mixing bowl tomkat overview

1  Providing  healthy  food  on  working  lands  in  a  way  that  sustains  the  planet  and  inspires  others  to  action.

Ranching  for  the  Future Wendy  Millet  

The  Mixing  Bowl  October  2014  

2  Providing  healthy  food  on  working  lands  in  a  way  that  sustains  the  planet  and  inspires  others  to  action.

Our  Mission

Provide  healthy  food  on  working  lands  in  a  way  that  sustains  the  planet  and  inspires  others  to  ac?on  

3  Providing  healthy  food  on  working  lands  in  a  way  that  sustains  the  planet  and  inspires  others  to  action.

Caring  for  Grasslands

Store  Carbon  

Provide  Biodiversity  

Improve  Water    and  Soil  Quality  

Produce  Food  (and  local  economy)  

•  40%  of  earth’s  surface  • Provide  many  benefits  • Highly  altered  by  management  and  modifica?on  

4  Providing  healthy  food  on  working  lands  in  a  way  that  sustains  the  planet  and  inspires  others  to  action.

Research   Teach   Learn   Sponsor   Connect   Empower  

Integrated  Management  Plan  

Learning  Lab  on  Sustainable  Agriculture  

                     TomKat  Ranch  Educa?onal  Founda?on  

5  Providing  healthy  food  on  working  lands  in  a  way  that  sustains  the  planet  and  inspires  others  to  action.

Happy  Animals  

Healthy  Wilderness  

Healthy  Food  

Head  

Heart  

Hundred  Years  

Our  Values

6  Providing  healthy  food  on  working  lands  in  a  way  that  sustains  the  planet  and  inspires  others  to  action.

Our  Initiatives

Ø Climate-­‐Smart  Ranch    Ø Sustainable  Landscapes    Ø Raising  the  Steaks    Ø Learning  Landscapes    

7  Providing  healthy  food  on  working  lands  in  a  way  that  sustains  the  planet  and  inspires  others  to  action.

   Explore  ways  to  use  animal  agriculture  to  build  soil,  improve  water  cycle,  and  reduce  carbon  footprint  

Climate  Smart

“Soil  is  teaming  with  organisms  which  cycle  nutrients  to  plants  and  back  again.”  ATTRA  

8  Providing  healthy  food  on  working  lands  in  a  way  that  sustains  the  planet  and  inspires  others  to  action.

Preparing  for  Unknown    

• Look  100  years  ago  &  100  years  ahead  • Develop  ranch-­‐wide  Water  Conserva?on  &  Management  Plan  • Reduce  GHG  emissions  from  infrastructure  and  opera?ons  • Develop  land  and  business  plans  that  are  flexible  and  adap?ve  

9  Providing  healthy  food  on  working  lands  in  a  way  that  sustains  the  planet  and  inspires  others  to  action.

What  We  Are  Doing

Ø Collect  weather  data  (gray  lines  =  rainfall)  

Ø Compare  to  historical  records  (blue  dots)    

Ø Compare  to  climate  model  projec?ons  (orange  dots)  

10  Providing  healthy  food  on  working  lands  in  a  way  that  sustains  the  planet  and  inspires  others  to  action.

Scenario  Planning  for  Future

11  Providing  healthy  food  on  working  lands  in  a  way  that  sustains  the  planet  and  inspires  others  to  action.

Growing  Grass  Out  of  Thin  Air

12  Providing  healthy  food  on  working  lands  in  a  way  that  sustains  the  planet  and  inspires  others  to  action.

“As  I  see  it,  the  only  real  way  that  large-­‐scale  removal  of  greenhouse  gases  from  the  atmosphere  can  start  today  is  if  we  encourage  plant  photosynthesis  and  land-­‐based  carbon  storage  ac<vi<es.  In  other  words,  we  need  to  start  growing  more  grass.”    

-­‐Courtney  White,  The  Carbon  Ranch  

The  Carbon  Ranch

13  Providing  healthy  food  on  working  lands  in  a  way  that  sustains  the  planet  and  inspires  others  to  action.

Sustainable  Landscapes  

•  Test  and  promote  ranching  prac?ces  that  provide  •  Economic  benefits    •  Environmental  benefits    •  Address  climate  change  

• Metrics:  Ø Increase  locally  grown  food  Ø Increase  na?ve  perennial  grasses  Ø Reduce  supplemental  animal  feed  needs  Ø Measure  carbon  storage  of  management  prac?ces  

14  Providing  healthy  food  on  working  lands  in  a  way  that  sustains  the  planet  and  inspires  others  to  action.

Meet  Our  Team  

15  Providing  healthy  food  on  working  lands  in  a  way  that  sustains  the  planet  and  inspires  others  to  action.

Sometimes  the  Grass  is  Greener…

16  Providing  healthy  food  on  working  lands  in  a  way  that  sustains  the  planet  and  inspires  others  to  action.

