LMD October 2020

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

– JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL

October 15, 2020 • www.aaalivestock.com

Volume 62 • No. 8

Hot Meat

an entirely new pathogen, and the meat industry would have its very own Covid crises.

Globalism Is A Double Edged Sword

BY LEE PITTS

I

NEWSPAPER PRIORITY HANDLING

t’s the beef industry’s dirty little secret. In fact, I’d bet most of you don’t know anything about it.

Did you know there are smugglers of illegal beef, or what is known in the illicit trade as “hot meat”, who are attempting to send illegal beef into countries around the world, including the United States? These smugglers are known as “feet” and they walk it across borders, hide it in shipments of consumer goods and sneak it in suitcases that sometime leak potentially deadly juices in airports thereby making it possible for all kinds of diseases to spread around the world within hours.

After the year we’ve had you’d think we’d learn about the dangers of open borders, unlimited access to foreign visitors and of exporting our manufacturing capability to countries around the world. If you haven’t realized it by now, Covid 19 is just one more bad byproduct of globalization. Some day in future the “feet” from the same country that brought us the China Flu are going to introduce a disease into the American beef industry, either purposely or by accident, that will bring us to our knees.

If you thought it was bad during the Mad Cow scare, you haven’t seen anything yet.

Ranchers who have spent their lifetimes, and a good deal of their money, building up their herds with the best genetics in the world will have to stand back and see their animals euthanized and buried in mass graves. Cattle prices will topple when our foreign customers start refusing our beef because we have foot and mouth disease, or an as yet

Life is simpler when you plow around the stump. unknown deadly pathogen. The American domestic beef market will become saturated when we have no where else to sell it.

Our Own Covid Crises Between April 6 and June 6 of this year, just 60 days, customs agents at our busiest western port, the LA/Long Beach Seaport, intercepted 19,555 pounds of prohibited pork, chicken, beef and duck products arriving from China. The meat had never been inspected, was not listed on any ship’s manifest and was smuggled here without any knowledge of the U.S. government. The meat was hidden amongst boxes of headphones, door locks, kitchenware, LCD tablets, trash bags, swim fins and cell phone covers.

According to Jaime Ruiz of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, their agents seized 12 shipments containing a to-

tal of 834 cartons that lacked the required U.S.D.A. entry documentation. The Customs agency also said that in the first five months of fiscal year 2020, the interception of prohibited meats from China at the LA/ Long Beach Seaport had increased 70% compared with the same period the year prior.

Last year U.S. Customs and Border Protection intercepted one large single shipment of illegal pork products from China, a country that is currently affected by African Swine Fever, Classical Swine Fever, Newcastle Disease, Foot and Mouth Disease, highly pathogenic Avian Influenza and Swine Vesicular Disease. And these are just the instances where the smugglers were caught. How much goes undetected is anybody’s guess. All it would take is one “bad” shipment laced with one of the aforementioned diseases, or

Remember life before Covid?

Last January economists predicted a profitable year ahead for cattlemen. Then along came Covid 19 and fat cattle started backing up because packers had reduced their kill. Prices to the rancher fell 20-25% at the same time the boxed beef price doubled. It became obvious to even the most obtuse that the packer had unlimited power. They could name their price for the beef they sold to the retailer because of the beef shortage they created.

Meanwhile economists and college professors were extolling the glory of globalism and the magnificence of exports. Randy Blach of Cattle Fax said,”In 1990, beef exports were a very small percentage of U.S. production, whereas today it’s 19 billion pounds or 18% of total meat exports. Last year’s beef imports were just under 9.25% of the U.S. beef supply.”

Five to ten years ago exports and imports were about equal in value, causing some to suggest we’d be better off just to stop exporting and quit importing and sell only American made beef to the U.S. consumer. But in the age of globalism that proposal was as antiquated as cuff links and Sunday pot continued on page two

A Purple Mountain Travesty in Waves of TaxDodging ‘Conservation’

BY JOHN F. WASIK, REALCLEARINVESTIGATIONS

F

or ecologically minded landowners, land conservation easements have long been a win-win, allowing them to protect sensitive property from development and get a tax break. But in recent years many of them have also become abusive tax dodges, costing the U.S. Treasury billions of dollars.

Here’s how they work: Speculators buy undeveloped land that qualifies for the program.

They then inflate the valuation of the property and sell shares in it to investors lured by the promise of a big deduction after the land is donated for preservation. More than 30,000 Americans have invested in these limited partnerships, many of whom are unaware of the potential tax penalties.

The total amount of deductions claimed by taxpayers using these vehicles over the years is believed to exceed $230 billion, according to documents from the Senate Finance Committee. That total is nearly the amount the federal government annually spends on the combined budgets of the Education, Health and Human Services and Veterans Affairs departments.

The owner of a small San Francisco-area

tech firm told RealClearInvestigations that he was sold $300,000 in easement interests in 2016 and 2017 by an investment adviser. He was “guaranteed” that for every dollar he invested, he would receive $4 in tax write-offs. At the time, though, he was unaware the IRS and U.S. Tax Court were challenging the deductions. After an audit by state and federal tax agents, he was fined $1.4 million in penalties and back taxes.

“I’ve always been conservative about my taxes,” said the man, who insisted on anonymity.

The syndicated easement interests “were an outright scam. Tax authorities audited every aspect of my life, which caused me a great deal of stress and many sleepless nights. I feel cheated.”

The practice has triggered major enforcement actions by the IRS and other agencies.

The IRS created a special task force late last year to crack down on the abuse, which is an extraordinary measure given its shrinking enforcement budget in recent years.

Conservation easements are longstanding and popular tax incentives. Some 56 million acres are “protected” through easements, alcontinued on page four

by LEE PITTS

The Vegan Church

I

saw a classified ad in our local weekly newspaper inviting newcomers to a VIP potluck, VIP standing for Vegetarian Inclined People.

At great personal sacrifice I attended in an undercover capacity. As a disguise I figured I could either go as an old hippie, or a millennial but since I really didn’t fit the millennial demographic, aging hippie it was.

I used an old cap someone had given me as a gag gift eons ago that had a white ponytail sticking out the back. I wore a pair of beat up, old second-hand Birkenstocks I got at the Nifty Thrifty, crumpled cargo shorts exposing my white legs with varicose veins, and a faded Hawaiian shirt. Then I “inserted” myself into the combat zone wearing a wire.

I was greeted warmly by all seven of the VIP’s and I think it was because I was the first “new blood” they’d seen in quite some time.

We met in the basement of a church which was most appropriate. I’d always been taught there were three primary religions in the world, Judaism, Islam and Christianity, well, I think it’s safe to say we can add a fourth: Vegetarianism. Granted, the vegheads don’t sing hymns, pray, or even play bingo but from what I could tell they do believe a very hot Hell is reserved for anyone who eats meat. They believe when good Vegetarians die they go to the big Vegetarian restaurant in the sky and if they don’t backpedal and eat a Big Mac or a Whopper now and then, they could come back as an organic Brussel Sprout... if they’re lucky.

The Vegetarians believe soy is the answer to all the world’s ills and that only through Vegetarianism will the human race become benign and lovely. They are ferocious in these beliefs and send out their missionaries hither and yon to convert everyone to their religion. They especially prey on teenage girls who seem to be especially vulnerable to their wily ways.

I was seated at a table with three other VIP’s and began my investigation.

continued on page four

Page 2

Livestock Market Digest

October 15, 2020

HOT MEAT

continued from page one

roasts. Blach addressed this is- ants moving home,” a customs sue: “Questions surrounding the official told Reuters. In Hong qualitative differences between Kong, Reuters saw people reimports and exports often arise. packaging cases of meat labeled Are we just spinning our wheels “Boi Brasil” and “Cargill”. What and importing what’s being ex- custom officials found churned ported?” He thinks not. even Chinese stomachs, rotting, Blach sees our beef exports expired beef, originally from Ingrowing to as much as 150 bil- dia, that had been smuggled in lion pounds by 2040, or 50 bil- small batches from Vietnam. lion more than this year. But the “The scale of the smuggling,” more we depend on exports and reported Reuters, “has infuriimports the more we expose ated legitimate exporters from ourselves to other things like countries such as Australia, who anthrax, sheep pox, pseudor- say black market meat is 30-60 abies, African horse sickness, percent cheaper due to high imsalmonella, e Coli, foot and port duties, while the methods mouth disease, ebola, countless now being used raise consumer unknown pathogens and viruses, health concerns. Authorities in not to mention monkey meat, Beijing found heavy traces of kangaroo burgers, duck blood, the coronavirus in the meat and jellyfish, seaweed, Peking Duck seafood sections of the Xinfadi and anteater and turtle legs. market, a large wholesale food market in Beijing, after an outZombie Meat break there in June.”

