LMD Dec 2023

Riding Herd Saying things that need to be said.

December 15, 2023 • www.aaalivestock.com

Volume 65 • No. 12

America’s Food LEE PITTS

T

NEWSPAPER PRIORITY HANDLING

o say the least, we are a nation of hamburger gobblers. “Burgers are universally loved,” reports Datassential, a Chicago-based market research firm, noting that burgers are amongst the top ten most loved foods of the more than 3,000 items that it tracks. They are in the top percentile for nearly every demographic segment. In another national survey, the hamburger beat out apple pie, pizza and chicken on the way to becoming a culinary superstar. Such is hamburger’s popularity that you can even order one at the International House of Pancakes, Dunkin’ Donuts, Red Lobster, Friendly Ice Cream and Pizza Hut. Americans eat more than 11 billion burgers every year and eight out of 10 U.S. foodservice establishments serve hamburgers. Surely if we ever name a national food it should be the hamburger!

Or to be more specific... THE CHEESEBURGER According to one of the major burger chains, out of every one hundred hamburgers they sell, 72 are cheeseburgers.

Breaking down that number into a finer grind we find that 13 percent of their hamburger customers order a regular burger; 20 percent order a regular cheeseburger; 39 percent order a large cheeseburger; 15 percent order a large burger and 13 percent order a bacon cheeseburger. And as hard as this may be to believe after hearing that

millennials hate beef so much, a large percentage of the millennial generation, which is rapidly becoming the largest segment of American consumers, would rather eat a good hamburger than they would a great steak!

(Might we suggest that part of the big reason why is that most millennials can’t afford steak.)

This New Year should hold special significance for anyone who calls himself or herself a cowboy for it will be the 100th anniversary of the cheeseburger! And considering what the cheeseburger has done for beef

ring in the New Year by eating at least one.

The Yellowburger Although there is a great deal of debate about the derivation of the hamburger it’s universally agreed upon that the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904 introduced the hamburger to most Americans. Why it took another 20 years for someone to think of adding cheese to it is beyond me.

As with the invention of the hamburger, the exact origins of the cheeseburger are a little cloudy. Several chefs claim to have been the first to add a slice of cheese to a hamburger, but most researchers say that Lionel Sternberger of the Rite Spot in Pasadena, California, should get credit for inventing the cheeseburger in 1924. An old menu from Lio-

“Life is getting up one more time than you’ve been knocked down.” consumption in this country, every rancher in the nation should

nel’s O’Dell Restaurant shows that he was serving burgers with slices of cheese at the time. Luis Ballast, owner of the Humpty Dumpty drive-in restaurant in Denver, however, is given credit for inventing its name. Although we can all be grateful his first attempt to register a trademark wasn’t accepted. I think we can all agree that “cheeseburger” sounds much better than “yellowburger.”

Building Better Burgers I don’t know if you’ve noticed but there has been an explosion of new burger chains and the secret to their success is they build their burgers with fresh beef made from whole muscle cuts. You can’t sell a cheap burger made with frozen beef with fat imported from Australia and hope to compete on taste with the chains selling gourmet burgers at prices that used to be steak prices. A decade ago, average retail steak prices were about 2.5 times that of ground beef. Today, that price relationcontinued on page 2

Climate Justice, Nonsense on Steroids

Animal Extremist Group Crusades For Denver 2024 Ballot Measure ccording to the Center for CliTargeting Sheep mate Justice (CCJ), Climate Justice is the remedy for the faux fact Processing that there is a “disproportionate

BY KATHLEEN MARQUARDT

A

impact of climate change on low-income communities of color around the world, the people and places least responsible for the problem”.

Yep, the climate is different for different people – even if they live in proximity. The rich, and even the middle class, have decent to great weather, while the poor are inflicted by smog and other man-made evils. Basically, smog is the only man-made evil mentioned on the CCJ site, so the other climate problems – hurricanes, drought, and floods – that are impacting those communities that are the targets of CCJ’s benevolence are the focus of Climate Justice.

Smog is being reduced all the time through scientific inventions. My question is, how do hurricanes, drought, and floods disproportionately impact “low-income and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) communities around the world, the people and places least responsible for the problem”?

And how does the Center for Climate Justice propose to remedy the situation? Noting that “Low-income countries and communities often have lower capacity to adapt”, and while “conventional models of economic development have been promoted as a strategy for increasing adaptive capacity”, CCJ claims that these models created the inequity in the continued on page 4

BY JACLYN DE CANDIO FOR PROTECT THE HARVEST

S

ufficient petition signatures were recently gathered by animal rights extremist group Pro-Animal Future, then submitted to the Denver Clerk and Recorder. The signatures support a “citizen-led” initiative to ban a longtime Denver sheep processing facility via a 2024 ballot initiative. This effort marks yet another concerning example of animal extremists using ballot initiatives to bring their agenda to a public vote.

Denver residents will vote on the following: “Shall the voters of the City and County of Denver adopt an ordinance prohibiting slaughterhouses, and, in connection, beginning January 1, 2026, prohibiting the construction, maintenance, or use of slaughterhouses within the City; and requiring the City to prioritize residents whose employment is affected by the ordinance in workforce training or employment assistance programs.”

A Strategic Target This ballot measure was specifically designed to target Superior Farms, one of the largest sheep and lamb processing facilities in the nation, which harvests 500,000 animals annually.

As a niche industry comprised of small-scale continued on page 4

by LEE PITTS

Where’s My Plaque?

I

think the American Quarter Horse Association should give me a lifetime achievement award for all the contributions I’ve made to promote the breed and for the harmful genetics I DID NOT add to the gene pool.

What are these contributions I’ve made? Well, there have been so many I hardly know where to begin. When I first got hired at the age of 21 to be a field editor for Western Livestock Journal, I think there were more horses in my territory than there were cattle so I worked ring at a lot more horse sales than I did cattle auctions.

Two of the highlights of my career as a ringman were taking bids from D. Wayne Lucas and Bob Baffert who both started out running Quarter Horses before they became world famous for training all their clients’ Triple Crown winning Thoroughbreds.

In my job with WLJ I fell in with the reps from the horse associations and magazines and I was soon offered a job at a regional quarter horse magazine to write stories, work ring and cover all the Quarter Horse events.

Because I love horses, I was tempted to take the job and to this day I don’t know why I didn’t. Considering how many people I’ve made angry in the cow business can you imagine the devastation I could have caused the horse world had I taken that job? So not taking that job was my first major contribution I made to the AQHA. My second major contribution to the horse world was becoming a collector at an early age of old bits, spurs and other cowboy paraphernalia. On my walls at home are countless cruel spade bits, Mexican ring bits, high curb bits and long shanked US cavalry bits. I also have spurs with three-inch rowels and even worse, the quarter sized rowels with serrated edges that could do more damage than even the long rowels.

I’ve also collected old quirts, whips and romels that can no longer inflict torment or torture. By gathering up all this stuff you can imagine how much pain has NOT been inflicted on horses! I also collect old, barbed wire which is a horse’s worst night-mare. I’ve no doubt saved an untold number of

continued on page 3

Page 2

Livestock Market Digest

AMERICA’S FOOD from pg 1 ship has shrunk to 1.7.

According to Fortune Magazine this move to quality includes whole muscle cuts of USDA Prime Angus beef, USDA Choice Angus beef, a blend of both Prime and Choice Angus beef, and b lends of whole muscle briskets and chucks.

Cheeseburgers received another boost in 2003 when lowcarb, high-protein diets became popular. Burger King even had an advertising campaign entitled the “Angus Diet” – an intentional play on the Atkin’s Diet trend that included a character called Dr. Angus.

The millennial generation may not be particularly wealthy but they still demand high quality food. Big Macs and Whoppers won’t cut the mustard with the millennials snapping up Wendy’s bacon and blue cheeseburger on brioche or Carl’s Jr. all-natural burger and other burgers topped with avocados, jalapeños, peanut butter, pimiento cheese, hummus and even beets. Yuck!

Ain’t Nuthin’ But A Cheeseburger The bonus being paid for premium and ultra-premium burgers is driving a surging demand for premium ground beef that takes many forms. There are burgers that come from “grass fed” beef only and burgers made with beef produced without antibiotics. Unfortunately, the premium being paid for burgers has not gone unnoticed by copy cats like The Impossible Burger and the Beyond Beef Burger made from plants. Burgers are also being sold from alternative animal proteins such as lamb, bison, elk, boar, venison, turkey, chicken and salmon.

Elvis Presley loved hamburgers and experimented using other ingredients on his hamburgers such as bananas, peanuts, syrup, and eggs. Burger buyers around the world are following the King of Rock and Roll’s habit. We’re happy to report that

the popularity of the hamburger has spread around the world, although they are served differently than those in America. In Mexico, hamburgers are served with ham on top. In Japan, hamburgers are bun-less. Other trends we definitely don’t want to follow are the hamburgers in India where beef is banned.

They make theirs with chicken and vegetables. In Thailand Burger King introduced a “real cheeseburger,” which is a bun filled with as many as 20 slices of American cheese!

Celebrity chefs are getting very creative with their macaroni and cheeseburgers whose demand is up 319 percent over the past four years. Burgers are being made with such things as soy, rice or tofu. Breakfast burgers are making quite a splash too, especially egg burgers. Over-easy egg burgers, for instance, are on 1 percent of burger menus, a 266 percent increase over the past four years, according to Datassential. “Breakfast burgers are on 2 percent of burger menus these days, a 152 percent gain over the last four years; sunny-side egg burgers are on 2 percent of burger menus, up 97 percent during the period; and hash brown burgers are on 2 percent of burger menus, a 128 percent increase over the past four years.”

The five-star hamburger is definitely not for the penny pincher. Also called “gourmet burgers,” they are made with “luxury ingredients.” One of the first such burgers was cooked in New York City by chef Daniel Boulud in June 2001, and subsequently sold for $29 with ground up loin, canned black truffles, and a combination of finely chopped aromatic vegetables.

