It’s not the cow, it’s the how.
Within industrial agriculture, cattle are fed highly-subsidized grains such as corn. Not only is corn cheap, but it fattens the cow in an extremely short period of time. However, cows have not evolved to consume grain, and therefore, experience adverse health effects such as acidosis and bloat. Cows have a unique digestive system that allows for them to break down the fibrous material of grass and derive nutrients from it. Also referred to as “ruminants,” cows have four stomach compartments that form a digestive tract perfectly suited for wild plants, and specifically grass (Linn). Cows that are fed a diet of strictly grain often require medical intervention and antibiotics, which then causes another prominent issue facing the agricultural industry today: antibiotic resistance. With this example, you can begin to trace the cycle of industrial agriculture: interfere with nature, issue arises, treat issue with another solution, so-called “solution” causes more problems. Around and around it goes, so dizzying that it’s easy to forget what the problem was in the first place.
Let’s trace it back to the beginning—interfering with nature. Ruminants are specifically designed to eat grass, yet we are feeding them solely grain. We are interfering with nature in the name of productivity and profit. So, if interfering with nature—which could be the tagline for industrial agriculture—is the problem, then what is the solution? Working with and modeling after nature. This is the entire philosophy of sustainable and regenerative agriculture.
How do animals naturally move?
What do they eat?
How do they interact with their ecosystem?
How do plants naturally grow?
Where do they derive their nutrients?
How do they interact with their ecosystem?
Sustainable farmers and ranchers ask themselves these questions, and model their systems and practices after their answers. By observing nature, one can see that cattle are designed to roam from pasture to pasture, moving as a herd to naturally evade predators. Their consistent movement tills the soil and germinates grass seed, which improves the health of the soil. With abundant microbial life in the soil, other animals such as chickens can feed off of the life in the soil. In nature, birds follow herbivores, so this only makes sense.
As it relates to fruit and vegetable farming, modeling after nature is also extremely beneficial. The more biodiverse a system, the more resilient it is. Mother Nature knows this, which is why a healthy ecosystem contains a multitude of plant species. Industrial agriculture utilizes a mode of farming called “mono-cropping,” which is exactly what it sounds like: one crop. These perfectly-manicured lines of crops are much more susceptible to drought, strong winds, and heavy rain, thus requiring fertilizers and pesticides to ensure survival. In nature, the plants are biodiverse, with hundreds of species occupying a small area of land. Below ground, the root systems can connect and even convey survival information from species to species (Hidden Life of Trees). Above ground, the plants are stronger and more nutrient-dense, aided by the diversity of microorganisms in the soil. By mimicking the growing patterns of nature, sustainable farmers are able to increase yield, reduce expensive inputs, and grow a more-nutrient dense product. Humans will never be able to out-smart Mother Nature. Instead of looking so far ahead, we should be looking back.
