A Poison for Every Plant

Texas and Southwest Cattle Raisers Association is an outstanding organization. Annually, TSCRA circulates to its members a calendar like this one, compliments of Bayer-Monsanto Chemical.

The fact that this leading, respected cattle organization is promoting the ubiquitous use of rangeland pesticides demonstrates the extent to which ranchers, farmers and wildlife managers have been brainwashed by our universities and agencies to rely on chemicals instead of sustainable, restorative grazing practices.

Bayer’s idea seems to be that anything but grass is undesirable on rangeland occupied by cattle. In fact, cattle eat most of these non-grass plants to some degree, at some time during the plants’ growth cycles.

Anytime you eliminate one of these plants, other plants disappear. And, we have no idea what these poisons are doing to soil life without which there would be no plants or animals.

Under restorative practices including proper grazing, poisons aren’t needed. As rangeland recovers, native grasses crowd out weeds.

The booklet is actually a very handy reference to identify forbs (weeds) on the range. Every one of these plants benefits wildlife, including deer, pronghorn, elk and quail, to name just a few.

Document available here