My dear old friend Aimee Danch now works on the range. She coaxed me into herding cows and weening calves on a grass fed organic beef ranch in the San Luis Valley. I was trained by a patient old border collie named Chico.
These cows graze on a nature reserve. George, the rancher, works with managers to protect endangered plants (and animals) through proper grazing techniques. George and his cows are able to do a real service to the ecosystem here. He explains how the rangeland has adapted to large herds of grazing animals, and if the land is not grazed, plant diversity is lost as only a few species take over. On the contrary, if the land is grazed too often, it suppresses plant growth. What the range here needs is a brief but heavy grazing, then left to rest for a couple years. Beneficial grazing takes forethought. Every day these hard working cowfolk move the fence to allow acreadge that will feed the cows and the help the preserve.
My work at the ranch was rewarded with good company, guitar playing, and hearty meals (like cornbread from scratch and beef) cooked over the wood stove.
1 comment:
Erica,
hey! I read your story about grass fed organic cows and your experience on the farm there. Great post. I work for a company called La Cense - they are a grass fed farm out of Montana that not only ships grass fed beef anywhere in the US - but is also working very hard to educate the masses about sustainable agriculture and why it's necessary for the environment. We have two really awesome interactive sites that we're promoting right now, and I was wondering if you'd be interested in doing a follow story to the one you just posted about what we're doing.
If you are, please feel free to email me at adipalma@thebaddishgroup.com I'd love to fill you in. The sites and promotions we're running right now are a great way for your readers to participate in something "green" and a great word to pass along about our environment and health.
I hope to hear from you.
Best,
Andrew DiPalma
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