Each year we host a few dozen horses on our winter range. They are given hay when snow makes grazing difficult but they normally feed on rangeland and uncut hay fields. The horses have running spring water just south of our house and most mornings they troop down to drink. This is always a beautiful […]
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Recently I spent several hours discussing environmental issues with an honors class at MSU. One of the points I emphasized was the importance of thinking beyond slogans. When seeking to craft effective environmental policies, good intentions are simply not enough. I left the class with a handout that included this quote from Mark Twain: “It […]
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Controversy over the location and operation of gravel pits illustrates an exceedingly important, widely neglected, and oft misunderstood principle of economics: clear and enforceable property rights minimize conflict. Their absence or ambiguity fosters all manner of negative feelings and behavior, sometimes even violence. The Indian Wars of the 1800s, Israeli-Palestinian conflicts over settlements, and the […]
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Archaeology interprets past cultures and economies by studying material remains and environmental data. Long associated with analyses of classical civilizations such as Greek and Roman, it is also applicable to more modern times. For example, in 2001 the University of Arizona Press published Rubbish: The Archaeology of Garbage, an analysis of contemporary America’s disposal culture. […]
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Each year we winter a few dozen horses on our ranch. A good neighbor arranges this with his friends who have horses but lack winter pasture and want to avoid the cost and bother of feeding hay. The horses have good, inexpensive feed for six months. We derive modest income while our rangeland benefits from […]
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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently delisted the grey wolf from the ESA. This generated outcries from many directions and it’s no wonder; few western issues are as emotionally charged as wolf reintroduction, recovery, or regression (to the 1800s). One’s choice of words speaks to his position on this controversial issue. All can cheer […]
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I’m evermore skeptical of the policy prescriptions demanded by those convinced climate change threatens civilization. Al Gore, the leader of this pack, asserts that if we do not act “within 10 years” (to reduce CO2 emissions) we are likely to reach a “tipping point” making it impossible “to avoid irretrievable damage to the planet’s habitability.” […]
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Many small towns throughout our region peaked in 1917 and most have declined ever since. Such economic factors as resource depletion, mines played out, and the worldwide agricultural depression of 1919 drove these declines. Further, economies of scale encouraged larger farms and ranches as mechanical replaced muscle power. Concurrently, with superior cars and trucks running […]
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I find the Gallatin Gateway community immensely attractive on multiple dimensions. Its location is grand; an easy ten miles to Bozeman on paved back roads, a near perfect bike commute. It enjoys a spectacular setting with the Spanish Peaks to the south, the 100,000-acre Flying D ranch to the west, and the Gallatin River running […]
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Once upon a time, in a country way, way down under, the government dismantled its system of agricultural subsidies and supports. Initially, cries of outrage and disbelief were heard from farmers all across the land. For more than 20 years, farm assistance had steadily increased, peaking at 33 percent of total farm output (about double […]
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