/ck/ - Food & Cooking

>>15433716
>With insufficient understanding of the ecology of the plains, farmers had conducted extensive deep plowing of the virgin topsoil of the Great Plains during the previous decade; this had displaced the native, deep-rooted grasses that normally trapped soil and moisture even during periods of drought and high winds. The rapid mechanization of farm equipment, especially small gasoline tractors, and widespread use of the combine harvester contributed to farmers' decisions to convert arid grassland (much of which received no more than 10 inches (~250 mm) of precipitation per year) to cultivated cropland.[4] During the drought of the 1930s, the unanchored soil turned to dust, which the prevailing winds blew away in huge clouds that sometimes blackened the sky

Huh, it's almost like if instead of growing crops maybe they should have tried to keep the grass and produce foods without killing the native grasses... If only something humans could eat could eat grass?

>>15397200
You specifically googled overgrazed field. Looking specifically for livestock mismanagement. Are the animals even pasture rotated? It looks like they just put the grazers out on this tiny pasture all spring and summer and the land never gets to rest. The pale, rocky soil looks like a typical crop field. And if you wanna talk about pollinators, clover (a popular cover crop for pasture) blossoms from early spring to late fall, whereas crop flowers (especially corn and soy) are only in bloom for a few weeks.
When people talk about wanting higher quality beef, most people are just uneducated. What they mean to say is properly managed livestock. Proper pasture rotation is actually a much more efficient use of pasture, since it improves soil health, doesn't overwork the land and stimulates forage growth, meaning over the long term you will get more use per acre