LMD Feb 2022 by Livestock Publishers

Riding Herd Saying things that need to be said. February 15, 2022 • www.aaalivestock.com

Volume 64 • No. 2

Taking the Bull by the Horns BY LEE PITTS

s the announcer for Western Video Market for 20 years I was on the auction block when we sold 400,000 plus cattle yearly. During that time I got to observe first-hand the demand for different breeds of cattle, how much more buyers would pay for long-weaned calves and the premium buyers were willing to pay for what we called “program cattle.” One thing that sticks out most in my memory is the demand we saw for Red Angus sired calves, especially heifers. Every time we had a good consignment of Red Angus heifer calves a bidding war ensued. This observation was confirmed by data collected by the Red Angus Association that showed over a ten year period Red Angus sired heifers commanded $66 a head more than females of other breeds. Why am I telling you all this? My purpose is to show that the Red Angus breed is currently doing very well and they’d be one of the last breed associations I’d expect to take what some might perceive to be a risky gamble with their bright future.

The Peril and The Promise

NEWSPAPER PRIORITY HANDLING

It seemed last Fall that the cattle business barely yawned when the Red Angus Association became the first, and only, beef breed to accept gene-edited animals into their registry. Gene- edited animals ARE NOT genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. The difference between GMO’s and gene-edited animals is that with a GMO, genetic material from other species or plants is introduced into an animal’s DNA. The result is a plant or animal that could never be found in nature. Think of it

as a dachshund trying to breed a Siamese cat. It’s just naturally not going to happen. Gene-editing is something entirely different. It enables the use of genes already native to the plant or animal that could

only without the steroids. And the meat and dairy products from an animal developed using gene-editing are no different from their non-edited equivalents. The problem is your aver-

Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a Rain Dance.

be introduced via conventional crossbreeding. Imagine replacing the gene for hair length in a Scotch Highland cow with a gene from a short haired Senepol. The short haired Scotch Highland could occur naturally through traditional reproduction processes but it would take years and many generations. Gene-editing could do it with just one “edit.” Gene-editing can also take the horns off an animal with one gene edit by using the cell’s natural DNA repair functions to replace the horned gene with a naturally occurring polled gene. Gene-editing just speeds up the crossbreeding that occurs. I think of it as crossbreeding on steroids...

age consumer doesn’t know the difference and tends to lump GMO’s and gene-edited animals together. This is the risk that the Red Angus breed is taking. So why are they taking such a gamble? According to Tom Brink, CEO of the Red Angus Association, and a man with lots of credibility and experience in all phases of the cattle business, “It’s foundational thinking. The Red Angus breed has been pro-science since 1954 when it all started. One of the seven core principles of the Red Angus breed is crossbreeding and basically, gene-editing is crossbreeding. Paraphrasing our partner in this venture Tad

It’s Not Just Illegal Aliens Our Southern Border Guards Against BY D. PARKER / AMERICAN THINKER

ill Biden finally secure the border amid threats from China, Russia, Islamic terror, and drugs? Back when he assumed office, President Biden essentially implemented an open borders policy. It’s been a disaster on top of his other disasters, with millions of illegal invaders flooding into the country from around the world in the middle of a pandemic. Day by day, additional threats are emerging that illustrate that he needs to change course before it’s too late. In the words of former acting ICE director Tom Homan, Biden’s border policies are “killing people.” Under President Trump last year, there was a total of 254 migrants (that) who died crossing that border — the first year under President Biden, that is more than doubled to 557. That’s a 119 percent increase[.] ... Add to that over 100,000 overdose deaths, most of it from fentanyl that the DEA says, “come across the border.” Add to that 59 CBP officers who die from COVID because Joe continued on page 4

Sonstegard, Ph.D., ‘We’ve been gene-editing for hundreds and hundreds of years only now we call it crossbreeding.’” Brink continues, “In considering the future, we see an opportunity to accelerate the Red Angus breed’s genetic progress by selectively allowing gene-edited animals into our population. The technology has been proven to be both safe and effective, and for traits such as the slick hair coat and black to red, there is a chance to speed up the introduction of useful, naturally-occurring genes and genetic combinations that would take many generations to accomplish through traditional breeding efforts.”

High Noon When I asked Brink if there was much disagreement on the Red Angus Board when the subject of gene-editing was raised he replied, “Not really. Our Board did a really good job. We’re going slow and being very careful with it. So far there have only been two ‘edits.. One known as SLICK isolated the gene from Senepol cattle for hair and the other gene that has been edited turns black Angus cattle into Red Angus. Both edits,” says Brink, “were natural edits that could occur with continued on page 2

Just What is a ‘Resilient’ Forest, Anyway? Study Finds Resilient, Frequent-Fire Forests Have Far Fewer Trees BY KAT KERLIN / UC DAVIS NEWS

ore than a century ago, Sierra Nevada forests faced almost no competition from neighboring trees for resources. The tree densities of the late 1800s would astonish most Californians today. Because of fire suppression, trees in current forests live alongside six to seven times as many trees as their ancestors did — competing for less water amid drier and hotter conditions. The study, published in the journal Forest Ecology and Management, suggests that low-density stands that largely eliminate tree competition are key to creating forests resilient to the multiple stressors of severe wildfire, drought, bark beetles and climate change. This approach would be a significant departure from current management strategies, which use competition among trees to direct forest development.

Defining ‘resilience’ But first, the study asks: Just what does “resilience” even mean? Increasingly appearing in continued on page 4

by LEE PITTS

A Prisoner of Circumstance

tanley is a computer nerd who inherited a paidfor ranch and 450 good cows. For some people, like me, this would be a dream come true but for Stanley, who hates cows, horses and the outdoors, he became a prisoner of circumstance. One man’s dream really is another man’s nightmare. Stanley’s goal in life was to design video games and he was three years into getting a degree in electronic engineering when his folks died and he had to come home to run the ranch. You might say we shouldn’t feel sorry for Stanley; he could simply sell the ranch and cows, never get out of his pajamas and play computer games for the rest of his life. But it’s not that easy. Even thinking about selling the ranch that’s been in his family for 125 years made Stanley feel like a traitor to his ancestors. Plus, he’s got a young son and daughter who are both interested in cows and love everything about ranch life. So Stanley feels a responsibility to keep the ranch going for his kids who would be the sixth generation on the place. Just because Stanley has been reduced to being a placeholder doesn’t mean that he’s no longer interested in everything electronic. He’s heavy into social media, maintains a homepage for his cat and got PTSD from playing Mortal Combat on his MacBook six hours a day. And Stanley is no slouch when it comes to cyberspace. His home office is overgrown with cable spaghetti, he gobbles up computer cookies and you’ll never catch him plugging a power strip into itself. Stanley has spent a fortune turning the dirt road that leads to his place into an information superhighway and I’ve often thought that Stanley might operate in some gray areas by hacking into other people’s databases. I wouldn’t put it past him. Stanley is so into computers he named his daughter Alexa, after the Wi-Fi network tool that performs tasks for you. (I see a BIG problem ahead for daughter Alexa. She’s going to be run ragged with Stanley saying things all day like, “Alexa dim the lights” and “Alexa lock the doors.” Or, “Alexa, turn up the thermostat.”) Of course, all of Stanley’s cows now have radio fre-

continued on page 4

Page 2

Livestock Market Digest

February 15, 2022

TAKING THE BULL BY THE HORNS

Tad Menefee

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crossbreeding over multiple generations.” Why would the Red Angus breed want more cattle with the SLICK gene? Because a sizeable percentage of the cattle raised in the U.S. are in the warmer climes of the south. Also, there’s a big demand for Red Angus cattle overseas but it’s mostly in tropical places where the SLICK gene would be very desirable. Brink told the Digest about an interesting informal study they did that probably wouldn’t pass muster for a Doctoral candidate’s thesis but was very common-sensical and interesting. They mounted a red and a black hide on plywood and then placed them both in the sun. At high noon they took one of those temperature guns we’re all now familiar with thanks to COVID and took the temperature of both hides side-by-side. They had other breeders do the same thing in other locations on a random basis. What they found was that the red hide was consistently ten to eleven degrees cooler on average than the black hide. Think what turning a black animal into a red would do for an Angus steer in a feedlot in the Texas panhandle on a 110 degree day. If with just one gene edit you could produce a red Angus instead of a black one therefore making the animal more comfortable, and probably better performing as a result, why wouldn’t you do it? Especially when you consider that all the other outstanding traits associated with Black Angus would be retained. The Holstein breed has adopted gene-editing but so far the Red Angus breed is the only beef breed to do so. Pretty gutsy, don’t you think? Especially for a breed that has so much to lose. Brink said the Red Angus that were gene-edited will carry a code internally in their data-

cont from page 1

base and he expects some Red Angus breeders will choose not to use the tool.

