The Art of Range: Recent Episodes
Tip Hudson
The Art of Range is a podcast about rangelands for people who manage rangelands. Our goal is education and conservation through conversation. Find us online at www.artofrange.com.
never be afraid to learn something, and let the land, the animals, and the weather keep humbling you.Support for The Art of Range Podcast comes from RanchBot, Western SARE, and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center.Visit the episode page at artofrange.com for the transcript of this interview and links to resources mentioned during the conversation.Music by Lewis Roise.
the real progress rangeland stewardship has made, and why anyone entering natural resources has to genuinely care about the land.Rodney Heitschmidt received the Society for Range Management's Outstanding Achievement Award in 1991 and the SRM Fellow Award in 2004. He was honored with the Frederic G. Renner Award in 2013, which is the Society's premier award for sustained accomplishments in range management. Rod served as the SRM President in 2002.Visit the episode page at https://artofrange.extension.wsu.edu/episodes/aor-185-rod-heitschmidt-on-a-lifetime-of-integrating-rangeland-science-and-application/ for the transcript of this interview and links to resources mentioned on the show.Music by Lewis Roise.
Dr. Tom Bartlett has spent a lifetime proving that rangeland is worth a lot more than meets the eye. Tip sits down with this Colorado State University rangeland economist to discuss career that shifted from mathematical modeling to applied on-the-ground economics — and why Bartlett thinks the real value of public grazing lands is almost always misunderstood by policymakers. Along the way, they reflect on 60 years of Society for Range Management membership, the people who shaped the profession.Support for The Art of Range comes from the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center and RanchBot.Music by Lewis Roise.Visit the episode page at https://artofrange.extension.wsu.edu/episodes/aor-184-tom-bartlett-on-valuing-cows-grass-and-everything-else/ for a transcript of the interview and links to resources mentioned in this episode.
What if the key to making people care about rangelands wasn't a fact sheet, a policy brief, or even a podcast — but interactive art that people can view, hear, touch, and smell? WSU Extension's Stephen Bramwell joins the show to talk about a first-of-its-kind public art project that's deploying multisensory exhibits across 18 states to reach audiences who've never thought twice about grasslands or the people who steward them. From tactile fiber samples and scent jars to life-size 3D sheep cutouts, this is rangeland outreach like you've never heard of — and you can host an exhibit or submit your own art at grasslandsproject.org. Music by Lewis Roise.Support for The Art of Range comes from RanchBot and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center.The transcript of this episode and links to resources mentioned in the interview are available at https://artofrange.extension.wsu.edu/episodes/aor-183-rangelands-on-display-using-public-art-to-reach-beyond-the-choir-with-stephen-bramwell/.
Allen Miller of Tower Rock Ranch in Mansfield, Washington was the 2023 NCBA Environmental Stewardship Award regional winner. His family has run cattle on the same Douglas County ground since 1883. Allen joins Tip to talk about blending the art and science of range management on a 15,000-acre operation reshaped by five major wildfires in just 14 years. Allen shares hard-earned lessons on rotational grazing, post-fire rest and deferment, the payoff of 125 miles of new fence, and how Sage Grouse Initiative water infrastructure and remote tank monitors have transformed cattle distribution across rocky, water-scarce country. The conversation closes with candid thoughts on riparian fencing, CRP's unintended consequences, the promise of virtual fence and GPS ear tags, and Allen's advice to the next generation of agency professionals: come in humbly, listen first, and learn alongside the ranchers you're trying to help.Music by Lewis Roise. Support for The Art of Range comes from RanchBot and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center.Visit the episode page at artofrange.com for the transcript and links to resources mentioned in this interview.
Jim Strickland is managing partner at Blackbeard's Ranch in southwest Florida, co-founder of the Florida Conservation Group, and vice chair of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association Environmental Stewardship Award Program. Over a seventy-year career in cattle, Jim watched nearly 100,000 acres of leased pasture disappear to development around Sarasota, and in response he helped build a coalition of ranchers, scientists, and conservation groups that has now facilitated roughly 160,000 acres of easements and pushed the Florida legislature toward a $300 million appropriation for easement funding. In this conversation, Jim and Tip discuss the mechanics and politics of conservation easements, the emerging market for paying ranchers for ecosystem services like Florida Panther habitat and aquifer recharge, prescribed fire on pyrogenic Florida rangelands, and Jim's experience as reportedly the first rancher to deploy virtual fence at scale east of the Mississippi — now covering 7,000 acres. Florida's ranchers are only one-half of one percent of the state's population, but they steward the water, wildlife corridors, and working open space that 22 million Floridians depend on, and Jim makes a compelling case for why telling that story well may be the most important conservation work of all.Music by Lewis Roise.Go to https://artofrange.extension.wsu.edu/ for the transcript and links to resources mentioned in this episode.
Maryam Niamir-Fuller's career spans decades of work with pastoralist communities from all over the world. She is a special advisor to the Secretariat of the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists Global Alliance. Maryam shares how her journey began among the Dinka people of Southern Sudan and grew into a lifelong commitment to elevating the voices and improving the livelihoods of pastoral communities worldwide. From the economics of livestock as living wealth, to the global conversation around meat, land conversion, and unbalanced subsidies, this episode provides a good overview on the social and economic services provided by rangelands and people of rangelands.The Art of Range Podcast is supported by the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center.Music by Lewis Roise.Go to the episode page at artofrange.com for links to resources mentioned in this episode.
. Doug speaks candidly about the economics of the transition, the promise of virtual fence technology, and why he has no plans to stop.The Art of Range Podcast is supported by the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center.Music by Lewis Roise.Visit the episode page at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-180-doug-poole-integrating-grazing-cropping-systems-rangeland-soil-health for links to resources mentioned in this episode.
Storytelling, direct-to-consumer beef sales, animal behavior, grass taxonomy, beavers, water, and wolves. Glenn Elzinga has tried to tackle it all raising cattle in the Pahsimeroi Valley and nearby mountains of south-central Idaho. Alderspring is a 100% grass-fed and certified organic ranch that’s been raising cattle on wild rangelands for over 30 years. Glenn, Caryl, and their seven daughters use herding movements they call 'in-herding' to optimize grazing effects as part of a healthy ecosystem. Glenn maintains a colorful ranch blog where he tells many of these stories. The Art of Range Podcast is supported by the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center.Visit the episode page at https://artofrange.extension.wsu.edu/episodes/aor-179-glenn-elzinga-alderspring-ranch-grassfed-beef-in-wild-open-spaces/ for links to resources mentioned in this episode.Music by Lewis Roise.
to listen to on the strengths and weaknesses of virtual fence and animal geolocation technologies. She has been in the middle of much of the early vendor comparison work as well as experimental research on animal physiology considerations and environmental applications for remote animal location detection and control. Listen to this interview to learn about the mechanisms of virtual fence options, a comparison and contrast of features on offer, and current research on graziers can better manage wild, open spaces with a back-to-the-future approach to modern herding.The Art of Range Podcast is supported by the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center, Vence (a subsidiary of Merck), and the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission.Music by Lewis Roise.Visit the episode page at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-178-flavie-audoin-animal-geolocation-and-virtual-fence-technologies for the transcript of this interview and links to resources mentioned in this episode.
Pastoral mobility is crucial for both the sustainable management of rangelands and the economic viability of pastoralism. It is key to livestock productivity, because it enables herds to reach resources that are unevenly dispersed across space and are often short-lived in highly variable environments. Pastoralists specialize in guiding their herds through seasonal grazing of a succession of these resources, taking advantage of the often unpredictable availability of nutrient-rich pasture. In this IYRP mini-episode, Dr. Mark Moritz, an anthropologist who has worked with pastoralists in Africa for several decades, describes the importance of mobility and how this is tied to the importance of access to land and water. These pastoralists’ rights are in jeopardy in many parts of the world, including from terrorist groups like Boko Haram in Cameroon.The Art of Range Podcast is supported by the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center and the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission.Visit the episode page at https://artofrange.com/episodes/iyrp-february-mark-moritz-pastoralist-mobility-land-water-security for links to resources mentioned in this interview.Music by Lewis Roise.
This quote from the Archbold Biological Station website describes well the impressive efforts of this large private research institute to integrate wildlife and ecosystem conservation efforts with ranch management. Ranches have also become increasingly important for water conservation. Listen to this interview to learn about innovative aquifer recharge and water quality programs paying ranchers for ecosystem services and coordinated by Archbold. Dr. Betsey Boughton has run Archbold's agroecology program for many years, and she is now the Director of Science for the station.The Art of Range Podcast is supported by the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center and the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission.Visit the episode page at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-177-dr-betsey-boughton-ranch-relevant-ecological-research-archbold-biological-station for a transcript of the interview and links to resources mentioned in this episode.Music by Lewis Roise.
Gene Lollis has been managing the Buck Island Ranch for both commercial cattle production and research objectives for over 30 years. In this interview, Gene covers carbon life cycle analysis and eddy covariance sensors, meat packer politics, endangered bird species, Florida feedlot rations, rotational grazing, and national security. Welcome to a day in the life of a rancher. Archbold Biological Station is one of the largest privately-funded and operated ecological research institutions in the United States. Since 1/5 of Florida's land is in ranches, they recognized decades ago the importance of doing research on working cattle ranches. Archbold leased the Buck Island Ranch from the MacArthur Foundation for many years before purchasing it in 2018. Today, the ranch hosts numerous environmental research projects run by Archbold, including a LTAR site, and raises ~3000 cow-calf pairs per year. Visit the episode page at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-176-gene-lollis-buck-island-ranch-part-archbold-biological-station for a full transcript and links to resources mentioned in this episode.The Art of Range Podcast is supported by the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission; Vence, a subsidiary of Merck Animal Health; and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center.Music by Lewis Roise.
Why are rangelands and pastoralists vital to the culture, ecology, and economy of the world? Igshaan Samuels, a rangeland scientist in South Africa and co-chair of the IYRP Global Alliance, defines and describes these people and places. You will learn in this interview that pastoralists are the front-line custodians of over half of the world's land area! The International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (2026) aims to raise awareness of these lifeways, the oldest in human civilization.Visit the episode page at https://artofrange.com/episodes/iyrp-january-what-are-rangelands-who-are-pastoralists-why-do-they-matter-igshaan-samuels to experience pastoralists caring for rangelands and to learn how to share these important people and places with the people you interact with every day.
Citrus covers nearly 300,000 acres in central Florida from Orlando to the east coast. The ranch was a regional winner of the NCBA's Environmental Stewardship Award back in 2010. Listen to this interview to learn about managing high-production pasture, challenges in fitting animals to a harsh environment, managing lots of animals and people, and conserving habitat with working lands between DisneyWorld and Cocoa Beach.The Art of Range Podcast is supported by the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission; Vence, a subsidiary of Merck Animal Health; and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center.Go to the episode page at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-175-deseret-cattle-citrus-clint-richardson for a transcript of this interview and links to resources mentioned in the show.Music by Lewis Roise.
Liesa and Russell Priddy's JB Ranch was the winner of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association Environmental Stewardship Award for Region 2 in 2023. Most of us don't associate South Florida with cattle and predator conflicts. But the Priddys were the first to document confirmed panther kills of cattle in the region, and the growing panther population just north of the Everglades has caused local ranchers to begin taking stock of how to protect livestock where there are panthers in the pasture. Listen to learn about this unique environment surrounding the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge and the ups and downs of ranching and critical environmental stewardship between the swamp and the hyper-urbanized Florida coast. The Art of Range Podcast is supported by the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission; Vence, a subsidiary of Merck Animal Health; and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center.Go to the episode page at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-174-florida-panthers-and-tough-cattle-rancher-liesa-priddy for a full transcript and links to resources mentioned in this interview.Music by Lewis Roise.
The Adams Ranch was the first to develop a breed of cattle in Florida for Florida, the Braford breed. This Brahman - Hereford cross could handle heat and insects and still produce desirable meat. In this interview, Mike Adams describes agricultural history in this subtropical wilderness of grass and how his family has shaped and continues to shape the beef industry in the Deep South, including innovative meat marketing and continued cattle genetics refinement. The Adams Ranch was the Environmental Stewardship Award winner in 1991 for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association Region 2.The Art of Range Podcast is supported by the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission; Vence, a subsidiary of Merck Animal Health; and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center.A full transcript of this interview and website links are at the episode page, https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-173-mike-adams-florida-cattle-history-and-adams-ranch-brafords
New technology takes time to prove its worth. Jay and Chyenne Smith now have three grazing seasons' experience using Vence's virtual fence technology and they are convinced they will keep using it. Smiths initially used the Vence system to keep cattle out of the Moose Creek Fire burn area, thereby avoiding 2-3 years of non-use on the entire allotment (see episode 123). Since then, the other benefits of this animal tracking and distribution control system have proven valuable beyond mere exclusion. Be sure to watch the Life on the Range video of this project, linked here.The Art of Range Podcast is supported by the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission; Vence, a subsidiary of Merck Animal Health; and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center.Go to the episode page at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-172-vence-j-lazy-s-ranch-idaho-sequel-jay-smith for a full transcript of the interview and links to resources mentioned in this episode.Music by Lewis Roise.
Stephanie Larson and Mikie McDonnell encourage you to attend the Society for Range Management's flagship event in Monterey, California to kick off the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists. Listen to learn about location, conference themes, tour options, and plenary sessions.Go to the episode page at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-171-celebrating-global-rangelands-pastoralism-srms-2026-annual-meeting for conference website links and a transcript of this conversation.Music by Lewis Roise.
Cattle growth goals and livestock use of large, topographically challenging landscapes have been at odds for some decades. Weaning weights went up, cow weights went up, and herd distribution on rangelands went down. Dr. Jim Sprinkle, an Extension beef specialist at the University of Idaho, has been doing research that is providing guidance on developing cows that do both, leading to herds that are more efficient on feed and graze hillsides -- the Perfect Range Cow. This has significant implications for reducing land use conflicts, particularly with riparian grazing concerns on public lands, but also profitability and sustainability of range livestock operations.The Art of Range Podcast is supported by the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission; Vence, a subsidiary of Merck Animal Health; and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center.Visit the episode page at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-170-dr-jim-sprinkle-perfect-range-cow for a full transcript of the interview and links to resources mentioned in the episode.Music by Lewis Roise.
Sodfather of the Ruminati”) earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Georgia and his doctorate at the University of Kentucky. He was the forage extension specialist at Oregon State University from 1986 to 1992. He worked in the forage seed industry from 2011 until 2023. He is a member of several national and international scientific societies, participates in related global initiatives, and is a Past-President of the American Forage and Grassland Council.Peter’s personal experience has led him to re-examine human diet and health. What he has learned doesn’t agree with the advice given for the past several decades. Peter is an advocate for ruminant animal agriculture and the essential role of animal source foods in the human diet. He strives to build bridges between producers, consumers, and researchers across a wide variety of scientific disciplines – increasing awareness of metabolic health and ruminant animal agriculture’s essential role in social, economic, and ecological sustainability. Peter has spoken at many different events in the US and internationally. Many of his presentations are available on YouTube. Peter and Nancy live in western Oregon (northwestern USA) with their three dogs, Conor, Noni, and Iris.The Art of Range Podcast is supported by the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission; Vence, a subsidiary of Merck Animal Health; and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center.Go to the episode page at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-169-peter-ballerstedt-metabolic-dysfunction-opportunities-eaters-and-graziers for a transcript of this interview and links to resources mentioned in the episode.
The Art of Range Podcast is supported by the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission; Vence, a subsidiary of Merck Animal Health; and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center.A transcript of the conversation and links to resources mentioned in this episode is available at the episode page at ahttps://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-168-chuck-jarecki-ranching-your-face-ground-montana
Beni Paulson is a North Dakota rancher who breeds, trains, and sells bucking bulls. He also raises beef cattle and produces country-western music that is more western than eastern. He sings of what he knows. And he's learned a thing or two about grazing to heal pieces of the northern Great Plains that were degraded through cropping and overgrazing. If you've never heard of the American Bucking Bull breed . . . I hadn't . . . tune in to this interview.The Art of Range Podcast is supported by the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission; Vence, a subsidiary of Merck Animal Health; and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center.Go to the episode page at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-167-beni-paulson-bucking-bull-breeding-country-music-and-good-grazing for the transcript of this interview and for links to resources mentioned in the show.
Gabe Brown was thinking about and practicing regenerative grazing before it had a name. Grazing management that maintains the productive potential of naturally occurring ecosystems is an ecological imperative that is as needful today as it was 10,000 years ago. In this conversation between Gabe and Tip, they land on definitions for regenerative grazing, discuss problems with the term 'sustainable agriculture', and speculate on future directions for ecological agriculturalists. And Gabe answers a question he's never been asked before. This work is supported by the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, project award no. 2022-38640-37487 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.The Art of Range Podcast is supported by the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission; Vence, a subsidiary of Merck Animal Health; and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center.Visit the episode page at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-166-gabe-brown-regenerative-grazing for the transcript and links to resources mentioned in the episode.
How does barbed wire affect wildlife? Is there a better way to manage livestock location that distributes grazing effects and cares for the other animals occupying these landscapes? Maybe this is not a new idea? Jay Kehne with Conservation Northwest believes virtual fence is one of the answers. CNW facilitated and funded implementation of a virtual fence system for numerous ranchers affected by a large wildfire in 2020-21 that burned nearly half a million acres of sage grouse habitat in the Pacific Northwest. He's learned a thing or two about virtual fence and shares much of that in this interview.The Art of Range Podcast is supported by the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission; Vence, a subsidiary of Merck Animal Health; and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center.Visit the episode page at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-165-virtual-fence-benefits-wildlife-jay-kehne-conservation-northwest for links to resources mentioned in this interview and a full transcript.
The King Ranch is considered "The Birthplace of American Ranching". On its 150th birthday, King Ranch partnered with Texas A&M Kingsville to establish a masters program in ranch management, the only one of its kind. Rick Machen is the executive director of this program and speaks to the efficacy and reach of the Institute, still in its first quarter-century. Rick and Tip discuss why ranching well matters more than ever, why training future ranchers is critical, and how the King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management functions to serve these Texas-sized goals. The Art of Range Podcast is supported by the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center; Vence, a subsidiary of Merck Animal Health; and the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission.Go to the episode page at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-164-king-ranch-institute-ranch-management-rick-machen for links to resources mentioned in this episode as well as the full transcript of the conversation.
Andrew Coppin is the co-founder and CEO of RanchBot, a company aiming to reduce the cost and stress of managing stockwatering supplies in the large percentage of the world's surface where water really matters to grazing operations of all sizes. But as a former investment banker in corporate finance, Andrew has broader socioecological goals: "Ranchers are the largest custodians of natural capital on the planet outside of governments, and 98% of ranchers I know are trying to respect the land and work in sympathy with nature, and they're trying to leave the planet better than they found it for their children and their children's children. This is embedded in most ranchers' raison d'etre--RanchBot can help ranchers verify natural capital, to gather data that demonstrates stewardship."The Art of Range Podcast is supported by the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission; Vence, a subsidiary of Merck Animal Health; and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center.Go to the episode page for a full transcript and links to resources mentioned in this interview: https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-163-stockwater-monitoring-technologies-and-natural-capital-andrew-coppin-ranchbot
The Montana Grazing Lands Coalition 2025 Grazing Expo is an event designed to empower land managers with tangible resources while highlighting the West-wide impact of sound grazing lands stewardship. In this interview with Megan Terry, executive director for the Montana Grazing Lands Coalition, we discuss the importance of rancher peer-to-peer learning, integrated face-to-face grazing management education, and why people should attend the 2025 Grazing Expo in Billings September 4-7 and get involved with their state's or region's Grazing Lands Coalition. Listen to Megan's story about becoming an advocate for active management of wild rangelands.The Art of Range Podcast is supported by the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission; Vence, a subsidiary of Merck Animal Health; and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center.Visit the episode page at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-162-grazing-lands-expo-2025-megan-terry for a full transcript of this interview and links to resources mentioned in this episode.
What would rural finance look like if it truly supported long-term stewardship and resilience? This is the question Zach Ducheneaux has been asking himself and working toward for a couple of decades. Zach is an agricultural producer, a farming advocate, and the former Administrator of the USDA Farm Service Agency. From experiencing firsthand ag lending dysfunction in the 1980s farm crisis, to witnessing local community relationships in action that resulted in local lending based on trust, to helping USDA design lending programs that promote young farmers and ranchers, Zach understands ag lending like few others. In this interview he introduces principles that promote long-term capital reinvestment and producer-centered terms. This is good for borrower and lender. And it builds social capital, something badly needed in a modern economy.The Art of Range Podcast is supported by the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission; Vence, a subsidiary of Merck Animal Health; and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center.Go to the episode page at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-161-5th-c-agricultural-lending-zach-ducheneaux for more information or to contact Zach.
