which can mean more fuel for fi re later on. Now could be a good time to develop in a pre- scribed burn plan or improve your ranch roads. Having extra resources can give you the
opportunity to make long-term changes that will increase profi tability or improve your land. Consider using the natural resources you have at hand to assist in decision-making.
Make a plan Now is the time to put pencil to paper.
Keep in mind that some resources or projects will affect others. If you want to buy that bull you have had your eye on, how is your fenc- ing? If you want to put in a wheat pasture for your stockers to graze, or a hay fi eld just to harvest, will your tractor be able to keep up? Because there are so few cattle in South
Texas, TSCRA Director Austin Brown III, Brown Ranches, Beeville, said the preconditioning business is slow. So their operation is taking the opportunity to do some major spring cleaning. “We are upgrading some of
the facilities and doing a lot of needed repairs and even build- ing more feedlot pens.” He said. “When numbers start to increase, we’ll get very busy, really fast.” Good spring rains have grown
TSCRA Director Austin Brown III, Brown Ranches, Beeville
a tremendous amount of grass, so the Browns are letting the ranch
blossom and recover from years of drought. “But the recovery needs to continue for a good while,” he said. They have had about 32 inches of rain so far this year. “Needless to say, this ranch is
beautiful right now. We keep mowers run- ning constantly, mowing senderos so we can get around better. “We need more cows but we’re going slow
and trying to make the best deals we can to keep from paying high prices,” he said. The Brown Ranch is also planning ahead
by stocking up on forage while those re- sources are abundant. “We’ve been making hay while the sun
is shining, or in our case, more corn silage,” Brown said. “Fortunately, I was able to put away more than I really needed, but I know we’ll use it. It keeps a long time if it’s cov- ered right.” Brown says they are always planning for
the next drought because “they come all too often!” The ranch will slowly expand as conditions allow, but their priority is to do it in such a way that allows the ranch to heal. “We are not after just one good year’s
rewards, but are looking for another gen- eration of years; to be able to operate and be stewards of this beautiful land that the Lord has blessed us with taking care of for a while,” Brown said. “So we try to manage accordingly.”
Count your blessings Having additional resources, water and
options is a good problem to have. The re- wards from having the perseverance and patience to survive the drought and fi ckle cattle markets are now paying off. But don’t squander what you worked hard to receive — making the right decisions can ensure that any investments made now will still get returns in the future.
tscra.org
August 2015 The Cattleman 83
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