LMD Mar 2015

Livestock “The greatest homage we can pay to truth is to use it.”

– JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL MARCH 15, 2015 • www. aaalivestock . com

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Digest

Volume 57 • No. 3

Hurray For The Hamburger

by Lee Pitts ou’re trying to do the right thing, using EPD’s, DNA, $5,000 range bulls, and all the tools at your disposal to produce the best beefsteaks money can buy. But what the consumer really wants is a good old fashioned hamburger, which, by the way, can be made with any old dairy cow, Mexican Corriente, Australian fat, or any combination thereof.

The American rancher has made great strides since the 1970s when they were experimenting with a bevy of breeds in a rush to produce quantity, not quality. We paid for our sins by watching beef consumption in this country go from 90 pounds per person to barely over 50 pounds. I can vividly remember a great speech delivered by Hop Dickenson, the Hereford Association Executive Vice President back in the 1970s in which he said going out to dinner and ordering a steak was like playing Russian Roulette in that you had a one in six chance of getting a good steak. But now, thanks to a big infusion of Angus genetics and the conscientious job purebred and commercial cattlemen are doing, nearly two thirds of today’s feedlot fat cattle will grade USDA Choice. The only problem is, 62 percent of the beef Americans will consume this year will be in the form of hamburger. And you don’t need

Don’t worry about biting off more than you can chew.

Your mouth is probably a lot bigger than you think.

NEWSPAPER PRIORITY HANDLING

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a Prime or high choice, yield grade one steer to produce that.

We are a nation of burger eaters. And as hard as this may be to believe, many of the millennial generation, which is slowly displacing the baby boomers as the largest segment of consumers, would rather eat a good hamburger than they would a great steak.

We are told constantly by industry big shots that what the consumer demands can only be produced by well-marbled Choice and Prime quality cattle. I know this will sound like heresy, but if we really are trying to produce what the consumer wants, perhaps we should also be producing high-

tonnage, least cost, leaner cattle to grind up for hamburger.

Our Hamburger Habit To satisfy the big, and getting bigger, demand for hamburger we face a huge obstacle: the cattle that are finished in feedlots are simply too fat to meet our growing hamburger habit. Or, at least, the meat left over after all the steaks and roasts are cut out, is too fat.

And a surprisingly high amount of any carcass ultimately ends up as ground meat. This is true of all species. After all the pricier cuts are removed, 26 percent of a hog, 38 percent of a beef cow, 41 percent of a Holstein and 46 percent of of a lamb is ground up. The trim from fin-

ished feedlot cattle is known as “50s,” meaning it’s 50 percent fat and 50 percent lean beef.

This fat ratio is too high to sell as hamburger without mixing in leaner products from grass-fed imports or older, leaner domestic cows which, currently, there aren’t enough of.

To solve that problem we import billions of pounds of lean beef from grass-fed cattle from over 30 countries around the world. Just like a carton of apple juice, orange juice or milk, the product that the consumer buys as ground beef could be a mixture of hundreds of cattle.

Ground beef is probably the most utilitarian food known to man; it can be used in a variety of products from Big Macs to tacos to spaghetti. The ground beef used in such meals is typically 80 percent beef and 20 percent fat, or 90 percent beef and 10 percent fat. This is the type of trim found in dairy cows and cattle from Australia and New Zealand. As long as we continue to shoot for an ideal animal that is mid-choice to prime, we will always have this continued on page two

Climate Change, Witch Hunts, Zombies, and more . . .

BY DAN DAGGET, DANDAGGET.COM, FROM ECORADICAL TO CONSERVATIVE ENVIRONMENTALIST

ost likely you’ve suspected that the current flap over “climate change” isn’t the first time our society has been torn apart by a controversy over the weather and our alleged effect on it.

And, of course, you’re right.

But I’ll bet you didn’t know that one of the previous incarnations of this issue was one of the most infamous and shameful episodes in human history…

That’s right, the infamous “witch hunts,” that wracked Europe from 1430 to 1650 and

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Riding Herd

even extended into the New World in Salem, in what is now Massachusetts, were, to a significant degree, about climate change. One of the main “crimes” for which a number of humans estimated from 60,000 to more than a million (mostly women but a significant number of men, also) were hanged, burned at the stake, and tortured by a variety of other means (mostly in Europe) was “global cooling.”

In a (London) Telegraph article dated February 7th, 2012, “Big Issue” columnist Brendan O’Neill wrote, “One of the key mad beliefs behind witch-hunting in Europe between the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries was the idea that these peculiar creatures had warped

the weather, that they had caused “climate change.”

Christian Pfister, Director of Business, Social, and Environmental History at the University of Bern, Switzerland, added, in an interview quoted in the 22 June 2013 Swiss newspaper Basler Zeitung, “Today we estimate that from 1430 to 1650 in Europe 60,000 women were executed as witches, not only because of, but most often because of weather-sorcery.”

Historian Emily Oster, in Witchcraft, Weather and Economic Growth in Renaissance Europe, writes that, “The most active period of the witchcraft trials (in sixteenth and seventeenth century Europe) coincides with a period of lower than average

by LEE PITTS

Famous Cows hen I grow up I want to be curator of the Cow Hall of Fame. The only problem is I don’t think there is one. There’s a Hall of Fame for roadkill, roller derby, croquet, fish, bowling, robots, polka, hot dogs, candy, mascots, dogs, even insurance, for gosh sakes.

Yet no Hall of Fame for cows! Sure, there’s fantastic Hall of Fame for cowboys but there’d be no cowboys if there were no cows. So where is the cow’s Hall?

This is a pet project of mine I’ve thought about for years. It’s not right that for most Americans their only interaction with a bovine is when they eat a Whopper. A Cow Hall of Fame would change that. And when I say Cow Hall of Fame it’s just because it sounds catchier than Bovine Hall of Fame.

My Hall would be for all cattle regardless of sex. Heck, I’ll even take Holsteins.

I’m thinking lots of hides on the wall, a gift shop that sells cow mugs and plenty of interactive displays that sing the praises of the common cow. Or uncommon, in this case. There’d be an exhibit of things found in cow stomachs, weird cattle tools like burdizzos, and one on the evolution of the squeeze chute. (I’d donate mine as the oldest known.) I’d include a petting zoo of the American breeds and a display of all the things that come from a cow, from oleo to prophylactics. There’d be photos of the 800 breeds of cattle in the world, a live Longhorn with huge horns and a team of oxen pulling tourists around the grounds in a Conestoga wagon. For humor there’d be great cow cartoons from Ace Reid, Jerry Palen, Mad Jack, Earl, Rubes and the Far Side.

For the kids there’d be a collection of cow mascots including Benny, the mascot for the Chicago Bulls, and Bevo of Texas Longhorn fame. Oil paintings would line the walls, only instead of people like you see at the Saddle and Sirloin Club, these paintings would be of

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March 15, 2015

Hurray for the Hamburger

∑∂ G∫V∂ µ∂µB∂RS 8 µILLION R∂∫SONS TO CHOOS∂ US L∫ST Y∂∫R. BΩ R∂∫SONS, ∑∂ µ∂∫N DOLL∫RS.

problem of having to import leaner cattle. It becomes especially pronounced now when the dairy industry in the U.S. is flat, and we will be killing fewer beef cows in the upcoming expansion phase of the cattle cycle.

Kevin Good told listeners at this year’s Cattle Fax program at the NCBA convention, “From a percentage perspec-

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lars. Not bad considering they only have 63 restaurants!

These newer outfits, and others like them, are serving a variety of burgers made from whole muscle cuts. They can do it because their gourmet burgers are selling at prices that are closing in on what used to be steak prices. Ten years ago, average retail steak prices were about 2.5 times that of ground

The only problem is, 62 percent of the beef Americans will consume this year will be in the form of hamburger. tive, total beef cow slaughter in 2014 was down 18 percent.”

He said, “total cow slaughter was down 2.25 million head or nine million head a day. This largely explains why three packing plants, two on the non-fed and one on the fed side, were shut down last year.” Dairy slaughter in 2014 was down 10 percent, which raises the question...where will Americans turn to satisfy their hamburger habit? Sadly, the answer is Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Brazil and Uruguay.

The good news is that hamburger rebounded nicely from numerous recalls and the pink slime controversy and remains wildly popular. The bad news is the biggest beneficiaries might just be our foreign competitors.

We Love Our Burgers Farm Credit of New Mexico has been farmer and rancher owned since 1916. We’ve provided loans, insurance and other financial tools to help generations of New Mexicans succeed. And in turn, we’ve returned $69 million in profits to our members since 2005, including more than $8 million in 2014 alone.

continued from page one

Hamburger is definitely on a big roll...and on a bun and inside a tortilla. While consumption of beef has been in a steep decline, hamburger itself has a much better story to tell.

You could say, we are in the midst of a regular burger boom.

According to the market

beef. Today, that price relationship has shrunk to 1.7.

Despite the poor economic news we’ve heard from McDonalds, that their sales in the U.S. were off slightly, NPD Group says, “Fast-food burger joints servings rose 3 percent even as visits to these restaurants dropped 3 percent. Helping to prop up that number has been the fast casual segment, which is a subset of fast food.”

One of the reasons hamburger has done so well recently is that some families can no longer afford steak. Randy Blach of Cattle Fax told ranchers attending the Cattle Fax seminar that from the fourth quarter of 2013 through 2014 beef prices increased 22-23 percent. That’s a big shock to the shrinking wallets of most Americans. Steaks are the big loser while those still wanting their beef fix are turning more and more to hamburgers.

This situation created what the NPD Group called a “banner year for beef” in 2014.

“Bulk ground beef unit shipments to total foodservice outlets increased by 2 percent.

Bulk ground beef case ship-

The bad news is the biggest beneficiaries might just be our foreign competitors. research company, NDP Group, “Americans ordered 9 billion burgers last year, up 3 percent from 2013. This increase is especially high at better burger, or fast-casual restaurants, that are known for serving up premium ingredients at quick speeds. Sales of burgers at fast-casual establishments rose 9 percent last year.

Instead of the names you’ve come to expect like Wendy’s, Burger King, Carl’s Jr., Jack In The Box and McDonalds, we’re talking about exciting chains that don’t sell hamburgers made with frozen patties. The new names are The Habit Burger Grill, Smashburger, In and Out Burger, Fatburger and the Shake Shack. The latter is a New York based chain that was started in 2001 as a hot dog cart in a public park and went public on the New York Stock Exchange for one billion dol-

ments to quick service restaurants increased by 3 percent, and by 4 percent to quick service hamburger restaurants, which drive 70 percent of bulk ground beef sales, and 1 percent to full service restaurants.”

