LMD April 2022

Riding Herd Saying things that need to be said.

April 15, 2022 • www.aaalivestock.com

Volume 64 • No. 4

A Big Nothing Burger I T

by LEE PITTS

Watch Your Mouth

LEE PITTS

he religion of plant based meat is losing devotees faster than Joe Biden. (Just try finding a Joe/Kamala bumper sticker that hasn’t been scraped off). Suffice it to say that things are not going quite according to plant plans. And make no mistake they sure were BIG plans.

“Our vision,” according to Impossible Foods, “is not to provide an alternative; (#1) it is to replace meat; (#2) “We intend to replace animals as a food production technology”; and (#3) “Our company’s goal is to eliminate the need for animals in the food-chain by 2035.”

If we look at actual facts rather than to dream the Impossible dream, it’s going to take a while for plant-based meat to kick real meat off retail shelves. While plant based meat sold in grocery stores did surge 53 percent to $473 million in 2020, that number dropped to a paltry 1 percent increase in 2021, according to consumer products analytics firm IRI Worldwide. Indicating that Impossible’s goals may be, well, impossible to achieve.

The Gag In Gaga

NEWSPAPER PRIORITY HANDLING

The socialists, greenies and the woke brigade vociferously got behind meatless meat from the get-go. Swiss-bank UBS estimated that plant-based food sales would rise to $85 billion by 2030. The meatless militia was counting on the millennials to be the driving force. They were also counting on ESG investing, people who make investments based on environmental, social and governance concerns. But while the vegetarian-inclined were publicly raving about the meatless revolution they WERE NOT actually eating enough of the fake burgers. Retailers were

jumping ship and stock pickers were dissing the product and the companies that produced it.

One Harris Poll found that 75 percent of shoppers said they were unlikely to choose a plantbased patty over the real thing, and 80 percent would pass on

part they got right was the “gag” part of gaga. Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods were quoting new studies that showed how plant based and cell cultivated meat could have massive environmental benefits and be cost-competitive by 2030 and

A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.

lab-grown meat if it were available in stores. According to a 2019 Power Of Meat poll 36 percent of consumers would “absolutely not” purchase plant based meat and 55 percent would “absolutely not” purchase cell cultured meat. Their poll reported that only 18 percent of consumers said, “I am interested in plant based products,” and less than 11.5 percent said, “I am interested in cell cultured products.”

It was just a few years ago that pundits were going gaga over plant based meat. The only

that “a new era of cheap, accessible protein is rapidly approaching.”

I can remember similar boasts 35 years ago when I wrote a story in the Digest about how veggie burgers were supposedly going to displace meat on America’s plate. Remember the Gardenburger?

Partially in response to a book called “Diet for a Small Planet,” the Gardenburger was developed in the early 1980s

by Paul Wenner, the owner of the Gardenhouse, a vegetarian restaurant in Gresham, Ore-

Scoop: Progressives Build Massive, Cloaked Online Powerhouse

BY LACHLAN MARKAY / AXIOS.COM

P

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During an interview with Axios, RVM managing director Heather Holdridge provided previously unreported details about its mission and structure.

What’s happening: Facebook and Instagram users in Michigan started seeing ads last month promoting stories by a new news site, the Main Street Sentinel.

The aggregated content — from both news sources and the White House itself — touched on skyrocketing gas prices and broader price inflation, blaming corporate price gouging and continued on page 4

“Food With Integrity” McDonalds took its time in rolling out Beyond Meat’s McPlant burger, first testing it in Europe before selling it at some U.S. locations.

The greenies and vegetarians called getting into the world’s biggest fast food chain “a real game-changer.” In December 2021, Piper Sandler, a leading investment bank estimated that McDonald’s locations were selling about 70 McPlant burgers continued on page 2

USDA to Provide Payments to Livestock Producers Impacted by Drought or Wildfire J

rogressive strategists have quietly built a massive network of social media communities in political battleground states that can activate ahead of elections and policy fights, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: The network, operating under the name Real Voices Media, uses apolitical, nonideological content to build up audiences. It then leverages the crowd on behalf of clients in what experts say is a potent persuasion strategy. President Biden and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer are beneficiaries.

gon. Paul’s veggie burger was a mish mash of mushrooms, onions, brown rice, rolled oats and mozzarella. (Doesn’t cheese still come from cows?) In October 2005 Gardenburger filed for bankruptcy and was eventually purchased by Kelloggs in 2007. If you look real hard you can still find Gardenburgers in some grocery stores today but they were hardly the beef-killing product it was touted to be.

So when I think about Beyond Meat, Impossible burgers and all the other modern meat imposters I am reminded of the words of the Spanish philosopher George Santayana: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

T

he U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that ranchers who have approved applications through the 2021 Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) for forage losses due to severe drought or wildfire in 2021 will soon begin receiving emergency relief payments for increases in supplemental feed costs in 2021 through the Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) new Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP).

“Producers of grazing livestock experienced catastrophic losses of available forage as well as higher costs for supplemental feed in 2021.

Unfortunately, the conditions driving these losses have not improved for many and have even worsened for some, as drought spreads across the U.S.,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “In order to deliver much-needed assistance as efficiently as possible, phase one of the ELRP will use certain data from the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP), allowing USDA to distribute payments within days to livestock producers.” continued on page 4

have a bone to pick with urban journalists, politicians and Hollywood celebrities who frequently refer to immoral, vulgar, unethical, reckless bullies as “cowboys.” Such pseudo-cowboys wouldn’t know the difference between a Hereford and a heifer.

Unless you’re willing to stay up all night with a colicky horse, a sick dog or a pen of expectant heifers you are no cowboy.

I really doubt those celebrity frauds the pundits call “cowboys” can sew up a prolapse with a hair from the mane of his horse. A horse, by the way, that was once a rank lunatic colt but was transformed into a trusted colleague, co-worker and friend for life by a real cowboy with years of patience and quiet prodding.

A bonafide cowboy knows instinctively when a neighbor is in trouble and needs assistance. A cowboy is there in a flash when a neighbor’s grass fire needs putting out.

Every year at branding time a true cowboy donates his services to work the calves of his friends just as they will do for him when his turn comes. There’s no roll call, formal invitation or record kept. A real cowboy simply shows up, usually with his family intact, and the whole family finds some way to help, even if it’s just herding the flies away from the donuts. It’s called “neighborin,” a concept foreign to the so-called “cowboys” the talking heads on TV refer to.

A real-life cowboy can rope a cow in brush so thick that deer get lost.

On twenty-below freezing days a cowboy with icicles hanging from his mustache can be found on top a wagon or a truck forking out feed to hungry cows and chipping the ice in water troughs so that the cattle and the wildlife, who share in the feast, can also have a drink.

You can tell a complete cowboy by his hands which are scarred, rough and calloused unlike the soft, pink and smooth hands of the desk-riding bureaucratic imposter.

A real cowboy can dance all Saturday night and be on time for cowboy church the next morning.

When the boss says to “change the leathers” an authentic cowboy knows it

continued on page 3

Page 2

Livestock Market Digest

April 15, 2022

BIG NOTHING BURGER

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per outlet daily. Not bad, but not that great either.

Burger King’s Impossible Whopper sells for $1 to $2 MORE than a beef Whopper despite having the same number of calories and more sodium. Impossible’s trajectory followed the Beyond Meat’s debut with a similar successful rollout of their plant-based burger before demand dropped off a cliff, indicating that initial purchases were partially driven by the curious. Burger King’s largest franchisee, Carrol’s Restaurant Group, said in January that average daily orders of the Impossible Whopper at one of its largest locations had dropped by 60 burgers down to 28. In comparison, one of its restaurants typically sells about 234 beef Whoppers a day. A spokesperson said, “We know that the premium price point has limited some guests from trying the Impossible Whopper.”

Tim Hortons, or “Timmies,” as it is affectionately known in Canada, is a multinational fast food chain headquartered in Toronto. It serves coffee, donuts and other fast food items and is Canada’s largest quick-service restaurant chain, with nearly 5,000 restaurants in 14 countries. It introduced a breakfast sandwich made with Beyond Meat’s meatless sausage and a burger with its meat-free patty but has since yanked the items from its menus altogether. In January a spokesperson said, “Ultimately, the product was not embraced by our guests as we thought it would be.”

Much to-do was made of KFC’s Beyond Meat’s chicken products but their plant-based chicken is currently not among the most popular 15 items served at KFC, even getting beat out by the chain’s mashed potatoes which, I must say, is akin to losing to turnip tacos filled with boiled beets and drizzled with kale gravy.

Chipotle never offered a Beyond Meat or Impossible Foods patty because, and we quote, “They won’t fit in our food because of the processing it takes to make a plant taste like a burger; it wouldn’t match our ‘Food With Integrity’ principles.”

The Future of Fake Jonna Parker, an IRI fresh food specialist, blames the slump in popularity of fake meat in part, “to lots of shoppers who’d made their first purchases but not a second or third: Only half of consumers who bought a plant-based meat came back for more. That was partly because there were simply too many products,” she says, “and not all were good.”

Such less-than stellar fastfood reports are of grave concern for those promoting the future of fake because Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods were counting on restaurant sales to save them. Initially, when plant based and cell cultured meat were first introduced five years ago, only 2 percent of grocery stores had them in their freshmeat case and the game plan seemed to be, hoping that hurried, curious or scatter-brained shoppers would buy them by mistake and find out they kinda liked them. The strategy flopped though because plant based meat accounts for only 2 percent of retail-packaged meat sales and 0.1 percent of all refrigerated/frozen meat sales

continued from page 1

globally.

Needless to say, you’re not going to “save the planet” and get rid of all meat animals like Impossible Foods wanted to do if 98 percent of the meat supply in the USA and 99.9 percent of the meat supply globally is still real meat!

Flop of the Fakes It is our sincere hope you didn’t believe the hype and put the majority of your 401K in fake meat stock. It was a hot item there for a while with investors putting $16 billion into plant-based meat, egg and dairy products in 10 years, $13 billion of that in 2017 and 2018 alone.

Beyond Meat’s initial public offering created headlines as the first alternate meat company to go public when it raised $240 million initially, giving the start-up a valuation of nearly $1.5 billion. After its May 2019 launch, Beyond Meat’s stock acted like a tech stock and rocketed 859 percent to its all-time high in less than three months.

It initially sold for $25 a share and within 24 hours was worth $46. It hit its all-time high on July 26, 2019, when it was valued at $234.90 per share. As I write this, a share is $48.83 and stock in Beyond Meat fell by more than 60 percent over the past 12 months. The company is hemorrhaging money.

J.P. Morgan stock analyst Ken Goldman called Beyond Meat “the worst performer in our universe in the last year.” That’s because Beyond’s stock price fell 67 percent in a market that saw a median gain of 13 percent.

According to The Motley Fool, “Beyond’s growth prospects aren’t looking very tasty. The faux meat producer’s most obvious miss was its profitability.”

There was none.

A September 2020 Forbes article said, “After revenue surged 239 percent in 2019, analysts expected growth to slow to 61 percent in 2020 (it was actually 36.6 percent) and 17 percent by 2025. The company is already reporting numbers well below that 2025 threshold, suggesting Beyond Meat’s success is ebbing much faster than analysts expected. And these numbers raise red flags for the plant based meat market overall.”

