AoR 171: Celebrating Global Rangelands & Pastoralism at SRM's 2026 Annual Meeting

[ Music ]

[Tip Hudson:] Welcome to the Art of Range, a podcast focused on rangelands and the people who manage them. I'm your host, Tip Hudson, range and livestock specialist with Washington State University Extension. The goal of this podcast is education and conservation through conversation. Find us online at artofrange.com.

[ Music ]

Welcome back to the Art of Range. My guests today are Stephanie Larson, who is an Emeritus Livestock and Range Advisor with the University of California Davis Cooperative Extension System. And Mikie McDonald. Mikie is the Stewardship Manager for the California Rangeland Trust, and a member of the Society of Range Management. They're also involved in the planning for the 2026 Society of Range Management annual meeting, which is also the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists. So, this promises to be a big meeting. Stephanie and Mikie, welcome. [Stephanie Larson:] Thank you, Tip. [Tip Hudson:] So, the meeting is in Monterey Bay. I have lived in the West most of my life, but I don't think, I haven't spent that much time in California, and I had not heard of Monterey Bay. So, let's start with the location. Why is California hosting this meeting? And where is Monterey Bay, and why should we go there? [Stephanie Larson:] Thank you, Tip. California CalPac section is honored to be hosting this meeting to highlight the rangelands of California. We feel it's our obligation and our privilege to share with the other members of SRM throughout the United States and internationally to host this meeting, especially during the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists. Monterey Bay is about an hour south of San Francisco. It's kind of in the middle of California, right on the coast. [Tip Hudson:] Mhmm. Yeah, not everybody knows California as a place with lots of rangeland. But California is really big. You have rangeland forests, irrigated pasture, all kinds of wildlife. There's bears and wolves and sheep and cows. And, of course, interesting people. Talk a little built about the variety of ecosystem types that are in California. [Stephanie Larson:] Absolutely. We have, we do have quite a range of variety types of rangelands in California. And about 40% of California is rangelands, so we do have a lot. So, we'll have chaparral and sagebrush and perennial grasslands and annual rangeland, along with our forests lands as well. And so we have quite a variety. What you'll also see around Monterey is also we have a variety of other agriculture production, so you'll see a lot of vegetables being grown in Monterey, a lot of grapes and trees. So, we're going to offer up a whole variety of agriculture, with a strong emphasis on our rangelands. [Tip Hudson:] Mhmm. I feel like I'm preaching to the choir, and people don't need to be told that SRM meetings are worth attending. But do you have any thoughts on why this one in particular is worth attending, in terms of the content? [Stephanie Larson:] Well, in the content, we're very excited, because we are associated with the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, so we will have a very strong international theme to our meeting, so we're really focusing on California specifically in our rangelands, in the different types that we have, the public and private interactions. We're really promoting a lot for our local producers to come. But also we're bringing folks from different countries to share in their experiences and their knowledge about rangelands, and how we are excited that the 2026 meeting is the, also corresponds with the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists. [Tip Hudson:] Mhmm. Mikie, in what way are you involved with the meeting? [Mikie McDonald:] I am currently helping plan the social and technical tours. We have a variety of tours that we are offering to really highlight the diversity of California rangelands, both places and people. We're kind of going off of a little literation, as far as the names of the tours, so, for example, we have a rambling range tour that will take you from Monterey through, through the southern part of California to Parkfield and Paso Robles area. There is one called Estates and Ecosystems, which is co sponsored with the Santa Lucia Conservancy; a very high profile housing development that also has cattle grazing and rangelands within that sector. Another one that's very, you know, specific to, well, not specific to California, but very important for those Californians, is Feathers, Flames and Field, immersing yourself in the ecological heritage of San Benito County. We will go down to the Pinnacles National Park on that tour, talk to a fellow CalPac SRM member who is grazing the bottomlands in that national park, which is a pretty incredible project. [Tip Hudson:] It's [inaudible]. [Mikie McDonald:] Yes, very much so. And then we have a couple of just social tours. Some can be self guided, there's whale watching. We're also offering a pedals to pebbles tour, if you're feeling adventurous for a 17 mile picturesque tour of Pebble Beach that riding very comfortable, I've been told they're very comfortable bikes. [Tip Hudson:] Oh, pedals, as in P E D A. [Mikie McDonald:] Pedals, yes. [Tip Hudson:] I'm thinking petals, like superbloom flower petals or something. But February is probably too early for a superbloom. [Mikie McDonald:] It depends on the year. [Tip Hudson:] Only barely? [Mikie McDonald:] Depends on the year. But I would say more vernal pool for some of those blooms in that area. But, yeah, we have a lot going on. We're really trying to show people that, you know, have a view of California as maybe not being where the most diverse rangelands are in the country. And, again, highlighting those people that