Field Bindweed And Tomatoes

Field Bindweed Yield Impacts on Processing Tomatoes May be Less Than Expected

By Scott Stoddard,  County Director and UCANR Farm Advisor, Merced County

Field bindweed (Convolvulsus arvensis) is considered by many tomato growers to be the most problematic of all weeds in California production areas. Indeed, field bindweed and the closely related morningglory weeds were ranked the 8th most troublesome weeds in North America in a recent survey by the Weed Science Society of America (Van Wychen, 2019).

The rapid adoption of drip irrigation and the economic necessity of maintaining the beds and replanting with only minimal tillage for multiple seasons in processing tomatoes has created a system where field bindweed has become more prevalent. Field bindweed is extremely difficult to control because it propagates from seed and vegetatively from buds formed in the roots. Seedlings can be controlled with tillage when very young, but they become perennial very rapidly. Chemical control of seedlings is possible, but established plants are much more difficult to control.

Established plants often have a large root system relative to the amount of top growth, and thus are extremely tolerant of post emergence herbicides such as carfentrazone (Shark), glufosinate (Rely), and glyphosate (Roundup).

Bindweed is a headache not only for its persistent and pernicious growth habit and ability to reduce tomato yields, but also because it can physically stop a processing tomato harvester in the field. Vigorously growing vines can become entangled around the shaker and conveyor belts, requiring the equipment operator to shut down and manually clear out the foliage.

Several years ago, myself and other UC researchers conducted herbicide trials evaluating field bindweed control — with marginal success. In a given year and location, most of the registered herbicides in tomatoes gave only temporary suppression – about 40 – 80% bindweed control at 8 weeks after transplanting. Best results were observed where herbicides were stacked: trifluralin (Treflan) pre-plant incorporated followed by rimsulfuron (Matrix) post. Glyphosate helped in situations where the bindweed emerged early and could be applied before transplanting.

2021-09-01T21:02:16-07:00September 1st, 2021|

Robotics vs Machinery

 

Robotics Companies Trying To Go Mainstream on Farms

 

By Tim Hammerich, with the Ag Information Network

Robotics companies are betting the farm on automation being adopted by agricultural producers. But in order for robots to be adopted by farmers, the perception needs to change from looking at them as simply another piece of farm machinery. Something that operates completely on its own, says Burro founder Charlie Andersen, needs to be evaluated differently than equipment that you have to operate.

“You look at a used tractor, that’s 80 horsepower, and it will sell for like 20 grand. Right? And I think that farmers in their heads, as they’re looking at these systems, they have a narrative of like, ‘here’s the piece of hardware that I used to buy’. And you’ve got these smaller devices or different shape devices. You’re not really buying a piece of hardware. You’re buying a thing that does a task on its own. People are really, really expensive and they’re oftentimes are much more expensive than the equipment that is doing a lot of the mechanized work. I think there’s a shifting perception in terms of autonomous systems versus what’s out there today,” said Anderson

Andersen’s company Burro offers a people-scale autonomous cart that transports hand picked produce during harvest.

“Like, you know, if you look at an ATV. An ATV in our case sells like eight grand, and we’re selling a product that’s roughly double that in the first year, but it’s worth that much more because it is driving itself. It’s not just a piece of hardware,” Anderson said.

This is one key challenge ag robotics companies need to overcome for more widespread adoption of this technology.

2021-08-31T20:34:52-07:00August 31st, 2021|

Goats Welcomed Young Students

‘I wish this was my school’: Young Students Get Hands-on at Elkus Ranch

By Pam Kan-Rice UCANR  Assistant Director, News and Information Outreach

Curious goats milled around the masked elementary school students who were raking out the livestock stalls. After a year of social distancing due to COVID-19 precautions, the goats were enthralled by the youngsters who visited UC Agriculture and Natural Resources’ Elkus Ranch Environmental Education Center in San Mateo County.

“The animals were missing kids, they’re used to getting more loving,” said Beth Loof, 4-H youth community educator at Elkus Ranch. “Goats are really social. They get distressed when they are alone.”

Tucked behind the rolling green hills of Half Moon Bay off state Route 1, Elkus Ranch is a working landscape that, in a normal year, hosts people from all over the San Francisco Bay Area for field trips, conferences, community service projects, internships and summer camps.

During the pandemic, UC ANR has limited visitors to “social bubbles” of children and adults for outdoor education at the 125-acre ranch, which has implemented a variety of COVID protocols for the safety of visitors. During Adventure Days, young people spend four hours caring for animals, tending gardens, making a nature-themed craft project and hiking around the property.

