Land and Livestock Post, May 2013, Issue 1

May 2013 — Issue 1

Power in numbers

Cooperatives help small producers maximize profits PAGE 12

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JAMES GOOD THOMPSON BULL

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Publication Straight from talks the management horse's mouth. of native rangeland.

Straight Dr. Wikse from talks theabout horse's themouth. best time to deworm.

Straight Learn how from to get the the horse's mostmouth. from your bulls.

Straight Artichokes from show thepotential horse's mouth. in South Texas.

2

May 2013 — Issue 1



The Land & Livestock Post

May 10 Upper Gulf Coast Ranch Expo in Simonton to take a look at Akaushi cattle

By Blair Fannin Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

on that artichoke island with the knowledge that they were food, I’d probably still starve to death out of sheer laziness.

Thankfully, there are plenty of people who will do all the heavy lifting for me so I can still enjoy the delicious artichoke, and, thanks to some recent developments, I can support Texas agriculture while I do. You can read about this new Texas cash crop in this issue.

We also have our cover story that takes a look at livestock co-ops and how they can help get the best price for your cattle.

Be sure to check out these and all our other stories and features in this issue. Hope you enjoy it, and thanks for reading. ’Til next time,

May 2013 — Issue 1

will provide an update on the Market Maker program. Aaron Sumerall, AgriLife Extension agent in Newton County, will discuss feral hog control methods and demonstrate different trapping methods.

Market Maker, available at tx.marketmaker.uiuc.edu/, debuted last year and is a tool that can be used by a variety of agricultural producers.

“This is a free tool to help connect farmers with buyers,” said Marco Palma, AgriLife Extension economist from College Station.

“It also provides important marketing tools for farmers.

We will be providing information on marketing a wide range of produce, including fruits and vegetables, as well as livestock and dairy, seafood, etc.”

Cost for the expo is $10 by May 6 or $20 for on-site registration. For more information, call 281-342-3034.

I

often look at foods and wonder: “Who decided that this would be a good thing to eat?”

Take cheese for instance. It basically is rotted milk. But someone, somewhere, decided that it might be good to eat, and next thing you know, we have nachos. God bless that brave JESSE WRIGHT soul.

The artichoke is another thing that I would never fathom eating. If I didn’t know that an artichoke was food and I was stranded on an island full of them, I’d probably die of starvation before I even attempted to eat one. Even though I do know that the heart of an artichoke, when mixed with the aforementioned cheese makes a delicious dip, I still get tired just looking at one. It seems like so much work that even if I was



SIMONTON — Producers throughout the Texas Gulf Coast region will get a firsthand look at Akaushi cattle and receive an overall update on the cattle market during the May 10 Upper Gulf Coast Ranch Expo in Simonton.

The event, to be held at the Twinwood Cattle Co., 4430 Guyler Road, will feature bus tours with several Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialists from College Station discussing beef cattle production, forage management, weed control and pecan production.

Organizers said they are expecting a large turnout.

“This is a regional event and we anticipate great interest in the topics that will be discussed throughout the day,” said Greg Kaase, AgriLife Extension program specialist-risk management in College Station. “With beef cattle producers looking to capitalize on continued strength in cattle prices, there will be a variety of management practices they can take home and apply in their own operations. Also, three continuing education units will be offered to all interested pesticide applicators.”

Registration and sponsored exhibits open at 7 a.m. At 8:20 a.m., Doug Steele, AgriLife Extension director from College Station, will provide opening comments.

At 8:45 a.m., Stephen Deiss

of the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Natural Resource Conservation Service will discuss conservation and financial assistance opportunities.

Bubba Bain, executive director of the American Akaushi Association and Jason Cleere, AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist in College Station, are two of the featured speakers who will be talking about the Akaushi breed.

“Akaushi cattle were imported to the United States from Japan in 1994, and the meat from them is very high in marbling,” Cleere said.

David Anderson, AgriLife Extension livestock economist in College Station, will give a cattle market update and outlook for the remainder of the year.

The tour portion of the program will begin at 9:45 a.m. with participants boarding buses for tour stops featuring beef cattle production; Larry Redmon, AgriLife Extension state forage specialist, forage production; Paul Baumann, Ag riLife Extension weed specialist, weed control in pastures; and Monte Nesbitt, AgriLife Extension horticulturalist, pecan production.

During lunch, Miles Phillips, AgriLife Extension specialist, will present a program on ranch diversification through tourism.

He will be followed by Anderson, who will provide a livestock marketing update.

Francisco Abello, AgriLife Extension program specialis,

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The Land & Livestock Post

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Ranchers’ Workshop on May 17 in Bronte to target small acreage

By Steve ByrnS Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

BRONTE — The fourth annual Ranchers’ Workshop conducted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is set for May 17 in the Bronte Community Center.

The program will begin with registration at 8 a.m., followed by opening remarks at 8:45 a.m.

“This workshop is a collaborative effort between AgriLife Extension and the Coke County Soil and Water Conservation District,” said James Jackson, AgriLife Extension agent in Coke County. “The program content is designed specifically to help small acreage landowners with the problems and opportunities that growing segment of Texas agriculture often must deal with,” Jackson said.

The morning program will include talks on dryland termites, MAT 28 herbicide and the his-

tory and future of prescribed burning for long-term range improvement.

