Notes From Kathy

This week in The Thinking Grazier, we take a look at one of the most commonly asked questions: “How should I set up my paddock/pasture system?” Because everyone’s operation, landscape, needs, and goals are different, we can’t tell you, “This is what it should look like.” But we can give you some principles to think […]

More food for thought for the Thinking Grazier “Adaptive, multipaddock rotational grazing management did not enhance vegetation productivity or the density of perennial C3 [cool season] grasses, but it did markedly reduce livestock performance.” That was the conclusion of a 2020 paper, “Adaptive, multipaddock rotational grazing management: A ranch-scale assessment of effects on vegetation and […]

When Jonathan Goldstein was leaving his CBC radio show after 11 years, he wanted to leave listeners with something helpful. So he put together this video going away gift. “How to Age Gracefully” isn’t so much about living with wrinkles, changing metabolism, and creaky joints. Rather, it’s advice that our older selves would have loved […]

This week I’m introducing a new column. “The Thinking Grazier” goes beyond the hows and how-tos of grazing to focus on developing our skills as problem solvers. It’s not about “what” to think, but about “how” to think, how to develop your observational skills, and how to apply what you learn so you can adapt […]

I wasn’t able to write this week’s Scoop because I needed to leave town to attend the funeral of a dear friend who passed away unexpectedly. Don Ashford is standing in for me with this excerpt from Grazing 101. His thoughts about the most important things a grazier should consider, based on his sixty some […]

We’re making some changes to what we publish and to our publication schedule so we can serve you better. Here’s what’s happening.

This morning I got a call from Don Ashford, my adopted Louisiana Dad. Naturally, our conversation started with the weather. He told me they are suffering from way too much rain. Meanwhile, here in Tucson, Arizona, we have the opposite problem – only five inches of precipitation in the last 18 months. So, when we […]

I thought I knew what I was doing this morning. I worked hard last week to create a special surprise for you. But today, as I tried to put the finishing touches on it, I ran into glitches and software bugs that stopped me in my tracks. Then the internet slowed to a snail’s pace, […]

I was recently working with a colleague on a series of emails we hoped would increase visibility and engagement for a project she’s working on. We laid out a series of topics, discussed how they would get us what we wanted, and then began to split up the tasks. And that’s when I stopped us […]

Well, this is exciting! 🙂 Greg Judy’s latest book, “How to Think Like a Grazier – Inspiration, Mentors and Getting It Done” is hot off the presses. I’m excited about it for two reasons: 1) As the editor for this project, I’m really tickled about how it came together, and 2) I think graziers will […]

When Jeremy Clarkson’s farm manager retired in 2019, he didn’t hire a new one. Instead he thought, “I can do that,” explaining, “You put seeds in the ground, weather happens, it’s not difficult.” Heck, he even decided to add a flock of sheep for good measure. Then experience taught him some things. “It’s phenomenally difficult […]

We all have one, and oddly, it doesn’t come with instructions. But when given the proper care, it can be the solution to every problem we encounter as a grazier. Yes, it’s your brain. At 2% of your body weight, your brain accounts for 20% of your energy use – between 250 and 350 calories […]

I used to own goats. And as you all know, goats get out. And when they’re out they do bad things, like dance on the roof of your neighbor’s car. Or you get calls like, “Kathy, the goats are out and they’re eating the general’s flowers.” That was a Saturday and my husband and I […]

I love it when a plan comes together! Since the beginning of the year, I’ve been working with the National Grazing Lands Coalition and Yvette Gibson to put together some new, FREE resources to help folks up their grazing game. And now, I’m just so tickled to present the Grazing 101 ebook, and three online […]

I’m a bit worried about what this grazing season has in store for many of us. Let’s just start right off by looking at the Vegetation Drought Response Index for the United States as of April 25. This map combines current satellite data and information about soils, land cover, land use and ecological settings that […]