Our Farmers & Ranchers Wear #HundredsofHats |
If you are a newsletter subscriber, you have likely seen or experienced aspects of daily unpredictable life working in agriculture. Without this direct connection, millions of Americans are unaware of what agricultural workers really do. We are many things: farmers, ranchers, veterinarians, welders, geneticist, teachers, and parents. Another important duty of daily life at the ranch is picking up trash.
"Picking up trash in our pastures has become a daily occurrence. It is amazing the amount of balloons, plastic bags, and cardboard that we find in our pastures. Much of it is a hazard as our cattle like to chew on the plastic because it's shiny and is something different in the pastures. It's an interesting perspective that ranchers are looked at as an environmental concern, but yet I pick up trash from others in my pastures on a regular basis - really puts things in perspective for me."
- Michael Vance, Southern Reds - Gainesville, TX
Our goal is to spread awareness of the danger litter poses to our land and animals. We want to hear your story. Using the hashtag #HundredsofHats, we encourage you to tag us in photos of litter in your fields on Facebook, Instagram. Let's spread this message, connect with each other, and educate those around us on the harmful effects trash puts on America's food system. We look forward to reading your stories!
Photo: The Vance Family
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Kansas Youth Range Workshop |
If you know an eligible student interested in ranching, natural resources, or wildlife, share this information with them to attend an educational event like no other in Kansas!
Coming up June 15th through 18th at Camp Mennoscah in Kingman County.
Registration deadline is May 15, 2021.
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Texas Youth Range Workshop
Do you know a Texas youth between the ages of 14-18? This course is geared towards training youth in the management of rangelands. Visit their website here to read more and to be registered! Workshop Dates: June 20-25, 2021
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Grass-Cast Webinar
A Forecast of Grassland Growth
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The winter and spring have been dry in much of the Great Plains, on the tail of a dry summer and fall last year. So, you might be wondering, how much grass will there be out on the range this year? Grass-Cast peeks into the future to offer another layer of information that can help Great Plains ranchers see what the upcoming growing season might hold. Dannele Peck from the USDA Northern Plains Climate Hub will describe how Grass-Cast maps are made and what they say. Julie Elliott, NRCS liaison to the Climate Hub, will then discuss how Grass-Cast can help inform difficult stocking decisions.
Join the zoom call here at 2 pm CDT on April 22nd.
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SHARE YOUR STORY
AT THE 8NGLC CONFERENCE
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Planning is in full swing for the December 6-9, 2021, National Grazing Lands Conference in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina!
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The NatGLC also wants to remind our producers to submit their oral presentation proposals by the May 30th deadline. Proposals should be 400 words or less and can be submitted here. The NatGLC plans to video all presentations for proceedings.
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Hear what Kansas cattle rancher Bill Barby had to say at the 7th Conference about his ranching journey.
Bill discusses eastern red cedar management, prescribed burning, native bird species, the importance of paddocks and how to work with mother nature during times of drought and wildfires.
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Grazing 101 & Record Keeping Online Courses with eBook |
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Coming out in May, this free eBook and course will will be an excellent resource for all graziers, and especially beginners. These courses are designed to speak to you regardless of where you live or what animals you graze. Refer to our last newsletter for a more in depth description. Remember to subscribe to the e-mail list to find out when these courses are published.
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State Coalition Spotlight:
SDGC hosted a Holistic Ranch Management school in partnership with NatGLC. Led by Josh and Tara Dukart, the session was attended by 33 people including 10 youth.
"Everyone was amazed on what you could know about a cow's health, how to pick up and find out about their health,” participant Shannon Carmichael said. She went on to share that the youth being engaged was a key feature of the HRM school. This project helped with the SDGC goal of expanding our typical audience and reaching people earlier and younger.
If you want to learn more from SDGC, head to their Youtube channel to see a video series featuring rancher to rancher conversations on Alternative Calving Dates. The videos cover topics of deciding when and where to calve, to marketing and family relationships. A book is also being drafted to provide even further outreach and resources.
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A Word from Our Chairman
Chad Ellis
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Spring is a good time to reflect on goals for the upcoming production season and do some “housekeeping” in terms of making sure things are in shape during our peak forage growing season. The same goes for us at NatGLC, we reflect on our strategic plan accomplishments and are busy planning for our 8th National Grazing Lands Conference in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina this coming December. I hope you can join us and share your reflections and story with your fellow grazers.
If you would like to have a booth to highlight your business, organizations, university or research click below!
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Want to be a speaker at the conference? Click here to find out how! |
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Want to stay up to date on events? Click the image to see the NatGLC Calendar!
Have an event you want to add to the calendar?
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Did you know you could support NatGLC with the purchases you are already making on Amazon?
Shop with Amazon Smile and choose our organization at checkout.
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Paniolo: The Hawaiian Cowboy |
In 1793, the Hawaiian king was gifted five longhorns that eventually lead to a booming beef trade and a high demand for ranchers in Hawaii. Because of this, vaqueros, or Mexican cowboys, arrived on the Big Island and Maui to teach the locals how to corral. Thus began the culture of the Hawaiian cowboy, known to us now as the paniolo.
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Where did all the buffalo go across the great American prairie? Bring in the COWS. Learn about the super powers of cows, controlled burns, and native grasses at the Ebel Grasslands Ranch. The tallgrass prairie is a rich biodiverse ecosystem and IN PERIL - less than 1% of the tallgrass prairie remains in Texas!
Our NuMinds' Inspirator (teacher), Kelli Klier Ebel and her family live on a restored native tallgrass prairie in Northeast Texas. Natural resource conservation is a top priority here.
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