There also will be demonstrations featuring heavy brush removal equipment and efficient livestock handling facilities.

The afternoon session, following a catered noon lunch, will include topics on the supplemental feeding of livestock, Texas Department of Public Safety on transit regulations for agricultural use and a look at seasonal stocker operations for today’s small acreage landowner.

Four Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units — three general and one laws and regulations — will be available to holders of private pesticide applicator licenses.

There is no fee for the meal or registration, but participants are asked to RSVP by calling the AgriLife Extension office in Coke County at 325-453-2461 so an accurate meal count can be made.

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Grassland monitoring/management publication released

By Steve ByrnS Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

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range conditions change over time, which is also known as range trend, will allow land managers to make the best management decisions as conditions change.”

The monitoring techniques covered in the publication will be of particular help to wildlife managers and livestock producers to help them determine what management activities are needed to reverse negative range trends, he said. The monitoring techniques covered

in the publication include photo points, grazing exclosures, nest and cover surveys, grass stubble height surveys and forage clipping surveys. Management techniques covered include chemical and mechanical treatments, prescribed burning, disking, shredding and grazing.

“The main goal of the publication is to connect land monitoring and management techniques with proper watershed

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May 2013 — Issue 1

that the monitoring and management information offered is applicable across the state.

“Monitoring the ecological site condition or health of the land is necessary for landowners to evaluate how past land management decisions are affecting the plant, soil and water resources of the landscape,” Alldredge said.

“Monitoring specifically examines the plant species present and how much area they cover. Being able to see how



COLLEGE STATION — The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service has a new publication available to help landowners monitor and manage the health of their native rangeland.

The publication, Native Grassland Monitoring and Management, targets landown-

ers within the Trinity River Basin and similar areas, said the publication’s author, Blake Alldredge, AgriLife Extension associate with Texas A&M University’s wildlife and fisheries department at College Station.

He said the publication describes in detail several range monitoring and management techniques. It is now available as publication WF-001on the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Bookstore website at agrilifebookstore.org . Alldredge noted

The Land & Livestock Post

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The Land & Livestock Post  May 2013 — Issue 1

News Grassland, from Page 5 protection, because they are one and the same,” Alldredge said.

“Well-managed native grasslands and tame pastures are important to watershed protection as they increase the water storage capacity of the soil, reduce erosion, promote groundwater recharge and provide more efficient nutrient absorption.

Landowners also benefit from increased forage production and quality wildlife habitat.”

Alldredge said his bottomline hope is that the publication will aid the watershed enhancement efforts of AgriLife Extension, Trinity Waters and other groups seeking to improve the wildlife and water quality resources in the Trinity River basin.

The publication was produced through the Building Partnerships for Cooperative Conservation Initiative of the Trinity River basin project. The project is funded by the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board through a Clean Water Act grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and is managed by the Texas Water Resources Institute.

Through this initiative, Alldredge said AgriLife Extension has partnered with Trinity Waters, a landowner organization based in the Trinity River basin, to produce educational materials related to water and wildlife conservation for landowners.

For more information, contact Alldredge at 979-845-7471, balldredge@tamu.edu.

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Effective deworming of cattle is all in the timing

Q

The goal of deworming is to keep low numbers of stomach worm larvae and adults in the abomasums of your cattle for as long as possible. Pastures do not contain infective worm larva year round. Transmission is seasonal. Ostertagia ostertagi is transmitted only during months when temperature and moisture conditions of pastures are favorable for survival and maturation of its larvae. Favorable conditions in the Brazos Valley usually occur in the spring (mid-March, April, May and mid-June) and the fall (mid-September, October and mid-November).

Greater parasite numbers are acquired in the spring than fall. Transmission is minimal during the “summer brownout” (June, July and August).

Infective larvae that are ingested by cattle just before

Best time to treat

Treatment just before the summer brownout is the single most important time to treat cows and calves older than 2 months for stomach worms in our area. At this time most worms are in the cattle and larvae on pasture are dying out. The goal is to have cattle free of adult Dr. STEVE stomach worms WIKSE and arrested larvae as they enter months of grazing with no transmission of worms and to limit fall transmission. If treatment is given too far ahead of summer brownout, cattle will become re-infected. If treatment is given after summer brownout, cattle will encounter poorer quality grazing with appetites impaired by worms.

Fine-tuning timing of deworming depends on type of anthelmintic. There are two classes of commonly used anthelmintics: benzimidazoles which are white liquids or pastes administered orally and macrocyclic lactones which are administered by injection or pour-on. Although both classes kill nearly 100 percent of adult worms, they have important differences. The macrocyclic lactones kill nearly 100 percent of arrested larvae and have had variable numbers of days (14-28) of residual killing power following treatment. A recently available extended-release macrocyclic lactone claims much longer persistent killing activity.

The benzimidazoles kill approximately 20-95 percent of arrested larvae and have no residual killing power.

The residual killing of the macrocyclic lactones allows ranchers to treat in the cooler months (April/May) or earlier with the extended-release product and still have cattle free of stomach worms as they begin summer grazing.

Because of the lack of residual activity of benzimidazoles, late treatment (June/July) or two treatments should be used with this class of anthelmintic.

Pharmaceutical representatives of the bezimidazole dewormers often recommend a different timing than just described. They advise two treatments with a benzimidazole, approximately 6 weeks apart, in the early spring. Timing of the first treatment is the start of spring transmission identified by a rise in fecal parasite egg counts.