If you want to see what happens when a devastating disease The Globalism Virus takes down an entire segment of In the age of globalism when the meat industry look no fur- pigs die like flies in China it can ther than China, the world’s top send ripples across the entire meat importer. Recently they’ve globe. By the very definition of been bringing in huge volumes globalism, one country benefits of meat to feed the 1.44 billion only at the expense of another protein-hungry Chinese. Not country. Take Germany for exonly are they dealing with an ample. A year ago they were a exploding population, they have top source of imported pork been dealing for two years with for China and German pork a meat shortage caused by an producers had increasingly beoutbreak of African Swine Fe- come dependent on them. Last ver that spread in China faster year, Germany exported nearly than Covid in a convalescent 40% of its pork production. But hospital. when a wild boar with African African Swine Fever is a Swine Fever was found near highly contagious virus affect- Germany’s border with Poland For more than 100 years, Farm Credit of New Mexico has been farmer ing pigs than can be spread by on September 10, the German direct or indirect contact. It is pork industry came crashing and rancher owned. Over that time, we’ve helped countless family extremely hardy and can even down. Even though most of businesses prosper and grow. Unlike other financial institutions, survive in frozen pork. The mor- Germany’s domestic pig poputality rate of the virus in swine lation was far from the wild boar, we’re not a bank. We’re member-driven. What can we do for you? is extremely high and there is and no German domestic hogs no vaccine. Only animals in the had contracted the disease, the pig family can contract African world shut its doors to German Swine Fever so it doesn’t affect pork. farmcreditnm.com humans, yet it has wiped out It was a death blow to Ger1-800-451-5997 swine herds all across China many’s hog industry, which was and other southeastern Asian the largest pork producer in the countries. Its presence in Chi- European Union. Now the E.U. na is extremely critical because is drowning in pork. Certainly China both produces and con- the German consumer benesumes nearly half of the world’s fits because of fire-sale prices pork. but the German pork industry When African Swine Fever is devastated just as the British hit China it caused an imme- beef Industry was crippled with For advertising, subscription and diate shortage of domestically Mad Cow Disease. editorial inquiries write or call: produced pork and pork prices The spread of zoonotic disskyrocketed as China turned eases through global trade is Livestock Market Digest to other countries to secure not a just an overnight phenomP.O. Box 7458 supplies. From 2019 to 2020, enon. Twenty years ago illegal Albuquerque, N.M. 87194 China’s pork imports more than monkey meat caused an ebola doubled and the shortage of scare at Heathrow airport. BritTelephone: 505/243-9515 Fax: 505/349-3060 protein has caused meat smug- ish customs officials said they www.aaalivestock.com gling to thrive. found the carcasses of 15 dead Livestock Market Digest (1SSN 0024-5208) (USPS NO. 712320) is published According to Reuters the monkeys found in a shipment smugglers started out using of fruit and vegetables, which monthly except semi-monthly in September EDITORIAL and trucks to smuggle in high-qual- also contained an anteater and ADVERTISING STAFF: in Albuquerque, N.M. 87104 by Livestock Market Digest, Inc. ity beef from Japan and New tortoise legs. The monkeys had CAREN COWAN.....Publisher Periodicals Postage Paid at Albuquerque, N.M. Zealand. “Seizures of smug- originally come from a flight gled meat have jumped close from Cameroon that touched LEE PITTS. . ..............Executive Editor POSTMASTER-Send change of address to: to threefold this year alone. In down in Geneva and were CHUCK STOCKS.....Publisher Emeritus Livestock Market Digest, P.O. Box 7458, Albuquerque, N.M. 87194 June Chinese authorities seized then transferred on to a Swis100,000 tons of smuggled fro- sair plane to London. Those 15 RANDY SUMMERS.. Sales Rep zen meat. It’s easy to under- dead monkeys took a potentialstand why, the meat smug- ly deadly trip around the world FALL MARKETING EDITION AD SALES: glers can make $30-50 per trip. in less than 24 hours.

RANDY SUMMERS, 505/850-8544 That’s a lot of money in China Although customs officials so it naturally attracted an even were primarily concerned with email: rjsauctioneer@aol.com lower form of smuggler and ebola, one of the deadliest and the quality of their goods de- most contagious viruses known FIELD EDITOR: NAME creased dramatically. So now to man that kills nearly all its DELVIN HELDERMON, 580/622-5754 the Chinese authorities are see- victims, another danger from 1094 Koller Rd, Sulpher, OK ing smuggled bushmeat such illegal meats is the Nipah virus, as monkey, elephant, anteater, which affects and kills both pigs ADDRESS ADMINISTRATIVE and antelope, rat and what they call and humans, who die in agony PRODUCTION STAFF: “Zombie Meat”. This Zombie within 48 hours. It should be Meat can be up to 40 years old! also noted that eColi 0157 was JESSICA DECKER...Special Assistance That’s not a misprint. “Customs unknown in the UK until the CITY STATE ZIP KRISTY HINDS.........Graphic Designer officials and police told Reu- mid 1980’s and is suspected of ters the oldest meat found this entering Britain through illegal My check is enclosed for: One Year: $25.00 Two Years: $35 year had been 4-5 years old, but hot meat imports.

Single copy: $10.00 said chicken feet dating back to 1967 had been seized in 2013.”

Clip & mail to: Livestock Market Digest, P.O. Box 7458, Albuquerque, N.M. 87194 “People are bringing meat continued on page three over one box at a time, just like

Tad Menefee

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October 15, 2020

Livestock Market Digest

Page 3

HOT MEAT will be required for all beef and This facility will replace the dairy cattle and bison moving Plum Island Animal Disease Why all this talk about pigs in a cow newspaper, you might interstate. And what rancher is Center that is currently a long ask? Because all you have to going to limit the buying power way from cattle country. It’s do is change the disease and for his calves to only those buy- closer to Manhattan, New York, change the species and we could ers in his own state? So a high than it is Manhattan, Kansas. be talking about the American percentage will apply the new But where does the USDA put cattle business as we become electronic ear tags because ac- the new facility? Right smack more and more dependent on cording to the USDA, “By 2023, dab in the heart of America’s exports.

American health of- only RFID tags will be con- cattle feeding industry.

The USDA brags that the ficials know this, even if the sidered official identification.”

And because a premises identinew National Bio and Agro-Degeneral public does not. That’s why USDA is currently cram- fication number will be required fense Facility places it within ming mandatory animal disease to purchase official ID tags the Kansas City Animal Health traceability down the livestock the huge data base that many Corridor, “the largest concenranchers feared will become a tration of animal health compaindustry’s throat.

The USDA recently mandat- reality. And all this because of nies in the world. The NBAF ed the transition to RFID tags the health problems that global- will be constructed and operated,” says the USDA, “on a se(electronic ear tags) and put its ism makes possible.

At the same time the USDA cure federally owned site on the implementation on a fast track. is working with Homeland Senortheast corner of the Kansas

By January 1, 2021 the USDA curity to bring online a new State University campus, adjawill no longer approve of, or produce metal ear tags, and by National Bio and Agro-Defense cent to KSU’s Biosecurity ReJanuary 1, 2023, RFID ear tags Facility in Manhattan, Kansas. search Institute in Pat Roberts

All It Takes Is One

continued from page one

Hall.” And therein lies the real reason for its placement. Pat Roberts has served as the senior Senator from Kansas since 1997 and he’s been the best friend monopolistic, foreign owned meat packers ever had.

According to the World Health Organization, 75 percent of new and emerging infectious diseases are animal diseases which may be transmitted from animals to humans. The new NBAF will be the nation’s repository for pathogens that do not currently have vaccines or treatments. All it would take is one highly placed bad or mad employee or one terrorist with a bomb and the new “biocontainment” facility could disperse a virus or other dangerous pathogen in nearly every major feedlot in the country within days. Im-

WHAT IS THE BEST ADVERTISING VALUE IN WESTERN LIVESTOCK INDUSTRY? DON’T MISS YOUR CHANCE! FOR DETAILS, SEE PAGE 8

possible you say? Tell me, what was the origin of the Covid 19 virus, wasn’t it a Chinese lab in Wuhan?

Jayson Lusk, Purdue University, says that 15 of the largest pork processing plants and the ten largest beef packing plants process about 60% of all the pork and beef in the United States. All it would take would be one leaked pathogen, one sick deboner or one tainted package of illegal hot meat snuck in under the noses of the already overworked and woefully underfunded customs and USDA inspectors and our goose would be cooked. Or our beef industry would.

And if COVID 19 has taught us anything, it’s that thanks to globalism it could happen at any time and without any notice.

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Livestock Market Digest

PURPLE MOUNTAIN TRAVESTY

Pickin’ a President An election and its potential impact

A

n important exercise in democracy will take place in November: A Presidential election that has important ramifications for grazing allotment owners, rural landowners and communities across the West. To understand why, let’s take a look at some of the things that have occurred in the last four years.

The Congressional Review Act (CRA) was passed in 1996 and signed into law by Bill Clinton. The law empowers Congress to continued on page six

RIDING HERD

continued from page one

“I’m sorta confused, about this eat anything with a face.”

Vegetarian thing,” I admitted.

“And yet I do see you eating “You have your pescatarians, things with heads, like lettuce your flexitarians, your vegans, and cabbage,” I countered. etc. What does it all mean?”

“I’m a LEVEL FIVE Veg“Think of Vegetarianism as etarian, a true believer,” said a religion,” said the VIP who’d the chef who’d brought the brought the rice balls drizzled carrot sticks and celery spears. in soy sauce to the potluck. “In “I am A VEGAN,” she said Christianity you have Cath- with a snobbishness that made olics, Methodists, Baptists, the others uncomfortable. “I etc. Well, Vegetarianism is the don’t even eat animal cracksame. There are five different ers or anything that ever cast levels. The lowest form of Veg- a shadow.” etariansm are the Flexitarians “Celery and carrots are cawho enjoy a piece of bacon or pable of casting a shadow,” I a Filet Mignon now and again.” said. “The only thing I can I’m a Pescatarian,” piped think of that doesn’t cast a up a young lady with purple shadow is a ghost and you’d hair, tattooed face, and a nose starve to death eating appariring who had contributed To- tions. And what do you say to furkey Tetrazinni to the meal. those who say that vegetarian “A Pescatarian doesn’t eat the is just another name for “lousy flesh of a living organism but hunter?” we do eat fish because fish feel “Very funny,” said the born no pain.” again VIP who never smiled.

Another diner who’d I sensed the other VIP’s brought the tomatoes stuffed were beginning to catch on to with zucchini and baked pears my true identity and that maysaid, “I don’t eat anything that be I was a second hand Vegeever flew or swam.” tarian: one who eats cows after “Cows and pigs don’t fly or they eat grass. Then absentswim, at least very well,” I said, mindedly I took off my cap to “yet you don’t eat them.” scratch my head, the pony tail “I’m gonna make it real easy went with it and my cover was for you,” said another VIP who blown completely. was trying to give me a true taste of their religion. “I don’t www.LeePittsbooks.com

October 15, 2020

continued from page one

though the total has included conservation easement syndi- conservation easements in questionable donations for cator EcoVest, the U.S. De- the U.S. To put the easement farms, resorts, and golf cours- partment of Justice alleged number in perspective, if you es -- including Trump Nation- that the company and others subtracted the more than 45 al Golf Club Los Angeles. An selling the easement packag- million acres of national park expanded write-off for these es were not telling the truth land in Alaska alone, the comeasements was added to the about the true taxable value bined acreage of private conU.S. tax code nearly 40 years of the investments, causing servation easements easily exago. clients to take “improper and ceeds park service holdings in Tax experts believe most of grossly overvalued federal tax the lower 48 states. these lands, especially those deductions.”

