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.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
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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