We hear other natural, or grass fed producers how they don't want or need government inspectors on their farm or ranch and say they don't need them to tell them how to do the "right thing." Standing firm against "big government intervention in small, sustainable agriculture" is the reason they …
Grazers, Grass, and the Great Unknown
The muted crack of a twig woke me from a full body fatigue sleep. Holding my breath, I strained my ears for a clue as to who was stalking in the night. There it was again, this time with breathing. Then, the rhythmic ripping of green pinegrass as whoever it was severed it from roots. I breathed a …
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Why We Do What We Do
There's an old saying among old cowboy packers—those wizened hands who knew the craft of moving camps and gear on horseback in wild country—that if you've packed for 40 or 50 years of your life, you've actually only done half that. It's because the other half you spent looking for lost horses. I was …
Art and Science of Cattle Care
The Sego Lilly, or Mariposa, is in full bloom. Like a Milky Way of stars twinkling and trembling in the breeze of the sagebrush ocean, the view of them is enthralling on the Hat Creek Ranges, starting at 6000 feet elevation. As I sailed on the narrow trail through their fragrant and wavering stems, …
Maintaining Wildness on the Range
As I was engaging my new crew members in lively conversation, the tall guy's silver belt buckle glinted in the sun and caught my eye as I bent down to pick a plant from the ground. The buckle had a violin cast onto it. I made a mental note, bookmarking the silver image for later. He was one of the …
Quiet Mornings and Long Days
The first light of dawn unfolding at 5 AM woke me. I had slept well at our new camp in my usual spot on the ground under the cook fly, only wakened by the occasional stirring of doggie dreams from the border collies True and Gyp who liked to sleep with their backs against mine. The night before this …