Managing Drought Risk on the Ranch

Saturday, May 25, 2013

	Overview Why Plan? Geographic Applicability Find Information by State Colorado Kansas Montana Nebraska New Mexico North Dakota Oklahoma South Dakota Texas Wyoming How to use this Site About Us / Contact us Resources Drought Basics Geography & Drought Geographic Variability of Precipitation Timing of Precipitation Forage Production per Inch Precipitation Freeze Free Period Evaporation Rates Herbage Production at Three Latitudes Are You Impacted by Drought? Knowing When You're in Drought Weather & Drought What is "Normal" Precipitation Short vs Long Term Forecasts Measuring Drought Monitoring & "Forecasting" Drought Livestock Production & Drought Grasses & Drought Soil Moisture & Plant Growth Next Year's Plant Growth Season & Timing of Plant Growth Grazing & Drought Pasture Diversity & Drought Overgrazing & Drought Grazing Practices & Soil Moisture Finances & Drought Inventory & Monitor Precipitation Average Precipitation and Drought Severity Monitor Recent Precipitation & Drought Forage/Range Range/Ecological Site Range Condition Using NRCS Web Soil Survey Forage Availability Residual Forage Range Monitoring Methods Photopoints Range Health Checklist Clip and Weigh Method Livestock Inventory Herd Monitor Livestock Performance & Health Grazing Records Water Resources Finances Measuring Financial Health Financial Decision Making Tools Monitor Feed & Livestock Markets People Before Drought Start Here Before Drought Strategic Planning Grazing Strategy Choosing a Grazing System Grazing Pressure & Stocking Rate Continuous Season-long Grazing Rotation Grazing Flash Grazing Decision Support Tools for Grazing Grazing Response Index Sandhills Defoliation Response Index Forage Resources Water Management Water Development Projects Cost-share Programs Enterprise Mix - Herd Flexibility Financial Management Using Federal Crop Insurance During Drought Start Here During Drought Drought Plan Principles Pasture Management Finding Feed - Financial Considerations High Grain Rations Alternative Forages Testing for Toxins Destocking - Financial Considerations When to Destock Early Weaning Water & Heat Stress Family & Human Health Issues Disaster Assistance & Financial Options After Drought Start Here After Drought Grass Recovery Management Priorities After Drought Financial Options After Drought Write a Plan Form Planning Team Set Goals/Strategic Objectives Inventory Identify Critical Dates and Targets Develop Monitoring Plan Develop Strategies Evaluate Strategies to Prepare for Drought Evaluate Drought Response Strategies Evaluate Drought Recovery Strategies Implement and Monitor Your Plan Sample Drought Plans Central South Dakota - Daybreak Ranch Nebraska Sandhills - Reed Hamilton Ranch Nebraska Sandhills - Tippets-Myers Ranch Southwest Nebraska - Shamrock Ranch North Central Kansas - Adams Ranch South Central Kansas - Alexander Ranch Southern Colorado - Welch Ranch West Texas - Johnson Ranch

Managing Drought Risk on the Ranch

Overview

Managing Drought Risk on the Ranch

Drought is a normal part of climate...it will happen again. Fortunately, there are things you can do before, during, and after drought to reduce your risk. Ranchers are increasingly implementing new ways to better prepare for and respond to drought.

The information, strategies and resources on this site are designed to provide livestock producers in the Great Plains region with information on how to incorporate management strategies to reduce the threat drought poses to livestock and forage operations.


		Workshops and Webinars
		Managing Drought Risk on the Ranch Professional Development Webinar Series Recorded Webinars: January 30: Managing Drought Risk on the Ranch: The Planning Process Jerry Volesky, Range and Forage Specialist at the UNL West Central Research and Extension Center in North Platte, Nebraska, and Lynn Myers, owner of Tippets-Myers Ranch in western Nebraska February 27: Avoiding Analysis Paralysis: Monitoring and Setting Critical Dates for Decision Making During Drought Dwayne Rice, Rangeland Management Specialist, NRCS, Kansas; Ted Alexander, owner of Alexander Ranch in south-central Kansas; and Cal Adams, owner of Adams Ranch in north-central Kansas. March 27: The New Cumulative Forage Reduction (CFR) Index: Assessing Drought Impacts and Planning a Grazing Strategy Pat Reece, owner and senior consultant of Prairie Montane Enterprises and Professor Emeritus of the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. April 24: Using a Drought Calculator to Assist Stocking Decisions Stan Boltz, State Range Management Specialist, NRCS-SD and Jeff Printz, Range Management Specialist, NRCS -ND Coming Up Next: May 29^th 2013 at 10am CT: Economic Factors to Weigh in Making Decisions during Drought Matt Stockton, Ag Economist at the West Central Research and Extension Center-UNL If you would like to register for this webinar, please contact Nicole Wall or Tonya Haigh. Download Flyer Download Press Release and Schedule

Managing Drought Risk on the Ranch: Great Plains Examples

South Dakota

Daybreak Ranch
(Central)

Nebraska

Tippets-Myers Ranch
(Western Sandhills)
Reed Hamilton Ranch
(Sandhills)
Shamrock Ranch
(Southwestern)

Kansas

Alexander Ranch
(South Central)
Adams Ranch
(North Central)

Colorado

Welch Ranch
(Southern)

Texas

Johnson Ranch
(West Central)

Download "Managing Drought Risk on the Ranch" Handbook

How to use this site

Drought Conditions

U.S. Drought Monitor

Water Year Precipitation (Oct. 1st to present)

Precipitation - past 30 days

Weather forecast

Long Term Outlook

Tools and Resources

Inventory and Monitoring Tools

Grazing Management Tools

Financial Tools

Drought Planning Tools

Planning and Drought Resources by State

Funding Provided by the United States Department of Agriculture Risk Management Agency

Here’s what my dad used to tell me.
He said, if you bet on dry weather in this country, you’ll be right more than half the time”
--Nebraska rancher, 2006

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Managing Drought Risk on the Ranch

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Workshops and Webinars

Managing Drought Risk on the Ranch Professional Development Webinar Series

Recorded Webinars:

January 30: Managing Drought Risk on the Ranch: The Planning Process

February 27: Avoiding Analysis Paralysis: Monitoring and Setting Critical Dates for Decision Making During Drought

March 27: The New Cumulative Forage Reduction (CFR) Index: Assessing Drought Impacts and Planning a Grazing Strategy

April 24: Using a Drought Calculator to Assist Stocking Decisions

Coming Up Next:

May 29^th 2013 at 10am CT: Economic Factors to Weigh in Making Decisions during Drought

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