82801 January/February 2018 by Outliers Creative

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

Living Life #GAVINSTRONG

The Real World is Rad ~ An Interview with John Kirlin

Staff Feature: Kevin Knapp

How To: Prevent

Nitrate Poisoning

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When my life came full-circle and I brought my Oregon-born children to live in my hometown

ello, Sheridan. My name is Kevin Knapp. I was born at Sheridan Memorial Hospital in the winter of 1979. After 12 years in Oregon (to attend college, meet my wife, Hesid, and start a family), I moved back to Wyoming in 2010 to raise my children here. In the years since, I’ve worked as a youth counselor, child advocate, tween librarian, museum director, and archaeologist, and my wife and I have started a small videography business. We have a tiny house farm consisting of two children, a rabbit, a mouse, six chickens, three cats, and a dog. Some of my interests include: youth education, acting, tech and gadgets, homebrewing, gardening, horses, or pretty much anything outside. I was hired by the Dally to cover Sheridan news full-time in 2017. Most recently, I’ve been asked to contribute to 82801 on a monthly basis. Now that the small talk is out of the way, I’d like to tell you what really gets me excited. I’ve always wanted to make movies. My

grandfather was a radio operator on a bomber in World War II and hoarded electronics of all kinds. I inherited the obsession, particularly for cameras. In the ’80’s I was running around with a giant VCR strapped over my shoulder and now I record in HD using an unmanned aerial vehicle. Through all those changes, I maintained the original childish love for movies (I even made a few, too. No, you can’t see them). What I discovered, however, was that what I really loved were stories. So, let me tell a story that illustrates why I’m so excited to be tasked with writing about Sheridan, Wyoming, all day, everyday. Though I have negligible indigenous ancestry, Native American studies has played an important part in my life, both professionally and personally. At Southern Oregon University, I found a one-of-a-kind and eye-opening Native American Studies department, entirely run by Native American professors. Their openness and complete trust in education as a bridge between worlds has made the program a national leader in the ongoing transformation of Indian education through Native knowledge. I left SOU with a degree in Cultural Anthropology and a certificate in Native American Studies but, on a personal level, I emerged with an entirely new community of family and friends and a forever changed perspective on life. David

A : P C P A ircle S N K N t I o V r E K

West, Director of the program, taught students something called Natural Traditional Law and that everything in life exists on a wheel, or a circle. Don’t get me started. Ask me about it sometime. Suffice it to say that everything has a place and deserves respect. All points on a circle are equally distant from the center. When my life came full-circle and I brought my Oregon-born children to live in my hometown, my educational experiences acted as a lens through which I saw my childhood landscape augmented with layers of culture and history I had never even been aware of before. This isn’t about me, though. It’s about all of us and the stories that we tell. Each of us sees this community from a slightly different point on the circle. Through my stories, you’ll grow familiar with the peculiarities of my particular perspective. But I also hope to capture some of yours. By: Kevin M. Knapp for 82801

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

82801 Features

Life: The Real World is Rad – An Interview with John Kirlin Because it’s located on a scenic byway between Yellowstone and Mount Rushmore, an estimated 333K people drive by the Antelope Beaute Mountain Recreation Area each summer. A non-profit poised to reopen the outdoorsman’s mecca has appointed former Black Tooth Brewster John Kirlin as its new executive director. Kevin talks with John about the rad transition.

Health: Living Life #GavinStrong

Staff Feature: Kevin Knapp

Ag: Nitrate Poisoning

Meet Sheridan’s Gavin Maxwell, a pint-sized inspiration and transplant recipient whose ongoing efforts to champion a lifelong battle against liver disease are beyond admirable. This young survivor’s perspective on life – living each moment with an attitude of gratitude — serve to motivate us all.

In an industry where the people behind a company are as important as the company itself, we’re stoked to invite you into the lives of our publishing team – one staffer at a time – beginning with 82801’s OC journalistic genius: Kevin Knapp. His circle story is a fun, wit-filled self-introduction worth reading.

Eventually, most cattle producers will encounter hay with high nitrates, especially when using millet, sorghum, oat, or other cereal-based hays. Join 82801, as Stephanie uncovers multiple ranch-proven techniques to prevent livestock losses, and explores how to feed high-nitrate hay safely.

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

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JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

The Real World is Rad An Interview with John Kirlin

he Antelope Butte Foundation, a nonprofit, grassroots effort to reopen the Antelope Butte Mountain Recreation Area, has made impressive progress since their 2011 inception. They have already begun restoration on the lodge and have raised $1,307,509 toward their total goal of $4 million for the purchase, restoration, and endowment of the Antelope Butte Mountain Recreation Area. Because it is located on a scenic byway between Yellowstone National Park and Mount Rushmore National Monument, an estimated 330,000 people drive by the entrance of Antelope Butte each summer. Summer activities planned include scenic chairlift rides to 9,400 feet, zip lining, frisbee disc golf, mountain biking, music festivals, weddings and conferences, educational and “camp” opportunities, slack-lining, a portable rock climbing wall, air bag jumps, and food and beverage services for hungry, road-weary passengers. John Kirlin, previously the packaging lead and warehouse senior for Black Tooth Brewing, was hired as the new executive director of the Antelope Butte Foundation at the beginning of December, filling a vacancy left by Andrew Gast in February. 82801 met up with Kirlin at the Black Tooth Taproom to chat about this new chapter in his professional life. John: Now, I’m full-time foundation. Even more than full-time, really. It’s like they say, “If you enjoy what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.” It’s true. All my spare time not spent at the brewery, was spent building trails or skiing, bike-riding… doing something of that nature. Thinking about the job, and weighing out the brewery vs. Antelope Butte, one deciding factor was when I bought one of those small home-brew kits. It’s still in the box... in the attic. I have a great garage space, and I could do it. I mean, I worked at a brewery. But, in my free time I never did that, I was outside playing and recreating. I was putting on events like The Dead Swede, helping Sheridan Community Land Trust

with Biketoberfest... I was doing those things and actively seeking those things. Whereas, with the brewing stuff... I liked the idea, but I never really took the step to do it. I think that’s a telling sign. What I look for when I need help, and for when we eventually start hiring, what I look for is passion over knowledge. Because someone who’s passionate about what they are going to do will learn how to do it no matter what.

Someone who’s got the knowledge but isn’t passionate about it…? I don’t have all the educational experience like a lot of executive directors. I don’t have a finance degree, or a business degree. I’m a PE teacher. But, the board recognized the passion in me. When Andrew left, they didn’t just jump on ZipRecruiter and put up a job posting that says, ‘We need this person’. No, they took on more responsibility.

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They were waiting for the right person to come along. I was waiting and feeling out Antelope Butte the whole time, as well. I was saying, “Okay. How are they going to play this out? How are they going to pull off this year’s brew festival and summer festival without having an executive director? So Tony, Anthony Tarver, took a big role in a lot of those things. He’s a big reason why I finally asked. We were riding bikes. And he said, “Yeah, we’re still looking for an executive director…” And I said, “Okay, tell me more about this.” I’ve seen how much Tony has put into it and how passionate he is and excited about it. I’ve also seen the other board members’ passion and excitement. They’re not just volunteer board members that are doing it because it makes them look good on their resumes. No! They’re at all the events. They’re doing all this work on top of their 9-to-5s. I get a kick from watching other people. That’s my educator side. Seeing someone when they get that lightbulb moment and go, “Aha!” It’s like when Jordan LeDuc (of Sheridan Bicycle Company) and I put on The Dead Swede bike race. We still have people who come up, like Dave Alden over at Tegeler Associates. He’s an avid cyclist. He’s gone and done Iron Man races. But he told me, “That was the funnest race I’ve ever been to. That was the most fun I’ve ever had at a bike event.” Andreas, he’s from Columbia, but he lives up here now. He came across the finish line in tears he was so proud of himself. He’s never done anything like that and he went out and rode 100 miles up and down Red Grade. Just going up Red Grade is a feat in itself, but by the time you get down, you still have 60 miles to go. Andreas’ wife gave him a hug at the finish line, and he had tears streaming down his face. He loved it. Like I said earlier that’s that light bulb, that “aha” I got when I was a teacher. You show someone a little bit of the world and they catch it and they go, “Wow!” Then it becomes a new drug for them. The great thing is, it’s better than a drug, because it’s natural. You’re not in an altered state of being, you’re in a real state of being. I’d rather see someone in a real world than in an altered world, because the real world is rad. And we brought that kind of energy to Biketoberfest also. The kids had a ball. That was a huge thing, because you see those kids, and if they’re having fun that’s how you know you’re doing it right. If they’re having fun and the parents are having fun too, and feel safe about their kids having fun... that’s what Antelope Butte is going to be all about. I grew up in Casper and Hogadon is a similar thing: It’s a local community ski hill.

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Some big hills, like Jackson, you’re going to spend $100 per person to go ride green runs? Whereas Antelope Butte, we want to have a ski school where kids and families can come and learn. Then you can go and have that experience of your lifetime going on family vacation to Jackson, or go heli-skiing somewhere. But you’ve got to establish roots. Without established roots, a solid foundation, you tilt and you’re going to fall. 82801: With your preferences, it seems like the fact that this is a non-profit is perfect for you. John: I agree. And, with education progression being at the forefront of our model... I’m really excited about that. We know we’re not going to be the epic backcountry Mecca. We’re not Togwotee Pass, or Teton Pass. We don’t have a tram. We don’t have a high-speed anything. We don’t even have high-speed internet, which is something I have to figure out at some point. I believe in working with other entities, like the YMCA and the Land Trust. Let them do their mission really well, let them excel and be awesome. And we will excel and be awesome at what we do. We have a great mountain facility and we have the opportunity to do so many things up there. The YMCA has great programming and great outreach, especially for youth and underserved populations. They can reach those community members really well and do great programming for them. How can we partner with them? Now, the Y can offer some programming and transportation to our facility. Boom, the community wins! We’re setting up our initial endowment fund to help cover the costs of scholarships. We’ll have a sliding scale, very similar to how the YMCA does their family scholarships. We plan to have that, because it’s in our mission to provide affordable, accessible, year-round activities. I’m about building life experiences that aren’t just going to be about skiing. There’s so much more. There’s such social development that goes on in outdoor living. In these groups, you develop new friends. Because a community is just a group of people. That’s all they are. And you can take that wherever you go. The great thing about Antelope Butte, it’s in Big Horn County. It’s not in our

community, but it sure is our community. You go up there, you take your community with you, and then you bring a new community back. It’s about who you’re with, and are you having a good time? 82801: Are you guys going to buy snow machines to make snow? John: That could go into our master plan eventually. There’s a timeline though. We are on Forest Service land. So we don’t own the land. We own all the improvements on the land. So all the facilities, everything,

that’s us. But the land itself is still federal land. And we had to go through our permits just like Sleeping Giant in Cody, Grand Targhee, they’re a Forest Service ran area. For us to even be open, we have to bring everything up to code and the status that it once was. Then we can actually apply and get approved for our 40-year ski area permit. Every resort, every area does that. Then you’re not applying every year and going through the paperwork. Once we have that, then we can submit our new master plan. So, for us to put tools into the ground and develop, like new mountain bike trails, before we start building any berms we have to have our 40-year permit in place. The great thing about it is that we can do a lot simultaneously. I can turn in my application for a 40-year permit, and as soon as that’s approved, I can, literally two seconds later, hand them our master plan, which will have ecological studies and start cutting plans for new trails. 82801: How is the work on the lodge going? John: We’re doing rehab and bringing it up to code. We’re going to run the two lifts and put in a

once a quarter...you can only go as fast as that. For me, it’s actually been good because patience is one of the things I have not had a lot of growing up. 82801: The summer events have been amazing. They’ve proven that it’s a thing that people will go to. John: Yeah. People love it. They’ll go there even if they don’t have cell service. They’ll complain for a minute, especially if they come up with their teenage kids. But most of the parents take it as a warm welcome. “We get to disconnect from our devices and spend time with our family.” Even the brewfest is a family event. We have Summit: feet; Base: feet; feet vertical designated drivers, a Permitted area for recreation: acres bouncy house for the little kids; activities Skiable area: acres for all ages. E v e n t u a l l y , summers will subsidize our winters. Especially in low snowfall years before we get snow making capabilities. Lifts: Trails: Summers will be more Lodge: square feet (to be remodeled) profitable because you don’t actually need Note: The trail map shows both existing and proposed trails. as much staff. You Proposed future trails are not included in the numbers above. don’t need grooming all the time. You have your amenities staff, your guest relations. With tour We do some work with the Wyoming Business buses coming down every single day from Yellowstone, Council. We’re a part of the recreation sector, which we can get people to stop in and take a picture, get a isn’t a thing... which is kind of silly. Oil and gas have cheeseburger, buy a T-shirt. been big in Wyoming, closely followed by tourism We can get people staying in Bear Lodge, Elk View, and recreation. Agriculture brings in less than 1% of Arrowhead, or staying down in Shell, Greybull, or Lovell revenue to this state, yet it has its own state department. and we can make it a stop for them. Especially if we make There’s not a department of recreation though, which it a stop where they plan to stay for more than just lunch. In is about 11% of the revenue for the state. That’s kinda our master plan, I also want to be able to put in a designated weird, but it’s old school and it’s the way things are. campground. If we can get them to want to stay overnight or And it’s starting to change. do a couple of days of activities, I think that’s a win. I spend a good portion of my time writing grants 82801: How does the board work for your foundation? and meeting with foundations. In the last nine months John: As I’m getting traction, I’m now able to now, I think we’ve brought in a little over $800,000: make more and more of the day to day decisions. But We’ve brought in $250,000 just since the beginning when it comes to big purchases I have to present it to the of November. The Scott family have been our biggest board, write up a proposal. The board can either vote on supporters through their various foundations. It’s it via email or I have to wait until our board meeting for relationships and experiences. And experiences build a lot of the big ticket items. Like, if we’re going to buy relationships, and vice versa. a new groomer. Very similar to the pace of government. There’s a learning curve to understand the They’re voting on this, so you have to give them time to Wyoming mentality and to gain the trust of other think and vote. And if they only meet once a month or magic carpet. All that has been approved. Emmerson submitted a master plan that got approved that included a new hotel-style lodge. That could come, but for now we’re working with the federal government. Everything has to be very transparent. That is fine, but you have to work at the pace of government. There is some red tape, too, because we’re kind of this new thing. This new idea and this new improvement could be greatly beneficial to the community. But it’s not the same as what’s been done in the past.

