IN THIS ISSUE
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www.progressiverancher.com Growing Wild: Crested Wheatgrass and the Landscape of Belonging A Field Guide for Collecting Native Seeds In Nevada Conservation Easement Articles Livestock Groups Reach Agreement with Activists on Management of BLM Horses and Burros Differences Between High-, Mediumand Low-Profit Cow-Calf Producers Hard Copy Issues of this magazine are now only available in Nevada, Idaho, Oregon and Washington, DC so keep up with issues FREE at our website and on Facebook
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3 Riding for the NCA Brand
22 Protect the Harvest articles
4 NCA Roundup
24 NDA News Release
6 NCA Scholarship Essay Winner 25 NDA Agriculture Education 7 Marvel/Andrae Scholarship 7 NDW CWD Prevention 8 NBC Checkoff News 9 NBC Recipe 10 NBC Mind of a Millennial 12 Eye On The Outside
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30 NFB 31 Cowbelles Beef Recipe 33 NCBA News Releases 33 Tyson - Fire Update
16 Nevada Cattlewomen
38 UNR - NevadaFIT
17 Interview: McKenzie Molsbee
39 UNR - David St-Jules
18 Interview: Suzanne Montero
40 UNR - L. Schütz / C. Schembre
20 BLM: Wildfire Status Links
41 Ivomec - Dewormer Tips
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Cover Credit: Ali Norcutt by Allison Walker Published 8 times each year. Viewable at www.progressiverancher.com The Progressive Rancher has a readership reaching more than 30,000. The views and opinions expressed by writers of articles appearing in this publication are not necessarily those of the editor. Letters of opinion are welcomed by The Progressive Rancher. Rates for advertising are available upon request. Advertising in The Progressive Rancher does not necessarily imply editorial endorsement. Liability for any errors or omissions in advertisements shall not exceed the cost of the space occupied by the error or omission. © The Progressive Rancher Magazine. All rights reserved.
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13 TSCRA Editorial - Fake Meat 34 MSUCVM - BVD articles 14 Winning The National High 36 USDA - News Release School Rodeo Championship 37 UNRCE - Crested Wheatgrass submitted article by Ali Norcutt
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From the desk of your NCA president By Sam Mori, NCA President
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Hello Everyone, I hope this writing finds you all well and enjoying what is left of what seems to be a really short, fast summer. Things here at the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association have been active in a good way. We have recently returned from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association summer meeting where many things were worked on for the betterment of our industry. Notice I said worked on and not just discussed as countless people connected to the right places at the right time are truly making progress on the hard issues that are vital to the success of our livelihood. The gradual but positive changes we have seen in recent months - and will continue to see over the coming year - are not occurring by coincidence. Meaningful changes to regulations don’t simply happen because of discussion at a dinner party, a social media post, or a liked tweet. Forward momentum is happening on things like Targeted Grazing of Annual Grasses, BLM National Outcome Based Grazing Project, Endangered Species Reform, Recreation and Livestock Interaction, Animal Health, Fake Meat, Marketing on multiple facets, and too many more to mention. The challenges that we face today did not come about overnight and it will take time to swing the pendulum back to center, but we are seeing progress being made in the right direction. It is important that we stay engaged to make sure things keep moving toward the finish line on these important issues and your association is committed to doing so.
Serving Rural Nevada
There is another item that we all need to be aware of: the new legislation that pertains to public access across private property. As of this writing there is a lot of confusion and we hope to have discussion and clarification of the bill at our annual convention November 20-23 in Elko, Nevada. We are planning to have a well-rounded agenda at the convention that should have something for any and everyone’s interests. Most of all, we hope to provide an enjoyable experience and a good time for all!
Monday-Saturday by appointment
In closing I want to thank everyone along the way that is helping pull on the rope. Together we are making progress in the right direction.
