Volume 8, Issue 3
Winter 2013
KING RANCH
®
INSTITUTE FOR RANCH MANAGEMENT
FEATURES 3 4
Wagon Tracks
“Advocating for Agricultural Water“ By Dr. Clay P. Mathis
Internship Insight
KRIRM students gain valuable insight through the required internship program By Kindra Gordon
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Impacting the Industry
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A Decade of Excellence
KRIRM faculty report findings of BQA Project By Ashley Patterson
Celebrating 10 years of KRIRM By Ashley Patterson
Published by the KING RANCH ® INSTITUTE FOR RANCH MANAGEMENT Texas A&M University-Kingsville 700 University Blvd., MSC 137 Kingsville, TX 78363 361-593-5401 361-593-5404 fax krirm@tamuk.edu http://krirm.tamuk.edu Clay P. Mathis, Ph.D., Director and Endowed Chair Ashley Patterson, Editor
MANAGEMENT COUNCIL Chair: James H. Clement Jr., King Ranch, Inc. Caroline Alexander Forgason, Robert J. Kleberg, Jr. & Helen C. Kleberg Foundation Gus T. Canales, A.T. Canales Ranches Dave DeLaney, King Ranch, Inc. Lynn Drawe, Ph.D., Retired Director Rob & Bessie Welder Wildlife Foundation Paul C. Genho, Ph.D., AgReserves, Inc. Jack Hunt, Retired CEO King Ranch Inc. Bob McCan, McFaddin Enterprises
Cover Art: “ Hicks’ Herefords” Tim Cox www.timcox.com
2 Winter 2013 KRIRM
“ Advocating for Agricultural Water” From the Director, Dr. Clay P. Mathis
A
s a new year begins, I would like to extend my sincerest thank you to everyone who made last year a great success for the King Ranch® Institute for Ranch Management. We are pleased to announce that this year marks the 10th Anniversary of KRIRM. With this anniversary, exciting events will be in store for our program. But first, I want to take a look back at the 9th Annual Holt Cat® Symposium on Excellence in Ranch Management that focused on water. The availability of water for agricultural use is possibly the most important issue facing our ability to feed the growing world population. The symposium addressed water issues because our industry must take action and become further engaged in the water debate. Months prior to the symposium, KRIRM hosted a round table discussion with a working group of 19 concerned stakeholders and leaders in our industry who collectively manage more than five million acres of farm and ranch land. The meeting was held for the sole purpose of developing recommendations on how our industry should strategically take action in the water debate. Deliberations concentrated on comprehensive issues that affect all water users. The product of the meeting is a white paper entitled “Agricultural Water: Protecting the Future of Our Nation.” The white paper was developed to:
• Effectively use existing water resources • Responsibly increase water supplies • Encourage continued investment in water infrastructure • Protect water rights ownership • Incentivize innovation and private investment in water resource management Unless there are significant shifts in local, state, and federal water policy, water supply problems will only worsen. In addition, political and legal battles will increase, opportunities to develop cooperative solutions lost, and the cost of water, food, fiber, and renewable fuels will drastically rise. The goal of the white paper and the 2012 symposium was to guide policy discussions and help our nation because our national security is at stake. However, we as an industry will only make progress if we take action. It is our industry that must step up and take the lead in this debate. It will take some of our time, a strong commitment leadership, and some compromises along the way, but the consequences of inaction are too great for us not to engage at all levels. The future of our precious water lies in this political debate.
“It is our industry that must step up and take the lead in this debate...The future of our precious water lies in this political debate.”
