Cattle and other livestock continue to show off their contribution to conserving the environment.
Wildfires are undoubtedly an issue, especially out west, as millions of acres burn every year. And the USDA has a prescription to help manage the impact: grazing.
The USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is using cattle to graze sagebrush communities to benefit grassland ecosystems. ARS studied prescribed grazing to help restore grasslands by having livestock feed on invasive species like cheatgrass and medusahead.
Pumping the breaks: The high-intensity low-frequency (HILF) grazing method is expected to reduce annual grass presence and allow desirable plant species to flourish. This also results in a fuel break that can help stop the spread of wildfires.
Soundbite: “We’re using prescribed cattle grazing as a tool that’s readily available on the landscape and applying it in a way that we can do this year in and year out. We expect this will reduce annual grass presence and allow desirable plant species like perennial bunchgrasses and sagebrush to recover.” — ARS rangeland scientist Pat Clark
HILF is about timing. ARS says it’s important to pay attention to the duration, frequency, and intensity of grazing to meet vegetation objectives.
Where this goes: The ARS conducted a five-year study with the Bureau of Land Management, which concluded in 2023. However, researchers continue to partner with livestock ranchers in Idaho, Nevada, and Oregon to develop long-lasting benefits for U.S. rangelands.
Short Corn Packs a Punch
Dynamite comes in small packages—which can be true with new seed technology. What’s...
Congress to EPA: What’s Your BEEF with Meat Packers?
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is considering new regulations that take aim at meat and poultry processors.
And some members of Congress have a BEEF with the EPA’s proposals.
The proposed rules: In late January, the EPA released the details of its proposed “Clean Water Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Meat and Poultry Products Point source category.”
Huh?
Basically, the EPA formally published its proposals to combat wastewater contaminants that come from slaughterhouses.
Okay… that makes more sense.
At the heart of the rules proposal is a concern from environmental groups about nitrogen and phosphorus pollutants that originate from slaughterhouses. In some cases, the wastewater goes directly into waterways. In other cases, the water goes to municipal wastewater treatment facilities.
But not everyone is on board with the EPA’s suggestions…
Congress responds: Last week, two U.S. representatives—Eric Burlison (MO) and Ron Estes (KS)—pushed back against the EPA and introduced the “Banning EPA’s Encroachment of Facilities (BEEF) Act.” If passed and signed by President Biden, the law would prohibit the EPA from finalizing, implementing, or enforcing the rule.
According to the lawmakers, the proposed rules place undue burden on small processors—costs that can be absorbed by larger companies.
Soundbite: “The… proposed regulation isn’t just an attack on family-run small businesses, it’s an attack on rural communities,” said Burlison. “These meat and poultry processors are the lifeblood of our communities. The BEEF Act… lets these hardworking Americans do what they do best, produce safe, affordable food for our families.”
University of Illinois Makes Big Mooves in Milk Production
Pump it up: Scientists led by Matt Wheeler at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign are...