June 25, 2008
NEWS
By A. Titan
No Splendor in this Grass
 West Marin ranchers are facing disaster and in some cases financial ruin due to the poorest grass year in 50 years. While this year’s annual rainfall is above average, no rain in March, April and most of May means that the grass did not have a chance to grow and poor growth means that hillsides are depleted of food sources long before calves are usually sent to market. According to historical rainfall data, this is the worst year for grass since the 1870s when records were first kept.
Calves sold early mean less profit, a lot less, and what is more there isn’t enough grass to carry pregnant cows through this summer, fall and winter. Unless ranchers get help and soon, they could be driven out of business. What’s being done about this?
Appeals to the county agricultural commissioner have been made. Last week the Marin County Board of Supervisors signed off on the declaration of a countywide agricultural disaster. Sonoma and other counties have already done so. Officially declaring the disaster is an important first step in the process of securing help from the State of California and the USDA. The process is a lengthy one though, and help in the form of low interest loans and grants may arrive too late to help ranchers.
One rancher, Ted McIssaic is feeling the pinch sharply. His family has run cattle for 140 years on hilly pastures located near the junction of Pt. Reyes Station Road and Sir Francis Drake in what is now GGNRA Point Ryes National Seashore. McIssaic has already moved calves off his land and sold them early. His grass expert measured the remaining forage and determined that conditions were dire. McIssaic says he will have to move cows off the land within weeks. He says: “Overgrazing is not an option for me; I will not let this land be ruined.”
McIssaic is looking for a site close by to graze his remaining herd. He has requested the Park lease him pastures for the short term that were part of the old Jewel ranch, a property that borders his ranch. The grass is high there now and could help keep his cows till next spring’s grass comes. The Park has turned him down though. Park officials have told him that they have to put the lease out for bid and take the application through a process of environmental review. McIssaic says: “Years ago the property was offered to the Stewarts, whose ranch is on the other side of the ridge, but they turned it down. It was never offered to us even though it would make a logical addition to our operation. Furthermore, the Stewart offer proves that there is precedence for decision making that is outside the open bid process." He adds, “Environmental review, especially in the case of a disaster, is unnecessary.” McIssaic maintains that his ranch has been operated with sustainable practices for many generations. “We are good and acknowledged stewards of the land" he asserts.
McIssaic is also concerned that the Park is dragging out the process of the renewal on his lease. The McIssaic’s sold their land to the Park in the 1970’s but they retain the right to lease the land and continue agricultural uses. At present, the lease is up and the Park is late in the renewal process.
Regarding, the McIssaic situation, County Agricultural Commissioner Stacy Carlsen says he understands that the Park has its processes, but not helping out in an emergency of this scale is clearly not the “neighborly” thing. The County meanwhile, is looking into any and all alternatives to help its ranchers. “It’s not just beef cattle either, just about everyone in livestock is feeling the pressure, dairy, sheep, goats” says Carlsen.
When considering his options, rancher McIssaic says, “Relief needs to come soon. I have about 2 weeks left before I have to move the remainder of the cattle off the ranch to prevent the land from becoming overgrazed. Feeding them in place on trucked in hay isn’t an option. The price of feed and trucking is prohibitive, about $400 per day. Moving the remainder of the herd to remote leased pasture is also prohibitive. Selling the cows, means reduction of the business to the breaking point. If this happens there will be no coming back.”
If California is successful in getting the designation of a national agricultural disaster, ranchers will still have to apply for loans and grants that may or may not get funding from Congress. Even if they do apply, the amount of money will be spread out across the nation. Given the extreme weather problems in the Midwest and other agricultural centers farmers and ranchers may be justified in taking a grim outlook.
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