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775.388.2294 Hannah Rodriguez DVM, MPH hannahrodriguezdvm@gmail.com
Till Next Time,
Sam
Sam Mori, NCA President www.progressiverancher.com
The Progressive Rancher
SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2019 3
Nevada Cattlemen’ s Association 84th Annual Convention & Tradeshow NCA Convention & Tradeshow Schedule By Kaley Sproul Chapin NCA Executive Director The NCA is eager to announce this year’s convention. The 84th Annual Nevada Cattlemen’s Association Convention and Trade Show will be held November 20-23, 2019 at the Elko Convention Center in Elko, NV. As NCA members around the state gather in Elko, we will celebrate a lifetime of traditions, revise and review policies, and take a chance to enjoy our friends and neighbors. At convention members of the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association, guest speakers and vendors that provide services to the beef cattle industry will join together to celebrate the Nevada Livestock Industry. NCA staff and officers are working hard to provide you with a memorable and educational experience.
Registration for convention is on our website and has been sent out by mail and email at. If you are interested in attending and would like more information please call the office at 1-775-738-9214 or email us at nca@nevadabeef.org. The forms for exhibit booths and sponsorships have been sent out. If you did not receive these forms and wish to receive one please contact us, we would be happy to send one to you. The Nevada Cattlemen’s Association would like to thank the sponsors and exhibitors for helping make our event a success. Committees will meet on October 18th at the NCA office located 542 Commercial St. Suite 2A in Elko, NV, to discuss new issues or resolutions to be proposed at convention and review past resolutions. These meetings take place to set policies. This is a chance for you to provide input to a committee chairman on any changes to a policy or a new policy that affects our industry and way of life. By participating it is a great way to get involved and have your voice be heard in the policy-making process. For more information on each committee, please contact the Committee Chairs or the NCA Executive Director.
To see a tentative schedule of convention, please see the area to the right and also look online at our website. We are constantly updating it. We look forward to seeing you all at convention! 4 SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2019
Wednesday, November 20
Friday, November 22
1:00 – 6:00pm Exhibitor Move-In
7:00 – 5:00pm Registration Open
2:00 – 3:00pm Nevada Rangeland Resources Commission
7:30 – 9:00am Inspirational Breakfast
3:00 – 6:00pm Central Grazing Committee Meeting 5:00 – 6:30pm Nevada CattleWomen, Inc. Board of Directors Meeting 6:30 – 8:30pm Open Social hosted by Nevada CattleWomen, Inc.
Thursday, November 21 7:00 – 5:00pm Registration Open
9:00 – 7:00pm Tradeshow Open to All NCA Convention Attendees 9:00 – 9:30am Break in the Tradeshow 9:30 – 11:30am Private Lands and Environmental Management Committee Meeting 11:30 – 1:00pm Lunch in the Tradeshow 1:00 – 2:00pm Cattlemen’s College – DC Issues Update from NCBA
NV CattleWomen’s Breakfast & 2:00 – 3:30pm Animal Health Committee Meeting General Membership Meeting 3:30 – 5:00pm 2nd General Session – 7:30 – 9:30am NV Wool Growers Breakfast Marketing your Cattle 8:00 – 9:00am Research and Education Committee Meeting 5:00 – 6:00pm Last Call Reception in the Tradeshow 9:00 – 7:00pm Tradeshow Open to All NCA Convention Attendees 6:00pm Trade Show closes 7:30 – 11am
9:00 – 9:30am Break in Tradeshow – Coffee & Snacks provided 9:30 – 11:30am Public Lands Committee Meeting 10:00 – 12pm NV CattleWomen’s Youth Beef Cook Off - site location TBD
6:00 – 7:00pm Cocktail Hour 7:00 – 9:00pm NCA Annual Awards Banquet
Saturday, November 23 7:00 – 11am
Registration Open
11:30 – 1:00pm NV Beef Council Lunch
7:30am
1:00 – 2:00pm Legislative Affairs Committee Meeting
General NCA Membership Meeting
9:00am
1:30 – 4:00pm NV CattleWomen’s Youth Team Debate
NCA Board of Directors Meeting
10:00am
NV CattleWomen, Inc. Silent Auction Closeout
2:00 – 2:30pm Nevada Lands Action Association Meeting 2:30 – 4:00pm 1st General Session – CattleFax 4:00 – 7:00pm Convention Opening Reception in the Tradeshow The Progressive Rancher
For more information, please visit our website: www.nevadacattlemen.org www.progressiverancher.com
2020 CROP & LIVESTOCK YEAR
HAVE YOU SEEN...