• Call on landowners and agricultural producers to engage at all levels of the water debate and lead the strategic development of solutions to long-term water issues facing our nation • Voice the urgency of water issues • Reach out to the greater community on the critical need for wise water resource planning • Urge sound policy development in local, state, and national forums The three priority issues identified were: 1) water supply, 2) water resource stewardship, and 3) long-term water policy. General recommendations on these issues are to:
Photo by JoAnne Meeker
wagon WT tracks KRIRM Winter 2013
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By Kindra Gordon
T
homas Edison is credited with the quote, “There’s no substitute for hard work.” In today’s fast-changing, technological world that still holds true. As individuals prepare for future careers, internships can be integral experience for gaining the real world knowledge, and hard work, necessary for future success. King Ranch® Institute for Ranch Management (KRIRM) students have the opportunity to gain such insight by completing a summer internship prior to their graduation. During the summer of 2012, KRIRM second year students Travis Moore and Jeff Duncan did just that. Duncan interned at Broseco Ranch near Mt. Pleasant, Texas, while Moore headed West to intern at Wilson Cattle Company in North Powder, Ore. Here, they highlight some of their experiences:
Large-Scale Ranches
Broseco Ranch is a 13,000 acre ranch that runs about 200 Red Angus cattle and 2,300 “red-line” cattle, which are a mixture of Red Angus, Brahman, and Hotlander cattle. “They all carry a red, slick coat, and are specially bred to withstand the hot, humid conditions in east Texas,” Duncan explains. For Duncan, the internship at the large-scale Broseco 4 Winter 2013 KRIRM
Scenic view of cattle at Wilson Cattle Co. in North Powder, Oregon, where KRIRM student Travis Moore interned.
Ranch was a welcome opportunity. A native of Lander, Wyo., he was not raised on a ranch. But he had the opportunity to spend time on his grandfather’s ranch in Colorado when he was growing up, and says, “As far back as I can remember, I wanted to work and live the ranching lifestyle. That’s just the way God made me.” After completing his undergraduate degree in agribusiness, Duncan worked for a Garden City, Kansas, feedlot before returning to Wyoming where he worked for True Ranches for seven years, then joined the Hoodoo Ranch near Cody in 2010. JD Radakovich, a KRIRM alumnus, had just taken on the role of manager at the Hoodoo Ranch as well, and through that association, Duncan learned of the KRIRM program and decided to pursue it. Moore on the other hand, grew up on ranches, first on the Deseret Ranches in Florida, then moving to the King Ranch in Texas with his family when he was 14. Moore did his undergraduate work at Texas A&M University-Kingsville and Texas A&M University in College Station, graduating from College Station in 2006 with a degree in animal science. He returned to Florida and worked for Deseret for five years, before returning to Kingsville for the KRIRM program. For Moore, leaving Texas for his internship meant an
opportunity to push beyond projects so management his geographical comfort could quickly enter several zone and gain perspective different action scenarios from a different region of and see what the outcomes the country. would be five years in the Located in Oregon’s future,” Duncan says. northeastern corner, Wilson Cattle Co., which is owned Good Experience by the same family that While the work experience operates the large feeding that both Moore and company Beef Northwest, Duncan gained through runs about 2,000 cows their internships will shape and approximately 12,000 their future careers, both stockers. Moore primarily men agree that it’s actually assisted the cowboy crew the personal relationships Jeff Duncan working on Broseco Ranch in Mt. Pleasant, Texas. with their daily activities, which they forged with other included processing incoming individuals on the ranch that provided the most insight. cattle, rotating herds, doctoring in pasture, and shipping Duncan says, “By far, the best part of the internship calves to the feedyard. was my time spent with Tom Woodward, Broseco Ranch With Moore’s background primarily in the cow/ Manager. He was an excellent mentor and I’m proud to calf sector, his role at Wilson Cattle Co. provided call him a friend. He was kind enough to set aside time him an opportunity to learn about the intricacies of specifically to talk with me about the ranch, decisions growing yearlings, intensive grazing and flood irrigating. he has made, issues he continues to deal with, and Additionally, during his internship, Moore completed a expectations for the future.” production feasibility analysis for the ranch. Of his experience in Oregon, Moore, who moved Back in Texas, Duncan there for the internship also worked with the “cow with his wife and three crew” in the mornings young children, says, “I am with their usual activities very grateful to the crew of of moving cattle, branding Wilson Cattle Company calves, and typical cowboy for their willingness to tasks. In the afternoons, assist in my growth and Duncan devoted his assuring my family and I time to completing two had a rewarding experience. projects. One was assessing We were surrounded by the purebred herd and great people who were determining what action(s) always willing to help. this year would yield the That is what I will take largest payback in five years with me most as a future in a large sale of purebred ranch manager—treating Moore and his children at Anthony Lakes Ski Resort. Red Angus