Dan Dagget was one of the original members of EarthFirst!, one of the more radical environmental activist organizations of the last 50 years. In his efforts to achieve health for the Earth’s ecosystems, however, he found himself conflicted over environmentalism’s means and the ends those means actually achieved. With that in mind, he began investigating and writing about success stories where active participation by humans in the ecosystems they depended on for livelihoods made the environment healthier than if they were not there. Two of his books, "Beyond the Rangeland Conflict" and "Gardeners of Eden - Rediscovering Our Importance to Nature" have thus been influential for many of us concerned about the serious environmental problems confronting the contemporary American West.This work is supported by the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, project award no. 2022-38640-37487 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.The Art of Range Podcast is supported by the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission; Vence, a subsidiary of Merck Animal Health; and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center.Visit the episode page at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-160-dan-dagget-peoples-contributions-nature-and-ecosystem-successes-southwest-us for links to more of Dan's work, including photos on his website which he mentions in the interview, and these books.
"Let me write the songs of a nation, and I care not who writes its laws." People think they are primarily 'thinking things', but this quote by a musician from ancient Athens speaks to the fact that most of our decision-making and the direction of our efforts in the world are shaped more by our affections. Creative and expressive arts are hugely influential. We should pay as much attention to what feeds our minds as we do to what feeds our physical bodies, and of course, we realize increasingly realize how connected minds and bodies are. This short monologue is an effort to get scientists to think about creative expression for science communication for artists to think scientifically about what values they portray and encourage in works of art.The Art of Range Podcast is supported by the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission; Vence, a subsidiary of Merck Animal Health; and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center.Visit the episode page at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-159-can-creative-arts-affect-public-perception-about-rangelands-brief-musing-tip for some related imagery and links to the project website.
Visual arts that draw attention to wild, open spaces have been culturally important in the United States. The outdoors painters of the late 19th and early 20th centuries were instrumental in making Americans aware of spectacularly beautiful places most people would not know about otherwise. And they catalyzed efforts to conserve these landscapes for ecological value and future enjoyment. Frank Stick was one of those painters, one whose work flowed out of deep personal experience and love of nature. Mike Mordell is an outdoorsman, forestry executive, and art collector who authored an illustrated biography of Frank Stick to draw attention to this important work. Art shapes us, directs our affections. Listen to this episode with Mike about the artwork of Frank Stick, "splendid painter of the out-of-doors."The Art of Range Podcast is supported by the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission; Vence, a subsidiary of Merck Animal Health; and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center.Transcript and links to resources mentioned in this episode are at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-158-frank-stick-splendid-painter-out-doors-biographer-mike-mordell
Can we effectively limit wildfire risk or change the fire risk profile using deliberate grazing? Or is this just wishful, simplistic thinking: "Cows eat fine fuel so that stops fire, right?" These are questions that demand scientific answers, not just anecdotes or coffee shop opinions. Sergio Arispe has worked with other researchers in the Western U.S. to better understand numerous questions around grazing for fire control and to fine-tune the timing, duration, intensity, and frequency of grazing that is most effective in shifting the plant community toward fire resiliency. A current ranch-scale research project aims to understand winter grazing effects on cheatgrass populations and associated wildfire risk in the subsequent summer. This is a timely topic for most rangelands in North America and especially drier ecosystem types with any species of exotic annual grasses.The Art of Range Podcast is supported by the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission; Vence, a subsidiary of Merck Animal Health; and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center.Visit the episode page at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-157-grazing-fine-fuels-management-and-wildfire-mitigation-sergio-arispe for links to websites and research papers mentioned in this interview.
Over 15 years ago, the veteran journalist Steve Stuebner and Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission executive Gretchen Hyde set out to use the new media landscape to tell good news stories about rangeland landscapes and the unique people who care for them. This has been a wildly successful venture that has reached far beyond the borders of Idaho. Listen to this interview with Steve and Gretchen about the recent "15-year retrospective" story and video on Life on the Range.The Art of Range Podcast is supported by the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission; Vence, a subsidiary of Merck Animal Health; and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center.Visit the episode page at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-156-15-years-life-range-steve-stuebner-gretchen-hyde for a full transcript of the interview and links to resources mentioned in this episode.
The National Grazing Lands Coalition (NatGLC) promotes and supports ecologically and economically sound management of grazing lands for multiple benefits to the environment and society through science-based technical assistance, research, and education. Bill Fox has been with NatGLC since the beginning. In this interview, Dr. Fox offers a condensed history of NatGLC and what the organization is doing now. We visit with Jack Field about the June 2025 summer tour in Washington State. From the tour website: "Pacific Pastures promises to be an unforgettable grazing tour, bringing together farmers, ranchers, and agriculture industry professionals. Participants will have the unique opportunity to network and engage with peers in a stunning backdrop that highlights the diverse landscapes and rich agricultural heritage of the Pacific Northwest. The event will feature an immersive experience that showcases innovative farming practices, sustainable ranching techniques, and the region's unique character. Attendees can look forward to forging valuable connections, sharing insights, and exploring the vibrant agricultural community that defines this remarkable region. Don't miss the chance to be part of this enriching experience that celebrates the heart of Pacific agriculture."The Art of Range Podcast is supported by Vence, a subsidiary of Merck Animal Health; the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission; and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center.Go to https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-154-national-grazing-lands-coalition-summer-tour-pacific-northwest for the full transcript and links to resources mentioned in this episode.
Does grazing management make a difference? Can we raise livestock and wildlife and take carbon out of the atmosphere and put it in soil on the same piece of land? Meet Peter Byck, self-described scientist wrangler and producer of Roots So Deep, a four-part documentary series that explores the world of adaptive cattle farmers and their conventional farming neighbors. Adaptive multi-paddock grazing is one of the faces of regenerative agriculture. Listen to this interview to learn about researched results from caring for land well. The Roots So Deep documentary film series shows, rather than tells, how we can have our cake and eat it too -- how grazing patterns can increase soil carbon, increase wildlife diversity, reduce water runoff and soil erosion, and improve financial health of family farms.The Art of Range Podcast is supported by the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission; Vence, a subsidiary of Merck Animal Health; and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center.Go to https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-155-roots-so-deep-you-can-see-devil-down-there-filmmaker-peter-byck for the full transcript and links to resources mentioned in this episode.
The concept of carrying capacity has figured prominently in rangeland ecology and wildlife biology for a century and more. Where did this term come from? Nathan Sayre, a cultural geographer at UC-Berkeley and the author of the book "Politics of Scale - a History of Rangeland Science," answers this question. According to Sayre, "It is a truism that the Earth’s resources are finite, and that human demands must therefore be kept within some bounds. But this idea has a history fraught with intellectual and political problems. My work on scarcity, carrying capacity, and related ideas explores how these terms and concepts emerged, traces their shifting meanings over time, and reveals their hidden assumptions and flaws." Our conversation centers around an article he wrote titled "The Genesis, History, and Limits of Carrying Capacity." The origins of the idea and the term, which has been controversial socially, ecologically, and economically, may surprise you.The Art of Range Podcast is supported by Vence, a subsidiary of Merck Animal Health; the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission; and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center.Visit the episode page to download the article or access the full transcript of this interview: https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-152-nathan-sayre-genesis-and-limits-carrying-capacity
Can Farmer-Founded Fibers Save American Fashion? Cate Havstad-Casad, founder of RangeRevolution leather goods, and Daniel Mouw, president of Duckworth wool clothing answered this question in a pre-panel interview at SXSW with Ed Roberson joining in. If Duckworth and Range Revolution are not on your radar screen, and if Mountain & Prairie Podcast isn't in your podcast feed, they should be now. Ed interviewed Cate and Daniel in a SXSW talk the day after we recorded this preparatory interview. We discuss supply chain challenges, what is fashion, the recent renaissance of wool, and why natural fibers are superior to synthetics (let me count the ways). The Art of Range Podcast is supported by Vence, a subsidiary of Merck Animal Health; the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission; and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center.Go to https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-153-back-future-american-fibers-cate-havstad-daniel-mouw-ed-roberson-sxsw for links and the transcript of this interview.
The Sterling Wildlife Management Area in southeast Idaho suffered from accumulated dead cattails, bulrushes, and grasses. Wildlife the area is intended habitat for were avoiding it, especially migratory waterfowl. This Life on the Range story with rancher Chase Carter and biologist Maria Pacioretty describes their successful efforts to use targeted grazing in winter to consume and transform the overburden of dead vegetation. The Art of Range Podcast is supported by Vence, a subsidiary of Merck Animal Health; the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission; and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center.Access the rest of the story and the excellent video on this project from https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-151-targeted-grazing-wetland-health-maria-pacioretty-chase-carter, where you can also find a full transcript of this interview.
Bildo Saravia is the owner and manager of Rancho el Ojo and Origien Raiz Mezcal. His story showcases the ways global marketing and communication can benefit local people oriented around rangeland economies. By "grazing the wild" he is growing agave in sustainable polyculture with a diversity of other native plants for livestock and wildlife in Durango, Mexico.Go to the episode page, https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-150-bildo-saravia-lauren-svejcar-artisanal-mezcal-ranching-mexico, for links and the full transcript.The Art of Range Podcast is supported by Vence, a subsidiary of Merck Animal Health; the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission; and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center.
Dr. Germino’s latest research, published in the Communications Earth & Environment journal in November 2024, reveals a startling and significant finding: invasive grasses are turning western U.S. rangelands from valuable carbon sinks into potential carbon sources. This research, a two-year collaboration between the US Geological Survey and Envu, provides the first comprehensive assessment of the impact of invasive annual grasses, like cheatgrass, on soil carbon stocks. The study found that the conversion of native perennial shrublands to these invasive grasslands can result in a 42-49% reduction in soil carbon, releasing a significant amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. It also found that wildfire and grass invasion had a similar impact on soil carbon stocks, a surprising finding that challenges previous assumptions about the relative impacts of these disturbances. Dr. Germino is joined by another study author, Dr. Harry Quicke from Envu. They discuss implications of this new research for rangeland management and potential solutions. This is part 2 of the discussion. To hear the first part, go to episode 147.A full transcript of the episode and links to articles are at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-149-wildfire-depletes-ecosystem-carbon-storage-50-part-2-germino-maxwell-quicke.The Art of Range Podcast is supported by Vence, a subsidiary of Merck Animal Health; the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission; and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center.
A research study in the mountains of Idaho tracked cheatgrass consumption by sheep in the spring and fall. Listen to Kelly Hopping (Boise State University) and sheep rancher Riley Kowitz describe their experiences with implementing this approach to controlling invasive annual grass and changing the wildfire risk profile on the Sawtooth National Forest. Go to https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-148-targeted-cheatgrass-grazing-research-sheep-kelly-hopping-riley-kowitz to see the video and read the full story. The Art of Range Podcast is supported by Vence, a subsidiary of Merck Animal Health; the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission; and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center.
How does wildfire affect soil carbon, the ecological currency of the 21st century? Careful collaborative research involving US Geological Survey scientists, Envu, and Boise State University has begun to answer some of the many questions surrounding soil carbon and fire. This is the first of a two-part interview on soil carbon storage, sequestration mechanisms, effects of wildfire and plant community shifts, and management implications. Be sure to read the Open Access paper at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-147-wildfire-depletes-ecosystem-carbon-storage-50-part-1-germino-maxwell-quicke, where you will also find the usual transcript and links to other resources.
Angus's family has managed the Wyndham Station near the Anabranch and Darling Rivers in southern Australia for 4 generations. That and the promise of a great Australian accent should be enough to make you listen to this episode. But we also discuss managing the earth's Living Skin, Angus's efforts to get others to think broadly about caring for land and livestock and all living things, including improving health care for humans in remote areas. It's a small world, and Angus's challenges in the Land Down Under are quite similar to those in North America. Find a transcript and links for this episode at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-146-angus-whyte-sheep-grazing-new-south-wales-australiaThe Art of Range Podcast is supported by Vence, a subsidiary of Merck Animal Health; the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission; and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center.
Riparian management, water quality, and livestock grazing used in the same sentence can warm up a room with heated discussion. John Buckhouse has spent a lifetime contending for the Radical Middle, where people recognize that land conditions that are good for fish are also good for cattle. He has effectively advocated for and led collaborative resource management, published reams of research on the most critical and controversial topics in natural resources policy and management, and has loved people well. In this two-part interview, John reflects on these developments and work that remains to be done.
"We have to think of beavers as our friend instead of our foe; for these watersheds to be healthy, you need beaver.” Rancher Jay Wilde experienced a paradigm shift some years ago that convinced him beavers were necessary to hold more water higher in the watershed for longer and that this hydrologic change would benefit a cattle operation in numerous ways. He acted on this conviction with some expert help and it is a classic win-win scenario: cows have water, the larger riparian area grows more forage, fish populations increased dramatically, and beavers create the habitat that feeds them. Listen to Jay's story and check out the excellent video on this project at the link on the episode webpage, https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-144-jay-wilde-idaho-rancher-builds-beaver-habitat-restore-stockwater.
Riparian management, water quality, and livestock grazing used in the same sentence can warm up a room with heated discussion. John Buckhouse has spent a lifetime contending for the Radical Middle, where people recognize that land conditions that are good for fish are also good for cattle. He has effectively advocated for and led collaborative resource management, published reams of research on the most critical and controversial topics in natural resources policy and management, and has loved people well. In this two-part interview, John reflects on these developments and work that remains to be done.TRANSCRIPT AND LINKS AT https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-143-dr-john-buckhouse-half-century-progress-part-1
How do undergrazing and overgrazing affect soil carbon change? What does "optimal grazing" look like? This sequel episode with Paige Stanley goes deeper into the ways grazing factors affect the ecophysiology elements that are responsible for generating or release the various kinds of soil carbon. These changes remain difficult to quantify, but we can describe them. Listen in on this second interview from Dr. Stanley's review paper "Ruminating on soil carbon: Applying current understanding to inform grazing management."Transcript and links are available at the episode page: https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-142-understanding-grazing-effects-soil-carbon-sequel-dr-paige-stanley.
"The fields of rangeland and wildlife management are brothers in the same fight for the conservation, protection, and management of wildlife and one cannot be completely understood without knowledge of the other." --Paul Krausman. This quote from the foreword of a new edited volume on wildlife ecology highlights the integrated nature of rangeland science. Listen to Drs. Lance McNew and Jeff Beck describe what's in this Springer-published comprehensive guide to what we know about rangeland wildlife, from mice to mule deer, sparrows to sage grouse. Wildlife species require habitat, and habitat management requires broad understanding and thinking. Take a look at this book.Transcript and links mentioned in this episode are at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-141-new-rangeland-wildlife-ecology-conservation-reference-manual-lance-mcnew-jeff-beck.
Meet Mark and Wendy Pratt, ordinary people doing unglamorous work with extraordinary care. C.S. Lewis said "we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment. It is frustrating . . . to come suddenly, at the turn of the road, upon some mountain valley of unexpected grandeur and then to have to keep silent because the people with you care for it no more than for a tin can in the ditch." We are quick to praise teachers and medical professionals like nurses because their work involves mundane faithfulness to work that is good for society and they are largely unthanked. Ranchers doing the daily work of caring for the living skin of the earth, work that involves wildlife habitat conservation, food production, open space protection, and much more, are sometimes treated worse than the tin can in the ditch -- at least the can is unnoticed -- ranchers are often vilified. We could begin by judging this group of people by their best representatives instead of their worst. I hope you will share my enjoyment of Mark & Wendy by listening to them describe their care for all creatures great and small and the land that supports us all.TRANSCRIPT AND LINKS AT https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-140-unsung-caretakers-unseen-land-mark-wendy-pratt-idaho-ranchers
Forage on semi-arid rangelands is finite but variable across space and over time. And grazing decisions start with balancing animal forage demand with forage supply, a significant challenge in vast and varied landscapes. In this episode, Matt Reeves, Sonia Hall, and Tip discuss StockSmart, the new free, online decision support tool just launched that accesses remotely sensed forage production data and allows the user to easily define what forage is accessible to their livestock based on fences, watering locations, the type of terrain their livestock will traverse and other parameters. Check out the future of grazing decision-making today at https://www.stock-smart.com/. Transcript and links to resources mentioned in this episode at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-139-stocksmart-sustainable-grazing-starts-good-forage-production-data.
The Bruneau Owyhee Sage Grouse Habitat (BOSH) project is a collaborative partnership of state and federal agencies, wildlife advocacy groups, and private landowners to restore native upland landscapes in Southwest Idaho to a more natural condition benefitting sage grouse, songbirds, antelope, spotted frogs and other wildlife. Conifer encroachment is now recognized as the second most significant threat to sage grouse populations in the Western U.S., second only to invasive grasses like cheatgrass. The partnership has mobilized money and people to control juniper on more acres than have ever been treated in contiguous pieces. In this first episode based on the Idaho Life on the Range series, project partners discuss the genesis of the project, science behind sage grouse habitat enhancement, and possible future activities.Guests in the this episode are: Steve Stuebner, writer and producer of Life on the Range, a public education project sponsored by the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission.Connor White, project manager for Pheasants Forever, based in Boise. Jeremy Maestas, National Sagebrush Ecosystem Specialist, USDA-NRCS Working Lands for Wildlife, out of Bend, Oregon. Visit the BOSH Project episode page at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-138-bosh-project-restores-sagebrush-sea-grand-scale-maestas-white-stuebner to watch the documentary video and read other reports of this effort.
Thank you for your patience as we shift funding sources and work into a slightly different approach to content. This brief piece describes these changes and previews upcoming episodes.
Dr. Nathan Sayre has written a delightful book on the origins and history of rangelands science, public ownership, agency management, and grazing philosophy in the United States. Join Tip and Nathan as they discuss his background building fence on ranches on the Southwest, his pathway to the sociology of rangelands, and then surprising findings in Sayre’s book research. Finally, they visit about recommendations for modern range management.Transcript and links at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-136-politics-scale-history-rangeland-science-nathan-sayre-re-release
Our language both reveals and shapes our internal philosophy about all of the beings and things in the world. And it guides our behaviors and interactions with those things -- humans, animals, plants, and non-living things. Yet these below-the-hood inclinations are formed very informally, usually without conscious thought. This interview with Anna Clare follows from an article in Rangelands on whether we should consider cattle 'partners' rather than 'tools' and invites the listener to ponder this not-so-esoteric question.Transcript and links are available at: https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-135-are-cows-tools-effects-language-anna-clare-monlezun
Maybe there is no silver bullet, no holy grail of grazing. But there are patterns of grazing impacts that work well for particular plant communities, and good grazing managers give attention to these effects and modify them over time to achieve landscape goals. Jim Howell is the founder of Grasslands, LLC, a ranch management company that directs grazing on over 320,000 acres of land around the world. Jim discusses lessons learned in observing and and manipulating grazing patterns in the varied ecology of places like Florida, Western Colorado, New Zealand, Montana.Transcript and links at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-134-contextual-adaptive-grazing-management-patterns-jim-howell
"Decades of scientific research on grazing and soil organic carbon (SOC) has failed to form a cohesive understanding of how grazing management affects SOC stocks -- characterized by different formation and stabilization pathways—across different climatic contexts." This quote from the introduction to the review paper "Ruminating on soil carbon: Applying current understanding to inform grazing management" frames the dilemma we're discussing in this episode. How can common management levers that define overall grazing pattern, including timing, intensity, duration, and frequency, be used to optimize mechanistic pathways of SOC sequestration? These authors offer a framework for beginning to answer this important question.The transcript for this episode and link to the paper are at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-133-ruminating-soil-carbon-paige-stanley-jim-howell-ariel-greenwood-chris-wilson.