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Wyoming foundations. Wyoming is very relationshipbased. If you don’t have a belly-up at the bar relationship, you’re kind of in an uphill battle. That’s what I’ve noticed. Some people might call it the “good-ole-boys” mentality, but that’s what has always made Wyoming what Wyoming is. As I’ve come on, that’s been one of my bigger goals, is to establish and just catch up with those relationships. The board members were picked for various reasons. Because they have these relationships built already. Now my job is to get a relationship established with the whole gamut of them and gain their trust that I’m here for the community. The great thing about Wyoming is there’s so much to see. There are different regions and geographies that you can see by going one way or the other. Just get off the interstate a little bit, and you’re going to see a whole ‘nother world. In 2014, I did what I called the Mu-Cycle Tour. I decided, “I’m going to go play music across the state, do a tour via bicycle.” I did 11 gigs. Nine of them were at breweries. I started at Snake River in Jackson, and ended at Crow Peak in Spearfish. I rode my bike across the entire state with a guitar and a trailer. I had some support some days, like getting over the passes I had vehicle support so I could unhook and I could just ride. I averaged about 73 miles each day. I’d get up, ride my bike, see some cool stuff, and see the entire state at a different level and a slower pace. Then I got to work for four hours every night, played and drank all night, and then got up and did it again! It was great, it was a fun experience, and I thought, “More people could do this, more people should do this.” I made a stop here. It was actually kind of out of the way, but I love Black Tooth. I’d played here since their second anniversary when I first came up here with the band and we played stroll night. I’ve played every stroll night since for the last five years and it’s been so much fun. It’s because of that connection and me coming back to play at the brewery that I moved to Sheridan. On Fat Tuesday of 2016 I came up for a solo gig. I planned on coming up to play and go back to Casper that night. I played and we were talking in the back by the coolers with Barnes about work and the new expansion. He said, “Oh we’re hiring.” I asked, “What do you pay?” And he gave me a number and then gave me a text message later before I even left town, “No seriously, let’s chat. This would be great. We’d love to have you.” I packed up, I called my wife on the way home and said, “Hey can we move to Sheridan?”

By: Kevin M. Knapp for 82801

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

WE P R OV I D E A L I FE T I ME OF CARE.

WHCW Y O. COM 10

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

Living Life #GavinStrong T

wo years ago, Gavin Maxwell’s future was uncertain. 11-year-old Gavin, who had been diagnosed with Alpha One Antitrypsin deficiency when he was one year old, was facing a life-and-death struggle with liver disease. “I got pneumonia and that kind of kicked it all off,” Gavin recalls. “That was the start. That was the match to the fire.” Gavin’s dad Willy points out that Gavin’s diagnosis came with the knowledge that the only cure for Alpha-1 is a liver transplant. “So we knew someday he would need a liver transplant, and it was all based on how he progressed. We managed his illness with medication and diet. We did labs every three months just to manage his symptoms.” The Maxwell family didn’t know anything about the genetic disorder until Gavin’s diagnosis. It turned out that Willy and Gavin’s mother, Shay Maxwell, are both carriers. Willy explains that his wife actually has the same disorder as Gavin. “In children it manifests as liver disease. If you make it through adolescence without any complications then as an adult it manifests as lung disease.” The Maxwell’s have learned a lot about the disorder over the years. “Basically Alpha-1 Antitrypsin is a protein that your liver produces to protect your lungs,” Willy says. “So when you get a cough or pneumonia or something, the liver produces Alpha-1 and it goes to your lungs and protects your lungs. In his case, the alpha-1 is malformed in the liver, so it never leaves the liver. So it just builds up in the liver and ends up attacking healthy liver tissue, which is what caused his cirrhosis. The doctors actually projected his adolescent growth spurt or a disease or a sickness like pneumonia would start the problem because the liver would just get overtaxed. It actually was a combination.

He was ten, so he was hitting the adolescent growthspurt and got sick, which just overtaxed his liver and it began to shut down.” Gavin couldn’t go outside and play like most kids his age. He was reliant upon an oxygen tank to function, had very little energy, and his skin was a bluish green most of the time. “Once I started to get sick I thought that my sickness would just go away maybe and just be like any other flu,” Gavin remembers. “But it didn’t go away, it just got worse and I had to get on oxygen. So I felt something was going to happen. And then once we went to the hospital, I knew that something wasn’t right.” Four months before his transplant his lungs were impacted. He was on oxygen the whole time, and he missed a lot of school that year. In February, they life-flighted him to Saint Louis and that’s when he officially got put on the transplant list. “When he got diagnosed, we visited a number of transplant centers and we ended up choosing the Saint Louis Children’s Hospital for a lot of reasons,” Willy says. “One, it does a lot of pediatric liver transplants. And they have a really low wait time, for an organ. And you get that feeling, like, this is where we need to be, these are the doctors we need to be with.” “The doctors and I all know each other by name,” Gavin adds. “Whenever I walk in they say, ‘Oh, hey Gavin.’” Gavin went under surgery on March 2nd, 2015. Within hours his new liver began functioning, his skin

