Looking at Oregon Ranches For Sale? Prepare Your Drought Strategy

A recent article in The Oregonian tackles the drought being experienced in the state:

Oregon drought update: Most of the southern half of Oregon is still experiencing severe to extreme drought, with the worst conditions in south-central and southeastern Oregon, according to the National Weather Service monthly drought report. The rest of the state is experiencing moderate drought.

Future: The drought is expected to continue and possibly intensify through fall. Continued above-normal temperatures are expected through November, especially in eastern Oregon. Precipitation is expected to be below normal through November, especially in the northern part of the state.

The winter has so far produced very low precipitation. Couple that with the drought that Oregon and the rest of the interior West are facing, and a ranch owner in these parts could easily end up with a farming catastrophe in his hands. Thus, having a drought strategy is critical to the sustainability of a ranch enterprise.

On the verge of purchasing one of the most potentially lucrative ranches for sale in Oregon, you may already have a well-detailed out strategy to beat the drought. Perhaps drought management solutions like rotational grazing, early weaning, and other proactive and/or reactive methods are already at the forefront of your ranch management thoughts—you have all your tools prepared, and you’re ready to implement them at a moment’s notice. That said, have you given much thought to you and your people?

During an extended stressful situation like a drought, ranch owners often don’t focus enough on the people involved. Unfortunately, the hassles that a drought presents can take its toll on owners, managers, and farmhands alike. This is because pressure-filled situations can bring out negative emotions in people as they begin to stress about the many problems associated with a drought such as overgrazing, dwindling finances, and in extreme cases, the decision to sell cattle off.

Preparation is key to beating any sort of problem, so in the face of drought, be sure you and your people are mentally prepared to handle the situation by knowing what to expect.  Talk to fellow ranchers. Attend government-initiated meetings. Visit a local ranch and see how they’re successfully managing their people, as well as their tools.

Your broker will also be a good source of information on how to manage drought-related issues. Apart from brokering Oregon ranches for sale, established ranch brokerage firms like Mirr Ranch Group offer consultation on various points including grazing issues, livestock capacity, water utilization, conservation plans, and the like. The information they provide can be helpful to your ranch management efforts during times of drought.

(Source: Oregon drought: Not much relief in sight for severe to extreme conditions in southern half of state, OregonLive.com, Sep. 15, 2014)