Precision Breeding The Red Angus Association has a partner in this process: Acceligen, whose CEO, Dr. Tad Sonstegard, is also a Red Angus breeder. Acceligen was founded in 2014 and quickly became a recognized global leader in the development, deployment and commercialization of gene-editing, which they prefer to call “precision breeding.” Which certainly sounds more consumer friendly. Acceligen is a wholly owned subsidiary of Recombinetics Inc., and in the past has received large contributions from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation whose primary work deals with feeding a rapidly growing population. Acceligen has also received numerous grants from different agencies within the USDA. Acceligen has already bred animals that express a trait known for better tolerance to tropical and sub-tropical heat. Black-to-red gene edits have also been made on multiple calves. According to Acceligen, “Animal breeders have to take several generations to select for a desired, naturally occurring trait, until it is consistently reproduced in every breeding. Precision breeding allows us to use the same naturally occurring traits in a single generation, thus expediting the process.”

Consider The Possibilities Acceligen has been very busy in the few years it’s been in the gene-editing business. Here are just some of the projects they’ve been involved with so far:

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Two laboratories at the USDA-ARS Meat Animal Research Center collaborate with Acceligen through separate fundcontinued on page 3

February 15, 2022

Livestock Market Digest

TAKING THE BULL BY THE HORNS ed coopera tive research agreements to characterize traits for resistance to Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus and Castration-Free in swine.

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Animal breeders at Hypor of Hendrix Genetics have partnered with Acceligen to develop and study castration-free swine.

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The USDA Dairy Forage Center has partnered with Acceligen through a funded cooperative research agreement to develop traits for tick resistance.

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Scientists at University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna are collaborating under a commercial contract to produce heat tolerant (SLICK) dual purpose cattle for farmers in South America and Sub-Saharan Africa.

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Scientists at the University of Florida Department of Animal Sciences and the Semex Alliance have partnered with Acceligen to develop heat tolerant cattle.

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Acceligen has contract research agreements with the University of Nebraska and Iowa State University to develop complete development of traits for swine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus resistance in swine. They have teamed up with Fazendas do Basa, Kheiron (Argentina) and Trans Ova Genetics to generate dairy animals that will generate significant and sustainable production gains for African dairy production systems. They are collaborating with the Semex Alliance and Kheiron to introduce the bovine polled trait into elite genetic lines of dairy animals.

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Acceligen received the $3.68 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to deploy a suite of traits from their discovery pipeline into dairy animals with high genetic merit for production and durability.

The BIG Question The big question facing Red Angus breeders is will the American consumer make the distinction between GMO’s, which many consumers don’t like, and gene-edited animals? If so, will they therefore buy gene-edited meat and milk? I searched long and hard for studies that would help answer this question. One not-very-encouraging survey of U.S. and French consumers, reported that respondents felt that gene edited foods should be treated

“

One thing is for sure, it’s a Brave

New World we’re living in ... the future has

never belonged to the faint of heart.”

as GMO-based foods. The most thorough study we found was done in Brazil and was called, “Gene Editing for Improved Animal Welfare and Production Traits in Cattle: Will This Technology Be Embraced or Rejected by the Public?“ The Brazilian study was more positive and concluded, “Consumers tend to accept gene-editing more than genetically modified foods. Many in the scientific community present it as a promising tool to contribute to the sustainability of animal agriculture. Some respondents acknowledged the

Page 3 cont from page 2

potential for gene-editing to help tackle animal production, health and welfare challenges. The acceptability of gene-editing in cattle was increased by perceptions of benefits for animal welfare. However, it was reduced when the perceptions of risks and benefits were viewed as unevenly or unfairly distributed among consumers, corporations, different types of farmers, and the animals.” According to the Brazilian study, “Using gene-editing to improve muscle tissue growth was viewed as less acceptable compared to using gene-editing to reduce heat stress or to produce hornless cattle. Support declined when the application was perceived to harm animal welfare, to be profit motivated or to reinforce the status quo of intensive livestock systems.” One example of gene-editing the Brazilian study found to be very positive was inserting the heat tolerance gene (SLICK) commonly found in Senepol cattle into the genome of Holstein cattle.

A Brave New World Gene-editing could help the livestock business out with some of its more problematic practices. For example, castration. Animal rightists have long said that animals should be sedated before being castrated. Piglet castration without pain medication is a practice being closely examined around the world because of cruelty concerns. For example, in France, carrying out castration without anesthesia was banned starting January 1. The National Hog Farmer magazine reported in 2020 that, “It’s been just over two years since a group of gene-edited piglets was born in the U.S. This signified a large step forward in the attempt to commercially produce pigs that never reach adolescence, with males that therefore do not need physical castration to prevent boar taint in their meat.” Acceligen is also helping

animal breeders to select for traits that improve disease resistance. “That means animals are less likely to become ill and therefore require less medical intervention. Healthier animals improves the welfare of animals. For example, Bovine Tuberculosis is caused by Mycobacterium bovis which is known to be transmitted to humans by consuming unpasteurized milk to name one pathway of infection. Reducing the potential for this organism to be contracted by the animals will also positively affect the transmission rates to humans.” The Brazilians discovered that one danger in educating consumers how gene-editing could improve the lives of animals is that when people become aware of the practices and reasons behind their use in the animal industry, new questions emerge about why animals are treated as they are in the first place. “It is well established that the lay public has little knowledge about production practices; thus, trying to justify gene-editing on the basis of some practices that are apparently very positive, such as the end of routine painful procedures like dehorning and castration or diseases in animals, comes with the risk of revealing to the public the conditions under which farm animals are being raised and may increase concerns.” The Food and Drug Administration is now looking into gene-editing and Brink is, “Hoping for simple regulatory approval sometime in the first half of this year.” He’s anticipating that meat will not have to carry a label indicating gene-editing was involved in its production. We’re living in exciting times as the technology revolution continues to turn entire industries upside down. Now it’s our turn. Who knows, someday we might see Black Angus breeders using the red gene to turn their

black cattle red without giving up any attributes of the most prominent breed in America: Black Angus. One thing is for sure, it’s a Brave New World we’re living in. Like it or not, the beef industry will change more in the next ten years than it did in the previous century. I don’t offer an opinion as to whether Red Angus breeders have made a good bet with gene-editing or not, but I do know one thing for sure... the future has never belonged to the faint of heart.

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Livestock Market Digest

HERD

continued from page 1

quency ear tags, he pumps water with solar panels, he sells his calves on the video and he buys his bulls on the Internet. Stanley was also interested in turning his ranch into a windmill farm but the wind doesn’t blow enough on his place to put out a birthday candle, and he can’t turn it into a solar farm because there aren’t any mandatory transmission lines nearby to plug into. Because Stanley doesn’t care for cowboys he’s been reduced to devising ways to replace them with drones and robots. Now, a computer might be able to beat you in a game of chess and one might even be able to check on remote water troughs but they can’t repair a broken float valve, won’t stand on the back of a truck in freezing weather doling out alfalfa, can’t pull a calf, there’s no robotic squeeze chute on the market that gives shots, and a computer can’t roundup your cows. Although Stanley tried. Stanley thought to himself, what makes cows move? Horses, of course, cows will also run to a feed truck, and heel flies really make cows move. So Stanley got the idea that if he could make his drones sound like heel flies he could buzz his cows and herd them anywhere he wanted. So Stanley filled his bunkhouse with drones instead of cowboys. Then, to test his idea Stanley used a small sample, a pasture with 50 cows in it. Sitting at his desk in his home office still wearing his p.j.’s he flew four heel-fly-drones to push the cows to his corral. At first the cows ignored the unmanned aerial vehicles (UVA’s) so he turned up the volume on the drones to HIGH and soon the cows starting running with their tails in the air. Sure enough, Stanley was able to gather the entire 50 cows in one location but, alas, it was not in his corral. The cows were standing in a dirt tank with water up to their bellies so the “flies” couldn’t bite them.

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www.LeePittsbooks.com

ITS NOT JUST ILLEGAL ALIENS ... Biden is ignoring Title 42. The world is getting more dangerous by the day, with bad actors from around the world gearing up to take full advantage of Biden’s weakness. The open southern border would be the perfect avenue to wreak havoc with law enforcement tasked with babysitting over border security. Even worse, the coyotes running the smuggling operations along the border can simply distract the Border Patrol at one point to bring in far more dangerous people or contraband at another. From the start, Biden’s open border policy didn’t make any sense in the context of the COVID pandemic, the existential crisis of our time according to the media and the Democrat party. The same people who insisted that everyone wear a mask and get the latest booster and prove it with a vaccine passport didn’t seem to care that millions of untested and unvaccinated people from around the world were flooding into the country. The Biden administration even made sure to secretly disperse potential carriers of COVID to the conservative parts of the country, in some cases, using arrest warrants as ID for that extra bit of ironic outrage.

continued from page 1

The Texas synagogue attack also reminded everyone of the threat of terrorism despite the FBI’s best efforts in covering it up. The Border Patrol has arrested terrorists at the border, despite attempts at deleting these notices. An open southern border is an inviting prospect to any terrorists wanting to enter the country. We were lucky in catching some of them; what about all the others? What is going to happen in confrontations with China and Russia for worldwide dominance? The wide-open southern border would be the first target for any ground incursion by our enemies. We have no idea what might happen if they decide that we are too weak with Biden or Harris ostensibly at the helm. Any marginally intelligent leader of a nation-state would see the value in securing a border in this situation. In the case of Harris or Biden, they can’t even rise to that level of competence. Moreover, we have the ongoing threat of the fentanyl surge at the border. Florida attorney general, Ashley Moody, recently wrote a letter to the administration: It’s no secret that President Biden’s immigration policies are an unmitigated

February 15, 2022

WHAT IS A RESILIENT FOREST? management plans, the term has been vague and difficult to quantify. The authors developed this working definition: “Resilience is a measure of the forest’s adaptability to a range of stresses and reflects the functional integrity of the ecosystem.” They also found that a common forestry tool — the Stand Density Index, or SDI — is effective for assessing a forest’s resilience. “Resilient forests respond to a range of stressors, not just one,” said lead author Malcolm North, an affiliate professor of forest ecology with the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences and a research ecologist with the U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station. “‘Resilience’ is about surviving a particular stress, like fire — but there’s a lot more going on in these forests, particularly with the strain of climate change.”

