How AcuRite Helps Solid Rock Red Angus Manage a Healthy Herd

Solid Rock Red Angus is a cattle ranch in Limon, Colorado. The ranch manages 700 calves and female cows, employing holistic grazing practices to best utilize the native grasses of Eastern Colorado. The ranch is run by the small team of Ronny and Kelsey Pope, Kelsey’s parents and two siblings. Kelsey Pope publishes posts to her blog about agriculture, quilting and rural life.

Problem

Weather impacts many aspects of cattle ranching. However, TV weather, weather web sites, and smartphone-based weather apps only provide forecasts and conditions for a large region. This can result in inaccurate weather reports, as well as a time lag between the weather report and when the weather is actually experienced on the ranch. To best protect and manage their beef cattle, Solid rock Red Angus needs weather data specific to their exact location.

Solution

Solid Rock Red Angus installed an AcuRite Iris™ (5-in-1) Weather Station, which connects to My AcuRite® via the AcuRite Access®. The system continually measures accumulated rainfall amounts, monitors current weather conditions, stores weather history data, and forecasts future weather conditions. Their weather information is automatically uploaded, via My AcuRite, so the information can be viewed on the Pope’s computers, smartphones, and tablets, anywhere on the property.

Results

Pope said that the AcuRite system has helped them make better, more educated decisions when managing their livestock, and in turn helped them ensure higher cattle prices.

"Weather totally impacts our family business of raising cattle," Pope said. "We manage where the cattle are pastured…to best protect them from weather factors like wind, rain, snow, tornadoes, and lightning. The amount of precipitation that we receive determines the growth of the grass which results in how many cattle we stock in our pastures."

Pope said the My AcuRite software is a vital feature as well.