Solar "farms" have met with resistance in Middle America because they often displace food farms, taking arable land out of production. But what if solar energy could be harvested at a utility scale on top of food or forage? This is the face of solar energy research today, and AnnaClare Monlezun is leading some of this research on White Oak Pastures, a livestock farm in Georgia owned by Will Harris. Listen to AnnaClare describe how agriculturalists are optimizing these potentially compatible land uses. Transcript and links to resources mentioned in this episode at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-132-are-agrivoltaics-viable-new-frontier-green-energy-anna-clare-monlezun
It's been said there is wisdom in a multitude of counselors. But in the same way that not all practice makes perfect, only good practice, it's important to listen to people with a proven record of range management success. This panel of experienced range professionals discusses principles that have helped them adapt well personally and professionally to change. Join my discussion with John Ruhs, Annie Overland, James Stewart, and Liz Munn recorded during the 2024 SRM plenary session. Transcript and links mentioned in this episode at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-131-society-range-mgmt-plenary-2-change-range-experienced-professionals
It's been said that the only thing that is certain is change. These young rangeland professionals engage in interview discussion around what "Change on the Range" means to them. The 2023 annual meeting plenaries addressed the synthetic nature of rangeland science and the necessity of working across disciplinary and geographic and social boundaries to be effective. Effective change may require all of that. Join Katherine Haile, Paige Stanley, Kaelie Pena, Josh Tashiro, and Melissa Lackore in our conversation about rangelands and productive change.TRANSCRIPT AND LINKS AT https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-130-society-range-management-plenary-change-range-young-professionals
Neighbors helping neighbors fight fire--this is the goal of Rangeland Fire Protection Associations (RFPAs) according to the Idaho Dept of Lands: "RFPAs empower local landowners to protect their own property and their neighbors’ where fire protection services are limited or not available. RFPAs can also respond to fires nearby that would otherwise take time for other firefighting agencies to reach." Mike Guerry, a French Basque 3rd generation rancher, has been instrumental in establishing and supporting RFPAs in Idaho. Under this cooperative arrangement, landowners and ranchers are able to coordinate with fire agencies in active firefighting.Transcript and links at: https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-129-rangeland-fire-protection-associations-basque-rancher-mike-guerry
Australia is hosting the IRC2025 in Adelaide, and this is the biggest rangelands event leading up to the 2026 UN International Year of Rangelands & Pastoralists. Australia boasts more rangeland than the United States, with wild, open spaces everywhere. Andrew and Nicole discuss uniquenesses of Australia, challenges common to other parts of the world, and the 7 themes of the congress. This event is an excellent opportunity to visit this less-peopled continent with a fascinating history. Submit to present at the conference by June 2, and check out the pre-congress tour options, which will sell out fast.Go to https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-128-international-rangelands-congress-2025-nicole-spiegel-andrew-ashfor resources mentioned in this episode and a transcript of the conversation.
"Layer something on your dirt that increases revenue opportunities and reduces risk." Clay Worden and James Rogers offer capstone comments on The Art of Range ranch financial resiliency series, from the importance of leveraging land assets (the big value in a ranch property) to tracking and managing production unit costs and revenues.Transcript and links at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-127-ranch-financial-success-bigger-cow-profits-clay-worden-james-rogers
Is it possible to generate renewable energy, beef, and wildlife habitat in the same space? Long-time collaborators Puget Sound Energy, WSU Extension, Stingley Ranches, and Washington Dept of Fish & Wildlife have proven the reality of this unlikely combination for more than 15 years on sagebrush ecosystems in the Intermountain West. The Wild Horse Coordinated Resource Management group has been managing grazing and a wide diversity of wildlife species on a wind energy facility since 2007, with a stable grazing process, abundant non-game and game species, and power for 80,000 households. The wind farm has facilitated, rather than diminished, habitat conservation through funding rehabilitation, stockwater, and innovative grazing in addition to preventing housing development on extraordinarily valuable habitat.Transcript and links at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-126-renewable-energy-wildlife-grazing-jeff-tayer-ryan-stingley-jennifer-galbraith.
The North Complex Fire of 2020 was estimated to produce more carbon dioxide and pollutants in one week than all of the cars in California in one year. That fire was in the list of 5 biggest fires in state history until it got surpassed by the August Complex Fire the same year. But it remains one of the deadliest, with 15 human deaths. This fire also burned to death hundreds of cows and calves, and that toll should not be forgotten. We can have theoretical and scientific discussions about how much wild fire to allow, how much prescribed fire to initiate, and how much forest to thin, but these discussion must consider the high psychological and human costs of large, catastrophic wildfires. Dave Daley knows this in a way most of us will never experience, and he hopes no one else does. This story covers ranch history, fire history, massive plant community shifts, horrific cattle deaths, and the impact of large wildfire on Dave's family.Transcript and links at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-125-human-costs-catastrophic-wildfire-dave-daley
Jim Gerrish is in the top 10 names known to ranchers in grazing management. His career, both as a researcher and as a rancher, spans animal nutrition, plant and community physiology, East and West, irrigated and dryland, rhizomatous and caespitose. Our conversation covers all of that as well as livestock industry history, the decline in sheep production in the early 20th century, and rules of thumb for grazing and grazing economics. Listen in on a wide-ranging conversation about grazing principles across the U.S.TRANSCRIPT AND RESOURCES MENTIONED AT https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-124-jim-gerrish-50-years-grazing-science.
Listen to Jay Smith, a rancher in Idaho, and Joel Yelich, a University of Idaho researcher, describe their experience managing cattle on a 100,000 acre U.S. Forest Service grazing permit that had burned the year before. Jay was able to keep grazing the permit because virtual fence allowed him to keep cattle off the burn footprint without putting up barbed wire or hotwire. Most rangeland grazing problems are related to animal distribution, and wireless fence may prove to be a game-changing distribution technology, almost a back-to-the-future approach to managing livestock distribution on large landscapes, places where physical fence is not feasible or advisable anymore. Virtual fence can enable effective herding on land with challenging topography and vegetation. This episode is sponsored by the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission and Life on the Range: https://idrange.org/life-on-the-range/.Transcript and links at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-123-virtual-fence-action-wild-open-spaces-idaho-jay-smith-joel-yelich. Find The Art of Range Podcast on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Art-of-Range-Podcast/61553627982252/.
Are you optimistic about 2024? This brief non-interview provides an overview of upcoming content on The Art of Range and an invitation to become a more active listener. Thanks so much for listening. And I'm optimistic, by the way.
Should we keep the farm? Can we afford to keep farming and ranching? How do conservation easements work? How much could an easement help? What do I have to give up? Food production is important (No Farms, No Food, No Future), but it has to pay enough to support a family in order to persist. Addie Candib is American Farmland Trust's Northwest director and is an advocate for local and regional land trusts. She walks through the legal and financial mechanisms involved in putting all or part of a ranch into a conservation easement and how that can benefit family businesses that are asset-rich and cash-poor. If that describes your operation, this episode is for you.RESOURCES AND TRANSCRIPT AT https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-121-addie-candib-what-are-agricultural-land-trusts.
What if grazed wild, open spaces were actually open? Is barbed wire still useful? Can we afford it? Are there other ways to control livestock distribution today? Would other options be "better"? Fenceless control of livestock has been discussed for decades, and these technologies may mimic herding, which was practiced nearly everywhere, at least on large landscapes, up until the invention and adoption of barbed wire in the late 1800s. This interview discusses pros and cons of permanent wire fence, hoped-for benefits of virtual fence, varieties of virtual fence systems, and the many applications for the deliberate, targeted grazing made possible through virtual fence, and much more.SHOW NOTES & TRANSCRIPT AT https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-120-could-virtual-fence-transform-rangeland-grazing-launchbaugh-deavila-pearson
Rangelands and people inevitably change. Managing that change involves people influencing people. The Society for Range Management's international annual meeting is the flagship ecological event of the year, bringing together ranchers, researchers, agency land managers, students, and other professionals from all over the world to share information and encourage one another. Dave Voth and Meghan Brown have worked hard to make this interaction productive and enjoyable. Listen in on this discussion about the content and goals for this meeting in the heart of American rangeland, Sparks, Nevada, including live interview plenary sessions to be broadcast live on The Art of Range. Don't miss this conversation and this important meeting!TRANSCRIPT AND LINKS AT https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-119-change-range-2024-nevada-meghan-brown-dave-voth.
Can grazing be used to help ecosystem function or is 'do no harm' the best we can do? What is meant by the new buzzword "regenerative"? Graeme Hand has been teaching and practicing grazing decision-making for a long time and has championed the idea of experimentation at spatial scales at which failing is not fatal to the environment or a livelihood. Kevin Muno is a rancher in southern California trying these ideas out at the ranch scale. We discuss measuring success using Landscape Function Analysis, a system developed in Australia by CSIRO and similar to the NRCS rangeland health matrix.TRANSCRIPT AND LINKS AT https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-118-safe-fail-experimentation-regenerative-grazing-graeme-hand-kevin-muno.
"Beef is what's for dinner; open space is what's for dessert." Rick Knight is a wildlife professor who has spent decades bridging ranchers and environmentalists (whatever that means now). His research has shown that private ranchlands are critical for wildlife and that grazing may be quite important for conservation of habitat values.Transcript and links to resources mentioned in this episode at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-117-ranching-radical-middle-rick-knight-reloaded.
Anna Clare is a rangeland ecosystem scientist, systems thinker, synthesizer, and collaborative facilitator. This interview continues with one of the major themes of the SRM Ecosystem Services report introduced in episode 111 with Lauren Porensky and Jeff Goodwin -- human dimensions of ecosystems, including sociocultural valuations. The conversation spans ways of identifying and valuing intangible ecosystem services, the Millenium Ecosystem Assessment terminology for these concepts, using Q statistical methodology to identify commonalities in sociological data rather than differences, and the perspectives of ranchers on "Nature's Contributions to People." A rancher herself, she brings her unique skillset to natural resource and grazing management in both her for-profit company, Graze LLC, and non-profit organization, Rangeland Living Laboratory.Transcript and links to resources mentioned in this episode are at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-116-understanding-natures-contributions-people-anna-clare-monlezun.
Napier Downs is a million-acre cattle station in the Kimberley region of Northwestern Australia. They export Red Brahman yearlings live to Indonesia, 15-20,000 animals per year, raised in a tropical savanna. We discuss the humanitarian importance of this live export market, the love-hate relationship with fire in this part of the world, land tenure arrangements on pastoral leases, and the distinctives that gave Napier Downs cattle a reputation for being the best in NW Australia. James is an Australian native and Barbara is a transplant from Scotland who has found her niche and her voice. Join Tip in his discussion with James & Barbara Camp.TRANSCRIPT AND SHOW NOTES available at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-115-cattle-raising-kimberley-australia-james-barbara-camp.
This is a re-release of one of the first episodes on The Art of Range. Fred Provenza discusses ideas from decades of research and experience on how animals and environment affect each other. Dr. Provenza calls this interaction a dance, which he has written about in his book “Nourishment”. Discussion includes how domestic animals can be selected or trained to match their environment and how this intersects with ecological, economic, and social resilience of rangeland-based livestock operations.Full transcript and links to resources mentioned in this episode are at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-114-best-aor-fred-provenza-animal-environment-interactions-re-release.
How does your agricultural business compare to similar operations in financial performance metrics? That's the question answered by benchmarking. Megan Shroyer is the president of Montana AgWest Farm Credit Services and she offers guidance on how to properly use benchmarking as one element of understanding and managing ranch financial health. Financial stress is usually what causes a ranch to call it quits. Even though society values the intangible ecosystem services provided by large landscapes, there are still few mechanisms to monetize these services. Megan describes the range of services offered by AgWest Farm Credit to help agricultural business thrive, including low-interest grants for beginning farmers and ranchers. Find the transcript and show notes at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-113-agricultural-financial-benchmarking-megan-shroyer-agwest-farm-credit.
Is environmentally sound livestock grazing more financially viable than overgrazing or just thoughtless grazing? If so, why? Dave Voth is a rancher in Nevada who helps lead the Society for Range Management's Good Grazing Makes Cent$ Program, an effort to take range science directly to those who make a living on the land. At least in rangeland settings, there are no future farmers without stewardship today, because economics are tied to ecology. Listen to Dave describe the intent of this outreach program for land managers of all types.
Learn more about Good Grazing Makes Cent$ at https://goodgrazing.org/. Membership in GGMC includes SRM membership! Don't miss this two-for-the-price-of-one deal.
Transcript available at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-112-good-grazing-makes-cent-dave-voth
A new report published by the Society for Range Management, Connecting Nature and People, outlines key ecosystem services provided by rangelands and their benefits to society. Agricultural Research Service scientist Lauren Porensky and Texas A&M Center for Grazinglands and Ranch Management director Jeff Goodwin discuss the report’s origins, framework, and upcoming plans for the project.
A transcript of this interview and the Ecosystem Services report link are available at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-111-ecosystem-services-connecting-nature-people-lauren-porensky-jeff-goodwin.
Remotely-sensed data products are not new, but applications using these data that are available and useful to landowners are relatively new. Matt Reeves discusses the current status of forage volume and phenological development across the Western U.S. (midsummer 2023) and the sources of data in useful fuel tools such as FuelCast, Rangeland Production Monitoring Service, Rangelands Analysis Platform, and ClimateEngine. Listen today to add NDVI, ANPP, RAP, RPMS, and more to your acronym arsenal.
For transcript and show notes, visit https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-110-lots-grass-little-fire-yet-2023-fuelcasting-matt-reeves
Livestock distribution is the key to good grazing, and water is the limiting factor to distribution. What if you could have water anywhere, produced from air? Genesis Systems, a company founded by Dave Stuckenberg, now offers atmospheric water generation devices that could revolutionize grazing management. This sounds like science fiction, but there's no fiction, only cool science.
Check out the company website and our transcript from the show notes page at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-109-atmospheric-water-generation-and-rangeland-grazing-david-stuckenberg.
Don Stuart is the author of a new book "No Farms, No Food: Uniting Farmers and Environmentalists to Transform American Agriculture", a history of American Farmland Trust and the origins of national-scale efforts to bring to America's attention the loss of farmland and the need for conservation effort. Don is a former commercial fisherman, lawyer, and Pacific Northwest regional director for American Farmland Trust. Addie Candib is the current PNW regional director for AFT. Addie and Don have been effective advocates for farming and liaisons between farmers and environmental interests for decades.
TRANSCRIPT AND RESOURCES available at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-108-no-farms-no-food-don-stuart-addie-candib-farmland-conservation.
Plants and animals and weather patterns do not respect property boundaries, state lines, or national borders. Managing landscapes requires not the obliteration of human-defined boundaries but working across them. In this plenary session from the Society for Range Management's 2023 annual meeting, Tammy VerCautere and David and Holly Ollila describe their efforts to conserve wildlife species, especially grassland birds, in the Great Plains of the U.S. through the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies. Tate Lantz, a NRCS supervisor in South Dakota, moderates the discussion. SHOW NOTES AND TRANSCRIPT AT https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-107-srm-keynote-address-working-across-borders-tammy-vercauteren-ollila-family.
Rangeland science is not a single discipline but a synthesis of numerous scientific topics and lived experiences. Successful management of rangelands requires knowledge of soils, water, climate, plants, livestock, wildlife, humans, and much more. It is impossible to master all topics in a rangeland textbook or land management handbook. It takes a unique and confident person to recognize their limitations and reach across disciplines to accomplish the art of rangeland management. A successful example of this discipline mixing is the Rangeland Partnership, a group of rangeland extension professionalsand librarians who work side by side to make relevant, authoritative information available to land managers. Accomplishments of the Rangeland Partnership include the Rangeland Gateway and RangeDocs which are searchable databases to help rangeland managers find high quality information. In this plenary we will hear from Tip Hudson, a rangeland & livestock Extension specialist, and Jeanne Pfander, an agricultural librarian, who discuss the value of reaching across disciplines to accomplish collaborative management. Eric Winford, Associate Director of the Idaho Rangeland Center, moderates this discussion. This is a recording from the SRM annual meeting in February 2023.Links and transcript at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-106-srm-keynote-address-working-across-disciplines-tip-hudson-jeanne-pfander.https://rangelands.org/annual-meeting-2023/
This is the story of Sharon and Richard Kline, a couple in southern California who became unlikely ranchers by buying an unlikely property. They have worked with California Rangeland Trust to keep the land as rangeland and conserve both habitat and ranching. Conservation easements are controversial and must be considered on a case-by-case basis, but agricultural land trusts have made this option much more palatable for working lands.RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODECalifornia Rangeland Trust, https://rangelandtrust.org/Article on the importance of private land to wildlife: https://onland.westernlandowners.org/2023/directors-letter/private-lands-are-a-lifeline-for-wildlife/ TRANSCRIPT available at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-105-richard-and-sharon-kline-conserving-working-lands-california
Wise management and conservation of rangelands in the future will require knowledge from the hard-earned experience of those near retirement and the fresh and uninhibited ideas of young professionals. However, reaching across these generations of ideas and experiences can be challenging. This final plenary will be a thought-provoking discussion that highlights the value of combining well-lived experiences with youthful insight. Tim Murphey, retired rangeland and fire professional, will describe the concepts he has learned that will be valuable to plot a path into the future of rangeland management. Courtney Taylor, student and rancher, will highlight the insight that young professionals can bring to power innovation and engage the next generation of rangeland managers. Tracy Kupchenko will moderate this discussion based on her pivotal experiences in working with both youth and well-worn ranchers and rangeland managers.Courtney Taylor grew up on a cattle ranching operation near Warner, Alberta, Canada. Always ambitious and a self- starter, she was running her own profitable on-farm businesses including a small sheep flock and orphan calf operation by age 10. Through her family operation, she was introduced to the art of rangeland management, and then while attending the Southern Alberta Youth Range Days camp, she further explored the science behind beneficial management practices, potential careers, and opportunities associated with rangelands. Her first exposure to the Society for Range Management was through the High School Youth Forum, then again at the University level, participating in the student conclave and competitions like the Undergraduate Range Management Exam and Extemporaneous Speaking event. She is currently attending the University of Saskatchewan and continues to run several of her business initiatives including a small bull operation specializing in genetics that will sustain the extensive winter grazing and spring/summer calving utilized on the ranch. Needless to say, that as far back as she can remember, she has grown and continues to foster a deep respect for her animals and the land on which her family cattle ranch depends.Tim Murphy is recognized for his long and impactful career in rangeland and fire management. Tim completed a bachelor’s degree in rangeland management from the University of Wyoming and after graduation Tim began a 39-year career in rangeland and natural resources management. Tim’s career began as a range technician with the Bridger-Teton National Forest and shortly thereafter he joined the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) at the Green River Resource Area managing public rangelands in southwest Wyoming, followed by supervising a range, wild horse, and soils team at BLM’s Caliente Resource Area, Nevada. Tim went on to management positions with BLM in New Mexico at the Carlsbad and then Las Cruces Resource Areas followed by a District Manager assignment at Miles City, Montana. Throughout his assignments Tim was active in wildland fire management as a firefighter and was called upon to inform national policy through the results of his leadership involving fatality and serious accident investigation teams. Tim went on to Boise, Idaho as the Director of Fire and Aviation at the National Interagency Fire Center followed by becoming the BLM Idaho State Director. After retiring from the BLM, he has remained active in promoting wise land management that supports local economies and healthy landscapes. Tim is currently chairman of the Idaho Fish and Game Commission.TRANSCRIPT available at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-104-srm-keynote-address-working-across-eras-courtney-taylor-tim-murphy.
The PRF program insures against unusually low precipitation during 60-day periods critical to your forage growth, unlike drought insurance, which typically is based on annual precipitation over a water year or calendar year. Matt Griffith of WSR Insurance in California explains how PRF works in this episode in our ranch financial resiliency series.TRANSCRIPT AND LINKS TO RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE AVAILABLE AT https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-103-pasture-range-forage-prf-insurance-matt-griffith.
Dick Coon is a rancher in Eastern Washington who has used LRP insurance for nearly a decade to reduce the significant financial risks of ranching in pretty tough country. And because the Northwest cattle markets tend to be lower than the rest of the country, LRP has added attraction. In this episode, Dick describes why and how he has used LRP and Pasture, Range, and Forage insurance products in his family-run commercial cattle operation.Links to resources mentioned in this episode and a transcript are available at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-102-livestock-risk-protection-practice-dick-coon.
Reducing financial risk in ranching requires first identifying and defining those risks. John Nalivka, owner of Sterling Marketing and a well-known expert in beef industry economics, has been consulting with cow-calf producers, feeders, and packers for 35 years. In this episode, John discusses with Tip and Clay Worden global trade trends, cattle pricing predictions, and ranch-level advice on managing market risks, which starts with knowing your own production and performance values.RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODEare linked to on the episode web page, https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-101-john-nalivka-cattle-marketing-strategies-and-risks.
Management recommendations for limiting undesirable ecosystem state shifts driven by cheatgrass in the West and Eastern red cedar on central US grasslands can now be outlined with greater certainty. Jeremy Maestas, NRCS National Sagebrush Ecosystem Specialist, and Dirac Twidwell, range and fire scientist at University of Nebraska-Lincoln, present the Defend the Core framework for invasive species management, a fresh approach that prioritizes preventing degradation where intact, functional plant communities exist and reducing risk of invasives spreading from areas already compromised. After a hundred years of trying to understand invasive plant dynamics, we now recognize that preservationist passive management will not cause degraded plant communities to return to a reference state.If you pulled up this episode and haven't listened to part, you might want to listen to episode 99 first.Go to https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-100-defend-core-strategy-invasive-plants-jeremy-maestas-dirac-twidwell-part-2 for links to resources mentioned in this episode.