Again, although easement held directly by private indiEcoVest denied wrongdo- deductions – when done viduals, are appraised fairly. ing and defended its practic- properly – are legal, the synThey also say that the chari- es. Robert McCullough, the dicated bundles that package ties that receive properties are firm’s chief financial officer, overly generous write-offs not involved in appraising the told Bloomberg Tax that it for other investors flaunt the land or confirming the stated has worked with broker-deal- tax code. The IRS calls them value. ers and financial advisers “listed transactions,” which “Most conservation ease- “who know that the DOJ al- marks them as tax-avoidance ments are done for legitimate legations are false, and so schemes that can target taxpurposes,” says Lori Faeth, EcoVest’s business has con- payers for audits and enforcespokesperson for the Land tinued.” When the company ment actions.

Trust Alliance, which rep- was first marketing the easeThese vehicles are now resents conservation groups ment vehicles, it even provid- among the 10-most litigatthat employ environmental ed spreadsheets for investors ed tax schemes. “There’s no easements. “The vast majority to determine how much they reason a financial adviser of them are done for the right would receive in tax benefits. should’ve sold these vehicles,” reasons. There are relatively EcoVest did not respond to says attorney Kons. “They put small number of bad actors, RCI’s request for a comment. their clients in harm’s way. I although the abuses are stunThe easement packages are think the strongest liability ning.” sold as interests in complex, cases are those where the inIt’s the syndicated, heavily pass-through entities such as vestment was after October promoted packaged vehicles limited partnerships with the 30, 2016.” that employ outrageously ex- promise of large write-offs Yet with a generous tax cessive land valuations – and that offer up to nine times the break that Congress has exresulting write-offs – that initial investment. Although panded over the years for have triggered investigations some 60 brokers of these practicing environmental virand lawsuits. partnerships have warned tue comes attendant abuses.

“Syndicated conservation investors that the IRS views An IRS crackdown has resulteasements are like a land them unfavorably, they have ed in a relatively small number mine in an investor’s port- sold them anyway. It’s highly of cases. The agency also has folio,” said Joshua Kons, a suspect that any legitimate in- taken hundreds of investors Hartford, Conn.-based lawyer vestment will double your re- to tax court, recently reaching representing investors nation- turn quickly, so the promised a settlement forcing them to wide stung by the broker-sold performance of syndicated pay penalties and back taxes. easement investments. The easements has raised hackles The easement promotions harm occurs “because once an among under-resourced regu- even made the IRS’s list of audit is triggered, the finan- lators for years. most egregious tax scams in cial damage to the investor is A 2017 Brookings Institu- 2019, joining its “Dirty Dozfar greater than the amount of tion study observed: “This ob- en.” But due to cuts in the the initial investment itself.” scure tax provision has proved agency’s funding in past deKons estimates that thou- difficult to enforce. Some cades, the IRS was unable sands of investors who bought donors abuse the provision to keep up with tracking and the packages may owe “tens by applying grossly inflated shutting down the scams. of billions” in unpaid taxes appraisals [of their property] The agency’s budget is at and penalties. to the value of the easement a 40-year low with audit rates “The investors may not even to increase their charitable at 0.45% of all returns, down get final notice [from the IRS] deduction or by taking dona- from 0.59% in 2019. Its workof the disallowance until lat- tions for their easement that force is some 78,000 employer in time,” well after an au- do not fulfill bona fide conser- ees, down 30,000 workers dit begins, Kons added. “The vation purposes.” since fiscal year 2010. While tax matters partners” – that Combining conservation the IRS has been slowly autois, packagers of the easement and outsized tax write-offs, mating its operations, it has vehicles – “usually say, `We are however, proved to be a fewer auditors now than it did being audited, but don’t wor- powerful marketing formula: in 1953. ry, we disagree and will fight When brokers started to proIn its easements report, the it.’” mote easement vehicles that Senate Finance Committee The easement abuses have syndicated the deductions, urged “Congress, the IRS and also attracted the attention the amount of write-offs di- the Treasury Department to of Congress. A recent report verting income from the U.S. take further action to preserve by the Senate Committee on Treasury tripled from about the integrity of the conservaFinance found that they “in- $1 billion to $3 billion from tion-easement tax deduction.” volve land valuations that ap- 2012 to 2014 alone, accord- One law curtailing the abuses pear so inflated above their ing to IRS figures. The current has been proposed, although original purchase prices that amount of questionable ease- it’s not known whether Conthey cannot reasonably be ment deductions is believed gress will take it up this year. characterized as anything oth- to be at least 10 times that Sen. Grassley added: “The er than abusive tax shelters.” number, noted the Land Trust American tax system relies In a rare, bipartisan agree- Alliance. on fairness and good faith ment, Republican commitBrokers and other sellers compliance. This isn’t a partee Chairman Chuck Grass- also profited handsomely tisan issue. Serious, fair enley and ranking Democratic from selling the syndicated ve- forcement of our tax laws is member Ron Wyden joined hicles: One investor offering the best way to preserve that forces. “This is part of a larger noted compensation (expens- system and uphold our underpattern of wealthy tax cheats es and fees) to selling firms of standing that the law applies ripping off the American peo- 6.5%, which is highly profit- equally to all of us.” ple because they know they able. In contrast, you can buy can get away with it after a tax-free, exchange-traded years of cuts to the IRS bud- fund and pay as little as 0.07% get,” said Wyden. annually for annual expenses, More than 20 companies often paying little or no comthat sell the easement vehi- mission. The national marketcles were being probed in ing network of these vehicles the Senate report and by the involved more than 1,500 acIRS, requiring review of hun- countants, attorneys, financial dreds of thousands of pages of advisers, real estate brokers documents. In a lawsuit filed and appraisers and wealth earlier this year against one managers. of them, the Atlanta-based There are nearly 170,000

October 15, 2020

Midyear Power of Meat Meat Retail Sales Up 34 Percent During Pandemic

BY JULIE LARSON BRICHER / MEATINGPLACE.COM

S

ales of meat have increased an unprecedented 34 percent during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new data released in a Midyear Power of Meat 2020 survey.

The new survey analysis, released by FMI –The Food Industry Association and the Foundation for Meat and Poultry Research and Education, the foundation of the North American Meat Institute (NAMI), also revealed several changes in consumer meat purchasing behavior in the supermarket brought on by the pandemic.

The midyear survey found that meat and poultry sales grew 34.6 percent amid the pandemic driven by more buyers and trips and greater spending per trip/buyer. Between March 15 and July 26, the meat department sold an additional $7.9 billion and 1.4 billion pounds as compared to a year ago.

Nearly half (48 percent) of shoppers bought more meat to support the greater number of at-home meal occasions, according to the report, while beef generated 61 percent of new fresh meat dollars, with ground beef driving sales.

“Meat department sales almost doubled in the first week of the pandemic, compared to the same week in 2019,” said Rick Stein, FMI vice president, fresh food, in a press release. “We witnessed that consumers did not discriminate over the type of meat, as beef, chicken, pork, fresh, frozen, or processed were all loaded into shopping carts week after week.”

The survey found that as a result of the pandemic 75 percent of consumers made changes in their meat purchasing behavior with at least half buying different brands (58 percent), cuts (51 percent) or types (50 percent) of meat. Out-of-stocks were the primary reason for doing so, the survey found, with shoppers also diverting dollars to frozen meat (33 percent), seafood (27 percent), different retailers (27 percent) or other proteins, such as beans/eggs (25 percent) or meat alternatives (11 percent).

Additionally, during the pandemic, consumers are now cooking more meals and need more variety (50 percent), cooking new recipes (37 percent) and experimenting with different cuts/kinds of meat (34 percent).

Other Top 10 takeaways identified by FMI and NAMI from the updated survey include:

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Home-cooked dinners with meat jumped to 4.6 times per week, with 76 percent of shoppers reporting that meals with meat and poultry are the norm.

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Flexitarians’ concerns about animal welfare, health and sustainability increased to 16 percent, up from 12 percent pre-pandemic.

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Nearly two-thirds of consumers say their meat IQ has improved as they intentionally or unintentionally bought differently. The pandemic-driven changes in purchases have resulted in 63 percent of shoppers considering themselves more knowledgeable about meat.

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Supermarkets (53 percent) and online sellers (3.2 percent) gained in channel share and dollar sales, according to the survey findings. Around 38 percent of shoppers have ordered meat online during the pandemic, up from 19 percent before the outbreak.

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Claims-based meat sales grew 32 percent amid COVID-19, but 31 percent of shoppers said they bought it due to out-of-stocks of planned purchases. Even so, 75 percent of these shoppers plan to continue to buy at least some claims-based meat. Value-added meat sales increased 29.2 percent during the pandemic, with 63 percent buying them as often or more.

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Surveyed consumers indicated that value has become more important given meat inflation and mounting economic pressure: 46 percent changed cuts to save money, 32 percent say price per pound has a bigger influence on what and how much they buy, but 44 percent are seeing fewer promotions.

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Many consumers feel the meat industry did a good job keeping the supply moving amid the pandemic (51 percent), ensuring employee safety (42 percent) and maintaining food safety (42 percent).

“The Midyear Power of Meat has again proven the value of meat and poultry to retailers, but most importantly, to consumers,” said Julie Anna Potts, NAMI president and CEO. “The survey affirms that meat and poultry remains the food consumers want when times are good and when faced with a crisis. Consumers want the comfort and nutrition that meat provides.”

The Midyear Power of Meat 2020 was conducted by 210 Analytics and was made possible by CRYOVAC Brand Food Packaging, part of Sealed Air Corp.

For more information about how to obtain the full report, visit www.meatconference. com/Midyear_Power_of_Meat_Webinar

Livestock Market Digest

Page 5

Farm Bureau Report Examines Cattle Market Volatility, Policy Changes

BY TOM JOHNSTON / MEATINGPLACE.COM

T

he American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) has released a report that examines cattle market volatility highlighted by the Tyson Holcomb, Kansas, slaughterhouse fire and the COVID-19 pandemic, and explores policy changes at the state and county levels of the organization for 2021.

The report is the result of two months of research by AFBF’s Cattle Market Working Group, comprised of 10 state farm bureau presidents.

The effort involved input and consultation from government and university experts, among others.

“Our cattle producers suffered a one-two punch with the fallout from the Holcomb fire and the COVID-19 pandemic,” AFBF President Zippy Duvall said in a news release. “The prices families were paying at the grocery store went up, but the prices paid to farmers dropped through the floor. That’s not fair to consumers or producers. We must work toward a more stable, resilient food supply chain that can better endure unforeseen challenges so we can keep America’s pantry stocked while ensuring farmers are paid a fair price for their products.”

That same “one-two punch” is the subject of an ongoing USDA investigation into potential anticompetitive practices.

