Alluring Prairie Grasslands

People are attracted to prairie grasslands for numerous individual reasons that often stem from some sort of soul calling. Grasslands have long whispered to and captivated artists, writers, soul seekers and ranchers.

The prairies are often viewed as flat expanses of land but the prairies also include rolling hills and some pretty rough and rugged land. They are a fascinating landscape in any shape. Lush and inviting one moment and stark and barren the next.

Besides all this, who would ranchers be without grassland? Our well being, our lifestyle and our hopes are all tied up in the grass. Ranching with sheep would not be possible if we did not devote time and effort (and a webpage or two!) to getting to know our land and the grassland habitat.

Prairie grasslands are simply and absolutely essential pieces of land. The Canadian prairies exist in a region of moderate rainfall and average climate. The prairie grasses are able to reach water and survive through bitter drought conditions. To dismiss their value, rip them up or to raise livestock without acknowledging the gift of the grass is something we can't fathom.

Observing and getting to know the gift under our feet is paramount to our success. After all, natures gifts are double edged.

When we purchased the ranch it was crop land save for a few hundred acres of native prairie. From the beginning we appreciated those acres of native prairie and could not fathom destroying them to gain a few more acres of crop.

Maybe the sentiment was a hint of our future.

On the prairies the acres of native prairie ,our rangeland, is diminishing as man remains entrenched with the habit of cultivating it.

Watching native prairie being ripped by cultivator shovels brings me to tears and makes me think of the lyrics in the song 'Big Yellow Taxi' sung by Joni Mitchell: "Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got till it's gone."

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