Search - Drovers

Oregon rancher Alec Oliver was determined to return to ranching and working from horseback after he was paralyzed in a vehicle accident nearly a decade ago.

Drought is significantly worse now than at the same time last year with 63% of the country now in D0-D4 categories. Producers should inventory forage and hay reserves and carefully evaluate forage production potential.

Details of a U.S. land and water related executive order could be unveiled soon. Known as the ’30 by 30’ plan, it would place 30% of U.S. lands and 30% of U.S. waters under federal jurisdiction by 2030.

Thanks to contributions from across the U.S., Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association Disaster Relief Fund mailed checks totaling $112,750 to cattle raisers financially burdened by February’s Winter Storm Uri.

A new study from the University of California-Davis estimates 334,000 cases are attributable to packing plants. The study says that resulted in more than $11 billion in economic damage.

Nevada is exploring the idea of “water banking,” which, in short, is the creation of a market to sell and/or buy water rights. We should all be skeptical of hedge funds trading water rights independent of the land.

CRP could be in focus again. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said this week that he thinks greater opportunities are coming for landowners to take less productive farmland out of production and place into CRP.

The latest U.S. Drought Monitor shows from North Dakota to Texas, all the way west to California, the most severe levels of drought didn’t ease across the U.S. this past week.

About 70% of North Dakota is in extreme drought (D3 on a scale of D0 to D4). This created a “perfect storm,” with dry vegetation, low humidity, dry soils and wind fueling a high-risk environment for wildfires.