Key topics of the AFBF report include:

Mandatory minimum negotiated trade

■■

The

working

group

discussed

When Pigs Eat Ribeye…

BY JULIE LARSON BRICHER, MEATINGPLACE.COM

F

eeding pigs ribeye might seem like a strange way to study meat protein quality but a new study from the University of Illinois suggests that it’s a better way to closely model nutrient digestibility in humans.

Study co-author Hans Stein noted that the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) digestible indispensable amino acid score (DIAAS) index used to assess protein quality in foods relies on pigs as the preferred model for humans when evaluating proteins. “[FAO] also recommended human foods should be evaluated exactly the same way as we evaluate feed ingredients for pigs,” says Stein, professor

“trig-

■■

gered”-style mandatory minimum pricing that is set on a region-by-region basis.

Various and fluctuating levels would be determined regionally, including input from state Farm Bureau members.

Risk management and education

■■

■■

The working group is interested in AFBF working with the Chicago Mercantile Exchange to better address concerns from smaller producers.

Existing risk management tools, such as Livestock Risk Protection crop insurance, could be adjusted to be more affordable for smaller producers.

Small capacity meat packing

■■

■■

The working group discussed policy solutions that would allow smaller packing facilities to play a larger role in the food supply chain.

Create incentives for smaller packing plants to become federally inspected.

GIPSA

■■

Farm Bureau supports strengthening the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration’s ability to enforce market rules.

To read the full report, visit www.fb.org/files/AFBF_Cattle_Market_ Working_Group_Final_Report.pdf

in the Department of Animal Sciences and the Division of Nutritional Sciences at Illinois.

And, since cooking and processing can affect proteins, Stein said, it was important to feed the pigs the same form of meats that humans consume.

“We did feed ribeye steaks to the pigs,” Stein said of the first-ever study to evaluate amino acid digestibility of cooked and processed meat products.

“They loved it.”

The research showed that several meat products scored above 100 on the DIAAS chart, which means that their amino acids are highly digestible and complement lower-quality proteins.

Nine pigs were fed each of nine meat products for a week: salami, bologna, beef jerky, raw ground beef, cooked ground beef, and ribeye roast cooked medium-rare, medium and well-done. Researchers collected material from the small intestine, and calculated amino acid digestibility and DIAAS

scores for various human age groups.

For all the meat products and age groups, the scientists reported, DIAAS values were generally greater than 100 regardless of processing, although scores tended to be higher when calculated for older children, adolescents, and adults than for children under three years old.

The results also showed bologna and medium-cooked ribeye steak offered the highest DIAAS values in the study for the older children, adolescents and adults age groups. That bologna, a highly processed, low-cost meat product, offers high-quality protein could come as welcome news for lower-income families, the study suggested.

Read the abstract online in the British Journal of Nutrition www.cambridge.org/ core/journals/british-journal-of-nutrition/ article/most-meat-products-have-digestible-indispensable-amino-acid-scoresthat-are-greater-than-100-but-processingmay-increase-or-reduce-protein-quality/8957869BC05B63D10AA8800B8E6E6C79

Page 6

Livestock Market Digest

WESTERNER

continued from page four

review new federal regulations issued by government agencies and, by passing a joint resolution, to overrule the regulation. Once a rule is repealed, the CRA also prohibits the reissuing of the rule in substantially the same form or the issuing of a new rule that is substantially the same. In the first few months of the Trump Administration Congress passed thirteen joint resolutions overturning recent Obama regulations. Those of most interest to us were: One that overturned BLM planning regulations, one that overturned the department of Interior’s stream protection rule, and one that overturned restrictions on hunting in certain wildlife refuges. The overturning of the BLM planning regulations was a big win for state and local governments, who were being pushed aside by BLM. President Trump signed various Executive Orders that benefitted ag producers and rural landowners. Trump signed an Executive Order directing a review of the “Waters of the United States” rule.

The review should be conducted, says the E.O., “showing due regard for the roles of the Congress and the States under the Constitution.” The key here, of course, is how you define “Navigable Waters”, and the President was pretty specific, saying it should be defined “in a manner consistent with the opinion of Justice Antonin Scalia in Rapanos v.

United States.” There was also an E.O. on energy independence and growth that

affected President Obama’s “Clean Pow- protects the species in question, the land ses. According to CEQ officials, CEQ er Plan” and that revoked seven Obama- will always be excluded from critical hab- rarely collects data on projected or esera orders and administrative actions on itat designation; and 5) considering local timated costs related to complying with Climate Change. governments and stakeholders as experts. NEPA.” All of the above occurred in the early On July 16 of this year the Trump Some agencies keep better records. days of the Trump administration, and Administration published a final rule The Dept. of Energy found in 2013 the many action items have been pursued in to modernize the implementation of average cost of an EIS for them was $2.4 the intervening time frame. More recent- the National Environmental Policy Act million and the average cost for an EA ly, under the authority of the E.O. on the (NEPA). The new rule sets a two-year was $301,000. The GAO also reported Waters of the United States and the E.O. limit for agencies to issue environmen- “that the 197 final EISs in 2012 had an on Regulatory Reform, there have been tal impact statements, sets page limits average preparation time of 1,675 days, proposals such as the following: for environmental impact statements or 4.6 years.”

The Trump Administration has issued and environmental assessments, requires Who knows what those numbers are a new “Waters of the United State” rule, senior agency officials to oversee NEPA today, but for sure it is a colossal waste of now referred to as the Navigable Waters compliance, and allows applicants and time and money. Anyway, how can you Protection Rule. The new rule provides a contractors a greater role in prepar- do a cost/benefit analysis if you don’t narrower definition of those waters sub- ing environmental impact statements. know the cost? They have kept that hidject to federal control, including specific I must add here that NEPA, as pre- den from us. However, the time and size exclusions for such as ephemeral features viously interpreted by the agencies and requirements and limitations imposed as ditches and farm ponds. The new rule courts, has been one of the most waste- by the new rule will certainly have an imwent into effect on June 22 of this year. ful environmental laws on the books and pact on costs.

As recently as September 8, the U.S. the most litigated environmental law in Taken as a whole, the direction in Fish & Wildlife Service published draft U.S. history. policy is clear: less federal control over new rules on designating critical habitat Can the feds tell us how many NEPA land, water and the economy. Now ask for endangered species. According to an documents are prepared each year? No. yourself, what direction would have been analysis distributed by the Falen Law According to a 2014 Government Ac- taken if Trump’s opponent in 2016 had Offices, LLC, the proposal would bring countability Office (GAO) report, “Gov- been elected? What will the direction be about five positive results by: 1) allowing ernmentwide data on the number and if Trump’s opponent in 2020 is elected? I federal lands to be excluded from critical type of most NEPA analyses are not think you know the answers. habitat designations 2) clearly defining readily available, as data collection efUntil next time, be a nuisance to the when the agency must provide an exclu- forts vary by agency.” devil and don’t forget to check that cinch. sion analysis 3) allowing the agency to Can they tell us the cost of complying Frank DuBois was the NM Secretary of Agriculture from consider more than just the economic with NEPA? No. As the GAO explains, 1988 to 2003, is the author of a blog: The Westerner consequences of listing 4) providing that “In general, we found that the agencies (www.thewesterner.blogspot.com) and is the founder of when a grazing allotment owner is prop- we reviewed do not routinely track data The DuBois Rodeo Scholarship and The DuBois Western erly executing a conservation plan that on the cost of completing NEPA analy- Heritage Foundation

Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine Achieves Historic Milestone

BY GEORGE WATSON

A

fter carefully considering the Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine’s detailed plan to meet the Standards of Accreditation, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Council on Education (COE) has issued the school a Letter of Reasonable Assurance. This historic milestone allows the school to begin the application process to admit its inaugural class. With this achievement, the school remains on track, on time and on budget.

The School can now begin the admission process. Orientation for the inaugural class of veterinary students begins in early August of 2021.

The School of Veterinary Medicine has developed and

October 15, 2020

will now implement its strategic plan to address the veterinary service and educational needs of rural and regional communities across Texas. This multipronged strategy begins with targeted recruitment and a mission-focused admissions process. The school will begin with an inaugural class of approximately 60 students in fall 2021.

Reasonable assurance simply means that if the school follows its detailed plan, the AVMA-COE has reasonable assurance it will meet the Standards of Accreditation. The AVMA-COE grants the school the status of Provisional Accreditation on the date the school sends out letters of acceptance to its first class, which means the students who matriculate into the program do so into an

accredited School of Veterinary The AVMA-COE confirmed the Medicine. Once the inaugural likelihood of the school meeting class takes the national licensing the Standards of Accreditation exam in its final year, the status if it follows its plan, and subof Accredited will be granted sequently issued the Letter of as long as the school effectively Reasonable Assurance. demonstrates it is meeting the Texas Tech initiated plans to Standards of Accreditation. develop a veterinary medical This summer, a specially educational program in 1971. trained investigative team from After decades of false starts, the AVMA-COE conducted an a concerted and communiin-depth, fact-finding site vis- ty-based approach began in earit to the School of Veterinary nest in 2014 and was publicly Medicine to assess Texas Tech’s announced in 2015. Toward this detailed plan, its ability to ex- effort, $90 million was raised ecute that plan and the likeli- from more than 30 individuals, hood of that plan meeting the foundations and the Amarillo Standards of Accreditation in Economic Development Cororder to ensure the delivery of poration for the school’s infraa quality veterinary education. structure. Then, in 2019, the The full AVMA-COE then re- Texas legislature appropriated, viewed the School of Veterinary and Gov. Greg Abbott signed Medicine’s detailed plans and into law the biennial state budthe investigative team’s report. get, giving Texas Tech $17.4 mil-

R-CALF Files New Lawsuit Over Beef Checkoff Program

trict Court for the District of Montana ruled against R-CALF, finding that the funds state beef councils receive by way of the checkoff are not paying for “private speech” after USDA had struck agreements with state checkoffs that addressed the concerns raised in the plaintiffs’ lawsuit. R-CALF is appealing that ruling.

Meanwhile, the new lawsuit further challenges those agreements, or memBY TOM JOHNSTON orandums of understanding (MOU), alleging USDA rendependent cattle- configured the legal and regumen group R-CALF latory framework in which the USA has filed a new state beef councils have been lawsuit over USDA’s operating without initiating amendments to the operation a public rulemaking process of the federal Beef Checkoff and allowing for public comprogram. ment.