“We would love to bring children from urban areas of the Bay Area to Elkus Ranch,” said Frank McPherson, director of UC Cooperative Extension for Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and San Francisco counties. “So they can learn where food comes from, before it gets to the grocery store.”

On a sunny spring day, 11 students from Share Path Academy in San Mateo visited for Adventure Day, as their first field trip of the year.

“Coming here and having the hands-on learning, being able to hold objects, touch objects, interact with things, it’s all part of learning,” said Erin McCoy, a Share Path Academy teacher. “In science, you can talk about certain things in classes, but when you come out here and you actually apply it to what they’re doing and it’s tactile for them, at this age, it’s really important.”

The group – composed of McCoy, nine fifth-graders, a fourth-grader, a sixth-grader and a couple of parents – spent the day outdoors petting the donkeys, goats, chickens, rabbits and sheep and learning about the animals that live at Elkus Ranch.

“I think it’s been a great opportunity for our children to be outdoors and to enjoy nature, to reconnect with the environment – animals, plants, just the outdoors,” said parent Christina Cabrera. “It’s great for the children and the adults accompanying them.”

Inside the barn, Loof invited the students to sit on straw bales – not the hay bales, which are food for the livestock. She showed the students how wool that is sheared from sheep’s coats is spun into yarn. First, they carded the wool. “You’re going to card it like this. It’s like brushing your hair, but it has a little resistance so it can be a workout,” Loof said, cautioning the students wearing shorts to be careful not to brush their skin with the sharp, wire teeth of the tool. “Get all the fibers nice and flat, lined up, going one way. Fibers are what we call all the strands of wool.”

“This place is awesome.”

 

After twisting the wool by hand into yarn, the students fashioned the natural-colored fuzzy strands into bracelets.

“We love Elkus,” said McCoy, whose son has attended summer camp at the ranch. “This place is awesome.”

Taking a break for lunch, the group walked down the dirt path from the barn past the livestock pens to wash their hands, then sat at primary-colored picnic tables to eat next to a garden.

After lunch, the students exercised their creativity with buckets of clay to mold into animals or roll out and cut with cookie cutters.

In the chicken coop, Loof, who is one of four community educators who work at Elkus Ranch, shared animal science facts such as, “Eggs are viable for two weeks after the hen sits on them in the nest.” She also told funny stories such as how Dora, the white bantam, escaped the coop and ate all the chard in the garden.

“I wish this was my school,” said one student as he held an egg-laying chicken.

The visit ended with a garden tour and a game of hide and seek among the raised beds of onions, squash and other vegetables.

“Being outdoors is an important counterbalance to being on a computer,” said Cabrera, who is also a San Mateo High School wellness counselor. “It’s a great addition to what we’re doing. Just to be with animals.”

Elkus Ranch is still offering Adventure Days for children; the cost is $425 for 10 people. Small groups are also invited for 90-minute visits.

“If all goes well, we plan to offer a three-day mini-camp on Monday through Wednesday of Thanksgiving week,” said Leslie Jensen, Elkus Ranch coordinator.

For more information about Elkus Ranch activities, visit ucanr.edu/adventure or contact Jensen at LKJensen@ucanr.edu.

 

UC Agriculture and Natural Resources brings the power of UC to all 58 California counties. Through research and Cooperative Extension in agriculture, natural resources, nutrition, economic and youth development, our mission is to improve the lives of all Californians. Learn more at ucanr.edu and support our work at donate.ucanr.edu.

 

2021-08-25T20:41:30-07:00August 25th, 2021|

Farm Employees Must Be Protected from Wildfire Smoke

 

Cal/OSHA Reminds Employers of Wildfire Smoke Standards to Protect Workers

By Jason Resnick, Western Growers Sr. Vice President and General Council

As wildfires continue to rampage throughout California, Cal/OSHA is reminding employers that the state’s protection from wildfire smoke standard requires them to take steps to protect their workers from the resulting unhealthy air.

Wildfire

Hazardous smoke from wildfire

The greatest hazard from workers comes from breathing fine particles in the air – called PM2.5 – which can worsen pre-existing heart and lung conditions and cause wheezing and difficulty breathing. PM2.5 is tracked via the local air quality index (AQI), and it can be monitored via websites like the U.S. EPA’s AirNow or local air quality management district websites.

