19 minute read
From the Editor
COMMITTED TO OUR PURPOSE
When I moved into my position as executive director of communications and marketing at Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association and assumed my role as editorin-chief of The Cattleman in early July, I was fascinated by the complexity of a monthly publication.
I watched from afar in the early weeks, chiming in with photograph preferences and grammar suggestions. First came the paging plan, the road map for the entire publication. Next, meticulous rounds of proofing articles, which had already been scrubbed in their raw form. It was followed by color checks and printing proofs. The strict deadlines and pace were impressive, but not quite as impressive as the content on the pages.
The Cattleman has long embraced the idea that its pages have purpose. As one of the oldest magazines in Texas, its stories document historic and cultural moments that have shaped agriculture. These moments illustrate times of challenges, growth and reflection. It’s artfully written and curated. Its contents are relevant to large and small operations, and producers from across the Southwest.
I am honored to be at the helm and continue this legacy on behalf of our members and subscribers.
To do this, I am embracing our efforts to deliver a superb reading experience, while also finding ways to better connect our readers to an ever-growing digital presence. This work is supported by the talented team of content creators who share the same grit and determination of those on the industry’s frontlines. From production tips to policy updates and from research to heartwarming tales, this team will leave you entertained, inspired and informed.
This month’s feature articles — The Pursuit of Excellence and Five Questions on Soil Carbon — are prime examples. They showcase the progress within agriculture, and the entrepreneurial spirit sewn into the fabric of the industry. You will feel connected to the Schlinkes as they describe their passion for stewardship at Dry Creek Ranch, while latching on to the energy of the uncharted territories of ecosystem service markets.
With great pride and enthusiasm, I introduce you to the latest issue of The Cattleman.
T C
Jaclyn Roberts
Executive Director of Communications & Marketing/ Editor-in-Chief, The Cattleman
Published by Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association
P.O. Box 101988 Fort Worth, Texas 76185
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Jaclyn Roberts
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ON THE COVER
The next generation — a group of growing calves on hay from a ranch near Silverton. Photo by Erin Worrell
Published on the first day of each month by Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association Inc., P.O. Box 101988, Fort Worth, Texas 76185. The Cattleman (ISSN 0008-8552, USPS 095000), copyright 2022 by Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association. Title registered U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Member Alliance for Audited Media. Subscription $50 per year; foreign $70 per year. Correspondence on all phases of the cattle business is invited. Publisher reserves exclusive rights to accept or reject advertising or editorial material submitted for publication in The Cattleman magazine. Periodicals postage paid at Fort Worth, Texas, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Cattleman, P.O. Box 101988, Fort Worth, Texas 76185, 817-332-7064, FAX 817-394-1864. All members of Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association receive a monthly copy of The Cattleman as a benefit of their membership.
THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE
Improving the land, maximizing resources on Dry Creek Ranch.
Story by Caitlin Richards and Jena McRell Photos by Caitlin Richards
Making progress in rangeland stewardship, like anything in life, begins with a single step.
A focused effort to clear brush or adjust stocking rates, to start. Over the course of time, each decision culminates to transform the landscape in incredible ways.
Carl and Pat Schlinke’s Dry Creek Ranch near San Angelo is proof.
Nearly 40 years ago, the couple assumed ownership of land that had been in Carl’s family since 1902. They knew they had their work cut out for them, but looked forward to establishing their own ranch and starting on improvements.
“We were retired, but we were able to keep working,” Pat said. “I think that is the most important thing — to keep doing something you love.”
The Schlinkes spent countless hours tending to the land, eliminating mesquite and cedar trees, establishing forages and rebuilding native habitat to support wildlife. Sustainability, while not yet part of the cattle industry’s vernacular, was at the heart of the couples’ efforts from the beginning.
In recognition of their hard work and dedication, the Schlinkes were honored with the 2020 Outstanding Rangeland Stewardship Award, presented jointly by Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, the Texas Section Society for Range Management and Texas Grazing Land Coalition.
In 2021, Dry Creek Ranch was selected as the Region IV award winner in the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s competitive Environmental Stewardship Award Program.
A result of the Schlinke’s management and stewardship practices, Dry Creek Ranch offers boot-top-tall grass and miles-long views of the six sections.
EARLY DAYS
Dry Creek Ranch is located 25 miles west of the confluence of three rivers — South Concho, Middle Concho and North Concho — commonly known as the Concho Valley.
As a kid in the 1940s, Carl remembers a creek flowing continuously year-round throughout the property that emptied into the Middle Concho River. The 1950s historic droughts drastically affected the creek’s natural springs, ceasing its ability to run.
Seeing firsthand how resources could diminish, Carl understood the necessity of continuously seeking opportunities to steward the land.
After growing up on the ranch, Carl set off to Texas A&M University to study animal science and applied for admission to the College of Veterinary Medicine. During this time, he met Pat. They married in 1952.
About six years later, upon graduating veterinary school, the Schlinkes started their 26-year career in the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps — moving 17 times with assignments around the country and world.
Their family grew over the years adding three children: Emmett, Carmen and John.
The Schlinkes inherited the land of Dry Creek Ranch in 1978 and leased it to local ranchers until they were able to take over operations themselves.
In 1982, the couple set their dream in motion.
Carl still had two years before fully retiring, so Pat moved to San Angelo and started laying the groundwork for what would become Dry Creek Ranch.
A LASTING IMPACT
Along the way, the family’s motto became “the pursuit of excellence.”
They committed to making the land, which was a gift to them, better for future generations. Their pursuit was all-encompassing — land improvement projects, land management, leases, business structure and all enterprises were sustainably crafted.
The Schlinkes worked closely with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, or NRCS, district conservationists and the Irion County Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agents to learn about programs and potential improvement projects.
“It would have taken us many, many years to get enough money to do some of these projects, so their
cost sharing really made a difference,” said Pat of their relationship and support.
In the beginning, Pat worked with the local NRCS to begin a water catching project on the ranch. Limited rainfall and restricted watershed availability pushed the Schlinkes to establish miles of pipe to capture natural water, gravity drawn, to fill holding tanks at locations across their 3,800-acre property.
In their arid region of the state, native grasses are often overtaken by invasive prickly pear, mesquite and juniper tree populations. To preserve pasture and protect the integrity of the land, the Schlinkes worked with a commercial burn manager to facilitate prescribed burn programs, ultimately returning nutrients to the soil for optimal soil health.
The couple also established a strong forage program by aerating and seeding approximately half of their ranch with improved grass species, which they steward with acceptable cattle stocking rates for their area.
“I’m a firm believer that if you do not get out and walk the pasture, you don’t know the condition of the grasses,” Pat said. “You’ve really got to be either horseback or walking to see what they are eating and what they are not.”
Thanks to the Schlinkes management, Dry Creek Ranch offers boot-top-tall grass and miles-long views of the six sections.
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FOCUS ON CATTLE
For 36 years, Carl and Pat ran a successful registered Hereford cattle operation known as Dry Creek Herefords. Finding the best genetics to match their environment became an enjoyable part of managing the herd.
“To put a certain bull with a group of cows, and then see those calves when they are born, that’s exciting to me, because you can see what those genetics can do,” Pat said.
Carefully balancing grazing pressure and pasture rotations was also essential to improving forage and restoring the land.
The Schlinkes learned about the importance of grazing ratios and sought out additional funding, through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, commonly known as EQIP, to add fence improvements to properly graze the acreage.
With NRCS, the Schlinkes started with one mile of cross fencing, but over the years built more than 10 miles of net wire fence to divide the six-section ranch into seven pastures ranging in size from 320 to 640 acres.
The Schlinkes updated the original wood pens with a set of new working pens strategically located near the center of the ranch. The project was overseen primarily by Pat.
