For Manny and Corina Encinias’ family of nine, sustainability runs deep. They are stewards of a legacy, working the land dating back to 1777, when the first generation began herding sheep in the nearby Moriarty community. Today they focus on cows well suited to the harsh New Mexico desert, fostering community strength and creating opportunities for others to follow in their footsteps.
It’s a labor of love, obvious in the way she lights up explaining their family’s 33-year effort to proactively adapt Angus cows to their land. A lifetime of telling stories from the pasture or kitchen has resonated with nonfarm consumers as much as fellow ranchers. “Everything we do is about cattle, but it’s also about family and connecting our kids to the land and to the cattle,” Debbie Lyons-Blythe says.
Sustainability is a new target for producers. While there are no plans to meet these goals yet, there is interest in how cattle can be part of the solution. It comes down to the adage, “trust but verify,” and verification will need to come from those raising beef.
Sustainability is an all-encompassing term for social, environmental and economic business needs. The popular, updated term describes many of the same best practices cattlemen have put to work for generations.
Rotationally grazing cattle is one of the best ways to manage the Prairie Pothole Region for waterfowl, for other ground nesting birds, for the general public, and for ranchers themselves, says Tanner Gue, a Ducks Unlimited biologist.
In the rapid changing space of sustainability, finding clarity on what to do is challenging. At the 2021 Feeding Quality Forum, Dr. Kim Stackhouse-Lawson offered insights on what can be expected of producers moving forward.
Sustainability is a hot topic of conversation, but the folks at Bradley 3 Ranch make it tangible with 60+ years of continual progress. Their work in developing the land, cattle and water have turned what was once called a ‘wasteland’ into a ranching outfit worthy of recognition. B3R is our 2021 Sustainability Award winner.
Ross Humphreys’ adept gait tells of many days in and out of the saddle checking his herd, fence lines, water tanks, and grass availability. Yet at 72, he can still drop down and roll under the barbed wire fence quicker than most men half his age. But Humphreys is not your typical cowboy. He’s a chemist, book publisher, family guy, conservationist, and rancher.
Before there were fences and farms in the Panhandle, stirrup high grasses owned the land. With time, they have dwindled to near extinction. And with time again, they’re resurrecting. Nothing is a one-year thought process. Just like building a fence, they determine whether their decisions will last the next 50 years.
After the last 18 months, what we would pay for a crystal ball that could help us predict the future! They don’t have any magic prediction powers, but leading minds shared their outlook on key beef production areas at this year’s Feeding Quality Forum.
