Sortin` Pen - Johnson & Associates, Inc.
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Sortin` Pen - Johnson & Associates, Inc.
The Only Weekly A Busy Rancher Needs To Read. Billings, Montana Thursday, May 21, 2015 by the publisher Pat Goggins As I See It Our nation recognizes its military on the third Saturday in May each year on a day called Armed Services Day. I so admire the various branches of our Armed Services and what they have meant to the United States over the centuries. Sadly, it’s not just foreign countries that give us a lot of “fritz” ... there are also factions within our own population that don’t like it here, that don’t like what we’re doing elsewhere, and that are willing to riot about it and otherwise raise trouble. These are the people that I wish that the Armed Services and our administration could address. They’re just as dangerous, if not worse, as foreign countries are. It’s about time, in my opinion. The biggest job that any administration has is to protect the citizens who live within its borders. I wish there were more politicians, folks in high power places and, if you please, in our court systems from the Supreme Court on down, who would make our safety a higher priority. If the dissatisfied people are so unhappy that they would like to destroy this country from within, including their own families, then somebody with power who has the ability to put restrictions on them must say to them, “You not only are you going to lose your citizenship and all the pluses that come with it here in America, but also you are going to get yourself out of this country. Go to where you think it’s so much better. And if you don’t go willingly and promptly, we’ll take you there!” …Cont. on pg 4 Food for Thought: Children are like wet cement: whatever falls on them makes an impression. -- Haim Ginott Sortin’ Pen By Leesa Zalesky USDA issues Final Rule on tenderized meat labeling... USDA’s Food Safety & Inspection Services (FSIS) has issued a final rule that will require meat packers to label beef that is mechanically tenderized, blade tenderized, or needle tenderized. The new rule also applies to beef products injected with a marinade or solution, unless the products will be fully cooked or will receive another full “contaminant lethality” treatment at an official establishment. Labels of raw and partially cooked needle or blade tenderized beef products destined for household consumers, hotels, restaurants, or similar institutions will also have to bear validated cooking instructions. The instructions will have to specify the minimum internal cooking temperatures and any rest times for the products to ensure they are fully cooked. FSIS says it’s amending the regulations because scientific evidence shows that mechanically tenderized beef products need to be fully cooked in order to reduce the risk of pathogenic bacteria that may be transferred to the meat’s interior. The rule will take effect on May 17, 2016. 30,000 comments received on dietary guidelines... The public comment period on the proposed federal dietary guidelines recommending the health and environmental benefits of a low-meat, more plant-based diet has led to more than 30,000 comments being submitted to the depart…Cont. on pg 3 Volume 7 Now, here’s a surprise... WTO Appellate Body rules against U.S. COOL By Leesa Zalesky On May 18, the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Appellate Body ruled against the U.S. country of origin labeling (COOL) rules for meat, upholding a lower panel’s report findings that the original compliance panel’s ruling “did not err” in most circumstances and that the U.S. COOL requirements unfairly discriminate against Canadian and Mexican livestock by requiring labels of muscle cuts of meat to state where the animal was born, raised, and slaughtered. The Appellate Body ruling on May 18 is not subject to further appeal at the WTO. The ruling sets in motion a process by which Canada and Mexico can retaliate against the U.S., but the two countries would first have to establish an amount of economic harm inflicted by COOL, something that may be hard, if not impossible, to do... a fact that appears to be conveniently ignored by those who want COOL completely dismantled. A comprehensive economic study, released earlier this year of the U.S. COOL program, showed COOL has had no effect on prices or markets for Canadian and Mexican cattle exports to the U.S. The study -- conducted by Dr. C. Robert Taylor, an Alfa Eminent Scholar in Agriculture Economics and Public Policy at Auburn University -- showed that there was no decline in feeder and fed cattle price basis after COOL was implemented and that, in fact, the price basis narrowed rather than widened after COOL was implemented, with imports receiving about the same price as domestic cattle. The piling on to get rid of COOL began within minutes of release of the Appellate Body’s ruling: - The National Cattlemen’s …Cont. on pg 5 No. 34 In Flanders Field by John McCrae May 1915 In Flanders fields, the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky, The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the dead. Short days ago, We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die, We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields. Note: During World War I, a young Canadian artillery officer, Lieutenant Alexis Helmer, was killed on May 2, 1915, in the gun positions near Ypres. An exploding German artillery shell landed near him. He was serving in the same Canadian artillery unit as a friend of his, the Canadian military doctor and artillery commander Major John McCrae. As the brigade doctor, John McCrae was asked to conduct the burial service for Alexis because the chaplain had been called away somewhere else on duty that evening. It is believed that, later that evening after the burial, McCrae began the draft for his now famous poem “In Flanders Fields.” Trans-Pacific Trade Agreement is cloaked in secrecy Leesa Zalesky The secrecy details surrounding the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement are staggering. Negotiations over TPP have been, since day one of the negotiations, shrouded in secrecy by the Obama administration, but now, as Congress is careening towards a vote on the sweeping trade agreement, we’re learning that the document is locked down, guarded, and only available for perusal by members of Congress, who can do so only under watchful eyes and only after surrendering their cell phones at the door. Sleep well, America. Congress is about to vote on a trade agreement that’s bigger than NAFTA ever thought of being, and only a handful of members have actually read it. Worse, they’re not raising hell about the secrecy. Anyone who wants to read the details of the TPP agreement that the Obama administration is fighting to pass as quickly as it can: 1) must be a member of Congress; 2) must go to a room in the basement room of the Capitol Building where the document is locked away; 3) must surrender cell phone at the door; 4) must read the document one section at a time as it’s handed to them and they’re watched as they read; 5) must hand over any notes taken before leaving; and 6) cannot discuss any details of the agreement publicly. This is how we govern these days? Rep. Lloyd Dogget (D-TX) says U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman, who is the Obama administration’s point man on TPP and the details surrounding it, is the one limiting access. “The access to information is totally at the whim of Froman,” said Dogget. “He likes to make available information that he thinks helps his case, and if it conflicts, then he doesn’t want to make the information available.” Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) said …Cont. on pg 4 New caucus dedicated to protecting property rights... Congressman Tom Reed formally established and hosted the first event of the Private Property Rights Caucus in the House of Representatives. The inaugural event for the caucus focused on how government actions are affecting Americans across the country and began to identify solutions to protect private property rights - 14 members of Congress from 11 states ranging from Maine to California joined as original members of the caucus. “We are hearing not only from New Yorkers but also from Americans across the country about how important it is to defend the rights of property owners from an overreaching federal government,” Reed explained. “The Private Property Rights Caucus will provide a platform to edu- cate members of Congress on the egregious actions that government at all levels imposes on property owners and how we can protect property owners’ Constitutional rights as granted by the Fifth Amendment.” In January Reed introduced the Defense of Property Rights Act to provide property owners with an opportunity to seek compensation in federal court when government action significantly impairs the value of their land. “We care about defending the Constitutional rights given to all Americans and future generations,” Reed declared. “This is an issue that affects Americans from rural communities to urban centers across the nation. We need fairness and …Cont. on pg 4 INDEX Agri-Kids......................12 Classified.....................21 Down Dirt Roads..........27 Obituary........................11 Barry Naugle..................6 Comments....................13 Farm & Food..................6 Prairie Ponderings........9 Bill’s Warbag..................8 Cooking in the West....17 Letters........................ 2-3 Ramblings......................7 Centennial Photo.........14 Cowgirl Sass..................7 Markets.........................22 2 Thursday, May 21, 2015 Letters We are delighted to print letters from our readers on ag and livestock issues. However, the letters are subject to editing for length, grammar, libel, and pertinence to the industry and/or subject at hand. Editor to the Good question... Pat, being out of the state, but acutely aware of the importance of water to all of us, I have been intensely interested in the CSKT compact. Both sides seem to have credible arguments, yet only one can be right. Is this compact good or bad for Montana? Why did present water law work since 1855 and suddenly need changing? Since you have been politically involved for so many years, you are aware of the issue. Please share your common sense opinion: is this compact good or bad for Montana? I was undecided until a proponent presented a list of supposedly nefarious opponents, but omitted the many credible, upright, prominent people who honestly oppose in good faith. It proved to me that the proponents stooped to low, despicable levels. Stephen Anderson Alma, KS WESTERN AG REPORTER I’ve always felt the writer’s great weapon is the truth and integrity of his voice. And as long as what you’re saying is what you truly, honestly believe to be the case, then, whatever the consequences, that’s fine. That’s an honorable position. Salman Rushdie Attention: Pat Dear Mr. Goggins: I want to thank you and congratulate you and your Western Ag Reporter for the large part you have played in the performance evaluation programs over the past 60 years. You have truly been an outstanding influence. I was employed by the University of Missouri Extension Service in 1962, and the performance program was just beginning in Missouri. I know you folks in Montana were among the first, but I think Missouri was not far behind. In the early days, people would weigh a group or two of calves, and if they weighed light, they were convinced that performance testing was a joke and that all of us who believed in the program were nuts. When I graduated from Oklahoma State University in 1962, I visited with Department Chairman Glen Bratcher about getting some good heifers to take to Missouri. At that time, about the only thing we had to go on was that Editor’s note: Well, Stephen, you are stuck with me because Pat they were sisters to the Reserve Grand Champion Carload - having a full plate of health issues for some time and knowing of Bulls at Denver. that I’ve been dealing with this issue for months - passed the It is interesting to me to review information from the 1961 letter along to me with instructions to “answer this” written on International Livestock Exposition in Chicago where the the envelope. However, I’m not a-gonna do it either... for the champions played a large part in many herds’ selection simple reason that I truly do not know what the answer is. In of seed stock. The Grand Champion Steer weighted 900 any case, it appears to me that you have made up your mind pounds and was shown by Iowa State University. It is also anyway. I think only time will reveal the answer, and by then, if it was the wrong thing to do, it will be too damn late. I have interesting to note that the Grand Champion Carcass came said before and I guess I will say it again: I have close friends from a steer weighing 935 pounds with a 591-pound carcass, and respected acquaintances on both sides of this issue, and and the Reserve Champion was an 865-pound steer with about all I have concluded, after reading barrels of ink-expressed a 522-pound carcass. Missouri had a statewide performance testing program opinions, is that, no matter how it all shakes out, it’s a lose-lose deal. I think both sides will lose on various points, no matter that allowed breeders to enter an all breeds bull sale if sale what side ultimately prevails. It makes me ill to think of how standards were met. I have a catalog from the first Miswrong it could all go. I’m hoping the proponents were more right souri All Breeds Tested Bull Sale in 1963, and the heaviest than they were wrong. LG yearling weight bull from the entire state at that sale was 1,029 pounds. I guess it is evident we’ve come a long way, and I feel proud to have worked most of my life, as have you, to promote performance testing. I retired after 36 years Let’s help sponsor yet another wonderful “Running For The Brand” with the University of Misevent! Join the Montana Running Rancher’s team by sponsoring the relay team headed to souri, having spent a large Washington in July. That’s when 12 ranchers from Montana will be running in the 200-mile part of my efforts supporting Ragnar Relay Race to raise awareness of BEEF as a powerful protein. Let’s help them performance testing and the with their expenses to get to Washington! They travel in a couple of vans. Let’s cover breeders who adopted it. those vans with our brands and logos. Ranch Brand: for $50, your ranch name and brand I purchased my first Angus will be stenciled on one of the team vans! Agribusiness Brand: for $150, your business heifer on April 6, 1954, as name and logo will be stenciled on one of the team vans! Let’s plaster those vans with our a 4-H project, and I conbrands and logos! Send checks to Montana Running Ranchers, 1407-16th Street South, tinue to run a small herd of Great Falls, MT 59405, and PLEASE BE Registered Angus cows that SURE to tuck in a note that says you my wife and I enjoy every read about this promotion in WAR! day. We are hoping to visit Questions? Contact Aeric your area this fall when the Reilly with the Montana Montana Angus Tour comes Running Ranchers by to your part of the state. phone at 406-570- 5853 Fred E. Conner or by email at aeric@ Albany, MO reillyins.com Calling all Montana ranchers! Let’s brand these vans! Sales Calendar Name___________________________________ Address ________________________________ City ____________________________________ State ______________Zip __________________ Phone __________________________________ South Dakota residents must ad 4% sales tax to the cost (SD state law) o 1 Year $55 (SD $57.20) o 2 Years $75 (SD $78) o Senior Rate 1 Year Only $35 (80 & over) (SD$36.40) International - Call For Rates (Please include check, money order or Credit Card Information) (Non-Refundable) (CHECK ONE BOX) o Visa o Mastercard o Discover o Am. Express Credit Card Number:_________________________________ Security Code: ________ Expiration Date: ______/ ________ Month Year (Billing Address) City: ________________________________ State: ______________________ Zip: __________________ 22 30 2015 Duppong’s Willow Creek Farm Production Sale, Glen Ullin, ND Shaw Cattle Co. Female Sale, Caldwell, ID JUNE 6 Diamond McNabb Horse Sale, Douglas, WY 13 101 Angus Ranch Complete Dispersion, Jerome, ID 20 Full House Elite Horse Sale, Newcastle, WY 22-23 Northern Livestock Video Early Summer Special, Billings, MT JULY 20-22 Northern Livestock Video Summertime Classic, Billings, MT Circulation Department P.O. Box 30758 • Billings, Montana 59107 Musing the obvious: 1. Where were all the funds spent from the O&M account during the 50 years the BIA ran the project? Apparently not on Maintenance! 