For once, beef even kicked poultry’s tail. The NPD Group said, “The burger category’s gain is the sandwich category’s loss. Sandwich servings overall declined by 2 percent in 2014 compared to 2013, a servings volume loss of 201 million.”

Even though Cattle Fax says that hamburger is twice the price of a chicken breast, NPD says that “Grilled chicken sandwiches, which tend to be burgers’ chief competitor, had a servings decline of 9 percent, a loss of 129 million servings.

Visits to quick service hamburger restaurants, at which continued on page three

“America’s Favorite Livestock Newspaper”

March 15, 2015

Hurray for the Hamburger burgers were included in 51 percent of orders, were down 3 percent, though hamburger servings were up 3 percent.”

“The success of burgers in 2014 was a combination of factors,” says Bonnie Riggs of the NDP Group. “Quick service restaurant chains launched new burger items, casual dining restaurants added more burger items to the menu to offset higher beef costs, and Americans simply love their burgers.”

The Better Burger This past January Fortune Magazine weighed in on the burger bonanza as writer Phil Wahba wrote, “Burgers crushed grilled chicken in 2014 sandwich wars.” He also stated that “the American hamburger is enjoying a golden era, partly as a result of smaller chains like Shake Shack, In-N-Out Burger, Five Guys, Whataburger, and Bobby’s Burger Palace, a chain started

by Food Network star Bobby Flay.”

The burger boom is not happening for chains that pump up their burgers with cost-saving fillers. Instead, said Fortune, “fast growing fast casual chains have taken the lead on the fresh perception of customization, which is closer to today’s customers’ definition of quality.” According to Fortune it all has led to the rise of the better burger often made with whole muscle cuts of USDA Prime Angus beef, USDA Choice Angus beef, a blend of both Prime and Choice Angus beef, and blends of whole muscle briskets and chucks.”

The foodies of the millennial generation won’t settle for Big Macs and Whoppers when they can eat burgers like Wendy’s bacon and blue cheese burger on brioche, its pretzel bacon cheeseburger, Carl’s Jr. all-natural burger and other offerings that include fresh bacon, avocados, jalapeño and even peanut butter.

Fresh ingredients, quality food that is good-tasting and affordable...that’s what Americans are demanding and the burger fits the bill.

Ground Beef Nation Last year cattle economist Don Close issued a report for Rabobank that was very perceptive. The report was called “Ground Beef Nation” and in it Close said, “Changing consumer preferences and a production model tailored to the production of top-shelf steaks has put the U.S. cattle industry in a position of losing market share to competitive proteins. The industry needs to change the way beef is produced in order to remain competitive in the protein market.”

Close continued, “Under the existing business model the U.S. cattle industry manages

all fed beef as if it were destined for the center of the plate at a white table cloth restaurant. The industry is, essentially, producing an extraordinarily high-grade product for consumers who desire to purchase a commodity. If the U.S. cattle industry continues to produce ground beef in a structure better suited to high-end cuts, the result will be continued erosion of market share.”

Close also said that the beef industry “is pricing itself off the dinner menu of most families.

Average chicken price increases have been about 2 percent a year, while beef has typically increased 5 percent to 6 percent annually.”

Page 3 continued from page two

Rabobank’s cattle economist had some good advice. “The industry must change to a production model that determines the best end use of an animal as early as possible, in order to compete in a “Ground Beef Nation”. A new system for enduse categorization that influences calf selection, cattle management, production costs and feeding regimen throughout the life of the animal is vital to keeping beef competitive with other choices at the meat counter.”

It has been suggested that America is turning into a two class society...the rich and the poor, with no middle class. It is this middle class that previous-

ly made beef the king of meats.

But as the middle class disappeared so too did beef’s dominance. Not only has chicken surpassed beef in consumption, some are predicting that pork will pass beef this year. To satisfy this new dual market perhaps the beef industry would be better served by a two-tier structure, one tier producing the CAB type superior product for the high end restaurant trade, the gourmets and the foodies. While another tier would emphasize maximum tonnage, grass-fed beef, low cost inputs, running cattle on increasingly marginal ground, and producing an animal that is leaner with less fat. If we fail to

do so, our loss could be our competitors gain and we may awake from this dreamlike cattle market wondering how we lost another 10 percent or 20 percent of our market to foreign competitors.

Green Burgers There are other reasons to quit treating ground beef like an inferior stepchild. Environmentalists like to say that beef is the most energy-andresource-intensive ingredient in our diet. But this is based on feeding grain to cattle. Many greenies feel far differently about grass-fed burgers and are continued on page five

Livestock Market Digest

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March 15, 2015

Zombies temperature known to climatologists as the ‘little ice age’.”

“Witches” were targeted for blame, Oster argues, because… the culture at that time both allowed their persecution and “suggested that they could control the weather.”

So, are there any similarities between those ancient climate change witch-hunts and the ones we’re conducting today?

You bet!

The most obvious similarity is they both embody the assumption that the way to solve a problem is via blame and vilification.

The 15th century version didn’t have Republicans or Tea Partiers to blame so they settled on witches. Today, we do have Republicans and Tea Partiers to blame not only for weather change, but also for racism, poverty, income and wealth inequality, endangered species, Radical Islam and their beheadings, overpopulation, the War on Women, Occupy Wall Street, etc., etc, etc…

How well is that working?

About as well as it did the first

continued from page one

time — in the 1500s. For confirmation check The War on Poverty and the War on Racism. As you check the War on Racism and encounter those photos of people standing in front of the burning buildings in Ferguson, think about how much those images resemble the paintings of people holding their torches and pitchforks backlit by burning (I don’t even want to say what) during those earlier witch hunts.

Has anyone suggested climate change “deniers” be burned at the stake? Well…recently, there has been a huge flap on the web about an article about “climate change” “deniers” published in The Guardian that, according to Breitbart News, was illustrated with a photo of a severed head.

The Guardian article, elicited a number of comments including one which was traced to another Guardian author and Greenpeace activist using the name “Bluecloud” that included numerous references to beheading so-called “deniers” including the subject of the article — UK House of Lords member Matt

Ridley (who describes himself as a Climate Change “Lukewarmer).”

When I went to the Guardian website I didn’t find the severed head photo, nor could I find the comment from Bluecloud.

Instead I found a photo of people costumed as “zombies” and a reference comparing debunking climate change myths to killing zombie and complaining about how tiring it becomes having to kill and re-kill myths that never stay dead.

Further web research revealed that the Guardian had removed Bluecloud’s comment as well as info revealing his identity.

In various other articles writers have suggested that: “Climate Change Deniers” be subjected to Nuremberg-style trials, that firemen let deniers’ houses burn down (because those who deny climate change are willing to let our planet burn up); That deniers beexecuted. (Strangling them in their beds is one suggested method.) A New York Times cartoon even suggested stabbing deniers in the heart with icicles as justice for the deniers” claiming that the severe winter of 2013-2014 (which formed plenty of icicles) served as proof Global Warming was a hoax: A 2010 climate campaign video even shows a teacher blowing up students who didn’t sign on to cut their carbon footprints.

On a milder note, well-known environmental activist Robert Kennedy, Jr., in his article “Jailing Climate Deniers,” argues that corporations and think tanks, which do not enjoy free speech protections reserved for individuals, “should be given the death penalty” (charter revocation) if they “deliberately, purposefully, maliciously and systematically

sponsor climate lies.”

In a time when people being beheaded and burned alive has become de rigueur on the daily news, advocating beheading people or burning them at the stake, even if it is alleged to be “mere rhetoric,” makes me wonder where this is all headed.

This brings to mind another point of identity between those earlier witch-hunts and our contemporary versions — the fact that deniers attract the most venom from the blamers, more venom even than the alleged perpetrators of said crises. If your modus operandi is never waste a serious crisis (as it is for modern liberals — thanks, Rahm Emanuel), the last thing you want is for someone to debunk your crisis. During the 15th and 16 th century, confessing guilt as a witch and admitting that witchcraft was responsible for altering the weather could get you a reprieve and forgiveness. Denying it could get you burned at the stake.

And we wonder why Republicans are so reluctant to mount an open opposition to these campaigns.

How can conservatives counter this…? Not very well, apparently. It isn’t the business of free market solutions to counter crises that are trumped up, imagined, or manufactured in order to provide a leg-up to political power. For example, the fact that no one can prove the Earth is actually warming aids Climate Changers more than deniers. If the Earth was truly getting warmer, oceans would be rising, cities would be flooding, crops would be failing, and, well, everyone knows that the best way to deal with any real problem is with capitalism, private enterprise,

and the free market. If the globe actually were warming, quite likely most of us (including Climate Change Crusaders) would have to turn to a conservative, free market approach to actually solve the problems thus created, and the Crusaders would be put out of business, at least temporarily.

But not for long.

While free enterprise establishes its legitimacy by solving concrete problems, liberalism campaigns itself into positions of power by using problems that can’t be solved because they are trumped up, manufactured, or distorted to be immune to preemption by the free market and conservatives. Take the issue of race. Republicans are currently cast as villains in this issue and are even blamed for trying to recreate slavery in spite of the fact that a Republican (Lincoln) ended slavery in the U.S. and more Republicans than Democrats voted for the Civil Rights Bill. Also, Republicans, rather than Democrats, are the most functional supporters of Martin Luther King Jr’s dream that people should be judged by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin. The free market judges people by what they do, what they are able to achieve, how hard they work, in other words, by the content of their character. These days that will get you classified as a racist.

Another example from the list of crises manipulated by liberals to serve as an excuse for a witch hunt is poverty. Democrats/ liberals tell us that poverty and income inequality are created by capitalism and the producers within our economy, even though it is capitalism and free enterprise that has made us the wealthiest nation the world has ever known. The free market is thus ruled out as a source of solutions to poverty except to be parasitized and the wealth it creates confiscated and redistributed. If initiative and inventiveness are applied to solve the problem of poverty — to solve any problem — they must be applied in service to liberal prescriptions — renewable energy, wealth redistribution, reducing human impact. Otherwise they will be blamed for increasing human impact, climate change, causing the sky to fall.

In the meantime, blacks, poor and others who are willing to give up their right to realize the content of their character and rise to their full potential via their own initiative, creativity, and enterprise are indentured to the dole and required only to vote Democrat, raise a little hell, and conduct some witch hunts (to keep Republicans intimidated) to stay on the plantation.

