Land and Livestock Post

February February 15 2016 15 2016 — Issue — 2

A pain in the grass

Keep insects, weeds from damaging bermudagrass PAGE 12

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February 15 2016 — Issue 2

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News From the General Manager

used to always wonder how old men knew how to fix almost anything. As I am getting older myself, I am starting to figure it out. Right now, I am in the frustrating stage of learning as I go. I fixed a dripping faucet a while back, and it took me about four trips to Lowe’s.

I felt really smart at first, because I knew from previous experience that it was probably the cartridges in the faucet that were causing it to leak. I memorized the brand of faucet, and headed off to Lowe’s.

Turns out there are about 10 million variations of cartridges. So I went back, got the old cartridge and took it with me. I found one that looked like it would work, it didn’t, so back to Lowe’s again.

I then had the bright idea to just replace the O-rings in the old cartridge. I picked the right ones on the first try, put it all back in, and then watched the faucet drip as I tried to compose myself and

keep from ripping the whole thing off the wall.

It seems there are two sets of O-rings per cartridge. I figured that out after a bit of screaming, weeping and pleading with the Lord. I got it all fixed up and now we have a drip-free faucet.

It was then I realized that men a generation my senior were not born with an inherent knowledge of how JESSE WRIGHT things work, but life happens and you fix it and learn as you go.

That’s why I didn’t get too upset when my dog shut himself in the laundry room, freaked out, and tried to escape via the dryer vent by means of chewing the drywall around it. I mean, I was pretty upset, but I took it as a chance to try

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my hand at drywall repair. I did a decent job, and there really isn’t a better spot in the house to attempt drywall repair than behind a dryer.

But I do have my limitations. In order to live long enough to gain all these experience, it’s important to know what you can and can’t fix. When the blower motor in my A/C unit went out a few weeks ago, I pulled off the panel, still full of confidence from my recent drywall work. But, then I saw a lot of wires, and knew that a A/C unit pulled a lot of juice, so I put the panel back on and called a repairman.

When it comes to your pastures, particularly your bermudagrass pastures, keeping them in shape can seem like a daunting task. But if you know what to look for, you can do it yourself and keep it free of invasive pests and weeds.

Now, I’m sure there are feed stores full of old men with plenty of information

February 15 2016 — Issue 2

and knowledge on the subject, but if you want to save yourself an afternoon, just check out our cover story and we’ll address the basics in this issue.

We also have news from around the ag industry as well as information on upcoming sales and events. Hope you find something you like, and as always, thanks for reading. ’Til next time,

• For more information about content or advertising,contact Jesse Wright at jesse.wright@ theeagle.com.

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News Little Buckaroo Farms exhibit gives visitors a view of farm to table

By Paul SchattenBerg Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

SAN ANTONIO — Once again, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is saddling up with H-E-B to present the Little Buckaroo Farms tent during the San Antonio Livestock Show and Rodeo, according to exhibit coordinators.

The tent will in the Family Fair area of the San Antonio Livestock Exposition grounds.

“The exhibit introduces visitors to agricultural production, nutrition, horticulture, natural resource conservation and more,” said David Rodriguez, AgriLife Extension horticulturist for Bexar County and an exhibit coordinator.

Rodriguez said Bexar County Master Gardeners will return as one of the main exhibitors. The Bexar County Master Gardener association is a volunteer horticulture program of AgriLife Extension.

“Bexar County Master Gardeners will have an information booth in the tent to provide visitors with information and advice on gardening, landscaping, lawn maintenance and irrigation,” he said. “They also will be selling the popular Rodeo Tomato.”

Rodriguez said this year’s tomato is the red deuce — a reliable medium-to-large fruit producing beefsteak variety with a “superb sugar-to-acid flavor” and very good disease resistance.

“The plants we will have for sale at the rodeo were grown locally by Peterson Brothers Nursery,” he said.

He said Master Gardeners will have also have the newest Purple Heart bluebonnet for sale, as well as the newest Texas Superstar Whopper begonias and Texas Superstar satsuma varieties, including Orange Frost, Arctic Frost, Bumper and Lemon Frost.

“All proceeds go to the Bexar County Master Gardener scholarship fund,” he said.

Rodriguez noted each year dozens of Master Gardener volun-

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Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo

Little Buckaroo Farms is a joint presentation of H-E-B and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. teers from Bexar and Guadalupe counties contribute hundreds of hours to the planning, design and presentation of exhibits in which AgriLife Extension participates.

“This year, AgriLife Extension will also be coordinating two Adopt-A-Tree giveaways with the city of San Antonio and Bartlett Tree Experts,” he said. “The first giveaway will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 13 or while supplies last.

The next tree giveaway will also be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Feb. 20, also while supplies last.”

Rodriguez said the first giveaway of 300 trees in one-gallon containers is part of the city’s Tree Mitigation Fund initiative, an effort to get San Antonio residents to plant more trees.

“Bartlett Tree Experts will provide another 400 trees for the second giveaway,” he said. “Tree samplings from Bartlett will include live oak, bur oak, lacey oak and cedar elm.”

Rodriguez said to make sure more people benefit, Master Gardeners will only provide one tree per household during both giveaways.

“Another Little Buckaroo activity will be a live garden show broadcast from noon to 2 p.m. on Feb. 14 by KLUP radio station,” he said. “People can call in and have their horticultural questions answered by former AgriLife Extension horticulturists Dr. Calvin Finch and Dr. Jerry Parsons, and tent visitors can listen in.”

Rodriguez also said AgriLife Extension specialist John Smith, based in College Station, will provide a rainwater harvesting program from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Feb. 27.

“This will be an informal presentation on how to make a rain barrel for capturing rainwater,” Rodriguez said.

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News Four viticulturists hired to help Texas wine industry flourish

By Kathleen PhilliPs Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service has hired four viticulture program specialists to assist grape growers with challenges and educational information, officials said.

The positions, strategically located across the state, were funded by the Texas Legislature in acknowledgment that Texas is the fifth leading wine producing state in the nation with more than 350 licensed wineries, and vineyard acreage has more than doubled over the past decade, according to Justin Scheiner, AgriLife Extension state viticulturist in College Station.

