Inheriting a dilapidated ranch in North America, he became a billionaire through animal taming and t

With infrastructure and security secured, Su Chen turned his attention to the ranch's ecology.

The key point is the grassland.

Cows need to eat grass. If the grass is bad, the cows will suffer, and the beef will be bad.

Logical closed loop.

Su Chen stood on the grassland, looking at the sparse grass under his feet.

I used pasture conditioner a few times before.

The greening rate has been increased from 45% to 70%.

But that's still not enough.

Top-quality beef requires top-quality feed, and top-quality feed requires top-quality pastures.

He opened the system panel.

[Overview of Grassland Condition]

Green coverage rate: 71%

[Forage quality: Medium]

Soil fertility: Moderate to low

[Recommendation: Use advanced pasture conditioners, sow high-quality forage seeds, and implement rotational grazing.]

Su Chen checked the system warehouse.

There are still three cans of Advanced Grassland Improvement Agent left, a reward from the last hidden mission.

I bought a batch of high-quality forage seeds before, but the quantity was not enough.

Open the system store and find the "Premium Grass Seeds" section.

[Premium grass seed: $100/kg, can significantly improve pasture quality.]

Su Chen gritted his teeth and bought 100 kilograms, instantly losing 10,000 US dollars.

It hurts, but this money has to be spent.

......

The next morning, Su Chen got to work.

The first step is to spray a high-grade grass conditioner.

Take out all three cans, dilute them with water according to the system prompts, put them into the sprayer, and drive the pickup truck to spray them evenly on the ranch.

The amendment is transparent and has little smell when sprayed on the grass, but the data on the system panel started fluctuating.

[System notification: Advanced pasture conditioner has been sprayed. Pasture quality will increase by 30% and forage protein content by 20% within 3 days.]

Su Chen nodded; the effect was good.

The second step is to clear away the weeds.

There are some harmful weeds in the pasture, such as pigeon grass, cocklebur, and sow thistle.

The cows don't like to eat it and even steal nutrients from the good grass.

Su Chen had Juan and Louis bring temporary workers, carrying sprayers, to spray herbicides.

After two days of work, the pasture was much cleaner, and as far as the eye could see, it was covered with lush green grass.

The third step is to sow high-quality grass seeds.

One hundred kilograms of premium goods from the system's online store: alfalfa, tall fescue, and rye grass.

These are all breeds adapted to the Montana climate, high in protein, and loved by cattle.

Su Chen used a hand-held seeder to sow seeds in forage planting areas and some severely degraded grasslands.

After sowing, I watered it again with the spring water to ensure a high germination rate.

Luke happened to be delivering goods and saw Su Chen working on the pasture, so he came over.

"Brother, you're really going to do something big."

"Alfalfa, tall fescue, and ryegrass—all top-quality grasses; the cost must be high, right?"

Su Chen wiped his sweat.

"It cost over ten thousand."

Luke gave a thumbs up.

"Willing to invest."

"However, I suggest you implement rotational grazing, dividing the pasture into several areas and grazing them in rotation to allow the pasture time to recover."

"Otherwise, no matter how good the grass you grow is, it won't last until the cattle graze on it every day."

Su Chen nodded.

"That's exactly what I'm planning."

He took out a map and divided the grassland into five areas, each about two hundred acres.

Zone 1 is close to the livestock shed, Zone 2 is to the east, and Zone 3 is to the south.

Zone 4 is in the west, and Zone 5 is in the north.

The rotational grazing program involves grazing for seven days and resting for fifteen days in each area.

Seven days is enough for the cattle to eat most of the grass without damaging the roots.

A 15-day rest period allows the pastures to recover and new, tender grass to grow back.

This way, the grasslands can be used sustainably without overgrazing leading to degradation.

Su Chen told Juan and Louis about the plan and asked them to be in charge of herding the cattle every day.

"What district is it today?"

Juan glanced at the schedule.

"Sector One, Boss."

"Okay, go ahead."

Juan rode his quad bike, accompanied by two hunting dogs, and drove the cattle to Zone 1.

More than two hundred cattle marched past in a grand procession and began to graze on the tender pasture.

Su Chen stood on high ground, watching the cattle disperse, and felt a sense of relief.