turned a healthy pink, and his blood levels became normal. Gavin no longer needs to use an oxygen machine and can now engage in sports and play like other boys his age. Gavin enjoys watching and refereeing football, and playing basketball and baseball. He has joined the Civil Air Guard and intends to become a pilot in order to assist in searches for lost or missing hikers. He also works out at the gym with his parents. If anything, Gavin now has a more active life than most kids his age. 82801 caught up with Gavin and his dad to find out what life has been like since the transplant. Gavin: I get to play a lot of sports, the one sport I still don’t get to play is football. And that kinda hurts because that was my favorite sport growing up. I just enjoy the game. I just felt like I was doing something good. I felt active and I just felt good when I was playing football. But since they wouldn’t let me play football, it kinda hurts. Willy: One of the cool things that came out of this was he played little guy football, you know, flag football, here in town and when his friends go the full pads he couldn’t. So the rec. District allowed him to referee football. He’s actually refed for three years now. He’s a certified ref. He refs Junior High games and Little Guy games. So he does a lot of refereeing, which is really cool. It keeps him connected to the sport. The Sheridan district has been fantastic to allow him to do that. It was just kinda for fun at first, and then he enjoyed it. So he took the test and he learned the rules. Gavin: And now I get paid. Willy: And now he gets paid to do it. He gets to throw flags on his friends. As a parent I think the best thing you can see in a child is a future. Pre-transplant, the future was the transplant. So you were managing health issues and the future is, “okay, we’re building up to that JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

transplant.” So, now that we’re post-transplant and he’s doing so well. We can envision a future, and what he wants to do with his life, and what he wants to be when he grows up. As the parent of a sick child, you try not to think of that because it’s hard. And now that we’re past that hump we can say, “Now we can move forward.” You literally cured the disease. He is no longer Alpha-1 Antitrypsin deficient. To me that’s the best part. Knowing that he has a future and he’s growing. Physically, he’s developing like he should be and just being normal... as normal as a thirteen-year-old boy can be. 82801: What would you tell a friend if they had something like this happen? Gavin: I would just tell them to enjoy their time, because there’s no guarantee of what’s going to come out in the end. So enjoy what you’re doing right now and just have fun. And once that time comes where you need a transplant, believe that you can do it and someone’s looking out for you. Because you can get through it. Willy: As a parent, the shock of the initial diagnosis is hard, but it just becomes your new normal. People would always say, “I don’t know how you guys deal with it.” Well, number one, I don’t have a choice. The reality is, it’s not the path we planned but it’s our path. So it just is what it is and you take it day by day. And I agree with Gavin. We live every day to its fullest and don’t take it for granted. You’re going to get bumps and bruises along the way, but you’re just going to go through it. I think for us it’s about choosing your attitude and your response. I’ve always been amazed with how Gavin’s handled it. The night before the transplant, you know, we’d gotten the call. They called us to the hospital and the transplant was set for the next morning. As a parent, you’re pretty nerve-wracked. And he was joking and laughing. Immediately following the transplant he

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got wheeled into recovery and my wife and I came and he woke up enough to say, A: “Do I have a new liver?” And B: “Dad, you can sleep on the floor.” That’s all he asked. So he’s always had a good attitude about it and I think that’s carried him through a lot of the rough times.

For his sisters growing up, it was hard. Cause you couldn't plan on things. For family vacation, you couldn’t go too far away from the doctor. So it impacted all the family. Our lives revolved around his illness. So, if he was sick we couldn’t go places. So we missed events. It impacts the whole family in that way, so it becomes everybody’s disease. I think for Gavin, the silver lining is that he’s had opportunities to advocate for organ donation. He was recently asked to be on a panel for the National Transplant Patient Summit in Washington, D.C. He was able to speak on a panel with other adolescents that had transplants and talk about how it impacted them. So his ability now to be an advocate is really cool and he’s doing well with it. 82801: How important is advocacy to your future? Gavin: I don’t think that’ll be my full career. But I think that I’d love to be a part of a life parade and go to speaking events about organ transplants and how it saved me. I think that will be a part of my life, but I just don’t think it’ll be my full career. I want to go into law enforcement. When I was young, I liked the show Cops. That’s what got me started. 82801: So it’s just as simple as making a choice on your driver’s license to be a donor, right? Gavin: They’ll ask you, “Do you want to be an organ donor if you die in a crash?” The second that heart goes on your license you’re an organ donor. That’s all you’ve got to do. Willy: It’s pretty simple. How many lives can you save, Gavin? Gavin: Eight lives. Willy: So as an organ donor, you can do so much. Gavin got the liver, but Emma (Gavin’s donor), as far as we know… Gavin: Her heart went to a woman. Willy: Her heart, kidney, I think her corneas were transplanted. I mean, it was an amazing impact that one young lady had.

82801: Is the campaign about awareness? Do people have good reasons not to transplant, or are they just not aware of how important it is? Gavin: It’s important, but you shouldn’t be hard on yourself just because you’re not an organ donor. It’s however you feel. You don’t have to do it, but if you do it you could save eight lives. As sad as it is, one death could save eight lives. It’s that simple. Be aware of it, because we could save millions and millions of Americans today because of organ donation and the lack of people who are signing up. It’s sad. Willy: Last I knew, there’s a little over 200,000 people in the United States waiting for organs. So people literally die every day on the waiting list. Gavin was blessed when he got put on the transplant list. He automatically went to the top because of the severity of the situation. He was on the transplant list for only 18 days. There are people who have been on the transplant list for years. To me, maybe when I was young I didn’t comprehend it. But to realize now that in my death, that I don’t need my organs anymore. So why wouldn’t I help save someone’s life? Obviously in our situation it makes it real easy to say, “Yeah, it’s important.” I think people hesitate maybe, because they’re not either of how to do it or because they don’t understand the process. I just don’t see where you would have any reason why you wouldn’t do it, why you wouldn’t sign up to help save someone else’s life. It’s a major blessing. 82801: Did Gavin grow up in Sheridan? Willy: One of the beautiful parts of this whole story is that we’ve only been here a couple of years, and the way the community rallied around Gavin and supported us, through prayer and financial

