However, these observations are mostly undocumented in California. This project will document the impact of controlled grazing on pasture, animal and economic perforrnance. We believe an important step to improving sustainability of ranching is structuring the ranch business to work with nature. Conventional ranching is currently structured to fight nature. For example, wild grazing animals in California give birth in the spring when forage quantity and quality is high.
Ranchers provide the needed nutrition in bales, bags and blocks.
Fighting nature is expensive. Feed costs are high. The overlooked costs of the labor, facilities and machinery used to deliver the feed which are often even higher. Using this approach, many ranchers are productive, but few are profitable. Our objective is to develop a model of a sustainable ranching business.