A Working Ranch

Target Audience & Issues Addressed:

“A Working Ranch with an Effective Medusahead Management Program” is a combination of educational and awareness materials including a DVD video and accompanying booklet, web page, and a publication which has been printed both as a bulletin and as an article in the official publication of the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association, the Oregon Beef Producer.

The materials were created and are targeted to the typical land manager/rancher dealing with infestations of medusahead (Taeniatherum caput-medusae). Medusahead is an invasive annual grass that is quickly spreading across the great basin area of the west. Much like cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), medusahead outcompetes desirable perennial grasses and can quickly create monocultures of degraded and virtually useless rangeland with an increased risk of wildfire. Medusahead can decrease the land’s forage value to next to nothing which can have a catastrophic effect for any land manager, rancher or producer who relies on the land and its forage production for livestock.

Medusahead has proven difficult to manage and the “A Working Ranch” materials address the issues of how a working ranch can effectively manage this invasive plant. The materials provide a demonstration of how Ben and Barbara McGough of the Circle Bar Ranch in Mitchell, Oregon teamed up with Roger Sheley and others at the EOARC in Burns, Oregon to come up with a science-based plan to manage and prevent the further spread of medusahead. The materials provide a story of success and hope for other ranchers and land managers that restoration of medusahead-infested land is possible

Distribution:

The materials have been distributed using a number of different avenues since it was created in January 2011. Approximately 100 copies of the DVD video and accompanying booklet have been requested through the website www.ebipm.org; 100 copies were distributed at the Society of Range Management annual meeting in February 2011 and approximately 150 more have since been distributed at various land manager meetings and workshops held throughout the Great Basin. The video is also available to view on the web at www.ebipm.org and at www.oregonstate.edu/media/szqzj.

The publication, which has been printed as a bulletin and article, has enjoyed wide distribution, which includes the Oregon Beef Producer article, which has a circulation of 2,300. An additional 500 copies of the bulletin were printed and 250 copies were distributed at the Society of Range Management annual meeting, with 150 copies handed out at various land manager meetings and workshops. 50 copies have been requested and/or sent along with the DVD video, and other materials, through www.ebipm.org. The bulletin is also available to download as a PDF document at www.ebipm.org/content/7968.

The web page associated with the “A Working Ranch” materials can be found at www.ebipm.org/content/7968 and records indicate the page was viewed by 12 visitors during the month of May. Additionally, the video is available on the home page of www.ebipm.org and that page was viewed by 218 visitors during the month of May.

Resources Involved (people, funds, supplies and equipment):

Resources involved in the development of these materials have come from a number of sources. The team members associated with this nomination (Roger Sheley, USDA-ARS Ecologist; Brenda Smith, USDA-ARS Research Scientist; Ryan Steineckert, OSU EBIPM Publications Editor) are part of a USDA funded Area-wide project for Ecologically-based Management of Invasive Grasses from which funds were used to develop educational materials. The Circle Bar Ranch owners, Ben and Barbara McGough were instrumental in every phase from committing funds for and cooperation in creating a “living laboratory” at their ranch to interviews both on and off camera, providing photos and hosting a total of almost 150 range managers, landowners and students in two separate field courses at their ranch.

Brett Bingham, USDA-ARS Range Technician, has also played an essential role in developing these materials. Brett has spent an extensive amount of time coordinating with the McGoughs, hiring a summer employee (as described in the materials) and working at the ranch with herbicide treatments, seedings and other integrated management efforts.

The bulletin and article required a team effort from Smith, Sheley, Bingham, Steineckert and the McGoughs as well. Once the text was written, Microsoft Publisher was used to create and design the formatting for the bulletin. The mapping image has been used for management purposes and the treatment tables were created specifically for this bulletin. Pictures used in the bulletin were taken by Bingham, Steineckert, Smith and the McGough family picture at the ranch was provided by the family.