If the AQI for PM2.5 is 151 or greater, employers must take the following steps to protect employees:

  • Communication – Inform employees of the AQI for PM2.5 and the protective measures available to them.
  • Training and Instruction – Provide effective training and instruction to all employees on the information contained in section 5141.1 Appendix B.
  • Modifications – Implement modifications to the workplace, if feasible, to reduce exposure. Examples include providing enclosed structures or vehicles for employees to work in, where the air is filtered.
  • Changes – Implement practicable changes to work procedures or schedules. Examples include changing the location where employees work or reducing the amount of time they work outdoors or exposed to unfiltered outdoor air.
  • Respiratory protection – Provide proper respiratory protection equipment, such as disposable respirators, for voluntary use.
    • To filter out fine particles, respirators must be labeled N-95, N-99, N-100, R-95, P-95, P-99, or P-100, and must be labeled as approved by the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

To assist employers with identifying available supplies of respirators, Cal/OSHA is maintaining a list of vendors who have confirmed they have at least 100,000 NIOSH-certified disposable N95 respirators in stock and available for purchase and delivery.

If the AQI for PM2.5 exceeds 500 due to wildfire smoke, respirator use is required. Employers must ensure employees use respirators and implement a respiratory protection program as required in California’s respiratory standard. For information or help on developing a respiratory protection program, see Cal/OSHA’s Respiratory Protection Fact Sheet.

Click here to read the California Department of Industrial Relations’ full press release.

2021-08-23T20:05:55-07:00August 23rd, 2021|

Drought Causes Cattle Sell 0ff

Drought Forces Ranchers to Make Tough Decisions about Selling Cattle

 

By Russell Nemetz with the Ag Information Network

 

As the drought continues across the West, ranchers are having to make tough herd management decisions because of the lack of water and pasture for their livestock.

“What they’re telling me is that they’re spending time at the kitchen table trying to decide how much feed they’re able to gather up so how many cows they’re going to be able to hang onto,” said Larry Schnell, owner of Stockman’s Livestock Exchange in Dickinson, ND and Livestock Marketing Association president. “Plus, when they’re going to sell calves. They’re also deciding if they are going to try and background their calves or sell them right off the cow a month or two early. A lot of important decisions to be made right now.”

He says for those having to sell their cattle, at least the market remains in pretty good shape.

“There’s no question about it,” said Schnell. “The calves and yearlings especially are looking like a really good market. Hopefully, we don’t get a mass selling over the course of a month. If we can spread that marketing out, I think this market can stay very strong. It might even just continue to get stronger. We all know that due to this drought and the size of it, in the next couple of years this market is going to be strong.”

CattleFax analysts agree. In fact, they’re forecasting all classes of cattle to be higher in 2022.

“Feeder cattle and calf prices, another $20/cwt higher,” said Randy Blach, CattleFax CEO. “I think that will be a good estimate for those markets. I think there’s a very good chance we’ll see feeder cattle prices trade up closer to a $1.80 next summer going into the fall. And calf prices could easily trade well above two dollars as we get into the peak next year. So, it’s long overdue. Again, this was delayed. And everybody needs to remember this.”

Consumer beef demand is also expected to remain solid in 2022 with expected export growth fueling high prices for ranchers and their cattle.

2021-08-20T18:18:44-07:00August 20th, 2021|

California Plums Granted Access Into Japan

 

Japan Grants Market Access to California Plums

 

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that Japan has granted market access for California plums. Eliminating the phytosanitary barriers keeping California plums out of the Japanese market required multiple rounds of technical negotiations that were somewhat hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The California Fresh Fruit Association (CFFA) would like to extend its appreciation to the USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service and Agricultural Research Service’s negotiators and experts, as well as the Fresno County and Tulare County Agricultural Commissioner offices for their invaluable contributions to this process.

Ian LeMay

There will be strict packing and fumigation protocols in place but given the success of the existing California nectarine program for Japan, California stone fruit exporters have already demonstrated a commitment to meeting Japan’s requirements.

“Trade barriers threaten the health and viability of the industry. This represents a significant opportunity for California plums, as Japanese consumers value premium fruit and recognize California fruit’s superior quality. As the global economy rebounds from the COVID-19 pandemic, expanding market access will continue to be critical to the industry’s success,” said Ian LeMay, CFFA President.

