California Rancher Finds Shade Solution

In areas where temperatures top 100 degrees for weeks at a time, shade is not a luxury – it’s essential for livestock health, comfort and productivity.

That was certainly top of mind for Keith Gentz, when he added mobile shade to his grazing system in Lincoln, California, overlooking the Sacramento Valley. Thanks to grant funds available through his local USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office, Gentz now uses a Shade Haven mobile shade system to protect his cattle from the hot California sun.

“The Shade Haven works perfect for the type of weather we have here in California,” Gentz says. “The cows just do better when they’re comfortable.”

The Farming Life

Gentz and his wife Lorrie started farming in 1975, with little more than determination and a willingness to work hard.

“We were 25 years old, healthy, hard-working and crazy,” Keith quips.

Over the past five decades, the couple continually adapted as markets and opportunities changed. They began by growing wheat, later transitioning into hay production, eventually growing and harvesting as many as 1,300 acres of hay annually. Today, Gentz still produces about 300 acres of hay on his own farm and custom bales another 300 acres. He also grazes 40 cow-calf pairs of Black Baldy cattle, an Angus/Hereford cross.

A Shade Solution

Gentz describes grazing in his corner of California as “six months green and six months brown.” He practices intensive mob grazing in the spring and relies on bale grazing year-round.

While scattered blue oaks provide shade in some paddocks, other paddocks offer little relief from the sun. Gentz strategically places the Shade Haven within the paddock so the cattle can move from the bales back to the Shade.

“When the cows move into a paddock without trees, the Shade Haven moves with them,” says Gentz. “Now it’s part of their routine. They’ll graze for a while, then come back and lie under the Shade Haven before heading out to graze again.”

It didn’t take long for the herd to embrace the Shade Haven. Soon after placing some hay near the edges, they were using the built-in scratcher brushes and gathering beneath the canopy.

“The Shade Haven works perfectly,” Gentz says. “The cows love it. It’s often the only place they get shade, and when it’s over 100 degrees, they’re all crowded under it.”

Funding Makes Shade Possible

Having previously worked with NRCS on other farm improvement projects, Gentz was familiar with the conservation programs available through the agency. After learning  that mobile shade qualified for funding through the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), applying was an easy decision.

The CSP awards working farms for maintaining existing conservation practices and implementing new ones. By adding a Shade Haven to his rotational grazing system, Gentz qualified for payments of $3,000 in the first year, followed by $4,000 annually for the next five years, significantly offsetting the cost of the SH1200 Shade Haven.

Looking Ahead

Gentz plans to move the Shade Haven more frequently to improve manure distribution, helping to build healthier, more productive pastures over time.

With fall calving just around the corner, he is confident his cattle will continue to benefit from the Shade Haven.

“We usually start having calves in September and October when it can be 100 degrees,” he adds. “I know those cows are going to be under the Shade Haven. It really does make a difference.”