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The drought conditions have left forage resources for this year's fall and winter in short supply for most producers. Over the last couple of months, calves have been early weaned and cattle herds have been culled heavily, relocated to pasture or completely dispersed.

Unless we have an atypically wet summer, many producers will be forced to implement some drought management strategies, if they have not already. Here are a couple of topics to keep in mind looking forward to the remaining summer.

The spring growing season is at hand. Therefore, it is time to develop management plans for our warm season pastures.

There is a common denominator for producers who cope with drought better than others - they all have active drought management plans.

The winter pasture that was planned for last fall may not have developed to expectations or was not planted due to poor moisture conditions going into the fall. What can be planted now to bring about earlier spring pasture?

Alfalfa's value as a hay or feed supplement is well recognized, but its usefulness as a grazing forage is often overlooked.

The window of opportunity to plant summer annual forages is at hand while it is closing for most perennial warm-season forages. It is usually recommended that perennials be planted by mid-May.

The beef cattle industry has several Value Added Calf programs through which beef producers may market calves. The Integrity Beef Alliance is one such program.

Even with the rains during the fall of 2011, much of Oklahoma and Texas is still under drought advisories. Long-term forecasts are not promising for abundant rainfall during the spring or summer of 2012.

There are several "classes" of reserve forages that are available for grazing livestock beginning in September and going forward through winter. It is critical to take inventory of forage reserves now to determine what is on hand and what is expected to be produced.