Footage for the video was shot using a Canon GL-2 Digital Video Camcorder. The video was completed using Adobe software: editing in Adobe Premier Pro, the DVD menu was created in Adobe Encore DVD, graphics in Adobe Photoshop and narration was done by Steineckert through Adobe Audition. Music for the video was purchased through www.royaltyfreemusic.com and www.shockwave-sound.com. Additional editing to the music was done in Adobe Audition. The DVD cover, label and booklet design were completed using Microsoft Publisher and Adobe Photoshop.

The web page was primarily designed by Steineckert and is hosted by www.smallfarmcentral.com.

Evaluation Results:

Oregon State University professor Mike Borman featured the video in his RNG 421/521 Wildland Restoration and Ecology class and coordinated with Smith, Sheley, Bingham, Steineckert, the McGoughs and others to have the students spend a day at the Circle Bar Ranch this past April 16, 2011. Evaluations from the field trip and video were overwhelmingly positive.

Evaluations included the questions on whether the content was relevant to the students’ field of study, whether the topics were covered in sufficient detail, the instructors’ knowledge and presentation abilities and whether the information learned will be useful in their overall education. Options available for answer included “Poor”, “Average”, “Good”, and “Excellent”. 22 evaluations were returned and there was not a single “Poor” box checked. Three students marked “Average” for whether the content was relevant to their field of study and two of those noted they had marked “Average” because they are not range students. The grand majority of responses were “Excellent”.

The evaluations also provided a space for the students to write what was most helpful and what could be improved. Some of the comments include:

“Being able to learn about a process and system, then turn around and see it in action in a hands-on setting; it really makes all the information sink in well when we can see the application of “book learning”. Keep doing what you are doing!”

“I learned so much.”

“I learned more than I thought I would.”

“As someone who considers themself a “hands on” learner, this exercise was invaluable in connecting concepts in the ‘real world’.

“I think the information I gained will stick with me through my career.”

“I will use this great research not only in my undergraduate work, but in my professional career as well.”

“The experience was excellent and incredibly beneficial!”

“The best parts were the chances to see what I have been reading about right in front of me. Overall I very much enjoyed the experience and hope to be a part of some of the research and projects these educators are working on.”

“Exceptional, both in terms of quality of the presentation and the applicability of the material.”

“With [EBIPM] in mind, and with the ecological processes and causes of succession in mind, we can manage our rangelands for the long term in sustainable way.”

“It became very clear…that these people [Ben & Barbara McGough] both had a love of this ranchland type country and of the environment in general that spurred them to find new ways to stabilize the ecological conditions around them.”

“EBIPM opened my eyes to problems that my own ignorance told me should be simple to fix but in actuality are not. By giving scientists a testable, adaptive, and consistent tool for invasive plants, we make it possible for solutions to be worked out for species like Juniper that can be applied in different situations for different outcomes.”

“It was a very valuable experience to be able to connect what we were discussing in class to what actually goes on in the field.”

“I took home so much information that will lead me to a much better decision making process in these kinds of rangeland degradation situations.”

Implications for Future Programming:

A working ranch video and associated products are just a part of a series of educational materials strategically developed to provide land managers, ranchers and students with decision support tools to manage invasive annual grasses. Documenting a successful case study provides the initial background to increase awareness and ultimately adoption of a broader based program in ecologically-based invasive plant management (EBIPM). These materials lay the groundwork for wide-spread adoption of EBIPM throughout the Western states. Using the EBIPM framework for management of these invasive species has the potential to improve millions of acres of rangeland in the west as well as affect rangeland management practices for the better.

Files

A Working Ranch bulletin

This bulletin follows the medusahead management plan developed on a central Oregon ranch during the last several years. The primary purpose is to give ranchers a perspective on the actual treatments and level of commitment needed in restoring medusahead-infested land.

A Working Ranch article

This bulletin follows the management plan developed on a central Oregon ranch over the last five years. The main purpose is to give ranchers a perspective on the actualtreatments and level of commitment needed in restoring medusahead-infested land. This article appeared in the Oregon Beef Producer in June 2010.

A Working Ranch DVD booklet

This booklet accompanies the DVD video (pages in this pdf file are out of order for printing purposes).

A Working Ranch DVD cover

This cover art is slipped into the cover of the DVD case.

Link to video on ForestryVideos

Uploaded by SREF staff