2. When will the liens be returned to the landowners? WESTERN LIVESTOCK REPORTER INC. D.B.A. WESTERN AG REPORTER USPS 678-680 MAILING ADDRESS P.O.Box 30758 - Billings, Montana 59107 OFFICE LOCATION PAYS Exchange Bldg. - 18th & Minnesota Ave. Phone (406) 259-4589 - FAX (406) 259-6888 Website: www.westernagreporter.com Publisher WLR PUBLICATIONS General Manager E-mail:[email protected] JOHN P. GOGGINS Editor E-mail: [email protected] LINDA GROSSKOPF Advertising Manager E-mail:[email protected] BONNIE ZIESKE Accounting E-mail:[email protected] DOROTHY KETCHEM Classified Manager E-mail:warclass@ westernagreporter.com JENI NOWAK Circulation Manager E-mail: [email protected] PEGGY POLLARI Monday - Thursday 8 am - 12 pm AUGUST 8 Spruce Mountain Ranch Angus Female Sale, Larkspur, CO 22 Lazy U Quarter Horse Sale, Hershey, NE 24-25 Northern Livestock Video Early Fall Preview Sale, Billings, MT SEPTEMBER 12-13 Wildcat Creek Red Angus Dispersion. Peabody, KS 21 Northern Livestock Video Fall Premier Special, Billings, MT Signature: _________________________________________ Western Ag Reporter The Bureau of Reclamation gave up co-ownership and/or responsibility for the project to the BIA (Indian Services) in about 1926, after completing approximately half the project in less than 20 years. The BIA finished the project around 1960, 35 years later. The “owners of the land so irrigated” signed a contract to repay the “government” for the cost of building the project and accepted liens against their property [like a gun held to their heads] in 1950. Some of the money to pay off the project came from the infamous “net power revenues” from the power generated by the dam for which the cost of construction was also paid for by the irrigators as part of the project. The debt was cleared somewhere around 2002, but the liens have never been removed because no one in the government seems to know where they stored the pink slips to the irrigators’ properties. The Congressional edict that the operation, maintenance, and management of the project would be turned over to the irrigators by the Secretary of the Interior after the payoff occurred was ignored for a time. The BIA set the terms and conditions for the turnover, which left them in control... and the irrigators agreed to this situation. While the project is 90% non-tribal, the tribes got a 50-50 share in the management. Most all of this was done when the project consisted of three divisions and NO FJBC. Four years after project turnover, the FJBC was illegally dissolved from within, and rather than the three original districts managing it, the BIA stepped in and took it back. The BIA fired everyone working on the project and hired back ONLY tribal members at a 50% increase in salary that is funded by the irrigators, who had no say in the action. During the 50 years following the project completion, the BIA ran the project. The irrigators paid their administrative fees and their operation and maintenance (O&M) fees against their acreage. The BIA did little or no maintenance on the project during that time, running it into disrepair. After the project was supposedly turned over to the irrigators, all kinds of maintenance was magically done with that same annual O&M money for four years, illuminating the BIA’s mismanagement for 50 years. Now that the BIA has again assumed control of the project, they say that there is not enough money to fund the necessary repairs to the project (that they let go during their 50-year reign) and that the O&M costs will go up $7/ acre this next year. Everyone keeps referring to a small portion of the illusive $55M from the state taxpayers of Montana, and when the illegal compact is finished that may be used by the tribes to fix a few things on the project. The latest estimate, by the BIA, is that they will need $160M to repair the project. Somehow, this doesn’t calculate.... Is that about it? PATRICK K. GOGGINS MAY CLIP AND MAIL Let’s see if I have this straight... www.westernagreporter.com Production Manager E-mail: [email protected] KARA FAIRBANK Production E-mail: [email protected] KAREN KLEMENT E-mail: [email protected] PATTI KILTS MIKE GOGGINS Pagination KARA FAIRBANK LIVESTOCK ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES JOHN GOGGINS, Field Editor Montana, Northern Wyoming and Alberta, Canada Cell Phone (406) 698-4159 Office Phone (406) 259-4589 E-mail: [email protected] JASON FREY, Field Editor North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota Cell Phone (701) 300-0845 E-Mail: [email protected] PO Box 155 - Ipswich, SD 57451 MARK FRISBIE, Field Editor Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, California Phone (208) 890-4517 Cell Phone (208) 495-2601 E-Mail: [email protected] 11851 Fantastic Drive - Melba, ID 83641 ALAN SEARS, Field Editor Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming (970) 454-3986 Home/Office (970) 396-7521 CO Cell (308) 660-3866 NE Cell E-mail: [email protected] 61 Westward Way - Eaton, CO 80615 COMMERCIAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES DWAYNE DIETZ (406) 259-4589 - Cell: (406) 672-8500 E-mail: [email protected] DENNIS GINKENS (406) 259-4589 - Cell: (406) 670-9839 E-mail: [email protected] Western Ag Reporter was born on October 1, 2008 by combining Western Livestock Reporter (established in 1940) and Agri-News (established in 1968). Western Ag Reporter (USPS 678-680) is published weekly by Western Livestock Reporter, Inc., Publications, 18th & Minnesota, Billings, MT 59101; P.O. Box 30758, Billings, MT 59107. Periodicals postage paid at Billings, Montana. POSTMASTER: Send change of address to Western Ag Reporter, P.O. Box 30758, Billings, MT 59107 Subscription Rates, non-refundable, US funds: one year $55 • two years $75. MEMBER NATIONAL NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION Founded 1885 3 Thursday, May 21, 2015 WESTERN AG REPORTER 3. Who really owns the dam if the Irrigation Project paid for its construction with the Repayment Contract? 4. By what right, legal or otherwise, did the BIA reassume control of the project in 2014 when the FJBC dissolved and why was it not turned back over to them when the three districts rejoined? 5. When, and by what legal process, was the Flathead Irrigation & Power Project renamed the Flathead Indian Irrigation Project when only 10% of the project is Indian? 6. How is it that the “Compact” gives management of the Irrigation Project water to the tribes and not to the project? 7. When will the real Americans stand up and be counted for anything besides a firing squad? Michael Gale email P.S. Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups. Oh yes, we have ‘em! Greetings from Wisconsin! I love the paper and look forward to every issue. It is good to know that even Montana has “leftwing nutjobs”! Makes me feel better here in Obama-supporting Wisconsin. If Krayton ever gets tired of the West, we could sure use someone like him in Wisconsin. Jeff Lass Warrens, WI What ain’t busted don’t need to be fixed! Linda, reference the May 7 issue of WAR, specifically the front page reports on the American Prairie Reserve and Gilles Stockton’s report on free trade. In my opinion, the BLM should not even consider the American Prairie Reserve (APR) request. Its request -- for permission to remove fences and to manage BLM land and APR land by bison rather than cattle -- violates longstanding policy if not the law and would set a dangerous precedent. It seems to me the American Prairie Reserve wants everything both ways. On the one hand, it wants bison to be declared “wild” and managed as “wild.” On the other hand, it now wants to manage bison as domestic cattle. This proves to me that it was a mistake, for example, to allow elk to be owned and managed as domestic grazing animals. It confused the meaning of “wild.” This whole business also proves to me that the American Prairie Reserve was a bad idea to begin with. Concerning the free trade article by Gilles Stockton, I say God help us if and when we ever run out of people like Stockton who tells it like it is and the Western Ag Reporter that gives Stockton a voice to be heard by thousands of people throughout our country. The BLM (the old Taylor Grazing Service) was created to make it possible for frontier settlers to be financially viable in the arid West of our western public land states, domestic livestock (cattle, sheep, and horses) being part of the necessary mix to go with limited farming. All the old rules of survival still apply for the western ranchers and what ain’t busted don’t need to be fixed! Jack Mahon Helena, MT Sortin Pen cont. from pg. 1 ments of Health & Human Services (HHS) and USDA, most of them applauding the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee for making environmental sustainability part of its decision-making process. The guidelines are published every five years by USDA and HHS, with guidance from the committee, a federally appointed panel of nutritionists. Christiana Wyly -- coordinator of the My Plate My Planet Initiative, a coalition of groups supporting the recommendations’ inclusion of environmental sustainability in the dietary guidelines -- said that more than 150 organizations, scholars, authors, and advocates signed the My Plate My Planet Initiative’s open letter to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and HHS Secretary Silvian Mathews Burwell supporting the proposed guidelines. Alexis Baden-Mayer, political director of the Organic Consumers Association (OCA), said her group is urging HHS and USDA to consider promoting 100% grass-fed beef over beef that is factory-farmed. Baden-Mayer said grazing cattle not only makes for more nutrient dense meat, but it also benefits the environment by cutting carbon emissions, fertilizing the soil, and using less water. “We’re using our best farm land to grow crops for animals in feedlots,” said Baden-Mayer. “It’s completely unsustainable and doesn’t make any sense. The wonderful thing about grazing animals is they can eat food we can’t.” OCA is part of a larger coalition organized by Friends of the Earth and the Center for Biological Diversity, which is advocating support of sustainable food sources to the administration through a petition drive. “There is a strong body of evidence showing that a diet with less meat and more plant-based foods is better for our health and the health of the planet,” says the petition. “How food is produced has a big impact on public health and the environment.” USDA offering $11.9 million in organic certification assistance... The USDA’s Ag Marketing Service (AMS) has announced $11.9 million in organic certification assistance, which will be available through state departments of agriculture to make organic certification more affordable for organic producers and handlers across the country. The funding is provided on a cost share basis, and certification assistance is distributed through two programs. Through the National Organic Certification Cost Share Program, $11 million is available to organic farms and businesses nationwide. Through the Agricultural Management Assistance Organic Certification Cost Share Program, an additional $900,000 is available to organic producers (crop and livestock operators only) in Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Funded by the 2014 Farm Bill, these programs provide cost share assistance to USDA certified organic producers and handlers, covering as much as 75% of an individual applicant’s certification costs, up to a maximum of $750 annually per certification scope. In 2014, USDA issued nearly 10,000 reimbursements totaling over $6 million. Jon Marvel retires... The man who vowed to send ranchers into extinction when he formed the Western Watersheds Project (WWP) in 1993 has retired from the organization. Jon Marvel’s all-out angry attack on livestock grazing and his theatrical performances won him a strong core of supporters with deep pockets. Under Marvel’s leadership, WWP forced the Idaho Land Board and legislature to operate all of its endowment land under a constitutional mandate to maximize long-term financial returns, meaning WWP could bid against ranchers for -- and drive up the price of -- grazing rights. WWP’s new executive director is Travis Bruner, 36, a Bozeman, Montana, native who graduated in 2013 from the University of Colorado law school. Bird Flu in the U.S.: 25 million hens may be lost in Iowa... Rose Acre Farms in Iowa, a family-owned egg-laying operation that has 17 facilities across six states, has announced that it is euthanizing about 1.5 million chickens at its Winterset, Iowa, facility due to a bird flu outbreak. Entire flocks are depopulated with carbon monoxide gas, according to USDA, regardless of how many birds on a farm are actually infected. Some are killed with foam. About 40% of Iowa’s egg-laying hens- - about 25 million birds -- are already dead or will be euthanized. Nationwide so far, 33.5 million chickens, turkeys, and ducks have been killed in order to try to halt the spread of the disease. Iowa’s first case of bird flu was discovered last month, and in the weeks since, 44 cases of the illness have been reported, and Iowa’s governor has declared a state of emergency. Quarantine zones have been established, with some counties in northwestern Iowa almost entirely covered in quarantine where workers in hazmat suits and “shower in, shower out” policies are the norm. This is the worst outbreak of bird flu in the U.S. in history, with two strains of the highly contagious H5 virus - H5N2 and H5N8 - having been confirmed. Migrating birds are believed to be responsible for some of the virus’ spread, and researchers are still studying how it is reaching poultry farms like Rose Acre Farms. The disease has been confirmed in 16 states so far. The best publication... Advertising, Subscriptions, Other Rates On Line: Call Now and Book your Seed Today!!! ✤ Spring Wheat ✤ Certified Bullseye WB-Rockland • WB-9879CLP Certified Duclair ✤ Barley ✤ CertifiedTrophy Champion ✤ Hay Barley ✤ Lavina • Hays • Stockford ✤ Oats ✤ ✤ Peas ✤ ✤ Forage Mixes ✤ ✤ Pioneer Alfalfa & Corn Seed ✤ ✤ Custom Pasture & Hay Mixes ✤ ✤ 1st Select Alfalfa ✤ ✤ Matrix Creeping Alfalfa ✤ ✤ CRP Mixes ✤ ✤ Other Items Available Upon Request ✤ 1)Gotoourwebsiteat www.westernagreporter.com 2)Clickon“OurRates”button 3)Thenclickononeofthefollowinglinks(bluetype): Subscriptions Commercial Display Livestock Display Classified Advertising WRS Linda, I am renewing my subscription to your great paper. I’ve taken it for more years than I can count. I used to ranch in the Paradise Valley south of Livingston, Montana. I was a Park County Commissioner in the mid-1980s. Your paper is the best publication that I have taken. 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Box 130 Three Forks, MT 59752 406-285-3269 www.circlesseeds.com WestBred®, Improving Nature’s Grains and the Wheat Design are trademarks of Monsanto Technology, LLC (SAIST44) (SAIST60) New Location! 