Bovins domestiques

Like too many other black farmers in South Africa, David Rakgase of Rakgase Farms in Northam, Limpopo, has spent decades being refused the right to buy the state land he had been living and working on for decades. The 74-year-old Rakgase, who runs a

As part of my project management work in communal farming areas in the northern reaches of the Eastern Cape, I’ve noticed livestock handling facilities are either dilapidated or non-existent. This makes it difficult to hold auctions and most sales th

IF ‘a peck of March dust is worth a king’s ransom’, then what’s a whole April of dust worth? Weather lore doesn’t tell us, because it’s unprecedented, here in Galloway anyway. Of all the Aprils for it to happen, this one has been heaven-sent, as the

During a drought, a lack of drinking water is often a bigger problem for livestock than a lack of forage. Livestock are removed from pastures with adequate feed left in them because there’s no drinking water after the pond or stream dries up. Ensurin

Developing a healthy respect for animals is part of every on-the-farm education. We all have stories about the times our animals have surprised us, and not always in good ways. My mother’s childhood was populated by evil roosters and geese that made

To the question whether the Hindus ever ate beef, every Touchable Hindu, whether he is a Brahmin or a non-Brahmin, will say “no, never”. In a certain sense, he is right. From times [sic], no Hindu has eaten beef. If this is all that the Touchable Hin

All countries with a wildlife reservoir for BTB share a common history of a high BTB burden in cattle, which spilled over to wildlife they were in contact with. In South Africa, the most important wildlife reservoir is, without any doubt, the African

Having retired from corporate life last year, John is fully focused on the continuous development and improvement of Nondo Private Game Reserve, a 638ha safe haven for a full spectrum of smaller mammals, birds, predators and a thriving free-ranging t

BEING ATTACKED AND killed by an enraged elephant is an horrific way to die. In 1972 at the time of this incident, was a Rhodesian Department of National Parks & Wildlife Management game ranger. My area of responsibility was the Zambezi Valley’s Urung

• Certified organic goods, services or businesses are marked: • Non-certified producers are included on the implicit expectation that they share a philosophical and practical commitment to recognised standards of organic production. Organic Gardening

The recent unpredictable fluctuations of the New Zealand dairy payout price has created a burgeoning interest in grass-pasture-based dairy farming. Yet for Mark Flipp, an organic dairy farmer at Oroua Downs (Manawatu) it wasn’t a case of returning to

Email: editor@organicnz.org.nz Post: PO Box 9693, Marion Square, Wellington, 6141. I really enjoy reading Organic NZ – it’s a great and informative magazine. It’s encouraging to read about wonderful people growing organically, and the tips and advice

Advertising campaigns in the late 20th century established the myth that milk was essential to building strong bones and getting enough vitamin D—falsehoods that are still pervasive today. Because of the dairy industry’s long-standing financial ties

Practicing for roping, sorting, working cow horse, or any cattle class is challenging without, well, cattle. That was one reason Bill Riel and fiancée Emma Reichert decided to introduce cows to their small horse farm in Mechanicville, New York. Riel

Cows have been providing products for us for millennia, and are more useful to us than any other farm animal. We encounter cow products every day, whether that’s eating a beef burger, putting milk in our tea or wearing a leather jacket. Widespread ac

MOTHER EARTH NEWS FAIR Best-Seller! A gift for anyone ready to get in the soil. This handmade, multipurpose tool makes digging, weeding, hoeing, and trenching faster and easier than ever. Dig through rocks, cut through plant material, and remove unwa

One of the unsung heroes of heritage livestock farming is Norris Albaugh. He has dedicated his life to bringing back an important historic cattle breed — the Native Milking Shorthorn. I had the great pleasure of meeting Norris in 2011 in my role as s

Business partners Soyama Mthongana and Athenkosi Denga, both 26, started farming in Peddie in the Eastern Cape in 2011, but only formalised their business, Lizwe Meat, in 2015. Growing up in Port Elizabeth, the pair learnt about farming from their fa

Alan and Frances Webster arrived in the Weenen area of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) in late 1990, ready to take their first steps towards becoming commercial dairy farmers. The young couple had long been scrimping and saving towards achieving this goal during

Angus McIntosh, a champion of regenerative agriculture in South Africa, has applied biodynamic practices to beef, broiler and egg production since he began farming on Spier Wine Estate near Stellenbosch in 2008. Almost from inception, his customers a

By M.N. Beeler ROYALTON was in the hog pen. She had been quartered there because she was “no good.” At least that is the indictment brought against her by the retiring manager of Strong Holstein-Duroc Farm. The cow testing association record book see

With his long shaggy hair, graying beard and muscle T-shirt, Mike Stura looks like a biker or a truck driver. Yes, he rides a motorcycle and drove trucks for years. But he’s also a vegan who runs an animal sanctuary and calls a cow, Jimmy, his best f

IT’S THE SERENE FIGURE IN the pasture, the wholesome symbol on packages of cheese, the embodiment of sustenance and plenty. For Elliott Kayser, the cow is also a deep well of exploration into culture, place, and the disconnection of modern life from

THE BEST PART about Macy Stewart’s job is spending quality time with the cows. She milks, births, waters, pets, and sometimes serenades the bovines at Traders Point Creamery with a trumpet. Her musical repertoire is cow appropriate: “Back Home Again

Blame this fine book on a 13-foot statue of a Hawaiian cowboy roping a bull outside a grocery store in Waimea on the Big Island. The statue, of Ikua Purdy (1873-1945) piqued the curiosity of coauthors Julian Smith and David Wolman. The result is a ro

They are so much a part of the iconography of the Adirondacks that you would think the state’s largest land mammals were ubiquitous. There is the Moose Tooth Grill in Lake George, the Big Moose Inn on Big Moose Lake and, of course, countless coffee m

Do-it-yourself and self-reliance themes are wonderful — to a point. I know that questioning these themes in the pages of MOTHER EARTH NEWS borders on heresy, but hear me out. Every movement runs the risk of overrunning its original objectives. Concer

By the glow of the headlights, Reney counted again. A calf was gone. A bawling cow trotting ruts into the fence line confirmed Reney’s count. She shoved her work gloves into the back pocket of a pair of Wes’s greasy coveralls. She’d slipped them on o

A wide variety of plant-based meat alternatives has started to appear in grocery stores and on restaurant menus. These substitutes have become increasingly popular, but they are nothing new. The Chinese have been eating plant-based meat substitutes f

ABOUT 14.5 PERCENT OF our greenhouse-gas emissions come from livestock. But what if you could eat a burger without having a cow? When Mark Post grew the first lab-made beef in 2013, the patty (“close to meat but not that juicy,” according to one tast