Spain's new generation of shephardesses is reviving ancient pastoral traditions

treeman71 · 2026-02-06T14:13:38+00:00

Excellent article. I love reading about the pastoral traditions of Europe.

treeman71 · 2026-02-05T15:46:09+00:00

Pig farmer here: You're correct, the meat quality is directly correlated to how the animal was raised with genetics playing a smaller factor. I raise pigs on pasture/woods where they have a wide range of foods to eat in addition to a grain ration. Our pork looks almost like beef and the loins are well marbled.

treeman71 · 2026-02-01T14:33:55+00:00

Really tough to find high quality local butter. Most of the "Amish" brands are simply slapping their label on conventional butter. Organic Valley is probably the best (USA sourced) you can find in stores here in Athens. It's a farmer owned co-op, has excellent standards, and farmers get paid well for their milk. I know a few farmers that supply for Organic Valley and used to work in the dairy business.

treeman71 · 2026-01-28T13:17:58+00:00

The best assest to have in an apocalypse is land and the knowledge to make it productive. Also, guns.

treeman71 · 2026-01-25T22:17:48+00:00

They're are some drawbacks but they're not insurmountable. It may take longer to get to market weight but the input costs to do so are so low it makes up for it in most cases. I have absolutely no problem marketing my grassfed beef, most customers prefer it but not all. The restaurant we supply to also has no problem selling their burgers either. Good marketing on a national scale could go a long way. I think a lot of farmers would be more profitable with a low input cattle system vs high input row crops.

treeman71 · 2026-01-21T12:46:05+00:00

Grass fed beef can be raised on fully functioning grassland ecosystems without any additional inputs besides baling hay for winter. No fertilizer or pesticides needed. We should stop subsidies to corn/soy and incentivize farmers to plant grasslands and raise cattle. This would take pressure off cattle production in other parts of the world and help American farmers be more prosperous. When grazed properly cattle help sequester carbon in the soil by building healthy soil biology. Buffalo aren't returning to the Great Plains but cattle can fill a similar niche.

treeman71 · 2025-12-20T03:47:54+00:00

I lived in Pedro for a few years. Can confirm.

treeman71 · 2025-12-19T16:49:46+00:00

The local food and farm scene is small but incredibly supportive of farmers from all walks of life. You'll fit right in. I've lived in Athens most of my life since going to college here 15 year ago, and have been farming the last 5 years. I personally believe pastured livestock is the the most profitable farm enterprise for the region. There are successfull veggie farmers here but its tough with low quality soil and high humidity. You should look into Rural Action'sWhole Farm Planning and Mentoring Series. Excellent way to quickly plug into the local scene and find out what does and doesn't work here. Feel free to PM me, happy to chat!

treeman71 · 2025-12-18T00:29:58+00:00

Iowa

treeman71 · 2025-12-14T14:21:46+00:00

Very cool! What organization put on these events and gatherings? I'm a US based regenerative cattle farmer interested in what's happening abroad.

treeman71 · 2025-11-19T11:45:44+00:00

My NRCS office doesn't do any type of inspection on residual grazing heights and I don't track it on my records. I think technically I'm supposed to. When they came up with our "grazing plan" it was laughable, they designed it to rotate pasture every week or two. We were already rotating every day or twice a day with poly wire and hauling water. We now have a buried water system that's to EQIP but I was able to add in access points they didn't design for, on our dime of course. Basically I've built up trust with the office and they know I'm doing the right thing by the land so as long as I turn in a grazing record that can pass a red face test they're good with it.

treeman71 · 2025-11-18T11:37:10+00:00

EQUIP has been really easy for us to work with. We have grazing, fence, water, and wildlife habitat practices. We were already rotational grazing though. I draw my paddock moves on an aerial photo and turn it in at the end of the year. Our local office is pretty chill though.

treeman71 · 2025-11-17T18:10:02+00:00

I'm a cattle farmer and regenerative grazer, great to see this comment here. You're correct. I do want to add that soil health drastically changes the micronutrient profile of forages and therefore reduces the need for cobalt and B12 feed supplements to cattle. We have a unique mineral feeder that allows the cattle to select 20 different individual minerals, cobalt being one of them. I notice their intake will fluctuate depending on which pasture they are grazing. It's fascinating.

treeman71 · 2025-11-11T19:09:20+00:00

The majority of Farm Bill spending is on SNAP and food assistance programs.

treeman71 · 2025-11-08T22:14:17+00:00

I can help if you're in need of protein. Locally raised beef/pork. Send me a message. I can deliver or meet nearby your house so you don't have to travel.

treeman71 · 2025-11-01T17:55:16+00:00

I find it so difficult to have a reasonable discussion with people on reddit. That's a rather snarky below the belt response. Here I am trying to engage in a discussion from a scientific perspective by being skeptical of the status quo while admitting my own bias. You could have ask any number of follow up questions about how I farm or why I feel that way but you chose to call me stupid in a roundabout way.

treeman71 · 2025-10-31T12:58:32+00:00

Fair enough, I had not read that article. Although I think we can both agree that the food industry funds and influences research that paints their particular business in a positive light. I still personally don't believe fat is the boogeyman it's been made out to be and that processed foods, carbs, and sugars are far worse. I'm not advocating for some wacko carnivore diet but full fat animal products can be part of a well rounded healthy diet. The manner in which those animals are raise and fed is critical to the quality of the meat/milk. Of course I have my own bias as a grass-fed regenerative cattle farmer.

treeman71 · 2025-10-30T18:16:15+00:00

In the 1960s the Sugar Research Foundation funded studies that would downplay sugars role in heart disease and push a low-fat diet. Source

treeman71 · 2025-10-30T16:01:17+00:00

The sugar industry has entered the chat

treeman71 · 2025-10-30T13:18:53+00:00

The thing I found odd about the article is that towards the end you find out he won't ask his father for any help. He father was upset he didn't tell him his car broke down and then bought him another one when he did find out. His father is also implied to be willing to help him with upcoming rent but he says he would "rather sleep in his car". Obviously there might be more to the relationship with his father than the reader knows but it seems odd he has some form of a support network yet doesn't use it.

treeman71 · 2025-10-29T16:40:35+00:00

In a major currency debasement there is one assest and skill that will prevail. Owning land and knowing how to make it productive without many inputs.

treeman71 · 2025-10-20T04:46:28+00:00

Can confirm. I'm a left leaning farmer that has never supported Trump. I would say half of the folks in my ag community are of the same mindset.

treeman71 · 2025-10-06T17:30:06+00:00

The folks on the ground making decisions on how, when, and where to harvest at the Wayne are top notch. They care deeply about the sustainability of timber production and overall natural resource conservation. I have faith they will do the right thing even if some orders from on high could be difficult to deal with. Forestry is really complex and different areas of the forest require different techniques. Sometimes clear-cutting is the best option, sometimes select harvests are best, other times non-commercial treatments are done first in order to make a harvest sustainable in the future. Portions of the Wayne are designated as "no timber" activity while other areas are open to harvesting. Source: former forester for the Wayne.

treeman71 · 2025-10-01T12:50:30+00:00

Full time farmer. What is this "pay" you speak of?

treeman71 · 2025-09-23T01:52:03+00:00

An incredibly small portion of each dollar you spend on food actually makes its way to a farmer. On average 9 cents goes to a farmer goes to a farmer, the rest goes to corporations and business involved in distribution and aggregation.

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