Joann Hutton

I learned that: There are a lot of people doing some great things.  Thank You for doing this project.  I have some new ideas to think about and maybe even try or tweek for my own use.

In raising Grass Fed Cattle, I am not putting any fertilizers, pesticides, or other chemicals on the pastures.  This way I know my Grass Fed Cattle never get any grain; and thus I know there is no glyphosate getting into my grass fed Beef.  Because of this lack of grain (which is high in Omega - 6)  I know that my Grass Fed Beef is higher in Omega -3.  I am finding out that the farmed salmon are now low in Omega-3 because of their grain diet and are showing glyphosate in them.  I only eat my Grass Fed Beef that I raise and take care of to the "Harvest plant".

I gathered my electric fence materials today and will be fencing off part of the pasture to let it grow.  If I let the cattle continue to eat it, now that it has started to grow faster, they will cause over grazing.  Over grazing comes from eating the leaves and the plant has to take from its roots to regenerate and thus the roots get shorter and shorter - until it stuns or kills the plant. Bare soil causes wind, water and other erosion to dry out the soil.  Thus, other seeds and plants will not be able to grow, and bare soil can't sequester the CO2 or hold water in the ground.  Thus, leading to many climate changes, that are not healthy for the planet.

I have been busy in nature the last week and missed some days.  The feelings I get from watching nature and the cattle interact is hard  to put into words.  Seeing the grasses and legumes breaking through the ground and manure pies, to think that a tender little leaf can break up a hard, dried manure patty, that then breaks up to then nurture the roots of that plant.  Then you see the earth worms, dung beetles, and the microbiome breaking down the manure patty more.  As the plant grows the insect, birds, wildlife and livestock then benefit from the cycle.  All the needed  elements are there for the plants to grow.  Or if there are some missing minerals or other elements are missing another plant (we usually call them weeds) will grow and bring up from the ground or break down to leave the needed elements to regenerate the other plants.  If nature is left to do it's thing, it will adapt or produce its own elements.  It may take several years, but it isn't going to destroy the soil and other plant life.  Everything has a place and job and raising only one crop, by tearing the soil up only destroys the soil and in 50 or less years the soil becomes unproductive and then it will take nature a long time to rebuild.  Permaculture is a regenerative process that works, but takes time.  Permaculture uses the animals with all the rest of life to rebuild the soil and to sequester the CO2 in the ground.

14 April 2018 A day for planning on starting the irrigation system, check the growth of the pastures, and updating records.  Important to plan when to move onto a pasture and how long to be on it.  This can determine the growth of bad weeds (most weeds don't grow where cattle are rotated through the pastures and cattle will eat most weeds - depends of timing) and it can effect the growth of foliage.  Also, important to plan the irrigating of the land, when the cattle are not on it.  This keeps the land from getting muddy and harming the foliage.  And then you have to know that things may not go as planned and to try to have some back up plans.  Important to write them down and to add notes as you get closer to doing them.  

Friday 13 April 2018.  Started with cattle exploring the world outside their fields.  Day old newborn calf was on the wrong side of the fence.  They know how to get up, suck and follow mother (mother being very close the first week), but some how the calf got through a fence and mother was balling and balling.  So my clue is something is not right.  Out to see the calf and took a rope to caught him.  This has to be done slowly and calmly or the calf will run off, because mothers don't want me or any others around their new calves for the first week - called Bonding with Mother - their protector.  All was good and got the calf back with mother and off they went.
Then to the yearlings, whom had rubbed a fence until they got a hole big enough (reaching for new grass on the other side) for them to get through.  They were very happy and content with all the new grass.  Got them to come back by feeding some hay.  Then spent 3 hours in repair meditations, or fixing the fence.  I had company the last hour - yearling had to see what I was doing.  Very comical how some will stick their noses right in you equipment and back pocket.  I love it when they are so curious and friendly.  
Then to watch a cow give birth to a calf in the field.  What a miracle the day was.  When we let go of the frustrations and see the miracle of love and humor, who needs pills or counseling or doctors.  Nature has all the answers.  And I got my exercise in the fresh air, and had birds to watch from time to time in their day of finding food and building nest for the next generation.  I am very grateful for days like this that teach us to be flexible and to just enjoy the day!

This is a nice time of the year.  Calves are being born.  The grass is growing and everything is turning a beautiful Green Color.  Rainy days to add to the moisture in the land.  Cattle picking at the new grass.  So time to move them to other places and to let the plants build a deeper root system to then have more growth in the plant leaves, seeds and sequestering more CO2.  Great day and thankful for all the abundance that is around me.  Love and humor to All!

Everyday I am sharing information, online and in person, that I have learned about:  1) online through many sources; 2) reading many books, papers and magazines; 3) from what works in my dealing with having had Ovarian cancer, Chemotherapy, and Pancreatic cancer and No chemotherapy;  4) talking to many other people about what they are doing and 5) watching my grass fed cattle interact with all of nature from the microbiome, soil, insects, reptiles, birds, wildlife and the plants, to list a few.  They eat most plants that others call weeds.  They are healthier when they eat a variety of nutrients (minerals to plants).  Doing the planned grazing give the plants the ability to become more mature and thus better for the plants, the mineral cycle, water cycle, the animals and all other life.  I am very grateful for all this information, as it has made my life healthier, and Happier!  Giving back is so gratifying and satisfying!

Tuesday, 10 April 2018, off to the Ellensburg Library to share information and hope that they can take the videos to share through their library with the people of Ellensburg and Kittitas County.  Most of the videos are talking about alternative health care and prevention to our HEALTH ISSUES:  Obesity, diabetes, heart disease, autoimmune diseases, cancer, how to raise our own gardens, how to be sustainable and others on how we need to stop being business as usual and thinking about where we spend our money and energy in healthier ways for  people, planet and profit that is benefit for the whole of LIFE!  
I have watched and checked in with the Thrive movement and watched their free Thrive movie.  Last thirty minutes has a lot of great ideas.  They are working on Thrive II movie and will have it out soon.
I have watched and checked in with The Economics of Happiness group and they have a free movie to watch The Economics of Happiness and it list 8 major things we can do to bring happiness back into our lives and help heal the planet.

Monday, 9 April 2018, I met a grass fed beef customer in their home town (54 miles away) to give them the 1/4 beef (about 150 pounds) they purchased from me.  They have a freezer that they put the paper wrapped meat in (keeps for 1 to 2 years in the freezer).  They say that way they know who is raising their meat and want to support local small farmers.  Also, they don't have to go to the store to purchase the higher priced, with fewer varieties of cuts, and questionable labels and the marketing jargon.  They also, miss the COOL (country of origin label) on the meat packages.  They don't like the idea of how red beef meat looks (dyes added to meat to make meats look fresh) and that there is gases used (gases that are not friendly to our atmosphere) to prolong the shelf life, but not necessarily making it safer, in the plastic wrapped packages (plastic waste an issue to them).  Other issues are:  the many, many subsides that goes into it all - transportation, sales, and corporations get far more tax breaks than the small farmers; have antibiotics been used; have pesticides been used in any of the raising to processing  to sales of the livestock.   They like to think that purchasing locally, that the farmer will be supporting local business and building local communities.