“In Every Rancher’s Mind”: Effects of Drought on Ranch Planning and Practice

Abstract

• Ranchers’ responses to drought differ depending on where they live and specific circumstances of their ranches, but there are striking similarities across regions.
• Changes in practice after a drought reflect a general desire to buffer one’s operation against disruptions, rather than being specifically aimed at the next drought.
• Interviewees often pointed to good things that arose from the bad situation of drought.
• Energy development helped offset drought impacts in two cases, but interviewees generally preferred to diversify their income streams through agricultural rather than non-agricultural enterprises.
• Ability to respond to drought is somewhat constrained by federal tax laws and agency grazing regulations, as well as by ranchers’ specific circumstances.

Keywords: drought, income diversification, management adaptation, ranch planning, recovery.