7305 Entryway Drive • Billings, MT 59101 303 North 13th Street • Billings, MT 59101 • 1-800-548-7270 4000 River Drive North • Great Falls, MT 59401 • 1-800-548-5855 E-mail: [email protected] • ON LINE CATALOG: http://www.westernranchsupply.com 4 Thursday, May 21, 2015 As I See It cont. from pg. 1 We need leaders with some guts and some gall. We need people who know how to say NO on behalf of our country. I don’t mean maybe; I mean NO! Those troublemaking folks should be told in no uncertain terms: “If you don’t like it here with all the perks that you have, and if you’re willing to lose your citizenship and all of those perks, then get out. Go somewhere else and stay there! But remember, leave now and you will have forever lost your United States citizenship and all its opportunities and perks.” This has got to come about. We’re playing footsie with these rioters and other folks who would ruin so much of what we have in this wonderful country. I’ve had it with them. I can’t stand it. I just don’t know how those folks in high places -- whose job it is to protect our laws and privileges and opportunities -- can stand by and let these situations go on and not put a stop to them. They say, if we put them away for life in prison, that in itself is the ruination of a person and the ruination of any future they might think they have, but I think it would be far better to eliminate their citizenship, kick them out of the country, tell them to leave and stay gone and that their privileges and opportunities as an American citizen will be gone forever at all levels. I for one have absolutely had it. I cannot stand it anymore. We don’t have anyone with any guts or glory to defend the outstanding privileges this country offers. This country offers more than anyplace in the world and by golly, somebody, someplace, has got to stand up for the U.S. and say to these ungrateful, unpatriotic, and troublemaking rioters: No, you’re no longer going to be a citizen of this great nation with all its perks and privileges. You get out of here. You’re done. Go away and we’ll help you a little to get out of here. Forever may the door be closed to you. Think this is a little strong? Something has got to be done to curb this thing. This country can be destroyed from within probably quicker than from without. I hope you observed Armed Services Day. Those men and women who are on the list of the various military complements deserve our thanks and recognition. Congratulations to every one of them! Let’s thank them whenever we can ... personally for what their service means to each and every one of us average American citizens. As for that small but vocal minority of folks who think they can rule this country with their threats of violence, let’s all tell them that their days are numbered. Ophus Auction Service B & M Lund Auction Saturday, June 6th The Farm, 1907 Grass lake Rd., is located 15 miles south east of Fort Benton Mt. Then 2 miles east on Grass Lake Rd., or 11 miles north west of Geraldine on Highway 80 Register For Bidders Numbers At 9 a.m. Auction Starts At 10 a.m. SEEDING & TILLAGE 1997 John Deere 8400 MFWD tractor, cab air 1998 John Deere 9300 4X4 tractor, Cab air heat, heat, 225 HP, 16 speed power shift, EZ steer, 4 360 HP, 12 speed, 4 Hyd, PTO, Diff lock, 710/70R Hyd, 3 Pt with quick tach, PTO, 20.8R-42 duals, 38 duals, rear wheel weights, 4,496 Hr. Front fenders, front Wt package, 9,600 Hr. factory new engine at 7,200 Hr. sells with a 12 Ft Degelman 4 way dozer nice unit. • 1978 IH 1800 truck, 446 V-8 in frame overhauled, 5&2 speed, 16 Ft. box & hoist, 124,276 miles. • 1972 Chevy C-60 dump truck, 366, 5&2 speed, airbrakes, 4 yard box, 189,000 miles. • 1972 IH 1700 Loadstar truck, V-8, 5& 2 speed, 16 Ft. box & hoist, 130,197 miles. • 1954 Ford C-600 water truck, 292 V-8, 4 & 2 speed,1,000 Gal galvanized tank, 16 Hp Briggs pump. • 1956 Chevy truck for parts, 15 Ft. box & hoist. • 1978 GMC 1 Ton pickup, 454, 4 speed, service body, gas tank, 106,390 miles. • 2006 Jet 42 Ft. grain trailer, Ag hoppers, roll tarp, nice. • 1972 Butler aluminum 6,700 Gal semi-trailer, mixing cone & pump. • 1974 Titan 20 Ft. grain pup trailer, roll tarp, 20 Ft hitch. • 1994 Corn Husker 24 Ft. grain pup trailer, 12 Ft. hitch. 2003 Freightliner FLD120 Classic semi, sleeper, • 2007 PJ 22 Ft. bumper pull trailer, tandem 7,000 # 500 Hp series 60 Detroit, 10 speed with deep axles, ramps. under, 246 in wheel base, 12,000# front axle, • Homemade 8X14 Ft. single axle trailer with side rails. 40,000# rears, 603,448 miles • 1977 W-W 2 horse trailer, tandem axle. TANKS • 1,500 Gal black poly water tank. • 7,000 Gal poly water tank. • 2 - 6,000 Gal flat bottom fuel tanks & 2 inch pump. • 600 Gal. fuel tank & stand. • 300 Gal pickup tank & new pump. ROCK PICKERS • Highline XL 78 rock picker, Hyd reel. • Danuser post hole digger, 8 and 12 inch bits. (and they for that matter) are part of the United States capitalistic system and that you believe in the opportunities that we offer each other. Tell them, if they don’t want to be good American citizens, “Goodbye! Good riddance forever and ever. Amen!” Property Rights affect property owners. Original members of the Private Property Rights Caucus include Reps. Tom Reed (NY), Mo Brooks (AL), Mark Amodei (NV), Jason Chaffetz (UT), Mike Coffman (CO), Rodney Davis (IL), Bob Gibbs (OH), Paul Gosar (AZ), Mike Kelly (PA), Doug LaMalfa (CA), Cynthia Lummis (WY), Bruce Poliquin (ME), Mike Simpson (ID), and Glenn Thompson (PA). www.westernagreporter.com cont. from pg. 1 respect for private property. We also need government at all levels to carefully consider the impact that regulatory actions have on property rights and property values.” The Statement of Purpose for the Private Property Caucus is as follows: “The purpose of the Private Property Rights Caucus is to educate members of Congress and their staff on the importance of property rights to a free society and how landowners across the country are being impacted by government action and to raise awareness of the issues Congress must address to protect Americans’ rights to their property.” The May 11 event featured a round table discussion of avenues to study for House action: protecting property rights through regulatory reform, reforming the judicial process, and considering individual statutes which 2007 John Deere 6420 MFWD tractor, cab air heat, 90 HP, power quad, 3 Pt, dual PTO, 2 Hyd, 2,229 Hr. sells with a JD 640 Self leveling loader, 7 Ft bucket, rock bucket with grapple, pallet forks. • 1970 John Deere 4020 tractor, diesel 8 speed, ROPS & canopy, PTO, new seat & rear tires, extra Hyd oil cooler, 7,522 Hr. 1987 John Deere 4450 MFWD tractor, Cab air Heat, only 250 Hr. on a 130 Hp factory crate motor, 15 speed power shift, 2 Hyd, dual PTO, 3 Pt, front fenders, just went through JD winter check, 11,850 Hr. • “THE BEAST” WD-9 tractor customized with cab, 390 Ford engine with C-6 Auto trans into tractor trans, rear mounted loader with pallet forks two buckets & boom, “one of a kind” COMBINES & GRAIN HANDLING These combines are well maintained and do not have mice. There is 1 multi-crop auger selling separate. VEHICLES • 2005 Buick Park Avenue 4 door car, loaded leather seats, 3.8L, auto, 130,000 miles, nice car. • 1981 Chevy C10 4X2 pickup, 350, Auto Trans, 172,335 miles. • 1991 Mitsubishi mini pickup 4X4, 3 Cyl. 657 CC gas, 4 speed, right hand drive, fold down box sides. 1998 Case IH 2388 Combine, Big Top grain tank Brent 874 Grain cart, PTO drive, roll tarp, 30.5Ext, 3,125 engine Hr. 2,451 Sep Hr. sells with a 32 tires. Honey Bee SP30 Ft header, pickup reel, transport hitch. • Farm King double screen grain cleaner, 3 HP 220 electric motor. • 1996 Case IH 2188 combine, 30.5l-32 tires, chopper, • Handlair 566 grain vac., 1,000 PTO. adj. sieve, shows 2,821 engine Hr. it has more, sells • MK 13-71 swing out auger, remote controlled with a Honey Bee SP30 Ft. header, pickup reel, motorized mover on swing auger transport hitch. • Farm King 10 X60 Hyd. swing out auger. • Farm King 8X48 PTO auger. • Westfield 8 X36 & 8 X41 & 8 X50 Ft PTO augers. • Case IH 2015 pickup header with Swath-master • Westfield J208-41 PTO auger. attachment. • Farm King 8 inch transfer auger. • 2 - Hyd. bin sweeps. 2007 GMC . Ton 4X4 pickup, four door pickup, • Case IH 1015 pickup header with Westward • 4 - 12 inch aeration fans. 5.3L, Auto, rhino lined short box, grill guard, attachment. • 2011 Brandt Drive over grain deck. • 3 - 16 inch aeration fans. 108,155 miles, nice. AUCTIONEERS NOTE: HayBuster 3106 Rock-Eze wheel type rock picker with a 10 Ft. windrower “like new”. This could be the auction of the year, Ben has a large shop and he is not afraid to use it. All equipment is ready to go. We have 1 ½ hours of small items and then right into the listed items. There is a loading dock and there will be help loading out. You can call Ben Lund for more info. 406-737-4341 or John Poindexter at 406-737-4367 Thanks Shane • 26 Ft. Schutle 5026 mower, 3 section. • 46 Ft. Valmar 240, pull type, PTO drive, foam marker. • 2010 Wilmar Super 800 tandem axle fertilizer spreader, Hyd. spinners, roll tarp, nice shape. • Walker MBSSD Zero turn mower, 27 Hp, 60 inch deck. • Generac 25 KW PTO trailer mounted generator. • Commercial Mosquito fogger 3 Pt., PTO drive. • Vogel 40 Ft. pull type rye wicker. • Iron rack with some iron. • 11 Hp gas portable two stage air compressor. • 8,000 watt generator. • 9 Ft. dozer off a 1030 Case . • 2 - Older Clark axles. • Clausing 8 Ft. metal lathe, 16 inch throw, 4 jaw chuck, 3 phase. • Selection of Gear pullers & seal drivers. • 3 Hp Quincy air compressor & large tank. • 16 Ft. truck van body. • 2 - JD 710/70R-38 wheels & tires. • Various tractor wheel weights. • 2 - sets of scaffolding. • 1993 Suzuki 250 4X4 ATV, windshield runs well. • Honda 90 motorcycle for restoring • Semi-trailer landing gear. • 2 - Large tow cables. • Many large field rocks for landscaping. EVERYTHING ELSE • 2 - Roller conveyors. Sprayers • Summers ultimate NT 1000 suspended boom 90 Ft. sprayer, 1000 gal. tank, auto fold, auto boom height, auto rate control, wind screens, triple nozzles, 280/90R-46 tires. • 1991 Ford L 8000 truck 7.8 L diesel, 5 speed with hi-low, hi float tires all around, sells with a 60 Ft. Summers mid mount boom sprayer, 500 Gal. tank, Honda engine, EZ guide, Calc-An-Acre. All to be moved • 4 - 3,000 bushel grain bins. • 3 - 2,500 bushel grain bins. • 4,000 bushel grain bin. • 30 X 50 Ft. slant wall steel building, 11 Ft. sidewalls. Swather & Extra header • 1995 MacDon 9,000 swather, 5,677 Hr. sells with a 14 Ft. MacDon 920 hay header, steel conditioner. • Sells separate 2005 MacDon 972, Harvest header 25 Ft. triple delivery, pickup reel, multi-crop auger, transport kit. Dirt Equipment • Steiger 11 yard Hyd. Scraper. • Meyers 3 Pt. ditcher. • 1970s Galion T500 series L road grader, IH diesel, scafier, 12 Ft. blade, front mount snow plow. OPHUS AUCTION SERVICE - By Brandy Brown, Communications Director, 202225-3161 Editor’s note: I would VERY much like to see Montana’s Congressmen involved in this most excellent cause. If you would like to see your Congress men and women participate, clip this article out and send it along to them! Hats off to the folks that already belong! Private property rights are at the tip-top of a list of absolutely crucial issues for Americans. LG You Amaz CLASSIFIEDS e B W i ll 406.259.4589 Trans-Pacific cont. from pg. 1 TRUCKS & TRAILERS • 1984 Mack semi, E7 Mack 350 Hp diesel, 10 speed, • 1979 GMC General tandem truck, 8V-92 Detroit, 13 speed, steerable 3rd axle, 19 Ft. box 62 inch sides & hoist, roll tarp, steel floor, dual fuel tanks, pintle hitch. • 1977 IH Fleet star 2050 tandem axle truck, 3208 Cat 250 Hp, Auto Trans, 18 Ft. box & hoist, double frame, 16,000 # front axle. “Get out! And we’ll help you stay out, but you have forever lost all privileges offered by being a United States citizen and/or its opportunities and perks!” If you know somebody who needs to read this, tell him or her you’ve had it with their kind. Tell them that you ed ! • 20 Ft. IH 475 disk, Hyd wing fold, nice shape. John Deere 14 Ft offset disk, serrated disks, nice shape. • 42 Ft. 3 section Land roller, 42 inch heavy wall rollers. • 70 Ft. Gates Magnum heavy harrow, 9/16 teeth, with carbide tips, very nice. • 41 Ft. John Deere 1600 chisel plow, 3 section, Frigstead harrows. • 7 - shank deep ripper, good shape. • 24 Ft. Krause chisel plow, Hyd wing lift, Flexi-Coil harrows. • 20 Ft. Rollo-Flex chisel plow, hand crank wing lift. • 14 Ft. Noble blade 5 small blades. • 20 Ft. Shafer offset disk, no wheels. • 15 Ft. Graham chisel plow. • 10 Ft. 3 point cultivator. 2011 John Deere1910 Air drill, 57 Ft., single shoot, 12 inch spacing capped steel packers, all • Melro 912 5 bottom 2 Pt. plow, auto trip. • 6 sections of drag harrows. run monitor. • 17 foot truck round bale rack. TRACTORS • 2 - John Deere 9450 hoe drills, 12 inch spacing steel packers, double & single hitches, Gustafson grain treater. WESTERN AG REPORTER the terms to gain access are ridiculous. “It’s like being in kindergarten,” she told Politico. “You give back the toys at the end.” According to Brietbart News, as of May 7, only two Senate Republicans from the entire Republican conference of 54 members have admitted that they have gone to the secret basement room and read the details of the trade deal. Senators Jeff Sessions (R-AL) and Mike Lee (R-UT) admit they’ve made the trek to the secret room to read the document.. Lee’s press secretary told Politico that the senator remains undecided on whether he’ll support the deal. This means that a vast majority of U.S. Senators are preparing to vote on a trade agreement they haven’t read or at least hadn’t read just days before they are to vote on it. And they have no idea what the so-called “living agreement” section of the deal is. In his “critical alert” to members across Capitol Hill, Sessions wrote about his concerns with the “living agreement” section and, in doing so, probably breached the rules associated with being allowed to read the document. Nevertheless, Sessions wrote, “This (the living agreement provision) means the president could update the agreement ‘as appropriate to address trade issues that emerge in the future as well as new issues that arise with the expansion of the agreement to include new countries,’” wrote Sessions. “The ‘living agreement’ provision means that participating nations could both add countries to the TPP without Congress’ approval (like China) and also change any of the terms of the agreement, including in controversial areas such as the entry of foreign workers and foreign employees. This has far-reaching implications: the Congressional Research Service reports that, if the U.S. signs onto an international trade agreement, the implementing legislation of that trade agreement would supersede conflicting federal, state, and local laws. When this occurs, U.S. workers may be subject to a sudden change in tariffs, regulations, or dispute resolution proceedings in international tribunals outside the U.S. Promoters of Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) should explain why the American people ought to trust the administration and its foreign partners to revise or rewrite international agreements or add new members to those agreements, without congressional approval. Does this not represent an abdication of congressional authority?” Sessions also wrote to President Obama asking him to make at least the TPP’s “living agreement” public before Congress is asked to vote on TPA. So far, that’s a failed attempt at transparency. Remember when thenSpeaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said Congress would have to pass the Affordable Care Act in order to learn what was in it? Here we go again. Trans-Pacific cont. from pg. 1 Beef Association (NCBA), which has long opposed COOL, issued a statement by NCBA President Philip Ellis, a Wyoming cattle producer, calling for a total repeal of the COOL law. “We have long said that COOL is not just burdensome and costly to cattle producers; it is generally ignored by consumers and violates our international trade obligations. Retaliation will irreparably harm our economy and our relationships with our top trading partners and send a signal to the world that the U.S. doesn’t play by the rules. It is long past time that Congress repeal this broken regulation.” - The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), in a statement from president Ron Prestage, agreed and urged Congress to repeal the law quickly, saying retaliation by Canada and Mexico would be a “death sentence for U.S. jobs and exports.” - House Ag Committee Chairman Michael Conaway (R-TX), a long time opponent of COOL, issued a statement saying he would host a press conference on May 19 at the House Triangle alongside NCBA’s Philip Ellis, NPPC, the National Association of Manufacturers, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Rep. David Rouzer (R-NC), Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO), Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-OR), and Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA) to address the swift need for action by Congress to avoid the “economically devastating effects of retaliation.” Conaway said, “Once again, the WTO has found COOL to be non-compliant, a decision we fully expected. As retaliation by Canada and Mexico becomes reality, it is more important than ever to act quickly to avoid a protracted trade war with our two largest trade partners. I have asked my colleagues to weigh in on resolving this issue once and for all during a business meeting May 20 in a targeted effort to 5 Thursday, May 21, 2015 WESTERN AG REPORTER remove ongoing uncertainty and to provide stability.” (The House and Senate are scheduled to be in session until May 22 but will begin a weeklong Memorial Day recess that day.) - In a May 18 media advisory, Canadian Ag Minister Gerry Ritz and Minister of International Trade Ed Fast said they would hold a press conference May 19 to address the WTO ruling on U.S. COOL. In a joint prepress conference statement, the two ministers said, “For the fourth time, the WTO has ruled against the U.S. COOL policy, reaffirming Canada’s long-standing position that these measures are blatantly protectionist