Tag Archive for: Pigs/Hogs

lambs and ewes in pasture

Building a Strong Foundation for Working with Livestock

Years of farming and visiting other farms, combined with recent education in soil health, have convinced me of this: We can best serve people, the land, and the livestock by learning to care for the soil FIRST. That’s why NCAT’s Livestock and Grazing Team began with this foundation when they gathered to teach a three-part series for beginning livestock producers. 
By Linda Coffey, NCAT Livestock Specialist

Overgrazing – A Chronic Soil Disturbance on Grazing Lands: Part II

If we’re going to build the health of anything – whether that’s our own health or the health of grazing lands – and we are causing damage by our management actions, then our first priority should be to stop the damage.
By Justin Morris, Regenerative Grazing Specialist

Building Strong Foundations, Part 3. Choosing Livestock for Your Farm

In the final session of the three-part "Building Strong Foundations"…

Overgrazing – A Chronic Soil Disturbance on Grazing Lands: Part I

Chronic human diseases are everywhere these days it seems. Interestingly, there are some similarities between how our bodies respond to acute and chronic disturbances and how grazing lands respond to acute and chronic disturbances that come in the form of grazing, drought, fire, hail and even insect pest invasion.
By Justin Morris, Regenerative Grazing Specialist
Kentucky Bluegrass (Poa pratensis).

The Impact of Grazing Frequency and Recovery Period on Plant Diversity and Soil Health

During my extensive travels working in pastoral ecosystems for nearly 20 years, ranging from Hawaii to New Hampshire and a lot of places in between, I’ve observed a common phenomenon. Whenever I would see a pasture that was always grazed down very short, I would see maybe two or three species of plants there. At the opposite end of the spectrum, I observed fields where livestock were never permitted to go and again, I would see a few plant species at best. Between these two extremes I found pastures with incredible diversity. So, what was driving plant diversity or the lack of it? 
By Justin Morris, Regenerative Livestock Specialist
sheep

Getting Started in Livestock: Lessons Learned

By Linda Coffey, NCAT Livestock Specialist Thinking back to…

Farm Equipment and Infrastructure

Getting Started with Livestock

My day begins with a hot cup of coffee and a quick check of our farm. What a thrill to find a new baby calf from our Belted Galloways, to watch the antics of our pig, to have my girls gather farm-fresh eggs, and to watch the goats grazing. Livestock bring life to the farm!
By Margo Hale, NCAT Southeast Regional Director, Armed to Farm Program Director, and Agriculture Specialist

Managing Rotational Grazing for Pigs and Poultry

In this video, Lee Rinehart, a sustainable agriculture expert…

Small-Scale Meat Sales

In this new video from NCAT Southeast Regional Director Margo…