Gains of yearlings, sale of light calves,
and many more cows than usual not pregnant compounded our major
financial loss. We received a nominal payment for government drought
relief.
At least our quick de-stocking saved fall grass and lowered our
winter cost. And then the grass snowed under.
Drought escalated hay prices and I hoped for a thaw. With a diet
of fresh air and scenery, the cows stood belly-deep in snow, humped
up, shivering, gaunt and growing thinner each day. We finally
gathered and drove them 12 miles to Lyons Valley and winter-feed.
I minced the expensive freshly minted green alfalfa rations to
a bare minimum. Cold weather sucked life-sustaining energy from
the cattle and the old, thin cows started dying.
I had never seen two extremely dry years back to back in all my
time ranching. The old timers told stories about the '30s and
'50s, but they were distant and mythical.
With good fall moisture, I figured the worst was behind us. I
needed to be cautious because the problems of increased bare ground
and poor plant vigor that first showed up in the south pastures
during their preliminary drought, were now prevalent across our
entire ranch.
A downward spiral requires quick and drastic measures. It was
too late for quick, but maybe drastic would help. We whacked more
cattle from our 2001 stocking rate and planned to rest a couple
of pastures to extend our recovery periods in the following year.
Carryover debt on our annual operating
line still needed to be paid. We only had one week of fast plant
growth. Drastic wasn’t even good enough.
Once again we arranged to ship cattle early. In our attempt to
get ahead of the downward spiral we were not as far behind as
the previous year: only two weeks early on the yearlings this
time, and their gains were back to normal. Calf weights and conception
rates were back to acceptable levels too.
Once again, a paltry government drought payment did little to
curb financial losses.
We met our goal of moderate to light grazing on nearly half of
the ranch, but our continued downward spiral in production exacerbated
by drought trapped us into grazing heavily on too much of the
ranch.
I noted that in 2000, areas of high utilization yielded 78 percent
of the 10-year average, while harvest on areas of moderate utilization
was 94 percent of normal.
In 2001, these levels of utilization yielded 46 percent and 64
percent, respectively. We had 7.6 inches of moisture and 6.5 inches,
respectively -- about half of average.
With this in mind, I begin working on my grazing plan for 2002
and the third year of the drought. This job used to be fun. Not
anymore.
Financial problems distracted me. Yet, I knew that a covered soil
surface, plant vigor and plant diversity were critical to coming
out of the drought. My job was balancing our economic survival
with the need to ensure that land recovery mechanisms did not
cross a threshold.
I called my holistic management instructor, Kirk Gadzia. Kirk
reminded me that it doesn’t rain grass.
"Drought is nearly always followed by a flood. But the floods
are from excessive runoff that should be going into the ground;
not excessive rainfall," he cautioned me.
In February, I took my plan to graze 54 percent of our 10-year
average to the BLM. I planned to rest four pastures, enabling
still longer recovery periods. The BLM was taking all grazing
plans before the entire range department and my range conservationist
told me that our plan was approved without change.
Holistic management has changed my relationship with the BLM range
conservationists. I used to view the range cons as the cause of
my problems. Now, I understand that in most cases, my planning
and execution cause many of my problems.
The tension is now between my ability to plan and execute, and
the land’s health -- not me and the BLM. Our energies are
spent discussing grazing principles, such as time, timing, utilization
levels and recovery periods, rather than arguing over turn-out
dates.
As we wind down the third year of the drought (6.6 inches to date),
our cattle are in good condition, the riparian areas are in good
condition, and 20 percent of our range is rested to start next
year’s grazing. The ranch’s finances are not good, and
with the Wall Street meltdown, increasing national deficits, and
war against terrorism, significant drought relief will be elusive.
However, violating good land management practices is not the answer.
Good drought management is no different than good management in
general. A functional water cycle, mineral cycle, energy flow
and plant community dynamics are critical to sustainability, no
matter what the conditions are.
A drought simply magnifies and accentuates mistakes. Historically,
we see a drought once in a lifetime. We are experiencing the worst
drought in 108 years of recorded history, with 33 of the last
35 months receiving less than average precipitation.
The question inevitably arises, "How does your present stocking
rate compare to your previous practice of season-long grazing?"
In the first year of the drought, planned grazing demanded a quick
response to poor production and we reduced our stocking rate by
36 percent.
Those ranchers who graze their cattle season-long or in rest rotation
systems typically made no corrections during the first year of
the drought and grazed at historical levels.
In the next two years, our reductions paralleled reductions made
by BLM administration on season-long and other system grazing
permits in the area.
But in our case, planning in response to land conditions, not
the BLM, drove the cuts.
It must also be noted that we rested 5 percent in 2001 and 20
percent in 2002. We also limited "time" to less than
15 days on the majority of the land and less than 28 days in all
instances. These benchmark numbers result from a Montana State
University study that riparian areas grazed less than 21 days
will improve and those grazed more than 21 days and less than
28 days will maintain. Longer grazing periods degrade riparian
areas.
These differences may not be significant if we return to average
weather conditions but if we are in a 20- or 50-year drought,
as some meteorologists suggest, it will be very significant. In
short, planned grazing allowed us to respond to changing conditions
more quickly.
The ability to notice changing conditions differentiates good
monitoring from poor monitoring. Responding to changing conditions
quickly defines the secret of good management.
With more than 50 percent of our moisture coming during the dormant
season, a covered soil surface slows runoff and insulates against
evaporation. Vigorous plants will respond quickly to moisture.
Poor plant vigor and bare ground will prolong a drought. With
a covered soil surface and good plant vigor, we will be ready
for rain.
As a child, rain clouds would prompt me to ask my uncle, "Do
you think it’s going to rain?"
He would look up at the sky and thoughtfully reply, "If it
doesn’t, it will sure be a long dry spell."
I always had to stop and think about that for a while. As financial
pressures arise in today’s climate, I have to stop and remember,
"The best we can do in a drought is prepare the land for
rain."
Tony Malmberg is a Lander,
Wyo.-area rancher who practices holistic management.
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