INSURANCE OPTIONS FOR NEVADA PRODUCERS
Crop, Forage and Livestock Insurance Options for Nevada Producers Are you aware of recent insurance programs to protect your crop, forage and livestock for the 2020 year? Insurance can be a great way to mitigate risk in your agricultural operation. Insurance Products Sales Closing Date start in October for the 2020 crop year. See guide for a listing of all closing dates. Below are some specific insurance product closing dates. Alfalfa Seed: Forage Production: Pasture, Rangeland and Forage: Wheat: Whole Farm Revenue Protection:
October 31, 2019 October 31, 2019 November 15, 2019 October 31, 2019 March 15, 2020
For more information about the insurance products available, sales closing dates, and a listing of agents, see the Crop and Livestock insurance guide at the link below. http://www.unce.unr.edu/cropandlivestockguide/ Or Call (775) 945-3444, ext. 1033, for an Insurance Guide.
Risk Management Agency
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The Progressive Rancher
SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2019 5 
Nevada Cattlemen's Association
Scholarship winner's essay Nevada Cattlemen’s Association would like to congratulate Anthony Barnes of Jiggs, Nevada for being chosen as the 2019 NCA Scholarship recipient. Read his winning essay below.
Anthony has been involved in the Mound Valley 4-H Club President, Silver Sage FFA. We are proud of you and have great confidence that you will continue to serve our industry well. Good luck on your future endeavors!
Twenty-first Century Struggles of the Beef Industry
By Anthony Barnes | Jiggs, Nevada
Following the Civil War, the great cattle drives from Texas north to the railheads started to bring the “Wild West” and the cattle industry to life. After the adoption of the Homestead Act of 1862, cattlemen began to build homesteads throughout the west. It was in the era of the mid to late 1800s, that our nation’s beef industry thrived. With the support and demand for beef from society, and the endorsement of the establishment of agriculture in the west by the government, large cattle operations began to pop up throughout the west from Montana to Nevada and they became a common sight.
decline, with the 1996 membership around 6.3 million according to the Journal of Extension (Harder). In 2016 the national membership of 4-H was just under 6 million ( 4-H). With this decline in youth organization participation, less young people both inside and outside of agriculture are becoming more disconnected from social and political groups.
Not only has society become increasingly detached from the land and where their food comes from, but they are also believing the common negative misconceptions about agriculture and the beef industry, further threatening the survival of our culture and way of life. If that wasn’t bad enough, with these “anti-agriculture” groups becoming increasingly skilled at using social media to further their misconceptions and agenda, we as producers and progressive agriculturalists are falling behind.
producers also play a huge role in the public’s perception of us and the congressional action taken against our industry. Today there are many misconceptions and negative policies that affect the beef industry, with some of the biggest being on the topics of dietary guidelines, WOTUS policy, the labeling of fake meat, cattle grazing, and the environmental impacts of the beef industry.
With kids becoming more uninvolved in youth organizations that could potentially expose them to agriculture, the beef industry is looking at yet another challenge to overcome regarding involvement. Without a younger generation to step in and Today’s cattlemen, however, aren’t afforded the same kind of support from society, take the reins from an aging industry, there will eventually be too few to effectively and in many cases are shunned and criticized for their way of life. Members of support the industry and with it our way of life. With an increase in participation Congress do not throw their support behind the beef industry or agriculture like and advocacy across generations, especially millennials and my own generation, the they did in the old days. Some even propose legislation that would severely cripple, beef industry can begin to effectively spread the truth throughout the nation. if not end, the beef industry as we know it, such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s While participation may arguably be the biggest struggle facing the beef industry, “Green New Deal”. the widely accepted misconceptions that often lead to negative regulations straining
Now more than ever, it is important that cattlemen become involved in the debate and their local beef interest groups, know the facts about our industry to address these largely believed misconceptions, and begin using social media on a larger scale to advocate for our industry and way of life.