According to Investor’s Business Daily’s Stock Checkup Tool, Beyond Meat’s stock has an IBD Composite Rating of 8 out of a best-possible 99. “The Composite Rating looks at earnings, sales growth, profit margins, return on equity and relative stock price performance, among other metrics. Investor’s Business Daily also said that Beyond Meat had a worst-possible Earnings Per Share rating of 1 out of 99. The EPS rating compares a stock’s quarterly and annual earnings-per-share growth with that of all other stocks.”

Impossible Food’s startup initially raised $750 million, giving it a market valuation of $2 billion but has yet to go public.

It is currently privately held by a small number of investors with plans for an IPO sometime in the near future.

It may have waited too long.

Save Us From Our Cells Food Safety Net Services had this to say about Beyond Meat “After an impressive market debut in 2019, Beyond Meat looks continued on page 3

April 15, 2022

BIG NOTHING BURGER less appealing than yesterday’s half-eaten burger. Meanwhile, BIG FOOD behemoths like Tyson and Perdue are already developing meat alternatives of their own.”

And that’s a thorn that gets under the saddle of most ranchers. First of all, it’s difficult for most cattlemen to accept the historic margins the packers have been getting for fed cattle, sometimes making a thousand bucks per head for owning a carcass a few days which is often more than the ranchers got for maintaining a cow all year and babysitting her calf for seven or eight months. Then to see those same packers plowing some of their outsized profits into fake meat is tough to swallow. Tyson, Perdue, Smithfield and Hormel have all introduced meat alternative products and JBS is ramping up to do the same because, and I quote, “Meat from animals will be a pricey luxury in the future.” That’s why JBS is planning to set up a global company focused solely on plant based products.

Michele Simon, an industry consultant and founder of the Plant Based Foods Association, has said “Large traditional meat companies now have plant based divisions, and they’re likely to undercut the plant-based upstarts on price. At some point,,Tyson’s going to come along and say, ‘We can sell you a very similar sausage crumble for half the price.’ ” Beef’s next challenge will come from cell based beef. Last year, 12 cell-based protein companies raised capital worth $50 million. (There are now 27 cellbased companies). The problem though is currently a hamburger made from the industry leader, Memphis Meats, costs thousands of dollars.

The cultured or cell based products are well behind the development of plant based proteins and they are battling tough headwinds as one of the

Livestock Market Digest continued from page 2

hottest food trends right now is real food, real meat and real poultry. Consumers don’t want chemicals and real meat sales have never been better with consumers eating 222.2 pounds of red meat and poultry in 2020, a record surpassing the previous high set in 2004. The 2022 Power of Meat report found 74 percent of consumers describe themselves as meat-eaters, up from 71 percent, while 16 percent say they are flexitarians and 6 percent are vegan or vegetarian. Add it all up and that means 90 percent of consumers eat real meat.

Frankenpatties Colin Woodall, CEO of NCBA said this about fake beef. “There is little evidence to suggest that plant-based alternatives are anything more than a fad being driven by massive investments in advertising, outdated information and many false or misleading claims about the impact U.S. beef production is having on the planet.

(According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, beef production in the United States is responsible for just 2 percent of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions). Despite spending millions to promote plant-based alternatives to meat, these products have failed to make significant gains in market-share. The reason is simple. The products aren’t being demanded by consumers.”

Said Woodall, “Today’s consumers want simple, easy-to-understand foods. They want natural products that are minimally processed and fresh. Over time, when consumers compare a single-ingredient product such as beef to the periodic table of chemicals included in an Impossible product, no amount of climate shaming will convince consumers to ignore the fact that Impossible’s Frankenpatty was created in a lab.”

As one professor has said,

HERD

continued from page 1

means to fix a windmill while the fraudster probably thinks it has something to do with a wardrobe change.

A real cowboy can float a reata into a packed remuda and have it gently land around the neck of the horse he intended to rope.

Unlike the urban cowboys, the genuine cowboy works from dawn to dusk without a pension and maybe even health insurance. He furnishes his own saddle, tack and silver bit which he sleeps with at night so it won’t be freezing cold the next morning when he puts it in the mouth of the horse, which he might also furnish.

A real cowboy doesn’t wear an Apple or other smartwatch yet he can tell you within ten minutes what “Fake meat is a great theory on paper but its promises are disconnected from agricultural reality.” An economist chimed in, “I don’t see alternative meat as a long-term threat to the meat industry.” And the American consumer has said resoundingly that given a choice, they’d actually prefer real meat, thank you very much.

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Page 3 time it is.

How many celebrity “cowboys” have you seen step into the path of a one-ton charging bull armed only with a plastic paddle and do it without a stunt man or stand-in?

A real cowboy can stay in the saddle on a bucking bronc even if he’s 70 years old. He might even enjoy the ride.

Genuine cowboys are this country’s true “Native Sons” even if they are, in fact, female. Women cowboys can do everything their male counterparts can do and consider it a badge of honor to be called a cowboy.

If a genuine cowboy gets a day off he probably spends it hauling his family to a youth rodeo, calf scramble or the county fair where his son or

What Is The Best Advertising Value In Western Livestock Industry?

daughter is showing a pig.

An honest-to-God cowboy survives on two meals a day and always feeds and waters his horse before himself.

A real-life, authentic cowboy can weld, drive a Cat®, shape a branding iron, shoe a horse and irrigate a meadow.

During roundup time he may sleep on the ground with his saddle for a pillow and his back for a blanket.

So next time you’re tempted to call someone a cowboy who can’t do any of these things just follow the advice a real cowboy might offer and just, “Shut your pie hole.”

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www.LeePittsbooks.com

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SCOOP

Livestock Market Digest

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and mirroring lines from the Biden administration.

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It’s also run multiple stories touting key presidential legislative efforts, including infrastructure spending and domestic manufacturing support.

But most of its content is aimed at backing Whitmer, a fellow Democrat — and attacking her Republican challengers.

It’s not clear who’s behind the site. Its listed publisher, Star Spangled Media LLC, was formed last month in New York and lists a registered agent service as its only officer.

The Sentinel did not respond to requests for comment.

The Sentinel has spent about $120,000 on ads since last month. Most have run on its flagship Facebook and Instagram pages.

But it’s also paid to run dozens of ads through Michigan-specific pages overseen by Real Voices Media, including Stand Up 4 Michigan’s Middle Class, A Working Michigan and Michigan Black & Bougie.

Those are just a few of the more than 400 pages that RVM oversees, according to Holdridge, who said its combined audience is about 1.9 million people.

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to name other investors.

continued from page 1

Founded in 2019, RVM received early investment from Will Robinson, a Democratic strategist and partner at The New Media Firm, but isn’t affiliated with that firm, Holdridge said. She declined

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RVM pages have hosted thousands of Facebook and Instagram ads since 2019, with $500,000 spent on paid posts on the platforms, according to political advertising data from Meta, the social media sites’ parent company.

How it works: RVM oversees the digital properties under its umbrella. But their front-facing content is produced by creators recruited and trained to originally build social media followings focused on specific states and topics.

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Many focus on politically competitive states such as Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maine, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin.

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Others target specific groups, some in granular detail: African Americans, Spanish speakers, LGBT people, seniors, parents, students, veterans, teachers, homeschoolers, small-business owners, medical professionals, service workers, local sports fans, gamers and foodies.

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Most of the pages build up audiences with typical, apolitical social media fare — news stories, memes, discussion of local issues or shared interests.

■■ “Our

community managers have wide latitude over what they might be posting on any given day,” Holdridge told Axios.

Between the lines: Those organic roots are what make RVM a potentially potent per-

suasion tool.

■■ “The

fact that we have built up these communities around nonpolitical things, but just around everyday interests, everyday affinities where they live ... that presents an opportunity for folks who want to reach everyday people.”

April 15, 2022 sessives was used to serve voter registration and turnout ads in key swing states through a host of RVM pages.

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During the 2020 cycle, influence among nonpolitical ob-

Last year, a number of them focused on the Virginia governor’s race, where scores of ads attacking Republican Glenn Youngkin ran on RVM pages devoted to women’s health, veterans issues and personal finances,

among others.

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More recently, an RVM page targeting mothers in West Virginia has plugged efforts to revive the Child Tax Credit.

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One focused on household finances recently activated to oppose major airlines’ efforts to restrict 5G spectrum for cell phone carriers.

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USDA

Background On September 30, 2021, President Biden signed into law the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act (P.L. 117-43). This Act includes $10 billion in assistance to agricultural producers impacted by wildfires, droughts, hurricanes, winter storms and other eligible disasters experienced during calendar years 2020 and 2021.

Additionally, the Act specifically targets $750 million to provide assistance to livestock producers for losses incurred due to drought or wildfires in calendar year 2021. ELRP is part of FSA’s implementation of the Act. For impacted ranchers, USDA will leverage LFP data to deliver immediate relief for increases in supplemental feed costs in 2021. LFP is an important tool that provides up to 60 percent of the estimated replacement feed cost when an eligible drought adversely impacts grazing lands or 50 percent of the monthly feed cost for the number of days the producer is prohibited from grazing the managed rangeland because of a qualifying wildfire.

FSA received more than 100,000 applications totaling nearly $670 million in payments to livestock producers under LFP for the 2021 program year.

Congress recognized requests for assistance beyond this existing program and provided specific funding for disaster-impacted livestock producers in 2021.

ELRP Eligibility – Phase One To be eligible for an ELRP payment under phase one of program delivery, livestock producers must have suffered grazing losses in a county rated by the U.S. Drought Monitor as having a D2 (severe drought) for eight consecutive weeks or a D3 (extreme drought) or higher level of drought intensity during the 2021 calendar year, and have applied and been approved for 2021 LFP. Additionally, producers whose permitted grazing on federally managed lands was disallowed due to wildfire are also eligible for ELRP payments, if they applied and were approved for 2021 LFP. As part of FSA’s efforts to streamline and simplify the delivery of ELRP phase one benefits, producers are not required to submit an application for payment; however, they must have the following forms on file with FSA within a subsequently announced deadline as determined by the Deputy Administrator for Farm Programs:

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CCC-853, Livestock Forage Disaster Program Application

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Form AD-2047, Customer Data Worksheet.

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Form CCC-902, Farm Operating Plan for an individual or legal entity.

continued from page 1

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Form CCC-901, Member Information for Legal Entities (if applicable).

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Form FSA-510, Request for an Exception to the $125,000 Payment Limitation for Certain Programs (if applicable).

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Form CCC-860, Socially Disadvantaged, Limited Resource, Beginning and Veteran Farmer or Rancher Certification, if applicable, for the 2021 program year.

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A highly erodible land conservation (sometimes referred to as HELC) and wetland conservation certification (Form AD-1026 Highly Erodible Land Conservation (HELC) and Wetland Conservation (WC) Certification) for the ELRP producer and applicable affiliates.

ELRP Payment Calculation – Phase One To further expedite payments to eligible livestock producers, determine eligibility, and calculate an ELRP phase one payment, FSA will utilize livestock inventories and drought-affected forage acreage or restricted animal units and grazing days due to wildfire already reported by the producer when they submitted a 2021 CCC-853, Livestock Forage Disaster Program Application form.

Phase one ELRP payments will be equal to the eligible livestock producer’s gross 2021 LFP calculated payment multiplied by a payment percentage, to reach a reasonable approximation of increased supplemental feed costs for eligible livestock producers in 2021.

