Collection Of Grazing Tips Available Online

Collection Of Grazing Tips Available Online On Pasture has been a valuable resource for graziers nationwide. Founder and publisher Kathy Voth recently announced a gift for anyone interested in grazing cattle, sheep, goats, horses, chickens, pigs and other species. “When you go to the On Pasture website, you’ll find a link to another website where you can download the entire On Pasture library to your own computer,” says Voth. “The compressed folder is 2 1/2 GB, which may be too large for some. I’m looking into other ways to download and may offer a flash drive for a fee.” That library comprises some 2,500 articles by a cross-section of the grazing industry, from hands-on graziers to university researchers. It includes regular contributions from many of the most well-known and well-respected graziers in the country. The collection covers forages, soil health, animal health, and other topics Voth considered important for graziers to know. For nearly 10 years, Voth managed On Pasture as an online subscription magazine focused on grazing. Voth has spent her 40-year career sharing ideas and knowledge on conservation and range management, including the use of goats in fire management (Vol. 36, No. 2) and teaching cows to eat weeds (Vol. 36, No. 2). Voth founded On Pasture after hearing a very uninspiring speech by a scientist describing his research to a roomful of graziers. She noted that he was not reaching them, so she decided to do something different. On Pasture translated scientific and experiential knowledge into practices graziers could use. In 2022, she retired and retired the publication, telling her readers some of what she had tried to accomplish. “We’ve done some myth-busting from time to time,” she says. “Is keyline plowing a helpful practice? Does raw milk and compost tea really grow more grass? Can grazing really sequester more carbon in the soil? What about soil balancing and Brix measurement? These are just a few of the practices we’ve covered with an eye towards helping you keep more money in your pocket.” At the time, she made the library available on the website at no cost. She continued to send occasional newsletters and solicit contributions from readers to support her efforts. That ended this fall. She explained the reasons for the change to her dedicated followers. “Well, I’m retired and am interested in doing other things with my life now,” says Voth. “But at the same time, I want to preserve your ability to access 12 years of information on how to be a sustainable and profitable grazier. “Second, it saves money. It costs about $4,000 a year to maintain On Pasture online in its current state. This solution is almost free.” Voth plans to continue communicating with her graziers. However, instead of emails, they’ll receive notifications from Substack, a service for writers, with or without paid subscriptions. Again, she explained to her followers why. “It eliminates the $150-a-month cost of sending emails to you and gives me a place to share information without spending a dime,” says Voth. “Things have changed a lot since the first issue of On Pasture in March of 2013. What hasn’t changed is how much I care for the grazing community. I hope you’ve felt my caring for you, and I hope that I’ve helped you in some small way.” Articles she published, along with the innovative graziers, equipment, and researchers she showcased, have often resulted in stories in FARM SHOW. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Kathy Voth (kathy@onpasture.com; www.onpasture.com; Facebook: On Pasture).

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