Land and Livestock Post

January January2016 2016——Issue Issue22

Help Wanted

Seeking a helping hand Finding and keeping good workers PAGE 12 PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID BRYAN, TX 77802 PERMIT # 23

JAMES THOMPSON PURCHASING CHOICES

JAMES FOR GOING THOMPSON THE GREEN

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JAMESDEVASTATION DAIRY THOMPSON

JAMES HOG WILD THOMPSON

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Straight Study investigates from the horse's consumer mouth. buying decisions.

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January 2016 — Issue 2

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The Land & Livestock Post

News From the General Manager

I

recently had to move desks at work. I face southwest now, which is a little off-putting because I’ve faced southeast for about 13 years.

I found a lot of treasure when I cleaned out the old work space: Trade show badges, dozens of spiral notebooks that I refuse to throw away, several paperweights which ironically were buried un- JESSE WRIGHT der piles of paper, day planners with the month of January clearly documented and the rest of the year left blank — and a set of poker chips.

I don’t think any of these things are of much use, but I held on to a few of them. I even miraculously found some drink tickets with one of the trade show badges, so I may try to see if I can cash those in somewhere.

I like to think I am a good employee. I’m at least good enough that when they asked me to clean out my desk, it was because they wanted me to move to another desk. So, for the time being, I don’t believe I’ve over-

stayed my welcome just yet.

But finding good employees is hard.

I had a job in college working at a tire store. It was hard work.

On more than one occasion, I trained a new hire in the morning, and he never came back from lunch.

If you have a ranch, odds are you are going to have to hire someone at some point — and the odds also are pretty strong that the work isn’t going to be easy. In our cover story, we take a look at the process of hiring good employees and, more importantly, how to keep them.

We also have news on feral hogs, as well as stories and information from around the ag industry. Hope you enjoy it, and as always, thanks for reading. ’Til next time,

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A new twist in economic studies could help growers be more brainy in bringing their products to market, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service economist.

“This new area may help us to use the knowledge we gain so that people can make better decisions and choices to impact the way they eat, play, interact with the landscape and learn,” said Marco

Palma, AgriLife Extension economist in College Station.

Palma was distinguished lecturer for the fall series of the Ellison Chair in International Floriculture at Texas A&M University and made this address, “The Brain Doesn’t Lie: Using Neuromarketing Tools for Consumer Research.”

He described how the field of economics traditionally used mathematics to describe how people make choices and later

See CHOICE, Page 11

The Land & Livestock Post

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January 2016 — Issue 2

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News Comprehensive Master Marketer program slated for Abilene

By Steve ByrnS Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

ABILENE — The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will conduct the 2016 Master Marketer Program beginning in January.

The four-part series, preceded by an optional leveling workshop, will be conducted at the Texas Education Agency Region 14 Education Service Center, 1850 Texas 351 in Abilene.

The Master Marketer program is an intensive 64-plus hour workshop stretching over eight weeks, said Bill Thompson, AgriLife Extension economist at San Angelo.

Thompson is responsible for bringing the program to West Central Texas.

“This program typically rotates between the Panhandle and North Texas areas, so I’m pleased we are again able to bring this workshop to ag producers in our part of Texas,” Thompson said.

“The program focuses on increasing

The bottom line of the series is to increase each of the participant’s gross farm revenue by 2.5 to 5 percent.

Bill Thompson

AgriLife Extension economist at San Angelo. the understanding of key agricultural marketing concepts with the goal being to equip participants with the tools needed to develop a marketing plan and sound marketing practices, and to increase their use of the basic tools of market analysis.

“The bottom line of the series is to increase each of the participant’s gross farm revenue by 2.5 to 5 percent.”

The series starts with the optional “leveling” workshop on Jan. 19 for those who feel they need a little extra tutoring to get up to speed on the curriculum, Thompson said.

The four primary sessions participants are urged to attend in their entirety will be:

• Session I, Jan. 20-21 — Review of Market Basics, Budgets, Breakevens, Financials, Seasonality and the Importance of a Marketing Plan.

• Session II, Feb. 4-5 — Grain and Livestock Fundamentals and Crop Insurance.

• Session III, Feb. 17-18 — Technical Analysis and Cotton Fundamentals.

• Session Iv, March 2-3 — Weather, Livestock, Legal Issues and Tying It All Together.

“Day one of each session will begin at 9 a.m. to allow people a little time to drive in, but we will work well into the evening to around 8 p.m.,” Thompson said. “Day two of each session will begin at 8 a.m., and we will wrap up at 4 p.m.”

Individual registration for the entire program is $350. Registration will be accepted for up to 60 participants or until Jan.11. Thompson stressed that the quality of the program far exceeds the cost to producers.

“We have tremendous buy-in from industry and the commodity associations,” Thompson said. “Through their continued support, we are able to keep the registration fees low.”

Interested producers are encouraged to contact their local AgriLife Extension office for more information about registration, or go to bit.ly/S77qSJ .

“In the 21 years since the Master Marketer Program has been in existence, it has evolved into one of the premier marketing programs in the nation. And this marks only the third time we’ve held it in our part of the state, so I urge producers, regardless of the commodity they produce, to take advantage of this truly unique opportunity,” Thompson said.

Jan.23 Texas Angus Assn. Stars of Texas Female Sale, Fort Worth, TX

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Events Calendar January Jan.7 Jordan Cattle Auction Special Replacement Female Sale, San Saba, TX Jan.9 Live Oak BBA Bull Sale, Three Rivers, TX Jan.11 Jordan Cattle Auction Special Stocker & Feeder Sale, Mason, TX Jan.14 Jordan Cattle Auction Stocker-Feeder & Premium Weaned Sale, San Saba, TX Jan.16 The Premier Texas Longhorn Sale, Fort Worth, TX Jan.16 AQHA Best of the Remuda Sale, Fort Worth, TX Jan.16 National Santa Gertrudis Sale, Fort Worth, TX Jan.16 Violeta Ranch Beefmaster Production Sale, Hebbronville, TX Jan.17 Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show Invitational Ranch Horse Show and Sale,

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Fort Worth, TX Jan.22 Texas Angus Assn. Best of the West Angus Bull Sale, Fort Worth, TX

Jan.23 Jordan Cattle Auction January Replacement Female Sale, San Saba, TX Jan.28 Jordan Cattle Auction Special Bull Offering Pat Griswold Bull Sale, San Saba, TX Jan.29 Cowtown Cattle Drive Charolais Sale, Fort Worth, TX Jan.29 Buzzard Hollow Ranch Bull Sale, Granbury, TX Jan.29 The Cowtown Classic Limousin Cattle Sale, Fort Worth, TX Jan.30 Fort Worth Red Angus Showcase Sale, Fort Worth, TX Jan.30 Dennis Charolais Farm & Guests BeefGene Charolais Bull Sale, Sulphur Springs, TX Jan.31 Fort Worth National “Cowtown Select” Hereford and Polled Hereford Sale, Fort Worth, TX Jan.31 47th Annual Whiteface Replacement Female Sale, Fort Worth, TX

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

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

January 2016 — Issue 2

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The Land & Livestock Post

News AgriLife Research sets rangeland prescribed burn training

By Kay LedBetter Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

Photo courtesy of St. John’s University

SONORA — The Academy for Ranch Management will host two rangeland burning schools in February and March at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research-Sonora Station on Texas 55 between Sonora and Rocksprings.

