Page 216 - The Welfare of Cattle

ranChInG WIth InteGrItY and IntentIonaLItY 193

Identifying stress points in the enterprise and development of strategies to mitigate stress is an
ongoing process where intentional management is in place. Implementing management protocols
based on beef quality assurance principles developed by teams of ranchers, veterinarians, and sub-
ject matter experts is another effective strategy to reduce stress in the ranch system.

education and training

Mastery of stockmanship is a continuous process dependent on active learning. Habits and
behaviors as well as ranch management protocols and tactics must be examined on an ongoing
basis to assure that opportunities for improvement aren’t missed. Providing ongoing educational
opportunities and learning experiences are mission-critical for both ranch managers and their
employees. Additionally, ranch leaders must foster an environment where there is organizational
wide focus on seeking solutions, developing more effective processes, and growing the capabilities
of people.
Ranches driven to help their people grow both professionally and personally are more likely to
find innovative solutions, to more thoughtfully practice stewardship, husbandry, and stockmanship;
and to let go of old practices and habits in favor of better approaches.

FINaL thOUGhtS

Healthy ranches do not happen by accident; rather they are the result of a commitment to nur-
turing landscapes, livestock, and people. People who choose to live out their talents and values in
the realm of extensive ranching are motivated by a variety of factors but those who have found the
most joy and fulfillment have drawn on all dimensions of their humanity—creative, intellectual,
physical, and spiritual.
Extensive ranching provides a studio and laboratory for the practice of the triad of steward-
ship, husbandry, and stockmanship. In this environment, theory has little value unless it manifests
itself in some useful manner; perfection is nearly impossible to attain given the chaotic and random
nature of working with the vagaries of nature but its pursuit is worth a lifetime of effort; there is
nowhere to hide from accountability, the visceral experience is valued far more than the virtual; and
the possibility of failure and of wonder is always present.
The extensive ranch, regardless of geography, is not a genteel place but it is always a combi-
nation of raw beauty and challenge. To be successful in such an environment means letting go of
convenience, instant gratification, and certainty. The ranch takes on a life of its own and usually
becomes the sun around which everything else orbits—birthdays, holidays, homework, recreation,
and family gatherings are organized to fit into the ranch schedule that has no respect for the
clock. If newborn calves in the utility room, frozen bags of colostrum in the freezer next to the ice
cream, and days that begin before the sun rises and conclude in the dark aren’t welcome, then ranch-
ing should be avoided.
There are no perfect ranches nor perfect ranchers. For those who engage in the work of caring
for livestock and landscapes, not all days have happy endings. Even the most experienced and skilled
practitioners experience setbacks and make mistakes. Lightning strikes kill livestock and people;
range fires, blizzards, and drought wreak havoc on the best formulated plans of well- managed
ranches, and best practices don’t always work. Nonetheless, there are few professions where people
can immerse themselves in nature, take on the responsibility for the stewardship of landscape, live-
stock, and people; and enter into the ancient contract of the good shepherd—it is in this realm that
a life worth living can be forged.