The Progressive Rancher Magazine January 2008
Transcription
The Progressive Rancher Magazine January 2008
www.progressiverancher.com The Progressive Rancher January 2008 The Progressive Rancher Owner/Editor/Publisher - Leana Stitzel Graphic Design/Layout/Production - Julie Eardley [email protected] Cover photo: by Denise Smith ”Birchcreek” Mailed to over 5,300 individuals with approved addresses each month. The Progressive Rancher is published monthly. The views and opinions expressed by writers of articles appearing in this publication are not necessarily those of the editor. Letters of opinion are welcomed by The Progressive Rancher. Rates for advertising are available upon request. Advertising in The Progressive Rancher does not necessarily imply editorial endorsement. Liability for any errors or omissions in advertisements shall not exceed the cost of the space occupied by the error or omission. The Progressive Rancher is free to people working and active in the livestock industry. If you are not currently receiving this magazine on a regular basis, and would like to be a part of The Progressive Rancher family, contact us by e-mail at [email protected], today so we can include you on our mailing list. If you have moved or changed addresses, please notify us, by e-mail, so we can keep you informed. All requests for the magazine must be made by e-mail. Leana Stitzel, Owner/Editor 1346 Idaho St., PMB 9, Elko, NV 89801 (775) 934-3388 [email protected] Ads set to or built by The Progressive Rancher become property of this magazine. January 2008 The Progressive Rancher www.progressiverancher.com In this Issue... Nevada Cattlemen’s Assoc.................pg. 3-4, 6 Back to Basics, by Ron Torell........... pg. 5 Cattle Industry 2007 Highlights and 2008 Projections............... pg. 8 What’s Driving the Market................ pg. 9 Progressive Rancher Persons of Character 2007........ pg. 9 Youth Deer Hunting Tags..........pg. 10 BEEF Checkoff.....pg. 14 Eye on the Outside...................pg. 15 The Windmill.........pg. 16 Horse Snorts & Cow Bawls.............pg. 22 Ben Bruce..............pg. 23 UCD Vet Views.....pg. 28 Hutchings Horse Sale Results........... pgs.32 Dr. Margaret...........pg. 33 Roche Equine.........pg. 34 Martin Black Horse Training..................pg. 35 www.progressiverancher.com I My Family and Background concluded my message last grated to Alaska, where I had the grandiose plan of homemonth by saying that I steading and starting my own would tell you something of my ranch. About half way through family and our background, as I my first Alaskan winter, I am not a native of Northern Nefound that the college dorms vada. What started out to be a brief in Fairbanks were a lot warmer biographical summary has turned than a tar paper shack on the into a reminisant essay, somewhat Keni peninsula. (Also, not as nostalgic for my wife & I. lonely.) I enrolled at the UniI was born in Klamath Falls, Orversity of Alaska, and spent egon, the second of four brothers. my summers working for the My Dad was born in Chicago, the Alaska Department of Fish youngest in the family with ten girls and Game. There, working as and one boy. His father, a butcher by a seasonal aid, I had the opportrade, died of blood poisoning before tunity to travel all over Alaska, my Dad was born. With ten older sisworking on various interesting ters to peck at him he left home at an and exciting projects. early age and never finished school. When they discovered oil When WW II broke out, he joined the an ralian on the North Slope, I decided marines. He met my mother, a Navy Nevada Cattlemen’s Association President to skip a semester and make nurse, while convalescing in a military big money working on the conhospital in Klamath Falls, Oregon. He struction of the first ice road to claims she caught him in a weakened state, and besides that she the oil fields. I had visions of buying my own ranch rather than out ranked him. homesteading for it. It would have a fully insulated house with After WW II ended, my Mom and Dad moved to a CCC forced air heat. Although the pay was tremendous, the work was camp near Bonanza, Oregon. They later leased a farm where not very steady for a junior cat skinner. So I decided to move to my Dad raised potatoes and worked on a government surveying Montana (Where it was warmer?) and go back to school. crew. At that time, the Bureau of Reclamation was aggressively Somewhere between Fairbanks, Alaska and Bozeman, building dams, draining swamps and developing irrigation Montana I got drafted! projects, so we could “feed America.” When my mail finally caught up with me I was working on Being a city boy from Chicago, Dad’s knowledge of agria ranch near Bozeman, waiting for the next semester to begin at culture was limited, but he was very intelligent, well read and Montana State University. I found out that not only had I been learned fast. We had chickens, pigs and more than one milk drafted but I was AWOL. I quickly reported for duty and was cow. We boys learned at a very early age how to do chores. sent to basic training and advanced infantry training in Fort My mother was a rural county nurse. I can vividly rememLewis, Washington. I was than shipped off to Viet Nam. There ber coming home from school and find her boiling needles I met up with my older brother who was a helicopter pilot in the and glass syringes in a pan on the stove. We boys knew a new First Calvary Division. Even though he was on his way home, vaccine had just been approved and we were going to be the he was able to pull a few strings and got me assigned to a 1st guinea pigs! My Mom would vaccinate us boys first. Then she Cav airmobile unit. There I planned on being a helicopter door would take us to where the community vaccinations were being gunner where I could fly back to base every afternoon, drink given. We boys would have to roll up our sleeves and prove to beer at the PX and sleep between clean sheets. the skeptics that the vaccination was safe! (Thanks Mom!) It seems, the US Army had other plans, as I was assigned One morning I came to the breakfast table, after being to an infantry unit. Instead of being a helicopter door gunner, vaccinated the night before, with my arm in a sling. (I figured I I was jumping out of them. Instead of drinking beer at the PX, could get out of school that day.) My Mom immediately loaded I was sitting along the Ho Chi Ming Trail eating C Rations. I us boys up and rushed us to the hospital in Klamath Falls. As never saw a clean sheet the whole time I was in Viet Nam. it turned out, I had the wrong arm in the sling. (It was a long I was discharged from the Army a few months after I reride home.) turned to the “World” as we called it. I headed straight back to I tell people that my Dad went broke raising spuds before it Bozeman, Montana and enrolled at the University of Montana. was fashionable. He claims he had to quit farming because his Using the GI Bill, I majored in Animal Science. family developed this habit of wanting to eat three meals a day! While going to school, I began working part time for In any case, we moved to town when I was in grade school and Spanish Creek Ranches. Spanish Creek was owned by Bobby my Dad began working full time for the USBR. He continued Shelton, a member of the Texas King Ranch Family. Shelton to build dams and develop irrigation projects. Self educated, purchased the Flying D Ranch shortly after I hired on and we and with a deep love for the land, he retired as an Agricultural went from running 1,000 cows to running 3,500 cows. Economist. Lyn and I met in college. We were married shortly after Even though we lived in town, my brothers and I continued to spend all our free time working on local ranches. When I CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 graduated from high school, and with my parents blessing, I mi- D G The Progressive Rancher January 2008 My Family and Background CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 graduation and went to work full time for Shelton Ranches. Shelton had holdings in Mon- size and condition of the operation, we would develop an operating plan, prepare a budget, tana, Texas and Florida. We were there for twelve years. I started out as a hired hand, purchase the livestock & equipment and hire the crew. Once operational we would turn it moved to the cowboy crew and eventually worked my way up to the Purebred Foreman over to its new owner or manager and move on to another project. Often times we would position. stay on retainer to see them through their first year of operation. We also helped seed-stock While on the cowboy crew we would move several times a year as the cattle rotated operators develop new breeding programs and expand their marketing. With the help of my around the ranch. We summered on a forest allotment bordering Yellowstone National computer whiz brother, we developed an agricultural bookkeeping program called AgriPark. Often Lyn would ride with me, helping move cows and pack salt. Our daughter Books, which many of our clients used as part of their debt restructuring agreement. Lisa would go with us, riding in a back pack. She would stand on the cantle of my saddle, Advanced Ranch Technology was good to us, but the travel was extensive. Katy was jumping up and down until I thought my shoulders were going to fall off. She would than developing well, both physically and mentally. While I was off traveling from client to fall asleep and hang there like a sack of potatoes, until I became numb from my neck on client, Lyn stayed home and with a fierce determination helped Kate develop into the fine down to my hips. young lady she is today. (Not an easy task.) We would than move to Spanish Creek along the Gallatin River for fall works. In FebWhen the opportunity to manage Escalante Land & Cattle Co was offered to us, we ruary we would move to the Buffalo Jump Ranch along the Madison River and get ready jumped at it. We packed up the kids, horses and dog and moved to the Escalante Canyon to calve. We kept a baby bassinet for Lisa in the warming room of the calving shed so Lyn near Delta, Colorado. (I don’t know who was happier: Lyn, Kate or the dog. Lisa, in her could help with calving. After spring branding on the Madison, we would move back to junior year of high school, was not so thrilled!) our Wapiti cow camp. (We cherished our summers on Wapiti Creek.) Escalante Land & Cattle is owned by Mika Ag Corp based in Denver. The ranch headWhen our daughter Katy came along, we knew she was special, with special needs. quarters is located west of Grand Junction, Colorado in the historic Escalante Canyon. The After visiting a half a dozen doctors and receiving a half a dozen diagnosis, we settled in canyon portion of the ranch consists of irrigated hay and grain fields. With its low altitude with the determination to give her every opportunity that we could. and mild climate, conditions are favorable for growing fruit. We grew mostly pears. The When I was offered the chance to manage Leachman Cattle Company we jumped at it. cowherd summered on a forest permit on the Uncompodre National Forest. We rode out We packed up the kids, horses and dog and made the move to the Crow Indian Reservation of three cow camps. The cattle came off the forest sleek and fat, with large calves. After near Billings, Montana. weaning we would stage our herd at the upper end of the canyon and wait for enough snow At that time, Leachman was just beginning to grow and expand his lines of cattle, the to move onto our winter country. Our winter country was on a BLM allotment. It lay in a word composite hadn’t yet been coined. Lyn became interested in the wilderness study area on a high mesa above the canyon and consisted show cattle and became quite involved in caring for and exhibiting of approximately 40,000 acres, all in one pasture. It had no streams them. The Leachman boys were still in school, but all three spent time and very few springs. Because it was in a proposed wilderness area, working on the ranch during holidays and summer vacation. We were we were not allowed to develop the springs or build stock ponds. We there when Jim Leachman had his first million dollar sale. I believe depended on the sun to warm the mesa rocks in the afternoon and We love Nevada, we sold 600 bulls and 300 females. He had once told me he was going melt the snow to a slush which our cows could drink. If the sun did to sell a thousand bulls someday. I didn’t believe that was possible. not shine or the temperature was sub-zero, our cattle were forced to we love this ranch but Many, years later, he would sell 2,000 bulls in his annual sale! In my eat snow. Because of its wilderness status, we could not use motoropinion, Jim Leachman is a great cowman and I appreciate the opized vehicles, including ATV’s. This prohibited us from efficiently portunity I had to learn from him. putting out protein supplement. Everything was done on horseback. most of all we love the At Leachman Cattle Company, Lisa attended a three room grade Our cows moved on to the winter country in November/December school near the town of Pryor. When Katy reached school age it befat and healthy and came off in February thin and weak. We would people we have met. came evident that with here special educational needs, we needed to than pour the hay and corn supplement to them, trying to leg them up go somewhere else. We chose the Cherry Creek School District in before March calving. They would than work their way up the canyon Aurora, Colorado, a suburb of Denver. We packed up kids, horses & as they calved and we branded. Needless to say our calving percentage the dog and moved to Colorado. (It was a cultural shock for all of us, and conception rate was low. Those that did managed to make it off especially the dog!) the winter country and calve, were moved back on to the forest in June where the grass was While working at Shelton’s and Leachman’s, I learned a lot and made some good lush & green; the water was pure & plenty; and they became sleek & fat in preparation for contacts. In Colorado, Lyn & I started a consulting firm which we named Advanced Ranch another winter on the mesa. (I should note that since we left Dick Miller, owner of Mika Technology. A fancy name for me working out of the basement of our house and the trunk Ag has solved their wintering problem . . . . He stopped turning out on the mesa and has of our car. We starved for a while, but eventually ART began to take hold and we developed put together a super set of black crossbred cows.) a good business. When we moved to Escalante Land & Cattle, we never completely shut down ART. We When we started ART in the early 1980’s, farmers and ranchers were experiencing kept two clients. One was a ranch near Monte Vista, Colorado where I was a trustee and financial difficulties. Interest rates were high, previous lending practices had been loose the other was Denver based Newmont Gold Company. We had been hired by Newmont to and many agricultural operations were under-collateralized & over-extended. Banks, advise them on their agricultural interests in Colorado and Nevada. In the late summer of insurance companies and ag lenders were at the point of panic and their solution was 1992, Newmont asked us to move to Nevada and work for them full time as their manager foreclosure. of agricultural operations. We began working with financially stressed farmers and ranchers in helping them Facing our third winter on the mesa, we jumped at it. We packed up and moved to reorganize their operation, prepare their budget, and develop a debt restructuring plan. Nevada. Lisa stayed in Colorado, as she was enrolled at Colorado State University. Than through negotiation, we would work to sell this Operational Reorganization & Debt When we moved to Northern Nevada, it was on the tail end of several years of draught. Restructuring Plan to the lenders. We had clients in Colorado, Kansas, Montana and The Humboldt River was dry from Beowawe to Battle Mountain. You could not see the Texas. Our clients were financially stressed farm and ranching families that bet their last Ruby Mountains for all the dust. I don’t know who was more disillusioned: Lyn, Kate or few dollars on our ability to help them work themselves out of their financial difficulties. the dog! (New dog by then.) Not an easy task, but we worked hard and we got good at what we did. We were not very That was fifteen years ago and it has been the best move we ever made. We love Nepopular with the banks, especially the Federal Land Bank, but I’d like to think that we vada, we love this ranch but most of all we love the people we have met. Newmont has been helped them out too. good to us and is very serious about being good neighbors and good stewards of the land. It was a stressful way to make a living and I would often return home with a sack of Our daughter Lisa, a CPA in Elko, is married to Jake Reed. (Young Jake not Old potatoes or a quarter of beef in the truck of my car, trying to figure out how to explain this Jake!!) They have blessed us with two granddaughters, Sidney & Macey. Kate lives with to my banker. But it had its rewards. Even today, we receive an occasional wedding invita- us and works on the ranch. We are done moving and we couldn’t have found a better place tion, graduation announcement or funeral notice from past clients or their children, letting to settle into. us know they are still around and still in business. Well, I promise you that this will be the longest message you will hear from me. Last As our industry began to work through its financial woes, we changed our focus and month I wrote that sometimes a few words are more meaningful than many. Well, occasionbegan taking on wealthy clients who were purchasing or had purchased a ranch and needed ally, it takes many words to be meaningful. assistance in getting it operational. On a six to eighteen month contract, depending on the Next month, I’ll go back to the old few words philosophy. Until then . . . . . Thanks. January 2008 The Progressive Rancher www.progressiverancher.com Back to Basics C o o p e r a t i v e E x t e n s i o n - B r i n g i n g t h e U n i v e r s i t y t o Yo u Ron Torell, Nevada Livestock Extension Specialist Shannon Williams, Lemhi County Extension Educator Don Breazeal, Pershing County Extension Educator Ranch Labor: Part 1 of a 3 part series 601 to 1000 8 (12%) 14 (21%) 19 (28%) 9 (13%) 1001 to 2000 2001 or more 10 (15%) 8 (12%) The first section of the survey elicited information relative to salaries. Table 2 lists the average salary and the minimum and maximum salary that was reported by the respondents to these combined surveys. Position Average Salary Minimum Salary Maximum Salary Manager $2,400 $1300 $5,000 Cow boss $1,700 $1,200 $3,000 Cowboy $1,400 $1,000 $2,100 Mechanic $1,700 $1,000 $2,500 Irrigator $1,600 $900 $2,100 Laborer $1,300 $700 $2,500 Cook $1,300 $850 $1,100 $100/day $50/day $10/hour *Day Worker *Provide own horse and transportation 50 8 0 2 Other Part-Time Vacation 1 Retirement 3 Meat 7 Vehicle 49 Health Full-Time Utilities 10 – 19 20 – 49 Housing 5–9 75 47 63 63 13 50 3 Cow boss 100 94 44 50 63 13 50 19 Cowboy 90 84 42 23 65 16 48 16 Mechanic 62 54 47 23 46 0 31 15 • small pool of laborers skilled in agriculture work Irrigator 89 73 36 41 50 9 32 9 • recruitment, motivation, and lack of problem solving skills of new hire’s Laborer 73 57 24 30 57 3 24 11 • labor and immigration laws Cook 100 75 50 0 75 0 25 0 • unable to offer health insurance to employees due to un-affordability The overall performance rating for employees was an 8 (1 being poor and 10 being excellent). The average turnover rate for employees varied among the different positions. Table 4 shows the respective turnover rates. Table 4: Average Number of Years Worked by Position Manager 7 years Cow boss 6 years Cowboy 3 years Mechanic 4 years Irrigator 5 years Laborer and Cook 2 years Rate 301 to 600 1–4 81 Position 101 to 300 Number of Employees Manager Rate Less than 100 Table 5: Employees Numbers from 60 Ranches in Nevada For additional input into these surveys, respondents were asked the major limitation they face concerning agriculture labor management. A total of 53 ranches responded. The responses have been categorized into the following five areas: • unable to pay the competitive wages and benefits offered by other industries Position Table 1: Number of Cattle 1 Year or Older from 68 Ranches Table 3: Percentage of Positions Receiving Benefits Rate In pursuit of the “going rate” answer, UNCE conducted a ranch labor survey in 2002 and repeated that same survey in August of 2007. Unfortunately, the return rate for the 2007 survey was too small to statistically analyze on its own. In this issue of Back to Basics, recognizing the limits of statistical analysis on these data points, let’s discuss the results of the combined 2002 and 2007 survey. Prior to combining 2002 data with the 2007 survey data, dollars from the 2002 survey were adjusted by 3 percent annually to compensate for inflation over the five year period. Table 1 shows the number of Nevada ranches responding to the survey and the corresponding number of cattle on inventory 1 year and older. Table 3 shows the percentage of employees receiving certain benefits (i.e. housing, utilities, health insurance, vehicle, meat, retirement, vacation, and other). Position I n the process of producing calves the average Northeastern Nevada Cow-Calf operation spends approximately 20 percent of its total operating budget on ranch labor. This equates to $72 on a per head basis. Labor represents the second largest expense in producing western calves surpassed only by feed cost (UNCE Fact Sheet 07-08). Recruiting and retaining qualified labor is one of the biggest challenges facing ranches in the west. The “going rate” for agriculture labor is a frequently asked question. Table 5 shows the number of full and part time employees reported. Respondents were asked if their part-time employees worked more or less than 150 days during the year. Thirteen ranches (24 percent) employ workers more than 150 days during the year and 42 ranches (76 percent) employ part-time workers 149 days or less. Although not shown in a table, twenty-six ranches (38 percent) have relatives working for them and 42 ranches (62 percent) do not employ relatives. Respondents were not asked who the relatives were, only that they employed some relatives. • language and communication problems The purpose of this survey was to gather data concerning compensation and benefits that are currently being provided to Nevada ranch employees. While the low return rate precludes making any generalizations to the overall ranching community in Nevada, the results are useful in describing the compensation and benefit packages provided by the individual ranches that responded to the survey. That is enough for this month. As always, if you would like to discuss this article or simply would like to talk cows do not hesitate to contact me at 775-738-1721 or at torellr@ unce.unr.edu By the way, I am not looking for a ranch job at reported average wages, benefits, working conditions and hours expected to work. REFERENCES Billikopf, G.E. (1994). Labor Management in Ag: Cultivating Personnel Productivity. University of California Cooperative Extension, Modesto, California. Kay, R.D. and Edwards, W.M. (1994). Farm Management. McGraw-Hill, Inc. New York, New York. Breazeale, Don and Torell, Ron. (2000). A Survey of Compensation and Benefits Packages Among Nevada Cattle Ranch Employees. University of Nevada Cooperative Extension Fact Sheet 00-02. Curtis, Kynda R., Brough, Emily, Torell, Ron, Riggs, W.W. (2007) Elko County Cow-Calf Production Costs & Returns, 2006. University of Nevada Cooperative Extension Fact Sheet 07-08. See sidebar article: Ranch Labor Educational Opportunity on page 7 www.progressiverancher.com The Progressive Rancher January 2008 Review Nevada Cattlemen’s Association By Meghan Wereley, Nevada Cattlemen’s Association Executive Director W inter has finally arrived in Nevada, the cool weather and white flakes have fallen from the sky and blanket the soil with much needed moisture. With winter comes hibernation for some, while others find themselves working harder then ever. The Nevada Cattlemen’s office is one of those places. The office has been in full swing since convention working hard on the Fallon Bull Sale. This year the sale filled up quickly with a long waiting list. The office was abuzz with all the activity of receiving consignments, registration papers, and catalog development. Although this is my first year working on the Fallon All Breeds Bull and Heifer sale I find myself enjoying the new challenges. While the association continues to work on the sale other matters continue to be on the forefront including public relations, connections with congressional staff members in Washington D.C., networking with other Cattlemen’s Associations in the West, working closely with the Public Lands Council on issues that affect Nevada, and state issues that affect the livestock industry. One of the exciting things that has come from the office is the new Nevada Cattlemen’s Association web page. The page has been updated with lots of useful information including past issues of the Sage Signals, our Policy and Resolutions, contact information for staff, officers, committee members. The site also contains information regarding the bull sale, raffle, membership, and during the legislative session it will contain information on bills and other amendments that could or will affect the industry. We welcome you to visit the site at www.nevadacattlemen.org. The association looks forward to seeing many of you during the 42nd Fallon All Breeds Bull and Heifer Sale February 16th in Fallon Nevada. If you would like more information about the sale please contact the office 1-775-738-9214 or email [email protected] Governor Gibbons Sits Down with Nevada Cattlemen’s President On December 6, 2007 Governor Jim Gibbons and staff member Jodi Stephens met with Nevada Cattlemen’s Association President Dan Gralian and Executive Director Meghan Wereley in Carson City to discuss issues important to the industry and that state. The Governor was interested in learning about the goals of the new president for the association and how he could continue to help in any way and share knowledge to find solutions. President Gralian stated that his first goal is to work on the fire and cheatgrass issues that plague the state. He feels that this is the biggest challenge that faces ranchers today, and will continue to in the future. He would like to find a way for ranchers to have flexibility in their grazing systems to help reduce fuel, reduce the size and intensity of fires, and minimize the density of cheatgrass. The Governor agreed stating that, “we need to find a way to restore native grasses back in areas that are now dominated by cheatgrass.” He is working with other states in a coordinated effort to not only fight fires but to help restore areas, and help ranchers become part of the solu- tion. The five state MOU that was signed between Nevada, Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming will help coordinate not only suppression but seed banks, and presuppression efforts. The Governor also feels that both cattle and sheep numbers need to be increased across the state to not only help the viability of ranchers but to make the impact on cheatgrass. President Gralian’s second goal is to help ranchers become more aware of what they can do to be the first line of defense during a wild land fire. He feels that ranchers should become red carded and fight the fire when it starts and is small so when agency personnel arrive they can put the fire out and possibly stop these large fires from spreading. The Governor also agrees that this could potentially be another tool that could stop the devastating fires that have burned across this great state. One of the issues ranchers have been dealing with over the past several years and continues to compound with each large fire season is fire closures on grazing allotments. The Governor said that he is aware and concerned about this issue, “I understand that flexibility has been taken away from our ranchers in this state and in my meeting with Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne I will make sure he understands that we are looking for solutions to this problem so that we do not have the fuel loading problem that we have now on our rangelands. I also want him to understand that with flexibility in grazing systems ranchers will not only help the landscape but help productivity on the ranch and in turn in our rural communities.” President Gralian also would like to have the Cattlemen’s Associations of the adjoining states to come together on public relations, fire, public land issues, and wild horses. He feels that together we can be stronger and present a united front. Governor Gibbons also agrees, “by working with other states a synergy happens that allows for a more powerful outcome.” The meeting concluded with President Gralian thanking the Governor for his support of the industry and rural Nevada. The Governor responded with this powerful statement, “I am on your side, you are the future of this state. My heart goes out to the ranching community when the fires burn and lawsuits are lost. And again let us know what this office can do for you and the industry.” “WATERING THE WEST” ➨ Red Bluff Bull & Gelding Sale: 26 Bulls ➨ Klamath Falls Bull Sale: 8 Bulls ➨ Fallon All Breeds Bull Sale: 6 Bulls Good Bulls… Ready to work and are climatized for a Nevada workout! ➨ Snyder’s “Bulls for the 21st Century” Sale: 8 Bulls January 2008 The Progressive Rancher Water Line Installation Dispensing, Welding, & Plowing Available 7861 E. Idaho Street P.O. Box 5689, Elko, Nevada 89802 See Us For All Your Fencing Needs • Barbed Wire • T Posts • Drill Steel Joe & Kristi Cumming Matt Anderson 775-738-2677 www.bosstanks.com www.progressiverancher.com Statement by Acting Secretary Chuck Conner on the Senate-Passed Farm Bill December 14, 2007 “Farmers and ranchers face enormous uncertainties and deserve a safety net, and I am a firm believer in federal support of agriculture. Yet, the farm bill just passed by the Senate fails to strengthen the safety net and increases taxes to generate $15 billion in revenue used to grow the size and scope of government. The bill further increases price supports and continues to send farm subsidies to people who are among the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans. The Senate-passed farm bill does not represent fiscal stewardship and lacks farm program reform. “This legislation is fundamentally flawed. Unless the House and Senate can come together and craft a measure that contains real reform, we are no closer to a good farm bill than we were before today’s passage. “Farmers need a stable safety net that helps in years they need it most,” said Conner. “And farmers deserve a farm bill that is free of budget smoke and mirrors and tax increases. The measure passed today has $22 billion in unfunded commitments and budget gimmicks, and includes $15 billion in new taxes- the first time a farm bill has relied on tax increases since 1933. “The House and Senate need to address the concerns that matter to farmers the most. R-CALF United Stockgrowers of America Senate Farm Bill Includes Improvements to Livestock Competition Washington, D.C. – The Senate has passed its version of the 2007 Farm Bill, which contains a number of key provisions sought by R-CALF USA to improve the competitiveness of the U.S. livestock market. Included among these improvements are: • Affirmation of, and improvements to, mandatory country-of-origin labeling • Ban on packer ownership of livestock • Establishment of an Office of Special Counsel for Agricultural Competition to ensure proper enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act • Directive to USDA to define “undue preferences and advantage” within the Packers and Stockyards Act • Authorization for interstate shipment of state-inspected beef • Authorization of voluntary arbitration for contract growers “We fought for more improvements but they were met with such vehement opposition from the meatpacking lobby, which included the American Meat Institute (AMI) and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), and were not able to be included,” said R-CALF USA Vice President/Region II Director Randy Stevenson, who also chairs the group’s marketing committee. The two versions of the Farm Bill passed respectively by the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives must now be reconciled by a conference committee in orwww.progressiverancher.com der to produce a single 2007 Farm Bill that would then be voted on by both chambers of Congress. “Our challenge now is to keep our key competition reforms intact during the conference committee deliberations, which should take place in early 2008,” Stevenson said. “This challenge will be significant if NCBA and the rest of the packer lobby continue with their outrageous claims of industry collapse should markets become more open and more transparent as a result of these reforms.” Stevenson also said that NCBA and the meatpacker lobby successfully stripped away support from an amendment offered by Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, that would have closed the loophole in the Packers and Stockyards Act (PSA) that allows meatpackers to circumvent the PSA’s prohibition against price control and price manipulation if a meatpacker claims it had a ‘business justification’ for its actions. “We will continue working with Congress to close this loophole and we appreciate the Senators who tried to help us do this within the Farm Bill,” he added. “We’re pleased with our industry’s progress so far, and R-CALF is preparing to fight aggressively to keep in the final 2007 Farm Bill that which we’ve just won in the Senate. “Our continued success will depend on the willingness of farmers and ranchers to demonstrate their support for our efforts, as this is the only way we’ll overcome the tremendous anti-competitive efforts of NCBA and its packer lobby,” Stevenson emphasized. We have heard from farmers all across America in over 50 Farm Bill Forums since 2005, and most have made it clear that there must be an end to income subsidy payments for the richest people in the country. Farmers understand that a program that takes tax dollars from middle income America and transfers those dollars to the nation’s wealthiest few is bad policy, and damages the credibility and the purpose of farm programs. “As the House and Senate work to come to a consensus on their different bills, it is imperative that substantial changes are made to this legislation. I am eager to work with Congress on ways to make this a good farm bill that benefits our rural communities and America’s farmers.” Ranch Labor Educational Opportunity University of Nevada and Idaho Cooperative Extension Systems along with the U.S.D.A. Risk Management Agency have teamed up to bring an educational program on labor to the ranching community. The one day program will initially be held on March 19, 2008 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in Elko, Nevada at the Great Basin Community College campus. Call Ron Torell for building and room location. Additional programs will be held in other ranching communities if requests are received. The educational program will cover the topics of employee recruitment, selection and retention, creating a good work environment, performance evaluations, pay and benefits, writing a job description and a resume. There will be a round table discussion from successful employers as well as satisfied employees. For more information or to request a similar program in your area contact Ron Torell, UNCE Livestock Specialist at 775-738-1721, [email protected], Kynda Curtis, UNCE State Specialist at 775-784-1682, [email protected] or Shannon Williams, University of Idaho Cooperative Extension Agent in Lemhi County at 208756-2824, [email protected]. The Progressive Rancher January 2008 R-CALF United Stockgrowers of America A Look Back at Cattle Industry Highlights in 2007, Projections for 2008 Billings, Mont. – The U.S. cattle industry certainly has its share of challenges and opportunities, and one can never say that being a participant in this dynamic industry is boring. Here, R-CALF USA President/Region VI Director Max Thornsberry not only takes a look back at industry highlights in 2007, but also explains what he expects to occur in 2008. 