The new viticulturists and their locations are: Piere Helwi, High Plains and West Texas

regions; Andrew Labay, Texas Hill Country; Fran Pontasch, Gulf Coast region; and, Michael C o o k , North Tex- FRAN PONTASCH as region. “ T h e Texas wine industry has great potential,” s a id D a n Lineberger, head of the horticultural s c i e n c e s ANDREW LABAY

department at T e x a s A&M University where the four will be academically connected. “We’re anxious to MICHAEL COOK get this team in place, and we’re excited about the opportunities to work closer with new growers, current growers and members of the Texas wine industry.”

Lineberger said AgriLife Extension has had “an excellent relationship with the grape growing and wine industry since its inception,” and these specialists will help the industry continue to

grow toward the future.

Pontasch, who is based in College Station, previously served as a viticulture advisor with AgriLife Extension in the North Texas region. She has worked as a vineyard manager and vineyard consultant. Pontasch earned a bachelor’s in horticulture at Texas

A&M and a master’s in biology from Sul Ross University where she studied Pierce’s Disease in grapes in the Davis Mountains.

Cook, who is based in Denton, has a bachelor’s in horticulture from Texas A&M and a master’s

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February 15 2016 — Issue 2

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News

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo

Red deuce has been selected as this year’s Rodeo Tomato from Texas A&M AgriLife. It will be sold at the H-E-B Little Buckaroo tent.

Buckaroo, from Page 4 A number of youth activities also will be offered at the tent, said Ruby Zavala, AgriLife Extension youth gardens program coordinator, Bexar County.

“We try to get youth involved in gardening as a means to expose them to nature and learn respect for the environment and natural resources,” Zavala said. “During the rodeo, we have hands-on activities so kids can see how much fun it is to learn about nature.”

She said youth activities will

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include a Make Your Own Love Bugs craft activity from 10 a.m.1 p.m. on Feb.13 and 14; a Make A Terrarium Necklace! craft activity from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Feb. 20 and 21; and a Pot-A-Plant activity from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on Feb. 27 and 28.

“We feel these activities will help young people learn more about the importance of nature and also give them an opportunity to see how to take care of things so they can grow,” Zavala said.

February 15 2016 — Issue 2

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News Bull workshop scheduled April 22 at 44 Farms in Cameron

By Blair Fannin Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

CAMERON — A comprehensive workshop on bull selection for cattle producers in the South Central Texas area is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 22 at 44 Farms in Cameron.

The ranch is located at 1945 County Road 227 in Cameron.

Jason Cleere, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service beef cattle specialist in College Station, and Jason Banta, AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist in Overton, will conduct the workshop.

“The workshop will discuss applied as well as advanced bull selection techniques. Live animals Photo by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will be used to teach attendees A comprehensive workshop on bull selection for cattle producers in the South Central visual selection,” Banta said.

Other topics to be discussed Texas area is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 22 at 44 Farms in Cameron.

include cattle breeds and breeding programs; individual performance data, expected progeny differences and genetic markers; bull fertility and bull-to-cow ratios; and bull management before and after the breeding season.

Cost is $60 per person prior to April 8. Cost is $75 after. There

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February 15 2016 — Issue 2

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News Cattleman’s Olympian joins board Brenham Livestock Auction

Special Replacement Female Sale

By Blair Fannin Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

COLLEGE STATION — Twotime Olympian skeet shooter Connie Smotek continues to give back to the sport both as a youth coach and by serving in a national advisory role.

Recently, Smotek was selected by the U.S. Olympic Committee to serve on the inaugural U.S. Center for Safe Sport board of directors. According to a news release, the U.S Center for Safe Sport is an independent nonprofit organization spearheading a pioneering effort to address abuse in sport.

“It’s quite an opportunity and I’m honored to be selected,” said Smotek, who serves as office manager for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service’s farm and estate planning program led by Wayne Hayenga in College Station.

The U.S. Center for Safe Sport anticipates a mid-2016 launch and will be the first national institution dedicated to preserving the safety and well-being of athletes, according to the release.

Smotek, a Bryan native, was one of six women competitors in a field of 66 at the 1992 Barcelona games where she finished 25th.

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Later, she became active in the Brazos County 4-H Sportsman’s Club, becoming the first female member. Smotek also played volleyball, basketball and ran track and cross country at Bryan High School.

Smotek will be one of two board members on the ninemember board who are former Olympic athletes.

Smotek served on the U.S. Olympic Athletes’ Advisory Council from 2005-2012.

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February 15 2016 — Issue 2

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News

Sky-high power rates spark outrage in rural Texas F

By Jim malewitz The Texas Tribune

or four decades, Nancy Raney’s family has raised crops — mostly alfalfa hay right now — on wide-open land near Big Spring, about 40 miles northeast of Midland. Nancy and her husband Hugh have run the farm for 16 of those years.

But if certain troubles persist, the couple may have to stop growing hay. Theirs, however, is not a story of drought, weevils or other typical West Texas scourges.

This family’s bank-breaking trouble: skyrocketing electricity costs.

Running pumps to irrigate their fields from January to November sucks up plenty of energy along with the water. But the Raneys were flummoxed in mid 2014 when their electric bills began running thousands of dollars a month higher than the year before. That August, for instance, their farm and home electric bills totaled more than $8,500.

“You have a bale of hay that’s $10, and your rates double.

What are you going to do?”

Nancy Raney said over the phone, standing outside a local stock show. “It’s not like you can sell that same bale of hay for $20.”

The soaring rates weren’t for the electricity itself. Rather, they were paying vastly higher bills to the company whose distribution system and transmission lines bring it to their farm.

The Raneys are among more than 50,000 Sharyland Utilities customers — in homes, businesses and churches in rural West and North Texas — that are contemplating tough budget choices after nearly two years of paying the highest electric transmission and distribution

rates in Texas.

Delivery rates for Sharyland residents are more than twice the state average for regulated utilities. While locals — such as many Texans — can choose retail electric providers on the competitive market, they’re stuck with Sharyland’s power lines.

Ironically, the best bet for relief may be if Sharyland’s owner — the Ray L. Hunt family of Dallas — can win control of a much larger share of the state’s electrical distribution system.

Hunt is trying to buy another utility: Oncor, the state’s largest. But the family’s $18 billion bid is drawing heavy scrutiny, including from Sharyland folks themselves.

“I’m very skeptical of it,” said Raney. “It’s hard to be fleeced for two years, and then the people who are doing the fleecing say, ‘It’s okay — you’re going to be all right.’”

A power outrage

Sharyland ratepayers have complained to the utility and organized on social media (a private Facebook group for aggrieved customers has united more than 1,400 members).

They’ve flooded Texas lawmakers and the Public Utility Commission with letters and copies of their bills.

That includes the 50-member Champion Baptist Church, in Roscoe, which is wondering if it could go off-grid to ditch its high bills. And Christian Fellowship Church in Colorado City is holding off on repairing its “House of Refuge” for displaced people, citing high rates.

“I had somebody tell me the other day that politicians shouldn’t mess with churches or farmers,” said Janey Burke, who helped organize a letter-

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Photo by Gary Rhodes for The Texas Tribune

Hugh and Nancy Raney in front of a pair of fields, one currently fallow, on their farm near Big Spring.The couple had to stop farming part of their land when running the electric pumps to get well water to the fields became too expensive. writing campaign for the Champion Baptist Church. “And this is a church full of farmers.”

The West Texas groundswell has triggered a commission investigation and promises from regulators and utility officials to find a fix.

“There’s no doubt that Sharyland’s residential ratepayers are looking for rate relief, and we support trying to find a solution,” said Jeanne Phillips, a Hunt spokeswoman.

Hunt officials said any owners would have struggled to keep rates low under the mix of economic and regulatory conditions Sharyland faces.

The company’s biggest challenge, experts say, is that it has too few customers scattered over too many miles.

On top of that, in 2010, it acquired electric co-op CapRock

February 15 2016 — Issue 2

Energy and struggled to bring its customers into the state’s competitive market. In 2013, a cheap long-term power contract expired. And in 2014, the utility commission approved a new rate structure that lowered rates for industrial consumers but raised residential rates. Under the old system, industrial users had essentially subsidized

the residents. The change also bumped up some customers to a more expensive rate class.

Sharyland points out that it warned the commission of potential “rate shock” and asked it to approve more gradual changes.

Any fixes would need ap-

See POWER, Page 10

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News Power, from Page 9 proval from the three-member commission, which in October approved an adjustment that could save residents just a few dollars per month, and is expected to consider a new Sharyland rate case — a full-scale re-evaluation — this spring.

But even that move would not change the fundamental economics at the utility.

Big fix for little utility?

Something could help fix the problem: Hunt’s mammoth proposal to buy and reshape Oncor, which delivers power much more cheaply to more than three million Texas homes and businesses in North and West Texas — including Raney’s across-the-street neighbor. (His rates, she said, are half of hers or less).

Hunt officials suggest that combining certain Oncor and Sharyland operations would allow scale to ease the tiny utility’s troubles.

“This Oncor proceeding presents a very real and significant opportunity — and that’s what it is, an opportunity — to bring some significant relief for Sharyland customers,” said Paul Schulze, a Sharyland spokesman.

Last month, Hunt filed a commitment to “prepare a proposal for a possible business combi-

Wine, from Page 5 in viticulture from Fresno State University in California where he studied the effects of fruit zone light management and applied water on grapevine productivity and phenolic composition.

Helwi comes from Bordeaux, France, where he recently completed a doctoral degree in enology from the University of Bordeaux. His dissertation research focused on the effects of nitrogen nutrition on aroma compounds in grapes and wine. He will assume his duties based in Lubbock on Feb. 15.

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nation” of the utilities, “including addressing rate disparities,” if the Oncor deal is approved.

The commission appears open to some sort of merger, though nothing is guaranteed.

“It would be relatively simple to merge the two operating companies,” Commissioner Ken Anderson said in late January during hearings on the plan, which is the lynchpin of efforts by Oncor’s parent, Energy Future Holdings, to emerge from one of the largest corporate bankruptcies in American history.

Still, the Hunts’ broader bid for Oncor has faced fierce pushback from consumer advocates, big industrial power users, staff experts at the utility commission, Oncor officials and even former Gov. Rick Perry.

To save on federal income taxes, Hunt wants to reorganize Oncor into a real estate investment trust, essentially dividing it into two companies: one owning the assets (power lines, trucks and transformers, for instance) while the other rents the equipment, operates it and deals with customers.

That financial structure long has served the real estate world.

Shopping malls, for instance, commonly use it, as investors back a broad entity that rents space and other assets to individual stores.

Labay has been working as an AgriLife Extension associate since 2010 in the viticulture program at the Fredericksburg Viticulture and Fruit Lab. He holds a master’s in functional plant biology from the University of Montpellier II in France and is pursuing a doctoral degree in horticulture at Texas A&M. He will be based in Fredericksburg beginning in June.

The structure initially would help Oncor borrow money at lower rates, which Hunt says would help keep the utility financially healthy and potentially lead to lower rates in the long run.

But it’s nearly unprecedented in the energy world. The only other U.S. example? Little Sharyland.

Several aspects of the structure make critics nervous, and Sharyland’s troubles have done nothing to raise confidence.

The Hunts have pushed back, calling the concerns “alarmist and misguided.” The company also points out that Sharyland’s real estate investment trust structure drew no mention in the utility commission analysis

of the rate troubles.

The commission is expected to rule in late March.

Meantime, Sharyland ratepayers — folks who never had reason to follow such inthe-weeds proceedings — are watching closely.

“Every night I come home, I follow the stories and everything,” Raney said.

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News

Grazin’ in the grass

Protect bermudagrass from insects and weeds

By RoBeRt FeaRs Special to The Post

W

hen insects and weeds take possession of bermudagrass pastures, returns on fertilizer investment are reduced or lost – resulting in less forage for livestock. Potential losses make it important to scout pastures regularly for insects and weeds.