“Texas finally received good rainfall across most of the state, resulting in more grass production than we have seen in several years,” said Ray Hinnant, a Texas A&M AgriLife Research senior research associate in College Station.

“During the summer we also saw an increase in wildfires as a result. These courses will assist landowners in using prescribed fire for habitat restoration, rangeland restoration and wild-

Prescribed burns can be an importnt tool forTexas producers,but they must be done carefully and correctly. The Academy for Ranch Management will host two rangeland burning schools in February and March. fire mitigation. Recovery from wildfires and prescribed burning will also be discussed.”

An introductory Prescribed Rangeland Burning School will be held Feb. 18-20, Hinnant said.

This workshop will provide an overview of prescribed burning and will include information on the history of fire, weather, planning a burn, fuels and fuel moisture, and equipment.

“The introductory school is for those interested in prescribed burning as either a volunteer on

See BURN, Page 21

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January 2016 — Issue 2

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News Water conservation effectiveness depends on farmers’ economics

By Kay LedBetter Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

VERNON — Farming is a business, and the actions of farmers will be based on economics, even when it comes to water conservation, according to a recent study by Texas A&M AgriLife Research.

Extremely small recharge rates in the Ogallala Aquifer indicate depletion is inevitable, and that has policymakers scrambling to find ways to prolong its life and ensure a smooth transition to the dryland production to minimize impacts on the overall economy, said Seong Park, AgriLife Research economist in Vernon.

Park said, however, not all tools proposed or implemented by policymakers will be effective in working toward that goal.

The paper, “Will farmers save water? A theoretical analysis of groundwater conservation policies,” recently was published in the Water

Texas A&M AgriLife Communications photo by Kay Ledbetter

New sprinkler emitters may help farmers improve water efficiency on crops, but not necessarily save water in the long run.

Resources and Economics journal and provides a look at the alternatives being offered and their potential to conserve water.

The study was conducted by Park; Tong Wang, former AgriLife Research post-doctoral researcher now in the South Dakota State department of economics in Brookings, South Dakota; and Hailong Jin, of the Black Hills State University College of Business and Natural Sciences in Spearfish, South Dakota. Funding was provided through the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service Ogallala Aquifer Program.

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January 2016 — Issue 2

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The Land & Livestock Post

News

MARK HUSSEY

Hussey named chair-elect of Agriculture Assembly board

By Kathleen PhilliPs Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

Mark Hussey, Texas A&M University System vice chancellor and dean of agriculture, has been voted chair-elect of the Board of Agriculture Assembly for 2016.

Hussey will help lead thousands of administrators and faculty across the nation in creating and implementing an integrated federal-relations program as well as formulating Congressional budget recommendations affecting all areas of agriculture.

“It’s a privilege to serve in a leadership role for this assembly,” Hussey said. “Agriculture

has an impact on everyone in the world, and the U.S. industry continues to lead through education, engagement and discovery.”

The assembly is a unit of the Association of Public and Landgrant Universities Commission on Food, Environment and Renewable Resources. It includes the U.S., Puerto Rico, the territories of the Pacific and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The assembly is charged with promoting all phases of agriculture, such as food, environment, agriculture, natural resources and international issues. Membership consists of faculty and leaders in state universities and land-grant colleges.

The Land & Livestock Post

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January 2016 — Issue 2

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News Farmers need to be ‘vigilant’ against herbicide-resistant weeds

By Blair Fannin Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

Farmers need to continue to be vigilant in rotating herbicides to defend against the threat of glyphosate-resistant herbicides, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialist.

At the recent Texas Plant Protection Association Conference in Bryan, several talks addressed new technology and continuing weed control. In addition, a number of awards were presented during the annual business meeting.

Paul Baumann, AgriLife Extension state weed specialist in College Station, told attendees that weed resistance issues in Texas will continue in the future.

“We’ve got to keep the pressure on whether we are talking about

common waterhemp or using alternative chemistries,” he said.

“You just can’t let it go.”

Baumann said rotating herbicides in crops is a good management practice. Other than herbicides, hand-hoe labor is expensive and hard to come by.

“Unless you go out there and pull that weed up, you’ve still got to get control of it,” he said.

“You’ve got to get ahead of the problem before it starts.”

Peter Dotray, Texas A&M AgriLife Research weed scientist in Lubbock, said there are a lot of fields “with lots of different biotypes.”

“If we control with the same approach year after year, you know what’s going to happen,” he said.

Dotray said just one Palmer amaranth plant has the capabil-

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Blair Fannin

Paul Baumann, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service state weed specialist, discussed weed control issues at the recent Texas Plant Protection Association Conference in Bryan. ity of producing 500 to 600 million seed.

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“Weed resistance is a real global issue that requires local solutions,” he said. “There’s no silver bullet coming in the next year or the next 10 years.”

Following the speakers, a number of agricultural professionals and students received association awards. The following were award winners: • Poster contest — Texas A&M University students John Gordy, Development of Thresholds for Management of Sugarcane Aphid on Sorghum, first place; Chase Vasbinder, Soil Nutrient Survey for Phosphorus and Potassium in the Texas Blacklands and Coastal Plains Production Regions, second place; Sarah Ajayi, Spectral Vegetation Indices for Eliminating Growth and Performance of Winter Wheat Genotypes, third place.

• Pest identification winners — Dan Bradshaw, crop consultant, El Campo, first place; Stephen Biles, AgriLife Extension agent for integrated pest management, Port Lavaca, second place; Webb Wallace, crop consultant, Harlingen, third place.

• Texas Plant Protection Association awards — Adam Hixson, BASF technical services representative, Industry Award; Darrin Biediger, Consultant Award; Randy Rivera, Texas Department of Agriculture, Norman Borlaug Lifetime Achievement Award.

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The Land & Livestock Post

News Publications analyze water use in Southern Ogallala Aquifer ed Ogallala Aquifer Program, was to evaluate the impacts the various agricultural sectors are having on the Ogallala Aquifer, both in water use and economic impact, he said.

The publications outline the beef, swine, dairy, small grains, feed grains and cotton sectors in the region, he said.

All six publications, which include in-depth results and analysis of each of the industries, can be found in the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Bookstore at bit.ly/1hdKs4d. They can be downloaded free or hard copies can be purchased for $5 each.

“The water use of the agriculture sector is substantial but so is the economic impact,” Amosson said.

“It is important to realize the economic impact on the area far

exceeds the individuals directly involved in the production. Several satellite businesses have been attracted to the region because of these production sectors including, fertilizer dealers, cotton gins, feed dealers and packing plants to name a few, which adds to the impact.”

In addition, he said, all these businesses and employees are spending money in the area furthering the economic impact.

The region is semiarid, primarily dependent on the Ogallala Aquifer for water. The aquifer stretches from the Dakotas to the southern plains of Texas and comprises approximately 174,000 square miles.

The Southern Ogallala Region is defined in this study as the 97,000 square miles of the aquifer from the northern border of Kan-

sas to just north of the MidlandOdessa area and includes parts of five states.