There was also the $295 cheeseburger served in New York City with truffles, fried quail egg and caviar on a gold dusted roll. But the Cheeseburger in Paradise takes the prize for being the most expensive burger. It cost over $650 per burg-

er and included Kobe beef, wrapped in gold leaf, topped with foie gras, lobster, truffles, gruyere cheese melted with champagne steam. And get this... it wasn’t served at an exclusive steakhouse with white tablecloths and six forks per table setting in Manhattan but AT A FOOD TRUCK! Did you want to super-size that?

Our Golden Patty award for the most unhealthy burger goes to the Triple Whopper from Burger King which surpasses 1,000-calories.

The Best Of Both Worlds All these upscale burgers have enabled beef to increase in price five to six percent annually while chicken has been increasing at a two percent rate. Cargill Protein reports, “Strong global flavor influences are resulting in the proliferation of Asian and Latin burgers and next on the burger scene are Filipino-inspired burgers, which feature such ingredients as longanisa (sweet sausage), banana ketchup, garlic, pork crackling, mango, pickled green papaya, sweet potato fries and pandesal bread (a Filipino bread that is soft and slightly sweet). Young adult consumers are especially interested in global flavors and will look for restaurants that allow them to explore different cultures on their plates.”

Other increasingly popular flavors and ingredients according to Cargill are black garlic, gochujang, fire-roasted fruits such as peaches and pineapple, and fresh toppings like avocado and arugula. Cargill Protein says, “There is a burger recipe for every price point, taste preference, and consumer demographic. Quality ingredients, freshness and layered textures are becoming more important to customers who want their burger their way.”

Cargill Protein says,

December 15, 2023 “Many consumers who associate fresh ground beef with being more premium and better tasting eschew frozen burgers.

Consumers also are increasingly interested in burgers made from newer or unique cuts of beef.

“Brisket is one of the fastest growing burger proteins and we have seen ribeye patties perform exceptionally well on menus.”

Burgers made from a combination of ground beef and a non-animal ingredient, such as a vegetable or grain are also becoming more appealing. There is a small, but growing, segment of consumers who consider themselves flexitarian and these consumers have a desire to reduce the amount of animal protein they consume, but do consume some animal protein as part of their diets,” Cargill Protein says. “Blended burgers made from both animal protein and non-animal ingredients offer this group of consumers the best of both worlds.”

two-class society… the rich and the poor, with no middle class.

It is this middle class that previously made beef the king of meats. But as the middle class disappeared so too did beef’s dominance.

To satisfy this new dual market perhaps the beef industry would be better served by a two-tier structure, one tier producing a CAB-type superior product for the high-end restaurant trade, the gourmets and the foodies. While another tier would emphasize maximum tonnage, grass-fed beef, lowcost inputs, running cattle on increasingly marginal ground, and producing an animal that is leaner with less fat. If we fail to do so, our loss could be our competitors gain and we may awake from this dreamlike cattle market wondering how we lost another 10 percent or 20 percent of our market to foreign competitors.

Many environmentalists are enthusiastic about grass-fed burgers and are buying them at local farmer’s markets to help local ranchers. They perceive

The King Of Meat According to many economists, America is turning into a

Digest This ■■ 56 percent of consumers eat burgers at least once a

week, according to Technomic, a Chicago-based food industry research and consulting firm.

■■ The citizens of Oregon eat more burgers than any other

state. An average of 79 burgers consumed per citizen per year in Oregon. Arizona and Utah are a close second and third, at 77 and 75 burgers per person, respectively, and Utah, New Mexico, and Michigan rounded out the top five.

■■ Consumption is highest among consumers between the

ages of 18 and 34 (62 percent), men (62 percent) and Southerners (60 percent), according to Technomic.

■■ To avoid using German names, soldiers referred to hamburgers as the Liberty Sandwich during WWI.

■■ Lunchtime is the most popular time to eat fast food.

■■ 34 percent of children eat fast food on any given day.

■■ Regular fast food consumption is increasing 2.2 percent every year.

■■ One third of Americans are eating fast food on any given day.

■■ September 18 is National Cheeseburger Day. ■■ Forty one percent of consumers, especially women, say For advertising, subscription and editorial inquiries write or call:

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they purchase burgers over other items due to a craving, Technomic says. Men more often cite portion size as a key purchase driver.

■■ The average American household spends 10 percent of

their annual income on fast food. People who earn more money tend to eat more fast food than those who earn lower incomes.

■■ McDonald’s is by far the most popular fast food chain in the U.S. It has about 13,500 locations in the U.S., 40,000 worldwide, and it operates in 118 countries. McDonald’s serves 69 million people every day, more than the population of Thailand and the United Kingdom.

■■ The top Fast-Food Burger Chains, ranked by sales are:

McDonald’s. U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $45,960; Wendy’s. U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $11,111; Burger King. U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $10,033; Sonic Drive-In. U.S. systemwide sales (millions): $5,835.

■■ The first Big Mac was introduced in 1968 and it sold for 49 cents.

■■ A man in Nashville, Tennessee, set out to lose weight

in a most unusual way — eating only McDonald’s food for 100 days straight. Kevin Maginnis, 57, a father and grandfather, decided he needed to lose weight after tipping the scales at 238 pounds. One hundred days later he had lost 58.5 pounds. And he did no workouts of any kind. He said he “felt fantastic” and he didn’t even have to give up McDonald’s lip-smacking good French fries. His secret was he cut each meal in half and ate it the next meal. No extra veggies, no sodas and he ate no snacks. He never counted calories.

■■ At four ounces each, a cow can yield anywhere from 1,000 to 2,000 hamburgers.

■■ Still, one might wonder, why is it called hamburger when

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there is no ham in it?

ground beef as a great value and a far more ecologically wise choice than steak. They love the fact that grass-fed beef animals are produced solely on grass, with no grain, antibiotics or hormones. Celebrity chefs are grinding up entire animals to produce better burgers and some green foodies have even adopted ground beef as the most sustainable, economical, gastronomically flexible and morally responsible cut of meat there is. That’s why Carl’s Jr. unveiled its “All-Natural Burger” featuring “all-natural, grass fed, free-range” beef that has “no added hormones, antibiotics or steroids.”

Today one in five hamburgers come from dairy animals and dairymen can use all the help they can get. America’s dairy farms produce about a billion pounds of cheese every month from 212 billion pounds of milk and there aren’t nearly enough customers to buy it all. Much of this milk is being sent to cheesemakers, who are hoping for higher prices and more cheeseburgers.

Hamburger Heresy Ground beef is the most widely consumed beef product among American consumers.

It’s estimated that 40 percent to 45 percent of beef is consumed as ground beef, and when beef is prepared for meals eaten at home, ground beef is used 60 percent of the time. Some analysts believe ground beef as a

Livestock Market Digest percentage of beef consumption has increased over the past several years, to maybe as much as 50 percent, because it is a relatively inexpensive protein choice that consumers turn to during hard times.

We are told constantly by industry big wigs that what the consumer demands can only be produced by well-marbled Choice and Prime quality cattle. This may sound like heresy, but if we really are trying to produce what the consumer wants, perhaps we should also be producing high-tonnage, least cost, leaner cattle to grind up for hamburger.

The cattle that are finished in feedlots are simply too fat to meet our growing hamburger habit. And a surprisingly high amount of any carcass ultimately ends up as ground meat. This is true of all species. After all the pricier cuts are removed, 38 percent of a beef cow and 41 percent of a Holstein are ground up. The trim from finished feedlot cattle is known as “50s,” meaning it’s 50 percent fat and 50 percent lean beef. This fat ratio is too high to sell as hamburger without mixing in leaner products from grass-fed imports or older, leaner domestic cows which there aren’t enough of.

To solve that problem, we import billions of pounds of lean beef from grass-fed cattle from over two dozen countries around the world. The product that the consumer buys as ground beef could be a mixture

of hundreds of cattle.

The ground beef for hamburgers is typically 80 percent beef and 20 percent fat, or 90 percent beef and 10 percent fat.

This is the type of trim found in dairy cows and cattle from Australia and New Zealand. As long as we continue to shoot for an ideal animal that is high choice to prime, we will always have this problem of having to import leaner cattle. About 80 percent of the 26 billion pounds of beef produced in the United States in 2011 was from grain-fed cattle, which produce a more marbled or fattier beef, thus limiting the domestic supply of the leanest beef trimmings. To meet the demand for lean ground beef, the U.S. annually imports more than 2 billion pounds of mostly lean beef to be blended with fatter domestic beef trimmings The current beef industry has a laser focus on producing prime and high choice cattle which is all well and good for steaks and roasts but what about the other 50 percent of the industry that is demanding more lean hamburger beef? It’s sad but true but American cattlemen might not be the beneficiaries of the burger bonanza but as more and more Americans turn to hamburgers to satisfy their craving for beef, sadly, the biggest beneficiaries are Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Brazil and Uruguay.

(Editor’s Note) After this story was written, right on cue, it was announced that total beef imports through September were up 5.4 percent year over year.

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Page 3

WHERE’S MY ... from page 1 horses grievous injury by removing the wire from sagging fences from sea to shining sea.

Much to my wife’s displeasure I also collect old saddles and sidesaddles like my severe Mexican and US Cavalry ones that look more like a carpenter made them than a saddlemaker.

Can you imagine the bad backs I’ve NOT caused by taking those saddles out of tack rooms everywhere I went?

Those actions alone should qualify me for some kind of recognition but I haven’t even got to my major contributions yet.

Long time readers will know that my number one mount was a horse I named Gentleman because that’s what he was. Prior to gaining worldwide fame, Gentleman was known as Eleven and a Half and I asked Ken, the cowboy I bought Gentleman from, why he called him that. He said it was because when you were mounted on him you were darn near afoot.

Ha ha.

I also asked Ken why Gentleman had been left a stud and he made another good point. “You know he has zero energy, can you imagine how lazy he’d be without any testosterone at all?”

To the best of my knowledge Gentleman hasn’t sired any offspring as I’ve done my best to keep him away from any horny mares.

Perhaps the AQHA hasn’t given me any plaques because I’m not 100 percent sure Gentle-

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December 15, 2023

man was a pure Quarter Horse.

Sometimes he acted more like a mule and the hair on the back of his legs suggested he may have pulled heavy beer wagons prior to his career as a cow pony.