Learn how to recognize the various pests and understand their cycles so that effective control methods can be utilized.

Insects that commonly feed on bermudagrass are fall armyworm, grasshoppers and, most recently, the bermudagrass stem maggot. Weed problems usually occur from broadleaf and woody plants and grassbur (also called sandbur). These pests and their control were discussed

by Vanessa Corriher-Olson of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service at the 2015 Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course.

Unless otherwise noted, the information presented below is taken from Olson’s presentation.

Fall armyworm

The fall armyworm is recognized by a broad, pale band along the top of its body, contrasted by dark striping along the sides. Four dark spots are found on the eighth abdominal segment. Its head has a dark net-like pattern and upside-down, white “Y” marking.

Life cycle of the fall armyworm is shown in Figure 1. The adult is a moth

See BERMUDAGRASS, Page 13 On the Cover: Grassbur is a grass weed that is very troublesome in pastures and hay meadows throughout Texas.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension photo

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Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Kay Ledbetter

Grasshopper infestations can occur during the entire summer due to the 150 species that inhabit Texas.

February 15 2016 — Issue 2

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News Figue 1

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Selling 1,400 HEAD Bermudagrass, from Page 12 that lays eggs. Larvae hatch from the eggs and usually go through six instars before pupating. A moth emerges from the pupae and the life cycle is completed.

Fall armyworm can have many generations per year depending on the appearance of dispersing adults.

The rule of thumb economic threshold for treating fall armyworm in bermudagrass pastures is three or more per square foot. Three fall armyworms per square foot will consume 30 percent of the leaf area in a good stand of coastal Bermuda. Before applying an insecticide, consider treatment cost, forage value and forage needs. Insecticides registered for fall armyworm control are listed in Table 1.

Grasshoppers

The initial stage of a grasshopper’s life cycle is the egg. A female grasshopper lays fertilized eggs after mating with a male. She deposits eggs one or two inches under sand or litter during mid-

summer and sprinkles them with a sticky semisolid substance that sets to form a pod of 15 to 150 eggs. Laying sites include grassy ditches, roadsides and rangeland.

Normally a female can lay up to 25 pods.

Eggs hatch into nymphs during the spring or early summer.

Nymphs, which look like the adults, undergo five instars or stages and molt between each stage. After the fifth molt, the nymph becomes an adult. Grasshopper infestations can occur during the entire summer due to the 150 species that inhabit Texas; there is, however, only one generation annually per species.

Weather is the primary factor that affects grasshopper populations. They prefer hot, dry weather, which increases their survival. Warm falls allow them more time to feed and lay eggs.

Grasshopper species most detrimental to forage are the migratory, differential, two-striped, Packard and red-legged.

Wet weather creates favorable growth conditions for Entomophaga fungus, a widespread

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News

Photo by Robert Fears

A broadcast sprayer can be used to apply insecticides and herbicides on pastures when needed.

Insects, from Page 13 and common pathogen of grasshoppers in North America. The advanced stage of the disease is easy to recognize. Shortly before the grasshopper dies, it climbs to the top of a fencepost, cornstalk, or other plant where it hangs on in a death grip. It typically dies with its head pointed upward and the carcass often remains in this position for several weeks until it deteriorates, according to Marlin Rice of Iowa State University Extension.

Grasshoppers destroy vegetation indiscriminately although individual species have plant preferences. A grasshopper eats one-half of its weight daily.

Thirty grasshoppers per square yard eat one ton of vegetation in 10 days. They readily reduce the amount of forage that is available for cattle consumption.

Insecticides registered for grasshopper control are found in Table 1. Before application, thoroughly read and follow the label on the purchased product. Pesticide labels periodically change. so they may not entirely agree with information in the table.

Stem maggot

Bermudagrass stem mag-

14

got is native to south Asia and ranges from Japan westward to Pakistan.

The first United States reporting was from Georgia during 2010. Since 2012, bermudagrass stem maggot has been reported in multiple Texas counties. The pest only infests bermudagrass and stargrass, both of which are Cynondon species.

The adult is a yellow fly with a black head. It flies at a maximum height of 18 inches above the ground and lays its eggs within the stem of bermudagrass plants.

Eggs hatch into white maggots with black heads.

They are from 1/8 to 3/16 inches long. After hatching, the maggots move to the last plant node and eat plant material within the stem.

Damage to the stem results in death of the top two to three leaves which gives the appearance of frost damage.

One way to manage bermudagrass stem maggot infestations is to harvest hay as soon as possible to reduce yield impact. Foliar application of any pyrethroid insecticide will control the insect. Ensure that the product you select, however, is labeled for use on

See TREAT, Page 16

February 15 2016 — Issue 2

ď‚Ť

The Land & Livestock Post

News

Houston African-American cowboy blazed new trails

By CINDY HORSWELL Houston Chronicle

H

OUSTON — Fifty years ago, Paul Cleveland rode a paint horse named Stardust into the Astrodome — and a place in the record books.

Considered a trailblazer for the African-American cowboy, Cleveland was part of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s 1966 debut in what was billed as the world’s first domed stadium.

He won first place in the paint horse registered calf-roping event that year. The horse, which he’d trained to help him rope a calf without any direction other than being commanded to go, was recognized the following year as the best judged roping horse of its breed.

Cleveland’s success, which came at the height of the civil rights movement, helped lead to his 2008 induction into the National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum’s Hall of Fame.

Now 80 and a survivor of three strokes, Cleveland travels by wheelchair instead of by horse. It’s a tame ride for a seasoned cowboy. But the health setbacks haven’t diminished Cleveland’s passion for horses.

Though he no longer can ride, he keeps two horses — a pinto and a sorrel — that he continues to train on leased ranchland near his Spring home.

Cleveland also spends two days a week sharing his rodeo stories with young people at Mr. C’s, an old-time barbershop off F.M. 1960 where an entire wall is covered with photos of teens whom he and the shop’s owner, Charles Jones, have mentored.

They come there to learn not only about horses, but life, including the value of hard work — from sweeping up hair at the shop to shoveling manure at the ranch.

Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via AP

Paul Cleveland, 81, a member of the National Cowboys of Color Hall of Fame,looks at an article taped to the mirrow about his years riding the rodeo circuit, posted

by Charles Jones at Mr. C’s Barber Shop in Humble.

“One of my arms is partially paralyzed and my hands don’t work that good no more,” Cleveland told the Houston Chronicle (bit.ly/1ZLpFOq) as he rubbed one twisted hand. He also has torn cartilage in one knee and a discolored white eye, which lost sight when a branch struck him while he chopped down a tree.

“But I can’t let go of my horses,” Cleveland said. “I got that country in me. A person is going to follow what he knows.”

Cleveland’s father was a sharecropper and ranch foreman in Sealy, about 50 miles west of downtown Houston. He had Cleveland riding a horse by age 6.

The 10th of 11 children, Cleveland grew up without indoor plumbing or electricity. He and his family traveled from farm to farm, picking cotton when they weren’t using horses to herd cattle or plow their own fields to plant crops.

“I could pick 120 pounds of cotton a day when I was 14. It wasn’t hard if you knew how to avoid pricking your fingers,” he said.

The soft-spoken Cleveland was a God-fearing lad, but at times he feared his father’s discipline more. “When I was 16, I was late coming home one night. My father had rules. I knew he’d be waiting for me in the dark to give me a whipping.”

So he never went back. With help from an older brother, he rented a room and landed a job loading watermelons on a truck.

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February 15 2016 — Issue 2

15

News Table 1. Insecticides for Fall Armyworm and Grasshopper Control.

Grazing & Haying Product Active Ingredient Dosage Intervals Malathion 57% malathion 2pts/Ac Armyworms Zero Days 1.5 – 2pts/Ac Grasshoppers Matathion ULV malathion 8 oz/Ac Grasshoppers Zero Days Mustang Max zeta-cypermethrin 2.8 – 4.0 oz/Ac 0 days for forage and hay 7 days for straw and seed screenings Sevin 4F carbaryl 1 – 1.5 qts/Ac 14 days Armyworm 1pt/Ac Grasshoppers Dimilin 2L

diflubenzuron

Karate

Lambdacyhalothrin

Baythroid XL

beta-cyfluthrin

Lambda-Cy

Lambdacyhalothrin

Tombstone

Cyfluthrin

Prevathon 5% & Coragen 18.4 %

chlorantraniliprole Rynaxpyr – Registered trademark for the active ingredient

0.5 – 2.0 oz/Ac for Grasshoppers. Rate depends on instar.

2.0 fl oz/Ac for Armyworm. Must be applied before larvae reach 0.5 inch or longer.

2.56 – 3.84 oz/Ac Armyworm and grasshoppers 2.6 – 2.8 oz/Ac Armyworm and grasshoppers 2.56 -3.84 oz/Ac Armyworms and grasshoppers 2.6 – 2.8 oz/Ac Armyworms and grasshoppers 14 – 20 oz/Ac for armyworm & 8 – 20 oz/Ac for grasshopper (Prevathon) 3.5 – 5.0 oz/Ac for armyworm (Coragen) Add methylatseed oil as adjuvant.

Wait 1 day before harvest

Other Information

Other products are available such as Sevin XLR, Sevin 805 and generics.

Residual control for up to 2-3 wks. if forage is not removed.

A insect growth regulator.

Do not cut forage for hay until 7 days after last application 0 day grazing or harvesting restriction 0 day grazing/7 day hay harvest restriction No restrictions 0 day grazing & haying interval

Treat, from Page 14 bermudagrass. Insecticides with the active ingredient beta-cyfluthrin, cyfluthrin, lambda-cyhalathrin or zeta cypermethrin are some of the suitable choices. Guidelines for economic return from controlling this new pest and timing and frequency of insecticide treatments have not been clearly defined.

Broadleaf and woody plants

Unique chemistry.

Causes muscle paralysis in insects. General Use Pesticide.

Good coverage is important. ed

Table 2. Herbicides registered for board leaf and woody plant control on range and pasture.

Restricted or state limited Non-Restrictive 2,4-D Milestone GrazonNext HL Chapparral Grazon P+D Redeem R&P Cimarron Max Spike 20P Tordon 22K Spike 80DF Dicamba (Banvel) Vista XLT Weedmaster Cimarron Extra PasturAll HL Cimarron Plus PastureGard HL Remedy Ultra 2,4DB Reclaim Crossbow Velpar L Weedar 64 Amber Weedone LV6 Pastora Sendera

16

Photo by Robert Fears

Although mowing is more expensive than spraying, producers still like to use their shredders.

Broadleaf and woody plants are less of a problem when pastures are maintained for maximum forage production. Soil fertility, for instance, has a huge impact in reducing weed populations. Along with fertility, maintaining a near neutral pH level is important as well. Proper grazing pressure promotes grass density to the extent that there is a minimum amount of bare ground in which weeds can grow.

Many producers mow or shred pastures to control weeds. Experts calculated the costs of shredding versus spraying herbicides in 2008. They found that the cost of spraying to be $3.65 per acre less than the per acre cost of shredding. The cost differential will vary from year to year depending on fuel and herbicide costs; but spraying will normally be the least costly method of weed control. Shredding also can reduce the amount forage available to cattle.

Correct weed identification is necessary for selecting the best herbicide and determining the optimal time for effective application. The department of ecosystem science and management at Texas A&M University has a website that contains

February 15 2016 — Issue 2



identification keys and photographs that help identify unknown plants (essmextension.tamu.edu). Most county agricultural extension agents and Natural Resource Conservation Service conservationists also can identify local range and pasture plants.

An excellent source for pesticide labels is the Crop Data Management Systems website at www.cdms.net. The label database can be searched by product brand name or manufacturer. A limited list of currently registered range and pasture herbicides is presented in Table 2.

Grassburs/sandburs

Grassburs have a negative effect on hay quality and reduce its value. They are a warm season perennial, which means they can survive from one year to the next.

Grassburs spread rapidly in weak forage stands; so proper pasture management is the most important control method.

Prowl H2O herbicide controls grassbur pre-emergence and is registered for weed control in winter dormant bermudagrass pasture and hay fields at 2 to 3 quarts per acre. Apply 45 days prior to grazing or 60 days prior to harvest. Pastora herbicide controls grassbur post-emergence at 1 to 1.5 ounces per acre. The product label specifies no more than 2.5 ounces per acre be applied to the same site within a year.

Pastora does not have any grazing or haying restrictions.

Always read herbicide labels prior to use.

A producer can keep up-to-date on forage management news, events and publications by subscribing to the free forage fax at foragefax.tamu.edu.

The Land & Livestock Post

News Pioneer, from Page 15 In the ninth grade, he met his future wife, Barbara, and left school; she went on to obtain her diploma. “We were 17 when we got married. So our parents had to sign for us,” Cleveland said. The couple — married now for 63 years — have three children, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren That same perseverance helped him succeed on the rodeo circuit, too.

“He was one of the early pioneer rodeo cowboys — a real trailblazer for the African American,” said Gloria Reed Austin, co-founder of the National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum and Hall of Fame in Fort Worth. Cleveland is among 86 inductees, from various ethnic and racial groups, who are listed in the organization’s hall of fame.

“We want to correct the misnomer that there were only white cowboys,” she said.

“Some historians believe one out of four of the cowboys on

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50 Registered Hereford Heifers Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via AP

Paul Cleveland, 81, a member of the National Cowboys of Color Hall of Fame, smiles at Mr. C’s Barber Shop in Humble. the cattle trails were black.”

Harold Cash, a black rodeo star who was the All-American Rodeo Association’s bareback champion in 1979 and 1981, was among those who nominated Cleveland.

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News COWBOY, from Page 17 coming up,” Cash recalled. “If it weren’t for people like him, we would not have people today like Charlie Thompson, who became the first black worldchampion bull rider in 1982.”

Cleveland worked his way up during the era of racial segregation, when it wasn’t uncommon for the rodeo official with a stopwatch to be deliberately slow at riding events.

Cleveland has to be prodded into talking about those days.

“Those were touchy times,” he said. “I remember getting my wife a new stopwatch, and getting her to clock my times when I was calf roping. A lot of times her time would be shorter. But in those days, you just shut your mouth and kept going. I learned a bunch about how people work and eventually I beat ‘em.”

county fairs. Blacks were usually relegated to being spectators, forced to sit in unlit areas separated by a rope from the white attendees.

Once, he was offered a chance to ride in one of the fairs but was told he had to do the calf roping without a bridle. “I was going to be a special attraction.

But I was too scared to ride that way. So I let a friend use my

horse and he won,” he chuckled.

His big win in the Astrodome occurred at a turbulent time, sandwiched between Congress’ passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 banning discrimination in schools and the workplace and Martin Luther King’s assassination in 1968.

See MENTOR, Page 19

Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via AP

Paul Cleveland is shown at Mr. C’s Barber Shop, while barber Charles Jones finishes with a customer in Humble. Cleveland won first place in the paint horse registered calfroping event at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s 1966 debut in the Astrodome.

In fact, when he began his rodeo career in his early 20s, he

was not allowed to participate in most of the “white rodeos” at

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February 15 2016 — Issue 2

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The Land & Livestock Post

News Mentor, from Page 18 By his mid-20s, Cleveland says, he’d built a reputation as an expert horse trainer with white customers, who paved the way for him to ride their horses in the rodeos.

His horse sense is self-taught, friends say. To perfect those skills, his older brother, James, helped him acquire his first horse, “Spike.”

“I’ll never forget seeing him feed seven or eight horses at his ranch,” said Jones, the owner of Mr. C’s barbershop. “They would all get in line. None of them cutting in front of the others or rushing, but instead taking turns.”

Cleveland said he can tell what a horse is thinking by closely watching its eyes as well as the various movements of its ears, tail and hooves. He doesn’t care if a horse is a purebred,

He was also one of the few to receive a lifetime achievement certificate in 2008 from the American Paint Horse Association for training that breed.

“He loves to mentor kids, too,” said Jones, the barber.

“His kids have raised grandchampion bulls, pigs and calves at least four or five times.”

Cleveland proved so successful at picking winning calves at

Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via AP

Paul Cleveland, 81, a member of the National Cowboys of Color Hall of Fame, shares a laugh with barber Charles Jones at Mr. C’s Barber Shop in Humble. first in the registered Appalooking instead for things such loosa calf roping competition at as a 4 1/2-inch spread between the Astro Arena that year, and the eyes and a special round later were named world chamcowlick in the hair on the back pions at the timed calf-roping of its head. event at the Appaloosa show In 1990, Cleveland trained at the Will Rogers Coliseum in a horse named “Bugs” for his Fort Worth. nephew, Howard. They placed

The Land & Livestock Post

Cypress Fairbanks that officials there once banned him from helping students make their selections.

These days, he mostly enjoys telling stories at the barber shop. He’s considering writing a book to hand down his secrets to the next generation of cowboys.

Said Cleveland: “I just can’t quit.”



February 15 2016 — Issue 2

SALE EACH SATURDAY

19

News Texas A&M AgriLife Extension offers online wild pig management distance education course

By STEVE BYRNS Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is offering an online wild pig management course for landowners, land managers and others seeking information on feral swine.

Mark Tyson, AgriLife Extension wildlife associate in College Station, said the course is divided into five modules, which are split into three main areas of study — two providing continuing education units and one informational course for the general public.

Narration is by the Feral Hog Community of Practice.

The three areas of study are: • Wild Pig Management for Texas Pesticide Applicators, bit. ly/1nE9Esp. Cost is $45. This was

developed for Texas Department of Agriculture private pesticide applicators and offers two continuing education units, one general and one integrated pest management.

• Understanding Wild Pig History and Biology Continuing Education for Professionals, bit. ly/1Nq6EVi. Cost is $70. This provides three category one contact hours for the Wildlife Society, 2.5 continuing education units for the Society for Range Management and 2.5 hours of category two Society for American Foresters continuing education credits.