The ELRP payment percentage will be 90% for historically underserved producers, including beginning, limited resource, and veteran farmers and ranchers, and 75% for all other producers. These payments will be subject to a payment limitation.

To qualify for the higher payment percentage, eligible producers must have a CCC860, Socially Disadvantaged, Limited Resource, Beginning and Veteran Farmer or Rancher Certification, form on file with FSA for the 2021 program year.

Payments to eligible producers through phase one of ELRP are estimated to total more than $577 M.

ELRP - Phase Two This announcement is only Phase One of relief for livestock producers. FSA continues to evaluate and identify impacts of the 2021 drought and wildfire on livestock producers to ensure equitable and inclusive distribution of much-needed emergency relief program benefits.

Emergency Relief Program (ERP) Assistance for Crop Producers FSA is developing a two-

phased process to provide assistance to diversified, row crop and specialty crop operations that were impacted by an eligible natural disaster event in calendar years 2020 or 2021.

This program will provide assistance to crop producers and will follow a two-phased process similar to that of the livestock assistance with implementation of the first phase in the coming weeks. Phase one of the crop assistance program delivery will leverage existing Federal Crop Insurance or Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program data as the basis for calculating initial payments.

Making the initial payments using existing safety net and risk management data will both speed implementation and further encourage participation in these permanent programs, including the Pasture, Rangeland, Forage Rainfall Index Crop Insurance Program, as Congress intended.

The second phase of the crop program will be intended to fill additional assistance gaps and cover eligible producers who did not participate in existing risk management programs.

Through proactive communication and outreach, USDA will keep producers and stakeholders informed as ERP implementation details are made available.

Additional Livestock Drought Assistance Due to the persistent drought conditions in the Great Plains and West, FSA will be offering additional relief through the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP) to help ranchers cover above normal costs of hauling livestock to forage. This policy enhancement complements previously announced ELAP compensation for hauling feed to livestock. Soon after FSA announced the assistance for hauling feed to livestock, stakeholders were quick to point out that producers also were hauling the livestock to the feed source as well and encouraged this additional flexibility.

It is important to note that, unlike ELRP emergency relief benefits which are only applicable for eligible losses incurred in the 2021 calendar year, this ELAP livestock and feed hauling compensation will not only be retroactive for 2021 but will also be available for losses in 2022 and subsequent years.

To calculate ELAP program benefits, an online tool is currently available to help producers document and estimate payments to cover feed transportation cost increases caused by drought and will soon be updated to assist producers with calculations associated with drought related costs incurred for hauling livestock to forage.

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April 15, 2022

Livestock Market Digest

6666 Ranch Manager and Hank the Cowdog Author to Headline 2022 Cattle U & Trade Show

BY LACEY VILHAUER

H

igh Plains Journal’s Cattle U & Trade Show will return for its fourth year and will be held August 4th and 5th at the United Wireless Arena in Dodge City, Kansas. The event will also coincide with the dates of Dodge City Days and the Dodge City RoundUp Rodeo.

Cattle U will consist of two days of informative breakout sessions, panel discussions, a cannot miss keynote speaker, an appearance by a noted cowboy author and a tradeshow, which includes a diverse group of exhibitors.

HPJ is proud to announce that Joe Leathers, general manager of the 6666 Ranch, Guthrie, Texas, will be the keynote speaker for the 2022 Cattle U event. Leathers, who was promoted to his position in 2008, has worked for the 142,000-acre ranch for 20 years and in that time has accrued a valuable knowledge of ranching and the beef industry.

Leathers serves as a Texas Animal Health commissioner representing equines; director of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association; serves as an executive committee member of the National Ranching Heritage Association; has represented the 6666 Ranch as the Environmental Stewardship Award winner for National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Region IV and is the co-chair of the Producer’s Council for the Cattle Traceability Working Group.

His keynote speech, entitled “Controlling Our Own Destiny” is scheduled for the afternoon of August 4th and will address the current state of the cattle industry and how producers can tackle the issues that are at animal agriculture’s door and the importance of preserving the ranching way of life for future generations.

Additionally, John R. Erickson, author of the Hank the Cowdog book series, will appear at Cattle U on August 4th.

Erickson, a native of Perryton, Texas, will have copies of his new book available for purchase at the event.

Panels and Cattle U awards The year’s event will include several panel discussions. Always a highlight of the event, the cattle marketing panel will be returning with some familiar faces. This year’s panel will feature Corbitt Wall, commercial cattle manager and livestock market analyst at DV Auction from Canyon, Texas; John Campbell who has worked as a field representative, auctioneer, general manager and order buyer for Winter Livestock in La Junta, Colorado, for 41 years; Kelli Payne, fifth-generation cow-calf producer and first woman president of the Oklahoma National Stockyards, and Steve Stratford, assistant manager at Pratt Livestock, Pratt, Kansas, and manager at Stratford Angus. Additionally, this year’s event will include a women’s panel and a livestock producer panel.

For the second year, HPJ will present the Cattle U awards at the event, including Heritage Ranch of the Year, Cattlewoman of the Year, and Cattleman of the Year.

High Plains Journal encourages readers and attendees to nominate their picks for these awards at www.cattleu.net/ awards-nominations/. The deadline for nominations is June 1st. Winners will be notified in advance and will receive free registration and lodging to attend Cattle U and receive recognition during the awards ceremony.

Page 5

Court Rules California’s Corporate Diversity Law Unconstitutional

BY MIMI NGUYEN LY / EPOCH TIMES

A

Los Angeles court determined on April 2, 2022 that a California law requiring certain workplace boardroom quotas of underrepresented communities is unconstitutional.

Conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch filed a lawsuit in early October 2020 arguing that any spending of taxpayer funds or taxpayer-paid resources on the quota law is “illegal under the California Constitution.”

The lawsuit was filed days after Governor Gavin Newsom signed it into law. The measure required publicly traded companies to have a minimum of one director from an “underrepresented community” on its board by the end of last year, and potentially more such directors by the end of 2022 depending on the number of members on a given board.

According to the law, a “director from an underrepresented community” refers to “an individual who self-identifies as Black, African American, Hispanic, Latino, Asian, Pacific Islander, Native American, Native Hawaiian, or Alaska Native, or who self-identifies as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender.”

California’s Assembly Appropriations Committee has noted that AB 979 “will result in ongoing costs in the hundreds of thousands of dollars to gather demographic information and compile a report on this data on its internet website,” Judicial Watch said in its complaint.

Judicial Watch noted in its motion for summary judgment (pdf): “Laws that explicitly distinguish between individuals on racial or ethnic, sexual preference, and transgender status grounds fall within the core of

the prohibition of the equal protection clause.”

The group had said the law’s quotas requirement is “immediately suspect and presumptively

prohibitions against discrimination.

“In its ruling today, the court upheld the core American value of equal protection under the

Epoch Times Photo Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, in Washington on Oct. 31, 2019. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

invalid and triggers strict scrutiny review.”

“Because it classifies directors by virtue of their race, ethnicity, sexual preference, or transgender status, AB 979 can only be justified by a compelling governmental interest, and its use of race and ethnicity must be narrowly tailored to serve that compelling interest.

law. Judicial Watch’s taxpayer clients are heroes for standing up for civil rights against the Left’s pernicious efforts to undo anti-discrimination protections.”

California’s governor, secretary of state, and attorney general did not immediately respond to The Epoch Times’s requests for comment.

▫

“As Defendant cannot make these difficult showings, AB 979 is unconstitutional and any expenditure of taxpayer funds or taxpayer-financed resources in furtherance of, ensuring compliance … quotas required

by AB 979 is illegal.”

Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said in a statement: “This historic California court decision declared unconstitutional one of the most blatant and significant attacks in the modern era on constitutional

Educational breakout sessions The team at High Plains Journal strives to provide a comprehensive range of educational breakout sessions providing producers with information that applies to all types of operations. Throughout the two-day event, attendees will hear breakout session presentations that will apply to cow-calf, stocker, seedstock and dairy operations.

With drought conditions being a major concern right now, Karla Wilke, cow-calf and stocker management specialist at the University of Nebraska, will present options for managing cows through drought. Addressing another hot topic, Clinton Laflin, a livestock Extension agent with Kansas State Research and Extension and wildfire survivor, will give a breakout session on his experience living through the Four County Fire in December 2021. He will explain what producers can do to prevent wildfires and recover after a fire has impacted their farm or ranch.

Other breakout sessions will examine traceability, stocker cattle genetics, the beef on dairy trend, raising organic beef, alfalfa forage, animal health and alternative feedstuffs for rations. To learn more about the speakers, tradeshow or to register, visit www.cattleu.net. Early bird registration is $75 a person, and will open April 4 to May 24. Regular registration price starting May 25 will be $100 per person. Additional tickets for students or spouses are $50. Updated information will be communicated via the Cattle U website, and High Plains Journal in print and online at www.hpj.com.

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Page 6

Livestock Market Digest

ESG Is Not Part of a ‘FreeMarket’ Economy. It’s the Result of Corruption, Cronyism, and Big Government

rates have been kept near zero for years, adding more dollars into the U.S. market. Without this extra money floating around, something that would never occur in an authentically “free market” economy, ESG systems could not be used in the way they are now, because earning a profit, not cronyism nor access to easy money, would be the focus for nearly all businesses.

BY JUSTIN HASKINS / HEARTLANDDAILYNEWS.COM

E

nvironmental, social, and governance (ESG) metrics are part of a controversial social credit scoring system designed to help corporations, banks, and even some governments evaluate businesses and individuals.

Unlike other tools used to measure the performance of a business, ESG systems focus on many non-financial factors, such as a company’s commitment to battling climate change, willingness to engage in social justice activities within the community, the size of a company’s facilities, and a business’s “Percentage of employees per employee category, by age group, gender and other indicators of diversity (e.g. ethnicity)” — among dozens of other factors.

The purpose of ESG is to “transform” society by altering the policies, products, and services offered by banks, Wall Street firms, social media companies, and corporations. As Klaus Schwab, the founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum and a leading advocate of ESG, wrote in a 2020 article: The world, using ESG and other “stakeholder capitalism” tools, “must act jointly and swiftly to revamp all aspects of our societies and economies, from education to social contracts and working conditions. Every country, from the United States to China, must participate, and every industry, from oil and gas to tech, must be transformed.”

In states throughout the country, lawmakers are now considering restrictions on the use of ESG social credit scores.

In particular, many policymakers are concerned about banks and financial institutions using ESG to impose societal changes by discriminating against businesses and families that do not wish to fall in line with the goals of those who craft ESG scoring models.

Many financial institutions are already using ESG and other subjective standards to punish or award businesses. Moreover, ample evidence suggests these practices are only going to become more widespread in the coming months and years.

Even more disturbing, there is additionally evidence suggesting that individuals and families will soon be directly affected by ESG metrics, especially those related to the environment.

Policymakers who oppose ESG systems have received a tremendous amount of pressure from lobbyists, pundits, and activists. Among the primary arguments they make against any limits on ESG is that environmental, social, and governance standards are part of the “free market.” Any attempt to restrict them is an assault on liberty, ESG supporters claim.

This has been a persuasive argument for some conservative and libertarian lawmakers who remain concerned about passing laws that could expand the size and scope of govern-

ment, but it shouldn’t be. ESG systems are not part of a truly free-market system. In fact, they are designed to undermine free-market economics and reduce consumer choice.

