Strategies for Sustainable Agriculture: Rotational Grazing

Rooy Media LLC has created over fifty programs that educate people about important social issues. This video clip is a sample from Strategies for Sustainable Agriculture: Rotational Grazing, one program in a six-part series that profiles the impressive strides many farmers have made in lowering the use of chemicals and creating healthier food, a safer environment, and greater profits. Produced in association with Rodale Institute. For more information, visit www.rooymedia.com

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Rooy
• Media
• social
• issues
• documentaries
• sustainable
• agriculture
• environment
• ecology
• rotational
• grazing

[sixgunrich]

Cattle are ruminants. They have been designed to eat and digest grass. We are omnivores and cannot eat grass directly. We must eat it indirectly by drinking milk, and eating meat. Ruminants can be grazed on hilly land that would not be suitable for crop production because of topsoil loss. There are other uses for hilly land like orchards and vineyards but those can and are also grazed between vines and trees . Ruminants manure is also a very valuable fertilizer.

[despardo]

Great video.I hope to learn more on this type of farming.Thanks.

[gardengreentheworld]

Those four people that "disliked" suck at life. I say, Woo Woo Buck-a-roo! This is the way to farm. There is no reason to not do it this way.

[Jefferdaughter]

Not only does managed rotationa grazing mimic traditional herding practices, it replicates how grazing animals interact with the eco-system naturally. This is why it is a truly sustainable method of agriculture. Done properly, solar energy captured by plants INCREASES soil fertility every year through the natural interaction of the animals, insects, and microbes. This is how the fertility of the American plains was created.

[Jefferdaughter]

@danndan6 - Yes! Rotational grazing was used by shepherds... and cowherds, and goatherds, and swineherds. Evolved from nomadic people following the herds, as is still done in Mongolia and other parts of the world (Masi herders and their cattle, etc). Growing crops for food is either limited or impossible in Mongolia and Masi territory. Trying to grow crops where land & climate are not favorable can be very damaging to the environment.

[Jefferdaughter]

@DIXZA - Much of the US was not forested (prairie). Large portions of the forested areas, especially in the East, were 'open' forest. Buffalo grazed throughout most of the East on grasslands between wooded areas AND in between the trees. 'Deep forest' was mostly confined to steep, rough ground. Explorers/settlers rode horseback through forest. Grazing & running hogs between trees, as done traditionally, benefits the entire eco-system, including trees and timber production. No sacrafice!

[felixthegato80]

@sixgunrich So whats the dee le o here cowboys- U wanna rest some land back from the Gob or what- bottom line will it hurt the land just enrich u and leave wasted run off areas or no?

[GreenIsOurGarden]

We have put together a site that showcases aspiring writers in sustainable agriculture. We are particulary interested in the theme of how spirituality (whatever that means to you) can inform sustainability.

You can find us at greenisourgardendotcom

[benjis007]

thanks.

[DIXZA]

the problem is that by raising cows we had to cut down forest, meat is a very luxurious meal so lets less but with the best quality!

[benjis007]

i wanna know how cows get all this nutrition out of the grass, but people don't eat it? I know cows have a complicated digestion system, but we could leave the poor cows alive and eat the grass ourselves it occurs to me.