and discriminate against Canada. The U.S. has used and exhausted all possible means to avoid its international obligations, damaging our highly integrated North American supply chain and hurting producers and processors on both sides of the border. Once again, we call on the U.S. to cease this harmful policy and to repeal COOL’s provisions against beef and pork, removing this unnecessary trade barrier. In light of this final ruling, and due to the fact that the U.S. has continued to discriminate against Canadian livestock products, Canada will be seeking authority from the WTO to use retaliatory measures on U.S. ag and non-ag products. Our government stands on the side of Canadian farmers and ranchers and will continue to protect all hardworking Canadians throughout this retaliatory process.” (Editor’s note: How very nice that the Canadian government and the Canadian cattlemen’s organizations stand on the side of their Canadian farmers and ranchers. Gee, what a novel thought. Who knew? LG) - The North American Meat Institute’s (NAMI) President and CEO Barry Carpenter said his group welcomes the WTO ruling. “If there ever was any question that COOL is a trade barrier that violates our international agreements, the WTO ruling today Tuesday, May 26, 2015 RegulaR Cattle Sale & Cow/Calf PaiRS feedeRS SPeCial Tuesday, June 2 , 2015 RegulaR Cattle Sale Tuesday, June 9, 2015 RegulaR Cattle Sale & dRy Cow SPeCial should lay those doubts to rest. Now, after years of grappling with this costly and onerous rule -- a rule that USDA’s own economic analysis says is a burden on livestock producers, meat packers, and processors with no consumer benefit -- it is clear that repealing the statute is the best step forward. Any action other than repeal invites retaliation from Canada and Mexico that could cost the U.S. economy billions of dollars. We look forward to working with Congress to repeal COOL once and for all, so that the U.S. can comply with its trade obligations, avoid unnecessary retaliation against our products, and restore our strong relationships with important trading partners.” Prior to going to work for the meat packing industry, Carpenter was a deputy administrator at USDA’s Ag Marketing Service (AMS) in the Livestock and Seed Division. - American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) president Bob Stallman said in a prepared statement, “The WTO panel has ruled that U.S COOL regulations for meats are not in compliance with previous WTO decisions. That means we need further effort to craft an acceptable COOL program. AFBF supports a COOL program that adheres to appropriate parameters and meets WTO requirements.” National Farmers Union president Roger Johnson said that, despite the WTO decision, there’s still a path forward for COOL if Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. can negotiate how to move forward. “As we have seen in other disputes, once decisions are handed down, WTO members often work together to find a solution that will work for them,” said Johnson. “In this case, such a solution must involve continuation of a meaningful COOL requirement.” Referring to indications that the Obama Administration will work with Canada and Mexico on COOL, Johnson said, “We support Tuesday, June 16, 2015 RegulaR Cattle Sale Tuesday, June 23, 2015 RegulaR Cattle Sale Tuesday, June 30, 2015 RegulaR Cattle Sale & dRy Cow SPeCial For complete details on the market, check out our market report and USDA report at www.milescitylivestock.net Field Representatives Bart Meged Collin Gibbs Andy Wemmer Charles Hellickson 406-421-5377 406-939-0645 406-853-0539 406-853-6037 406- 951-3005 Mark Zehms, Yard Foreman • 406-853-1945 ~ Amanda Kincheloe, Office Manager • 406-234-1790 Visit our website at www.milescitylivestock.net 1-800-755-5177 1-406-234-1790 that approach to the extent it results in a mutually agreed upon result that provides consumers meaningful information on the meat products they purchase, including the country where the animal was born, raised, and slaughtered. With the significant interest by consumers in knowing where their food comes from, any other result is not acceptable. While those who have opposed giving consumers more information on where their meat products are from have focused on potential retaliation, retaliation is relevant only if the parties cannot reach an agreement on how to move forward and then only after an arbitration process. And the amount of any retaliation is, by definition, speculative at best and aimed to raise alarm where none is warranted. Indeed, looking at the recent report from Dr. Robert Taylor at Auburn University, there is significant evidence indicating that any harm to our trading partners has, in fact, been negligible at most. Congress may well have a role to play once the administration has worked with our trading partners following today’s decision if a statutory modification is deemed warranted by the administration, but the time for action is not now. The U.S. as a sovereign country can decide how and whether to implement the adverse ruling.” Leo McDonnell, Director Emeritus of the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association, concurred, saying that the U.S., particularly its elected officials, need to weigh the next steps with COOL thoughtfully and with the facts. “It’s being suggested that Congress should immediately repeal the COOL law because of a fear of retaliatory tariffs. Do we really lack such statesmanship in our elected officials and industry leaders that they would withdraw from our right and our duty to govern ourselves and sacrifice the freedoms and sovereignty that most of us cherish? Imagine if a company like Pepsi was told that it, along with its competitors, could no longer differentiate its soda from others. There is something inherently and fundamentally wrong with anyone who would suggest this in our country, and it bears watching. Our elected officials need to stand their ground -- just as we have asked generations of military men and women to do -to protect our nation’s right to govern itself. Hopefully, we can move COOL forward in a meaningful way that meets growing consumer demand for more information about where and how their food is produced and in an effective manner that allows U.S. cattle producers to differentiate their product.” Editor’s note: Leesa said above, “The piling on to get rid of COOL began within minutes of release of the Appellate Body’s ruling.” What she should have said was this: “The piling on to get rid of COOL began within minutes of the merging of the American cattlemen’s organization (the National Cattlemen’s Association) and the American meatpackers to form NCBA. As for Leo’s question, “Do we really lack such statesmanship in our elected officials and industry leaders that they would withdraw from our right and our duty to govern ourselves and sacrifice the freedoms and sovereignty that most of us cherish?” ... sadly but unequivocally, the simple answer is that, yes, we do. Furthermore, Leo, it is painfully clear by now that, in America, pop and clothing and countless other items enjoy the benefits of being Made in the USA ... but not beef. It’s beyond the pale. LG WESTERNAGREPORTER.COM Rick Young and Sons Auctioneers Anipro Arena Spring Consignment Auction Saturday June 6, 2015 10:00 A.M. 4 miles South of Absarokee on Highway 78 TRAILERS • 2008 Travalong 24' Gooseneck Stock Trailer • 2001 Titan 20' Gooseneck Stock Trailer Hydraulic Squeeze Chute • 2000 Featherlite 20' Gooseneck Stock Trailer • 1988 Travalong 16' Gooseneck Stock Trailer • 1996 Titan. 20' Gooseneck Stock Trailer RTV 900 ATV • 1998 PJ 24' Tandem Dual Flatbed Trailer • Several Small Flatbed Trailers HUNDREDS MORE ITEMS • 1996 Hitachi EX Track Excavator TRACTORS • Farmhand Power Box 450 Manure Spreader • 2002 M.F. 3120 with Westendorf Loader • EZEE-On 20' Lift Wing Disc • 1994 J.D. 3155 with 265 J.D. Loader • Danuser MD 6 Post Pounder • N. H. TM 165 with Allied 2895 Loader • 3 Buggies • 2-Kubota RTV 900 ATVs • J.D. 2510 with Farmhand 235 Loader • Powder River Hydraulic Squeeze Chute • International Hydro 70 • 2006 Kawasaki Mule • Ford 6600 with Leon Snow Blade • 2007 Polaris Ranger ATV • Ford Jubilee • 20-Winchester Lever Action Rifles HAYING MACHINERY • 6 - Savage Model 99 Rifles • 2007 J.D. 945 MOCO rotary swather • 50 Total Firearms • 2010 J.D. 348 square baler • 2008 Ford F350 XLT with Flatbed • H&S 12 wheel rake • 12 Western Saddles • Boats • 2 - 2007 New Holland BR780 A Round Balers • Motor Homes • Antiques • New Holland 1048 Bale Wagon S.P. • Pearson Squeeze Chute • New Holland 166 Windrow Turner • Bobcat C-10 • J.D.700 Fold Wing Rake • Hyd. Post Hole Digger • Case IH 8460 Round Baler • Lots of 3 Point Equipment Watch next week for complete listing Sale managed by Rick Young and Sons Auctioneers wwwrickyoungauctioneers.com. 406-321-1534 Sale Managed By : Rick Young & Sons Auctioneers phone: 406-328-4296 • cell 406-321-1534 • www.rickyoungauctioneers.com 6 & Thursday, May 21, 2015 Farm Food by Alan Guebert The Land of Milk and Uncle Honey Two years ago, the 20th tor, there wasn’t an impleanniversary of this weekly effort came and went without notice by its founder, editor, and office cleaning crew. Two months later, that same person finally realized the oversight and then promptly forgot it. This mid-May, however, there is a first-ever most likely, only-time-ever - reminder that 22 years have passed since three daily newspapers in central Illinois began to print these musings. That reminder is a collection of Farm and Food File columns centered on “the southern Illinois dairy farm of my youth.” The book, published by the University of Illinois Press, was released on the column’s anniversary, May 15. Its title is as good as any phrase or sentence contained in any of the 54 columns it holds: The Land of Milk and Uncle Honey. Longtime readers may remember my great Uncle Honey. Honey wasn’t just a paradox; Honey was the perfect paradox. Seated on a trac- ment, animal, or telephone pole Honey couldn’t bend, bind, or break. Machinery dealers loved him; cows and cats feared him. Off a tractor, however, Honey was as peaceful as a June sunrise. He nodded more than talked, smiled more than frowned, and always wore a broadbrimmed hat, never a cap. He was an important, albeit dangerous, part of my wide-eyed youth... thus t h e b o o k ’s clever title, a title neither Mary Grace Foxwell, my co-author daughter, nor I thought of or likely ever would have. It comes from the hardworking, patient publishing team at the University of Illinois. Evidently they remembered their Old Testament (Exodus 3:8) better than this 1969 graduate of St. John’s Lutheran School. While the book is mostly my words, it is Gracie’s triumph. Three years ago, after more than a decade of reader requests for a book that compiled all the “southern Illinois” columns, Gracie asked for copies of those pieces. When compiled, I was astonished to discover there were more than 60. Then Gracie -- as good an editor as I’ve enjoyed (okay, tolerated) in almost 35 years of ag journalism -- went to work. She edited each one, sorted all by topic and season, and suggested I write a lengthy, story-behind-thecolumn prologue; she wrote a descriptive, revealing epilogue and made all presentable to potential publishers. My role, which I fulfilled with great diligence, was to stay out of the way. Within months the good folks at U of I Press, grabbed it. Remarkable as that seems, it’s completely explainable if you know the Former Farmboy Corollary. The Former Farmboy Corollary holds that, whenever two former farmboys meet, goodwill pours forth. (The Full-Time Farmer Corollary, on the other hand, states that, whenever two full-time farmers meet, concrete pours forth, usually within 24 hours.) In the book’s case, the two former farmboys were/are Michael Roux, U of I Press’s marketing manager, and me. After reading Gracie’s wellprepared manuscript, Roux made the book a personal project. That was more than a year ago. Now it’s a reality; 144 pages of stories, photographs, and memories of the people, food, and events - the culture - of American agriculture 50 years ago. Back then, change was everywhere so we quickly dropped the old to grab as much of the new we could hold. Along the way, however, my kind, machinerychallenged Uncle Honey and your homegrown noon dinner gave way to today’s WANTED Used John Deere 567-568 Round Balers... ALIVE! Premium Trade-in Value Given on a WESTERN AG REPORTER I’d Rather Be Lucky Than Smart by Barry Naugle Cowboys, heel flies, and cattle dips Some time back, John Wayne starred in a movie about driving a large herd of cattle from South Texas to the North. Due to circumstances which I have forgotten, he could only hire very young kids as cowboys to move the herd. They got the job done. At the time of this movie, the oil and gas fields were discovered in Wyoming in the areas of Kemmerer, La Barge, Big Piney, and Pinedale. In the bars and saloons, grizzled ranchers and badly bent old cowboys wisely discoursed about overthrusts, synclines, and 24/7 chases for more efficiency and more profit. Both, however, will fade because today, like yesterday, will fade. In its place will rise a new land of milk and Uncle Honey because loving, hardworking people; simple, great food; and the memories both generate will never fade. (c) 2105 ag comm Alan’s note: Please check the website http://farmandfoodfile. com/author-events/ to see if my daughter and I have scheduled a book reading and signing in your community. If so, we’d be grateful if you’d add it to the paper’s “community event” calendar. If we’ve yet to schedule an event in your area and you would like us to, email me or call (me: 309-202-3456 or Mary Grace: 309-241-8334), and every effort will be made to do so. Currently, we are in IL, WI, and MN from May 22 through June 30. July will be devoted to IA, NE, SD, and ND. And we plan to spend August in KY, OH, and IN. We will, however, go anywhere anytime in between. Invite us! anticlines. Big money ruined the atmosphere. Came time for the spring roundups in this area, but the cowboys were gone. They had traded in their Five X beaver stetsons for tin hard-hats and were now happily dispersing their $500 a week paychecks instead of hoarding the $90 a month stipend. The Muddy Roundup was woefully short of hands. There was one rancher in his mid-forties to run the crew, one boy of 18, and that was it. The boss rancher talked the local school into letting a group of kids out of “durance vile” to become cowboys for several weeks. The rancher himself doubled as cook and first aid administrator. Once, when I was riding with my boss, we came to an area where four fences cornered. Off a bit from the corners was evidence of old corrals. Old rotting posts and rails lay on the ground amid grass that was taller and a little greener than the surrounding vegetation... a clue that at one time the old pens had been more heavily fertilized by crowded cattle. Amid the rotting posts and more lush greenery was a large metal trough. I asked what this set-up had been. He told me, “This was a dipping vat for cattle. A group of ranchers got together and bought the long metal trough and built the corrals. Then they would force their cattle through an insecticide solution in the vat to get rid of ticks, lice, and cattle grubs or warbles that infested the cattle bought up from Texas. After several years of treatment, we seldom saw the heel flies that caused the grubs in cattle’s backs. But the ranchers quit that practice, and the heel DENNIS GINKENS Commercial Advertising Representative P.O. Box 30758 Billings, MT 59107 Office: 406-259-4589 Cell: 406-670-9839 Fax: 406-259-6888 E-mail: [email protected] NEW John Deere 569 Baler! If you're wanting to advertise your commercial business, I'd like to help. flies are back.” The trough was at least a few feet wide. The length was something like 20 feet long, which included a sloping ramp at each end. The trough was buried in the ground so that the sloping ramps were at ground level. The tank was filled with an insecticide solution. A man with a pole pushed the cattle’s heads under the pest-killing solution as they swam past under him. I had yet to experience any incidences with heel flies. But the youngsters on the Muddy Roundup did. The boss man and his youngsters had eaten their cornflakes with sugar and canned milk and washed it down with hot cocoa before daylight. Their horses were caught and saddled. Many a saddle had two stirrups dangling one below the other by a thong... a “Jacob’s Ladder” so the short-legged rider could mount his steed unassisted. By daylight they had gathered some 800 