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Cows

A collection of 65 posts

Keyline 101: Desert Grassland Restoration

Yeomans Keyline

Keyline 101: Desert Grassland Restoration

This video was filmed in the Sierra Diablo Mountains, Hudspeth County, far-West Texas, for presentation at the Quivira Coalition Conference in Albuquerque, November 11, 2015.

Holistic Management vs Conventional Management: A Stark Look

Holistic Management vs Conventional Management: A Stark Look

The footage serves as a powerful testament to the effectiveness of Holistic Management.

Holistic Management at Work

"Invasion Biology"

Holistic Management at Work

Holistic management uses a long term planning process that assigns to environmental and social outcomes the same importance as profits. In addition to being particularly suited to the deserts of far-West Texas, its grazing and wildlife practices will work anywhere in the West. NOTE: this post was originally published to

Cows and Keyline: Revisiting A Key Concept

Cows and Keyline: Revisiting A Key Concept

“In a key post from 2014 – we highlighted our work with Cows and Keyline plow……” NOTE: this post was originally published to this site on August 24, 2017

Grass Fed Beef: Farm to Fork Wyoming

Grass Fed Beef: Farm to Fork Wyoming

Fourth generation Wyoming ranchers, Bobby and Brendan Thoman, return cattle to the family operation – using an elegant logic of healthier soil and a focus on both the cow and customer. NOTE: this post was priginally published to this site on February 1, 2021

leopold_conservation_dixon_water_foundation

Rotational Cattle Grazing to Restore Degraded Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands and Promote Watershed Health

Describing the Mimms Ranch in Marfa, Texas, the authors write, “The Foundation aims for practical conservation, with the belief that restored grasslands improve overall watershed health, resources for native wildlife, and continued support of ranching.” NOTE: this article was originally published to usbr.maps.arcgis.com. As well – it was

My Wild Land: Bischoff Ranch - Trailer

My Wild Land: Bischoff Ranch - Trailer

My Wild Land: BISCHOFF RANCH – Trailer from Wyoming Migration Initiative on Vimeo. “Keeping a ranch afloat in a volatile market is a story that hits too close to home for Tyrell Bischoff. After a number of rough winters and low cattle prices, Tyrell’s family faced a formidable reality: sell

‘Oh, I’ll Keep ‘em Out’

‘Oh, I’ll Keep ‘em Out’

Quoting the article below, “Buying a house in cattle country and complaining about cattle is like buying a house in a nudist colony and complaining that people don’t wear clothes.” NOTE: this article was originally published to PERC.com’s Winter 2021 Newsletter (Volume 40). It was written by

Counterfeit Cows: Cheating the Grass-Fed Beef Label

Counterfeit Cows: Cheating the Grass-Fed Beef Label

“Why “grass-fed” doesn’t mean what you think. NOTE: this article was originally published to Weekly.Regeneration.Works on September 3, 2021. It was written by Kevin Silverman. Policy: Grass-fed beef is one of those terms that can be explained in ten different ways by ten different people. This is

Livestock: A Powerful Tool

Livestock: A Powerful Tool for Wildfire Control

Quoting the article below, “Livestock grazing is also proposed as a potential solution for wildfires such as those that have devastated several western states this year. Researchers with the University of California Cooperative Extension are evaluating how much fine fuel — grasses and other plants known to start fires — cattle eat.

Working Dogs – Farm To Fork Wyoming

Working Dogs - Farm To Fork Wyoming

Highly attuned to their partnership with man, livestock herding and guardian dogs are powerful and essential forces in the balance of nature and predation for today’s Wyoming rancher.

Fire-Protection Plans Hit Red Tape, Then the Flames Came

Fire-Protection Plans Hit Red Tape, Then the Flames Came

Over time, our beautiful, once-productive public forests have become overgrown, money-losing firetraps. Everybody knows what needs to be done, but government regulations and ideological disputes prevent common sense remedies—many of which cost nothing. When inevitable catastrophic fires occur, those in charge neither accept responsibility nor change their practices. Instead

Extremely Old MacDonald Stays on Farm

Extremely Old MacDonald Stays on Farm

The proliferation of labor saving devices has made it possible for today’s farmers and ranchers to remain active longer than previous generations could. And, as mentioned in this article, many young women are able to run these properties for the same reasons. NOTE: this article was originally published to

6 Reasons Why The Practice of Silvopasture Will Help Save Modern Farming

"Invasion Biology"