The best way to counter climate change as far as I can see is to stop trying to debunk it with dueling thermometers and climate studies and reveal it for what it is, a Trojan Horse dressed up in a Chicken Little outfit and filled with an endless supply of witch hunters.

“America’s Favorite Livestock Newspaper”

March 15, 2015

Page 5

Upcoming Sale to Showcase Santa Gertrudis Females CALLIE GNATKOWSKI GIBSON

or Santa Gertrudis producers in need of quality seedstock, or any cattle producer looking to incorporate Santa Gertrudis genetics into their operation, the Rocky Mountain Santa Gertrudis Association’s (RMSGA’s) First Annual Spring Runoff Replacement Female Sale – set for April 11, 2015 in Bosque, NM – is the place to be.

Between 35 and 40 females, both purebred Santa Gertrudis and Star Five - Santa Gertrudis cross cattle that are registered through the Santa Gertrudis Breeders International – will be available at the sale, held in conjunction with Red Doc Farm’s Red Hot Bull Sale. Heifers, females, open females and show prospects will be offered by nine producers including: Cherokee Ranch, Diamond J Bar Ranch, Moon Valley Ranch, Red Doc Farms, Roybal Cattle, O/X Ranch and Wine Glass Ranch.

You don’t often find large numbers of Santa Gertrudis cattle available for sale in one location in the Southwest. “We hope everything comes together for a good sale. It

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will be a way to supply the needs of people interested in the breed, and there will be some really outstanding genetics available,” said Stacy Montano, RMSGA Vice President and Sale Chairman. “It will be a chance for people to enjoy the day looking at some good quality cattle.”

At one time, the RMSGA held a fall sale, and the members and producers hope this sale and those in upcoming years will help rebuild that tradition, said Roland Sanchez II of Red Doc Farms. In the near future, at least, the two sales will be held together.

At last year’s sale, Sanchez noted, Red Doc sold bulls to 14 states and four countries. This year’s sale will be a big one, with Red Doc Farms offering 75 bulls, plus the females. “We are really looking forward to the event, showcasing our cattle and keeping alive the hospitality that the RMSGA and Red Doc Farms have always had,” he said.

Cattle will be sold via video auction, allowing both long-distance and on-site bidders to participate.

Data, including gain test, growth index and ultrasound information will be available on all animals in

Hurray for the Hamburger enthusiastically buying them at local farmer’s markets to help local ranchers. They perceive ground beef as a great value and a far more ecologically wise choice than steak. They love the fact that grass-fed beef animals are produced solely on grass, with no grain, antibiotics or hormones. Celebrity chefs are grinding up entire animals to produce better burgers, high end restaurants are starting to put hamburgers on their menus for the first time, and some green

the sale. “The females will be sold with the same confidence as the bulls,” Sanchez explained.

Santa Gertrudis producers are looking towards the future as producers rebuild their herds.

“Drought has changed the face of the cattle business. People are focused on hardy cattle, something they can stay in business with, and Gerts meet that criteria,” Sanchez noted.

The RMSGA was founded in 1968 by Colorado rancher Tweet Kimball, who, in addition to being the association’s first president, was the first woman to serve on the National Western Stock Show’s Board of Directors. Kimball’s decision to stock Cherokee Ranch, which she purchased in 1954, with Santa Gertrudis cattle was initially criticized by other area ranchers, because the cattle were accustomed to the warmer climate and lower altitude of southern Texas.

By following her instincts, and selecting for gentleness, fertility, bone and scale in her cattle, she proved them wrong and gave the breed a strong start in the Rocky Mountain region.

After Kimball’s death, Dr. Roland Sanchez, Sr. took over as continued from page three

foodies have even adopted ground beef as the most sustainable, economical, gastronomically flexible and morally responsible cut of meat there is.

When was the last time you heard any of those words associated with beef?

Even more importantly, today’s hassled and harried consumer loves the taste and flexibility that ground beef brings to the dinner table.

Hurray for hamburger!

RMSGA President. Sanchez, his wife Elia, who also serves as RMSGA Secretary, and their six grown children operate Red Doc Farms in Bosque, south of Belen. Today, the Association includes 19 states, from New Mexico north through Colorado and Nebraska and west.

The association has continued Kimball’s focus on raising and marketing hardy cattle that are functional in the West. They also hold a fall event, usually in September, at the La Cascada Hotel in Albu-

querque.

The RMSGA, like the SGBI nationally, also emphasizes programs to help interest and involve youth in the cattle business and culture. “We really try to focus on getting and keeping kids involved with cattle and agriculture through things like scholarship programs, field days and showing cattle,” Sanchez said. “It is a way of life that I was fortunate enough to be raised in, and we want to pass that on.”

Livestock Market Digest

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March 15, 2015

Is grass-fed beef really better for you, the animal and the planet?

BY TAMAR HASPEL, WASHINGTON POST

Is grass-fed beef better for you?

rass-fed beef is the meat of the moment. The image of cattle dotting green hillsides is an appealing counterpoint to the thought of herds corralled in crowded, grass-free feedlots. Advocates claim a trifecta of advantages: Grass-fed beef is better for you, for the animal and for the planet.

Is it?

First, let’s establish what we’re talking about. All U.S. beef cattle are started on grass, so “grassfed” actually means “grass-finished,” or fed grass their whole lives. The USDA specifies that, to qualify as “grass-fed,” the animal has to eat “grass and forage” exclusively (after weaning) and must have “continuous access to pasture during the growing season.” It does not specify how much feed has to be from that pasture; hay and other harvested forage is allowed. (There are also third-party certification programs with varying criteria.)

Now, on to the questions.

It usually has higher concentrations of some nutrients: antioxidants, some vitamins, a kind of fat called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and the long-chain omega3 fats mostly found in fish. It also has less fat overall.

Most health claims focus on the omega-3 fats, which are generally regarded as healthful. The other nutrients are less relevant, says Alice H. Lichtenstein, a professor at Tufts University’s Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy: Either their amounts are too small to be significant or evidence of their value is equivocal.

(Read the research on CLA, for example, and you find that a lot of “further research is warranted” and “findings are inconsistent.”)

As to the omega-3s, we need to look at amounts. Omega-3 levels in grass-fed beef generally are about 50 percent higher than in regular beef. But because the levels in regular beef are so low, that’s not much of an advantage. Concentrations can vary widely, but accord-

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ing to the USDA, a 100-gram serving (a little under four ounces) of grass-fed top sirloin contains 65 milligrams of omega-3 fats, loin has 40 and rib-eye has 37. So even that 65-milligram amount is only about 22 milligrams more than that for regular beef and still far below levels in low-fat fishes such as tilapia (134 milligrams) and haddock (136). The omega-3 powerhouse king salmon has 1,270 milligrams.

(The same logic applies to milk from grass-fed cows. It’s higher in long-chain omega-3 fats than milk from grain-fed cows, but a cup still has only 18 milligrams.) Recommendations on how much of these fats we need vary; most are in the range of 300 to 1,000 milligrams per day.

“Grass-fed beef is fine” says Lichtenstein, “but it’s not a good source of omega-3 fats.” Although it certainly has a better fat profile than standard beef, she says she’s concerned that a reputation for healthfulness will make people believe that it’s better for them than it is, which will lead to overconsumption.

The bottom line is that grass-fed beef is probably better for you, but only a little. Don’t hang your hat on it. If you like it (and not everyone does), by all means, eat it.

Is grass-fed beef better for the animal? n The answer is a resounding “it depends.”

I’m drawn to the idea of cattle grazing freely in fields. I’ve seen the pictures of the green hillsides, and I’ve seen the pictures of the muddy feedlots. I asked Temple Grandin, one of our foremost experts on animal welfare, whose work informs livestock systems across the country, whether grazing cattle are happier than feedlot cattle.

The first thing she said was, “grain is like cake and ice cream to cows,” and I can’t help thinking that eating something they find delicious contributes to the animals’ happiness. It certainly does to mine. But, just as it’s unadvisable for us to make cake and ice cream our sole ration, cattle shouldn’t be eating only grain.

“Grain is fine as long as there’s plenty of roughage,” says Grandin.

Otherwise, the pH in the animal’s system can become too acidic, and that leads to all kinds of health problems. The idea that feeding grain to a ruminant, whose digestive system is fine-tuned for grass, leads to suffering is both right and wrong.

“The problem comes when you push too hard,” says Grandin. Animals grow faster on grain, she points out, so there’s a financial incentive for the rancher to up the grain ration. Like anything connected with the care of animals, feeding cattle grain can be done well or poorly.

Grandin talked about other issues as well. If the feedlot is dry, roomy and shaded, cattle are perfectly content. If it’s muddy, crowd-

ed or hot, they’re not. One of the keys to cattle happiness, it turns out, is drainage. “The feed yard should have a 2 to 3 percent slope to keep it dry,” says Grandin. Pastures can pose problems, too. “Cattle also really like to graze,” she says, “but that hillside when you have a blizzard is not so nice.”

The key to cattle’s well-being isn’t in the venue. It’s in the management. What’s maddening is that, when you’re standing in front of your market’s meat case, you usually can’t know which feedlot, or which pasture, the beef came from, let alone how it’s managed.

Is grass-fed beef better for the planet?

Here’s where things get really complicated. In general, beef is not planet-friendly. Cattle produce methane, a potent greenhouse gas, and beef routinely tops the charts of foods you should eat less of to curb climate change.

Grass-fed advocates maintain that well-managed grazing can offset or even completely compensate for methane and other greenhouse gases associated with beef cattle by locking carbon in the soil. The vegetation soaks up and stores, or sequesters, carbon, preventing carbon dioxide — another greenhouse gas — from being released into the atmosphere.

The operative phrase is “wellmanaged.” When poorly managed, grazing can degrade pasture, and scientists and ranchers are experimenting with various densities and grazing patterns to try to figure out which ones lead to more effective carbon sequestration.

According to Jason Rowntree, an assistant professor at Michigan State University who specializes in grass-eating cattle, some researchers have managed to sequester three metric tons of carbon per hectare, about 2.5 acres, per year. (Sequestering a ton of carbon is the equivalent of locking away 3.7 tons of carbon dioxide.)

But Rattan Lal, director of the Carbon Management and Sequestration Center at Ohio State University, sets expectations lower. He says one metric ton per hectare is a reasonable estimate of the maximum that grazing can sequester in a place like Ohio, where growing conditions generally are favorable, and a half-ton would be more realistic in drier areas. He supports grass-fed beef but says carbon sequestration “can’t completely compensate for the greenhouse gases in beef production.”

