The way we look at grass says a lot about our world. For instance, from a cattleman’s perspective, the bunchgrass below is something to graze.

From a longer perspective, it is something that creates shelter. In other words, it is not something to graze, but something to foster. What it shelters (small mammals, for instance) is what is vital.

The grasses between these mounds are in-growth from the ecological disturbance of grazing. They aren’t sheltering anything. Look what happens.

Winter mould and rot. Note that the shelter has been destroyed by it. And that means fewer hawks to control the fruit-eating birds that compete with us in the summer. All from the simple mistake of thinking that grass is a crop. I promise, if you rely on the land for life, you won’t make this mistake more than once.