Page 11 - MWC 3-30-2023s

such as earthworms, insects, Disruption The Midwest Cattleman · March 30, 2023 · P11
and microbes in the soil, fur- One of the soil health disruptions. Some examples figuration, and rest periods.
ther improve the nutrient principles is to minimize of intentional disruptions You can’t do the same thing
cycle. An optimal nutrient soil disturbance, especially might be to mix up your over and over and expect to
cycle depends on good plant minimizing or eliminating cover crop mix or the order find the most success. Avoid
diversity and soil cover. tillage, if possible. However, in which you graze your an- routines in management
Community Dynamics nature, more generally, likes imals, if you raise multiple practices. Remember, regen-
Community dynamics are a few disruptions. The key to classes and/or species of live- erative agriculture is not a
the changes to community these disruptions is being in- stock, like cattle, sheep, goats prescription.
structure and composition tentional with how and why and chickens. You could alter Noble Research Institute
over time, including chang- you’re introducing them in stock density, rotation pat-
es in microbiology, plant, and order to build greater resil- terns, time of season or year
animal life. Plant community ience in the land. They need grazing a particular pasture,
management is critical to the to be planned, purposeful prescribed fire, paddock con-
other three cycles. Having
a year-round, diverse plant
community can improve the
nutrient cycle and optimize
the energy cycle. Managing
for a wide diversity of plants
— forage types (grasses,
forbs and trees), perennials
and annuals, and cool-sea-
son and warm-season species
— works to complement the
other three cycles.
RULES OF ADAPTIVE
STEWARDSHIP
Regenerative ranchers
are adaptable and make de-
cisions based on the circum-
stances at hand. They oper-
ate with an understanding
of:
Compounding
Everything you do — every
decision you make and prac-
tice you apply — has more
than just a singular affect.
Everything on the ranch af-
fects every other part of the
ranch, from the water quali-
ty to the forages to the ani-
mal health to the economics.
Decisions cannot be made in
isolation because all things
are connected and have rip-
ple effects that may last for
years — positive or negative.
Diversity
Some may like the look of
a nice clean monoculture, but
nature likes diversity. You
can think about it in terms of
how a community is stronger
when it has individuals with
different skill sets. We can’t
all be doctors or teachers.
Some of us need to be plumb-
ers and firefighters. It’s the
same in nature. The soil
needs lots of different fungi
and bacteria, each of which
may be attracted by a differ-
ent kind of plant. Different
animals also serve different
functions, which, when you
add up everything, creates a
healthier ecosystem.