Hershey Ranch

Hershey Ranch located in Gillespie County in the Central Texas Hill Country has a fascinating history. It is composed of property from seven land grants and patents that date back to when Texas was a Colony of Spain. In 1857, the property known today as the Hershey Ranch was once owned by a Scottish cotton factory owner which is unique because Gillespie County was largely settled by Germans. Jake and Teresa Hershey purchased the property in 1976 for cattle ranching. Good land stewardship was always a priority for them. They donated a conservation easement to the Hill Country Land Trust to protect it from future development. It is now the largest piece of protected land in Gillespie County.

The Hershey's arranged for their cherished ranch to be managed by Dr. Andy Sansom: currently Director of Environmental Strategy with the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University and former Executive Director for The Nature Conservancy (Texas) and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Andy joined the Soil for Water program in spring of 2016. Dr. Sansom has been a strong supporter of the program and eager to see what the multi-year monitoring data will reveal as he incorporates regenerative management using planned grazing. Currently, management is in the process of developing a long-term grazing plan in conjunction with Soil for Water’s monitoring program after a two-year period of rest.

The pastures at Hershey Ranch, for the most part, have been cautiously grazed. Pasture 1 in particular has been be afforded valuable recovery time between grazing periods. This pasture is 501 acres and is grazed as one pasture without division. The grazing pattern in a pasture this size created a mosaic with some areas grazed repeatedly and some areas left untouched. When new leaves were trying to emerge in the spring the old plant material was blocking photosynthesis and stunting new plant growth.

In early 2018, a controlled burn was executed in Pasture 1 to remove all the old oxidized plant material. In some places it left bare ground (see photo below). All grazing continued to be excluded during the recovery period. Spring rains that year were beneficial in supporting regrowth.

This photo shows Pasture 1 in October 2020 two years following the controlled burn. You can see abundant regrowth of desirable species. No grazing has been applied since the burn. These plants are becoming large and increased photosynthesis in the pasture is helping to enhance the below ground microbial community and nutrient cycling. Management is considering the re-introduction of grazing now to manage the plant growth in a regenerative way. Using portable poly electric fencing is being considered to enhance more uniform utilization of the forages.

The transect in Pasture 2 was established on a ridge top where the soil is thin and generally poor. Pasture 2 had been grazed longer than pasture 1 and showed the impact of overgrazing. It was thought at the time that this transect was established that it would be a long road to recovery. Two years of total rest (absence of any disturbance or livestock grazing) reveals how resilient the land can be. Additionally, many plant species that were not previously seen are showing up in this pasture. The photo to the left, taken in spring of 2018, shows good soil coverage. Moving forward, grazing will be managed to prevent overuse and uneven grazing.