Ranching in the rough New Mexico desert is a delicate balance. “It only takes a year or two to wreck a ranch in this desert environment, and it can take generations to get it back,” said Mike Mechenbier, who owns Four Daughters Land and Cattle Company, south of Los Lunas.
Western Landowners Alliance recently hosted a tour of Four Daughters as part of its summer Stewardship in Action series. WLA executive director and former rancher Lesli Allison said the tours allow ranchers to show they care about the environment and are practicing sustainable agriculture profitably.
“Ranchers and landowners speak from a place of experience,” Allison said. “They know the land and look at the world in a different way. If anyone can fix the environment, it’s going to be them.”
Mechenbier’s ranch is 250,000 acres in Valencia County. He is on The Land Report magazine list of America’s 100 largest landowners.
The long-time rancher said agriculture in the region is family-oriented, but not always sustainable or economical. He wants to change that, so over the past three decades Mechenbier has implemented ranching practices that help the environment and make economic sense. Mechenbier uses a regenerative grazing program for his Angus and Hereford cows with soil and watershed restoration in mind.
Holistic Management International educator Jeff Goebel said that in New Mexico’s dry environment, livestock grazing actually helps stimulate the carbon cycle and create healthier soil. The trick is to prevent overgrazing, which can devastate soil nutrients and harm a water source.
“You shouldn’t have an animal in one place for too long,” Goebel said. “You need to give the plants and soil time to recover.”...
more
No comments:
Post a Comment