Preventing Desertification with Managed Grazing Systems

Improving land and pasture conditions is important to those who are raising livestock. As production increases and forage is utilized, managed grazing can cause a greater impact by stopping desertification. For many years, overgrazing contributed to this phenomenon that has damaged pastures all over the world.

Image source: Environmental-watch.com

Desertification happens when fertile land becomes barren due to drought, deforestation, or mismanaged farming. Due to climate change and misconceptions on grazing, grasslands all over the world have suffered this occurrence. However, biologists and agriculture experts have discovered that the most suitable way to restore the earth back to its healthy state is through proper management of grazing pastures. With an ecological system in place, soil, water, and air quality will improve. Minimizing greenhouse gasses will lead to better plant diversity.

Livestock grazing in barren land gives the soil a protective layer that improves its condition by preserving nutrition. Rotational or deferred grazing allows land and forages to rest and grow appropriately after the grazing period. Allowing livestock to graze for a particular amount of time on a portion of the pasture is a sure method to prevent overgrazing. This increases productivity in the land as all portions are being cultivated properly.

Image source: Environmental-watch.com

Geoffrey Morell owns P.A. Bowen Farmstead where all livestock are pasture-raised in an environment where they can thrive and live naturally. For more information about Geoffrey and P.A. Bowen Farmstead, visit this website.

Sustainable Farming: Regulating the Use of Pesticides in Farms

Combating pests has been an age-long issue for farmers, including those that primarily grow forage for animal consumption. Over the years, the effort to ward off these organisms that feed on their crops have led to several innovations in farming and the introduction of pesticides.

Pesticides are chemicals used to protect plants from being damaged by weeds, fungi, or insects. It yields to tremendous benefits for farmers especially when it comes to quantity of crops produced. It has been an integral part in crop production as it reduces the risks of losses which can be caused by the aforesaid culprits.

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However, the excessive use of pesticides—particularly the artificial ones—can result in serious health problems among the farmers and the people around the farm. In addition to killing insects and bugs, it can also have an adverse effect on other organisms such as birds, fish, and non-target plants. Animals feeding on pesticide-treated fodder may also be adversely affected. Moreover, it can lead to soil and water contamination, if not poisoning.

In California, the Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) proposed to regulate the use of pesticide near schools and daycare centers. Aside from its aim to protect children and students, the regulation is also directed at increasing the communication between farmers and crop growers and schools to help facilitate better response to potential incidents.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, along with some university researchers, is now looking at ways to combat pests by introducing predatory bugs. In Missouri, garden stores are selling ladybugs to customers that can be released to eat the aphids that plague tomato plants.

Image source: theecologist.org

Ben Putler, professor emeritus of entomology at the University of Missouri-Columbia, is leading a group of researchers to look into testing natural predators for other agricultural pests that destroy hectares upon hectares of farmlands. Other farmers are also trying out a new approach on conventional ways to ward off pests and insects from their crops through chickens which feast on insects and worms invading their crops.

Geoffrey Morell offers tours and classes of his farm. He co-owns the P.A. Bowen Farmstead, alongside Sally Fallon Morell. For inquiries, follow this link.

Creating Greener Pastures: Building Soil From The Bottom Up

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.

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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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.