Weighing carbon sequestration against methane production is a dicey business, and I’ve read many different estimates. To get a backof-the-envelope sense of how the two compare, I did the math. The methane produced yearly by a beef steer is approximately equivalent to the carbon sequestered in an acre and a half (at Lal’s one-ton-perhectare rate). The steer’s methane isn’t the only issue, of course: The climate cost of each steer has to

include a whole year’s worth of its mom’s methane, since cows have only one calf annually. Then there are all the other inputs, including what goes into growing and harvesting the hay the steer eats when pasture is unavailable. As always, it’s complicated.

I found little agreement on how much carbon well-managed grazing can sequester, but across-the-board agreement that it can certainly sequester some. But, diabolically, so can well-managed grain farming: Systems that use crop rotation, cover crops, composting and no-till also sequester carbon. If we’re comparing grass-fed with grain-fed, it’s only fair to assume excellent management in both systems.

There are a few other confounding issues. Cattle fed grain emit less methane and grow faster, which means they’re not alive — emitting methane — as long. Confining cattle in feedlots allows manure to be collected and fed to a digester, which converts it to energy — or, of course, it can leak out of badly managed facilities to pollute our water. In winter, bringing in harvested hay requires more energy than bringing in grain, because you need more of it. But grass-fed cattle turn a plant that humans can’t eat into high-quality people food, which is important in places where marginal land will grow grass but not crops. It’s a very mixed bag.

Some grass-fed cattle are better for the planet than some grain-fed, and vice versa.

The upshot Where does that leave us?

Well, it’s left me a little less doctrinaire. Almost always, when I talk to scientists and farmers about food supply issues — whether it’s farm size, organic methods, animal welfare, GMOs, climate impact — the answer is complicated. When it comes to feeding people, there is never one right answer. It depends on the farm, the area, the animal, the crop, the weather, the market and a bazillion other things. Both Rowntree, who has spent years figuring out how best to graze cattle, and Lal, who has devoted a career to climate-change mitigation, are quick to tell me that grass-fed isn’t the only way.

“No matter what strategy you choose,” says Lal, “there are always trade-offs.”

What the grass-fed vs. grain-fed debate really tells us is how inadequate labels are to differentiate good from bad in our food supply.

Yet those labels are regularly embroidered on flags and hoisted over intractable positions. Grassfed beef is better! Buy organic!

Only GMOs can feed the world!

What I wouldn’t give for a certificate of prudence, attesting to sound management, humane standards and responsible stewardship on any kind of farm. It’s worth working toward, and lowering the flags would be a good start.

Tamar Haspel, a freelance writer, farms oysters on Cape Cod and writes about food and science.

“America’s Favorite Livestock Newspaper”

March 15, 2015

Ward Named AHA Interim Executive Vice President ack Ward has been named interim Executive Vice President of the American Hereford Association (AHA). Eric Walker, AHA president, announced the appointment following the resignation of Craig Huffhines.

“As a Board we agree that naming Jack as interim Executive Vice President is what is best for the Association during this time of transition,” Walker says. “We are confident that Jack will continue business in a seamless and effective manner.”

As interim, Ward will lead, direct, manage or support all functions of the Association, including serving as the Association secretary.

Ward has served as AHA chief operating officer and director of breed improvement since he joined the AHA team in 2003. His leadership has created increased interest and participation in the Association’s National Reference Sire Program (NRSP) and testing Hereford genetics in real-world commercial settings. He was also instrumental in AHA’s development of genomic-enhanced expected progeny differences (GE-EPDs) and other breed improvement strategies such as the newly release udder EPDs. “It will be a pleasure to serve as the interim Executive Vice President and Secretary as the AHA Board of Directors works through this transition,” Ward says. “The AHA has an incredible staff and we will work together to continue the service and the development of tools to enhance the demand for Hereford cattle.”

Along with his solid background in Association work, he also has real world seedstock experience spending 16 years managing several predominant seedstock operations and most recently was managing partner of Maple Lane Angus.

Ward is recognized throughout the industry for his ability to effectively communicate and educate. He has traveled across the U.S. and overseas to lead educational forums. Ward is currently serving on the Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) board of directors and the Ultrasound Guidelines Council (UGC).

He graduated from Purdue University with a bachelor’s degree in agriculture economics and also has an associate of science degree from Black Hawk East College.

Jack and his wife, Mary Ann, have two college-age sons — Cameron and Carter.

The family resides in Plattsburg, Mo.

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AQHA Executive Vice President Named Craig Huffhines is selected to assume the executive vice president leadership role for AQHA he American Quarter Horse Association is pleased to that Craig announce Huffhines has been selected to assume the executive vice president leadership role for AQHA. Huffhines will begin his new duties shortly after AQHA’s convention in March.

Following a five-month, extensive search effort, the six members of the search committee coupled with the AQHA Executive Committee are confident Huffhines, with more than 17 years experience leading the Hereford Association, possesses the strong leadership skills and experience to move AQHA forward.

After receiving applications from more than 40 interested individuals, Huffhines was tapped as the leading candidate for AQHA’s leadership role.

AQHA President Johnny Trotter stated, “The goal of the search committee was how to take the current, accomplished management team here at AQHA to the

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next level. With the help of Witt/Kieffer, we were able to locate a seasoned, experienced leader as our next executive vice president, who has already proven his ability to lead a major association in the livestock industry.”

President Trotter further noted, “I couldn’t be more pleased with how the process worked, which resulted in finding such a successful leader in Craig.”

Huffhines brings not only his years of experience in the agriculture industry, but recorded success in areas such as turning around a 30-year decline in registration and breed popularity, balancing budgets during lean industry years, developing a new branded-beef enterprise, executing a revised governance structure to meet the demands of the 21st century and reinvigorating interest among youth, also while managing the American Hereford Association staff and growing the Hereford Research and Youth foundations.

Huffhines’ enthusiasm is contagious and his knowledge and passion for the agriculture and livestock industries is quickly recognizable.

Riding Herd cows. There’d be a section for make-believe cows like Ferdinand the Bull, the Cow that Jumped Over the Moon, the Wall Street Bull, the Laughing Cow found on cheese, Babe the Blue Ox, Clarabell (Minnie Mouse’s best friend) and Elsie, the Jersey spokescow for Borden whose real name was You’ll Do Lobelia. By the way, I met Elsie one time, or at least a cow pretending to be Elsie. But the experience left me cold. If you’ve seen one Jersey you’ve seen them all.

My first class of Hall of Fame cows would include Mrs. O’Leary’s cow who DID NOT start the Chicago fire as we’ve been led to believe. (That idea was popularized in a movie.)

Daisy the Limousin who gave birth to live quadruplets would be in the Hall as would Little Witch who holds the world’s record for fastest time in the mile in the World Wide Cow Racing Association’s Udder Race. (A race for guys who get a kick out of big swinging udders.)

There would be cow royalty including Maudine Ormsby, a cow elected Homecoming Queen of Ohio State in 1926,

Page 7 continued from page one

and Pauline, the last cow to live at the White House. Ella Farm Ollie, the first cow to fly in an airplane would be hanging from the ceiling and we’d have five copies of Amy, the first cloned cow. There’d be a counterfeit painting of the “Angus” steer that won Denver who turned out to be a Charolais when the dye faded. I think one of the most popular features would be Holsteins with interesting color patterns including “Hi” Cow, so named because that’s what it says in black and white on one side of her hide.

Our Hollywood section would feature Norman the steer who starred in City Slickers.

The only problem I see in getting my idea off the ground is where the Hall should be located. When the Cowboy Hall of Fame was built the contest boiled down to Colorado Springs, Dodge City and Oklahoma City, and some sore losers complained that Oklahoma oil millionaires paid a ransom to hijack the Hall. I see nothing wrong with that. In fact, I’m willing to sell my Cow Hall of Fame concept to the city who will pay me the most cash. Let the auction begin.

Livestock Market Digest

Page 8

County joins suit against wolf expansion

BY SHAR PORIER, HERALD/REVIEW

ochise County has joined with a number of other counties in Arizona and in New Mexico in a lawsuit to

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stop the expansion of the exploratory recovery area of the Mexican Gray Wolf.

In an executive session recently, Supervisors Ann English, Richard Searle and Pat Call agreed to be part of the effort of the coalition to stop the expansion.

The basis of the complaint filed by a number of public and private organizations is that the Mexican Wolf Recovery Plan, as suggested by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of the Department of the Interior, covers too much territory.

It is four times as much as was afforded in the 1998 rule, states the Petition for Review to the U.S. District Court in New Mexico.

“The 2015 rule provides a four-fold increase in the land area where Mexican wolves primarily are expected to occur and provides a 10-fold increase in the land area where Mexican wolves can be released from captivity,” states the complaint of New Mexico Attorney Andrea R. Buzzard, who represents the field of complainants.

The complaint also includes the increase in number of Mexican wolves to be released, raising the population by at least three-fold.

The new rule also denies the right of a livestock owner to “take” a Mexican wolf that has harmed stock unless a designated federal agency has engaged in removal action, Buzzard continues. Under the old law, provisions allowed the taking of a Mexican wolf if there were “six wolf breeding pairs and the wolves were wounding or biting livestock” on public lands, under grazing allotment.

Buzzard represents the interests of farmers,

ranchers and landowners who live, work and graze livestock within the expanded Mexican Wolf Expanded Protection Area (MWEPA).

Some of them have already suffered losses from the 1998 rule. They believe that they will lose more stock as these new Mexican wolves are released into this enormous area covering parts of New Mexico and Arizona, including Cochise County. The affected landowners and leasers are also wary of injury that may occur from wolf attacks to themselves and their families. Sixteen counties comprise the local government membership in the Arizona- New Mexico Coalition including the Arizona counties Apache, Cochise, Gila, Graham and Navajo. The local Whitewater Draw and the Willcox-San Simon Resource Conservation Distr cts also oppose the measure, according to Buzzard’s filing.

These petitioners did file substantive comments related to the MWEPA and agreed that the U.S. Forest Service should have performed a new study of the release areas and should not have relied on the one done 17 years ago.

Additionally, Buzzard claims that the USFWS “deliberately chose to exclude highly relevant information pertaining to the future plan for the recovery effort and states that it did not have time to prepare and include this information.”

Such information is critical, she said, because the action can cause adverse effects on people, their domestic animals and pets and livestock, which may end up in harm’s way by the release of the wolves in unstudied areas.

She requested the court take action against the USFWS and declare that the agency violated rules related to the Mexican wolf reintroduction.

