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Just Say No To $1 Cheeseburgers
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<blockquote data-quote="Redhides" data-source="post: 1033720" data-attributes="member: 20308"><p>I agree with you that at this point it's far more efficient to finish cattle on grain because the infrastructure is there. Improved Corn & Soybean production practices are more streamlined, adopted, and understood than are grass production practices. One reason for this is the existing markets, energy availability, and other input parameters. These specific conditions have not always existed and may not always exist in the future. Then again they may. Another often overlooked factor is that crops are annuals and can be studied on a year to year basis. Grassland needs a 20 year observation window or more. If all the test plots do for grass is evaluate in one year, two year or even 5 year increments, we'll never have a good indication of what's possible, or better yet what is actually happening. With only a short term look.....more nitrogen and less weeds will always be the recommendation. When in fact it's a percentage of the solution in the long term. More dangerously the strict and exclusive observation of this tactic can provide distraction from what would really help a cattleman in the long run.</p><p></p><p>Very few cattleman view themselves as grass farmers, or certainly not enough do. Most cattle folks are growing fractions of the grass they could be. Whether that's because of tradition, convenience, etc... Many manage their operation, because they feel it best suits their particular purposes. And that's ok. But it never hurts to have a spirit of improvement. </p><p></p><p>There are a few truths that are beginning come into focus because of years and sufficient iterations.</p><p></p><p>Much of the earth's surface is mismanaged for one reason or another. We're only utilizing a fraction of what's available.....namely because this ground is widely held as being "unusable". </p><p></p><p>Large herds of continuously moving herbivores built the best farmland in America. They did this with no fertilizer or soil amendments other than what came out of their backside and hoof pressure. Mismanagement of the plow has cost America more farmland than any other factor. And that is in no way/shape/form to say that we should park tractors, hold hands, and have a world communal herd of 400 Million Cows, Sheep, goats, and alpacas. Not at all. Production Row Crops are a vital part of the solution. But they aren't THE solution. And to assume that the only way we are going to avoid world wide hunger is for grain farmers to get to 500 bushel corn is frighteningly short sighted, and at worse, it's categorically false.</p><p></p><p>Grass Finishers and Grain Finishers would do well to stop shooting at each other and understand their is a seat at the table for both. And they are both better off if the other is seated with them.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Redhides, post: 1033720, member: 20308"] I agree with you that at this point it's far more efficient to finish cattle on grain because the infrastructure is there. Improved Corn & Soybean production practices are more streamlined, adopted, and understood than are grass production practices. One reason for this is the existing markets, energy availability, and other input parameters. These specific conditions have not always existed and may not always exist in the future. Then again they may. Another often overlooked factor is that crops are annuals and can be studied on a year to year basis. Grassland needs a 20 year observation window or more. If all the test plots do for grass is evaluate in one year, two year or even 5 year increments, we'll never have a good indication of what's possible, or better yet what is actually happening. With only a short term look.....more nitrogen and less weeds will always be the recommendation. When in fact it's a percentage of the solution in the long term. More dangerously the strict and exclusive observation of this tactic can provide distraction from what would really help a cattleman in the long run. Very few cattleman view themselves as grass farmers, or certainly not enough do. Most cattle folks are growing fractions of the grass they could be. Whether that's because of tradition, convenience, etc... Many manage their operation, because they feel it best suits their particular purposes. And that's ok. But it never hurts to have a spirit of improvement. There are a few truths that are beginning come into focus because of years and sufficient iterations. Much of the earth's surface is mismanaged for one reason or another. We're only utilizing a fraction of what's available.....namely because this ground is widely held as being "unusable". Large herds of continuously moving herbivores built the best farmland in America. They did this with no fertilizer or soil amendments other than what came out of their backside and hoof pressure. Mismanagement of the plow has cost America more farmland than any other factor. And that is in no way/shape/form to say that we should park tractors, hold hands, and have a world communal herd of 400 Million Cows, Sheep, goats, and alpacas. Not at all. Production Row Crops are a vital part of the solution. But they aren't THE solution. And to assume that the only way we are going to avoid world wide hunger is for grain farmers to get to 500 bushel corn is frighteningly short sighted, and at worse, it's categorically false. Grass Finishers and Grain Finishers would do well to stop shooting at each other and understand their is a seat at the table for both. And they are both better off if the other is seated with them. [/QUOTE]
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