Rural Heritage April/May 2026

• Sheep that appear vibrantly healthy utilize three sources of water, according to their stewards, not just the one that comes from the sky. The Burned Cow In 1985, a South Dakota ranch was devastated by a wildfire. Not only was forage burned and hay destroyed, but the fire also killed cows and left others singed. One particular cow survived the fire but was burned over much of her body. The ranch family was told they should just put the cow out of her misery, but since she was walking and eating, they decided to give her a chance. They heard about Dr. Willard’s Water being good for burns and began treating the cow with it. Dr. Willard was a professor at nearby South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. According to an article in South Dakota Magazine, the water that he developed contains particles with electrical fields

bioavailable to our bodies but to all living things that contain cells, including plants and livestock. Structured water is critical for essentially everything that biology does. — Gerald Pollack 3 Reading Pollack’s The Fourth Phase of Water helped me understand the following stories: • In the 1980s, a rancher used a special kind of water to treat a badly burned cow. • In the 1990s a biodynamic agriculture lecture talked about how water flows. I thought it didn’t apply to me because I wasn’t a farmer or gardener. I was wrong. • A dog would rather eat ice or snow or drink rainwater in a puddle than water provided in a bowl. • Why do gelatin desserts hold their watery structure?

This Hereford cow is shown two months after being burned in a wildfire in 1985. In another month, she fully recovered, including growing a normal coat, after being diligently treated with a special water. Photo courtesy Bruce Murdock

April/May 2026

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