Growing season starts in our area of the country with the beginning of irrigation water deliveries. In years when we have adequate snowpack on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, and specifically the Walker River Basin, the deliveries start on March 1. This year we had well below average snow pack and reservoir storage at 8% to begin the season. The peak flow of the West Walker River was reached on April 29, 2013 at 476 cubic ft per second. The peak flows for 2010 and 2011 respectively were 1,350 cubic ft per second and 1,980 cubic ft per second.
In most of the United States crop production depends on rainfall directly on the cropland for their moisture supply to the crops and also water supplies for livestock and wildlife. In the high desert areas of the Western United States the winter snowpack in the mountains are the reservoirs and source of water for both surface flows and the replenishment of the underground aquifers. The annual rainfall on our ranch is less than 7 inches, so we do not depend on it for crop production, however any snow or rain is always welcome. Most years moisture comes in the winter in the form of snow from three or four storms.
We know that the year is going to be a challenge when one of the most vital inputs we have, which is water, is in very limited supply. Making plans for the season are much more challenging. Keeping expenses at a minimum while optimizing production is a stressful season long task. A plan that focuses on early season maximization of crop growth, when irrigation is most likely available, works the best for our operation. Providing increased nutrient availability for growth early in the growing season and strengthening plants to withstand stresses later were our goal in the Spring. Application of top dressed fertilizer, according to the needs indicated by our soil sample results, was done before the first irrigation in late March and early May. Two full irrigations that supplied about three inches of available water were applied before the first cutting, which we estimated to be sufficient for crop needs, with beginning available soil moisture estimates. This was done in the attempt to harvest at least one half of the annual production of hay in the first cutting. We also must take into consideration longer term weather forecasts to plan for snow melt water supply affected by temperature. It is really a WAG! Hoping that the first crop of hay is cut, cured, baled, and in the barns, so fields can be irrigated before water supplies are turned off really adds to the normal seasonal stress levels.
I suppose some of you wonder why we agriculture folks talk so much about weather? Well, here we go into second crop production. We were able to irrigate everything once, and half of the acreage twice before all irrigation water supply was shut off on July 12. We were hoping for cooler weather at this point. Mother Nature had its own ideas, however. We had the hottest July on record with 95F-110F degree temperatures for all of July. Not one drop of rain fell on the fields in July. We were not so fortunate. We were able to harvest a second cutting of about 60% of an average yield. We were thankful for that much.
We did, however, have a thunderstorm over the mountains ten miles west of the ranch, that caused a fire that burned 3500 acres. We enjoyed more than a week of smoke in the air and the loss of spring rangeland for our neighbors sheep operation. A snarky side note: The opinion of our government agency whiz kids="The fire was good for the ecology" What does that green and fuzzy statement really mean? Do any of you know? Just one of many huge fires that have ravaged the forests and rangelands of the Western US, costing lives of firefighters, and millions upon millions of dollars. Will people that are great distances from this fiasco ever realize that "PUBLIC LANDS" MANAGED BY GOVERNMENT AGENCIES DON'T WORK!!! It is a very very costly mistake and private businesses, wildlife, hard working citizens, and the "environment" all lose. Disaster has become an "Industry"for private companies and government alike! End of Rant!
I feel so much better now.
Here we are at the end of August breathing dense smoke for more than week now from the Rim Fire (Yosemite). We just completed what I would call a salvage operation, cutting a little third crop from a third of the acreage. It will be about one-half ton per acre, and will clean up the fields. We will graze sheep on the balance of the fields in about a month.
Early fall rain would be a very welcome sight, and we are praying very hard for a reasonable snowpack in the mountains this late fall and winter.
I do have a lot to be thankful for though as a cancer survivor. My 92 year old Father and 88 year old Mother are still with us, and my lovely wife has graciously put up with my moods all year. My daughters and their families are healthy and happy. I have a grandson who is a senior in high school and one in first grade. They grow up very fast, and yes I'm getting older.
Looking forward to Fall!
Friday, August 30, 2013
Thursday, March 14, 2013
A Visit From A Neighbor
On Tuesday afternoon, we were blessed with a visit from one of our friends and neighbors. He is not just any neighbor. He is a ninety three year old sheepman who owns one of the last, of what was once many, large sheep operations in Nevada. He drove, yes drove, in to our ranch and parked near our front door. Our trusty dogs announced his arrival, as they always do when a strange vehicle comes to the ranch. I went out to great him and as he got out of his Chevy Tahoe he said, "I am not moving around so good lately, guess I 'm getting old". It made me think about him and the physical toll of a lifetime of hard work, and the wealth of knowledge he has to share.
