Search results

  1. JustinM

    Year-Round Grazing

    I just saw this video by NRCS South Dakota on year-round grazing which I thought was well done. View it at: . The principles of year-round grazing in the video include: 1. Manage your grass. 2. For rapid recovery, leave at least 1,000 lbs/ac of residue. 3. Hit pastures at different times and...
  2. JustinM

    Composting Using the Johnson-Su Bioreactor

    Composting is a fascinating process, at least for someone like me! My first introduction to compost creation was at a dairy farm that was employing the traditional hot composting method to turn manure into a useful product that could be applied on nearby crop fields. I vividly remember using a...
  3. JustinM

    Sheep Grazing in the Vineyard

    Today someone I just met shared that the Paicines Ranch in California has developed a vineyard where sheep graze underneath the grapes. This is a great example of the thoughtful integration of livestock with a food crop. You can find out more about it at...
  4. JustinM

    Justin Morris, NCAT in Idaho

    I've been serving as a regenerative grazing specialist for NCAT since May of '21. I really enjoy providing practical solutions for landowners that improve/regenerate plant, soil, and animal health while also enhancing profit potential and quality of life. My journey with grazing and livestock...
  5. JustinM

    When is it necessary to use a subsoiler on a pasture or hayfield?

    Does anyone have any experience positive or negative in using a subsoiler to help alleviate compaction on a pasture or hayfield? There is a lot of press on using cover crops to bio-till a field, but is there a limit to how much of a compaction layer plant roots can go through? I've found studies...
  6. JustinM

    Tillage without damaging soil structure?

    During our Soil for Water premiere, the following question was asked: What kind of tillage do you recommend to improve soil conditions without damaging it? This is an excellent question. The short answer is that all tillage damages the soil. This is an inescapable fact. But another fact is that...
  7. JustinM

    Soil organic matter and soil water

    During the Soil for Water premiere last month, the following question was asked: Can you share data such as SOM levels, biological activity improvements and water storage capacity over time? Here is my response: Attached is an article from Anna Cates, Soil Health Specialist for the University...
  8. JustinM

    Soil Health Testing

    During the Soil for Water film premiere held in February, two questions were asked regarding different types of soil health testing. Question: Can you explain the PLFA and Haney soil health tests? Answer: PLFA is an acronym for Phospholipid Fatty Acid test. Since all organisms in the soil...
  9. JustinM

    Birthing Pastures and Plant Diversity

    The following question was recently asked at a webinar that Linda Poole and I co-presented. The question was: I like to have my lambing take place in the same place each spring because it is close to the house and easier for me to make sure everyone is ok. Can I do anything to counteract the...
  10. JustinM

    Soil Health Research Literature

    Have you ever wondered what the research is that backs up soil health? For those interested in accessing the latest information related to soil health, the Soil Health Institute has a great website for accessing a variety of soil health related scientific literature. You can access it by topic...
  11. JustinM

    Ground to Air Heat Transfer Systems for Year Round Production

    I've been researching Ground to Air Heat Transfer Systems (GAHT) for storing and releasing heat energy underneath a greenhouse so you can grow produce throughout the year. Here's a brochure that talks in depth on how this system works and it's components. Has anyone out there seen one of these...
  12. JustinM

    Pasture Cropping

    For those in southern latitudes where perennial warm-season plants are the dominant form of vegetation, has anyone had experience pasture cropping? For those who may not be aware what pasture cropping is, it's a technique of planting a cool-season annual plant like wheat or oats into a dormant...
  13. JustinM

    Small Scale Small Grain Harvesting

    For any out there looking for ideas on how to harvest small grains like wheat, oats, millet and barley at a small scale (a few acres or less) there are some options out there. As many know, the day of the small combine that could be powered by a 50 horsepower tractor is long gone. Vintage...
  14. JustinM

    Migratory Grazing

    A number of years ago I came across a new approach to grazing management that really intrigued me. Bob Kinford from West Texas has been focusing on re-instilling the herding instinct in domestic livestock so the animals stay huddled together at higher stock densities (>100,000 pounds live weight...
  15. JustinM

    Determining Carrying Capacity

    Hello everyone. My name is Justin Morris and I'm a Regenerative Grazing Specialist with the National Center for Appropriate Technology. Early last November I was one of three presenters in a webinar that covered the topics of regenerative grazing, soil health and land carrying capacity. If...
  16. JustinM

    Strategies for catastrophes

    I just wanted to let everyone know that on Wednesday, January 26th at 5pm eastern, there will be a webinar on bouncing forward from catastrophes whether that's drought, flood, fire, grasshoppers, etc. My friend and colleague Linda Poole and I will be presenting. Food Animal Concerns Trust (FACT)...
Back
Top