How Bobolinks Benefit from Grass-fed Beef
posted on
April 13, 2023
Spring is marked by the songs of returning birds. Grandma always keeps a keen eye out for the robins in March.
While she watches for robins, we keep an eye out for bobolinks.
Bobolinks are charismatic looking birds with a black breast and white back, capped with a yellow head; almost like a backwards tuxedo.
The signature song of the bobolink is a long, bubbling, whimsical tune that lets us know that grazing season is here.
Bobolinks are a special concern species in Wisconsin and have had declining populations over the last few decades as monocrop fields replace their native habitat.
According to the Audubon Society, less than 40% of historic grasslands remain today.
"Fewer than 40 percent of the 550 million acres of historical grasslands that once stretched from Alberta to Mexico remain today."
That's where regenerative farming and the "Real Burger of Earth Day" comes into play.
By planting perennial pastures, we can begin to replicate the natural grasslands that these birds (and so many other species) depend on.
Cattle are an important part of replicating grasslands. They, like bison, are ruminants and thrive on a 100% grass-fed diet. When they graze, they fertilize the ground and stimulate the plants to regrow (sequestering carbon from the atmosphere in the process).
But it's not just the grass they eat that's important...it's the way they move across the grassland, too.
Wild bison would never stay in one spot and eat everything down to nothing, letting their manure build up, and our cattle don't either.
Instead, we use "rotational grazing" to move the cattle in small sections across the pasture every day so they are always moving, and always giving the pasture a chance to rest and replenish.
This creates the perfect nesting habitat for bobolinks, which have thrived in our pastures over the last few years since we began rotationally grazing.
As the weather continues to warm up, we'll keep looking out for the bobolinks....you look for the incredible grass-fed beef burgers that help make their critical habitat here possible!
Find savings on a variety of our 100% grass-fed beef favorites (including 20% off 4 pack mini bundles of burgers and select individual steaks) during our Spring Beef Sale, going on NOW!