The complaint, filed in the The new lawsuit asks the U.S. District Court for the federal district court in WashDistrict of Columbia, comes ington, D.C., to declare the as R-CALF continues a simi- MOUs unlawful, and that lar case first filed in Montana, USDA entered into in its challenging the use of check- effort to avoid a court order off funds by private state providing R-CALF the combeef councils to fund speech plete relief it sought in its iniit argues helps beef packers tial lawsuit now under appeal while harming independent, at the Ninth Circuit Court of domestic cattle producers.

Appeals.

In March, the U.S. Dis-

I

lion begin the steps necessary to start the program. Texas Tech has delivered on its charge.

“Future veterinarians throughout Texas officially have another opportunity to pursue their dreams within the borders of our state,” said Lawrence Schovanec, Texas Tech president. “When we announced our pursuit of the School of Veterinary Medicine in 2015, we knew the model we were presenting would be a great benefit to our great state’s future, and so many people, communities, and community and state leaders believed in what we were doing.”

Since ground was broken on the facility in Amarillo more than a year ago, construction of the Amarillo Campus and Mariposa Station facilities has progressed on schedule. The state-of-the-art facilities have been designed hand in hand with development of the curriculum. Texas Tech has developed a team of approximately 30 outstanding faculty and staff members and is in the process of adding additional faculty and staff to its growing team.

The 185,000-square-foot, two-story Amarillo Campus consists of two wings. The East Wing includes classrooms, student support services and breakout rooms, and faculty and staff offices. The West Wing includes teaching laboratories on the ground floor and advanced research laboratories on the second floor. The two wings are connected by a lobby that serves as the entry to the building and a place for those at the school to gather and hold events. Mariposa Station is designed to support the instructional and research needs related to farm animals.

October 15, 2020

Livestock Market Digest

Page 7

REAL ESTATE GUIDE

www.scottlandcompany.com

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

RANCH & FARM REAL ESTATE

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

■ NORTHEASTERN NM – 9,330 total acres +/- (6,290 deeded acres +/-, 2,400 +/- Kiowa National Grassland & 600 +/- New Mexico State Lease), nice home w/beautiful landscaping & state-of-the-art livestock barn w/vet room, cattle & horse pens, large, virtually new set of steel pens w/hydraulic chute, lead-up alley & tub, loading/ unloading chute w/lead-up alley & tub, on pvmt. & all weather roads.

Addtl. 14,000 ac +/- may be available for more acreage if desired.

■ HIGHLINE SPECIAL RANCH, UNION COUNTY, NM – large electrical transmission line runs through the ranch – wind lease being negotiated, 3,449 +/- deeded plus 160 acres State Lease, good July 15, acres 2019 house and pens, good fences, well-watered, located in close proximity to the Elk Canyon Ranch.

■ ELK CANYON RANCH – Harding County, NM. Another “hunter’s paradise” listed by Scott Land Company, LLC along w/the Elk Ridge Ranch, great opportunity for livestock/hunting/recreation, 2,240 ac. +/-, well watered w/good fences. Located just west of the West Hayden Ranch.

■ VALENCIA SPRINGS RANCH/GUADALUPE CO., NM – 15,583.87 +/- deeded acres, 1,640 NM State Lease, 120 BLM, 837 Private Lease, beautiful new home plus ranch manager’s home, good pens, water and fences.

■ GUADALUPE/QUAY CO., NM - CAN BE DIVIDED! BLANCA CREEK RANCH – Quay/Guadalupe Cos., NM – 10,191.44 Deeded ac. + 1,640 State ac. – Well improved ranch with excellent access.

Level to gently rolling with some arroyos. Located along I40 between Albuquerque, NM and Amarillo, TX. A beautiful, new, custom built home is situated at the headquarters along with a well-built 150 X 115 shop (80 x 150 enclosed and heated), outdoor arena, horse barns, pens & other improvements. The ranch is well watered and has very good to excellent fence. GUADALUPE CO. PORTION IN CONTRACT.

Bar M Real Estate

TEXAS & OKLA. FARMS & RANCHES 208 ACRES, 39 MILES OUT OF DALLAS – High traffic count, long frontage on U.S. Highway ready for a developer. $14,000 per acre, 25 acre $700. Ready to develop.

230 ACRE GAME & RETREAT that is a dream. Lakes, woods, meadows, game galore, 35 miles out of Dallas, Kaufman County.

133 ACRES – 24 Miles out of Dallas, ready to develop. $13,000 per acre 313 ACRES NORTH OF DALLAS ON MAJOR HIGHWAYS 121 & 69 – Nice horse barn with living quarters. $11,500

521 West Second St. • Portales, NM 88130

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

COLETTA RAY

Pioneer Realty 1304 Pile Street, Clovis, NM 88101

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

Livestock Market Digest

521 West Second St. • Portales, NM 88130

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

Bar M Real Estate

Buena Vista Realty

SOCORRO PLAZA REALTY On the Plaza

Donald Brown

Qualifying Broker

505-507-2915 cell 505-838-0095 fax

REAL ESTATE GUIDE

116 Plaza PO Box 1903 Socorro, NM 87801 www.socorroplazarealty.com dbrown@socorroplazarealty.com

Joe Priest Real Estate

Bottari Realty 1-800/671-4548

Bottari, Broker joepriestre.net •Paul joepriestre@earthlink.com

575-226-0671 www.ranchesnm.com www.buenavista-nm.com & 575/622-5867 raNch PrOPerTY 575/420-1237 1421 N. Ave O, Portales, NM Nice comfortable 3 bedroom, 3 bath country home

Ranch & Appraisals www.bottarirealty.com on 17.9 acres with citySales water and sewer, lays next to the Portales city limits. HVAC plus pellet stove in living room, garage has space for woodworking or craft hobbies.

Horse friendly, show animals, get the pasture established and the sky is the limit on Front Street, Dimmitt, the great things that can be done with this 17.9 acres with 1301 irrigation side Ben roll.

BarnTX 79027 G. Scott - Broker for horses as is, portable panels for a variety of other animals.

Krystal M. Nelson - NM Qualifying Broker 800-933-9698 • 5:00am/10:00pm

Ranch & Farm Real Estate www.scottlandcompany.com See these and other properties at www.buenavista-nm.com

COLETTA RAY

575/622-5867 575/420-1237 575-799-9600 Direct

Pioneer Realty 1304 Pile Street, Clovis, NM 88101

575.935.9680 Office Ranch Sales & Appraisals

575.935.9680 Fax coletta@plateautel.net www.clovisrealestatesales.com

On the Plaza

Nevada Farms Donald Brown Qualifying Broker & 505-507-2915 cell raNch PrOPerTY 505-838-0095 fax

116 Plaza www.bottarirealty.com PO Box 1903

Socorro, NM 87801 www.socorroplazarealty.com dbrown@socorroplazarealty.com

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

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

CALDWELL RANCH

• 270 acre Mitchell County, Texas ranch. Investors dream; excellent cash flow. Rock formation being crushed and sold; wind turbans, some minerals. Irrigation water developed, crop & cattle, modest improvements. Just off I-20. Price reduced to $1.25 million.

First time offering of a quality ranch property located in northeastern Chaves County, New Mexico, approximately 20 miles northwest of the small community of Elida.

840 Immaculate, Hunt Co, TX. Configured in two tracts of a total of 7,200•Ranch. deeded acres Pastures, 40 tanks, and lakes. Beautiful home, barns, and 640 acres of state lease. Watered by three wells and and other improvements. Some minerals, game galore.

All for $1.35 pipelines. Grazing capacity is estimated to be 130 AUYL. million.

Priced at $370 per deeded acre. Call for a brochure.

Joe Priest Real Estate

1-800/671-4548

joepriestre.net • joepriestre@earthlink.com

P.O. Box 428, Roswell, NM 88202 Office: 575-622-5867 Cell: 575-420-1237 Website: www.ranchesnm.com

575-226-0

B

A.H. (J ww

As Low As 3% AsAs Low 3% Low As 3.5% As Low AsAs 4.5% OPWKCAP 2.9% OPWKCAP 2.9% OPWKCAP 3.5% OPWKCAP 2.9%

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

Buena Vista Realty

521 West Se

AG LAND LOANS AG LAND LOANS AG LAND LOANS AG LAND LOANS

521 West Second St. • Portales, NM 88130

WE NEED LISTINGS ON ALL TYPES OF AG PROPERTIES LARGE OR SMALL! ■ PRICE REDUCED! MALPAIS OF NM – ■ PECOS RIVER RANCH – Guadalupe Co., Lincoln/Socorro Counties, 37.65 sections +/- NM – Scenic, 968 +/- ac. deeded & 519 (13,322 ac. +/- Deeded, 8,457 ac. +/- BLM +/- state lease acres, live water ranch on both Lease, 2,320 ac. +/- State Lease) good, useable sides of the Pecos River (strong flow daily) improvements & water, some irrigation w/water between Santa Rosa & Ft. Sumner; wildlife, rights for 2 pivot sprinklers, on pvmt. & all-weather paired w/water & cattle for the buyer looking road. for top tier assets in a rugged New Mexico ■ UNION CO., NM – 955 ac. +/- w/excellent ranch! improvements for a stocker or cow/calf operation, ■ LOGAN/NARA VISA, NM – 980 ac. +/modern ¼ mi. sprinkler, all-weather roads on three w/940.6 ac. CRP, irrigated in the past, land lays sides, 374 ac. +/- CRP. good & is located on the north side of Hwy. 54.

■ MIAMI SPECIAL – Colfax Co., NM – 40 ac. ■ TOP OF THE WORLD – Union Co., NM – +/- w/irrigated pastures, great cattle working & 5,025.76 +/- ac. of choice grassland w/statehandling facilities & a beautiful home, on pvmt., of-the-art working pens, recently remodeled irrigated from Miami Lake. bunk house, barbed wire fences in very good ■ WE CAN NOW DIVIDE – THE PAJARITO to new condition, well watered, on pvmt.

RANCH – Guadalupe Co., NM as follows: 3501.12 ■ SANTA ROSA, NM – 78 ac. +/- heavily Buenawater VistawellRealty at 575-226-0671 ac. +/- of grassland w/aCall commercial improved for horses, cattleor&the otherlisting livestockagent w/ Bohmof575-760-9847, or new Melody 575-825-1291. located adjacent to I40 Lori w/capability producing virtually barns,Sandberg pens, cross fences etc., on pictures onwater, MLS w/internet or www.buenavista-nm.com large incomes together w/aMany great good set of pens, a city access to the front gate.

