Grasses, Forbes, and Shrubs . . . Oh My!

Guest post by Clemson student Katharine Martin

My last three days have been spent knee-deep in grass and cow patties. These last few days have focused on forages and how the surrounding environment interacts with them. We've spent time learning how to identify some of the common grasses and forages that can be found around Roundup, Montana. These include but are not limited to Arrowleaf Balsamroot, Prairie Smoke, Kentucky Bluegrass, and many others. I was surprised to fi nd just how much diversity could be packed into this small corner of Montana. There was so much happening just below our feet. The many types of bugs and grasses we've seen have caught my interest and inspired me to look below my feet when I return to SC. 

We've done a lot of work recently collecting data within Ethan's plots to determine the effects of four treatments: thinned and burned, thinned and unburned, unthinned and burned, and lastly, unthinned and unburned. The Bobcat fi re, which occurred in 2020, decimated several parts of Montana, bringing back into question the effects of burning on the land. This land has historically been burned, but now the mention of fi re is almost criminal. One of our research goals is to determine the effects burning within the past years has had on the forbs and grasses in the area. It has been fun to split into teams to identify and process the different plots of land. I've learned about navigation, data entry, and the different effects fi re has on forb growth. 

When we were not out in the field collecting data, we took the opportunity to visit some of the more local cattle farms. Out here, the cattle industry far surpasses that of South Carolina. One of their feedlots can hold almost 80% of SC's total cattle. As a wildlife biology major, I couldn't feel more out of place on the farms. Domesticated cattle are far from the wild Sprague's Pipits and Prairie Dogs I've had my heart set on. However, these farms offered a nice change of pace from being out in the field. We visited both a feedlot and a backgrounding operation, which gave us good insight into the cattle operations here. 

Seeing the feedlot almost came as a culture shock. I had never been around this kind of industry before, so it was interesting to see the heart of where our meat comes from. The cattle within the lot came from several different customers, three of them being larger commercial operations. The feedlot supports several types of cattle, the main two of which are Angus and Wagyu. The Wagyu cattle are specifically bred for their exceptional marbling and fat. Seeing the operation made me curious as to what the differences between a Montana feedlot and a South Carolina feedlot may look like. What processes or extra steps may be needed here that are not required in SC? 

The backing operation raises cattle without finishing them and shipping them to Canada. When they reach Canada, they will be finished in a feedlot and processed into the products we see in our stores today. They work as a middle ground between cow-calf operations and a feedlot. It was interesting to see and hear how they ran their operation and the areas that they were successful versus unsuccessful.

Overall, the time with Dr. Matias and our time in the field was very educational and brought forth a new view of agriculture. I learned just how much science really goes into taking care of cattle and accounting for proper forage. Taking care of cattle and the land they graze on is not for the faint of heart or dull of mind. These operations require a large amount of planning and knowledge that can either make or break your business.