Recipient Organization
CATTLEGROWERS' FOUNDATION INC
2231 RIO GRANDE BLVD NW
ALBUQUERQUE,NM 87104
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Producers who wish to start ranching operations in New Mexico face unique challenges. The environmental limitations necessitate large tracts of land in order to provide a sufficient feed base for cattle. Well over 1/3 of the land in New Mexico is owned by the Federal Government or State of New Mexico. Combined with limited forage and high land prices, new ranchers face a significant challenge of obtaining and managing natural resources. Often, leased land is the only method to enter ranching in New Mexico, and leased public land poses many challenges for beginning ranchers. This project will increase land leasing opportunities for beginning ranchers, and, in collaboration with New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service, will provide educational support to help beginning ranchers manage all aspects of their operation to improve their finacial sustainability as well as properly manage natural resources and grazing operations.
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
New Mexico has a long history of ranching, and livestock production which continues to be a leading economic engine in the state. According to the 2016 NM Agriculture Statistics, cattle and calves are the second leading agriculture commodity in the state and total livestock cash receipts were $2.15 billion. Not only is agriculture important for New Mexico's economy, farmers and ranchers in New Mexico are diverse and 97% of operations are family-owned. However, annual precipitation is often less than 20 inches and less than 15 inches in many areas. Combined with frequent drought, New Mexico's rangelands are an extreme environment for cattle production and require proper management and adequate acreage to sustain both the environment and the ranching enterprise. Thus, New Mexico poses unique challenges for beginning ranchers. Nonetheless, the number of farms and ranches are increasing while the size of the operations are decreasing which is an indication of new operations starting in the state. New minority-owned operations in the state increased from the previous census; an example was Hispanic farm/ranch ownership increased from 6,475 to 9,377. The diverse population and unique environmental challenges pose many opportunities and hurdles for those entering the ranching industry in New Mexico.With an aging ranching population, young people are needed to carry on this very important industry. Over 90% of today's young people are a generation away from anyone in their family that is tied to agriculture. Therefore, many beginning ranchers face the additional challenge of being inexperienced. In response to the challenges faced by beginning ranchers, Cattlegrowers' Foundation, Inc. in collaboration with their young rancher committee started the "Raising Ranchers" program in an effort to enhance experiences, skills, and networks for beginning ranchers.Objective 1: Establish new workshop to specifically address beginning rancher development. Two workshops will be hosted in Ruidoso, NM to target beginning ranchers in the state. It is anticipated that 50-75 beginning ranchers will participate in the workshops. The first event will be held at the start of the grant and will partly serve as a recruiting venue for participants in the Raising Ranchers program. Additionally, the program will be a combination of hands-on activities and lectures to improve productivity and efficiency of existing beginning ranchers as well as serve as platform to establish networking and opportunities for ranchers who wish to enter the industry. The second workshop will again be hosted in Ruidoso, NM and the timing will be at the end of the grant. Aside from lectures and hands-on activities, participants in the Raising Ranchers program will provide information regarding their experiences in an effort to continue sustained participation. It is anticipated that the workshops will continue on a triannual basis and will be open to all beginning ranchers in the Southwest region.Objective 2: Establish 3-year program to improve profitability, efficiency, animal husbandry skills, economic analysis, and overall ranch business profitability and sustainability. We anticipate 25 beginning ranchers to enroll in the 3-year program. A total of 4 educational events will be hosted each year in collaboration with NMSU CES throughout the year. Topics will be relative to seasonal production activities and the fourth event will be a workshop to evaluate the ranch business. It is anticipated that the ranch business will improve profits, equity, and/or efficiency through participation in the program and measured by the yearly evaluations. In addition, the 3-year program will provide a learning opportunity to discover unidentified challenges and barriers for beginning ranchers in New Mexico. The results from the 3-year program will be used to generate an educational manual on establishing a ranch in New Mexico, and the manual could be utilized by other Western state producers with challenges similar to New Mexico.Objective 3: Establish shared-equipment program to facilitate beginning ranchers' ability to properly vaccinate and process their animals. In New Mexico, well over 1/3rd of available land is Federally or State owned, and the cost of land is often a barrier to beginning ranchers. Thus, many beginning ranchers rely on leased land for their operations, and leased land may have facility limitations. Feed, labor, leases, facilities, etc. can be a cost prohibitive barrier as well, and some producers choose to omit spending on facilities while sacrificing vaccination, pregnancy diagnosis, and disease testing. The shared equipment program will help beginning ranchers by allowing them access to the facilities they need at low cost. It is anticipated that the ranchers will eventually build or purchase their own equipment, but the shared equipment program provide low cost options while beginning ranchers are setting up their operations. It is anticipated that this program will continue beyond the life of the grant.Objective 4: Establish land-leasing opportunities for beginning ranchers in New Mexico. Acquiring land lease options is a significant barrier for many beginning ranchers in New Mexico. Cattlegrowers' Foundation Inc. will serve as a conduit to help beginning ranchers find lease opportunities from aging or retiring New Mexico Cattle Grower's Association members who are interested in stepping away from ranching but not selling their land. Once established, this program can serve as a template for other groups in the West who face similar aging ranching populations and barriers for beginning ranchers.
