After 2024, in one of the most severe droughts that Baja California Sur has faced in the last two decades, when alfalfa forage reached 260 pesos per bale and cattle deaths were estimated at more than 30,000 head in less than a year, Rancho Cacachilas develops the planting and experimentation of crops adapted to arid ecosystems, under a regenerative agricultural model.
Last year, the state recorded just 64.5 millimeters of rain, according to data from the National Water Commission (Conagua), the lowest figure in the entire country. In communities like El Sargento, near the ranch, barely 1.5 millimeters fell.
These extreme conditions have reduced natural wastelands, land where cows feed in times of drought, to mere arid soils where wild plants are not enough to support animals. In this context, Rancho Cacachilas demonstrates that in territories with little water it is possible to produce food, regenerate the soil and maintain a viable livestock farm.
“The intention is to do regenerative agriculture,” explained Esmeralda Ramírez, head of production. “Practices that allow us not only to produce high-quality food, but also to be able to mitigate or reverse some of the effects of climate change with the resources we have available.”
In Cacachilas, compost replaces industrial fertilizer and is the basis of everything in the garden and so, instead of relying on external inputs, the ranch seeks to ensure that each component (soil, plant, water and animal) works as part of the same cycle.
This principle guides the experimentation of forages (plants for feeding cattle), where the objective is not only to feed mules and horses, but to strengthen the soil, retain moisture and return it to the microbiology that is the basis for fertile soil.
Ramírez explained that fodder serves a double function. “One, it's food for animals and two, roots fix nutrients back into the soil such as nitrogen, phosphorus, magnesium, ingredients that are very important for soil health.”
The most recent tests include Sudanese sorghum, rodes grass and capuí beans, species selected for their tolerance to heat and their ability to resist until better weather conditions arrive.
Capuí is a legume of African origin that has been promising due to its ability to fix nitrogen, regenerate the soil and offer a high protein content in both pod and grain. “It's a superfood, we see it as a type of bean that's very viable in the area,” said Ramírez, although he admitted that it's not part of the local cuisine, a cultural challenge that the technician must overcome.
The ranch has also begun to incorporate forage trees such as moringa and guaje, which help create natural shade, promote microclimates and attract pollinators. These strategies are part of an integrated management system where each element of the environment has an ecological function.
“We don't have the right conditions... the key is to diversify our diet and produce part of the food right here. We are testing with species that tolerate high temperatures and low irrigation,” Ramírez explained.
Thus, livestock farming on the ranch is understood as a tool for restoration and not just for production. José Manuel Pérez, general manager, described it as a holistic livestock approach: “Livestock management and livestock must be a tool that helps us to make enough disturbance in the land, the hoof reincorporates organic matter, promotes water infiltration and bacteria from the rumen integrate into the soil. We need to define the carrying capacity and the correct occupancy and rest times of ecosystems.”
For this purpose, a rotational grazing system was implemented, with electric fences powered by solar energy that move in sections of three or four days. “The animal feeds here on site and returns to a permanent enclosure, the idea is season after season to change the location of the fences to allow the soil to rest and regenerate,” Ramírez added.
Rancho Cacachilas seeks to share the experience with ranchers in the region with a monthly program during the cool season. “Let's go to the ranch”, seeks that local producers can tour the orchards, observe the techniques and attend workshops. “We want them to come, to learn, to know, to see the techniques we are using and to be able to replicate them on their own ranches,” said Pérez.
The training includes the management of feeders, composting and the use of livestock by-products, in collaboration with institutions such as the Autonomous University of Baja California Sur.
In a state where 90% of the territory experienced some degree of drought in 2024, and where livestock production costs skyrocketed due to a shortage of forage, Cacachilas' experiences show a possible alternative.
This is not a high-performance model or large production volumes, but rather a resilience proposition. Produce within the limits of the ecosystem, regenerate soil fertility and reduce dependence on external inputs.
“Our intention is to demonstrate that regenerative agriculture is viable in arid ecosystems such as ours, and that it can also represent an economic model for the region,” concluded Esmeralda Ramírez.
Comentarios (0)