The first thing that we need to do as producers to combat these “anti-ag” interest groups is to become more involved in groups of our own. Currently, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s membership is around 25,000, while according to the NCBA there are approximately 727,906 beef cattle operations around the nation (Industry). This means that only approximately 3.5% of producers are involved in the NCBA. With so few people getting involved and advocating for our industry, it makes it increasingly difficult to defend ourselves against the massive backlash of society against our craft.
One of the most recent debates is about cattle’s methane emission’s effect on the environment. Many believe that cattle release large amounts of methane and have a large impact on the environment. Although cattle do in fact release methane through the digestion of plant material, it’s not nearly to that extent.
According to the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, agriculture and forestry accounted for 24% of all greenhouse gas emissions, yet 20% of emissions were negated by greenhouse gas removal courtesy of plants (Rudolph). According to the NCBA, beef cattle only represent 2% of greenhouse gas emissions (Moncaster).
The removal of gas conducted by plants via photosynthesis according to the AgriLife Extension is directly affected by cattle through grazing. Through research conducted on rangeland with and without grazing, scientists have proven the need and use of grazing to support healthy ecosystems and recover dessert-like rangeland and return it to productivity. Rangelands are very similar to a lawn; without the These incredibly low numbers point to the fact that the younger producers who removal of grass tissue the grass matures and dies. This leads to less perennial grass have been actively producing in the past twenty years are the least likely to be development and a shorter time frame in which the grass is actively growing and a member of the NCBA, which is no different in our state. According to Beef alive, not to mention a buildup of dead grass that also chokes future grass and Magazine, “Today, the average age of an NCBA member is 60 years ... “ (Burt). leads to desertification (Hadley). Livestock grazing keeps the soil and vegetation That being said, it is becoming incredibly important for my own generation to step in a healthier state longer which in turn leads to more developed root systems in up and become involved. An increase in involvement from producers ranging from perennial grasses and typically more biodiversity. 18-35 would not only significantly drop the average NCBA member age, but it So, what does this have to do with greenhouse emissions? According to biologist would also likely help in areas such as advertisement and the use of social media. Allan Savory, the benefits of grazing described above, in addition to the fertilization Additionally, an increase in organized advocacy would greatly help in the fight for and seed spreading that also accompany grazing, is the only way to reverse climate education about the misconceptions surrounding the beef industry. change and desertification. Through his research, he has been able to reclaim desert An increase in involvement isn’t the only issue, however. It’s also very important that as agriculturalists we encourage other younger members of my own generation to continue to enter production agriculture in the future, especially by promoting youth groups. In the past 20 years, 4-H is beginning to see a national membership 6 SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2019
rangeland in Africa solely using his short intense grazing practices. Through his range reclamation, the land can retain moisture better and once again support vegetation (Savory). With more vegetation growing in places where it was mostly or entirely gone, more carbon is being removed from the atmosphere through
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Chronic Wasting Disease Prevention The state of Nevada has passed a new law in its ongoing efforts to prevent the spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD), a nervous system disease that affects deer, moose, elk and reindeer. Senate Bill 85 restricts hunters who have harvested specific game species in other states from bringing certain parts of the carcass into Nevada. CWD has not been detected in Nevada, but biologists continue to monitor our mule deer and elk populations.
In their August 2019 podcast, Nevada Wild, Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller sit down with NDOW Game Division Administrator Brian Wakeling and NDOW Veterinarian Peregrine Wolff to talk about the disease, prevention efforts including Senate Bill 85, how hunters can do their part to prevent the spread of CWD, and why their help is so important. To hear this interesting, half hour long discussion, please visit:
https://soundcloud.com/user-934973730/chronic-wasting-disease-prevention
Nevada Wild is available for download on SoundCloud and iTunes. It also airs on 99.1 FM Talk at 10 a.m. every Sunday morning in Northern Nevada and live online. Southern Nevada listeners can hear Nevada Wild on the Highway Vibe at 9 a.m. on Saturday mornings.
The Tom Marvel / Jim Andrae Scholarship photosynthesis. In addition, the moisture holding capabilities given by the rejuvenation of the rangeland also activates the biological soil crusts or BSC. This crust of microbiological life also removes carbon from the atmosphere and stores it in the soil (Thomas). It is facts like these that are supported by scientific research that we as producers need to know and spread to combat the misconceptions about our industry.