The petition was filed on February 12. The supervisors agreed to pay $5,000 toward the cost of the legal act on, said Supervisor Pat Call.

So far, there has not been any word on the action by the court, Call added.

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March 15, 2015

EPA Presses Forward with Controversial WOTUS Rulemaking States—rivers, bays, shipping channels, etc.—to all the nation’s “waters,” EPA has given rise to fears it will regulate ditchhroughout 2014 the U.S. es, stock ponds, prairie pot holes Environmental Protection (common in the Plains States), Agency made significantly and other depressions that are moves to expand its juris- only intermittingly wet as a diction over previously unregu- result of rainfall of snowmelt. lated bodies of water across the Environmental groups have United States. supported the EPA’s initiative As a justification for its con- and welcomed the latest report. troversial initiative, on Jan. 15 “Today’s release of the final the EPA released its scientific report on the chemical, physical analysis of its regulatory plan to and biological connections include isolated and intermittent between water bodies is an bodies of water under EPA’s important step in the nearly 15authority. year-long effort to The much-anticiresolve the confusion pated 408-page over which waters EPA released report is expected are—and are not— to pave the way for its scientific covered in the Clean EPA to issue a final Water Act,” Jimmy analysis of its rule later this year, a Hague, director of plan regulatory move almost guarthe Theodore Rooto include isoanteed to set up a sevelt Conservation confrontation lated and interPartnership’s Center between Congress for Water Resources, mittent bodies and the Obama said in a statement. of water under White House.

However, the plan EPA’s authority The agency, has drawn the ire of working in conjuncsuch groups as the tion with the U.S. American Farm Army Corps of Bureau, National Engineers, now proposes to reg- Home Builders Association, and ulate all “waters of the United the National Mining AssociaStates,” or WOTUS, extending tion. federal regulatory authority beyond “”navigable” waters of ‘Federal Zoning’ the United States,” as laid out in Craig Rucker, executive the Clean Water Act (CWA). director of Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow, calls Expanding Land Control the EPA move a huge power If the rule survives expected grab. “Under the pretext of ‘prolegislative and legal challenges, tecting’ bodies of water, EPA is the EPA will become a signifi- transforming itself into a nationcant player in land-use decisions al land-use agency.” he said. on millions of acres of private “EPA is establishing a system of property in the rural United federal zoning, under which States, affecting farms, ranches, rural landowners and businesses and orchards as well as the min- will have to get permits from ing and timber industries.

EPA if they want to carry out EPA says its report draws on what are now routine operations 1,200 peer-reviewed scientific on their property. It is an studies examining the connec- unprecedented power grab.” tions between streams and wetWOTUS already faces hurlands and larger downstream dles in Congress. In 2014, the bodies of water.

House of Representatives According to the report, “The passed the Waters of the United scientific literature clearly shows States Regulatory Overreach that wetlands and open waters Protection Act of 2014, aimed at in riparian areas in floodplains preventing the EPA’s reinterpreare physically, chemically and tation of its authority over biologically integrated with waters in the United States. The rivers via functions that improve bill’s sponsors promise to bring downstream water quality.” it up again this year, with an upEPA contends its proposed or-down vote likely in the new WOTUS regulation is necessary Republican-controlled Senate. to clarify uncertainties arising In addition, there have been from two Supreme Court deci- off-the-record hints the new sions from 2001 (SWANCC v. Congress could try to prevent U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) the rule by attaching a rider to and 2006 (Rapanos v. United must-pass spending bills withStates). Those decisions restrict- holding funding for the impleed EPA’s and the Corps’ regula- mentation of WOTUS. tory authority over wetlands under the CWA but did so in INTERNET INFO Environmental Protection Connectivity of Streams & Wetlands ambiguous language leaving Agency, to Downstream Waters: A Review & Synthesis many questions unanswered. of the Scientific Evidence. January 15, 2015.

BY BONNER R. COHEN, NATIONAL CENTER FOR PUBLIC POLICY RESEARCH

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All-Inclusive Definition But by attempting to extend federal jurisdiction from “navigable” waters of the United

http://heartland.org/policy-documents/connectivity-streams-wetlands-downstreamwaters-review-synthesis-scientific-evidenc Bonner R. Cohen is a senior fellow with the National Center for Public Policy Research

“America’s Favorite Livestock Newspaper”

March 15, 2015

Page 9

2015 Heifer Synchronization Protocols ith calving underway, next year’s calf crop may be the last thing cattle producers are thinking about, but according to Robin Salverson, SDSU Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist, it’s never too late.

“With bull sales underway and 2015 AI beef sire directories available, it is time to think about breeding season – especially if you will be using synchronization,” Salverson said. “Depending on which protocol is selected, it could be more than 39 days from start of the program to artificial insemination. This means, if you begin breeding May 13 for a February 10 calving date, you will need to start synchronizing heifers April 3.”

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Beef Reproduction Task Force Based on research data and field use the Beef Reproduction Task Force composed of representatives of AI and pharmaceutical companies, veterinarians, and reproductive specialists, have developed a list of synchronization protocols recommended for heifers.

“There are some great apps available to cattle producers that provide synchronization and breeding calendars for both heifers and cows,” Salverson said. “Take note that not all protocols are for both cows and heifers. There is a difference in physiological response between heifers and cows. It is important that you do not use a cow protocol on heifers.”

Likewise, Salverson said producers need to follow the protocol, give the proper hormone injection or insert at the right time and don’t expect to jump start all heifers that are not cycling.

She encourages producers to follow Beef Quality Assurance guidelines when giving injectable

hormones. “Giving the injection in the rump because it is administered ‘closer to the ovary’ of the heifer does not increase the efficacy or speed of the hormone,” Salverson explained. “All drugs must enter the blood system and travel to the heart and lungs before reaching the target organ (i.e. ovaries).”

She reminded cattle producers that the adage more is always better does not work with melengestrol acetate (MGA).

“First, it is illegal to use MGA off label. Secondly MGA is absorbed in the fat and will take longer to clear from the heifer’s system when fed at a rate higher than 0.5 mg per head per day creating problems with estrus (heat) responses and subsequent timing of prostaglandin injection,” she said.

Proper handling techniques When handling all hormones, including CIDR, Salverson said cattle producers need to wear latex or non-latex gloves regardless of gender. “It doesn’t matter if you are a male or female, you need to protect yourself from these hormones,” she said. “For example, prostaglandin is a smooth muscle contractor, our intestines are the largest smooth muscle in the human body. If prostaglandin is absorbed through the skin it can “tie up” the digestive system.”

She added that hormones function in the human body like they do in a heifer therefore, extreme care should be taken when handling all synchronization hormones.

Protocols Because there are several protocols for heifers, Salverson said each protocol has been put into one of three categories: 1) Heat Detection Protocol; 2) Heat Detection and Time AI Protocol and 3) Fixed Time AI Protocol.

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Heat Detection Protocols: Heifers in these protocols should be inseminated 6 to 12 hours after the first observation of standing heat. Heat detection should occur during peak heat activity (48 to 72 hours after prostaglandin injection), 3 times per day for at least 1 hour per check period. This results in a total of 3 hours minimum with 5 to 6 hours of heat detection being better. Recommended heat detection protocols for heifers include: * 1 Shot PG (Prostaglandin) * 7 Day CIDR® - PG * MGA® - PG Heat Detect and Time AI (TAI) Protocols: These protocols include a combination of both heat detection and timed insem-

ination. Heifers observed in heat should be inseminated 6 to 12 hours after standing heat. Heat detection should be done for approximately 3 days after PG injection, all heifers not showing heat will be given an injection of GnRH and inseminated (i.e. timed insemination).

The amount of time spent on heat detection is reduced with early responders having a better chance of conceiving compared to a single fixed-timed AI. The recommended Heat Detect and Time AI protocols include: * Select Synch + CIDR® & TAI * MGA® - PG & TAI * 14-day CIDR® - PG & TAI Fixed-Time AI (TAI) Protocols: With a fixed-time protocol, all heifers are inseminated at a

pre-determined time and no heat detection has to occur. In general heifer pregnancy rates for fixed-time AI protocols tend to be 5 to 10 percent lower than heat detection alone. When considering these protocols, synchronize no more females than can be inseminated in a 3 to 4 hour period of time. Recommended Fixed-Time AI protocols include: * 7-day CO-Synch + CIDR® * 5-day CO-Synch+ CIDR® * MGA® - PG * 14-day CIDR® - PG For more information related to estrous synchronization, contact Robin Salverson, SDSU Extension Cow / Calf Field Specialist at robin.salverson@sdstate.edu Source: South Dakota State University

Jauer Dependable Genetics 38th Annual Angus Bred Female & Bull Sale Results auer Dependable Genetics had another successful production sale on January 31st in Hinton, Iowa.

The weather was a little nasty this year, but we were able to get through the sale before the heavy snow started falling.

Buyers came from 12 states and one Canadian province to purchase cattle.

Sale Results: 157 head, gross - $645,000 28 spring bred cows, avg. - $4,100 5 commercial cows, avg. - $3,300 14 fall cows w/calves, avg. - $4,500 72 commercial heifers, avg. - $3,000 38 two year old bulls, avg. - $6,200 Volume Buyers: 11 bred cows - Amana Farms - Amana, Iowa 15 commercial heifers - Stan Lindgren - Kings-

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ley, Iowa 14 bulls - Robert Ellsworth, South Dakota High sellers: Spring bred cow – lot 1, Jauer Mitchell 303 736, $9,500, sold to Enneberg Angus Ranch in Montana Fall cow w/calf – lot 21, Jauer 1020 Honesty 564 8110, $6,500 sold to Allen Miller in Wyoming Commercial heifer – lot 88 $3,500, sold to Roger Oetken in Iowa Two year old bull – Jauer Unconventional 0131 3070, $20,000, sold to ABS Global, Inc. in Wisconsin Cattle sold into 12 states - IA, IL, KS, MN, MO, MT, NE, OK, SD, VA, WI, WY, & AB Canada.

Livestock Market Digest

Page 10

Damn Christians

BY BARRY DENTON

fter President Obama’s remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast you begin to wonder just who this guy is. He espoused that the Islamic Jihad was no different than the Crusades and the Inquisition that happened over one thousand years ago. It is quite apparent that the President has never read Dale Carnegie’s masterpiece How To Win Friends And Influence People.

The President may want to check a few historical facts before he drives the 86 percent of the population that are Christians in this country crazy. First of all

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more folks were killed in the 9/11 attack than during the 400-year Inquisition.