Project Methods
A two day hands-on and lecture-based learning experience will be offered free of charge at the Ruidoso Convention Center, Ruidoso, NM. Educational content will be provided by NMSU CES. Day 1 will include basic ranch management topics and demonstrations consisting of animal handling, squeeze chute operation, Beef Quality Assurance Training in best health management practices, plant/weed identification, forage sampling techniques, sprayer set-up and design, and basic ranch budgeting techniques. Day 2 will consist of more advanced topics: nutritional management, reproductive management, health management, range management, and business planning. In the evening between sessions, dinner and networking/mentoring opportunities will be provided.We anticipate 50-75 beginning ranchers participating in each workshop and that attendees will acquire knowledge and skills that will enhance the sustainability of their ranching enterprise. The estimated number of attendees is based on previous events hosted by New Mexico Cattle Grower's Association and NMSU CES. The target audience will be recruited through NMSU CES publications, online content, and e-mail blasts. In addition, ads will be run in local agriculture-related publications and advertised through Cattlegrowers' Foundation, Inc. Additional, brochures will be distributed to local FSA offices.Four yearly workshops will be held. In January to February, the beginning session for all enrolled beginning ranchers will be hosted in Albuquerque, NM. The beginning session will focus on ranch business and budget planning. Specialists from NMSU CES and mentor experienced ranchers from NM will guide beginning ranchers through their business planning activities.In March to April of every year during the funding period, a spring educational workshop will be held in Albuquerque, NM. The spring topics will be discussed by NMSU CES Specialists and experienced ranchers and consist of breeding season considerations, spring herd health, spring range management considerations, and planning for summer grazing.In July to August of every year, a summer program will be held in Albuquerque, NM to discuss the preparation for the monsoon season and subsequent range monitoring as well as weaning preparations. Topics will be led by experienced ranchers and by NMSU CES.In October to November of every year, a fall program will be held in Albuquerque, NM to prepare beginning ranchers for the upcoming winter and discuss such topics as pregnancy diagnosis, winter-feeding strategies, winter range management, and body condition scoring. Producers will also be encouraged to participate in the yearly New Mexico Cattle Grower's Association meetings.In January of the second year, enrolled beginning ranchers will meet at Corona Range and Livestock Research Center for a 1-day evaluation of their ranch financial records. Specialist from NMSU CES will help guide the producers to identify sources of lost revenue. Every effort will be made to involve the USDA SCORE network within New Mexico. In addition, specialists and experienced ranchers will help generate ideas to address any losses the beginning ranchers are facing. The barriers that the beginning ranchers are experiencing will be documented by NMSU CES in order to generate the NM beginning rancher manual. The subsequent spring, summer, and fall programs will be tailored to address areas where beginning ranchers experienced production or financial losses.Lack of facilities compounds other production problems because producer will often forgo profitable animal husbandry practices because of the inability to confine, sort, and restrain animals. Beginning in year 1 and continuing throughout the 3-year period, NMSU CES will secure portable animal handling facilities. These facilities will be used in the workshops for demonstrations. In addition, the facilities will be leased out to the enrolled producers on a need basis to help facilitate vaccination, pregnancy diagnosis, and disease testing of bulls.To help facilitate connections between aging ranchers who wish to keep their land and beginning ranchers who need land to lease, the Cattlegrowers' Foundation, Inc. will serve as a conduit to make the transitions easier. Cattlegrowers' Foundation, Inc. will help put agreements in place that will cover the legal, liability, insurance and the many other issues that must be considered. To accomplish this objective, Cattlegrowers' Foundation, Inc. will host annual educational and enrollment events in years 1 through 3 as well as advertise and promote the program throughout the year at New Mexico Cattle Grower's Association events.