About 70% of the beef in the US comes from concentrated animal feeding operations. These huge livestock operations contribute to 7% of US greenhouse gas emissions. This photo project is meant to show the other side of that spectrum. Bart and Wendy Morris, co-owners of Oxbow Cattle Company, employ techniques that protect the land and ensure high quality beef. Over the past few months, I have witnessed the way that the ranchers at Oxbow care for their cattle and try to control as much of the process as possible.
Each day, the cattle are grazed on a different part of the land. That land will not be touched for another year. This gives the cover crops a chance to grow back fully. This grazing technique mimics the natural grazing habits of cattle and traps CO2 in the ground. The cattle are not given any growth hormones or antibiotics, Morris relies on the cows’ natural immune systems combined with grazing techniques that lessen the probability of parasites.