Is it time to surrender the Western U.S. to cheatgrass and frequent fire or regroup and work smarter? Jeremy Maestas, NRCS National Sagebrush Ecosystem Specialist, and Dirac Twidwell, range and fire scientist at University of Nebraska-Lincoln, present the Defend the Core framework for invasive species management, a fresh approach that prioritizes preventing degradation where intact, functional plant communities exist and reducing risk of invasives spreading from areas already compromised. After a hundred years of trying to understand invasive plant dynamics, we now recognize that preservationist passive management will not cause degraded plant communities to return to a reference state. This episode, part 1, describes the problem and introduces this new approach to risk reduction. Come back for part 2.TRANSCRIPT AVAILABLE SOON AT: RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODESGI blog on invasive annuals in sagebrush country: https://www.sagegrouseinitiative.com/defend-the-core-fighting-back-against-rangeland-invaders-in-sagebrush-country/ LPCI blog on Woody encroachment in grasslands: https://www.lpcinitiative.org/defend-the-core-fighting-back-against-woody-invaders-on-the-great-plains/ NRCS WLFW Frameworks for Conservation Action: https://www.wlfw.org/ WAFWA Sagebrush Conservation Design: https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2022/1081/ofr20221081.pdf WGA Toolkit for Invasive Annual Grass Management: https://westgov.org/images/editor/FINAL_Cheatgrass_Toolkit_July_2020.pdf Idaho Cheatgrass Challenge: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/eqip-environmental-quality-incentives/idaho/the-cheatgrass-challenge-idaho Kansas Great Plains Grassland Initiative: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/conservation-basics/conservation-by-state/kansas/ks-great-plains-grassland-initiative Guide for Reducing Woody Encroachment in Grasslands: https://www.wlfw.org/assets/greatPlainsMaterials/E-1054WoodyEncroachment.pdf NCBA Cattlemen to Cattlemen episode on defending the core: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpsJnM-IrPY
Trying to stay up on the most recent developments in soil health? SoilCon, a free virtual conference, will address the latest research to help people put soil health principles into practice for regional systems. In this episode, Molly, an organizer of SoilCon, shares more details on the speaker lineup and the Washington Soil Health Initiative. SoilCon 2023 will be held on Feb. 14 and 15, with daily sessions running from 8 a.m. to noon.RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODEhttps://pheedloop.com/wasoilcon23/site/home/https://soilhealth.wsu.edu/soilcon/ https://soilhealth.wsu.edu/
What if you could insure calf price against catastrophic price drops? LRP puts a price floor under feeder calves, paying for the difference between an insured calf price and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange feeder cattle index value for a selected marketing date. This episode with Jack Field and Clay Worden continues our series in ranch financial health with a deep dive into LRP mechanics. Find resources mentioned in this episode as well as the transcript at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-97-livestock-risk-protection-insurance-jack-field-clay-worden
"1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus" has been a New York Times best-selling book since publication in 2006. Charles C Mann's writings have reformed popular ideas about Native Americans and challenged cherished notions of nature. Join Charles and Tip in part 2 of a two-episode discussion about the origins of the book and some of the revelations about the peoples in North, Central, and South Americas over the last 2000 years. Look up 1491 wherever you buy books and get yourself a copy to read.Find the transcript and links to books mentioned in this show at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-96-charles-c-mann-americas-columbus-part-2
"1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus" has been a New York Times best-selling book since publication in 2006. Charles C Mann's writings have reformed popular ideas about Native Americans and challenged cherished notions of nature. Join Charles and Tip in part 1 of a two-episode discussion about the origins of the book and some of the revelations about the peoples in North, Central, and South Americas over the last 2000 years. Look up 1491 wherever you buy books and get yourself a copy to read.See books and articles mentioned in this episode as well as the full transcript of our conversation at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-95-charles-c-mann-americas-columbus-part-1.
The global nature of agricultural trade and market forces makes cattle price cycles less predictable, and this presents a different kind of risk than historical pricing pressures. But Dr. Shannon Neibergs, director of the Western Center for Risk Management and a livestock economist, believes there are real opportunities to respond to (in winter 2022-23). Listen in to learn about the current milieu. We conclude with Jack Field (CKP Insurance) on how Livestock Risk Protection can help you mitigate market volatility.RESOURCESLivestock Risk Protection for Feeder Cattle, USDA Risk Management Agency fact sheet, https://www.rma.usda.gov/Fact-Sheets/National-Fact-Sheets/Livestock-Risk-Protection-Feeder-CattleEpisode 66 on LRP, https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-66-livestock-price-risk-management-jack-field-shannon-neibergsTRANSCRIPT at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-94-current-cattle-market-risks-opportunities-shannon-neibergs-and-jack-field
"Nature’s regeneration was the primary source of the Pristine Myth." --Shawn Miller. The influence of the idea that the American continent was essentially untouched by man at the time of European arrival is great. The Pristine Myth, a term coined by William Denevan, a cultural geographer, strikes at prejudicial ideas about the primitive-ness of indigenous peoples. And the persistence of this idea reveals a desire to coerce modern man into a preservationist policy toward most public places. In this episode, Tip reads an article by William Denevan (91 yo, who declined to be interviewed about it but granted permission to release a verbatim reading. "After 1492: Nature Rebounds" is a 2016 article in Geographical Review, the oldest journal in the United States devoted to geography. The article makes the case that the apparent wilderness encountered in the 16th through 18th centuries reflected a landscape recently wiped clean of people, that there were a lot of people prior to 1492, and that our conception of wildlands mostly comes from an entire hemisphere that suddenly had few humans to influence it.For links to more articles by William Denevan and related resources, go to https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-93-after-1492-nature-rebounds-william-denevan-pristine-mythTRANSCRIPT: https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-93-after-1492-nature-rebounds-william-denevan-pristine-myth
The giant bathtubs off the western and southern coasts of North America contribute large amounts of heat and moisture to the continent, driving much of the climate (long-term) and weather (short-term) of the Western United States. And oceans have regular oscillations in temperature, which drives moisture delivery. Researchers looked at historical yearling cattle production data going back to 1939 at the Central Plains Experimental Range to see whether correlations existed between the Pacific Decadal Oscillation and the El Nino Souther Oscillation and cattle performance. Interactions between the PDO and ENSO have an effect on both rangeland production and livestock weight gain. Listen to this panel discussion with Drs. Justin Derner, David Augustine, and EJ Raynor to learn more.LINKSBest PDO info: https://ecowatch.noaa.gov/thematic/climate-indicesEL NIÑO/SOUTHERN OSCILLATION (ENSO) information from NOAA: https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/enso_advisory/ensodisc.shtmlPACIFIC DECADAL OSCILLATION information from NOAA: https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/monitoring/pdo/ARTICLES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODEColorado State University Extension publication "Early Warning for Stocking Decisions in Eastern Colorado", at https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/agriculture/early-warning-for-stocking-decisions-in-eastern-colorado-3-115/. "Large-scale and local climatic controls on large herbivoreproductivity: implications for adaptive rangeland management", in Ecological Applications (2020): https://www.ars.usda.gov/ARSUserFiles/1354/23.%20Raynor%20et%20al.%202020%20Ecological%20Applications%20-%20climatic%20controls%20on%20LHP.pdfMore information about the LTAR Network, https://www.ars.usda.gov/ARSUserFiles/30123025/Publications/2022/Goodrich%20et%20al.%202022%20Hydrological%20Processes%20-Long%20term%20agroecosystem%20research%20experimental%20watershed%20network.pdfTRANSCRIPT at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-92-what-hath-ocean-currents-do-colorado-cattle-derner-augustine-and-raynor
What exactly are we hoping to sustain in applying the term sustainability to ranching? Without definition, sustainability could just be circular reasoning: "that which persists is sustainable". But this is not what is meant by any of the many proponents of rangeland-based livestock production. Dr. Sayre offers partial answers to this question and prompts to reader/listener to further thinking in this essay from 2005 read here by Tip.
RESOURCES RELATED TO THIS EPISODE https://geography.berkeley.edu/professor-nathan-sayre
TRANSCRIPT at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-91-nathan-sayre-essay-prospects-and-tools-sustainable-ranching-western-us
Measuring the financial health of a ranch operation is as important as measuring rangeland health. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) combine production and financial data into metrics that measure various elements of ranch financial health. Stan Bevers describes how to accurately calculate KPIs and use them to improve a cow-calf operation.
OTHER RESOURCES Learn more about KPI calculations and values at https://www.ranchkpi.com/key-performance-indicators/key-performance-indicator-targets-for-cow-calf-operations/. King Ranch Institute, Go to krirm.tamuk.edu/ to see current learning opportunities. Northway Ranch Services, individualized administrative and financial help. northwayranchservices.com/ Heymer Management Accounting Services. Brenda can be reached at brenda@heymermanagement.com or(806) 605-6101.
TRANSCRIPT AVAILABLE AT https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-90-key-performance-indicators-measure-ranch-financial-health-stan-bevers
You need a ranch financial team. Keeping ranch financial records for tax purposes is not the same thing as managing the financial health of a ranch. Stan Bevers has been teaching and consulting on ranch finance for decades with Texas A&M Extension, the King Ranch Institute, and now RanchKPI. This is the first episode in a two-part series with Stan on managerial accounting and key performance indicators (KPIs). In this episode, co-hosted with James Rogers and Clay Worden, we discuss tax accounting v. managerial accounting, benchmarking, regional differences in KPI values and expectations, and the relationships among financial stability and environmental sustainability. As Clay says here: "If there's no margin, there's no mission."
TRANSCRIPT available soon at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-89-ranch-managerial-accounting-stan-bevers
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Stan Bever website, https://www.ranchkpi.com/ King Ranch Institute, Go to https://krirm.tamuk.edu/ to see current learning opportunities. Northway Ranch Services, individualized administrative and financial help. https://northwayranchservices.com/ Heymer Management Accounting Services, https://www.linkedin.com/in/brenda-heymer-9ba6436a/#experience
The summer of 2022 is nearly in the books, as they say, but range managers and graziers should pay attention to increasingly sophisticated tools to characterize both forage yield and fire risk in order to respond to annual and seasonal anomalies in forage quantity and type proactively. Listen to an update on 2022 conditions and a description of Fuelcast.net, a decision support platform that everyone should have in their range management toolbox.
TRANSCRIPT coming soon at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-88-forage-fuel-fire-forecasts-matt-reeves
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE https://www.fuelcast.net/ Crop Condition and Soil Moisture Analytics: https://nassgeo.csiss.gmu.edu/CropCASMA/
Financial resiliency requires knowing and tracking costs of production and comparing the costs and revenues of a specific enterprise against other possible enterprises. In this second episode with Jack Southworth, James Rogers, and Clay Worden, they discuss the many ways every ranch's context is different from another's, highlighting the importance of spending some time working on the business and not just in the business.
RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THE SHOW are available at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-87-intro-ranch-finance-part-2-jack-southworth-james-rogers-clay-worden
TRANSCRIPT AVAILABLE SOON AT https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-87-intro-ranch-finance-part-2-jack-southworth-james-rogers-clay-worden
Many ranchers don't do it for the money, but one cannot ranch for long only losing money. In this first episode in a grant-funded series on ranch financial resiliency, Jack Southworth discusses principles and common problems in ranch money management with James Rogers and Clay Worden. Stay tuned for more.
TRANSCRIPT available at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-86-intro-ranch-financial-resiliency-jack-southworth-james-rogers-clay-worden.
Americans hear news of social conflict and small-scale warfare in Africa and we ignore the news because it's far away and doesn't affect us. It's also not possible to meaningfully engage emotionally with everything bad happening around the globe. But there are real people and animals in Cameroon whose lives are disrupted, and because pastoralists are often politically marginalized it's important to tell their stories. This interview touches on the geography of West-central Africa, the lifestyle of Shuwa pastoralists, and the ecology behind the transhumance grazing movements.
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Thousands of pastoralists seek refuge in Waza National Park, Cameroon: https://pfbc-cbfp.org/news-partner/THECONVERSATION-PaulScholte-Waza.html Other papers are referenced at the episode page listed below.
TRANSCRIPT COMING SOON AT https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-85-pastoralists-displaced-cameroon-africa-mark-moritz-paul-scholte.
Paul Bechtel is an almost-centenarian, born 1923, whose family was lured to Eastern Montana by hopes of homesteading good land still free for the taking. Reality wasn't quite so gentle in the northern Great Plains in the rainshadow of the Rocky Mountains. He lived in Ekelaka in harsh conditions through the Great Depression and until he joined the U.S. Army in 1941, but his best memories of his entire life are from this era. It was a good place to be a free range child. In this episode, co-hosted with Mark Teske, a wildlife biologist, Paul reminisces about eating sage grouse, measuring dirt tanks, and earning creative car payments in a remote agricultural local economy.
TRANSCRIPT AND PHOTO available at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-84-perspectives-memoirs-habitat-and-homesteading-eastern-montana-paul-bechtel.
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE The book Paul refers to by an author who lived in Seattle for a time is "Bad Land: An American Romance", by Jonathan Raban, ISBN 0679759069.
Homestead Act originally offered 160 acres, https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/homestead-act
https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/homestead-act
This episode is the second in a two-part series with the authors of a recent article in the journal Rangeland Ecology & Management telling the story behind their work on ranch sustainability: Clare Kazanski & Marissa Ahlering (The Nature Conservancy), Patrick Lendrum (World Wildlife Fund), and Sheri Spiegal (Jornada Experimental Range). Sheri was recently honored with the USDA ARS Early Career Scientist of the Year Award. The organizations represented by these and other contributing authors are all involved in evaluating environmental and social success in ranching. Quoting from the article: "There is a need for greater clarity on which indicators are most effective for assessing and monitoring sustainable management and continuous improvement of ranching operations. Our objective was to synthesize existing guidance on monitoring and assessing ranch-scale sustainability in the United States and to identify core ecological, social, and economic indicators that could identify well-managed ranching, support adaptive management, and demonstrate producers’ sustainability and continuous improvement to retailers and consumers. We evaluated 21 range and pastureland assessments from nongovernmental organizations, agencies, and academics that totaled 180 indicators. From this, we selected 20 commonly used “core” indicators (12 ecological and 8 socioeconomic)" that can be used to measure ranch sustainability.
Article link, REM issue 79, open access: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1550742421001020
https://www.nature.org/en-us/what-we-do/our-priorities/provide-food-and-water-sustainably/food-and-water-stories/sustainable-grazing-lands/
Sustainable Southwest Beef Project--Tools for Ranch and Rangeland Resilience. https://southwestbeef.org/
Long-Term Agroecosystem Research program. https://www.ars.usda.gov/natural-resources-and-sustainable-agricultural-systems/water-availability-and-watershed-management/docs/long-term-agroecosystem-research-ltar-network/
TRANSCRIPT coming soon at the episode webpage: https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-83-synthesis-ranch-level-sustainability-indicators-land-managers-part-2
This episode has the authors of a recent article in the journal Rangeland Ecology & Management tell the story behind their work: Clare Kazanski & Marissa Ahlering (The Nature Conservancy), Patrick Lendrum (World Wildlife Fund), and Sheri Spiegal (Jornada Experimental Range). Sheri was recently honored with the USDA ARS Early Career Scientist of the Year Award. The organizations represented by these and other contributing authors are all involved in evaluating environmental and social success in ranching. Quoting from the article: "There is a need for greater clarity on which indicators are most effective for assessing and monitoring sustainable management and continuous improvement of ranching operations. Our objective was to synthesize existing guidance on monitoring and assessing ranch-scale sustainability in the United States and to identify core ecological, social, and economic indicators that could identify well-managed ranching, support adaptive management, and demonstrate producers’ sustainability and continuous improvement to retailers and consumers. We evaluated 21 range and pastureland assessments from nongovernmental organizations, agencies, and academics that totaled 180 indicators. From this, we selected 20 commonly used “core” indicators (12 ecological and 8 socioeconomic)" that can be used to measure ranch sustainability.
Article link, REM issue 79, open access: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1550742421001020
https://www.nature.org/en-us/what-we-do/our-priorities/provide-food-and-water-sustainably/food-and-water-stories/sustainable-grazing-lands/
Sustainable Southwest Beef Project--Tools for Ranch and Rangeland Resilience. https://southwestbeef.org/
Long-Term Agroecosystem Research program. https://www.ars.usda.gov/natural-resources-and-sustainable-agricultural-systems/water-availability-and-watershed-management/docs/long-term-agroecosystem-research-ltar-network/
TRANSCRIPT at the episode webpage: https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-82-synthesis-ranch-level-sustainability-indicators-land-managers-part-1
Jim O'Rourke and Barbara Hutchinson have been part of the effort to have a United Nations International Year acknowledging the importance of rangelands and the people of rangelands for many years. On March 15, 2022, the UN General Assembly finally approved this proposal. Listen to Jim and Barbara describe why this matters for people who already know and care about rangelands and how you can heighten awareness of the social and ecological importance of rangelands worldwide.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE IYRP AT THESE LINKS
(Live links are on the episode website at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-81-welcome-2026-intl-year-rangelands-pastoralists)
Main IYRP website: https://iyrp.info/
Introduction to the IYRP (Video) - https://youtu.be/zToSadWebwc?list=PLgz33fsrwiVkGSJE-I84wsKL8nOfRPdyU
Pastoralism is the Future (Video) - https://youtu.be/DeqITzac9Ac
Who are pastoralists? (Word Cloud) - https://iyrp.info/who-are-pastoralists
What are rangelands? (Word Cloud) - https://iyrp.info/what-are-rangelands
North American section: https://iyrp.info/north-america
Facebook IYRP Global - https://www.facebook.com/IYRP2026
Facebook IYRP North America - https://www.facebook.com/IYRPNorthAmerica2026/
Twitter IYRP Global - https://twitter.com/IYRP2026
Twitter IYRP North America - https://twitter.com/IYRPNA2026
Instagram IYRP Global - https://www.instagram.com/iyrp2026/
Instagram IYRP North America - https://www.instagram.com/iyrpnorthamerica2026/
TRANSCRIPT AVAILABLE at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-81-welcome-2026-intl-year-rangelands-pastoralists
We're taking a break this week from the normal release schedule. Come back on April 14 for the first episode in a two-part series on ranch sustainability indicators. You can prepare for that episode by downloading the article at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rama.2021.08.011. If that link gives you trouble, email me at show@artofrange.com.
Ranching for Profit is an organization started by Stan Parsons and recently run by Dave Pratt that has been helping ranchers work on the business instead of in the business for decades. Dallas Mount, former Univ. of Wyoming Extension economist and now co-owner of Ranch Management Consultants, talks with Tip about ranch finance competencies, common weaknesses in ranch financial planning, and fundamental steps livestock producers can take to understand costs and put assets to work for them. This episode introduces a new grant through Western Extension for Risk Management Education that will provide outreach on ranch finance and use of livestock insurance products. Tune in for a teaser on fixed assets and working capital . . .
Learn more about Ranching for Profit schools and Executive Link at https://ranchmanagement.com/.
TRANSCRIPT Available at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-80-should-ranching-be-profitable-dallas-mount.
Forestry and range sciences are tied to each other in a long and complex social history, and many areas of the Western U.S. and semi-arid parts of the world host rangeland and forest plant communities in the same space and within the same management boundaries. So there is good reason to encourage range folk to given some attention to forestry, not necessarily 'board-feet' production forestry but the ecology of forests and their interactions with rangeland plant communities. This interview with Sean Alexander introduces a high-quality forest ecology-focused podcast with similar background philosophy to The Art of Range -- long interviews on a diversity of topics. Consider subscribing to The Forest Overstory Podcast if you live and work on rangeland with tall range weeds, I mean trees (the late Dr. Kendall Johnson's joke).
