Forrest & Ellen Armke
Ford Ranch
Melvin, Texas — Summer 1997
by Forrest Armke
To improve income at the Ford Ranch was our initial goal-the reason we
decided to change management. The side benefits have been unbelievable-improvement
in quality of life, satisfaction in seeing the earth heal, etc.. We started
HRMt practice in 1987 when then Ag Trust Officer Tom Woodward took the
course. I did not get to take the base course until 1989 in Austin, followed
by other courses through the years.
THE WHOLE: Ford Ranch (G.R. White Trust, Joy Lena White Trust-Bank One
Fort Worth) 32,000 acres of gentle, rolling hills covered with low oak
brush and a dense grass turf. There are mesquite flats with deep topsoil
and thick turf. Located in Menard, Concho and McCullogh counties 12 miles
west of Brady, Tx, the ranch lies on the northern boundary of the cross
timbers section of Texas.
We define the whole as the management team's quality of life. The intertwined
management of wildlife and livestock-each managed to complement the range
as the ecosystem heals. Our hunters are an important part of the whole.
Each part has a necessary contribution to make to benefit the land and
the people. Managed together to complement each other, the system improves
as a whole.
The management team consists of: Walt Richburg-Ag Trust Officer, Bank
One Fort Worth, Forrest Armke-Manager, Ellen Armke-Assistant Manager,
Cord Armke- 16 year old, Wade Armke-working on Master's Degree in Range
Science at A. S. U.
THREE PART GOAL
Quality of Life-To enjoy rural living to its fullest. To demonstrate integrity
in our daily lives. To improve the ecosystem on this land as to better
enjoy God's creations. To aid in the healing of the land.
Landscape Description-To get Mother Earth haired over and growing again.
To grow dense enough turf to cover the soil and get some of the old world
grasses from the turn of the century back again.
Production-To maximize livestock production and wildlife income. This
is a must to service the annual required payout of the G. Rollie White
Charity Trust. To continue to operate debt free while improving our environment.
Q. How does your three-part goal get translated into day-to-day operations?
The most physically important part of day-to-day operations is grazing
and monitoring. Everything else revolves around this. Forage + Timed Grazing
= Healthy Environment for Livestock, Wildlife and People.
Biological monitoring-In the growing season, a minimum of 30 miles per
day is spent on a 4-wheeler, as grass conditions cannot be properly monitored
along fencelines and pasture roads. All livestock is always concentrated
on 5,000 acres. Forage must be monitored on the other 27,000 acres in
order to have adequate regrowth before the herd returns.
Financial monitoring-Budgets are set annually. Each month as bills are
paid, a monthly financial update is reviewed so expenses do not get away
from us. This way there are no year-end surprises. Projected income is
updated quarterly as livestock markets fluctuate. Projected wildlife income
can change with the weather and must be monitored as the year progresses.
Q. What kind of progress have you made in achieving your three-part goal?
Historic landscape practices left the land with dense shin-oak, hard capped
soil and sparsely spaced plants. There was poor quality wildlife with
periodic massive die-offs, livestock with poor conception rates and light
weaning weights.
Through managed livestock grazing patterns, the soil capping was broken,
old seeds sprouted and the turf thickened. As the old world grasses return
to these gentle rolling hills, there is more quality of life for the wildlife,
as well as for man. The once cursed shin-oak now provides forage and cover
for livestock and wildlife in a now lush environment.
The conception rates and weaning weights for livestock have improved drastically.
The survival rates for fawns have done the same. In times of drought,
the wildlife and livestock stay fat and healthy.
The land was managed in 2,000 to 3,000 acre pastures of continuous grazing.
This progressed to a 4 pasture 3 herd grazing system. The grass density
improved. Pastures were the split up with permanent 3 and 5-wire electric
fences. As smaller conventional pastures were built, herds were combined
and rotational grazing was sped up as the earth began to heal. Herds were
combined until there were only 3 herds of cows (300 to 400 cows per herd).
We also maintain one herd of first calf heifers and one herd of just weaned
heifers to breed. In addition, we run one herd of Angora muttons. We never
have less than 27,000 acres without a head of livestock on it.
We have added over 24 miles of permanent electric fence, creating more
conventional pastures to rotate out livestock through. We plan to add
5 1/2 miles more in 1997. As cross fences were added, water lines, troughs
and reservoirs were added to improve water accessibility. As this was
achieved, we were able to rest more range at any one time, thereby having
more forage production. As the livestock became accustomed to moving without
stress, our day-to-day life became easier.
In the 80s, the earth in the mesquite flats would crack open as much
as 6 inches in times of drought. As the earth capping decreased and the
turf thickened, the dense roots loosened the soil. Now 10 years later,
in times of severe drought the earth no longer cracks open. The plants
respond to less rainfall because water does not run off. It now penetrates
the loose soil held together by the dense root Livestock Stress = More
Pounds Produced. More Diverse Forage = Healthier Livestock. Our quality
of life just gets better and better!
Q. Please describe any significant experience, problems or achievements
that you might have had with specific tools (fire, grazing, etc.)
One of the most significant impacts planned grazing has had is on prickly
pear. Thousands of acres once under dense pear motts are now covered with
dense eatable forage. Historical grazing practices created a haven for
pear. During the great depression of the 1930s, pear camps were created
on the Ford Ranch. The entire ranch was grubbed free of pear. Under the
same grazing practices, it rapidly returned. We have used fire and chemicals
to successfully remove pear, but rotational grazing has proven to be the
most cost effective.
Q. What problems have you encountered and what mistakes have you made?
How did you correct the problems?
Our biggest rotation mistake was trying to train our herds during calving
season. We have learned to: Wait till the calves are at least three weeks
old on heifers. Start training cows without calves. Slow down rotation
during calving. Leave gates open after moving cows so a cow that left
a calf behind can go back and get it. Close gates at dawn or dusk-this
gives a cow a better chance to be with her calf-dawn is preferred because
of the natural nursing cycle. Recheck fenceline where cattle came from.
Cows with fresh calves will try to catch up with the herd. Using these
guidelines, we no longer orphan calves.
Q. What advice would you give someone just beginning to practice HRM?
SLOW DOWN, OBSERVE, AND KEEP AN OPEN MIND.
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