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  1. Prairie Shepherd

    Sheep and shepherding to prevent wildfire and heal the Earth: Shannon Waldron

    I love this video by PBS about California shepherd Shannon Waldron:
  2. Prairie Shepherd

    Cooling the planet and saving family farms: Charles Massey on regen ag

    Oh my gosh, I just found a new favorite video on regen ag -- the why, the how, the stunning rewards of getting it right, and the dire consequences if we don't. In my opinion, Charles Massey is the most grounded and powerful spokesperson going for regen ag! Take 25 minutes to watch this...
  3. Prairie Shepherd

    A Sami artist confronts climate change

    I didn't know where best to post this powerful documentary about how the reindeer herding culture of the Sami people, and the lands which they have stewarded for eons, are being threatened by development and climate change. Watch the video and maybe you'll agree that this nomadic herding culture...
  4. Prairie Shepherd

    March 2: What is one change you can make to improve your biological soil fertility, whether on your farm or in your daily activities?

    I'm working on turning ag "waste" into fertility through creating Johnson-Su compost and by bale grazing with my sheep. (FYI, ewes are skillful workers in this fertility project, but lambs consider bales a combination playground and restaurant!)
  5. Prairie Shepherd

    Feb 28: What is one change you can make to improve your carbon footprint, whether on your farm or in your daily activities?

    Great question, John Steitz! Not enough water here now for beavers to survive -- but maybe the Field of Dreams approach will eventually change that: if you build it (beaver dam analogs), they (first water, then beavers) will come! ;)
  6. Prairie Shepherd

    Feb 28: What is one change you can make to improve your carbon footprint, whether on your farm or in your daily activities?

    I'm going to build beaver dam analogs to help restore a healthy water cycle in riparian zones, and small rock structures to help reverse erosion in dry coulees on my property. I love these techniques that can be done by hand, with materials on hand, a little bit at a time -- and that will pay...
  7. Prairie Shepherd

    Waffle gardening, anyone?

    Is anyone using waffle gardening techniques? In my Montana garden, soil biology and organic matter improve every year, but it seems like each year there's less rainfall for gardening. Groundwater isn't suitable for irrigation here. I have a rainwater capture system and some permaculture...
  8. Prairie Shepherd

    DROUGHT RESILIENCE NETWORK: Tall Tale Competition!

    For the non-fiction competition: The drought is so bad in my part of Montana that more than a few cattlemen are selling cows and buying goats and hair sheep. Some perennial grasses are droughting out, so here comes the weeds. When weeds are the main crop, it only makes sense to eat 'em rather...
  9. Prairie Shepherd

    DROUGHT RESILIENCE NETWORK: Tall Tale Competition!

    Wow, that is DRY! Where was that? And more importantly, what did it take to heal up that wrench-filled trench?
  10. Prairie Shepherd

    I commit to this practice to build drought resilient soil . . .

    When I listened to Dale's webinar yesterday, I decided to commit publicly (gulp!) to working on holding more water through building some beaver dam analogs, similar to what Dale called leaky weirs. Our drought in Montana is killing some big cottonwoods and they are right beside the creeks that...
  11. Prairie Shepherd

    Heat stress on cattle

    The summer of 2021 set records in Montana for heat as well as drought. Many days over 90, and temps up to 113F. I raise natural colored wool sheep and noticed several things. The amount of wool a sheep was packing didn't matter much -- longer woolled sheep didn't act noticeably different from...
  12. Prairie Shepherd

    Sheep grazing to improve CRP lands

    I found the link to this at the Understanding Ag newsletter -- which is well worth signing up for! Here's how the Understanding Ag crew summarizes the video: https://mailchi.mp/2a3521579f4f/understanding-ag-newsletter-march-4-16406642?e=479889336b
  13. Prairie Shepherd

    Seven reasons why you should add sheep to your regen ranch

    Glad to hear from another sheep-aficionado, David! Here's hoping you're back in the sheep business soon!
  14. Prairie Shepherd

    Seven reasons why you should add sheep to your regen ranch

    Hey, all you non-shepherds -- check out this article by the Noble Foundation about what sheep might do for your regenerative ranch. Of the seven reasons listed, I must admit that #6 is what keeps me knee deep in sheep, though #7 is why this makes good business sense too:
  15. Prairie Shepherd

    Why I farm

    I love what you wrote, High Plainsman! I wish more people could be as lucky as we have been, to be born on and for the land. I am such a fan of the Quivira Coalition's New Agrarian program and of WWOOFing, where more people can connect with regenerative agriculture, the deep satisfaction of...
  16. Prairie Shepherd

    Anyone using biochar as a soil amendment?

    Thanks for posting so many valuable links, Peter of Asheville. Huge fan here of Dr. David Johnson's work. I have found the Microbiometer to be useful (and fun!) in on-farm comparisons of various compost piles and of soils under differing management on my place. The affordability and immediacy...
  17. Prairie Shepherd

    Replacing peat in seed starting mix?

    As someone who loves wetlands, especially fens and peat bogs, I have decided to avoid all soil mixes with peat in them. When I went to start some seeds for spring and read the ingredients on the bags of seed starting mixes I have on hand, I found my pro-peat stance rules out most soil mixes...
  18. Prairie Shepherd

    Resources for Establishing and Managing Silvopasture

    Thanks so much Lee for posting all this information! These are EXACTLY the type of resources I need as I contemplate silvopasture for my operation. You saved me a bunch of time googling around by posting so many good resources in one place! Much appreciation to you!
  19. Prairie Shepherd

    Prairie Shepherd, Montana

    Hi, I raise finewool, natural colored sheep in northcentral Montana. Though my place has some hay meadows with water rights, in our dry climate (11" per year on average), this is pretty much an arid grassland/sage steppe property. Catching and holding more water in soil is hugely important to...
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