Where does a leader that is supposed to be quite intelligent come up with these sublime theories? Even if you had these thoughts in your head why would you spill them in that setting?

Certainly common decency and courtesy have never meant much to this juvenile rebel.

I guess his theory is that if the Christians could do it 1000 years ago the jihadists have a right to do it now. Forgive me, but I’m still shocked at the words that came out of this leader’s mouth.

This just seems to be his corrupt

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to make up for the Crusades?

Another thing he does not seem to know about the Crusades is that folks like the Moors were a factor because of their superb horsemanship.

In other words the plow reined English horses were no match in combat for the trigger reined horses of the Moors.

Also, the heavy war horses that were used did not fair well in the warmer climates and deserts.

The English had more money and numbers to fight with, but the Muslims made up for it with tough Arabian desert horses and a superior way of training them for combat. Now you know part of the reason the Crusades drug on so long. However, I do not see what ancient history has to do with current events.

Behavior like this raises some questions in my mind. Why does a guy named Barry Sortero want to change to his Muslim name of Barack Hussein Obama? Perhaps he is honoring his father by doing that, I don’t know, but I

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have never heard a newsman ask him that question. It looks to me like this is part of his anti American and anti Christian agenda.

America’s Toughest Sheriff, Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, AZ launched an investigation into the legitimacy of his birth certificate. The Sheriff concluded that it was a false document. I do not know where that will lead eventually. The other thing that strikes me as odd is that no one in the opposition parties ever call him out on blunders like his statement at the National Prayer Breakfast.

I think America has been electing many cowards to the United States Congress.

Frankly, I am very tired of the constant attack on Christians in this country that was founded by Christians and brought to greatness with Christian principles. If you readers have any answers to all this let me know. Be honest, work hard, be successful, and go to church on Sunday if you want to tick off the President.

Beef producers say Obama Administration is trying to kill their industry awmakers from cattle producing states are seeing red following a 571-page federal report that that encourages Americans to go green.

A panel of nutrition experts recruited by the Obama administration to craft the newest dietary guidelines suggested last week that the government should consider the environment when deciding what people should eat.

The report, which was presented to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), bills itself as a way to “transform the food system” and that’s got a lot of people in the heartland and those elected to represent them in Washington fuming.

“Generations of cattle farmers and ranchers have been and continue to be conscientious about conserving limited natural resources,” Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), told FoxNews.com. “They rely on the land and the environment for their livelihood. Those facts get lost in Washington and in arguments that eating red meat hurts the environment.”

The report, which is open for public comment for 45 days, will be used by the government not only to mold dietary guidelines but also used as the basis for government food assistance programs as well as school lunch programs, worth an estimated

L

$16 billion annually.

The North American Meat Institute slammed the report, calling it “flawed” and “nonsensical.” Members of the meat industry as well as those from soda makers, say the panel has gone “beyond its scope.”

Dr. Richard Thorpe, a Texas physician and rancher, told FoxNews.com that he is disappointed in the panel’s recommendations and said “it’s absurd the committee would suggest the reduction of meat, or red meat, in the American diet.”

Thorpe says nutritional science is “constantly evolving” and that reports like the one released last week “can absolutely kill an industry” and called the report an “insult.”

The federal guidelines, which are updated every five years, have advised Americans about healthy eating choices. But critics say the newest report oversteps its boundaries and caters to a campaign aimed at driving out red meat producers.

Part of the problem, Thorpe says, is that the government is telling Americans they should also consider the sustainability of their food. That, for some, translates to eating less meat and loading up on vegetables and plants.

“Legumes should be a mainstay of an American diet?” Thorpe said, adding that it would

209/727-3335

Phillips R.L. Robbs

way of looking at things. Blaming Christians for the Muslim Jihad is really a stretch, especially when he condones the behavior.

Thank God, this guy does not attend rodeos on a regular basis, nor does he show up in small agricultural towns. I bet he would be the one guy in the stands at a rodeo, besides the stock contractor, hoping the bulls would win.

In my estimation he would probably make fun of those Christian cowboys that say a little prayer after a bull or bronc ride. All I can say is you need to be praying before and after you ride those things.

The last thing those boys need is a heckler in the grandstand. One thing about it, he would not be heckling there very long. The way I see it the President has kicked most God fearing, law abiding, good American citizens right in the teeth. How do you like it?

Does he think that Americans should be killed by the jihadists

March 15, 2015

Digest

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take a wheelbarrow full of spinach to meet the same amount of iron in a serving of beef. He added that iron found in beef is not equal to iron in spinach, and that beef’s iron is more absorbable.

According to a June 2014 study in the journal Climatic Change, the average meat-eater in the United States is responsible for almost twice as much global warming as the average vegetarian and almost tripled that of the average vegan.

The Oxford University study dissected the diets of 60,000 individuals – 2,000 vegans, 15,000 vegetarians, 8,000 fisheaters and close to 30,000 meateaters – and found the difference in diet-driven carbon footprints was significant. The Oxford study found that cutting a person’s meat intake could cut a person’s carbon footprint by 35 percent.

Go vegan and slash your carbon footprint by 60 percent.

But some say that shouldn’t matter. Others, like Thorpe, say there are big benefits to eating beef.

“We feel the beef industry owns protein,” he said, adding that the Obama administration is promoting a type of diet that could be harmful to some people. Thorpe says over the past three decades, the industry has “done nothing but reduce the amount of fat in our animals.”

Still, the science of consumption seems conflicted.

Tufts University professor Miriam Nelson says the panel isn’t telling all Americans to become vegan but adds, “We are saying that people need to eat less meat. We need to start thinking about what’s sustainable. Other countries have started doing this – including sustainability in their recommendations.

We should be doing it, too.”

Source: FoxNews.com

March 15, 2015

“America’s Favorite Livestock Newspaper”

Page 11

The War on Fat reconsidered

BY LARRY CORAH, CONSULTANT FOR CERTIFIED ANGUS BEEF LLC

he War on Fat was declared in the 1980s – against marbling and external fat alike, because consumers were being told to simply watch their daily consumption of fat grams. Beef producers responded by focusing on red meat yield.

Today we process beef and serve steaks in a totally different way. Whatever external fat cover that once came with a steak is gone now, and most steaks are sold at retail or on the dinner plate denuded of fat.

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That course correction within the beef industry started in the late 1990s, but it would take another decade to reach diet and health advisers, and begin affecting consumer demand.

Two recent books started to change how the world views dietary fat. In 2007, science writer Gary Taubes’ “Good Calories, Bad Calories” suggested carbohydrates cause obesity, not dietary fat.

In 2014, investigative journalist Nina Teicholz authored “The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat and Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet.” She

walks us through the history of how and why fat got its bad rap, again concluding foods rich in carbohydrates are the cause of problems. She stresses, “Meat is a health food.”

Yet we still see daily limits on dietary fat, as though all fat is the same. What is the truth?

Well, the answer and what you did not know about fat grams is best addressed by Dr. Stephen Smith, Texas A&M University meat biologist, who has spent most of his career studying the subject.

Smith starts by emphasizing that there is good fat and bad

fat, so we need to start looking at specific fatty acid profiles. He points out the kind of fat in marbling is a primary influence of beef flavor. But most important, marbling is a “soft” fat with a low melting point because it contains so much oleic acid.

That’s a healthy fatty acid, good for us, and especially found in beef from grain-fed cattle.

His research revealing certain beef cuts, like brisket, are especially high in oleic acid, led to stories in the press that brisket is a “health food.” Smith even goes so far as to suggest oleic acid supplements: in stud-

ies, they have been shown to decrease low-density lipoprotein (LDL cholesterol).

Even though marbling has a good fatty acid profile, Smith says the external or outside fat around a steak is not as healthy But that’s not such a concern with today’s style of fabrication at beef processing plants.

Moreover, Smith concludes, the kind of fat in marbling brings added value to beef carcasses because quality grade is improved. And since this is a fairly heritable trait, producers can easily select for a “healthier” fatty acid profile.

Predictable Profitability

BY JOHN FORD, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SANTA GERTRUDIS BREEDERS INTERNATIONAL

anta Gertrudis females have long been known for their versatility and outstanding maternal traits. The Santa Gertrudis F1 female is highly prized among commercial cattlemen and demand for these productive females often outpaces supply. Santa Gertrudis influenced females are quickly becoming the commercial females of choice across the United States. The versatility of the Santa Gertrudis breed insures that it is a compatible and profitable cross with a wide variety of breeds and the results are an extremely valuable F1 replacement female and a highly marketable feeder calf. Commercial cattlemen understand today’s volatile business environment demands females that are productive for an extended period, females that wean a heavy healthy calf in the most challenging of environmental conditions, and females flexible enough to fit into a wide variety of breeding schemes from the Carolina Coastal Plains to the rugged and arid Southwest. Santa Gertrudis influenced females fit the bill and cattlemen that infuse Santa Gertrudis genetics into their programs quickly find that they have made a profitable and sound business decision. The breed’s efficiency as feeders and outstanding carcass traits highlight the fact that Santa Gertrudis cattle are competitive and profitable in every sector of the industry.

The level of predictability offered

by Santa Gertrudis is second to none, capable of providing cattlemen the information needed to make profitable selection decisions. Santa Gertrudis is the only American Breed offering the reliability of Genomic Enhanced EPDs (DNA verified) enabling cattlemen to make sound profitable selection decisions, identifying animals that will perform in the most challenging of environmental conditions. Santa Gertrudis’ genetic evaluation utilizes genotypes collected from the breed’s leading sires and thousands of phenotypes and scan records collected over a 25 year period resulting in one of the industry’s most predicable genetic evaluations.

Profitable-Predicable-Productive, Santa Gertrudis genetics give cattlemen more than meets the eye.

S

11:00 am

Livestock Market Digest

Page 12

March 15, 2015

NACD Honors Conservation Leaders, Elects New Officer Team he National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) honored conservation leaders at an awards banquet last night during the 2015 NACD Annual Meeting in New Orleans. Also at the banquet, the 2015-2016 NACD officer team and members of the Executive Board were sworn into office.

The NACD/NRCS Olin Sims Conservation Leadership Award was presented to Mike Thralls of Billings, Oklahoma. Thralls is a lifetime farmer who has served as Executive Director of the Oklahoma Conservation Commission for the past 17 years.

“Mike is a pioneer of voluntary conservation in Oklahoma, both in his service to the Oklahoma Conservation Commission and on his farm,” said Jason Weller, Chief of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service.

