Fielding Ranch

The Fielding Ranch lies along the banks of the Pedernales River near Johnson City, Texas. Pam Fielding participated in Holistic Management International (HMI) educational events for several years growing an interest in a new paradigm for ranch management. She jumped at the opportunity to participate in the Soil for Water Program when it launched in 2015.

Since 1984,  HMI  has helped communities grow and thrive by educating family farmers and ranchers and pastoralists in regenerative agricultural practices that empower them to strengthen their businesses, produce healthier food, improve local wildlife habitats and protect the environment. The Soil for Water program partners with HMI regularly to host educational events and conduct research.

After years of mostly conventional continuous grazing, Pam Fielding decided to make a major change. She asked her ranch manager to learn how to plan and implement grazing according to the Holistic Management model. Working with Soil for Water Advisor and HMI Certified Educator, Peggy Sechrist, the Fielding Ranch manager developed a annual grazing plan on paper. This plan helps him monitor and record the grazing moves and balance when and where the cattle herd are at any given time, how long they stay, and how much recovery time is needed. To test this method, pasture 14 where Transect 1 is established will be grazed one time each year with a full year recovery to compare to Transect 2 in Pasture 13, which will be grazed much more frequently and with shorter recovery periods.

Previous scouting done by wildlife biologist Steve Nelle, has revealed several large remnant colonies of Indiangrass, Big Bluestem, Switchgrass, and Eastern Gamagrass in non-grazed parts of the ranch near the river. These remnants are benefiting from being near a water source as well as protection from grazing. Their presence indicates, to some degree, the potential for Fielding Ranch to produce higher succession native grass species once soil health, water holding capacity, and the ratio of soil microbes improve. Many of these improvements can occur with longer rest periods.

In Pasture 13 where Transect 2 is established, cattle come back more frequently to graze, thereby providing a comparison with Pasture 14 of how longer rest periods affect pasture function and ecology. Mesquite became a problem in Pasture 13 and Pam decided to remove some of them to keep them from taking over the pasture. However, there is no presence of Mesquite in Pasture 14. The soil in this pasture is highly compacted and feels hard when walking across it. Highly compacted soils can inhibit biodiversity above and below ground inhibiting water infiltration.

The ability of the soil to act as a sponge to absorb and hold water is impaired by low plant biomass and diversity. This leads to soil compaction from lack of root penetration, decreased organic matter, and poor aggregate formation in the soil structure. Water infiltration improves with healthy soil high in organic matter and balanced soil microbes. The Soil for Water program promotes five soil health principles as a way to capture and hold more rainwater in the soil, The five soil health principles are: keep the soil covered; continuous live root in the ground; minimize disturbance; increase biodiversity; and integrate livestock.