On Pasture was just a twinkle in Kathy’s eye about four years ago when she was at a grazing conference in New York. She gathered her fellow presenters and they spent an afternoon discussing a problem they’d noticed: While scientists were gathering and presenting information that should benefit farmers and ranchers, the farmers and ranchers did not seem to be adopting new practices. All agreed that part of the problem is a “language barrier.” Scientists have their own language that is appropriate and important to the work they do, but isn’t readily understood by farmers and ranchers.
At the end of the meeting, there was consensus that “someone” should be presenting the important research in a way that showed farmers and ranchers the steps they could take to benefit from it and that an online publication would do this best.
Kathy Voth and Rachel Gilker, decided to become the “someones” to make it happen. Each week we break the “language barrier” with plain language, easy to understand science that go beyond “these are the results of the experiment,” to explain why the results are important and to suggest new practices using the new information. There is no other publication doing that today.
Three years and more than 1,100 articles later, reader response demonstrates that this really is exactly what farmers and ranchers want. Over 50,000 unique readers click on to the site each month. But the proof of success isn’t in reader numbers alone. It’s in reader adoption of the practices they read about in On Pasture and how well we serve beginning farmers and under-served communities. Readers tell us:
Your articles are informative and well written, and cover such a wide array of topics, all of which I find I can integrate into my farm vision, or otherwise help me to see a bigger picture. Please keep up the good work. Many thanks, Amy
I’m new to the ranching world, but the info you put out has me light-years ahead of where I’d be without it! Thank you for putting out such a great product. – Jason
On Pasture has so many tips, tricks, suggestions, revelations, and all the pasture know how I need to get my operation off to a good start and keep it running smoothly. Thanks and please keep it up!!!!!! Meredith
So now we need to make On Pasture as sustainable as the practices we preach. As popular as On Pasture is with readers, only about 1 reader in 100 sends in support during the twice-a-year fund drives.We’re hoping that you’ll help us change that and make On Pasture sustainable. Choose a level of support that makes sense for your budget and how you value what we do. We have a few thank you gifts, including the book “A Long Way On A Little” donated by Shannon Hayes when you send in support of $50 or more. It’s a great book and we especially like that it describes how On Pasture got going, and keeps on keeping on.
Thanks for reading and special thanks to those of you who have sent in your support!
Kathy and Rachel
