Ranching in the West seminar series continues in Evanston
The University of Wyoming (UW) Ranch Management and Agricultural Leadership (RMAL) Program’s Ranching in the West Seminar Series continued on Feb. 20 at the Roundhouse and Railyards in Evanston.
The second installment of the series, titled “Continuing the Legacy: Energy, Innovation and the Future of Ranching,” was mediated by UW Extension Associate Director Bridger Feuz, who lead panel conversations highlighting the positive impact of emerging technologies and innovative energy solutions on ranch operations.
Panel members included Broadbent Ranch Owner Vance Broadbent, Julian Land and Livestock Owner Dave Julian, Sublette County Conservation District Manager Mike Henn and UW Department of Ecosystem Science and Management Doctoral Researcher Nicki Nimlos who addressed how the integration of traditional ranching methods with modern innovations creates exciting opportunities for significant advancements in agriculture.
Participants had the opportunity to partake in an open question and answer portion of the seminar where they discussed topics such as future opportunities for ranchers to work collaboratively within the energy market, challenges and/or benefits of ranching alongside energy leases and areas of energy innovation future ranchers should focus on.
Carbon markets
Nimlos kicked off the program with a presentation on carbon markets and discussed opportunities for ranchers in the voluntary carbon market.
“It’s a hot topic right now, and it is a physical product ranchers can take advantage of and sell,” she stated.
The foundation of carbon markets is soil carbon sequestration, the process where carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere, taken in by plants through photosynthesis and stored in the soil.
Nimlos noted, “The information about methane gas from cattle being the demise of the earth is not the case, as there is significant scientific evidence revealing cattle have a positive impact on the soil carbon sequestration process.”
According to research, grazing activity can stimulate root growth in grasses, leading to increased carbon capture.
Nimlos informed attendees soil carbon improves water storage, forage quality and quantity, while supporting native perennials and grasslands, and explained how carbon companies establish methodologies so landowners can earn eligible credits from the land.
“Options of joining the carbon market include a rancher or farmer putting their land in a conservation easement, subdividing it and engaging in a high-intensity, short-duration grazing and resting rotation, planting a cover crop or halting tilling,” she added.
The panel suggested looking for future ways to be diverse, as earning additional funds for the operation can generate growth and stability for future generations, and utilizing the carbon market could be an option.
Future opportunities
The panel discussed future opportunities for ranchers and how to develop collaborative relationships within the energy market.
Henn noted there are opportunities for public landowners to partner with federal leaseholders for a number of things – from getting water distributed to their allotments to allowing staging yards to be placed on them.
“We have worked and been very successful in getting a lot of drill stems and sucker rods to help with projects on federal and public lands that were just going to be scrapped,” Henn stated. “There are numerous opportunities when a relationship is fostered.”
Henn added, “With a working partnership, each party wants to help the other, and with open communication, a relationship forms.”
The panel went on to discuss possible future opportunities working with energy companies on carbon sequestration projects.
“Recently, there was a carbon conference in Laramie, and injecting carbon into the ground was discussed,” Nimlos mentioned. “I see this as an area of growth, which could provide opportunities for ranchers in the future, allowing them to diversify.”
She went on to encourage the group to become educated in the carbon market, as it holds opportunities, and there are numerus resources available including local conservation districts and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service.
“Carbon companies will typically allow landowners to stack additional government programs together when engaging in the carbon market,” she added.
Melissa Anderson is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
