If you are in the farming and ranching business, a prolonged drought is impossible to ignore. Limited rainfall over the past couple of years has been hard on pastures, rangeland and hay production, as well as on people.

It’s not just minimal moisture that hurts forage production; one of the most aggravating side effects of drought can be a surge in hungry grasshopper populations.

With the world population recently passing the seven billion mark, many questions have been asked concerning the ability of our planet to feed this growing population. It is predicted that in the next 40 years, two billion more people will be eating on Earth.

Land is often the primary asset of a farm or ranch business, but it is also a major source of liability exposure. Harm to a person on the farm property can bring liability for medical bills, lost wages, attorney fees and other costs.

Management is an explicit process. It can be taught, and it can be learned. It takes time, dedication and self-discipline. Management is often the difference between success and failure.