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE The Forest Overstory Podcast, start here: https://forestry.wsu.edu/forestoverstory/ Paul Hessburg's TEDx talk, Living in an Era of Megafires: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edDZNkm8Mas WSU's forestry Extension website: https://forestry.wsu.edu/ Ann Stinson, The Ground At My Feet -- Sustaining a Family and a Forest: https://www.amazon.com/Ground-My-Feet-Sustaining-Family/dp/0870711466/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Transcript available at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-79-forest-overstory-podcast-sean-alexander
How do we build soil health? What is soil health? Is careful grazing helpful or hurtful? Can anything be done to meaningfully influence soil health? And how would we know? What can be measured that indicates progress? These are the questions Derek Scasta and Jeff Goodwin and their team intend to begin to answer through a recently funded national-scale project called Metrics, Management, and Monitoring: An Investigation of Pasture and Rangeland Soil Health and Its Drivers. This ambitious research and outreach effort, funded through a variety of public and private monies, will combine state-of-the-art experimental research with case studies documenting existing soil health effects on farms and ranches where consistent practices have been in place for years (and unlike investing, prior performance does predict future results). These results will inform policy and trade in carbon markets, enhance agricultural resilience to climate uncertainty, and advise land managers on how to increase profitability, land health, and animal health. This interview introduces the project's history, objectives, and timeline. Stay tuned for those future results.
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Ecological Outcomes Verification, https://bit.ly/3sNy9GT
Journal article, "Usable Science: Soil Health", Rangelands, 2016. Journal article, "Valuing and Rewarding Ecosystem Services From Rangelands", Rangelands, 2014. Journal article, "Rangelands and Ecosystem Services: Economic Wealth From Land Health?", Rangelands, 2011 Article links at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-78-one-study-rule-them-all-3m-soil-health-research-jeff-goodwin-derek-scasta
TRANSCRIPT Coming soon at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-78-one-study-rule-them-all-3m-soil-health-research-jeff-goodwin-derek-scasta
Seeding in extreme environments such as arid and semi-arid rangelands requires extra care in site preparation, species selection, seed selection, seed placement, planting timing, and care for emerging seedlings. Mel Asher and Jerry Benson have been successfully doing large-scale restoration on challenging rangeland settings for many years. Jerry owns BFI Native Seeds, specializing in locally-sourced native species for the Intermountain West; Mel is the new owner of Derby Canyon Natives, a company that provides live plant stock, mostly containerized. She and Jerry have been doing post-fire rehabilitation for long enough to speak with some authority and they literally wrote the book on it. This episode covers nearly multiple aspects of rangeland seedings, with a focus on plant materials.
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE http://www.bfinativeseeds.com/
https://derbycanyonnatives.com/
Shrub-steppe and grassland restoration manual for the Columbia River Basin, https://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/01330
Transcript at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-77-local-seed-genetics-range-seeding-methods-mel-asher-jerry-benson.
Deciding whether to seed, what to seed, and how to apply seed after wildfire are weighty questions. Seeding costs money, seedings often fail, and most rangelands won't pay you back for rehabilitation failure. Richard Fleenor, NRCS state rangelands conservationist in Washington, has a background in plant materials and revegetation and discusses with Tip analyzing burn severity, pre-fire plant community composition, and options in seed selection and application.
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Shrub-Steppe and Grassland Restoration Manual for the Columbia River Basin: https://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/01330
OR & WA Guide for Conservation Seedings & Plantings (NRCS publication): https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/nrcs142p2_042417.pdf
NRCS Eastern Oregon/Washington Rangeland and Grazed Forest Seeding Guide, Tech note 1: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_PLANTMATERIALS/publications/wapmstn11194.pdf
TRANSCRIPT: https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-76-seed-or-not-seed-post-fire-rehabilitation-richard-fleenor
Soil organic matter is considered an indicator of soil health, there are numerous methods promoted for building it, SOM is credited with the potential to alleviate greenhouse gas increase, but Andy & Doug say the way we've understood SOM is perhaps an artifact of the old ways of measuring it. The complexity of what we call 'organic matter' is significant, challenging, and prompts a re-thinking of both soil health measurement and soil-building practices. This episode is not quite "Why Everything You Thought You Knew About Soil Organic Matter is Wrong", but advances in soil biology and chemistry will certainly challenge your long-held notions about this topic. If you haven't heard part 1 of this interview with Doug Collins and Andy McGuire, go to episode 74.
Related resources: WSU Extension publication by Doug & Andy, "Understanding and Measuring Organic Matter in Soil" can be downloaded at https://pubs.extension.wsu.edu/understanding-and-measuring-organic-matter-in-soil.
Recent article at the website BioCycle, referencing Collins' and McGuire's work: "Saying Goodbye to a Soil Organic Matter Fundamental", www.biocycle.net/connections-sayi…ter-fundamental/
Soil organic matter is considered an indicator of soil health, there are numerous methods promoted for building it, SOM is credited with the potential to alleviate greenhouse gas increase, but Andy & Doug say the way we've understood SOM is perhaps an artifact of the old ways of measuring it. The complexity of what we call 'organic matter' is significant, challenging, and prompts a re-thinking of both soil health measurement and soil-building practices. This episode is not quite "Why Everything You Thought You Knew About Soil Organic Matter is Wrong", but advances in soil biology and chemistry will certainly challenge your long-held notions about this topic. Be sure to come back for Part 2 of this interview with Doug Collins and Andy McGuire, both of them agronomists and professional soils enthusiasts.
Related resources: WSU Extension publication by Doug & Andy, "Understanding and Measuring Organic Matter in Soil" can be downloaded at https://pubs.extension.wsu.edu/understanding-and-measuring-organic-matter-in-soil.
Recent article at the website BioCycle, referencing Collins' and McGuire's work: "Saying Goodbye to a Soil Organic Matter Fundamental", www.biocycle.net/connections-sayi…ter-fundamental/
Ranch sustainability requires land care that works for the long haul and management that makes a profit more years than not. Jim Rickert, owner of the Prather Ranch in northern California, makes the case that a ranch must take care of people and animals, too, in order to last, and these goals are synergistic, not mutually exclusive. This two-part interview with Jim chronicles his circuitous path from a masters degree doing linear programming models of farm financial alternatives under Earl Butz, economist at Purdue, later US Secretary of Agriculture under Presidents Nixon and Ford, to running a fully integrated beef operation, with a closed cow herd, a ranch feedlot, and a gold-standard abattoir. Perhaps most unique, Prather Ranch has "an international reputation as a supplier of high quality bovine hides, bones, tissues, organs and other bovine xenograft materials for the medical device, pharmaceutical and biological industries." If you missed part one of this interview, see episode 72.
Learn more about the Prather Ranch at https://www.pratherranch.com/. Learn more about their meat marketing at https://www.prathermeats.com/. Information about the bovine parts used for medical purposes is at https://www.closedherd.com/.
Ranch sustainability requires land care that works for the long haul and management that makes a profit more years than not. Jim Rickert, owner of the Prather Ranch in northern California, makes the case that a ranch must take care of people and animals, too, in order to last, and these goals are synergistic, not mutually exclusive. This two-part interview with Jim chronicles his circuitous path from a masters degree doing linear programming models of farm financial alternatives under Earl Butz, economist at Purdue, later US Secretary of Agriculture under Presidents Nixon and Ford, to running a fully integrated beef operation, with a closed cow herd, a ranch feedlot, and a gold-standard abattoir. Perhaps most unique, Prather Ranch has "an international reputation as a supplier of high quality bovine hides, bones, tissues, organs and other bovine xenograft materials for the medical device, pharmaceutical and biological industries." Be sure to check back for part two of this fascinating interview.
And please take a short listener survey here: https://wsu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eG2NDoDEVAnGh3U.
Learn more about the Prather Ranch at https://www.pratherranch.com/. Learn more about their meat marketing at https://www.prathermeats.com/. Information about the bovine parts used for medical purposes is at https://www.closedherd.com/.
Ranching and livestock production on rangelands provide food and fiber concurrently with other ecosystem services such as wildlife habitat, clean air and water, carbon sequestration, cultural resources, recreational opportunities and scenic vistas. However, an implicit “wicked challenge” is the lack of mechanisms to effectively value ecological services to reward ranchers and landowners for their conservation. A desire to conserve rangelands and enhance ecological values has brought together individuals of otherwise disparate views. Using whole landscapes to provide ecosystems services and economic viability has turned charismatic environmentalists into ranching advocates and ranchers into conservation activists. This is adapted from a recording of the Society for Range Management's 2021 annual meeting plenary session on Feb 15.
To download the PowerPoint slides for these talks, go to https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-71-huntsinger-gennet-how-conserve-ranches-and-support-environmental-stewardship
Transcript: https://bit.ly/2YQFPNn
How to measure soil carbon, influence soil carbon, and influence others to care about soil carbon has motivated Peter Donovan for nearly three decades now. He locates himself squarely between the social worlds of science and practice and has worked to foster the relationship between knowing and doing with a passion that is unusual in our culture. In this wide-ranging interview, he and Tip discuss what is soil carbon, what we don't know about soil carbon, and the importance of social networks and internal motivation to caring for land well.
Be sure to take a look at the Soil Carbon Coalition website: https://soilcarboncoalition.org/
Transcript: https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-70-soil-carbon-and-social-networks-peter-donovan
Microbial source tracking has gained accuracy in the last decade, and a multidisciplinary team at University of Idaho recently used MST methods to help US Forest Service managers identify causes of contamination of a stream listed by regulatory authorities for high bacteria. This is the first of a two-part episode with Eric Winford, Associate Director of the Idaho Rangelands Center; Dr. Jim Sprinkle, Univ. of Idaho Extension beef specialist at the Nancy Cummings Research & Extension Center; Dr. Jane Lucas, post-doc in Univ. of Idaho Dept. of Soil & Water Systems; and Alan Kolok, Director of the Idaho Water Resources Research Institute. Listen to learn about E.coli as an indicator species, methods to determine what animals are contributing e. coli to streams, potential targeted water quality improvement practices, and more.
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Idaho Water Resources Research Institute, www.uidaho.edu/research/entities/iwrri
Alan Kolok, IWRRI director, can be reached at www.uidaho.edu/cnr/faculty/kolok
Idaho Rangelands Center, www.uidaho.edu/cnr/rangeland-center
Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission article about this Mink Creek study, idrange.org/range-stories/south…ry-solved-with-dna/
Transcript: https://bit.ly/3z1UBhp
Microbial source tracking has gained accuracy in the last decade, and a multidisciplinary team at University of Idaho recently used MST methods to help US Forest Service managers identify causes of contamination of a stream listed by regulatory authorities for high bacteria. This is the first of a two-part episode with Eric Winford, Associate Director of the Idaho Rangelands Center; Dr. Jim Sprinkle, Univ. of Idaho Extension beef specialist at the Nancy Cummings Research & Extension Center; Dr. Jane Lucas, post-doc in Univ. of Idaho Dept. of Soil & Water Systems; and Alan Kolok, Director of the Idaho Water Resources Research Institute. Listen to learn about E.coli as an indicator species, methods to determine what animals are contributing e. coli to streams, potential targeted water quality improvement practices, and more.
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Idaho Water Resources Research Institute, https://www.uidaho.edu/research/entities/iwrri
Alan Kolok, IWRRI director, can be reached at https://www.uidaho.edu/cnr/faculty/kolok
Idaho Rangelands Center, https://www.uidaho.edu/cnr/rangeland-center
Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission article about this Mink Creek study, https://idrange.org/range-stories/southeast-idaho/mink-creek-water-quality-an-e-coli-mystery-solved-with-dna/
TRANSCRIPT https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-68-wildland-stream-bacteria-forensics-science-idaho-part-1
Grazing managers of any kind and in any place must answer the questions of what is and what is not possible and how to manage toward meaningful landscape change. LandPKS was developed to make basic rangeland site data available to anyone and enable time-efficient long-term monitoring based on the rangeland health principles. Jeff Herrick has been working with graziers and managers across the globe for some years to develop an easy-to-use system to "support farmers, ranchers, gardeners, land-use planners, and other natural resource managers with open-source tools that allow them to easily access knowledge and information, and to collect, share, and interpret their own soil, vegetation cover, and management data. LandPKS data, information, and knowledge can be used to improve soil health and productivity. It supports all approaches to land management including traditional, regenerative, organic, and holistic." Listen to this practical discussion between Tip and Jeff about recently updated features of the LandPKS app and data portal as well as general principles supporting rangeland monitoring of grazing areas and adaptive management.
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Land PKS training modules. https://landpotential.org/knowledge-hub/ Land PKS data portal. https://landpotential.org/data-portal/ And to install the app and begin working . . . https://landpotential.org/mobile-app/
TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/37l9EGH
Coming soon at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-67-land-potential-knowledge-system-revisited-jeff-herrick
The future ain't what it used to be (Yogi Berra): there are more price risks and stressors on cattle markets than ever, and the predictability of cattle markets is at an all-time low. Livestock insurance is not new but is recently gaining adoption as a reliable risk tool to prevent catastrophic financial losses and prepare for uncertainties such as drought. Listen to Jack Field, with CKP Insurance, discuss insurance products with Dr. Shannon Neibergs, WSU livestock economist and director for the Western Center for Risk Management Education. For more information, contact Jack directly at jfield@ckpinsurance.com or (509) 929-1711 .
Transcript: https://bit.ly/3x5mbIC
More information from USDA Risk Management Agency on LRP is available at https://www.rma.usda.gov/Policy-and-Procedure/Insurance-Plans/Livestock-Insurance-Plans.
Pima County owns and leases large tracts of land for working landscapes and biological conservation. Vanessa Prileson manages the range program which ensures this arrangement is successful and has good advice for other organizations selecting lessees/operators who need to be able to manage toward conservation goals and as well as economic and production goals.
Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan. https://webcms.pima.gov/cms/one.aspx?portalId=169&pageId=52654
TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/3AHjH6l
Ted Turner started buying ranch land in the early 1990s as both an investment and to conserve habitat for imperiled species at a spatial scale that would be meaningful. Today, Turner Enterprises owns nearly 2 million acres of land across the Western United States. Mark Kossler manages the ranching operations on these 15 properties, all of which include bison. Carter Kruse is the lead scientist for the management efforts behind numerous species conservation efforts on Turner's holdings.
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE https://tedturnerreserves.com/our-mission/
TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/3vua1cb
Spring 2021 arrived with a large percentage of the Western U.S. exhibiting below-average precipitation, in some places a lot below the 15-year mean. Matt Reeves discusses current conditions and potential ecological responses, and Shannon Neibergs analyzes livestock management options, including current cattle markets, hay supply, and herd management scenarios.
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Matt has a periodic spring/summer webinar called Reading the Tea Leaves: https://www.fs.usda.gov/rmrs/events/tealeaves
The Fuelcast website is https://www.fuelcast.net/
Livestock Forage Program: https://www.fsa.usda.gov/Assets/USDA-FSA-Public/usdafiles/FactSheets/livestock_forage_program_lfp-fact_sheet.pdf
IRS tax management, weather-related(drought) sales of livestock: https://ruraltax.org/files-ou/RTEWeatherRelatedSalesofLivestock.pdf
TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/2SzCTkZ
Ashley Hibbard may seem an unlikely rancher, but she may do more to change minds about ranching than most who seem more likely advocates. Ashley, who astute listeners will remember from the Women in Ranching Forum from SRM's 2020 annual meeting, runs an artist-in-residency program on the Sieben Live Stock Company home place in central Montana. Good art can bypass bad logic, and the beauty of ranching done well affects even those who think ranching is detrimental to both humans and the planet. Listen to Ashley tell her story in this interview.
SHOW NOTES Ashley and Cooper are featured in a Montana Land Reliance video series, "Stewardship with Vision." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=179SsWS2RJo
Women in Ranching recording: https://soundcloud.com/art-of-range/aor-036-srm-09-womeninranching
TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/3fo0sWS
Gus Hormay worked with the Sieben Live Stock Company in the 1970s and 80s to help him understand rotation grazing principles. Chase and Cooper have adapted these ideas, centered on extended rest, to their context and needs. This approach has worked especially well on public lands managed for elk habitat. They received the National Cattlemen's Beef Association's Stewardship Award in 2003 in recognition of these efforts and results. In this second half of the interview, Cooper and Chase describe their blend of rest-rotation and short-duration, high intensity grazing, methods for winter grazing, and putting this all together in some mixed-ownership landscape grazing projects.
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Working Cows podcast interview with Cooper: https://workingcows.net/?s=hibbard
Kiss the Ground, documentary on regenerative agriculture: https://kisstheground.com/
Scott Chase's (Cooper's dad) new book, Beyond the Rio Gila: https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Rio-Gila-Scott-Hibbard/dp/1432866133/ref=sr_1_1?crid=20PWDKDLFEKN6&dchild=1&keywords=beyond+the+rio+gila+scott+hibbard&qid=1620216618&sprefix=beyond+the+rio+%2Caps%2C300&sr=8-1
Angus Beef Bulletin article: http://www.angusbeefbulletin.com/ArticlePDF/0303abb_Sieben.pdf
2021 Rangelands journal article "Potential to improve winter grazing pastures: Sieben Land and Livestock study": https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S019005282100002X. Authors estimate that It is estimated that grazing instead of feeding cattle during the winter can save 42% to 70% of the yearly input costs in the western United States and Saskatchewan, Canada.
TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/3wDtyat
"Big ranches mean big risks", says Chase Hibbard. Large lands and lots of cattle doesn't equal guaranteed success in the economically unforgiving world of family ranching. The Sieben Live Stock Company has been around for 6 generations and has both awards and scars to show for their perseverance. All good stories have tension and dark threads in the weaving. Join Tip in a conversation with Chase and Cooper Hibbard about navigating the ups and downs of keeping a big ranch together. They discuss the fascinating history of this iconic Montana ranch, hard succession planning decisions, and how management is sustained today.
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Sieben Live Stock Company website: https://www.siebenlivestock.com/
Charlie Russell painting, "Waiting for a Chinook", aka "Last of the 5,000": https://www.charlesmarionrussell.org/Waiting-For-A-Chinook.html
Montana Land Reliance: https://mtlandreliance.org/
Land Trust Alliance: https://www.landtrustalliance.org/. The Land Trust Alliance is a national land conservation organization that represents more than 1,000 member land trusts and is a good source for more information about land trusts and conservation easements. https://www.landtrustalliance.org/
Ties to the Land succession planning: http://tiestotheland.org/
TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/3hYvA0W
Farmer and rancher mental health has been in the news the past few years, with farmer suicide rates alarmingly high. Farmers and ranchers are often seen as the embodiment of the American ideal -- the rugged individualist who is self-sufficient, doesn't need help, lives on the land, doesn't have problems . . . but the stresses of modern farming, especially financial stresses, leave many feeling hopeless and helpless. Don McMoran and Kristen Hinton-Vanvalkenburg discuss programs to help farmers and their families deal productively with the stressors and with mental health challenges unique to farming.
There are several signs or symptoms to look for when stress has begun to take an effect on you or someone you know. If you see something, say something! Thoughts of hurting oneself Care of Livestock Declines Increase in Agriculture-Related Accidents Appearance of Farmstead Declines Children Show Signs of Stress Lack of energy/motivation to do usual tasks Loss of interest in favorite activities Alcohol and/or substance abuse/addiction Withdrawal from others Relational tension
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE WSU Extension Suicide Prevention. https://extension.wsu.edu/skagit/suicide-prevention/. WSU and the Agricultural Suicide Prevention Program is not a crisis center. IF YOU ARE IN NEED OF IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE, reach out to the National Suicide Prevention line, 1(800) 273-TALK (8255).
Western Regional Agricultural Stress Assistance Center. https://farmstress.us/
National AgrAbility Project. http://www.agrability.org/
Hanna Ranch, the movie: https://www.amdoc.org/watch/hanna-ranch/ and here: https://www.amazon.com/Hanna-Ranch-Mitch-Dickman/dp/B00KIGQLEK
TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/3qTwZ9x
Americans often refer to electric fence as "New Zealand" fence, and many other grazing innovations seem to have origins in this relative small island in the southern hemisphere. Thomas Maxwell, a pasture scholar from Lincoln University in NZ, provides an overview of the history of indigenous land use, European settlement, and domesticated grazing animal use in New Zealand.
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Recent article "Functional diversity vs monotony: The effect of a multi-forage diet as opposed to a single forage diet on animal intake, performance, welfare, and urinary nitrogen excretion". https://academic.oup.com/jas/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jas/skab058/6148868
TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/30ZzjkM
Americans are vaguely aware of pastoralism as a term connoting a lifestyle that revolves around animal raising, but most of us don't have much more understanding than a loose attempt at a definition. Fiona Flintan has spent much of her career with the International Livestock Research Institute working with pastoralist cultures in Africa, helping secure rights to land and address conflicts, and communicating this way of life to the outside world. Listen in on her conversation with Tip about livestock as a way of life rather than a means of obtaining money, about unique features of pastoralist peoples, of the nature of conflicts over abundance rather than shortage.