The goal of the two treatment approach is a noble one: clear the pasture of infective larvae. Craig feels that may work well for the type of pastures found in northern states, but doesn’t work well for our Bermudagrass pastures. The dense tangled mats of Bermudagrass promote survival of worm larvae and re-infection of cattle. Studies are needed to see if treatment with the extended release macrocyclic lactone early in the spring will clear a pasture of infective larvae.

Concerns on Effects of Persistent Killing The benefits of products that continue to kill adult worms and larvae for weeks after treatment are obvious, however, residual killing may build resistant worms. Although macrocyclic lactones kill 99 percent of adults and arrested larvae, a few resistant worms may survive following treatment. They could reproduce and contaminate the pasture with resistant larvae for weeks after treatment.

Meanwhile, susceptible larvae that were on the pasture prior to treatment would be ingested and killed. The outcome could

be a pasture full of worm larvae resistant to macrocyclic lactones.

A second concern is that keeping calves almost totally free of worms for too long may limit development of immunity against stomach worms.

Parasite fecal eggs per gram (EPG) counts are higher in calves than yearlings which have higher EPG than adult cattle. This immunity that develops as cattle age requires continuous exposure to stomach worm antigens. For that reason, Craig recommends that the new extended-release macrocyclic lactone product should not be given to nursing calves.

Bottom line

We periodically are given drugs that change health programs. Some ranches will use the extended-release

macrocyclic lactone in new parasite control programs. No matter what spring/summer treatment approach is used, a second deworming in October or November to kill stomach worms acquired in the fall is recommended for most herds.

That is also the time to treat for liver flukes on ranches that have them. Consult your veterinarian to design an effective parasite control program for the unique conditions of your herd.

“It’s all in the timing” is often said about deworming beef cows. We should add “and the anthelmintic product used” to complete that motto.

Right now is the most effective time to treat cattle for stomach worms in our part of the world.

May 2013 — Issue 1

Worm transmission

summer brownout, when pasture temperatures start to be too hot for survival of worm eggs and larvae, do not develop into adult worms. Instead, they become “arrested” in the glands of the abomasum for the summer. When pasture conditions become favorable for transmission in the fall, they wake up, crawl out of the glands and become egg producing adults. These worms are smart! Eggs produced by this process can contaminate fall pastures heavily.



uestion: “I’m totally confused on the best time to deworm my herd of cattle. It seems I get different advice from different sources. Some salesmen say deworm in the spring and others say deworm in the summer. What do you recommend?”

Answer: Timing of treatment is critical for deworming to be most effective. You’re not the only one unsure on the best timing for deworming. I remember a rancher coming up to me after I’d given a presentation on parasite control at Luling and saying “Doc, we always knew we should deworm, but we didn’t realize doing it at the right time was so dang important.”

Over the past 30 years, our veterinary parasitologist at Texas A&M University, Tom Craig, has conducted research on the life cycle of stomach worms in Texas cattle and the best time to treat to gain maximal benefit. Stomach worms (Ostertagia ostertagi) are the most important internal parasites of cattle in our area, so I’ll concentrate on them. The following recommendations are for beef cows and calves in a continuous grazing program.

The Land & Livestock Post

Ask the Vet

• Dr. Steve Wikse is a retired professor of large animal clinical sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine

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The Land & Livestock Post  May 2013 — Issue 1

News

Farmers look for labor fix in immigration reform SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Texas farmers are hoping a streamlined guest worker program that provides a legal workforce to harvest their crops will be part of any immigration reform that emerges from Congress.

Farm worker representatives, meanwhile, are pressing for protections against reductions in laborers’ wages.

“The lack of labor is part of every discussion I have with our agricultural producers today,” Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples told the San Antonio Express-News (bit. ly/16KXHBA ). “It’s very real, and I believe they share my sentiment that Americans should have the first opportunity to get in line for a job. But the lines aren’t forming.”

The Associated Press reported recently that a tentative deal had been reached between those representing the farmers and those representing farm workers. Agricultural workers have been one of the outstanding issues for Senate negotiators crafting a comprehensive immigration reform bill.

For farmers, immigration is an economic question. Too often the supply of workers has been unreliable and farmers say the existing guest worker program is too cumbersome.

Dimmit County onion farmer Bruce Frasier said he never knows how many workers will show up.

Living only an hour from the TexasMexico border, Frasier is more fortunate than most. Farm workers regularly crossing from Mexico are brought to his fields. He said he checks on whether they can work legally, but never knows how many will come.

“In the end, my crop won’t wait,” he wrote in a November Express-News

ollow us on

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10

facebook.com/texasllp

opinion piece. “If I can’t find enough willing and able U.S. workers, I need a fast, legal, reliable way to hire foreign farmhands.”

The existing guest worker program for farmers requires them to first show the government that there weren’t enough American workers or legal residents to fill the need and that bringing in foreign workers won’t lower wages.

Also, those imported workers are only allowed to work for the farmer who brought them rather than following the harvest.

About 48 percent of farm laborers are not working legally in the U.S., according to a National Agricultural

Workers Survey. The United Farm Workers put that number higher, estimating that 1 million of the 1.6 million farm laborers in the U.S. are not in the country legally.