2007 Highlights: * While the average price of fed cattle is expected to reach a new record in 2007 (previous record was over $88 per cwt in 2005), the inflation-adjusted price (in 2007 dollars) for fed cattle will remain lower than the inflation-adjusted prices received from 1970 through the early 1990s. * Though industry analysts predicted a measurable turn-around in the liquidation phase of the U.S. cattle cycle that began in 1996, the U.S. herd size has not appreciably increased after falling to the lowest level since the ‘50s in 2004. The number of beef cows in the United States on July 1, 2007 – 33.4 million – was down from July 1, 2006, and July 1, 2005. * The third largest U.S. beef packer, Swift & Co., was sold to Brazil’s JBS-Friboi, a company that was reportedly charged by the Brazilian justice department for the anti-competitive practice of coordinating price agreements in order to keep cattle prices low when purchasing livestock for slaughter. According to U.S. news reports, the company agreed to pay $8.5 million in fines to a Brazilian antitrust fund. * The U.S. Congress did not renew the President’s Trade Promotion Authority, also called Fast Track, which expired in 2007. As a result, Congress reacquired its authority to amend provisions in trade agreements that may be harmful to specific industry sectors such as the U.S. cattle industry. * As a result of tainted imports from China, Congress and U.S. consumers learned firsthand the importance of knowing the country of origin of imported products, and particularly the importance of knowing where imported food products are actually grown or raised. This firsthand information contributed to renewed support for the 2002 mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL) law, which is scheduled to go into effect Sept. 30, 2008. This firsthand information also highlighted the need to strengthen U.S. import controls. * The Senate version of the 2007 Farm Bill includes reforms to improve the competitiveness of the U.S. livestock industry and strengthen producer protections against anticompetitive practices of the highly concentrated meatpacking sector. The reforms include a ban on packer ownership of livestock, establishment of an Office of Special Counsel for Agricultural Competition, improvements to the COOL law, authorization for interstate shipment of state inspected beef, and authorization for voluntary arbitration for livestock contract growers. * U.S. cattle producers and five national U.S. consumer groups joined together as Plaintiffs in a federal court action to block the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) plan to further relax U.S. import protections against bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease. The lawsuit challenges USDA’s OTM (over 30 month) Rule that allows the importation into the United States of older Canadian cattle, as well as beef from older Canadian cattle – products that harbor an inherently higher risk for BSE. 2008 Expectations: * The U.S. cattle industry remains the last frontier for the U.S. meatpacking industry. It is the only major livestock sector that has not fully been vertically integrated, from birth to plate, by the meatpacking sector. Meatpackers are fighting to change this and have a long- 10 Bulls Sell at Snyder’s Bulls March 8, 2008 January 2008 for the 21st Century TEST RESULTS AVAILABLE The Progressive Rancher term strategy for gaining control over independent U.S. cattle producers that includes developing strong alliances with conventional industry groups and the government to help them achieve their goal. 2008 will be a critical year in determining whether the cattle industry will go the way of the poultry and hog industries, or whether it will chart an entirely new course and develop an entirely new model where producers and packers maintain a harmonious partnership without either party exerting economic control over the other. * By preserving in the final 2007 Farm Bill the competition reforms currently in the Senate version, U.S. cattle producers will effectively block one component of the meatpackers’ plan to gain economic control over producers. Even within an industry where robust competition occurs (for lighter-weight feeder cattle, for example), the effects of anti-competitive practices at the final stage of the cattle life cycle – the point of sale for slaughter-ready cattle – are transferred back through the entire cattle industry. Meatpackers use packer-owned cattle to limit independent producers’ access to the fed cattle market. By slaughtering their own cattle when prices are high and purchasing producers’ cattle when prices are low, meatpackers effectively limit producers’ access to the market and manage the price of all cattle. * The ban on packer ownership will help restore market integrity by reducing the meatpackers ability to limit producers’ access to the market and to manage cattle prices. Preserving this measure in the 2007 Farm Bill will help to redirect the U.S. cattle industry on a course other than toward vertical integration. In addition, preserving the establishment of an Office of Special Counsel for Agricultural Competition will help fill the recently revealed void created by USDA’s failure for the past decade to properly enforce – or even investigate – complaints under the Packers and Stockyards Act. * Also in 2008, R-CALF USA hopes to reestablish the U.S. cattle industry’s right to protect the U.S. cattle herd from the introduction of foreign animal diseases. The lawsuit filed by R-CALF USA against USDA’s OTM Rule addresses the fundamental issue of whether the U.S. cattle industry has a right to prevent the introduction of deadly diseases like BSE, or whether we must resign ourselves to the management of such avoidable diseases after they are allowed to enter the United States. * While R-CALF USA’s lawsuit addresses health and safety ramifications of import policies and trade agreements, there are several trade agreements that may be decided in 2008 including the Panama, Colombia, and South Korea trade agreements. Currently, these agreements ignore the unique characteristics of the U.S. cattle industry. They contain no safeguards to protect against import surges and they contain an inappropriate rule of origin that allows cattle to be imported from a non-participating country, processed in the participating country, and then exported to the U.S. as if it were a product of the participating country. Trade agreements without protections for the U.S. cattle industry are yet another tool that meatpackers use to limit market access for U.S. producers. Unrestricted cattle and beef imports are effectively used to satisfy consumer demand for beef, thus reducing demand for domestic cattle. * The Sept. 30, 2008, implementation of mandatory COOL will finally enable the U.S. cattle industry to distinguish their product from among the growing tide of imports and will help producers to maintain the separate identity of their U.S. cattle herd. After COOL implementation, U.S. producers will be able to engage in competition by advertising and marketing their exclusively U.S.A. beef products. * Another form of control over the cattle-production sector supported by the meatpackers and the government is mandatory animal identification. Producers will need to effectively organize in 2008 to demonstrate the fallacy behind the meatpackers’ and government’s claim that animal diseases can only be controlled with a mandatory animal identification system. For more than a century, our industry already has demonstrated effective disease control and eradication – without mandatory animal identification. Our challenge in 2008 will be to show how improvements to existing disease-control strategies would be more successful at controlling diseases and more cost-effective than throwing out our previously successful programs in favor of an unproven and costly experiment. “Importantly, the decisions regarding the 2008 direction of the U.S. cattle industry will be heavily influenced by cattle-producer organizations like R-CALF USA and beef organizations like the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA),” Thornsberry pointed out. “There are approximately 800,000 beef-cattle operations in the United States; however, the total number of members among both groups is less than 50,000. This means only about 6 percent of the industry is supporting one of the two organizations deciding their industry’s future. “Should producers decide for themselves in 2008 which organization shares their vision for the future and begin supporting that organization, the balance of influence over the direction of the U.S. cattle industry could be tipped very quickly,” he emphasized. “R-CALF USA urges producers to make that decision and begin supporting the national organization that shares their industry goals.” www.progressiverancher.com What’s Driving the Market? By Brad Peek, Western Video Market H Think Positive appy New Year to one and all and we hope everyone had a blessed and Merry Christmas. What a wonderful time of year to be surrounded by family and friends. As we head into the New Year we finally have had some rain in California with more expected as I am writing this (the last week of December). This should lend some help to our winter grass cattle, although some areas of the state were so decimated by last spring’s drought and no fall rains that they just will not be able to catch up. Our spring numbers in California will likely be lower as ranchers were not able to stock as many head. This has been obvious as many of your lighter Nevada calves have headed Eastward this fall and winter instead of coming to California. Grain prices continue to rise, an unfavorable Farm bill was passed in Washington, and according to our government reporting, out feedlots are fuller than anticipated (frankly, I do not believe all that they say). This could affect the current yearling market, but I’ve seen it before where the numbers say one thing and prices go higher. That is the beauty of a live auction. As a good friend once told me, “The only thing you will Ever know, is that you’ll just Never know!” So follow my family’s motto: “Think Positive!” Brad Peek Boyd & Audrey Spratling 2005-2007 Nevada Cattlemen’s Association President Even from a distance watching Boyd and Audrey together you can see the warm regard and protective love they share for each other. Our Cattle industry in the last two years has also been under their loving protective care. Our industry is lucky for their fortitude in the face of great change during the two years of their leadership. From the beginning of their service, faces changed rapidly: a new Governor, a new Ag Director, staff changes at the NCA office in Elko, hostile politics, and then, right down to their own ranch burning in the summer of 2007. Those are just a few of many diverse episodes Boyd and Audrey faced head on, the out-come? great successes! I admire your guts, your love for each other, the love for your family and your dedication to the Nevada Cattlemen and their families. I wish your re-entry back into private life is a safe and restful voyage. God Bless You Boyd and Audrey, you are two of my heroes, Leana Stitzel www.progressiverancher.com The Progressive Rancher January 2008 Inaugural Youth Upland Hunt and Photo Contest a Success For Jeremy Drew, president of the Northern Nevada Chapter of Safari Club International (SCI), youth sportsmen hold a special responsibility as the stewards of our land, wildlife and hunting heritage into the next generation. That’s why he initiated the first Youth Upland Game Hunt Photo Contest to promote the inaugural Youth Upland Game Hunt, which was held the last weekend in September. Despite worries of bad weather, the challenges of a poor hatch and a primarily adult bird population, turnout and enthusiasm were high. The contest garnered over 140 entries, half of which were firsttime hunters. “I honestly felt like a kid at Christmas as I went through the photos and accompanying stories and captions,” said Drew. “Some made me laugh; others nearly made me cry, and some made me cry because I was laughing so hard.” A panel of judges from the Nevada Department of Wildlife, Nevada Bighorns Unlimited, the Carson Valley Chukar Foundation, and the Northern Nevada Chapter – SCI deliberated for hours to name five winners. They are: Mentor Scott Mortimore and youth hunters Jimmy and Chad Mortimore of Sparks; mentor Mike Bratzler and youth hunter Michael Bratzler of Carson City; Mentor Mike Steckel and youth hunter Cody Steckel of Las Vegas; mentor Don Lawson and youth hunter Jessica Lawson of Sparks; and mentor Stacy Trivitt and youth hunter Seth Trivitt of Gardnerville. Winners received prizes ranging from youth shotguns to Sportsmen’s Warehouse gift cards. Supporting the hunt and photo contest were: Carson Valley Chukar Foundation, Coalition for Nevada’s Wildlife, Desert Chapter – SCI, Nevada Bighorns Unlimited – Reno, and Northern Nevada Chapter – SCI. “The mentors who nurture these young sportsmen are doing a service which benefits our entire state and sporting community,” continued Drew. “The smiles in the pictures and the accompanying stories assured me that these kids already love hunting for all the right reasons. I can tell you that our future as sportsmen is in promising hands.” Nevada Youth Deer Hunting Tags The Key to the next Generation of Nevada Hunters by Mike Laughlin “We have got to get more kids involved in hunting.” This is a saying that you have heard many times in recent years. Recent data from the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service indicates that hunter numbers in the United States declined 10 % between 1996 and 2006. This statistic points out a need for us to act now to stem this decline of young hunters. Okay, how do we do this? NDOW has all but given up on Mule Deer and has put their energy and dollar resources into other big game species reintroduction and management. How many Nevada kids will ever draw an elk, antelope, sheep or goat tag with the limited number of tags available for these species? Deer hunting and the availability of deer to hunt is of paramount importance for Nevada’s youth if we are going to have game to hunt that you have a good chance to draw a tag for and to keep their interest in hunting and stop the decline of young hunters in our state. There needs to be some aggressive action by NDOW to halt the decline of Mule Deer in this state. Predator control programs to increase mule deer numbers is one way we could start helping to bring back our deer. A study, published in The Journal of Wildlife Management- 2007, states, “Removing coyotes for livestock protection may increase densities of mule deer in the same area.” What this suggests is “what is good for livestock is also good for deer numbers.” The big-deer years in Nevada were years during which there were aggressive coyote and lion population-reduction programs. These control programs, implemented by the Animal Damage Control division of the federal U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, were in place primarily to protect domestic sheep. Domestic sheep at that time acted as a buffer species for game animals. That means that domestic sheep were the primary food source of predators. When the domestic range-sheep industry disappeared from Nevada ranges, the amount of predator control efforts decreased, therefore, predators looked for other animals as a food source and Mule Deer numbers began to decline. This fact is hard for NDOW to accept, but today’s deer numbers tell the real story. The current 2007 NDOW Predator Management Plan is filled with surveys, studies, etc. The bottom line is that predators need to be killed. Not all the scientific studies in the world will replace the needed reduction of numbers of predatory animals that are preying upon Nevada deer. The recovery of Nevada’s deer herds should be a principle focus of the NDOW predator management plan for 2008 and the future if we re going to have a huntable deer population to encourage Nevada youth hunting. James “Mike” Laughlin is a (Retired) Supervisory Wildlife Biologist U.S Department of Agriculture & U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Photos by Lee Raine: 10 January 2008 Top: Casey Dack’s first deer Middle: Jace Thompson hunter, Patxi and Peio Laughlin in back Bottom Photo: Kim Algerio, first deer The Progressive Rancher www.progressiverancher.com consignors ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ www.progressiverancher.com Phil Allen and Son, UT Travis Smith - Rose Ranch, UT Steve Smith Angus and Gilbvieh, UT Uhart Polled Herefords, NV KDK Angus, NV Hone Ranch, NV Amador Angus, CA Edd Price - Price Angus Ranch, OR Ward Ranches, CA Schwoerer Beefmasters, CA Indian Creek Ranch, NV Potters Emmett Valley Ranch, ID Hawley Harrison and Son’s, ID Mack Land and Cattle, NV ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ Blackstock Herefords, NV McPhee Red Angus, CA AC Ranch, NV Silver State Beefmasters, NV Flying X Ranch, NV Cardey Ranch, CA Walker Polled Herefords, CA Cooper Cattle, CA DTK Land and Cattle, ID Rex Daniels and Sons Polled Hereford, ID Anchor Valley Ranch, NV TM Bench Ranch, NV Setter Cattle Company, CA Gillemot Sunset Ranch Red Angus, NV Leonardini Brangus, CA UNR S Bar S Ranch, NV Butte Country Ranch, CA Julian Cattle Company, NV The Progressive Rancher January 