- Author: Devii R. Rao
The Pajaro Compass is a group of conservationists, natural resources managers, ranchers, and farmers who are interested in conservation of the Pajaro River Watershed. In San Benito County, the Pajaro River Watershed includes the San Benito River, Tres Pinos Creek, and their tributaries - the areas along Highway 25 and the Panoche Valley.
This group is coordinated by the Resource Conservation District (RCD) of Santa Cruz County, The Nature Conservancy, and the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority. Their goal is to work collaboratively to protect working lands and the natural resources on those lands.
Ranchers and landowners are invited to join them and give input on their draft Compass document. Please come to the meeting on Thursday, February 25 from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm at the Hollister Veterans Memorial Building. Make sure to R.S.V.P. to Christa Cassidy at ccassidy@tnc.org. There is no fee to attend.
The meeting will be more geared to agency staff, but they would really like ranchers and farmers to attend as well. It's important to get involved early in the process so you can help guide the outcome and make sure it will benefit you and your operation!
For more information about the Pajaro Compass, please click on the attached file titled, "Pajaro Compass - Background Info."
Pajaro Compass - Background Info
- Author: Devii R. Rao
Remember to join us on February 18 at the King City Fairgrounds Pavilion Building from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm to get your Beef Quality Assurance certification and enjoy lunch with the Monterey County Cattlemen at their Spring Meeting. San Benito and San Luis Obispo County ranchers are invited, too!
There's no need to R.S.V.P. You can just show up and pay at the door.
Here's the flyer.
- Author: Devii R. Rao
Click here for the Spring Meeting flyer.
The meeting will begin with a Beef Qualtiy Assurance (BQA) certification event. Jill Scofield from the Cailfornia Beef Council will talk about the latest BQA methods and Dr. Charlie Tobias, DVM will give a 1 hour hands-on demonstration showing the right and wrong places to give injections.
Lunch will follow the BQA certification event. During lunch we will hear talks from the California Cattlemen's Association.
Hope to see you there!
If you are new to the BQA program, here's some information about it:
BQA provides systematic information to beef producers and beef consumers of how common sense husbandry techniques can be coupled with accepted scientific knowledge to raise cattle under optimum management and environmental conditions. BQA guidelines are designed to make certain all beef consumers can take pride in what they purchase – and can trust and have confidence in the entire beef industry.
Through BQA programs, producers recognize the economic value of committing to quality beef production at every level - not just at the feedlot or packing plant, but within every segment of the cattle industry.
BQA is valuable to all beef and dairy producers because it:
• Demonstrates commitment to food safety and quality.
• Safeguards the public image of the beef and dairy industries.
• Upholds consumer confidence in valuable beef products.
• Improves sale value of marketed beef cattle.
• Enhances herd profitability through better management.
Click here for the BQA website.
- Author: Devii R. Rao
Range Camp is a field-based educational camp offered for high school students between the ages of 15 and 18. It is designed to offer an appreciation of the extent, importance and value of California's rangelands and natural resources. Students interact with university faculty and experienced professionals in classroom and field activities.
The cost is $450, but most campers get scholarships. Applications are due April 29, 2016.
I spent 2 days at Range Camp last year. It was super fun spending time with the kids learning about rangeland and wildlife ecology, and learning how to build fence and vaccinate goats and sheep. It's a great opportunity for some of our local Central Coast kids. I highly recommend it.
Here's the flyer and application.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
- Author: Devii R. Rao
There were several University of California speakers at the Symposium, including Royce Larsen, Natural Resource Watershed Advisor with UCCE, who gave a great overview of the agricultural and ecological importance of the Salinas River Watershed. I will focus on two presentations that may be of particular interest to livestock producers. Dr. Rob Atwill, with the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and Dr. Ken Tate, Rangeland Watershed Specialist with UCCE spoke about their rangeland water quality research.
Dr. Tate described the California Rangeland Watershed Program which was developed 25 years ago. This was a collaborative partnership between ranchers, the University of California (UC), Resource Conservation Districts (RCD), the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the Reginal Water Quality Control Boards (RWQCB), and many others. The goal was to implement management practices that would increase livestock production and improve water quality at the same time. Ranchers have been quite active in doing projects to improve water quality. Between 2009 and 2014, NRCS had 7,385 contracts with ranchers for rangeland water quality projects. NRCS spent $302 million, with ranchers providing the same amount either in cash, materials, or labor. These projects covered 5.7 million acres of California rangeland. During this time UC researchers found that more than 90% of pathogens are retained in the cow pat or within 1 foot of the cow pat. An additional 70-99% of pathogens are trapped within 1 yard of the cow pat. They also found that more than 60% of cow pats end up near livestock attractants in the summer, so to reduce the possibility of pathogens entering waterways we can do things like strategically place salt, feed, water, or other cattle attractants away from streams or runoff areas.
Livestock producers have done many things improve both production and water quality like grazing at moderate stocking rates where the stocking rate is in balance with forage production; managing livestock distribution to take advantage of areas that are underutilized; and managing wet season grazing by putting cattle on soils that are less compactable or erodible when wet. Producers also install cross fencing and off-stream drinking water, create riparian pastures, herd cattle away from sensitive areas, and maintain vegetated buffer strips adjacent to waterways.
The Regional Water Quality Control Boards are looking at rangeland water quality again, so now is a good time for ranchers, UC, NRCS, and others to rekindle those partnerships from 25 years ago to help guide the future of rangeland water quality regulations.
Click here for information about other Symposium presentations, to get involved with the Salinas River Watershed planning effort or to learn more about Ecologictics.