RESOURCES MENTIONED: https://www.ilri.org/ Guidelines for participatory rangeland management: https://www.ilri.org/publications/mapping-guidelines-participatory-rangeland-management-pastoral-and-agro-pastoral-0
TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/37BWYvB
Maurice and Beth are a father-daughter team who raise and sell farm-finished beef in Eastern Washington and are perhaps the first two-generation pair trained in holistic management. They have experienced the highs and lows of making a family ranch run well: for people, for land, for animals, for consumers. They reflect in this interview on decades of practice and adaptive learning and offer entrepreneurial lessons for others interested in doing direct meat sales and identifying other profit centers connected to a truly sustainable ranching operation. Beth operates a Cowgirl Camp (http://pnchm.org/educational-opportunities/new-cowgirl-camp/) for women in ranching, and the ranch website offers a good example for others working to promote their meat sales: https://www.lazyrbeef.com/.
WEBSITES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE https://www.lazyrbeef.com/ http://pnchm.org/educational-opportunities/new-cowgirl-camp/ https://csanr.wsu.edu/case-studies/
TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/2OTpYbI
Some people are called to work at the intersection of theory and practice and to challenge unchallenged ideas about what we do and why we do what we do. Clay Conry is one of those people. His Working Cows podcast is occupying a niche in livestock agriculture. As both a practicing rancher and a thinker, Clay is influencing sustainable agriculture for the good, for healthy land and animals as well as human flourishing. Join Clay and Tip for a discussion about what Clay has learned through three years of recording a weekly podcast on cows.
Subscribe today to the Working Cows podcast. Go to https://workingcows.net/podcasts/ and click on your favorite podcasting app.
TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/2M74aYT
The Society for Range Management's annual meeting will be held virtually Feb 15-18, and the keynote speakers for the plenary sessions will address three 'wicked problems' in range. Drs. Lynn Huntsinger and Nathan Sayre, who are moderating two of the plenary sessions, discuss the outline of these wicked problems to introduce the important subject matter for this year's conference.
SHOW NOTES Register for the conference at http://annualmeeting2021.rangelands.org/. Establish a membership for reduced registration at https://rangelands.org/.
TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/2Y0Mcd5
Decisions about how and whether to suppress fire on semi-arid rangelands are full of "if, then" statements. Altered plant communities, the absence of historic fire regimes, costs of restoration, and risks of human property or life are just the beginning of considerations necessary for sound wildfire management. Tip and Matt Germino discuss the big picture of how to think about fire on rangelands and fill in a few of the questions that are always answered with "It depends . . . "
For more on wildland fire management, listen to episodes 34, 39, 44, 52. For more on invasive grass management, listen to episodes 5, 11, 31, 24, 52.
TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/2LJZeZr
The relationship between grazing and fire is complex. And the national conversation about using livestock grazing as a control measure is sometimes controversial. Wildfire in general is a difficult topic because of the higher fire potential of many altered plant communities, the recognition that periodic fire is probably necessary in fire-adapted plant communities, and the economic consequences of catastrophic wildfire in suppression costs and direct property damage. Using fire to fight fire and to create fire-resistant or fire-resilient plant communities, is important because it reduces the likelihood of megafires. But grazing is a more controllable tool than even prescribed fire but accomplishes different results than fire. And it's much cheaper than chemical or mechanical treatments on acreage of any size. Join Tip's conversation with Devii Rao (Univ. of California Davis Extension Livestock and Natural Resources Advisor), Felix Ratcliff (LD Ford Consultants in Rangeland Conservation Science), and Sheila Barry (UC-Davis Extension Advisor) about recent fire and grazing research and the idea of maximum residual dry matter as a management tool.
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Blog article on results of grazing and fire research. https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=43618 For more information, contact Devii Rao, http://cemonterey.ucanr.edu/about/contact/?facultyid=28070.
TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/3fpCGrW
To fertilize or not to fertilize? That is NOT the question. Nitrogen is a driver of plant growth but its complex relationship with soil carbon and soil microorganisms makes fertilizing rangelands a complicated subject. Simple solutions often miss the mark, and adding nitrogen to natural plant communities as opposed to agricultural monocultures is usually not a good way to boost forage production. Tip and Matt Germino probe the depths of this fertile question.
RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Nutrient Network (NUTNET) -- https://nutnet.org/home
The textbook Matt referred to is "Exotic Brome-Grasses in Arid and Semiarid Ecosystems of the Western US: Causes, Consequences, and Management Implications (Springer Series on Environmental Management)". Some chapters are available for download without a fee at https://greatbasinfirescience.org/research-publications/exotic-brome-grasses-arid-semiarid-ecosystems-western-us-available-chapters-causes-consequences-management-implications/. See Chapter 3 for impacts of exotic invaders on range ecosystems.
Hard copies are available for purchase here https://www.springer.com/us/book/9783319249285 or here https://www.amazon.com/Exotic-Brome-Grasses-Semiarid-Ecosystems-Western/dp/3319249282.
TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/2Kkn1yC
Climate influences vegetation, and a variable climate challenges land management. Cliff Mass, University of Washington atmospheric scientist, discusses climate drivers in the Pacific Northwest, how topography affects weather, whether 2020 wildfires can be attributed to global warming, and state-of-the-science approaches to modeling future climate. This tight episode finishes with Dr. Mass's recent analysis of climate out to 2050.
RESOURCES MENTIONED Cliff Mass's popular blog is at cliffmass.blogspot.com. And his book "The Weather of the Pacific Northwest" is available at https://www.amazon.com/Weather-Pacific-Northwest-Cliff-Mass/dp/0295988479.
TRANSCRIPT The full transcript of this episode is available at: https://bit.ly/35ezhII
Did you think of dormant-season grazing as grazing standing hay--not much to worry about? There's more going on in the plant than you think. Dr. Steve Fransen sheds some light on multiple dormancy and root shedding periods in grasses as well as eight other growth phases where there is more than meets the eye. Knowledge of these phases should change how we think about grazing grass throughout the year. Dr. Fransen is leading a Pacific Northwest Inland Pasture Calendar project designed to guide grazing management through detailed understanding of plant physiology and phenology. This project will help ranchers and other varieties of 'grass farmers' optimize pasture and rangeland and hay productivity for maximum profitability. Dr. Fransen, Washington State University's forage specialist, has a team of experts offering a 3-day training that is available to anyone interested. This material is applicable to anyone anywhere who is growing cool-season forage species.
Register for the November 3-6, 2020 online conference and training at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pnw-inland-pasture-calendar-training-tickets-118686349065. After the event, we will post the conference materials webpage in this same space. That website will host ongoing training opportunities.
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Pasture calendar for Western Oregon and Washington: https://pubs.extension.wsu.edu/the-western-oregon-and-washington-pasture-calendar
PNW Publication, PASTURE AND GRAZING MANAGEMENT IN THE NORTHWEST https://www.extension.uidaho.edu/publishing/pdf/pnw/pnw0614.pdf
TRANSCRIPT The full transcript of this episode is available at: https://bit.ly/3m6jNfJ
The last few decades have brought significant technological transitions in rangeland science and animals, specifically with advances in wireless and sensor technologies and access to “big data”. Dr. Cibils answers a few key questions: How can we direct inevitable change in desirable ways? Through these transitions, which can sometimes be disruptive economically or socially, how can we sustain the flow of rangeland products to consumers and improve environmental conditions in order to maintain or increase the well-being of those who live, work, and recreate on rangelands? Dr. Cibils and Tip discuss using technology to reduce ranch operational costs, GPS-enabled animal trackers that provide real-time location data, renewed interest in heritage breeds such as Criollo and Raramuri, and more.
Learn more about Dr. Cibils' work at https://southwestbeef.org/
Recently published papers are available here: https://jornada.nmsu.edu/user/10211/biblio.
Transcript: https://bit.ly/3cgfYRq
It is cliche but true that most range grazing problems are animal distribution problems. And no one's name is more closely tied to distribution than Derek Bailey. Dr. Bailey and Tip discuss frontiers in understanding and manipulating livestock distribution to conserve rangeland health. The conversation includes animal selection, attractant placement, herding, and technologies for range livestock management.
Learn more about Dr. Bailey's work at https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Derek_Bailey
Transcript available at: https://bit.ly/2FOO7Mb
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The Western U.S. has experienced catastrophic fire frequency and extent in 2020. Matt Reeves, USFS, shares some wildfire prediction tools that may help landowners and agencies prepare in the future for both wildfire and grazing decisions that may help mitigate the effects of fire. He introduces a new monthly webinar for the growing season called “Reading the Tea Leaves”. https://www.fs.usda.gov/rmrs/events/tealeaves
MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST Fuelcast app, https://www.fuelcast.net/ Rangeland Production Monitoring Service, https://www.lankstonconsulting.com/rpms. Wildfire Decision Support System, https://wfdss.usgs.gov/wfdss/WFDSS_Home.shtml
Transcript: https://bit.ly/33NOWNl
"We've overdone management and undervalued leadership." James Rogers is the manager of the Winecup Gamble Ranch in northeastern Nevada, one of the largest ranches in the country, spanning an area larger than Rhode Island. Tip and James discuss the history of the Winecup Gamble, pros and cons of large corporate ranches, their role in ranching and conservation communities, and unique challenges at the Winecup. James also talks about his management philosophy of taking care of people in order to get results on the land and in the commercial enterprise of cow-calf production. The conversation includes a large-scale outcomes-based grazing pilot permit with the Bureau of Land Management.
Learn more about the Winecup Gamble Ranch at https://winecupgambleranch.com/.
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TRANSCRIPT The full transcript of this episode is available at: COMING SOON!
Restoring desirable native species and ecosystem function after wildfire is challenging and frequently unsuccessful. Land managers increasingly recognize the need to practice adaptive management of burned areas at both the project and regional scales. Acting on this recognition will require managers and scientists to develop a shared understanding of their roles and the challenges and opportunities they experience at each step in the adaptive management process. This symposium focused on how science for informing adaptive management of public lands is being co-produced by scientists and managers regarding the objectives of reducing exotic annual grasses, increasing desirable perennial plant communities, and reducing unhealthy fire frequency or fire size in sagebrush steppe. This symposium was part of the Society for Range Management's Annual Meeting in Denver in February 2020.
Laura Van Rieper, BLM Social Scientist at National Riparian Service Team, begins the symposium. Matt Germino on post-fire rehabilitation research at 26:55. David Pilliod on the Land Treatment Exploration Tool at 51:41. Paul Steblein facilitating Q&A begins at 1:14:03.
Soda Fire research published by USGS is available at https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/matthew-j-germino?qt-staff_profile_science_products=0#qt-staff_profile_science_products.
The Land Treatment Exploration Tool is at https://www.usgs.gov/centers/fresc/science/land-treatment-exploration-tool?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects.
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For more information on rangelands and rangeland science, visit globalrangelands.org/. To learn more about the Society for Range Management, visit https://rangelands.org/.
Dr. Lauren Porensky is an ecologist interested in plant communities, herbivores, and spatial complexity. Her research focuses on balancing livestock production with conservation and restoration in semi-arid rangelands. Porensky got her PhD at UC Davis working on livestock management and wildlife conservation in central Kenya. She currently investigates the interactive effects of grazing, fire, prairie dogs, and variable weather on plants, livestock, and humans in the northern Great Plains. This is a re-presentation of the plenary address Dr. Porensky delivered at the SRM annual meeting in February 2020. The accompanying PowerPoint slides are available as a PDF document at https://www.dropbox.com/s/kqkhypna7zupqtb/Porensky_plenary_handout.pdf?dl=0. More information about Lauren's research can be found at https://www.ars.usda.gov/plains-area/fort-collins-co/center-for-agricultural-resources-research/rangeland-resources-systems-research/people/lauren-porensky/.
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Dr. Leslie Roche is a UC Cooperative Extension Specialist in Rangeland Science and Management with the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences. She earned a Ph.D. in Ecology from UC Davis, and was a USDA-NIFA Postdoctoral Fellow and Project Scientist before joining the faculty in September 2015. Her research and extension program is at the intersection of agricultural, environmental, and social issues of ranching and livestock production on California’s grazinglands. She works across diverse systems and uses interdisciplinary and collaborative approaches to evaluate adaptive decision-making and management strategies to address key challenges and connect solution-oriented research with the needs of local communities, natural resource managers, and policymakers. This is a re-presentation of the plenary address she delivered at the SRM annual meeting in February 2020.
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Transcription: https://bit.ly/3jmoRMn
Stewart Breck is a research carnivore ecologist with the USDA-APHIS-WS National Wildlife Research Center and a member of the new Colorado State University Center for Human Carnivore Coexistence in Fort Collins. He has been focused on carnivore ecology and behavior and minimizing conflict between carnivores and people many years. The interview also includes Matt Barnes, a grazing consultant out of Colorado who works with the Northern Rockies Conservation Cooperative and has a long history in the middle ground between ranchers and wildlife advocates.
Resources mentioned in the interview CSU-Center for Human & Carnivore Coexistence series on wolves in Colorado: https://sites.warnercnr.colostate.edu/centerforhumancarnivorecoexistence/projects/people-predators/
Colorado State University fact sheet, Wolves and Livestock: https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/people-predators/wolves-and-livestock-8-010/
Barnes paper on links between grazing management and preventing predation: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/290434755_Livestock_Management_for_Coexistence_with_Large_Carnivores_Healthy_Land_and_Productive_Ranches
Guidebook by Western Landowners Assn.: https://westernlandowners.org/publication/reducing-conflict-with-grizzly-bears-wolves-and-elk/
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TRANSCRIPT The full transcript of this episode is available at: https://bit.ly/2CZTiaq
For more information on rangelands and rangeland science, visit globalrangelands.org/
Ranching and rangelands are undergoing rapid and intertwined changes. Changes include ecological transitions due to climate and invasive species; land use transitions associated with urbanization and shifting priorities for public lands; demographic transitions reflected in the increasing average age and decreasing number of ranchers; and market transitions associated with changing consumer attitudes and globalized markets. Dr. Place discusses the importance of reconnecting consumers and food producers. Sara Place was recently a science advisor for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. This talk was recorded at the Society for Range Management annual meeting in February 2020 in a symposium titled: Strategies for sustainability transformations in western rangelands.
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Transcript: https://bit.ly/39m4eeM
For more information on rangelands and rangeland science, visit globalrangelands.org/
This is a presentation from the Society for Range Management's annual meeting in February 2020 in a symposium titled "Stakeholder Engagement to Improve Federal Rangeland Wildfire Mitigation and Response".
Rangeland wildfires have grown in size, frequency, and length of season due to factors that include increasing human use of rangelands, vegetation state change (e.g., cheatgrass invasion), drought, and climate change. Because western U.S. rangelands are largely managed by the federal government for multiple uses, and because wildfires frequently cross jurisdictional boundaries, implementing successful strategies to reduce wildfire risk and impact or to improve post-wildfire recovery is likely to require involvement by multiple actors beyond the federal rangeland management agencies. This symposium presents results of new research exploring options for engagement between land management agencies and multiple stakeholders to improve federal wildfire mitigation and response. Katherine Wollstein will present results from three BLM field offices showing how formal and informal arrangements and processes affect learning, interpretation, and subsequent implementation of management designed to reduce wildfire risk in Idaho.
Find out more about Katie Wollstein at https://www.uidaho.edu/cnr/policy-analysis-group/about/wollstein
Recent publications by Katie --Davis, E. J., Abrams, J., & Wollstein, K. (2019). Rangeland Fire Protection Associations as disaster response organisations. Disasters. https://doi.org/10.1111/disa.12389. Available at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/disa.12389
--Abrams, J.A., K. Wollstein, and E.J. Davis. 2018. State Lines, Fire Lines, and Lines of Authority: Rangeland Fire Management and Bottom-Up Cooperative Federalism. Land Use Policy 75:252-259. Abstract at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0264837718300103
--Abrams, J.A., E.J. Davis, and K. Wollstein. 2017. Rangeland Fire Protection Associations in Great Basin Rangelands: A Model for Adaptive Community Relationships with Wildfire? Human Ecology 45(6):773-785. Abstract at https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10745-017-9945-y.
University of Idaho Policy Analysis Group publications are available at https://www.uidaho.edu/cnr/policy-analysis-group/research/publications.
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Transcript: https://bit.ly/39h1or6
For more information on rangelands and rangeland science, visit globalrangelands.org/
When rangeland scientists question why those who manage ecosystems do not implement the information developed into action, the manager's concern is not centrally about the quality of data or information but rather the processes of knowledge production and implementation. Knowledge is a result of human reflection and experience, and it is most often found within an individual or collective routine or process that results in an increased capacity for decision-making and action to achieve some purpose. This definition stands in meaningful contrast to data, which refers to unedited descriptions or results of observations about states of past, present or future domains, or information about patterns that observers find or impose onto data that has been generated through experimentation. Speaker is Neal Wilkins (East Foundation). https://eastfoundation.net/the-foundation/our-team/east-foundation-team/neal-wilkins-phd/
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Transcript: https://bit.ly/3jnk7pN
For more information on rangelands and rangeland science, visit globalrangelands.org/
Karim-Aly Kassam is International Professor of Environmental and Indigenous Studies in the Department of Natural Resources and the American Indian and Indigenous Studies Program at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University. His aim is to seamlessly merge research and teaching in the service of communities. His research focuses on the complex connectivity of human and environmental relations, addressing indigenous ways of knowing, food sovereignty, sustainable livelihoods, stewardship, and climate change. This research is conducted in partnership with indigenous communities such as the Standing Rock Sioux Nation (USA) and the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe (USA), as well as in the Pamir Mountains of Afghanistan and Tajikistan, the Kongur Shan Mountains of China, and the Alai Mountains of Kyrgyzstan. By investigating the relationship between biological and cultural diversity, Dr. Kassam seeks to expand the foundations of the notion of pluralism.
You can learn more about Dr. Kassam at his website, https://dnr.cals.cornell.edu/people/karim-aly-kassam/.
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Transcript: https://bit.ly/2ZK2SqK
For more information on rangelands and rangeland science, visit globalrangelands.org/
This forum highlighting leading women in ranching operations was recorded Feb 20, 2020 at the National Western Complex in Denver, Colorado as part of the Society for Range Management annual meeting. The speakers included women from non-traditional ranching backgrounds as well as women whose families have been in the ranching business for several generations. The speakers provide a breadth of perspective as to what ranching is and why women are critical to the mission of sustainable ranches. This list is certainly not comprehensive of all the qualified women, but a group who carry the flag for all those who are instrumental in their ranch operations.
Speakers were: Mary Budd Flitner, Wyoming rancher-- "Betting It All " Ashley Hibbard, Montana rancher--"Impostor syndrome". Starts at 19:25. Julie Sullivan, Colorado rancher--"Hippie Meets Rancher". Starts at 40:30. Nancy Ranney, New Mexico rancher--"Regenerative Ranching in Mesa Country". Starts at 1:04:35. Mimi Hillenbrand, South Dakota bison rancher. (With apologies to Mimi, we’ve not included this talk because recording quality was poor and listening would depend on seeing the accompanying video). The session was coordinated and facilitated by Pat Pfeil, a Florida rancher.
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Transcript: https://bit.ly/3fLZO3h
For more information on rangelands and rangeland science, visit https://globalrangelands.org/
The forum was sponsored by: National Grazing Lands Coalition Colorado Cattlemen's Assn Western Landowners Alliance Bird Conservancy of the Rockies Colorado Dept. of Agriculture AgRisk Advisors Colorado Sheep and Wool Authority Bamert Seed Company
When does science become art? We often refer to the “Art and Science of Range Management’ but how often do we acknowledge the “art” or the “artist?” in today’s world of ever-expanding technology and engineering, many aspects of the “art” of natural resource and land management are being overshadowed by a desire for predictability driven decision processes.
This session with Jenny Pluhar and Frank Price, involving a conversation with H.L. Bentley, Special Agent in Charge of Grass, Abilene, Texas Field Station, 1898, was recorded at the Society for Range Management annual meeting in Denver in February 2020.
Learn more about Frank Price at https://rangelandsandranching.com/.
The desire to be “right,” or better yet, to not be “wrong,” weighs heavily on the decision-maker and ultimately can lead to inaction for fear of getting the science wrong. Science and management theory have become a driver for many decision-makers in their efforts to minimize potential negative impacts of decisions made, and in the realm of natural resources, command and control are sought over managed ecosystems. Management decisions must be made every day in the world of land management and are nearly always made with less than perfect and far less than complete knowledge. Those tasked with the responsibility of stewarding the lands they manage are confronted with challenges that require a decision in the present that may have long-term implications, both to the operation as well as across a broad array of society. Added to the basic operational challenges of land management, the impacts of social, political, ecological and economic drivers confront the land manager with a complexity of scenarios that cannot be addressed through traditional scientific methodologies. in addressing these facts, the Society for Range Management recognized that rangeland management is the “art and science” of deploying management decisions on the landscapes. Whereas, academic endeavors rightfully focus on the “science,” the practitioner remains the ultimate decision-maker in the rangeland management system, the “artist” if you will, integrating both “art” and “science” into the decision-making process. in many ways, land management is truly a creative endeavor with the managers creativity producing the art of the management process. Science favors one “right” answer, while the artist may create many scenarios on the landscape, utilizing the science but considering all the other drivers mentioned above.