Competitive nature For fire-adapted forests in the Sierra, managing for resilience requires drastically reducing densities — as much as 80 percent of trees, in some cases. “Treatments for restoring resilience in today’s forests will need to be much more intensive then the current focus on fuels reduction,” said Scott Stephens of UC Berkeley, a co-author on the paper. The study compared largescale historical and contemporary datasets and forest conditions in the southern and central Sierra Nevada, from Sequoia National Forest to the Stanislaus National Forest. It found that between 1911 and 2011, tree densities increased six- to seven-fold while average tree size was reduced by half. A century ago, both stand densities and competition were low. More than three-quarters of forest stands had low or no competition to slow a tree’s growth and reduce its vigor. In contrast, nearly all — 82 to 95 percent — of modern frequent-fire forests are considered in “full

cont from page 1

competition.” The study indicates that forests with very low tree densities can be more resilient to compounded threats of fire, drought and other climate stressors while maintaining healthy water quality, wildlife habitat and other natural benefits. Forests burned by high-severity fires or killed by drought lose such ecosystem services.

Wake-up call The authors say the 20122016 drought, in which nearly 150 million trees died from drought-induced bark beetle infestations, served as a wakeup call to the forestry community that different approaches are required to help forests confront multiple threats, not only severe wildfires. A shift away from managing for competitive forests and toward eliminating competition could allow the few to thrive and be more resilient. “People have grown accustomed to the high-density forest we live in,” North said. “Most people would be surprised to see what these forests once looked like when frequent surface fires kept them at very low densities. But taking out smaller trees and leaving trees able to get through fire and drought leaves a pretty impressive forest. It does mean creating very open conditions with little inter-tree competition. But there’s a lot of historical data that supports this.” “We think resilient forests can be created, but it requires drastically reducing tree density until there’s little to no competition,” said Brandon Collins of UC Berkeley, another co-author on the paper. “Doing this will allow these forests to adapt to future climate.” Additional co-authors include Ryan Tompkins of UC Cooperative Extension, and Alexis Bernal and Robert York of UC Berkeley. The study was funded by the National Park Service Pacific West Region, U.S. Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station, U.S. Joint Fire Sciences Program, and the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources Division.

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disaster, but it now appears that Biden’s abdication of his duty at our southwest border is allowing criminals to smuggle even larger amounts of fentanyl and other dangerous drugs into our country — fueling the nation’s deadly opioid crisis. ...

Some have already floated the idea of non-citizens voting in local elections. Gavin Newsom wants to offer free health care to everyone; this will only incentivize the illegal invasion. Kamala Harris wants to grant amnesty and the right to vote to millions. Their Orwellian “Freedom to Vote act” would destroy the right to vote by rendering it irrelevant. According to data availIt’s a multi-vectored attack on able from Biden’s first year free and fair elections. Mail-in in office, enough fentanyl voting, ballot-harvesting, and has been seized to kill the eliminating voter ID will make entire U.S. population six it child’s play for cheating — a times over — it is terrifying simple matter of having their to imagine how much of this cadres of illegal invaders vote extremely deadly drug is befor the promised free stuff paid ing trafficked into our counwith other people’s money. try undetected. That is why they are willing So why are they doing this? to sacrifice your safety and your Why have they opened the liberty. They don’t care that country to a devastating flood of its absolute insanity to have an disease, invaders, terrorists, and open border in these circumdrugs? Why are they trying to stances. It’s more important for destroy the country from with- them to maintain their power in? The answer is simple: power. than perform their constitutionIf they can’t get U.S. citizens al duties in protecting the states to vote for them, they will just from invasion. bring in a new set. They have already telegraphed their in- D Parker is an engineer, inventor, wordsmith, student of history — a writer in the comtentions. The New York Times and munications field and a longtime contributor made the case for everyone hav- to the NOQ report. ing a vote because, why not?

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Coming Soon: Climate Lockdowns? BY KRISTIN TATE, OPINION CONTRIBUTOR / THE HILL The views expressed by contributors are their own and not the view of The Hill.

he past two years have been a checklist for the worst impulses of government and public sentiment. COVID allowed for supposedly temporary measures to morph into two years of “emergency” restrictions. But what if COVID was only the opening act, and another proclaimed crisis is the main event? Implementing significant but partial restrictions, one by one, in the name of the common good can allow for encompassing government control that results in relatively little backlash. Fear over climate change could lead to long-term soft lockdowns, given the precedent of immense growth of government power and significant support for sweeping state actions. This isn’t a right-wing fever dream. Calls for harsh government measures in the name of saving the environment are already in the parlance of influential organizations and figures. In November 2020, the Red Cross proclaimed that climate change is a bigger threat than COVID and should be confronted with “the same urgency.” Bill Gates recently demanded dramatic measures to prevent climate change, claiming it will be worse than the pandemic. Despite millions of people having died from COVID, former governor of the Bank of England Mark Carney last year predicted that climate deaths will dwarf those of the pandemic. Lockdowns, which significantly reduced carbon emissions during 2020, could be the solution. After all, the EU’s climate service gloated, the first COVID lockdown may have saved 800 lives. What would climate lockdowns look like? Most likely, cities and states would begin a gradual and discrete ramp-up of restrictions. During the early days of the pandemic, millions of Americans worked from home; this could become the permanent norm if special carbon taxes are put in place. Such taxes could be imposed on companies, limiting driving or air miles, and extend to individual employees. Drive to work in a car? You get hit with the tax. Children could be impacted by climate lockdowns, too. Schools, especially those heavily influenced by teachers’ unions, could impose permanent online-only days. Delhi, India is already using a version of this concept to crack down on smog pollution. At the same time, either through direct government fiat or due to ineffective green energy policies, some areas of the country could regularly experience California-style rolling blackouts. And as fossil fuels (and nuclear power) go by the wayside, consumers may be prevented from buying new gasoline cars, lawnmowers, or chainsaws. continued on page 5

February 15, 2022

COMING ...

Livestock Market Digest

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Significant measures are already being planned to combat climate change. California will ban the sale of gasoline cars in 13 years, as will Germany. Britain plans to do the same in just eight. Prohibiting internal combustion engines could save the planet, the argument goes. As each negative weather event is blamed on climate change, government will increasingly use its restrictive tools. While deaths from natural disasters have fallen by two-thirds over the past five decades, mostly thanks to technological innovations, elites insist that climate change is the “biggest threat modern humans have ever faced.” Climate lockdowns and other restrictions will be framed as saving the people of the United States, and the world, from themselves. What goal could be more noble? Anyone against such measures could be labeled a “climate denier” who stands against progress — or simply a “domestic terrorist.” Defectors likely won’t have much choice, anyhow. Facial recognition and plate-reading software, coupled with the impressive scope of drones, could lead to severe enforcement. Don’t like the restrictions on your gas guzzler? The government could easily track its location and send automatic tickets — or worse. The ability for officials to depend on a significant minority of zealous supporters to enforce measures is invaluable, as well. How many COVID “Karens” justify their fanaticism by contrasting themselves with uneducated, rural Donald Trump supporters? But don’t expect the new rules to apply to everyone equally. During the pandemic, elites don’t wear masks in private — only their servers, drivers and cleaners do. You will be held responsible for your personal carbon footprint, enforced by either law or social convention. But climate evangelists such as Jeff Bezos or “climate czar” John Kerry will receive special dispensations for their carbon use. The pandemic proved to be the precedent of 21st century governance. The initial lockdowns were a desperate attempt to understand more about the virus and shut it down. In hindsight, the overreaction will simply provide a backdrop for the next major government overreach. If COVID could kill millions, imagine the powers the government will assume against a threat that could kill billions. Political leaders have learned that fear prompts the public to accept dramatic curtailing of freedoms for vague promises of safety — they must realize the incredible power at their fingertips. COVID gave the government mouse a cookie, and power-hungry officials and bureaucrats can utilize the precedents of the past two years to institute a much longer, much more comprehensive lockdown. Kristin Tate is a libertarian writer whose latest book is “How Do I Tax Thee? A Field Guide to the Great American Rip-Off.”