In partnership with EQIP, the Schlinkes established six traps across the ranch ranging in size of 60- to 125- acres each to contain herd bulls, weaned heifers, sale bulls and calves being conditioned prior to sale.
FOR THE FUTURE
Outside the cattle operation, Dry Creek Ranch also incorporates oil and hunting enterprises to financially support many of the ranch improvements and help sustain the operation into the future. The oil business began in 1982 and incorporates surface use agreements with lessees to protect the integrity of the land.
The couple partnered with McCrea Outdoors in 2012 to establish a wildlife management program. Since, the whitetailed deer population greatly improved and hunting leases have been another viable revenue source.
About four years ago, the Schlinkes made the decision to sell the herd and partner with a young rancher, Carson Womack, to run cattle on Dry Creek Ranch.
Womack is a graduate of the Texas Christian University Ranch Management program and has an animal science degree from West Texas A&M University. He and his wife, Bonnie, run a herd of 100 cows and some goats on several leased places in the Concho Valley and Edwards Plateau region.
Now in their later years of life, Carl and Pat enjoy watching the next generation develop an interest and care for the land. Their children remain active in the business aspects of the ranch and look forward to continuing their parents’ stewardship vision.
Looking back on their journey, the family remains humbled by what they have been able to accomplish living a life they love.
“If you want to talk about lucky or fortunate people, we are it,” Pat said. “In so many ways.” T C
Caitlin Richards is a freelance writer from Lueders.
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FIVE QUESTIONS ON SOIL CARBON
What landowners should consider about emerging ecosystems markets.
By Sarah Harris Photos by Emily McCartney
Effective land management practices are the foundation for a long-term, successful operation. Ranchers and landowners implement strategies in hopes of improving overall soil health, creating hardy grasslands, strengthening wildlife habitats, improving water quality and quantity, increasing biodiversity, and more.
In recent years, emerging markets have offered even greater incentives.
Through careful stewardship, landowners can be paid for their efforts by companies looking to offset carbon emissions, protect ecosystems and support a healthy climate. Today, the most prevalent credits relate to soil carbon, with multiple entities offering payments per metric ton of carbon sequestered.
“Markets are starting to emerge that provide opportunity for interested parties to participate in voluntary efforts to affect reductions of greenhouse gases,” says Bill Fox, Ph.D., associate professor and range specialist for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension.
“Many companies have publicly stated their corporate strategies and goals for removing or mitigating greenhouse gases from their portfolio. The markets could provide an alternative to a stricter regulatory approach to greenhouse gas mitigation.”
Fox is also a faculty member in the rangeland, wildlife and fisheries management department at Texas A&M University in College Station, and has been researching rangeland management impacts on natural resources since 2000.
“In talking with many landowners, we’ve found there is a definite desire to understand some of the basics behind carbon sequestration and how it works,” Fox says.
In consultation with legal counsel, Texas AgriLife Extension came together with Noble Research Institute, Texas Grazing Lands Coalition, Texas Agricultural Land Trust and the Texas A&M University Natural Resources Institute to develop a resource to support landowners in determining whether or not carbon sequestering programs are right for their operations.
True stewards of the land, cattle raisers are well aligned to take advantage of emerging soil carbon markets.
talking with landowners, there is a definite desire to understand the basics behind carbon sequestration.”
— Bill Fox, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Extension.
While many landowners are familiar with wind, solar or oil and gas commitments, Fox says an agreement on capturing or sequestering carbon may be more difficult because it isn’t as visible or tangible.
Knowing what you are signing on for and the requirements is critical. For instance, being asked to work toward storing a specific quantity of carbon may not be as simple as it sounds. Some groups may ask landowners to implement specific grazing practices or protocols.
“From a rancher’s perspective, the question is often ‘what am I being asked to do,’” Fox says. “Because if they’re being asked to do something new it may require labor and other inputs. Will you need to build new fence? Will you need to spray weeds?”
