Special Report

California’s drought ‘devastating’ to state’s cattle industry

It’s estimated that California has lost up to 30 percent of its beef cow herd this year due to the ongoing drought in that state.

Kevin Kester, who ranches in the central coast area of California, says their operation is in the bullseye of the drought and they’re simply trying to hold on.

“We’ve had to cut back drastically in our cow numbers on the ranch,” Kester says. “We’re just keeping a few cows to see if we can struggle through until Mother Nature blesses us with some rain again.”

Kester says they have been supplementing their cattle with hay.

“As any rancher knows, it’s generally unsustainable to do that for a very long period of time.  But we’ve made a business decision to supplement a couple hundred cows or so and see if we can make it through until it rains again.”

Brownfield visited with Kester at the Cattle Industry Summer Conference in Denver.

AUDIO: Kevin Kester (1:42 MP3)