Ranching Full-Time on 3 Hours a Day Cody Holmes Acres USA, 2011 In Norwood, Missouri, a 1,000 acre ranch stands out from the rest. The grass is green and lush. More than a hundred species of plants are grazed by intensively managed herds of livestock, and the ground is fertile. The cows are low-maintenance and the ranch is low-input. Healthy food is produced here, and it … [Read more...] about Ranching Full Time on 3 Hours a Day
Gearing up for another Calving Season
Across the country, cattle farmers and ranchers are hard at work. For some, they are wrapping up a long calving season and sighing a breath of relief as the warm, dry weather settles in. For others, like here in Northern Maine, winter is holding on until the bitter end (literally) and calving has either just begun or not even started yet. Here on the Wood Farm, our first … [Read more...] about Gearing up for another Calving Season
Does Agriculture HAVE to be BIG???
Chuck Jolley recently wrote an opinion piece on modern agriculture for Drovers Cattle Network, defending the large-scale farming model we have in most of America today. His basic point? Farming has become BIG, BIG, BIG, and has to remain BIG to supply food for the nation and the world. He defends the bigger-is-better mentality as a necessity. For instance, he describes the … [Read more...] about Does Agriculture HAVE to be BIG???
From Pasture to Plate: The Three Sectors of the Beef Cattle Industry
Like most mature industries, the beef cattle business is broken up into different segments in the production chain. Why? Because as the industry developed over the past century, it became more efficient for a particular business to focus on a smaller segment of overall production. Efficiency means lower cost and more productivity, which is why the beef business is segmented … [Read more...] about From Pasture to Plate: The Three Sectors of the Beef Cattle Industry
Overwintering Beef Cattle Amdist Record-Breaking Cold Temperatures
We live in northern Maine. Cold, snowy winters are the norm - not the exception. Winter can start as early as the beginning of November and last until well into "spring" time. We accept this way of life - albeit grudgingly at first - but nonetheless, we hunker down and get it done - rain, sun, snow, sleet, freezing rain, ice, etc. Our … [Read more...] about Overwintering Beef Cattle Amdist Record-Breaking Cold Temperatures