2008 11 Carry A Side Arm Along With Your Bow When Hunting Wolf killed near Mountain Home Becky Lisle recently received the following e-mail: For those of you that don’t know, this is only about 20-25 miles SE of Boise. I have hunted there for deer many times. You can actually see I-84 below you just a few miles away. So this guy wasn’t far from town. Carry a side arm along with you bow. Disturbing! Yes, on our Danskin mountains! Danskin Mountains is a mountain range in Elmore County in the state of Idaho (ID). Danskin Mountains climbs to 4,987 feet (1,520.04 meters) above sea level. Danskin Mountains is located at latitude - longitude coordinates (also called lat - long coordinates or GPS coordinates) of N 43.410727 and W -115.693427. Becky says, “I can’t verify that this wolf was killed near Mountain Home as the email says that was forwarded to me, but friends in the area do say there are wolves on their allotments. If nothing else, just the sheer size of this wolf is something everyone should see, as a terrifying example of what is being propagated by the idiots in this country and forced upon ranchers and the existing wildlife population.” The Gathering of the Best in the West January 22-26, 2008 67th BULL & GELDING SALE Stock Dogs Heifers Geldings Mules Bulls 2008 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS TUESDAY, JANUARY 22 FRIDAY, JANUARY 25 Range-Ready Bull Show Geldings – Working Classes 67th Annual Bull Sale Stock Dogs – Final Work 16th Annual Blood 30th Annual Stock Dog Sale & Guts Bull Riding 46th Annual Gelding & Mule Sale WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23 Haltered Bull Show THURSDAY, JANUARY 24 SATURDAY, JANUARY 26 (530) 527-2045 Website: www.redbluffbullsale.com 670 Antelope Boulevard, Suite 3 • Red Bluff, CA 96080 [email protected] 20th Annual Female Sale Sifting of Geldings 12 January 2008 Office: The Progressive Rancher www.progressiverancher.com Nevada’s Hunters and Anglers Have a Significant Impact on the Economy Spending $417 Million a Year WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Nevada’s 182,000 hunters and anglers are among the most prominent and influential of all demographic groups, spending more than $417 million a year on hunting and fishing, according to a new report. The new report, “Hunting and Fishing: Bright Stars of the American Economy ~ A force as big as all outdoors,” spotlights the immense impact hunters and anglers have on the economy at the national and state level. In Nevada, spending by hunters and anglers directly supports 5000 jobs, which puts $176 million worth of paychecks into pockets of working residents around the state. Of course, government coffers also benefit -- spending by sportsmen in pursuit of these outdoor activities generates $32 million in state and local taxes. These latest figures demonstrate that season after season hunters and anglers are driving the economy from big businesses to rural towns, through booms and recessions. “Because sportsmen enjoy hunting or fishing alone or in small groups, they are overlooked as a constituency and as a substantial economic force,” stated Jeff Crane, president of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation. “When you compare spending by hunters and anglers to other sectors, their impact on the state’s economy becomes more tangible.” Nevada Farmer Installs High Efficiency Sprinkler System Using EQIP Funds Increases Hay Production; Saves Money and Water For the past three years, John Maurer has been working hard to make the farm he was raised on an even better place to live. Maurer and his wife, Valerie, own the Hillside Hay Company in Nevada, and raise high quality alfalfa hay for dairies in California. In 2004, Maurer contacted the NRCS office in Yerington, Nev., for assistance to improve his obsolete and inefficient irrigation system. He worked with NRCS to develop a conservation plan and signed up as a beginning farmer under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). As a beginning farmer, Maurer was eligible to receive 90 percent of the cost of installing the practices identified in his conservation plan, an additional 15 percent over the usual amount of cost-share provided through EQIP. “My first project was installing a high efficiency center pivot sprinkler system on 253 acres,” said Maurer. “I used nozzles equipped with pressure regulators to optimize the application efficiency of the water, and I placed the sprinkler nozzles closer to the ground to minimize wind drift and evaporation.” John’s records indicate that his alfalfa hay yields increased from 4.72 tons per acre in 2003 to 6.1 tons per acre in 2005. Electrical power usage decreased from 526 kilowatt hours to 402 kilowatt hours per ton of hay produced during the same time period. Savings in electrical power equated to $9.30 per ton of hay produced. www.progressiverancher.com Maurer leases 400 acres in addition to the 700 acres he owns. He was so pleased with his new irrigation system that he worked with one of his landlords to install 10,000 feet of irrigation pipeline and 3 center pivot sprinkler systems on 150 acres that he leases. According to Ed Biggs, NRCS district conservationist, Maurer is enhancing wildlife habitat on his land to help reduce wind induced soil erosion and improve air quality. He will plant 800 linear feet of trees and shrubs and install a micro (drip) irrigation system to provide regular water to the plants. The planting will provide food and cover for wildlife, including raptors, passerines and other bird species. Recently, Maurer was encouraged by Tracey Jean Wolfe, NRCS range management specialist, to participate in a wind erosion control demonstration project planned by the NRCS Great Basin Plant Materials Center and the Esmeralda County Conservation District. The project will be conducted on a portion of his land that is highly visible from State Highway 266. A regular participant at the Esmeralda County Conservation District meetings and a county committee member for the local Farm Service Agency, Maurer also helps get the word out about USDA programs to fellow agricultural producers in the Fish Lake Valley area. The NRCS staff in Yerington really appreciates his efforts, especially since the USDA Service Center is located 150 miles away. Thanks to John’s efforts, he’s making his community an even better place to live, too. • Sportsmen support as many jobs in Nevada as the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police (5,000 jobs). • Annual spending by Nevada sportsmen is more than the revenues of Hendersonbased Zappos.com, one of the fastest growing companies in the state ($417 million vs. $381 million). • Nevada sportsmen annually spend more than the cash receipts from cattle, hay, dairy, onions and potatoes, the state’s top five agricultural commodities ($417 million vs. $406 million). • More people hunt and fish in Nevada than get married in Las Vegas (182,000 vs. 110,000). • The economic stimulus of hunting and fishing equates to an astounding $1.1 million a day being pumped into the state’s economy. “Spending by sportsmen benefits not only the manufacturers of hunting and fishing related products, but everything from local mom and pop businesses to wildlife conservation,” noted Doug Painter, president of National Shooting Sports Foundation. “And because most hunting and fishing takes place in rural areas, much of the spending benefits less affluent parts of the state.” On the national level, 34 million sportsmen age 16 and older spent more than $76 billion in 2006, supporting 1.6 million jobs. If a single corporation grossed as much as hunters and anglers spend, it would be among America’s 20 largest, ahead of Target, Costco and AT&T. And if all hunters and anglers had voted during the last presidential election, they would have equaled 31 percent of all votes cast. If all hunters and anglers living in Nevada voted, they would have equaled 29 percent of all votes cast in the state. These statistics are impressive and, if anything, they underestimate the impact of sportsmen since they do not take into account the millions of hunters and anglers under 16 years of age or people who were not able to get out and hunt or fish in 2006. When sportsmen’s spending is thought of in business terms and compared to other sectors of the economy, it is quite remarkable. From small rural towns scattered across our country’s landscape to the bottom-line of Fortune 500 companies located in major cities, if you take away hunting and fishing you take away the equivalent of a multi-billion dollar corporation. “It is a fairly simple equation – hunters and anglers mean jobs in states and local communities that have made the effort to maintain their hunting and fishing opportunities,” said Crane. “The economic impacts that sportsmen have on state economies should be a wake-up call to state governments to welcome and encourage hunting and fishing in their state.” The report, “Hunting and Fishing: Bright Stars of the American Economy ~ A force as big as all outdoors,” was produced by the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation with support from the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, National Marine Manufacturers Association, National Shooting Sports Foundation and SCI - First For Hunters. The report uses the results from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation and statistics provided by the American Sportfishing Association and Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. The report: “Hunting and Fishing: Bright Stars of the American Economy ~ A force as big as all outdoors” along with STATE FACTS are available on the Web at www.sportsmenslink.org and www.nssf.org For more information or questions contact: Melinda Gable 202-302-4794 or at [email protected] The Progressive Rancher January 2008 13 BEEF CHECKOFF NEWS J anuary 2008 GET THE FACTS HERE Five new fact sheets extend check-off funded research findings and provide critical information about beef packaging, marination and enhancement, cooking beef color changes, ranking beef muscles for tenderness, and enzymes that improve beef tenderness. Visit http://www. beefresearch.org/FactSheets.aspx to view these and other check-off funded fact sheets. or before playing with friends – with one – caveat – they don’t want to have to cook. Meanwhile, moms want nutritious food they can grab and serve on the go while multi-tasking through their daily lives. The beef check-off has met these demands and introduced healthy, hand-held beef snacks for kids and moms. The Beef Innovations Group (B.I.G.) has utilized check-off dollars and responded to consumer demands by researching, creating, and testing and bringing to market four new hand-held products. • BEEF SNACKWICH: A self-contained bun stuffed with beef and sauce filling. Sit and enjoy, or grab on the run. U.S. BEEF SOLD TO RUSSIA Although operating under an incomplete export protocol that is still being negotiated, NCBA has received word that U.S. beef has been sold to Russia for the first time since December 23, 2003. “Historically, Russia was the largest market for U.S. beef liver exports, but information regarding this $0.5 million sale is significant and arguably historic,” says NCBA Chief Economist Gregg Doud. “Our understanding is that it may be the first of its kind involving the sale of U.S. whole muscle cuts.” While a sale of this size by itself is not likely to be a market mover, the potential for additional sales will be watched closely. NCBA’S CULINARY CENTER BUSY NCBA’S Culinary Center in Chicago has been busting with activity in recent weeks developing recipes for the new consumer print ads that will be appearing in magazines beginning in January; testing recipes for new BEEFFlexible print ads targeting foodservice operators; working with Tyson Foods chefs on cooking methods for the cuts from the chuck-roll; and for developing recipes for the cuts. For a closer look at more Culinary Center beef check-off funded activity, as well as recipes go to www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com and for more information about Culinary Center activities’, visit www.beefandvealculinary.com U.S. BEEF MAKING ITS WAY TO HONG KONG The Greater China region, comprised of Hong Kong, Macau, China and Mongolia, holds growth potential for U.S. beef and beef products. Realizing Hong Kong’s potential, check-off funded efforts remain strong, driving U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) international activities this fall. In 2006, annual exports reached 3,450 metric tons (mt) valued at $15 million. “Beef consumption is increasing at a higher rate than other proteins and much of the increase is driven by the relatively more affluent urban population,” said Dan Halstrom, USMEF chairman from Greeley, Colo., and General Manager of the International Division for JBS-Swift & Company. “Strong economic growth in Hong Kong has also helped foodservice receipts and boosted demand for high-end beef. U.S. beef products need to remain competitive in this global market, by leveraging beef check-off dollars, USMEF continues to reiterate the value of high-quality U.S. beef to our importers, buyers and traders. BEEF CHECK-OFF INTRODUCES HAND-HELD SNACKS • STEAK and EGG Breakfast BITES: Steak, eggs and cheese in a potato crumb coating. It’s a bite-sized, portable breakfast portion worth waking up for. • BREAKFAST PANCAKE FLIP: Beef sausage, egg and cheese in a pancake. A breakfast consumers and kids will flip over. • STANDING BEEF SANDWICH: A hollowed out bun, turned upright and stuffed with beef and other ingredients. A spill-proof way to stand up above the rest. “These new convenience products fulfill consumer needs, add value to the beef carcass and therefore benefit producers,” said Cattlemen’s Beef Board member Bill Ehrke, dairy producer from Fort Atkinson, Wisc.and member of the check-off Joint New Product Committee. “As we continue to conduct valuable check-off funded research, we are able to bring more producers to the market that meet the wants and needs of consumers and provide new alternatives for kids.” Of more than 100 concepts, 19 products were on the “chopping block” during the sensory phase. Four made their way through taste buds and testing by more than 200 consumers ages 5 to 18; others, such as Mini Ribs and Mini Meatballs, are making their way back through testing. Lonestar Bakery has agreed to further develop the Snackwich and Brooks Food Group the Steak and Egg Breakfast Bites. As beef producers continue to create new profit opportunities for the industry through investment of check-off dollars, they can be proud knowing they’re responding to the needs of families and children along the way. And in this on-the-go world, parents cab rest assured knowing there are healthy beef snack options right in their freezer. Be on the lookout for the Cheeseburger on a Stick and Mini Burger in 2008. JAMES GALLAGHER 1914-2007 James Martin Gallagher passed away at his ranch near Austin, Nevada on Friday, December 21,2007. Jim was 93 years old. He was born in Oakland, California on March 16,1914 to Edward and Erna Gallagher. In his early years Jim was a cowboy, a member of the C.T.A. and R.C.A Preceded in death by his parents; 2 sisters and 2 brothers. Jim is survived by his wife of 70 years Ida L. Gallagher ; son Denny Gallagher, both of Italian Canyon, Austin, Nv; Son and daughter-in-law Tom and Claudia Gallagher of Reno; grandchildren, Mitch and Dylan Gallagher; 3 great-grandchildren. Jim was a true cowboy, he will be greatly missed by his family and friends. A memorial service will be held at a later date in Austin. Arrangements are under the direction of The Gardens Funeral Home, Crematory, Cemetery 2949 Austin Highway Fallon, NV 89406 775 4238928 Kids want quick, fast and easy. They want food right after school, while doing homework 14 January 2008 The Progressive Rancher www.progressiverancher.com By Joe Guild R Securing our Future ecent news reports have caused me to think cattle producers should be concerned whether we are in for a rough road in the next few years. A major packing concern has announced they are reducing harvesting at one plant and not building another plant, which had been planned for the last few years. Another meat company has filed for bankruptcy because it had sold contaminated meat. Finally, it looks as though, for the short term at least, the ethanol market is going to continue to cause corn growers to enjoy high prices for their crop, which will translate into greater expense in feeding cattle. Higher production costs, fewer packing houses, lower harvest rate, and fewer cattle produced all will mean higher prices in the grocery store. If the end product costs more will the consumer buy less beef? This question should concern every rancher. How can the average rancher help to make sure there is a continued demand for our product in the grocery store and in restaurants? The only way is to fund research to develop new products and to advertise about the safety, nutrition and good taste of beef. Since 1986 the Beef Check-off program has done just that and it continues to do so in shrinking real dollar terms. In other words, the 1986 dollar is now worth about 52 cents but costs for scientific research, product development and advertising have risen with everything else. Meanwhile, the Cattlemen’s Beef Board in Nevada and other states spends your check-off dollars on research, education, promotion and consumer information, among other things, to help the consuming public learn about the great things beef has to offer them. Nevada, for instance, gets 50 cents back from every Beef Check-off dollar our cattle generate, and Winter Drive that money is spent by the producer-run Nevada Beef Council to create interest in beef here. Soon, the nation’s beef producers will be deciding whether to double the beef check-off to $2.00. I believe it is time to do this because the industry needs to continue to promote beef to increase the demand for our product. If we do not continue the promotion efforts it is my opinion we will lose customers and demand for beef will decrease in competition with other protein sources. At the Nevada Cattlemen’s convention in Sparks this last November, a resolution passed which supports allowing the nation’s beef producers to vote in a national referendum on whether to increase the Beef Check-off amount. Other states have passed similar resolutions or have outright supported an increase. The beef industry has a unique opportunity to secure its own future by its own hand with a positive vote to increase the check-off. Speaking of opportunities, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association will hold its annual convention in Reno, February 6-9, 2008. The increase in the Beef Check-off issue will no doubt be discussed as will other matters of great importance to the beef industry. The trade show is the biggest of its kind and it alone is worth the drive and a day in Reno. Also, there are many educational events of interest to any rancher including estate planning, control of production costs, cattle reproduction, global trade opportunities and many more. I would encourage any rancher to attend but especially Nevada ranchers since the convention will be in your own backyard and there are so many pressing problems facing our industry right now. I’ll see you soon. Cow hooves click through the brush lined out nose to tail You can hear before you see the movement through the brush The swish, the sigh The dust swirls up to the steel blue sky Through the brush all you hear the click of the feet and the clomp of your horse’s hooves through the brush of your horse’s hooves through the brush There is no rush only the hush of the cattle slowly moving to their winter range In the brush. By Joe Guild (All rights reserved.) Nevada Livestock Marketing, LLC 1025 Allen Road, Fallon, Nevada (Gallagher’s) very Sale E sday Wedne 10:00 am Slaughter Cows, Bulls ✦ Approx. 