Kristi Boswell, of the American Farm Bureau Federation, said growers are looking for a way to retain their experienced workers.

“Whether that’s a pathway to citizenship or some other form of legal status, from agriculture’s perspective, that’s a political question that will be addressed at a higher level,” she said.

But farm worker representatives worry a more permissive system to import inexpensive foreign labor would lower wages for everyone.

“An agreement has been difficult to get to because many grower associations have tried to erode any progress farm workers have made,” United Farm Workers spokeswoman Maria Machuca said. “It would be a grievous mistake to allow agribusiness to use the debate over immigration reform to further reduce wages of the poorest workers in the country.”

May 30-31 - Grassfed Beef Conference. College Station, TX. 979845-2604

Events Calendar

May May 2- Advertising Deadline for the

Land & Livestock Post. 979-731-4721 May 4- Jordan Cattle Auction Special Replacement Female Sale.

San Saba, TX. May 9 - Jordan Cattle Auction Special Stocker & Feeder. San Saba, TX. May 16 - Advertising Deadline for the Land & Livestock Post. 979-7314721 May 18 – Cattleman’s Top Cut Replacement Female Sale. Navasota, TX. 903/599-2403 May 18 - The Event Brangus Sale, Brenham, TX May 30 - Advertising Deadline for the Land & Livestock Post. 979-7314721

June June 3 - Jordan Cattle Auction

Stocker and Feeder Sale. Mason, TX. June 8 - Texas Red Angus Field Day. R.A. Brown Ranch, Throckmorton, TX. June 13- Jordan Cattle Auction Special Stocker & Feeder. San Saba, TX. June 13- Advertising Deadline for the Land & Livestock Post. 979-7314721 June 27 - Advertising Deadline for the Land & Livestock Post. 979-7314721

Do you have a sale or event you’d like listed?

Call Jesse Wright at (979) 731-4721 or email jesse.wright@theeagle.com

The Land & Livestock Post

Born to farm, but not sure where to start?

 May 2013 — Issue 1

2013 Next Generation Agricultural Conferences May 23‒24

Brazos County Expo Center Bryan, Texas

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apital Farm Credit and Texas AgriLife Extension are proud to introduce two Next Generation Agricultural Conferences for 2013.

Designed to provide educational and financing opportunities for beginning farmers and ranchers, the conferences will feature topics on:

• • • •

July 18‒19

Taylor County Expo Center Abilene, Texas

Farm financial management Agricultural economic forecasts General agriculture Farm planning and budgeting

Event curriculum will be provided by Texas AgriLife Extension and will be tailored to the type of agriculture in the region.

The conference is free for those who register two or more days in advance. Late conference registration is $50. To register, go to https://agriliferegister.tamu.edu (keyword search: generation) or call 979.845.2604.

Questions? Contact Jason Cleere at extansc@ag.tamu.edu or 979.845.6931.

T E X A S

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The Land & Livestock Post  May 2013 — Issue 1

News

Banding together

Forming cooperatives can benefit smaller producers

By Janelle Fears Special to The Post

S

mall producers, with less than a truckload lot of calves to market each year, very seldom sell at premium prices. Buyers are required to assemble truckloads at purchase points because it is not economical to transport smaller quantities. When buyers don’t have to sort and mix calves from several producers to fill a truck, they are willing to pay higher prices.

Marketing cooperatives or co-ops offer small producers an opportunity to pool calves with their neighbor’s to make the truckload minimum number.

Co-ops have been successful for many years in several areas of Texas as well as in other states.

Co-op history

“Collective actions by livestock producers began about 1785 when societies were organized to move livestock from farm to slaughter,” reported the United States Department of Agriculture in Agricultural Cooperative Service Report 38. Producers act together to offset the inherent disadvantages of acting alone. Individual farmers or ranchers have no market power. A good response is to organize farm supply or marketing cooperatives.”

12

Dee Von Bailey of Utah State University said, “Joint marketing is an important method of cooperation for cattle producers and often takes the form of packaging cattle in pools for sale.”

Truckload lots can be gathered from members of a cooperative group. The cattle most likely will have specific characteristics in age, weight, inoculations, gender, brands and cattle breed.

To fill an order, co-op members must have cattle that meet the specific needs of the individual buyer or company.

Most cattle operations in the United States are relatively small. For example, the USDA Economic Research Service reported on May 26, 2012, that the average herd size in cow-calf operations is 40 head.

The number of cattle in a sales lot influences the price buyers are willing to pay. Beef of the same weight and sex can go directly into feedlot pens and re-

Photo by Jesse Wright

Premium prices can be received for truckload lots of calves that are uniform in size. Uniform color gets the buyer’s attention. Smaller producers can join with others to form co-ops to market their cattle for the highest price. ceive the same feed ration. Buyers are often willing to pay more for uniform lots than non-uniform lots because the need to sort cattle after delivery is reduced or eliminated.

Organizing a co-op Members of a marketing co-op should have common goals. Commitment and interest are two traits necessary for all members. Research information from known successful cooperatives shows that members learn from their successes and mistakes.

At least one member must have pens to unload, weigh, sort, pool and load cattle for shipment. If facilities are not available, the group should work with a member to build facilities on his or her property in a location where trucks will have easy access for loading and unloading. The member could charge a small fee for using his facilities. Draft

a plan for cattle processing acceptable to all members when the co-op is organized.

