March 19, 2007
We're getting ready to start our second year of working with cows to control weeds. Here's what to look forward to:
We're taking Mike and Sally Gale's cows to pasture to work on distaff and Italian thistle. The heifers we worked with last year have had or are aout to have their calves, so we'll be watching to see how their mothers teach them what to eat.
The Lunny's cows are returning to the Wick/Rathmann ranch sometime in April of '07. We'll be working with some of last year's trainees and their calves and we'll be training some new cows. This year we will be practicing some new grazing techniques to see how grazing might be used to erradicate our target weeds and we'll be continuing to monitor progress in increasing native species on the ranch.
Kathy held two workshops in February and a few ranchers have expressed interest in potentially teaching their cows to eat weeds. We'll let you know who signs on and how it goes.
Thanks to Marin Department of Ag, Marin RCD and Marin Organic for your help in putting on the February workshops!