17,000 gal. water storage tank, overhead cake ■ OTERO CO., NM – 120 scenic ac. +/- on bin, hay barn & other stock wells. 700.89 ac. the Rio Penasco is surrounded by Lincoln +/- of grassland can be purchased in addition National Forest lands covered in Pines & to the 3501.12 ac. The beautiful, virtually new opening up to a grass covered meadow custom built home w/all amenities and a large along 3,300 feet +/- of the Rio Penasco. This virtually new metal barn w/an apartment inside property is an ideal location to build a legacy on 40 ac. can be purchased separately or w/the mountain getaway home. ranch. Adjoins the Boylan Ranch if more acreage ■ TEXLINE SPECIAL – 472.4 ac. irr., on is desired.

Dalhart/Clayton hwy. in New Mexico, adjoins ■ THE BOYLAN RANCH – Newkirk, NM - 2,360 the Grassland w/Organic Potential. ac. +/- w/useable house & pens, a large domestic ■ GRASSLAND W/ORGANIC POTENTIAL well for lvstk./wildlife watering w/potential for – Union Co., NM - adjoins the Texline Special, commercial water sales, all weather road. Adjoins 927.45 ac. +/-, on pvmt. the Pajarito Creek Ranch if more acreage is desired.

■ FT. SUMNER, NM – 17 ac. +/- w/water ■ BROWN CO., TX – near Brookesmith -Scott 424.79 McNally, Qualifying Broker rights currently planted in alfalfa & a beautiful ac. +/-, very scenic ranch w/one mi. of Clear Creek, home built in 2007 w/3 bdrms., 3 bathrooms, highly improved ranch w/fencing, well watered, Bar M Real Estate, LLC an oversize garage & a 24X50 metal shop. home, hunting cabin & abundant wildlife.

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

Selling residential, farm, ranch, commercial and relocating properties. www.ranchesnm.com

Page 7

Bottari Realty Paul Bottari, Broker SOCORRO 775/752-3040 PLAZA REALTY

INTEREST RATES AS LOW AS 3% INTEREST RATES AS LOW AS INTEREST RATES AS LOW AS3% 3.5% INTEREST RATES AS LOW AS 4.5% Payments Scheduled on 25 Years Payments Scheduled on 25 Years Payments Scheduled on25 25 Years Payments Scheduled on Years

775/752-3040

St., Portales, NM 88130 SCOTT MCNALLY521 West SecondNevada Farms

Scott Land co.

Buena Vista Realty

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

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

AS PROV R

14298 N.

521 West Second St., Portales, NM 88130

575-226-0671

M U R N E www.buenavista-nm.com Y , ASSOCIATES, REALTORS® 1625 E. Primrose • Springfield, MO 65804 • murney.com • 823-2300

See all my listings at: paulmcgilliard.murney.com Rural Properties around Portales, NM Paul McGilliard - Cell: 417/839-5096 • 1-800/743-0336 1242 NM 480 - Nice home on 59.7 acres, grass Buena Vista Realty at 575-226-0671 or the listing agent Missouri Land Sales 427 S Rrd P 1/2Call - Large nice home, lots of barns 24+ ac LoriSituated Bohmin575-760-9847, or Melody Sandberg 575-825-1291.

• A STUNNING HORSE FACILITY. a desirable area, Rogersville schools, beautiful 4,139 sq.ft S Rrd Great home, barns, cattle pens, location home. 1694 4 bdrms and 4 baths,4,a 7,200 sq. ft. indoor riding arena, 5 horse stalls expandable to 7 (12 x 12), a 72 Many good pictures on MLS or www.buenavista-nm.com 2344 36 S xRrd east Dora, - Near wind farmsoverhangs, x 12 walkway, 12 tackKroom, feedof room, 72 x 24NM, hay loft,great outdoor wash rack, 120 x 12 outside individual fenced horse runs from stalls. Entire property is fenced annd cross fenced, 5 pastures and acreage excellent homes have horses, etc. all set up. for hay.All Thisproperties home has geo-thermal heating and cooling, as& wellcan as a full Generac backup generator, Also included is a full sprinkler system on all floors of this home. Three fireplaces (one on each level). So much to offer, and quite uniqueand to findother something this well-built.atA www.buenavista-nm.com must-see property. MLS#60148528 See these properties • GREENFIELD TRADING POST. Available for sale at the corner of Hwy. 160 (Grand) & H Hwy. Newer tile floors, ADA bathrooms, outside storage tanks, 4 double side gas pumps. Owner reports a brisk business with sales around $1m last year. Store features a bait room for fishing at nearby Stockton Lake. Property has roll up garage door for easy storage of equipment and inventory. Vendor for popular Hunt Pizza with small eat-in area. Multiple coolers, coffee makers and shelving are included in sale. 2080 sf in store, 1120 sf for storage of inventory. This is an unbranded station. MLS# 60140876.

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

WAGON MOUND PLACE, Mora CIMARRON HIDDEN PLACE, Colfax County, NM 8.202 +/- deeded acres on County, NM. 1.66± deeded acres with western edge of I25/Wagon Mound a 2,304 sq ft home updated with has two homes, abundant water with recent remodels including large open two wells, two springs and pond. kitchen vaulted tin ceiling, three bedOther outbuildings and many trees rooms and two bathrooms, edge of NORTHERN CALIFORNIA RANCH PROPERTY would suit many purposes. $190,000. town amazing views. $299,000 31 years in the ranch business - see www.ranch-lands.com for videos & brochures

RATON MILLION DOLLAR VIEW, COLMOR-OCATE CREEK, Colfax and Colfax County, NM.RANCH: 97.68approx. +/- deeded Mora County, NM +/- deeded DUANE & DIXIE McGARVA 985 acres Likely, CA. with about 600+ acre 853 gravity flood irrigated PLUS private AU BLM permit.

About 425 acres split so of theby irrigated levelOcate to flood Creek. acrespastures in 2 parcels with542excellent home, acres I25 are and excellent pastureswildlife, with balance irrigateddolpastures.Suit NO PUMPING COST! Drylandwith is perfect for wildbig shop, a good trueflood million cattle operation, some expansion to pivot irrigated alfalfa Plus road.

BLM permitlife for 540 AU is fenced into 4 fields on aboutin creek. lar view at the end ofif adesired. private drawn to water holes 18,000 acres only 7 miles away. REDUCED ASKING PRICE - $3,125,000 $489,000. Also listed with the house $617,000 and one parcel forabout $375,000 BEAVER CREEK RANCH: 82,000 acres - with 2,700 deeded acres plus contiguous USFS & BLM EAGLE NEST ESCAPE, Colfax County, permits for 450 pair; 580+- acres irrigated alfalfa, pasture, and meadow from Beaver Creek water rights and MIAMI 20 ACRES, Colfax County, deeded acres inupoffto HWY one irrigation well. 3 homes, 2 hay barns, 4 feedlots each w/ NM. 250 ton78.42± barns, 2 large reservoirs, can run NM quality adobe home, overlooking Eagle Nest Lake, pri500-600 cows YEAR2,715 ROUND.sqft REDUCED ASKING PRICE -64 $5,400,000. barn, grounds, fruit trees and mature vate pond, two elk tags, 3 bedroom BEAR CREEKExtremely RANCH: Approx.private 1,278 acres winter range ground and recreational on Bear trees. setting. home with andproperty. largeLocated shop garage Creek and accessed from South Cow Creek Road. Should greatstore huntingyour for deer,RV wildand turkey,big wild toys.

REDUCED $353,000.

This is Valley a must ablebe to pigs, quail & owner states good trout fishing in Bear Creek. Deeded access easement thru neighbor ranches.

Also listed house Nosee. improvements & verywith privatesame inside the ranch. with Improvements almost half a mile off 10only +/-$700 deeded for $308,000 highway. Truly an escape. $850,000 Now per acreacres - $894,600

BILL WRIGHT, SHASTA LAND SERVICES, INC. 530-941-8100 • DRE# 00963490 • www.ranch-lands.com

E

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Page 8

Livestock Market Digest

Support Ewe Fertility this Fall with Four Tips

T

he quintessential signs of fall – leaves changing colors, temperatures dropping, holiday décor on store shelves… grass that once was soft and green turns brown, dry and dormant.

The transition from green to brown pasture is a key indicator that forage quality is on the decline. Providing your flock with supplement before forages turn and throughout the fall and winter ensures ewes receive the nutrition they need to support breeding and reproduction.

“Reliance on grass as the sole nutrition source can take a toll on everything from ewe body condition to breeding and reproduction,” says Clay Elliott, Ph.D., small ruminant nutritionist with Purina Animal Nutrition. “Adding supplement to the diet, even in the short-term,

can positively impact the flock’s productivity and your profitability.”

Maximize fall forages and support ewe fertility this fall with these four nutrition tips:

137th Angus Annual Meeting Keynote Speakers Announced

registrants.

The education only just begins with the keynote speakers.

A panel of industry thought leaders will present their research and findings on fertility and longevity within the Angus breed on Sunday, Nov. 8.

Improving reproductive function is an important step for both the Angus breed and the cattle industry as a whole. As the industry grows knowledge of the bovine genome through genomic technology, haplotypes can be identified that affect many traits. Haplotypes that affect fertility have been identified in dairy breeds since 2011. The strategy shows great promise and as a result, the Association and AGI have been researching haplotypes that can affect the fertility in Angus cattle. The “Focus on Fertility” panel will include Kent Weigel, professor and chair of the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences at University of Wisconsin-Madison; Tom Lawlor, executive director of research and development at the Holstein Association, USA; and Kelli Retallick, director of genetic and genomic programs for Angus Genetics Inc. The second panel discussion will be centered around the Angus cow and longevity initiatives. In an effort to establish a longevity EPD, a fully optional, easier to use, inventory-based AHIR program is being introduced to collect necessary data.

Participants can learn how you can use this whole herd reporting option to complement the MaternalPlus program in the “Focus on Longevity” discussion presented by Jerry Cassady, director of member services and Chris Stallo, chief operating officer for the Association.

“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been our goal to provide the same outstanding customer service and educational resources our members have come to expect from the Business Breed,” McCully said. “The renewed 137th Annual Meeting will build on those principles.

We’re providing an outstanding line up of speakers aimed at educating and uplifting our membership and online registrants.”

Join the Business Breed in Kansas City, Nov. 8-9, for the modified event.

