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Agriculture |
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Wise
use of land and conservation practices by
ranching families over the
last century has resulted in vastly improved rangeland for livestock and
wildlife. Ranchers have
learned how to take care of the type of land they live on. For
example, desert land has to be taken care of in a very different way
than parts of the country that have a lot of rainfall. Also, rough
country has to be taken care of in a different way than
prairie land. Over two
thirds of the agricultural land in the United States is not suitable for
growing anything other than some type of livestock. Grazing by
livestock such as sheep, goats or cattle, actually invigorates plants
and helps the land by aerating the soil and spreading seeds to other
areas. |
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Ranching families live in their environment every day and are intently
aware of what is going on around them. By living on the land and
close to nature, they are able to take care of the environment and this
benefits everyone. By keeping large areas of rangeland open for
their livestock, ranchers are also helping to protect and preserve
wildlife. Ranchers don't just take care of their animals and the
land when they want to - they are there, day after day and year after
year in all kinds of weather and conditions. It is easy to see
that ranching families really care about our environment and the things
which surround us. |
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Ranching families have a big responsibility to take care
of their livestock so the rest of the people will have enough to eat and
wear. Also, the by-products from the livestock industry are
essential for people's health. The worlds' population has
quadrupled over the last century. That means more people to feed
and clothe. Animals raised on ranches benefit the entire
population. If ranchers weren't willing to work to raise
livestock, a large part of the population would go hungry and some would
even starve. Lots of people would die from diseases that are now
cured or controlled with by-products from the livestock industry.
Modern technology has allowed ranchers to better protect their livestock
from disease and injuries. So you can see that by taking good care
of their animals, ranchers are also taking care of you. |
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Wise use of natural
resources by
ranching families over the last century as resulted in
improved quality of water, vegetation and
wildlife and better use of
rangeland. Before water wells, people and animals depended on
rivers and streams for their water.
Wildlife could live only where
there was a dependable source of water. Now, wildlife is found
everywhere because it can depend on the water furnished by the ranchers.
Ranchers conserve water by taking care of their water wells and water
troughs and this in turn helps the land by allowing the rancher to
control grazing. Careful grazing practices allow the rancher to
grow more grass which reduces water run-off and silt deposits in rivers
and streams, thereby improving water quality. |
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