What do you do when you get too big

[H and H]

The NCBA is (and has been) awarding regional and a national environmental stewardship awards, the Padlock Ranch is a regional winner (11,000 head cow herd in Wy and Mt) this year. This green shyt is being promoted by our leaders and adopted by the some of the biggest operations.

Get on the train or get out of the way, I'd venture a guess that this is only the start.

 

[NC Liz 2]

H and H
No doubt there are getting carbon credits for their efforts which they can cash in.

Ya know this is just another marketing ploy for global warming which is slowly dying on the vine.
Carbon credits is the adopted child of fat Albert Gore and was modeled after the old marketing ploy of " Green Stamps".
If your old enough to remember them.
Liz

Carbon Credits for Farmers
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/pub/nov08/carbon.htm

 

[chippie]

I sure would like to see how they can make a cow poop less than it does now.

 

[dun]

I find it hilarious that the greenie weanies don;t want chemical fertilizers, or for that matter livestock, but they want to use manure to fertilize. HMMMMM, seems like a canundrum to me

 

[cross_7]

I find it hilarious that the greenie weanies don;t want chemical fertilizers, or for that matter livestock, but they want to use manure to fertilize. HMMMMM, seems like a canundrum to me

:clap:

 

[regolith]

I sure would like to see how they can make a cow poop less than it does now.

It's called 'efficiency' and we're researching the genetic make-up of that type of cattle here in New Zealand

However, in the mean-time the 'powers that be' are recommending getting all cattle in houses and fed grain so that they can't pee and poop on the pasture, instead it's collected, treated to remove all nutrients, and spread on the pasture in even quantities during the appropriate weather conditions. The grain feeding is supposedly the best short term way to reduce methane emissions until we get those genetic markers sorted.

Unfortunately we had a little setback with the nitrogen inhibitors (the chemical that stops the grass turning bright green after a cow urinates on it) because some brightspark thought of testing for it in milk, found traces in the milk and consequently spreading the chemical on pasture was completely banned.

 

[greybeard]

Easy fix.
Ban milk.
Sounds ludicrous, but that's how the minds of econuts work.

 

[Tim/South]

How is anyone going to know where a beef came from? Who is going to track which calves are "sustainable" and which are not?
What happens when they can not fill their orders or orders for burgers?
I know all the changes are just buzz words. They like tooting their own horn. We see the fluff and puff for what it is.
What I would really like to see is for one of those guys thinking up these plans to get out of his corner office, put on a pair of Muck boots and come show us how it is done.

 

[dun]

How is anyone going to know where a beef came from? Who is going to track which calves are "sustainable" and which are not?
What happens when they can not fill their orders or orders for burgers?
I know all the changes are just buzz words. They like tooting their own horn. We see the fluff and puff for what it is.
What I would really like to see is for one of those guys thinking up these plans to get out of his corner office, put on a pair of Muck boots and come show us how it is done.

The tracing part is where the farm id and that whole tracability deal will come into play

 

[djinwa]

I sure would like to see how they can make a cow poop less than it does now.

It's called 'efficiency' and we're researching the genetic make-up of that type of cattle here in New Zealand

However, in the mean-time the 'powers that be' are recommending getting all cattle in houses and fed grain so that they can't pee and poop on the pasture, instead it's collected, treated to remove all nutrients, and spread on the pasture in even quantities during the appropriate weather conditions. The grain feeding is supposedly the best short term way to reduce methane emissions until we get those genetic markers sorted.

Unfortunately we had a little setback with the nitrogen inhibitors (the chemical that stops the grass turning bright green after a cow urinates on it) because some brightspark thought of testing for it in milk, found traces in the milk and consequently spreading the chemical on pasture was completely banned.

For some reason I thought sustainability meant more natural and requiring less energy. So first off, it isn't natural to feed cattle large quantities of grain, since it causes acidosis and liver abscesses, requiring antibiotics to prevent. Second, it takes equipment and energy to grow, harvest and feed the grain, and then collect, treat and spread the manure. And energy to build the facilities in which to house the animals. And energy to haul animals to feedlots.

I guess as long as energy is cheap (spend enough trillions of $ on wars to secure oil), and we can use antibiotics, then I guess this is all "sustainable".

 

[regolith]

Yes, and some years ago I stumbled across a report investigating how much harm to the environment was caused by the death, decay and regeneration process occurring in our untouched native bush.

Today I was asked if I have the means to monitor how much water my cattle are drinking - apparently this is another hoop we're going to have to jump through soon.
I received a 'major fault' mark for not having my written and signed prescription from the vet at hand - even though the inspector had seen it and when I pointed that out, removed the major fault.
Got a 'minor fault' for having removed silt from the effluent run before it reached the pump, and put those few shovelfuls on the ground next to the pump. Apparently some nutrients could have reached the groundwater from doing that.
We now have to keep full records and make them available to the inspector of every crop we put in, every cow that is sent off farm to graze for the winter, every time we spread nitrogenous fertiliser not sourced from the farm's cows, every bale of hay or silage we make or buy in, any other feeds bought in, every cow treated for any ailment, all pesticides used on the pasture. I have to write down what I intend to do with any cow who walks in for milking with a dirty teat. It goes on, and on, and on... I read an oldtimer somewhere saying we have it easy and it used to be worse??


greybeard, I have met those econuts and you are right.