New Mexico Rangeland Case Study: Improving Resilience and Profitability

9 hours ago
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The 7 Up 7 Down Ranch cattle herd near some of the new fencing.

The 7 Up 7 Down Ranch, owned by Leroy Humphries, is headquartered south of Willard, New Mexico, where Leroy’s grandparents homesteaded in 1910. In 2020, Leroy expanded the ranch with the purchase of 2,760 acres near Estancia, New Mexico (referenced as CNMC-W in monitoring photos). His son, John Humphries, has helped guide infrastructure and grazing management decisions on the new parcel, and he has incorporated 640 acres of pasture at his nearby Hearth, Wind, and Sol Farm into the growing season grazing rotation for the 7 Up 7 Down cattle. John developed a new water and fence infrastructure plan that was implemented in the summer and fall of 2023 to take the ranch’s one large paddock of 2,760 acres and subdivide it into 5 paddocks during the dormant season. John uses temporary electric fencing to further subdivide those paddocks in the growing season to a total of 17 paddocks, each one 130-180 acres.

In this way, the paddock that was continuously grazed for many years (possibly decades) now gets on average 150 days of recovery (being grazed once during the growing season and once during the dormant season). Likewise, stock density, which at one point was negligible, is now up to a little over 700 pounds/acre.

The NRCS web soil survey productivity reports suggest that the land could produce an average of 46,000AD/year during a normal rainfall year. Transects were located on soil type areas that cover much of the ranch and capture a range of productivity ratings, including:

Transect #1 (Hg-Harvey Loam -34% of land base with rating of 1114 lbs/acre/year)

Transect #2 (Mm-Moriarty Clay-4% of land base with rating of 2423 lbs/acre/year)

Transect #3 (Ma-Manzano Loam-9% of land base with rating of 4148 lbs/acre/year)

Transect #4 (Ih-Ildefonso fine sandy loam- 21% of land base with rating of 919#/acre/year)

While there has been significant improvement in productivity over the last 3 years, the NRCS projection would be an additional 80% increase in forage if that could be attained as land health improves.

HMI has been working with John since 2022 to provide monitoring and Holistic Management support for both 7 Up and 7 Down Ranch and Hearth, Wind & Sol Farm. Using biological monitoring data, grazing planning data, and economic data, analysis shows that there is a clear increased biological function improvement on both properties and that has translated to improved forage productivity and potential long-term economic gains.

Key results include a 32% increased carrying capacity, resulting in a 35% projected gross profit increase. Average Animal Days per Acre (ADA) moved form 6.8 ADA to 9.6 ADA. Biological monitoring indicators showed the following key outcomes for all transects:

Increased biodiversity
Increased young plants
Increased energy flow with more living plants
Improved water infiltration
Increase in number of perennial grass species present (with up to 150% increase and the first cool-season grass sighted in 2025).

Cost/Benefit Analysis on Increased Yield from Infrastructure Investment

One telling statistic for following the productivity of the land is the total Animal Days (AD) produced on a property over time. When Leroy Humphries purchased the land in 2020, decades of overgrazing by various lessees had left the land pretty degraded. The herd Leroy moved onto the property needed approximately 30,000 AD/year. This amount was more than the land could sustain. In September 2022, the herd was moved to Hearth, Wind & Sol Farm, and it was able to remain there through the winter, thereby reducing cattle pressure on the 7 Up 7 Down Ranch property to only 18,765 AD.

By investing in adequate recovery, less grazing pressure, and new infrastructure, Leroy and John have created the conditions for the forage at 7 Up 7 Down Ranch to improve, and the cattle were able to utilize 26,422 AD in 2024 while still allowing for adequate recovery and regrowth. As discussed below in the biological monitoring section, the land is now regenerating and increasing in resilience. With this observed trend, John anticipates that 35,000 AD should be attainable by 2028, while continuing to allow the land to improve in health and productivity. That increase would equate to a 32% increase in carrying capacity, or the equivalent of an additional 883 acres of current production. With current rangeland prices in the area averaging $650/acre that would be equivalent to an additional ranch costing $573,950.

John estimates that the total cost for infrastructure investment was $76,000. Of that total, $4,500 was for temporary electric fencing. If we assume a 20-year life span for the permanent infrastructure of $71,500 that is equal to $3575/year. For the $4500 we assume a 10-year life span for $450/year, yielding a total amortized cost of $4,025/year for the infrastructure. This yearly cost is much less than the cost of additional land to run the increased number of animals that they have been able to run because of the improved infrastructure.

