The Scoop View All →
Add Your Event to the On Pasture Calendar!
Conference season is fast approaching and we want On Pasture readers to have a good idea of what’s happening where so they can plan for their next life-long learning opportunity. But with just the two of us, it’s hard to keep up with finding all the conferences and workshops that are happening and then getting […]
Read More →Good News for On Pasture Readers!
Last May we submitted a Conservation Innovation Grant proposal to cover expenses and nominal salaries to keep On Pasture going. And guess what? We Got It! We decided to try for the grant because you kept telling us that On Pasture was important to you. And now, thanks to the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, […]
Read More →The Best Free News Out There!
We are all really smart. We know stuff. We think stuff. We think we know stuff. And a lot of our knowing and thinking is thanks to people who are dedicated to gathering information and publishing it. All we have to do is “google” and there it is ready for us…and it’s free! Or is […]
Read More →Shhh…..It’s Kathy’s Surprise Birthday Party!
You don’t know this about Kathy, but she’s not much of a Holiday Person. The only two she really, really likes? Hallowe’en and birthdays. She likes EVERYONE’S birthday and believes that day should be celebrated as the miracle it is – the day someone special arrived on the planet. Kathy likes to take advantage of […]
Read More →How On Pasture Gets Made
We’ve been putting On Pasture up every Tuesday morning for about 3 and a half years now and, with Rachel in New York and Kathy in Arizona we’ve settled into a routine of lots and lots of phone calls, emails, drafts and redrafts. But it’s not just the two of us, it’s you too, because […]
Read More →Taking Medicine
The youngest of the On Pasture crew is a puker – at least when she’s riding in cars. The last time we drove to see her grandparents, she puked 5 times, or an average of once every 75 miles. We’ve got car puking down to a nice routine. We take along a container with a lid. She announces […]
Read More →We’re All Friends Here
A friend called me from the road yesterday. She was thinking about a time I had given her a hand, and how much that meant to her. Shucks, I said, no big deal. It’s what you do for a friend. Besides, I reminded her, you are there for me plenty too. When we come through […]
Read More →How Do You Get Rid of Fleas in the House?
An On Pasture reader called Monday morning with a problem. Even though they have no indoor pets and his stock dogs aren’t allowed in the yard, somehow fleas got in the house. His wife has cleaned and has been vacuuming almost non-stop. She gave up today after a snake got in the house. She’s headed […]
Read More →Grazing Management View All →
Manage Fall Grazing to Prevent Spring Weeds
Uh-Oh! Grazing your pastures too short this fall could mean more weeds next spring!
Read More →Protect Your Pastures and Hay Fields While Fall Grazing
Be careful not to hurt your pasture stand this fall. Read about tips for successful fall pasture management.
Read More →Fall Stockpiling and Pasture Housekeeping Tips
Here’s what Victor has been doing to get ready for his extended grazing season. It’s been a little different this year thanks to all the moisture he’s gotten. Whether its been dry or wet where you are, he’s got useful ideas.
Read More →Water Makes Grass Grow!
That is a theme I frequently use in my grazing management presentations around the country. I often say I have learned more about grazing management by working the last dozen years in the extremes of irrigated and desert environments of Idaho than I did in 23 years of the high natural rainfall environment of Missouri. […]
Read More →Reduce Winter Feeding and Be More Profitable
Winter feeding accounts for 40+% of the cost of producing a calf, so reducing or eliminating this bad habit can help keep your ranch in the black. One way to reduce winter feeding costs is to extend the period that cattle harvest their own feed by grazing. Here are four things livestock operators need to […]
Read More →Oregon Rancher Teaches Cows to Eat Sagebrush
Two weeks ago, Beth wrote about results of studies done by her colleagues at Utah State University on using cattle to graze sagebrush to increase biodiversity on rangelands. This week she shares a story of a rancher who took that information to heart, decided to teach his cows to be sagebrush eaters, and has never […]
Read More →Time to Start Prepping Your Pastures for Fall
My dear Mother always said that the older you get, the faster time goes, she was right. I really don’t know what happened to the summer. But here it is, August already. This is the prep month for the beginnings of fall activities starting with the seeding of permanent vegetation, early planting of annuals for […]
Read More →Grazing Sagebrush to Save It
It’s a problem all over the West: old stands of sagebrush, poor in biodiversity due to lack of disturbance. The increase in sagebrush density over the past century is generally attributed to: 1) reduced numbers of mixed feeders and browsers such as deer, antelope, goats and sheep, 2) increased numbers of cattle and elk, 3) […]
Read More →Pasture Health View All →
Taking Advantage of Plants’ Little Fungal Helpers
Thanks to Susan Fisk and the Soil Science Society of America for sharing this with On Pasture! In the Southern Great Plains of the United States, plants have a lot to deal with. Long hot summers, strong winds, low rainfall, disease, and grazing animals challenge growth. Luckily, the plants aren’t going it alone. Many have […]
Read More →Manage Fall Grazing to Prevent Spring Weeds
Uh-Oh! Grazing your pastures too short this fall could mean more weeds next spring!