In order to stand up to the groups promoting this false propaganda hurting our industry, it is becoming crucial that we expand our utilization of social media to deliver the truths to the public. In this technological age, society, especially young people, are using social media more often throughout their day. Many groups circulating lies and misconceptions about the beef industry utilize social media platforms to reach the most people possible on the most widely used parts of the sites. On the internet, there are hundreds of articles that spread negative propaganda and messages about the beef industry. Through social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and more, people can “share” or “like” these articles and negative comments and further spread them to other people. This system certainly gives credit to my adage, “bad news spreads fast”, and we as agriculturalists need to learn new ways to educate the public and utilize this same system. Increased involvement of younger people would lead to better use of social media to the industry’s advantage. We need to become more active on all kinds of social media, from Facebook and Twitter to Snapchat and Instagram. If we expand our reach into this same method of spreading information, we can begin to right the wrongs done to society by the perpetuation of these false claims and truly become progressive agriculturalists in our own right.
Agriculture and the beef industry face many struggles not foreseen by our forefathers who started our great way of life. It is our duty as producers to stand up for our industry to protect and preserve it for generations to come. We must become more involved, more educated on our industry and its goals, and use social media to fight against the “anti-ag” groups that wish to solely see our downfall. We owe it to those who have come before us, ourselves and our families, and those who will come after us, to ensure that the facts of our way of life are understood by all. www.progressiverancher.com
by Dan Gralian In 2016, two legendary Nevada cattlemen passed away. Tom Marvel and Jim Andrea were Cowmen, Horsemen, Ranch Managers; and above all, “Cowboys.” Both Marvel and Andrae were receipts of the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association prestigious One Hundred Thousand award and both were inducted into the Buckaroo Hall of Fame. Two years ago, Robert Rebholtz of Idaho based Agri Beef Company approached the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association with the idea of creating a college scholarship fund to honor these two great Cattlemen. The Rebholt’s Family is no stranger to Nevada. Current Agri Beef Co President Robert Rebholtz was born on the TS Ranch and his family also owned and operated the IL Ranch for two decades. They have always been active bidders on Nevada calves and yearlings to supply their cattle feeding and beef processing enterprises. With seed money provided by Agri Beef, a scholarship income earning investment fund was set up with Edward Jones. Beginning in the Spring of 2020, the first annual Marvel/Andrae Scholarship will be awarded to a college student studying in the field of agriculture. The Marvel/Andrae Scholarship is targeted at returning college students, majoring in a variety of agriculturally related fields. The amount of the will be dependent on the previous years’ earnings of the investment fund managed by Edward Jones. The annual award will range between $2,000 to $5,000, depending on portfolio performance and earnings. It is currently anticipated that the 2020 scholarship award will be $2,500. The Nevada Cattlemen’s Association traditionally also offers an annual one-thousanddollar scholarship to first year college students. These students will be eligible to apply for the Marvel/Andrae Scholarship when returning to college in future years. Our “Youth of Today” are our “Future Leaders of Tomorrow! Their education helps to ensure the success and prosperity of our industry in the future. As the Marvel/Andrae Scholarship fund grows, so will the scholarship amount and the number of scholarships to be awarded. If you would like to contribute to this great educational endeavor, please contact the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association office. Any amount, be it large or small, is greatly appreciated! Educators and students also interested in more information on the Marvel/Andrae Scholarship should also contact the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association, some time after the first of the year.
The Progressive Rancher
SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2019 7
CHECKOFF NEWS Checking In On Your Beef Checkoff
By Nevada Beef Council Staff
A Return on Your Investment Organizations such as the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and Nevada Beef Council regularly monitor the results of checkoff-funded programs and efforts to ensure their effectiveness. One important study recently conducted by the CBB measured the return on beef producers’ and importers’ investments into the national portion of the Beef Checkoff program over the five-year period of 2014 to 2018, finding that the investment of the $1.00 per-head checkoff returns $11.91 to producer profit.