Additionally, the 7 Up 7 Down Ranch is enrolled in a CSP contract that includes implementing NRCS's Management Intensive Rotational Grazing (528R) practice on the CNMC-W property, which provides $28,850/year for 3 years, helping to recover their investment while improving land health. (The local SWCD also provided a cost share grant of $7,500 in 2023 that partially covered the cost of installing the high-tensile electric fencing.)

Labor for summer subdivision of paddocks for further increase of stock density and increased recovery time is a total of 120 hours @ $20/hour for $2,400/year (based on 6 hours to create an approximately 150-acre paddock that allows for 6-10 days of grazing. There is additional time of 3 days needed for larger moves to the next large paddock to subdivide, included in the 120-hour estimate). Again, even with the $2,400 in labor added to the $4,025/year for infrastructure investment, the total of $6,425 is much less than the cost of additional land.

Gross Profit Analysis on Increased SAU

The anticipated 32% increase in carrying capacity would allow for an increase of approximately 26 Standard Animal Unit (SAU) over the next 3 years (dividing total AD/330 days). Gross profit is estimated to be $971/calf or total GP of $47,590. With increased labor and infrastructure costs ($6,425), the GP is $41,165 or $840/calf. However, assuming that the additional 26 SAU carrying capacity translates to 22 cows, an 80% birthing rate would yield an additional 17 sellable calves for an extra $14,280 in gross profit while continuing to pay for improved infrastructure and increased land productivity. This equates to a 35% increase in gross profit.

Biological Monitoring Comparison Highlights

May 2024 was the first growing season that the cattle were able to be managed for improved stock density/grazing utilization and increased recovery with the new infrastructure. The baseline monitoring was done by HMI Education Director Ann Adams and rancher John Humphries on December 9^th, 2023. Subsequent monitoring was performed on September 4^th, 2024, and July 30^th, 2025, timed to collect data before the paddocks with monitoring transects were grazed.

While 2024 provided a wet spring for this area, the summer monsoon rains were torrential with much of the rain running off or evaporating and not much usable rain in between. However, as evidenced in the pictures below, the increased disturbance and recovery, along with spring rains were perfect conditions for a bumper tumbleweed crop. More exciting was the decrease in dead and dying plants with gray centers. By 2025, the increase in seedlings and young grass plants was clearly evident despite a very dry spring and with the help of some timely steady rains (while still being in severe drought).

Key monitoring criteria we were looking at were percentage of:

Bare soil
Litter (decomposed and undecomposed)
Plant spacing
Age of plant
Form of plant (normal, overgrazed, overrested, dying)
Plant type (diversity)
Water infiltration rate (based on a tin can infiltration simulating a 2-inch rainfall)

These monitoring criteria are reviewed with the management team to determine land health trends for:

Water Cycle
Mineral Cycle
Energy Flow
Biological Community

As long as land health trends are improving, then current carrying capacity and grazing management can continue. If trends reverse or plateau, then changed grazing management should be considered. These trends are also reviewed in the context of animal performance and production goals.

Photo points were also taken across the landscape at the 4 selected transects and down at the beginning of the 100-foot tape measure. Monitoring points were read at every 5 feet and a forage assessment was taken of the area by taking a STAC (forage assessment) reading every 10 feet along the tape measure.

Key outcomes for all transects that were noted, looking at data from 2023-2025 were:

Increased biodiversity
Increased young plants
Increased energy flow with more living plants
Improved water infiltration
Increase in number of perennial grass species present (with up to 150% increase and the first cool-season grass sighted in 2025).

Some transects had the following outcomes:

Decreased plant spacing
Increased soil cover

Biological Monitoring Photo Comparison

The importance of collecting monitoring transect data as well as taking transect photos is evident as can be seen in the photos below. While a trained eye might be able to discern the difference in ecosystem function from looking at the pictures, the monitoring data has a much more compelling story to tell than these earlier pictures.

Transect #1

Transect #2

Transect #3

Transect #4

Biological Monitoring Data

Because the photos are truly a snapshot in time affected by time of year or the previous year’s weather patterns, they don’t always show the trend that is captured through monitoring data that looks at key ecosystem health indicators as well as careful recordkeeping of the animal days produced as tracked on John’s Holistic Grazing Planning spreadsheet.

The figures below show the trends in land health based on key soil health indicators that were monitored each year to help determine potential changes in management practices.