Good will between members can make or break the co-op’s success. Collection of cattle should be organized and all participant members cooperate on specifications: weight, age, gender, breed, time and place of collection. Inoculations should be kept uniform and precise according to age and weight of the cattle. If a member does not agree with the majority opinion then it is better if he or she resigns from the group.

The cooperative must establish and enforce rules for produced calves: how cattle will be handled, sorted and included or excluded from a pool. Each member must indicate the number of steer and heifer calves they will provide to the pool. If the promised number is not produced, he or she must drop out of the co-op or come to some mutual agreement with other

members.

Calves can be contracted to buyers using videos and descriptions of representative calves. The calves normally are sold in six pools: three for steers and three for heifers, based on different weights. For example the three steer pools may have average weights of 450 pounds, 525 pounds and 575 pounds. The pools normally range in size from 150 to 250 head.

Pre-pricing through a video auction eliminates the gathering of the cattle to obtain bids. Producers also know the day delivery will take place and the price they will receive before the cattle come off the range.

On the day of delivery, producers are responsible for bringing their calves to the unloading/loading facilities.

After unloading, the calves are brand inspected, sorted into the different

See CO-OPS, Page 17

The Land & Livestock Post

News Cotton Producers honored with AgriLife Partnership Award

By Steve Byrns

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

 May 2013 — Issue 1

AUSTIN — The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service recently paid tribute to one of its staunchest industry supporters.

Texas Cotton Producers Inc. was presented with the Extension Partnership Award during its April 9 board of directors meeting and “Cotton Day at the Capitol” event in Austin.

“We confer the award in tribute to this organization’s longtime engagement with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service,” said Doug Steele, AgriLife Extension director at College Station. “The support of the board members and their predecessors has significantly enhanced the outreach and impact of our educational programs, as well as the recognition of AgriLife Extension educators.”

Texas Cotton Producers Inc., headquartered in Austin, con-

sists of nine certified cotton producer organizations that represent Texas growers on the state and national levels.

The organization has worked on a number of endeavors in concert with AgriLife Extension, Texas A&M AgriLife Research and others to promote the interests of Texas cotton growers. These efforts included formation of the statewide integrated pest management program, Texas Pest Management Association, Texas Boll Weevil Eradication Program and Texas Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation.

In addition, Cotton Incorporated’s Texas state support committee relies on Texas Cotton Producers to oversee an average $1.25 million annually for research and education projects, including funds that support the efforts of AgriLife Extension specialists, county agents and integrated pest manage-

See COTTON, Page 14

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The Land & Livestock Post  May 2013 — Issue 1

News Cotton, from Page 13 ment agents, as well as AgriLife Extension’s Premier Cotton Educator Program, Master Marketer Program, and Texas Agricultural Lifetime Leadership program.

Published by Bryan-College Station Communications, Inc. (979) 776-4444 or (800) 299-7355

President - Crystal Dupré .....................................................Ext. 4613 Publisher and Editor- Kelly Brown.........................................Ext. 4656 Advertising Director - Ron Prince ........................................ Ext. 4740 Advertising Sales/General Manager - Jesse Wright ...............Ext. 4721 Financial Director - Rod Armstrong .......................................Ext. 4605 New Media Director - Mike Albin ..........................................Ext. 4663 Production Director - Mark Manning.....................................Ext. 4671 Circulation Director - Jack Perkins .......................................Ext. 4752

Published by Bryan-College Station Communications, Inc., P.O. Box 3000, Bryan,Texas 77805.

E-mail: thepost@theeagle.com All offices are located at 1729 Briarcrest Drive Bryan,Texas 77802.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Eagle, P.O. Box 3000, Bryan,Texas 77805-3000 The Post is printed in part on recycled paper and is fully recyclable.

Young people across the state, likewise, benefit through support from Texas Cotton Producers, Inc. for 4-H projects, career days and college scholarships to Texas A&M and Texas Tech universities.

“Texas Cotton Producers Inc. has demonstrated an enduring commitment to Extension education, as well as the teaching and research of Texas A&M AgriLife,” Steele said. “We deeply appreciate their support.”

Board chairman Doyle Schniers of San Angelo accepted the award. The nine-member organizations are: Blackland

Cotton and Grain Producers Association, Cotton and Grain Producers of the Lower Rio Grande Valley, El Paso Valley Cotton Association, Plains Cotton Growers, Rolling Plains Cotton Growers, St. Lawrence Cotton Growers Association, South Texas Cotton and Grain Association, Southern Rolling Plains Cotton Growers Association and the Trans-Pecos Cotton Association.

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By Clay Wright The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation

May 2013 — Issue 1

Remove bull A from the breeding pasture to rest after a month, or earlier if he drops a full body condition score. Leave bull B alone with the cows for at least two weeks, and for the rest of the breeding season if his body condition stays above a score of 5. It is critical to favor this young bull during his first breeding season. Turn bull A back out with the cows after bull B has had his two-week learning experience. By the end of six to eight weeks, the majority of the cows should be settled. Both bulls can “clean up” for the rest of the breeding season, assuming the young bull has regained condition.

When only one or two bulls are used, it is vitally important to observe them in action throughout the breeding season.