T

he American Angus Association made the difficult decision to modify the traditional Angus Convention to a simplified 137th Angus Annual Meeting. The event is slated for Nov. 8-9 at the Kansas City Convention Center and will be broadcast live online for virtual registrants. While this year’s event will look different in landscape, the high-quality educational component will remain the same. The Association is excited to welcome Super Bowl Champion and Angus cattlemen Jordy Nelson, and legendary agricultural consultant and television host Kevin Ochsner to the main stage for inspiring and thought-provoking presentations.

“We are so looking forward to welcoming our members, delegates and alternates to Kansas City in a few weeks,” Mark McCully, Association CEO said.

“We are also preparing and are excited for our first-ever virtual option as well. New this year, our members can participate in the educational sessions and voting process from home.”

Sponsored by NEOGEN, Jordy Nelson is a Super Bowl champion, former Green Bay Packer, Angus cattleman, Kansas State University alumni and Kansas rancher. He’ll bring his unique perspective on taking success to the next level when he addresses attendees on Sunday, Nov. 8. Sponsored by Zoetis, Kevin Ochsner has nearly three decades of experience providing keynote speaking, strategic consulting and custom training services to many of the world’s leading agribusiness companies and industry associations. Prior to founding Agcellerate, LLC in 2014, he spent 22 years with Indianapolis-based consulting companies Adayana and Agri Business Group. Oschner has developed a broad knowledge and deep understanding of the issues and trends impacting global agriculture. Ochsner will address attendees on Monday, Nov. 9. Both sessions will be streamed virtually for online

1. Make mineral the foundation The foundation of any ewe nutrition program is a high-quality mineral. It ensures ewes have all the nutrients they need to support a healthy pregnancy, parturition and more.

“Even the highest quality forages can fall short in providing ewes with necessary mineral nutrition, specifically calcium, magnesium, cobalt, vitamins A and E and selenium,” says Elliott. “It’s important to remember pasture quality can change on a dime and forages that contained ample mineral levels last week might not today.”

Registration for both in-person and virtual attendees is open online on AngusConvention.com through November 5. Hotel reservations can be made while registering online, and the hotel reservation deadline is Oct. 10. The American Angus Association is available to answer any questions surrounding the modified event at 816-383-5100 or events at angus.org

Consider offering a mineral year-round so ewes have adequate mineral reserves when they need it most – like after breeding, during gestation and at parturition.

2. Act quickly when forage conditions change “Quality forage will contain somewhere between 18 to 21 percent protein,” says Elliott.

“When that grass starts to go dormant, protein can drop to around 5 percent.”

Ewes would have to consume more forage to make up for the steep drop in protein value, which isn’t feasible or cost-effective in most real-world scenarios.

“Feeding a mineral and protein supplement can help provide additional nutrients sheep need to support fertility, especially when forage quality and quantity decline,” says Elliott.

“My rule of thumb is to start supplementing protein 30 to 45 days before grass starts to visually decline.”

October 15, 2020 3. Make the most of your forages A key to profitability for nearly any sheep operation is using their home-grown or purchased forages as efficiently as possible.

Maximizing forages are especially important as many producers face persistent drought in the Western states.

“That’s where strategic supplementation comes in. Selecting a supplement with intake modifying properties can help ewes get more out of the forages they consume,” says Elliott.

“Purina® Accuration® Hi-fat Tub was designed so sheep only consume what they need and nothing more.”

As forage quality declines, supplement consumption will rise. Conversely, if forage quality is good, ewes won’t consume as much.

4. Monitor supplement consumption Once you set out supplement, check in and ensure ewes are hitting target consumption

on a weekly basis.

“Don’t forget supplementation is an ongoing process,” says Elliott. “It’s important to keep an eye on consumption to make sure ewes receive the full benefits of supplementation.”

Keep consumption on track with these best practices:

■■

Set out one supplement tub per 20-25 head.

■■

Monitor consumption, it should be approximately a half pound to one pound per ewe per day.

■■

If consumption is too low, move tubs to frequently trafficked spots like loafing areas, next to the water source, near shelter and underneath sheds.

■■

If consumption is too high, spread tubs out and move them further away from heavy traffic areas.

October 15, 2020

Livestock Market Digest

The View FROM THE BACK SIDE

1 Sheep Dog & 100 Sheep

BY BARRY DENTON (The views expressed in this column are not necessarily those of the New Mexico Cattle Growers, Wool Growers or this publication.)

Y

ou must admit that sheep dogs are rather amazing creatures.

The sheep dog sees a flock of sheep as one cohesive unit and tries to keep them that way. When the dog is satisfied, then it will move the sheep forward as a flock.

Sheep dogs seem to have this instinct instilled in them and so they repeat it many times and become quite proficient at it. It works the same way with people.

Politicians prey on fear, herd the scared into a flock, and then they can drive them anywhere.

This has been evidenced with the recent election infection, also known as the lingering pandemic. I mean left wing politicians have never been so happy in their lives as they have all

their flocks moving forward to vote for them in the upcoming election on November 3rd.

Then their next tactic was to whip people into a frenzy to cause riots in some of our biggest Democrat controlled cities. The Democrat mayors and city council members were so thrilled with the riots that they let them continue, despite the oath that they took to uphold the law. They are trying to eliminate police departments in many of these cities so the constant chaos can continue. It’s quite obvious that rural people that can think for themselves do not follow the governor’s orders or comply with their state’s idiotic mandates. It’s much easier to scare city folks that are already following an abundance of over regulation. Remember the sheep dog?

California has been plagued with more and more fires since the Democrat takeover of the

MSLF Throws Penalty Flag on Latest Grizzly Recovery “Games”

BY SEAN PAIGE

M

ountain States Legal Foundation threw a penalty flag on environmental groups for their continued attacks on the federal government’s successful grizzly bear recovery program in mid-September; in this case, they are asking the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana to give non-binding federal “guidance documents” the same force of law as official regulatory edicts.

MSLF, on behalf of its clients Wyoming Stock Growers Association, Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation, and Utah Farm Bureau Federation, concluded briefing in the case Center for Biological Diversity v. Bernhardt. In court filings, MSLF described the move by the Center for Biological Diversity as an unprecedented attempt to sidestep the normal regulatory and recovery process — inviting even more Endangered Species Act-related litigation, which will further delay the recovery of endangered species and could cost taxpayers millions of dollars in unnecessary litigation.

“The plaintiffs in this case want the court to upend the normal regulatory process by making currently non-binding recovery plans legally binding,” explained MSLF Attorney Cody J. Wisniewski. “Worse, they’ll also be slowing and hampering wildlife recovery efforts, by inviting more unnecessary litigation and binding the hands of wildlife managers who need flexibility, not more bureaucratic rigidity.”

Wisniewski points to the decades-long, successful recov-

ery of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem grizzly bear and U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s changing focus to the recovery and expansion of other grizzly bear populations as proof that the current approach is working.

CBD and similar groups want to change the rules of the game now so they can micromanage the recovery program through litigation and continue to deny the recovery effort’s success.

state several years ago. The elimination of grazing and logging in California’s forests is taking a huge toll on California’s inhabitants and budget. California’s Governor Newsome, was surveying fire damage recently near Oroville. According to reporter Tom Tapp of Hollywood’s Deadline the governor’s comment was, “We are going to have to fast track our efforts in terms of meeting our clean energy goals much sooner. Key among these would be to, “adapt strategies to get more electric vehicles out on the street.”

The state’s current goal of 100 percent clean energy by midcentury will be too late.

If you just lost your home to fires or are a firefighter on the ground is this what you need to hear?

Would Governor Newsom ever consider the advice of a forest ranger, rancher, firefighter, a homeowner, or anyone else that lives close to the land? Do Californian’s actually believe that?

Probably they do, as Newsom is the sheep dog of California. My take on it is that if you drive more electric cars it will eliminate forest fires, huh?

I think the state’s next program should be to give every homeless person camping out in California’s large cities an electric car to live in.

My heart goes out to all those people involved with the fires. It “If CBD wins this case, environmental organizations could try to sue at any point in the recovery process. The practical outcome would be to worsen the already-debilitating administrative gridlock and prevent the government from actually doing what is best to recover a species,” Wisniewski adds. “That will allow organizations to place additional roadblocks on the recovery of species, even halting the process for years on end, all in furtherance of their goal of maintaining federal control over as many species as possible.”

Follow these links: mslegal.org/wp-content/ uploads/2019/11/2020.09.18-077-AgAssn-Reply-Brief.pdf and mslegal.org/cases/ center-for-biological-diversity-v-bernhard for more details about this case.

MONDAY, OCT. 19 Hereford Homecoming Virtual Kickoff & Utilizing the Tools for Victory Educational Session . . . . . . 6 p.m Speakers: Shane Bedwell, AHA COO and Director of Breed Improvement & special message from Neogen

TUESDAY, OCT. 20 Scouting Consumer & Political Climate Change Virtual Educational Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 p.m.

Speakers: Danette Amstein, Midan Marketing & NCBA representative

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 21 Setting up for Success Virtual Educational Session. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 p.m.

Speakers: Nolan Stone, S= Cattle Company & Lowell Midla, VMD, MS, Merck Animal Health

THURSDAY, OCT. 22 Hereford Homecoming Virtual Awards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 p.m.

FRIDAY, OCT. 23 AHA Board of Directors Homecoming Social. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 p.m.

SATURDAY, OCT. 24 Hereford Homecoming Breakfast. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:30 a.m.

Hereford Honorees Awards - Hall of Fame & Merit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 a.m.

AHA Annual Membership Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 a.m.

National Hereford Women Annual Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11:30 a.m.

Ladies of the Royal Sale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 p.m.

American Royal Junior Show. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 p.m.

SUNDAY, OCT. 25 American Royal National Hereford Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 a.m. *National Hereford Queen Coronation will follow the female champions selection *National show awards will be presented throughout the Hereford show

MONDAY, OCT. 26 Virtual Homecoming Highlights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 p.m. *Schedule is subject to change. Updated as of Sept. 15, 2020.

Page 9 does not look like there is much hope coming from Sacramento.

Can you drive away from a fire faster in an electric car? Nope.

What has happened to professional sports? They used to be fun to watch and to talk about. There’s nothing better than watching competitors at their highest level.

Why did they become political? One thing about it, there is barely a “man” among them.

When an entire team disrespects our military, our police, and our veterans by not honoring America’s national anthem they should all be fired.