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TRANSCRIPT A full transcript of this session is available at https://bit.ly/2RnGI9m
This talk was recorded at the Society for Range Management annnual meeting and training February 2020. The talk is from a symposium titled "Strategies for sustainability transformations in western rangelands." Lynn's presentation is available as a PDF here. hhttps://bit.ly/2QJXxLi
Ranching and rangelands are undergoing rapid and intertwined changes. Changes include 1) ecological transitions due to climate and invasive species; 2) land use transitions associated with urbanization and shifting priorities for public lands; 3) demographic transitions reflected in the increasing average age and decreasing number of ranchers; 3) market transitions associated with changing consumer attitudes and globalized markets, and 4) technological transitions with advances in wireless and sensor technologies and access to “big data”. in this symposium, we ask: how can we direct inevitable change in desirable ways? Through these changes, how can we sustain the flow of rangeland products to consumers and improve environmental conditions in order to maintain or increase the well-being of those who live, work, and recreate on rangelands?
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Transcript: https://bit.ly/2WD8jGj
For more information on rangelands and rangeland science, visit https://globalrangelands.org/
Dr. Karen Launchbaugh's plenary address at the SRM's 2020 annual meeting was titled "Bridging the Gap: What Does SRM Want/Need to be and How to Get There?" This is a recording of that talk. Karen's PowerPoint presentation is available in PDF at http://bit.ly/2TRiox7 if you want to follow along. Karen Launchbaugh is a professor of rangeland ecology at the University of Idaho who specializes in topics related to grazing behavior, range animal nutrition, and targeted grazing. Dr. Launchbaugh’s research and teaching focus on applying principles of grazing management and targeted grazing to manage invasive plants, wildland fuels, and livestock-wildlife interactions. She is currently conducting research on how cattle grazing affect nesting sage-grouse and using targeted grazing to manage cheatgrass. Karen grew up on a sheep and cattle ranch in western North Dakota where she developed a passion for un-derstanding rangelands and learned about the SRM through Ranch Camp and the High School Youth Forum. She subsequently obtained three college degrees in rangeland science and management including a B.S. from North Dakota State Universi-ty, M.S. from Texas A&M University, and Ph.D. from Utah State University. Karen currently serves as director of the Rangeland Center at the University of Idaho. the Center is a unique organization of 35 university scientists and educators who work closely with land managers to bring science to management issues on Idaho’s range-lands. Together, the Center’s faculty and partners “bring science and solutions to the range.”
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RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Brunson, M. W. & Huntsinger, L. Ranching As A Conservation Strategy: Can Old Ranchers Save The New West? Rangeland Ecology & Management 61, 137–147 (2008). PDF available at https://journals.uair.arizona.edu/index.php/jrm/article/view/19844 Howery, L.D., 2015. A Brief History of How the Society for Range Management was Founded. Rangelands 37, 20–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rala.2014.12.007. Article available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S019005281400008X and a PDF is here: https://bit.ly/3bukFp8.
For more information on rangelands and rangeland science, visit https://globalrangelands.org/
TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/3jogGPB
What's good for cattle nutrition is sometimes different than what's good for plants. Dr. Bohnert talks about the timing of nutrient supply on rangelands and the nutrient demand of late winter- or spring-calving beef cattle and how to manage body condition to optimize calf performance.
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Resources
TRANSCRIPT The full transcript of this episode is available at: https://bit.ly/31B0lyt
Join Barry Perryman, Matt Williamson, and Karen Launchbaugh as they discuss recent research on cheatgrass causation and association and strategies to hold invasive annual grass at bay.
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ARTICLES MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Williamson article, “Fire, livestock grazing, topography, and precipitation affect occurrence and prevalence of cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) in the central Great Basin, USA”. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10530-019-02120-8
Reducing cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.) fuel loads using fall cattle grazing https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1080744615301121 PDF here: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Brad_Schultz/publication/325182735_Viewpoint_An_Alternative_Management_Paradigm_for_Plant_Communities_Affected_by_Invasive_Annual_Grass_in_the_Intermountain_West/links/5b7588fda6fdcc87df814299/Viewpoint-An-Alternative-Management-Paradigm-for-Plant-Communities-Affected-by-Invasive-Annual-Grass-in-the-Intermountain-West.pdf
Grazing Management on Seeded and Unseeded Post-Fire Public Rangelands https://www.appliedanimalscience.org/article/S1080-7446(15)30975-X/abstract
TRANSCRIPT The full transcript of this episode is available at: https://bit.ly/2ODRW8h
Join Julie Elliott, Chuck Butterfield, Hailey Wilmer and Matt Barnes as they discuss their new approach to the Society’s 2020 annual meetings. Interaction, conversation and hands-on learning rather than presentation is the outworking of a planning process that capitalizes on the integrative nature of rangeland science and rangeland people and the process of translating and transforming the Society’s meetings and trainings to the 21st century. Find out more at http://www.srm2020.org/
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TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/2RGM6Vv
"Six patches make you six times less likely to be entirely wrong". Diversity and variability drive rangeland health. Healthy rangelands provide an array of ecological and social goods and services. Resiliency describes the robustness of natural mechanisms that allow land to continue providing those EGS over time with and through disturbance. Disturbances are necessary processes to create botanical diversity, but also changing diversity, across space and time. Human-caused disturbances should avoid pushing ecosystems over thresholds, tipping points, into new degraded stable states. Dr. Fuhlendorf says scientists and managers should "embrace ecological humility" and assume we know less than we think we do.
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TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/2T0VKDx
"Six patches make you six times less likely to be entirely wrong". Diversity and variability drive rangeland health. Healthy rangelands provide an array of ecological and social goods and services. Resiliency describes the robustness of natural mechanisms that allow land to continue providing those EGS over time with and through disturbance. Disturbances are necessary processes to create botanical diversity, but also changing diversity, across space and time. Human-caused disturbances should avoid pushing ecosystems over thresholds, tipping points, into new degraded stable states. Dr. Fuhlendorf says scientists and managers should "embrace ecological humility" and assume we know less than we think we do.
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TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/36uoQ28
Regenerative agriculture has gained popularity in response to concerns about the long-term effects of various agrochemical inputs we use on a variety of landscapes as well as the growing recognition of the complexity and sheer volume of microbial life in the soil-plant interface and below. Nicole discusses the origins of her book For the Love of Soil and some possible conclusions for building up soil health on rangelands.
Her book can be purchased on Amazon or at her website https://www.integritysoils.co.nz/
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TRANSCRIPT
The full transcript of this episode is available at: https://bit.ly/2tw4I0W
Lands are tied to people, and any changes in land use necessarily involve people. Understanding people and land together is the work of cultural and landscape geography. Paul Starrs is a geographer who has written some of the more interesting literature on the lifeways of range people. Tip and Paul discuss the culture of the West and challenges to ranching in a wide-ranging interview centered on Paul's opening chapter in the book "Ranching West of the 100th Meridian".
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RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THE SHOW: Many of Paul Starrs's publications are available at his ResearchGate page, https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Paul_Starrs/research.
A brief biography and contact information can be found at his faculty page, https://www.unr.edu/geography/people/paul-starrs.
The 1998 book "Ranching West of the 100th Meridian" is available for purchase at most online stores or by special order from your local bookstore. His book Let the Cowboy Ride is a more robust treatment of ranching in the American West than the title would suggest. This is a readable, scholarly exploration of "the peculiar conditions that created an abiding tension between ranchers and government in the western reaches of the United States, and to understand this tumult in the context of its time then and our time now" (from the author's introduction in the book). The book is available to order through various outlets.
For those who are interested in Deep Springs College, their excellent website is https://www.deepsprings.edu/.
TRANSCRIPT The full transcript of this episode is available at: https://bit.ly/2RnYlGX
Rangeland vegetation monitoring has always been hampered by landscape variability, site selection bias, and available time to get to remote areas. With the Rangeland Analysis Platform, range managers can get landscape-scale cover values (perennial grass, annuals, shrubs, and trees) over both space and time, with data going back to 1984. Brady Allred and Matt Jones discuss the origins of the RAP, the mechanics of the technology, and applications for land managers.
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RESOURCES DISCUSSED ON THE SHOW Rangeland Analysis Platform. https://rangelands.app/ Working Lands for Wildlife. http://bit.ly/322b83g Journal article "Innovation in rangeland monitoring: annual, 30 m, plant functional type percent cover maps for U.S. rangelands, 1984–2017", available in full text at http://bit.ly/32YowXK. Journal article "Patterns of rangeland productivity and land ownership: Implications for conservation and management", available in full text at http://bit.ly/325fDKN. 1976 journal article by Eugene Maxwell: "A Remote Rangeland Analysis System", available at http://bit.ly/2phKJ4v. Convert Google Earth KML file into shapefile for importing into the RAP. https://mygeodata.cloud/converter/kml-to-shp
TRANSCRIPT The full transcript of this episode is available at: https://bit.ly/2N9IZmR
Perennial bunchgrass roots are the prize fighter in the wildland boxing ring with cheatgrass, and bacteria may be sitting this one out. Matt Germino, range scientist with the US Geological Survey in Idaho, describes recent research on how bunchgrass roots compete with invasive annual grasses below the soil surface. We discuss concepts of resilience and resistance, the ecological mechanisms involved in competition, monitoring measurements that are good indicators of root dominance, and eventually discuss discouraging research on Pseudomonas flavescens, the bacterium hoped to be a silver bullet against cheatgrass.
You can find more information on the research discussed here at the USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center website: https://www.usgs.gov/centers/fresc And you can reach Matt Germino at mgermino@usgs.gov.
Many articles on the Rangelands journal website are Open Access and do not require a paid subscription to the Society for Range Management or the journal. Check it out at https://www.journals.elsevier.com/rangelands.
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TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/2OJBoeQ
Following "Cattle Free by '93" sentiment of the 80s and 90s has come growth in the middle ground, supported by both increasing recognition of the ecosystem goods and services provided by grazed rangelands as well as improvements in grazing management. Tip and Rick continue their discussion here and transition to Payment for Ecosystem Services programs that incentivize stewardship instead of non-production.
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PUBLICATIONS MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST The book Rick co-authored, Ranching West of the 100th Meridian, is available at https://islandpress.org/books/ranching-west-100th-meridian.
Beef and Beyond: Paying for Ecosystem Services on Western US Rangelands. https://journals.uair.arizona.edu/index.php/rangelands/article/viewFile/19306/18969
Ranchers as a keystone species in a West that works. https://journals.uair.arizona.edu/index.php/rangelands/article/view/12293
Patterns of rangeland productivity and land ownership: Implications for conservation and management. https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/eap.1862
TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/36rWohO
The value of large public lands is largely dependent on adjacent private lands. Charismatic megafauna that characterize the American West will, perhaps ironically, only survive if large livestock ranches remain profitable. Rick Knight, conservation biologist at Colorado State University, discusses with Tip the unequal ecological value of private lands, the rise of the radical center, and the economics of maintaining habitat through ranching.
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PUBLICATIONS MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST The book Rick co-authored, Ranching West of the 100th Meridian, is available at https://islandpress.org/books/ranching-west-100th-meridian.
Beef and Beyond: Paying for Ecosystem Services on Western US Rangelands. https://journals.uair.arizona.edu/index.php/rangelands/article/viewFile/19306/18969
Ranchers as a keystone species in a West that works. https://journals.uair.arizona.edu/index.php/rangelands/article/view/12293
Patterns of rangeland productivity and land ownership: Implications for conservation and management. https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/eap.1862
TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/2l9fhmE
Epigenetics studies in beef cattle have revealed surprising long-term effects of cow nutrition on performance of offspring in muscle and fat development, calf survivability, growth, carcass characteristics, reproduction, and health. Don Llewellyn and Tip discuss research what is meant by fetal programming (the more familiar name for this branch of epigenetics)and some of the research from Nebraska and Kansas that has illuminated the relationship between the health of the mother and the subsequent health of the calf throughout its life.
LINKS Feeding Beef Cattle II: Fetal Programming, by Don Llewellyn. http://pubs.cahnrs.wsu.edu/publications/pubs/em060e/ Fetal Programming: Cow Nutrition and its Effects on Calf Performance, from North Carolina State Univ. https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/fetal-programming-cow-nutrition-and-its-effects-on-calf-performance Fetal Programming of Beef Cattle, by Tom Hamilton, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food. https://www.canadiancattlemen.ca/2014/01/29/fetal-programming-of-beef-cattle/ Nutrition During Gestation and Fetal Programming (scientific paper by Kimberly Vonnahme). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/242680621_Nutrition_During_Gestation_and_Fetal_Programming Feeding Beef Cattle I: The Realities of Low-Quality Forages, by Don Llewellyn. http://pubs.cahnrs.wsu.edu/publications/pubs/em053e/
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TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/2kCgtPh
A common misconception about late summer and fall range grass is that low-quality forages serve only as fillers and have little value as feed. If this were universally true, wild ruminants would not be able to survive. Join Tip Hudson and Don Llewellyn for Art of Range episode #20 as they discuss how to get ruminants to digest low-quality forages. Rumen physiology, ruminant nutrition, and the fine points of proper protein supplementation for cattle on late summer/fall/winter range and pasture are all on tap.
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TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/33YCsBU
LINKS Feeding Beef Cattle I: The Realities of Low-Quality Forages, by Don Llewellyn. http://pubs.cahnrs.wsu.edu/publications/pubs/em053e/ Feeding Beef Cattle II: Fetal Programming, by Don Llewellyn. http://pubs.cahnrs.wsu.edu/publications/pubs/em060e/ (REQUEST WET CHEMISTRY, NOT NIR, WHEN YOU SUBMIT A RANGE SAMPLE FOR ANALYSIS) Forage Analysis Interpretation, Montana State University. http://msuextension.org/publications/AgandNaturalResources/MT201609AG.pdf Understanding Forage Test Results, Oregon State University. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/ddbe/4436492e61471e1ea718426edb2f50a9f6dc.pdf Supplementing Beef Cows
Mineral Supplementation of Beef Cows in the Pacific Northwest. https://www.extension.uidaho.edu/publishing/pdf/PNW/PNW670.pdf
Why a podcast to teach on range ecology and livestock production? Tip discusses some of the thInking behind using podcasting to counter the ”Age of Distraction” and to promote deep thinking about complex subjects.
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TRANSCRIPT The full transcript of this episode is available at: https://bit.ly/2KjwAvg
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TRANSCRIPT The full transcript of this episode is available at: https://bit.ly/32OcUa1
Can satellite data and drones answer questions we’re not even asking yet? Jason Karl, Univ. of Idaho researcher, believes that’s a good possibility. We may be able to make connections, associations, observations, even test hypotheses, using images of whole landscapes in tandem with ground-based measurements to better understand and manage rangelands. Join Jason and Tip as they discuss the limitations and opportunities in remotely-sensed data, how to choose good monitoring indicators and measurements, and rancher-ready tools for analyzing landscapes.
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TRANSCRIPT The full transcript of this episode is available at: https://bit.ly/2S7sLvt
Chapter on monitoring protocols: Options, approaches, implementation, benefits. https://jornada.nmsu.edu/files/bibliography/17-012.pdf https://www.landscapetoolbox.org/
“If a grain farmer doesn’t have crop insurance, any lender will show him/her the door.” But ranchers have not historically used many financial risk tools such as crop insurance. Tip and Shannon Neibergs, director for the Western Center for Risk Management Education, discuss the variety of risk education products available to ranchers as well as various financial measurement and financial risk tools such as livestock insurance products.
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Transcript: https://bit.ly/2wg68e8
Ag Risk & Farm Management Library https://www.cffm.umn.edu/products/AgRisk.aspx
What is Livestock Risk Protection Insurance? https://agrisk.umn.edu/Library/Record/what_is_livestock_risk_protection_insurance
USDA Risk Management Agency livestock insurance plans https://www.rma.usda.gov/en/Policy-and-Procedure/Insurance-Plans/Livestock-Insurance-Plans
Rangeland resiliency case study documentary films: http://csanr.wsu.edu/case-studies/
Ethan Lane, director of the national Public Lands Council, makes a compelling case for ranchers to build a record of stewardship in order to tell a positive story as well as provide protection from critics of public lands grazing. He and Tip discuss the work of the PLC, why ranchers should be doing their own monitoring, and suggestions for constructively interacting with state and federal agencies.
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TRANSCRIPT The full transcript of this episode is available at: https://bit.ly/2VwAWGr
Resources mentioned in this episode:
PLC.org
policy.ncba.org
The scientists at the Jornada Experimental Range have been at the forefront of research monitoring rangeland health for decades. Jeff Herrick, a lead soil scientist at the Jornada, discusses with Tip recent advancements in rangeland monitoring methods and tools, including a monitoring app that brings together big data and on-the-ground sampling. Land PKS is now available at landpotential.org, and developers will be rolling out several key modules over the next couple months.
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TRANSCRIPT The full transcript of this episode is available at: https://bit.ly/2GAMYnV
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE www.landpotential.org (Land PKS) https://www.landscapetoolbox.org/ https://rangelands.app/ (Rangeland Analysis Platform) https://jornada.nmsu.edu/monit-assess (Jornada monitoring protocols)
How many times have you thought: “You should have seen what this looked like 10 years ago?!” We usually mean that a range site or riparian zone looks better than it did 10 years ago, but most people can’t back up that claim. Join Tip and Sherm Swanson as they discuss ways to document landscape change and translate that data into management action.
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TRANSCRIPT The full transcript of this episode is available at: https://bit.ly/2UqDMYf
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Nevada Rangeland Monitoring Handbook | Third Edition http://www.unce.unr.edu/publications/sp_2018_03.aspx
"Practical Grazing Management to Meet Riparian Objectives", Journal of Rangeland Applications. https://journals.lib.uidaho.edu/index.php/jra/article/view/16
Dr. Nathan Sayre has written the definitive work on the origins and history of rangelands science, public ownership, agency management, and grazing philosophy in the United States. Join Tip and Nathan as they discuss his background building fence on ranches on the Southwest, his pathway to the sociology of rangelands, and then surprising findings in Sayre’s book research. Finally, they visit about recommendations for modern range management.
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TRANSCRIPT The full transcript of this episode is available at: https://bit.ly/2OvMHGx
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Nathan's book is "The Politics of Scale: A History of Rangeland Science". You can order through a local bookseller, or directly from the publisher, University of Chicago Press: https://www.press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/P/bo16762107.html
Or, you can support the monopoly at https://www.amazon.com/Politics-Scale-History-Rangeland-Science/dp/022608325X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1538427564&sr=8-1&keywords=politics+of+scale.
Recent articles by Nathan Sayre referenced in the podcast are available on the show notes link: https://bit.ly/2CHhkEe
For more on concerns on the publishing monopoly, you can listen to an interview with Franklin Foer, author of the book “World Without Mind: The Existential Threat of Big Tech”, here: https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/world-without-mind-franklin-foer-interview/
A half-century of war on cheatgrass hasn’t reduced its dominance on the high sagebrush seas. Barry Perryman of Univ. of Nevada-Reno says old-fashioned observations and rancher communication have led researchers to a promising paradigm shift: targeting the unique biology of this biennial grass through fall and winter grazing.
Barry and Tip discuss classical approaches to field research, an admonition from Dr. Temple Grandin to pay attention to real people doing real work in the real world, and Barry's pathway to uncovering some convenient truths about cheatgrass biology through research in the Old World. They finish up with a discussion of fire ecology in the Great Basin. WE NEED YOUR FEEDBACK! Please take 2 minutes to complete this short survey to help us continue funding the podcast: https://wsu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9Y3fUWlQdBsyBZX
TRANSCRIPT The full transcript of this episode is available at: https://bit.ly/2JcrkLm
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE A UN-R bulletin on grazing to control cheatgrass is available here: http://www.unce.unr.edu/publications/files/nr/2015/sp1503.pdf
1491, a book by Charles Mann, can be purchased at https://www.amazon.com/1491-Revelations-Americas-Before-Columbus/dp/1400032059/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=1491&qid=1581963901&sr=8-1.