Below are seven important points to keep in mind when considering ESG metrics and whether prohibitions against them would violate free-market principles.

1. The banking and financial industries are not “free markets,” not by any stretch of the imagination. They are already among the most heavily regulated industries in the country.

Governments at the state and federal level currently set strict rules about lending, financial services, and other products offered by banks and financial firms.

2. There is nothing “free market” about ESG systems, nor other similarly subjective ratings systems. The ESG model is effectively collusion. It’s closer to the way mafias operate than it is to a market-based economy.

Instead of responding to the desires of customers, businesses are forced to listen to the demands of a small group of banks, investors, and international institutions. Under an ESG scheme, big banks, Wall Street firms, and financial institutions work together with activists to decide as a group which markets and businesses they will allow to survive and which ones will be destroyed. And those decisions are not based on free-market considerations.

Instead, they are predicated on crony arrangements between themselves and officials from international institutions, central banks, and governments. Proof of this can be found by looking at groups like Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), a global organization whose members control more than $100 trillion (not a typo).

PRI openly discusses how “sustainable investment” policies like ESG, mixed with government subsidies, regulations, and large spending programs focused on environmental issues, will help investors, corporations, and banks get richer in the near future — all while saving the planet, of course. ESG systems exist because of cronyism, not market forces like supply and demand.

3. The only reason ESG systems can flourish is because central banks have flooded financial markets and banks with trillions upon trillions of dollars of printed cash. In fact, about “80 percent of all U.S. dollars in existence have been printed in just the last two years” (as of January 2022). Further, interest

4. By allowing banks, financial institutions, and Wall Street titans to force businesses and individuals to act in a particular way and to only be permitted to buy certain products and services, governments are effectively giving those wealthy institutions the authority to determine how society functions — rather than reserving that power for voters, taxpayers, and their representatives in elected office. The American people and their representatives should be the ones determining market rules, not wealthy public corporations who have received massive amounts of money from taxpayers.

5. Banks, corporations, and investment firms are not private individuals endowed with God-given (or nature-given) rights.

They are creations of government. Modern U.S. corporations only exist because government gives them the ability to exist, and they regularly benefit from special arrangements individuals do not typically have access to.

Corporations have access to special tax rates, special employment laws (like buying health insurance across state lines), special liability protections, and they often receive huge amounts of government bailouts and lucrative government contracts.

None of this would ever occur in a “free market.”

Why should businesses that receive so much support from taxpayers be allowed to actively discriminate against many of those same taxpayers?

6. Other kinds of discrimination are already forbidden by state and federal laws, and very few people argue that this is a violation of the “free market.” For example, banks are not allowed to deny loans to businesses on account of the race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation of the business’s management team. Why, then, should we allow these same banks to deny services on the basis of a tweet someone wrote on social media, the candidate a business owner voted for in a previous election, or the type of lawful industry a business operates in?

Why are some forms of discrimination by large financial institutions and banks allowed while other types are strictly prohibited?

It is our position that banks and financial institutions should make decisions based on financial

April 15, 2022 considerations alone, and that if the citizens of a state believe a certain kind of business practice, societal standard, etc., should not be allowed, then the elected representatives of that state should ban that activity.

This is how well-functioning constitutional republics operate.

7. Some opponents of ESG laws have suggested that situations such as a bank denying access to loans to applicants who used to work in the Trump administration, for example, or a bank denying a loan request from a company that lawfully operates in the oil and gas industry, are similar to the much-talked-about example of an individual cake shop owner who refuses to make a wedding cake for a gay couple because of the shop owner’s religious views.

These examples are nothing alike, however. For starters, a cake shop owner in such a situation is still required to make a cake for gay couples — just not a wedding cake.

Courts have allowed this limited exception to protect the religious rights of the owner of the cake shop (some people’s religious views forbid endorsing gay marriage). Regulations that forbid financial institutions and insurance companies from using ESG to discriminate against individuals and businesses don’t have anything to do with religious rights being violated, nor are any other individual rights being limited. We’re talking about discrimination imposed by heavily regulated, publicly traded, for-profit corporations and banks doing business in the public marketplace.

Further, the Supreme Court has already determined that for-profit corporate businesses do not have the same rights as individual Americans. Glenn Beck and I discussed this idea

in our Great Reset book, published in January 2022. As we noted in the book: There used to be a time when even many elites understood that corporations should not have unlimited power. Consider the following quote from the opinion issued in 1946 by the in , a case in which the court determined that a private corporation could not prohibit a from distributing religious materials in a company-owned town, because the ban was in violation of the .

“Ownership does not always mean absolute dominion,” wrote Hugo Black, a justice appointed by one of the twentieth century’s most progressive presidents, . “The more an owner, for his advantage, opens up his property for use by the public in general, the more do his rights become circumscribed by the statutory and constitutional rights of those who use it. Thus, the owners of privately held bridges, ferries, turnpikes and railroads may not operate them as freely as a farmer does his farm.”[1] Make no mistake about it, large corporations ought to be given a great deal of authority over their products, services, and property, but it should never be forgotten that corporations are not institutions fully endowed with inalienable rights but rather the creations of government that exist to offer to the public—everyone in the public—goods and services. There is no reason why they should have the power to silence political or religious speech, and Americans who are demanding that corporations be required to promote individual rights as a condition of having access to special legal protections ought not to feel even slightly ashamed for doing so.

[1] See Marsh v. Alabama, 326 U.S. 501 (1946), https://supreme.justia.com/cases/ federal/us/326/501 Justin Haskins is the director of the Socialism Research Center at The Heartland Institute and the co-author of the New York Times bestselling book The Great Reset: Joe Biden and the Rise of Twenty-First Century Fascism.

His opinions in this article do not reflect the views of The Heartland Institute.

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Federal Judge Dismisses Lawsuit, Upholds Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act SOURCE: GLOBE NEWSWIRE

T

exas Judge James Wesley Hendrix has dismissed a lawsuit initiated by the National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (NHBPA) last year to stop the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) that takes effect in July 2022.

The HISA, championed by U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY., and Dianne Feinstein, D-CA, as well as U.S. Representatives Andy Barr, R-KY, Paul Tonko, D-NY, and Jan Schakowsky, D-IL., was inked into law in December of 2020 and bans the use of race-day medication in Thoroughbred horse racing.

Animal Wellness Action (AWA) led the charge on the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act in the animal protection space working with coalition partners such as The Jockey Club, New York Racing Association, The Breeders’ Cup, Water, Hay, Oats Alliance, and Stronach Group, and continues to work as a member of the Coalition for Horse Racing Integrity to implement the HISA, and execute the legislation’s intent.

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April 15, 2022

Livestock Market Digest

Page 7

REAL ESTATE GUIDE

www.scottlandcompany.com

Ben G. Scott – Broker Krystal M. Nelson – NM QB 800-933-9698 5:00 a.m./10:00 p.m.

RANCH & FARM REAL ESTATE We need listings on all types of ag properties large or small!

■ CEDARVALE, NM – 7,113 acre ranch (5,152 ac. +/- Deeded – 1,961 ac. +/- State Lease) well fenced & watered w/good pens, new barn.

■ REVUELTO CREEK RANCH – Quay Co., NM – 2,920 ac. -/+ (2,800 Deeded, 40 ac. -/+ NM State Lease, 80 ac. -/+ Private Lease).

■ NEW LISTING! ELK CANYON RANCH #2 - Harding Co., NM – 3,880 ac. -/+, older home, cattle pens, hunting/cattle ranch. Please call for details!

■ COLFAX COUNTY NM GET-AWAY – 1,482.90 ac.+/- grassland (1,193.59 ac. +/Deeded, 289.31 ac. State Lease), great location near all types of mountain recreation.

■ RIMROCK RANCH - BUEYEROS, NM 14,993.49 total acres +/- (12,157.49 deeded acres +/-, 2,836 +/- New Mexico State Lease).

Live water with five miles of scenic Ute Creek. Elk, deer and antelope to go along with a good cattle ranch! SIGNIFICANT PRICE REDUCTION! ■ SARGENT CANYON RANCH (Chaves/Otero Co.) – 18,460 +/- ac. - 200 +/- deeded, 2,580 +/- State, 11,200 +/- BLM, 4,480 +/- Forest permitted for 380 AUs year-round, well watered, good headquarters, very nice updated home, excellent pens & out buildings. Scenic ranch!

■ PRICE REDUCED! “RARE FIND” LAJUNTA, CO – Otero Co, CO, 400 +/- acres. 3.5 mi. east of LaJunta, just 65 miles from Pueblo, CO! Home, barns, pens, fenced, good access, close to town.

■ TEXAS PANHANDLE - Let’s look at this 6,000 hd. permitted feedyard w/953 ac. +/-, a recently remodeled owner’s home, 2 residences for employee housing, addtl. home on 6 ac., 5 pivot sprinkler irr. circles, truck scale, cattle scale, excellent perimeter fencing, located on pavement & all weather road, currently in full operation.

■ SUPER OPPORTUNITY! One of the best steak houses in the nation just out of Amarillo & Canyon at Umbarger, TX., state-of-the-art bldg., turn-key w/complete facilities.

■ EAST EDGE OF FT. SUMNER, NM – a 900 hd. grow yard w/immaculate 7.32 ac. +/-, a beautiful home, & other improvements w/a long line of equipment included, on pvmt.

■ QUAY CO, NM. – 142 ac. +/-, 120.5 ac. +/CRP, very nice site-built home & barn, located on all weather road.

Selling residential, farm, ranch, commercial and relocating properties.

COLETTA RAY

Pioneer Realty 1304 Pile Street, Clovis, NM 88101

575-799-9600 Direct 575.935.9680 Office 575.935.9680 Fax coletta@plateautel.net www.clovisrealestatesales.com

Advertise to Cattlemen and Ranchers!