Read More →Soil Color Describes Your Climate
Thanks to Mary Tiedeman of the Soil Science Society of America for this great info! What is the first color that comes to mind when you envision soil? Is it brown, black, yellow, or red? How about white, gray, green, or blue? Any of these answers are correct depending on where you are from! It […]
Read More →Grazing Reduces Yellow Starthistle
With its 2-inch long spines, you might think that it’s not a plant that livestock would graze. But studies show that cattle, goats and sheep can graze it and help control it.
Read More →Small Grains as Forage AND Cover Crops
Small grains like triticale or rye are popular forages right now, but their soil building attributes can be overlooked. Here are a few of our thoughts about the ways they can benefit us just by growing.
Read More →Soil Test Values Can Vary Across Years
This article was originally published by the Noble Foundation’s Ag News and Views, Ardmore, OK and was written by Eddie Funderburg. A routine call we get involves a person who takes a soil sample this year and submits it for analysis. The data do not match the results of the last sample that was taken […]
Read More →More for Less in Pasture
A nine-year study shows that multi-species pastures provide 31% more forage than a two-species mixture. And since the multi-species mix also improves soil health, those pastures are more drought tolerant too.
Read More →Greg Judy Extends Grazing Season With Cover Crops
The summer of 2015 was droughty in Missouri and by October, regrowth was pretty non-existent due to the lack of moisture. But in spite of it all, the cover crop mix that Greg planted in July was doing well. In this video, Greg describes what they did, and how it worked out for him. It […]
Read More →Livestock View All →
Need An Additional Income Stream? Rent The Chicken!
A google search for “crazy business ideas” turns into a full time job and affiliates nation wide. Would it work for you?
Read More →The Accidental Chicken Farmer Makes a Profit On Purpose
Josh Slingerland became a farmer by accident. He was trying to drop his kids off at day care on the way to his welding job, but the day care was closed for good. The solution to their sudden child care problem? Start a poultry-based farm. Since then he’s planned everything out, and three years in, […]
Read More →Don’t Let Misconceptions About Low-Stress Livestock Handling Get In Your Way
Having trouble perfecting your livestock handling skills? Maybe these common misconceptions are holding you back.
Read More →May Calving is Now the Rule for Dickinson Research and Extension Center
For the last five years, North Dakota State University’s Dickinson Research and Extension Center has been turning its bulls out in August for May calving. The reasons? May calving weather is nicer, the calves hit the ground to take advantage of the annual plant cycle, and best of all, it’s good for the bottom line. […]
Read More →How Does Stress Spread Through Your Herd? It’s the PEE!
If you have a male dog or cat, you know that, at least from their perspective, pee is a great way of marking their territory. Plenty of animals use pee to communicate with enemies. But “STAY AWAY” is not the only message pee can send. As researchers have discovered, it can also say “Watch out! […]
Read More →Cattle Shrink When They’re Stressed
If you’ve done everything right up to now to raise fat cattle, be sure what you do when you’re handling and transporting them doesn’t undo all your hard work.
Read More →Skinny Cows? Use Body Condition Scoring to Adjust Your Management
Skinny cows may look better in bikinis, but in the beef business that’s not really how we measure success. Economic losses from thin cows can be substantial. As the graph below shows, the thinner the cow, the less likely she is to become pregnant. While weaning weight may not always be a good measure of […]
Read More →Charge MORE For Your Eggs. Your Neighbors Will Thank You!
It’s the time of year when things are evening out for those of us with livestock. We have set the pace and are beginning to settle into our smooth summer stride. Most of the animals are now busy raising their young, chewing their cud, and enlarging their wallows. For the people raising laying hens this […]
Read More →Money Matters View All →
Digging Into the Business of Custom Grazing
Meg is back with the first in a two-part series to help you get started in the custom grazing business.
Read More →Need An Additional Income Stream? Rent The Chicken!
A google search for “crazy business ideas” turns into a full time job and affiliates nation wide. Would it work for you?
Read More →Why Don’t Farmers and Ranchers Get Paid Well For the Food They Produce?
Jack gives a history of how we got to where we are and offers a solution for at least one area of the country. It’s not the only answer. What’s yours?