We all have a story to tell, it is history through our own eyes. Our friends story is intertwined with my fathers story because they grew up and attended school together in this small Western Nevada Valley. There are three of these wonderful ranchers still living on their individual operations that were classmates in our local school.
The neighborly discussions we have had the last several years always include our government and the laws and regulations that are affecting our businesses. In the State of Nevada the livestock industry was built around the use of public lands. More than 86% of the land area of Nevada is owned by the Federal Government. The grazing lands are under the jurisdiction of either the BLM (Bureau of Management, Dept. of Interior) or USFS (United States Forest Service, USDA). They have been granted the authority to make decisions that literally determine the present and future viability of many ranch businesses. There are 60,856,628 acres under direct Federal Jurisdiction in Nevada. There are 70,745,600 acres total in Nevada.
Livestock producers that graze on public lands do so though a system of allotments that are defined areas of use. Individual allotments belong to one operation or to grazing associations that commingle their livestock for the grazing period. Carrying capacity of each allotment is determined by the Federal Agency's staff. The methods used for this determination have changed drastically over the years, and continue to do so. The number of animals allowed is represented as AUM's (Animal Unit Month). The amount of dry forage needed for one cow or five mature sheep for one month is a simple definition of AUM.
Ranchers depend on a good and dependable supply of forage for their livestock. Public Lands have been one of the major sources for generations of ranchers. They have experienced a continual decline in the number of allotments and also the number of AUM's on active allotments. Reductions are often determined in an arbitrary and capricious manner. Unfortunately millions of dollars have been and are still being spent to contest many of these decisions.
Our neighbor was forced to sell one band of 1000 ewes last year because of losses in allotments. He is looking at more possible losses this year and is getting close to numbers that are not sustainable. It takes a minimum number of livestock, that varies with each operation, to maintain the infrastructure necessary to manage in a responsible and marginally profitable way.
Statements from a Neighbor:
"I am afraid that the way of life that I have enjoyed, and what has taken a lifetime to build, is no longer something my grandson can continue doing".
"I hope my grandson can make it on our private land farming hay"
I asked him before he left for dinner with his crew, "Did you live during the best times in the United States?". "Yes" he answered, "We Were Free".
Those words are still resonating in my ears. I have been analyzing what that really means.
We all have a story to tell, it is history through our own eyes. Our friends story is intertwined with my fathers story because they grew up and attended school together in this small Western Nevada Valley. There are three of these wonderful ranchers still living on their individual operations that were classmates in our local school.
The neighborly discussions we have had the last several years always include our government and the laws and regulations that are affecting our businesses. In the State of Nevada the livestock industry was built around the use of public lands. More than 86% of the land area of Nevada is owned by the Federal Government. The grazing lands are under the jurisdiction of either the BLM (Bureau of Management, Dept. of Interior) or USFS (United States Forest Service, USDA). They have been granted the authority to make decisions that literally determine the present and future viability of many ranch businesses. There are 60,856,628 acres under direct Federal Jurisdiction in Nevada. There are 70,745,600 acres total in Nevada.
Livestock producers that graze on public lands do so though a system of allotments that are defined areas of use. Individual allotments belong to one operation or to grazing associations that commingle their livestock for the grazing period. Carrying capacity of each allotment is determined by the Federal Agency's staff. The methods used for this determination have changed drastically over the years, and continue to do so. The number of animals allowed is represented as AUM's (Animal Unit Month). The amount of dry forage needed for one cow or five mature sheep for one month is a simple definition of AUM.
Ranchers depend on a good and dependable supply of forage for their livestock. Public Lands have been one of the major sources for generations of ranchers. They have experienced a continual decline in the number of allotments and also the number of AUM's on active allotments. Reductions are often determined in an arbitrary and capricious manner. Unfortunately millions of dollars have been and are still being spent to contest many of these decisions.
Our neighbor was forced to sell one band of 1000 ewes last year because of losses in allotments. He is looking at more possible losses this year and is getting close to numbers that are not sustainable. It takes a minimum number of livestock, that varies with each operation, to maintain the infrastructure necessary to manage in a responsible and marginally profitable way.
