Llama Dung, Millennial Ag, and a New Adventure

This last weekend, I was introduced to the term “llama dung”. I say introduced because it turns out there’s another meaning to the phrase beyond the obvious.

 In the early 1940s, so the story goes, the Army wanted a dependable supply of llama dung, as required by specifications for treating the leather used in airplane seats. Submarine attacks made shipping from South America unreliable, so the Army attempted to establish a herd of llamas in New Jersey. Only after the attempt failed did anyone question the specification. Subsequent research revealed that the US Army had copied a British Army specification dating back to Great Britain's era of colonial expansion. The original specification applied to saddle leather.Great Britain's pressing need for cavalry to patrol its many colonies meant bringing together raw recruits, untrained horses, and new saddles. The leather smell made the horses skittish and unmanageable. Treating the saddle leather with llama dung imparted an odor that calmed the horses. The treatment, therefore, became part of the leather's specification, which remained unchanged for a century.

The moral of the story here is to beware of “we’ve always done it this way.” It’s a reminder to look beyond the traditional, tried and true way of doing something. 

So why do I bring this up? 

I am totally stoked to share that my blog has been redesigned, with a website of its own! Millennial Ag is now the home for all my writing and podcasting activities. The focus of this new adventure is to question llama dung. In other words, digging deeper into the issues agriculture talks about all the time, from a problem-solving perspective. 

There’s nothing wrong with tradition, and often there are good reasons for why things have been established in a certain way. I also think that looking at issues from different angles and perspectives can help free us from old constraints, and move stagnated conversations forward. 

I’m so excited for you to join me! Watch for new blogs and podcast episodes weekly, follow Millennial Ag on Facebook and Instagram, and don’t forget to drop me a line with your thoughts, comments, and feedback. Now let’s go find some llama dung. 

-Katharine