“This study was a first of its kind opportunity to utilize advanced data analysis methods to discover if there was a true monetary value to participate in BQA,” said Chase DeCoite, director of Beef Quality Assurance. “Study results clearly show that participation in BQA and BQA certification can provide real value to beef producers. It means that the initiatives within the industry are rewarding cattlemen and women who take action to improve their operations and our industry.”
The primary objectives of this study were to measure the impact of CBB demandenhancing activities on beef demand in the U.S. and in foreign markets, and to compare benefits to costs of CBB activities for producers’ and importers’ investments in the national checkoff program.
Additional study findings show that over the past 10 years, consistent frequency of BQA mentions have been included in the lot descriptions of cattle selling via video auctions. In some states, like Montana, the frequency of mentions has been fairly sizable and upwards of 10 percent or more of all lots of calves/yearlings offered for sale. Even without documentation of a premium in the past, the results imply that over time many producers have proactively chosen to highlight and emphasize their participation in BQA when marketing their cattle.
Through a thorough analysis of several factors and the creation of econometric models of the domestic and international beef markets, the research team was able to determine the impacts of important facts affective beef demand besides checkoff-funded activities, such as beef prices, income, exchange rates, and economic conditions in importing countries.
The results of the BQA value study emphasize the importance of transferring information from sellers to buyers as well as the importance of collecting BQA certification information during the auction process.
In addition to the return on investment of $11.91, the study found that, had there not been any domestic CBB demand-enhancing activities over the period studied, For more information on the study or to complete online BQA training, go to total domestic beef demand would have been 14.3% lower than actual. Similarly, www.bqa.org/certification. had there not been any CBB contribution to USDA Foreign Agriculture Service and US Meat Export Federation foreign market development programs over the past five years, U.S. beef export demand would have been 5.5% lower than actual in the eight foreign markets studied here. A full review of the study, titled “An Economic Analysis of the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board Demand-Enhancing Programs”, is available at www.beefboard.org. Study Shows Premium in Cattle From BQA-Certified Producers While many producers across the nation and here in Nevada have participated in the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program because “it’s the right thing to do,” recent research indicates that there’s also a financial benefit. According to a study by the Beef Checkoff-funded BQA program and conducted by Colorado State University (CSU), results show a significant premium for calves and feeder cattle sold through video auction markets. The research study “Effect of Mentioning BQA in Lot Descriptions of Beef Calves and Feeder Cattle Sold Through Video-based Auctions on Sale Price,” led jointly by CSU’s Departments of Animal Sciences and Agricultural and Resource Economics, was conducted to determine if the sale price of beef calves and feeder cattle marketed through video auction companies was influenced by the mention of BQA in the lot description. Partnering with Western Video Market, CSU reviewed data from 8,815 video lot records of steers (steers, steer calves or weaned steers) and heifers (heifers, heifer calves or weaned heifers) sold in nine western states from 2010 – 2017. The result was a premium of $16.80/head for cattle that had BQA listed in the lot description. This value was determined by applying the $2.71/cwt premium found in CSU’s statistical analysis to the average weight of cattle in the study data. When the BQA premium was constant on a per head basis, it implied higher weightbased premiums for lighter cattle (for example $3.73/cwt at 450 lbs/head) and lower premiums for heavier cattle ($2.24/cwt at 750 lbs/head). 8 SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2019
Latest Nevada Beef Council Campaign Launching This Month This September, the NBC is launching its latest integrated marketing campaign designed to promote beef and encourage Nevada consumers to select this protein option at the retail level. Through a comprehensive campaign tying together beef and tailgating season, the NBC will feature ads in select media markets, launch a digital campaign, and offer cash-back rebates on select beef cuts on the popular mobile retail app Ibotta. By offering the rebate through Ibotta, consumers can shop for beef at any participating retailer in Nevada, qualify for the rebate by watching a video on the app, and receive the rebate via Paypal or gift cards. Similar campaigns conducted by the NBC in the past have shown promising results and high consumer engagement. Stay tuned in the coming months for more detail on the results and highlights of our next campaign!
Learn more about the Nevada Beef Council at www.nevadabeef.org.