In Gentleman’s defense he knew way more about the cattle business than I did and he was my favorite color: gentle. I loved that old horse and he attracted fans across this country and Canada. We even wrote a book together called a Gentleman and A Scholar. Considering his body of work and the fact I didn’t let him pass along numerous deleterious genetic defects into the Quarter Horse genetic code I think Gentleman and I deserve to be in the AQHA Hall of Fame.

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Page 4

CLIMATE JUSTICEfrom pg 1 first place. Their answer is Social Justice.

“Social Justice initiatives can be pursued through many different types of government programs via wealth and income redistribution, government subsidies, protected legal status in employment, and even legalized discrimination against privileged groups through fines and taxes or even through purges historically.” (emphasis mine) Got it? The answer is socialism. But I don’t remember that socialism has ever worked before; why would anyone think this time will be any different?

Perhaps because it now has another name, Sustainable Development. And legal discrimination? A contradiction in terms.

But now that we live in a world of moral relativism, anything goes – anything except moral absolutes. Purges? Exactly what is going on today through COVID and the vaccine, the purging of those who will not blindly obey the powers-that-be.

Climate Justice comes with baggage: THE SIX PILLARS 1. Just Transition “At its core, a just transition represents the transition of fossil As-based economies to equitable, regenerative, renewable energy-based systems. However, a just transition is not only centered around technological change. It emphasizes employment in renewable energy and other green sectors, sustainable land use practices, and broader political (and) economic transformations.

“The Green New Deal (GND) l, for example, is an innovative proposal that tackles both climate change and inequality and is

Livestock Market Digest therefore very much aligned with climate justice.”

Of course, the Green New Deal and climate justice are more weapons of Agenda 21/ Sustainable Development. And the broader political and economic transformations? Or Technocratic socialism, the redistribution of wealth, and the universal basic income.

2. Social, Racial and Environmental Justice As noted above Climate justice connects the climate crisis to the social, racial and environmental issues in which it is deeply entangled. It recognizes the disproportionate impacts of climate change on low-income and BIPOC communities around the world, the people and places least responsible for the problem. The power of a climate justice approach is that by addressing the root causes of climate change, we simultaneously address a broad range of social, racial, and environmental injustices.

By the way, the root causes of climate change are the sun and the weather; neither of which we can control. And why? They assume to address social and racial issues through climate change, but what racial issue is caused by the weather changing?

3. Indigenous Climate Action ”Kyle Powys Whyte states “Climate change is not a new phenomenon for indigenous people, he explains. There are long-standing traditions in indigenous cultures that enable societies to respond to seasonal and inter-annual climate variability. Indigenous people have also already experienced climate change through their endurance of colonialism. Whyte describes how the current threat to indigenous people is a continuation of colonialism and how the consciousness gained from their prior experience with climate change can provide sound leadership for confronting the problem today.”

I’m sorry, but how can anyone with an ounce of integ-

rity dream up, let alone declare publicly, that climate change is at all related to colonialism?

4. Community Resilience and Adaptation One example: The Health Program Specialist I (HPS I), Local Health Department Climate Change Program and Policy Specialist, position is an opportunity for meaningful contribution to advancing health and racial equity through action to address the greatest health challenge of the 21st Century: climate change.

And how are these specialists in Climate Change, a chimera, addressing this challenge?

They are banning all reasonable sources of energy and instituting exorbitant methods that work sporadically and severely damage wildlife and the environment.

5. Natural Climate Solutions “As the Natural Climate Solutions Research Analyst II, you will conduct research on the transformational changes required across forests, land, freshwater, and ocean ecosystems to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C, halt biodiversity loss, and secure a more just, equitable future for all. Your analysis will be featured on Systems Change Lab’s data platform, the State of Climate Action reports (WRI’s most downloaded publication in 2021), and other knowledge products published by the Lab, WRI’s Climate Program, and partner organizations.” 4 6. Climate Education and Engagement “With a widespread perspective that centers equity, we can build civic engagement to support candidates who recognize climate change as an urgent, existential crisis, unite countries with science and a systems-thinking approach, and take bold steps toward deep carbonization that do not further in equities. This approach which unites people around equity, has the power to make real and lasting system-wide change.”

If you go to the CCJ website, you will see that they are working to enlist and train Eco Warriors. Especially among the youth.

Climate justice is just another Public Private Partnership/NGO set up by the global elite to bring about one world government through Sustainable Development. The same ol’, same ol’. There is no ‘there’ there. We are dealing with fabricated laws designed to manipulate contrived conditions.

This is just another tool in the arsenal of Cancel Culture.

What we are facing is a raft of programs that are attacking our proven successful system of private property, free markets, and personal life choices. It must all be “transitioned” into social justice -- the doublespeak of sustainable/socialism. History has proven that socialism has never worked. Sustainable Development is an agenda to solve a problem that doesn’t exist by redistributing wealth that isn’t theirs. Chaos, poverty, and human misery are the only possible results.

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December 15, 2023

Don’t Let Cold Weather Freeze Cattle Performance this Winter

M

aybe you can’t tell the difference between 15 and 32 degrees F after spending a few minutes outside, but your cattle can.

“Slight changes in temperature can have a considerable impact on energy and cow nutritional requirements,” says Elizabeth Belew, Ph.D., cattle nutritionist with Purina Animal Nutrition.

Cold stress occurs when cattle require more energy to sustain basic bodily functions at a specific temperature, called the lower critical temperature (LCT). The LCT helps us understand when cows start experiencing cold stress.

“As temperatures decrease, cow nutritional requirements increase. Add in precipitation or wind and requirements increase even more,” says Belew.

If cows are shorted on nutrition during cold stress, it can have a domino effect on performance.

“Nutritional deficiency resulting from cold stress can lead to cows producing lighter and weaker calves,” says Belew. “Low-quality colostrum and later return to estrus in the breeding season can also result, compromising conception rates and weaning weights.”

Strategies for managing and feeding cattle in the winter can help alleviate cold stress and support cow nutritional requirements.

How can you mitigate cold stress?

Cold stress mitigation should start with keeping cattle warm. Offering protection from the elements like bedding, windbreaks, snow breaks and a place to get out of the mud can all help keep cattle warm and dry. Protecting cattle from wind, rain and snow isn’t always enough, however.

“Snow often reminds us to think about cow nutritional require-

ANIMAL EXTREMIST GROUP

from page 1

farmers, forcibly closing the Denver plant would be a devastating and unnecessary blow. It is Denver’s only animal processing facility, so Pro-Animal Future’s target is clear.

Superior Farms has a 70-year history with 170 employee-owners, and processes much of the lamb that makes its way directly to dinner tables each year. Processing takes place at the farm’s USDA inspected Denver facility. The potential passage of this ballot measure would cost the city of Denver $70 million to compensate Superior Farms for the forced closure.

Such a forced closure would have a significant detrimental impact on American sheep processing. The entire industry would feel the repercussions and likely reduce production, create strain on other parts of the food chain, and most likely result in increased food prices.

Preying on Voter Emotion and Lack of Knowledge Pro-Animal Future was created by Pax Fauna, an extremist group that specifically “studies…public attitudes regarding the use of animals for food, and the narratives that can increase support for pro-animal initiatives.” It also receives funds from the Phauna Foundation and boasts “numerous small donations” that fuels the group’s agenda.

Pro-Animal Future member Alaina Sigler stated in an article she penned for Westword: “Sheep and other animals are individuals with emotionally rich lives. My friends and I aim to aid in community health, bring about animal freedom and establish environmentally just spaces.”

She directs her readers’ attention to a 2019 report titled “Intelligence, complexity and individuality in sheep,” published in an extremist “journal” called Animal Sentience. It is authored by animal rights extremists with backgrounds in neuroscience, communications, and journalism, not farming, food science, nutrition, animal husbandry, or other relevant curriculum.

It’s also worth noting that Pro-Animal Future claims its ballot measure will prioritize current processing plant employees by giving them access to job training to transition to “green industries,” yet offers no clarification regarding what those industries or jobs are, names of employers, locations, wages, and benefits or other important information.

In recent years, animal rights extremist groups have poured tens of millions of dollars into ballot measure/initiative campaigns that pray upon the emotions of voters while distorting the truth and spreading disinformation to achieve goals they cannot otherwise achieve through courts, legislation, regulation, and other means.

While pursuing their vegan agenda, the animal rights extremist groups spend very little on actually aiding animals in need. Instead, these groups focus their efforts on trying to force Americans to conform to a lifestyle the majority of people and voters do not support.

Now is the time to spread awareness on this critical ballot measure as it heads to Colorado voters in 2024.

Follow Protect The Harvest and spread the word as we continue to follow this story while promoting and defending A Free and Fed America™.

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December 15, 2023

Livestock Market Digest

ments and supplementation options. But what if the snow never falls? Temperature is the underlying factor in cold stress,” says Belew.

When feeding cattle in winter, provide them with nutrition to meet their needs during cold stress. Plan out feeding strategies early, before cow body condition scores start to slip, to help your cows weather cold temperatures.

Know your forages Feeding cattle stored forage can be challenging. Testing forages gives you a better understanding of what you’re feeding cattle in winter when temperatures drop.

Testing total digestible nutrients (TDN) will provide an estimate of the total amount of nutrients that could be digested

The View FROM THE BACK SIDE

BY BARRY DENTON

W

by the animal. The greater the TDN value, the more energy cattle get from forages. ”Forage intake is another consideration,” says Belew.

“Cows will likely spend less time grazing as temperatures decline. Less grazing time results in reduced forage intake which makes it challenging to meet cow energy requirements.

Feeding cattle in winter with low-quality hay might not be enough to offset reduced forage intake.”

Once you know forage nutritional value and assess intake levels, monitor cow body condition score (BCS) and temperature to identify cow energy requirements.

Windbreaks for Cattle Protection Evaluate cow nutritional requirements and Snow A cow’s energy requirement, Diversion

Agricultural Center

e just returned from showing horses for two weeks in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma at the American Quarter Horse World Championship Show. This has been our ritual for many

years now.

