Criollo Cattle as a Solution for Ecosystem Regeneration
47 Ranch owners Dennis and Deb Moroney.
At 47 Ranch, owners Dennis and Deb Moroney are working on an evolving philosophy—one that revolves around caring for the land as much as the animals. Dennis has worked in agricultural education for many years, and Deb is a doctor who specializes in family medicine. They have been full-time ranching for 29 years in Washington state, Prescott, and Cochise County.
47 Ranch, located in Cochise County, has been in operations for 19 years. The Moroney's ranching operations – and evolving philosophy – is centered around holistic resource management. To them, this means looking at where you are headed but also examining the effects and consequences of where you have been and what has been done. For example, what are the costs of resources that are needed to raise livestock and the consequences of using them, especially when it comes to human, animal, land, and environmental health? This approach guides their practices, from selecting what type of cattle to raise and how to manage the land they are raising them on.
Criollo Cattle
While most ranchers in the United States raise Black Angus because of its relatively easy temperament, fast growth, and an American palate for its fat-marbling qualities, the Mornoneys selected a different breed to raise: the Raramuri Criollo. Criollo cattle are small and lean, weighing only about 800 pounds each compared to a 1,200 plus-pound Black Angus cattle. The Raramuri Criollo cattle originated from the Andalucia region of Spain and were brought to Mexico over 500 years ago. It is believed that Criollo cattle were introduced into Colonial North America on the “first shipment of domestic livestock destined to inhabit the New World,” somewhere in the West Indies, between 1493 and 1496. By 1640, the mass import of cattle from Europe into the North American colonies ended.
Criollo cattle then experienced a “semi-natural selection” over the course of almost four centuries, as red meat consumption increased in the U.S. and preferred larger, faster-growing English breeds. With reduced demand for Spanish cattle, Criollo cattle became isolated in Mexico’s Copper Canyon for centuries. Evolving in the sparse and arid climates of the Chihuahua mountains, Criollo required minimal husbandry and adapted to arid rangelands.
Genetics Matter
In 2009, the Moroneys introduced Criollo cattle to their land in McNeal, Arizona in pursuit of ecosystem restoration. They believe that if you apply holistic land management practices and have the right cattle genetics to match the landscape you are operating in, you should be able to produce a healthy and sustainable product for consumers.
Not only are Criollo adapted to drought-prone environments, their diets and foraging patterns also match the native landscape of the Southwest. When grasses run low due to drought, Criollos sustain themselves with brushy shrubs that traditional market cattle wouldn't seek out or eat. The majority of the herd’s diet is mesquite, native grasses, brushy shrubs, and other flora including pine trees and fruits of cactus like prickly pears. Criollo cattle were forced to adapt into nimble-footed foragers with a willingness to journey away from water sources—the ideal characteristics of a cattle breed for a desert rancher.
Research conducted by the Sustainable Southwest Beef Project also showed that Criollo have a lower ecological footprint than Black Angus cattle because they require minimal water and nutrient supplements, making this breed a good option for sustainably raising food on arid landscapes in the Southwest.
The Role of Criollo Cattle in Regenerating Landscapes
Since land restoration guides much of what the Moroneys do on the ranch, raising Criollo cattle seemed like the ideal match for them. Known as the “light-footed ones,” Criollo cattle nibble and graze as they travel the entire rangeland. Instead of hammering the same grass over and over again, Criollo cattle continually seek out new patches of grass and will not eat down to the soil. These feeding and migratory patterns mitigate soil and land degradation, and the ecosystem can be continually replenished as the cattle provide the land with nutrients through their manure.
This process promotes natural ecosystem regeneration by encouraging the restoration of deep-rooted native plant growth.
Because Criollo are well matched to the Southwest landscape, researchers are touting this cattle breed as a possible regenerative solution. The Moroneys are currently working alongside researchers from the University of Arizona to help spread the vision of regenerative agriculture and with other Southwest ranchers to help restore ecosystem integrity.
Criollo cattle also provide another important ecosystem function: to help manage fire-prone rangeland. The unique grazing habits and nomadic lifestyle of Criollo cows are crucial to wildfire management practices.They minimize the risk for wildfires by grazing on chaparral brush and shrubbery, limiting the amount of fire fuels and flammable brush present in fire-prone rangeland. As wildfires become more frequent, as a result of climate change and other factors, Criollo cattle can be an asset to creating a more resilient ecosystem and an innovative way for wildfire management.
Advantages & Challenges to Raising Criollo Cattle
Raising Criollo cattle is attracting interest as it helps a rancher adapt during drought conditions and can be a cheaper alternative to raising conventional beef cattle. Drought conditions have resulted in heat aridity, making it difficult for ranchers to keep their cattle healthy and provide good feed and water. Cattle ranchers have also been forced to slaughter more animals and haul water to areas where natural sources have dried up. They have also had to sell cattle to reduce costs.
Instead of greatly fluctuating between cattle herd numbers from year to year, culling animals, or hauling expensive and limited water, raising more resilient breeds can potentially prevent some ranchers from losing many of their cattle during times of drought. Research has found that hot and arid conditions will only be exacerbated in the coming years. In the wake of such aridity, it could be advantageous for ranchers to choose cattle breeds that are most adaptive to their specific environment to prepare for hotter and drier conditions.
While raising Criollo cattle has its benefits for ranching operations, there are challenges to getting Criollo meat to market. Criollo cattle are smaller than other breeds and there are few existing meat processing plants that are suited for small-framed animals. Criollo does not fit the standard size for the equipment used in most meat processing facilities, and the four big U.S. meatpackers do not accept Criollo cattle in their processing facilities. Because these four firms control over 80% of all meat sold in the U.S. market, they are able to exert significant control over what meat products are processed and available to the market.
These barriers make it difficult to get Criollo products processed and available to consumers—even though Criollo could relieve some pressure for ranchers in arid environments. Diversifying from Black Angus cattle, which comprise 90% of the beef market, is also extremely risky. In order to alleviate this risk, ranchers in the Southwest need access to processing and packaging facilities that are suitable for Criollo beef so that they can get their products to the market.
Where to Find Criollo Cattle Products
Criollo beef has been increasingly introduced to Arizona markets by ranchers, such as the Moroneys. Customers glowingly report their liking of the taste, tenderness, and marbling of the meat, which is cooked at a lower temperature for a longer time than typical beef.
Dennis and Deb work diligently to provide a healthy, tasty, and sustainable product for consumers. You can find the Moroney’s meat brand, Sky Island Meat, at the Sierra Vista Farmers Market and Bisbee Farmers Markets. Their meat products are also sold at Food Conspiracy Co-op in Tucson, Sierra Vista Food Co-op in Sierra Vista, and at High Desert Market in Bisbee.
Learn More about 47 Ranch and Criollo Cattle:
In addition to raising Criollo cattle, the Moroneys strive for sustainability in other areas of their ranching operations. They use renewable energy sources like solar and wind and also collect rainwater to use less well water. Follow 47 Ranch on Facebook or watch here to learn more about Criollo Cattle.