The Art of Range

Liesa and Russell Priddy's JB Ranch was the winner of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association Environmental Stewardship Award for Region 2 in 2023. Most of us don't associate South Florida with cattle and predator conflicts. But the Priddys were the first to document confirmed panther kills of cattle in the region, and the growing panther population just north of the Everglades has caused local ranchers to begin taking stock of how to protect livestock where there are panthers in the pasture. Listen to learn about this unique environment surrounding the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge and the ups and downs of ranching and critical environmental stewardship between the swamp and the hyper-urbanized Florida coast. The Art of Range Podcast is supported by the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission; Vence, a subsidiary of Merck Animal Health; and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center. Go to the episode page at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-174-florida-panthers-and-tough-cattle-rancher-liesa-priddy for a full transcript and links to resources mentioned in this interview.

The Adams Ranch was the first to develop a breed of cattle in Florida for Florida, the Braford breed. This Brahman - Hereford cross could handle heat and insects and still produce desirable meat. In this interview, Mike Adams describes agricultural history in this subtropical wilderness of grass and how his family has shaped and continues to shape the beef industry in the Deep South, including innovative meat marketing and continued cattle genetics refinement. The Adams Ranch was the Environmental Stewardship Award winner in 1991 for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association Region 2. The Art of Range Podcast is supported by the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission; Vence, a subsidiary of Merck Animal Health; and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center. A full transcript of this interview and website links are at the episode page, https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-173-mike-adams-florida-cattle-history-and-adams-ranch-brafords

New technology takes time to prove its worth. Jay and Chyenne Smith now have three grazing seasons' experience using Vence's virtual fence technology and they are convinced they will keep using it. Smiths initially used the Vence system to keep cattle out of the Moose Creek Fire burn area, thereby avoiding 2-3 years of non-use on the entire allotment (see episode 123). Since then, the other benefits of this animal tracking and distribution control system have proven valuable beyond mere exclusion. Be sure to watch the Life on the Range video of this project, linked here. The Art of Range Podcast is supported by the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission; Vence, a subsidiary of Merck Animal Health; and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center. Go to the episode page at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-172-vence-j-lazy-s-ranch-idaho-sequel-jay-smith for a full transcript of the interview and links to resources mentioned in this episode.

Stephanie Larson and Mikie McDonnell encourage you to attend the Society for Range Management's flagship event in Monterey, California to kick off the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists. Listen to learn about location, conference themes, tour options, and plenary sessions. Go to the episode page at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-171-celebrating-global-rangelands-pastoralism-srms-2026-annual-meeting for conference website links and a transcript of this conversation.

Cattle growth goals and livestock use of large, topographically challenging landscapes have been at odds for some decades. Weaning weights went up, cow weights went up, and herd distribution on rangelands went down. Dr. Jim Sprinkle, an Extension beef specialist at the University of Idaho, has been doing research that is providing guidance on developing cows that do both, leading to herds that are more efficient on feed and graze hillsides -- the Perfect Range Cow. This has significant implications for reducing land use conflicts, particularly with riparian grazing concerns on public lands, but also profitability and sustainability of range livestock operations. The Art of Range Podcast is supported by the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission; Vence, a subsidiary of Merck Animal Health; and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center. Visit the episode page at https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-170-dr-jim-sprinkle-perfect-range-cow for a full transcript of the interview and links to resources mentioned in the episode.