Living off the Land: A Lesson on Sustainability and Management
Post by Clemson Undergraduate Lana Fabrizi
In recent days, the focus of our
class has shifted from animal science to rangeland management, a field in which
I have no experience. This week’s learning goes beyond new statistics about
forage, I personally focused on how vital community is to the success of an
area such as this. On the surface this sounds like common sense, but it was a
different experience being able to see it first-hand, people coming together
for the good of agriculture.
First, we traveled to the 9th
Annual Matador Ranch Symposium. When we arrived, people were hugging and
greeting each other, which I had not expected, especially seeing the landscape
on the ride up to the ranch. The presentation that had the largest impact on me
was about Agriculture Community Enhancement and Sustainability, otherwise known
as ACES. The focus of this movement is to bridge healthy land use and healthy
community. For example, they are creating a community center as a place where
county leaders can congregate and citizens to enjoy. Additionally, they
participate in on-the-ground conservation by reseeding and using
wildlife-friendly fences. The research projects presented were interesting, but
what I appreciated the most was how many audience members were present and
engaged. It was really inspiring to see people coming together for a common
cause and for the good of agriculture. Following the symposium presentations,
we were offered a tour of the Matador Ranch. I did not realize that this was
the only grass banking system in the country! The grass banking system also displays
the altruism and community feel. The ranchers can check on their specific herd
of cattle but will also report updates to the other ranchers so each participant
does not have to venture all that way each week. It was a great experience to
see the “real prairie.”
During the spring semester, Matias
concentrated on the definition of sustainability and reminded us this week that
the definition is very dynamic and not universal. Regardless of the details of
one’s definition, everyone can agree on cutting down extra expenses as much as
possible. With that being said, ranchers need to be able to predict how much
hay they need for the winter. Matias briefly explained the amount of planning
and calculation that goes into foraging. John Pfister expanded on this point
into more depth when he spoke to us this morning. We learned today’s general
rule of thumb is that a single cow eats 2.5% of its body weight per day if the
temperature is above 35 F. Ranchers use this scale when harvesting and buying
hay for the approximate 150 days they need it.
Mr. Pfister also discussed the
significance of balance when it comes to rangeland management. He explained,
“we stand either to the far right or far left.” This instantly brought me back
to Mrs. Kinkie’s living room while discussing the possible compromising talks
with conservation groups but there are times when one party has much more to lose
and is reluctant to budge. However, I believe Mr. Pfister said it perfectly
when he commented, “if we stay on opposite sides of the spectrum we won’t see
any progression.” During our discussion on rangeland he emphasized, “if I don’t
manage it, Mother Nature will.” A prime example of this is the fire of 2012.
Terry, the ranch manager, took the preventative measure and cut down trees and
essentially single-handedly saved the ranch from burning down. After the fire,
a fire expert from Canada came to Mr. Pfister and taught him how the fire blazed
through his property. As an extension agent for MSU, it is his job to be as
educated as possible on common issues and share his knowledge to the public. Thorough
and consistent management equate to sustainability.
These past few days we have
ventured out of my biological comfort zone. This week has shown me that there
is such a larger community aspect when it comes to ranching and land
management. We are in an area that makes a living off the land; there are many smaller
considerations than I had thought. The type and amount of forage is essential
for the health of cattle, as well as the protein content. Montana alfalfa
generally has 13-14% protein. Additionally, farmers are paid on weight rather
than protein content so it is grown out more. This is important to take into
consideration when formulating how much hay is needed for winter. I am looking
forward to talking to other ranchers and hearing their experiences.
