By Clara Migoya || The Arizona Republic
Hayley Andrus runs a 700-cow ranching operation in Apache County with her husband. She struggled to keep the herd and the business afloat for nearly three years amid crippling drought. They were able to survive only because of conservation projects that allowed them to open new grassland and spread cattle to remote areas in years prior to the 2017-19 dry spell, she said.
“Without the projects that we implemented for conservation, I don’t think we would have been in business after 2019,” said Andrus, for whom the consciousness for natural resource preservation comes with the profession.
“Our sustainability is dependent on the land sustainability,” she said. “The rancher depends on the environment to live.”
The challenge for many farmers and ranchers like Andrus is finding the time and money to prioritize conservation practices while keeping daily operations going and not throwing profits off balance.
More:
