Feedlot - Southwest Beef

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Heritage Genetics Breed Comparison Study – First Year Calves

The Sustainable Southwest Beef Project is comparing conventional beef breed cattle to crossbred cattle of a conventional beef breed (Angus & Brangus) x heritage breed (Raramuri Criollo) to determine if a hardy, desert-adapted cow could be grazed on the rugged and arid rangelands often found in the Southwest, and, if bred to a conventional beef breed bull, still produce a calf that fits current American market expectations. This age progression video follows the first year of the study’s calves through their maturation.

A New Normal for Irrigated Agriculture to Sustain the Ogallala Aquifer

The Ogallala Aquifer underlies 45 million hectares, providing water for approximately 1.9 million people and supporting the robust agricultural economy of the US Great Plains. Beef is the dominant commodity, with Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas – major destinations for cattle from ranches of the arid Southwest – representing 35% of the nation’s cattle sales. Water in the Ogallala Aquifer has been severely depleted, particularly in the southern end. Continuing with business-as-usual water withdrawals puts the aquifer, and the agricultural economy that is built upon it, at risk.

BeefGEM Software Tool

The Beef Gas Emissions Model (BeefGEM) is a software tool for estimating ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, greenhouse gas, and volatile organic compound emissions of beef cattle operations as influenced by climate and management. The model also estimates the life cycle carbon footprint, fossil energy use and water consumption of the production system.