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National Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow 2021-22 Officer Team

he National Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow (National ACT) elected four student officers to serve until July of 2022.

President: Rachel McGreal Rachel McGreal is a junior at the University of Illinois where she’s studying agricultural communications with a concentration in journalism and a minor in food and environmental sciences. Rachel grew up on her family’s grain farm in Chatsworth, Illinois. While in college, Rachel has become involved in Illini Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow and Illini Equine Rescue Society. Last school year, she served as the National ACT vice president as well as the Illini ACT secretary. She is now serving as the Illini ACT vice president. Rachel interned with the Marketplace Engagement Department at Farm Credit Il-

American Shorthorn Association Elects New Board Members & Officers

uring the American Shorthorn Association Annual Meeting in October, delegates from across the country gathered to elect new ASA board members and officers. The nominating committee submitted three candidates for the available positions. Jeff Bedwell of Isabella, Oklahoma, Toby Jordan of Rensselaer, Indiana and John Sonderman of Columbus, Nebraska. All three will serve a three-year term; Bedwell will serve his first term, Jordan and Sonderman will serve their second term. The board elected new officers for the nine-member board. Joe Bales of Morristown, Tennessee was elected president and John Sonderman of Columbus, Nebraska was elected vice president. Dave Greenhorn of Waynesville, Ohio was appointed as the executive director. They serve alongside Board Members Toby Jordan of Indiana, Jerrell Crow of Oklahoma, Lee Miller of Ohio, John Russell of Texas, Mark Gordon of Illinois and Jeff Bedwell of Oklahoma. During the meeting, the association recognized Hugh Mooney of Californai for his six years on the Board of Directors. Most recently, Mooney served as president following his time as a director and VicePresident.

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linois last summer and will continue her work there through next summer. Rachel would also eventually like to return to her family farm in pursuit of becoming a fifth-generation farmer.

Vice President: Maren Boyer Charlton Maren Boyer Charlton is a senior at Utah State University where she is studying agricultural communications and journalism with an emphasis in social media and a minor in consulting. Maren was born and raised on a sheep and goat ranch in Coalville, Utah and has had a goat or sheep in her hands since she was three years old. She has shown market goats and sheep, along with registered Rambouillets, which propelled Maren to start her own company, Tiger M Livestock. You can still find Tiger M genetics in top producer’s flocks across the country. Since returning home from her 18-month missionary service in 2019, Maren has been heavily involved in the sheep industry. She is a communications director for Sheep Genetics USA, National Ram Sale, Chalk Creek Boer Goats and Utah State Extension Farm Safety. Maren has been a member of the ACT since she was a freshman in college and has served as the Social Media Chair for her chapter. When not in class or work, you can find Maren at home with her husband, two dogs, two hedgehogs and her 50-gallon fish tank. As soon as her husband finishes vet school, the two plan to reenter the sheep and goat industry to become a fourth-generation sheep rancher and first-generation hedgehog producer.

Member Relations Coordinator: Haley Bickelhaupt

Page 5 minor in Food and Environmental Sciences. Haley is from Mount Carroll, Illinois where she grew up on her family’s purebred Hereford cattle farm and grain operation. Haley became involved with Illini and National ACT as a freshman at the University of Illinois. In Illini ACT she has served in numerous roles including her current position as Chair of External Relations. After a great experience as Trans Ova Genetics Marketing intern last summer, Haley would like to continue working in the communications field within the agriculture industry and is excited for the opportunity to work with communicators across the country.

Communications Coordinator: Keegan Brumfield Keegan Brumfield is a junior at Texas A&M University double majoring in Agricultural Communications & Journalism and Agricultural Leadership, Education, & Development. Keegan is from South Texas and was active in both 4-H and FFA, where she attended state competitions and explored various leadership opportunities. Having grown up on a farm, Keegan’s passion for agriculture began at a young age and hasn’t slowed down since. Through her university, Keegan is an active member and treasurer of the Texas A&M Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow chapter and enjoys working with like-minded individuals within the agricultural field. In the future, Keegan would love to work for a stock show and give back to the industry that inspired her to pursue a degree in Agricultural Communications.

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GROWMARK Foundation Announces 2022 Ag Scholarship Program

he GROWMARK Foundation is once again offering a $1,500 scholarship program for students in the United States and Ontario, Canada, pursing two- or fouryear degrees or trade school certification in an agriculture-related field. “As our business has grown and evolved, we saw a need to provide a scholarship to students throughout the United States and Ontario, in addition to the scholarship programs already established in our core geography,” said Amy Bradford, GROWMARK corporate communications manager and GROWMARK Foundation manager. “GROWMARK and the FS member cooperatives are strong supporters of youth leadership education and this is one more way we can contribute to the future of agriculture.” Applicants must complete an online application which includes academic information, community service and leadership activities, and essay questions regarding agriculture and cooperatives. Applications will be judged by a panel of agribusiness professionals. High school seniors or students at any level of higher education may complete the application, which can be found at https://www.growmark.com/ about-us/corporate-commitments. Applications are due by midnight Central Time on April 14, 2022 and recipients will be notified by July 1, 2022.

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Haley Bickelhaupt is a junior at the University of Illinois where she is studying Agricultural Communications with an emphasis in Journalism and a

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Livestock Market Digest

AG Paxton Releases Border Crisis Guidance to State and Local Law Enforcement, Property Owners, Texans SOURCE: TEXAS & SOUTHWESTERN CATTLE RAISERS

s Biden’s border crisis grows worse, Attorney General Paxton continues to field inquiries from state and local law enforcement, border-area property owners, and concerned Texans throughout the state. While Attorney General Paxton fights and wins in court to stop the flood of illegal aliens, he also released a guidance packet in response to those most common inquiries, which can be found at: www.texasattorneygeneral. gov/sites/default/files/images/ child-support/OAG_border_ crisis_packet%20(final%20 draft%2001.24.2022).pdf Attorney General Paxton made the following statement: “To my friends and allies in Texas law enforcement, private property owners, and citizens: America is in a border crisis. Texas bears the brunt of it. Worse, a combination of federal inaction and an intentional, illegal unwinding of successful Trump-era immigration measures have left local law enforcement, private property owners, and citizens figuring out how to clean up the mess. Hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens are pouring over our border. They are temporarily detained—if at all—before being released, and then make their way through your counties, cities, and property. They bring with them property destruction, theft, financial costs, risks of disease, crime, and the cartels. The federal government caused this crisis. Texans pay the price. Local law

enforcement, governmental officials, and Texans are left searching for answers and help. Solutions are difficult to come by. I have sued the Biden Administration six times for their border crisis and am involved in eight total lawsuits with them on immigration matters. We’re winning. But there is still more that must be done. I have prepared this packet of information for you that outlines the basic legal concepts to consider as Texans face these unprecedented challenges— circumstances brought on by a federal government that has abdicated its responsibility to secure our border and protect its citizens. Ultimately, the goal of this information is to help local officials, law enforcement officers, and private property owners as they work to protect the persons they represent as well as the freedom, property, and lives of all Texans. I stand ready to assist you in using all the powers I have as your Attorney General. To that end, we have set up an email address you can use to send us immigration-related information, complaints, and recommendations: bordercrisis@oag.texas. gov. My attorneys will monitor this around the clock, and, so long as the situation is appropriate and the law allows, we will help.”

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Justice Department and USDA Launch Online Tool to Report Anti-competitive Practices

he U.S. Departments of Justice and Agriculture (USDA) launched farmerfairness.gov, a new online tool that allows farmers and ranchers to anonymously report potentially unfair and anticompetitive practices in the livestock and poultry sectors. The launch of the new portal will advance the goals of Biden-Harris Administration’s Action Plan for a Fairer, More Competitive, and More Resilient Meat and Poultry Supply Chain, including by creating more competitive agricultural markets that are fairer to producers and consumers. As part of the agencies’ enforcement partnership, the agencies are signing an interagency memorandum of understanding to further foster cooperation and communication between the agencies and effectively process the complaints received through the portal. “When we talk about protecting competition in the agricultural sector, we are talking about whether a farmer or a rancher will be paid a fair and competitive price for their goods and labor. When we talk about protecting consumers in this context, we are talking about whether food will be affordable for everyone in America,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Today’s launch of farmerfairness.gov – a one-stop shop to report potential violations of our competitions laws – will allow the Justice Department and USDA to collaborate early and ensure economic opportunity and fairness for all.” “This new online tool will help USDA and the Justice Department address anticompetitive actions and create livestock and poultry markets that are fairer to our nation’s producers,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “I encourage producers who are aware of potential violations of competition laws to submit information to the portal so we can take appropriate action to create more competitive markets in the agricultural sector.” Complaints or tips will go through a preliminary review by Department of Justice Antitrust Division staff and USDA Packers and Stockyards Division staff. If a complaint raises sufficient concern under the Packers and Stockyards Act or antitrust laws, it will be selected for further investigation by the appropriate agency. This action may lead to the opening of a formal investigation. Users can submit information under their names or may submit anonymous complaints. If a complainant provides their personal information, Justice Department or USDA staff will only contact them if additional information is needed. To submit an anonymous complaint, users can provide information about the potential violation without including their names or contact information. For any information provided, the Justice Department and USDA will follow their respective privacy and confidentiality policies found at: Justice Department Confidentiality and USDA Privacy. Packers and Stockyards regulations regarding confidentiality also apply: PSD Confidentiality. The Justice Department and USDA commit to supporting relevant whistleblower protections, including newly applicable protections for criminal antitrust complainants against unlawful retaliation. The meatpacking industry has consolidated rapidly in recent decades. Meanwhile, farmers’ share of the value of their agricultural products has decreased, and poultry farmers, hog farmers, cattle ranchers and other agricultural workers may struggle to retain autonomy and to make sustainable incomes. For example, ranchers received more than 60 cents of every dollar a consumer spent on beef 50 years ago, compared to approximately 39 cents today. Hog farmers fared worse over the past 50 years, as their share of the consumer dollar fell from between 40 to 60 cents 50 years ago to approximately 19 cents today.

February 15, 2022

Beef Supply Chain Wrestles w/Cost of Resiliency New RaboResearch report explores expected changes to how beef gets to consumers SOURCE: TEXAS & SOUTHWESTERN CATTLE RAISERS

undamental changes are transforming the beef supply chain from a justin-time delivery model toward a just-in-case approach. Managing the costs associated with these changes may result in a shift of the historical live cattle and retail beef price ratio, according to a new RaboResearch report, “Beef Supply in a PostCovid World.” “While a cattle producer has little or no control over what happens in the beef supply chain post-harvest, it will be important for livestock producers to be aware of changes occurring throughout the supply chain,” writes report author, Don Close, senior animal protein analyst with Rabo AgriFinance. “Any changes, any inventory building, any additional controls and inspections could have a direct impact on the total cost of beef to the end user, which could change historical norms for live-to-wholesale and live-to-retail price spreads.” Meat processors, distributors and retailers are striving to build supply resiliency into the beef supply chain and reduce the risk of another round of empty grocery store shelves in the future. The major drivers of change explored in the report are: 1.

Automation in packing plants to increase the efficiency of their labor force

Packaging that extends shelf life, is more durable for grocery delivery and meets sustainability expectations

Government and investor-led sustainability demands, which may require more documentation and verification methods throughout the supply chain

The transportation system’s technology and infrastructure overhaul that reduces carbon emissions and the risk for backlogs

Producers who choose not to use the farmerfairness.gov portal also can submit complaints about potentially anticompetitive practices by emailing PSDComplaints@usda.gov; calling (833) 342-5773; faxing (202) 205-9237; or mailing Stop 3601, 1400 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, D.C., 20250-3601.

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The area of change with the greatest potential direct impact on cattle producers is meatpacking plants’ embedding more automation into their facilities. The report notes that the initial introduction of advanced technology will not serve as a replacement for labor. It will serve to make labor more efficient. However, the transformation toward greater automation will require a workforce with different skill sets or extensive retraining. “The challenge of finding and retaining a ready workforce has increased labor costs to the tipping point where investments into technology, robotics and software advancements become economical,” Close adds. “Anything that de-risks packers from becoming a dam that slows the flow of market-ready cattle is a win for cattle producers.”

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February 15, 2022

Livestock Market Digest

Page 7

REAL ESTATE GUIDE

www.scottlandcompany.com

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

RANCH & FARM REAL ESTATE

We need listings on all types of ag properties large or small!

■ NEW LISTING! REVUELTO CREEK RANCH – Quay Co., NM – 2,920 ac. -/+ (2,800 Deeded, 40 ac. -/+ NM State Lease, 80 ac. -/+ Private Lease). ■ NEW LISTING! Harding Co., NM – 3,880 ac. -/+, older home, cattle pens, hunting/cattle ranch. Please call for details! ■ NEW LISTING! 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. ■ MAXWELL, NM – 1,500 ac.+/- grassland (1,100 ac. +/Deeded, 400 ac. State Lease), great location near all types of mountain recreation, located 7 miles NE of Maxwell, NM. ■ RIMROCK RANCH - BUEYEROS, NM – 14,993.49 total acres +/- (12,157.49 deeded acres +/-, 2,836 +/New Mexico State Lease). Live water with five miles of scenic Ute Creek. Elk, deer and antelope to go along with a good cattle ranch! SIGNIFICANT PRICE REDUCTION! ■ ALAMOSA CREEK RANCH – Roosevelt Co., NM – 14,982 +/- acres (10,982 ac. +/- deeded, 4,000 ac. +/- State Lease). Good cow ranch in Eastern NM excellent access via US 60 frontage between Clovis and Fort Sumner. Alamosa creek crosses through the heart of the gently rolling grassland. ■ SARGENT CANYON RANCH – (Chaves/Otero Co.) 18,460 +/- ac. - 200 +/- deeded, 2,580 +/- State, 11,200 +/- BLM, 4,480 +/- Forest - permitted for 380 AUs yearround, well watered, good headquarters, very nice updated home, excellent pens & out buildings. Scenic ranch! ■ PRICE REDUCED! DRY CIMARRON RANCH – Union Co., NM – 1,571 ac.+/- of grassland on the dry Cimarron River, located on pvmt. near Kenton, OK just under the Black Mesa. ■ CEDARVALE, NM – 7,113 acre ranch (5,152 ac. +/Deeded – 1,961 ac. +/- State Lease) well fenced & watered w/good pens, new barn. ■ “RARE FIND” LAJUNTA, CO – Otero Co, CO, 400 +/acres. 3.5 mi. east of LaJunta, just 65 miles from Pueblo, CO! Home, barns, pens, fenced, good access, close to town. ■ TEXAS PANHANDLE – Let’s look at this 6,000 hd. permitted feedyard w/953 ac. +/-, a recently remodeled owner’s home, 2 residences for employee housing, addtl. home on 6 ac., 5 pivot sprinkler irr. circles, truck scale, cattle scale, excellent perimeter fencing, located on pavement & all weather road, currently in full operation. ■ SUPER OPPORTUNITY! One of the best steak houses in the nation just out of Amarillo & Canyon at Umbarger, TX., state-of-the- art bldg., turn-key w/complete facilities. ■ EAST EDGE OF FT. SUMNER, NM – a 900 hd. grow yard w/immaculate 7.32 ac. +/-, a beautiful home, & other improvements w/a long line of equipment included, on pvmt. ■ QUAY CO, NM. – 142 ac. +/-, 120.5 ac. +/- CRP, very nice site-built home & barn, located on all weather road.

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

Pioneer Realty 1304 Pile Street, Clovis, NM 88101

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

Advertise to Cattlemen and Ranchers!

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

Bar M Real Estate

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

AG LAND LOANS

505-243-9515

for more information

1-800/671-4548

joepriestre.net • joepriestRE@gmail.com

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

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

Buena Vista Realty

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

As Low As 3.5% OPWKCAP 3.5%

Bottari Realty

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

Paul Bottari, Broker

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

Joe Priest Real Estate Call

521 West Second St. • Portales, NM 88130

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

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

521 West Se

575-226-0

A.H. (J ww

AS PRO R

14298 N

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

521 West Second St. • Portales, NM 88130

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

Buena Vista Realty

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

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

Lori Bohm or Melody Sandberg 575-825-1291. 521 West Second St. • Portales, NM575-760-9847, 88130 Many good pictures on MLS or www.buenavista-nm.com

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

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

COWBOY DRAW RANCH Excellent small cattle ranch located in southeastern New

Mexico approximately 50 miles northwest of Roswell on the Chaves/Lincoln county line. 7,455 total acres with 2,600 deeded with the balance federal BLM lease acres. Permitted for 151 animal units yearlong with an additional 30 animal units on a temporary nonrenewable basis. Watered with two wells and several miles of water pipeline. Two larger open draws run through the ranch that provide overflow areas to enhance grazing. The terrain is open and rolling with good turf. The ranch has had good summer rains with no cattle since last spring. The ranch is in excellent condition. Call for a brochure and come take a look. Price: $1,350,000 Scott McNally, Qualifying Broker Bar M Real Estate, LLC P.O. Box 428, Roswell, NM 88202 Office: 575-622-5867 Cell: 575-420-1237 Website: www.ranchesnm.com

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

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

CIMARRON PASTURE, 6.26± deeded acres. $139,000. Sold separately, 3.1116± acres irrigated off 1870 Maxwell-Clutton Ditch. $45,000. Water meter, well. 3 phase power. Next to Cimarron River. RATON MILLION DOLLAR VIEW, Colfax County, NM. 97.68 +/- deeded acres in 2 parcels with excellent home, big shop, wildlife, a true million dollar view at the end of a private road. $489,000

CONTRACT PENDING

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

CONTRACT PENDING

MAXWELL 2ND HOME, 2nd

Home 461 Elm Tree Rd. 2-story, 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom home with usable outbuildings, barn, storage, 22.22 irrigable acres, 42.02 total deeded acres. $500,000. UTE PARK RIVER PLACE 6.83 +/- ACRES, 450 +/- feet of the Cimarron River and more than that of Ute Creek are the south and east boundaries of this unique one of a kind water property. 2 bedroom 1 bathroom cabin, year round access off Hwy 64. $599,000 CIMARRON BUSINESS, Frontage opportunity, house, big shop and office buildings, easy view off Hwy 64. Formerly known as “The Porch.” $295,000

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

O’NEILL LAND, llc Buena Vista Realty

Page 8

Livestock Market Digest

Was It A Rat I Saw?