cattle. people well and ensuring The second project involved the ranch’s wildlife they have a rewarding experience all while providing an program, which they are working to develop into a opportunity for growth.” revenue-generating hunting enterprise. Duncan explains, In offering advice to others in an internship or “They are breeding some trophy deer, which they plan to learning position, Duncan offers this advice: “Try to find release into the wild on ranch property to enhance their a solid, professional manager. Be humble, be open to deer herd’s genetics.” suggestion, and learn from managers who have been in His role as an intern was to assess the current deer the industry for a long time.” herd, their reproductive rates, feed costs, and facilities He concludes, “Much can be learned by just and determine an optimal release schedule while keeping watching them in their dealings with the people of the deer inventories under their maximum occupancies for ranch they manage and the way they go about their job captive deer. “I created spreadsheet models for both every day.” KRIRM Winter 2013 5
By Ashley Patterson
T
he King RanchŽ Institute for Ranch Management (KRIRM) is not only educating the most diverse ranch managers in the industry, but is also impacting the agricultural industry through the service efforts of its faculty. Faculty members of KRIRM were approached by the National Cattleman’s Beef Association (NCBA) Committee of Producer Education to develop a plan and strategy for effective on-ranch training 6 Winter 2013 KRIRM
of Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) educational information. Funded by The Beef Checkoff, BQA is a national program that provides guidelines of husbandry and management techniques to ranchers to retain the beef demand and earn trust with beef consumers. BQA programs are created based on good management practices (GMP) and focus on training and educating farm advisors, ranchers, and veterinarians on issues regarding food quality and safety.
About the project
Ryan Rhoades, Ph.D., a KRIRM faculty member since 2009 and the lead on the BQA project, explained that the BQA training has traditionally been delivered online or during meetings conducted by state extension programs. While these programs have been effective, leaving the ranch for training is not a feasible option for most ranch managers and employees. In an effort to provide more convenient training to ranches, the project prioritized the critical BQA training materials to be used in a training “toolbox” for employees at all levels in the operation. This toolbox, designed to fit individual ranch’s needs, would be used by ranch managers and supervisors to provide on-site training to employees in a simple and accessible way. An important point to consider with BQA training is the number of cattle impacted, said Rhoades. The number of producers educated is important, but the main goal of BQA training is to impact the greatest number of cattle. The research team surveyed a varied set of producers, industry professionals, and academia in different geographical regions to identify the needs, opportunities, and challenges in creating a BQA toolbox. The response from these individuals will be considered when organizing the materials and resources in the BQA toolbox to ensure that needs and concerns have been addressed.
Results
Most of the producer’s and agriculturalist’s answers showed trends throughout the interview. Most producers interviewed said that their ranches were impacted by lost value if BQA
best management practices were not followed. Training in animal handling and health aspects was indicated as the most valuable information that ranchers could receive from BQA. To customize the BQA toolbox for different types of ranchers, it was noted that materials should be targeted to certain employees based on experience, background, and responsibilities. A simple and easy to use toolbox was suggested, training that any employee could deliver. Additional training to managers might be necessary to begin using the toolbox, which was indicated as a potential problem, and incentives to complete that training may be needed to foster participation. Also, the participants noted that official certification of the toolbox program could also aid in participation.
Further involvement from KRIRM
Clay Mathis, Ph.D, director and endowed chair of KRIRM, and KRIRM faculty member Kim McCuistion, Ph.D., were also involved in this project. The students of KRIRM served as a focus group and were an important part of the process to determine critical BQA training materials and needs. The project will have two more phases; this survey was the first step in the development of the BQA toolbox. Faculty and students at KRIRM will be further involved in defining the training objectives, developing facilitator guidelines, testing the materials with ranch managers and employees, revising and finalizing the materials, and identifying what could be improved or changed for future BQA training materials. Example of training materials in BQA toolbox KRIRM Winter 2013
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By Ashley Patterson
T
he King Ranch, steeped in tradition and rich in history, celebrated its 150th Anniversary in 2003. In commemoration of that grand achievement, the King Ranch family and supporters created the King Ranch® Institute for Ranch Management (KRIRM) at Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) to train a unique set of ranch managers to lead the way in a complex and ever-changing ranching industry. Now, on its 10 year anniversary, KRIRM celebrates its success as a program positioned to make an even greater impact in the future.
