Ranchers are selling cattle to deal with California drought

Jan 27, 2014

A historically dry winter is leaving California rangelands devoid of the lush green grass that ranchers depend on to feed their livestock. Many have no other choice but to cull the herd, making a January cattle auction on the California Coast atypically busy, wrote Associated Press reporter Jason Dearen.

Dearen noted that the UC Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources is holding a workshop this week to help ranchers make informed decisions about livestock feed supplementation, managing animal health and selling cattle.

"From previous droughts we’ve learned that feeding the whole herd through the drought may spell the end of business,” the story quoted Glenn Nader, UC Cooperative Extension advisor in Sutter and Yuba counties.

The workshop is being offered at the UC Sierra Foothill Research and Extension Center in Browns Valley and as a webcast for those who cannot attend in person. However interest is so great, the webcast has reached it's maximum capacity. UC Cooperative Extension has arranged to show the webcast at central locations in Mariposa, Mendocino, San Luis Obispo, Kern, Ventura and Tulare counties to provide greater access. For details and contact information, see Drought survival session scheduled for locations around the state.

The Associated Press story was picked up in The Washington Post, the Sacramento CBS affiliate, the ABC News website, the Memphis Commercial Appeal, the Monterey County Herald and other news outlets.


By Jeannette E. Warnert
Author - Communications Specialist