Drought Management

Southern Plains Bison: July 2014

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Southern Bison It ain’t very cold out there!  Actually going into August sucks no matter where you call home in North America. Things like nutritional regimes, ambient temperature and behaviors are changing. Bison in the south are more equipped for the southern plains heat than you think.  The latter is a true statement with the caveat that; If_ they are prepared for harsh environmental conditions with adequate nutrition and energy reserve. It takes energy to operate normal bodily functions, juvenile growth and it takes energy to stay cool. The energy reserve is absent when the bison look thin [or hollow] … Read more

Rainfall Amounts; June 2014

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I’d like to congratulate all of you who received plentiful rainfall this year.  We’ve missed out on most of it here in the northern kingdom but still have our fingers crossed. I’m hearing reports of verdant pastures and wildflowers from places that have been parched for too long. Now, look at those lovely green acres and imagine that you could keep that going even in drought cycles.  How?  Strategic water conveyance!  Yes, water harvesting swales, structures, techniques and technology takes the rain falling on your ranch and puts it to work for you instead of letting it run away to … Read more

Southern Plains Bison – May 2014

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Plains Bison Well we’ve had a little rain. Some more than others and that’s just the way it is. While our neighbors in the bison world from the north draw a deep breath and let a sigh of relief after last winter, I envy their relief as I brace for making crucial decisions, planning ahead and watching closely how our herds handle summer in the southern plains. We’re not there yet, but the heat lamps-a- comm’in, and like us, our bison will slow down and shift many behaviors to cope. Our job is to strategically plan to save pastures that … Read more

DROUGHT May 2014

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DROUGHT “Charge it to the dust and let the rain settle it.”  There’s always a drought lurking around the corner, it seems.  How you prepare for and manage it will go far in the price you pay at the end.  Personally, I believe in thinking and planning over spray, pray and pay agriculture. Here in Texas, ranch life is ruled by the weather. I grew up dryland farming and ranching through some pretty humbling droughts that caused us to get innovative in our drought survival strategies.  Most of our place was a sand dune to start with and we’d watch … Read more

Botanical Solutions for Internal Parasites

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While internal parasites are a fact of life in ranching, there are alternative holistic solutions available to assist in their suppression. A high priority should be rotational paddock shift grazing and the encouragement of dung beetle populations. A healthy mixed sward pasture including medicinal forbs is also very important. Access to tannin rich browseable trees such as oak, mesquite, hickory, locust, elm, etc have a strong negative effect on the worms. Specific plants proven to possess vermicidal/anthelmintic properties are Wormwood (Artemesia), Wormseed or Epazote, Garlic, Senna, Pumpkin seed, Prickly Ash, Monarda, Black Walnut, Tobacco, Neem and Pomegranate root, among others. … Read more

Topsoil – the bottomline of productivity

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We’re all familiar with topsoil, but what is it exactly? Obviously, beyond being the top layer of soil or a medium for propping up plants, soil is a living and breathing microbial ecosystem upon which all our lives depend. There are more beneficial bacteria in one spoonful of healthy soil than people on the planet. Some of them fix nitrogen from the atmosphere into soil or plant roots to be synthesized into proteins while others decompose organic residues and improve soil structure. Beneficial fungi such as mycorrhizae carry nutrients and water to plant roots in a symbiotic association. A dizzying … Read more

Drought Proofing Farms, Ranches and Habitats

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In most landmasses of the planet, especially a climatically cantankerous continent such as North America, aridity and drought cycles are a fact of life. The good news just so happens to be: that our farms and ranches can be drought-proofed with effective planning and mitigation strategies. Nature sets the example with all manner of brilliant water-saving techniques/technology and intelligent agriculturists will mimic nature’s proven patterns.  Integrating a combination of cultural techniques, infrastructure development and species selection is the pathway to thriving success in the face of drying adversity and un-relenting heat. The first order of business is choosing appropriate plant … Read more