Probably the best thing about it is the fact that there are so many people there from different walks of life. I was thinking about the vast array of folks that I got to visit with at that show.

Stop and think a minute. It is probably one of the biggest cross sections of agriculture. There are the obvious ones like horse trainers, groomers, braiders, stall cleaners, veterinarians, horse-shoers, an array of vendors, truck drivers, cattle haulers, set builders, audio visual technicians, policemen, hay farmers, etc. working there.

Then think about all the different types of folks that own horses being shown there. I met car dealers, a hog farmer from Iowa, a corporate executive, a muffler manufacturer, a beer company executive, a prominent musician, a chicken farmer from Arkansas, a Hollywood actress, a scientist, an auto parts manufacturer, a lawyer, a Montana rancher, an Idaho cowboy, etc. These are the just people that I encountered.

I’m sure there are many more that I cannot even think of. It’s a funny thing, but when you all meet for the common purpose of showing a horse there are no labels on people.

In other words, we are all at one fairgrounds to celebrate horses. I never noticed who was Republican, Democrat, black, white, illegal, gay, straight, Israeli, Palestinian, Irish, French, Chinese, Russian, Ukrainian, etc.

We were isolated from the biggest promoters of that nonsense, the news media. A horse show has the same effect on you as being in a casino in Las Vegas. You never know what time it is or if it is daylight or dark.

I was always concentrating on what horse to work next or which one shows soon. Because of the size of the show, over 2000 horses on the grounds at any given time, all arenas are busy 24 hours per day.

You end up working and preparing your horses in the middle of the night and compete in the horse show classes during the day. We never stop a minute as it is hustle bustle every day, all day.

For the two weeks we are there, cat naps are a way of life. The nicest part of it is that the horses are the stars they get the ultimate in care and exercise. Their every whim is attended to, and they are treated like royalty.

This situation also commands great comradery between strange bedfellows because we are all in the same boat. If you see someone having a problem, you stop and help out.

Common courtesy is really in style because of the cramped quarters.

It reminds me of downtown Phoenix rush hour without the smog. We happen to live in the middle of nowhere, so to be thrown into “city life” with our horses is a big adjustment to us.

My point is that people involved in agriculture seem to have a common bond known as hard work. Within that hard work and the freedom to do what type of job that they want to do is a happiness that keeps people well grounded and reasonable.

I did not see one example of hate the entire time I was there. I never had a thought that when our horse did not win the class of turning the victor’s truck over or burning his stalls down.

Around there we congratulate the winner, you know, the guy that just beat you in a class. Granted this horse show is just a small slice of America.

Just imagine how much nicer this world could be if we kicked out our present news media and politicians or made them get a horse.

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or TDN, increases by 1 percent for every degree below the LCT as a rule of thumb.

“Cow body condition scores impact nutritional requirements,” says Belew. “A cow in a BCS 5 needs 30 percent more energy to maintain body condition than a cow in a BCS 6 at 32 degrees F. The same principle holds true as BCS decreases below 5.”

SOURCE: BOVINE VETERINARIAN

BY BRAD SCHICK

S

helter for livestock during the winter months can influence the success of calving and a livestock operation. Protection from the wind and snow is not always readily available from natural topography or living windbreaks such as tree lines or shrub rows. The presence of wind increases heat loss in livestock during the winter and can penetrate the hair coat allowing cold air to reach the skin, accelerating the loss of heat.

Constructing windbreaks increases protection for livestock.

Installing a windbreak needs to come with the end goal in mind.

The windbreak will only be as good as it is designed and using the wrong design can cause more harm than good. Some windbreaks are used primarily as snow fences to collect snow directly on the downwind side.

These fences are typically used to prevent snow from drifting in dry lots and driveways further downwind or can be used to collect snow for ponds. Knowing the purpose of the windbreak is vital to its success.

Livestock performance and survival is affected by wind and temperature. When temperatures drop below 18 degrees, cattle begin to experience cold stress – even with their heavy winter hair coat – and feed intake will need to increase to maintain a suitable body temperature.

Calving success can increase by two percent behind a windbreak according to Kansas producers. A general rule of thumb we can use is that for every degree of cold stress a cow faces, they increase their energy requirements by one percent. In Montana feedlots during severe winters, cattle behind windbreaks gained 10.6 lbs. more than cattle that did not have windbreaks.

The different combinations of constructed windbreaks include permanent and temporary as well as porous and non-porous. Research by the USDA Forest Service at the Rocky Mountain Research Station examined non-porous or solid windbreaks. Research by the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food, and Manitoba Agriculture focused on porous windbreaks. Ultimately, the turbulence of the wind behind the windbreak determines the size of the protected area and the degree and placement of snow

Page 5 A third-trimester 1,300-pound cow requires 13 pounds of TDN at 32 degrees F. However, at 0 degrees F the same cow needs an additional 4 pounds, or roughly 17 pounds of TDN. For comparison, the temperature drop means the same cow now requires 8 more pounds of 50 percent TDN hay.

“When feeding cattle in winter, consider a high-quality

supplement to help fill a cow’s energy gap while helping cows get the most out of existing forages,” says Belew. “The ideal supplement should provide additional energy, balance forage nutrient deficiencies and support performance.”

accumulation.

A solid (non-porous) windbreak constructed in a “V” configuration will create protection from snow and minimize snow in the crux of the “V”. The sides of the “V” should form a 90-degree angle and the point should be built facing into the prevailing winter winds. This will cause snow to be diverted around the ends of the barrier and form drifts away from the sheltered area.

The area of shelter will be downwind about 5 times the height of the barrier. “Shelter” in this design is considered reducing wind speed by 60 percent with minimal snow accumulation. The shelter width, measured as the distance between the open ends of the windbreak’s sides, should not exceed 15 times the height of the barrier.

For example, a barrier 8 feet tall can have sides no longer than 85 feet because the distance between the ends of the sides with that configuration is 120 feet wide. If the sides are longer, snow will begin to drift over the barrier and into the sheltered area.

This same design can be used for a temporary or annual windbreak by stacking large round hay bales. Be sure to stack bales tightly to allow no gaps. Stacks two bales high, the bottom vertical and the top horizontal, worked well in ranch tests.

A temporary “V” shelter can also be constructed using two 8 ft. long panels with a tarp or canvas secured to the panel.

This requires some anchor system, but can be a quick oneman solution when weather gets bad.

Porous windbreaks can be constructed in a line and can be permanent or temporary.

Effectiveness of this type of windbreak is determined by porosity (open area as percent of total), which affects the amount

of wind reduction and the area of wind reduction. Porosity at 25 to 33 percent will optimize protection from wind and snowdrifts. Years of research have determined the protected area to be 8 to 10 times the height of the windbreak.

Therefore, a 10-foot-tall fence (with 25-33 percent porosity) will provide 80 to 100 feet of protection behind it. If using vertical boards to build a windbreak, 6-inch boards with 2-inch spacing will create 25 percent porosity.

For temporary construction, the base must be as wide as the windbreak is tall to avoid toppling. Some temporary windbreaks have been constructed with axles and hitches for portability. Using a steel frame and vertical boards is a sturdy, lowcost option when constructing these windbreaks.

Temporary or portable windbreaks can have tradeoffs. Some advantages include the ability to move calving pastures, reducing hay loss fed in bunks or on the ground, shelter for cattle grazing crop residue fields, manure concentration in a nutrient poor portion of the field, and avoiding feed residue buildup.

Some disadvantages of portable windbreaks include moving the windbreaks, often costing more than permanent windbreaks, toppling in extreme winds, and freezing of the base to the ground.

Installing a windbreak needs to come with the end goal in mind. Permanent or temporary, porous or non-porous, the design needs to fit the needs of an operation. In cold and windy situations, protection for livestock will reduce cold stress and aid in calving success and energy requirements. Windbreak designs have their advantages and disadvantages. Evaluate the tradeoffs and put time into the design.

Visit purinamills.com or contact your local Purina® dealer for tips on optimizing your winter nutrition program.

▫

▫

Take your marketinJ.{ program to the topf Advertise in the

Contact

Randy Summers ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE

Office: 505/243-9515 Cell: 505/850-8544 rjsauctioneer@aol.com

Page 6

Livestock Market Digest

Biden’s Bypass at Interior & Recent Activities of Our New Congressman for Southern NM

BY FRANK DUBOIS

The bypass

O

n October 31, President Biden appointed Laura Daniel-Davis acting deputy Interior secretary. This is the number 2 slot at Interior and thus a powerful and influential position.

“There are few people who have been by my side more over the past two and a half years than Laura, and I am so grateful that she has agreed to step into

this role as we work together to implement President Biden’s ambitious and historic agenda,” said Secretary Deb Haaland. In addition, Haaland said, “Laura has a depth of experience that will be invaluable in our work to build a clean energy future, honor our commitments to Indigenous communities, and leave our air, water and public lands better for future generations.”

“The work of the Department of the Interior touches all Americans, and I am honored to have the opportunity to serve as Acting Deputy Secretary,” said Daniel-Davis.

“We will continue to work in partnership with states, Tribes, industry, non-profit organizations and academia to ensure that the best available science guides our decision-making as we deliver on our promises to the American people.”

The Biden administration emphasized Daniel-Davis has more than 14 years of working at the Department of the Interior across multiple administrations. She served as Chief of Staff to Interior Secretaries

Sally Jewell and Ken Salazar, as well as Associate Deputy Secretary, during the Obama-Biden administration served as Chief of Policy and Advocacy for the National Wildlife Federation, where she led successful efforts on a variety of issues including a bipartisan agreement to get the Land and Water Conservation Fund permanently authorized and fully funded.

Setting aside her left-leaning policy positions, everything appears to be in order…except for one thing. This is not her first nomination. Biden has nominated her for other positions at Interior, and the Senate has failed to confirm.

By naming her as “acting” Biden is clearly thumbing his nose at the Senate and bypassing the confirmation process.

Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), the top Republican on the on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said, “This is a mistake; she’s already been rejected by the United States Senate.”

Barrasso said that Daniel-Davis “consistently blocked access to important minerals and restricted oil and gas leasing on federal lands.” He also stated the Biden

December 15, 2023 administration’s decision to appoint Daniel-Davis is a signal of the president’s “complete lack of interest or respect [for] affordable, available energy to the American people.”