make it all happen. [Tip Hudson:] Yeah, there could be the impression that people have heard of annual grasslands of California, that the whole thing's just cheatgrass. But that's not the case. [Mikie McDonald:] No. And it's really interesting how, as far as working with ranchers and landowners, the, you know, the crossroads of a perennial and mixed annual grazing system is always really interesting for me to wrap my brain around in different situations. [Tip Hudson:] Yeah. How did you get into rangelands work? [Mikie McDonald:] Well, like every little ranch girl, I grew up wanting to be a vet. Went to Boise State. Found out that I really wanted to help the people that raised me, you know, kind of showed me the world, as far as conservation ranching, graduated from Boise, went to the University of Idaho, because of Professor Karen Launchbaugh. And really just fell in love with everything about it. I took a sheep herding job in Missoula, Montana one summer, and kind of turned that into a master's project, as far as targeted grazing goes, with the help of Society for Rangeland Management. I was one of the people that took a first stab at the targeted grazing certification process, which I'm also a, I'm also a member of the Targeted Grazing Committee under SRM as well. I think [Tip Hudson:] Are you a certified targeted grazer yet? [Mikie McDonald:] I am not. We only have one. [Tip Hudson:] Okay. [Mikie McDonald:] In our certification. I mean, we have others applying, but we have one for sure certified so far. And we're working to get more in that certification process. [Tip Hudson:] Yeah, we should come back and talk about that sometime soon. [Mikie McDonald:] I would love that. [Tip Hudson:] Stephanie, there's been a broader variety in how we've done the plenaries in the last, I don't know, five years, which I think has been good. I enjoy watching a talking head as much as anybody as long as the topic is good and the speaker is good. But what are the plenaries going to look like this year? [Stephanie Larson:] We're very excited. We thought the first plenary on Monday would really focus on California. And we are very fortunate to have the Secretary of Agriculture coming to speak to us. And then we're going to have James Bartolomei, who is a very renowned range scientist. Going to talk about California rangelands. Kind of put us in that, where we're at here locally in California. And then we're going to have some, a rancher, come and talk about what it's like to ranch in California. He experienced some severe damage to his cattle in one of the fires, in the Paradise fire. And so kind of that experience of what our producers have gone through, how they're addressing those, those policy issues, and how to address catastrophic wildfires, which would be experienced a lot in California. And then we're going to get some, a presentation from an individual from the tribe, so we kind of pull in some Native American history of California and how the tribes manage their lands. Then we're going to try a little, something a little different. Then on Tuesday, we're going to have a shorter plenary session, kind of starting to move toward that International Year of Rangeland and Pastoralists. And then we're going to have a Lunch and Learn. So, included in the registration is lunch on Tuesday. And you get to hear from a well known author who talks about the importance of beef production. She's married to a beef producer. She's local. And a very strong advocate for beef and grazing. And then we'll finish up on Wednesday with a real strong international theme. So, taking us from California to local to international. And really kind of setting the stage for going forward for the rest of the year of 2026 and celebrating rangelands around the world. [Tip Hudson:] Is the rancher who was affected by fire Dave Daley? [Stephanie Larson:] It is Dave Daley, yes. [Tip Hudson:] Yeah, that would be colorful. [Stephanie Larson:] It will be very colorful. And very moving, from a standpoint of he lost several hundred cattle. And it was just, it's a tragedy. And he's sharing that story. And we need to continue to share those stories about how California is making an effort to reduce fire fuels with our grazing animals. [Tip Hudson:] Yeah, just this last week, I was doing some research on targeted grazing for fuels reduction for some work we're trying to get started in Washington state, and found a ton of information, as you know, from California. I had previously done a couple of interviews with Davie Rau, and also Dave Daley, both on the importance of managing fuel loads, but also the economic and personal impacts when, when things light up. One of the, I think there's some post event tours. And are there any pre conference tours? [Stephanie Larson:] Well, as Mikie was talking about, the one, couple of the tours are over the first weekend. So, there's a tour that goes Saturday with an overnight coming back on Sunday. So, that's kind of a, seeing a lot of different rangelands up the coast. There's also a producers forum tour on Sunday. And then at the end of the meeting, we have the one that will go to Pinnacle Ranch. That's on Thursday. And then if you're very adventurous, we are hosting a tour in, on the big island of Hawaii, because Hawaii is in our section. And so if you want to extend your vacation and go further west, there will be a three to four day tour on the big island of Hawaii. [Tip Hudson:] Great. We're speaking in person in Red Bluff, which is kind of in North Central California. And it's not very warm today. And what's the weather like in Monterey Bay in mid February? [Stephanie Larson:] I wish I could predict that. If I would, I might buy a lottery ticket today. [Tip Hudson:] Spin the wheel. [Stephanie Larson:] Spin the wheel, yes. It could be beautiful, sunny, 75 degrees. It