2021-08-20T12:23:32-07:00August 20th, 2021|

Benefits of Gene Editing in Produce

Gene Editing in Produce Could Help Solve Food Shortages

By Tim Hammerich with the Ag Information Network 

 

Throughout the GMO revolution of many row crops, the technology was largely not applied to the fresh produce industry. Gene editing, however, is different. It allows breeders to edit the genome of these crops in the same way that could happen in nature, speeding up the process and opening new doors to solve problems in the food supply. Here’s Produce Marketing Association vp of technology Vonnie Estes.

 

“There’s a number of things like, non-browning is a trait that’s pretty easy to do on a lot of different crops,” said Estes.  “And so that really allows for a lot less food waste. And so let’s focus on that. How can we make, you know, fruit and vegetables, more convenient so that people, especially children eat more of them? And so looking at the convenience factor is important. So I think we’re at this really great point right now of we have these tools, you know, how do we move this along so that it’s best for the consumer?”

Estes sees big benefits to gene editing technology for consumers, the planet, and for farmers.

“You know, these technologies are really going to help as we start having the effects of climate change more, where you don’t have as much water as you used to. And so you have to grow a different variety because you don’t have as much water, or it’s too hot. Really being able to use gene editing to help around climate change and where people are growing crops is going to make a big difference,” explained Estes.

 

The key, says Estes, will be communicating about this technology to consumers.

2021-08-18T17:26:30-07:00August 18th, 2021|

Record Beef Demand

CattleFax Forecasts Record Beef Demand; Prospects for Tighter Supplies

By Russell Nemetz with the Ag Information Network 

The beef cattle industry is bouncing back from the pandemic, and continued progress is expected in 2022. Beef prices are near record high, and consumer and wholesale beef demand are both at 30-year highs as the U.S. and global economy recover. While drought remains a significant concern with weather threatening pasture conditions in the Northern Plains and West, strong demand, combined with higher cattle prices, signal an optimistic future for the beef industry, according to CattleFax. The popular CattleFax Outlook Seminar, held as part of the 2021 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show in Nashville, shared expert market and weather analysis today.

According to CattleFax CEO Randy Blach, the cattle market is still dealing with a burdensome supply of market-ready fed cattle. The influence of that supply will diminish as three years of herd liquidation will reduce feedyard placements. As this occurs, the value of calves, feeder cattle and fed cattle will increase several hundred dollars per head over the next few years.

Kevin Good, vice president of industry relations and analysis at CattleFax, reported that the most recent cattle cycle saw cattle inventories peak at 94.8 million head and that those numbers are still in the system due to the COVID-19 induced slowdown in harvest over the past year.

“As drought, market volatility and processing capacity challenges unnerved producers over the past 24 months, the industry is liquidating the beef cowherd which is expected to decline 400,000 head by Jan. 1 reaching 30.7 million head,” Good said.

The feeder cattle and calf supply will decline roughly 1 million head from its peak during this contraction phase. Fed cattle slaughter will remain larger through 2021 as carryover from pandemic disruptions works through a processing segment hindered by labor issues, he added.

“While fed cattle slaughter nearly equals 2019 highs at 26.5 million head this year, we expect a 500,000-head decline in 2022,” Good said. “This, combined with plans for new packing plants and expansions possibly adding near 25,000 head per week of slaughter capacity over the next few years, should restore leverage back to the producer.”

Good forecasted the average 2022 fed steer price at $135/cwt., up $14/cwt. from 2021, with a range of $120 to $150/cwt. throughout the year. All cattle classes are expected to trade higher, and prices are expected to improve over the next three years. The 800-lb. steer price is expected to average $165/cwt. with a range of $150 to $180/cwt., and the 550-lb. steer price is expected to average $200/cwt., with a range of $170 to $230/cwt. Finally, Good forecasted utility cows at an average of $70/cwt. with a range of $60 to $80/cwt., and bred cows at an average of $1,750/cwt. with a range of $1,600 to $1,900 for load lots of quality, running-age cows.

Consumer demand for beef at home and around the globe remained strong in 2021, a trend that will continue in 2022, especially as tight global protein supplies are expected to fuel U.S. export growth.

Aftershocks from the pandemic continue to keep domestic demand at elevated levels not seen since 1988. Government stimulus and unemployment benefits are fueling the economy with demand outpacing available supplies as restaurants and entertainment segments emerge from shutdowns.

According to Good, the boxed beef cutout peaked at $336/cwt. in June, while retail beef prices pushed to annual high at $7.11/lb. “Customer traffic remained strong at restaurants and retail – even as those segments pushed on the higher costs, proving consumers are willing to pay more for beef,” he said.