Make note of the cows’ IDs and service dates, then find those cows in 18 to 23 days to make sure they don’t return to heat. If bull A in the scenario above became infertile after two weeks, you would know it and could remove him from the breeding pasture. If undiscovered, he would still exert his dominance over B and cows would go unsettled or breed later in the season.

In small herds, observation during the breeding season and management of social dominance among bulls is just as important to success as fertility, health and physical soundness.



By the beginning of April, most cow-calf producers in the Southern Great Plains are a few weeks away from the start of the breeding season and are wrapping up routine preparation of bulls before turn-out.

Ideally, bulls are in a body condition score of at least 6.0 to 6.5, maintaining their condition on a high-forage diet and getting plenty of exercise.

They have received immunizations and parasite control, and passed a complete breeding soundness examination.

All this preparation is critical, but it is not the end of the manager’s responsibility. Throughout the breeding season, managers need to observe and address health issues and physical problems that may arise, and manage the hierarchy of social dominance among the bulls.

This is true if your herd has two bulls or twenty bulls.

Glenn Selk, Oklahoma State University emeritus extension animal scientist, authored an outstanding publication, Management of Beef Bulls, covering all aspects of bull management.

At the bottom of page five in this publication is a table that illustrates the effect of bull dominance over time.

The data emphasizes two basic facts: the dominant bull in a breeding herd sires the greatest percentage of the calves, and, up to a certain point, age is a primary factor in determining dominance.

Many producers have herds of 50 or fewer cows and only two bulls.

Dominance is just as much an issue for smaller herds as for larger ones.

Here is a common scenario for small producers: The producer has 40 cows,

an older bull A and a younger bull B getting ready for his first breeding season. The bulls are run together in the off-season.

When the breeding season comes and cows are returning to heat in large numbers, how does the rancher manage his two bulls?

We recommend turning both bulls out together. Bull A’s dominance, experience, maturity and capacity will enable him to settle the largest number of cows early.

The Land & Livestock Post

News Small producers should manage bulls during breeding

Questions About Cattle Health?

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The Land & Livestock Post  May 2013 — Issue 1

16

News

The ‘art’ of growing artichokes in the ‘heart’ of Texas

South Texas growers finding a ready market for the vegetable with exceptional nutritional value

By Paul SchattenBerg Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

BROWNSVILLE — It was cool and overcast during the recent harvest of a 12-acre field of artichokes being grown by MO Produce LLC in Rancho Viejo, near Brownsville.

As the workers methodically harvested the fist-size globes from the tops of plants, Mike Ortiz, one of the operation’s owners, oversaw the harvest and inspected the rest of the crop.

“This is our fifth year for growing artichokes here in the Rio Grande Valley and we’ve had good success with them so far, especially with help from the Texas A&M Research and Extension Center in Uvalde,” said Ortiz, who has a bachelor’s degree in agricultural development from Texas A&M University.

While more than 95 percent of U.S. artichoke production is currently in California, Ortiz and his business partner, Jed Murray, himself a California “transplant” to the Lower Rio Grande Valley, have been giving the artichoke a home where the armadillo and roadrunner roam.

“There is currently some fledgling commercial production in the Rio Grande Valley and Winter Garden area, with additional small-scale production in the Hill Country and in the Austin and Dallas area,” said Daniel Leskovar, Texas A&M AgriLife Research vegetable physiologist and Uvalde center director. “There are also many home gardeners throughout the state who grow artichokes in small veggie garden plots. But the artichoke as a commercial crop is still a relative newcomer to Texas.”

Since 2007, Ortiz and Murray have been consulting with Leskovar on various aspects of artichoke production. Leskovar and his fellow researchers have provided them research-based information and assistance on variety selection, transplantation, irrigation and various production methods so they might produce artichokes that will meet or exceed consumer expectations.

“From a production standpoint, artichokes are a reason-

ably low-maintenance crop,” Ortiz said. “In general, they require about the same amount of effort as say cabbage or onions.

Plus, they have a much better profit potential than most of the traditional crops produced in the Valley.”

Murray, who also is president of the Texas Vegetable Association headquartered in nearby Mission, said customer feedback proves the operation is headed in the right direction.

“Our customers tell us they like the freshness, the nutty flavor and the big heart of the artichokes we grow here,” Murray said. “We frequently get compliments and expressions of gratitude from them.”

Murray said part of their marketing strategy is to introduce artichokes to audiences that don’t have a tradition of using them as ingredients in their recipes and to alert them to their many healthful qualities.

“Once they get a taste and realize how good they are, plus realize their exceptional nutritional value, they’ll want to add them to their weekly shopping list,” he said.

Both Murray and Ortiz practice what they preach, frequently cooking artichokes for their own families, which include a total of seven children.

“We make cooking artichokes a kind of family activity at my house,” Ortiz said. “I’ll parboil them in a little water and oil, plus some salt and a few spices, then put them on the grill. The kids actually fight over who gets served first.”

Otriz added that his 97-yearold Spanish grandfather who lives nearby grew up in the tradition of eating artichokes as a part of his normal diet.

“I guess you could say he’s living proof they’re good for you,” Ortiz said jokingly.

It’s not just Rio Grande Valley-area consumers who are delighted with their artichokes, Murray said. MO Produce can now count Whole Foods, as well as another Texas-based supermarket chain, among its artichoke fan — and customer — base.

