Vegetation Projects
Vegetation management governs most, if not all of the decisions of the landowner. Each land base comes with fixed soil and water resources. In our climate, depending on the availability of supplemental water, we can grow hay, small grain, livestock forage, wildlife food and cover and certain ornamental plants.
The interrelationship of these uses is complex. Production of small grains, for example, provides a tremendous food source for upland game birds and waterfowl in the fall of the year, but often requires the removal of spring food and nesting cover. Big game hunters contribute significantly to the local economy, but predation of private forage resources by big game animals is no small matter to agricultural producers.
In keeping with our mission statement, we are committed to maximizing the benefits and minimizing the conflicts among these competing uses. We continue to experiment with various vegetation practices on the Woodson Ranch, in an effort to perfect sustainable practices. We are moving toward no-till farming for our small grains. We are working toward perennial wildlife food and cover plots on field borders and corners. We continue to work on reestablishing native plant communities. We continue to engage the community for ideas, energy and support.
Intensive grazing plant varieties
Maximizing production and minimizing costs are critical to the sustainability of an industry with increasingly narrow margins. Where soil, water and labor resources allow it, intensive grazing is filling the niche in meeting these goals. Confining a relatively large number of livestock in a small area for a short period of time encourages the livestock to graze the area uniformly, maximizing the forage harvested and stimulating plant growth and photosynthesis. Using livestock rather than machinery to harvest the forage keeps the cost to a minimum. Our research will attempt to determine which plant varieties respond most favorably to intensive grazing.
Low input cattle production
The slow upward trend in cattle prices, punctuated by cyclical swings, is not keeping pace with increasing production costs. There has been much discussion regarding the benefits of working with natural weather cycles and animal and plant physiology to minimize inputs. The most expensive input in our climate is the cost of supplying harvested winter forage. This project will attempt to monitor the results of a low-input operation by wintering a small herd of cattle on standing forage. The cattle will calve on their own in late spring/early summer. In the fall, they will be vaccinated and pregnancy-checked. Calves will be weaned. Labor, equipment and supplemental feed will be kept to a minimum. Pounds of calf weaned per cow, together with the cost per pound of production, will be compared with the same statistics on herds managed under more traditional late winter/early spring calving scenarios. Results will be available to area producers and the local Natural Resource Conservation Service.
Wetland and Riparian Projects
Wetland and riparian area management and restoration
Most would agree the highest value of our riparian areas is their cool, clean water. In addition to the forage they produce and the wildlife they support, these areas serve as filters and storage sponges for the water that flows through them. In an effort to improve the condition of riparian areas and restore wetland areas, we have implemented a variety of practices on the Woodson Ranch. A series of new mini-wetlands has tremendous potential to provide resource benefits at minimal cost. Taking advantage of topographic features to capture natural and irrigation runoff prevents erosion, removes sediment and nutrients and recharges groundwater. Wildlife habitat is improved without removing ground from agricultural production. Visitors to the ranch are welcome to view the results of these practices and adapt them to their own situation.