Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["TradingPostPaul" <tradingpost@riseup.net>]

My statement was "alfalfa hay *normally* isn't fed directly to cattle".
Where'd I get that? From old ranchers of course.  They'd bloat and die,
like eating too much clover.  In "that ammonium nitrate green" I meant the
color, not that they were applying ammonium nitrate to their alfalfa. I
haven't asked what they're putting on it, but they're irrigating 24/7 from
our acquifer. Hope it clears that up. 

You mention "Cattle often drink water that is not by definition,
potable/drinkable". Quite true. But it is water, and it could be used in
many places to irrigate food crops, hmm? Actually, in the Great Plains and
Southwest you see metal tanks and windmills on grazing land, and that's
generally potable water or close to it. And it's helping  deplete the
acquifers. 

paul, tradingpost@riseup.net
---------------
The care of the Earth is our most ancient and most worthy, and after all
our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it and to
foster its renewal is our only hope.
   - Wendell Berry 
*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********

On 6/21/2006 at 12:28 PM Ryan Albinger wrote:

>It should have been 20-30 gallons per person per day flushing a toilet
>(4-5
>gallons times 5-6 flushes = 20-30 gal/person/day).  And a total of 50-70
>gallons of potable water used per person per day average.  Cattle often
>drink water that is not by definition, potable/drinkable.
>
>If you have to pump water to raise feed for cattle, that isn't
sustainable.
>Again along the lines, the right conditions equal the ideal use of the
>land.
>
>Your statement: "Though alfalfa hay normally isn't fed directly to cattle"

>Any source of this info.  Even anecdotal evidence is justifiable here. 
>Here in Wisconsin many farmers buy in high testing hay out of Nebraska and
>Colorado as alfalfa hay as well as local hay.  The purpose to feed hay is
>the effective fiber it provides the rumen and the rumen requires to
achieve
>effective rumination, fiber mat, rumen pH stabilization, and deceratinizes
>the rumen papillae.  Pellets are unable to achieve these factors
>effectively because they lack the 'scratch' factor.  Pellets do offer the
>advantage of feed blending and use in some feeding programs.
>
>Why do they use ammonium nitrate on Alfalfa?
>
>Ryan
>
>
>> [Original Message]
>> From: TradingPostPaul <tradingpost@riseup.net>
>> To: <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
>> Date: 6/19/2006 12:23:42 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] Cattle and water
>>
>>
>> Right, Amanda, five gallons was the old standard. I'd like to see the
>> toilet tank that holds 20 -30 gallons - that weight would sink right
>> through the floor ;-) 
>>
>> And an important point: irrigation water for growing cattle feed must be
>> counted in the total cost of raising cattle. Though alfalfa hay normally
>> isn't fed directly to cattle, it is added for many animals' feed in
>various
>> processed products like byproduct pellets. 
>>
>> Here in central NM I can see round fields of that ammonium nitrate green
>> from my front deck, and wouldn't you know it, their sprinklers are
>running
>> full blast at high noon in the summer heat.  It's alfalfa. And I have to
>> wonder about our acquifer. We're on a well. 
>>
>> paul, tradingpost@riseup.net
>
>
>
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