If it makes you curious, be sure to follow up with more education! There's tons of folks teaching on-the-ground all over the world to help new farmers make the transition.
@ I am 1,000,000% interested. My husband and I are getting ready to buy no less than 20 acres (hoping for closer to 50) so we can start a regenerative farm and homestead. Where can I find more of this information? Is there also in person classes one can take at one of the mentioned farms? I’m more of an in person visual doer learner.
Soil Health Academy is a great resource to start a bigger deep dive! Look for local grazing groups too - everyone’s land and climate is different, so a neighbor that’s been successful can be a great resource!
@@sidneybuckaloo lots of Uunderstanding Ag and other speakers on TH-cam "University": Allen Williams, Ray Archuleta, Gabe Brown, Jim Gerrish, Greg Judy, Steve Kenyon, Will Harris, Russ Wilson, ... are the names i recall at the moment. There are others...
Keep these videos coming!!! This Regenerative Farming/Ranching is revolutionary. Many people say that this is how our ancestors farmed, but I disagree. No disrespect to our ancestors, but this takes an appreciation of how nature works, beyond just putting cattle behind a fence.
I think you´re right, we should reagard ourselves as able to improve things, to find new ways. And historically, ever since the last 10 000 years, there are pelnty of examples where agriculture has been degrading to the land. Just listen to the name "fertile crescent", where there is now mostly desert. I believe that the human species can be a great giver, a catalyst for diversity and life. And agriculture is a key area where the needs, as well as the potentials, for us to fulfill this role are the greatest. The needs were not so dire backe-then (because of more virgin land left to appropriate) nor were the potentials as great, due to lesser ecological/systemic knowledge.
That would depend on how far back you want to go. I partially agree with you if you're talking about post-European influence in the Americas. But if you look back at the Nomatic tribes, this is how they lived in harmony and in a cycle with nature.
Got to careful about the wildlife pressure up here though. I bale graze just south of them and swath graze a bit at the end of October till December when we wean most years, not this year though, but the elk are becoming a real issue for us. Getting harder to leave bales and swaths in the field and not receive significant wildlife pressure up here.
Wonderful to see how many people in totally different circumstances find to common paths toward the same positive outcome. It stems me positive about the future of farming rather than the future of the fertilising and crop "protecting" industries.
I am learning so much about this I'm not a farmer but I care I value farmers and I think more people need to understand what their lives are like and the challenges. But this regenerative grazing and all of these different techniques is fascinating and I'm sending these videos out to my friends and they probably think I'm crazy because they're not farmers either but I'm excited for you guys.... it makes so much sense ...I just think it's going to be so important... good luck getting the word out you're doing a great job!
I never would have thought that you can graze cows through a foot or more of snow in those temps. I would have thought that the energy the cows need to stay warm would outstrip what they dig up.
We're grateful to all the farmers and ranchers that share their stories with us. We're meeting folks who tell us those stories have inspired them to learn more all the time!
Awesome... moved from PEI to live with a lady in Alberta with 3 wild horses rescued that forage for grass all winter. And I have noticed cattle in the area that appear to be doing the same.
These are the kinds of valuable lessons that need to be taught in our schools to our future generations if we want to conserve our great God given planet 🌎!! Great work y'all keep setting the example, it will catch wind and be a positive change for humanity and nature !
There is one thing I don´t understand though, what am I missing?? When cutting the forage down in august or september, and laying it flat down, I would think there would be mould and rot like crazy in it, before the cold becomes consistent. The forage becomes dead materail the second you cut it, and dead material rots if not dry or frozen... How can it keep fresh?
We asked the farmer! Here's what they said: "The first year we seeded this multi species for swath grazing was in 2019 - we received a lot of rain in July and August and the crop grew extremely well. In between showers we cut the crop down for swath grazing, so it went on moist ground and after swathing, it rained quite a bit. We were pretty worried that the swaths were going to mold and they would go slimy! BUT we were pleasantly surprised that there was no mold and the forage was just fine. We attribute this to the swaths being comprised of plants with a diverse branching nature so the swaths stay nice and fluffy allowing for air movement and no molding occurs."
@@carboncowboys Thank you for replying! Wow, that´s really astounding to me, and goes to show how important it is to TRY stuff, not just assume one knows how something new and untested will play out.
To keep wastage down it requires a lot of management using electric fence to limit access. Farmers that just turn the cows loose on a whole field at once get a lot of wastage. Sometimes wildlife raises hell with it too. One outfit I worked at we seeded 80 acres for swath graze and the migrating ducks came through and all we had after that was basically straw.