“We’re excited that we can produce a fresh, flavorful, local product that is both healthy and nutritious,” Murray said. “We also strive to leave a small car-

Texas A&M AgriLife photos Above: A worker harvests artichokes grown by MO Produce LLC in Rancho Viejo. The grower has been successfully producing artichokes in the Rio Grande Valley for the past five years.

Right: Nutrition research shows that in addition to being an excellent source of dietary fiber, artichokes contain high levels of antioxidants and potassium. They are a staple of the Mediterranean diet, noted for its health benefits. bon footprint from our production and transportation.”

Artichokes are a key food in the Mediterranean diet, which has been scientifically proven to have exceptional health benefits, said Sharon Robinson, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service nutrition specialist in College Station.

“They are high in dietary fiber and low in calories, plus they’re rich in antioxidants and potassium,” Robinson said.

She noted that a recently completed 5-year study in Spain showed participants with heartrisk health issues following a Mediterranean-type diet had a 30 percent lower combined rate of heart attack, stroke and death from related causes than those following a typical low-fat diet.

Celebrity chef Jesse Griffiths, owner of Dai Due Butcher Shop and Supper Club in Austin, is another fan of artichokes, espe-

See ‘CHOKES, Page 19

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Co-ops, from Page 12 pools and weighed. Records are maintained on the number and weights of cattle for each producer in each pool. After the pools are completed, the cattle are loaded and shipped.

The buyer pays the co-op, which issues a check to each producer based on the total weight they contributed to each calf pool.

Photo by Jesse Wright

Producers with smaller herds might consider forming a cooperative in order to maximize the amount they get in selling their cattle. sized lots normally are sold as a service to buyers because they often have difficulty pooling lots for shipment. This is unlike a ring auction where buyers can pool the lots they

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May 2013 — Issue 1

Utah State’s Bailey said, “Different research projects conducted at Utah State University and Kansas State University have found that the number of cattle in a lot influences the price buyers are willing to pay.

In the [Kansas State] study it was found that the optimum size for a lot of feeder cattle sold through a regular ring auction was 50-55 head.

It was found in the [Utah State] study that optimum lot size for cattle sold through a video auction was approximately 240 head.

In video auctions, larger

cattle and agree with the marketing methods used by the coop. If a producer cannot abide by these restrictions, he or she should not participate.

Small producers might want to consider organizing a marketing co-op or joining an existing one to enhance the opportunity for higher calf prices.

Rising input costs continue to increase the need to sell cattle at premium prices.

Information on co-op marketing can be obtained at the Texas A&M University Beef



ered carefully. Producers must be consistent, honest and responsible enough to follow all co-op rules. If a member is negligent and does not meet the designated number or specifications of cattle he or she produces for the pool, purchasers may be wary of dealing with them again, which negates the group’s goals.

Some cooperatives prefer to put responsibilities and rules in a legal document signed by all members.

Producers must be willing to accept the pool price for their

The Land & Livestock Post

News

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Pooling offers challenges and opportunities for the cattle grower. Long-term commitment of potential co-op members should be consid-

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The Land & Livestock Post  May 2013 — Issue 1

News A Superstar cherry tomato

By RoBeRt BuRns Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

COLLEGE STATION — The BHN-968 cherry tomato’s name may be bland, but a San Antonio tasting panel found it sweeter than any comparable cherry tomato, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service horticulturist.

Not only is it one of the sweetest, but is one of the easiest to grow and higher yielding cherry tomatoes, said David Rodriguez, AgriLife Extension horticulture agent in Bexar County and member of the Texas Superstar board.

For these reason and others, the BHN-968 cherry tomato has been named a Texas Superstar for 2013, Rodriguez said.

“The BHN-968 tomato is the most naturally disease-resistant cherry tomato we have seen in our evaluation trials,” Rodriguez said. “It is genetically resistant to the diseases of verticillium wilt and fusarium wilt, as well as tobacco mosaic virus

and tomato spotted wilt virus.”

It is also the first cherry tomato variety found to be nematode resistant since Small Fry, a tomato developed by AgriLife Research horticulturists, according to Pemberton.

The BHN-968 is also one of the most flavorful varieties available to home gardeners, according to Rodriguez. In taste tests he and San Antonio MasA&M AgriLife Extension Service photo ter Gardeners performed, the The BHN-968 cherry tomato is BHN-968 was rated “four times the most naturally disease-resissweeter than any comparable tant cherry tomato ever sold in cherry tomato.”

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Texas A&M AgriLife Research photo Daniel Leskovar, Texas A&M AgriLife Research vegetable physiologist and Uvalde center director, examines artichoke plants near a lysimeter, which is used to help measure soil moisture and the Evapotranspiration, or ET, of the artichoke plants in field trials at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Uvalde. ies.”

Leskovar said center research is also investigating how to extend the spring growing season so operations can take advantage of the higher off-season prices.

In Texas, he said, artichokes are grown as annuals or possibly bi-annuals where re-sprouting is possible. Seedlings are raised in greenhouses in South Texas, and are transplanted into the field during the fall and harvested in the spring. There is also a niche market for the flower produced by the artichoke plant.

“Development of year-round management strategies focused on producing artichoke heads in the spring and fall in areas of the state will give producers

with a positive market opportunity to sell their product at the best possible price.