11:30-12:00 Small Barn ✦ 1:00 pm Feeder Cattle ✦ Horses Last ✦ For more information on times, feed charges, hauling, etc., Please Contact: John Hanger/manager: 217-2433 Office: 775-423-7760 Jack Payne 775-217-9273 Fax: 775-423-1813 www.progressiverancher.com The Progressive Rancher January 2008 15 The Windmill Not long ago, I slipped out of town And rode into the hills to look around For a little bit of tranquility And a haven from the demons that pestered me. I hadn’t been out too long alone When my mind took off on a trail of its own. I got the notion that it would be grand To just stay out there and live off the land. I’d wander about for fish and game; Maybe gather berries and grow some grain. I’d listen to the wind instead of cars And fall asleep by counting stars. I was lost in the vision when I crested a hill And found myself staring at an old windmill. It looked like a sentinel covered with rust, As it stubbornly guarded fifty acres of dust. A gust of wind had it turning full out, But not a drop of water graced the spout. I could sense the frustration of years of toil And feel the pain plowed into the soil. I could see the tears in despairing eyes, As they searched across those cloudless skies. The rattle of the vanes made it all too clear: I wasn’t the first to try living here. The sun and fresh air give it allure, But it’s draught and storms you must endure. When water comes, it falls as snow, Then its too late, and too cold for crops to grow. I shook the image and headed back in, How could proven CRYSTALYX® performance get any better? By getting Leaving the mill as it sang in the wind. easier. The BioBarrel™ Single Trip Containerl™ degrades naturally as the Don’t get me wrong, the dream’s not lost, supplement is consumed. (Time-consuming clean-up and disposal issues But I’ve a better sense of what it might cost. disappear, too.) And just like our original black steel barrel option, you can count on profitable results. Learn more at www.crystalyx.com. So I’ll bide my time and blend instead Both yesterday and today for what lies ahead. After all, if Paradise were so easily found, Call 1-800-727-2502 • www.crystalyx.com Everyone would move there and they’d call it a town. by Gaynor Dawson R E SULTS BY THE BARREL ® RBO803-BioBarrel National Ad - Progressive Rancher - 5”x11” - BW • 9.11.07 16 January 2008 The Progressive Rancher West Richland, Washington, owner Crow Creek Ranch, Enterprise, Oregon www.progressiverancher.com & Salmon Tract Angus JOINT PRODUCTION SALE • FEBRUARY 7, 2008 12:30 pm, • At The Ranch • Buhl, ID Polled 95 Herefords A 3/19/07 high volume, herd sire prospect by Deputy 2P. EPD’s: B +5.0, W +57, Y +92, M +18 50 Two-year-Old Bulls 15 Bull Calves 25 Bred Heifers 5 Open Females A 4/02/06 son of Star 5L Bozz 43N that records a weaning index of 108 and YR of 105. EPD’s: B +3.8, W +53, Y +85, M +18 Angus 35 Yearling Bulls • Free Delivery within 300 miles on total purchases of $3,000 or more. A 3/02/07 daughter of the high performing and carcass quality sire Deputy 2P. EPD’s: B +5.0, W +55, Y +88, M +17 • Low cost feed program & April 1st delivery available. A 3/07/06 daughter of SHF Phoenix that displays mass and volume. EPD’s: B +3.9, W +55, Y +89, M +17. • Cattle are available for viewing at the respective ranches prior to the sale. • Ultra Sound Carcass Data available at the sale. • Discount program for juniors on females. Sale managed by: Kendall Cattle Sales A 2/14/07 son of MF Destroyer 093 that records EPD’s of B +2.3, W +50, Y +83, M 27. 1040 Kendall Road Potlatch, ID 83855 [email protected] Frank Rodgers & Sons 19741 US Highway 30 Buhl, Idaho 83316 (208)543-4055 www.progressiverancher.com Gary Kendall (208) 858-2163 Cell (509) 994-5627 A 1/22/07 herdsire prospect sired by Lemmon Newsline out of our ET daughter that records a +27 Milk EPD. Salmon Tract Angus Lyle & Donna Fuller & Family 2827E - 3200 N • Twin Falls, ID 83301 (208) 734-4897(home) (208) 731-3371 (Sarah Cell) e-mail: [email protected] The Progressive Rancher January 2008 17 PartnershiP DisPersion sale 1250 Head February 22 & 23, 2008 • 11 am Fallon Cattle & Feed• 3500 Cushman Rd., Fallon, NV. The Finest Angus Genetics Available ver O g ulls n B i s l l l d l l e S Bu ear O s d r Y e ll 10 H ming Two rling Bu o lls 25 C all Yea ulls u B 50 F 2007 B mpositeCows 200 ngus Co Calving 20 A Spring eifers fers i 475 2007 H red He 200 pring B s 32 S all Pair cows rs 80 F all Bred Heife 40 F all Bredrses 38 F anch Ho emen t from 10 R yos & Sbull consignmen Embr cial guest , CA. n a spe Wilto , k Plus e Tr sant Phea The most impressive groups of Angus matrons to sell in the West for decades. A True Sight To Behold! Sons & Daughters of These Great Sires Sell....... BR Midland LAU Decade Our st Interes! Sell BW WW YW MILK IMF% RE FAT $B +3.3 +70 +119 +27 +.45 +.66 +.053 +53.75 WW BW WW YW MILK IMF% RE FAT $B +1.6 +46 +86 +12 +.79 +.53 +.030 +48.15 Bon View New Design 1407 Mytty In Focus BW Our st Interes! Sell YW MILK IMF% RE FAT $B BW WW YW MILK IMF% RE FAT $B -1.6 +54 +99 +32 +.33 +.48 +.040 +44.33 +0 +44 +89 +34 +.58 +.45 +.016 +50.51 G13 Steel WC Cinch 4C01 Our st Interes! Sell BW WW YW MILK IMF% +6.4 +53 +94 +22 RE FAT $B -.13 +.08 -.033 +34.50 Our st Interes! Sell BW WW YW MILK IMF% RE FAT $B +4.7 +44 +83 +21 +.02 +.45 -.017 +35.65 For Sale Books Contact: Marketing Agent James Danekas & Associates, Inc. Rich (775)761-1834 • Gary (775)217-1836 Office (775)867-4136 • www.hutchingscattleco.com P.O. Box 5340 • Fallon, NV 89407 18 January 2008 The Progressive Rancher 3222 Ramos Cir, Suite A Sacramento, CA 95827 (916) 362-2697 • [email protected] www.progressiverancher.com These Sell In This Partnership Dispersion Sale! 6626 3-01-06 • BW: +4.6; WW: +52; MILK: +19; YW: +95 Sire: Schurrtop MC 2500 • Dam By: WK Gunsmoke 6216 3-01-06 • BW: +4.6; WW: +52; MILK: +19; YW: +95 Sire Schurrtop MC 2500 • Dam By: WK Gunsmoke BW: 75 205: 597 4022 365: 1096 3-24-06 • BW: +3.1; WW: +37; MILK: +24; YW: +64 Sire: G13 Structure • Dam By: Hunts Calculator 2720 BW: 75 205: 569 236 365: 1108 3-11-06 • BW: +1.8; WW: +42; MILK: +19; YW: +82 Sire: Bon View New Design 1407 Dam By: FAR Krugerrand 410H BW: 75 640 2724 205: 365: 1088 3-21-06 • BW: +3.0; WW: +38; MILK: +26; YW: +65 Sire: G13 Structure • Dam By: WK New Design 0202 BW: 90 6975 205: 678 10-04-06 • BW: +3.8; WW: +57; MILK: +22; YW: +96 Sire: LAU Decade • Dam By: Connealy Dateline BW: 82 507 205: 821 4-02-07 • BW: +4.0; WW: +48; MILK: +15; YW: I+76 Sire: PT Roth Famous Addiction 101 Dam By: Whitestone Widespread MB www.progressiverancher.com 2003 National Western Reserve Grand Champion 3173 Female “3173” • 2-05-03 • BW: +4.2; WW: +44; MILK: +20; YW: +75 Sire: BR Midland • Dam By: WK Sleep Tight BW: 80 205: 624 1424 365: 1189 3-20-06 • BW: +2.7; WW: +37; MILK: +26; YW: +92 Sire: G13 Structure • Dam By: Bon View New Design 1407 BW: 85 205: 728 3022 365: 1328 0147 1-26-00 • BW: +1.6 ; WW: +44; MILK: +24; YW: +82 Sire: TC Advantage • Dam By: B/R New Design 036 3-21-06 • BW: +3.3; WW: +55; MILK: +18; YW: +101 Sire: QLC Krugerrand W771E • Dam By: Royal Rito L2 9431 2-25-99 • BW: +3.4; WW: +34; MILK: +23; YW: +57 Sire: WK Appeal • Dam By: Westwind Rito 8503 D J H 019 81 307 BW: 205: 874 3-13-07 • BW: +1.8; WW: +47; MILK: +18; YW: I+77; IMF: I+.41, RE: I+.22 Sire BR Midland • Dam By: Bon View New Design 878 1403 2-25-01 • BW: +2.5; WW: +48; MILK: +26; YW: +95 Sire: Bon View New Design 1407 • Dam By: Prototype 5102 EAR BW: 82 5007 205: 841 4-12-07 • BW: +2.5; WW: +48; MILK: +17; YW: I+76 Sire: Connealy Forefront • Dam By: PAF Fortune 261 96 BW: 84 WW: 11-2-07 7230 818 lbs. 2-10-07 Sire: Schurrtop MC 2500 Dam By: Ideal 7573 of 544 988 1627 3-05-01 • BW: +2.0; WW: +39; MILK: +19; YW: +75 Sire: Connealy Dateline • Dam By: Kesslers Outlaw 4054 0192 1-27-00 • BW: +2.0; WW: +39; MILK: +23; YW: +74 Sire: Bon View New Design 1407 • Dam By:R R Scotchcap 9440 The Progressive Rancher January 2008 19 Twas the Night Before Shipping By: Emily and Deanna Damele Twas the night before shipping while freezing in the cold, The calves were all stirring, waiting to be sold. The boots were set, by the fire that night, So they would be warm, when we started at daylight. My sisters were nestled and sound asleep, While visions of cow manure stood knee deep. Dad’s on the phone planning the big day ahead, Mom’s in her nightgown still kneading the bread. When out in the field there arose such a clatter, Dad jumped out of bed to see what was the matter. The cows were all out because the gate was not shut, Uh oh, I was the last one in the corral, dad’s gonna kick my butt. As I glanced over my shoulder I happen to see, One big fat cow eating Mom’s Christmas tree. When what to my frightened eyes should appear, was my furious mom screaming, “GET HER OUTTA HERE!” h 19 t a l nu n A Winnemucca Ranch Hand Rodeo March 1 & 2, 2008 Come to the Winnemucca Events Complex to experience Nevada’s largest & most exciting ranch hand rodeo! Over 30 top teams compete for bragging rights & prizes in saddle bronc riding, mugging, calf roping, ranch doctoring, team roping & team branding. Top that off with a Premier Horse Sale featuring the best Ranch, Rope, & Performance Horses in the West, featuring Rick Machado, World Champion Auctioneer! Don’t miss the Fun! Horse Sale & More February 28th- March 2nd - Ranch, Rope, & Performance - Horse Sale Stock Horse Competition Cow Dog Trials Western Trade Show Kids’ Dummy Roping & Stick Horse Barrels We dashed to the tack room, threw on our saddles, There’s no stoppin us now were gettin the cattle. As the last cow was captured, we breathed a sigh of relief, The day would now run smoothly, or at least that was our belief. From out of the fog, a man did appear, Hallelujah! Hurray! The cattle trucks are here. They drove through the gate and pulled up to the chute, Now we’re that much closer to collecting the loot. First we separate the heifers from the steers, At the rate we’re going we’ll be here for years! We weighed them on the scales and loaded each deck, Allie turned to dad and handed him the check. Our cold day has ended, we’re finally done, Holy “COW”, today was “Weigh” too much fun!!! Winnemucca Events Complex Winnemucca, Nevada For More Consignment, Exhibit, or Participation Info: 1-800-962-2638 or 775-623-2220 www.winnemucca.com 20 January 2008 The Progressive Rancher www.progressiverancher.com BULL “BOOT CAMP” GRADUATES Looking for Real Cattle People from the Real Cattle Industry Interested in Real Cattle for the Real World. Tuesday, February 5, 2008 is the day • 12 MST Treasure Valley Sale Yard · 1901 E. Chicago, Caldwell, Idaho 220 Two-year-olds Bulls & Coming 2’s B/R New Frontier 095 BW +3.3; WW +50; YW +94; MILK +24 Connealy Lead On BW +2.2; WW +52; YW +101; MILK +32 • Run in one group all spring, summer and fall. • Born in the Mountains of Oregon • Pastured as yearlings from May to November in the forest and meadows of Donnelly, Idaho • Non-pampered bulls with some of the best genetics in the Angus breed. • Quality, pedigree, size, calving-ease and good EPDs. • These bulls have the frame, structure and conditioning to work in the real world. Apex In Focus 296 BW -.1; WW +61; YW I+108; MILK +28 Sitz Tradition RLS 8702 BW +4.9; WW +61; YW+ 102; MILK +18 No bulls out of the 2006 calf crop sold before. 5 decades of breeding cattle for the commercial cowman More cows bred per bull with Lettunich genetics 4G Regulator BW +1.4; WW +64; YW +99; MILK +30 130 Money Making Genetic Factories Some of the same genetic pool that has produced 8000+ bulls to the commercial cattlemen through the years. Mytty In Focus BW -1.5; WW +53; YW +98; MILK +31 100 Heifers bred to Connealy Power One, Mytty In Focus best son, Apex In Focus 2916 and RCC Preference 30 Cows many with heifer calves at side. Look at service sires. Connealy Power One BW -.2; WW +47; YW +92; MILK +26 ulls, the B em. e e S Come ll Love Th great set i his You W ant t lly in rea ill w you w f you are siness. n e h i T Bu ws of co eedstock S e h t www.progressiverancher.com TC Gridiron BW +3.4 WW +67 YW +109 MILK +18 Quaker Hill Objective 3J15 BW +2.1 WW +83 YW +131 MILK +20 4G Regulator BW +1.4 WW +64 YW +99 MILK +30 Sitz Upward 307R BW +2.2 WW +66 YW +122 MILK +26 Woodlawn Charge On 14 BW +4.8 WW +59 YW +103 MILK +32 SAV Masterpiece 5829 BW +3.3 WW +57 YW +99 MILK +19 Rito 2V1 of 2536 1407 BW +3.8; WW +62; YW +115; MILK +32 Lettunich Land & Livestock Ed & Pete Lettunich • P.O. Box 608 • Payette, Idaho 83661 Ed: 208-989-4417 or 208-853-1931/ Pete: 208-278-3519 Bob Burril: 541-561-8495 For a sale book contact: For your free reference sale booklet, contact anyone in the office of the Sale Managers, TOM BURKE/KURT SCHAFF/JEREMY HAAG, AMERICAN ANGUS HALL OF FAME at the WORLD ANGUS HEADQUARTERS, Box 660, Smithville, MO 64089. Phone (816) 532-0811. Fax (816) 532-0851. E-mail: [email protected] • www.angushall.com The Progressive Rancher January 2008 21 Due to a mis-attaching/reading, last month’s column did not make it to press so here it is with a bit of updates on the end. Sorry about that! What a beautiful fall we are having with a few wet storms and warm sunny days! My favorite time of year!! And this is such a long fall, I have been able to stay up to the PX and help out plus keep my horses ridden a bit. Until it gets cold and snowy!!! I want to compliment and thank John Carpenter for his service as Assemblyman. He takes his job very seriously. Recently he spearheaded a meeting of NDOT, NDOW and several ranchers to resolve problems of right away fences, both new and redoing older fences. Had he not intervened and brought all these people to the table, the right of way fences would have been all wildlife friendly and completely useless for cattle, to say nothing of causing highway causalities. John got the meeting together and everybody came away happy and I think the issue was brought forth in an enlightening manner. Mr. Carpenter definitely earns his votes!! So often, people do good things, whether they are paid to, voted to, or just act on, and get no recognition for such acts. Yet let them do a controversial wrong, rude act, or make a mistake, and wow! Everybody hears about it, in exaggerated form! I guess it is just not in our society to reward as much as gripe!! We attended Raymond Mendive’s funeral last week and I was struck by all the “old” tales people have to tell. The Mendive children got up to tell of some good growing up stories. There just wasn’t enough time to tell all. We all should take time and write these stories down so others now and in the future can enjoy them. After all, in a few generations, the people won’t know what it means to patch a fence with baling wire, build a fire in the snow to warm up, or eat soup made from scratch!! My great uncle Alty, was a first class story teller and he so loved to tell stories. I wish now I had written some of them down or had access to them again. I do remember there usually was lesson in the story. He told of the young boy riding his pony on the same trail everyday. The pony got bored and ornery for lack of interest. Of course, the lesson here is to avoid boredom, be it animal or child. How right on!! Of course, I need to include a story on Emma. Her family was dining and visiting with another family. Emma got a bit carried away and wasn’t minding properly so her mother took her off to the side to reprimand her. Suzann told Emma she didn’t like her bad manners and to knock it off! As she started out the door, Emma was flicking her head over her shoulder. “What’s that all about? Why are you jerking your head?” Suzann asks. Emma replies, “Well, Mooom, I’m trying to knock it off!!” How can you fault logic like that?? Needless to say, Suzann had a hard and unsuccessful time to keep from laughing on her way back to the table!! Now I have a story about some little kid other than Emma! How about Emma’s cousin. Samme had her annual big inventory sale before Christmas so she could clear out a lot of stuff. It was a good sale and visiting time as at no time was there less than 10 ladies shopping their hearts out. The cousins come to help out and visit—almost like a family reunion. Well, this little guy (better not mention any names!) is just getting the system of big boy toilet training so he had to go in by himself. He is wearing fancy non-diaper big boy shorts and striped down so as not to get them wet. He got his chore done and comes trouping out of the bathroom holding his fancy shorts aloft to show Auntie he didn’t get them wet. But he didn’t put anything else back on when he came out!!!! Poor Mom was looking for a table to crawl under!!! Great-Grandma was laughing so hard she almost fell down the steps! But like Father-like son. Father used to see no need to hide and just took care of business off the street corner or where ever he was at. That’s happened more than once to country kids. This kid’s daddy once squatted over a brush because, “Molly the dog, does!” They do make us laugh! I hope you all had a good Thanksgiving and Christmas! Thanksgiving and Easter is sorta family get together for us. Also, November was Grandma Dale’s birthday. She turned 91. This is a long one, but it is two in one! Do have a great New Year, everyone!!! If you want to know your past—look into your present conditions. If you want to know your future—look into your present actions. unknown author Reno, Nevada - Palomino Valley Ranch Property Offered at $499,000.00. 