Besides knowing how management changes will impact your operation, it is important to understand how long you commit to these practices since contract lengths can vary greatly and obligations may extend outside of contract payment periods.
And that is just the start. A landowner should also think beyond final payments and end dates, and ask, how they will be impacted if soil carbon storage levels are met in advance of the contractual date. In such instances, landowners should consider if the contract can be ended early or if they will be paid for additional tons of carbon sequestered.
2. HOW WILL I BE COMPENSATED?
Landowners can be compensated for the implementation of practices or for actual carbon sequestered.
As Fox points out, the implementation of practices might not lead to carbon storage, so it’s important to know what it means if your land doesn’t necessarily generate the expected return. If being paid for the actual carbon sequestered, it’s important to know how the carbon is being priced, and if the price is based on metric tons of carbon sequestered or net carbon equivalents calculated.
There are other ways compensation may be impacted, too. For example, will payment vary based on market value, or is it a fixed price at signing? Are there penalties or other costs to you if measured or estimated carbon is less than advanced payments? How could weather or other environmental conditions like drought, flood, and wildfire impact carbon sequestration and associated payments?
3. WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR EXTRA COSTS?
Once a landowner has an idea of how they will be compensated, they are able to weigh that with any related costs. To begin with, if a contract or restrictions need negotiated, will the marketplace pay those legal fees?
Cost sharing could be an option, but it is important to line out who is responsible for the costs of implementing new practices required by the program, and verification and measurement costs. Fox says verification and measurement costs could be built into the payments on a per metric ton basis.
“As a landowner I wouldn’t want to be on the hook for that cost,” he says. “I would ask how much am I increasing my input costs for what I need to do and is it offset by that value of carbon stored.”
A contract should also outline what happens with landowner expenses and reimbursements if a contract is terminated early.
CORPORATE CARBON COMMITMENTS
RELEVANT TO ANIMAL AG
GENERAL
Source: Kim Stackhouse-Lawson, Ph.D., Colorado State University
4. HOW IS THE CARBON MEASURED AND VERIFIED?
When it comes to carbon measurement and verification, Fox says one of the most important points to consider is who owns the collected data.
“For example, say they go out and collect carbon data on my land and utilize that data to put together a credit that Exxon or Walmart is going to buy,” Fox says. “Does that mean that data associated with my land, especially in a private land state like Texas, can be utilized somewhere else.
“I think it comes down to a question of private property rights and being able to retain information that could be of value at some point in time. Carbon at the end of the market continues to grow. As a landowner, I would want to retain the ownership of data used to verify the credits being generated.”
5. ARE THERE LAND RESTRICTIONS?
Landowners should be aware of ways a carbon contract might interfere with oil and gas or wind-energy leases, or other purposes outside of production agriculture such as hunting.
“It comes back to, am I still able to ranch the way that I want to ranch?” Fox says. “Some programs may restrict certain land management practices such as mechanical brush control, spraying or prescribed burning.”
Fox adds that in time, contracts could also start to include other ecosystem services beyond carbon sequestration, such as water quality and quantity or biodiversity. He thinks this expansion of services could entice some landowners who might believe carbon sequestration alone isn’t enough.
“Most of what I have seen is focused on carbon, but I think as markets mature you’ll see more stacking of services,” he says. “There could be multiple opportunities for diversifying and generating more revenue.” T C
Sarah Harris is a freelance writer who splits her time between Austin and her family’s ranch near Tilden. Visit the Texas Agricultural Land Trust website, txaglandtrust.org/ecosystemservices, to access a primer on soil carbon considerations.
GET MORE FROM YOUR
PASTURES & RANGELAND
In key locations across Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico, Helena has branches staffed with people who can provide landowners, ranchers and wildlife enthusiasts with all their management needs. For more information, contact your local Helena representative or visit HelenaAgri.com.