donations, and just moral support, and all those things. It was just incredible. People would send pictures where they would have “Gavin Strong” up on billboards around town. The police station had it up. It was just amazing. I would almost say that as a parent you feel guilty. Did I say thank you enough to the right people? Or to all the people? And I don’t think you can ever say thank you enough for doing what this community did for us as a family. Because we didn’t have roots here. We weren’t established here, so this is just an amazing town. We had people helping organize fundraisers that had seen his story and just felt compelled to help. They had no prior relationship with us as a family, or with Gavin. We had to fly down for the transplant, and a local entity who had a private plane donated the plane. Another group purchased the fuel and then the pilot donated his time to fly us down to Saint Louis on the private plane. You tell people around the country and they’re just flabbergasted that a town would do that. So we feel very blessed. I think God led us to Sheridan for that reason a couple of years before the transplant.

82801: What’s next? Dad: I think we’ll continue to do work with AST, the American Society of Transplantation. That’s who invited Gavin to the transplant summit, and I think we’ll continue to partner with them. They do a lot of advocacy on Capitol Hill to try and get bills passed that help transplant patients. So I think Gavin will continue to be a part of that. I think the whole goal right now is to help people to understand the importance of organ donation and remind them to check that box on their driver’s license. That’s really all it is. One of the bills AST is working on, you know, some countries are now opt out so when you get a driver’s license you have to say that you don’t want to be an organ donor. If you don’t mark that then they automatically assume that you are. It just makes it that much easier. Also some of the issues are with Medicare and Medicaid not covering the anti-rejection meds for more than six months. And it’s something that he’ll be on for the rest of his life. Gavin: I’m just going to live my life. Join 82801 -- and roughly 2,000 others -- in following Gavin’s Journey on Facebook @ gavinsjourney2015, where you can also donate towards his transplant expenses of over $100,000.00 through the Children’s Organ Transplant Association (“COTA for Gavin M”). By: Kevin M. Knapp for 82801 JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

How To: Prevent Nitrate Poisoning Know Your Numbers & Test Forage

eports of ranchers who have lost cattle from nitrate poisoning have surged recently across the American Midwest. Although environmental conditions in Wyoming can be contributed to increased levels of nitrates in certain forages, nitrate’s effects on livestock can be minimized if the conditions for nitrate accumulation are known and understood, and appropriate management steps are taken. Nitrate poisoning is a potentially life-threatening disease caused by the presence of nitrite in the blood at a level capable of causing anoxia, or internal suffocation. It commonly occurs when ruminant animals, or animals that obtain their nutrients from plant consumption, ingest forage or feed with abnormally high nitrate content. Under normal conditions, the nitrate ingested by ruminant livestock like cattle and sheep is converted to ammonia by bacteria in the animal’s first stomach, or the rumen (which receives food from the esophagus and partly digests it with help from bacteria before passing it along to reticulum). But, when ruminants consume nitrates at an abnormally

high rate, nitrate can convert to nitrite faster than nitrite converts to ammonia. Nitrate poisoning occurs when the nitrite level in the rumen exceeds the capacity of the microbes to convert it to ammonia. When this happens, nitrate and nitrite absorb through the wall of the rumen and into the bloodstream. It is the nitrite that causes the toxicity. However, it’s the process of the nitrite combining with the hemoglobin to form methemoglobin, and methemoglobin’s inability to carry vital oxygen to body tissues, that’s ultimately deadly to livestock, hence the disease’s namesake. Trate vs. trite; which is right? Technically, nitrate (NO3) alone is non-toxic to animals. It’s true that almost all forages do contain some nitrates. But, at regular levels, these aren’t necessarily toxic and are generally acceptable for animal (and even human) consumption. Conversely, nitrites (NO¯2), the intermediate byproduct produced in cattle and other ruminants when nitrates are broken down into ammonia after consumption, can be extremely toxic. The amount of nitrate being recycled back into

the rumen, along with the rate of nitrite breakdown, influences nitrate toxicity levels for different animals. Individual animals have different levels of tolerance to nitrites because of the breakdown and recycling rates. This is reflected in the variability between animals, specifically in the amount of methemoglobin that can form before production or reproduction is affected, or death occurs. Sheep and cattle are the most susceptible to nitrate poisoning because of the microbes found in their digestive systems, which lend to the conversion of nitrate to nitrite. In contrast, monogastric animals convert nitrate to nitrite in the intestine, nearer to the end of the digestive tract, where there is less opportunity for the nitrites to be absorbed into the blood. It is this difference—in the site of conversion— that makes nitrate poisoning far more concerning for ruminants than for monogastric animals, such as horses and pigs. For this reason, ruminants are especially vulnerable to nitrate poisoning. And, while many species are susceptible, cattle and sheep are affected most frequently.