The View FROM THE BACK SIDE

BY BARRY DENTON

ow that is a strange question. What it is more than a question is that it is “palindrome”, which means that the phrase is spelled the same forward and backward. It also applies to numbers such as 1881, and single words as well such as “dad”. However, it reminds me of our current world where nothing makes any sense. Tell me what in your world is still normal. I bet not very much. If you stop and think about it, I think the world has accelerated rapidly since about the late 1980s. That is when the FAX machine became commonplace in American businesses. No, I’m not saying that FAX machines are responsible for the downturn in society, but it could mark a starting point. Think of the labor saving devices that have become normal in our daily lives since then, such as the iPad, iPhone, PC’s, etc. You can buy literally anything off of your phone. Many times you can order without talking to anyone. The majority of rules that applied to doing business are no longer exercised. Personal service has gone by the wayside. With the advent of bright machines and good equipment a mindless soul may become employed. Stop and think of your local grocery store. Many cashiers that you encounter cannot count your change back to you, as the machine does it for them. Consider that you can buy a car that drives itself. You have phones that take dictation. The list goes on and on of things that you no longer have to use your mind for. Now, you would think that with all these labor-saving devices available to Americans that we would have much more time for families, be smarter than any other country, and be healthier. However, it seems to be having the opposite effect. From my observations it seems to push families further apart because of the lack of need to communicate. The traditional moral American family has always been the nucleus of our society and we seem to be losing that. For instance, in 1970 only five percent of our population were non-believers in a higher power. Now that figure is over 30 percent. There appears to be a movement at hand to convince us that the government can solve problems much better than the individual. This movement tries to impress upon people that government can raise your children better than you can. Some in government have been so bold as to state that we have no right to raise our children anymore. Where is this all going? No where good, I can tell you that. Listen to this. Down in Texas, State Representative Terry Meza a Democrat from Irving, Texas introduced House Bill #196 which would repeal the state’s “Castle Doctrine”. The doctrine lets a homeowner use deadly force against an intruder who is armed and breaks into his home. According to Rep. Meza, “I’m not saying that stealing is okay, all I’m saying is that it shouldn’t warrant a death penalty. Thieves only carry weapons for self-protection and to provide the householder an incentive to cooperate. They just want to get their loot and get away. When the resident tries to resist is when people get hurt. If only one side is armed fewer people will be killed.” In my estimation she should be locked away. “Woke” is truly a sickness. If this were ever to get passed it would mean the end to private property rights. Why would you ever own anything if –––– can just come and take it from you? With that logic you could get up in the morning, decide that you want your neighbor’s 800-head cow herd that he spent 40 years building, and just go and get them. He couldn’t shoot you so what is there to fear? I will leave you with one last palindrome thought. “Do geese see God?”

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February 15, 2022

Biden Policy Changes Now Plaguing Average American Households BY H. STERLING BURNETT / CLIMATE CHANGE WEEKLY

“[C

l i m a t e four years. As high as this fig- are high for every significant change is] ure is— equivalent to five times piece of legislation. How much the number the amount that consumers higher will they be for the kind one issue and industry currently spend of comprehensive, econofacing humanity. And it’s the annually on electricity—it pales my-wide redesign necessary to number one issue for me,” said in comparison with estimates reach net zero? President Joe Biden. recently calculated by the conTo some degree, McKinsey’s Among the steps Biden has sulting firm McKinsey & Com- analysis presents a best-case taken to fight climate change: pany. scenario: the costs of hitting he cancelled the Keystone XL McKinsey’s report, “The net zero will be $275 trillion pipeline partnership with Can- Net Zero Transition,” provides by 2050 “if all goes right, the ada, on his first day in office, a detailed analysis of the costs transition is smooth with no possibly the first time in his- involved in hitting net zero by unexpected technological failtory a president used his first 2050. ures or resource shortages, no day in office to kill thousands The report states the eco- cheating, and government opof American jobs and disrupt nomic cost of the transition will erations are efficient.” critical infrastructure; short- be a staggering $275 trillion McKinsey writes, ly thereafter, Biden imposed by 2050, or approximately $30 The net-zero equation rea moratorium on new oil and billion per day for the next 25 mains unsolved…, nor is the gas leases on federal lands and years. With an almost laugh- world prepared to complete on the U.S. outer-continental able degree of understatement, the net-zero transition. … Nor shelf. Since then, Biden has the McKinsey reports states, would execution be easy: solvcancelled oil and gas leases “our estimates of the annual ing the net-zero equation canin the Arctic National Wild- spending on physical assets for not be divorced from pursuing life Refuge; proposed meth- a net-zero transition exceed to economic development and inane emission restrictions that a meaningful degree the $3 tril- clusive growth. … It could also would make it harder and more lion–$4.5 trillion total spending have knock-on impacts on the expensive to develop, store, and estimates that previous analy- economy more broadly, potentransport oil and natural gas in ses have produced.” tially creating a backlash that the United States; proposed As high as these figures are, would slow down the transiincreasing the fees and royalty McKinsey admits its analysis is tion. … rate oil and gas producers must not comprehensive: Achieving net zero would pay the federal government; In particular it does not fo- mean a fundamental transforand recently announced plans cus on such issues as technol- mation of the world economy, to foreclose drilling on more ogy breakthroughs, physical as it would require significant than half of the National Pe- constraints related to scale-up changes to the seven enertroleum Reserve-Alaska. capacity and the availabili- gy and land-use systems that Biden’s efforts to fight cli- ty of natural resources, de- produce the world’s emissions: mate change power, industry, by hammermobility, building U.S. proings, agriculture, Indeed, even if all net-zero commitments duction of forestry and othfossil fuels er land use, and and national climate pledges were fulfilled, waste. have resulted in dramaticalIs that all we’d research suggests that warming would not be held have to do? ly higher fuel and food pricEven this draes. Energy is matic economic to 1.5°C above preindustrial levels…” the master overhaul may not resource, the lifeblood of the layed-transition costs, the role be enough to prevent the supeconomy. Energy abundance of adaptation, or other impon- posed climate crisis. and the low prices it brings cre- derables or uncertainties, nor “First, it is not clear whethate jobs and keep the economy have we yet modeled the full er a 1.5°C scenario is achievhumming. Biden has ignored range of economic outcomes able in the first place, nor what this fact to the detriment of likely under a net-zero transi- pathway the world would take consumers, employers, home- tion. As a result, it is likely that to achieve it if it were,” writes owners, and, importantly to his real outcomes will diverge from McKinsey. “Indeed, even if all party’s sinking electoral pros- these estimates, particularly if net-zero commitments and pects, voters. the net-zero transition takes a national climate pledges were How bad is it? How much more disorderly path or restrict- fulfilled, research suggests that have energy prices risen since ing warming to 1.5°C proves warming would not be held to Biden entered office and start- unachievable. Spending re- 1.5°C above preindustrial leved waging his war on domestic quirements could be higher, for els….” energy? My colleague at The example due to the additional A forced economic transiHeartland Institute, energy investment needed to maintain tion greater than any in history, and environment Research flexibility and redundancy in at costs exceeding any in histoFellow Linnea Lueken, has energy systems, or heightened ry and far above what has been crunched the numbers for a physical risks and commensu- previously estimated; that’s forthcoming Heartland Insti- rate adaptation costs. what net zero requires. Even tute publication. This is what Nor does McKinsey’s re- so, the result is likely to be for she found during Biden’s first port address the kinds of po- naught, with the dreaded 1.5℃ year in office: litical losses that, based on temperature rise still exceeded. The good news is that the electricity past experience, one should ■■ Residential expect to occur in the process massive forced transition to net prices rose 11.3 percent. of implementing a large-scale zero is not necessary, even if it ■■ Natural gas prices rose makeover of the energy system were possible and governments 86.34 percent. underpinning the economy, via and industries could be relied lobbying and on to carry it out efficiently and ■■ Regular gasoline prices special-interest have risen by 42 percent the operation of government without corruption. As shown in the myriad fact and diesel rose by 38.9 itself. For every significant policy change, those who expect sheets provided at Climate at a percent. These are just the current, to be harmed or disadvantaged Glance, extreme weather is beknown results of Biden’s ener- and those who expect to ben- coming neither more common gy policies. When one recalls efit from or be advantaged by nor more severe, and a modest Biden has pledged to imple- it devote massive amounts of 1.5℃ temperature rise does not ment policies to reach 100 money and resources to shape threaten to destroy either hupercent “carbon” pollution-free the legislation as much as pos- man civilization or the Earth. electricity by 2035 and to reach sible in their favor. In addition, The Earth abides, and humans net-zero emissions national- significant money, resources, have lived through more sely by 2050, it is obvious these and manpower are diverted to vere and dire climate changes higher prices are just a small government agencies to estab- in the past than any that could down payment on Biden’s ulti- lish rules and mandates for the reasonably be expected to retransition, monitor its imple- sult from rising greenhouse gas mate energy plans. While running for president, mentation and measure its re- emissions in the future. Biden claimed his comprehen- sults, and police the programs SOURCES: Climate Change Weekly; Climate sive climate and energy plans and punish lawbreakers. Realism; Forbes; McKinsey & Losses to transaction costs Company would cost $2 trillion in just

