Workshop: Beyond Sustainability – Beef in a New Agricultural Model

Join us for this workshop with farmer-presenter Ridge Shinn to learn more about the grass-fed beef program that Ridge is now developing with Northeast farmers.

Although industrial meat production practices can be bad for the environment and human health, Ridge will explain how new breeds and new ways of grazing cattle and managing farmland can take carbon out of the atmosphere and concentrate it in the soil, which in turn can restore soil fertility and water-carrying capacity, helping grasses survive drought and providing healthy food for humans.

A report published in the journal “Sustainability” on September 30, 2015 compared the net climate effect of various strategies for grazing beef cattle in the Southern Great Plains, where one-third of the U.S cow-calf operations are located. The study, conducted by scientists from South Dakota University and Texas A&M, calculated both the emissions of methane from the animals’ digestive tracts and also the carbon sequestration occurring under the respective grazing scenarios as carbon is taken from the air and stored deep in the ground via photosynthesis and the action of soil microbes. Previous studies on beef production had generally omitted the carbon sequestration factor, which mitigates the greenhouse gas emissions impact. The report concluded that rotational grazing was the best option and  farms employing this grazing strategy would likely be carbon sinks for decades.

The church where the workshop is being held is located on Route 2A at the Corner of Hope Street and Main Street, across from the public library and a public parking lot. Email administrator@uugreenfield.org to register for the workshop, or call Pam Kelly at 413-475-3605 for more information.