Utah State Extension in San Juan County: Coping with Drought

Utah State Extension in San Juan County: Coping with Drought

David Robinson is a third generation rancher in San Juan County dealing with the worst drought of any of those generations.

On top of that, there are many outside influences that make ranching more difficult in San Juan County. Since the county is 96 percent government land, there are numerous regulations and agencies to deal with.

"Extension agent Jim Keys has been here to help us with herd improvement but also to help us keep up with all the regulations," Robinson said. "This year the most crucial issue to going to be reducing feed costs because there isn't enough winter range available on the public lands. Not many ranchers can afford enough hay to last all winter, so we are looking for alternatives. Jim has been working with us to locate other commodities to feed our cattle and with ration balancing formulas."