The region consists of 19.7 million acres of cropland and more than 6.4 million acres enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program; the rest is rangeland.

Of the cropland, 7.3 million acres are irrigated and 12.4 million acres are dryland. The primary irrigated crops grown in the region are corn, wheat, cotton and sorghum.

Sparse population and favorable environmental conditions have made this region a popular place for confined livestock operations, Amosson said. Cattle feedlots first appeared in the 1960s and grew steadily until inventories stabilized over the last decade. In 2010, cattle on feed topped 4.9 million head.

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Texas A&M AgriLife Communications photo by Kay Ledbetter

Steve Amosson,Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service economist, shows off the six new publications outlining agriculture use of the OgallalaAquifer in the Southern High Plains.

By Kay LedBetter Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

AMARILLO — Six publications analyzing the water use of the crop and livestock industry in the Southern Ogallala Aquifer region have been completed by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialists.

Water use in the southern Ogallala region greatly has exceeded the recharge rate for the

past several decades, leading to a steady decline in the aquifer, said Steve Amosson, regents fellow and AgriLife Extension economist in Amarillo.

This decline and water use in the agricultural sector had many stakeholders questioning whether the economic benefits to the region’s economy justified the agricultural operations water use, Amosson said.

The objectives of the study, supported by the federally fund-

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January 2016 — Issue 2

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News High Plains Irrigation Conference set for Feb. 4 in Amarillo

By Kay LedBetter Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

AMARILLO — The annual High Plains Irrigation Conference will be Feb. 4 in the North Exhibit Hall of the Amarillo Civic Center, 401 S. Buchanan St., Amarillo.

The program, hosted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas Agricultural Irrigation Association, will address a wide variety of topics of interest to the general public, as well as to agricultural producers, landowners, crop consultants and irrigation professionals, said Dr. Dana Porter, program coordinator and AgriLife Extension agricultural engineering specialist–irrigation and water management, Lubbock.

A concurrent trade show will also provide opportunities for attendees to see new products and technologies, and to visit with experts from industry, non-profit organizations and agencies.

Registration will be onsite only, beginning at 8 a.m., with the program starting at 8:30 a.m. The fee is $30 and lunch is included.

Continuing education units for Texas Department of Agriculture pesticide applicators – one general and two integrated pest management – and certified crop advisers – five soil and water management, two integrated pest management, one half crop management and one half professional development – will be offered. Additionally, seven Agricultural Irrigation Association certified irrigation designer and

certified agricultural irrigation specialist units will be offered.

The keynote address on Issues in Water Law and Agriculture will be given by Tiffany Dowell Lashmet, AgriLife Extension agricultural law specialist, Amarillo. Other topics and speakers will be: • How Crops Use Water — Jourdan Bell, AgriLife Extension agronomist, Amarillo.

• Practical Irrigation Scheduling tools — Jonathan Aguilar, Kansas State University Extension water resources specialist, Garden City, Kansas.

• Monitoring and Interpreting Soil Moisture — Saleh Taghvaeian, Oklahoma State University Extension water resources specialist, Stillwater, Okla.

• applied Variable rate Irrigation technology — Charles

Hillyer, AgriLife Extension irrigation specialist, Amarillo.

• Technology Standardization: agGateWay — Hillyer.

• Notes From the Field: Irrigation in the Context of Integrated Pest Management/ Integrated Crop Management — Blayne Reed, AgriLife Extension integrated pest management agent in Hale and Swisher counties.

• Water Management Considerations in Integrated Pest Management — Reed • Irrigation “Ex-Spurts” — Thomas Marek, Texas A&M AgriLife Research irrigation engineer, Amarillo; Keith Sides, U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service irrigation engineer, Lubbock; Farris Hightower, Lindsay Corp., Lubbock; Rusty Houston, Eco-Drip Irrigation, Lubbock;

Edwin Smith, Senninger Irrigation Inc., Lubbock; Kenneth Ewings, Texas Agricultural Irrigation Association vice president, Lubbock; and Reed.

The meeting will conclude at 5 p.m.

For more conference information, go to the Texas Agricultural Irrigation Association website, taia.org/HPIC_2015.html.

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January 2016 — Issue 2

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The Land & Livestock Post

News Choice, from Page 3 added theories from the field of psychology to predict decision making.

Now researchers are including various types of equipment to view eye and brain movement, for example, to understand the process people inherently use to decide what purchases to make, he said.

“The brain is very complex with certain areas that function in different ways,” said Palma, who also heads the Human Behavior Laboratory in the department of agricultural economics at Texas A&M. “The frontal lobe, particularly the frontal cortex, is an area where a lot of decision making comes from. The insula is another area of the brain which tends to activate when a person is thinking about issues pertaining to cost.”

He described a study in which people first were shown a picture of a box of fancy chocolate candies and then shown the same picture with a price included. Each viewer was given seconds to decide whether to buy the box of chocolates, and the researchers were able to see the viewer’s brain activating.

The Land & Livestock Post

that led to lower yield.”

“In one study, participants were allowed to taste two wines while their brain activity was scanned. One was marked $10 and one $90, but they were actually the same wine,” Palma said. “The $90 bottle won all the tastings as being best. The part of the brain associated with pleasure activated more when drinking the bottle marked $90, but not for the identical wine marked at $10.”

Photo courtesy of Texas A&M AgriLife

Eyes are part of economic studies on human behavior and consumer choices.

“The study found there was a lot more activation from when people were looking at the product to when they were looking at the price,” Palma said.

For food and horticulture producers, he said, the ability to know how people react to viewing produce or landscape plants and pricing could be helpful in deciding what to grow and how much the marketplace will support.

There are, however, some differences for horticultural products compared with other retail items, he said. “One part of the brain can be saying, ‘go ahead and eat’

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January 2016 — Issue 2

certain foods while the other is saying, ‘no, don’t eat it now, think about your health.’”

Branding is another area that typically benefits retail products, Palma said.

“Brands want to emphasize benefits and make it easy for people to find your product and buy it. In many cases, the consumer brain is wired to think that one product is of higher quality just because of the brand,” Palma said. “But in horticulture, if there is a problem with pests or disease reducing tomato yields, for example, the price goes up, whereas the quality goes down due to the situation

He also described a study in which people were shown pictures of plants with prices and asked about purchasing preferences based on whether water-savings techniques were used by the nurseries who grew the plants or if the plant would produce water savings after planting in the landscape. The research found consumers were more likely to purchase the plants if they could save water in the landscape.

“At the Human Behavior Lab, we’re trying to find ways of getting better explanations for choices that otherwise couldn’t be explained,” he said. “We are trying to integrate this equipment into research to complement what we do in traditional marketing and economic studies.”

11

News

Helping hands

Good employee hiring, management leads to successful ranch operations

By RoBeRt FeaRs Special to The Post

A

goal in any ranch management plan should be to hire and keep the right employees. Competent, responsible employees can impact ranch profits positively and relieve the manager from day-to-day operational tasks, providing him or her time for record keeping, purchasing, marketing, and planning.

“Finding and keeping quality ranch employees is absolutely necessary if profitability, growth and excellence goals are to be reached by any ranch,” said Barry Dunn, dean of the College of Agriculture and Biological Sciences at South Dakota State University and director of the university’s Cooperative Extension Service. “Finding, hiring, motivating and keeping good employees is often neglected by small businesses and ranches alike, as these skills seem irrelevant amongst such a small payroll.

However, the fewer employees an organization has, the more dependent it is on the employees it does have, arguably making human resource management even more important,” Dunn said.

“Research shows that replacing an employee costs about 50 to 150 percent of the position’s annual salary,” said Ryan Rhoades, assistant professor at the King Ranch Institute of Ranch Management at Texas A&M University Kingsville.

“It’s really expensive to keep replacing people when there’s constant employee turnover.”

See EMPLOYEE, Page 13

12

Photo by Robert Fears

The workers on a ranch can mean the difference between the success or failure of an operation, so it is important to spend time to find the right employees and then work to keep them working for you.

January 2016 — Issue 2

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The Land & Livestock Post

News Emloyee, from Page 12

Use a hiring process

Before initiating the hiring process, proactively anticipate and assess future labor and leadership needs. Rhoades suggests it is helpful to review your leadership and staffing requirements periodically to answer the following questions: • Where is the ranch going?

• How many people and what positions will be needed in the next several years?

• How will the ranch’s organizational structure evolve and how will needs change over time?

• What does your ranch’s leadership pipeline need to contain today to ensure development of leaders for tomorrow?

“After labor needs are identified, specifically define competencies needed for the

Photo by Robert Fears

There are several questions producers must ask before initiating the hiring process. current and future job openings on your ranch,” Rhoades said. “Defining a job based on the specific needs of the ranch starts with development of a good job description.

“Figure 1 highlights several suggested items to include in a job description. If done correctly, a job description is a valuable way of facilitating communication between the employer and potential job candidates.

“From a management perspective, a job description should highlight expectations, essential functions, and compensation ranges. Subsequently, it should help a potential candidate recognize whether

See HELP, Page 15

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January 2016 — Issue 2

13

News Sign up for the Land & Livestock Post Stocker supplementation choices Electronic Newsletter can affect producers’ profits Ag news you can use, now at the click of a mouse!

By Bryan nichols The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation

There are three main types of nutritional supplementation that often are discussed in regard to stocker cattle grazing wheat pasture: minerals, ionophores and energy feeds.

Wheat forage is generally marginal to sufficient in phosphorus and magnesium, high in potassium, and low in calcium. Therefore, calcium is the mineral that most often limits growth in cattle grazing wheat. A 550-pound steer gaining 3 pounds per day has a calcium requirement of 33 grams. If the steer is consuming 16 pounds of forage, he is deficient 7.5 grams. If a steer consumes 2 ounces of mineral per day, then the calcium concentration in the mineral package needs to be 13.2 percent. If mineral intake is higher, calcium concentration can be reduced.

Most commercially available wheat pasture mineral packages will be high in calcium (7 to 17 percent) and low in phosphorus (3 to 6 percent). Data from the Noble Foundation has shown an improvement in average daily gain of 0.2 pounds per day when providing a mineral supplement to cattle on wheat pasture.

Providing an ionophore to cattle grazing wheat pasture is an economical practice that all producers should employ if not raising cattle for a “natural” market.

In the same Noble Foundation study, inclusion of the ionophore monensin increased average gain 0.2 pounds per day. This increase in gain is additive to the gains shown through mineral supplementation alone. Ionophore intake should be targeted for 100 to 200 milligrams per day.

An ionophore-containing mineral generally will cost approximately $25 per 50-pound sack. If mineral intake is 3 ounces per head per day, cost per animal is

14

Photo courtesy of the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation

Producers should calculate the cost of nutritional supplements before administering them to their herd.

9 cents per day. Average daily gain is increased by 0.4 pounds per day, which equates to an increase in revenue of 20 cents per head per day if grazing cattle on a cost per pound of gain basis at 50 cents per pound. Over a 105day grazing period, each animal profits an additional $11.55.

Supplemental energy in the form of high-starch or high-fiber feedstuffs can be used to increase individual animal gain, decrease performance risk and increase gain per acre through increased stocking rates.

Data from Oklahoma State University shows that providing supplemental energy at a rate

of 0.65 percent of bodyweight to 533-pound steers increased average gain by 0.33 pounds per day over a three-year study. This results in a supplement conversion ratio on an animal basis of 10.5:1.

With feed costs at approximately $200 per ton, the value of gain would need to be greater than $1.05 per pound to be economical.

Generally, feeding supplemental energy is not done solely to increase individual animal gain but also to increase stocking rate.

In that same Oklahoma State study, providing the additional feed allowed a 33 percent increase

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January 2016 — Issue 2

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News Help, from Page 13 or not they are capable of performing the duties specified for the position before they apply.

“A well-written job description is a helpful tool for orienting and evaluating new employees once the right person has been hired and is progressing within the organization,” Rhoades said.

Job descriptions also should be prepared for current employees, if not done previously.

A good job description informs an employee of what is expected by management and serves as a self-evaluation tool for measuring job performance.

Job descriptions help managers evaluate tenured employees in addition to new hires.

“Once a quality job description has been written, you are

then ready to develop the candidate pool,” Rhoades said.

“The wider the net that is cast, the greater the likelihood will be of finding the right person for the job. The reputation of the ranch has an impact on the number of potential candidates attracted to the job offering.

“If the ranch is known as a great place to work, it will have a distinct advantage when trying to attract high-quality potential employees,” Rhoades said. “A reputation as a great place to work can be developed if management is willing to show their employees that they play a significant role in overall success of the ranch and are motivated to help them succeed individually.”

Assess qualities and abilities of candidates through an

Figure 1. Example of a quality job description outlining important features to communicate when seeking ranch employees.

interview process. Candidate assessment is certainly not an easy task, but steps can be implemented to improve the process.

“Make sure the right interviewers are conducting the candidate assessment,” Rhoades said. “The best interviewers are often very familiar with the job, yet self-confident enough in their own abilities to hire the best possible candidate. Additionally, these interviewers are not threatened by someone more talented than themselves.

Utilizing the wrong interviewers can yield a greater negative result than selecting from a pool of potential candidates at random.”

“Utilize the right number of interviewers to assess the candidate,” Rhoades said. “Experience has shown that three people are a good number for interview panels.

“Candidates should meet with one interviewer at a time and too many interviews can cause fatigue in candidates. The candidates may not express themselves as well at the end of the day as they do in the morning. Less than three interviewers may obtain an insufficient amount of information from candidates to make the right hiring decision.”

The interview panel can include stakeholders involved in the business such as family members, the loan officer, management consultant, or unbiased senior employees. At the end of the day, the hiring manager should have the right to make the final decision on which candidate gets the job.

“Make sure the right techniques are used when assessing candidates,” Rhoades said.

“Behavioral event interviews in which the candidate is asked

to describe specific experiences and results are usually very effective.

“Consider conducting thorough reference and background checks as part of the candidate assessment process.

“Following the interviews, interviewers should meet and have a rigorous and disciplined conversation about the candidates. An effective way to evaluate candidates is to use a matrix to score candidates on specific attributes.”

Rhoades said,“Even when the hiring team has correctly assessed the candidates and has selected the right person for the job, at least one in five potential hires will likely turn down the job offer.”

“Demonstrating the ranch’s commitment and interest in the selected candidate is an

See HIRE, Page 23

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January 2016 — Issue 2

15

News LIVESTOCK MARKET REPORT Buffalo

Results of the Buffalo Livestock Commission’s Dec. 19 sale.

Head: 155 Steers: 150-200 lbs., $225-$275; 200-300 lbs., $215-$270; 300-400 lbs., $195-$242; 400-500 lbs., $160-$210; 500-600 lbs., $150$200; 600-700 lbs., $140-$165; 700-800 lbs., $135-$150.

Heifers: 150-200 lbs., $235$245; 200-300 lbs., $175-$240; 300-400 lbs., $155-$215; 400500 lbs., $135-$185; 500-600 lbs., $132-$165; 600-700 lbs., $130$157; 700-800 lbs., $110-$135.

Slaughter bulls: $85-$115.

Slaughter cows: $40-$83.

Bred cows: $1,100-$2,075.

Cow/calf pairs: $1,275-$2,700.

Groesbeck

Results of the Groesbeck Auction and Livestock Company’s Dec. 17 sale.

Head: 264 Steers: 300-400 lbs., $200-$240; 400-500 lbs., $190-$220; 500-600 lbs., $175-$200; 600-700 lbs., $160-$175.

Heifers: 300-400 lbs., $175$220; 400-500 lbs., $165-$210; 500-600 lbs., $150-$185; 600-700

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lbs., $145-$165.

Slaughter bulls: $89-$94.

Slaughter cows: $55-$75.

Bred cows: $1,100-$2,000.

Cow/calf pairs: $1,300-$2,100.

Navasota

Results of the Navasota Livestock Commission’s Dec. 19 sale.

Head: 1,080 Steers: 150-300 lbs., $160-$350; 300-400 lbs., $150-$235; 400-500 lbs., $140-$217.50; 500-600 lbs., $130-$192.50; 600-700 lbs., $120$169.

Heifers: 150-300 lbs.,$150-$290; 300-400 lbs., $140-$220; 400-500 lbs., $130-$180; 500-600 lbs., $120-$160; 600-700 lbs., $110$151.

Slaughter bulls: $70-$93.

Slaughter cows: $50-$75.

Bred cows: $1,000-$1,525.

— Special to The Post

Handling weather hazards is a CHARM

By Kathleen PhilliPs Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

HOUSTON — When it comes to helping coastal communities be more resilient to weather hazards, ideas don’t need to be sandbagged, experts say.

That’s why the Federal Emergency Management Agency has granted $750,000 to a program that already is experienced in working with city leaders along the Texas coast and other Gulf states.

“We’re the first cooperating technical partner in this region that FEMA has funded to go in a new direction with community outreach,” said Steven Mikulencak, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service program specialist with the Texas Coastal Watershed Program.

Mikulencak said whereas

Minerals, from Page 14 in stocking rate, which brings the supplement conversion ratio on a per acre basis to 5:1. With $200 per ton feed, the value of additional gain would need to be greater than 50 cents per pound to be economical.

This number is much closer to being feasible in today’s market if the producer owns both the wheat and cattle. Remember, to capture this more favorable conversion, the stocking rate must be increased.

In summary, the use of supplemental mineral and ionophores for stocker cattle grazing wheat pasture are proven practices that should be employed. Providing supplemental energy should be evaluated carefully in each situation to ensure that value will be gained from the practice.

FEMA previously had contracted with state agencies and others for technical needs such as mapping, the new project aims specifically at reaching out to municipalities before a storm in order to devise ways to prevent loss of lives and property through better planning and overall community improvement.

“People tend to think about hazards in terms of emergency response,” said John Jacob, AgriLife Extension specialist and director of the Texas Coastal Watershed Program. “This is more about ‘deep’ resilience long-term.

It turns out that those things that improve a community’s quality of life – things like walkability and more parks and vibrant spaces – will also make a community more resilient in terms of coastal hazards and any number of other problems.”

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sues 24 Is

The five-course training segment will include instruction on legal and regulatory issues for city planning, as well as policies that can reduce risks for floods and other hazards, while building a better community, Mikulencak said. The growth scenario planning workshop will teach people how to use a hands-on tabletop electronic tool known as CHARM — Community Health and Resource Management — to visualize the impact of various planning choices.

Also, as part of the grant, CHARM will be expanded to include online data aimed at ultimately making the tool more useful.

“This is going to allow communities — on very short notice — to be able to develop their own customized planning scenario mapping application.”

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January 2016 — Issue 2

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The Land & Livestock Post

News Water, from Page 6 potential groundwater conservation policies across the Southern Great Plains provide profitdriven farmers with incentives to save water.

“We wanted to focus on the incentives provided by selected policy tools to ensure water savings on the farmer’s side and achieve the sustainability goal,” Park said.

He said their theoretical study of the impacts of different policy options on groundwater conservation potential was conducted after previous studies determined voluntary and incentivebased water conservation programs may have “unintended or even perverse consequences.”

“Very few attempts had been made to analyze the effectiveness of different policy alternatives in incentivizing an individual farmer to actually save water,” Park said. “We also wanted to look at the effectiveness of the

alternatives based on regional characteristics such as groundwater depth, satiation thickness and feasible crop patterns.”

He said a majority of existing literature modeled the future depletion rate of the Ogallala Aquifer from the perspective of a regulatory agency that can allocate water use effectively and in an efficient manner.

Farmers, however, tend to make short-term decisions in response to current output prices and input costs without considering long-term profit consequences.

“What we found was that in order to achieve the water-saving goals in regions with high pumping cost, rather than providing a subsidy for the new technology installation or charging a unit water tax, policymakers should offer a unit subsidy for saved water and a subsidy for waterconservation crops,” Wang said.

“These are more promising to achieve water savings, as it di-

rectly rewards farmers for actual water saved.”

Water rights retirement programs or water buyout programs are an example of providing compensation on a land basis for farmers willing to retire their water right, she said.

“However, our results show a fixed compensation rate tends to attract the land with low productivity and high water cost, thus compromising the program’s effectiveness because most of the enrolled land initially did not use much irrigation water.”

Wang said conceptual models on farmer incentives rarely take these factors into account, so their study filled in those gaps.

“We studied farmer’s incentive-driven responses to the following policy tools: irrigation technology subsidies, increased water costs, unit subsidies for water savings and subsidies on water-conservative crops,” she

See CONSERVE, Page 18

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News Storm devastates Texas and N.M. dairy industry Special to The Post

Winter Storm Goliath at the end of December packed a powerful punch to the heart of the Texas dairy industry that will be felt well into the future, from a reduction in the state’s milk supply to dairy financial losses to the emotional impact on farmers of losing their animals, according to Darren Turley, executive director of the Texas Association of Dairymen.

The Weather Channel reported that dairy producers in Texas and New Mexico have estimated that the number of animals that died during the recent Winter Storm Goliath will climb to more than 30,000. Turley said that an estimated 15,000 mature dairy cows died between Lubbock, Muleshoe and Friona, the primary impact area of the storm, The Associated Press also reported.

According to an agent with New Mexico State University’s extension service, the state lost an estimated 20,000 cows.

The winds are believed to be the cause for many of the animals’ deaths. It created drifts as high as 14 feet and pushed animals into fenced corners where they suffocated, according to AP. “Like all agriculture, dairy producers always operate at the mercy of Mother Nature,” Turley said. “With Goliath, she dealt a particularly harsh and costly blow to the area’s dairy producers, from the death of thousands of livestock they spend so much time caring for to a loss of milk production both over the weekend and in the future.”

Turley estimates the region — which includes half of the state’s top 10 milk producing counties — is home to about 36 percent of the state’s dairy cows, or an estimated 142,800 cows. He estimates that the blizzard killed about 5 percent of mature dairy cows and an asyet unknown number of calves and heifers. As producers are

18

able to fully examine their herds, Turley estimates losses will continue to climb.

“The immediate challenge is how to handle these sudden, massive losses of animals,” Turley said. “The ordinary methods for disposal cannot handle the volume of deaths we are seeing from this storm.

“The Texas Association of Dairymen is working with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and other agencies to determine how the animals can be disposed of both quickly and safely.”

Turley warned that the storm will have a lingering affect on the state’s milk supply. During the storm, weather conditions and road closures both kept dairy employees, who normally milk the animals twice a day, and tanker trucks, which transport the milk from dairy to processor, from reaching farms. Not only were hundreds of loads of milk ready for processing wasted, but, on some farms, cows went almost two days without being milked, Turley said.

“When a dairy cow goes that long without being milked, her milk supply starts to dry up,” Turley said. “That means the dairy cows in this region will give less milk for months to come.

Less milk going to market will be felt by consumers, as well as by dairy farmers.”

Conserve, from Page 17 said.

Wang said they found in regions with high pumping costs, no water savings will occur after converting to a more efficient technology. Instead, farmers take advantage of the new technology to pursue increased profit.

“While the technology subsidy can be effective in the preventative stage, or before the water table declines too much, it is often unjustified when water depletion is already a serious problem,” she said.

Similarly, they noted, an increase in water cost may serve its purpose if well pumping capacity is not a constraint. However, if well pumping capacity is limited due to falling groundwater levels, the cost increase may not be practical because water usage will not respond to the small price increase.

“To achieve the required water savings goal, it often takes a large price increase, which is detrimental to the farmers’ profit and is likely to be met with resistance on implementation,” Wang said.

“We found that policy alternatives such as a subsidy for unit water saved and price subsidy for water-conservative crops is likely effective in achieving water conservation even in the case of high pumping costs,” she said. “Therefore, in areas where groundwater is already a constraint, these direct rewards serve the conservation purpose better.”

Compared to the subsidy of new technology, a subsidy for water saved discourages the farmer from using the saved water to gain additional profit, while a subsidy for water-conservative crops discourages farmers from switching to more water-intensive crops, Wang said.

Beyond the policy implications, the researchers questioned: Among the farmers who adopt more efficient technologies, is there any relationship between water-use adjustment and pumping cost?

And, prior to the enrollment,

is the average irrigation amount of the land enrolled in a water buyout program comparable to that of the land outside of the program?

Park said future studies should examine the relationship between water pumping cost, crop price and crop patterns to identify the proper price subsidy to more water-conservative crops to achieve the water conservation goal.

“Theoretical modeling from the farmer’s standpoint as well as empirical studies based on farmlevel data in different regions could provide policymakers with more detailed information on the extent of water savings by the varied water-conservation policy tools,” he said.

“After all, it is the farmers who make the water-conservation decisions.”

The full paper can be found at www.sciencedirect. com/science/article/pii/ S2212428415300128.

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January 2016 — Issue 2

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News

Working to keep athletic fields greener longer

By Kay LedBetter Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

S

ports fans know as fall sets in and their favorite team heads out on the turf, the bright green grass begins to turn brown from the wear and tear and changing temperatures.

But a Texas A&M AgriLife Research turfgrass ecologist has completed a study identifying ways to reduce the look of wear and tear from athletic turf traffic.

Ben Wherley, an assistant professor for turfgrass science/ecology with AgriLife Research and the Texas A&M University soil and crop science department in College Station, spent the summer looking at the effects of nitrogen and the fungicide Civitas on foot traffic tolerance on athletic turf.

The plots were Tifway Bermuda grass, which is an industry standard for athletic fields in the south, Wherley said.

“What we’ve done is traffic these plots with a Brinkman traffic simulator,” he said, adding they did either zero, two or four passes per week through the summer and into the fall.

“What we’re trying to do is simulate athletic field traffic that would be equivalent to football.”

Past research has shown that two passes per week is equivalent to the amount of stress produced by one NFL football game between the hash marks and the 40-yard line, Wherley said.

“So looking at these traffic levels of one versus two games a week versus no games a week, what we were trying to determine was the relative effects of nitrogen rate and also a biweekly application of a product

Texas A&M AgriLife Communications photos by Kay Ledbetter

Above, nitrogen rate comparisons on turfgrass plots were done by Ben Wherley, a Texas A&M AgriLife Research turfgrass ecologist, used this Brinkman traffic simulator on his turfgrass plots. Above right, various traffic patterns were compared under treatments of Civitas on turfgrass plots, using this Brinkman traffic simulator on his turfgrass plots. known as Civitas, which is labeled as a fungicide but also has been shown to have some other side benefits in terms of various types of stress tolerance.”

The application treatment every two weeks included no Civitas, an 8.5 ounces rate of Civitas per thousand square feet and 17 ounces per thousand square feet rate.

“So every two weeks through the summer we basically evaluated percent green cover, the amount of green coverage in the plots, also rating the amount of the injury we’re see-

ing in the plots,” Wherley said.

“Particularly we were interested as we got into the later fall months when temperatures cooled, daylight or solar radiation was lower and Bermuda grass started going dormant to see whether Civitas could prolong the green cover in the plots,” he said.

“Representative of a football field getting into the late fall, we wanted to know if this might be used as an alternative to overseeding because of the benefits of the fungicide combined with pigment in this product.”

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January 2016 — Issue 2

He said the results showed improvement in green turf cover and color from the Civitas application across all treatments of traffic, “but we had mixed results in terms of improved resistance to or recovery from injury with Civitas.”

Wherley said it was also interesting to note that there

wasn’t a big difference between the low applications of nitrogen, a quarter pound per growing month, and the high, typically 1 pound per growing month.

“This is probably a result of the fact that the soils in our plots have a good amount of inherent organic matter and fertility in them,” he said.

“The site is an old dairy farm pasture. So what this tells the turf manager is if you have good levels of soil organic matter, there may not be as high of a nitrogen requirement on your turf.”

Wherley said they learned more about the use of Civitas for athletic turf and hopefully through additional testing, will have a good recommendation in the future.

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19

News

War against feral hogs rages on in the new year

By Sean CollinS WalSh Austin American-Statesman

LOCKHART — On a recent Saturday morning, in a gravel parking lot under a highway overpass, Nick Dornak manned a foldout table and waited for drivers to roll by.

Dornak wasn’t a kid selling lemonade. He was an ecologist collecting pig tails.

