Health Hotline Magazine | September 2026

Hope for a Thirsty World How grass-fed cows can help restore health to the water cycle By Judith D. Schwartz

At Natural Grocers, we strongly believe that our food choices have the potential to a ect real change. It’s one of the reasons we’re in this business. We know that the way food is raised matters and this is no truer than with beef. As critically acclaimed writer and author of Water in Plain Sight , Judith Schwartz, writes: “The ecological impact … of eating beef has become a fraught topic ... What often gets lost, however, is that the impact varies greatly depending on how cattle are reared.” In this month’s feature article, Schwartz describes the important role that pastured cattle play in the earth’s natural water cycle, and ultimately, the health of the earth. Your purchasing power really does have the potential to change the world. And now, with water becoming a scarce resource, this is more important than ever.

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