Noble, Certified Angus Beef team up to boost rangeland health

As ranchers look to expand the nation’s cowherd, cow-calf producers have to take into account their pasture and forage potential.

They received a shot in the arm when Noble Research Institute and Certified Angus Beef announced they are teaming up with a free, fully online educational program—Land Stewardship— to help them hone their skills in improving land health productivity through grazing management. (Above photo courtesy of Noble Research Institute.)

Hugh Aljoe, director of ranches, outreach and partnerships at Noble Research Institute, Ardmore, Oklahoma, said Land Stewardship ties in with livestock production because cattle can help improve soil health, and a well-managed program can add grazing capacity. Noble has devoted 13,500 acres for research that targets cow-calf and stockers operations, as well as sheep and goat production.

“The focus is on producers to assess their land management,” he said, noting the success Angus ranchers have had with the Beef Quality Assurance program under the direction of Certified Angus Beef.

Land Stewardship can benefit them with a “let’s also take a look at the land” approach, Aljoe said.

Cattle are important in the soil health cycle. Healthy soil supports plant life that can boost grazing opportunities and make a ranch more sustainable, he said. The course promotes the mindset of leaving grazing lands better than they were found and investing in the open grasslands where cattle are raised to protect vital ecosystems and natural resources, according to Noble Research.

Kirsten Nickles, a sustainability and animal care scientist with Certified Angus Beef, said the course is modeled after the Beef Quality Assurance program. BQA uses industry professionals to help Angus beef producers to be better at animal care and handling principles.

The online course offers a certificate of completion, a land steward action plan and a soil health discount, which is designed to support long-term success for farmers and ranchers.

Nickles said whether at BQA events, livestock conferences or other events, producers say that finding ways to manage resources, both financial and inputs, are crucial. The past three years ranchers, particularly cow-calf producers, have faced a prolonged drought, and that has made them cautious. The Land Stewardship program will not change drought conditions, she said, but producers can tap into Noble Research and fine-tune their management practices that provide long-term benefits.

“We all think of animals as living beings, but we don’t think of soil as a living being, but it is,” she said.

Aljoe agreed, adding that a healthy pasture can help ranchers optimize beef production. Buying feed and forage are expensive added costs, and if a producer can stretch his resources, that also impacts his bottom line.

Nickles and Aljoe encouraged producers who want to apply the practices to start with a small piece of ranchland as a cost-effective way to learn on a practical basis.

“Start small. We all make mistakes, and our thought is let’s try something that can work and combine that with a mindset that you do what you can,” Aljoe said.

He noted that healthy soil in an ecological balance is a proven formula to helping ranchers succeed.

Aljoe said the online course is designed so that producers can work around their busy schedules. For more information, visit www.noble.org/land-stewardship.

The program was announced during the recent American Angus Association annual convention in Fort Worth, Texas.

Dave Bergmeier can be reached at 620-227-1822 or [email protected].