KRIRM Classes of 2011 and 2012.
A history and a vision
The idea of KRIRM began slowly as Paul Genho, Ph.D., general manager of King Ranch from 1998-2004, and now president of AgReserves Inc., in Salt Lake City, Utah, was continually approached by owners of largescale ranches who were searching for experienced and well-trained ranch managers. He explained how difficult it was to recommend young, experienced managers who held master’s degrees because with many agricultural programs, particularly a master’s degree, research is the main focus, said Genho. Genho described ranch management as a multidisciplinary field, the marriage of science and business. “You need both of them, the science and the business, to be a successful ranch manager,” said Genho. When the 150th anniversary of King Ranch was approaching, the company wanted to commemorate its founding. A discussion ensued and in the end a family member, Helenita Kleberg Groves, insisted that King Ranch do something meaningful for the ranching industry and the community of Kingsville. James H. Clement Jr., a King Ranch family member and nephew of Groves, recalled her saying, “It needs to be more than just a party.” Genho voiced the idea of supporting a ranch management program at TAMUK, which was well received by all stakeholders. With that vision and commitment to the small town 8 Winter 2013 KRIRM
Annual Holt Cat® Symposium on Excellence in Ranch Management session.
that King Ranch calls home in mind, the development of a master’s program began that would take ranch management to the next level. Support came from all levels within TAMUK, including the president, the dean of the College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Human Sciences (AGNRHS) at that time, Ron Rosatti, Ph.D., and then Associate Dean Allen Rasmussen, Ph.D., who now holds the position of dean. With that support, Genho and Clement began fundraising for KRIRM. Within a year’s time, $9 million was raised. The idea to create this type of program is fitting for a family filled with ranching tradition and history. Clement explained how the King Ranch family is dedicated in helping the industry that is their livelihood and that makes up the fabric of the United States. Creating a program to impact the industry was first and foremost; however, King Ranch wanted something that
the city of Kingsville could benefit from. “In addition to putting together an Institute,” said Clement, “we wanted something that would also add economic benefit to the community.” It was a combined effort of donors, stakeholders, university administration, and especially King Ranch family members, who made this idea into reality, said Genho. Quicker than any one believed possible, the $10 million fundraising milestone was accomplished, which was important for program exposure, said the first and former director of KRIRM, Barry Dunn, Ph.D. “That was huge accomplishment that caught everyone’s attention, showing that we really had something,” he said.
A unique model
What makes KRIRM a unique program is that it offers the only Master of Science in Ranch Management degree in the world. The curriculum at KRIRM is based off a model called systems thinking, another unique aspect, which is the idea that all facets of managing a ranch are intertwined, and a decision on each facet affects the entire operation. It is the law of unintended consequences and making decisions without complete information. The melding of agricultural science and agricultural business is key for this unique program. This model, described by Dunn as “captivating” to many, has educated nearly 30 students at KRIRM. These students spend two years in Kingsville, Texas, taking finance, accounting, business, and agricultural courses at TAMUK. Various ranch projects throughout the year, including projects in conjunction with King Ranch, culminate with a final project required for graduation. Students also spend their first summer in the program interning at ranches across the country, which takes students out of the geographical regions they are accustomed to and teaches them how other large ranches operate. “The way the educational model incorporates big
picture applied projects into the academic program,” said Director and Endowed Chair Clay P. Mathis, Ph.D., “gives the students an opportunity to learn and develop in the context of ranching.” Since its inception, 20 students have graduated from the master’s program, with the first two students graduating in 2006. Although the program is small in comparison to some master’s programs, its students make a major impact to the industry. Many of the graduates are ranch managers at some of the most well-known ranches in the country, including Hoodoo Ranch, Padlock Ranch, and Deseret Cattle and Citrus. Mathis, who has been director of KRIRM since 2010, explained that this impact is mainly due to the quality of the students’ leadership skills. “It’s about the capabilities of the students,” he said, “and the potential they have as leaders in the industry ten or twenty years from now.”