Read More →The Accidental Chicken Farmer Makes a Profit On Purpose
Josh Slingerland became a farmer by accident. He was trying to drop his kids off at day care on the way to his welding job, but the day care was closed for good. The solution to their sudden child care problem? Start a poultry-based farm. Since then he’s planned everything out, and three years in, […]
Read More →Weight Promoting Alternative to Antibiotics a Much-Needed Solution for Meat Producers
An FDA directive that goes into effect January 1, 2017 will prohibit cattle feeders in the U.S. from adding low-grade doses of antibiotics as a regular part of their feeding program. Here’s why antibiotics have been fed in the past and thoughts about what the future holds.
Read More →Advice and Funding Available for New, Beginning and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers
Sometimes you should just ask for help. That’s what Joshua Eilers did when he was trying to get his feet on the ground as a new rancher and it made all the difference in the world. As a Sergeant, Eilers served as team leader in the U.S. Army’s elite First Ranger Battalion. Although raised in […]
Read More →Nutrient Balancing Makes Farms and Ranches More Profitable
Every time an animal, a milk truck or a crop leaves your place you’re exporting nutrients. And you’re importing them in fertilizers or purchased hay. Here are some tools to look at your export/import balance.
Read More →What Should You Charge For Your Eggs?
Doug read last week’s piece on the price of eggs and sent us these great thoughts on it. Figuring out how to price your product is not easy. We hope this exchange sparks more great conversation and helps you with that problem. What struck me when I read last week’s article “Charge More For Your […]
Read More →Consider This View All →
Do-It-Yourself Vs Corporate
When does hands-on become hands-in-the-way? What happens if you’ve planned for the worst, but not the best? Here’s how success is helping author, farmer and new cafe owner Shannon Hayes with lessons from the corporate world about organization and working with others. All us rugged individualists could take note!
Read More →Want Things to Stay As They Are? Things Will Have to Change.
We know change is hard. But you’re already doing it all the time. So here are some thoughts to help you embrace change.
Read More →Whales Change the Climate
Are whales “farming” to keep their food source alive and growing? Do they fertilize the oceans to make more fish and krill? And, like grass-based farmers and ranchers, does the “farming” they do sequester carbon, thus reducing greenhouse gases and keeping our climate steady? This 5-minute video gives us a new look at the contribution […]
Read More →Grunt the Pig
One day out of the blue my Daddy called with a very serious question: “Do you want to buy a hog?” “Do what?” “Do you want to buy a hog?” “What kind of hog?” “A big Duroc sow that’s gonna have pigs in a few days. I’m up here in Miss at Glenn Cotton’s place […]
Read More →Have You Hugged a Farmer Today?
This is a piece you’ll want to share with your non-farming friends, your customers, and maybe just keep on your refrigerator to remind you of how important you are.
Read More →Ranching and Wetlands Can Go Together
“Ranching, conservation, ecological restoration, these things are not diametrically opposed. In fact they go very well together. And I think the 10 years we’ve spent on this project demonstrate that and provide an opportunity for other ranchers, other landowners to look at this and think about ways they might be able to do something similar.” […]
Read More →“Just Do It” Goes For Farming and Ranching Too
When he was 95 years old Scott Nearing, who has been described as the great-granddaddy of the back-to-the land movement, was speaking to a group about homesteading and gardening. Of all that he said that day the most profound statement was this: “If you want to garden just do it.” Just think about this for […]
Read More →We Can Drink Water Made From Sewage
You’re probably already feeling a little bit of disgust at this idea, right? Here, from Minute Earth is why you feel that way, even when that water is perfectly safe to drink, AND how we can get over disgust when we need to. Why does this matter to us as farmers and ranchers? Well, it’s […]
Read More →The Funnies View All →
Yoga With Goats
Thinking of diversifying? Here’s an idea from Lainey Morse of No Regrets Farm in Williamette, Oregon: Yoga with goats! People drive over 100 miles just to come! Lainey says she’s as surprised as everyone else. Her theory is that people are so sick of watching the news that they’re just grasping at something that’s happy […]
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Inner Child or…..?
Well, this explains some things for Rachel and Kathy. How about you? Save Save Save
Read More →Is That a Full Load?
Next time you’re trying to decide if you’ve packed enough into your truck or trailer, remember these folks and their full loads. Save Save Save Save
Read More →Someone Brought Their Kid to the Store
Do you think this kid begs for candy at the check out? Save
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If Meat Eaters Acted Like Vegans.
Please don’t take this as permission to behave poorly towards people with different food choices. Do take it as permission to laugh about how we can all go a little overboard sometimes.
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