Grazing

The late Bud Williams had a quote something along these lines: “Ranchers love their cows and hate their grass. They need to learn to love their grass and hate their cows.”

Access to good-quality water is one of the limiting factors in most grazing systems. During drought, this becomes an even greater challenge as water sources become low, creating water shortage and potential for toxicity.

Invasive annual grasses have become problematic across the Western region because they readily outcompete more desirable perennial grasses, especially in areas that have been recently burned or where the soil and vegetation have been disturbed.

When managing grazing livestock, matching forage production potential and animal intake seems to be often overlooked or incorrectly assumed. When I drive by a ranch in the first week of June and pastures are grazed as tight as putting greens, I know the forage system will soon fail.

Strategic grazing on cheatgrass-dominated rangelands can control this invasive annual grass and reduce wildfires.

Do you ever go to the pantry or the refrigerator and open it up wondering what you will fix for supper? Or maybe you’re at the store and cannot remember what the heck is in the pantry.