An update to last year’s Legacy Landscapes Program is set to put even more value into ranchers’ pockets, according to program partners at Nestle Purina PetCare, AgriWebb, National Grazing Lands Coalition and Regrow.
Currently working with cow-calf producers in Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico and Texas, the program is seeking to correlate land stewardship and profitability through financial and technical assistance. Ranchers enrolled in the program receive more than $70,000 in valued assistance, ranging from financial assistance for new practice adoption, ranch managment software and technical advice.
During a recent AgriWebb webinar, producer Eric Yates, owner and operator of Yates Family Farms, spoke about the impact Legacy Landscapes has had on his operation in the year since his enrollment, specifically the program’s ability to de-risk conservation change and innovation.
“It’s no risk at all,” he explains. “You either win, because the practice made you better, or you fail at the practice, but you have very limited financial costs invested in it, and you learn something.”
For Yates, the ability to capitalize on AgriWebb to organize his ranch record keeping was a key driver for his enrollment in the program.
“Traditionally we’ve done Excel sheets and pieces of paper, written on the back of a feed tag,” he says. “Then when we need to look at it, it’s a full week of compiling data.”
Through the program, Yates has been able to organize his ranch data, identify grazing patterns and make better operational decisions for his herd and his business.
“At its core, data is the catalyst that allows a producer and their adviser to build a road map and actually see the impact of every management decision,” says John Fargher, cofounder and chief strategy officer at AgriWebb. “By turning daily records into clear insights, ranchers can confidently work toward their specific goals while maintaining total ownership and control of their information. We believe that when a producer truly understands how their decisions are moving the needle on their operation, they can build a more resilient and profitable legacy.”
The program is currently accepting applications for producers. Find more information or sign up by visiting grazinglands.org/legacy-landscapes.
