Is There Other Land That Is “Wasted”?

When I asked the question: Is A Completely Grass Fed Model Possible In The US? there were a lot of opinions, some good reasoning, debate, comments, and discussion. The ground used to grow corn that is fed to cattle was mentioned, but no one mentioned the golf courses! How many cows could live on golf courses? Okay, so close your eyes… Read more »

Improving Pastures Improves Efficiency, Profitability, and Sustainability

Efficiency is the key. The more efficiently resources are used, the more profitable an operation becomes, the more it is sustainable. One of the easiest ways to increase efficiency is to improve pastures. Interseeding legumes has penciled to be one of the best investments an operation can make, in my experience. The hardest part of this, for us, has been… Read more »

Truth: Sometimes It Is Cheaper To Buy Hay Than Make It!

As I pointed out last Saturday in the Cow Cow Ranch Happening post on July 30, 2016, it’s cheaper to buy hay than to make it this year. I had figured that out back in April, when I was spending 8-12 hours a day just on the west field at Winchester’s. “If we didn’t need the pasture, we’d buy hay!”… Read more »

July 30, 2016 – Cow Cow Ranch Happenings

Well, this week went by rather quickly. Last Friday Jer had moved the cows on Cox’s from the field behind the houses to the field above Granny’s. He thought it would last them a week, but it’s only about a acre–a little less–and 13 cows, calves, and a bull is quite a bit of pressure on that small of a… Read more »

Who Do You Trust With Your Cows?

Are we the only ones that have a really short list? I get calls for free vacations and all these things that sound so neat and wonderful, but then… who will watch the cows? What if something happens? What if the cows get out? What if a strange bull gets in with the cows? What if there is an earthquake…in… Read more »

Sustainable Beef For Sustainable Business

Sustainable and sustainable farming have become buzz words for agriculture. Let’s get some terminology down: Cow Cow Ranch’s Definition of Sustainable Production of food for human consumption through the utilization of natural, renewable resources in a way that does not diminish the resources’ abilities to regenerate. A sustainable operation must produce enough income to pay for it’s own expenses, debt… Read more »

Animal Impact–It Works!

The first book I ever read through completely about alternatives to conventional land and animal management–not bought, but read–was Holistic Resource Management by Allan Savory. It was really exciting to see his principles demonstrated right before my eyes. I started noticing things I hadn’t before, like that the grass was better in the bar ditches beside the road than in… Read more »