Is there any information on how they first trained the cattle to dig for the forage? I'm in NY and want to do something similar with my pasture and stock piling forage.
Do you have to swath it or can you leave it standing? I live in an area where it's more likely to rain through December, I'm concerned the feed would get mouldy if left to lie on the ground.
It’s seems like a good idea, however id love to see the mess their land is in. Winter housing and feeding silage like in Europe seems a much more efficient way. Animals are still grass fed grass finished as long as they are on grass silage and hay and the land doesn’t get destroyed. What is the nutrient quality of swaths of crop rotting under snow for months on end?
It depends how you manage it. You need to use electric fence to limit how much the cattle can access. From experience if they get more than about three days worth of feed, you get a lot of waste. The cattle bed in it and crap in it but a short grazing period limits the waste.
Swath graze crops aren't sprayed with glyphosate. Depending on the operator they might have been sprayed with a herbicide during their growing period but most likely not.
I am beyond glad I that this information exists and is free for us to find. Thank you so much!
If it makes you curious, be sure to follow up with more education! There's tons of folks teaching on-the-ground all over the world to help new farmers make the transition.
@ I am 1,000,000% interested. My husband and I are getting ready to buy no less than 20 acres (hoping for closer to 50) so we can start a regenerative farm and homestead. Where can I find more of this information? Is there also in person classes one can take at one of the mentioned farms? I’m more of an in person visual doer learner.
Soil Health Academy is a great resource to start a bigger deep dive! Look for local grazing groups too - everyone’s land and climate is different, so a neighbor that’s been successful can be a great resource!
@@sidneybuckaloo lots of Uunderstanding Ag and other speakers on TH-cam "University": Allen Williams, Ray Archuleta, Gabe Brown, Jim Gerrish, Greg Judy, Steve Kenyon, Will Harris, Russ Wilson, ... are the names i recall at the moment. There are others...
Keep these videos coming!!! This Regenerative Farming/Ranching is revolutionary. Many people say that this is how our ancestors farmed, but I disagree. No disrespect to our ancestors, but this takes an appreciation of how nature works, beyond just putting cattle behind a fence.
I think you´re right, we should reagard ourselves as able to improve things, to find new ways. And historically, ever since the last 10 000 years, there are pelnty of examples where agriculture has been degrading to the land. Just listen to the name "fertile crescent", where there is now mostly desert.
I believe that the human species can be a great giver, a catalyst for diversity and life. And agriculture is a key area where the needs, as well as the potentials, for us to fulfill this role are the greatest. The needs were not so dire backe-then (because of more virgin land left to appropriate) nor were the potentials as great, due to lesser ecological/systemic knowledge.
That would depend on how far back you want to go. I partially agree with you if you're talking about post-European influence in the Americas. But if you look back at the Nomatic tribes, this is how they lived in harmony and in a cycle with nature.
Got to careful about the wildlife pressure up here though. I bale graze just south of them and swath graze a bit at the end of October till December when we wean most years, not this year though, but the elk are becoming a real issue for us. Getting harder to leave bales and swaths in the field and not receive significant wildlife pressure up here.
Love seeing Americans and Canadians getting together to discuss conmen ground. Neighbours!
Wonderful to see how many people in totally different circumstances find to common paths toward the same positive outcome. It stems me positive about the future of farming rather than the future of the fertilising and crop "protecting" industries.
I am learning so much about this
I'm not a farmer but I care I value farmers and I think more people need to understand what their lives are like and the challenges.
But this regenerative grazing and all of these different techniques is fascinating and I'm sending these videos out to my friends and they probably think I'm crazy because they're not farmers either but I'm excited for you guys.... it makes so much sense ...I just think it's going to be so important... good luck getting the word out you're doing a great job!
-35° wow
That´s a good crazy you´ve caught there! Keep it going :)
Wow, learned something Swath Grazing. No barns and a hundreds of miles north of Edmonton
I never would have thought that you can graze cows through a foot or more of snow in those temps. I would have thought that the energy the cows need to stay warm would outstrip what they dig up.
Five years successful and there you go.
All these stories are awesome. Outliers becoming inliers can’t happen soon enough.
We're grateful to all the farmers and ranchers that share their stories with us. We're meeting folks who tell us those stories have inspired them to learn more all the time!