“I am grateful for his leadership in protecting our nation’s natural resources and encouraging fellow farmers to use conservation practices that boost soil health, promote clean water and air, and enhance wildlife habitat. Mike has cultivated a strong relationship between the conservation districts and NRCS, which has broadened the footprint of sustainable agriculture across Oklahoma.”

The NACD President’s Award

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was presented to Tim Palmer, NACD executive board member and farmer from Iowa.

“Tim Palmer is an individual with the ability to provide leadership on the national level in support of our conservation efforts in America and it territories,” said NACD President Earl Garber.

“Even as he works hard to maintain his family farming operation at home, he always finds time to provide conservation leadership to his local neighbors, Iowa state producers and nationally with his tireless work as part of NACD leadership team.”

The NACD Friend of Conservation Award was presented to Charlie Schafer, President of Agri Drain Corporation, Adair, Iowa.

Charlie has been a longtime supporter of soil and water conservation in Iowa and across the United States. His company, Agri Drain, has developed and improved innovative products and supported conservation contractors and landowners in their conservation work. Over the years, Charlie has supported NACD as an exhibitor at the Conservation Expo, as a sponsor of the NACD Annual Meeting, and by serving as the CTIC representative on the NACD Executive Board.

The NACD Distinguished Service Award was presented to Don and Mary Jane Spickler of

Hardeman County Man Sentenced after Convicted of Theft of Livestock Chillicothe, Texas man was sentenced with restitution Tues., Feb. 17 after pleading guilty to third degree theft of livestock and two counts of hindering a secured creditor. Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association Special Ranger Scott Williamson led the investigation. The Wilbarger County District Attorney Staley Heatly prosecuted the case.

The suspect, Chance Johnston, 31, of Chillicothe, Texas was employed by the victim, a rancher from Wichita Falls, Texas. The victim owns a cow and calf operation and he had hired Johnston several years ago to take care of his herd.

In late 2013, the victim was at his property in Wilbarger County and he counted his calves, noticing a larger unbranded calf.

Approximately a week later, he returned to the property to check on the cattle and he noticed he was missing three calves, including the larger unbranded calf.

The victim asked Johnston what happened to the calves, and Johnston stated they had died on the back side of the pasture. This made the victim suspicious.

It was also revealed that Johnston had sold mortgaged property without permission from banks in the area and he knowingly gave false information to banks to gain loan proceeds. He used the money to buy drugs and pay his bills. Johnston hindered a total of approximately $35,000.

After looking for the calves

A

and hearing that Johnston had a drug addiction and was in trouble with several banks in the area, the victim decided to report his missing calves as stolen to TSCRA. Sales records revealed that Johnston had sold three head of calves at the Wichita Falls Livestock Auction in November 2013. The calves sold matched the description of the ones the victim was missing. Two of the calves weighed approximately 200-260 pounds and the other was a larger calf weighing about 655 pounds. Additionally, none of the calves were branded. They were worth a total of $2,110.80.

Williamson met with Johnston at the Wilbarger County Sheriff’s Department where the suspect confessed to stealing the three calves from the victim, selling mortgaged property and giving false information to banks to gain loan proceeds. He confessed that he committed the crimes because he needed money.

Johnston received three five year sentences of deferred adjudication and he was ordered to pay a total of $39,634.11 in restitution to the victims.

“It is extremely important for cattle ranchers to keep an accurate count on their livestock, practice branding and report suspicious activity to authorities,” said Williamson. "If you do not follow these precautions, it makes it difficult for us to recover stolen livestock and return cattle back to the rightful owners.”

Washington County Soil Conservation District, Williamsport, Maryland. Don and Mary Jane Spickler have been actively involved with conservation districts at the local, state and national level for over 42 years.

While Don advanced from serving on his local district board to state and national positions, Mary Jane advanced in her position of

involvement alongside him through the Auxiliary, supporting the soil and water stewardship program and the NACD poster contest.

During the banquet, the new NACD Officer team was sworn into office. NACD Presidentelect Lee McDaniel of Darlington, Maryland was officially sworn in as President, taking over for

2013-2014 President Earl Garber upon the completion of his term.

Former Second Vice President Brent Van Dyke of New Mexico was elected as First Vice President; former Secretary/Treasurer Dick Went of Rhode Island was elected as Second Vice President; and John McDonald, Executive Board member from Oregon, was elected as Secretary/Treasurer.

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Page 13

USDA to Invest $84 Million to Help Communities in 13 States Recover from Natural Disasters

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griculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced in late February that USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service will invest an additional $84 million through the Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWP) to help disaster recovery efforts through more than 150 projects in 13 states.

“This program helps communities carry out much needed recovery projects to address the damage to watersheds that is caused by floods, hurricanes and other natural disasters,” Vilsack said.

“USDA is committed to helping repair and rebuild the rural communities that anchor rural America and are a key part of our nation’s economy.”

EWP provides critical resources to local sponsors to help communities eliminate imminent hazards to life and property caused by floods, fires, windstorms and other natural occurrences. EWP is an emergency recovery program.

The funds support a variety of recovery projects, including clearing debris-clogged waterways, stabilizing stream banks, fixing jeopardized water control structures and stabilizing soils after wildfires.

Projects include: n Stabilizing Ground around Florida Homes and Roads: A 2014 storm unleashed more than 20 inches of rain in one day in Florida, causing severe erosion that threatened the safety of homes and roads. Eighteen sites in Escambia, Okaloosa, Calhoun and Jackson counties have been approved for $5.9 million to help the counties recover from the damages and remove the threat to homes and roads. This work will include removal of debris and installation of structures that will stabilize the land and prevent future erosion. n Rebuilding after Heavy Rains and Tornados in Alabama: Torrential rains and a

series of tornadoes in 2014 led to millions of dollars in damage to several Alabama communities.

These natural disasters eroded stream banks, created gullies and increased runoff of nutrients and sediment into waterways. NRCS is investing $2.9 million in projects for 32 sites, working with six cities and five counties to help restore stream corridors, remove debris, curb erosion problems and prevent future flooding. n Conservation Work Helps Colorado Communities Rebound from Massive Flood: A 2013 flood caused $3 billion in damages in 18 counties in Colorado. NRCS is investing $56.9 million in the second phase of a project to help restore stream corridors, remove debris and prevent future flooding.

Work will target about 500 sites in the area. These projects bring together state agencies, 20 local governments, watershed planning coalitions and other groups.

This second phase of work builds on a $12.9 million investment in 2013.

NRCS will also fund projects in Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Tennessee andVermont. Click here to see funding amounts and descriptions by state.

EWP work must be sponsored by a public agency of the state, tribal, county or city government.

NRCS provides 75 percent of the funds for the project; the public organization pays the remaining 25 percent. EWP allows NRCS to put its engineering expertise to work in a variety of places – both rural and urban.

Livestock Market Digest

Page 14

By Frank DuBois More wolves, more monuments and more Michelle…

Obama ignores CCA resident Obama has proved, once again, that the pen is mightier than the entire U.S. Congress.

We have three new National Monuments, one of which – The Browns Canyon National Monument – is of special interest. This is the area where, as I’ve written before, the stakeholders reached agreement on the designation and the grazing language to accompany the designation. Senator Mark Udall (D-Colo.) introduced legislation including the excellent grazing language which had been developed by the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association (CCA). The legislation had not passed when on Feb. 19 of this year President Obama issued a Proclamation creating the 21,586 acre monument.

Prior to the Proclamation being issued the CCA released a statement saying that certain points “are intended to be part of the declaration.” Let’s take a look at those points and what Obama actually did.

CCA – “Motorized access must continue to be allowed for permit administration, range improvements, and water maintenance.”

Obama – “Except for emergency or authorized administrative purposes, motorized and mechanized vehicle use in the monument shall be allowed only on roads and trails designated for such use, consistent with the care and management of the objects identified

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above.”

No mention is made of range improvements or water maintenance. It would appear such access is left solely to the discretion of the land management agencies (BLM & Forest Service).

CCA – “Explicit language must be written into the designation that allows sheep and cattle producers to trail their livestock to and from federal grazing allotments through portions of the designated area.”

Obama – There is no language guaranteeing livestock trails.

CCA – “Language must be included in the designation implementation to ensure that changes in the numbers of authorized livestock are based on facts, and not the whim of individual land managers.”

Obama – “Laws, regulations, and policies followed by the BLM or the USFS in issuing and administering grazing permits or leases on lands under their jurisdiction shall continue to apply with regard to the lands in the monument, consistent with the care and management of the objects identified above.”

This is the standard grazing language, with the relatively new “consistency” requirement. And whether or not a permit, range improvement or standard ranching practice is consistent with “the care and management of the objects” will be determined by the local land managers.

CCA – “Language that would explicitly ensure permits will be transferable to new permittee/owners in the exact same manner as was the case prior to the designation of the national monument is also required.”

Obama – There is no such language in the Proclamation.

There were several other items but I think you should get the point on the administration’s receptivity to protecting livestock grazing in Proclamations designating National Monuments.

CCA Executive Vice President Terry R. Fankhauser tells me the association will be working to get these concerns addressed in the management plan and points to the language about “maximizing” input from the state. Fankhauser says the association has reached out to Senator Bennet and Governor Hickenlooper both of whom agreed to work on ensuring that grazing would continue without changes or restrictions.

Colorado rancher Tim Canterbury, Chair of the Public Lands Council, says, “…all we can do is ask for a seat at the table, and hope that the voices of ranchers will be heard and respected.” “We stand by the fact that a presidential declaration is not in the best interest of the agricultural community” said Canterbury and emphasized the CCA and PLC will keep pushing for legislation that will “clarify grazing permit rights for this and any future designation.”

In Utah, problems continue with livestock grazing on the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. During the recent debate on the Keystone Pipeline Senator Hatch (R-Ore.) introduced an amendment which read livestock grazing should be allowed to continue in the monument “subject to such reasonable regulations, policies and practices as the Secretary of Interior considers to be necessary, on the condition that the Secretary shall allow the grazing levels to continue at current levels to the maximum extent prac-

March 15, 2015 ticable.”

While I’m not overly fond of that language, it does demonstrate there are problems with the grazing of livestock in National Monuments and it is finally getting some attention in Congress. However, are we going to address this one monument at a time? Seems to me we need some standard language that would be applicable to all monuments. Otherwise we’ll end up with a hodgepodge of different grazing regs for each monument.

More wolves The USFWS has completed their annual survey and for 2014 they found 109 Mexican wolves, as compared to 83 counted at the end of 2013 and 50 in 2010. The survey confirmed there are a total of 19 packs, with a minimum of 53 wolves in New Mexico and 56 wolves in Arizona.

