After a large thunderstorm drenched Major County, Oklahoma the evening before, Saturday morning October 5th dawned with an overcast sky and a cold north wind. Even so, approximately 40 hardy land managers arrived at Cornelsen Ranch to learn about holistic grazing planning and ways to mitigate long-term drought as well as improving marketing for profitability.
The group was very interactive and event speakers were busy fielding questions all day. Participants especially enjoyed the ecosystem monitoring exercises in the pastures led by Richard Teague of Texas AgriLife and Peggy Sechrist of HMI. Kim Barker, who leases the grazing on the Cornelsen Ranch, showed the group places where native Eastern Gama grasses were returning, bare ground decreasing, and it was clear that this type of recovery would increase the carrying capacity of the ranch. The recent rain also made it easy for the participants to see how covered ground helped the rain soak in faster and easy to see evidence run off and soil erosion on bare ground.
Thanks to ranch host, Bill Cornelsen, our speakers, Kim Barker and Richard Teague of Texas A&M Agrilife, and our grantors and sponsors: The CHS Foundation, Dixon Water Foundation, American Farmers & Ranchers, and Farmers & Merchants National Bank.
Participants manage a total of 9,425 acres of crop and grazing land. Results for the event are summarized below.
“Excellent event” “Positive. Pleased with experience and quality of instruction.” “Very informative.”