There is a lot of talk about how livestock is bad for the environment… carbon emissions, topsoil erosion, cow farts, and the list goes on and on. I am not here to debunk these statements but rather shed light on a different perspective. When done the right way, animals can actually be beneficial to the environment. How do we do it? It’s called “three species rotation.” If this sounds sophisticated, don’t be fooled, it’s basically a game of following the leader, with my pet sheep, Wilson, leading the crowd.
How sheep, pigs, and chickens heal the soil
Or how Rebel Wilson, Russel Crowe and Kevin Bacon Heal the soil, lol
Here’s how it works:
1 – We start with our flock of sheep in a small section of our pasture.
We move them to a new patch of grass every day in a process called “mob stocking.” This process ensures that they get a clean area with fresh grass, free of poop (good for the animals), and keeps the sheep from over-grazing the grass (good for the soil).
2 – A few days later, we bring our egg-laying chickens into the same small section of grass that the sheep were in.
Now I am no poop scientist, but something happens 2-3 days after a sheep “fertilizes” the ground. Bugs and flies are drawn to the poop, and you know who loves bugs and flies… CHICKENS! “Russel Crowe (one of the roosters) and his gang scratch around and add their own fertilizer to the mix.
3 – Rounding out this rotation is Kevin Bacon and his brother Kevin Bacon
Note…. all the pigs are named Kevin Bacon). Pigs are Mother Nature’s tillers. The pigs root around, mix up the soil, then pat it down. After the pigs, it’s time for the soil to get a nice long rest! This gives the grass time to grow and regenerate. And there you have it, three species (lambs, chickens, and pigs) rotation.
Three Species Rotation Question
You might be thinking, “that’s great, Kel, but how is this good for the environment?” Excellent question…. The answer is CARBON SEQUESTRATION. What the Farm does that mean? Let me respond to your question with a question. What do plants need to breathe? That’s right, CO2. The more healthy, green grass you have, the more carbon is taken from the atmosphere and distributed into the soil through the grass’s root systems.
And now you have been to #farmschool.
No experience necessary,
Kelly
