The Foundational Role of Observation

Allen R. Williams, Ph.D.

Farmers and ranchers like to believe that we are excellent observers, and we don’t miss anything on our daily rounds. Is that true or have we neglected to fully develop our powers of observation? 
The truth is farming and ranching demands more than the daily checking off of tasks; it requires a keen eye, patient attention, and a willingness to learn from the land.  



SCIENCE AND ART

W.C. Lowdermilk, in the book Conquest of the Land Through 7000 Years, states that, “The land does not lie; it bears a record of what men write on it.  A record that is easy to read by those who understand
the simple language of the land”.  Successful farming and ranching lies at the intersection of the art and science of observation. Our ability to notice, interpret, and act upon changes in the environment, crops,
and livestock can mean the difference between abundance and adversity. Resilience or disaster.  

At its core, observation is the daily process of gathering information through the all our senses—seeing, hearing, touching, smelling and tasting—combined with thoughtful reflection and record-keeping.
Records and data, without keen observation, are often misinterpreted. In our grazing practices, this attentive presence forms the bedrock of all effective management decisions. Modern technology offers
powerful tools, but our own awareness remains irreplaceable.



REQUIRES DAILY ATTENTION

Observation begins with daily routines: watching your livestock move from one paddock to another, noting their level of contentment, examining the prior day’s grazing impact, the health of the plants
and their recovery, the activity of insects, or subtle shifts in animal behavior. Over time, these small details accumulate into a rich tapestry of knowledge and heighten our decision-making capabilities.  

Daily observations allow for early detection of potential problems. Spotting sick or injured animals is easier. Noting body condition score and not letting animals drop significantly before responding.
Assuring that our pastures and paddocks have full recovery and rest before grazing them again. Noting the presence of beneficial insects and birds. Determining increases in diversity. Noting subtle changes
in livestock behavior, appetite, or body stance can signal health concerns before they become critical.


OBSERVTION EXAMPLE

Let’s walk through a specific and very recent example that illustrates the power of observation.  We were recently in the Netherlands doing a farmer workshop. The attendees included many dairy farmers
and other livestock farmers. Our host farm for the workshop was a dairy farm.  

The cows were principally Holstein being housed in barns and fed a silage ration daily.  A robotic pusher kept the silage within reach of the cows as they stuck their heads through the stanchions.
This kept feed in front of the cows the majority of the time.  

Every afternoon, the cows were turned into paddocks to graze. These paddocks were 90%+ ryegrass. The workshop was a Two-Day event, and I made certain to observe
what happened when the cows were turned into the paddock on the first day.  

Interestingly, the cows treated the paddock turnout like kids at school recess. They were clearly happy to be out of the barn and able to roam a little. Many would initially kick up their heels and run around. 
They were clearly playing with each other.  After settling down, some stuck their heads down and began to nibble.  Notice I said “nibble” and not “graze”.  These cows acted as if they were snacking and not like
they were working for a living. Their grazing was half-hearted, and bites were small. The dairy farmers in attendance, including the host, did not recognize this. They thought that the cows were grazing normally.
It was probably normal for these cows, but not for any of us who know what real grazing looks like.  

I then observed that several of the cows never grazed at all.  Once they expended their energy playing, they simply stood there.  Most were looking back at the barn as if to say, “When can we get back in”? 
They were thinking that their food comes from the barn and not a pasture.  


FARMER OBSERVATION

We took the group of farmers out to the paddocks to make initial observations prior to the cows being turned out. Most thought the ryegrass paddocks looked good except for curly dock growing in various
sections of the paddocks. The farmers did not like the dock growing there and wanted to know what they could do to get rid of it.  

We asked them why the dock was growing. No one could provide a good response.  Upon questioning the host farmer, we discovered that they were grazing each paddock every 17-20 days. This meant that the
ryegrass had very little time for recovery from the prior graze and no rest. A shovel test quicky revealed what we suspected.  The ryegrass was shallow rooted, aggregate layer was less than an inch deep, and the
soil was plated and compacted.  The compaction was even causing roots to grow laterally as they encountered the hard pan.  

The dock was growing because the paddocks were overgrazed by grazing too frequently and the soil needed healing. The dock is a very aggressively rooted plant with large, deep tap roots and significant root branching. 
It was trying to break up compaction and help restore soil aggregation.  In addition, it assisted in greater nutrient cycling.  The plant the farmers did not want to grow there was the plant the soil needed most.  


GRAZING IMPACT

The next day we asked the farmers to assess the impact the prior day’s graze on the paddock. They all thought the cows had done a good job grazing and had obtained significant dry matter consumption
from the grazing event.  We then shared with the group what we had observed on Day 1 – the cows were mainly nibbling and several never grazed at all.  They did not consume significant dry matter from
being turned out to the paddock.  

There was also something of definite interest that we hoped the group would notice in their observations, but no one did.  The cows that were nibbling would go to the spots with the dock and graze the
ryegrass down tightly in a circle around the dock.  Where there was no dock the cows would not graze the ryegrass as aggressively.  

In my observations the day prior, I made note of this and saw that the cows were doing this in many areas where the dock was more concentrated. 
They clearly favored the ryegrass growing immediately around the dock.  

We pointed this out to the group after no one seemed to observe. As soon as we pointed it out, they did acknowledge that this was indeed the case. They then wanted to know why the
cows did this and what it indicated. Our response was, “Let’s find out”.  

We first performed brix tests on ryegrass growing close to the dock and it was 10%.  The ryegrass that was not growing in association with the dock averaged 5%.  The dock itself averaged 12%. 
The cows were favoring the higher brix ryegrass. They did not eat the dock because they didn’t know they could.  

Next, we did a shovel test in the patches of dock and ryegrass.  Where the dock was growing there was a stark contrast compared to the shovel test where ryegrass dominated (described above).  

Where there were thicker patches of dock, the roots were much deeper and aggressively breaking up the soil compaction. The level of soil aggregation was much deeper and the soil held more moisture. 
The dock was doing its job.  A job the farmers did not understand before that moment. A job the farmers had failed to observe.  

CONCLUSION

The health of our farms is inextricably intertwined with the health of the broader ecosystem. Through daily keen observation, we become far better stewards of the land. 
We notice the complex web of life that surrounds us: the pollinators, the beneficial predators controlling pests, the shifting bird populations, and the pulse of the seasons.

By recognizing these relationships, we then can make informed choices that enhance biodiversity, improve soil health, preserve water quality, and increase net profitability. 

Our observations are central to the core principles of regenerative agriculture, which seeks to restore and enhance the land’s natural fertility and resilience. By paying close attention
and making astute observations on a routine basis we can build farms that sustain productivity for many generations to come.  

The Land is Calling.

LIBERTAS LAND

Where the work of regeneration becomes the work of life.