Remove Acre Remove Meadow Remove Ranching
article thumbnail

Could Hydroponic Fodder Solve the West’s Water Woes?

Modern Farmer

Alfalfa hay, the nutrient-rich backbone of the dairy, beef and horse industries in the West, produces more protein per acre than any other field crop. Al Noorda of Cedar Fort, Utah started using fodder for his grass-fed beef cattle and horses in 2014, following years of drought at his mixed-use ranch. billion to stop growing hay.

Cattle 98
article thumbnail

Changing How We Farm Might Protect Wild Mammals—and Fight Climate Change

Civil Eats

land, with cropland expanding by 1 million acres per year, fueling habitat loss for wildlife and mammals. A good example is Christina Allen’s 10-acre farm in Maryland. The burgeoning human population, however, means agricultural impacts are only set to increase. Agriculture already takes up over half of U.S.

Farming 143
article thumbnail

Apprenticeships Bring a Fresh Generation to Small Dairy Farms

Civil Eats

Hes also an accountant, squaring the numbers for his central Minnesota farm by hand; a herder, rotating 75 cows between pastures; a crop farmer, raising 300 acres of feed like corn and hay; and a mechanic, repairing the equipment necessary to tend that acreage. Ben Wagner may be a dairy farmer, but that job description is woefully incomplete.

Farming 133