could be foggy and chilly like it is today. And it could be rainy. We are hoping for the former. We're hoping it's bright sunshine, beautiful skies. It's right on the coast, so you'll see the ocean there. In addition to what we're all providing, folks should come because you are right on the ocean. There's opportunities to see a lot of history. The Steinbeck Museum is there from John Steinbeck. That's where he was from. There's Cannery Row. There's amazing restaurants, breweries, wineries. One of the other social tours we're providing is a wine tasting with one of our former range specialists. And so we want to just really showcase all the things that California has to offer. And we think we've made it affordable for folks to come. The meeting is going to be at the Portola and the Marriott hotels, which the two hotels are on either side of the convention center. So, it's right downtown. It's right on the water. And so it gives a lot of access for all the other tourist opportunities Monterey provides. [Tip Hudson:] That sounds good. I'm looking forward to it. I was talking with somebody recently about the Billings meeting. And I can't remember what year that was, but it was somewhere around 15 years ago. But it was in multiple buildings. And there was a blizzard going on. And I just remember, you know, like the classic picture of walking through the snow into the wind, head down, you know, you're wearing a suit jacket or something that's flapping in the wind. It's like 20 below. [Stephanie Larson:] Oh, I remember that meeting as well. Oh, and I also do want to encourage people to register early, get your travel arrangements, because that same pre weekend as the meeting starts, is the Super Bowl, which happens to be just north of Monterey in Santa Clara County. [Tip Hudson:] Oh, wow. [Stephanie Larson:] And so we will be hosting an official Super Bowl party. When we kick off the trade show opening, we'll have a big Super Bowl party, so don't worry, you won't miss the game. We'll have TV screens up. And whoever you want to, whoever is playing, you'll have the opportunity to root and watch the game. [Tip Hudson:] That sounds good. Anything else that we should talk about, about the meeting that I haven't asked about? [Stephanie Larson:] Well, we're trying a few different things. We'll see how they work out. Like I said, we have the Lunch and Learn. We also are attempting to encourage the universities who traditionally have their university hosted meetings. And they bring all their alumni back. We encourage them to do that for an hour. And then afterwards, we want to open it up so all the universities come together, so we can exchange, you know, have conversations, students meet different professors, different things like that. And we're planning to have a trivia contest. So, if you're a university, start getting your trivia team together so that we can just do some more collaboration, camaraderie, and just getting to know your fellow range managers. [Tip Hudson:] That sounds intriguing. What kind of trivia? Like what's the scientific name of a humpback whale, or could be anything? [Stephanie Larson:] It could be anything. It could also be what's the scientific name for this plant. [Tip Hudson:] Yes. Okay, buckle up. [Stephanie Larson:] That's right. Start studying. [Tip Hudson:] Wonderful. Well, I'm looking forward to it. Thank you for your time. We will put, for the people that haven't already gotten it, we will for sure put the link to the annual meeting website in the show notes. And encourage people to get registered. [Stephanie Larson:] Absolutely. Registration has gone live, so it's out there, so people can go ahead and register, get early registration. And I just want to take the opportunity to do a big shout out to the 2026 planning committee for CalPac. We've all worked really well together, and we feel very excited and honored to offer this meeting for our fellow SRMers. [Tip Hudson:] Yeah, thank you. I have only been peripherally involved in some of the P and W hosted meetings, and I'm aware of how much work that is. So, thank you for your time. [Stephanie Larson:] Oh, thank you. And a big shout out to Kelly Fogarty. [Tip Hudson:] Yes. [Stephanie Larson:] She's actually the one behind the curtains doing all the work. But we've been very fortunate to work with her, and just very excited to host this meeting. February 7 through 11, easy to remember, 7 11 2026. [Tip Hudson:] Excellent. [Stephanie Larson:] Great. Thank you, Tip. [Tip Hudson:] Thank you, guys. Thank you for listening to the Art of Range podcast. Links to websites or documents mentioned in each episode are available at artofrange.com. And be sure to subscribe to the show through Apple Podcasts, Podbean, Spotify, Stitcher, or your favorite podcasting app, so that each new episode will automatically show up in your podcast feed. Just search for Art of Range. If you are not a social media addict, don't start now. If you are, please like or otherwise follow the Art of Range on Facebook, LinkedIn, and X, formerly Twitter. We value listener feedback. If you have questions or comments for us to address in a future episode, or just want to let me know you're listening, send an e mail to show@artofrange.com. For more direct communication from me, sign up for a regular e mail from the podcast on the homepage at artofrange.com. This podcast is produced by Connors Communications in the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences at Washington State University. The project is supported by the University of Arizona, and funded by sponsors. If you're interested in being a sponsor, send an e mail to show@artofrange.com. [Speaker 4:] The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed by guests of this podcast are their own and does not imply Washington State University's endorsement.