By Julie Lyvers
Charlie Kissling conducted an informative farm tour on April 9, 2015 concentrating on how the ranch manages the pasture lands.
After the group were satisfied with a burger lunch, Silas Brown from the NC Cooperative Extension Service spoke about the limited amount of productive land the earth has to provide the world population with food for the future.
Topics covered soil health, grasses, legumes and brassicas
, spring finishing, summer annuals, autumn grass stockpiling, pasture rotation and maintenance
. Production discussions included an aggressive mineral and parasite control
program. Charlie pointed out the importance of the grass which produces beef less in saturated fats and higher in heart healthy Omega 3 fatty acids. “Its all about the grass”, said Kissling. “Bovine (cattle) convert plant energy from grasses, efficiently converting it to a protein product which humans consume for food”.
Carbon sequestration was a new topic discussed as the group walked through the lush planted spring rye grass. Carbon sequestration is the process of capture and long-term storage of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). Grazing lands are vital to sequester carbon within the soil through photosynthesis. All crops absorb CO2 during growth and release it after harvest. The goal of agricultural carbon removal is to reduce carbon to its elemental nature and store in a stable state. Lastly, Charlie pointed out the correlation between the intensively managed pastures and the production of All Natural Grass Fed beef.
The next pasture walk will be May 14 (rain date May 15) stop by Walnut Hollow Ranch Local Foods Store or call for more information.
Source:ncsu.edu