Newsletter

UPCOMING EVENTS:
   -   Pile Burning Workshop (Part 1 of 2) - Tuesday, Jan 31, 2023
   -   Rangeland and Fire Joint Conference - Friday, Feb 24, 2023
  
UC ANR PUBLICATION:
Profiles of California Brush
Targeted Grazing to Reduce Fire Fuel Loads in California Chaparral Series, Part 1

This publication aids in identifying selected brush species found in the California chaparral community and also presents nutritional content and toxin presence for these plants to help livestock producers develop timing and supplementation protocols for targeted grazing.

ARTICLES:
U.S. EPA proposed changes to rodenticide labels for agricultual use

The use of rodenticides is often considered the most efficacious and cost-effective tool for managing rodent pests, and as such, it is often included in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs designed to mitigate rodent damage and health risks. Given the significance of rodenticides in managing rodent pests, it is important to know that the U.S. EPA has recently released a list of Proposed Interim Decisions (PIDs) for public comment that, if approved, will substantially alter if and how rodenticides may be used to manage rodent pests in the near future.

Spring 2022
In This Issue:

UPCOMING EVENTS IN MARCH, Tuesdays 5:30-7pm
Workshop Series: Beef Cattle Health
Discover Herd Management Opportunities

NEW UC ANR PUBLICATION
Beef Cattle on California Annual Grasslands:
Production Cycle and Economics  Much of California is annual rangeland, grazed seasonally when forage quality is best. For optimum results, the seasonality of these rangelands must be coordinated with the phases of beef cattle production. This publication walks cattle producers through annual stock flows and calendar of operations and gives tables for estimating costs, return over cash, and gross income under various scenarios. Also included is a discussion of various risk factors

ARTICLE:
Ranch-to-Fork: The Connection of California's Rangelands to beef is not direct but should be valued.
by Sheila Barry, Livestock & Natural Resources Advisor, San Francisco Bay Area

...Despite the extensive footprint and large number of cattle (5.1 million head of beef and dairy cattle in 2017), few consumers could say that they have purchased beef that was locally raised or even raised in California. Why?  

ARTICLE by Sheila Barry:

MANAGING THROUGH THIS DROUGHT

Current Conditions
Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Mateo Counties’ rangelands are currently in extreme drought while Santa Clara is in severe drought, according to the US Drought Monitor, https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?CA.

In this issue:

Coronaviruses In Human And Animal Health

Gabriele Maier, CE Specialist for Beef Cattle Herd Health and Production

April, 2020

Now that we are in the midst of the Covid19 outbreak, you might wonder about how this virus is different from coronaviruses that infect livestock and other animals. Let’s try and answer some questions you might have with regards to this topic.

Spring Cattle Work and COVID-19

Larry Forero, Sheila Barry, Josh Davy, Gabriele Maier

While the kind of work may differ between ranches with spring calving cows and fall calving cows, establishing and following some simple protocols should reduce the risk of contracting and spreading COVID-19.  Though many working cattle are not in the high risk category, many will be, and future contact with someone that is will be inevitable so precaution is necessary

ARTICLE:
Targeted Grazing to Reduce Fire Fuels
Adapted from the article "Meet Your Perfect Match"
by Stephanie Larson and Michelle Nozzari

In 2018 California experienced the largest, most destructive, and deadliest wildfires on record, and since 2010, the number of wildfires occurring annually has been increasing, as has the number of acres burned.

Greenhouse Gases, Wildfire and Grazing on California's Rangelands

UPCOMING EVENTS:
Workshop:
   Sonoma RCD Range Tailgate 2: Cows, Compost + Carbon
   Year 2 Demonstration Project Updates
   Tuesday, August 27, 2019
   Petaluma, CA
Save the Date: October 17
   Fall Meeting for CCRC (Central Coast Rangeland Coalition)
   and California-Pacific Section of SRM (Society for Range Management

ARTICLE:

Livestock's Impact on Greenhouse Gases and California's Rangelands 
By Theresa Becchetti and Sheila Barry

“Livestock’s Long Shadow”, a United Nations Report, released by the Food and Agriculture Organization in 2006 stated that livestock produced more greenhouse gases than transportation worldwide.  The report shocked and outraged many involved in livestock production, including University of California’s Air Quality Specialist, Frank Mitloehner.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Meeting:
   Assessing and Managing California Rangeland Health and Soils
   Monday, June 3, 2019, Los Olivos, CA (Santa Barbara County)

Workshop:
   Prescribed Fire Workshop in San Benito County
   Wednesday and Thursday, June 5-6, 2019 

Fall Calving: Across California’s annual grasslands, beef cows are calving.  Most calves are born between August and November.  They calve in the fall so that by spring the calves will be old enough to take advantage of the rapid spring growth of grass.  It’s really a balancing act- matching the nutrient needs of the cow and calf with forage quality and quantity.

Upcoming Events:
Workshop:
   Sheep Production 101
   Saturday, October 13, 2018, Davis, CA
Membership Meeting:
   Central Coast Rangeland Coalition Fall 2018
   Thursday, October 18, 2018, Davenport, CA

The California Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus beecheyi) - One hundred years ago, the governor of California, William Stephens proclaimed the last week of April as "Squirrel Week".

Article: A Brief History of Ground Squirrel Control Efforts in California - Commonly found dashing in and out of burrows in grasslands throughout California and parts of Washington and Oregon, the California ground squirrel was a resource for the area's first peoples.

Upcoming Events:
Workshop: Ground Squirrel and Gopher Management, September 11, 2018, San Jose

Article: Forage Futures - What can we expect this year? A "Miracle March may led to an Average Forage Year, but still a difficult year for Livestock Production.

