Search Results for: archuleta

It finally happened; a scream so loud, it echoed throughout the over-grazed hills and valleys of Central New York. Poised on a grassy knoll in “Braveheart” fashion, the Grass Whisperer yells out M-A-N-A-G-E. . . Call it a grazier’s meltdown, or a public service life purge; the agency-sponsored grazing professional and farmer who vehemently tries […]

Thanks to Ron Nichols of the Natural Resources Conservation Service for this article about a farmer so inspired by an NRCS Soil Health Meeting that he decided not to leave the farm, but to leave conventional agriculture instead. Jonathan Cobb had made up his mind. He was leaving the farm. “I was disillusioned with farming […]

As winter wanes and the longer day-length activates the neurons that control the body’s daily rhythms, a grazier’s mind can wander into a pastoral scene of warm breezes, children playing, frolicking animals, dancing microbes, unending succulent forage and a wheelbarrow full of greenbacks. Ever wonder if this dream could become a reality? It all starts […]

Sometimes we get so caught up in talking about the finer points of grazing management, fence building, cow size and more that we forget to talk about one of the most important “why’s” of what we’re trying to accomplish. So here is Betty Shahan, of Chromo, Colorado, to remind us. “My main goal is to […]

For a little perspective on how the world has changed, here’s what farming was like for one family about 60 years ago.

This article, along with the “Soil Health in a Minute” videos, was first published in June of 2014. We know you’ll enjoy them! As an animal science major at Cornell in the 1980’s, I took a course in soils. I’m not sure if it was the subject matter or the professor, but I just couldn’t […]

This article first appeared in January of 2014. We hope these ideas from Jerry Doan will inspire you to consider what might work well in your pastures. With all the cold and snow many of us have been having, wouldn’t it be nice if we could just step out of it all and take a […]

This is the first of a series of articles about the transition to grazing for Jonathan and Maryann Connor of Providence Dairy in Addison, VT. We will cover the farmers’ decision making process, their goals, the planning process, funding, and implementation, along with successes and challenges faced. We look forward to readers’ comments and shared […]

Here’s a little inspiration for you from Grasstravaganza 2014

We talked with fellow soil enthusiasts Ray Archuleta and Jeff Rasawehr, and here’s what they have to say.

Tired of all that pressure? Here’s a solution that will take some of the load off, and still feed 9 Billion people.

We all know soil is important, but understanding it can take a lifetime. Here’s five minutes of video that will get you a good ways down the road.

Winter is a good time to think about where you want to go this coming grazing season. Here’s a short video that might give you some new ideas about diversifying pasture mixes AND your operation.

We thought this soil health minute would be helpful to folks thinking about the role that “wasted forage” plays in protecting and improving soils.  This “Soil Health Minute” is brought to you by the USDA NRCS, Ray Archuleta and Jon Sitka. Enjoy!

We shared some tips on how to take the drudgery out of soil sampling, but maybe you want something even easier. How about smelling your soil? Here Ray Archuleta and Jon Sitka of the Natural Resources Conservation Service describe how you can get some information on your soil’s health just by sniffing in this episode […]