On Fri, 19 Jul 2002 15:48:24 -0700, Wally Day <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>I wonder how many head of cattle a field the size of a
>'standard' corn field could produce if they just cut
>down the corn and planted wild grasses in it's place?
>After all, grass (and scrub) tends to replenish itself
>without too much interference. In fact, I have read
>testimonials from ranchers who claim their land has
>actually *improved* over time because of the grazing
>animals. Just nature's way, I guess.

I've beed doing cuite some computing and comparison with agricultural
numbers.
It looks like basically you're right.
A well managed grassland produces just as much biomass in form of energy and
protein as any other crop does. Same amount of MJ (megajoule).
Of course this isn't what we would wand, such overproductive areas. Because
of the amount of poison and fertilizer required.
In this way such a grazing agriculture you suggested is also good.
Cattle  make only 7 to 10 % of all ernergy eaten into meat or fat.
The rest is used up (lost) or shit out. Fertilizer for the plants to grow.
A grazing agriculture  is environmentionally nice, compared to the usual
craop/fedder type.

It's just the space necessary to feed people.
With animals you yust need the 10-fold space per person to live.
In the USA or Australia you might consider space as endless.
The USA are very thin populated. For most other countries it's different.
Including America, Europe, Asia, Africa, anywhere.

In Europe we're at the boundary of what's possible with the usual way of
life. Germany's fields (including grasslands of course) are about double the
space what would be necessary to feed the people with plants and organic
farming. But about half of what's eaten is animals.
So extreme intense chemical farming is necessary and importing of fedder
crops from USA, Argentinia and all over world is neessary.
To achieve 100% self suffenciency in production.

The big planes of america would make it possible to support a smaller number
(maybe even all USA inhabitants) with pastoralism (and ignore the rest of
the world).

Then it's only the last decision to make. Like someone else mentioned a few
days ago. Will I want the death of a sheep for my food, or not.
The sheep may have been happy and  healthy before.

Cheers,

Amadeus
returning from a great weekend