Hit the ground running Rep Greg Vasquez (D-NM) has been a very busy man since taking office in January.

This Spring he introduced H.R. 2695 the Wolf and Livestock Fairness (WOLF) Act which would compensate ranchers for 100 percent of their losses from wolf depredation, including losses from smaller herd sizes. In a recent letter to the chairman of the House Ag Committtee Valdez wrote, “We must use the Farm Bill to ease burdens on ranchers and help them focus on their mission. For example, the reintroduced Mexican wolf belongs on the land in the Southwest, but cattle ranchers have valid concerns over wolf depredation on their herds. To promote the coexistence of our ranchers and Mexican wolves, producers should be compensated at 100 percent the value of their cattle as well as an additional adjust-

Southwest Hide-A-Way 11.2 Acres of Paradise for Man & Beast

■ Bordered on one side by constantly following river

■ Picturesque home with nature ffice with windows to pastures views from every window; 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, huge fireplace, office, 018 Great Room Cozyspacious Fires all Winter mud room second to none

028 Hall Bath with window to pastures

The Sidwells

019 Open Concept Living

■ 8-Stall Horse Barn with automatic waterers, 7 pastures, arena

■ All fencing is 2 3/8" oil pipe with RedBrand no-climb wire, 3 working all Bath with custom stone wells with water at 28' and 8 acres of irrigation rights 023 Great Room views down to River

with windows to pastures

008 Horses like it too!

031 1 of 3 Bedrooms – views to pastures

anch Driveway over irrigation ditch

008 Horses like it too!

020 Family meals

015 Circular driveway by Horse Barn to Home

Congratulations to Tom and Mimi Sidwell for receiving the highly prestigious Leopold Conservation Award for NM that “honors ranchers, farmers and forestland owners who go above and beyond in managing soil health, water quality and wildlife habitat on working land.”

Tom also sits on the board of the Policy Center for 009Linebery Verde River Natural Resource Management at New Mexico State University.

A video about JX Ranch can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/ CCpquGNCcIA?si=RM6WsNW7l8DNpoaG and I encourage you to watch it.

Wishing everyone a Merry 009 Verde River Christmas and a prosperous 029 8 Stall Powder River Horse Barn New Year. I’m certainly hoping to have a better year myself.

Frank DuBois was the NM Secretary of Agriculture from 1988 to 2003, is the author of a blog: The Westerner (www.thewesterner. blogspot.com) and is the founder of The DuBois Rodeo Scholarship and The DuBois Western Heritage Foundation.

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028 Hall Bath with window to pastures

015 Circular driveway by Horse Barn to Home

ment accounting for the decrease in herd size they face as outlined in my bill, H.R. 2695 the Wolf and Livestock Fairness (WOLF) Act. We have an opportunity in this Farm Bill to help our ranchers protect their herds and cut through some of the red tape that prevents them from improving the efficiency of their operations.” Valdez says his legislation “strikes the right balance to fully compensate ranchers for livestock loss and decreases in herd size due to wolf depredation in New Mexico and Arizona.”

Larry Reagan, President of the N.M. Farm & Livestock Bureau said “We applaud Congressman Vasquez for his work on this effort to ensure depredation programs better serve our state’s ranchers by paying them a fairer rate for losses to their livelihoods.” Also in the applaud mode was Catron County Commissioner and rancher Audrey McQueen, who says “Receiving compensation for our stock losses has been tedious and frustrating. We applaud Congressman Vasquez for his legislation that would help our ranchers receive timely compensation for wolf kills.”

Vasquez has also introduced the Farm Workforce Support Act to start addressing the farmworker shortage, and he has appointed an agriculture advisory group “comprised of New Mexico’s farmers, ranchers, and farmworkers.”

Of interest to everyone should be his Ranching Without Red Tape Act. Press accounts say the bill would require federal agencies to respond in thirty days to any rancher request for minor improvements to existing range improvements. The text of the bill is not yet available, but I will review the bill when I can see it. It does appear, however to be a step in the right direction.

025 Verde River

029 8 Stall Powder River Horse Barn

030 Verde River

020 Circular Driveway to Home and around pasture

011 Custom Stone Shower window toward River 003 Mud Room Laundry window toward River

Bath with custom stone

For inquiries call 505.263.2015 028 Horse Barn near the River

028 Horse Barn near the River

025 Verde River

007 Pasture near river after Spring Rains

031 1 of 3 Bedrooms – views to pastures

007 Pasture near river after Spring R

030 Verde River

December 15, 2023

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itt, TX 79027 Scott - Broker ifying Broker am/10:00pm ompany.com

R SMALL!

adalupe Co., eded & 519 nch on both flow daily) ner; wildlife, uyer looking New Mexico

www.scottlandcompany.com

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

+/- w/water & a beautiful 3 bathrooms, tal shop.

Bottari Realty

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

■ NEW LISTING! CLAPHAM SCHOOL HOME – 4,450 sq ft home +/- located on a beautiful 10-acre tract southwest of Clayton, New Mexico just one-half mile south off the Thomas Highway w/a new well and septic system. The Pinabetes Creek, just steps away is a magnet for wildlife including deer, elk and many water fowl.

■ YESO EAST RANCH – De Baca Co., NM - Hwy. 60 frontage.

6,307± deeded, 1,556± State Lease and 40± uncontrolled acres. Terrain is gently rolling with good grass and is divided Livestock Digest into three pastures. WildlifeMarket includes antelope, some mule deer, quail, etc. The ranch has good improvements (including home) convenient access and has been well managed.

■ VAUGHAN RIVER RANCH – 11,628.76 ac. +/- deeded - a scenic, live water ranch on the Pecos River south of Ft. Sumner, New Mexico. Excellent example of a southwestern cattle ranch with wildlife to boot all within minutes of the convenience of town. Call us to take a look!

■ UNION CO., NM – 2,091.72 ac. (1,771.72 Deeded, 320 ac. -/+ State Lease), well watered w/three wells, two sets of steel pens. Well located just off of the Clayton/Springer hwy. on Barney Road.

■ UNION CO., NM – This 1,966 +/- acre ranch located just south of Clayton, New Mexico is in some of the most soughtafter grazing land in the Continental U.S.A. The ranch will be excellent for a yearling operation, with high quality grass, good fences and water.

■ KB RANCH - Kenney Co., TX – KB Ranch is a low fenced 802 +/- acre property that is surrounded by large ranches.

The ranch has abundant whitetail and is also populated with turkey, dove, quail, hogs and varmint species. Axis are in the area and have been occasionally seen. The ranch lies approximately 9 miles south of Bracketville on TX 131 and is accessed by all weather Standart Road.

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

521 West Second St. • Portales, NM 88130 ■ ANGUS, NM – 250 +/- acres with over a 1/2 mile of NM 575-226-0671 or 575-226-0672 fax 48 frontage.

Elevations from 6,800 to 7,200 feet. Two springs along a creek. Ideal for future development or build your own getaway home.

■ PECOS CO. – 637 ac., Big water, State Classified Minerals.

Qualifying Broker: ■ CARSON CO., – 640 ac. +/- 5 mi.

N of Panhandle on A.H.TX(Jack) Merrick 575-760-7521 TX 207.333 ac. +/under 3 center pivot systems. One well www.buenavista-nm.com produces 800 GPM. Permanent perimeter and cross fencing.

■ CLAYTON, NM – 3 bdrm/2.5 bath really nice manufactured home w/ porches etc. located on 80 ac. with 2 almost new metal barns/shops/garages with automatic roll-up doors & water supplied from the City of Clayton.

■ CLAYTON, NM. – 44 acres located approx. 2 miles south of Clayton, NM on Hwy 87 on the east side of the highway. This property has about ½ mile of highway frontage and would be great for residential housing, commercial development or addtl. RV development (adjoins the 16.75 ac. RV park).

■ CLAYTON, NM – a 16.75 ac. RV park located approximately 2 mi. south of Clayton on the east side of Hwy. 87 with 34 RV spaces, water supplied from the City of Clayton, a domestic well to provide water for a pond on the property with an office and men’s and women’s restrooms and showers. 44 acres may be purchased adjoining this property for additional development.

980 ac. +/ast, land lays e of Hwy. 54. n Co., NM – and w/stateremodeled n very good n pvmt. +/- heavily isting livestockagent w/ 75-825-1291. nces etc., on ea-nm.com front gate. c ac. +/- on

by Lincoln in Pines & ed meadow enasco. This uild a legacy

ac. irr., on xico, adjoins .

POTENTIAL xline Special,

Page 7

REAL ESTATE GUIDE

ATE GUIDE

alty

Livestock Market Digest

AG LAND LOANS As Low As 6% OPWKCAP 6%

INTEREST RATES AS LOW AS 6% Payments Scheduled on 25 Years

Selling residential, farm, ranch, commercial and relocating Joe Stubblefield properties. & Associates 13830 Western St., Amarillo, TX COLETTA RAY Pioneer Realty 806/622-3482 • cell 806/674-2062 1304 Pile Street, Clovis, NM 88101 575-799-9600 Direct joes3@suddenlink.net 575.935.9680 Office Michael Perez Associates 575.935.9680 Fax Nara Visa, NM • 575-403-7970 coletta@plateautel.net

www.clovisrealestatesales.com

• 83 acre wood home with barns, meadows and woods. Fronts State Rd. $545,000 • 160 acre Ranger Eastland Co, $560,000

775/752-3040 ■ BERRENDA CREEK RANCH — 231 AYL, 51± section cattle ranch — Hillsboro, NM. 32,870± total acres, 120± deeded acres, 23,646± acres of BLM, 9104± acres of NM state Page 7 land, 12 wells, 9 dirt tanks, 2 springs, 3 pastures, 165,000 gallons of water storage. Priced at $1,432,200

SOCORRO ■ SMITH RANCH — 19.28± section PLAZA REALTY cattle ranch plus 335± acre farm

521 West Second St. • Portales, NM 88130

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

Buena Vista Realty

www.bottarirealty.com

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

UNDER CONTRACT

Joe Stubblefield & Associates

13830CHRISTMAS Western St., Amarillo, TX MERRY

806/622-3482 • cell 806/674-2062 joes3@suddenlink.net Michael Perez Associates Nara Visa, NM • 575/403-7970

521 West Second St., Portales, NM 88130

MAJOR PRICE REDUCTION – CALL PAUL FOR DETAILS 575-226-0671

10 Acres of commercial property, incredible highway visibility and access from either east or west www.buenavista-nm.com directions on Hwy 60, 3 miles East of Garden Inn Truck Plaza and 4 miles west of Willow Springs.

Natural gas may beRural available on site. LOCATION PLUS! This property Properties around Portales, NMis well suited for many types of businesses (Restaurant, Retail, Motel, Business of any kind!) A MUST SEE PROPERTY.

1242 NM 480 - Nice home on 59.7 acres, grass 427 S Rrd P 1/2 - Large nice home, lots of barns 24+ ac See all my listings at: paulmcgilliard.murney.com 1694 S Rrd 4, Great home, barns, cattle pens, location Paul McGilliard, Broker Associate 2344 S Rrd K east of Dora, great/ -Commercial Near wind farms ResidentialNM, / Farms/Ranches 417-839-5096 or 800-743-0336 All properties excellent homes & can have horses, etc.

MLS#11402703

575-226-0

B

A.H. (J ww

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

AS PROV R

14298 N.

2

Serving all of Southern, Arizona Call Buena Vista Realty at 575-226-0671 or the listing agent Land, Farms, Homes, Country Estates, Commercial Lori Bohm 575-760-9847, or Melody Sandberg 575-825-1291.

National Advertising – Local Expertise Many good pictures on MLS or www.buenavista-nm.com

SOME OF OUR OFFERINGS • Custom Home on 36+ acre estate in Dragoon Mountain Ranch • 36+ acre homesites in St David, AZ • 80 Acre Farm land with 16” Irrigation Well in Willcox, AZ • Custom Home on 4+ acres in Cochise, AZ • 40 acre off grid land in Portal, AZ

See these and other properties at www.buenavista-nm.com United Country Real Estate | Arizona Life Homes and Land 520-403-3903 Arizonahomesandlandsales.com Rick Frank, Designated Broker • 520-403-3903

SOLD

O’NEILL LAND, llc

THE SAND CAMP RANCH (PRICE REDUCED) The Sand Camp Ranch is a quality

desert ranch with an excellent grass cover and above average improvements. Located in • 840 Immaculate, Co, TX. east of the productive Pecos River Valley. The ranch is comprised of southern ChavesHuntCounty Ranch. Pastures, 40 tanks,acres, and 6,074 NM State Lease Acres, 23,653 Federal BLM Lease Acres 2,380 +/- deeded lakes. Beautiful home, barns, and 480 acres Uncontrolled, 32,107 +/- total acres (50.17 Sections).

Grazing Capacity set NORTHERN CALIFORNIA RANCH PROPERTY and other improvements. Some 31 years in the ranch business - see www.ranch-lands.com for videos & brochures byminerals, a Section 3 BLM game galore.

All forgrazing $1.35 permit at 405 Animal Units Yearlong. The ranch is watered by DUANE & DIXIE McGARVA RANCH: approx. 985 acres Likely, CA. with about 600+ acre gravity flood million. five primary wells and an extensive pipeline system. This ranch is ready to go, no deferred irrigated pastures PLUS private 542 AU BLM permit. About 425 acres so of the irrigated are level to flood excellent pastures with balance good flood irrigated pastures. NO PUMPING COST! Dryland is perfect for maintenance. Price: $3,672,000.

Thisto pivotone ofalfalfatheif desired. better ranches is nicely expansion irrigated Plus BLM permit for 540in AU isthe fencedarea. into 4 fieldsIton about 18,000 acres only 7 miles away. REDUCED ASKING PRICE - $3,125,000 improved andReal well-watered. won’t find anything comparable for the price. Call or email Joe Priest Estate You BEAVER CREEK RANCH: about 82,000 acres - with 2,700 deeded acres plus contiguous USFS & BLM for a brochure and an appointmentpermitstoforcome takeacresairrigated look.alfalfa, pasture, and meadow from Beaver Creek water rights and 450 pair; 580+one irrigation well. 3 homes, 2 hay barns, 4 feedlots each w/ 250 ton barns, 2 large reservoirs, can run up to 500-600 cows YEAR ROUND. REDUCED ASKING PRICE - $5,400,000.

joepriestre.net • joepriestre@earthlink.com EIGHT MILE DRAW LAND 740 ± Acres of unimproved native grassland BEAR CREEK RANCH: Approx. 1,278 acres winter range ground and recreational property. Located on Bear

SouthHill Cow Creek Road. Should be great hunting for deer, wild turkey, wild located four miles west of RoswellCreek inandtheaccessed SixfromMile areaValleywith frontage along U.S. Highway pigs, quail & owner states good trout fishing in Bear Creek. Deeded access easement thru neighbor ranches. & very private the ranch. 120 acres of additional land that 70/380. This parcel is fenced onNoNowimprovements three sides andinside adjoins only $700 per acre - $894,600 may be purchased. Great investment. $600 per acre.

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

MIAMI DREAM, 14.70 +/deeded acres. Approx 1,583 sq ft 2 bedroom 1 bath home. Real country living with barn wood siding, porches, recent remodel for remote workspace. Irrigation and horse facilities, 57 Wampler St., Miami, NM $370,000 $350,000

BAR LAZY 7 RANCH, Colfax County, Moreno Valley 594.38 +/- deeded acres, accessed off blacktop between Eagle Nest and Angel Fire. Historic headquarters.

Currently used as summer grazing, pond and trees accessed off county road on rear of property as well. Presented “ASIS” New Survey, $4,000,000 $3,800,000 CIMARRON BUSINESS, Frontage opportunity, house, big shop and office buildings, easy view off Hwy 64. Formerly known as “The Porch.” $295,000

SPRINGER VIEW, 29.70 +/deeded acres. Large house being remodeled, shop, trees, old irrigation pond. All back off highway with great southern aspect. 311 Hwy 56, Colfax County. $209,000 $205,000

CONTRACT PENDING

MAXWELL, 408.90 +/- Deeded Acres. 143.05 Irrigable Acres/ Shares with TL pivot covering approximately 80 acres, with balance dry land. Property has one water meter used for livestock, but could support a home as well. There are two troughs located in the middle of the property.

Electricity for pivot is back toward the middle of the property as well.

Property has highway frontage on NM 505 and Highline Rd, a County Rd. Back up to Maxwell Wildlife area. Colfax County, NM.$599,000

521 West Second St. • Portales, NM 88130

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Livestock Market Digest

LA City Council Votes on Rodeo Ban with Protesters on Horseback Outside City Hall STORY BY CITY NEWS SERVICE

R

iders on horseback assembled in early December outside Los Angeles City Hall where the City Council considered the future of rodeos in the city.

Animal rights advocates also gathered outside City Hall ahead of the council’s approval of a motion that calls for an ordinance banning rodeos in city limits. The council also decided to carve out exemptions for certain cultural and traditional equestrian events.

Council members voted 14-0, with Councilwoman Nithya Raman absent, in favor of a motion instructing the city attorney to amend city law to define and prohibit “rodeos,’’ as well as “harmful practices, techniques and devices or rodeo-related events.

“Isn’t this Los Angeles? Are we not the City of Angels, the compassionate city that leads? We usually set the trends. Not this time,’’ said Councilman Bob Blumenfield, who introduced the motion in 2021. “But this time, we have an opportunity to catch up.”

On another 14-0 vote, the council also approved an amendment to the motion, by Blumenfield and Monica Rodriguez. It is intended to carve out protections for cultural and traditional equestrian events such as Charrería, predominantly practiced

by Latinos and a tradition in Mexican and western United States livestock herding communities, among other activities.

A City Council committee passed a proposed ordinance in December 2022 that would have prohibited the use of electric prods or shocking devices, flank or bucking straps, wire tiedowns, and sharpened or fixed spurs or rowels at “all rodeo or rodeo related events” in Los Angeles. The full council never voted on the ordinance, instead switching the focus to an outright ban.

“There’s no damage done to these horses,” said Juan Diaz, seated atop his horse outside City Hall. “These horses are out life. We care for these animals as if they were our family. So, if it dies out… where’s our heritage going?”

Rodriguez said that if the city were to approve a blanket ban on rodeos, it could directly impact communities of color.

“I’m actually really grateful in that this ordinance has unified communities of color that are supportive of equine-keeping practices,” Rodriguez said prior to the vote. “This rich cultural tradition that has unified all of our communities because it is something that we all gravitate to is something that is really well celebrated.”

The proposed ordinance will next head to the council’s Neighborhoods and Community Enrichment Committee -with that three-member panel considering the city attorney’s draft ordinance, Blumenfield said.

Rodriguez said she was disappointed there wasn’t expertise or input from stakeholders in drafting the proposed ordinance to fully understand the implications of what the affected events are, or what they entail.

“I want this to go back to committee for the purposes of really having a very firm technical understanding of how this could potentially be misinterpreted and applied to communities of color,” Rodriguez said. “This has to invite our communities to be part of that conversation, so that we can fully appreciate it.”

A rodeo band would end the annual Los Angeles appearance by the Professional Bull Riders tour, which has events at Crypto.com Arena in February. The two-day PBR stop in early 2023 drew 12,529 fans for a recent event, with about 20 animal rights demonstrators outside the arena.

PBR events focus on bull riding and do not include other traditional rodeo events. The tour has fought back against complaints of cruelty, running an ad prior to its 2023 tour stop that stated: “Buck the L.A. City Council. The Only Thing Being Tortured is the Truth.”

“PBR bulls are extraordinary athletes born to buck who get great care and are protected by stringent rules and guidelines ensuring their safety and well-being. Attempting to ban our sport is based on rampant misinformation, is culturally insensitive, and completely unnecessary,’’ Andrew Giangola, a representative for PBR, said in a statement.

▫

NBCLA’s Jonathan Lloyd contributed to this report.