40 acres, 2184 sq. ft. 3 Br, 2 bath, 2 car garage, great room with indoor Hot Tub, airy open kitchen. Want to know more? Visit http://www.realestateshows.com/229883. Or call Michele DeFreitas at 775-223-1964 Prudential Nevada Realty, Sparks Nevada. Nevada Realty 22 January 2008 The Progressive Rancher www.progressiverancher.com Simple Cow Records Dr. L. Ben Bruce I ndividual cow identification is sometimes a luxury that cannot be afforded in extended range operations. However, that doesn’t preclude record keeping that can assist in making a more profitable, efficient operation. Profit is an interaction between cost and production. Costs include everything that goes into the cowherd to keep it viable on a yearly basis. Production is the amount of pounds of animals sold, including calves and culls. Production is the bottom line of total herd performance. For operations that can individually identify animals, total herd performance is the average of individual animal performance. When individual records are not kept, estimates of total herd performance can still be made. Total herd performance is a combination of several factors. Growth of all calves to weaning is one of the most important. Embedded in this number is gain of the calves as well as the survivability, which is percent calf crop. The number of open cows and the length of calving season are two more factors. These have important relationships to cull cow numbers. The last major factor is death loss. When these factors are studied, it is obvious that many are manifestations of overall reproductive efficiency. Reproductive performance is the most important single block University of Nevada Cooperative Extension; College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources of beef cow efficiency. Even with no individual identification system, certain records can be kept that monitor reproductive efficiency. The number of cows exposed to bulls and the number of calves resulting from this exposure is a percentage of breeding efficiency. Along with that, count the number of open cows. The weight of the calves sold is also important. This is a function of genetics, nutrition available, and once again, reproductive efficiency. Calf weights are related to reproductive efficiency particularly through length of the calving season. A long calving season produces calves that can vary by months in age, and consequently in weight. This should be recorded by counting the cows that calve in the first 21 days of the calving season, and the number in the second 21 days, etc. Protracted calving seasons hurt in both reproductive efficiency and calf weights. Also important to record, but a recording that can be difficult, is how many cows are rebreeding in the first 21 days post partum, second 21 days, etc. A rough record of how many calves are born each day through out the calving season can give similar information. Also, as implied before, record the number of weaned calves. This information, even though cows are not individually identified, can tell you a lot. Some of the numbers that have meaning include total income minus total costs of production. That is the “bottom line” for any operation, and should be positive. The next most important number is total cost minus income form culls divided by the total weight of calves sold. This is cost of production and is the only highly correlated number to success. It is more important than caving percent or weaning weight. Other numbers from herds without individual identification can help in management. The average calf selling weight is a good indication of nutritional and breeds selection performance. The total number of pounds of calves sold divided by total number of cows exposed (a number always less than average selling weight) indicates total producing performance by the herd. The numbers of cull cows sold and a reason for their selling is another performance indicator. Bull replacement rates and the cost associated are also important. Replacement heifer rates, retained or bought, are important to overall herd productivity. Many things can be learned from simple records without having to identify each individual cow. For help with range livestock production problems call me at 775784-1624 or your local Extension Educator or email me at [email protected]. THE TURNER BRANGUS RANCH PROGRAM ‘30 Years Gatherin’ of New Genetics’ Trait Leaders in Ribeye and Intermuscular Fat All Bulls Tested Negative for BVD Private Treaty Sales * High Desert Raised Tom & Kathi Turner Drewsey, Oregon 97904 541/493-2755 Ranch 541/589-5864 Cell [email protected] www.progressiverancher.com www.turnerbrangusranch.com The Progressive Rancher January 2008 23 USDA And Its Partners Continue To Register National Animal Identification System Success Nebraska Becomes 10th State to Reach Halfway Point in Premises Registration WASHINGTON, Dec. 17, 2007-- U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has recorded 429,600 premises registered nationwide - with substantial increases this year in the number of premises registered as part of the National Animal Identification System. This month, Nebraska became the 10th state to register at least 50 percent of its total estimated production agriculture premises under this system. “Premises registration is absolutely necessary to rapidly and reliably trace and eradicate animal disease,” said Bruce Knight, under secretary of USDA’s marketing and regulatory programs. “As the number of registered premises continues to grow, it emphasizes the growing support for animal identification, and I applaud these producers for making a choice that is crucial to the health and economic well-being of commercial livestock and poultry industries in the United States.” Nebraska officials attribute the increased registrations in part to a significant number of visits to its National Animal Identification System (NAIS) “Locate in 48” Web site. “Locate in 48” publicizes the main goal of NAIS, which is to retrieve traceback data within a 48 hour window to contain the spread of animal disease. Other factors contributing to the increase in registrations in Nebraska include the ability to register by phone and direct mail outreach. Other states that have topped the 50 percent mark include Idaho, Indiana, Michigan, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Utah and Wisconsin. West Virginia is approaching the 50 percent mark, having registered 49.8 percent of its estimated 17,670 premises. Other states, including Delaware, Iowa and Massachusetts, have reached the 40 percent mark and double-digit registration gains have occurred this year in a number of states. Iowa started the year with just over 11,000 premises registered and now that number is over 20,000--an increase of almost 80 percent. Texas registered more than 6,400 new premises this year, resulting in a 27.7 percent increase. Working cooperatively with states, tribes and industry partners, the NAIS is a modern streamlined information system that helps producers respond quickly and effectively to animal disease events. It consists of three components: premises registration, animal identification and tracing. The premises registration component of NAIS ensures the availability of a nationwide communications network to assist livestock owners and animal health officials in the event of an animal disease event. There are an estimated 1.4 million production premises in the United States. To contact a state partner or find out more about NAIS go to www.usda.gov/nais . USDA Takes Another Step Towards Advancing Animal Disease Traceability In The United States WASHINGTON, Dec. 19, 2007--The U.S. Department of Agriculture today released its draft of a Business Plan for Advancing Animal Disease Traceability. The business plan supports the 48-hour traceback long-term goal of the National Animal Identification System as well as provides benchmarks to guide the program as it moves towards optimum traceability. Animal diseases like tuberculosis, brucellosis or low pathogenic avian influenza are common threats to U.S. livestock and a reality for many producers. While disease events in this country often have been limited in scope, the threat of a catastrophic animal disease outbreak is real. Because these events are unpredictable, it is in the best interest of producers, the industry and the government to be prepared. “By creating a nationally integrated, modern animal disease response system, like the National Animal Identification System, animal health officials quickly can obtain all of the information they need to locate as well as trace the movement of diseased and exposed animals, which will significantly minimize the spread of the disease,” said Bruce Knight, under secretary for USDA’s marketing and regulatory programs mission area. “The draft business plan is part of our effort to remain accountable and transparent in the implementation of this system.” In order to improve traceability, USDA applied a business plan model in an effort to: • Identify areas of weakness and opportunity, 24 January 2008 The Progressive Rancher • Establish benchmarks against which to measure success and • Communicate a vision for the future of traceability. The draft plan provides a comprehensive look at the country’s current traceability status, including a breakdown by species. It details seven strategies that will provide the greatest amount of traceability progress in a short amount of time. These strategies involve state and federally regulated and voluntary animal health programs, industry-administered animal management and marketing programs, as well as various animal identification techniques. It also will allow these varied components to work in harmony. Drawing from already existing systems and data, reduces the cost, amount of time and effort needed to implement a national animal identification system. USDA will periodically review and update the plan to leverage new opportunities, address unforeseen challenges and maintain forward movement towards the ultimate goal of 48-hour traceback. USDA also released the official version of the National Animal Identification System User Guide, which replaces the November 2006 draft version. During the past year, USDA has reviewed and incorporated public comments into the official version, making the document easier for readers to understand and use. The User Guide, upon which the Business Plan builds, provides producers with the information they need to know about how the National Animal Identification System works, how they can put the system to use and why participation would benefit them and their animals. The User Guide contains the most up-to-date information on the National Animal Identification System, as well as how to participate in all three aspects of the program, including premises registration, animal identification and animal tracing. The draft plan was published in the Dec. 19 Federal Register and is available on the National Animal Identification System Web site at www.usda.gov/nais. Comments on the plan or other aspects of the system can be provided by sending an email to [email protected] or by writing to the National Animal Identification System program staff, USDA, APHIS, VS, 4700 River Road, Unit 200, Riverdale, MD 20737. The National Animal Identification System is a modern, streamlined information system that helps producers and animal health officials respond quickly and effectively to events affecting animal health in the United States. NAIS utilizes premises registration, animal identification and animal tracing components to both locate potentially diseased animals and eliminate animals from disease suspicion. It is a state-federal-industry partnership, which is voluntary at the federal level. For more information on NAIS, go to www. usda.gov/nais. www.progressiverancher.com Focusing on Quality With Performance 7th Annual Bull Sale February 12th, 2008 • Noon • 200 Bulls Sell! 20 Two Year Olds • 70 Coming Two’s • 110 Yearlings +3 Charolais Yearlings • 100+ Calving Ease Bulls Sired by: Freight Train 350L • Owyhee 5012 Extra K205 • On Target Right Stuff • Timeline Traveler 004 • WK Midland 5065 Right Direction • Right Time 338 Connealy Network • Retail Product Bear Mtn Octane 7122 2/10/2007 BW: 80 • 205 WT: 789 • WRatio: 118 Sire: Bear Mtn Owyhee 5012 • Dams Ratio: W 3@105; IMF 2@114 BW WW yW Mk IMF ReA $eN $B +4.1 +68 +105 +21 +.43 +.20 -3.50 +50.26 Bear Mtn Freight Train 7008 1/03/2007 BW: 66 • BRatio: 96 • 205 WT: 764 • WRatio: 114 • Reg# 15752263 Sire: Bear Mtn Freight Train 350L BW WW yW Mk IMF ReA $W $B +1.7 +59 +100 +25 +.14 +.18 32.99 +40.84 Bid with confidence online at...... www.liveauctions.tv www.progressiverancher.com BW +2.8 • FREE DELIVERY • Repeat Buyer Discounts • Performance Tested • Ultrasounded For Carcass Traits • Semen Tested • Tested Negative For BVDpi • 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed Bear Mtn Maverick 9/05/2006 BW: 75 • 205 WT: 739 • yW: 1417 • ReA: 14.2 • Reg# 15613365 WRatio: 116 • yRatio: 123 • ReA: 113 Sire: Traveler 004 • MGS: 5175 WW yW Mk CW IMF ReA $F +58 I+111 +26 I+11 -.14 +.52 +48.74 Brian, Gary, Davy & Scott Stoller 12562 Cattle Drive • Melba, ID 83641 208.495.1121 • Gary Cell 208.250.1454 Brian Cell 208.941.5272 • fax 208.495.1134 j a n u a r y 2 0 0 8 • •Wwww.bearmountainangus.com ESTErn COWman 8 3 [email protected] The Progressive Rancher January 2008 25 BLM Proposes Changing Right-of-Way Rental Fees to Better Reflect Fair Market Value The Bureau of Land Management today proposed revising the rental fees it charges companies or individuals for rights-of-way so that these fees more adequately reflect changes in land values over the past two decades. The BLM, which published its proposed regulatory revision in today’s Federal Register, is undertaking this effort in accordance with Section 367 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which directs the Department of the Interior to revise the existing rental fee schedule for linear rights-of-way to reflect current land values. A 60-day public comment period on the regulatory proposal starts today. The rent schedule covers most linear rights-of-way granted under the Mineral Leasing Act and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act. Both laws require the holder of a right-of-way to pay fair-market value to occupy, use, or traverse public lands for such facilities as power lines, fiber-optic lines, pipelines, roads, and ditches. The proposed revised rental fee schedule would also be adopted by the U.S. Forest Service for uses on National Forest lands, consistent with existing practices and as required by the Energy Policy Act. Since 1987, when rental fees for linear rights-of-way were last updated, there have been substantial changes in public land values. The result is that the Federal government may be receiving inadequate compensation for the use of these lands. The proposed regulations would update the fee schedule based on current land values and would adjust these values, whether up or down, every five years. “The American taxpayer deserves to be compensated fairly for the use of public lands for commercial enterprises,” said BLM Director Jim Caswell. “This proposed new rule would ensure that the Federal government receives an adequate return for right-of-way rentals now and into the future.” The proposed set of regulations also contains provisions not directly related to the rent schedule. These cover such topics as flexible rental payment periods and reimbursements of processing and monitoring fees for leases and permits. The BLM published an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking describing these proposed changes in the Federal Register on April 27, 2006. The BLM received 10 responses from the public to the Advance Notice, which were generally supportive of the rule proposal. There are currently more than 96,000 right-of-way grants on BLM lands, of which about half are subject to rent, generating more than $20 million annually in revenue. Revenue from right-of-way rentals goes to the Treasury, along with a share to the states, as required by the Mineral Leasing Act and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act. The BLM manages more land – 258 million surface acres – than any other Federal agency. Most of this public land is located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The Bureau, with a budget of about $1.8 billion, also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM’s multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, and cultural resources on the public lands. BLM Now Recruiting Firefighters for Summer 2008 26 January 2008 The Progressive Rancher TWIN FALLS, ID - The Twin Falls District Bureau of Land