TEXAS & OKLA. FARMS & RANCHES 198 AC Fanninco, TX Good Country Rd. Frontage, Rural Water, Electricity, 35 mi NE of Dallas, SO of Bonnam $20,000 Per Acre 270 AC Miticelle Co., TX 1 mi off I-20, 6 Elect, Trurans Rock Formation Irrigation Well and Sprinkler. All Bring Case, Modest Home & Barns Price $2.2 million 270 AC Pine Timber & Hunting, Anderson Co., TX Co. Rd. Frontage, Small Lakes $7,250 Per Acre

Bar M Real Estate

SCOTT MCNALLY www.ranchesnm.com 575/622-5867 575/420-1237 Ranch Sales & Appraisals

AG LAND LOANS

505-243-9515

for more information

1-800/671-4548

joepriestre.net • joepriestRE@gmail.com

694.9 ACRE RANCH IN ROOSEVELT CO NM 1931 S Rrd B has total new 5 wire, steel post, pipe corners etc, pipe corrals, POND, nice ranch house with 2 good water wells, some CRP time remains $665,000

575-226-0671 or 575-226-0672 fax

Buena Vista Realty

Qualifying Broker: A.H. (Jack) Merrick 575-760-7521 www.buenavista-nm.com

As Low As 3.5% OPWKCAP 3.5%

Bottari Realty

INTEREST RATES AS LOW AS 3.5% Payments Scheduled on 25 Years

Paul Bottari, Broker

Joe Stubblefield & Associates 13830 Western St., Amarillo, TX 806/622-3482 • cell 806/674-2062 joes3@suddenlink.net Michael Perez Associates Nara Visa, NM • 575-403-7970

Joe Priest Real Estate Call

521 West Second St. • Portales, NM 88130

775/752-3040 Nevada Farms & raNch PrOPerTY www.bottarirealty.com

UNIQUE COMMERCIAL OPPORTUNITY IN MT. GROVE! Three addresses including large retail building (105 W., 9600 SF built in 1995) (107 W. 11th, 13000 SG built in 2000); single family home (1103 N Main, 874 SF with 378 SQ unfinished basement built in 1940s) This is the last commercial corner of this size in the city and on MO95 (1.45 acres) so it is perfect for a bigger user who needs access and visibility. Nearby national/ regional businesses including Dollar Tree, Legacy Bank, Taco Bell, McDonalds, Fresenius Dialysis. It is also suitable for any retail business who wants additional income from warehouse and house. The warehouse has a drive-in garage door; and the big building has a dock for second story loading. This has been part of a family-owned business for decades and is currently operating as an antique/collectible store with high quality items. Owner’s inventory is for sale separately in private negotiations. Shown by appointment only after business hours. MLS#60199328

521 West Se

575-226-0

B

A.H. (J ww

AS PRO R

14298 N

FARM LAND IN ROOSEVELT CO NM 2550 S. Rrd 6 159.8 ac some CRP remains, eligible to re-inroll if new program $120,000 — See details on www.buenavista-nm.com

521 West Second St. • Portales, NM 88130

See these Properties with details at www.buenavista-nm.com or call agent for info

Buena Vista Realty

575-226-0671 or 575-226-0672 fax Qualifying Broker: A.H. (Jack) Merrick 575-760-7521 www.buenavista-nm.com

Call Buena Vista Realty at 575-226-0671 or the listing agent

Lori Bohm or Melody Sandberg 575-825-1291.

521 West Second St. • Portales, NM575-760-9847, 88130 Many good pictures on MLS or www.buenavista-nm.com

575-226-0671 or 575-226-0672 fax

U N DEARCT CONTR

Mexico approximately 20 miles northwest of the small community of Elida. Acreage includes 4,700 +/- deeded acres, 640 acres NM State Lease acres and 320 of Uncontrolled acres. Livestock water is provided by three wells and approximately four miles of pipeline. The ranch is fenced into four pastures and one small trap. Grazing capacity is estimated to be 80-100 AUYL. This place has had excellent summer rains and has not been stocked since last year. It’s as good as it gets, come take a look or call for a brochure. Price: $1,620,000

COWBOY DRAW RANCH Excellent small cattle ranch located in southeastern New

Mexico approximately 50 miles northwest of Roswell on the Chaves/Lincoln county line. 7,455 total acres with 2,600 deeded with the balance federal BLM lease acres. Permitted for 151 animal units yearlong with an additional 30 animal units on a temporary nonrenewable basis. Watered with two wells and several miles of water pipeline. Two larger open draws run through the ranch that provide overflow areas to enhance grazing. The terrain is open and rolling with good turf. The ranch has had good summer rains with no cattle since last spring. The ranch is in excellent condition. Call for a brochure and come take a look. Price: $1,350,000

U N DEARCT CONTR

Scott McNally, Qualifying Broker Bar M Real Estate, LLC P.O. Box 428, Roswell, NM 88202 Office: 575-622-5867 Cell: 575-420-1237 Website: www.ranchesnm.com

P.O. Box 145, Cimarron, NM 87714 • 575/376-2341 • Fax: 575/376-2347 land@swranches.com • www.swranches.com

Qualifying Broker: A.H. (Jack) Merrick 575-760-7521 www.buenavista-nm.com

CIMARRON PASTURE, 6.26± deeded acres. $139,000. Sold separately, 3.1116± acres irrigated off 1870 Maxwell-Clutton Ditch. $45,000.

Water meter, well. 3 phase power. Next to Cimarron River.

MAXWELL ESCAPE, 440 Elm Tree Rd. Nice 2-story home plus park model home, horse barn, many other buildings, shade trees, private, 34.2 irrigable acres, 45± total deeded acres. $575,000

CONTRACT PENDING

MAXWELL 2ND HOME, 2nd Home 461 Elm Tree Rd. 2-story, 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom home with usable outbuildings, barn, storage, 22.22 irrigable acres, 42.02 total deeded acres. $500,000 UTE PARK RIVER PLACE 6.83 +/ACRES, 450 +/- feet of the Cimarron River and more than that of Ute Creek are the south and east boundaries of

this unique one of a kind water property. 2 bedroom 1 bathroom cabin, year round access off Hwy 64. $599,000 CIMARRON BUSINESS, Frontage opportunity, house, big shop and office buildings, easy view off Hwy 64. Formerly known as “The Porch.” $295,000 CAPULIN FAMILY COMPOUND, Union County, NM. 40.88 +/- deeded acres with stunning 3,000 sqft plus main home with attached apartment over large garage. Pinon/juniper, two wells, short gravel drive off blacktop. $725,000 COLFAX TAVERN & DINER, Colfax County, NM. Aka “COLD BEER”, turn key legendry regional icon and destination, with anchor staff/team willing to stay on. Prime business on front range. $1,500,000

Patronize Our Advertisers

DOUGLASS RANCH A quality ranch property located in northeastern Chaves County, New

O’NEILL LAND, llc Buena Vista Realty

E

E

Page 8

Livestock Market Digest

31st Anniversary of Cattleman’s Weekend

C

attleman’s Weekend at Prescott Livestock Auction celebrated its 31st year on March 18 and 19, 2022 by hosting the newly rebranded American West Horse Sale, as well as the traditional Arizona Hereford Association and Arizona Angus Association bull sales, the Prescott All Breed Sale, a special replacement heifer sale, the Cattleman’s Trade Show, the 2nd Annual Jackpot Roping and the second year of the Yavapai County Fair Catch A Calf contest.

In spite of some technical challenges the American West Horse Sale was a great success, with the top horse, a mare named Reebish, consigned by Kruger Performance Horses, selling for $47,000.

The reserve top selling horse was a gelding named Metallic Stylin, consigned by Lazy JWC Ranch, selling for $36,000. In all, the average for the top ten selling horses was $26, 450 and the overall average for 49 horses was $10,983.67. In total, the horse sale brought in $538,200 on 49 horses. This is a great start for this sale!

In the bull sales, 16 top notch Angus bulls sold in the 22nd Arizona Angus Association Bull Sale this year.

The Grand Champion Pen of Bulls was awarded to Lance and Kristen Knight, Diamond K Angus Ranch, Springerville, Arizona. The Reserve Champion Pen of Bulls was awarded to Feenstra Cattle Company, Stanfield, Arizona.

Both consignors were awarded a gift certificate from Barbara Jackson, Animal Health Express, and a vaccine cooler from Merck. The high selling bull went to LKK Accomplishment 1176, consigned

by Diamond K Angus Ranch,

Springerville, Arizona, selling at $5,900. The reserve high selling bull LZS Elite Tendency, consigned by Lazy S Angus Ranch, Willcox, Arizona, selling for $5,200. In all, the 16 registered Angus bulls averaged $3978.13.

In the 35th Annual Prescott All Breed Bull Sale the Grand Champion Pen was awarded to a Simmental bull from Red River Farms, Blythe, California. High Selling Bull and Reserve High Selling Bull were also brought home by Red River Farms, with the first selling for $2,600 and the second for $2,500. In all, 34 bulls of various breeds sold for an average of $1772.06.

The Second Annual Cattleman’s Weekend Jackpot Roping drew 309 teams competing for the prize money and buckles as well as two .243 Ruger rifles to the high points and two Best Ever saddle pads to the second high points in each division.

Wacy Westcott and Logan Westcott won the 13 roping, with Logan winning the high point rifle and Wacy winning the second high point best ever pad in that division.

Bob David and Ryan Richards won the 10 incentive roping with Bob winning the high point Ruger rifle and Ryan winning the Best Ever saddle pad.

Prescott Livestock Auction and Cattleman’s Weekend hosted Yavapai County Fair’s Catch A Calf contest for the second year. In this contest ten youths interested in participating in a beef project compete with each other for one of five donated calves in a rough and tumble free for all which has resulted

in cuts, bruises and a spirit of sportsmanship that is warming to see. Last year’s winners returned to display their project calves prior to the competition, while an additional ten youths lined up to try their hands at getting a halter on a new calf and starting a year and a half project that culminated in a sale at the 2023 Yavapai County Fair.

Cattleman’s Weekend has established itself as a premier event for the livestock industry, and this year it upheld its title. Those interested in learning more about the event can check the cattlemansweekend.com website or look up the Cattleman’s Weekend Program and American West Horse Sale Facebook pages and cattlemans_weekend and american_west_horse_sale on Instagram.

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(top) High Selling Horse in the American West Horse Sale was Lot 45, Reebish, consigned by Kruger Performance Horses, selling for $47,000. (above) The grand champion pen of Angus Bulls was consigned by Lance & Kristen Knight, Diamond K Angus Ranch, Springerville.

Pictured are Cindy Tidwell Shelton, Kristen Knight, Lance Knight and Barbara Jackson, Animal Health Espress, presenting a gift certificate. Cooler provided by Merck. Photo by Cheryl Taylor. (above right) Reserve Champion Angus Pen was presented to Feenstra Cattle Company. Pictured are Cindy Tidwell Shelton, Jake Feenstra, his wife Angela and their girls, Charley, Evie and Margo, along with Barbara Jackson, Animal Health Express who presented a gift certificate.

Cooler provided by Merck. (right) The Champion All Breed Bulls (Simmental) were consigned by Red River Farms. Pictured are Cindy Tidwell Shelton, Bob Mullion and Barbara Jackson from Animal Health Express. (Photo from the 2021 sale). (bottom) Reserve High Selling Horse in the American West Horse Sale was Lot 7, Metallic Stylin, consigned by LWC Ranch, Fort Lupton, Colorado, selling for $36,000.

April 15, 2022

April 15, 2022

Livestock Market Digest

Dismantling the Regulatory State

BY IAIN MURRAY/ CEI VICE PRESIDENT FOR POLICY

Financial Regulations

S

taring with finance, the traditional way to start a business was to get a loan from a bank. However, after the financial crisis the Small Business Administration (SBA) found bank lending to small businesses “plummeted,” and post-crisis consolidation plus the stricter lending standards of the Dodd-Frank Act meant that it never really recovered. Today, the SBA recommends several different sources of money before mentioning bank loans.

One of those sources is the form of private equity known as venture capital (VC), where the funder takes an equity stake in the new business. However, in order to attract venture capitalists, businesses need an exit plan. One popular form of exit is acquisition by a larger company. Regulators at bodies like the Federal Trade Commission, however, look askance at this, and have been blocking mergers and acquisitions. This will make it harder to attract VC. Thus, the funding noose tightens and fewer new companies are created.

What about credit cards?

Google’s founders famously maxed out their credit cards to found the company in a garage.

Credit cards became much harder to get after the financial crisis. Yet regulators want to cap the interchange fees that finance the cards, which will mean either higher annual fees or higher interest rates, each of which will make this option less affordable to the cash-low entrepreneur.

One innovative solution is crowdfunding, whereby entrepreneurs raise funding via Internet platforms. Regulators have been extremely hostile to this innovation. In response, Congress passed the bipartisan JOBS Act to allow it. Regulators then took the most restrictive approach to crowdfunding possible under the new law, with the result that new businesses still find it more difficult to raise funds in America than in other countries.

Energy Regulations Suppose you do manage to find funding. How do you get the energy to power your business, particularly if it’s in energy-intensive manufacturing?

Electricity for commercial or industrial uses is more affordable than residential, but its cost has steadily risen over the past two decades, even accounting for inflation.

One major reason for this steady price rise is regulation.

Owing to concerns over climate change, regulators have made it much more difficult to generate energy using the most affordable source of power, coal.

The fracking revolution helped eased the cost increase as it made switching to lower-emission natural gas much more affordable. However, gas is simply not low emission enough for the regulators, who are increasingly demanding that more energy generation come from renewable sources for the sake of “environmental justice.” America’s nuclear regulators (the Nuclear Regulatory Commission,) for instance, are so beholden to such concerns that no nuclear plant

licensed by them has started operations since their creation in 1975. Although nuclear emits no carbon, regulators make the process of opening a new plant so difficult that they might as well not allow it at all.

Indeed, energy regulators are finding more ways to kill off affordable energy. For instance, the current administration wants to achieve “Net Zero” carbon emissions by 2050, which would not just require a tremendous increase in the cost of energy, but lead to significant reductions in industrial activity.

A Cambridge University report for the British government on reaching zero emissions contains some sobering lines:

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All existing forms of (steel) blast furnace production . . . are not compatible with zero-emissions.

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All existing forms of cement production are incompatible with zero emissions.

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We currently have no non-emitting freight ships.

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There are no options for zero-emissions flight in the time available for action, so the [aviation] industry faces a rapid contraction.

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All coal, gas, and oil-fuel supply from extraction through the supply chain to retail must close within 30 years

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Beef and lamb phased out by 2050 and replaced by greatly expanded demand for vegetarian food.

Never mind a broad-based economy, that doesn’t look like any economy we would recognize. Yet it is the logical conclusion of our energy regulators’ stated goal, and courts are increasingly finding anything contrary to it illegal. Meanwhile, the administration is considering redefining the “social cost of carbon” to whatever it takes to achieve Net Zero because the actual social cost of carbon isn’t high enough to justify it.

Labor Regulations Let’s say you have a business with low energy needs that is labor-intensive. Employing staff is one of the most regulated aspects of any business. And the more employees you have, the

more regulations you need to follow, which is why so many businesses employ just enough people to stay below the next regulatory threshold. The overall burden of regulations favors big business over small, which is why bigger businesses often get behind new regulations that make it harder for new entrants to compete. That’s a major reason for the decline in economic dynamism in business over recent years.

The burdens of employment regulation are such that innovative solutions arose in response.

Businesses started contracting out non-essential functions like office cleaning. Others adopted a franchise model, empowering a new generation of entrepreneurs. Regulators struck back, saying these models constituted “joint employment,” making both companies involved liable for employment regulation.

Other innovators created the platform or “gig” model of work, a new class of flexible working arrangement ideal for those whose daily schedules required flexibility. Regulators said that these jobs should be the same as full-time employment, subject to full regulation.

How about getting your goods to buyers? As Margaret Thatcher once said, “You and I come by road or rail. Economists travel on infrastructure,” and our infrastructure is in legendarily bad shape. Despite the massive spending in the recent infrastructure law, the law does little to ameliorate the regulatory burdens that led to this problem in the first place. Environmental regulations mean that getting approval for a project involves a long-haul slog, and labor and local regulations vastly increase the cost and time necessary for building a permitted infrastructure project. That may be why, despite having the funds to pay for it, the authorities in Pittsburgh prioritized things like bike lanes over repair of the bridge that collapsed there recently.

Future Regulations What should be apparent is that there is a regulatory ratchet in place. Regulators generally take the most stringent view about their powers and then use vaguely worded legislation and judicial deference to expand their powers into new areas. This is even the case with frontier technology that could not possibly have been in Congress’ mind when it delegated rulemaking power to the ex-

Page 9 ecutive branch. For instance, the Securities and Exchange Commission is claiming it has the power to regulate cryptocurrencies—and perhaps by extension, the innovations they could fuel—on the grounds that they are securities.

That is why claims that industrial policy can deliver a broadbased economy to the United States are so laughable. Any industrial policy will be coopted by bureaucrats and rent-seeking companies toward their own ends. That lack of accountability means that regulators will always choose to use power delegated to them in ways that favor their own interests—and rent-seekers will always look for ways to exploit the situation. It is, frankly, naive to think otherwise.

The fossil fuel industry has no chance of competing when the environmental agencies are dedicated to destroying it. Manufacturers will always seek to reduce their number of employees, automate, or even move offshore while employment and labor law continue to make hiring more costly. The entrepreneur with a good idea but no funding will find it increasingly difficult to get her idea off the ground while financial regulation is focused on eliminating risk.

This administrative state has to be reined in. Either the courts or Congress could start this by taking the issue of nondelegation seriously, forbidding the delegation of any significant rulemaking to agencies and ensuring proper accountability for agency heads. A commission could be established to reduce the backlog of regulation, while rules such as sunset provisions could be put in place to ensure that any delegated authority reverts to Congress automatically after a period of time. Other ideas, like a Devil’s Advocate “Office of No” within the administration aimed at challenging any proposed regulation, and rules to stop either the executive or Congress from abusing a genuine crisis like a pandemic to grab new powers, could be usefully explored.

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Farm Credit Supports TX Wildfire Relief Efforts

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UBBOCK, Texas -In response to the recent devastating wildfire outbreak that impacted much of the Lone Star State, several Farm Credit organizations have joined forces to contribute to the extensive recovery and relief efforts.

AgTexas Farm Credit, Capital Farm Credit, Central Texas Farm Credit, CoBank, Farm Credit Bank of Texas, Heritage Land Bank, Lone Star Ag Credit, Plains Land Bank and Texas Farm Credit have pledged a combined total of $162,500 to support rural fire departments across the state, and the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) Disaster Relief Fund.

The fires have impacted so many across the state, but the agricultural producers in the Central Texas and Panhandle areas have been especially hard hit. Over 125,000 acres have burned since the outbreak began on March 15, human life has been lost, property and livelihoods were changed in an instant, and livestock death tolls have been catastrophic. For many producers and residents, this event is crippling.

“Since 1916, Farm Credit has had the privilege of supporting rural communities and agriculture during times of plenty and extreme adversity, alike. Despite the resiliency of the Lone Star State and its residents, it is important that producers know and feel that Farm Credit is here to support them, today and tomorrow,” said Tim McDonald, chief executive officer of AgTexas Farm Credit.

“Our hearts go out to the residents impacted by the Texas wildfires,” added McDonald. “The donation to the rural volunteer fire departments will help them to retool and prepare for the rest of the season, and it will also make resources available to farmers and ranchers, through the TSCRA Disaster Relief Fund, who need feed and supplies to support their operations.”

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Page 10

Livestock Market Digest

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The View FROM THE BACK SIDE

Pay Up Suckers!

BY BARRY DENTON The views expressed in this column are not necessarily the views of this publication.

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cannot say that watching the “State Of The Union Address” impressed me much. I felt like they should have turned the teleprompters around and let us read it and it might have been understandable, to say the least.

I was impressed that the President could actually stand up for 65 minutes straight. Of course, he did have the podium to hang on to. The other thing that confuses me is it Joe or Jill that is the President?

I hope everyone is enjoying the new fuel prices and double digit inflation. See, now that COVID has subsided the Progressives have found a new way to control your life. Remember in, “Let’s Go Brandon’s” campaign speeches he promised that he would not raise taxes on anyone making under $400,000 per year. What he didn’t tell you was he would more than double the fuel price causing the cost of all goods to skyrocket. Control, control, control!

Stop and think about this.

On his first day in office, Slow Joe did four things to create this

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April 15, 2022 mess. Number 1 is he eliminated fossil fuel subsidies. Number 2 he tripled regulations on the fossil fuel industry. Number 3 with Executive Order #14057 he determined that the United States has to be carbon neutral by 2050. Number 4 he quit extending any federal oil leases.

Just think, with the stroke of a pen Slow Joe could ease the fuel prices permanently.

Now that Russia has invaded Ukraine and the US finally quit buying Russian oil, Slow Joe is blaming Russia for the high fuel prices. Any normal person would be getting the Keystone pipeline and American oil production back up to normal, but not Joe or Jill.

Even Elon Musk the owner of Tesla, the world’s largest electric vehicle manufacturer, has called for increased US oil production and the reopening of nuclear plants in Europe.

He stated, “That extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures.” The next thing Mr. Musk did was call out Vladimir Putin, “I hereby challenge Vladimir Putin to single combat.

Stakes are Ukraine.”

To me, I can’t figure out why the leaders of these countries can’t fight it out instead of having a war that harms people that have nothing to do with politics.

It’s never the people that start wars, it is governments that enjoy watching people suffer.

Stop and think about it. History teaches us that war does nothing but cause pain and suffering. I can see no reason for any future war. Yes, there will

always be “bad guys” that we made need to eliminate, but let’s keep it to eliminating them.

Something else to think about is that three percent of our energy in the US comes from solar and five percent comes from wind. That leaves 92 percent coming from fossil fuels which we have an abundance of.

Ask any energy engineer what the prospects are of running an industrialized nation on wind energy. They will laugh at you as it is an impossibility at this stage. My gosh, just do the math at what it takes to power one small business with threephase electricity. How many windmills do you think that will take? Whoever wants to see one?

Has anyone considered that the charging stations for electric cars are powered by fossil fuels?

The entire climate change hoax is so insulting to intelligent people. Stop and look around at the world that we live in. Our world is so full of intelligent design that we cannot comprehend 90 percent of it.

For example, look at how complex your eye is, or a plant, or an animal, or a season, etc.

These politicians and their paid scientists think they have the solution for saving the world.

They cannot even save themselves. This climate change hoax is only to control the masses. If you continually put your faith in the gloom and doom of politicians then we don’t have much hope. Stop and think for yourself.

biased makeup, claiming violations of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA).

The ranching organizations filed an amended complaint on April 6, 2020, seeking to revive claims the USDA was violating the Administrative Procedure Act and attempting to force the industry to adopt the radio-frequency tags. When the lower court dismissed the second complaint in May 2021, the plaintiffs appealed.

Harriet Hageman, an attorney with New Civil Liberties Alliance, opened oral arguments at the 10th Circuit in late March by acknowledging National Sunshine Week, a March celebration of open government.

On rebuttal, U.S. Attorney Sean Janda emphasized the importance of adopting the enhanced ID tags to be able to respond to disease outbreaks in a timely fashion.

Senior U.S. Circuit Judge Mary Beck Briscoe, appointed

by Bill Clinton, cut right to the heart of the ranchers’ argument.

“Was it true that the industry understood the agency wanted to move toward the IDs?” Briscoe asked.

Janda said the agency was following the required process.

“There are not a lot of tools to hold agencies accountable; FACA is one of those, and we should not interpret it out of existence,” Hageman told the panel, adding that if not for the USDA, neither working group would have come together.

Although the USDA consistently denied forming the groups in question, Holmes posed a hypothetical.

