Jodi Peterson

Associate Editor

A “seven-step program” sounds like some kind of self-help regimen, perhaps for overcoming a tendency to date wildly inappropriate men. But a former BLM employee is using one to teach cows to eat the nastiest of Western weeds: Canadian thistle, leafy spurge, and spotted knapweed.

Livestock consultant Kathy Voth says that when teaching cattle to expand their menus, the first step is to “know your weeds.” She’s quoted in the Dec. 15 Capital Press:

“First, know your weed and what’s in it. All plants contain nutrients, which increase palatability, and toxins, which reduce it. Toxins are not automatically toxic. It’s the dose that makes the difference,” she said. “I make sure weeds I want to feed cows are nutritious. If there are supplements I can provide to help the animal deal with the toxins, I make them available.”

She starts with a pen full of young cows, which, unlike young humans, are willing to try new foods. For the first few feedings, she adds a squirt of molasses to make the weeds more palatable. Then it’s cold turkey with no condiments. When returned to the pasture five days later, the trained cows teach the rest of the herd to eat weeds.

Voth is now working with a California county and a Montana ranch to use these four-legged weed eaters. Wonder if they’ll still qualify as “grass-fed beef.”