Management is now recruiting young men and women to fill firefighting and support positions for the 2008 wildfire season. The BLM is looking for those who are interested in a challenge, have good work ethic and character and want to earn a good wage through the summer. Applications are only accepted on-line from December 1, 2007 through January 31, 2008. Those interested should visit www.usajobs.opm.gov. Positions will be filled in the suppression, prevention, fuels, aviation and dispatch programs. Applicants must be 18 years old by the first day of hire in late May, be a U.S. citizen and have a high school diploma or GED. BLM fire jobs offer excellent summer earnings, possible continuous summer employment based on performance, annual and sick leave benefits, and travel to other districts or states. The BLM will be assisting interested applicants with the on-line application process at a Computer Assistance Night on Monday, December 17, 2007, in Shoshone at 400 West F Street and in Burley at 3630 Overland Avenue. An additional Computer Assistance Night will be held on Wednesday, January 9, 2008, in Twin Falls at 2536 Kimberly Road. All events will be held from 3:00 to 8:00 p.m. A Recruitment Information Line at (208) 732-7299 is also available for more information regarding temporary, seasonal employment with the BLM. For further information, contact Heather Tiel-Nelson at (208) 736-2352. www.progressiverancher.com 6+$: %8//6 8QSDPSHUHG8QILWWHG 6+$:%XOO6DOH )HEUXDU\ 7ZR<HDU2OG+HUHIRUG$QJXV %XOOV6HOO 6DOH6WDUWVDWSP067 DWWKH6KDZ6DOH%DUQ PLOHV6RXWKDQG:HVWRI1RWXV,' &DOORUZULWHIRU6DOH&DWDORJ'9'DQG,QIRUPDWLRQ 6KDZ%XOO6DOH +RZH5RDG&DOGZHOO,' 3UDFWLFDO3URYHQ3HUIRUPDQFH $OO%XOOVWHVWHG3,QHJDWLYH IRU%9' 6 6RQVRI$,WUDLWOHDGLQJVLUHVVXFKDV7UDYHOHU %R\G1HZ'D\%DQGR/HPPRQ 1HZVOLQH 6KDZ&DWWOH&R +RZH5G&DOGZHOO,' ZZZVKDZFDWWOHFRP *UHJ6DP7XFNHU $QJXV+HUHIRUG5HG$QJXV www.progressiverancher.com The Progressive Rancher January 2008 27 UCD VET VIEWS by John Maas, DVM, MS, DACVN, DACVIM, Extension Veterinarian, School of Veterinary Medicine; University of California-Davis Save an endangered species…your rural veterinarian! You’ve probably heard the stories, “We don’t have a large animal vet in our area since Doc retired” or “I can’t get a vet to come out on the weekends to work cattle”. It has become a common refrain. There are simply not enough rural veterinarians in practice on a national level and it is worse in the western states. Several beef cattle areas in California do not have a cattle veterinarian at the present time. The American Veterinary Medical Association estimates that only 17% of U.S. veterinarians do any food animal practice at all. At the same time our food animal production systems have become more complicated and the need for continuing education and advanced training of food animal veterinarians has become more critical. Congress is even beginning to see what a problem this is and has slowly begun to address the issue. But you may not want to count on them to solve the problem. I receive dozens of calls and emails each week from producers looking for help on cattle health problems. One of my first questions is usually, “What veterinarian are you working with?” About half the time the answer is, “I’m not working with a vet on this problem.” Further discussion will usually reveal about 50% of these folks are too cheap to call their local veterinarian, while the other 50% don’t have a veterinarian in their area or don’t know who to call from a nearby location. Given the extent of the problem and the fact that it is probably not going to solved immediately, there are a number of actions that all producers can take to help deal with this problem and support your rural veterinarian—if you still have one! 1. Build a valid Veterinarian-Client-Patient relationship. This is the key to avoiding many problems and opening the door to many solutions, including prescription drugs and emergency help. This relationship may be with an individual veterinarian or with a group practice. It helps eliminate the problem of “veterinarian roulette” when you really need help. 2. Be willing to pay for advice and not just services. Many of us think we only need to hire a veterinary professional from time to time for routine services such as vac- cinating heifers. When doing this work, they may be on the ranch for a few hours once a year. Then when a complex problem such as an abortion outbreak occurs we assume they know all that is necessary to solve the problem over the phone. These are unrealistic expectations! It requires a thorough understanding of individual herd management factors to solve complex problems. The only way to develop this understanding is for the veterinarian to work with the rancher on the total cattle health program. This means cattle producers need to involve their veterinarian and get advice on the important aspects of the cattle production system. 3. Plan ahead. Develop a planned vaccination program with your veterinarian and review that program every year. Develop a reproductive herd health plan— including when to pregnancy check the cattle, when to Trich check and semen check the bulls, and how to wean the calves. Develop a deworming strategy and check to see if it is working with fecal egg counts. Develop prevention programs for common diseases such as pneumonia and foot rot. 4. Establish treatment protocols for the common diseases on your operation. This would include diseases like pinkeye, pneumonia, calf scours, and foot rot. This includes which drugs and doses to use for these conditions. It also would include any prescriptions that may be necessary for these drugs if they are used in an ExtraLabel or Off-Label manner. It should also include how to administer the drugs and how to perform the treatments. For example, long acting tetracycline may be the drug of choice for pinkeye that you and your veterinarian decide upon; however, if you don’t use disposable latex gloves to examine the eye and don’t use disinfectants on halters or nose tongs used to restrain the animals you may be doing more to spread the disease than to control it. Another example would be the treatment of calf scours—the drugs used are a minor concern versus the sanitation of the equipment used to treat the calves. 5. Be sure to know how to recognize the common diseases. Have your veterinarian train you and your personnel to spot the common diseases your cattle may contract. This training will make you a better observer of cattle health problems. Also, learn to know when “you don’t know”, so you can call for backup. 6. Have the right equipment and drugs on hand for common problems. This is a critical part of the planning and training effort. 7. Examine sick cattle. Learn to use a thermometer, to count respiratory rate, and pulse rate. This will be of tremendous help when you call your veterinarian about unanticipated problems. 8. Get a diagnosis. When cattle die or have unexplained problems work with your veterinarian and the diagnostic laboratory to find out what the problems are. This is part of the ongoing monitoring that is necessary to make good, informed decisions. 9. Have valid prescriptions on hand. For any Extra-Label drugs you use, be sure to have the prescriptions on file. 10. Keep records. For all your treatments, vaccinations, deworming, etc. keep records and review those records with your veterinarian on a yearly basis. Call or Stop By! Happy New Year from the staff of Edward Jones Sonny Davidson 2213 N. 5th St. Elko, NV 89801 775-738-8811 800-343-0077 www.edwardjones.com 28 January 2008 The Progressive Rancher There are also a few things you should not do when working with your veterinarian. If you have no intention of paying for your veterinarian’s services, do not call. All the vet’s costs are up front, so if 1 out 10 clients doesn’t pay; it severely impacts a rural veterinarian’s ability to stay in business. It is also has a negative psychological impact on the veterinarian and their family. Also, don’t ask your veterinarian to do anything illegal. This includes cutting corners on health certificates and prescription drug use. Hopefully, you have a good veterinarian in your area and someday there will be a replacement to take over. If we all follow the ideas listed above it will help us retain this resource in our rural areas. www.progressiverancher.com L ON L A F Livestock Exchange, Inc. Is pleased to announce New Years Calf & Yearling Sale THE 3rd ANNUAL Saturday, January 12, 2008 at 1:00 p.m. Expecting more than 1000 head For Questions and Consignments call Monte Bruck 775-867-2020 The Progressive Rancher Magazine apologizes for the error of date in the November and December issues stating the Silver State Calf and Yearling Sale was on December 18th rather than December 8, 2007. We are very sorry! Leana Stitzel Fallon Livestock Exchange, Inc. 2055 Trento Lane – 7 Miles West of Fallon, NV on the Reno Highway www.progressiverancher.com The Progressive Rancher January 2008 29 The Progressive Rancher Coloring Contest Tear out or copy this page, color it and mail it in. Sponsored by Bill Nicholson and Jeanne King. $10 cash to the First Place Winner in each age group every month. Send in a new entry every month - new winners every month. Age Groups: 5-7, 8-10, 11-12. Cash prizes provided by The Progressive Rancher. Mail your entry to: The Progressive Rancher, 1346 Idaho St., PMB 9, Elko, NV 89801. Include your name, address and age on entry. 30 January 2008 The Progressive Rancher www.progressiverancher.com Financial Focus Presented by Sonny Davidson, Financial Advisor, Edward Jones in Elko, Nevada Will Presidential Election Year Affect Investors? As you are no doubt aware, 2008 is a presidential election year. As a citizen, you may well have a great deal of interest in the election. But how about as an investor? How does an election year affect the investment climate? And - again from the perspective of an investor - does it matter who wins? To begin with, let’s examine how the stock market reacted in the past to the selection of a president. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose in nine of the past 11 presidential election years, with an average gain of slightly more than nine percent. So it’s clear that, for the most part, the market has done pretty well when America goes to the polls. Does the election or re-election of a president just make us more optimistic, leading us to invest more heavily and thereby drive up the markets? Probably not. In reality, many factors - such as corporate profits, geopolitical concerns, interest rates and inflation - drive stock prices. And this is true in all years, whether an election is held or not. Consequently, stock returns from past presidential election years, while impressive, cannot serve as a reliable predictor of what the market might do in 2008. Now, let’s turn to the next question: As an investor, how will the outcome of the election affect you? There’s not really a simple answer. In the past, the stock market has performed well - and performed poorly -under both Democrats and Republicans. Of course, candidates of both parties will have different priorities and try to enact different economic agendas, and these priorities may have some impact - although one that’s notoriously hard to predict - on different market sectors. In short, no one can accurately forecast the effect of this November’s election on the financial markets, and that won’t change even after the nominees are known. Instead of pondering the “what-ifs” involved in a presidential election, you’re much better off following some tried-and-true investment strategies. Here are a few to consider: • Keep on investing. World events may be good or bad, and the stock market may be up or down - but no matter what happens, the most successful investors stay in the market. Look for quality investments and hold them until either your needs change, or the investments themselves undergo some type of transformation. • Know your risk tolerance. If you’re losing sleep at night over your investments, you’re probably taking on more risk than the amount with which you are comfortable. At the same time, if your investments are putting you to sleep, they may be too conservative, which could mean they’re not providing the growth necessary to help you meet your goals. Strive for a balance that fits your investment personality. • Think long-term. If you’re constantly adjusting your investment mix in response to short-term events, you’ll probably rack up big commissions and you almost certainly won’t make the necessary progress toward your important objectives, such as a comfortable retirement. So, train yourself to ignore daily or weekly or monthly price fluctuations and keep your eyes on the far horizon. If you’ve chosen the right investments, they should be designed to help you work towards your goals in exchange for your patience. This November, don’t forget to vote. But before and after Election Day, cast your ballot for solid investment technique. Much like the canvas back duck that inspires our brand, Dri duck products are known for strength and adaptability. When you put on this comfortable canvas waterproof jacket you’ll stay dry while you work. Its unique 2-layer construction delivers protection from even the harshest elements without compromising mobility. This lightweight jacket is heavy on features. It is constructed of breathable nylon shell and is fully waterproof. The result is a unique ability to keep out the wind and rain, without compromising your comfort or mobility. Teflon® coated www.progressiverancher.com The Progressive Rancher January 2008 31 Rules Of Working Cattle With Your Wife by Shannon Williams, Lemhi County Extension Educator and Ranch Wife Second Annual Horse Production Sale Results 7 7 7 7 7 7 Geldings 2007 Stud Colts 2007 Filly Colts Broke Mares Broodmares Yearling Studs & Fillies TOTALS 25 31 23 6 6 6 at at at at at at 97 7 Roping Steers & Heifers 20 at Gross Sales $117,700 average = $4,708 $40,050 average = $1,356 21,250 average = $924 $12,750 average = $2,550 $5,450 average = $908 $5,225 average = $871 $202,425.00 ave = $2087.00 $8,680 $211,105.00 average = $434 Sale Highlights: Geldings: 7 Lot 20 Niciflynn 1999 Sorrel Gelding - $17,100 to Dave Stix Fernley, NV 7 Lot 11 Smooth Talkin Sailor 2000 Bay Gelding - $14,100 to Terry Edgemond/Gary Hutchings Fallon, NV 7 Lot 12 Hesa Little Fair 2002 Black Gelding - $12,750 to Tommy Lee & Dave Stix Fallon, NV 7 Lot 18 Denial River 2001 Gray Gelding - $7700 to Connie Hay Fernley, NV 7 Lot 34 Jimmers Skippa Star 1998 Gray Gelding - $5,750 to Tommy Lee Livestock Fallon, NV 7 Lot 6 Slide Me A Tequila 2002 Buckskin Gelding - $5,600 to John or Peggy Hershburger Glendale, AZ Broke Mare 7 Lot 50 Dee Lilly Colonel 2002 Sorrel - $5,000 Hutchings Cattle Company Fallon, NV 7 Lot 63 NN Dillys Top Cash 2004 Sorrel Mare - #3,600 to Heath Miller Washington, UT 2007 Stallion Colts 7 Lot 30 Sensation Cash X Rose Eyed Palomino - $7,200 Seth or Linda Orton Genola, UT 7 Lot 21 Two Eyed Red Buck X Miss April Watch Gray - $5,700 Mark Wray Ord NE 7 Lot 120 Ki Two Eyed X Hombres Misty Eyes Buckskin - $4,800 Herrel Ranch Quarter Horses Baker City, OR 7 Lot 22 Major Red Buck X HR Billy Red Fern Bay - $4,500 Clint Whipple Valentine, NE 7 Lot 23 Sensation Cash X Lady J Royal Sorrel - $3,700 Krebs Ranch Inc Ord, NE 2007 Filly Colts 7 Lot 1 Ki Two Eyed X HR Geenas Red Watch Bay Roan - $2,900 Herrel Ranch Quarter Horses Baker City, OR 7 Lot 53 Sensation Cash X Watch Freckles Tyree Sorrel - $2,200 Berry Anderson Smoky Valley, NV 7 Lot 116 Horse Playin X Smart Little Lizario Sorrel - $2050 Henry Hicks Fallon, NV 32 January 2008 The Progressive Rancher Working cattle seems to have a way of bringing out the worst in people, especially if it is a husband and wife working in the corral together. As ranch couples talk, experiences in the corral seem to mirror each other drastically. To assist with harmony in a ranch marriage, these rules of working in the corral with your wife have been developed: Rule 1: When sorting cattle: “That black cow!” is not an accurate description. When sorting a hundred head of black cattle, we need a better description. Tag numbers are great and sufficient time to read them would also be helpful Rule 2: Efficient working facilities always help. Make sure that the corral is in good repair. We don’t know all the little holes that need to be watched out for because we haven’t been in the corral since we worked cattle last time. Rule 3: Explain what you are trying to accomplish before you start. Wives are always the last one to the corral as they have been rounding up vaccine, cleaning the syringes, making the coffee and planning lunch. The plan is always made before we get there and you expect us to read your mind. We’re not very good mind readers. Rule 4: Explain that corral talk does not indicate how you truly feel about us. Tell us how you feel before we start working cattle so that we remember when you are chewing us out for not plugging the hole in the alley (refer to rule 3) that it is not a true reflection of your feelings, just the immediate situation. Rule 5: Wives do not weigh as much as bulls or cows, so throwing our body in front of them will not stop them. Regardless of how much breakfast we eat or amount of rocks in our pockets, we cannot turn a bull by throwing our bodies in front of them, so don’t ask. Rule 6: Wives do know how to use proper cattle sorting equipment. We are always the last to the corrals (see rule 3 for explanation) so we always end up with the broken board with nails in both ends to sort cattle with and then you tell us not to stick one of the cows with a nail. Does this make sense? We do know how to use sorting sticks and are very efficient at it. Rule 7: Wives are allowed to throw things and have been known to hit their targets. We do reach the point where the corral talk will push us to the end of our patience. We will react and throw things at you, so duck! You know you crossed the line. It all comes down to the golden rule of working cattle: “What is said in the corral, stays in the corral!” Many marriages have survived because of this rule. Try it next time you work cattle with your significant other. www.progressiverancher.com DR. Margaret, Ph.D. Dr. Margaret Winsryg, Ph.D. 208-308-0106 Winter Care of Your Horse Dr. Margaret Winsryg, Ph.D. MNM Consulting Services 1.Winter Coats — horse will develop their own winter coats when left to do so. Very cold temperatures will not affect the healthy horse but rain, snow or drafts with no way to get out of the elements can lead to illness. 