Cattle

A collection of 286 posts

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

"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 conditions right

"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 more

"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,

"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 land health

"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 thought

"Invasion Biology"

Cows and Elk - A Symbiotic Relationship

When grazed properly, cattle can be very beneficial for elk. Cattle are similar in their grazing impact to bison; bison and elk were mutually dependent for many thousands of years in North America. NOTE: originally published in HMI In Practice Newsletter May June 2013

"Invasion Biology"

Winter 2016 Game Photos

A basic disagreement between Big Wildlife and holistic thinkers like Aldo Leopold is whether multiple species compete with each other or compliment each other. Another is whether predators like wolves, lions, coyotes & bobcats harm prey species, or, as Aldo Leopold observed, benefit them by getting rid of sick animals

Cattle

Restoring Deserts: The Grasslands Story

Using the capital markets to further conservation through holistic ranching. The Grasslands Story …by Jim Howell Grasslands LLC is a for profit ranch/farm management company. Our company was originally a part of the Savory Institute, founded in 2009 by myself and my wife, Daniela, Tony Malmberg, Allan Savory, Jody

Cattle

Desert Grassland Restoration: Using Cattle to Stop Erosion

Second in a series on “animal impact”, this video shows cows being used to re-grow grass in deadspots, and how cows can help stop erosion by healing gully headcuts. Animal Impact Made Easy #2 from Christopher Gill on Vimeo.

Bio-Diversity

Restoring Desert Grasslands with Intensive Grazing

There are lots of ways to get animal impact onto ranges. Australia: Same idea, smaller scale at Circle Ranch, in the high-desert mountains of far-West Texas: Animal Impact Made Easy #1 from Christopher Gill on Vimeo. Animal Impact Made Easy #2 from Christopher Gill on Vimeo.

Animal Development

In Australia, Cowboys Use Satellites to Home In on the Range

Technology is making holistic planned grazing cheaper and easier. NOTE: Post initially appeared on WSJ.com on January 24, 2016 Ranchers saddle up satellites to track herds; water-trough weigh-ins Murray Grey has a beef with traditional ranching methods. Each year in punishing heat, Mr. Grey has mounted a horse to

"Invasion Biology"

Circle Ranch Game Cameras - Winter 2015

Below you will see many wildlife photos showing our mixed species sharing range and water. Note the areas frequented by different species. Elk do well everywhere, particularly in the desert, which means elk are potential rescue species for empty deserts. Bulls would be worth $10,000 – $15,000 if allowed

Cattle

Animal Impact Made Easy #2: Treating Deadspots and Headcuts with Cattle

It takes lots and lots of animals to restore desert grasslands. This 4-minute video is #2 in a series on “animal impact”. It shows how, at Circle Ranch in the high-desert mountains of far-West Texas, we are using cows to re-grow grass in dead-spots, and cattle trampling to control erosion.

Animal Development

Winter Grazing Report at Circle Ranch

Guy Glosson helps us with grazing planning and monitoring.  He is a rancher, HMI Certified Educator, and HMI Director.   Grazing Report, February 2015 I arrived late Tuesday afternoon and did not have time to look at much of the country. I went with David on Wednsday to feed the herd

"Invasion Biology"

Restoring Grasslands with Planned Grazing: Soil Carbon Curious

Adaptive Multi-Paddock grazing (AMP grazing) is regenerating soils around the world, producing healthy grass-finished beef. But the science on AMP grazing is sparse, to say the least. Now, a group of leading soil, rangeland, bug and social scientists are setting out to fill the science gap. Led by Dr. Richard

"Invasion Biology"

Animal Impact Made Easy #1

Join a  a “pasture walk” at Circle Ranch in far-West Texas to observe how we use cattle to restore grasslands in our high-desert mountains. Animal Impact Made Easy #1 from Christopher Gill on Vimeo.

Animal Development

Is Feedlot Beef Bad for the Environment?

Although this debate contains statistical data that may be accurate, it is missing holistic thinking, including the fact that our grasslands are in decline as a result of animal removals. This fact has profound implications for our society.   NOTE: post originally appeared on WSJ.com · July 12, 2015   Feedlots play

"Invasion Biology"

Book Review: The Pseudoscience of Invasive Species "Biology"

“Competitive” or cooperative? Bighorn and aoudad sharing range and water at Circle Ranch. No science supports the claim that aoudad harm wild animals and plants. “When native species drop mulch, fix nitrogen, attract new pollinators, or create shade, it’s called beneficial. When an exotic does exactly the same, it’

"Invasion Biology"

Biodiversity Helps High Desert Grasslands: Circle Ranch Game Cameras, Fall 2015.

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 is based on invasive species biology, which is an ideology not a science. Invasive species biology maintains that most of the animals, including the predators

Animal Development

How Safe is Your Ground Beef?

Consumer Report’s research concludes that beef from feedlot-raised cattle was more likely to have bacteria overall, as well as bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics, than beef from sustainably-raised cattle. NOTE: post originally appeared on ConsumerReports.org September 4, 2015 If you don’t know how the ground beef

"Invasion Biology"

Happy New Year from Circle Ranch

“Soil is… as it were… a direct caress of God” –  Pope Francis, 2015 Carbon Underground Pope Francis Climate Rally DC 1080 Hi Res from The Carbon Underground on Vimeo. “Land, then, is not merely soil; it is a fountain of energy flowing through a circuit of soils, plants, and animals.