In this interview we talk with Jaime Elizondo. Jaime discusses many different things from Mashona cattle to grazing strategies. He simplifies the primary purpose of cattle down to the basics; cattle are to grow beef and improve the land. According to Jaime (and I don't think many people if any will disagree) a good goal for any ranch is Maximum Sustainable Profit will Sustaining the Land. By sustaining the land Jaime is talking about always working towards increasing carrying capacity for your cattle and land. A smaller framed animal and an A2/A2 animal is going to be better suited for this purpose and an animal with adapted genetics that have been adapted to the region and even ranch. Jaime talks about a number of other topics all with a goal to help you be better at increasing both carrying capacity and profit.
Jaime challenges some of our grazing paradigms in this interview by discussing selective grazing vs non-selective grazing or severe grazing.
To give you a little background on who Jaime is, he has an Agronomy Engineer degree in cattle 1984 Tec of Monterre. He was born in Tampico, Mexico of American Mother and Mexican Father.
Johann Zietsman's book, Man, Cattle and Veld
Jaime has been in the cattle business all of his life. He started a cheese and yogurt factory in 1985 and sold it in 1998. He bought his ranch in 1990 and Alan Nation visited it in 1991. In 1993 he started a grazed dairy. He implemented rational grazing then rotational grazing, MIG, ultra high stock density grazing and finally sustainable ranching with emphasis on maximum sustainable profits per ranch.
Jaime started a Free Choice Enterprises franchise for Mexico on 1998 and has experience on their unique method of balancing rations for % Oxygen, % Hydrogen and % Protein with outstanding results on dairies both grazed and confined.
He bought his second ranch in 1999 to grow out replacements and planted it in edible silvo-pasture. In the worst drought in 70 years he doubled the stocking rate through correct management and planning using adapted genetics.
Jaime was a pioneer in Leucaena for grazing at high densities in Mexico and now has over 500 acres. He has practiced regenerative grazing since 1995 as the ranches he bought were in Agriculture before with very low organic matter.
He currently has tropical milking Criollo cows trying to improve the breed to create a composite without bos indicus genes that will be heat resistant for the Southern states.
Jaime moved to the US on 2010.