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Ranchonomics

101. The Smarter Way to Manage Invasive Weeds on Your Ranch with Ben Habig

June 9 · 22 min · Episode 101 · 19.0 MB
0:00-22:34

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Invasive weeds can quietly reduce carrying capacity and create long-term management challenges across a ranch. In this episode, John Haskell sits down with Ben Habig to discuss how prescribed grazing with goats and sheep can provide a biological alternative to chemical weed control. Using species like leafy spurge and houndstongue as examples, Ben explains how targeted grazing can reduce weed pressure, improve pasture utilization, and support healthier soils and riparian areas.

The conversation also explores the realities of managing small ruminants, including fencing, predators, labor, and marketing challenges. Ben shares how his business partners with landowners across Montana to provide targeted grazing services that help ranches manage invasive species while improving long-term pasture health and resilience.

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In this episode, we cover:

  • How goats and sheep can be used for targeted grazing and weed control
  • Why species like leafy spurge reduce pasture utilization for cattle
  • The difference between chemical control and biological land management approaches
  • How prescribed grazing can improve soil health and nutrient cycling
  • Why small ruminants require more intensive management and labor
  • How targeted grazing can create long-term improvements in carrying capacity and pasture composition

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