Most of Barry's publications are available at his university web page: https://www.unr.edu/anvs/people/perryman-barry
Range forage production can vary widely from year to year. What if you could get a production prediction 3 months ahead of the growing season and make management decisions from it? Tip's guest today, Matt Reeves (USFS) is part of a group of researchers who have developed the Rangeland Production Monitoring Service, a backward-looking prediction tool that is not meteorological forecasting, but a machine-learning approach to a seasonal outlook based on historical climate data. This episode includes an interview with Matt followed by Matt's talk at the Society for Range Management conference a couple weeks ago.
The slides referred to in Matt’s talk are available at the show notes link: https://www.dropbox.com/home/Art%20of%20Range%20show%20notes
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TRANSCRIPT The full transcript of this episode is available at: https://bit.ly/2C9kT5Z
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Rangeland Production Monitoring Service (RPMS): https://www.fs.fed.us/rmrs/projects/development-rangeland-production-monitoring-service-could-improve-rangeland-management
Grasscast GRASSCAST: http://grasscast.agsci.colostate.edu Although Grass-Cast doesn’t currently extend into the Pacific Northwest, it might inspire ideas for adapting it to that region.
The Drought Monitor, along with NDMC’s “Managing Drought Risk on the Ranch” handbook: https://drought.unl.edu/ranchplan/Overview.aspx.
USDA’s revamped farmers.gov website, where ranchers can now more easily find information about weather-related safety-nets such as the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) https://www.fsa.usda.gov/Assets/USDA-FSA-Public/usdafiles/FactSheets/2018/livestock_forage_disaster_program-july2018.pdf; Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) https://www.fsa.usda.gov/Assets/USDA-FSA-Public/usdafiles/FactSheets/2018/livestock_indemnity_program_fact_sheet-may_2018.pdf; and Pasture, Rangeland and Forage (PRF) insurance product https://www.rma.usda.gov/en/Fact-Sheets/National-Fact-Sheets/Pasture-Rangeland-Forage-Pilot-Insurance-Program. These programs were renewed in the 2018 Farm Bill (here’s a great Farm Bill overview by one of my (Reeves’) trusted AgEcon colleagues at OK State) https://news.okstate.edu/articles/agricultural-sciences-natural-resources/2018/stotts_2018-farm-bill-passage.html.
Three other climate/ag tools developed by our friends at the Northwest and Southwest Climate Hubs: 1. Seedlot Selection Tool for forest landowners throughout the northwest and beyond: https://seedlotselectiontool.org/sst/ 2. Orchard Crop Suitability Mapping Tool for the northwest: https://climate.northwestknowledge.net/NWTOOLBOX/cropSuitability.php 3. AgRisk Viewer (from the SW Hub) -- an online tool for viewing historical causes of insured crop loss at the county level throughout the US: https://swclimatehub.info/rma/rma-data-viewer.html
Dr. Lynn Huntsinger has written persuasively about the importance of private land ranching and public lands grazing as a means of conserving, even protecting, open space, wildlife habitat, and clean water. This runs counter to the preservationist paradigm that dominated for several decades, but it is gaining traction as it also gains scientific validity. Dr. Huntsinger is a Rustici endowed professor in Environmental Science, Policy, & Management at University of California at Berkeley. She and Tip discuss risks of land conversion, benefits of intact ranches, and opportunities for ranchers to capitalize on the less tangible benefits that society receives from their private lands, when managed well.
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TRANSCRIPT The full transcript of this episode is available at: https://bit.ly/2XvUUP6
Dr. Huntsinger’s website: https://ourenvironment.berkeley.edu/people/lynn-huntsinger
Article on ranching in the Bay area http://news.aag.org/2016/01/bay-area-open-space-is-not-open-space/
Articles mentioned in our discussion (most are not open access but Tip can provide a PDF upon request):
Barry, Sheila J. 2014. Using Social Media to Discover Public Values, Interests, and Perceptions about Cattle Grazing on Park Lands. Environmental Management 53:454–464
Marty, Jaymee T. 2005. Effects of cattle grazing on diversity in ephemeral wetlands. Conservation Biology 19 (5):1626-1632.
Historical progression of articles related to our podcast:
Huntsinger, L. and J. Oviedo. 2014. Ecosystem services may be better termed social ecological services in a traditional pastoral system: The case of California Mediterranean rangelands at multiple scales. Ecology and Society 19 (1): 8[http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol19/iss1/art8/]
Huntsinger, L., Johnson, M., Stafford, M. and J. Fried. 2010. California Hardwood Rangeland Landowners 1985 to 2004: Ecosystem services, production, and permanence. Rangeland Ecology and Management 63:325-334
Brunson, M. and L. Huntsinger. 2008. Can old ranchers save the new west? Synthesis paper, Journal of Range Ecology and Management 61:137-147.
Sulak, A. and Huntsinger, L. 2007. Public lands grazing in California: untapped conservation potential for private lands? Rangelands 23(3):9-13.
Liffman, R., L. Huntsinger, and L. Forero. 2000. To ranch or not to ranch: home on the urban range? J. Range Management53(4)362-370.
Huntsinger, L. and P. Hopkinson. 1996. Sustaining rangeland landscapes: a social and ecological process. Journal of Range Management 49:167-173.
Ralph Waldo Emerson said that a weed is "a plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered". Tip's guest, Karen Launchbaugh, says that some "plants out of place" present serious ecological and ecological challenges to land managers but that some unwanted plants have redeeming qualities, particularly for domestic grazing animals. They discuss exotic species, various control strategies for weeds, success stories, integrated pest management principles, and, of course, using specific grazing timing and intensity and class of animal to suppress weed populations.
SURVEY Please take 60 seconds to complete this quick 5-question survey and to access continuing education credits (CPRM only): https://wsu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4GHpHVHlsouSorr
TRANSCRIPT The full transcript of this episode is available at: https://www.dropbox.com/home/Art%20of%20Range%20transcripts
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
USEFUL WEBSITES https://targetedgrazing.org
University of Idaho targeted grazing research papers: https://targetedgrazing.org/research/
The same site has grazing prescriptions for many individual species: knapweed, leafy spurge, starthistle, canada thistle, etc. https://targetedgrazing.org/prescriptions/
Targeted Grazing Handbook. This landowner-oriented reference guide has individual chapters for various grazing goals, such as controlling brush, enhancing wildlife habitat, limiting wildfire, orchard understory management, and more. https://targetedgrazing.org/other-resources/targeted-grazing/
Rangeland journal article from 2012: "Targeted Grazing: Applying the Research to the Land". https://journals.uair.arizona.edu/index.php/rangelands/article/download/19480/19120
BEHAVE project (Behavioral Education for Human, Animal, Vegetation, and Ecosystem Management) http://behave.net/
SUCCESS STORIES Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission article, "Ray Holes--The Goat King". https://idrange.org/range-stories/north-central-idaho/ray-holes-the-goat-king-using-goats-to-combat-noxious-weeds/
BEEF Magazine article, "Use target grazing to take aim at invasive weeds" https://www.beefmagazine.com/americancowman/pasture-and-range/target-grazing
Leafy spurge control in Alberta, Jan 2019 article at The Western Producer: https://www.producer.com/2019/01/alberta-sheep-ranch-focuses-on-grazing/
CONTRACT VEGETATION MANAGEMENT PRACTITIONERS Livestock for Landscapes Network. http://www.livestockforlandscapes.com/network.htm This site lists, by state, livestock businesses who have their shingle out to conduct contract weed control work.
Businesses in the PNW: Craig Madsen, Healing Hooves: https://www.healinghooves.com/ Ray Holes. Ray Holes, rayholes@yahoo.com, 208-740-9264 Nicole Bellows & Larry Davis, NW Goat Grazers. https://www.northwestgoatgrazers.com/
Dr. Ken Tate is the Russell L. Rustici Endowed Rangeland Watershed Science Specialist in Cooperative Extension at University of California-Davis. Tate’s research and outreach focuses on the diverse managed ecosystems that make up California’s grazinglands, promoting management that supports the many benefits society receives from these working landscapes, including clean water, biodiversity and agricultural productivity. He and Tip discuss ecological and social challenges to public lands grazing, including water quality, public opinion, and bad reporting. They also discuss surveys conducted by UC-Davis to better understand ranchers' opinions on how regulations and land management policies affect them.
SURVEY Please take 60 seconds to complete this quick 5-question survey and to access continuing education credits (CPRM only): https://wsu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4GHpHVHlsouSorr
TRANSCRIPT The full transcript of this episode is available at: https://www.dropbox.com/home/Art%20of%20Range%20transcripts
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE UC-Davis Rangelands Watershed Health website: http://rangelands.ucdavis.edu/rangeland-water-quality/
Many of Ken's publications are available here: http://rangelands.ucdavis.edu/kenneth-w-tate/
Grazing Management to Improve Soil Health, article by Ken: http://rangelands.ucdavis.edu/grazing-management-to-improve-soil-health/
California Rangeland Trust's "Rangeland Conservation Impact Award": https://www.rangelandtrust.org/press-release/conservation-impact-award-awarded-dr-kenneth-w-tate/
Jack Southworth, a rancher in Eastern Oregon, discusses with Tip how he manages for ecological and economic resiliency through flexible stocking rates, changing class of cattle based on the season's feed resources, and maximizing photosynthesis rate through the high desert's short growing period.
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TRANSCRIPT The full transcript of this episode is available at: https://www.dropbox.com/home/Art%20of%20Range%20transcripts
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE WSU Extension rancher-to-rancher case study documentary about Southworth Brothers Ranch. http://csanr.wsu.edu/case-studies/
Capital Press article about national range management award. http://bit.ly/2QBNs58
WSU Low-Stress Cattle Handling: Understanding and Working with Cattle Instinct (video). https://vimeo.com/83256777
WSU Publication “Understanding Low-Stress Cattle Handling Techniques to Improve Animal Performance and Human Safety”. https://pubs.extension.wsu.edu/understanding-lowstress-cattle-handling-techniques-to-improve-animal-performance-and-human-safety
Country Natural Beef: https://www.countrynaturalbeef.com/
WSU publication: 2008 Estimated Costs and Returns for a 150-Head Cow-calf to Grass-finished Beef Production System in the Channelled Scablands Range Area of East-central Washington. https://pubs.extension.wsu.edu/2008-estimated-costs-and-returns-for-a-150head-cowcalf-to-grassfinished-beef-production-system-in-the-channelled-scablands-range-area-of-eastcentral-washington
Dr. Kirk Davies, lead range scientist at the Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center (EOARC) in Burns discusses with Tip invasive annual grass (IAG) on western rangelands and current research into promising new approaches to biological control of cheatgrass and ventenata. The conversation weaves in the role of fire in semi-arid shrub-steppe ecosystems, challenges in rehabilitating annual grass-infested rangeland, grazing as a biological control for cheatgrass, the pros and cons of sagebrush plants as refugia, and Dr. Davies' thoughts on how to promote perennial grasses simultaneous with grazing IAG.
SURVEY Please take 60 seconds to complete this quick 5-question survey: wsu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4GHpHVHlsouSorr
TRANSCRIPT The full transcript of this episode is available at: https://www.dropbox.com/home/Art%20of%20Range%20transcripts
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE The scientists at the EOARC are prolific publishers. This OSU/USDA research station makes their journal articles and research papers available to the public on their website. https://oregonstate.edu/dept/EOARC/publication and https://oregonstate.edu/dept/EOARC/resources-0
Journal article: An Alternative Management Paradigm for Plant Communities Affected by Invasive Annual Grass in the Intermountain West. May 2018 in Rangelands by Berry Perryman, Brad Schultz, Kent McAdoo, Sherman Swanson. Full text available at https://bit.ly/2LblZBl.
Implications of Longer Term Rest from Grazing in the Sagebrush Steppe, journal article by Kirk Davies, Martin Vavra, Brad Schultz, and Neil Rimbey. They conclude from a wide literature review that "Not grazing can cause an accumulation of fine fuels that increase fire risk and severity and, subsequently, the probability of sagebrush steppe rangelands converting to exotic annual grasslands. One common theme they found was that shifts in plant communities (i.e., exotic annual grass invasion and western juniper encroachment), caused in part from historical improper grazing, cannot be reversed by long-term rest. This synthesis suggests that land managers should carefully consider if long-term rest will actually achieve their management goals and if a change in grazing management would achieve similar results." https://oregonstate.edu/dept/EOARC/sites/default/files/publication/798.pdf
Adaptive Management for Invasive Annual Grasses: A Step-By-Step User's Guide for Implementing EBIPM, by Roger Sheley, Brenda Smith, Kimberly Reever-Morghan, and Tony Svejcar. 40pp. https://s3.amazonaws.com/sfc-dynamic-content/uploadfiles/152/Adaptive%20Management%20sm.pdf
Grazing Invasive Annual Grasses: The Green & Brown Guide, by Brenda Smith, Roger Sheley, and Tony Svejcar. https://naldc.nal.usda.gov/download/55316/PDF
Post-fire Grazing Management in the Great Basin, fact sheet for Sage Grouse Initiative. https://www.sagegrouseinitiative.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/7_Post-fire_Grazing.pdf
Guest Fred Provenza and Tip talk about how animals and environment affect each other in what Dr. Provenza calls a dance—a dance he’s written about in his brand-new book “Nourishment”. Tip and Fred discuss the 40 years of research that led to the writing of this capstone book. Along the way, they discuss how domestic animals can be selected or trained to match their environment and how this intersects with ecological, economic, and social resilience of rangeland-based livestock operations.
Art of Range podcast show notes (www.artofrange.com) Episode 4: Dr. Fred Provenza, matching animal to environment Guest Fred Provenza, professor emeritus, Utah State University, and host Tip Hudson discuss Dr. Provenza’s lifetime of research on the complex relationships among animals and their environments, particularly with regard to diet and animal health.
SURVEY Please take 60 seconds to complete this quick 5-question survey and to access continuing education credits (CPRM only): https://wsu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4GHpHVHlsouSorr
TRANSCRIPT A full transcript is available at: https://www.dropbox.com/home/Art%20of%20Range%20transcripts?preview=AoR_004_Fred_Provenza.clean.txt
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE BEHAVE project. www.behave.net. (Behavioral Education for Human, Animal, Vegetation, and Ecosystem Management) WSU Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources: Northwest rangelands and climate resiliency. http://csanr.wsu.edu/northwest-rangelands/ 2013 Provenza paper "Complex Creative Systems". https://journals.uair.arizona.edu/index.php/rangelands/article/download/19605/19238 Dr. Provenza's new book, "Nourishment: What Animals Can Teach Us about Rediscovering Our Nutritional Wisdom". https://www.amazon.com/Nourishment-Animals-Rediscovering-Nutritional-Wisdom-ebook/dp/B07KJH3FQD/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543443718&sr=8-1&keywords=books+by+fred+provenza Dr. Provenza's book, The Art & Science of Shepherding". https://www.amazon.com/Art-Science-Shepherding-Michel-Meuret/dp/1601730691/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1543443776&sr=8-2&keywords=books+by+fred+provenza Recipe for rose hip tea: https://www.earthfoodandfire.com/wild-rose-hip-tea/
WSU publications on fetal programming in beef cattle Feeding Beef Cattle I: The Realities of Low-Quality Forages. https://pubs.wsu.edu/ItemDetail.aspx?ProductID=15519&SeriesCode=&CategoryID=&Keyword=Beef Feeding Beef Cattle II: Fetal Programming--Rethinking Cow/Calf Feeding Programs. https://pubs.wsu.edu/ItemDetail.aspx?ProductID=15547&SeriesCode=&CategoryID=&Keyword=Beef
Articles on cow body size Article by John Scasta, Univ. of Wyoming range specialist. https://www.westernfarmerstockman.com/beef/finding-sweet-spot-cow-size Article by Kris Ringwall, NDSU beef specialist. https://www.drovers.com/article/beeftalk-finding-right-cow-size-not-simple Article by Dillon Feuz and Jesse Russell, Colorado State University. http://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/agriculture/the-optimal-cow-size-for-intermountain-cow-calf-operations-3-767/ University of Florida article, Relationship of Cow Size to Nutrient Requirements and Production Management Issues. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/an226
Floyd Reed, retired US Forest Service range conservationist, discusses with Tip a book he co-authored several years ago with Dave Bradford and Robbie LeValley examining landscape photographs taken in Western Colorado between 1885 and 1915. They found those sites and repeated the photographs. The book is titled, “When the Grass Stood Stirrup-High: Facts, Photographs, and Myths of West-Central Colorado”. Tip & Floyd discuss photographic monitoring methods that can be used by ranchers and range professionals.
TRANSCRIPT The full transcript of this episode is available at: https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-3-floyd-reed-landscape-change-over-time
Books or resources mentioned in the podcast:
When the Grass Stood Stirrup-High, by Dave Bradford, Floyd Reed, and Robbie LeValley is available through Colorado State University Cooperative Extension, Tri-River Area, 525 Dodge St, Delta CO, 81416. Ph: 970-874-2195.
Rangeland Through Time, by Kendall Johnson, is available online at http://rangelands.org/wy_photos/RangeThroughTime/RangeThroughTime.html. It can be purchased through Amazon or other online book sellers. https://www.amazon.com/Rangeland-through-time-photographic-Miscellaneous/dp/0941570053.
Re-discovering the Big Horns: a pictorial study of 75 years of ecological change, by John George Jack, 1976. Available from used book sellers.
Exploring with Custer: The 1874 Black Hills Expedition, by Ernest Grafe and Paul Horsted, published in 2002. https://www.amazon.com/Exploring-Custer-Black-Hills-Expedition/dp/0971805318/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1542157323&sr=8-2&keywords=Exploring+With+Custer
"Beginnings of Range Management: Albert F. Potter, First Chief of Grazing, U.S. Forest Service, and a Photographic Comparison of his 1902 Forest Reserve Survey in Utah with Conditions 100 Years Later”. July 2005. David A. Prevedel & Curtis M. Johnson. https://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs_journals/2005/rmrs_2005_prevedel_d001.pdf
University of Idaho publication on photomonitoring, rancher field guide with photoboard: https://www.cals.uidaho.edu/edcomm/pdf/PNW/PNW672.pdf
University of Idaho publication on photo monitoring procedures: https://www.cals.uidaho.edu/edcomm/pdf/PNW/PNW671.pdf
Photomonitoring guide by Fred Hall, USFS. This is the gold standard for fixed point, repeat photography: https://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/gtr526/
The Glass Cage, by Nicholas Carr. https://tinyurl.com/y8kal673
The Age of Interruption, by Thomas Friedman. https://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/05/opinion/05friedman.html
A Crack in Creation, https://www.amazon.com/Crack-Creation-Editing-Unthinkable-Evolution/dp/0544716949
Guest Dr. Karen Launchbaugh and host Tip Hudson discuss grazing management philosophies, changes in scientific understanding of plant community dynamics over the last 50 years, and grazing terminology.
SURVEY Please take 60 seconds to complete this quick 5-question survey: https://wsu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4GHpHVHlsouSorr
TRANSCRIPT The full transcript of this episode is available at: https://bit.ly/2DLNd1q
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE State and transition modeling: an ecological process approach. https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/nrcs144p2_050801.pdf
Land EKG Grazing Response Index: http://www.landekg.com/newsletter-200909/
Original Grazing Response Index: https://www.blm.gov/or/programs/nrst/files/Grazing%20_Response_Index.pdf
Targeted Grazing Handbook, by Univ. of Idaho: http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/rx-grazing/Handbook.htm
Politics of Scale, by Nathan Sayre. https://amzn.to/2Qif7DA
Guest Karen Launchbaugh and host Tip Hudson discuss grazing management principles that apply everywhere, coordinating grazing management across multiple ownerships, stocking rate planning for long-term rangeland health, and the pros and cons of common grazing rules of thumb.
SURVEY Please take 60 seconds to complete this quick 5-question survey: https://wsu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4GHpHVHlsouSorr
TRANSCRIPT A full transcript is available at: https://bit.ly/2NfeCIq
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Land EKG Grazing Response Index: http://www.landekg.com/newsletter-200909/
Original Grazing Response Index: https://www.blm.gov/or/programs/nrst/files/Grazing%20_Response_Index.pdf
Journal article "Practical Grazing Management to Meet Riparian Objectives", by Sherman Swanson: https://journals.lib.uidaho.edu/index.php/jra/article/view/16
Burkhardt & Sanders paper, "Management of Growing Season Grazing in the Sagebrush Steppe": https://journals.uair.arizona.edu/index.php/rangelands/article/view/19540/19175
Targeted Grazing Handbook website and publications: http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/rx-grazing/handbook.htm