Author: Kathy Voth

I am a fan of gifts that keep on giving. That auto repair toolbox and tools I got one year got me out of all kinds of difficulties. The Weeds of the West book from a colleague was part of the inspiration for a whole new career teaching cows to eat weeds. So, if you […]

The question “Does Grazing Winter Stockpile Slow Spring Regrowth?” first came up when we were following Troy Bishopp’s progress as he extended his New York grazing season into December. I searched the internet and spoke to a number of folks to find out. The answer to how much future forage production you’ll get from a grazed […]

You know that popular saying “Money can’t buy happiness.”  Well, Michael Norton says that’s wrong. He says “If you think money can’t buy happiness, you’re not spending it right.” He backs this up with research that demonstrates that when people buy the right things they’re actually happier. Not only does buying the right things create […]

  George Whitten and Julie Sullivan own and operate the San Juan Ranch in the San Luis Valley of Colorado. The  Valley is known for the crops it produces – potatoes, head lettuce, wheat, and barley – and for the struggles to save and maintain the aquifer that supports the farms and ranches. In this […]

The other day I was talking to a friend who was trying to figure out how to get her kid to quit yelling in the house. One idea was to tell him that if he yelled he would lose Gamebox time. But then, if he started out the day yelling, and he lost his game […]

In this month’s Thinking Grazier, Darrell Emmick points out the importance of understanding what a cow needs to be most productive and how she chooses those foods. It’s something I’ve studied for many years used to add nutritious foods to livestock diets. If you’ve spent much time at all at On Pasture, you know I’m […]

In this week’s article on the power of compost to increase forage and carbon sequestration, I introduce you to my friends John Wick and Peggy Rathmann. Their work to improve agriculture and provide a climate change solution is worth knowing about. I met John and Peggy over a decade ago, when they invited me to their […]

What if you knew that doubling your forage and increasing long-term carbon sequestration was as simple as spreading a thin layer of compost on pastures? Would you do it? In 2008, my friends John Wick and Peggy Rathmann began a study to determine how much carbon is sequestered in soil as a result of managed, […]

As we head into the Holiday season, some of you may be asking “I wonder if I should raise turkeys?” Here’s some food for thought to help you ruminate on the idea. That way, you’ll be ready next June to mid-July when it’s time to start growing them for next year’s Holiday Season. Look before […]

A couple of weeks ago, I attended a “Lunch With Forages” session presented by the Oregon Forage and Grasslands Council. It featured Dr. Patricia Fifita, who talked about her work in the Pacific Islands studying and working with local indigenous farmers who are constantly modifying their farming techniques to adjust to an ever changing world. […]

We’ve all heard the advice about changing from calving in February and March to a time when the weather is nicer and the grass is growing. There are all kinds of reasons why it’s a good thing to do, but it’s not as simple as changing the date when you turn out your bulls. In […]

It’s my favorite time of year here in Tucson – backyard weenie roast season! One of my friends is vegan for health reasons, so, for our most recent gathering of friends, I bought a package of plant-based hotdogs. It was a great conversation starter for folks who hadn’t met before. Naturally, the discussion turned to […]

In this month’s The Thinking Grazier, we’re looking at some research that might challenge some of our preconceived notions. I’ve included questions we can ask ourselves as we consider what to do with this information. You can also download the paper with the link to the right. Preventing animals from taking that “second bite” or […]

What do you do when you encounter information that challenges long-held beliefs? Most of us get defensive to some degree. In fact, research shows that the more the information challenges our sense of self, the more threatened we feel and the more defensive we become, making us less likely to listen to or accept the […]

I’ve lost count of the numbers of articles I’ve read about the aging farmer population and how this affects agriculture’s future. But none of them ever address the aspect of aging that Don Ashford tells in this story. Since On Pasture’s readership is evenly divided into thirds – young, middle-aged, and mature – I thought […]