“In 1982, the Mexican wolf recovery team recommended a population of at least 100 animals in the wild as a hedge against extinction; until we initiated the first releases in 1998, there had

been no Mexican wolves in the wild in the United States since the 1970s,” said Southwest Regional Director Benjamin Tuggle.

“Although there is still much to be done, reaching this milestone is monumental!”

I’m beginning to really dislike anything with the word monument in it.

Meanwhile, state senator Jeff Steinborn has introduced legislation to create the Rio Grande Trail, a 500-mile, statewide recreation trail that stretches from Colorado to Texas. Steinborn says this could be equivalent to the Appalachian Trail or the Continental Divide Trail.

I doubt it but I do have a prediction. They’ll be back in a few years to rename it the Mexican Wolf Trail.

Dietary guidelines Are you ready to be “transformed”? The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) has released its 571 page nutrition continued on page sixteen

Cowboy’s Guide to Vegetarians n an effort to foster an understanding between cowboys and vegetarians, it is crucial to debunk certain myths.

MYTH #1) Vegetarians are all left wing, liberal Democrats who were hippies in the 60s Not so. The average age of a 1991 vegetarian is 35. So in 1964 they would have been eight years old. They were being forced to clean their plate (“But Mom, I don’t like broccoli!”) before they could have dessert. It was not until President Bush came out of the closet and announced his dislike for broccoli, that he found a cause some vegetarians could rally behind! Three registered as Republicans!

MYTH #2) Vegetarians have no sense of humor This myth is still under study. It appears that vegetarians see very little humor in cows being accused of belching huge quantities of methane into the atmosphere. But they get a chuckle when someone throws ketchup on a mink coat. It just goes to show that what is funny depends on whose ox (or kumquat) is being gored.

MYTH #3) Vegetarians are a vanishing breed An interesting myth. They are holding their own, approximately 3 percent of the U.S. population. But the turnover is high. The percentage is also affected by immigrants, ethnic minorities and the poor. As they improve their lifestyle

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they feed their family more meat. In a constant effort to maintain their ranks, vegetarians align themselves with likeminded groups who might help them vegetate; New Wave trade shows, Psychic conventions and the Hare Krishna.

MYTH #4) Most vegetarians became vegetarians because their mother said liver was good for them As good a reason as any, but not necessarily so. Snoopy, Garfield and Mickey had more influence than mom. These were animals who ate chocolate chip cookies and lasagna.

They could sing and knew Annette Funicello. They could speak and go to heaven. It followed that Porky Pig and Foghorn Leghorn had human feelings too and didn’t relish being eaten. Vegetarians feel sorry for drumsticks and Baco Bits.

MYTH #5) All vegetarians are alike Wrong again! Some vegetarians eat fish and chicken (the reasoning here escapes me.

Maybe their cuddle-factor is too low?) Others will eat only eggs and milk. That’s a practical decision, I suspect. One can pass up a Spam sandwich or a bowl of menudo but it’s not so easy to turn down chocolate mint ice cream. And there is a small group of believers who eschew even the wearing of wool or leather. They are easily identified wearing petrochemical derivatives and a plastic shower cap!

March 15, 2015

“America’s Favorite Livestock Newspaper”

Page 15

DeBruycker Charolais Sponsors 1st Ever Ranch Travel Series: Discover Ranches ajor cattle producer DeBruycker Charolais signs on as sponsor for Discover Outdoor Life’s on-line travel series, Discover Ranches.

DeBruycker Charolais is known for being the single largest producers of purebred Charolais cattle. Now they can add “travel series sponsor” to their list.

It wasn’t just a marketing decision. After seeing the team’s passion to preserving and promoting ranch culture and heritage, the ranch decided they wanted to be a part of their mission.

Discover Ranches goes beyond

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Arizona National Livestock Show 2015 Scholarship Deadline Approaching he Arizona National Livestock Show is investing in the future of agriculture and awarding over $40,000 annually in scholarships to students who have participated in the livestock show or horse show.

The Scholarship Program has awarded over $800,000.

Scholarships are available to students attending an accredited university or college for the current academic year. Other requirements include: High School graduation; completion of at least 12 semester hours before applying after high school graduation; currently taking at least 12 credit hours; a minimum grade point average of 2.5 (A = 4); and prior participation in the Arizona National Livestock Show as an exhibitor, volunteer, or employee.

Annual Scholarships are funded through donations to the show with help from the Arizona Horse Lovers Foundation. Application deadline is March 15.

Applications are available online at www.anls.org.

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For advertising,subscription and editorial inquiries write or call: Livestock Market Digest P.O. Box 7458, Albuquerque, N.M. 87194 Telephone: 505/243-9515

mere entertainment; the series’ underlying goal is to bring awareness to the vital ranch destinations that help protect and preserve the environment. Each episode takes the viewer to the heart of ranches and ranch vacations, exploring the stories behind the guardians of timeless landscapes, supporters of local communities, creators of once-in-a-lifetime experiences, producers of cattle, and cultivators of award-winning food.

About DeBruycker Charolais DeBruycker cattle and bulls are efficient and grow fast, creatprofitability.

Through ing

DeBruycker Charolais, breeders can purchase quality bulls, semen, females, and embryos to increase herd performance.

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DeBruycker Charolais Genetics n Proven Calving Ability n Uniform in Size and Structure n Bred for Growth and Performance n Proven Feedlot Efficiency n Proven Carcass Merit

DeBruycker Charolais Commercial Discover Ranches The ranches profiled for the first season are The Ranch at Rock Creek, The Hideout Lodge and Guest Ranch, Brush Creek Ranch, Rowse’s 1+1 Ranch, Deep Canyon Guest Ranch, Red Horse Mountain Ranch, Averill’s Flathead Lake Lodge, Devil’s Thumb Resort and Spa, Chico Basin Ranch, and Texas Ranch Life.

Discover Outdoor Life is an on-line network dedicated to the outdoor enthusiast. It includes informative articles, user reviews,

videos, and pictures, and of course its own series, Discover Ranches. Both efforts were created by long-time rancher and Top50 Ranches Business owner Jody Dahl, and television producer Kerry Lambert (Food Network, Discovery Channel, The Cooking Channel, PBS).

Additional sponsors include Alisal Guest Ranch & Resort, Top50 Ranches, Back in the Saddle, Ameripride, Ranch & Reata magazine, and Ubiquitas Design.

For more information: www.DiscoverOutdoorLife.com; DiscoverRanches.com, ExploreIt@DiscoverOutdoorLife.com.

Livestock Market Digest

Page 16

March 15, 2015

Conference held to protect largest U.S. Desert University of Nevada, Reno professors and researchers participate in the annual Great Basin Consortium Conference he Great Basin Desert is the largest U.S. desert spanning 200,000 square miles. University of Nevada, Reno researchers and professors attended the annual Great Basin Consortium Conference being held Feb. 17-19, at Boise State University. They spoke on topics such as dry land restoration, water in the Great Basin and climate.

“University of Nevada, Reno faculty and students had an excellent opportunity to network with colleagues from other universities, federal agencies, private organizations and tribal partners at this year’s event,” Maureen McCarthy, director of the Great Basin Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Union

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and executive director of the Academy for the Environment, said. “This meeting is an outstanding venue for researchers and ecosystem managers to create new opportunities for science to inform the management of critical ecosystems of the Great Basin in a changing climate.”

The Great Basin Desert is oneof-four U.S, deserts that spans the majority of Nevada and extends into the states of California, Oregon, Utah and Idaho. The mission of the Great Basin Consortium is to increase communication and coordination among the six partner organizations that make up the consortium in order to enhance the effectiveness of their research, management, outreach and funding activities.

The Great Basin Consortium works to achieve a sustainable and

resilient ecosystem in the Great Basin. The consortium is comprised of the Great Basin Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Union, the Great Basin Environmental Program, the Great Basin Landscape Conservation Cooperation, the Great Basin Restoration Initiative, the Great Basin Research and Management Partnership and the Great Basin Fire Science Exchange.

“This year’s Great Basin Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Union meeting focused on working with all Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Union partners to expand the awareness of the organization among university researchers and to enhance our ability to make science more accessible to our federal partners to enhance ecosystem management,” McCarthy said.

The restoration of dry sites is an

important issue that will be discussed at the conference. Associate Professor in the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources, Elizabeth Leger, will be speaking about using field experiments to identify the most success strategies for establishing native grass seedlings in the driest sites. Oral Presentation sessions such these will better inform the conference attendees about the hazards to the environment and the action being taken to protect the Great Basin.

The Great Basin Fire Science Exchange works to provide Great Basin land managers with access to fire science information as well as a forum where land managers can identify technical needs in regards to fire, fuels and post fire vegetation management. Eugenie MontBlanc, the Great Basin Fire

Science Exchange Coordinator at the University, will present the update for the Fire Science Exchange Project at the conference.

“There were around 200 people at the conference mainly environmentalists from around the Great Basin,” Stan Johnson, the director of the Great Basin Environmental Program, said.

The Great Basin Environmental Program’s role is to develop funding for projects, related research and outreach education to improve the Great Basin environment. According to Johnson, the organization focuses on agriculture in the Great Basin particularly late season cattle grazing in regards to cheat grass and piñon and juniper pine in the lower lands. Johnson will give the organizational update for the Great Basin Environmental Program at the conference.

Westerner continued from page fourteen

guidelines report detailing plans to “transform the food system.”

“Align nutritional and agricultural policies with Dietary Guidelines recommendations and make broad policy changes to transform the food system so as to promote population health, including the use of economic and taxing policies to encourage the production and consumption of healthy foods and to reduce unhealthy foods,” says the report. As we warned you, they are pushing a “plantbased” diet for health reasons and saying their recommendation to eat less meat will also “maximize environmental sustainability.”

No wonder the First Lady recently said her efforts were bringing about a food “culture change.” Remember, these guidelines, if adopted, will affect all government food assistance programs, including the military and the school lunch program.

Lest we forget, the school lunch program now serves breakfast, lunch and after school meals (the D.C School System recently bragged they had over 10,000 kids in their after school food program).

The report says, “New wellcoordinated policies that include, but are not limited to, agriculture, economics, transportation, energy, water use, and dietary guidance need to be developed.” The report even includes having “trained interventionists” in your community and “electronic tracking and monitoring of the use of screenbased technologies” i.e., computer and tv time.

That’s culture change alright, being rammed, literally, down our throats.

Till next time, be a nuisance to the devil and don’t forget to check your, uh, diet.

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.