6 Reasons Why The Practice of Silvopasture Will Help Save Modern Farming

Silvopasture (in Latin, silva means forest) is the practice of combining woodland (trees) and the grazing of domesticated animals in a mutually beneficial way. Specific silvopasture benefits are discussed below. NOTE: this article was originally published to GreenBiz.com on August 4, 2018, 2019. It was written by Steve Gabriel.

cactus_feeders_feedlot

Animal Development

At Hamburger Central, Antibiotics for Cattle that Aren’t Sick

Over 70% of antibiotics used in the US are for confinement livestock – cattle, pigs and chickens – about 75% of which pass through to humans. This is a huge health issue for consumers. And the antibiotics damage ecological systems. In addition, these meat factories are inhumane to livestock, environmentally harmful, and

art_of_the_cattle_move_part_2

"Invasion Biology"

The Art Of The Cattle Move II: Grazing Plans

This beautiful video discusses the importance of the grazing plan in sustainable ranching. The authors explain, “The most important tool we use in management of the land is being able to control the amount of time that cattle graze a particular pasture. Too long in a pasture and the grass

dead_livestock_montana

"Invasion Biology"

Montana Tries to Make Predators Bearable

“There are common sense ways to adjust ranch practices to accommodate predators. Here is one. NOTE: the post below is a “Snapshots” snippet from PERC.org‘s PERCReports Summer 2018 edition. It can be found on Page 7. Montana tries to make predators bearable. Dead livestock in bear country can

art_of_the_cattle_move

"Invasion Biology"

The Art Of The Cattle Move Part I: The Philosophy

The authors of this beautifully-photographed video explain, “The core of Ranchlands’ ranching operations is rotational grazing. The majority of our time is spent preparing for, executing, and checking on the rotation of cattle through pastures in a migratory fashion. From stimulating new plant growth through grazing and returning nutrients to

"Invasion Biology"

This Man Wants You to Eat More Meat

“We’ve had about a hundred years of ‘range science.’ I hate that term because it’s not science, it’s range beliefs that assume scientific proportion. They come up with rotational grazing and other approaches on and on endlessly, and those have turned pastures into deserts.” … Allan Savory NOTE:

bison_yellowstone

"Invasion Biology"

Book Review of American Serengeti: The Last Big Animals of the Great Plains

American Serengeti is Dan Flores’ natural history of the American Great Plains throughout its 13,000-years of human presence. According to the author, the book is the “Big History” of two lost worlds, both of which were destroyed by humans. The first Lost World was a larger, more diverse collection

gulley_restoration_desert_grasslands

Turning a Dangerous Arroyo Into a Flood Irrigation Resource in the Deserts of Far-West Texas

Here is how we harvested water out of Circle Ranch’s worst gully, and used it to re-wet 5-miles of desert meadows.

chris_gill_circle_ranch_texas

"Invasion Biology"

Rancher Takes an Unconventional Path to Restoring His Land

“Chris Gill, 72, together with his family own Circle Ranch in far-West Texas. He thinks of the desert habitat, its flora and fauna, as a single system.” NOTE: this article was initially posted to ReportingTexas.com on December 12, 2017. It was written by Austin Price, and all photography credits

us_land_practices

Emerging Land Use Practices Rapidly Increase Soil Organic Matter

“Emerging land uses, such as management-intensive grazing, may offer a rare win–win strategy combining profitable food production with rapid improvement of soil quality and short-term climate mitigation through soil carbon accumulation (sequestration)” NOTE: This study was originally posted to Nature Communications / Nature.com Abstract The loss of organic matter

deer_west_texas

"Invasion Biology"

Planned Grazing and Deer

“Properly grazed cattle can improve deer health. Cattle herds can replace the big nomadic grazers with which animals and plants evolved. Plants and animals are symbiotic: Plants need animals as much as animals need plants. What helps plants helps all animals. Biodiversity of plants and animals is good. Multiple species

Desert Mule Deer "Management": Does Culling Low-Point Desert Mule Deer Bucks Help or Harm the Herd and Its Genetics?

"Invasion Biology"

Desert Mule Deer "Management": Does Culling Low-Point Desert Mule Deer Bucks Help or Harm the Herd and Its Genetics?

Culling Mule Deer – or whitetail – is scientifically unjustifiable, and does not improve herd genetics. Note: This post originally appeared on this blog in November 2014 Approach #1: Remove Cull Bucks to Improve Herd Genetics …Jerad Wayne Zachary, Deer Guide Dear Mr. Gill, I hope you are doing well. I just