Lessons in Herding, Irrigation

#bfrdpwy #aginternship #RightRisk

Over the past week, I have learned about how Holistic Resource Management influences the decision making around grazing habitats for the herd on the Perry Cattle Ranch. The cows rotate through many different fields, allowing the grass to rest for longer periods of time, encouraging soil health and biodiversity. I was able to participate in herding the cows via ATV, and I discovered a few methods for effectively moving them from one area to the next. Beyond moving cows, I was able to witness the birth of two calves, and learned that heifers recognize their young by sight, hearing and smell.

Along with working with the cows themselves, I learned about the basics of irrigation through the operation of side rolls and two pivot systems. After this week, I feel confident in my ability to operate side rolls and flood irrigate smaller plots of land. I also gained knowledge on preventing buildup in irrigation systems through tools such as River Screens, and how the ranch accesses water via Lake de Smet and Piney Creek.

Working hands on with all these systems has given me a deeper insight into what and how much exactly goes in to running a small ranch operation.

I would challenge how the irrigation systems operate on a heavily manned basis. I wonder if there would be any way to increase the mechanization of irrigation through future technologies, and how that would be done to reduce the manual labor associated with irrigation for the operators of the ranch. Also, I would challenge how irrigation systems, such as pivots, could be run via energy forms such as wind and solar instead of oil to decrease the environmental impact of agricultural operations.

At this point, I am still curious as to how the ranch operates differently in the winter. I wonder how irrigation habits are altered by precipitation events such as rain, or lack of water from snow runoff. I am interested to learn more about the maternal instincts of cows, and how cows are chosen to be sold for meat. I have quite a few questions about how retaining biodiversity of the plants in the pastures affects the nutrition of the cows, and the differences in health between grass- and corn-fed cows.

I wonder how the carbon output of smaller grass-fed cattle operations compares to industrial cattle operations. I am curious as to how indigenous and native knowledge can be applied towards farming and ranching on lands that were originally cultivated by native peoples.

I plan to use the knowledge gained over the past week as a great basis to sustain further investigation throughout the summer. Now that I have a basic understanding of the different operational realms of the ranch, I can hopefully devote my energy more towards focusing on efforts geared towards concepts such as sustainability and fostering biodiversity in plants and microfauna.

I hope to apply what I learned towards furthering the sustainability of irrigation systems in brittle environments such as those in Northern Wyoming.

Submitted by: Jamie Kaste
Edited by: GrowinG Internship Team