Use  science  to  iden?fy  important  areas  for  both  forage  and  habitats  

How  We  Manage  –  Science  as  Guide  

17  Providing  healthy  food  on  working  lands  in  a  way  that  sustains  the  planet  and  inspires  others  to  action.

Stacked  Agriculture  

18  Providing  healthy  food  on  working  lands  in  a  way  that  sustains  the  planet  and  inspires  others  to  action.

Grassland  EvoluKon  

Predator  

Herbivores  Grasslands  

Millions  of  Years  of  Productivity  and  Soil  Health

19  Providing  healthy  food  on  working  lands  in  a  way  that  sustains  the  planet  and  inspires  others  to  action.

Bio-­‐‑Mimicry  and  Sustainable  Food

Sustainable  Ranching  

Predator  

Herbivores  Grasslands  

20  Providing  healthy  food  on  working  lands  in  a  way  that  sustains  the  planet  and  inspires  others  to  action.

Moo-­‐ving  the  Herd  

21  Providing  healthy  food  on  working  lands  in  a  way  that  sustains  the  planet  and  inspires  others  to  action.

22  Providing  healthy  food  on  working  lands  in  a  way  that  sustains  the  planet  and  inspires  others  to  action.

23  Providing  healthy  food  on  working  lands  in  a  way  that  sustains  the  planet  and  inspires  others  to  action.

24  Providing  healthy  food  on  working  lands  in  a  way  that  sustains  the  planet  and  inspires  others  to  action.

25  Providing  healthy  food  on  working  lands  in  a  way  that  sustains  the  planet  and  inspires  others  to  action.

Right  #  of  animals,  right  place,  right  time,  right  reasons Key  to  Good  Grazing

26  Providing  healthy  food  on  working  lands  in  a  way  that  sustains  the  planet  and  inspires  others  to  action.

27  Providing  healthy  food  on  working  lands  in  a  way  that  sustains  the  planet  and  inspires  others  to  action.

Jan   Feb   Mar   Apr   May   Jun   Jul   Aug   Sep   Oct   Nov   Dec  Pasture  values  

High  quality  bird  habitat  

Adjacent  to  streams  

Low  quality  bird  habitat  

Heavy  rain   Heavy  rain  

Bird  breeding  season  

Grass  growing  season  

Calving  

Grazing  Plan  to  Maximize  Benefits    

28  Providing  healthy  food  on  working  lands  in  a  way  that  sustains  the  planet  and  inspires  others  to  action.

Track  Pastures  to  Prioritize  Actions

6

30

57

43

8

32

12a

53

9

14

6310

26

19

34

25

36

31

56

52

12b

11

41

35

50

3 4

48

33

68

37a

16b

57

18

37b

29

28

59

67

40

16a

2a

47

65

58a

55

64a

62

17

51

61

4246

15

60

66

45

24

27

44

23

22

2b

38

39a

21

20

Mowing PriorityHigh

Med

Low

29  Providing  healthy  food  on  working  lands  in  a  way  that  sustains  the  planet  and  inspires  others  to  action.

Perennial  Grasses  =  Sustainability  

Cox  et  al.    August  2006.    Bioscience.  Vol.  56,  No.  8  

Annual   Perennial  

Compared  to  annual  grasses,  perennials:    Ø  Are  more  drought  resilient  Ø  Improve  water  infiltra?on  Ø  Hold  more  water  and  soil  Ø  Store  more  carbon  Ø  Provide  more  forage  and  

habitat  

30  Providing  healthy  food  on  working  lands  in  a  way  that  sustains  the  planet  and  inspires  others  to  action.

Success  So  Far

Na?ve  Perennial  Grass  Distribu?on  2011   Na?ve  Perennial  Grass  Distribu?on  2013  

Con?nuous  Grazing                                        Planned  Grazing  

Pasture  with  no  perennial  grass  found   Pasture  with  at  least  one  perennial  grass  found  

31  Providing  healthy  food  on  working  lands  in  a  way  that  sustains  the  planet  and  inspires  others  to  action.

Raising  the  Steaks  

• We  want  to  create  condi?ons  that  enable  animal  agriculture  to  be  both  ecologically  and  economically  success,  in  the  face  of  climate  change  •  Large-­‐scale  industrial  efficiency  doesn’t  account  for,  or  priori?ze,  externali?es  • Outcomes  

Ø Solu?ons  to  boilenecks  of  sustainable  animal  agriculture  

Ø Educa?on,  outreach,  and  business  partnerships  that  create  solu?ons  

32  Providing  healthy  food  on  working  lands  in  a  way  that  sustains  the  planet  and  inspires  others  to  action.

LeftCoast  GrassFed  -­‐‑  our  grassfed  &

grass-­‐‑finished  beef

33  Providing  healthy  food  on  working  lands  in  a  way  that  sustains  the  planet  and  inspires  others  to  action.