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December 15, 2023

Regenerative Agriculture They’re Not Bad Words. Restoring soil biodiversity can help the bottom line.

BY BURT RUTHERFORD

T

he words regenerative and sustainable often aren’t well received by beef producers. Hugh Aljoe gets that. But then he points to beef producers that the Nobel Research Institute has worked with over the past 10, 20, 30 years who implemented regenerative and sustainable practices and suggests that a peek over the fence isn’t a bad idea.

Speaking at the recent World Wagyu Conference in San Antonio, the director of ranches, outreach and partnerships with the Nobel Research Institute, told Wagyu enthusiasts that long before Europeans settled this country, Mother Nature somehow continued to operate without us.

“How do we take those practices or the ecosystem process and enhance those through our management? That’s what we want to achieve.” Thus, Aljoe defines regenerative agriculture, or specifically regenerative grazing, like this: “It is farming and ranching in synchrony with nature and the four ecosystem processes to repair, rebuild, revitalize, and restore the ecosystem function, starting with life beneath the surface of the soil and expanding to life above the soil.”

In other words, regenerative ranching is simply the process of restoring degraded grazing lands using practices based on ecological principles.

“We want our management practices to mimic what nature

does on its own in a natural ecosystem. We want to pay attention to the four ecosystem processes— the energy cycle, the water cycle, the nutrient cycle, and community dynamics.”

He delineated seven points that comprise the principles of regenerative ranching: 1. “If we can stock a little more conservatively, then when we manage proactively to improve soil health, you’ll be right back where you were (in times of drought) and have a lot more flexibility.”

2. By stocking conservatively, you’ll leave some grass residue in the pasture. “If we leave excess post-graze residual, our soil biology gets kickstarted. We have to begin feeding the organisms in the soil intentionally, not accidently.”

3. Rest about 15-20 percent of the grazing land before the growing season begins.

“This is something everyone can do, but you’ve got to plan for it and you’ve got to be intentional about it and allow it to grow.”

4. Allow full recovery before each grazing event. “You’re not going to be able to do that unless you have allowed enough grass and forage in reserve coming out of winter for 30 days of grazing.” That means long recovery periods of 60 to 120 days on native pastures. For drier pastures in the west, that could be as

long as two years.

5. Increasing the number of pastures to at least 10 and more is better.

“If you can get it closer to 30 and you’re using high stock density, you truly begin to have more rapid improvement in soil health.” The old saw about grazing half and leaving half is well-rooted. “If you take more than 50 percent of the leaf area, the roots stop growing. There’s no longer enough leaf area to capture energy, grow roots and grow plant leaf material again.”

So graze the top third of the plant.

6. Apply high stock density so hoof action can incorporate the residual grass into the soil. “High stock density increases herd impact and we can lay more of the material down and really begin to feed the soil organisms.”

It’s important to remember, however, that you can’t do all these principles at one time.

And consider that some of them will require more time and labor.

“If you can only do one thing, adjust your stocking rate; build some flexibility into your stocking rate so when you get to the dry years, you won’t have to destock quite so rapidly,” he said. And maintain plenty of residual grass and other plants.

“Always have soil cover and allow full recovery before re-grazing.”

▫

Preventing The Next Big Burn: Why Removing Dead Trees After a Wildfire Is Important

BY NICK SMITH / HEALTHY FORESTS, HEALTHY COMMUNITIES

W

hen wildfires hit national forests, quick action is needed to remove dead and dying trees and restore and maintain safe access to public lands for recreation, forest management and other public uses. Dead trees can also be processed into long-lived wood products that store carbon, while generating funding for reforestation efforts. And importantly, post-fire treatment ensures the safety and effectiveness of future firefighting operations, especially as the resulting snags fuel the next big wildfire. Here’s why.

Firefighters are often criticized for failing to attack fires before they burn out of control. However, hazardous conditions often make it impossible for firefighters to safely access and attack fires on the ground. Such conditions typically include the presence of snags that pose a variety of risks based on age, species and distribution.

They can cause death and serious injury when they fall, as well as damage roads and buildings, and host insects and disease that increase their flammability.

Due to this flammability, un-salvaged snags can greatly increase the heat and severity of a fire. This makes attempts to manage or extinguish a fire much more dangerous than if they had removed the dead tree during a post-fire salvage operation.

Put yourself in the place of a firefighter working on a fire with dead snags looming around you! How safe would you feel?

It is frustrating when you know the fire would be easier to control and extinguish if only federal land managers would be allowed and directed to remove the dangerous snags quickly after a fire occurs. Then after the snags are removed, they can replant a new forest for the future for all of us to enjoy.

Snags can be hazardous at any age. When ignited, a snag can shower burning embers and limbs on anyone working nearby. These snags can accelerate the fire and frequently create spot fires in advance of the main body of the fire.

As snags age, the dangers persist and the dead tree becomes weaker and brush begins to grow, creating a brush field with snags, a dangerous combination of flammable fuels. Some computer models suggest these

risks can persist for decades if land managers choose not to proactively manage the forest to reduce severe fire risks or remove these dead trees after a fire.

An abundance of dead snags also creates a vicious cycle of severe re-burns that perpetuate the destruction to our forests, wildlife and communities. There are many documented examples of catastrophic re-burns when snags are left in place.

Taking prompt action after a wildfire ensures firefighters will be able to safely attack the next fire on these private lands as soon as it ignites.

Unfortunately, due to the constant threat of litigation, federal agencies often conduct salvage work on only a fraction of the acres that are burned following a major fire. In the few places where these agencies can salvage dead timber and remove roadside hazard trees, they are often met with lawsuits and obstruction.

As a result, our federal lands are choked with snags that will pose hazards to firefighters, forest contractors and the recreating public.

These snags will also contribute to large wildfires, dangerous and harmful smoke and, sadly, needless losses of lives and property.

▫

Vitamin A Deficiency Associated With Drought Conditions

BY JOHN CAMPBELL, DVM, DVSC / WESTERN PRODUCER

I

n a recent webinar produced by the Beef Cattle Research Council as part of an on-going series.

In this webinar, we discussed the long-term implications of drought, which was a relevant topic because significant areas of North America have dealt with multiple years of below average rainfall. In that presentation, I briefly mentioned a herd investigation I was involved with years ago concerning an outbreak of blindness in a group of newborn calves.

It was a commercial cow-calf herd with Simmental-cross cows. The herd owner had a good vaccination program in place and the cows were in very good body condition, even though there had been a serious drought the previous summer.

The drought had been severe enough that the producer had supplemented the cows with feed in the late summer and early fall while still on pasture. Unfortunately, there had been only some trace mineral salt blocks provided but no other mineral or vitamin supplementation that fall and winter.

That spring, more than 225 animals were due to calve. The herd bulls were usually turned out in late July and calving season typically started at the end of April.

Sometime around midMay was when the problems were noticed. About 43 cows had calved and the owner had reported that he had seen six calves with neurological signs including blindness, aimless circling and walking backwards. These calves would be very dull and they would occasionally star gaze (arch their neck backwards and look skyward).

Some of these calves were sent for post-mortem examinations at the diagnostic laboratory and although we saw evidence of blindness and retinal detachment in some calves and some congestion in the brain, we lacked a conclusive diagnosis.

Calving continued and more calves had problems.

By mid-June, there were about 40 cows left to calve

Livestock Market Digest

and at least 13 percent of the calf crop was affected at that point with varying degrees of blindness or neurological signs. It seemed to be a little more common in calves from first-calf heifers, but calves from mature cows were affected as well.

One veterinary ophthalmology specialist from the college examined several calves and all had evidence of retinal developmental abnormalities and retinal detachment, which accounted for their blindness.

Our presumptive diagnosis was vitamin A deficiency, which probably occurred at some point the previous fall when the cows were in their first trimester and the fetal retinal development was affected.

Interestingly, the cows that we tested now had adequate levels of vitamin A, probably because they had access to green grass in the spring again and their deficiency had been corrected.

Copper levels were still low in the cows as well, reflecting the fact that the mineral supplementation had not been ideal during the winter-feeding period.

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin. The main source of this vitamin is from the carotenoids in plants, which are sometimes referred to as pro-vitamin A. Beta carotene has the greatest vitamin A activity, and it is found in the orange and yellow pigments in green forage.

Vitamin A is stored in the liver and fatty tissues of the cow. Very little vitamin A passes through the placenta and so the calf relies on the cow’s colostrum to get their vitamin A at birth.

It’s important to remember when you assess vitamin A levels in a young calf that if they are below normal levels, it could be because the dam had low vitamin A levels in their colostrum, or it could be because the calf didn’t receive adequate colostrum at birth.

Some risk factors for vitamin A deficiency would include grazing on bleached pasture, drought-grown hay, weathered forages, harvested crop residues and prolonged feed storage. Many of these issues were experienced on the case-study ranch.

There are a variety of different conditions that can be seen with vitamin A deficiency. There are at least two forms of blindness that we can see. One scenario is where there is damage to the retina when it is being formed in utero. Vitamin A deficiency in growing cattle can also occur where abnormal bone formation pinches the optic nerve and causes blindness.

Neurological signs, stillborn and weak calves, immune deficiencies and poor conception rates are other common effects associated with vitamin A deficiency.

One case study described in northern Queensland, Australia, in 2014, was similar to this case. In that herd, they lost more than 40 percent of the calves with similar symptoms, including neurological signs and blindness.

A few research studies in Western Canada have examined vitamin A issues in calves. Dr. Cheryl Waldner and Dr. Fabienne Uehlinger analyzed samples from 887 calves from 150 herds in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

These samples were collected from calves less than one month old in the 2002 calving season. Almost 60 percent of those calves had inadequate vitamin A levels.

The studies also demonstrated that vitamin A deficiency was much more likely to occur in herds that experienced drought conditions with less than 200 millimetres of precipitation. They also showed that calves with low serum vitamin A were almost three times more likely to die than calves that had adequate levels of vitamin A. In another study, Waldner showed that risk of stillbirth is also higher in cows in low precipitation years after controlling for all the other factors such as body condition.

Perhaps this is another vitamin A deficiency impact?