Nitrate poisoning

is a potentially life-threatening disease caused by the presence of nitrite in the blood at a level capable of causing anoxia JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

CAUSE

When absorbed into the bloodstream of a bovine, nitrites can change hemoglobin into methemoglobin. Unlike hemoglobin, which carries oxygen from the lungs to other tissues of the body, methemoglobin is incapable of carrying oxygen. When enough methemoglobin is produced that the blood cannot carry the oxygen necessary for a body to survive (approximately 80 percent of total hemoglobin content), the animal dies from a lack of oxygen. When enough hemoglobin is converted to methemoglobin the animal begins to suffer from oxygen starvation. This change in the hemoglobin, or red blood cells, is influenced by several factors, which can generally be predetermined and/or monitored. Hemoglobin conversion factors: • Rate of nitrate intake (amount of feed and how quickly it is consumed) • Rate of conversion of nitrite to ammonia in the rumen • Rate of digestion of feeds and the subsequent release of nitrates • Movement of nitrite out of the rumen Most commonly, nitrate poisoning occurs when producers are feeding hay – specifically, hay containing a high concentration of nitrates. Eventually, most cattle producers who feed hay will encounter hay with high nitrates, especially when using millet, sorghum, oat, or other cereal-based hays. But, that needn’t necessarily equate to livestock or feed losses.

SYMPTOMS

Knowing what physical ailments to look for – those that are commonly associated with nitrate toxicity and which can help to uncover toxic nitrate levels — will help in early detection and extended treatment opportunities and options. • Brownish, chocolate-colored discoloration of the blood caused by the presence of methemoglobin (and lack of oxygen) • Difficult and rapid breathing • Muscle tremors • Low tolerance to exercise • Incoordination • Diarrhea and/or frequent urination • Collapse and sudden death Resulting from tissue hypoxia, signs of nitrate poisoning become apparent at a rapid rate. The animal affected

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

by nitrate poisoning may experience a rapid, but weak heartbeat with subnormal body temperatures, muscle tremors, weakness, and fatigue. Animal may also die suddenly without warning, and without appearing ill. Effects of nitrate poisoning include abortions and stillbirth may also be seen in some cattle 5 - 14 days after excessive nitrate exposure, but likely only in cows that have survived a methemoglobin count of over 50 percent for 6 - 12 hours, or more. Other effects commonly associated with nitrate toxicity, include: retarded growth, lowered milk production, vitamin A deficiency, and increased susceptibility to infection. Nitrate reduction—and nitrite production—is present in other ruminant mammals like horses and other equids, including asses and zebras, but not to the same extent. Young pigs also have a gastrointestinal system capable of reducing nitrate to nitrite, but mature monogastric organisms (animals with simple, singlechambered stomachs) are considerably more resistant to nitrate toxicoses. Because the digestive tracts of non-ruminants lack a mechanism for converting nitrates to nitrites, they’re not at risk of nitrate poisoning from nitrate intake. That said, it is possible for non-ruminants to get nitrite poisoning from ingesting increased levels of nitrites, because they’re incapable of converting nitrites to ammonia. For this reason, non-ruminants should not consume feed high in nitrites, for example moldy hay.

DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS Differential diagnoses include poisonings by cyanide, pesticide, and toxic gases (like carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfate), drugs like acetaminophen, as well as disease (grain overload, hypocalcemia, emphysema), and other ailments which lend to sudden, unexpected death in livestock, which can include: anaplamosis, blue green algae toxicity, perilla mint, and prussic acid. Prolonged exposure to excess nitrate, when combined with cold stress and inadequate nutrition, may also lend to Alert Down Cow Syndrome, or the Downer Cow.

MANAGEMENT

To manage and minimize nitrate’s potentially fatal effects on livestock, the Cooperative Extension Office of the University of Wyoming College of Agriculture recommends that you first familiarize yourself with the commonly-known conditions for increased nitrate accumulation.

Nitrate (NO3) Safety Levels

ppm: Parts-per notation

1,000 ppm or less

Safe under all conditions

1,000 – 1,500 ppm

Safe for non-pregnant animals. For pregnant animals, feed should be limited to 50% of rotation

1,500 – 2,000 ppm

– Safe if limited to 50% of total dry matter intake

2,000 – 3,500 ppm Feed should be limited to 35% to 40% of total dry matter intake

3,500 – 4,000 ppm

Limit feed to 25% of dry matter intake. Do not feed to pregnant animals

4,000 ppm and above Do not feed

Nearly all plants contain some nitrate, but some are more prone to excess nitrate accumulation than others. Such “high-risk” plants are listed below, all of which are commonly grazed and prone to nitrate buildup. WEEDS: • Blindweed • Kochia • Sunflower CROPS: • Corn • Sudangrass VEGETABLES: • Sugar beets • Cabbage • Potatoes