Statements from a Neighbor:
"I am afraid that the way of life that I have enjoyed, and what has taken a lifetime to build, is no longer something my grandson can continue doing".
"I hope my grandson can make it on our private land farming hay"
I asked him before he left for dinner with his crew, "Did you live during the best times in the United States?". "Yes" he answered, "We Were Free".
Those words are still resonating in my ears. I have been analyzing what that really means.
Sunday, March 10, 2013
As Spring Approaches
March is a time when we look ahead to a new growing season,when we make and review plans for the coming production year. The first consideration for those of us that depend entirely on the winter snow pack for irrigation, is a projection for stream flows. Drought2012 and the impact that it had on the last production year is still evident across the fields of alfalfa, fescue, and orchard grass. The areas that were fallowed last year will stay in fallow for another season at least. We are not looking forward to Drought2013, which will most likely impact us, and other operations to a greater extent than the previous year's drought.
It is difficult to make the decisions for livestock reductions, that dig deeply into our breeding stock. It has taken generations to develop them. Selection of the individual animals that will have to be sold, involves the analysis of production records, evaluation of physical condition, age, and overall conformation and condition. The carrying costs of the different age groups of livestock is another component that we consider. The youngest animals need enough quality feed to continue their growth and development so they will be ready to breed for the first time. Individual animals that are in the peek production years are the most efficient overall. The more senior group of animals require better feed, and a somewhat easier life to maintain body condition. The decisions affect the ability to respond to, and take advantage of, more promising seasons ahead.
The fields of forage are just breaking dormancy as the days warm up and the soil thaws from the grip of winter. Weeds (plants out of place) seem to start first and they survive adverse conditions better than most of our production species. The earliest green we see are always the weeds. Our control practice is grazing early with large bands of ewes, and lambs that eagerly munch off early forage. Even though we consider these plants weeds. Once the sheep have passed over a field we harrow with a scotch harrow to displace many of the remaining undesirable plant seedlings. Harrowing spreads the fertilizer that the sheep provide.
Soil sampling is done on the fields and a determination is made for the application of additional plant food. We want to keep the plants healthy and in condition to take advantage of early season water supply. We will attempt to get as much production as possible early in the season when water is likely to be the most plentiful. Having enough nutrients available to develop strong healthy roots that can survive the challenges of heat and lack of water later in the summer is also important.
It is going to be a lean and mean year, but we have been here before. Scary, oh heck yes! When your life depends on weather what can you expect? Sometimes I think we are crazy in this business of food production. We seem to yell out "All In" each spring season that is dealt us! It's just more fun some years.
It is difficult to make the decisions for livestock reductions, that dig deeply into our breeding stock. It has taken generations to develop them. Selection of the individual animals that will have to be sold, involves the analysis of production records, evaluation of physical condition, age, and overall conformation and condition. The carrying costs of the different age groups of livestock is another component that we consider. The youngest animals need enough quality feed to continue their growth and development so they will be ready to breed for the first time. Individual animals that are in the peek production years are the most efficient overall. The more senior group of animals require better feed, and a somewhat easier life to maintain body condition. The decisions affect the ability to respond to, and take advantage of, more promising seasons ahead.
The fields of forage are just breaking dormancy as the days warm up and the soil thaws from the grip of winter. Weeds (plants out of place) seem to start first and they survive adverse conditions better than most of our production species. The earliest green we see are always the weeds. Our control practice is grazing early with large bands of ewes, and lambs that eagerly munch off early forage. Even though we consider these plants weeds. Once the sheep have passed over a field we harrow with a scotch harrow to displace many of the remaining undesirable plant seedlings. Harrowing spreads the fertilizer that the sheep provide.
Soil sampling is done on the fields and a determination is made for the application of additional plant food. We want to keep the plants healthy and in condition to take advantage of early season water supply. We will attempt to get as much production as possible early in the season when water is likely to be the most plentiful. Having enough nutrients available to develop strong healthy roots that can survive the challenges of heat and lack of water later in the summer is also important.
It is going to be a lean and mean year, but we have been here before. Scary, oh heck yes! When your life depends on weather what can you expect? Sometimes I think we are crazy in this business of food production. We seem to yell out "All In" each spring season that is dealt us! It's just more fun some years.
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