The “Culture of Stewardship” is so important to Bob and Judy Prosser that they have it on the sign at Bar T Bar’s headquarters. This stewardship extends to remote monitoring of over 75 miles of water infrastructure to conserve water in the high desert and better manage precious labor resources. Source: Bar T Bar Ranches.
Bob and Judy Prosser of Bar T Bar Ranches have a lot on their plate when managing their family’s multi-generational ranch outside of Winslow, Arizona. Bar T Bar sits on 440,000 acres and has been in business for over 100 years, with Judy representing the third generation of ownership. Sons Spencer and Warren represent the fourth generation to be involved with the ranch. Ranches don’t pass the century mark in a challenging climate like Arizona’s high desert by merely turning bulls out and gathering cattle at branding. Progressive ranches, like Bar T Bar, survive through careful management of people, livestock, and sources of natural capital such as land, pasture, and water. At Bar T Bar, the Prosser’s define a “Culture of Stewardship” that strives to honor lessons learned from the past while pursuing a vision for moving their working ranch into the future.
Ranching on such an extensive scale in such an arid environment equates to several dozen wells, miles of water pipeline, and several hundred watering points that must be checked and maintained. Bar T Bar estimates that they have over 75 miles of pipeline, over 70 water troughs, and another 280 plus earthen reservoirs and stock ponds that are vital for ensuring its herds, and wildlife, have access to water. Traditionally, water infrastructure must be monitored by driving to check water storages and troughs in pastures. These physical checks only provide information about what is occurring when ranch hands are present and results in identifying issues like leaks, busted pipes, and failed pumps several hours to several days after they occur. Bar T Bar is using Ranchbot’s satellite-enable remote monitoring technology to gain near real time visibility around what is occurring with their water assets and to reduce the labor inefficiencies of having employees drive around to check water when it doesn’t need checking. With Ranchbot’s sensors and MyRanchbot software platform, alerts are sent when issues arise, and water systems can now be checked on a ranch hand’s phone. Ranchbot equipment was initially installed on one ranch in 2023, with plans underway to add infrastructure monitoring to two additional ranches. When discussing how Ranchbot helps him steward crucial water resources, Bob Prosser states “If a rancher is looking to improve efficiency, an advancement like Ranchbot is a huge opportunity to improve communication on a landscape-size operation at a very reasonable cost”.
Bar T Bar Ranches use Ranchbot monitors to measure the levels of water storage tanks; automate well pumps or pumps that move water to other portions of the ranch; and track diesel storage tanks across the ranch.
The heart of Bar T Bar’s ranching operation is their herd of over 1,000 commercial and 300 registered Gelbvieh, Balancer, Southern Balancer, and Angus cows. The ranch hosts an annual bull sale and markets weaned calves through Country Natural Beef, the West’s largest ranching cooperative that focuses on improving the soil, pasture, and water resources of member ranches for current and future generations. The ranch’s philosophy demands that cattle must have high fertility, heat tolerance, and the ability to survive in a low input environment. Bar T Bar’s commitment to excellence is exhibited by Bob Prosser being recognized as the 2017 Breeder of the Year by the American Gelbvieh Association and their commitment that all sale bulls rank in the top 7% for Leachman’s $Profit selection index. This quest for improving adaptability and eliminating inefficiencies in the cow herd carries over to how Bar T Bar manages the rest of the ranching business.
The time and labor spent to check infrastructure on such a vast operation erodes at profitability. Devin Hovey, Ranch Manager at Bar T Bar, explains “Before Ranchbot, we spent quite a bit of time checking waterers, starting generators, opening valves”. The ranches are currently using Ranchbot water level monitors to get water usage data on 16 water storage systems, record precipitation at four locations on the ranch, automate six pumps, and monitor the levels of three diesel tanks. Devin goes on to explain that “by having the Ranchbot, we’re saving money on fuel, labor, and wear and tear on vehicles, because we can monitor our water, we can monitor our fuel and our generators, and we can change valves remotely. The time that we’re saving, we can do other projects on the ranch and try to make more improvements”. When summing up how adopting Ranchbot has improved life on the ranch, Bob Prosser said “Introducing Ranchbot’s solutions has been a game-changer to not only the way we operate, but our working lives. It has given us the benefit of time. As an extra set of eyes, it allows for invaluable oversight and actionable insights, without even needing to visit the water tanks. Not only does this save money on fuel and the wear and tear of our vehicles, but it also gives us more time to prioritize other areas on the ranch and get home to our families on time.”
Bar T Bar runs large commercial and registered herds over 440,000 acres of scenic, yet challenging, high desert country.
Information about Bar T Bar Ranches can be found at https://bartbar.com. To learn more about how Ranchbot Monitoring Solutions can help you know your water, visit https://ranch-bot.com or call (512) 706-9084.
Take a few minutes to watch how Ranchbot is helping Bar T Bar Ranch steward water across hundreds of thousands of acres in Arizona’s high desert.