• Pigweed • Lambsquarter

• Small grains • Sorghum • Lettuce • Cabbage • Carrots

If you have an abundance of the abovementioned where your cattle pasture or graze, be cognizant of their presence and adapt livestock grazing habits and additional and/or supplemental food sources accordingly. Plants stress, too. Excess nitrates can also accumulate in plants (including, but not limited to the abovementioned) when they are stressed. We recommend singing and yoga for stressed plants. We’re kidding. But, seriously… Drought or hot, dry winds put forage under water stress, and can result in nitrate accumulation. Similarly, damage caused by hail or frost impairs photosynthesis, and can also result in excess nitrates. Cool, cloudy weather is yet another contributing factor to elevated nitrate levels in plants. When any of these conditions occur within a few days of harvest or grazing, the potential for nitrate poisoning exists. It’s worthy of note, though, that if the stress is removed and the plants allowed to recover, nitrate levels should return to normal within days. If there’s concern regarding increased toxicity in your plants—whether it stems from plant type, environmental or circumstantial stress—a test of the feed should be performed to reduce the risk of disease and the potential for livestock losses. The stage of plant growth can also be a factor in increased nitrate levels. During a plant’s initial growth period, much of the nitrate taken up by the plant is used for root and shoot development. At this early developmental stage, the roots take up more nitrate than the plant requires, lending to excess nitrate accumulation in the stems and leaves. As the plant continues to grow, its leaves are able to convert more nitrate into plant protein, and less surplus nitrate is needed. Hence, less nitrate is found in a plant as it matures.

Contributing factors to boosted nitrate in plants • Stress • Extreme temperatures/weather • Growth stage • Use of nitrate-containing fertilizers • Use of heavy manure applications • Areas where stock have congregated & urinated/defecated • Wilting • Herbicide application • Presence of sulfur-deficient soils

TREATMENT

Animals with nitrate poisoning can be treated by slow, intravenous injections of one percent methylene blue (the blue dye commonly used by hospitals in cancer detection), which is not approved by the FDA for use in food-producing animals. Injections should be given in distilled water or isotonic saline should at 4 - 22 mg/ kg or more, depending on exposure. Lower doses may then be repeated, as needed, in 20 - 30 minutes, and retreatment considered again at six to eight hour intervals should exposure/absorption continue. Lavage rumen with cold water and medicated, antibiotic solution to prevent ongoing nitrite production.

PREVENTION

Nitrate poisoning prevention is best achieved by controlling the type and quality of forage offered to livestock. Avoid using forages with toxic level of nitrates, or dilute them with low-nitrate feeds, as per below. Again, forages with sub-lethal nitrate levels can be used to feed livestock with the appropriate precautions. And, no single level of nitrate is toxic under all conditions. When in doubt, always test your feed’s nitrate levels. FIELD TESTS Field tests for nitrate are presumptive, and should be should be confirmed by standard analytic methods at a qualified lab. However, the following field tests can be used to demonstrate a need for further testing. • Diphenylamine test (one percent in concentrated sulfuric acid); is best-suited to in determining the presence or absence of nitrate in suspected forages. • Dipstick test; or nitrate strips, are effective in determining nitrate values in water supplies and can be used to evaluate nitrate/nitrite content in serum, plasma, ocular fluid, and urine.

Hay with a low level of nitrates can be safely fed to non-pregnant animals, such as bulls or yearlings, or mixed with other hay and fed to pregnant cows. For detailed nitrate numbers, reference the table (left): Nitrate (NO3) Safety Levels.

LAB TESTS

If you suspect hay or feed to be high in nitrate, testing and analytical services are available through the Forage Analysis program of the Testing Division at the Wyoming Department of Agriculture. The program is designed to assist Wyoming ranchers, feeders, and hay producers in determining the nutrient value of various hays, silages, and forage, including: fiber, calcium, phosphorous, trace metal nutrients, and toxic constituents such as cyanide and potassium nitrate. For Feed, Forage, and Grain Analyses (including nitrate analysis), contact the lab at (307) 742-2984. They will be able to generate a price quote and sampling instructions for you prior to your submitting samples. More information on testing is available online at wyagric.state.wy.us. There are also private agriculture testing labs with national capabilities, such as the Alliance Analytical Labs of Coopersville, Michigan, that can be contacted for nitrate testing services at (616) 837-7670. When in doubt, always check the nitrate levels in forage with questionable levels to avoid loss of livestock due to nitrate poisoning. Labs can test for nitrate exposure in pre- and post-mortem specimens. Plasma is the preferred premortem specimen, not serum. The preferred postmortem specimens are fetal fluids, ocular fluids. These fluids should be frozen in clean, clear, glass or plastic container. Blood alone is not a good indicator of nitrite toxicity because 50 percent of methemoglobin converts back to hemoglobin in under two hours.

CONCLUSION

While nitrate poisoning is not necessarily toxic to ruminant animals, it’s common. And, learning the symptoms, causes, preventions, and treatment of nitrate poisoning in your livestock, including how to detect high levels of nitrate toxicity, can prevent potentially devastating losses. Questionable feed, forage, or hay? Know before you feed. Test is best. How better can we say this? The best way to prevent nitrate poisoning is to simply know your numbers and test. Period. By: Stephanie L. Scarcliff for 82801