Born to the Land

Ranching roots run deep for Uvalde ranchers Bill and Robin Luce. They have both been in the cattle, sheep and goat ranching business in Uvalde County for several generations. In fact, two historical family homes dating back to the 1870s are still standing on their place.

It has not been an easy road to keep the ranching tradition alive and well, despite their rich agricultural heritage. In fact, many years ago, Bill’s grandfather’s ranch got out of the family and was eventually purchased by Uvalde Junior College. However, fate stepped in the way for the Luce’s and they were able to reclaim their history.

“One day we saw a little classified ad in the local paper that they were accepting bids on the ranch,” Bill says. “The ranch bordered the place we already had, and we really wanted that land back in the family. So we made a bid on it, and we won. The ranch was finally back in the family.”

And now that it is back in the Luce family’s hands, they are doing everything they can to take the best care of it possible. Bill and Robin work with their son-in-law and daughter, Chris and Ti Walker, in enterprises that include a registered Brangus herd, a herd of goats and a deer breeding facility.

“We have always worked to improve the place,” Bill says. “We have already gone the big route. At one time we leased an additional 25,000 acres, but we ran ourselves ragged trying to take care of that country and our own. It just wasn’t worth it.

“That experience taught us that we can do a lot more with a lot less if we can make the land produce at its maximum,” he states.

While Bill grew up ranching, it was his father-in-law, Neal Jernigan, Jr., that taught him about natural resource conservation.

“He taught me how to make this country productive,” Bill says, “And I owe him a world of credit. We couldn’t be doing what we’re doing today without the foundation he helped lay for us. I saw him turn absolutely worthless pieces of country and turn it into very productive land in some very rough places.”

Bill’s father-in-law taught him that he needed to get the right tools and a management plan to get the most out of his land. One of the key resources Jernigan introduced Bill to was the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). According to Luce, Jernigan used the NRCS (formerly the Soil Conservation Service) programs to help him with clearing cedar and reseeding. Under this example, Bill started visiting the NRCS office in Uvalde in the mid-80s.

“My father-in-law’s involvement was instrumental in getting us involved with NRCS,” Bill states. “I have been so thankful for that direction he gave us.”

Since the Luce’s have been partnering with the NRCS, they have been a part of the Great Plains Conservation Program (GPCP), which helped them make conservation improvements on their ranch on a long-term schedule. The have also participated in Environmental Quality Incentives Plan (EQIP) projects, which have included brush work, cedar eradication, reseeding, installing water lines, and most recently, a center pivot irrigation system. Luce believes in the program so much, he even got his neighbor to sign up for EQIP so they could put in a 20,000 gallon concrete reservoir in on his property, which he leases from his neighbor.

The Luce’s have a draw that runs through the ranch, so to protect the water source and enhance wildlife habitat, they enrolled that area in a Continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CCRP).

“Through the NRCS,” Luce says, “We have been able to do things we never would have done if we had to take it all out of our pocket. They help us cost-share on things that we want to do because they are good for the land, but they also have added benefits of recharging the aquifer and providing cleaner water downstream from us.”

The Luce’s have enjoyed their over 20-year relationship with the NRCS field office in Uvalde.

“We have had the opportunity to work with such great people in the NRCS,” Luce says. “They have all been super to us and dedicated to what they’ve done.

“They make me aware of the programs that are available and let me know what I have to do to be eligible for the benefits and what the requirements are,” he continues. “They don’t let me get off in a storm I can’t get out of. I understand the programs thoroughly because of them, before I ever enter into a contract, and I follow their rules.”

Playing by the NRCS “rules” seems to be working for the Luces.

“We have to know how to manage our resources,” he says. “Maximizing production doesn’t mean you run as many head of cattle as you can. It means maximizing the quality of what you have. If I can run fewer cows, but increase my weaning weights by one hundred or more pounds, then I’m successfully maximizing production.”

Essentials in that process, according to Luce, are to not overstock and to cull your herd pretty deep. He uses a “If they don’t cut it, they don’t stay” approach to culling. Robin raises registered Brangus bulls, but if she doesn’t feel a bull with even the best blood lines is up to par, then he is sold before he eats any more of their grass. Luce runs about half as many goats as he could, but he culls all the dry goats, and tries to raise nannies that twin.

“Being onsite and knowing what happens on a day-to-day basis is what it takes to make this work,” Luce says. “My wife is on a little Polaris ranger every day, all day, just checking on things. If we she finds a kid goat hung in a fence and gets it out, then that is money saved. To me, that is maximizing production.”

The recent installation of a center pivot irrigation system has helped the Luce’s maximize forage production for the cattle. The mini-pivot system works well on his low pressure, 200 gallons per minute well. The implementation of this system has allowed the Luce’s to produce hay to feed their cattle in the winter months and sell off enough extra to pay for the purchase of protein supplements.

Prior to the pivot installation, the Luce’s had been dry land farming their hay.

“The cost of fertilizer, fuel and seed had gotten so high, you can’t hardly afford to dry land farm and take a chance on the rain,” Luce says. “And selling off because of the drought isn’t an option either; we have too much heritage in our cattle herd to do that.

“This year was a good test of how whether the pivot was worth it or not,” Luce adds. “Mother nature only helped us twice, other than that, the moisture came from that pipe. It was a pretty cruel summer here.”

In fact, the Uvalde area has experienced the driest 18 months since 1904. But Luce claims you’d never know it by looking at his pastures.

“We have grass heading out all over the ranch,” he says. “All the work we have done to establish good ground cover has paid off for us. Now when we do get rain, it goes straight into the ground.”

The Luce’s goal is for the ranch to be as self-sufficient as possible. Part of his maximizing production program took on a new enterprise over the last few years: a deer breeding facility.

“Demand has told us that there are opportunities for us in breeding and raising deer,” Luce says. “It’s too hard to make it on ranching alone, so we needed to diversify a little, but still have it compatible with our ranching operation.”

Luce’s son-in-law and daughter help operate the scientific deer breeding program. Every day, they hand-milk Robin’s goats and feed over 20 gallons of milk to the fawns they raise. This helps the doe fawns be gentle so they are less stressed when it comes time for them to be artificially inseminated.

The Luce’s deer herd was nearly wiped out about five years ago with an outbreak of anthrax. According to Luce, his female population is still suffering. However, he says, the advantage of their new breeding program is that they can raise genetically sound deer, so when they are released in a few years they will enhance the wildlife aspect of the ranch.

The Luce’s future goals include finding ways to get more surface water on the ranch. They also want to keep their heritage alive and be able to pass the ranch on to their daughter and son-in-law.

“We don’t get much of that mail box money,” he says. “We have to make the most of what we have. But we dang sure enjoy what we do. We are very fortunate to have the ranching background that we do on both sides of our family, and are very thankful for it.”