Common Sense Agriculture's Blog

Legislators are proposing to impose a state registration that will “Replace brand inspection for equines with equine ownership certificate and require owners to obtain equine ownership certificates for equines that are present in state for more than 30 consecutive days.

This proposal would be onerous enough if just horse owners had to register, but no, this requires every horse to be registered.

It further establishes requirements for trailers that are used to transport horses. Many horse owners, if this is passed, will have to special order new trailers, as the specifications are not standard. Read more…

I lost my first calf of the year Saturday night to coyotes, saddening and maddening.

In 1998, California voters, with the support of the HSUS, voted to ban leg traps. Since then, ranchers have seen an increase in losses to predators. While “live traps” are still allowed, they are not very effective when it comes to coyotes…they are smart. We have been using guard dogs for over 10 years, but 600+ acres, split down the middle by the Scott River and an abundance of coyotes is a challenge, even for three excellent dogs; one Great Pyrenee, one Anatolian and an Anatolian x Pyrenee.

Certainly, losing a calf, a foal or a lamb is an economic loss, but what really hurts me is knowing how the young animal was killed.

Coyotes either failed to read the standards set forth by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service or have chosen to purposely ignore them. A kill by a pack of coyotes is anything but quick and they are far from unconscious. I’m not sure which is worse, a heifer trampling her own calf trying to protect it from the pack, or a pack singling one out and tearing it to pieces, bite by bite.

We need a return to commonsense predator control….but that is unlikely to occur.

[End of Rant]

Fresh Cut Alfalfa

Arguments against Roundup Ready alfalfa are flying around the internet like “flies on stink.” Ironically, that is pretty much what the arguments against GMO alfalfa are…”stink.”

We have been growing alfalfa for more than 30 years on our ranch, for personal use and for sale, averaging roughly 6.5 tons per acre on 130 acres. I am very familiar with the attributes of alfalfa, its growing patterns, nutritive needs, life span and harvesting.

For those throwing out arguments against GMO alfalfa, it is very apparent that they have no understanding of the production of the forage. Here are two major points about alfalfa that need to be understood. Read more…

The other day, after returning from Atlanta, I was going about my daily routine, thinking I was in four-wheel drive and proceeded to get stuck. After getting out of the truck, looking things over, checking my hubs, then looking at my dash panel, I realized I had not been in 4 wheel drive. After locking my four-wheel drive, I easily pulled out of the mud and proceeded, simply by transferring from a single wheel attempting to drive the vehicle to four wheels working together in unison.

This situation got me to thinking about the relevance of my getting stuck in the mud and how it metaphorically applies in the real world.

Example 1: Federal government is “stuck in the mud” believing they know what is best for the individual. Isn’t it time to “lock in four-wheel drive,” work with the people and allow the individual the opportunity to choose what is best for themselves? Read more…

Since American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman announced that the organization was going to file a suit against the EPA, over the Chesapeake Bay TMDL, several media outlets have begun to try to paint the grassroots organization in a bad light. This could not be further from truth.

I have been dealing personally with TMDL’s, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board (NCRWQCB) since 1992. Through three TMDL’s there have been several constants: Read more…