Wholesale demand will be softer in 2022, as a bigger decline in beef supplies will offset a smaller increase in beef prices with the cutout expected to increase $5 to $265/cwt. Retailers and restaurants continue to adjust prices higher to cover costs. Good added the retail beef prices are expected to average $6.80/lb. in 2021 and increase to $6.85/lb. in 2022.

Global protein demand has increased and U.S. beef exports have posted new record highs for two consecutive months, even with high wholesale prices. The increases were led by large, year-over-year gains into China, and Japan and South Korea remaining strong trade partners for protein. “The tightening of global protein supplies will support stronger U.S. red meat exports in 2022. U.S. beef exports are expected to grow 15 percent in 2021 and another 5 percent in 2022,” Good said.

Mike Murphy, CattleFax vice president of research and risk management services, expects summer weather patterns – and their affect on corn and soybean yields – to be the focus of market participants.

“As China rebuilds its pork industry following their battle with African Swine Fever, they are looking for higher quality feed ingredients, such as corn and soybeans” Murphy said “Exceptional demand from China is leading U.S. corn exports to a new record in the current market year, and strong demand for U.S. soybeans has elevated prices in the last 12 months.”

 

Spot prices for soybeans are expected to be $13 to $16 per bushel for the remainder of the next 18 months along with spot corn futures to trade between $4.75 to $6.25 per bushel in the same time frame.

Murphy noted that drier weather in the Northern Plains and West will pressure hay production and quality in the 2021 season – supporting prices into the next year. “May 1 on-farm hay stocks were down 12 percent from the previous year, at 18 million tons. The USDA estimates hay acres are down 700,000 from last year at 51.5 million acres. So, expect current year hay prices to average near $170/ton, and 2022 average prices should be steady to $10 higher due to tighter supplies and stronger demand,” he said.

All session panelists agreed that weather is a major factor impacting the beef industry, and agriculture as a whole in 2021 and going into 2022. A forecasted return of La Niña this fall would lead to intensifying drought for the West and Plains into early 2022, according to Dr. Art Douglas, professor emeritus at Creighton University. Douglas indicated that the precipitation outlook in the fall of 2021 going into the early part of 2022 could see drought push harder in the Pacific Northwest with above-normal precipitation across the inter-mountain West – leaving the Midwest drier, and less tropical storm activity to reduce Southeast rainfall into late fall. Also, the western half of the country will be drier into early spring with a returning La Nina.

Blach concluded the session with an overall positive outlook, expecting margins to improve as cattle supply tightens and producers gain leverage back from packers and retailers, beef demand to remain solid with expected export growth, and utilization and packing capacity to improve over the next few years. He also noted that the economy has made gains in 2021 and should stay stronger with low interest rates and government stimulus fueling consumer spending.

2021-08-17T18:56:15-07:00August 17th, 2021|

Composting Helps Soils, and Reduce Irrigation Needs

Compost for Climate Resilient Salinas Valley

 

Climate change is not a future threat to the Central Coast region. The region is experiencing it now and the effects are predicted to continue to intensify.

“Symptoms of climate change including increased temperatures, wildfire intensity, storm anomalies and sea water intrusion into ground water aquifers are dramatically impacting the production of specialty crops that are important and grown in the region such as cool season vegetables,” Laura Murphy, Resource Conservation District Monterey County.

Laura Murphy

“The soils of the Salinas Valley and surrounding regions are one of the most important resources we have. Protecting them against a changing climate is critical to the future of the region. Recycling organic materials back into agriculture as compost is a solution,” explained Murphy.

Adapting to these changes in the climate requires a change in farming practices. Improving the health of the soil is one way to adapt and mitigate some of the most important harmful impacts to protect both the economic and ecological viability of the region. “Climate-smart soil management acknowledges the important role of soil in providing climate mitigation options and aims to foster co-benefits such as greenhouse gas reduction, soil carbon sequestration and farm resiliency to the extreme weather and drought conditions,” said Murphy.

“Implementing conservation practices in intensively managed vegetable production systems has always been difficult, but the application of compost can provide producers with very much needed flexibility to increase conservation goals and simultaneously develop farm resiliency to the symptoms of climate change,” noted Murphy.  “Increasing soil organic matter has numerous benefits, including increased water holding capacity, improved nutrient cycling and plant nutrient availability, diversifying and enhancing soil biological life and increasing carbon sequestration. These benefits of increased soil organic matter can lead to crop benefits including reduced irrigation demands, increased nutrient use efficiency and stabilized yields,” she said.

