants to streams and loss of grazing area and weed infestation from bare areas in the spring or summer. Kenton County’s rolling terrain creates an opportunity for the pollutants from these feeding areas to run off quickly into local streams.  Since many famers feed in several places around their farms, it sometimes can be large areas impacted by feeding cattle.  The Kenton County Extension service offered a program called Renovating Sacrifice Areas and Cover Crops to help reduce the loss of soil to erosion and to assist cattle operators select good cover crops in these areas.  100 percent of those that attended felt that this topic was relevant to their operations.  Of the 12 beef operators that attended 8 explained that they planned to use the knowledge they had gained from the class.  4 planted a cover crop on their winter feeding locations and  3 plan to plant cover crops on their feeding sacrifice areas in the future.