Rotational grazing not only protects pastures but also allows cattle to graze on the freshest grass, achieving two benefits at once.

On the fifth day of grassland improvement, Su Chen activated the Earth Treasure Hunt skill and scanned the soil.

[Scanning for treasures across the land...]

[Insufficient soil fertility was detected in some areas of the grassland; the use of a "soil fertility enhancer" is recommended.]

[Soil Fertility Enhancer: Priced at 500 points per bottle in the system shop, it increases soil fertility by 40% for 10 days.]

Su Chen glanced at his system points; he had received quite a few rewards from the last main quest, still over three thousand.

He redeemed five bottles, spending 2,500 points.

After receiving the fertilizer booster, I sprayed it on the areas with insufficient fertility as prompted by the system.

[System notification: Soil fertility enhancer has been sprayed. Soil fertility will increase by 40% within 10 days, and pasture growth rate will increase by 30%.]

Su Chen stood on the grassland, pondering his next plan.

Now that the grasslands are ready, it's time to plant trees.

Montana is windy, especially in spring and autumn, when strong winds can blow sand everywhere.

Planting trees can prevent wind erosion and stabilize sand dunes, as well as beautify the environment and increase green coverage.

Su Chen contacted the nursery where he had previously bought the mosquito-repellent plants and ordered 500 saplings.

Two hundred poplar trees, one hundred and fifty willow trees, and one hundred and fifty oak trees.

All of them are varieties suitable for the Montana climate, cold-resistant, drought-resistant, and fast-growing.

The nursery owner personally delivered the goods and was amazed by the scale of the ranch.

"Mr. Su, your ranch is doing a great job."

"The pastures are lush and green, and the livestock sheds are neat and tidy, better than most ranches."

Su Chen smiled.

"We're just getting started, so let's take it slow."

The saplings arrived, and Su Chen had Juan and Louis lead the temporary workers to start planting.

The location was chosen around the grassland, along the roads, and on the boundary of the pasture.

The cotton poplars are planted in the north, where the wind is strongest, and tall trees are needed to block the wind.

Willow trees were planted beside the Lingquan Well and the irrigation canal.

This tree loves water and grows quickly when planted near water.

Oak trees are planted around the pastures; their large canopies provide shade for the cattle in the summer.

It took three days to plant all 500 trees.

Su Chen watered the sapling again with the spiritual spring water to ensure it would survive.

The veterinarian came to the ranch for a routine check that day and was surprised to see the changes in the pasture.

"Su Chen, how come your grassland has changed so quickly?"

"Last time I came, there were only a few trees, but now they've all grown so tall."

Su Chen smiled.

"I used some good stuff."

Ben squatted down, plucked a blade of grass, looked at it, chewed it, and his eyes lit up.

"This pasture is of good quality, with a high protein content, making it suitable for feeding beef cattle."

"Where did you get the seeds?"

"Bought online, imported high-quality grass seeds."

He didn't ask any more questions, stood up and looked around the entire grassland.

"Your pasture will be ready for harvest in another half month."

"Then it will be processed into silage, which will be perfect for feeding cattle in winter."

Su Chen had this plan in mind.

On the tenth day of grassland improvement, the grass had grown to 30 centimeters tall.

A lush green expanse, the grass ripples and sways in the wind.

Su Chen instructed Juan and Louis to start harvesting with the combine harvester.

The harvester rumbled past, cutting down the hay in neat rows and laying it out to dry on the pasture.

After two days of sun exposure, the moisture content dropped to a suitable level.

Then, the hay is baled into round bales and transported back to the hay warehouse for storage.

Su Chen did the math.

This batch of forage yielded 50% more than before, and the quality improved by 30%.

[System notification: Grassland improvement progress has reached 90%, and the green coverage rate of the pasture has increased to 78%.]

The progress of beef quality optimization has been increased to 85%.

Su Chen stood on the improved grassland.

Looking at the lush green pastures, herds of cattle, and neat rows of saplings, I felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

If the ecosystem is healthy, cattle can be raised well.

If the cattle are raised well, the meat will sell well.

If the meat sells well, you'll make good money.

I've figured out this logic.