On average, drought conditions occur one out of three years in the great planes; therefore, drought-induced shortages of pasture and hay should never take a ranching business by surprise. Although single dry years are rarely a catastrophe, multiple, consecutive dry years can put significant capital at risk. This presentation will address drought preparation and management, including monitoring of rainfall and forage conditions, animal marketing plans, anecdotes based on drought survival, and management during recovery.
KC Olson, MS, PhD