It is not visible to the naked eye, how dependent people are on grass. A good way to see this is through the food chain. Humans cannot directly get energy from the soil. They cannot get energy directly from the grass either. To simplify it, humans depend on grass because it is consumed by cows. Only then can humans get their energy.
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| Image source: blog.uvm.edu |
That is precisely why building soil that is populated with grass lies within the interests of many farmers, who are under a huge amount of pressure to feed a growing population of people.
Having cattle graze on grass, for as long as this is managed well, is beneficial for the grass. It so happens that grass growth dynamics dictate that when several inches of growth are grazed, this calls on the plant to grow new leaves. This also signals the grass to grow new roots.
This way, grass actually becomes more dense, and when it cannot expand vertically anymore, it grows laterally, expanding its colony far and wide. When cattle inadvertently contribute their manure droppings, this process is even more optimized.
Building soil from the bottom up always starts with a narrow population of grass, the end product simply being a more expansive one. More grass means more cows to feed. More cows fed means more human beings will benefit.
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| Image source: thistledog.com |
Geoffrey Morell raises livestock in P.A. Bowen Farmstead, which is known for having very green pastures for cattle grazing. To know more about the farm, visit this website.