“There’s a lot of additional potential for artichoke production in other regions of Texas, but it will take additional research, as well as the necessary funding to support that research and vari-

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cially Texas artichokes. According to the Austin Food and Wine Alliance, Griffiths uses locallygrown vegetables, meats and dairy products in his recipes, focusing on “traditional, local and sustainable foods.”

“I’ve been buying artichokes from Mike and Jed for three or four years now and they have always been very high quality,” Griffiths said. “I would describe them as sweet with a nut-like or slightly ‘woody’ taste and excellent texture. I enjoy using them in my dishes and look forward to the times when they’re available to me.”

Murray said while most of their business outside the Rio Grande Valley currently comes from the Austin area, they are hoping to also break into the San Antonio, Houston and Dallas markets. They also are assessing the possibility of organic artichoke production.

“Our research on artichoke production, which began in 2005 at the Uvalde center and in conjunction with the Food for Health Program, has shown the artichoke to be a viable alternative crop for many areas of the state,” Leskovar said. “We have studied crop yield, quality and nutritional aspects of several different varieties of artichoke in relation to different irrigation regimes and nitrogen fertilization rates. We also focused on water-use rates as this region is water-limited and prone to drought, as well as on the heat tolerance of artichoke variet-

The Land & Livestock Post

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The Land & Livestock Post

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Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo Workers at the MO Produce processing facility in South Texas prepare artichokes for shipping.

Market, from Page 19 ous practical aspects of production, to realize that potential.”

Leskovar said the nutritional value to the consumer and profit potential to the producer make the artichoke a stand-out alternative crop for many parts of the state. And soon, Leskovar and AgriLife Extension agricultural economist Marco Palma of College Station will conduct a consumer preference study using fresh-market artichokes from MO Produce in comparison with other freshmarket and processed artichokes.

“We are continuing our artichoke research at

the Uvalde center with partial funding from the Texas Department of Agriculture. Early indications of new field variety trials are showing good commercial potential for early and late variety selections with traditional green heads and also red to maroon color heads,” he said. “These too may provide some more interesting opportunities for Texas producers.”

Leskovar cited the success of MO Produce in artichoke production as an excellent example of how research-based knowledge and technical assistance can be applied to practical agricultural production to benefit both the producer and consumer.

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Texas A&M beef cattle researchers explore nutritional strategies to time puberty onset in replacement heifers

By Blair Fannin Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

 May 2013 — Issue 1

BEEVILLE — Cattle producers typically wean replacement heifers at 7 months old and raise them with limited nutritional input before their first breeding.

This managerial strategy often is associated with delayed puberty, particularly in tropicallyadapted Bos indicus-influenced cattle, according to researchers.

In Texas, Bos indicus influence generally comes from Brahman genetics, but can involve the Nelore breed as well.

To maximize successful pregnancies in replacement heifers early in their first breeding season, studies conducted at Texas A&M University and at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research Station-Beeville are evaluating nutritional strategies to promote puberty consistently by 12-14 months of age in Bos taurus x Bos indicus crossbred heifers.

Marcel Amstalden and Gary Williams, reproductive physiologists at Texas A&M University and Texas A&M AgriLife Research, along with doctoral students Rodolfo Cardoso and Bruna Alves, are evaluating mechanisms that lead to the early onset of puberty in heifers.

The goal of the work is to use newfound fundamental knowledge of heifer development to optimize pregnancy in replacement heifers by 15 months old and increase the proportion of heifers calving early in their first calving season.

“Nutrition plays an important role in the developmental controls of puberty in heifers,” Williams said.

“Breed type is a factor as well, and there are dietary strategies that can help us time the onset of puberty.”

Recent research has shown that age at puberty in Bos taurus beef heifers is reduced to approximately 9 months old by early weaning calves at 3 months to 4 months old and feeding high-concentrate diets that promote increased rates of body weight gain for as little as 70 days, according to the researchers.

“A similar response is observed in heifers with Bos indicus-influence,” Williams said.

“Our studies have indicated that early weaning, combined with elevated intake of highconcentrate diets, is associated with enhanced propionate production in the rumen and increased concentrations of the fat-derived hormone, leptin in circulation.”“The brain is a major target for leptin’s control of feed intake and energy expenditure,” Amstalden said.

“Because the impact of nutrition on age at puberty is largely mediated at the hypothalamus, a region of the brain involved in the regulation of various body functions including reproduction, studies have focused on this brain region to explain the process of reproductive maturation.”

Their studies have found that a number of genes in the hypothalamus are regulated by

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Above: To maximize successful pregnancies in replacement heifers early in their first breeding season,studies conducted at Texas A&M University and at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research Station-Beeville are evaluating nutritional strategies to promote puberty consistently by 12-14 months old in Bos taurus x Bos indicus crossbred heifers.Pictured are Brahman crossed Hereford-F1 heifers.

Below: Heifers Texas A&M AgriLife Research photos nutrition and body weight gain during calfhood. Structural and functional changes in neurons (nerve cells) also are evident.

These scientists are now testing management changes that would improve pregnancy rates early and optimize lifetime productive in replacement heifers.

The scientists warn, however, that strategies to accelerate puberty have to be considered with caution to avoid precocious puberty and unwanted pregnancies, compromising heifer development and reproductive efficiency later in life.

Funding for the research has been provided by the Texas Beef Enhancement Program through AgriLife Research and by the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture-National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

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