The U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (USRSB) recently held their 10th annual General Assembly in Fort Worth, Texas to discuss topics that impact the resilience of the U.S. beef industry. The USRSB has the mission to advance, support, and communicate continuous improvement in the U.S. beef value chain through the voluntary work of members that represent all sectors of the of the industry. The role of water management and monitoring was a topic discussed frequently during the two- and half-day tour and meeting.
The General Assembly kicked off with tours of two ranches south of Fort Worth that embrace sustainable beef production practices. The first of which was the 77 Ranch in Blooming Grove. The 77 Ranch is a cow/calf operation owned by Gary and Sue Price that is located on a rare piece of Blackland Prairie that was never plowed up for cotton production. The ranch is currently participating in a multi-state, multi-year project funded by the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) that is monitoring the flux of carbon in air and soils throughout the year on ranches that represent different climates and varying intensity of management.
Along with improved grazing management, and efforts to increase biodiversity, the importance of managing water resources was emphasized at the 77 Ranch. Gary Price went as far as to say that “Water is the lifeblood of the ranch.” When speaking about the pressures of suburban development on ranches near the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, Chad Ellis, CEO of Texas Agriculture Land Trust, commented that the loss of land to development means less water is returned to ecosystems and watersheds. Price discussed how his ranch management emphasizes appropriate stocking rates and maintenance of ground cover so that he can capture and return as much rain as possible to the Richland Chambers Watershed. Bob Hunt, Director of Government Affairs for Molson Coors, was on hand to discuss how the Price’s management of the 77 Ranch serve as a bright example of how water conservation efforts and cattle ranching can align. Conservation of water in the Tarrant County Water Conservation District is of particular interest to Molson Coors as they are one of the largest consumers of water in Fort Worth.
The second tour stop was Burgandy Pasture Beef in Grandview. Burgandy Pasture Beef is owned by Jon Taggart and family that runs a cow/calf and pasture finishing operation. The Taggarts also operate their own processing plant in Grandview and retail stores that sell pasture finished beef, pork, and chicken in Grandview, Dallas, and Fort Worth. The operation manages cattle on a series of long-term leases that have enabled them to make improvements to their pasture infrastructure. Water quality and availability have been areas that the Taggarts have been able to improve their pasture infrastructure. The tour group was shown a riparian buffer that was added to exclude cattle from an erodible creek bank and decrease sediment runoff into the surrounding watershed. Jon also discussed their recent renovation of water infrastructure through the addition of a water storage tank, solar pump, and 2.5 miles of water line to supply surrounding pastures. He also acknowledged that labor for their diverse livestock operation was all provided by family members and that physically checking cattle water infrastructure was a significant task throughout the year.
Water management and monitoring was a point of discussion during multiple sessions of the General Assembly. One panel unveiled the Sustainable Beef Research Roadmap that was developed by USRSB academic partners with financial support from FFAR. The roadmap included research priorities for:
- Evaluating the benefits of grazing management plans on water conservation.
- Exploring innovation in drinking water use in feedlot cattle.
- Determining the genetic components of cattle water use efficiency.
- Modeling the water footprint of beef production.
- Using remote sensing technology to assess water use in beef operations.
Dr. Jason Rowntree from Michigan State University discussed how water is the group’s largest challenge for implementing the Sustainable Beef Research Roadmap. Although carbon sequestration gets a great deal of attention when discussing beef sustainability, Rowntree stated that “Water is easier to manage than carbon” and that “Where water is will dictate where we raise cattle.” Dr. Logan Thompson from Kansas State University spoke about ecosystem services on a panel focused on corporate climate commitments. Thompson discussed that regions like Western Kansas and Eastern Colorado are not ideal for carbon projects because they receive less rainfall than other parts of the country, thus, other ecosystem services, like water conservation, should be the focus in those regions.
Because the USRSB represents so many vital beef industry partners, it is clear that water issues will be front and center in the discussion on the sustainability of the U.S. beef production chain.
Dr. Jeff Goodwin, Texas A&M, discusses results of the multi-university carbon sequestration research being conducted on the 77 Ranch in Blooming Grove, TX. Carbon flux towers are monitoring changes in carbon concentrations in the air and soil during the grazing season. Approximately sixty such towers are being used to measure carbon flux on ranches in Colorado, Michigan, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wyoming.
Jon Taggart of Burgandy Pasture Beef in Grandview, Texas discusses the water infrastructure used in his grass finished beef operation.
Panelists discuss the new Sustainable Beef Research Roadmap that was developed by USRSB members with support by FFAR.