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February 15, 2022

Livestock Market Digest

Page 9

Nearly 4 Million Tons of Cottonseed Projected To Be Available For Dairy and Beef Cattle Producers

American Agri-Women Foundation 2022 Daughters of American Agriculture Scholarship Applications Now Being Accepted

The 2021 cotton crop yields 1 million more tons of cottonseed than previous crop year

he American Agri-Women (AAW) Foundation is now accepting applications for the 2022 Daughters of American Agriculture Scholarships. Get an application at https:// americanagriwomen.org/ scholarships. The application deadline is March 1, 2022. The Jean Ibendahl Scholarship (for ages 18-23) and the Sister Thomas More Bertels Scholarship (for ages 24+) honors the memory of these

SOURCE: TEXAS & SOUTHWESTERN CATTLE RAISERS

airy and cattle producers can expect to see an increase in whole cottonseed supply this year. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s December cotton and wool outlook report, cotton production is estimated at 18.3 million bales, a 25 percent increase from the 2020 crop year. Whole cottonseed supply is estimated to be about one million tons more than last year. With the increase in the 2021 U.S. upland cotton crop, producers will see increased availability of whole cottonseed to incorporate into their cattle rations. “The increase in whole cottonseed availability is mainly coming out of Texas. They had a favorable growing season compared to last year, which has increased production. When compared to the previous year, Mid-South and Southeast production has remained steady,” Larry Johnson, gin consultant and owner of Tactical Risk Advisors explains. “West Texas accounts for

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“In past years, quality harvests like this have stabilized the price of whole cottonseed, making it more accessible to producers and increasing its value in a cattle ration,” notes Johnson. “Whole cottonseed is a single feed ingredient with the valuable benefit of three key nutrients. The unique feed ingredient provides a high level of energy, protein for muscle growth and performance and fiber for effective rumen function and digestive health,” says Cory Colburn, independent dairy nutritionist. Whole cottonseed is commonly used on dairies across the U.S. to increase milk production and butterfat in the milk when added to a lactating cow ration1, but beef cattle producers can take advantage of the triple-nutrient composition of effective fiber, available fat and protein.2 Additionally, whole cottonseed has the potential to reduce the overall number of feedstuffs in a ration while meeting the nutritional demands of the animal for both dairy and beef operations. As harvest wraps up, producers and their nutritionists should plan their feed ingredient needs for the upcom-

March 1st is the Application Deadline

courageous and adventurous women who played an essential role in serving and leading and who encouraged agricultural pursuits. These scholarships are available to any farm, ranch, or agri-business woman to pursue accredited courses in agriculture leadership, communications, rural sociology, medicine or other college-level studies directly related to agriculture. American Agri-Women members and affiliates maintain the schol-

arships. You can find the application at https://americanagriwomen.org/scholarships. Completed applications should be sent to American Agri-Women Foundation, P.O. Box 103, Baileyville, Ill., 61007 or emailed to: foundation@americanagriwomen. org.

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West Texas accounts for roughly onethird of each year’s planted acreage.

Dry conditions there last year caused widespread abandonment.”

roughly one-third of each year’s planted acreage. Dry conditions there last year caused widespread abandonment. For this year’s crop, there was more rain, and the improvement in moisture provided a boost to national production. It was also a quieter year for hurricanes, which also helps bring in more fiber and more cottonseed” states Jon Devine, senior economist for Cotton Incorporated. “This supply increase is good news for dairy and beef producers looking to incorporate whole cottonseed in their feeding program.”

ing year and keep an eye on the market. Johnson recommends producers book their cottonseed needs early, working with reputable merchants and suppliers. “With inflated feed prices and supply constraints, cottonseed is a strong feed ingredient, and I encourage producers to work with their herd’s nutritionist to evaluate their feeding program,” Colburn adds.

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For Cattleman’s Weekend Program visit our website: www.cattlemansweekend.com, message us on Facebook or email us at cfaytay@gmail.com

Page 10

Livestock Market Digest

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he following is my interpretation of a recent court decision involving a rancher and the death of a wolf. It may not be what I think is right or fair, but it is, I believe, an accurate report on what the decision says. The rancher, who has a grazing allotment that encompasses both the Gila and the Apache Greaves National Forests, pled guilty to having “knowingly taken” a Mexican gray wolf. He was sentenced to one year of unsupervised probation and paid $2,300 in restitution. The Forest Service then canceled the rancher’s grazing permit. This decision was unsuccessfully appealed. Having exhausted his administrative remedies, the rancher then filed suit claiming the decision was issued in violation of the Administrative Procedures Act. This suit was eventually dropped. I’m leaving out a bunch of legal mumbo-jumbo about changing counsels, briefs and response to briefs, providing adequate notice, etc. Eventually, two suits were combined. One where the rancher sues the Forest Service and the other where the Forest Service sues the rancher. The rancher filed suit seeking quiet title to the allotment, requesting the Court declare that “under the Quiet Title Act” the ranching entity “is the surface owner” of the allotment “by operation of specific legislative grants of Congress.” The following, straight from the Courts decision, summarizes the claims this way: “…Plaintiffs allege that the Allotment is their “private real property”—i.e., that they “hold legal and valid title” to it as “surface estate fee-title owner[s]” who may “fully utilize the

R.L. Robbs 520/384-3654 4995 Arzberger Rd. Willcox, Arizona 85643 Willcox, AZ

February 15, 2022

value of the land” for “all agricultural and ranching purposes.” Plaintiffs further allege that such “vested property rights” are “valid existing rights that predated the Gila National Forest.” (emphasis added). The Complaint then implies that, as preexisting private property, the Allotment never became national forest land—or did so only to a limited extent (e.g., only as to its subsurface mineral rights). Instead, Plaintiffs allege that—from the late 1800s until today—the surface of the Allotment has remained private property and continually carried with it “valid existing rights” for its owners to use that surface for any ranching or agricultural endeavor, including the grazing of livestock.” Finally, we’ll see these ideas and legal concepts presented in Court, laid out for everyone to see. It will also be the opportunity to see the federales’ response to each of the allegations. It will be both educational and fun to see how this plays out. Except for one thing: the government never responded. Instead, the feds filed a separate lawsuit seeking a “writ of ejectment” to have the livestock removed, and the real kicker here, they filed a Motion to Dismiss the quiet title suit. Why? Because the Quiet Title Act contains a statute of limitations consisting of twelve years. The feds claimed the statute of limitations bars Plaintiffs’ claim because “Plaintiffs and their predecessors in interest ‘knew or should have known’ that the United States claimed a conflicting interest in the … Allotment more than twelve years (indeed, more than a century) prior to commencement of this litigation.” They submitted a large number of exhibits to back up their claim, including a 1977 definition of an

allotment in the federal register and a 2004 environmental assessment, all of which contains statements such as “land owned or under the control of the Forest Service.” Then, of course, there were the grazing permits themselves which permitted grazing “upon lands owned or controlled by the United States within the Apache National Forest” (1948) and “upon lands administered by the Forest Service within the Gila National Forest.” The feds won. Many times we are very busy and resent all the time spent dealing with government forms. You best slowdown and be knowledgeable about what you are signing

USDA hacked Something is awry with USDA’s computers. “A large cache of publicly-accessible PDFs recently started appearing on USDA.gov that link to pirated media including movies, TV shows, sporting events, and video games in what appears to be either a hack, an inside job, or some kind of bizarre glitch.” Don’t worry friends. All your data and personal info is perfectly safe with them!

