Ag development vs. Rural development

[Deb]

Cakadu, I have friends who are trying to go a different route. They want to raise pasture-fed beef and are going to a Holistic Resource conference to learn about that, and they read magazines about sustainable agriculture and organic farming and whatever they can get their hands on. I think they could develop a fairly good market around here with some advertising. I was wondering if I could put them in touch with you. I don't think they have internet access. You know my name and number, Joyce does for sure, so please give me a call later next week and I'll put you in touch. Thanks.

[countryguy]

Deb I just read that article and am happy to say that is the path I'm on.Money doesn't mean anything anymore.Instead I've decided to quit the game that is played today and just try to live the best quality of life that I can.The holistic management course is the best money I have EVER spent.Everyone should take it.It changed my life.

[cowman]

I read the article and quite frankly I wasn't all that impressed! I mean 150 cows on 15 quarters of land??? That is ten cows per quarter...I doubt if they make enough to pay the taxes! It is all very good to save the environment if you don't need the money and farming/ranching is just a hobby. These two old boys aren't relying on the calf check to pay for their groceries!
This whole holistic thing is okay but the people who take it tend to go a little strange and treat it as a religion! Like any religion there is an initial period of elation...I found the light sort of thing! I took the course and while I got something out of it I sure never bought the whole spiel. Been in business too long I guess.

[Deb]

Is there any way I can put you in touch with my friends who are beginning down the road of holistic management? Linda? Joyce? Is this permitted?

[Deb]

Cowman, some will take very little from the holistic course, some will take more and some will find that the whole idea works perfectly for them. We're all at different locations and stages and have different resources and different definitions of happiness. Every little bit of holistic thinking helps.

[Deb]

I just had a thought from the Clean Air thread - a rancher could add clean air to his advertisement for his ranch vacation resort like some of those bars advertise the oxygen boost they sell. He could list all the noxious compounds in car exhaust. Just a thought.

[cowman]

I don't know what's wrong with this thread but I'm only getting about two thirds of it. It's sort of cut off on the right hand side of the page. So I sort of have to read between the lines.
Now if you read that article these old boys don't even wean their calves! Just let them run out all winter with the calf on them? What happens when the cow has next years baby? I'll just bet there are a lot of dead calves who never got any milk. If this is the new way of doing things then no thanks...I don't have a wife to support me like these two guys! This system of theirs is not sustainable!!! As long as the old lady brings home the paycheck it's just all kinds of fun... get to play cowboy all day. This isn't the real world.

[Deb]

Sure it's reality. I bet most farmers and ranchers with small herds have someone in the family working in town. Nothing wrong with that. If she loses her job, she gets to stay home and grow a big garden of vegetables to supplement the meat they raise. Subsistence is good enough for a lot of people. If they are happy that's all that counts. there's no law that says we must contribute to the GNP.

[cowman]

This stupid piece of #@@#$%$% computer!! I can't even read the comments from the commies! So once again I'll "surmise" what you are saying!(oh, sorry about the commie thing!!)
No doubt, many women are out there doing their thing to keep the old homestead going....however I hope they too have bought into "fantasy world" or else I see problems on the horizon!!?

[rodbradshaw]

Deb
I have to agree with cowman on this article. There is nothing wrong with working with nature instead of against her but, both wives work in town so they pollute the enviroment by driving probably 40 miles each, each day. They probably go in different directions so there is two vehicles instead of one.The balance of their paycheck probably just pays for groceries and clothes for the job, not an exciting prospect. Subsistence living is not fun and will lead to problems down the road.

The next thing these guys will be doing is not castrating and letting natural selection take place in their herd. Like their grassland, this might work out in 20-30 years but who knows. Based on the picture these guys will not survive a drought as the ground was pretty bare.

Holistic management philosify is alright but it doesn't mean going back to living like they did 100 years ago. You have to take the knowledge that we have gained and use it to better the enviroment and your self.
Rod