head from a section-sized holding pasture and were holding the bunch loosely against a Forest Service fence. A Forest Ranger would count the cattle going onto the U.S. Forest allotment. A few cows would be cut back because their owners had no permit to graze the Forest. The work was going just right. The young cowboys were doing fine and not crowding or hurrying the cattle. Then disaster struck. The cows on the edge of the herd seemed to freeze. They appeared apprehensive. Their heads turned this way and that. Slowly their tails raised and stood out straight behind them. They bolted. These heel flies did not bite or sting. They hovered and buzzed at the heels of the cows and gently touched the bristly hairs while depositing their eggs on the hair. This tickling egg-laying drove the cattle to stampede. If there were 800 cows in that bunch, 800 grown and experienced cowboys could not have held them. They scattered in every direction like spit on a hot griddle. The downcast crew of the Muddy Roundup rode back to their tents, knowing that tomorrow they would try again. The boss said, “Buck up, boys. That’s cowboying. Y’all did good.” Just before the boys dozed off in their sleeping bags, a small voiced called out, “Boss? Can one cow stampede?” The boss mumbled an answer. “Yeah. But they don’t scatter much.” FREMONT COUNTY SPRING SPECTACULAR YOUTH LIVESTOCK SHOW JUNE 5 - 7, Fairgrounds, Riverton, WY FAMILY FUN! 2 Shows - 2 Judges - 2 Days Market Beef, Goats & Lambs: “NEW” Ewe Lamb Shows: 2 shows, 2 days Beef Heifers: 3 Shows, 2 Days Market Hogs: 3 Shows, 3 Days Call for a quote from your sales rep today SHOWMANSHIP CONTESTS: 3 Age Groups YELLOWSTONE COUNTY IMPLEMENT Billings, 5121 Midland Road, East of Holiday Inn • 1-800-823-9242 or 406-248-7787 7:30 AM - 5:30 PM M-F & 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM Sat GUARANTEED CASH PAYOUT OVER $5,000 Plus Awards, Belt Buckles & Daily Jackpot Cash Payouts! ENTRIES DUE: JUNE 2, 5:00 P.M. FMI: 307-856-6611 or fremontcountyfair.org/ Springfair Ramblings of a Conservative Cow Doctor COWGIRL Sass & Savvy by Rep. Krayton Kerns, DVM www.kraytonkerns.org by Julie Carter An appeal to Heaven In 1868, Decoration Day was established to honor the battlefield casualties of the Civil War. After World War I, Decoration Day expanded to honor all fallen heroes. Beginning with our War for Independence up through the first Gulf War, 650,954 Americans have died on the battlefield. If we add deaths from wartime disease, starvation, or accidents unrelated to hostilities, an additional 538,503 fatalities brings America’s total cost of freedom to 1,431,290 lives. Liberty is expensive. I fear average Americans and most politicians ignore the high price paid by others. When voters elect officials promising to use government to deliver freebies sucked from the wallets of others, we cheapen the lives of soldiers drawing their final breath on the battlefield. Sadly, one entire political party and half of the second promote this covetousness to maintain their positions of power. Do you really believe 1,431,290 Americans paid the ultimate sacrifice just so you could have nationalized healthcare, subsidized housing, extended unemployment, food stamps, and green electricity? I do not, but here is the problem. Last week, I heard a radio announcer summarizing an op-ed piece stating that virtually no one alters their political opinions even when confronted with irrefutable logic and facts. Thomas Paine warned, “To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead.” If you always vote Democrat because Democrats are for poor people or always vote Republican because Republicans are for business, you are immune to logic, and I have wasted the last nine years of my life trying to explain the principles of American freedom and limited government. It is time to return to America’s original approach. George Washington was a godly man, and the painting of him praying in the snow in front of his horse is a very accurate, eye-witness account. General Washington knew that the probability of a rag-tag assembly of farmers, merchants, and indentured servants defeating the most powerful and well trained military in the world was nil... except for the dispensation of Providence, so he turned to God. In 1775, a full year before our Declaration of Independence, General Washington ordered the creation of America’s first flag, an all-white banner displaying an evergreen tree below the motto “An Appeal to Heaven.” As he knew the weak-kneed caucus of the Continental Congress would never support aggression against the crown, the flags were affixed 7 Thursday, May 21, 2015 WESTERN AG REPORTER to the six privately-owned schooners of “Washington’s Secret Navy.” Within a short few months, America’s “Lee” captured the British “Nancy,” and patriots commandeered an enormous supply of muskets and munitions destined for the British regulars stationed in Boston. This marked the first of several miraculous events that launched our great American experiment in freedom, and this brings me to my point. America was founded by the grace of God, and by His actions she shall be restored. When I see progressive presidential candidates proposing Biblical principles be edited so as to be trendy, I see the magnitude of our problem. However, in face of the violence inflicted on believers worldwide and the intimidating threats and fines levied on practicing Christians here at home, now is not the time to be shy. Instead, be bold. Fence sitters can be brought into the fold when they see courageous Christians openly living their faith. Godly men are gathering under the “Appeal to Heaven” banner and are asking for God to save our republic. He always has been and always will be our only hope, and we should join them in prayer this Memorial Day. The lingo of the West Cowboy lingo has always been my first language. I never thought to dissect, define, or explain it. It always seemed pretty clear to me. Recently a few questions from someone, who seriously wanted to be correct in his terminology but claimed only Eastern savvy, sent me on a quest to learn why I knew what I knew. Here in the Southwest, just a few cow trails north of Mexico, we are quite familiar with the mixture of Spanish and English terms. I had just never seen them all in a list until I purchased Robert Smead’s book called “Vocabulario Vaquero, Cowboy Talk.” The book is a dictionary of sorts that shows the absorption of a large number of ranch-related words from Spanish into English. He contends it offers striking evidence of that heritage in the history of the American West and its cowboys. Many of the essential cowboy items of tack originated in the Spanish culture. The bozal, usually written and said as bosal, is the nose band of a headstall or hackamore, which is from the Spanish term jáquima. Cowboys still use chaps. That is pronounced as “shaps,” which stems from the original Spanish chaparreras, also pronounced with the “sh.” When you hear someone say “chaps” with the ch sound, see if he/she isn’t from New York City,,, and check the origin of his salsa while you’re at it. Corral, lariat, latigo, cinch, and ten-gallon hat all are words we throw around that have Spanish roots. Gallon in the hat doesn’t refer to capacity, but to the braided decorations or galones that adorned it. What came first, tank or tanque? Both hold water. After the words themselves comes the peculiar direct phrases used by the cowboy who is almost always free from the constraints of polite society or convention. These are covered in two books written by Ramon Adams called “Cowboy Lingo” and “Western Words.” A cowboy’s slang usually strengthens rather that weakens his speech. The jargon of this individual among individuals is often picturesque and humorous and leaves you with no doubt how the man felt about the subject he was talking about. He squeezes the juice from language, molds it to suit his needs, and is a genius at making a verb out of anything. The words “cowboy” and “rodeo” are verbs, and “try” is not. “He paid his fees, knowing he better have enough try to cowboy up and rodeo like a tuff.” When riding a horse with a rough gait that pounds even the best of riders, you will hear, “That buzzard bait would give a woodpecker a headache.” For a breed of mankind that has a reputation for being “men of few words,” the cowboy culture has its own entire dictionary of the West. It is filled with words from several nationalities and many occupations, all rolled into a “lingo” uniquely their own. Now I guess I better go catch my old cow-hocked, gotch-eared, ring-tailed cayuse, cinch up my kack, and spend a little more daylight riding for the brand instead of for the grub line. Julie can be reached for comment at jcarternm@ gmail.com Owners: Snowbelt Angus Ranch Company Bert 406-672-0014 • Teddy 406-557-6218 LARGE FARM AUCTION SATURDAY, May 30, 2015 10:00 A.M Location: From Jordan, MT-Take Hwy 200 toward Winnet for 25 miles, turn South (left) for 6.1 miles (on Hwy you turn between mile marker 188 & 187) Lunch will be available FARM MACHINERY Don’t miss this! You are cordially invited to attend the Eighth Annual Stetsons & Stilettos Ball hosted by the NILE Foundation on Friday, May 29 at the Northern Hotel in Billings, Montana. This function is a benefit for NILE youth programs and scholarships; there will be an outstanding selection of live and silent auction items. A four-course steak dinner will be followed by dancing to the Copper Mountain Band. Limited seating. Price increase after May 11. Questions? Call 0406-56-2495. 2008 JD 7330 Premium MFWD Tractor, 3 pt, PTO, 420/80R46 new tires, wheel weights, 5,166 hours & JD 740 Front-end Loader w/7’ Bucket & Grapple (new) Case IH 7130 MFWD Tractor, 3 pt, PTO, 18.4R42 tires, 4,651 hours & Buhler 2895 Front-end Loader IHC 400 gas Tractor & Farmhand F11 Front-end Loader w/Bucket IHC 544 gas Tractor, hydro, fresh overhaul & Farmhand F11 Front-end Loader w/Bucket Steiger Panther II ST310 4-wheel drive Tractor, 23.1×34 duals, 4,000 hours (front planetarys rebuilt @ 2,000 hours) Steiger ST280 4-wheel drive Tractor, 320 hp, 20.8×38 tires, reman inframe overhaul, frontend planetarys turned (2) IHC 4366 4-wheel drive Tractor & Dozer (1-for parts & has 18.4×38 tires, 80%) (2) JD 9400 Hoe Drills & (2) 9450 Hoe Drills, 10” spacing, Gen Carbide points, solid packers w/JD transports (2) JD 8’ Double Disc Grass Seeding Drills, 6” spacing, solid packers Concord 4812 Air Seeder, 12” spacing, 48’, new Stealth 1” points, heavy springs w/340 bushel Cart JD 29’ Disc, model 331, new tires & hoses, disc hardly worn, 9” spacing JD 26’ Disc, model 335, 7” spacing • JD 37’ Cultivator, model 1010, 6” spacing, Noble Harrows Melroe 38’ Chisel Plow & Morris Harrows • Renn 24’ Chisel Plow & Harrows Wilray 16’ Roller HAYING & LIVESTOCK EQUIP, AUGERS & BINS Vermeer BPX Bale Processor w/liquid feed attachment & pump, model 9000 (brand new) Vermeer R2300 Twin Rake (like new) • (2) Hay Buster H1000 Tub Grinders (1-for parts) (5) 16’ Calf Shelters (made by Star Structures) • (2) Thorson Squeeze Chutes (1-Clinic, 1-Standard) Powder River Calf Table • 2W Maternity Pen • (6) Sturdy Bilt Tapered Bale Feeders (2) Heavy Duty 2-bale Feeders (made by Circle Machine Works) • (2) Heavy Duty 5-bale Feeders (made by Circle Machine Works) (9) 10’ & (8) 8’ Winkel Portable Panels • (19) 12’ Stroberg Portable Panels • (2) 12’ Gates w/6’ Walk-ins (27) 12’ & (17) 10’ & (15) 8’ Blue Portable Panels • (2) 12’ Gates • (2) 12’ Panels w/Walk-in Gates (10) 12’ Sheep Panels • (17) 10’ Green Portable Panels • (3) 36” Walk-in Gates • Brandt Grain Vac, model 5000 (new updated fan assembly) Brandt 10×60 Swing-a-way Auger • Westfield 10×61 Swing-a-way Auger • Brandt 7×41 PTO Auger Feterl 8×55 PTO Auger • 2200 bushel Hopper Bin • 650 & 1050 bushel Steffes Hopper Bin (epoxy coated) INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT & TRAILERS Fiat-Allis Pay Loader, 3-yard Bucket (like new tires) • Allis Chalmers HD6 Crawler, power shift, dozer, 2,523 hours Huber Wabco Motor Grader, 140 hp Detroit Diesel • Case 580B gas Backhoe w/Front-end Loader Liftall Forklift, new valves in engine, 30’ lift, 7,000 # • 1997 Jet 42’ Hopper Grain Trailer, spring ride 40’ Hay Trailer • Wabash 48’ Van Trailer, air ride suspension • Fruehauf 42’ Flatbed Trailer & Lode King Double Hopper Tanks Lode King Double Hopper Drill Fill Circle D 28’ Tandem Axle Dually Trailer w/beavertail, 10,000# axles • Kiefer 16’ bumper-pull Stock Trailer 1 ¼ ton Trailer w/600 gallon aluminum Fuel Tank, 24 volt centrifugal pump, 2-hose reels w/meters • (2) Military 1 ¼ ton Cargo Fuel Trailers COMBINE, SPRAYERS & MISC Case 1660 Combine, 3,400 hours w/25’ Header, model 1010 • 25’ Header, model 1010 JD 6620 Combine (for parts) & JD 220 Header (good shape) AG Chem Big A 2700 SP Sprayer, L10 Cummins, Fuller 10-speed, 1600 gallon stainless steel Tank, 60’ Booms, Raven Controller, Foam Marker 1972 GMC Fertilizer Truck, Detroit 300 hp Silver, 5-speed Allison automatic, 60’ Booms w/Dickey John Controller Enduraplas Fire Fighting Pickup Sprayer w/260 gallon water tank & Honda GX160 engine & hose reel Honda GC160 w/Pump • F&S Electric Hose Reel • Handler II Chemical Mixer • Sotera Diaphram Chemical Pump • Tuthill Fill Rite Pump Enduraplas Mixing Cone • 1400 & 1100 gallon Poly Tanks • 40’ Storage Container Miller 225 AC/DC Bobcat Welder w/8000 watt Generator & 16 hp Onan Engine • Portable Lincoln SA200 Pipeline Welder on Trailer Ingersoll Rand Portable Air Compressor w/13 hp electric start Honda engine (new) • New Galvanized Tin (for 40×80 Shop) A Cowman’s Best Friend at Calving Time! - Enables quick and safe calf catching! - Convenient, step in access of producer! - Reduces danger while working new calves! - Cuts labor, one person does the work! - Quick mount and dismount on both ATV and UTV (Side x Side) units! View Action Video at www.SafetyZoneCalfCatchers.com To Order, call 877-505-0914 TODAY! User-Friendly and Durable, Designed to Ensure Safe & Easy Calf Processing Jason Frey, Field Editor North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota PO Box 155 Ipswich, SD 57451 Cell (701) 300-0845 E-mail: [email protected] If you're looking for herd bulls, replacements, registered or commercial females, I've been making the rounds in my territory. I'd like to help. TRUCKS, PICKUPS & ATV’S 1996 Ford F800 Crew Cab single axle Truck, Cummins 8.3, 10-speed Fuller, 14’ Service Bed w/5500# IMT Crane w/24” reach & hydraulic Down Riggers & Air 1974 Intl 4300 Truck, Cummins 325 hp, Reman Engine & Clutch, 13-speed Fuller, Wet Kit 1979 GMC Tandem Axle Truck, Tag, hydraulic Lift, 427 Engine, 10-speed Clark transmission, 20’ Box & Hoist w/52” sides, 50,000 miles 1975 GMC Tandem Axle Truck, Twin Screw, 427 Engine, 13-speed Road Ranger, 18’ Box w/60” sides 1971 Chevy C50 Truck, 350 Engine, 4&2, 17’ Box & 2-way Hoist • 1969 Chevy C50 Truck, 350 Engine 4&2, 15’ Box & Hoist Military 12-yard Dump Truck, Cummins 855, 5-speed, 14’ Box (new hydraulic cylinder) • Military 2 ½ ton Tractor Truck 2008 Ford F350 Extended Cab Pickup, 4×4, 6.4 liter diesel, 6-speed, manual, 8’ Omaha Standard Flatbed, 126,000 miles 2005 Chevy 2500 HD Pickup, 6.0 liter engine, 5-speed automatic, 4×4, new radial tires w/2012 Hydra Bed, cross box, 140,000 miles 2001 Chevy 1500 Extended Cab Pickup, 5.3 liter, automatic, 4×4 1994 Chevy Extended Cab Pickup, 350 engine, 5-speed manual, 105,000 miles w/Triple T Flatbed (new) 1991 Dodge 350 Pickup, 360 engine, 4-speed, 4×4 w/Hydra Bed 1984 Chevy Dually Pickup, 454 engine, 4-speed manual, propane conversion kit, runs on gas or propane 1984 Chevy 1-ton diesel Pickup w/Hydra Bed • 1980 Chevy ½ ton Pickup, automatic, 4×4, rebuilt engine & transmission w/Flatbed 1979 GMC ¾ ton Pickup, 350 rebuilt, 4-speed, 4×4, Knapheide 8’ Service Bed 1973 Chevy ¾ ton Pickup, 350 rebuilt, turbo, automatic, 102,000 miles w/J&M Flatbed & Delta side Toolboxes • 8’ Utility Pickup Box (3) Honda Rancher ATV’s, ((2) 2-wheel drive, (1) 4-wheel drive) Auctioneer’s Note: Snow Belt Angus Ranch sold their ranch and will be offering their full line of equipment at auction. There will be approximately (1) hour of small items and then we will move into the machinery line. Rick Kniepkamp Circle, Montana WE SELL & ADVERTISE ACROSS THE UNITED STATES www.r-kauction.com (406) 485-2548 Rick Kniepkamp (406) 485-2548 or Cell (406) 939-1632 All information is from sources deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed by the Seller or the Auctioneers. Offering is subject to error, omission, and approval of purchase by owner. We urge independent verification of each and every item submitted to the satisfaction of any prospective buyer. It is every potential bidder/purchaser’s sole responsibility to accomplish his or her due diligence in whatever manner he or she deems advisable. Announcements made sale day take precedence over any printed materials. The property sells “As is-Where is.” RK Statewide Auction Service and its auctioneers are acting solely as auctioneers for the sellers. 