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In the interest of contributing to the food security, sustainability, and local economics of Hawaii, Kamehameha Schools initiated a forage trial that would compare the addition of Leucaena leucocephalla, known in Hawaii as Haole koa, to pastures of Urochloa maxima, commonly called Guineagrass. Ten, five acre paddocks of Urochloa maxima as the dominant forage were constructed and ten, five acre paddocks ofUrochloa maxima with Leucaena leucocephalla rows were constructed. Each system was stocked with 25 commercial cross bred steers. Once a month and three days after the weekly rotation, composite fecal samples were collected from each group. A total of 24 samples were obtained over a 12 month period. The samples were submitted to Texas A & M Grazing Animal Nutrition Laboratory at the Blackland Research Center in Temple, Texas. The samples were scanned using a near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) machine to capture the spectra of the fecal chemistry. The fecal spectra were used to generate dietary crude protein (%CP), digestible organic matter (%DOM), fecal phosphorous and fecal nitrogen. The NIRS/NUTBAL (nutritional balance profile) was used to monitor the nutritional status and the nutrient concentration in the animal's diet. The results from the 24 samples were compared to determine the nutritional difference and/or benefits between the two pasture systems. Other monitoring efforts focused on collecting forage samples, individual weights on each group of steers at the completion of every 10 paddock or 70 day rotation. Individual carcasses were evaluated at harvest using standard USDA beef quality and yield grades.