Animal Development Where Cow Pies Really Matter Grass fed livestock works better for the land because plants need animals as much as animals need plants. NOTE: This post initially appeared on SAExpressNews.com on June 11, 2016 Proponents of grass-fed cattle, such as the ones here on Doug Havemann’s Mesquite Field Farm, say their cattle
"Invasion Biology" Killing Bighorn to Save Bighorn? It‘s hard to name a modern wildlife “management” practice that does not involve killing some plant or animal to “help” other plants or animals to the unintended detriment of all. The idea that humans can improve on nature would be laughable but for the damage being done to wild
Bio-Diversity Crop Performance in Farming Systems Trial It’s untrue that sustainable farming isn’t cost-effective compared to industrial agriculture. We don’t have to destroy our croplands to feed a hungry world. NOTE: This post initially appeared on RodaleInstitute.com on May 24, 2016 In its 35th year of existence, the Farming Systems Trial (FST)
Animal Development Mid-Summer 2016 Game Cameras Do most of the species pictured below—and all of the predators—“compete” with each other and harm bighorn, mule deer, pronghorn and ecosystem health as the wildlife agencies say? Or do they complement each other? Is biodiversity good or bad for our deserts? Recent studies of the Serengeti shed
Animal Development Too Many Deer on the Road? Let Cougars Return, Study Says Predator removals are the most unnatural of all our wildlife “management” perversions. Restoring predators is the cheapest and quickest way to deal with excess deer and feral pigs, thereby rebalancing wildlife populations. Predators also do the best job of removing sick animals, protecting healthy deer, elk and bighorn from animal
News Native Camels of North America Are Camels Natives to North America? The question of whether llamas and camels are natives or exotics in North America exposes the many contradictions inherent in the phony science of invasive species “biology.” Millions of years ago the camel family – camelids – evolved in North America, eventually dividing into at least
blue-origin Good Results From Our One Chute Out Test Blue Origin continues its testing of spacecraft next door to Circle Ranch in far-West Texas. On our most recent flight, we performed a test to prove the Crew Capsule could safely land with only two of its three parachutes open. On a nominal flight with all three parachutes deployed,
book-reviews Book Review - The Apache Wars: The Hunt for Geronimo, the Apache Kid, and the Captive Boy Who Started the Longest War in American History Dr. Paul Hutton has delivered a highly rewarding volume in The Apache Wars; it fully covers the American Apache Wars, revealing many new facts about the characters and agencies involved. It is well written, making it an entertaining read; but it is also a chilling account of barbarities and the
"Invasion Biology" Wildlife, Habitat Flourishing in High Desert Mountains of Far West Texas Gary Joiner and I became friends when he was Executive Director of Texas Wildlife Association, and I was on his board. He has a weekly radio show on wildlife, for which I gave this short interview. For more Texas Wildlife Radio Show / Texas Farm Bureau reports visit: http://texasfarmbureau.org/
"Invasion Biology" Biodiversity Benefiting Wildlife, Plants on Circle Ranch Wildlife population, habitat flourish in far West Texas Note: This originally appeared in Texas Wildlife Radio Show / Texas Farm Bureau reports Circle Ranch is a 32,000-acre high-desert mountain ranch located in the Sierra Diablo (Devil Mountains) of Hudspeth County in far West Texas. Range and wildlife habitat
"Invasion Biology" 13 Chronic Wasting Disease Cases Confirmed at Medina County Facility All cases of CWD can be traced back to the Foothills Wildlife Research Station in Ft. Collins, a facility of the Colorado Department of Wildlife, in 1967. Agencies have closed ranks: It appears that amnesia has spread like CWD. No one seems to remember what was being done to the
"Invasion Biology" Learning from Africa's Herbivores These articles shed light on some of the basic insights of holistic management, planned grazing, and permaculture, as to the physiology of desert grasslands: * Plants need animals as much as animals need plants. * Many, many kinds of animals, from large to small, are necessary for healthy habitat. * Restoration of animal