VR goggles After reading a study about how virtual reality goggles made cows happier, a dairy farmer decided to try it out on a few of his cows. He reports success, in that “milk production went from 22 litres to 27 litres per day.” If you see a taxpayer wearing a government-issued VR headset, you will know we are all in trouble. Until next time, be a nuisance to the devil and don’t forget to check that cinch. 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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February 15, 2022

Livestock Market Digest

Page 11

William R. “Bill” Angell

Tony Ray Gabel

1946 – 2022

1942 - 2021 Tony Ray Gabel, 79, died November 21, in Tucumcari, New Mexico. Tony was born in Lamesa, Texas, on March 17, 1942, to George and Doris Gabel. He was the oldest of four siblings. Tony is survived by his beloved wife, Fran of Logan, NM; two daughters, Roxanne Erramouspe of Corona, NM; Toni Williams and her husband, Patrick, of Wolfforth, Texas; one son, Jad Gabel and his wife, Jeanne, of Canyon, Texas; eight grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; one sister, Anna Halencak of Canyon, Texas; and two brothers, Clay Gabel of Wildorado, Texas, and Kent Gabel of Lubbock, Texas; numerous nieces and nephews; and many dear friends. Tony was preceded in death by one daughter, Kimberly Jane Elder, and his parents, George and Doris Gabel. Tony was devoted to his family. In all that he did, his wife and family were the foremost of his decisions. He loved them with all his heart and spent his life taking care of them. Tony grew up in a loving, Christian family and spent much time playing with his brothers, sister and cousins. Tony was raised in the farming and cattle industries, so it was a natural choice for him to choose that way of life. He was involved in various aspects of the farming and ranching business throughout his life. In 1967, he met the love of his life, Fran Irlbeck, in Dimmitt, Texas. They married on July 3. For their whole married life together, he and Fran were the epitome of true love, and devoted to each other. They had four children, Roxanne Davette, Toni Rae, Jad Clay, and Kimberly Jane. Tony moved his family several times through the years. Every place they lived, Tony and Fran were active in their community and always made finding a church home a priority. From the Texas Panhandle to West Texas and New Mexico, Tony and Fran made dear friends, and Tony knew everyone in the country. His young kids often were the cowboys of the operation. They rode and worked the cattle right alongside their Dad. In 1996, Tony and Fran moved to Tucumcari, NM, where Tony operated the Clabber Hill Farm and Ranch. While there, he and Fran operated the Adobe Belle Resort, the duplexes owned by the U.S. Corps of Engineers. People from all over would stay in the duplexes during the year and enjoy fishing and water activities at Conchas Lake. In 2006, Tony was a participant in the construction of the Tucumcari Feedyard and managed the feedyard until 2012. Tony was an active member of the Center Street Methodist Church. He and Fran help serve wherever needed. Tony served on various committees through the years and loved helping with the annual Pumpkin Patch Project. For the last 10 years of his life, Tony melded his people skills and his extensive knowledge of farming and ranching into a successful ranch real estate career. He also had a ranching and farm inspection service business. He conducted inspections for several banks in New Mexico and Texas. These ventures allowed Tony to do two things he loved – travel and visit with people. Tony was the epitome of a gentleman, devoted husband and father, and friend. He was ornery and loved to tease people he loved. Tony also loved a good game of cards or dominoes with his family and friends. A man often described as genuine, honesty, integrity and kindness were qualities that Tony embodied every day of his life. His legacy is evident in his family. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in memory of Tony Gabel to the Center Street Methodist Church, 402 East Center Street, Tucumcari, NM 88401, or your charity of choice.

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illiam R. “Bill” Angell was born in Lansing, Michigan to Robert D. and Frances L. Angell on August 24, 1946 and passed from this world on January 27, 2022. Bill was raised on a small farm in Michigan where he first acquired his love for agriculture. After graduating from East Lansing High School, he enrolled at Michigan State University (MSU) where he would begin his lifetime involvement with the cattle industry. Bill was an avid evaluator of livestock and was a member of the livestock judging team at MSU where he had great success and always valued the instruction he received from his coach and lifelong friend, Dr. Harlan Ritchie. Upon graduation from MSU, Bill continued his education by earning master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin where his success in livestock judging continued, but this time as the coach. All the success he experienced as a coach paled in comparison to the most important thing he received while in Wisconsin and that was the introduction to the love of his life, Donna Zimmerman. Bill and Donna were married on April 30, 1971 and spent the next 50 plus years together making a life of memories and leaving their mark on so many people. Shortly after their marriage, Bill and Donna moved to Lexington, Kentucky where Bill coached the livestock judging team at the University of Kentucky and continued to impact many young people who would go on to do great things in the industry. Throughout his life, when Bill would recognize the potential a young person had to impact the industry or to achieve their goals, he was the first one to lend support and to share some of his expertise he had gathered along his journey. His willingness to take the time to share words of encouragement with people over the years was an invaluable gift to so many. On April 17, 1973, Bill and Donna started their family with the birth of their first-born, Blake William. After two years at the University of Kentucky, Bill made a career change that would set in motion the next nearly 50 years of his professional life. In the fall of 1973, Bill moved his family to Pine Bluff, Arkansas as he became a field man for the American Polled Hereford Association. This is where Bill’s love for the purebred side of the cattle industry was forged. He traveled throughout a four-state region, as well as nationally, working with Polled Hereford breeders assisting them with the marketing and promotion of their operations and conducting the business of the Association. While in Arkansas, Bill and Donna grew their family with the first blessing coming on September 27, 1976 in the birth of their daughter Miki Renee. Just a short 13 months later, another blessing arrived in the birth of their third child on October 29, 1977 with their daughter Marisa “Missy” Lynn. In 1978, Bill and Donna moved their family to Colorado as Bill accepted a position

with the Record Stockman newspaper. Bill loved working with seedstock operations and assisting them with their marketing and promotional strategies for their annual production sales. One of his most valued and loved contributions in this capacity was the ability to provide ringman services at these production sales. For those in the cattle business, Bill was a fixture ringside at production sales across the country for decades. He had a knack for figuring up the sale average within moments of the conclusion of any sale. Those who knew of this ability would seek him out to see how the sale ended up, because even in today’s world of computers, he was always the first one to have the averages tabulated. After leaving the Record Stockman, Bill worked for Superior Livestock Auction for a number of years where he built the sale catalog, developed the advertising and promotional campaigns and generated the sale reports. However, Bill’s passion remained in the purebred side of the business and when he had the opportunity, he returned to that segment of the industry when he became the Yards Manager at the National Western Stock Show (NWSS). Over the many years he was at NWSS, Bill’s contributions to the activities that took place “in the yards” were immeasurable. One of his contributions became an iconic glimpse of history when he constructed the “Wall of Champions” in the Livestock Center. It provided a visual tour to the past for all who viewed it. Bill’s most recent impact on the industry was known through his time as Livestock Manager at the Nebraska State Fair. Bill was hired when the fair moved to its new location in Grand Island and he played a pivotal role in advancing not only the Nebraska State Fair, but the incredible facilities, to one of the premiere livestock show venues in the country. Bill gave a lifetime of service to the cattle industry and his contributions to it were vast. Bill was not one who looked for praise or recognition, but found joy and self-fulfillment in knowing the event he was involved with, whether it be a production sale or a national show, was as successful an event as possible and that he had done everything in his power to ensure the outcome. Based on his selfless nature and his kind soul, he was loved and cherished by so many he came in contact with over the years. Of all his accomplishments, the one he was probably most proud of was being a grandpa. Bill was blessed to have 4 grand-

kids that he loved and adored. He attended any and all activities they were involved in and cherished spending time with each of them. He was a beloved grandpa who will be greatly missed. Bill loved his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, his family, his countless friends, the cattle industry, his MSU Spartans and the United States of America, which he proudly served in the National Guard. Bill was preceded in death by his parents, in-laws, sister-in-law, Lois and brother-inlaw, David. He is survived by his wife of 50 plus years, Donna; son, Blake (Kirsten) Angell of Gove, KS; daughter, Miki (Steve) Kissler of LaSalle, CO; daughter, Missy (Amy) Angell of Greeley, CO; brother, Richard (Leslie) Angell of Michigan; grandson, Tyler Kissler; granddaughter, Makayla Kissler; grandson, Seth Kissler; granddaughter, Brynnlee Angell; brother-in-law, Reg (Betty) Zimmerman of Wisconsin; sister-in-law, Barbara Zimmerman of Wisconsin; brother-in-law, Bill (Sharon) Zimmerman of Wisconsin; nephew, Nic (Shara) Angell of California; nephew, Kevin (Jenny) Angell of Michigan and numerous other brother-in-laws, sister-in-laws, nieces and nephews. A celebration of life service will be held on Friday, February 4, 2022 at the First Presbyterian Church in LaSalle, Colorado at 1:00 PM and will be streamed live at www.moserfuneralservice.com. A reception will follow at the church. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the First Presbyterian Church of LaSalle or to one of Bill’s favorite charities, St. Jude’s Children Hospital or The Wounded Warriors Project.

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Take your marketing program to the top!

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Page 12

Livestock Market Digest

February 15, 2022

31st Annual Roswell Brangus Bull & Female Sale and

Inaugural Southwest Ranch Horse Sale Saturday February 26, 2022

Females sell at 10am — Bulls sell at 1pm—Horses sell immediately after the bulls

Roswell Livestock Auction 900 N. Garden St. Roswell, NM

Online Bidding Now Available!! www.xitwesternproductions.com 50 Registered Brangus and Ultrablack Bulls 20 Registered Heifers 200 Commercial Females 10 Super Select Ranch Horses “He Sells”

He Sells

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He Sells

For a sale catalog or more information please contact:

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