Stockpond Diversions - What ranchers and landowners need to know about complying with Senate Bill 88 and the CA State Water Board.

Upcoming Events:
-  Workshop and Field Tour: Conservation Easements to Keep Ranches Working April 19, 2018

• ANR Publication 8575: Grassland Restoration - How to prepare a site for restoration
• Rodents, Snakes and Raptors: New research finding on activity in restored native perennial grasslands vs. unrestored exotic annual grasslands.
• Upcoming Events:
  - Workshop on Maintaining and Improving Rural Roads Wednesday, September 20, 2017
  - Followup field trip on Thursday, October 5, 2017

 *** NEW WEBSITE ***: ucanr.edu/BayAreaRangeland

• Caring for Cattle and Sheep to Provide Safe and Wholesome Meat
• Workshop: Manure and Mud Management Saturday, April 15, 2017
• Recommended Reading: "The Politics of Scale: A History of Rangeland Science"
• Article: "How to Produce 20 lbs of Beef for Less Than $1.50"
• CCRC Meeting:  Spring 2017 Membership Meeting Thursday, April 20, 2017 

• From Drought to El Nino: Working Towards Better Outcomes from Tomorrow’s Wildfires
• CRCC 2016 Summit and Tours
• Grazing and Conservation Part II: Cooperating with Ranchers

• Residual Dry Matter (RDM): How and why do rangeland managers measure it?
• Grazing Systems Management with Time and Space.
• Public Workshop on Tree Mortality in Santa Clara County
• Do Cows Use Compasses?

• WORKSHOP: May 18th - Learning About Soil From a Pit
• WORKSHOP: May 25th & 26th - Ranching for Profit
• Rangeland Ecosystem Services

• Soil Carbon and Water: Possibilities for Change
• Rancher Economics
• New ANR Publication 8524

• Workshop - Where Grazing and Regulations Meet: Working Together for Ranching and Water Quality
• New ANR Publication - Cows Need Water, Too

• Keeping Cattle and People at Home on the Range: Positive Livestock and Recreation Interactions
• New ANR Publication - What to Expect from Grazing Livestock

• Learning from New Zealand's Challenges to be "Clean and Green." 
• Current Finding on Grazing Impacts of Special Status Species. 
• Water Quality Regulations on Grazed Lands in California and New Zealand: Implications for producers, communities and watersheds.

• Information on two upcoming meetings that provide in-depth coverage of recent research findings:
  • A workshop on drinking water quality and livestock management will be held on January 29, 2009 in Stockton
  • An international conference on Beef Improvement will be held April 30- May 3, 2009 in Sacramento.
• Information on internet weed assistance
• An article on a decision some cattlemen may be facing to reduce costs: Smaller Cows or Smaller Herds 

• Three projects addressing the future sustainability of grazing operations on the urban edge and their contribution to sustainable open space
• Minimizing conflict between public recreation and grazing livestock

Focus on economic issues of rangeland management and beef cattle production:

• “Ecology and Economics of Medusahead Control” reviews current research results from studies conducted by UCCE in cooperation with ranchers testing various strategies to control the annual invasive grass, medusahead.
• “Natural or Implant Economic Opportunities” includes cattle marketing data collected from the Western Video Market over an 11-year span. This article discusses the costs and benefits implanting cattle with growth promoting hormones.

• Occurrences of livestock poisoning in California
• Strategies to control the Tree-of-Heaven.
• Impact of fire on livestock

This issue of Keeping Landscapes Working includes summaries from three presentations made at the symposium. A proceedings of the symposium is available on CD. Contact Sheila Barry, sbarry[at]ucdavis.edu if you would like to receive a copy

• Summaries of global climate changes opportunities and challenges for rangeland managers
• Basic climate exchange specifications for rangeland soild carbon management
• An adaption of "Perennial Grasses for California Rangelands", by T.E. Adams and B. Kay

• Ranchers, Environmentalists, Agencies, Establish Landmark Partnership
• The California Rangeland Resolution
• California Native Grasslands: A Historical Perspective
• A Guide for Developing Realistic Restoration Objectives
• Where to View a Native Grassland; Upcoming Spring Workshops

• East Bay Shrublands
• Fire history of the San Francisco East Bay Region and implications for Landscape patterns
• Q and A regarding: Animal identification or why livestock producers may need a premises ID
• Weed Watch: Stinkwort or Stinkweed ( Dittrichia graveolens).

• Answers the Questions What, How, and Where to Monitor
• A Sample Monitoring Table
• Herbaceous Plant Measures
• Monitoring Woody Vegetation
• A Oak Workshop Flyer

• Cattle Impact on Stream Channels
• Spring-fed Wetlands Research
• Survey Identifies Sediment Sources
• Minimize Sheet
• Rill and Gully Erosion
• Vegetation Effects on Water Yield
• West Nile Watch

• A Call to War on Weeds
• Get Involved With Your Local Weed Management Area
• What is a Noxious Weed
• Weed Watch
• Planned Herbivory
• Cattle Handling Guidelines

• Stockponds are Valuable Rangeland Features for Conservation of Habitat
• Care of the Pond
• Grazing Value for California Tiger Salamander
• Horse Owners News on the West Nile Virus

• Lyme Disease Page
• West Nile Virus
• Sudden oak Death
• Preventing Abortions in Cattle
• California Grazing Academy
• California Browsing Academy

• Grass-fed Beef
• Challenges of Direct Marketing
• Sudden Oak Death
• Cryptosporidium Traced to Ground Squirrels
• Controlling Ground Squirrels