8 Thursday, May 21, 2015 Bill in his prime, about 1915. Diggin' in… by Bill Huntington The bulls went right through the lemonade stand! It was a special occasion; I think it was Labor Day. The show consisted of races, bucking bulls, and bucking horses. It really was a WILD show. We opened with a free-for-all horse race. There was about 15 entries for a $10 purse. It was a quarter-mile circle track. It had rained the day before and was still slippery. (Editor’s note: This column appeared in the August 6, 1952, issue of the Western Livestock Reporter, but it probably took place about 1915 in Billings, MT. LG) Doc Dennis, a well known character, entered the race. He was wearing a big tengallon hat that looked like a parasol and a beaded vest. He had a pair of big tapaderos on his stirrups that pretty near touched the ground. Doc got away in the lead. His tapaderos was a-flopping and the mud was a-flying. When Doc came around the turn, his horse hit a greasy spot. Doc’s horse fell, and all you could see was Doc’s hat and tapaderos flying in the air. Then all the other horses ran over him before he could get up. He was tough. He lost a little hide but mostly he was mudded up. We had four big bulls in a corral. They got to fighting, and we turned them out as we didn’t want them to tear the corral down. They kept right on fighting and got under the grandstand. Frank Savarsy had a lemonade stand on the shady side of the grand stand. The bulls went right through the lemonade Morgan Contractors, LLC ◆ General Contractor ◆ Commercial Residential Farm-Ranch Licensed-Bonded-Insured 60 yrs combined experience Southern MT & Northern WY 406-698-9940 www.morgancontractorsmt.com stand and turned the barrel of lemonade over and knocked the counter down... four by fours was a-cracking, bulls a-bawling, people a-boiling out of the grandstand! Old Diego Frank grabbed an axe and took after the bulls, yelling, “Goddamneddy, Goddamneddy, I kill the Goddamneddy bulls!” I don’t know if he got in a slash or not as I was too busy laughing to see. The bulls came out just as the crowd got out of the grandstand. They met almost head on. The people rushed back for the grandstand. We didn’t have to chase the bulls as Savarsy and his axe done it for us. The bullfight didn’t take any of the buck out of the bulls; in fact, it just warmed them up! George Williams rode one with a saddle. This one was called the Lamey bull, and he was awfully mean. He busted the cinch, and George and his saddle sailed off. I rode the next bull. I did okay... until he bucked into the other bulls. They started to fight and to chase him. I was scared to stay on, and I didn’t dare to get off. Everybody was cheering the bulls. The bucking horses had an extra kink in their back that day too. A good many of the local boys around Billings was riding. One in particular was Earl Talcott. Everybody used to say he was raised on a horse with a rope in his hand. He drawed a good forked horse called “Bull in the Woods” that had bucked off a lot of the boys. This old pony was plenty tough, and he was bothering Earl. Earl didn’t reach for the saddlehorn, but it looked like he might have been reaching for the back of the saddle. His shirttail was out, fanning the breeze, and he grabbed his shirt instead of his saddle and pulled it up right over his head! It must have helped steady him for he got straightened up in the WESTERN AG REPORTER Why World War II remains Americans’ favorite war By Robert J. Samuelson To mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II (Victory in Europe Day occurred on May 8; Victory over Japan Day happens on August14), the Census Bureau has published some fascinating numbers that also throw light on the war’s larger historical meaning. They help explain why WWII remains our favorite war. Here’s an overview. First, the numbers. 10 million men drafted... They concern the share of Americans who served in the military. That was, Census reports, 16.1 million men. Of these, 6.1 million volunteered, and 10 million were drafted. According to Census, 406,000 were killed, and another 671,000 saddle and made a good ride. We had caught a coyote for the occasion, and we took it out in the middle of the arena and turned it loose for the boys to rope. Several boys missed their loop but Earl didn’t miss. When Earl made his throw, he had the coyote on the end of his loop. I have no criticism of the present rodeos. They are good. But I do miss the excitement and fun we used to have when the unexpected took place. Note: If you enjoyed this column, you will likely enjoy Bill’s latest book, Treasures from Bill’s Warbag. It also makes a great gift. $40 postpaid. Huntington Trust, PO Box 85, Billings, MT 59103. were wounded - a casualty rate of about 1 in 15 for all services. (These figures cover only men. Census also reported separately that 342,000 women served in World War II; 217 died.) At the war’s end, 12.1 million Americans were still in uniform. This compared with 3.1 million in 1970 at the height of the war in Vietnam and 1.5 million in 2011. In 1950, 28% of all men 18 and over were World War II veterans; today, the active duty military (men and women) are less than 1% of the 18-and-over population, says Census. What these figures show is that, compared with World War II, we fight our wars today from our hip pocket. The Census numbers actually understate the wartime mobilization. Looking at just men aged 15 to 39 in 1940 (as I have), from 50 to 60% served in World War II. Presumably, the others were unfit, too old or exempted from service. Now, the implications. This massive mobilization tells us that the triumph in World War II was a collective, democratic, and unifying event, the likes of which we never experienced before (the Civil War in some respects rivaled the effect, but of course, it was also hugely divisive). It involved almost everyone. As soldiers, sailors, and airmen, rich and the poor were tossed in together; so were North and South, urban and rural. Shared victory... The triumph was not the property of any group, region, or class; the victory was national. It belonged to everyone. One of the war’s great emotional appeals, I think, is this emphasis on communal responsibility, obligation, and reward. (Unsurprisingly, there are many exceptions to this, the most conspicuous being the continued segregation, even in fighting units, of AfricanAmericans.) It’s why we love World War II. It reminds us who we can be when we are at our best. There is much focus now on inequality, but the inequality is economic, measured in dollars and cents. World War II did not eliminate differences of income and wealth, but it did emphasize equality of duty and contribution. Patriotic commitment was not a function of bank accounts. A second great consequence of the war was that it reconciled Americans - not all, but many - to the inevitability of large organizations, even if they were often clumsy, arbitrary, and wrong. The U.S. Army was a massive organization. So were the vast corporations that churned out Sherman tanks, B-24s, and Liberty ships. Many veterans knew first-hand the vices of the huge military; but they also grudgingly acknowledged the virtues. We could, it seemed, solve many problems simply by throwing resources at them. Carried into the 1950s, this lesson meant that the violent ideological battles of the 1930s went largely unrepeated. The combination of victory and economic success laid a foundation of confidence for nearly two decades of prosperity and (relatively speaking) domestic tranquility, until we discovered that World War II’s simple and nostalgic teachings no longer matched the real world’s complexities. Don’t miss this! THE LINDSAY ADVANTAGE YOUR COMPLETE SOLUTION FROM PUMP TO PIVOT ASK YOUR LOCAL DEALER ABOUT MONEY-SAVING OFFERS: THE LINDSAY ADVANTAGE DURABLE RUGGED EASY TO USE INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGIES BROADEST LINE OF SOLUTIONS Managing an operation is becoming increasingly complex, which is why you need the Lindsay Advantage in your field. With so many factors that are out of your control, get in control with an irrigation system that maximizes your profits by performing better and lasting longer. Lindsayadvantage.com BIG SKY IRRIGATION, INC. 523 Roxy Lane Billings, MT 59105 406-252-8175 888-540-8175 © 2013 Lindsay. All rights reserved. Zimmatic, FieldNET, Growsmart, Greenfield and Watertronics are trademarks or registered trademarks of the Lindsay Corporation. Modeled after the popular ABC reality show Shark Tank, innovators will present their progressive ideas for the livestock and ag audience and will compete to win the favor of the Sharks in a fast-paced, high-energy setting. The innovators who dare to enter the Stock Tank must try to convince the Sharks, who are already titans of the industry, along with the attendees in the audience that their proposal is the most cutting-edge vision in agriculture! Join us in the afternoon of Tuesday, June 16 at the Sheraton Steamboat Resort in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, for this lively competition. Questions? Contact Colorado Livestock Association by phone at 970-378-0500. John Goggins, Field Editor Montana, Northern Wyoming & Alberta, Canada P.O. Box 30758 Billings, MT 59107 Cell (406) 698-4159 Office (406) 259-4589 E-mail: [email protected] If you're looking for herd bulls, replacements, registered or commercial females, I've been making the rounds in my territory. I'd like to help. USDA COOL study submitted to Congress is biased In a formal complaint filed May 15 under the U.S. Data Quality Act and the USDA’s Quality Information Guidelines, R-CALF USA challenges the accuracy, objectivity, and integrity of the report that USDA submitted to Congress regarding the economic impact of the United States’ country of origin labeling (COOL) law. The complaint urges the recall of the USDA COOL report and calls for a new economic analysis. Congress directed the USDA to conduct an economic analysis of COOL in the 2014 Farm Bill. The complaint alleges that the resulting USDA COOL report fails to comply with the study specifications established by Congress, which resulted in grossly overstated costs and understated benefits. Passed by Congress in 2001, the Data Quality Act requires information disseminated by federal agencies to be accurate, reliable, and unbiased. Under the act, federal agencies are also required to maintain the integrity of information as well as to ensure their information has utility. According to the complaint, the USDA COOL report is blatantly biased and lacks both utility and integrity. The complaint alleges that at least two of the three researchers commissioned by the USDA to conduct the study - Ted Schroeder, PhD, and Glynn Tonsor, PhD, both of Kansas State University - were predisposed to faulting COOL because they were already invested in a broad public campaign to promote and disseminate their 2012 claims that the costs of COOL exceeded benefits. These earlier claims, the complaint states, were used to support the 2013 federal lawsuit filed by the multinational meatpacking lobby against COOL. The complaint does not stop there. It also alleges that the firm that provided the USDA with cost estimates for its study -- Sparks Companies, Inc., now Informa Economics, Inc. -- “has a long and sordid history of providing grossly exaggerated, sky-is-falling-type economic studies to benefit the self-interests of industrialized ag conglomerates.” The complaint explains that Sparks/ Informa had used exaggerated claims to help the meatpacking lobby defeat the 2002 U.S. Senate-passed prohibition against packer ownership and feeding of livestock, to delay the implementation of the COOL law in 2003, and to scuttle the USDA’s proposed rules that would have prohibited meatpackers from engaging in retaliatory, discriminatory, and deceptive practices against individual livestock producers. As evidence that the USDA’s COOL report lacks integrity, the complaint 9 Thursday, May 21, 2015 WESTERN AG REPORTER alleges that the USDA misrepresented the findings of a 2014 survey by Oklahoma State University and then omitted the survey’s most relevant finding, namely that results indicate that “consumers valued beef that was born or born and raised in Canada $0.89 and $1.05 less, respectively, than beef that was born, raised, and slaughtered in the U.S.” It also alleges the COOL report contradicts the USDA’s 2010 COOL investigation that found that “Packers were not able to sell beef with ‘Canada’ or ‘Mexico’ labels for the same price as beef produced entirely within the United States.” The complaint states that, because of the deficiencies plaguing the COOL Report, “it is more likely that the true cost of COOL is closer to zero than it is to the overly inflated costs highlighted in the COOL Report.” The complaint concludes: “Unfortunately, COOL detractors are now wringing their hands in anticipation of using this work of fiction to leverage their congressionally-focused efforts to repeal COOL. This at the expense of the far more numerous COOL supporters, which consist of consumers who want to know where their food was born, raised, and slaughtered and U.S. farmers and ranchers who want to differentiate their U.S.-origin product from among the growing tide of imported products.” - RCALF, 5/15 Prairie Ponderings by Lisa Schmidt Straw... Thank goodness for straw. We have not had 100 drops of rain for more than a month. I know because my daughter, Abigail, and I counted. The value of straw is not nearly as evident when the ground is wet, but I can see it from a mile away now that the ground is so dry. Our prairie grass depends on irrigation from the sky and fertilization from our animals. Each plant competes for a drink and nutrients from the soil so each seed “stakes its claim” with a little open soil between it and the next plant. The plants need more space between one another on the rocky hillsides where the soil is shallow and less space in the coulees and dips of our rolling terrain. Wind and sun suck moisture from open soil. Straw covers open soil. Straw is all that is between us and no grass for our animals. Each winter, we feed straw along with grass and alfalfa to our sheep and cattle. The stems from harvested wheat and barley give our livestock a boost of energy. The sheep and cows eat what they need and leave the rest. What goes in must come out so the straw mixes with naturallygenerated fertilizer. We leave some of the straw bales standing as windbreaks, too. By spring, even the standing bales are humps of mulch on the pasture. Just like mulch in a garden, if those humps of straw are so deep that sunlight cannot reach the grass underneath, they will kill the grass. And just like in a garden, if the straw covers the soil yet still allows sunlight to reach grass, the straw helps keep the soil warm and reduces evaporation. My husband Steve and I try to treat the Graham Ranch as one giant garden. Earlier this DWAYNE DIETZ Commercial Advertising Representative P.O. Box 30758 Billings, MT 59107 Cell: 406-672-8500 Office: 406-259-4589 E-mail: [email protected] If you're wanting to advertise your commercial business. I'd like to help. spring, Steve pulled a row of old tires across all of the straw humps that were too deep to let sunlight reach the grass. He spread that straw in a thin, even layer. Today, the only grass on the hilltops that is still green and growing is peeking out from under that thin layer of straw. All of the other grass is crunchy dry and dormant. It is that sickening, thirsty, blue-green color that screams for rain. I just finished reading “Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight” about a girl growing up in Rhodesia before it became Zimbabwe. She described the African bush as so dry that, if a truck drove across vegetation one single time, she could see the tracks for several years until it rained again. Right now, I hesitate to drive a pickup outside our two-track trails because I see what it does to that thirsty, vulnerable grass. In fact, I still can see tracks where I drove the pickup six weeks ago. Our cattle and sheep expect lush, growing grass at this time of year. They rush around, following Steve’s straw trails and the grass underneath. The growing season is a long hike for grass. Remembrance By Paul W. Larson It’s that time again, when the