Every few months, an outbreak of sickness and death caused by lethal strains of E. Coli and other “super bugs” makes the headlines. These bacteria have become resistant to antibiotics. Why? One reason, according to scientists, is that unlike grass-fed beef, low levels of antibiotics are being routinely fed to industrially-raised cattle to make them […]
Here at Sylvan Dale we are using cattle to help build up organic matter and carbon content of our soils. The technique: planned, rapid rotation grazing. It turns out this also helps the soil conserve water. Here’s a post from Dr. Roy Roath, CSU Professor Emeritus, describing a grazing experiment he conducted on range land […]
The world has a water problem. More and more of the landscape in temperate zones is turning into desert. The planet is warming due to greenhouse gases. Now along comes Allan Savory, the founder of holistic grazing management, claiming that herds of livestock can reverse these trends. It sounds a little too good to be […]
Presentation and Book Signing: Saturday, March 23, 2 PM Old Firehouse Books 230 Walnut, Ft. Collins, CO (970) 484-78898
Author Presentation and Book Signing Boulder Book Store, 1107 Pearl Street Boulder, CO 80302, (303) 447-2074 Rescheduled from Feb. 24 to Sunday, April 7, 2 PM David J will present slides of historical characters in the novel and discuss how fact is transformed into fiction.
Just when you thought mass-produced beef couldn’t get less appetizing (remember the “pink slime” hamburger controversy?), along comes Zilmax, a new growth drug being fed to feedlot cattle across the country. According to author Christopher Leonard, Zilmax was originally developed to treat asthma in humans. In feedlot-raised cattle, it produces faster muscle growth…and more profits. […]
From June, 2012 Cows are more athletic than most people think. They are also usually pretty sensible. But every once in a while they do something really weird. This is number 601, veteran of five calving seasons, steady mama, six years in the herd without incident. Until last Tuesday. We had just finished separating cows […]
In response to an article by Bobby Magill in the Ft. Collins Coloradoan about a new “Ecosystem Services” Conservation Effort in Larimer County, one reader questioned whether city dwellers should contribute funds to help farmers and ranchers reduce nutrient or sediment pollution that flows from their lands into the watershed. Shouldn’t there be regulations that […]
October 25, 2012 Our first snow of the season. Wet flakes, barely covering the ground. I woke up, peered out the window and glanced at the date on my watch. With a start, I realized it was my father’s birthday. One-hundred years ago. He passed away in 1993 at the age of eighty. A terrible […]
Publishing your first novel is a bit nerve-wracking. First you get an ego adjustment from your critique group as they pick apart your precious prose. Then you get more character-building experience by having your finished manuscript rejected by scores of harried agents and editors. When you finally get published, expectations sufficiently lowered, you wonder whether […]