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road use of radio-frequency ear tags would make it easier to round up sick cattle, but implementing the technology comes with an estimated $2 billion cost. The 10th Circuit on Monday considered whether the U.S. Department of Agriculture legally consulted with industry groups, or whether it had cherry-picked advisers to bolster plans to move forward with requiring the technology.

The Ranchers Cattlemen Action Legal Fund (RCALF) and United Stockgrowers of America sued the USDA in 2019 to stop a proposed mandate that would require cattle producers to put the pricey ear tags on bison and cattle moving across state lines. The ranchers favored cheap and easy tattoos and brands.

A federal judge initially dismissed the lawsuit in February 2020 when the USDA withdrew a factsheet promoting the change, even as the agency continued to mull mandating the technology.

Two working groups formed to discuss the issue — the Cattle Traceability Working Group and the Producers Traceability Council. While the USDA claims it neither created nor managed the groups, the Ranchers Cattlemen Action Legal Fund took issue with their

U.S. Circuit Judge Jerome Holmes, a George W. Bush appointee, pushed back. “What basis is there to believe the USDA wouldn’t have come to the same conclusion without the groups?” he asked.

Hageman said the USDA couldn’t have moved forward with rulemaking without the working groups’ input and urged the panel to focus on the rule’s consequences.

“The harm is the USDA is trying to move forward with a radio-frequency identification requirement based on two committees illegally formed under FACA,” Hageman said.

Holmes again pressed.

“There’s the harmless error doctrine under the Administrative Procedure Act, and if you can’t show they wouldn’t have done the same thing anyway, you don’t have harm,” he said.

“The agency wasn’t going to move forward to impose electronic identification requirements without going through notice and comment rulemaking,” Janda said.

“Let’s assume the agency says ‘we now think this is a good idea, we don’t want to fashion the rule before we find what affected parties think about that rule, and so we’re going to reach out to groups to understand the upside and downside,’” Holmes postulated.

“Would there be any FACA violation there?”

Janda said no.

“It’s basic good governance to engage with people who may be impacted,” Janda said. “I think FACA plays an important role, but it’s not the only law governing agency rule making.”

U.S. Circuit Judge Nancy Moritz, appointed by Barack Obama, rounded out the panel.

The hearing was held in person Byron White U.S. Courthouse in Denver and broadcast to 32 viewers via YouTube. The court did not indicate when or how it would decide the case.

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April 15, 2022

Livestock Market Digest

The Davis Ranch – Fred & Peggy Davis Success takes perseverance.

If you want it, you can achieve it

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he Davis Ranch is located twelve miles southeast of Tombstone in Cochise County; right on the divide between the San Pedro and Sulphur Springs Valleys. Fred Davis is descended from early Cochise County pioneers and is a fourth-generation cattle and horse rancher. His wife Peggy was raised on a cattle ranch in Wetmore, Colorado. The couple were married in 1972 and Peggy left the Colorado snow for a warmer Arizona climate.

Fred was born in Douglas on July 6, 1951 to parents Houston and Bennie Lucille (Bennett) Davis. He grew up with two sisters, Zona Lorig and Lucille Febbo. Peggy is the daughter of George and Leona Draper and a third-generation rancher at the family ranch.

Fred’s great-grandfather on his mother’s side was William Fourr, who came to Arizona in 1862. His daughter, Daisy Belle, married Fred Bennett, who had come to Cochise County in 1895. He worked for Colonel William Greene as the wagon boss on the Boquillas Ranch at Fairbanks.

William Cowan, who came to Tombstone in 1880, was Fred’s great-grandfather on his dad’s side. William’s daughter Edith married Bill Davis, who homesteaded about five miles from where the Davis Ranch is located. Bill worked for the Chiricahua Cattle Company when he arrived in Cochise County in 1897. He soon struck out on his own and began buying small places after his original homesteading. The Davis Ranch was the last place acquired by Bill Davis and his two sons, Clarence and Houston. Fred and the Davis Ranch was included in the Arizona Centennial book 100 Years 100 Ranchers by Scott T. Baxter.

Fred graduated from Tombstone High School and attended Cal Poly University for a year, then Arizona State University for a year and a half. In 1988,

Houston’s health worsened and Fred’s parents moved into town leaving Fred and Peggy to take over the ranch.

The Davis Ranch runs mainly Beefmaster cows and use registered Red Angus bulls on them.

The family has been involved in various cattle grower organizations through the years. Both of Fred’s grandfathers and two of his great-grandfathers were at the first Arizona Cattle Grower’s Association meeting in 1903. Fred is currently serving ACGA as the Cochise County representative. He has also followed in his father’s footsteps as President of Cochise Graham Cattle Growers.

The couple has done a lot of work and made improvements on the ranch over the years.

Fred began working on the fences, both boundary and division, helping to control the time and duration of grazing. The water distribution was improved ending up with over 90% of the ranch within a mile of water. The past eight years has seen a lot of chemical brush management on both mesquite and shallow-rotted plants (whitethorn, creosote, and tarbush). The ranch has been part of the Whitewater Draw Natural Resource Conservation District for the past twenty years. This has been a huge help with both technical assistance and cost-sharing through the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Peggy is the clerk for the Conservation District and also the Education Director. The purpose is to assist local farmers and ranchers with projects that protect their water and soil conservation, and to keep them abreast of the most current methods and technologies available to sustain their farms and ranches for future generations.

The Education Center helps local agriculture students with providing local workshops and travel expenses for out of town events.

Fred has been a member of the Professional Rodeo Cow-

Colvin Scholarship Applications Now Open

beef quality practices, and devoting their careers, studies and activities to making the beef industry even better.

Over the last 23 years, 101 students have received $348,500 in Colvin Scholarships. In 2021, the brand awarded $59,000 to

BY KYLEE KOHLS

boy’s Association for over forty years and has a Gold Card now.

He also belongs to the Senior Pro Rodeo Association. He roped at the PRCA National Finals and was the Turquoise Circuit Champion Team Roping Heeler. He has also won the Oakdale Ten Steer average in California. In 2019 Fred was the National Senior Pro Rodeo Champion Team Roping Heeler.

All the horses Fred has won on were raised, broke and trained by the Davis Family.

The horses on the ranch are direct descendants or grandsons of the ranch’s bay stud, Otos Desire, a grandson of Montana Doc. Some of their horses originally came from the Draper Ranch in Colorado.

His talent with horses led him to be involved in the movies. Peggy’s dad, George Draper, got Fred a job in Colorado on the movie Comes a Horseman, in 1977, and he has been doing movie work ever since – wrangling, stunts and bit parts.

He is a member of the Screen Actors Guild and has worked on about forty movies over the years. One is the best known movies he worked on was Braveheart in 1996. One of the scenes was actually filmed in Benson, Arizona.

While Fred was busy with the movies, Peggy volunteered for various community services.

She was a 4-H Leader in Cochise County for five years and served on the Arizona State 4-H Committee. She also served as President of the Miss Rodeo Arizona, Inc., and supervised their scholarship program as well as serving on the Miss Rodeo America Advisory Council.

The Davis Ranch is twenty-five miles from the Arizona/ Mexico border and the location has been a challenge with illegal border crossers. Many crossing through the ranch are bringing drugs and people with them.

Fred’s life was permanently changed one morning when he walked into his barn and found thirteen illegal aliens sleeping on the floor. He and Peggy travel to Washington, D.C. each year to participate in the “Hold Their Feet to the Fire” gathering of talk-radio shows sponsored by the Federation of American

15 graduate and undergraduate scholars. With increasing support from brand partners, this amount continues to grow.

“We recognize there are different avenues for the next generation to prepare for their future beyond a four-year in-

C

ertified Angus Beef (CAB) will award more than $50,000 in scholarships this year to students who are honing their interests through a variety of education options in the pursuit of a career in agriculture.

Helping make these student’s dreams become a reality, CAB created the Colvin Scholarship Fund to honor Louis M. “Mick” Colvin, CAB co-founder and executive director for its first 22 years. This fund was established to carry his vision of creating a stronger beef business.

The Colvin Scholarship Fund supports the next generation of agricultural leaders who are dedicated to preserving farm and ranch traditions, researching and developing improved

The Colvin Scholarship Fund supports college students like 2020 scholars Luke Fernois (left) and Conner McKinzie (right) and 2021 recipient Abbey Schiefelbein (middle).

Page 11

Seated l to r: Peggy and Fred Davis. Standing l to r: Macy, Beau, Marlo and Zane Compton, and Jerrod Davis, all of Tombstone, Arizona.

Immigration Reform (FAIR).

They have been interviewed by a number of American and international journalists.

Both feel problems at the border effects our nation’s security and have met with members of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senators when they have visited Arizona regarding border issues. . Peggy testified before the Sub-Committee on Homeland and Maritime Security in September of 2016 regarding the failed policy of Defense in Depth by the U.S. Border Patrol. Peggy also writes articles on border issues for the Arizona CattleLog. Fred and John Ladd worked with Arizona Game and Fish in creating a video production for education purposes depicting farmer and rancher’s views regarding hunting, land management, wildlife conservation and sportsmen’s access as well as the associated impacts of recreational uses on private, State and Federal lands. The commission honored both men with

Commendations of Achievement.

The couple’s two children both live on the ranch. Son Jared as well as daughter Marlo, husband Beau Compton and their children Zane and Macy all help on the ranch. Three generations of the family rope in their ranch arena. Fred says roping with his grandchildren has invigorated him. It is as much fun as the law allows

stitution,” John Stika, CAB president says. “Thanks to the generosity of our licensees, we have the opportunity to continue to provide scholarships and expand the reach of those resources.”

This year, the Colvin Scholarship Fund includes a new category: the Colvin Production Agriculture Scholarship. This is for students enrolled in a variety of educational programs such as trade school, junior college, university or formal certification program with the intention of being involved in Angus production at a ranch, farm or feedyard.

“This new category gives a nod to the students who share the same grassroots passion that Mick had as a herdsman and farm manager before he changed beef quality,” Stika says. “Beyond scholastic qualification, the production agriculture scholarship is created to support a broader cross-section of the next generation with plans to go back to production agriculture.”

Applications for all scholarships are open until April 30,

2022, for students pursuing a degree in meat science, animal science, economics, marketing, business, communications, or other beef-related fields or trades. To apply, visit the brand’s careers webpage and click on one of the three 2022 Colvin Scholarship links under “Scholarships and Seminar Opportunities.”

The production agriculture, undergraduate and graduate scholarship applications each have unique requirements including, but not limited to, essay questions, resumes and letters of recommendation. The scholarship committee selects applicants based on activities, scholastic achievement, communication skills and reference materials. Recipients will be notified in July.

First-place winners in each division will receive $7,500 and an all-expense-paid trip to the 2022 CAB Annual Conference in Phoenix, Ariz., Sept. 28 to 30, where they can connect with the brand’s partners in production, packing, retail and foodservice.

Affiliations – Fred Davis Arizona Cattle Grower’s Association ACGA Board Member – Cochise County Representative President – Cochise/Graham Cattle Grower’s Association White Water Draw Conservation District Professional Cowboys Rodeo Association – Gold Card Member 40+ Years Senior Pro-Rodeo Association Screen Actors Guild Affiliations – Peggy Davis White Water Draw Conservation District Arizona Cattle Grower’s Association Cochise/Graham Cattle Grower’s Association Past Cochise County 4-H Leader & Arizona State 4-H Committee Miss Rodeo Arizona Inc. Miss Rodeo America – Advisory Council

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Page 12

Livestock Market Digest

Lawrence Ellis and Anne Marie Accomazzo Moore Carry on the Tradition

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awrence Ellis “Larry” Moore Jr. and his wife Anne Marie Accomazzo are descendants of early Arizona pioneer farmers and ranchers.

