As guest speaker at their monthly board meeting, OSFR had Mr. Alan Hitchcock, owner/operator of Santa Fe River Ranch and ex owner of the Hitchcock grocery chain. Mr. Hitchcock is recognized as a leader in the cattle raising aspect of agriculture, and his visit entailed his viewpoints on this industry.
He employs voluntary Best Management Practices (BMPs) and runs a model cattle ranch on 1800 acres of land with about 400 head of adult livestock. This low count of animal to land ratio ensures a sustainable system. Fertilizer loads have been reduced to roughly half of previous amounts, and in addition, the hayfields are designated to areas far from the river, in order to reduce runoff.
Present also at the meeting was OSFR advisor Dr. Robert Knight, who presented Mr. Hitchcock with his book Silenced Springs.
It was a delightful and informative meeting, and OSFR thanks Mr. Hitchcock for his visit, and also for his personal protection of the Santa Fe River and for his concern for the environment.
