Ridgeland publication has influence throughout the U.S., Canada. (Focus Agribusiness).(environmentally friendly grass farming)

RIDGELAND -- You wouldn't normally think of Ridgeland as being a hotbed for promoting sustainable agriculture and family farms. But The Stockman Grass Farmer magazine and publishing house located here has far ranging influence across the country promoting environmentally friendly grass farming.

"They are very reputable," says Gordon Hazard, a cattleman from West Point. "They are well known throughout cattle areas in the U.S. and Canada. They strictly promote grass-based agriculture for animals rather than feedlot type operations. The benefit of that is the slaughter animal is produced cheaper and more environmentally friendly than in the feedlots."

The Stockman Grass Farmer is a business better known outside of Mississippi than in the state. In fact, Mississippi isn't even in the top 10 states for the magazine's paid circulation of 10,000. Other states, particularly in the West, have much larger numbers of ranchers than Mississippi.

In addition to publication of their monthly magazine, the business owned by the Nation and Davenport families sells books such as Hazard's recent offering, "Thoughts and Advice from an Old Cattleman." In addition to publishing books, the company also puts on conferences, and sells audiotapes and other educational materials.

"The mission is sustainable agriculture and preserving the health of the land, the animals and people," said Glinda Davenport, managing editor, The Stockman Grass Farmer, which has been published since 1947. "We cover a wide variety of pasture management topics on managing your agriculture from the grass up and doing it in an environmentally friendly way."

Grass farming to grow livestock such as cattle and sheep can include using a lot of synthetic chemicals and fertilizer. But it doesn't have to. And when input costs are minimized by using sustainable agriculture principles, it can be less expensive to produce animals on pastures as opposed to feedlots.

"If you are going in with a lot of chemicals and fertilizer, you are destroying the natural ecosystems," Davenport said. "But if you use alternative methods, it helps sustain the land. Our impact is primarily the promotion of a healthy environment, healthy animals and healthy people. We also try to promote the small family farm. Unfortunately, the U.S. is losing small family farms every year. We try to promote direct marketing of grass-fed meat and milk. It cuts out the middleman and allows the small family farmer to stay in business."