Learning about the farming side
#bfrdpwy #aginternship #RightRisk
I have learned how beneficial it is to grow your own silage for cattle. I didn’t know much about the farming side of things, however this week I have learned a lot about irrigation and putting together gated pipe. I learned how to put the pipe together and how it works to irrigate a field without a pivot. I learned the difference between irrigation pipes and pivots, and how you have to meet with an engineer before installing a pivot. Pivots are much more efficient and do not need as much labor included as the gated pipe does.
I have also learned the difference between cattle raised on the rangeland vs a farm setting. Range cows are much happier when there is a water source within a mile from them. This means a stream or trough needs to be available throughout the pasture. They also need to be able to withstand weather patterns and the rough terrain, whereas farm cattle do not have to worry about footing or where the water is. I learned about this because my host runs cattle on rangeland and must be able to maintain a healthy range and healthy cattle.
I would like to investigate how raising sheep on a pasture can be more damaging than beneficial. As we moved pairs on Tuesday, I asked my host about running sheep and how I’ve always been told they are good to run after cows on a pasture because they eat the forbs. However, my host informed me that such grazing can be way more damaging on a pasture than beneficial because they eat plants all the way down, instead of leaving a few inches above the ground like the cattle do. I think it has been interesting to learn about the practical knowledge my host has about the rangeland and cattle vs what I have learned in classes.
I also want to know more about the desirable plants that ranchers like for cattle and which ones are not such as larkspur. Keith and I fixed a fence in a pasture and shoveled larkspur out of the area because if cows ingest it, they will die. This I knew from my previous classes, however learning Keith’s practical knowledge about the plants he deals with has been very helpful.
I would also like to continue to expand my knowledge of cover crops and how pivots can be important for farming operations. I am excited to work with my hosts as they happily share their farming knowledge. I also want to learn about the trailing process for cattle. We are starting to move some of them on the 12th, and this will be my first major cattle drive. I want to know what kind of steps are taken prior to leaving and how to manage the cows during the trek.
I also want to continue testing my plant ID skills and improving my knowledge of the plants I will encounter this summer, such as larkspur. I like learning about which plants are dangerous to have and how to get rid of them, and the plants that we want around and the health benefits to cattle they bring.
With what I have learned, I plan to work on my knowledge of farming and the work that goes into feeding cattle for the year. I also will put what I have learned about rangelands and cows to the test when we move cattle. I like going on the range with my host and testing my plant ID knowledge while also learning more about the plants that grow here.
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Submitted by: Ronnie Owens
Edits by: GrowinG Internship Team