The Caldwell County Feral Hog Task Force, a volunteer group Dornak started two years ago, is now at the forefront of the state’s patchwork effort to control the wild swine population boom that is hurting farmers, frustrating hunters and poisoning the water in some beloved Central Texas streams and creeks.

Dornak was running the task force’s monthly feral hog bounty claim — hunters and trappers get $5 for every tail or receipt for a hog sale they turn in — when he set up his table across the street from the hallowed Texas barbecue hall that is Kreuz Market.

Kreuz and other pork-serving establishments use a different kind of oinker for their short ribs. Domesticated pigs are like Babe: pink, round and thinly furred. Feral hogs are like Chewbacca: dark, muscular and hairy.

And they’re big. A man in Stephenville caught a 790-pounder on his ranch this year.

While many people are familiar with the havoc feral hogs have wreaked in recent years on the agricultural industry by eating crops and digging ruts in fields that can break farm equipment, Dornak, the coordinator of the Plum Creek Watershed Partnership, came to the subject from a different angle.

“The hogs use streams and rivers as highways, which is a really, really big environmental issue,” he said. “They defecate in and near the water, and we’re talking tens of thousands of pounds of feral pig manure in the state of Texas.”

As a result, the E. coli level in Plum Creek is now three to five

20

times higher than what is considered safe for recreational activities such as swimming, Dornak said.

The task force, which has received about $100,000 in funding from the county and state, runs the bounty for hunters, provides vouchers for farmers to buy traps, contracts with a helicopter operator who lets veterans shoot swine from the sky and manages three “smart traps,” enormous smartphone-controlled corrals that can trap entire sounders, or families, of hogs at once.

Their efforts have resulted in 8,300 silenced swine in Caldwell County, one of the most afflicted areas in the hog boom that began about 20 years ago. Dornak says it’s the only county-based group of its kind in Texas, and he has been invited to speak in other areas of the state about tackling the problem from the local level.

“We’re kind of the shining star in the state as far as feral hog control,” he said.

Plentiful pigs

Hogs first were introduced to North America by Spanish settlers who set domestic pigs free into the woods so that they could breed freely and be harvested by the colonizers in times of need.

In other words, America’s feral hog problem began intentionally.

The breed common in Texas is a variation of the Sus scrofa species, a mix of those colonial European hogs and “Russian

Photo by Jay Janner Austin American-Statesman

Mark Ballard, a hog trapper with Ortiz Game Management, traps a sow and her 10 pigs in Northwest San Antonio. boars” that were brought over in the 1930s for sport hunting, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department website.

They are prodigious procreators. Sows typically bear one litter per year of four to six but

See HOGS, Page 23

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January 2016 — Issue 2

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News Prescribed burns are a useful tool www.dnr.state.mi.us

Prescribed burning is a very important management tool for maintaining and enhancing grasslands. Fire was an important natural part in the development and maintenance of grasslands, forests, and wetlands, throughout history. To many of us, fire is a feared enemy that destroys everything in its path.

Because of this, the use of controlled fires, such as prescribed burning, is underutilized as a management tool for improving and maintaining habitats.

For thousands of years, tall grass prairies and open brushlands were kept free of trees by the occasional wildfires that cleared the landscape every two to 50 years. These fires were caused by lightning, or set intentionally by Native Americans.

They had discovered that fire killed woody plants, but encouraged fruit bearing shrubs, and forage producing grasslands.

Present day research and experience have shown that prescribed burning can be an effective management tool. Prescribed burns are used most frequently to maintain and restore native grasslands. Prescribed burning can recycle nutrients tied up in old plant growth, control many woody plants and herbaceous weeds, improve poor quality forage, increase plant growth, reduce the risk of large wildfires, and improve certain wildlife habitat. To achieve the above benefits, fire must be used under very specific conditions, using very specific techniques.

Brushlands can be invigorated and maintained with fire to benefit species such as bluebirds and sharp-tailed grouse. Burning old fields controls saplings and woody vegetation, and improves grasslands for use by nesting wildlife and grazing livestock.

Forest openings can be manipulated with burns to benefit more than 150 wildlife species. Upland nesting cover used by pheasants, waterfowl, and songbirds will remain productive if periodically burned. Cattails and sedges are

returned to vigor by an occasional burn. Lastly, if you want more oaks in a hardwood stand, a fire will kill off less tolerant species such as maple, and basswood, allowing the oak to compete more successfully. Burning is also more cost-effective than other treatments like bulldozing, cutting, or chemicals.

Objective

Every prescribed burn should have a clear objective. This objective is necessary to evaluate the success of the burn. To show the success, or lack thereof, of a prescribed burn, a photograph can be taken before, directly after, and one year following the burn.

Objectives for a prescribed burn often include one or more of the following: • Kill woody plants • Remove grass and wildflower dead vegetative build-up (duff) • Promote regrowth of warm season plants • Promote regrowth of cool season plants • Reduce or set back noxious weeds • Increase populations of wildflowers • Reduce cattail mono-cultures • Reduce wildfire fuel build-up • Promote growth of fire dependent trees such as Jack pine • Increase populations of threatened and endangered species Burn objectives should be identified in the burn plan. The objectives help determine the weather conditions for the burn, the timing of the burn, and how hot the burn should be.

Notification

For both safety and legal reasons, certain groups should be notified before a burn to prevent unnecessary concerns and dan-

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ger. Notifying neighbors, fire departments, and local law enforcement officials should be part of the prescribed burning process.

Working with the local fire department is crucial because a burn permit may be necessary, and there may be a burning ordinance in your area. A copy of the burn plan should be given to the local fire department. The National Weather Service should have a telephone number listed in your area. They will be able to keep you up to date with changing weather conditions.

Considerations

There are many things to consider when planning for a prescribed burn. Burns need to be conducted by individuals who are experienced and trained in the use of fire. However, as a landowner, it is important to understand prescribed burning and its use. For instance fire moves faster uphill than on a level surface, so slope of the burn area must be taken into account.

When using fire it is important to plan for firebreaks. A firebreak is an area that will contain a fire within its boundaries. A plowed or disked strip, reaching down to mineral soil, is the most common method of establishing a firebreak. Sometimes, a mowed path, or a walking trail, can be used as a fire break. Firebreaks can also be planted to grasses and clovers so they can provide key food and cover to wildlife. For example, if an area is burned every five to seven years, the firebreak is disked up the fall before the burn. Then, after the spring burn, the firebreak is planted to grasses and clovers. Firebreaks should be at least 20 feet wide.

Burn, from Page 5 a burn or to burn on their ranch,” he said.

The Advanced Rangeland Burning School on March 3-5 builds on the previous school, providing more information on fire behavior, fire effects, and planning and conducting a prescribed burn, Hinnant said.

“These schools provide the basics of prescribed burning and can be used throughout the state of Texas,” he said. “We have also had volunteer firefighters and land owners and managers in several other states take the prescribed burning classes.”

The cost for each school is $395, which will include meals and lodging. In addition, Hinnant said, there will be a $45 facilitiesuse fee due upon arrival for each school.

Lewis Allen of Sonora said he has attended three workshops, with the biggest benefit being the thorough information provided regarding issues of safety relating to personnel and pasture preparation for a safe burn.

“The money and time spent have been well worth it to me,” Allen said.