earth renews itself, and the sexton manicures that dedicated ground. And the call comes to dutifully place the flags, one each for those who have come from the wars to rest here. We gather by the flag pole to await the color guard with flags and rifles, and that solemn beat of drums that breaks the silence. Some of their hats are not quite squarely placed, and the salutes not quite as snappy now. But no matter, for we see in them all of those whose sacrifice made possible our presence here today. Someone will speak, and ask not to forget, and remind us of that great debt of gratitude we owe to those who served their country. Taps will sound, and echoes return. Rifles will crack into eternity. Tears silently nourish the grass, and the sounds of their feet shuffling into a sea of flowers tell us it’s that time again to “Stack Arms” on another Memorial Day. The straw is a water bottle for the grass underneath. The water bottle eventually will run dry, but at least the grass can take a sip for now. I hope we get some rain soon so all of the grass can get a drink. Lisa Schmidt and her husband, Steve Hutton, raise grassfed beef and lamb at the Graham Ranch near Conrad, Montana. She can be reached at [email protected] 10 Thursday, May 21, 2015 Why can’t that cattle fence call me? Editor’s note: I saw this article in the April 2015 issue of Ketch Pen, put out by the Washington Cattlemen’s Association. I found the article ... or rather the concept presented ... intriguing and thought some of my readers might too. LG Why can’t that cattle fence call me? That was the question that started a new adventure for a young farmer on the family farm in Quincy, Washington. Ryan Escure, who works with his father Patrick on a 1,000-acre irrigated farm in the Quincy Basin, had that question rattling in his head for a few months. Ryan graduated from the local Quincy High School and continued his schooling at Washington State University and ITT Technical Institute in electronic engineering technologies. He worked for Hewlett-Packard while he went to school in Spokane; after graduation, he went to work for Nikon as an Intel subcontractor in research and development for seven years in the semi-conductor industry. “Working with optics, lasers, and seismic measuring equipment and measuring everything in nanometers was intense, but a lot of fun.” Ryan decided to come back to the farm to raise his son. “I picked the right time to come back into farming; GPS was the big thing at that time, and I was able to jump right in and run with it.” Ryan and his father Patrick reorganized the farm a bit: automating the irrigation equipment and designing a new strip-till gooseneck planter for planting corn. Ryan was used to automation at this point and understood what it takes to install and manipulate the equipment WESTERN LIVESTOCK MARKET DIRECTORY MONTANA ADVERTISE HERE! BILLINGS PAYS: Public Auction Yards • Cattle Sales On Wednesdays • Sheep and Hog Sales on Mondays • Special Feeder Sales on Fridays P.O. Box 1781 (406) 245-6447 “Montana’s Largest Auction Market!” BLS: Billings Live Stock Commission Co. • Cattle Sales Every ThursdayMondays (In-Season) • Horse Sales Last Saturday of the Month P.O. Box 31533 Billings, MT 59107 1-800-635-7364 (406)-245-4151 Since 1934“Montana’s Pioneer Market!” GREAT FALLS 406 Vaughn S. Frontage Rd. Great Falls, MT 59404 • Regular Cattle Sales Every Wednesday • Special Feeder Sales Saturdays In Season (406) 727-5400 Manager: Lynn Perry (406) 964-8815 Cell: (406) 788-5400 Yard Manager & Fieldman: Ryan Perry: Cell (406) 788-9869 Office Manager: Sarah McCafferty NEVADA FALLON Fallon Livestock Exchange, Inc. • Sales every Tuesday - 1 P.M. • Cattle, Sheep, Goats, Hogs, Horses • Special Sales by Anouncement Monte Bruck (775)867-2020 2055 Trento Lane Fallon, NV 89406 Nevada Livestock Marketing, LLC. • Sales every Wednesday • 11 a.m. Slaughter Cows, Bulls • 10:30 a.m. Small Barn • 1:00 p.m. Feeder Cattle • Horses Last Jack Payne, Manager 775-217-9273 Office 775-423-7760 Fax 775-423-1813 1025 Allen Road - Fallon, NV www.nevadalivestock.us For Only $10 Per Week 406-259-4589 NEBRASKA VALENTINE Valentine Livestock Auction • Sales Every Thursday Greg Arendt, Manager 126 N. Government Valentine, NE 69201 1-800-682-4874 (Office) 402-376-3611 www.valentine-livestock.com View sales at www.cattleusa.com N. DAKOTA BOWMAN ★ Sale Every Monday ★ ★ Specials As Advertised ★ Harry Kerr, Owner/Manager 701-523-5666 Wayne Miller, Fieldman 701-279-6649 PO Box 58 • Hwy. 85 S Bowman, ND 58623 701-523-5922 Toll Free -877-211-0600 DICKINSON Stockmen’s Livestock Exchange, Inc. • Sales Every Thursday 9 A.M. • Call: (701) 225-8156 James Erickson: (701) 225-1610 Larry Schnell: (701) 225-8156 John Fischer: (701) 290-1606 P.O. Box 1209 Dickinson, ND 58601 www.gostockmens.com WYOMING TORRINGTON Torrington Livestock Markets 626 West Valley Rd. Torrington, WY 307-532-3333 All Classes - Every Friday Yearlings & Calves - Wednesday Bred Cow Specials Go to www.torringtonlivestock.com for current listings, sale schedules & results. Shawn Madden 307-532-1575 Lex Madden 307-532-1580 ADVERTISE HERE! For Only $10 Per Week 406-259-4589 S. DAKOTA FAITH Faith Livestock Commission Co. • Sale Every Monday Cattle & Sheep • Sheep Sale Wed. (In Season) • Special Sales As Advertised Gary Vance (605) 967-2162 Scott Vance (605) 739-5501 Cell (605) 484-7127 3rd Generation Business P.O. Box 397 Faith, SD 57626 (605) 967-2200 [email protected] Sales can be viewed live on website: www.faithlivestock.com LEMMON LEMMON LIVESTOCK, INC. Phone 605-374-3877 or 1-800-822-8853 Box 477 Lemmon, SD 57638 Sales Every Wednesday Special Sales as Advertised Paul Huffman, Owner 605-374-5675 or 605-645-2493 Chad Hetzel, Asst. Mgr. 701-376-3748 Clint Ehret, Field Rep. 406-778-3282 or 406-772-5522 ST. ONGE St. Onge Livestock CATTLE SELL EVERY FRIDAY St. Onge, SD 605-642-2200 • 800-249-1995 Website: www.stongelivestock.com Justin Tupper Cattle Yards Mgr. SHEEP SELL EVERY THURSDAY Newell, SD 605-456-2348 • 800-409-4149 Barney Barnes, Sheep Yards Mgr. & Auctioneer FIELDMEN Ron Frame: 605-641-0229 Tim Tetrault: 605-641-0328 Ray Pepin: 605-892-5072 Dustin Vining: 605-354-9966 Jess Cline: 307-751-8143 Gilbert Wood, Fieldman & Auctioneer: 605-456-2400 AUCTIONEERS Doug Dietterle: 605-788-2963 OFFICE MANAGER Brooke Tupper: 605-642-2200 MOBRIDGE Phone 605-845-3622 or 1-800-658-3598 P.O Box 190 Mobridge, SD 57601 www.mobridgelivestock.com We are in the country every day and would like to visit with you about your cattle marketing needs. Jason Anderberg • 605-848-0038 Tigh Anderberg • 605-845-4877 Casey Perman • 605-848-3338 John Hoven • 605-848-3507 Tom Anderberg • 605-845-3702 Sales Every Thursday Tuesday and Thursday Fall Feeder Cattle Sales Fall Weigh-Up Sales Friday at 2 pm Special Sales as Advertised and software. In the spring of 2012, while driving a tractor back and forth planting corn, Ryan watched his neighbor gathering some loose cattle that got out the night before, and the wheels started spinning. “Why can’t that cattle fence call me? The irrigation equipment does.” He approached his neighbor about the idea, and his neighbor said, “If you can build it, we will be your first customer!” After a year of research, the first prototype was completed, but it took another year to complete testing on all applications. All in all, the system worked extremely well, well enough that other ideas started to form. As a result, Ryan and his wife Pam started Eagle Eye Monitoring Systems in September 2014. Their company has expanded to include not only monitoring electric fences for livestock, but also monitoring security perimeter fences, irrigation equipment for wire theft, water pumps for orchardists and farmers, high/low pressures, and many other applications, including the ability WESTERN AG REPORTER to operate on solar power. All these options are monitored through a cell phone with a simple text message. Ryan has put together a team, which has over 40 years of experience dealing with electric fences and designing electronic equipment. Currently, Eagle Eye is monitoring over 100,000 head of cattle and protecting over 100 commercial businesses, 50 residential homes, and a handful of irrigation equipment. Ryan and Pam are still farming with Ryan’s father. Ryan’s equipment is being used on all 12 of their irrigation circles and pumps, and in the winter, the equipment is being used to monitor cattle fences after harvest foliage. The Eagle Eye team that Ryan manages has engineers and sales personnel on the East and West Coasts. For more information, call 1-844-787-0705 or visit electricfencealarm.com Paris was NOT about religion Editor’s note: Here are the high points of yet another interesting piece from the January 26 issue of TIME magazine. Ponder on its message. LG By Kareem AbdulJabbar Another horrendous act of terrorism has taken place, and people like myself who are on media speed dial under “Celebrity Muslims” are thrust in the spotlight to angrily condemn, disavow, and explain ... again... how these barbaric acts are in NO way related to Islam. For me, religion, no matter which one, is ultimately about people wanting to live humble, moral lives that create a harmonious community and promote tolerance and friendship. All religious rules should be in service of this goal. The Islam I learned and practice does just that. Violence committed in the name of religion is NEVER about religion; it’s about money. ... When one looks at the goal of these attacks, it’s clearly NOT about scaring us into changing our behavior. ... The attacks of 9/11 didn’t frighten the U.S. into embracing Islam. Like all terrorist attacks on the West, they just strengthened our resolve. So the attacks in Paris, as with most others, are NOT about changing Western behavior; they’re about swaggering into a room and flexing a muscle, hoping to elicit admiring sighs. In this case, the sighs are more recruits and more donations to keep their organization alive. They have to keep proving they are more relevant than competing terrorist groups. It’s just business. Nor should we blame U.S. foreign policy as the spark that lights the fuse. Poverty, political oppression, systemic corruption, lack of education, lack of critical thinking, and general hopelessness in these countries are the spark. Yes, we’ve made mistakes that will be used to justify recruiting new drones. But we shouldn’t kid ourselves that the recent report detailing our extensive and apparently ineffective use of torture led to mass terrorist volunteers. The world knew we tortured. The only thing the report revealed was how bad we were at it. More important, if recruits were swayed by logical idealism, they would realize that the fact that we conducted, released, and debated such a report is what makes the U.S. admirable. We don’t always do the right thing, but we strive to. We admit our faults and make adjustments. It may be glacial, but it’s movement forward. Knowing that these attacks are not about religion, we have to reach a point where we stop bringing Islam into the discussion. I know we aren’t there yet, because much of the Western population doesn’t understand the Islamic religion. All Westerners see are brutal beheadings, kidnappings of young girls, bloody massacres at schools, and these random shootings. Naturally, they are frightened when they hear the word Muslim or see someone in traditional Muslim clothing. ... When the Ku Klux Klan burns a cross in a black family’s yard, prominent Christians aren’t required to explain how it isn’t really a Christian act. Most people realize that the KKK doesn’t represent Christian teachings. That’s what I and other Muslims long for: the day when these terrorists praising Muhammad or Allah’s name as they debase their actual teachings are instantly recognized as thugs disguising themselves as Muslims. It’s like bank robbers who wear masks of Presidents; we don’t really think Jimmy Carter and George W. Bush hit the Bank of America during their downtime. Ironically, terrorism is an act against the very religion the perpetrators claim to believe in. It’s an acknowledgment that the religion and its teachings aren’t enough to persuade people to follow it. Any religion that requires coercion is not about community but leaders who want power. We can’t end terrorism any more than we can end crime in general. But I look forward to the day when an act of terrorism by selfproclaimed Muslims will be universally dismissed as nothing more than a criminal attack of a thuggish political organization wearing an illfitting Muslim mask. To get to that point, we will need to teach our communities what the real beliefs of Islam are. In the meantime, keep my name on speed dial so we can get through this together. NOTE: Abdul-Jabbar is a six-time NBA champion and league Most Valuable Player. He is also a New York Times best-selling author, filmmaker, and education ambassador. 11 Thursday, May 21, 2015 WESTERN AG REPORTER OBITUARIES Jeanette Potter Stevenson obituary notices to no more than 350 words. Provide birth and death dates and places; names parents, spouses, June 29, 1914 to Mayof10, 2015 and children; military service if applicable; contributions to Editor’s Note: Due to space constraints, please limit the industry; and Jeanette survivors.Stevenson LG Onag May 10, 2015, died peacefully in Lewistown, Montana, six weeks shy of her 101st birthday. Jeanette was born June 29, 1914, in Miles City, Montana, and spent her early life on a homestead in Sonnette in westcentral Powder River County. In a piece she wrote for “Reflections at Sunset,” Jeanette said living on the homestead was not easy. Folks leaving their homes for the lure of free land did not find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Jeanette wrote, “Instead, they found sagebrush, rocks that resisted the plow, rattlesnakes to be feared, and coyotes and bobcats that preyed on their chickens and turkeys - and wind, always the wind.” She commented, however, on what a wonderful life the homesteaders’ life was for children. “Children grew up with the smell of pines, the sharp sweetness of the sage after a rain, the acrid gumweed in the hot summer sun, and horses - always horses.” After 10 years in Sonnette, Edith Potter and her two daughters, Jeanette and Doris, moved to Pierre, South Dakota, where Edith cooked for a railroad crew. (Edith and daughter Jeanette moved back to Montana to Hobson.) Jeanette attended Hobson High School, where she met her future husband, Jamie Stevenson. She was the valedictorian of the Class of 1931. After high school graduation, Jeanette traveled to Missoula, where she attended the University for a year, beginning nurse’s training. Jamie and Jeanette were married in 1936; their main concern after marriage was how to put food on the table. They did what they could to simply survive. “We were married in the height of the Depression, and we didn’t have an acre of land,” Jeanette told Nancy Klemens for the Angus Journal. Eventually, they were able to finance and buy 240 acres of land near Hobson on Gumbo Flats. Together with Jamie’s parents, they ran 40 cattle and 120 sheep. In time, the couple moved to Hauck Coulee southeast of Hobson where they raised five sons: Jim, Wesley (aka Sam), Wayne, Keith, and Rick. Together, Jamie and Jeanette continually upgraded their assets. In 1946, they bought three registered Angus heifers, the beginning of the Stevenson Angus Ranch. By the early ‘50s, the majority of their herd was Angus. Jeanette became a charter member of the Montana Angus Auxiliary in 1960, serving as vice president from 1960-1962 and as president from 1962-1964. She served as the editor of the Montana Angus News magazine from 1967 until the early ‘80s. Jeanette volunteered much of her time locally as well, working with the Hobson Woman’s Club and the Methodist Church, helping to organize Sunday school. She was president of the PTA, served as Worthy Matron of the Eastern Star, helped to charter the Hobson FFA, and served as a 4-H leader for more than 20 years. “She managed to get every kid to do everything possible, I think,” said Roberta, “and Gramma never missed a livestock or 4-H show if her grandchildren were showing.” Jeanette’s son Keith said, “We called her ‘Wheels.’ We Don’t miss this! The Montana Trappers Association (MTA) is taking registration for the annual Youth Trapper Camp. The YTC, Inc., is a family-oriented camp that was developed to teach youth and adults proper care, management, preservation, and utilization of furbearers and other wildlife. The three-day camp is held at Camp Kiwanis, south of Havre, Montana, in the Bears Paw Mountains. Dates for the 2015 camp are June 12-14. The camp is geared towards family participation with campers attending classes on trapping methods, ethics, regulations, fur handling, health, and safety. Camp instructors are certified through the MTA education program, Montana 4-H, and MTFWP personnel. Youth and adults do not have to be MTA members to attend, but selection is on a first come, first accepted basis. First year participants will attend nine classes dealing with trapping basics, conservation, regulations, ethics, furbearer ID, safety, and health. Returning participants receive more intense hands-on training. All meals, snacks, drinks, and eating utensils as well as educational material are included in the camp fee. Camp fees are $50 adults and youth ... or $30 for youth if the $20 scholarship is requested. Any youth 10 years of age and under must be accompanied by an adult. Youth attending without an adult will be housed in a cabin under the supervision of a chaperone. For further information or registration forms, contact Jim Buell by phone at 406-376-3178 or by email at 7mbuell@ itstriangle.com or go to the YTC link on the MTA website at www.montanatrappers.org MARK FRISBIE Field Editor Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, California 11851 Fantastic Drive Melba, ID 83641 Cell: 208-890-4517 Home: 208-495-2601 E-mail [email protected] lived down in a coulee, and all you did was see the backend of her wheels as she drove away.” She loved to travel and experience the world. Throughout her life, there were many trips to the California coast to visit extended family and to the annual livestock shows and meetings, anything to do with Angus. Some of the most memorable trips included a visit to the Holy Land, travels in Australia and France, riding a camel in Egypt (in her 70s), and viewing the Serengeti from a hot air balloon (in her 80s). Jeanette was good about giving people down on their luck a hand up, even to giving them a place to live. She gave a home to several children who had family problems of one kind or another. People were always welcome at her home for a cup of coffee and a piece of pie. Jim said his mother always told her children, “You’re no bigger than your dreams. If you dream big, you can do big things.” And Jim’s son Jim, Jeanette’s oldest grandchild, said, “Every person that ever met Gramma walked away wanting to do bigger and better things.” Jamie Stevenson died in 1975 at the age of 62. That same summer Jeanette was involved in a car accident that nearly took her life. In 1976, she split and sold the ranch to her boys. “That’s how all five boys got going,” Keith said. Jeanette served as president of the American Angus Auxiliary in 1978-1979 and was named their Distinguished Woman of the Year in 1986. She was inducted into the Montana State Fair Pioneer Hall of Fame in 1981 for her “distinguished and unselfish service.” She served on the Governor’s Council for Aging and was recognized in 1990 as Montana’s Outstanding Senior Volunteer. In 1991, she was formally inducted into the Angus Heritage Foundation, the second woman ever to receive this honor. Jeanette embraced life and lived it to the fullest. Her many accomplishments, recognitions, and awards are a wonderful testament to her life’s work. She knew no stranger and emanated a never-ending optimism that will influence for generations to come. Jeanette was preceded in death by her parents; sister Doris Gary; husband Jamie Stevenson; three sons, Wayne, Wesley, and Rick; and a great-grandson, Bryce Piocos. She is survived by two sons, Keith and Jim; 15 grandchildren; 28 great-grandchildren; and 10 great-great-grandchildren. The family suggests memorials in Jeanette’s honor be sent to the Hobson Library or the Hobson Methodist Church. The editor likes this photo and the thought behind it. Here’s what the anti-ranchers don’t understand about us. Michael Castleberry, who ranches near Ekalaka, Montana, sent me this fun photo a couple of weeks ago with the following caption: “Over the weekend, we had a sick calf and wanted to give it some shelter from the rainfall we were getting. When we went back out the next day, the calf was feeling better and standing on her own. She is still doing well today... we went back to check on her this morning, and we could barely pick her out from the other calves. We posted this picture on Instagram, and Sandy Jacobs suggested we send it your way for the paper. The caption we used on Instagram said, ‘We are thankful for all the moisture we are getting. This sick calf is thankful for the extra doghouse for shelter.’” Thanks to both Michael for sharing and Sandy for suggesting! It’s why our paper is the Best in the West! VISIT US ONLINE AT: www.westernagreporter.com Upcoming SaleS: may Wednesday, May 27 Regular Sale JUne Wednesday, June 3 Regular Sale Wednesday, June 10 Regular Sale Wednesday, June 17 Visit us at www.westernlivestockmontana.com Serving the Big Sky Country North Central REPRESENTATIVE SALES • Mayof13, 2015 • 837Montana Sold Steers West Butte Ranch Lance Mcdowell John Simmes Cows Green Coulee Ranch Mike Gondeiro Ira And Sons Inc Cooper Martin Chris Moline Cobb Charolais Rnch Inc Barrett Lnd & Lvestck Anthony Ayers Robert Rumney Barrett Lnd & Lvestck Curry Cattle Co McKamey West Walter Johnson David Bumgarner Barrett Lnd & Lvestck Barrett Lnd & Lvestock Charles Crabtree Gregory Bumgarner , John McCafferty Nels Debruycker Lance Mcdowell Charles Crabtree John McCafferty Broken O Land & Lvestck Green Coulee Ranch Kaare Pearson Daniel Mortag Joel McCafferty David Ryffel Broken O Land & Lvestck Dan Bird John Park Billiette Brooks Barrett Lnd & Lvestck Sweet Grass Chester Sunburst 4 blk/red 2 blk 8 blk/bwf Sunburst Belt Bynum Conrad Geraldine Augusta Augusta Choteau Cascade Augusta Valier Great Falls Raynesford Belt Augusta Augusta Choteau Belt Belt Choteau Chester Choteau Belt Augusta Sunburst Fairfield Great Falls Belt Highwood Augusta Cut Bank Dutton Dillon Augusta 1 3 1 1 1 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 5 2 1 2 1 1 3 1 3 2 1 1 1 3 2 2 1 2 2 2 blk blk blk char blk char blk blk blk blk blk blk blk blk blk blk blk blk blk rwf blk blk blk blk blk char blk blk blk blk Red Red blk blk Badger Hole Inc Valley View Ranch Inc John McCafferty Barrett Lnd & Lvestck John Mott Broken O Lnd & Lvestck Orville Forseth Jason Hanson Bernice Boucher Dana Ranch Co Inc Diehlia Rains David Ryffel Billiette Brooks Barrett Lnd & Lvestck Jason Hanson Grassy Butte Farms Inc James Or Theresa Hadley F 5 Inc. Dana Ranch Co Inc Broken O Lnd & Lvestck B & JJ Inc. Reese Mortag Dana Ranch Co Inc Green Coulee Ranch Dana Ranch Co Inc Curry Cattle Co Bulls Bowman Ranch Inc Diamond Willow Rnch Inc Merle Morris Levine Ranch Clarence Kramer Orville Forseth Merle Morris Keith Smelser Michael Richert Mountain View Rnch, Inc Heiferettes Rocky Ridge Angus 240.00 213.00 205.00 1,100 1,155 1,195 1,360 1,255 1,430 1,088 1,300 1,175 1,118 1,260 1,315 1,115 1,230 1,329 1,245 1,285 1,298 1,405 1,315 1,122 1,310 1,275 1,490 1,350 1,700 1,250 1,395 1,258 1,285 1,475 1,365 1,310 1,275 141.00 131.00 131.00 122.50 122.00 121.50 121.50 121.00 121.00 121.00 121.00 121.00 121.00 120.00 120.00 120.00 119.50 119.50 119.50 119.50 119.50 119.00 119.00 119.00 119.00 118.50 118.50 118.50 118.50 118.50 118.50 118.50 118.50 118.50 Choteau Stockett Belt Augusta Simms Augusta Fairfield Sunburst Conrad Laredo Simms Highwood Dillon Augusta Sunburst Galata Fairfie Galata Laredo Augusta Belt Ulm Laredo Sunburst Laredo Valier 3 3 3 3 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 4 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 blk bwf blk blk blk blk red blk blk blk blk red blk blk blk blk blk blk blk blk blk blk blk blk/bwf blk blk 1,380 1,230 1,293 1,420 1,353 1,485 1,785 1,255 1,265 1,310 1,235 1,345 1,285 1,521 1,195 1,315 1,363 1,698 1,340 1,270 1,455 1,218 1,428 1,528 1,245 1,378 118.50 118.25 118.00 118.00 117.50 117.50 117.50 117.50 117.00 117.00 116.50 116.50 116.50 116.50 116.00 116.00 116.00 115.50 115.50 115.00 115.00 115.00 115.00 114.50 114.50 114.50 Belt Belt Augusta Wolf Creek Choteau Fairfield Augusta Power Fairfield Belt 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 char char blk blk blk red blk red blk red 2,330 2,070 2,060 2,040 2,185 1,860 1,885 1,910 2,605 1,610 163.00 159.00 158.00 156.00 154.00 152.50 152.50 151.50 150.50 150.00 Galata 3 blk 917 169.50 Listen to Market Reports Monday thru Friday on: KMON-AM 560 KSEN-AM 1150 Great Falls Shelby 8:35 a.m. 6:30 a.m. KOJM-AM 610 KPQX-FM 92.5 Havre Havre Your Golden Triangle Northern Livestock Video Auction Representative. 406 Vaughn S. Frontage Rd. • Great Falls, MT 59404 (406) 727-5400 6:40 a.m. 6:35 a.m. Regular Sale Wednesday, June 24 Regular Sale JUly Wednesday, July 1 NO SALE Happy 4th of July!!! Wednesday, July 8 Regular Sale Regular Sale Every Wednesday Call the Crew at Western To Consign Sieben Ranch Co Barrett Lnd & Lvestck Chris Moline Rocky Ridge Angus Steve Balgeman Valley View Ranch Inc Sieben Ranch Co Barrett Lnd & Lvestck Leroy Strand Phil Wirth Lance McDowell Steer Calves Lance McDowell Daniel Mortag Daniel Mortag Daniel Mortag Cow/Calf Pairs McKamey West John Simmes John Simmes Helena Augusta Geraldine Galata Augusta Stockett Helena Augusta Geyser Wolf Creek Chester 1 2 1 1 2 1 3 2 5 1 2 Chester Great Falls Great Falls Great Falls 10 3 2 3 Great Falls Sunburst Sunburst blk blk blk bwf blk blk blk/bwf blk rwf blk blk 1,045 945 1,015 880 1,040 995 1,133 1,055 1,044 1,210 925 167.50 167.00 164.00 163.00 154.00 151.00 150.00 146.50 140.00 135.00 124.00 541 542 328 418 287.00 281.00 265.00 260.00 blk blk blk blk 5 blk 2 blk/bwf 3 blk 2,650.00 2,450.00 2,300.00 View Western Livestock On www.cattleusa.com General Manager: Lynn Perry • Cell (406) 788-5400 Yard Manager & Fieldman: Ryan Perry • Cell (406) 788-9869 Office Manager: Sarah McCafferty Yard Foreman & Fieldman: Tim Brunner • Cell (406) 788-5403 Auctioneer: Casey Weaver • Cell (406) 544-0386 Email: [email protected] Website: westernlivestockmontana.com [email protected] Regular Cattle Sales Every Wednesday • Special Feeder Sales Saturdays In Season 12 Thursday, May 21, 2015 WESTERN AG REPORTER Agri-News 4 Kids Hey, kids, Banjo is a three-legged ranch dog. He lives on a big ranch in Montana with his two-legged family (Hannah & Tate) and his four-legged friends (Rascal, the pesky raccoon; Mrs. McBauck, queen of the hen house; Cowsuela, head mother cow; & Horse Chief Ben, boss of the cavvy). This page is for you kids out there in the rural countryside. Why not send us a picture of yourself doing something fun? Write to Agri-News 4 Kids, PO Box 30755, Billings MT 59107. Trouble in the offing... “Aren’t they so cute?” said Pudge as she admired Osage’s fluffy ducklings as they waddled behind her. Banjo smiled as he watched, too. “They’re already getting big,” said Pudge. “I just want them to stay soft and fuzzy.” “They’ll be getting feathers soon,” said Banjo. “Then the fun will really star.” “What do you mean?” said Pudge. “They’ll start trying to fly,” said Banjo. “How is that funny?” asked Pudge. “Oh, it’s kind of funny and kind of not, I guess. They’ll just twitter and flutter and bounce along until they get their wings under them.” Pudge laughed at the thought. It was already a warm spring morning. Bugs were hatching, and the ducklings chased them, mirroring Osage. Banjo and Tuff sat on their haunches and enjoyed the peacefulness. Banjo could see down to the lower pasture where Tuff was marching on patrol, the south pasture where Ben and the other horses were hanging out, and the calves and their mamas in the hills where Big Ed was on guard. The house was down the lane, and the trees that welcomed the entrance blew in the soft breeze. Banjo sighed a contented sigh and looked Missed applying all the nutrients my crops at planting time, can I apply it later? agroliquid.com/yes-you-can Your side-dress nitrogen application is the perfect opportunity to feed your crop the additional Potassium, Sulfur, and Micronutrients needed to drive top production. Agro-Culture Liquid Fertilizers provide better solutions to the challenges you face. Learn more at agroliquid.com/yes-you-can Contact AgroLiquid for more information (406) 223-3451 May.indd 1 3/20/15 4:07 PM at Pudge. He knew they’d have to get ready for the Memorial Day festivities, but in the mean time, this was a perfect way, he thought, to celebrate the day. What Banjo couldn’t see were the eyes lurking in the sunny day’s shadows. He was close, very close. He knew that, if he really wanted to, he could grab one of the animals he needed, but it might risk not being able to nab the others. His true whiskers were long and black, outlining his pointed jowls and sharp teeth and draping below his chin. His eyes glowed an ominous orange. He only had a few more nights before he would have to wait another two years. The wolf had thought for sure that his previous traps would have worked, but the ranch crew evaded him. He looked at his paw. It still ached from the sharp teeth he’d stepped on as he tried to chase Banjo and Tuff down. He’d looked like a wolverine then, but it was just a disguise. The ultimate camouflage he’d learned to pull from the powers hidden deep inside him at his core and from his ancestor’s traits. Some people would say that they saw a wolf in the mist and then it was gone as quick as the mist came, or they’d see a wolf dance in the flames of a campfire, all to disappear as the flames changed direction. This wolf had learned how to elude and evolve for his needs, and morphing into another animal’s frame was a gift he’d been given. “Now only to make it last forever,” muttered the wolf as he watched and waited. “Cling! Bang!” went a noise. The wolf slunk back and disappeared in the tree’s shadow. “Come on, Hannah!” said Tate as pulled at the harnesses. “Let’s get this all straightened out so we can harness up Ben and Chisum for the Memorial Day parade.” “I’m coming,” she mumbled. She was sitting with Banjo and Pudge, and now had three fluffy ducklings hopping up and down on her lap. She’d brought a couple pieces of stale bread. “They love it,” she giggled. “Peep, peep, peep,” the ducklings responded. “They’re going to sink when the get into the water,” said Osage to Banjo. “They’ve eaten so much lately.” The two laughed. “They’re happy,” said Banjo. Osage nodded. “Come on!” hollered Tate in frustration. Hannah leapt to her feet. “Okay, okay,” she said. She looked over her shoulder, and the three ducklings were pitter-pattering behind her. The whistle was shrill, and it made Hannah jump. Banjo jumped to attention, the ducklings ran to Osage and scurried under her feathers, and Pudge launched herself into the nearest tree. Tate had two fingers pushed against the sides of his lips and let out another sharp, high, and deafening whistle. He moved his head. “I see them. Here comes Ben,” said Tate. Hannah shook her head. “Do you really have to whistle so loud?” she asked. “Well, it got you moving, didn’t it?” he said. “We don’t have all day. These lines are a mess, and we need to get all the animals in the wagon too.” Hannah gritted her teeth. “Someone’s testy,” she said. “It’s a beautiful day. Let’s enjoy it. Let’s celebrate those we remember in peace and not rush around.” Tate dropped an ornate bridle. “I know,” said Tate, scolding her. “But this is important, too. These are all of Grandpa’s harnesses and his wagon. I want him to be represented well for all he did for our country and for keeping our ranch going. It’s his legacy and our heritage.” “You’re right,” said Hannah. “I’ll get all of the animals together.” Together the siblings pulled the reins out and laid them on the ground, polished the silver conchos, and rubbed the leather seats until they glowed. Hannah crated Osage and her ducklings and Mrs. McBauck and a couple of hens. Pudge haltered Ewela and her lambs and Cowsuela and her calf so they were safe for the ride to town. “Load up!” she called to Banjo and Tuff. “Let’s go have us a Memorial celebration to remember!” Banjo and Tuff wagged their tails, and Tate gently pulled on the reins for Ben and Chisum to walk forward. They were off, but not out of sight when the wolf appeared from behind the trees. “Perfect, they’re all together,” he hissed sinisterly. “Exactly as it needs to be... all the guards... off guard. It will be a day of memories when they get back. Ha.. ha.. ha!” His eyes glowed, and saliva plopped to the ground as he curled his lips and continued to laugh in his wicked tone. To be continued... AGRI-KID of the Week Six-year-old Trevor Burdick helps wrestle calves at Mundorf’s branding south of Wood Lake, Nebraska. Yet another fine example of why our rural kids know how to work! Thanks to Dedra Stoner for sharing.