Drought can be devastating. Forages stop producing, making it difficult for ranchers to make food. Drought can make things seem bleak.
With all this difficulty, it can be easy to fall into a ‘survival’ mode during this time. This mode often involves taking extreme measures such as selling off a large portion of your herd or drastically reducing feed, just hoping that things will turn better. This ‘survival‘ mode is a state of mind where the immediate crisis takes precedence over long-term planning, and the focus is on short-term survival. However, these measures can lead to long-term adverse effects on your operation. But what if I told you there was a different option?
While you may be unable to stop drought from happening, all is not lost. The one thing to remember is that eventually, the rains will come back, so you will need to look ahead. There are things that you can do during this time to ensure that your pasture will bounce back once the rain does return; here are some things that you can do in the meantime: