Yes – that is a rubber boot – stuck in a dry mound of what used to be mud. That boot (and the mate) were sucked from my father’s feet last year while he tried to clear a culvert during a very wet storm. He had to hobble back to his pick up in muddy socks but the promise of rain and green grass made it sting a little less. Later in the year he pushed up this pile that was mud to increase water available to the cows, as the springs and creeks dry up or go underground we try to make as many watering holes as possible until it is completely gone. Now in the latter part of summer the moisture is gone and as I drove by this boot, held in the grip of dry adobe, it reminded me that even though we are in the midst of another drought, the rain will return.
As I drove by this boot, held in the grip of dry adobe, it reminded me that the rain will return.
The rain shut off like a faucet in February 2021, we had some good moisture before that and things looked promising and then – NOTHING. It is a ranchers worst nightmare, the impending doom and expense of feeding cattle during a drought. If you are feeding range cattle you aren’t making money and if you aren’t making money there is no point in having cattle in the first place. Thankfully when California went through the last serious drought cycle my father and I started discussing plans to survive. How do we manage our cows, calves, pastures and feed to keep us moving forward until the rain returns? Lessons learned throughout the last decade have really shaped our business plan and this year it seems to be working. We weaned and sold calves early – price wasn’t the highest but they weren’t stressing our pastures or sucking anymore weight off of our mama cows. We pregnancy checked early and culled HARD – temperament issue, bred late, look at me wrong – on the truck. Cows that were making us a paycheck by doing their job got to stay. This was all in early May, usually the trucks don’t roll in until mid-July but we would have been completely out of feed and the trucks rolling in would have been bringing the most expensive hay anyone has seen in years. The mood around our corral that weekend, the neighbor’s the weekend after and the other ranches that month were all pretty bleak – can we survive another dry year?
The mood around our corral that weekend and the neighbors the weekend after were all pretty bleak – can we survive another dry year?
I was thinking about this question while I drove around and checked cows, FAT cows in August of a bone dry year. As I rocked out in the Jeep, talked to the dogs and whistled to the cows, I drove by this boot – it struck me as sad at first but then I started laughing. To think of my dad ever walking anywhere barefoot is comical in itself but also because this poor stranded boot reminded me that in February there was rain. As ranchers we always seem to point out the worst, we stress about the impending doom of whatever is the worst case scenario when really we adapt, thrive and move on without really recognizing it fully. This goofy boot sticking out of the dirt gives me great hope because watching our industry adapt this past year and watching cattlemen come together to brainstorm how to adapt means we will make it through – drought, disease, politics, industry changes, etc. We recognized this year what it would mean if we didn’t get anymore rain and we made it work, the cows fleshed back up well and we still have feed going into calving season. Instead of starting to feed in August we will be able to hold out until October. By culling hard our herds look better and are performing better, that’ll be a win win for the foreseeable future. The cows are thriving in lean times which mean they’ll skyrocket when conditions improve. The rain will return, it may take a minute but we will make it work.
What do you think the greatest accomplishment of our industry has been this year? Where do you think we are heading? Let’s share some of the positive and get ready for the rain!
Pacific Coast Cattle 