If it wasn’t for those guys and gals that risk their lives there would be no country to play a ball game in. Now we seem to have a bunch of whining millionaires on the screen. Just tell me who the dope was that came up with a “black” national anthem? What is that supposed to be? It was ratified by what nation? This is truly the dumbest thing that I have ever heard or seen take place.

We have one nation here and only one national anthem. I also have no respect for any of the leagues that endorsed the Marxist Black Lives Matter organization. Billionaire owners that should be leaders are endorsing this nonsense. If nothing else the pandemic taught us just how unnecessary sports teams are.

Hopefully, someone from

1-866-838-3647

within will rise up and be the big sheep dog and lead sports back into being a wonderful pastime. I know it won’t be Roger Goodell the commissioner of the National Football League as he was touting how Colin Kaepernick was ahead of his time kneeling for the National Anthem four years ago.

I wonder which city is enjoying its riots the most, Seattle or Portland? Now one thing that I have never seen or heard of is a “cowboy riot.”

Maybe we should start one of those against the city slickers?

Don’t worry, we’ll never have the time or be able to afford the luxury of travel. My hat is off to “Rodeo; America’s Favorite Sport”. Those boys and girls salute the flag, sing the national anthem, and say a prayer to God at each performance. The cowboys and cowgirls are true Americans in my book.

No doubt that the forces of evil are trying hard to take over the country. We must meet them at every step to preserve freedom and our right to pursue happiness. Without freedom there will be no happiness. Let’s keep the rural independent spirit alive and let’s try to infect as many other people as we can.

Oh, I need an answer to this age old question, “Why is it that you never see the headline, “Psychic Banned from Racetrack after Winning Every Race?”

Our turn to serve

Page 10

Livestock Market Digest

October 15, 2020

2020 USDA Land Values Summary Report

BY TIFFANY DOWELL LASHMET / TEXAS AGRICULTURE LAW BLOG

■■

I

n August, the USDA released its Land Values Summary Report for 2020.

The report indicates that nationwide, land values were stable, showing no change from the 2019 report. For “farm real estate value,” which takes into account the value of all land and buildings on farms, the average value was $3,160. For cropland, the average value was $4,100/ acre. For pastureland, the average value was $1,400/acre.

The report also looks at various regional measurements.

■■

Farm real estate average value is the highest in the Corn Belt region (IL, IN, IA, MO, OH) at $6,110/ acre. The highest state value is found in Rhode Island at $16,000/acre. The lowest regional average was $1,240 for the Mountain region (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY). By way of comparison, Texas and Oklahoma make up the Southern Plains region, which has an average of $2,110.

For cropland values, New Jersey reports the highest at $13,800/acre, while regionally the Pacific region

shows the highest values at an average of $7,240/ acre. Southern Plains region reported the lowest cropland average value at $1,930/acre.

■■

Pasture average value per acre was highest in New Jersey at $13,300 and regionally highest in the Southeast (AL, FL, GA, SC) at $4,230 and lowest in the Mountain region at $687. For the Southern Plains region, pastureland value came in at an average of $1,640.

View Report at downloads.usda.library. cornell.edu/usda-esmis/files/pn89d6567/ js957404w/hq37w9890/land0820.pdf

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Religious Reflections

I

was sittin’ in the back row of a beautiful little church in a mountain town in the Rockies. I was there for the wedding of a daughter of good friends.

As the service progressed, my attention was drawn to a banner that hung on the wall.

It was handmade, cut from cloth and intended to be inspiring. It read, Mount Up With Winos.

Many thoughts went through my mind as I tried to absorb the full meaning of this elaborate banner. I had come to realize over the years that many Protestant churches have become more liberal in their teachings.

Acceptance of alternative lifestyles, less moral browbeating, less blatant emphasis on money, more convenient schedules and greater tolerance of lesser sins; i.e. fall football, alcohol, sex and non-Christian religions.

And there is something to be said for that religious creed. After all, Jesus himself never discriminated.

Bein’ a thinker myself, I began to concoct other potential banner slogans that might be acceptable in this New Age congregation; Ride with the Risque, Sail with Sinners, Lie Down with the Licentious, Commune with the Immoral, Huddle with the Homeless, Do Lunch with the Offender.

The wedding audience was mostly ranch people, men

with sunburned faces wearin’ new jeans and uncomfortable in their ties. The women wore their best dresses and the kids were glad to be anywhere off the ranch. We all squirmed quietly in our pews as the preacher read the vows, told them marriage was forever and lent dignity and tradition to what we all hoped would be a union made in Heaven. We were happy for the parents and appreciated the page turning in their life. We’d all been there or soon would be.

I’d come with my family to pay tribute to the parents... my friends. But I admit my distraction with the banner had consumed a good part of my attention during the service. I began to think that it was inappropriate.

When the soloist rose and sang the final George Strait love song while the bride and groom escaped, she was positioned right below the banner.

Poor planning, I thought, or at least in poor taste.

As we were filing out I asked my daughter what she thought of the banner.

“Which one?” she asked.

“The one right above the singer,” I answered.

She studied it and read aloud, “Mount up with Wings. Kinda cool, I guess. Why?” “Oh,” I said, vowing silently to start wearing my glasses more often, “Just curious.”

October 15, 2020

Livestock Market Digest

Gelbvieh Association 50th Anniversary Celebration Postponed to 2021

Facebook’s New Climate Center Reveals:

Storms & Fires Natural SOURCE: CFACT

J

oe Biden, Gavin Newsom, Nancy Pelosi and a host of politicians and media celebrities have been blaming devastating hurricanes and fires on climate change.

It’s just not true.

Scientists at places like NASA, NOAA, the U.K. Met Office and the UN IPCC agree that any meaningful weather impacts from global warming are warnings for the future, not driving the present.

Team warming pressured Facebook to push their message on its platform and Mark Zuckerberg relented.

Zuckerberg just launched a new Facebook “Climate Science Information Center” that is pushing the climate narrative directly into subscriber’s news feeds.

You’ve probably already seen the first installment.

It reads, “did you know that droughts, storms and extreme weather are increasingly likely with a temperature rise above 1.5°C?” Just how “likely” is a subject for scientific debate, but the fact that the world’s scientific organizations charged with keeping temperature records all agree that the Earth has not warmed “above 1.5°C” is not.

Thanks, Facebook, for the reveal!

NASA reports that, “according to an ongoing temperature analysis conducted by scientists

a time where all members can feel safe in gathering in an event of this size.”

The one-day meeting in Lincoln will consist of a board of directors meeting, committee meetings, and the annual meeting of the association.

The annual meeting is set to take place at 3 p.m. on Friday, December 4, and will include the election of the board of directors. If members are unable to attend in person, a virtual option and absentee voting will be made available. The day will also include a socially distanced awards luncheon to recognize the recipients of the breeder of the year and commercial producer of the year awards as well as honor the newest inductee into the AGA Hall of Fame.

“This decision was certainly not taken lightly. Unfortunately, current circumstances including social distancing

at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), the average global temperature on Earth has increased by a little more than 1° Celsius (2° Fahrenheit) since 1880.”

1880! Half a century before atmospheric CO2 concentrations had even risen significantly!

That’s from NASA’s GISS which is led by the other Gavin, Gavin Schmidt, who is a dyed in the wool warmist himself.

Schmidt has pushed GISS so deeply into the warming campaign that a dramatically large

guidelines and various other restrictions, would make for an environment that was not conducive for the proper celebration of a 50th anniversary,” Slater continues. “After all, a golden anniversary only comes around once for an association and we want to be able to give it the celebration it deserves!”

Information regarding the one-day meeting, including schedule and registration, will be available on the Annual Convention page on Gelbvieh.org or call 303-465-2333.

China Trade Projections Point in Different Directions

BY LISA M. KEEFE / MEATINGPLACE.COM

T

rade and ag advisers seem to have differing expectations for China’s chances of meeting its recently agreed-upon trade benchmarks for importing ag products from the U.S. It’s a “no-brainer” for China to meet its 2020 obligation to import $40 billion in ag goods from U.S. producers, and to do so again in 2021, Gregg Doug, U.S. chief ag negotiator, said in comments to the Ag Outlook Forum held recently in Kansas City, hosted by the Agribusiness Council of Kansas City and Agri-Pulse.

Doud pointed out that a series of structural changes had to be negotiated between the economic powers and that those were nearly all completed. In addition, while before the Phase 1 agreement was announced there were 1,500 agricultural facilities eligible to ex-

port to China, that number now is more than 4,000. And in past year, China has been known to make huge purchases in the fourth quarter of the year.

Meanwhile, USDA Sec. Sonny Perdue seems less sure. “I’m not sure [China is] going to make it but they’re trying,” Perdue said at a town hall meeting in Wisconsin earlier this month, according to a report by Reuters.

At the Peterson Institute for International Economics, analysts calculated that through August 2020, China’s year-to-date total imports of covered products from the United States were $56.1 billion, compared with a prorated year-to-date target of $115.1 billion. Over the same period, US exports to China of covered products were $47.6 billion, compared with a year-to-date target of $95.1 billion. Through the first eight months of 2020, China’s purchases of all covered products were thus only at 50% (US exports) or 49% (Chinese imports) of their year-to-date targets.

USDA analysts, meanwhile, forecast farm exports to China of $18.5 billion in fiscal 2021, which opened on Oct. 1, following $14 billion of exports in fiscal 2020, according to a report by the Food and Environmental Reporting Network.

group of NASA’s space pioneers, including Apollo Astronauts, felt compelled to write NASA and demand America’s space agency knock off the propaganda and get back to exploring space. Read the letter and see who signed it. It’s a “who’s who” of heroes in space.

As Facebook revealed, the Earth has not warmed enough to be what causes today’s hurricane’s in the Gulf, or fires in the West.

Biden, Newsom, Pelosi and the rest are scientifically flat out wrong.

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he American Gelbvieh Association (AGA) board of directors has made the difficult decision to postpone the association’s 50th anniversary celebration to late 2021. The event was originally scheduled to take place December 2-4, 2020, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Association will now hold a one-day meeting on December 4, in Lincoln, Nebraska, to conduct the business of the Association. The decision was made to postpone the celebration due to current gathering restrictions surrounding COVID-19 and attendee health and safety.

“The health and safety of our members, guests, and staff remains our top priority,” said Megan Slater, AGA executive director. “We want to make sure we are celebrating our 50th Anniversary during

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