• Understanding Wild Pig History and Biology, a course for the general public, bit.ly/20jygoc Cost is $20. This targets anyone seeking to increase their knowledge of wild pigs.

“I am excited about these distance education courses because they offer a new way of providing continuing education units to a diverse audience, around the clock whenever the user wants to participate,” Tyson said. “Topics cover history, biology, disease concerns, laws and regulations and the management of wild pigs which provide a greater understanding of their impacts on humans, livestock and the environment.”

For more information, contact Tyson at 979-845-4698 or at mark. tyson@tamu.edu.

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February 15 2016 — Issue 2

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The Land & Livestock Post

News LIVESTOCK MARKET REPORT Brazos Valley

Results of the Brazos Valley Livestock Commission’s Jan. 26 sale.

Head: 575 Steers: 200-300 lbs.,$225-$285; 300-400 lbs., $205-$237; 400-500 lbs.,$170-$227; 500-600 lbs.,$155$182; 600-700 lbs., $140-$173; 700-800 lbs., $140-$147.

Heifers: 200-300 lbs.,$180-$220; 300-400 lbs., $170-$212; 400-500 lbs.,$160-$195; 500-600 lbs.,$135$167; 600-700 lbs., $128-$141; 700-800 lbs., $130-$138.

Slaughter bulls: $85-$106.

Slaughter cows: $60-$83.

Bred cows: $1,150-$1,675.

Cow/calf pairs: $1,275-$1,600.

Buffalo Results of the Buffalo Livestock Commission’s Jan. 23 sale.

Head: 943 Steers: 150-200 lbs., $225-$325;

200-300 lbs., $215-$275; 300-400 lbs.,$195-$235; 400-500 lbs.,$160$227; 500-600 lbs., $150-$185; 600-700 lbs., $140-$170; 700-800 lbs., $135-$155.

Heifers: 150-200 lbs.,$235-$295; 200-300 lbs., $175-$280; 300-400 lbs.,$155-$225; 400-500 lbs.,$135$210; 500-600 lbs., $132-$170; 600-700 lbs.,$130-$157; 700-800 lbs., $120-$145.

Slaughter bulls: $87-$115.

Slaughter cows: $40-$85.

Bred cows: $1,100-$1,800.

Cow/calf pairs: $1,275-$1,900.

Caldwell

Results of the Brazos Valley Livestock Commission’s Jan. 27 sale.

Head: 471 Steers: 200-300 lbs., $200$230; 300-400 lbs., $200-$230; 400-500 lbs., $180-$200; 500-600 lbs., $170-$185; 600-700 lbs.,

February Feb.4 Jordan Cattle Auction Special Stocker & Feeder Sale, San Saba, TX

$155-$170; 700-800 lbs., $145$170.

Heifers: 200-300 lbs., $170$230; 300-400 lbs., $185-$220; 400-500 lbs., $170-$200; 500-600 lbs., $160-$200; 600-700 lbs., $140-$180; 700-800 lbs., $140$160.

Slaughter bulls: $80-$91.

Slaughter cows: $50-$75.

Bred cows: $950-$1,850.

Groesbeck

Results of the Groesbeck Auction and Livestock Company’s Jan. 28 sale.

Head: 297 Steers: 300-400 lbs., $210-$240; 400-500 lbs., $200-$227; 500-600 lbs.,$180-$190; 600-700 lbs.,$160$175.

Heifers: 300-400 lbs.,$195-$220; 400-500 lbs., $180-$215; 500-600 lbs.,$145-$180; 600-700 lbs.,$140$165.

Slaughter bulls: $95-$105.

Slaughter cows: $55-$85.

Bred cows: $1,000-$2,500.

Cow/calf pairs: $1,300-$2,500.

Jordan

Results of the Brazos Valley Livestock Commission’s Jan. 28 sale.

Head: 4,875 Steers: Under 200 lbs., $230$410; 200-300 lbs., $215-$250; 300-400 lbs., $200-$243; 400500 lbs., $175-$215; 500-600 lbs., $170-$207.50; 600-700 lbs., $150-$178; 700-800 lbs., $145$155.

Heifers: Under 200 lbs., $220$275; 200-300 lbs., $190-$240; 300-400 lbs., $170-$226; 400-500 lbs., $150-$250; 500-600 lbs., $138-$180; 600-700 lbs., $128$155; 700-800 lbs., $115-$144.

Slaughter bulls: $84-$105.

Slaughter cows: $60-$87.

Mar. 19 Tested by Time Brangus Sale at Mound Creek Ranch, Leona, TX

Feb.27 Jordan Cattle Auction Early Spring Replacement Female Sale, San Saba, TX

Mar. 5 Beefmaster Promotional Group Haltered Sale, Houston, TX

Feb.6 Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Invitational 29th Annual Commercial Heifer Sale, Fort Worth, TX

March Mar. 1 TSSA Simbrah/Simmental Cattle Sale, Houston, TX

Mar. 5 Foundation Angus Alliance Sale, Luling, TX

Feb.13 Bradley 3 Ranch 58th Annual Angus Bull Sale, Estelline, TX Feb.17 All Breeds Bull & Commercial Female Sale, San Antonio, TX Feb.18 Jordan Cattle Auction Special Bull Offering, San Saba, TX Feb.20 7P Ranch Simmental Sale, Tyler, TX

— Special to The Post

Mar. 17 Jordan Cattle Auction Special Replacement Female Sale, San Saba, TX

Mar. 5 Genetic Edge Brangus Sale, Houston, TX

Feb.13 San Antonio Rose Beefmaster Classic Sale, San Antonio, TX

Results of the Navasota Livestock Commission’s Jan. 23 sale.

Head: 808 Steers: 150-300 lbs., $160-$375; 300-400 lbs., $150-$247.50; 400500 lbs., $140-$220; 500-600 lbs., $135-$220; 600-700 lbs., $125$176.

