Range land is an important, but finite resource for cattle and sheep production. Maintaining and improving range health is vital to the economic and environmental health of the local area. To help address a need for range health education, the Roosevelt County Range Tour was created. Fifteen people attended in 2018, its first year. In addition to the invited speakers, three local producers’ efforts to improve range health were featured in the tour. These producers’ efforts included bio-control for the noxious weed leafy spurge, use of bale grazing, and installation of solar-powered wells to provide drinking water for livestock. Attendees found this aspect of the tour especially useful, as they were able to hear firsthand about the successes and difficulties producers have had when implementing these projects. For example, one attendee has had a pasture with difficulty in maintaining adequate grass coverage. After the tour, the attendee stated “I have to do something with that pasture, I think bale grazing may be the way to go.” In fact, 83% of attendees planned on implementing in their own operation something they had learned on the tour.

 

To learn more about Roosevelt County, see their program highlights.

 

 

Image credit:A solar panel-powered water tank. Photo by Jeffrey Chilson/MSU Extension