Beginning in 2022, California’s new state mandate, SB 1383, essentially eliminates organic materials from being landfilled to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and divert edible food for human consumption. “Diverting organic waste from landfills through composting not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions from the waste sector but also allows for nutrients to be cycled back into managed landscapes,” said Darlene Ruiz, with Salinas Valley Recycles.

Darlene Ruiz

“Compost is a stable nutrient-rich amendment that consists of a variety of organic materials that have gone through a heating and curing treatment process to be stabilized for use in agricultural production. Understanding the importance of protecting the public, each batch of compost produced undergoes a process to reduce pathogens, or PFRP, which requires piles to reach 131 degrees Fahrenheit for 72 hours, effectively eliminating harmful pathogens,” noted Ruiz. “Extra testing for human pathogens such as E. Coli and salmonella, ensures that the product is safe to use on crops that will be consumed fresh, such as lettuce. Documentation of these tests are available upon request,” she explained.

Compost is made by carefully mixing feed stocks of different carbon and nitrogen-rich materials. At the Johnson Canyon organics facility, state-of-the-art technology called ASP, or Aerated Static Pile, composting is used to create a consistent thermal treatment of the material. “Daily record-keeping of times and temperatures are required by local permits and state regulations and can be made available upon request,” said Andrew Tuckman, with Vision Recycling.

Andrew Tuckman

“After going through the heating process the material is allowed to cool and cure, enlivening it with beneficial microbial life and stabilizing it for sale. Transporting and spreading can be a sustainable component of the cost of purchasing material. It’s recommended that you discuss this with the composter and plan ahead,” he said.

With growers under increasing pressure to limit the application of nitrogen fertilizer due to potential harmful impacts to public and ecological health, compost application can help build soil nutrient reserves which results in a maintenance of significant proportions of crop demand while complying with water quality regulations. “Incorporating organic amendments into nutrient management plans can help reduce the need for synthetic fertilizers and improve soil conditions for future crops. Understanding soil nitrate levels is one of the most important actions growers can take to limit nitrogen loss,” said Carlos Rodriguez-Lopez, UC Cooperative Extension, Monterey County.

Carlos Rodriguez-Lopez

Using the soil nitrate quick test or other soil nitrogen testing methods before compost applications can help when choosing products. The carbon to nitrogen ratio of compost can be an important indicator of whether applications will retain nitrogen or release it for further uptake.

“At times, nutrient managers may want to immobilize nutrients and at other times, make them available,” said Rodriguez-Lopez. “Application timing can vary depending on management objectives. Either late in the fall, before winter rains, early spring or in between crops after the summer fallow. Application rates can also vary. Rates that are aimed at maintenance of soil organic matter may, after multiple applications, be as low as 4 to 5 tons per acre,” he said.

“If land is critically low in soil organic matter, higher rates of 10 plus tons per acre may be appropriate. No one recommendation fits all. Each field and crop location is different requiring unique approaches,” explained Rodriguez-Lopez.

2021-08-16T16:32:14-07:00August 16th, 2021|

Drought Resources for Ranchers

Thinking Long-Term During Droughts

By Tim Hammerich with the Ag Information Network

 

Rangeland livestock producers in California are some of the first people to experience the impacts of drought conditions. The University of California Cooperative Extension has developed several drought planning tools for ranchers. Dan Macon is the livestock and natural resources adviser covering Placer, Nevada, Sutter, and Yuba counties.

“Kind of the theme that runs throughout drought strategies for ranchers is that we’ve got to figure out some way to balance the demand that we have for forage with the supply that mother nature gives us. And so those tools are either to try to reduce our numbers or reduce our forage demand through a variety of strategies or to buy in forage, to lease new ground, to buy hay. Those are really the overriding strategies that people have available to them,” said Macon.

Macon said many ranchers have had to thin their herds to adjust to the dry conditions. A livestock producer himself, he urged fellow ranchers to try to think long term.

“Think about your financial resilience in the face of drought, how you’re going to maintain your genetic base, and really how you’re going to protect the ecological base of your ranch. It’s easy to get into that kind of negative, ‘everything is bad’ perspective, and I would really challenge folks to think about what their ranch will be like when this is over,” said Macon.

The drought resources for ranchers can be found on the UCANR website.

2021-08-14T11:16:42-07:00August 14th, 2021|

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