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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Beef Producers and Consumers Share “Everyday Environmentalist” Practices

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Mom is in charge of water conservation. Dad handles composting. The kids help make sure lights are off when they aren’t needed. Is this life in many typical American homes these days? You bet, and it’s a life shared by families across the country on America’s beef farms and ranches.

For people living in big cities and suburbs, life on a cattle ranch probably is hard to imagine. Sure, caring for a calf that is 75 pounds at birth is a little different than taking care of a 5-pound puppy. But when it comes to protecting the environment, there are a lot of similarities between families on farms and those in big cities.

Does your family conserve household water usage? Are you trying to save energy (and reduce bills) by replacing traditional light bulbs with compact fluorescents? These also are standard practices for many of America’s beef farmers and ranchers. In both cases, it all starts with the fact that the house you live in, and the land it sits on, is your family’s home, whether that’s a 12,000-acre cattle ranch in rural Northern California or a townhouse just outside Los Angeles.

“Our ranch has been in our family for two generations, and we take care of the land and water so it can support our family, our livestock and the wildlife for many more,” says Scott Stone, who raises cattle on the Yolo Land & Cattle Co. in Woodland, Calif. “The ranch is not only our business, it’s also our home.”

Nearly 90 percent of U.S.-based cattle farms and ranches are family-owned and operated. And two-thirds have been under the same family ownership for two generations or more. Because they are always looking for new ways to improve the air, land and water on or near their property, many beef producers consider themselves “everyday environmentalists.”

In a recent survey, 80 percent of beef farmers and ranchers said they use compact florescent bulbs and energy-efficient appliances in their homes. Many said they also have adopted other, more sophisticated energy technologies to protect the environment, such as using bio-fuels and solar and wind energy.

Nearly all beef producers reuse manure from the cattle pens to fertilize land or to sustain a compost pile, according to the survey, and most said they are taking steps to reduce their water usage. They plant trees and set aside preserves to protect native fish and wildlife.

The size and content of the compost heap probably looks small in a backyard when compared to one on a farm, but it’s an example of the similar types of actions Americans are taking for the environment. Americans are putting sprinklers on timers to conserve water and using organic waste to fertilize houseplants, flowerbeds and vegetable gardens. Whether it’s a truck or minivan, both ranchers and families in cities are looking at purchasing hybrid vehicles.

“Working on our ranch, my family cares just as much about protecting the environment and teaching our kids why it’s important as the folks who live in towns and cities. We’re all proud to be everyday environmentalists,” says Stone.