My buddy, Mike Hall, as cowboy as a southern gentleman can be (and I mean gentle man), sent me a wonderful Christmas card by Jack Sorenson, an artist whose work I wasn't familiar with. I looked Sorensenn up online (linked here) and found his delightful story—he's still making art today!
For my cowboy friends out West River, you're probably thinking, "Kloot, what rock have you been living under these past few years? Haven't you learned anything?" I know; I'm a city boy who fell in love with agriculture at 50. I rose to the role of messenger boy for soil health and regenerative agriculture, a role which, by the way, I cherish.
What struck me about the card Mike sent was how poignant it was, and it reminded me of the reading we had from the Gospel of Luke over Christmas. The passage didn't emphasize kings or wise men, but humble shepherds—those on society's lowest, most despised rung. To these shepherds was revealed the message of the incarnation: hope, freedom, and justice.
The Santa in the picture, kneeling by a fire with his patient horse in the background and his bag of toys nearby, reminded me of those shepherds. There are no flashy red suits, reindeer, or hordes of adoring elves serving hot cocoa while Santa stays warm under a large comforter. No, this is a solitary man, enjoying a cup of coffee (or cocoa?) he made himself. He's on one knee, about to break camp, with children on his mind. I don't see a Santa keeping a "naughty or nice" list here. He's bringing gifts to all children.
This image brought me to thoughts on soil, crops, and rangeland health. I think Mother Nature doesn't keep a naughty or nice list. She teaches her lessons, some of which are hard, but she gives the gifts of sunlight (carbon), water, nitrogen, sulfur, and all the minerals waiting to be released from the soil. Sometimes, we refuse her gifts, but she patiently waits for us to see what she has to offer.
My friend Dan Rasmussen, who talks about changing ranch culture, shows a graph that moves from continuous grazing on the left to high-frequency rotational grazing on the right. This continuum is a line graph with no "naughty or nice" categories and no underlying judgment. People are where they are.
One of the things I've learned about the soil health community (think SD Soil Health Coalition, SD Grassland Coalition, Ducks Unlimited, NRCS, Every Acre Counts, SD Cattlemen, and the list goes on) is that it's made up of people who will meet you where you are. Their motivation stems from a passion for agriculture and a love for people—a willingness to help families and communities thrive and to accept Mother Nature's gifts.
Which brings me back to Luke's Gospel and the Cowboy. Our internet age has had its blessings and curses, but one blessing is that we've democratized the idea of soil health and regenerative agriculture. It's no longer a secret kept by a few—it's available to all, even those of us who see ourselves as lowly shepherds at the lower ends of society.
So, as we reflect on this Christmas and look forward to the new year, I encourage you to keep Jack Sorenson's image in mind as a reminder: the community has passionate people who will meet you where you are (indeed, who have been where you are), no judgment required, no “naughty” labels. And if you allow them, they can show you how to participate in Mother Nature's gifts of abundance.
Here's wishing you a wonderful New Year!
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Visit these “Growing Resilience Through Our Soils” information pages:
1. Podcast page for drought planning fact sheets, Q&As, news, podcasts and more.
2. Video page to watch videos of other ranchers’ journeys toward improved rangeland/pasture.
3.Follow Growing Resilience on social media:
4. Our homepage: www.growingresiliencesd.com
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