Photo and story by www.PhotoByVivian.com

Are California Cows really happy?  Up until recent years yes, but, unfortunately, that is changing because of the drought that is forcing ranchers to move or sell-off cattle as green pastures turn brown and creeks and wells run dry.
San Luis Obispo County once home to mild winters and plenty of green fields for cattle to graze has been in a severe drought since 2013.
“Any amount of rain is considered a blessing for this ranch,” said local rancher Connie Grieb Willems. “2013 was one of the driest years in our local history. The drought on the Central Coast has made a big impact on our life and family.  With no affordable food for the cattle and no grass on the hills we sold and shipped off cattle and only kept a few cattle back to gamble that there would be rain this year.”
Willems said the article “Drought and Grazing” by Royce Lasen, UC Cooperative Extension, states, “in 1862 there was a severe drought that lasted three years and wreaked havoc on the state and the cattle industry.  Half the cattle in California died and many cattlemen were forced out of business forever changing the way the ranching industry worked in California.  Since 1869 there has been a drought year approximately every 17 years.”
Recent rains have turned the hills green, but the county and state are still in desperate need of more rain to increase ground water supplies. There are predictions for rain in the coming months, but will it be enough to save the cattle in San Luis Obispo County?