CONVERSATIONS | From the Members
Missouri Reader Praises Soil Health Article
Improving By Heather Smith Thomas By Heather Smith Thomas I
t has been said that cattle producers are actually grass farmers, marketing grass through cattle. Managing a property for healthy soil provides ecological and economic benefi ts that include every-
t has been said that cattle producers are actually grass farmers, marketing grass through cattle. Managing a property for healthy soil provides ecological and economic benefi ts that include every-
thing from increasing productivity to fi lling gaps in grazing systems. Consider 5 principles to manage for soil health: 1. Armor the soil. Bare ground is the No. 1 enemy to healthy soil. Keep it covered to minimize bare ground.
thing from increasing productivity to fi lling gaps in grazing systems. Consider 5 principles to manage for soil health: 1. Armor the soil. Bare ground is the No. 1 enemy to healthy soil. Keep it covered to minimize bare ground.
2. Minimize soil disturbance by using reduced or no-till practices on cropland and using adaptive grazing strategies on grazing lands.
4. Keep living roots in the ground all year. 5. Integrate livestock grazing. Many producers are implementing some of these principles. Fo-
2. Minimize soil disturbance by using reduced or no-till practices on cropland and using adaptive grazing strategies on grazing lands.
3. Increase plant diversity of all crop types, warm and cool season grasses and forbs.
3. Increase plant diversity of all crop types, warm and cool season grasses and forbs.
4. Keep living roots in the ground all year. 5. Integrate livestock grazing. Many producers are implementing some of these principles. Fo-
cusing management on all 5 enables producers to use their property to its full ecologic potential and may help an operation to remain economically sustainable by minimizing costly inputs. A USDA and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension cooperative project
cusing management on all 5 enables producers to use their property to its full ecologic potential and may help an operation to remain economically sustainable by minimizing costly inputs. A USDA and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension cooperative project
demonstrates these 5 soil-health-building principles and allows pro- ducers to compare innovative management strategies to traditional production methods. This project is near Riesel on the USDA Agricultural Research
Service (ARS) Riesel Watersheds. The partners are USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Texas Grazing Lands Con- servation Initiative (GLCI), the USDA ARS and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. Jeff Goodwin, state GLCI grazing land specialist in Temple, says
demonstrates these 5 soil-health-building principles and allows pro- ducers to compare innovative management strategies to traditional production methods. This project is near Riesel on the USDA Agricultural Research
Service (ARS) Riesel Watersheds. The partners are USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Texas Grazing Lands Con- servation Initiative (GLCI), the USDA ARS and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. Jeff Goodwin, state GLCI grazing land specialist in Temple, says
With Grazing Management Soil Health
Disposition
One of the 6 Essentials of Cattle Raising There is a renewed optimism in cow country.
Hello Texas, Great article about the north and
south ranches used for examples in the article on soil health [Feb. 2013]. I would encourage those involved in this test to utilize more of the tools available for this type of com- parison, particularly on the planned grazing plot part of the ranch. With only 14 different paddocks,
the results will be limiting. Add- ing domesticated legume seeds and others will only limit the benefi t from native plants that have more of an advantage and that will sim- ply appear if grazing management is changed, at no additional costs. And limitation of only 1 species
of animals is as devastating to pro- duction as a monoculture of plants in the paddock. If we are going to use this type
of test plot to show benefi ts of this style of land and animal use man- agement, then we must not hold back on using all the resources available. God Bless,
Cody Holmes Ranching Full-Time
on Three Hours a Day Missouri
Thomas Lasater, the 6th generation, sends a hearty Thank You to all who attended and participated in our 64th annual sale.
Tom Lasater’s vision of genetic progress and natural selection continues.
Please come visit us on the short grass prairie and see cow longevity, bulls which travel, calving ease and growthy calves.
LASATER
The Lasater Ranch Matheson, CO 80830 719-541-BULL
Dale@LasaterRanch.com Alex@LasaterRanch.com
tscra.org “The Pedigree BEEFMASTER
is in the Name” ®
FOUNDATION HERD OF THE BEEFMASTER BREED
The 6 Essentials • DISPOSITION • FERTILITY • WEIGHT • CONFORMATION • HARDINESS • MILK PRODUCTION
October 2013 The Cattleman 11
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