Animals  used  as  management  tool  to  achieve  a  range  of  benefits:  •  Increase  soil  fer?lity  •  Improve  ecosystem  processes  •  Reduce  carbon  in  the  air  •  Restore  water  and  nutrient  cycles  •  Increase  biodiversity  

Environmental  Benefits

34  Providing  healthy  food  on  working  lands  in  a  way  that  sustains  the  planet  and  inspires  others  to  action.

Health  Benefits

• Leaner  than  grain-­‐fed,  lower  in  calories    • More  omega-­‐3  faiy  acids  for  heart  &  brain  • More  an?oxidants,  vitamins,  minerals  -­‐  beta-­‐carotene,  vitamin  E,  calcium,  iron  • More  CLA  (conjugated  linoleic  acid)    • Faiy  acid  helps  prevents  cancer,  heart  disease,  high  blood  pressure,  insulin  resistance,  inflamma?on.    

• Doctor  recommended  for  diabe?c  &  auto-­‐immune  pa?ents  

35  Providing  healthy  food  on  working  lands  in  a  way  that  sustains  the  planet  and  inspires  others  to  action.

Animal  Benefits

•  Eat  grass,  live  in  pastures,  move  in  herds  • Reduce  stress  and  disease  -­‐  need  for  an?bio?cs    • No  grains  -­‐  unhealthy  acids  in  diges?ve  systems    •  Low  stress  stockmanship      

36  Providing  healthy  food  on  working  lands  in  a  way  that  sustains  the  planet  and  inspires  others  to  action.

       •  Diet  —  No  grains  or  corns  •  Confinement  —  No  feedlots  •  Hormones  —  No  growth  hormones.  •  Best  PracKces  -­‐  Con?nually  improve  prac?ces  

Certifications

37  Providing  healthy  food  on  working  lands  in  a  way  that  sustains  the  planet  and  inspires  others  to  action.

BoSleneck:  2014  Rancho  Recall  

•  8.7  million  pounds  of  beef  recalled;  no  reported  illness  •  USDA  unfamiliar  with  supply  chain  for  small  processors  •  If  we  want  small  sustainable  producers  to  be  successful,  

we  have  to  address  all  the  barriers  

38  Providing  healthy  food  on  working  lands  in  a  way  that  sustains  the  planet  and  inspires  others  to  action.

Learning  Landscapes

• We  want  to  build  the  next  genera?on  of  land  managers,  consumers,  and  leaders  who  understand  the  connec?ons  between  nature,  sustainable  prac?ces,  animal  agriculture,  and  healthy  food.  • Outcomes  

Ø Managers,  ranchers,  scien?sts  par?cipate  in  programs  and  workshops  

Ø Consumers  par?cipate  in  tours  and  programs  Ø Together  we  iden?fy  barriers  and  solu?ons  

39  Providing  healthy  food  on  working  lands  in  a  way  that  sustains  the  planet  and  inspires  others  to  action.

Food  &  Wellness Our  Goal:  Build  healthy  habits  -­‐  ea?ng,  buying,  preparing,  recycling    A  Few  of  Our  Programs:  •  LHPUSD  Healthy  Meal  Program  –  Teach  students  to  prepare  meals  using  local  ingredients  •  CAFF's  Harvest  of  the  Month  Kits  -­‐  Connect  students  to  local  farmers,  increase  fresh  fruits  and  vegetables  consumed  through  tas?ng  kits  and  lessons.  (ex:  kale  chips,  cauliflower  popcorn)  •  Food  Lab  -­‐  Involve  students  in  school  meal  planning,  cooking,  serving,  while  learning  about  nutri?on,  food  safety,  compos?ng,  math,  science,  history,  culture.  •  Girls  on  the  Run  –  Teach  empowerment  and  life-­‐skills  

40  Providing  healthy  food  on  working  lands  in  a  way  that  sustains  the  planet  and  inspires  others  to  action.

Ecology  &  Agriculture

Our  Goal:    Provide  people  of  all  ages  the  opportunity  to  learn  about  connec?ons  between  food,  health,  science,  conserva?on  &  ranching    A  Few  of  Our  Programs:  • Bird  Banding,  Earth  Explorers    • Students  &  Teachers  Restoring  A  Watershed  (STRAW)    • Sustainable  Agriculture  Internship  • Rancher  to  Rancher      • Holis?c  Management  Ins?tute  Training    

41  Providing  healthy  food  on  working  lands  in  a  way  that  sustains  the  planet  and  inspires  others  to  action.

42  Providing  healthy  food  on  working  lands  in  a  way  that  sustains  the  planet  and  inspires  others  to  action.

Our  Workshops •  30  tours,  10  workshops  each  year    •  Topics  include:  Holis?c  Management,  Low-­‐Stress  Animal  Handling,  Conserva?on  Ranching,  Water  Conserva?on  and  Management,  etc  

43  Providing  healthy  food  on  working  lands  in  a  way  that  sustains  the  planet  and  inspires  others  to  action.

Manage  complex  communities… as  if  everything  ma:ers