The Lunatic Farmer

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HEALING COWS

A research paper just completed by Stanley, Rowntree, Beede, DeLonge and Hamm in Agricultural Systems  Vol. 162, pg. 249-258 examined the differences in greenhouse gas emissions through carbon sequestration in high density controlled grazing models versus low density conventional models.

 That the study called "adaptive multi-paddock grazing" actually removes more atmospheric carbon than it adds.  This system also uses half the rangeland required in continuous grazing, low density systems.

 This is yet another confirmation of a couple of things:

 1.  Cows are not the enemy; their poor managers are.

 2.  Cows are one of the most efficacious greenhouse gas emissions reducers on the planet IF they are managed like their wild herd counterparts.

 3.  We have good farmers and bad farmers; you should patronize the good ones.

 4.  Most cattle are raised in an anti-ecological way.

 5.  What I've been saying for decades is true, imagine that.

 So mob stocking herbivorous solar conversion lignified carbon sequestration fertilization is not only a cool turn of phrase, it's actually scientifically accurate to describe a redemptive, healing type of cattle farming.

 This is the problem with Cowspiracy, What the HealthThe UN Long Shadow Report and countless other anti-cow diatribes:  when you study dysfunction, it leads to inaccurate conclusions.  If you study truth, you might just stumble on the truth.  The science always takes awhile to catch up with the philosophy.  Look at the lag time for high fructose corn syrup, anti-microbial soap, and the USDA's food pyramid.  But we're getting there, team.  Don't give up.

 What do you think is true but science has not yet caught up?