@@carboncowboys
Everyone love a success story. 👍🌅
thats a top class system,well done for that ,i bet not many other people in the world would be doing it
This seems important information to know this is possible.
Cool Chickies! 💃 The cattle are in awesome condition - they are thriving 🙌
Wow, live and learn. I would never have thought grazing would be possible in winter north of Edmonton, AB!
It's all about the planning and the plants!
Awesome... moved from PEI to live with a lady in Alberta with 3 wild horses rescued that forage for grass all winter. And I have noticed cattle in the area that appear to be doing the same.
Wow. Winter grazing in central Canada.
RIGHT??
Central????…go back to the Map… North of Edmonton…
@@davidfry9042 I said Canada, from the USA boarder to top of the North West territories it seems somewhat central
@@safffff1000 East, West, North or South… it is still COLD
These are the kinds of valuable lessons that need to be taught in our schools to our future generations if we want to conserve our great God given planet 🌎!! Great work y'all keep setting the example, it will catch wind and be a positive change for humanity and nature !
Thanks for helping spread the word by commenting and sharing!
@@carboncowboysmost definitely! This and crop rotations I believe can completely eliminate the need for pesticides
Good to see this and thank you.
Curious, why not just leave the cover stand and have the cows graze that. What's the advantage to swathing the cover before grazing?
great video - thanks
So cool, I want to eat that beef.
If you live in Canada you can!
@carboncowboys We're in Toronto?
There is one thing I don´t understand though, what am I missing?? When cutting the forage down in august or september, and laying it flat down, I would think there would be mould and rot like crazy in it, before the cold becomes consistent. The forage becomes dead materail the second you cut it, and dead material rots if not dry or frozen... How can it keep fresh?
We asked the farmer! Here's what they said: "The first year we seeded this multi species for swath grazing was in 2019 - we received a lot of rain in July and August and the crop grew extremely well. In between showers we cut the crop down for swath grazing, so it went on moist ground and after swathing, it rained quite a bit. We were pretty worried that the swaths were going to mold and they would go slimy! BUT we were pleasantly surprised that there was no mold and the forage was just fine. We attribute this to the swaths being comprised of plants with a diverse branching nature so the swaths stay nice and fluffy allowing for air movement and no molding occurs."
@@carboncowboys Thank you for replying! Wow, that´s really astounding to me, and goes to show how important it is to TRY stuff, not just assume one knows how something new and untested will play out.
They eat snow and do fine as long as it's not crusty ice or all packed down
Thats interesting, iam in Central Alberta. Swath grazing used to be all the rage here 20 or so years ago. Now very few people do it.
To keep wastage down it requires a lot of management using electric fence to limit access. Farmers that just turn the cows loose on a whole field at once get a lot of wastage. Sometimes wildlife raises hell with it too. One outfit I worked at we seeded 80 acres for swath graze and the migrating ducks came through and all we had after that was basically straw.
Is there any information on how they first trained the cattle to dig for the forage? I'm in NY and want to do something similar with my pasture and stock piling forage.
Love it 🤩
Ours are out here on Dartmoor it's better for them
Do you have to swath it or can you leave it standing? I live in an area where it's more likely to rain through December, I'm concerned the feed would get mouldy if left to lie on the ground.
It’s seems like a good idea, however id love to see the mess their land is in. Winter housing and feeding silage like in Europe seems a much more efficient way. Animals are still grass fed grass finished as long as they are on grass silage and hay and the land doesn’t get destroyed. What is the nutrient quality of swaths of crop rotting under snow for months on end?
Crops don't rot when they are frozen solid. Silage is guaranteed good quality feed but is about the most expensive way to feed cattle.
Do the cattle eat snow for water?
They talk about their watering system towards the end - it runs on solar!
Cows lick snow and get by. They just do better with fresh water
@@carboncowboys Yes but thoughts go to wild bovines and the necessity of water systems?
@bradherron9663 Gotcha.
How do you deal with fence post on frozen ground
Use 7/8" inch steel posts work well. You need to rig up an electric fence isolator system.
What percentage of the swath is wasted.
It depends how you manage it. You need to use electric fence to limit how much the cattle can access. From experience if they get more than about three days worth of feed, you get a lot of waste. The cattle bed in it and crap in it but a short grazing period limits the waste.
Especially now the grain is sprayed with glyphosphate 😮
Swath graze crops aren't sprayed with glyphosate. Depending on the operator they might have been sprayed with a herbicide during their growing period but most likely not.