August 2000 Vol 3., No. 4
Dry Times: Managing Through a Drought by Kirk L. Gadzia If only it would rain! These words have been heard in many parts of the West this year and echoed through the centuries as agriculturists looked to the skies for salvation from drought. While more rain would certainly help the current situation, there is little more that we can do, except to wish, to actually cause more rain to fall. Unfortunately, it seems that many ranchers caught in the current drought cycle will use “wishing it would rain” as their main tactic for survival. But, hope alone will only ensure that the important steps you should take now to manage your ranch and business most effectively will be put off until it is too late to act. The key components of managing through a drought mirror the whole that encompasses any ranching operation. Namely: people, money, and land. This article will examine ways you can actively affect your future and that of the ranch in a drought cycle.
People-Centered Principles The single greatest aspect of
managing through a drought is the attitude of the persons who are in
Editor’s Note W e a r e interrupti n g our series o n t h e New Ranch to address the question of Drought, which is a subject on many people’s minds these days. There is some evidence that the incidence of drought in the Southwest may be increasing. We know that drought has a significant effect on the environment, causing increased erosion and sedimentation, damaging already low creeks and rivers and their attendant riparian areas, as well as affecting water quality. This newsletter offers some suggestions for ranchers at this time to help them and the environment they are a part of.
charge and making decisions. Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Fear is a natural reaction when you feel out of control of any situation that is critical to your security. While fear may be a good motivator, it often creates the climate for poor decision making. The key to overcoming this is to gain mental control over the situation. This requires that you make a plan of how you are going to deal with the drought and take action on your plan. However, skipping the planning aspect of this strategy is all too common. It reminds me of the accuracy we are likely to achieve if we follow the orders, “Ready, Fire, Aim!” Once you commit to taking an active rather than a passive role in drought management, the planning or aiming must be done first. Ask yourself if you have a written drought plan in place or must you create one now? Most people would answer that they have a plan, but it is not written down. There is in
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