Larry’s great-grandfather, Canadian born Peter Moore, came to Arizona Territory in 1893. He ranched in Rucker Canyon in Cochise County, branding the F Fire Hook. Peter later purchased the Whitewater Ranch in 1897 with his son Franklin. They stocked the ranch with cattle purchased from John Long and branded with the Rafter X. The Rafter X Ranch celebrates its 125th Anniversary year in 2022.

Franklin’s brother Fred joined as a partner and later bought out Franklin’s widow after his passing. Fred and Lucy Moore had four children, Frank, Lawrence, Mary, and Martha.

Both Franklin and Fred had alternately served at times on boards such as the Livestock Sanitary Board, Arizona Cattle Growers, Southeast Arizona Pioneer Cowboys as well as serving stints as Livestock Inspectors and Deputy Sheriffs.

Lawrence married Helen Kintzele from Colorado and the couple became parents of three children, Larry, Michaele and Peter. When Fred and Lucy retired and moved to Douglas, Lawrence and Helen moved to the ranch. They lived in the Rafter X headquarters house that was built in 1929 and raised their children on the ranch. His father Fred was a strong Hereford man, but when Lawrence began running the ranch, he went into a cross-bred herd.

Larry was born in 1944 in Douglas, attended Rucker and Elfrida Elementary Schools; graduating from Valley Union High School in Elfrida. During high school he was active in FFA and played football, baseball, and basketball. Larry attended the University of Arizona where he studied Animal Science.

While at the University, he was a member of the Livestock Judging Team and was an Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity Brother. Larry served in the Army

Anne and Larry Moore, Willcox, Arizona

Reserve for six years. (Spec. 5 ES, Company C, 8th Battalion, 40th Armor) To his family and close friends he is fondly known as “Lariat.”

Larry came up through the ranks. During his early years, Larry was employed during the summer at his family’s Rafter X Ranch and later employed full time. He always has had a love of the land, a thorough knowledge of animal husbandry and an understanding of herd management.

In 1974, Larry married Anne Marie Accomazzo, a graduate of Arizona State University and the Home Economics teacher at Willcox High School. The couple met one summer in 1971 when Annie worked at Paul & Julia Rigg’s West Well Ranch in Pearce. Julia was ill and Annie kept house, cooked the meals, and helped cowboy when needed. Julia passed away the end of June and Annie organized the food when friends and family gathered after the service. One young man caught her eye. He tipped his hat to the older ladies and took time to visit. She decided to keep track of that guy only to learn he was a friend of Julia’s son Roger – he was Larry from Rucker Canyon. In October 1972 Paul asked Annie to come cook for round-up and Larry came to help too. They began a letter writing romance and had their first date at the Arizona Cattle Grower’s Winter Convention at Hotel Westward Ho in Phoenix. Annie applied for the teaching position at Willcox High School so she could get to know Larry better beyond their letters. They have been married forty-eight years.

Annie, the daughter of Mark and Betty Kruse Accomazzo, was raised on a cotton and cattle farm in Laveen. Mark’s Italian father Dante immigrated in 1905 and established Pacific Farms branding the PF.

She and her sister Peggy could set a hundred irrigation tubes in record time. One of Annie’s favorite chores was raking hay in the morning dew. While she was kept busy on the farm, she was also actively involved in activities at Tolleson Union High School and had time to participate in 4-H. Her brother Jimmy Accomazzo was inducted posthumously to the Farming and Ranching Hall of Fame in 2010.

Her mother Betty was active in Cowbelles serving as state president; with Annie following in her footsteps in 1988/89. Betty was inducted into the “National Cowgirl Hall of Fame” in 1983 for her preservation of western Arizona history and was later inducted into the “Arizona Women’s Hall of Fame”.

Larry and Annie became parents of Cassandra Jo and Jake Tyler. They were adopted in 1983 and 1985 from Arizona Children’s Home. Both were active in 4-H and FFA. Cassie was named Arizona FFA Star in Agri-Business in 2001 and was crowned Rex Allen Days Rodeo Queen in 2002.

After Helen’s untimely death in 1976, Lawrence brought in Larry as a ranch partner. They had a cow/calf and stocker operation crossing lots of cattle out of Mexico through the stockyards in Douglas. Back in the days of crossing cattle in Douglas, all the business was done at the Gadsden Hotel. Larry remembers “We did business and wrote sales/purchase agreements on match book covers and napkins from the Saddle and Spur Bar in the Gadsden.”

Lawrence retired in 1980 and sold the Rafter X to Larry and Annie. In 1990, the Rafter X operation was expanded to take in two neighboring ranches, the century old Bar SS owned by the Whitehead family and the Geer Place in the western foothills of the Swisshelm Mountains and the Square Top Hills in lower Rucker Canyon. They

April 15, 2022 acquired several brands, the “CJ” and “Bench S” and created the Bar M Bar Cattle Company.

Larry was proud to involve his children as the fifth generation in the day-to-day operations on the ranch. The Bar M Bar was a long time Moore cattle brand.

Larry says with the cow/calf operation they were always looking at long term herd improvements while on the stocker side they were always worried about gain, rain, and market conditions.

Lawrence was inducted into the Willcox Cowboy Hall of Fame in 1984 and Larry was inducted in 2009. Annie was honored in 2019 when the Arizona State Cowbelles named her “Cattle Woman of the Year”. In 2020 Annie was named Arizona Cattle Grower’s “Top Wrangler”. The couple are involved with a number of agricultural and community organizations.

Annie was the founder of the Cattle Company Cowboy Exchange. The company features a line of Ranch House Barb*Wire China that blends vintage western and cowboy-chic motifs designed by Annie and signed with her cattle brand the Lazy M Lazy A that she inherited from her father Mark. In co-operation with the University of Arizona Animal Science Department and the American National Cattle Women, Annie helped produce the infamous beef by-product brochure “When is a Cow More Than a Cow”, known as “Wow that Cow” in present years.

In 2006, Larry and Annie made the decision to move closer to town rather than the fifty-mile drive from Rucker Canyon. They purchased a small ranch operation in Dos Cabezas and spent three years setting up a new Bar M Bar headquarters, ‘Hacienda’, barn and corrals.

They leased their Rucker Canyon ranches and moved their Red Brangus herd to Dos Cabezas along with some horses and Border Collies. The ranch is

Climate Change is Not an ‘Existential Threat’

BY DAVID SIMON / WASHINGTON EXAMINER

T

he Biden administration’s climate change policies have sharply increased oil prices, damaging the domestic economy and increasing the cost of nearly everything consumers buy. By increasing revenues for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime, they also made Russia stronger and more dangerous at a critical time, thus damaging national security. It is worth noting that Russia’s invasions of Georgia in 2008, Ukraine in 2014, and Ukraine again this year each happened after an oil price spike.

But worst of all, the Biden administration’s basis for these policies, the claim that global warming presents an “existential threat,” is fraudulent. It is not based on any scientific consensus, and in fact, it ignores evidence of environmental benefits of global warming that offset its harm.

Studies published in May 2015, July 2021, and August 2021 analyzed millions of deaths in numerous countries over recent decades and found that cooler temperatures kill several times more people than warmer temperatures. “Global

warming,” environmental statistician Bjørn Lomborg wrote in September 2021, “now prevents more than 166,000 temperature-related fatalities annually.”

Matt Ridley’s February 2022 essay explained that global warming has increased both agricultural yields and growth of forests, grasslands, and tree leaves.

The facts regarding natural disasters also do not support the “existential threat” claim.

The number of hurricanes per year, a 2021 EPA report shows, has not increased since the late 19th century. Moreover, although you wouldn’t know it from the panicky, sensationalized news coverage, the total acreage burnt by forest fires annually has decreased, and most rivers flood less today than they used to.

Since 1920, Earth’s average temperature has risen by 1.12 degrees and the world population has quadrupled from less than two billion to almost eight billion. Even so, the number of people killed each year by natural disasters has declined by about 90 percent. That statistic, more than any other, puts the lie to claims of an existential crisis due to climate.

There is also the global air pollution death rate, which has

called “Rancho Hacienda”.

Larry attributes his love of the grasslands and cattle to the legacy of his father, grandfather and great-grandfather before him. Annie credits her parents for her strong work ethics and determination to serve the agriculture industry and community.

LAWRENCE ELLIS MOORE Cochise-Graham Cattle Growers Association – President 1981-1983 Arizona Cattle Growers Association – Board of Director, Chairman of Private Lands/water Rights and Co-Chair State Lands. Membership Chairman Arizona Cattle Industry Research and Education Board National Cattlemen’s Association – Young Cattlemen’s Conference: Arizona Delegate 1982, Private Lands Committee Whitewater Draw Natural Resource Conservation District Member Center for Holistic Resource Management – Savory Grazing School Federal Land Bank/Farm Credit Services Southwest – Board of Directors 5 Years Rucker Elementary School District #66– Board Member 30 Years – 1979-2009, President and Clerk.

Willcox FFA Alumni Association – Honorary Chapter Degree Cochise County Cooperative Extension Service Board ANNE MARIE ACCOMAZZO MOORE Future Homemakers of America – State Officer National 4-H Congress Winner 1968 Project CENTRL Class IV Arizona State Cowbelles – Secretary, Treasurer, Vice-President, President-Elect and State President 2019 Cattle Woman of the Year from Arizona State Cowbelles 2020 Arizona Cattle Grower’s Association Top Wrangler Award Tucson and Willcox Cowbelles American National Cattle Women – Beef Promotion Chairman & Beef Education Vice-Chairman National Cattlemen’s Association – Public Affairs Committee Arizona Cattle Growers Association – Membership Committee 2019-2021 Willcox FFA Alumni President – Honorary Chapter Degree Farm Service Agency Minority Board Member Arizona National Livestock Show Board Member Willcox Cowboy Hall of Fame Parade Chairman– 7 Years Arizona Farm Bureau Member

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declined by about 45% over the last three decades. Again, no “existential threat” here.

Climate change comes with trade-offs — this is not a new idea.

A group of eminent scientists, including Richard Lindzen of MIT and William Happer of Princeton, wrote in 2017 that “observations [over the last] 25 years, show that warming from increased atmospheric CO2 will be benign.”

Biden administration climate change policies are sensationalizing the threats while ignoring all the benefits. They rely on speculative “models” that supposedly project global temperatures and predict disasters. But these models are highly unreliable. In Unsettled: What Climate Science Tells Us, What It Doesn’t, and Why It Matters, Obama Department of Energy Under Secretary for Science Steven Koonin shows that these models are unable even to reproduce the temperature changes of the 20th century.

The Biden administration’s campaign against U.S. oil production and pipelines is not just harmful — it is an environmental fraud. Now more than ever, with both a hot war in Europe and spiking energy prices wreaking economic havoc, it is vital to change our attitude and our policies toward this issue.

David M. Simon is a senior fellow at the Committee to Unleash Prosperity and a lawyer in Chicago.

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