A Systems Thinking Approach to Ranching: Finding Leverage to Mitigate Drought

On the Ground
- Drought is an adaptive challenge where management strategies and practices that work today might not work tomorrow. Adaptive challenges facing management may require thinking systemically to determine leverage points.
- Systems thinking can be an effective way to see the big picture, deal with complex situations, and create effective long-term management alternatives for the ranch.
- Successful management alternatives will provide flexibility to protect the core business (i.e., cow herd), be enterprise-diverse to spread risk, and allow management for the good of the whole, not simplyto maximize the pieces.
- It is important to evaluate your own ranching system to identify the appropriate enterprises or practices, there is no best mix.