In this episode, LGLCI Executive & Education Director Tara Morris sat down to chat with Brian Early, State Plant Community Ecologist for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.

Brian shared a wealth of knowledge about the native flora and fauna of Louisiana, and their historical significance to the landscape. Additionally Brian gave insight to the benefits that planned land disturbances, such as grazing and/or prescribed fire, can have on the ecosystem.

Some additional notes from Brian:

10:33 – I was referring to several books and the General Land Office records:

• Lockett, Samuel. 1995 (L. Post, editor). A Geographical and Topographical Description of the State 1869-1872
• Darby, William. 1817. A Geographical Description of the State of Louisiana. 
• Newton, Milton Jr. 1987. Louisiana A Gerographical Portrait.
• Hardy, Laurence, Edt. 2008. Freeman and Curtis Red River Expedition of 1806
• Louisiana State Wildlife Action Plan. 2025. https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/assets/Resources/Publications/Wildlife_Action_Plans/2025-Louisiana-State-Wildlife-Action-Plan.pdf
• Office of State Lands, historical surveys and documents. https://wwwslodms.doa.la.gov/

12:32 – I mention we “had bison in every parish in Louisiana”. To clarify, we have had bison occurrences reported from every parish. The statement “had bison in every parish in Louisiana” to some may be interpreted as stable persisting population. On the contrary, the bison herds were largely migratory and grazing as they passed through.

18:13 – I mention either mammoth or mastodons were present in Louisiana historically. However, the fossil records show that both were present.

22:38 – The first law of thermodynamics is called conservation of energy, which states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another.

23:00-24:00 – “Intact plant communities / intact plant systems” What I am referring to here is very mature old growth intact systems that have secured some high level of ecological stasis, where plant species assemblages are relatively stable, able to resist weedy and non-native encroachment, and buffer environmental changes.

35:00 – I did not answer this question very well and yes there is some loss of energy/mineral resources when live stock bulk up on the land and then removed.

36:56 – Over-grazing is even more of an issue on the contemporary landscape due to plant and animal habitat fragmentation, impeding plant and animal migrations and recolonizations. When conservative plant species (often-high forage quality species) are over-grazed or extirpated from a property, they rarely, if ever, return to the habitat.

In this episode, Education Director Tara Morris sat down to interview Stacy Taylor to learn all about his decision to add baleage to his cattle operation. Stacy made the switch to include wet hay as part of his management practice about two years ago, and has already seen the benefits of making that change.

Stacy walks us through the whole process, starting with what made him change from feeding only dry hay, to feeding a mix of wet and dry hay. He talks about his trial and error process of figuring out what works for him, the economics behind producing wet hay, some of the equipment that he finds be beneficial, and some tips he's learned along the way.

Stacy Taylor is a 5th generation rancher, based out of NW Louisiana and into East Texas. His operation consists of primarily South Poll cattle. Stacy also sits on the Louisiana Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative Board of Directors.

Learn how Julie Mattox is using livestock on her property to restore native prairie species. She uses cattle and sheep to create targeted disturbances, which has helped improve the soil and created an environment for native plant species to thrive.

She has conducted forage testing on more than 50 native and non-native plant species consumed by livestock, measuring protein values, total digestible nutrients (TDN), and other nutritional indicators. Her most recent research applies DNA metabarcoding techniques to analyze fecal samples from cattle and sheep, providing quantifiable data on dietary composition and advancing understanding of livestock-prairie interactions.

Julie Mattox is a retired surveyor with 35 years of experience in the energy industry, where she worked extensively across the United States and Canada. While operating her own consulting firm, she explored diverse ecosystems, and her time in the short- and mixed-grass prairies of the West sparked a deep interest in prairie ecology and biodiversity.

Following her career, she shifted her focus to restoring tallgrass prairie on a former dairy farm in Northeast Texas. Her restoration efforts combine soil health management, adaptive multi-species grazing, and native plant reintroduction to rebuild biodiversity and ecosystem resilience. Julie partnered with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to implement the Pastures for Upland Birds program and collaborates closely with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to apply science-based management practices.

