On Saturday, I attended the memorial service of a beautiful lady and friend. She was 62 and died suddenly from cancer. As I was reflecting on her beautiful and very full and active life, I was reminded of a comment made to me by my friend and investment advisor, a few weeks back. She said “living life should be our passion” As I thought about those simple words, I thought, yes, so brilliantly stated and so true. Simple things like making chili on cold days, making turkey dressing on turkey day, making long dog walk a ritual, cooking salmon to a perfect temp, making Caesar salads par excellence, making music, making love, and hearing two wine glasses make a clinking sound as they touch while two sit close together on barstools...all things and more that rhyme without a scheme and end with the words...my passions. Not just a bad way to live life, but perhaps the most important and only way to live life.
I purchased the Shadow R Ranch property in 2007. The pastures had been severely overgrazed with no effort to regenerate the soil or restore the multiple species of grasses that once flourished and swayed in the breezes during previous generations. For many decades, there was no effort to depart from the traditional mono-farming (a single type of crop at a time vs. planting multiple crops at the same time). This style of farming included deep soil cultivation and, perhaps unknowingly, upsetting the natural balance of the soil. Today because of better soil science, we know bacteria varieties and microorganisms are vitally necessary for soil fertility. That was not the understanding or the mindset of the farmer/rancher family of the past. Unfortunately, many of the current day farmers/ranchers remain uninformed, but that is changing as more and more are becoming aware of the virtues of the poly farming (cover crop) culture and the use and practice of no-till planting. Now, back to the Sh...