Ron Hays is talking with the Director of Ranches, Outreach, and Partnerships at the Noble Research Institute, Hugh Aljoe, about establishing regenerative ranching practices on properties in southern Oklahoma and North Texas owned by Noble.
To listen to Part One of the conversation with Aljoe, CLICK HERE.
Aljoe said adjusting the stocking rate of cattle relative to the forage supply is critical when it comes to drier conditions.
“Manage for the residual, so that when we do get rain, we get adequate recovery and a lot more recovery,” Aljoe said. “Then, we are also trying to make sure we have adequate rest, so we have plants ready to be grazed before we do it.”
By practicing regenerative agriculture on these ranches, Aljoe said soil health is improved during drought through an increase in organic matter. Aljoe also emphasized less input use, which helps to maintain positive margins.
“We are not buying a lot of hay, and we are not buying a lot of feed,” Aljoe said. “There is very little fertilizer and chemicals going out there, and those are our key direct costs into our lands.”
The Noble Research Institute offers instructionally designed education courses to individuals wanting to practice regenerative ranching: The Noble Land Essentials and The Noble Grazing Essentials.
“The instructional design lends itself to learning,” Aljoe said. “They love the way we can deliver through this instructional design coursework. The other part of it is that it is practical. That is what we wanted to do is make sure we can get people out into the world using real examples and be able to see that for themselves.”
This summer, Aljoe said Noble will be offering a course on the Essentials of Ranch Business.
“We really want to make sure that the people that are leaving these courses can go out and apply what they have been taught,” Aljoe said.
To learn more about the Noble Research Institute and regenerative agriculture, visit the website by CLICKING HERE.
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