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Saturday, May 8, 2010

Holistic Grazing Seminar

Over the weekend I attended a seminar on holistic grazing by Cody Holmes a rancher from south Missouri. The definition of holistic is:
a. Emphasizing the importance of the whole and the interdependence of its parts.
b. concerned with wholes rather then analysis or separation into parts.
I learned a lot more about grass land and animal management then I ever knew. A few of the key things I learned were: let the pasture grow high in the summer and then let the cattle nock it down this will in time build the soil, When the grass grows fast move the cattle fast, when the grass grows slow move the cattle slow, the animals should not re graze a paddock until a minimum of 90 days, and much much more. As part of the class we went to two farms with Cody to discuss them and what could be done to holistically heal the land using the existing animals on each of the farms. One farm is a buffalo ranch and is hundreds of acres the other is ten or so acres and has four horses on it. The buffalo ranch is a mess, it has no dividing fences so the buffalo can roam any where they want and there is very little grass and severe erosion on the hill sides. The horse pasture looks good and with a little ingenuity and Pollywire could look much better. The wether was nasty, wet snow and rain. So we all retreated to the near by Big Boy restaurant to finish up our discussion on grazing ,raising grass fed animals and poultry and the potential markets for this healthy meat and eggs in the area. I do not go out to eat very often maybe one or twice in the past five years. The food is terrible and is full of empty calories. It was strange to to be eating such junk and talking about heathy food at the same time! Today was also market day so then we all went to show Cody our indoor market. He gave us some insight on what he feels is ignorance in the venders concerning marketing their products. He feels they are pricing their products too low, and feels we are 5 years behind in marketing skills compared to his farmers market in Springfield Missouri.
Visiting with Cody after the market closed


Here is the link to Cody Holmes website www.rockinh.net

3 comments:

*Wild Flower* said...

Did he think our prices were too low?
He might not realize that not everyone up here in Northern Michigan has a job and is rich. I like our prices because then those people who come through from a stump in B. can buy from us with out using every last penny.
Maybe he did not look at everyone's prices because I think alot of the venders there have high prices- like Cookie Monster for instance.
I'm glad Cody was able to come up here though. Maybe I'll go next time iffen I don't have to pay that is :) Maybe they will let us in for free since they are thinking of coming out to our farm!!

David said...

It not like all the prices were bad er noth'n he jest think on some of the stuff like the meat inat. Maybe he means like I Jest saw some fella sell'n beef for .80 a pound plus the butcher cost .41 per pound hang'n wight on craigslist This come to 1.62 a pound or so inat. this beef was not all grass fed some grain he said but no junk like they feed em at the big factory feed lot farms inat. Think how hard we small farmers work 24/7 on are farms to scrape up a live'n .80 jest don't pay remember we aint git'n no hand outs from Uncle Sam like the big boys inat. Think Cody's right there's a lot o Fudgies up here that can aford a liddle higher price or so.

Hannah said...

Yeah, you'r right Jimmy Dee.
I wish everyone could grow their own food so no one would have to buy anything and no one would haf to try ta make dough. it ner can be that way I guess.
We still haf to pay them stinkin' taxes. GRRR