Holistic cattle management aims to restore grassland ecosystems by recreating the effects of wild herds with livestock. It is based on cattle and grasslands co-evolving, with herds protecting against predators and distributing water and nutrients. While modern farming has reduced grassland quality, holistic management uses planned grazing patterns to mimic natural herding and allow land to recover as needed, potentially resuscitating grasslands.

1. Understanding Holistic Cattle
Management
By: Scott Lively Organic Beef

2. Understanding Holistic Cattle Management
A pioneer in the U.S. organic beef industry, Scott Lively founded Dakota Beef, an organic beef
company that became the largest in the country. Today, Scott Lively focuses on PureLand
America, which sells organic beef from cattle that have been born, matured, and processed in the
U.S. using a holistic management approach.

3. Understanding Holistic Cattle Management
An approach used by farmers and ranchers, holistic management aims to restore grassland
ecosystems, and, to this end, ranchers have the opportunity to recreate the effects of wild herds
with livestock. The foundation behind holistic cattle management is that the earth's grasslands,
from prairies to savannas, co-evolved with animals. The animals created herds for protection
against predators, and these tightly packed groups played a vital role in water and nutrient
distribution and recycling. In turn, this created verdant regions in continental interiors all over the
world.

4. Understanding Holistic Cattle Management
Today, modern farming practices have reduced the quality of the earth's grasslands, but holistic
management may offer a way to rectify this because the cattle grazing patterns found in
conventional livestock management resemble the natural patterns of wild animal herds. Ranchers
may be able to resuscitate grasslands through holistic planned grazing which involves charting
grazing patterns based on such environmental factors. For instance, to determine how long a piece
of grassland should be allowed to recover after grazing, the pattern must take into consideration
the health and natural cycle of each of the plants growing there.