Heifers: 150-300 lbs.,$170-$325; 300-400 lbs., $140-$210; 400-500 lbs., $130-$182.50; 500-600 lbs., $130-$165; 600-700 lbs., $120$140.

Slaughter bulls: $75-$108.

Slaughter cows: $45-$78.

Bred cows: $800-$1,300.

Mar. 4 Ideal Video Productions Customer Appreciation Brangus Sale, Houston, TX

Feb.27 44 Farms Angus Bull Sale, Cameron, TX

Feb.13 Charolais For Profit Bull Sale, Columbus, TX

Navasota

Feb.26 Rutherford Ranch Angus Bull Sale, Buda, TX

Feb.6 Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show 60th Annual Select Breeders Quarter Horse Sale, Fort Worth, TX

Feb.12 Thomas Charolais Inc. Spring Bull & Female Sale, Raymondville, TX

Bred cows: $850-$2,350.

Cow/calf pairs: $1,200-$3,000.

Mar. 2 49th Annual All Breeds Commercial Range Bull Sale, Houston, TX Mar. 2 49th Annual All Breeds Commercial Range Female Sale, Houston, TX Mar. 2 Lowline Cattle Sale, Houston, TX Mar. 2 International Brahman Cattle Sale, Houston, TX Mar. 3 Jordan Cattle Auction Stocker-Feeder & Premium Weaned Sale, San Saba, TX Mar. 4 Houston Magic XVI Beefmaster Sale, Houston, TX Mar. 4 Houston Futurity and Beefmaster Classic Sale, Houston, TX

Mar. 5 W4 Hereford Bull & Commercial Female Sale, Morgan, TX

Mar. 19 Bluebonnet Classic Santa Gertrudis Sale, Hallettsville, TX Mar. 19 ABBA National F1 and Brahman Sale, Caldwell, TX

Mar. 5 South Texas Cattle Marketing’s Spring Gathering Female Replacement Sale, Nixon, TX

Mar. 19 M6 Spring Charolais Bull & Female Sale, Alvarado, TX

Mar. 9 RA Brown Ranch Inaugural Spring Bull Sale, Throckmorton, TX

Mar. 24 Jordan Cattle Auction Special Bull Offering, San Saba, TX

Mar. 10 Jordan Cattle Auction Special Bull Offering - Cattleman’s Kind Simmentals, San Saba, TX

Mar. 25 Best of the Test Bull Sale, Navasota, TX

Mar. 10 Wichita Falls Ranch and Farm Expo Production Bull Sale, Wichita Falls, TX Mar. 12 Triple L Black Hereford Sale, Waxahachie, TX Mar. 12 Evans Angus Female Sale, Proctor, TX

Mar. 26 Little Robe Angus Bull Sale, Higgins, TX Mar. 26 Bar A Cattle Co. Limousin Sale, Schulenburg, TX Mar. 26 East Texas Angus Extravaganza Sale, Center, TX

Do you have a sale or event you’d like listed? Call Jesse Wright (979) 731-4721 or email jesse.wright@theeagle.com

The Land & Livestock Post

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February 15 2016 — Issue 2

21

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February 15 2016 — Issue 2

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South Texas Cattle Marketing’s “Cattleman’s Opportunity” Replacement Female Sale Saturday • March 5, 2016 • 12:00 noon Nixon Livestock Commission • Nixon, Texas (3 miles east of Nixon on Hwy. 87)

400 - Brahman and Brahman X pairs.

Over 325 will be 1st calf heifer pairs.

The work has been done.

Many are ready to breed back.

Selling 1250 Head of Quality Replacement Females

EL Ranch and Thompson Ranches 120 - True F1 Tiger Stripe heifers. 85 calves by sale day; balance long bred to Angus bulls. Always a sale favorite.

Spur Cattle Co. , Rock Creek and NT Cattle 225 - 1st calf Brangus, Brangus Baldy and South Texas X-Bred pairs with calves by Angus bulls running on irrigated oats and rye grass. Will be divided into uniform groups of (10) head or less.

Thompson Ranches 120 - True F1 Tiger Stripe and brown/white face heifers. Selling open and ready for bulls. Weighing 650-750 lbs. out of Brahman cows and Hereford bulls. This is as fancy a set of open heifers you will find anywhere. Many of these could be your county show winners. Will be divided into small uniform groups.

Kallion Farms TH Ranch, Thompson Ranches and other consignors 15 - Registered Brahman heifers 12-14 mos. old. Will be divided into small 60 - Commercial Grey Brahman cows 4-7 years old. 40 pairs by sale day.

Calves by Hereford and Brahman bulls. These cows are in the prime of their life; uniform groups.

45 - Second calf Hereford cows selling short bred and exposed to high marbleing running on oat pasture with Hereford bulls.

Kallion Farms bulls.

20 - Commercial Grey Brahman heifers medium to long bred to 40 - Open Hereford heifers. Many will be ready for bulls; weighing 600-750 lbs.

Hereford and Angus bulls.

Thompson Ranches and NT Cattle 40 - Open Commercial Grey Brahman heifers weighing 600-800 lbs.

50 - 3/4 blood Brahman cows long bred to horned Hereford bulls. Cows are Will be divided into small uniform groups.

4-6 years old and are year branded.

Jeffery Grissom & Rocky G Ranch 60 - Brangus and Braford cows 3-5 years old; (25) calves at side by sale date out 70 - Brangus and fancy Brangus Baldy heifers medium and long bred to Angus bulls. Last March the Grissom Brangus Baldy heifers were a sale favorite. of Angus and Charolais bulls; balance long bred.

50 - Brangus and Brangus Baldy heifers selling open and ready for bulls.

Check our website for consignment detail updates and consignment photos as they become available. The final consignment update will be available by February 24, 2016.

Proud Sponsor

S

T H

For more information contact:

C

Sale Sponsored by

M

Lyssy & Eckel Feeds

Lew Thompson,Marketing Director (830) 334-8227 (O) • (830) 965-3058 (M)

www.southtexascattlemarketing.com • email: southtexascattle@sbcglobal.net

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February 15 2016 — Issue 2

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The Land & Livestock Post