I was recently conversing with a gentleman who has managed a lot of cattle in his lifetime. He looked over at a small outfit with tons of equipment in the yard, and slowly shook his head. “Why do people invest so much money in equipment, when cattle can do the majority of that work for them?” he asked. I smiled and thought about Pharo Cattle Company’s mantra of not interfering with nature. So often we think that Man has a better way, only to find out that Nature knew what she was doing all along.
Are we the species that invented an indoor lifestyle, only to find out we’re now short of Vitamin D? Didn’t we tell women not to breastfeed, only to discover that breastfed babies learn better? Aren’t we the ones who cleverly invent machines to our work, and then succumb to stress and lack of exercise?
I realize, of course, that technology brings with it some very real advantages. There are certain types of ranch equipment, for example, that are indispensable – they save ranchers loads of time and labor costs. But perhaps the most important piece of ranch “equipment” is the right kind of herbivore. If the herbivore is low-maintenance, then some of those mechanical expenditures can be shifted over to the profit column.
Quote Worth Re-Quoting –
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” ~ Leonardo da Vinci