Committed to lifelong learning
TAMUK and the college of AGNRHS were critical in the creation of KRIRM, and still critical in the program’s success. The connection between KRIRM and TAMUK, the premier university in South Texas, sets the stage for the public to trust the information and research coming from both entities, explained Rasmussen. The university provides students with a degree, something that an institute cannot grant without a university, and in turn, KRIRM has brought a strong management program to TAMUK. Another vital aspect of KRIRM is the management council, a group of ranch managers, wildlife specialists, and businessmen and women, including Genho and Clement, who oversee the operations of KRIRM. Each council members ranching and professional experience contributes to the betterment of the program. During their quarterly meetings, council members assist in determining symposia and lectureship topics, developing curriculum, selecting graduate students, and more. The growth of KRIRM in the early years was due
KRIRM Winter 2013
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Commit to Lifelong Learning
to the hard work and dedication of the management council, explained Dunn. “The management council brought their credibility to [KRIRM],” he said. “They did a great job pulling people together to add credibility.”
Public outreach
Upcoming Events March 11-12, 2013
Strategic Planning Lectureship
August 12-15, 2013
John B. Armstrong Lectureship on Systems Thinking
September 20-21, 2013
B.K. “Kley” Johnson Lectureship on Current Ranching Issues: Managerial Accounting
10 Winter 2013 KRIRM
In 2003, KRIRM hosted its first Holt Cat® Symposium on Excellence in Ranch Management, an educational event that reached out to the ranching community and attracted many people of notoriety, said Dunn, and laid the foundation for today’s successful symposia. Since then, a symposium has been held every year, focusing on the current issues of the ranching industry at that time. Stemming from the early successes of the symposia, the Texas AgFinance Certificate in Advanced Ranch Management program was created in 2008 in partnership with Texas AgFinance, an agricultural credit association based in Robstown, Texas. This program is intended for anyone involved in the agricultural industry, whether a rancher or an agricultural loan officer, and provides continuing education courses in the areas of equine management, business, accounting, oil and gas, systems thinking, strategic planning, and more. “I think keeping the issues of the day at the forefront of the industry is important,” said Clement, “and we’ll have to carefully consider what the threats and challenges are out there and present that to the rancher.” To receive the certificate, individuals must attend four lectureships and two symposia within a threeyear period. Since 2008, 70 ranchers, landowners, agricultural loan officers, realtors, and more have earned their certificate. “The idea of trying to help the entire industry, not just [King Ranch],” said Rasmussen, “is a pretty amazing thing for the family to put together.”
Looking ahead
Mathis explained that the graduate program, being at the core of KRIRM, will continually be refined and improved to develop students and provide service to the ranching and agricultural industries. The lectureships and outreach programs will also grow, offering education to everyone within the industry. “We must help the ranching industry and agriculture in general in doing more to develop leaders, those individuals who will be at the helm of the industry in the future,” said Mathis. So, the tradition of making a commitment to something greater than oneself will continue on, as KRIRM celebrates how far that commitment has come in ten years.
be a leader; make a difference with a master’s degree in Ranch Management
The King Ranch® Institute for Ranch Management is the only program in the world that offers a Master of Science in Ranch Mangement. Our students are educated to be leaders in the ranching industry and are prepared to make a positive difference as ranch managers. We bring graduate students and top experts in the ranching industry together. The curriculum teaches a multi-disciplinary, systems approach to ranch management. Our alumni have found careers in ranch management, academia, wildlife, and with land management agencies. We are accepting new student applications until March 31, 2013. Visit http://krirm.tamuk.edu/ mastersprogram.html, or call us to learn more about the program and admisssion requirements.
krirm@tamuk.edu • 361-593-5401 • krirm.tamuk.edu facebook.com/KRIRM • twitter.com/KRIRM Photo by JoAnne Meeker
KING RANCH® INSTITUTE FOR RANCH MANAGEMENT TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY-KINGSVILLE
NON PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID CORPUS CHRISTI, TX
PERMIT NO.
MSC 137 Texas A&M University-Kingsville Kingsville, TX 78363
Photo by JoAnne Meeker