#44

Elizabeth Reikowski, Owner, Willow Creek Land and Cattle, LLC

Maintaining the economic and cultural viability of working ranches is critical to preserving oak woodlands. Over 80% of California’s oak woodlands are privately owned, and the majority of these are used for livestock grazing. Thus, oak woodlands form an important land base for ranching operations and, reciprocally, profitable working ranches protect oak woodlands from land-type conversions. Unfortunately, cattle ranching faces a variety of economic, social, and environmental threats, including (1) climate driven changes in forage and water availability, (2) the high price of land ownership, leading to a gradual trend away from family-owned ranches and toward tenant ranchers operating under wealthy landowners, and (3) a generally older ranching demographic and lack of young ranch operators. In order to be successful, young ranchers will have to find new niches for revenue and strategically blend tried and true ranching traditions with new, innovative methods.

Willow Creek Land and Cattle is an example of a young cattle ranching business working to find innovative ways to successfully steward land and generate income. My brother and I started this business in 2018 (at the ages of 21 and 22, respectively), both because we were interested in leveraging livestock grazing as a land management tool and because we were drawn by the opportunities for innovation and independence that come from running your own ranching business. We built our business almost exclusively on leased rangeland, which we acquired by offering grazing practices designed to meet specific land management objectives in exchange for reduced-cost grazing leases. We supplement income generated by our cattle with a blend of targeted grazing contracts and grant-funded rangeland research and restoration projects. In addition to providing supplemental income, our involvement in research and restoration enhances our effectiveness as land stewards by helping us evaluate the efficacy of our management practices. Our business relies heavily on the advice and resources of numerous friends and family, as well as the expertise and mentorship of a wide variety of rangeland professionals. Novel and innovative business models, as well as close collaboration across generations and disciplines will be essential for young ranching businesses to thrive, and to maintain ranching’s vital role in preserving California’s oak woodlands.