*To better see the graphs and charts Julie references in her discussion, view this episode on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMV6JjlOmeA

In this discussion, three farmers from across Louisiana talk about their grazing management strategies, and how they use grazing to help manage cattle health. Panelists are: Mr. Conner Hays (Vinton, LA); Mr. Josh Morris (Slaughter, LA); Mr. Robby "Butch" Royer (Denham Springs, LA). This audio is from a recorded webinar. The video recording is also available on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euTByKFgC_A&t=33s

This interview is a follow-up from the Producer Panel at the 2025 Louisiana Forage Conference. The recording of that discussion can be found on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/a6lG2ldHnzA

LGLCI educates and connects land owners, farmers, ranchers, and land operators to provide a network of information and how-to’s on better economically and ecologically grazing Louisiana’s grazing lands.

In this episode, Tara and Caitlin speak with Wallace Mills about the unique way he structures his operation, how he markets his cattle, and what he's planning to plant for fall.

Wallace, along with his father and brother, operate a cattle farm in Northeast Louisiana. Tune in to learn how they differentiate themselves from the typical cow-calf operation.

In this episode, we learn from Scott Durham, a Wildlife Biologist for Ducks Unlimited, Louisiana. In addition to his professional experience as a wildlife biologist, Scott is a rancher at heart, with experience working on ranches in Texas and Wyoming.

Together with host Tara, they dive into the unique relationship that wildlife can have with agriculture. They discuss the many mutual benefits that a diverse wildlife population can have on a grazing operation. Tune in to learn about how grazing and wildlife can work together.

In this episode, we had the pleasure of sitting down with Dr. Charles Rohla, a senior regenerative ranching advisor at the Noble Research Institute. Actively involved in several state and national organizations focused on pecans and agriculture, Dr. Rohla brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table.

Together with host Tara, they dive into the "why" and the "how" of integrating grazing practices into pecan orchards. Discover the benefits of grazing ruminants in a pecan operation. Learn about the benefits of adaptive grazing in these unique systems, and gain insights into sustainable practices that nurture both land and livestock while boosting the farm’s profit.

In this episode, join host Tara Morris, Education and Outreach Coordinator for Louisiana GLCI, as she welcomes Louisiana Botanist Larry Allain for a deep dive into the history and restoration of the Louisiana Tall Grass Prairie. Together, they explore the ecological significance of this endangered landscape, and its vital role in sustainable agriculture. From practical applications in land management to the importance of native species, this discussion sheds light on how farmers, landowners, and conservationists can work together to preserve Louisiana’s tall grass prairie. Whether you're passionate about biodiversity, land conservation, or regenerative farming, this episode will inspire and educate. Tune in to learn more about the past, present, and future of Louisiana’s Tall Grass Prairie!

Tara and Ellen speak with Cooper Hurst about controlling expensive inputs, "cheap insurance", and the reality of pivoting your operation overtime.

Mentioned links:

Cost-Effective Mineral Supplementation Programs for Beef Cattle by KC Olson, Ph.D., PAS, ACAN 

http://gpvec.unl.edu/elective_files/Pregnancy%20Examination/Beef%20Cow%20Nutrition%20Resources/Cost-Effective%20Min%20Beef%20-%20KC%20Olson.pdf

Dirt to Soil by Gabe Brown

https://g.co/kgs/b7Dpww

MAN, CATTLE and VELD by Johann Zietsman

https://g.co/kgs/8tMpem

How to Not Go Broke Ranching: Things I Learned the Hard Way in Fifty Years of Ranching by Walt Davis

https://g.co/kgs/Xt27yC

Grant Estrade and his wife Kate own and operate Local Cooling Farms in Bogalusa, LA. They also run a nursery and a local food hub, have a wide social media following, and have drastically improved the heal of their land through well managed multi-species rotation.

In this episode, Grant shares a lifetime of experience in spreading organic matter, composting, and opportunities to improve your soil health through community partnerships.