Cattle Industry Seeks Standard for Grass-fed Beef as Demand Grows The labeling on “organic” meat is as misleading as most other food labels. NOTE: Article was originally published on SAExpressNews.com on April 24, 2016 Some beef producers want USDA “organic” rule strengthened. That pricey grass-fed burger you had for lunch may have come from a cow that ate
"Invasion Biology" Are GMOs Really That Bad? Since humans began raising food by farming and keeping livestock, we have bred for better plants and animals. This is not and never has been the problem with GMOs; attempts to portray GMO opponents as nuts fighting better plants are a red herring. In classic bait-and switch, the agro-
Bio-Diversity Bayer Proposes to Acquire Monsanto American food production is increasingly dominated by a few trans-national conglomerates which have no commitment to any country, let alone to the welfare of the American people. “Conservatism” has somehow come to support the evolution of competitive markets into uncompetitive markets in which every industry is dominated by a
"Invasion Biology" Book Review: The Serengeti Rules: The Quest to Discover How Life Works and Why It Matters The Serengeti Rules: The Quest to Discover How Life Works and Why It Matters by Sean B. Carroll is a great book about nature’s basic rules and contains many valuable insights on desert grasslands. While Carroll didn’t intend to write a book about holistic management, The Serengeti Rules
"Invasion Biology" Jim Howell – Conserving and Restoring the World’s Grasslands Take the time to listen to this great interview with our friend Jim Howell, in which he explains how cattle ranching can restore rangeland viability. NOTE: post initially appeared on MountainPrarie.com Jim Howell is the CEO of Grasslands LLC, which is the land management arm of the Savory Institute,
food-supply The GMO Labeling Farce Another misleading anti-organic food article from the Wall Street Journal. Not a word about the ubiquitous use of poisons to grow – and contaminate – everything we eat. NOTE: post initially appeared on WSJ.com on July 13, 2016 The organic food lobby wants to raise the cost of your groceries.
marfa Keeper of the Flame Our artist pal Boyd Elder is one of the unforgettable characters of far-West Texas. NOTE: post initially appeared on TexasHighways.com and in print, the June 2016 edition In the 1960s at his Soho building in New York City, “minimalism” icon Donald Judd would take his phone off the
"Invasion Biology" HMI Open Gate Day - August 26 2016 HMI Open Gate: Circle Ranch Day Helping Water Flow Where it Needs to Go – August 26, 2016. Circle Ranch, Van Horn, TX Our Circle Ranch Day is part of HMI’s Open Gate Learning Series. Open Gates are on-the-ground learning days for producers and consumers who care about
Animal Development Feathers From Wind Farms Can Meet Apaches’ Needs A Justification for Windfarms? Windfarms are a boondoggle. Wind farm electricity costs six times as much per kilowatt hour as conventional: If your energy bill is $10,000 per year but you are content to pay $60,000 then wind power is for you! This calculation ignores damage to land
climate change New Drought in Far-West Texas? “El Niño-La Niña are reciprocating patterns that create wet and dry conditions on the land, and simultaneously, conditions of abundance and famine in the marine environments. In the Galapagos Islands for example, warmer water from El Niño means more rain on the land but a famine for birds and
"Invasion Biology" Spring 2016 Game Cameras Biodiversity is Good, not Bad Because plants need animals as much as animals need plants, a biodiverse plant community requires a biodiverse animal community. Conventional wildlife “management” and “conservation” theory says that most of the animals, and especially the predators pictured below harm “native” plants and animals, through “competition”, and
Animal Development Game Cameras - Early Summer 2016 Update and photos from our guide and camera manager, Jerad: Hello Mr. Gill, Quite the lamb crop this year. I don’t remember seeing this many in years past. I have seen a couple of groups with 10 lambs and lots with 4-8 as seen in the pictures! Also
"Invasion Biology" Book Review: Woody Plants of the Big Bend and Trans-Pecos This is a very useful book to the far-West Texas and Southern New Mexico landowner. Every landowner should try to know these plants by sight. Over 100 common trees, shrubs, cacti and other plants are identified and described. These are photographed as shrubs, in leaf detail, flower detail and
