Vetch is not vetch is not vetch. Poison ivy is not an ivy, and poison oak is not an oak. Yes, names for common plants can be delightfully whimsical and inconsistent, but there’s nothing delightful about the toxins in these plants.

Overgrazing pastures and rangeland has detrimental consequences on cattle, forage, soil and producers’ bottom lines.

Rangeland scientists at the Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center (EOARC) tested whether virtual fencing could prevent cattle from grazing recently burned areas within sagebrush steppe pastures.

When it comes to better pasture maintenance and increasing the overall richness of the soil, have you considered the idea of integrating multispecies livestock into your grazing program?

Because virtual fencing can help rangeland managers become more adaptive to variable conditions, it could help managers to adapt to the variable impacts of climate change.

One major result of the pandemic has been to bring more people into parks and public lands for hiking, biking and other recreational activities. In areas like California’s East Bay Regional Parks where about 65% of the land is grazed by livestock – visitors might see goats, sheep and, most likely, cattle. Those encounters with animals (or their manure) represent a prime opportunity for members of the public to learn about agriculture and the ecological benefits of rangelands.

It would be easy to be lured into the idea that more grass means more livestock and profits. Caution is warranted to prevent falling into a “green fever” trap.

Renting, leasing or purchasing grassland is often a complicated and expensive proposition. While many options are available, not all are practical or realistic.

Encouraging animals to disperse and utilize the full range can be a pain this time of year, but necessary for the health of the range plants. 

Herd rebuilding or expansion must start with enabling grazing land to support the additional animals over the long term.