Many areas across North America experienced significant drought in 2022 and 2023. In some cases, it has been multiple years of low rainfall. There is no doubt that vitamin A deficiency is potentially a significant issue when drought occurs.

It’s important that producers make sure they are feeding appropriate amounts of vitamin A to their cows throughout the winter-feeding season.

If you aren’t sure, you can get your veterinarian to sample some cows either with blood samples or liver biopsies to measure the status of the herd.

In some situations, you might use injectable vitamin A products if you can’t get the feed levels up to appropriate levels.

Your veterinarian or your nutritionist can provide the best advice for making sure your herd has adequate trace mineral and vitamin levels throughout this winter-feeding period.

John Campbell is a professor in the department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences at the University of Saskatchewan’s Western College of Veterinary Medicine.

▫

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Page 10

Livestock Market Digest

Invest in Nature? Might Be Possible With ‘Natural Asset Companies.’

BY JENNIFER YACHNIN / GREENWIRE

I

nvestors could soon buy into companies trading on the New York Stock Exchange with a unique dual purpose: protect nature — including on public lands — and make money.

The Securities and Exchange Commission is currently weighing whether to clear the way for the NYSE to offer a new kind of investment known as “natural asset companies,” or NACs. The idea proposed by the NYSE is to list companies with missions to improve ecosystems through management, maintenance, or restoration of public or privately-owned lands — and then put a dollar figure on the resulting benefits, like clean air or wildlife habitat.

The proposal so far hasn’t gotten much attention, but caught the notice of conser-

vative lawmakers and property rights advocates. They’ve warned the companies could open a backdoor into strict management restrictions for public lands and waters — as well as foreign investment on federal lands — while raising questions about whether the investments are even viable.

But the financial services firm Intrinsic Exchange Group, which launched the idea two years ago and has drawn support from the NYSE and groups like the Rockefeller Foundation, says it would give investors interested in preserving nature a place to put their money.

“We were looking for a private-sector approach that wasn’t dependent on policy, it wasn’t dependent on traditional taxes, regulation or philanthropy to price in these assets and give in-

vestors the opportunity to invest directly in nature, whether that’s for climate or biodiversity,” said IEG Chair Douglas Eger.

Eger compared their approach to improvements on public lands to a mining claim or a timber lease, or utilizing air rights on private lands.

Instead of a lease to extract ore or cut down trees, however, NACs would ink agreements granting them “ecological performance rights.” Where a successful mining claim is intended to result in the collection of ore, the value of the ecological rights would be judged on a series of factors, ranging from data on carbon storage and sequestration to more ephemeral qualities like the “sensory benefits” of a nice view.

Critics have targeted the concept as creating companies that would attempt to make money off monetizing aspects of nature that belong to everyone.

“This is creating this whole new category and monetizing things that nobody has a right to own,” said Margaret Byfield, the executive director of the American Stewards of Liberty, a property-rights-focused organization.

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In order to qualify as a natural asset company, a corporation would need to document how it is improving the lands included in its portfolio.

In broad strokes, a NAC is responsible for the “conservation, restoration, or sustainable management” of those lands, which commit to various goals, such as improving wildlife habitat or ensuring clean air.

“Ending the overconsumption of and underinvestment in nature requires bringing natural assets into the financial mainstream,” the NYSE wrote in its submission to the SEC. An SEC spokesperson declined to comment on the NYSE’s proposal, saying the agency does not discuss specific filings.

The proposal includes 38 categories of potential improvements, which range from growing hay or grasses to feed livestock to soil erosion control, and from contributing to climate regulation to “sensory benefits, especially visual.”

But — nice views aside —

December 15, 2023 NACs would not necessarily have to own the land that supports those benefits, according to Eger.

Instead, the companies could own the “ecosystem services” created by lands — whether private or public, working lands or conservation lands — much like existing oil and gas leases.

“By and large, on either working lands or natural lands, you’re not really being compensated for being good stewards of the land,” Eger said.

In response to an inquiry about how NACs would work, an NYSE spokesperson described the proposal as a way to raise funds “to preserve or restore natural landscapes while making these securities available to all investors, from institutions to individuals.”

“NACs — which have not yet been approved for listing — are a voluntary, free-market decision by a landowner to monetize their assets,” said NYSE spokesperson Lauren Sullivan.

In a document detailing the companies’ structure, IEG notes that lands “can be areas that are publicly owned, such as a national park, or tracts of privately owned property held by individuals or corporations.”

That provision grabbed the attention of lawmakers, including Wyoming Rep. Harriet Hageman (R), who told E&E News she is concerned the new investments could be used to privately “monetize” national parks, national wildlife refuges and other protected lands, such as areas of environmental concern.

“It’s a lot of smoke and mirrors,” said Hageman, who sponsored an amendment the would have blocked the SEC from approving the proposal. The measure would have been considered as part of an appropriations package pulled from the House floor earlier this month.

Critics have also questioned if the companies could provide a way for foreign entities to essentially get control of public land in the U.S. Hageman said: “Keep in mind that it’s not just a company that might go in and exercise that control. Other countries could engage in these kinds of activities. China could come in and start a natural asset company and start purchasing the rights, as identified by the SEC,

in these land management agencies.”

Republican Sens. Jim Risch and Mike Crapo of Idaho and Pete Ricketts of Nebraska raised similar concerns ina Nov. 2 letter to the SEC, warning of a “preservationist-only approach” to land management.

Four Republican governors also criticized the rules change as a “back door approach to apply Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles to land use and management.”

“This rule has wide-ranging implications for the citizens of our states, specifically in our natural resources and agricultural industries,” Govs. Joe Lombardo of Nevada, Greg Gianforte of Montana, Mark Gordon of Wyoming and Brad Little of Idahowrote in an October letter to the SEC. The governors also questioned whether the Interior or Agricultural departments had been involved with the proposal. An Interior spokesperson declined to comment, and the USDA did not respond to a request for comment.

Eger pushed back against those concerns, asserting that critics have misunderstood the proposal and what kind of authority a natural asset company could actually assert over lands in its portfolio.

“Whether it’s under [the Bureau of Land Management] or Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park, National Forest Service, all of those have existing rules. You couldn’t come into an area that is a multiple use, and change that,” Eger said.

He suggested, for example, that if BLM acreage with existing grazing rights were included in a NAC, that activity could not be prohibited on those lands.

Eger acknowledged, however, that at least in the United States, when considering public lands, NACs could be easier to form with acreage owned by state or local governments, rather than federal lands.

“It is probably easier on the local or state level than it would be on a federal level,” Eger said.

“But I could see a role.”

NACs are also intended as an international player, such as a pilot project launched in Costa Rica by IEG along with the Inter-American Development Bank.

The Biden administration has indicated it is interested in, at least, identifying the value of “natural capital” and its contribution to the nation’s economy.

Earlier this year, the Biden administration unveiled a 15year plan to account for the value of natural assets like minerals and clean water, as well as the impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss.

“The nation’s economy and environment are deeply intertwined,” the White House wrote.

“A strong economy depends on a stable climate, clean air and water, and all nature has to offer. We have taken it for granted, but we can no longer afford to do so,” states the document, which includes a brief mention of the NYSE’s proposal.

Whether the Biden administration will engage with NACs remains to be seen, but Byfield said a BLM plan to offer conservation leases could open a door to the federal government’s participation.

“There’s so many concerning things about how this could

December 15, 2023 fundamentally change our economy,” Byfield said. “The way our protected lands are being managed, and national sovereignty, national security.”

But Eger asserted NACs aren’t intended as a way to change management of public or private lands, whether in the United States or internationally.

“When we look at public lands, ultimately, it belongs to the public,” Eger said. “The managers of that land may or may not want to increase the value of that land by including the natural capital and ecosystem service values inherent there.”

Like ESG? Larry Harris, who served as the SEC’s chief economist from 2002-2004, compared the proposal to a trend of investments that include commitments to meet environmental, social, governance standards — such as how a company opts to address climate change or pays its CEO compared to workers — commonly known as ESG. “This is basically another ESG story, with a heavy emphasis on environmental sustainability,” said Harris, who now holds the Fred V. Keenan Chair in Finance at the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business.

Although ESG investments have drawn the ire of Republican lawmakers — including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who earlier this year signed into law a prohibition on investing state funds into ESG goals — a new environmentally themed product could nonetheless draw investors.

“We know that there is a very large market of people who want to take constructive positions on environmental issues,” Harris said. “There’s definitely a market where people would like to commit their capital in a way that is forward-thinking about natural resources and their preservation.”

But while would-be shareholders may be drawn to an ethical investment, Harris speculated that it doesn’t necessarily mean that NACs will become particularly valuable.

“The potential investment value of these companies, from a point of view of an investor who is only interested in financial return, is probably not all that good,” Harris said.

Utah state Treasurer Marlo Oaks made a similar point in an opinion piece published by The Wall Street Journal, questioning whether NACs would generate any revenues after raising money through an initial public offering. Oaks doubted if a company required to then spend money on “conservation, restoration, or sustainable management plans” could truly be profitable.

“Normally, corporations are formed for investors to make money,” Oaks wrote. “In any other situation, this proposal would be identified as sanctioning fraud.”

Harris said another complication is the environmental statements and audits these companies would be required to produce — a potentially significant expense.

“The innovation here is that these companies are being given a mechanism by which they can credibly show that they’re doing what they say they’re doing,” Harris said. “And to give investors some confidence that

Livestock Market Digest they’re not rapaciously destroying the planet or the environment.”

Eger pushed back against that analysis, arguing that NACs will create a return on investment because individuals choose to value the environment, along with sustainable production of timber or agriculture.

“There’s no reason that we can’t set a price to ecosystem service,” Eger said. “Between a willing buyer and seller, the underlying becomes true. If they think that value is there, then it is there,” he said, comparing the idea to “the price of paintings or gold.”

He added that while some of the lands have an existing “production value,” whether because of agricultural or other uses, investors into NACs are supporting an “existence or appreciation value” of the benefits of those lands, like support for biodiversity or natural beauty.

“We just happened to leave a lot of this off the table when we created the economic system that we have right now,” he said.

Page 11

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