The Academy for Ranch Management is a program of AgriLife Research and the Texas A&M University department of ecosystems science and management in College Station.

The Sonora facilities provide a teaching laboratory for hands-on experience.

Hinnant and Charles “Butch” Taylor, superintendent of the research station, are prescribed burning board lead instructors.

Other speakers during the two

courses include Mort Kothmann, Texas A&M department of ecosystems science and management professor, and Nick Garza, an AgriLife Research associate at Sonora.

The Academy for Ranch Management has provided training for more than 15 years and more than 150 students have passed the Texas Prescribed Burning Board’s course, which is the educational component to apply for a Certified and Insured Prescribed Burn Manager license.

“Our classes are designed to be limited in enrollment so the participants can ask specific questions about their ranch or land management burning and to have camaraderie with other participants with similar problems and potential solutions,” Hinnant said.

Successful completion of both courses and passing the exam will provide the educational component to begin application for either a private, commercial, governmental or not-for-profit certified prescribed burn manager license through the Texas Department of Agriculture, he said.

People interested in attending either school should go to www. agrilife.org/arm for a registration form, and mail it along with payment to Jeanne Andreski at Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, 2138 TAMU, College Station, TX 778432138.

Hinnant also aske d those planning to attend to send him an email at ray.hinnant@gmail. com so he can get them on the list.

For more information, call Hinnant at 979-820-1778.

• Sargent, M.S. and Carter, K.S., ed. 1999.

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January 2016 — Issue 2

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News Hire, from Page 15 important feature when attempting to close the deal. A realistic presentation of the opportunities and challenges, the position may offer the new employee, is another tactic to implement when trying to close the deal.”

Manage to keep

One way to keep employees is to take the appropriate steps to ensure that new employees are integrated properly into the ranch culture.

Make sure that potential new employees are indoctrinated fully during the interview process on what the job is and what is required of the person doing it. Provide a ranch tour and, if possible, ask people currently doing the job to explain it to candidates. Discuss the written job description with candidates and ask if they understand what will be required of them.

A new employee’s integration into the operation occurs more smoothly if he or she can be paired with a veteran top performer for training and mentoring. If such a person doesn’t exist, the ranch manager will need to perform this function.

Job descriptions continue to be important documents after the hiring process is complete because they are contracts between employees and ranch management. The documents are guides by which employees are trained, evaluated, awarded and disciplined.

Integration means involving employees in the planning processes. Ask them to be present and participate during annual meetings to update the ranch business plan and to evaluate last year’s production performance. Ask for their opinions and listen to their suggestions.

Involving employees in the planning and evaluation processes can improve job performance and incentivizes assumption of responsibility.

After the new hire has been on the job for a few weeks, the supervisor should help the employee develop a job performance plan. The plan should contain goals for successfully completing various job tasks plus personal development objectives. Aid the employee in developing S.M.A.R.T. goals — Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely.

The Land & Livestock Post

A job performance review should be conducted between the employee and supervisor at least annually and preferably every six months during which both parties evaluate progress against goals. The supervisor compliments the employee on goals that are being reached successfully and suggests areas where improvement is needed. An important part of a job performance review is the employee evaluating the supervisor on his people management skills. Methods of improving relations between the two parties also are explored.

Proper frequency of job performance reviews is determined by how well the employee is executing job responsibilities. If needed, job performance reviews might be conducted quarterly or more frequently. Frequent reviews usually occur when job performance is poor and the employee is in danger of being dismissed.

You will keep the right people as long as he or she stays motivated and employee engagement in the operation is necessary for motivation.

“Engagement is a persistent, positive, motivational state of fulfillment in an employee characterized by vigor, dedication and absorption,” Rhoades said.

“A motivated employee thinks, ‘This is a great place to work because they expect you to perform like you own it.’”

The employee’s participation in the planning processes and working with a job performance plan helps motivate a person. Frequent praise on jobs well done is a great way to motivate people.

John Zenger, chief executive officer and co-founder of Zenger Folkman, says that positive feedback should occur five times more frequently than negative feedback for optimal performance.

“Motivation factors for employees include achievement, recognition for achievement, responsibility and growth/advancement,” Rhoades said.

“Some ranches provide medical insurance, a vehicle, housing and, maybe, a freezer full of beef as motivational benefits. End-of-the-year bonuses based on the individual’s and ranch’s performance are great motivators.”

Good employees are a positive influence on ranch profits; so supervisors need to develop the human resource management skills required to hire and keep the right people.

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January 2016 — Issue 2

Photo by Jay Janner, Austin American-Statesman

Feral hogs are gathered in a pen at Ortiz Game Management in New Braunfels.

Hogs, from Page 20 are capable of producing two litters per year, with litter sizes of up to 12. That reproduction rate is why their population growth is so difficult to control.

Dornak said Texans need to take down about 70 percent of the state’s feral hogs just to keep the number where it is.

Dornak says they can make for satisfying meals when handled properly, which requires extra care when it comes to food safety and cooking temperatures because they can carry harmful diseases.

“They’re not bred for meat like a domestic hog is. They’re leaner for the most part,” he said. “But it’s pork.”

What the hog loses on the dinner plate, it gains in the crosshairs. The state imposes almost no regulations on hunting the animal, allowing camo-clad Texans to have at it day and night — winter, spring, summer and fall — and in almost any part of the state.

On the hunt

The lack of regulation is meant to encourage a hunting frenzy. Travis

Fairchild is doing his part.

He turned in a bag of 43 tails at the most recent bounty claim.

Fairchild, who lives in the Gonzales County town of Harwood, said he and his buddies hunt on his family’s property once a week with AR rifles. They usually bag about four per outing.

“We go out at night with night vision,” he said.

“They don’t come out at day.”

Fairchild, 43, goes out looking for the hogs, but many hunters only slay swine so they can focus on their real targets, deer. The hogs often get into corn feeders meant to attract the deer, so the hunters set up traps to keep them away from their hunting ground.

Terry Summers, 49, lives in Bastrop and manages several traps, including two on a friend’s ranch in Caldwell County where they shoot deer. The traps are usually large pens with feed on the far side from the opening of the pen. Also on that far side is a tripwire that shuts the door behind them. Summers says his largest trap can net up to 20 hogs.

Trappers either shoot the hogs in the pen or,

if they’re hoping to sell them, back a truck up to the pen and load them in.

Trying to handle the animals, which are aggressive, strong and quick, is something to avoid.

“The mama hogs, when she’s got babies, that’s one that you really got to worry about. They will take you down, and they don’t want to lick at you, either, like a puppy dog,” he said. “They’re fast as lightning.”

Those in the hog world share horror stories of facing the beasts. Summers said he once accidentally trapped himself in a pen with one and hurt his back while leaping over the fence.

“The wild hogs, they pop their jaws, they snap their teeth against each other,” he said. “It’s a distinctive sound. Once you hear it, you’ll never forget it.”

Dornak said he’s only had one close encounter with a feral hog, and it’s not a scenario he encourages anyone to replicate.

“At 2 o’clock in the morning, I was intoxicated and in flip-flops and wielding a shotgun,” he said. “I was showing off for the folks around the campfire and almost had my legs taken out by one.”

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January 2016 — Issue 2

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The Land & Livestock Post