About 7AM this morning, our 600 sheep entered the main highway for their 3.5 mile walk to their next temporary home. My job was to drive my tractor along behind the mob of sheep and shepherds to stop overtaking traffic. Everything went smoothly. The dogs and shepherds were heroic and the sheep did great. Even the motorists who had to wait were appreciative. Doing agriculture the old way: we could have driven them but this was more sustainable, more authentic, and more fun. https://www.instagram.com/coastal.land.and.livestock/ #petaluma #transhumance #sustainableag

Early this coming Sunday, our team of shepherds are going to walk 600 sheep 6km (3.5mi) from Monkey Ranch to Helen Putnam Park in West Petaluma. Our route will be down the D Street Extension, a two-lane blacktop road with cars regularly going 60mph. A dozen or more shepherds will keep the flock moving along the road. My job will be to drive my 40-horse Kubota tractor along behind with my lights blinking as a warning to overtaking cars. We did this successfully last year with 200 sheep and about 1/2 the distance. Here's a brief video from last year. #petaluma #transhumance #sustainableag

Nous partîmes nombreux·ses du reseau fasciste MÉTA, en route vers le fédiverse afin de refaire le monde virtuel. Malheureusement, une bonne partie de nos camarades ont vraisemblablement péri en cours de route car iels ont complètement disparu. Une pensée émue SVP pour nos camarades mort·es pour le fédiverse.
Merci.
#fédiverse #méta #transhumance #heros #pensees

2024 #Kazakhstan and #Kyrgyzstan - https://moodysbnn.blogspot.com/2024/06/2024-kazakhstan-and-kyrgyzstan.html a long post about my trip to these amazing places earlier this year, now with 68 photos that I took along the way #travel #transhumance

@BroadforkForVictory I've only just realised that Désalpe is the French/Vaudois(?) word for what is called the "Désarpa" in the Aosta valley - the descent from the high pastures. #transhumance

2024 #France - https://moodysbnn.blogspot.com/2024/08/2024-france.html this year's #transhumance, passing through some beautiful French locations #travel

Here's one #illustration I've done from Alto Adige, from my visit this spring.

#Cows are moved to pasture in summer, then walked back down to valley crofts for winter. This movement is called #transhumance—literally "across the ground"—and has been practiced for centuries.

Many #cheesemakers only make when cows are on pasture. In spring you can see the difference in the #milk and #cheese, which is richer yellow due to carotenoids in grass.