Why Should I Care?
Chances are, you have an “ethic” for various aspects of your life. It may not be written down, but it is demonstrated in the ways you spend your time, money, and other resources.
An ethic determines what is important to you.
So why should you care about wild beef?
You should care because our society is at a critical juncture in defining a Land Ethic. As our population increases and our resources on our beloved planet dwindle, we are left with no choice but to make some decisions.
When Aldo Leopold coined the term Land Ethic he included 3 components: “A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise.” We have, to some extent addressed the “beauty” component by setting aside and protecting a percentage of our wild places. But a growing human presence in a limited earth resource forces us to examine those “integrity” and “stability” aspects. The integrity and stability of land ultimately point to ecosystem services. That is a fancy way of saying soil that supports plants and animals, and in turn:
Captures, filters, and stores water
Maintains a viable mixture of atmospheric gases
Feeds our human population.
Healthy soil, plants, and animals don’t just come from wild protected places. They come primarily from privately owned agricultural land. Yet our land ethic is not defined by the people who live on this land and draw their sustenance from this land. A large percentage of our population only connects to the beauty of nature; there is little cultural reverence for the dynamic life or death struggle all organisms face as they alter their environment to adapt, survive, and pass on their genes.
We want to share that experience. Consumption of wild beef is one simple step you can take to participate in that dynamic system. Join us and participate. Help us shape a Land Ethic that values ecosystem services by metrics that matter like diversity, healthy succession, energy flow, and water and mineral cycle.