2.Exercise is good for the horse but weather often stops us from riding. When the horse is not exercised very often, his muscles including the muscles of the small intestine can reduce circulation. This can result in feed staying in the intestine longer than usual and impaction colic could occur. • What to do, keep fresh, warm water in front of the horse as much as possible. 40 to 50 degrees is adequate and they can drink 10 gallons per day. • Try to turn your horse out at least once a day if he is confined. • If you do exercise your horse make sure he is dry before you put him up or feed him. (Use and old wool blanket under your barn blanket till he dries.) • Also if you do ride, your horses’ muscles need warmed up and cooled down, 10 to 15 minutes of walking or trotting. • If you give him time off in the winter and 3 to 6 weeks after a rough show season is a good idea, start back slowly. If you ride your horse hard after time off, he can develop Azoturia, “tying up”, results from a build up of lactic acid in the muscles. 3.Increase the amount of hay during cold weather. A horse gets more metabolic heat from hay than grain. (At least 15 to 18 lbs. of hay for a 1000 lb. animal). 4.Feed grain as necessary. If you were working your horse a lot and have cut back in your PAYING YOURSELF FIRST COULD PAY OFF LATER. LIKE WHEN YOU RETIRE. With so much happening in our lives, it’s easy to lose sight of the future – like retirement. Edward Jones can help make saving for retirement easier with our monthly IRA investing program. This simple, convenient service puts your retirement investing on “autopilot” by letting you put aside a set amount every month into an Edward Jones IRA. You can even set it up so that the money comes automatically from any account you choose. riding, cut his grain feed accordingly. 5.On the other hand sometimes winter coats fool us and the horse looses more weight than we notice. • Feel your horses’ ribs, hip bones and back to make sure weight loss is not happening. • If he is loosing weight, feed a fat product to get more calories/lb. Oats are about 1100 calories per lb., Strategy is 1400 calories/lb (calories from fat not sugar) plus minerals and vitamins. It takes 5 lbs. of oats to equal 4 lbs of Strategy in calories. So the Strategy cost $.95/head/day and the oats or 3 way will cost $1.00/head/day to get the same calories. However fat calories are utilized differently than carbohydrate calories. The animal gets more utilization for his body metabolism and storage of fatty acids than from the sugars in oats or 3 way. 6. Check their teeth. 7. Respiratory problems can arise from: closed-in barns. The ammonia smell from the urine, mold and dust in the hay all can contribute to respiratory issues. 8. Worming is important, the worm’s cycle is 21 days to hatch so any worms that are encysted in their intestines can continue to hatch, even in the winter. 9. Keep the feet healthy. 10. Make sure they are vaccinated. Selling a powerful group of Angus and Balancer’s by SITZ TIMELINE 9004 Bw: 3.2 ww 55 yw 92 mk 18 Imf .02 re .39 fat -.009 $B 37.50 FALLON BULL SALE February 16 SNYDER’S “BULLS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY” March 8 17 Angus, Gelbvieh, and Balancer bulls on test. SITZ RAINMAKER 6169 Bw 3.8 ww 55 yw 91 mk 19 Imf -.07 re .44 fat -.007 $B 32.78 SAV 8180 TRAVELER 004 Bw 3.4 ww 58 yw 106 mk 21 Imf -.015 re .34 fat .012 $B 33.12 CONNEALY FREIGHTLINER Bw 1.8 ww 47 yw 91 mk 20 Imf .09 re .18 fat .013 $B 31.47 CONNEALY DANNY BOY Bw .5 ww 52 yw 92 mk 6 Imf .00 re .58 fat -.016 $B38.52 LEADORE MAYBEY 8173 Bw .9 ww 45 yw 79 mk 16 Imf .14 re .30 fat -.002 $B 37.82 A systematic investment plan does not assure a profit and does not protect against loss in a declining market. Such a plan involves continuous investment in securities regardless of fluctuating price levels of such securities, the investor should consider the financial ability to continue the purchases through periods of low price levels. Gelbvieh sired by WRK PACIFIC EAGLE 585L Bw .1 ww 48 yuw 82 mk 13 Imf -.08 re .12 fat .01 RTC ATLAS 712G Bw -1.6 ww 49 yw 85 mk 20 Imf -.07 re -.002 fat -.02 For more information or to enroll in our monthly IRA investing program, call your local Edward Jones financial advisor today. Sonny Davidson Financial Advisor MNM Consulting Services SITZ TIMELINE 9004 www.edwardjones.com Member SIPC 2213 North 5th St. Suite A Elko, NV 89801 775-738-8811 www.progressiverancher.com The Progressive Rancher January 2008 33 Roche Equine VETERINARY SERVICES Melinda Roche, DVM (208) 731-0661 Equine Viral Arteritis (EVA) E ATTENTION HORSE BREEDERS: Your Investment Is At Risk quine viral arteritis (EVA) is a contagious disease of horses caused by equine arteritis virus (EAV). The virus is present in horse population throughout the world due to international movement of horses and infected frozen semen. There have been periodic outbreaks of clinical disease in the United States most notably in Standardbred horses in Ohio in 1953, Thoroughbred horses in Kentucky in 1984 and in Quarter Horses in New Mexico and Utah in 2006. This most recent outbreak in Quarter Horses has brought EVA to the equine industry’s attention again. I have seen positive cases of this disease in the last two years and the effect it can have on a breeding operation. In this article I will explain the economic importance of prevention of EVA. Clinical signs In most cases, horses exposed to EAV exhibit either mild clinical signs of upper respiratory illness or no apparent clinical signs. Affected horses may have an elevated body temperature, decreased appetite, depression, edema (swelling) of the ventral abdomen, scrotum, mammary gland or lower limbs, nasal discharge and possibly swelling and/or inflammation around the eye. The incubation period from exposure to onset of signs is typically 3 to 14 days. Clinical sings may be present for a week or more. Clinical disease is most prevalent when large groups of horses are held in close confinement (i.e. racetracks, breeding farms and horse shows). Horses with clinical EVA usually make a full recovery and mortality associated with the virus is rare in adult horses. A significant concern is the possibility that the virus may cause abortion in pregnant mares, illness and death in young foals and establish a carrier state in stallions. Carrier stallions may shed the virus in their semen for months, years or throughout their entire life. Exposure of mares greater than 3 months of gestation in foal, to the virus may lead to abortion within 1 to 3 weeks following exposure. Abortion rates can vary from 10-70 percent during an outbreak. Approximately 30-60 percent of stallions that are exposed to the virus will become chronically infected carriers. These carriers shed virus in their semen, but not in their nasal secretions. Some carrier stallions can spontaneously eliminate virus from their reproductive tract but many shed long term. The carrier stallion is the natural reservoir of EAV in the horse population. Mares, geldings and sexually immature colts are not long-term carriers or reservoirs of the virus. Maintenance of the virus in accessory sex glands of males is testosterone dependent and will not persist after castration of an infected stallion. Transmission The primary mode of transmission of the virus is by the aerosol or respiratory route when horses are in close contact with one another. The virus is present in nasal secretions in acutely infected horses for 34 January 2008 The Progressive Rancher up to 16 days. It is also transmitted by the use of infective semen from carrier stallions during live cover, or insemination with fresh, cooled or frozen semen. Virus transmission rate from a carrier stallion to a naïve mare is 85 to 95 percent. EAV is most commonly introduced onto an equine facility by the arrival of an acutely infected horse, introduction of a carrier stallion, or a shipment of infective cooled-transported or frozen semen. Secondary spread occurs by the respiratory route from the mare inseminated with the infective semen to other susceptible horses. Therefore, what often happens is, a mare is bred with infected semen gets the virus and then the virus spreads through the herd by the respiratory route from horse to horse. If any of those horses happen to be pregnant, they can abort. Significance The respiratory form of this disease is not a real problem. The economic significance lies in lost foals. Consider this situation…a naïve mare is bred to a carrier stallion. That mare is turned out with the other broodmares on the farm who have not foaled yet. In the next one to three weeks four of the six mares abort and one mare delivers a week foal in respiratory distress who dies two days later. Five foals were just lost to this disease. That’s lost income. I have seen this happen. In Idaho, recently. It is here. The good news is that we can control the spread of this disease by identifying and preventing the establishment of the carrier state in stallions. Testing Determination of whether a horse has been exposed is done through a blood test. Horses that have been vaccinated will have a positive blood test. Stallions that test positive but have not been vaccinated will then need to have their semen collected and tested. If the semen tests positive for virus, then they are determined to be a carrier and either should be castration or need to be breed with some special consideration to mares that have been vaccinated prior to breeding. It is very important to work with your veterinarian on this. Many states now have rules on this as well. Some stallions have positive blood but are not shedding virus in the semen and are labeled sero- positive but not carriers. If semen can not be collected, the stallion can be bred to two known seronegative mares and then the mares are retested 28 days later. If the mares seroconvert then the stallion is considered a carrier. If any other sex tests positive (mare, gelding), due to nature exposure, they do not need to be vaccinated or have any other further action. They are considered positive for life. It is recommended that all breeding stallions be tested for EAV prior to breeding by natural cover or collection for artificial insemination. In addition, the EAV status of semen to be frozen should also be determined, since the virus is not killed during the freezing process. Vaccination Recent outbreaks of EVA in the western US has led to considerable concern regarding vaccination of horses against this disease. There is only on vaccine for the protection of horses against equine artertitis virus, Arvac, Fort Dodge.Proper documentation of vaccinated animals is critical. Many states now have import requirements as well (NM, WA, MT, UT, CO, KY, NY) so consult your vet. All stallions should be tested negative and then vaccinated. Then vaccinated annually (at least 28 days prior to the start of breeding season). Mares to be bred to positive stallions should be vaccinated at least 21 days prior to breeding. If they are then bred to a carrier they will become exposed to natural virus and do not need to be vaccinated again. Broodmares that travel or are exposed to traveling horses but are not to be bred to positive stallions should be vaccinated annually. Any colt that is to be a breeding stallion should be vaccinated at 6-12 months of age. Equine arteritis virus and the disease equine viral arteritis can be difficult to understand but not difficult to manage. Everyone in the breeding industry should be aware of the precautions and have their horses protected. The economic impact if your herd is affected can be severe, even if only one year. Talk to your veterinarian about testing and protecting your stallion. If we protect our stallions then we are protecting our mares and foals. www.progressiverancher.com TV Horse Training T here is plenty of information on the television today on how to start colts yourself. For some people the programs might just be entertainment but for others, it is their step-by-step guide to starting their own horse. Kind of like a Cooking or Gardening show, anyone can do it, right? When things turn out alright anyone can be a hero, but when they don’t it sometimes gets a little risky. All horses possess a fear of the unknown and anytime they are presented with a “first experience,” the risk of a reaction can surface. They out weight us several times over, without any violent reaction, their weight and speed alone can hurt us. Demonstrations whether they are live or on television are fine if the person at home has some experience to go along with it, but for the first time horse owner or the first time horse starter there can be risks to both the horse and person. Regardless of how much groundwork has been done with the horse, if it is not properly prepared for a person on their back there can be trouble. When the horse is not familiar with having a rider on its back, we are either going to need to have enough handle on the horse to maintain control or the rider needs to be a good enough rider to survive a wild ride. In any case, it may not be a good experience for the horse. Some people try to never let the horse get excited or scared. This is fine until the first time you are in an environment where you can’t control everything and another horse gets loose and is running around wildly and your horse panics because he has never been exposed to anything exciting or scary. The secret to getting along with a horse the first few rides is to anticipate where the horse may get into trouble and be able to defuse the trouble—stop or redirect the horse, we don’t want to keep going the wrong direction. When we continue the wrong direction, the horse or rider usually gets uncomfortable and things can speed up. This usually increases the trouble. If we are going the wrong direction and speed up, we just get to the wrong place faster. Most situations will be safer with less speed than with more, so it is important to have some way to slow a horse down. Getting the horse used to different objects, www.progressiverancher.com movements, sounds etc. A horse “reacts” in is part of it. But at the a panic situation; there is The secret to getting same time the horse no evaluation or thought needs to learn to allow process. But if we propalong with a horse the first us to control their moveerly prepare the horse for ment, regardless of their a panic situation, they few rides is to anticipate emotional state. can react in a safe way. where the horse may get We can and should We can help them experiwork quiet around a ence these troubling situinto trouble and be able young horse and help ations so they learn how them learn to be quiet to deal with them rather to defuse the trouble and confident. But at than avoiding them, they some point, preferably can gain the confidence before a person gets on needed to make good their back or in a vulnerable situation, we decisions while in bad situations. should test the horse to see how they will For a lot of horses, after the do-it-yourreact when the bullets start flying. They self at home method was tried, the horse don’t need to remain calm under any cir- later went to a professional trainer anyway. cumstance, but it’s good to know that they Hindsight is 20/20, but if there is any doubt can make the right choices under pressure or trouble, a professional horseman should and not panic. be consulted to minimize the risk, and possibly invest in some training. Trainers may cost some money, but compared to veterinarians or worse yet, an emergency room visit, a month or two of training with a competent horseman may prove to be less expensive and safer for the horse and owner. Sheep Creek Ranch: This Eureka Co. ranch is at the end of the road with power and phone. It has approx. 2520 deeded acres in 6 pastures plus a small BLM permit that adjoins the ranch. The headquarters has two stick built homes plus a metal equipment storage building and a metal insulated shop. Priced to sell at $1,600,000. Cordano/Indian Creek Ranch: This White Pine County ranch is located in Steptoe Valley at the foot of the Cherry Creek Mountain Range. It has just less that 1000 deeded acres and a BLM permit that runs in common in the Cherry Creek allotment. The water is from Springs on the property and a good portion of the deeded is a pasture type. Priced to sell at $1,300,000. Elko Co. Spring Sheep Range -deeded and BLM: On the market for the first time in many years. This property consists of approx. 10,960 deeded acres plus BLM permits. In Elko County. Offered at $130/acre. Elburz Ranch: Located approx. 15 miles East of Elko along the Humboldt River. This ranch consists of approx. 600 deeded acres and has BLM permits for approx. 300 head for 6 months. It has a larger older home, a nice horse barn and an indoor arena as well as a Hay barn that can hold up to around 600 ton of hay. This ranch should work together with the Elko Co. Sheep range noted just above. Price $1,600,000. Black Mountain Deeded Summer Pasture: I’ve been leasing this property for years and it is some of the best summer grass in Elko County and it is well watered. Can’t afford to buy it, but hopefully you can. There are approx. 3280 deeded acres under fence. Priced at $557,600. Terms to qualified buyer. The Progressive Rancher January 2008 35 PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit # 3280 Salt Lake City, UT 36 January 2008 The Progressive Rancher www.progressiverancher.com