Fasly-Kam

I frequently hear the "fact" that livestock production is an inefficient use of land, so I thought I’d have a little fun and dust off some of my old pasture management information. We can debate the numbers, but I don’t think I’m too far off ... Let's assume the following: - Dry matter yield from perennial ryegrass & white clover pasture of 10,000 lb per acre - 75% of the pasture dry matter produced is consumed by the grazing animal - A conversion rate of 14 lb of pasture dry matter per lb of hanging weight - An edible yield of 65% of the hanging weight - A cooked yield of 56% of the raw weight - A per meal protein requirement of 4 ounces of cooked meat - 3 meals per day Under these conditions, a piece of pasture less than 209 x 209 feet could produce enough meat to supply a person's daily protein needs for 260 days (not to mention the lovely fat!). Remember that this land can be completely unsuited to the production of grains, fruits, or vegetables. If we could b...

I'm finding it difficult to establish a regular posting routine. Hopefully a consistent effort will produce results, even if I’m not currently meeting my target. There are certain “givens” in this concept I call Grass Based Health. Here’s a few that I put down as a response to the “Diet-For-a Small-Planet” folks. You know them, right? They’re the ones that say that animal agriculture is an inefficient use of land and that grain-based diets are healthier for us. There are many points that could be made, but let’s start with these: 1. The vast majority of the earth’s land surface isn’t suited to the production of fruits, grain, & vegetables. But a significant portion of it is well suited to the production of high quality protein and fat via ruminant animals and managed grasslands. (That US-type agriculture feeds grain to cattle and sheep doesn’t refute this fact.) 2. Well-managed grass-based agriculture (the production of milk, meat, and fiber from perennial grasslands) is sust...

The last three weeks have been VERY full. Lots of great moments, with the Spring Fling Hammered Dulcimer Gathering capping it all off last weekend. I'm trying to get caught-up, and writing for this blog hasn't been at the top of my list. I'm trying to get into the habit of posting regularly, so here are two informative videos I found on a post Tom Naughton's blog . I wasn't aware of Dr. Scott Connelly or his Body Rx book and website . From the comments section of Tom's blog I understand that Dr. Connelly has been ill recently and his condition is seen in these videos. No matter, the information is solid and his presentation is good. I've got a slight problem with some of his language, but it's relatively mild. Dr. Connelly: Talks About Insulin pt. 1 Dr. Connelly: Talks About Insulin pt. 2

Last weekend I attended the combined meetings of American Society of Bariatric Physicians and Nutrition and Metabolism Society. Among the many great researchers I met was Dr. Stephen Phinney. Over dinner the topic of pemmican came up, and we shared our recipes. During his presentation he discussed the importance of pemmican in the diets of the people who inhabited the Great Plains of North America prior to, and for some time after, the arrival of European settlers. Pemmican is produced by pounding or grinding dried lean meat and combining it with rendered fat. It is equal parts, by weight, of dried meat and fat. Pemmican kept indefinitely without refrigeration, had a greater nutrient density than any other food, and as such, was the ideal “trail-food”. It sustained the Plains people in extraordinary health for centuries, and fueled the European exploration of North America and beyond. And then the modern nutritionists decided it needed to be “improved.” Convinced that this meat and fat...

This is a "Blurb" I've used for a talk I've started giving to agricultural audiences. It seemed like a good thing to use for a "test-drive". Grass Based Health: Turning the Food Pyramid Upside Down Conventional wisdom, when it comes to human nutrition, tells us that we should be eating a low-fat diet, with restricted consumption of red meat. This advice became the official recommendation of the United States government in the late 1970’s. Peter Ballerstedt will introduce evidence that the fat-is-bad hypothesis was wrong, and the impact the growing awareness of this can have on animal agriculture in Oregon . Peter has an extensive background in forage production, utilization, and forage-based livestock production systems. He was the forage extension specialist at Oregon State University from 1986 until 1992. His recent personal experiences led him to study human diet and health. What he’s learned doesn’t agree with advice we’ve been given for the past 30...