Methane is one of the most powerful greenhouse gasses involved in climate change. According to the Environmental Defense Fund, methane has 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide over the first 20 years after it reaches the atmosphere. As seen in the chart to the right, ruminants, which include cattle, sheep, goats, and buffalo, are the second largest source of methane globally.

Ruminants undergo enteric fermentation as part of their digestive process. Cow belches and flatulence release methane into the atmosphere as a byproduct of enteric fermentation. A single cow produces 154 to 264 pounds of methane gas per year.

“Yes, cows emit methane. But the way sustainable ranching works is when you’re managing the cows to create a healthy landscape, the goal is also to be absorbing some of that methane, so it balances,” said Julie Morris.

Joe and Julie Morris are the owners of Morris Grassfed Beef, a ranch on the central coast of California dedicated to sustainability.

“Methane is not the problem. The methane can be a problem if it isn’t cycling or comes from a different source than the biological community,” Joe Morris said. 

Historically, methane sinks and sources were balanced, so the methane cycled in a healthy pattern. Humans have created more methane sources, such as landfills, and destroyed methane sinks by neglecting the habitats of methanotrophs, microscopic methane-eating bacteria that live in healthy grasslands soil. 

This has created an imbalance in the methane cycle, leading to methane getting trapped in the atmosphere.

Some ranchers have recognized the importance of their ranches in the methane cycle and are working to improve the strength of their ecosystems to benefit the methane cycle and the planet as a whole through innovative cattle and land management.

Some ranchers recognize the importance of soil health as one of the many factors in ensuring a ranch’s sustainability. 

“When we’re using grazing animals, it’s as a tool to help provide nutrients to the soil,” said Wendy Millet, the Ranch Director at TomKat Ranch in Pescadero, Calif. 

When the soil is not functioning correctly, the water cycle gets disrupted. The plants depend on water to survive; if the soil is not healthy, it will not absorb water for the plants. 

“If you have healthy soil, it’ll catch all the water, but if you have compacted soil, for example, it could run off,” Millet said. 

Soil health is essential in trapping enough water for plants to function. In turn, the water used and stored by plants cools the Earth.

“You could think of grass as sort of an ice pack. The grass is not only holding water, but it’s also attracting water and cooling that surface,” Julie Morris said.

Ranching sustainably takes more effort because ranchers have to move the cattle frequently and provide supplemental minerals for their diets. Not all customers will pay a higher price for sustainable food. 

“The kind of extra care that goes into raising animals the way that we would leads to a higher cost of beef. Not everybody really pays attention to where their food comes from, or they maybe don’t care,” Millet said. 

This creates added difficulty for ranchers in finding a consumer base that cares about where their food comes from.

Some ranchers just need more resources or knowledge to start ranching sustainably, and the government’s resources aren’t adequate, according to Creque. 

“California doesn’t fund their conservation districts, so they aren’t fully staffed with folks with all the necessary skills,” Creque said.

Ranchers who might lack resources or knowledge but desire to be sustainable can turn to organizations such as the CCI. The CCI works with farmers and ranchers to create a Carbon Farm Plan for their land. These plans aim to institute management practices that increase the carbon capture of the land. 

“When we talk about increasing carbon capture in the landscape, we’re really talking about increasing the energy content of our farm systems. And that enables all kinds of things, including increases in biodiversity, increases in productivity, and increases in resilience to climate change,” Creque said.

Some people will not change how they manage their land because of natural resistance to change. 

“Human beings don’t like to change. We fear that this isn’t really an opportunity. We’re going to lose cultural value. We may lose money. We’re afraid of that. But that’s not helpful,” Joe Morris said.

Proponents of sustainable ranching feel that ranching must be done in a sustainable way to prevent the land from becoming so degraded that it is unusable in the future. 

“It’s more profitable to manage a ranch sustainably because the cattle gain weight better, and when you take care of the land, you have a crop of grass next year to keep your business going,” Julie Morris said.

The essential focus of sustainable ranching is right in the name. The practice must be sustainable for the rancher, the cattle, and the environment.

“We’ve only got one planet, and for those who are in the fortunate position to be responsible for taking care of a piece of land, I think it’s more or less obligatory that they ensure that landscape is passed on in good condition,” Creque said.

Gallery • 7 Photos

Audrey Finigan

Joe Morris pours mineral supplements into bins for the cattle to eat.