Oregon ranchers grapple with drought, wildfires and soaring diesel costs
Cattle producers in Harney County, Oregon, face a perfect storm of drought, fire-scarred pastures and record diesel prices that are squeezing their bottom line.
In Harney County, Oregon, rancher Katie Baltzor watches her black Angus herd struggle amid a trifecta of challenges: a severe drought, summer wildfires that burned key mountain pastures, and diesel prices hovering near record levels. The fires forced her to bring cattle home weeks earlier than planned, and the burned allotments may remain unusable for years. Drought-parched meadows have yielded scant hay, and the high cost of diesel—about $300 per fill—makes harvesting the limited feed even more expensive.
To cut fuel use, Baltzor’s operation has turned to “rakebunching” rather than full baling, but this leaves them short of stored hay for winter. With calf prices lagging behind inflation, the financial strain is acute, prompting the family to switch to gasoline pickups and consider purchasing hay if precipitation does not return. The situation illustrates the broader pressures on western ranchers confronting climate-driven losses and rising energy costs.
Why it matters
It shows how climate extremes and energy prices are threatening the viability of small-scale agriculture in the U.S.
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