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Big Game Fritos® Pie By Nevada Beef Council Staff Since the Nevada Beef Council’s latest campaign is centered around tailgating season, we thought we’d share one of the favorite tailgating recipes from BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com. Want more ideas for your next tailgating (or other outdoor) adventure? Check out the site and search “tailgating treasures.” INGREDIENTS
• 2 pounds Ground Beef • 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided • 1 medium onion, diced • 2 teaspoons chili powder • 1 teaspoon ground cumin • 1 teaspoon minced garlic • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper • 1-1/2 cups beer (12 ounce can) • 1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes with mild green chilies • 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce • 2 tablespoons cornmeal or masa harina • 8 bags (1 to 2 ounces) FRITOS® Corn Chips • 1-1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS • Preheat large Dutch oven over high heat until hot. Add 1 teaspoon olive oil and ground beef. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, breaking into small crumbles and stir occasionally. Work in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding the pan and stewing the beef in its own juices. Remove beef; set aside. • Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil over high heat. Add onion; cook until evenly browned. Add cooked ground beef, chili powder, cumin, garlic and cayenne powder. Season with salt, as desired. Stir until combined. • Stir in beer, tomatoes and tomato sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, cook 1 hour until chili thickens. Stir in cornmeal. If chili is too thick, add a little water. If chili is not thick enough, simmer until desired consistency is reached. • Slice or fold open bags; spoon beef chili on top FRITOS® Corn Chips. Top each bag with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese. Allow to melt slightly, then serve and enjoy.
www.nevadabeef.org | www.mybeefcheckoff.org
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The Progressive Rancher
SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2019 9
In the Mind of a Millennial By Jill Scofield, Director of Producer Relations, California & Nevada Beef Council
The Sixth Year Check In This August, I celebrated my 6th anniversary of working for the California and Nevada Beef Councils. Growing up on a Nevada ranch, I never anticipated that I’d come back to work for the industry in this capacity. I also never really knew or appreciated just how much work is done – much of it behind-thescenes – on behalf of this great industry through the Beef Checkoff.
In fact, the checkoff funds a state-of-the-art culinary center, complete with a test kitchen, in Denver, Colorado. Every day, chefs in the culinary center follow a rigorous process for developing recipes with trained testers running through each recipe no fewer than three times to ensure success for consumers. This is where all the great recipes you find at BeefItsWhatsForDinner. com are created and refined.
Needless to say, I’ve learned a lot over the last six years. And a lot has changed during that time, too. Consumer use of technology is one major area that has continuously and rapidly shifted, and I think it’s impressive how we as an industry have adapted to that, ensuring we’re reaching consumers across multiple platforms in ways and with messages that resonate.
The culinary center also provides support and collaboration to supply chain partners, exploratory labs and tours for foodservice partners, and more.
So, as I reflect on the last six years, I thought I’d take this month to share some of the things that I’m most excited about as someone who not only works on your behalf as part of the Nevada Beef Council, but as someone who holds this community of ranchers and beef producers very close to her heart.
Using Artificial Intelligence I’ve already talked about Chuck Knows Beef in a few updates, but it’s worth repeating that the Beef Checkoff has done a lot to help consumers bring modern technology to the kitchen in new and exciting ways. When I started in 2013, if you had told me we’d be rolling out a “virtual beef expert” using Google Artificial Intelligence (AI) that people can access on their smart speakers, I probably would have laughed. I’m not laughing now. Chuck, in case you missed this in the last issue, can be enabled on a smart speaker through the Amazon Alexa and Google Home apps to ask questions about beef recipes, cuts and cooking methods. Chuck can also answer questions about production, like antibiotic use, sustainability, nutrition, and more. Given that almost half of millennials use voice assistants such as Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant when shopping, or that about half of smart speaker users have used their device for cooking advice or assistance, it’s pretty clear why this is a novel idea.
New Recipes and Products One thing I learned fairly early on in my tenure was that the national Beef Checkoff does a lot of work to bring delicious, innovative recipes and cooking methods to life for both home and professional chefs. 10 SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2019
The checkoff also invests dollars to create new, innovative and convenient beef products that align with current consumer purchasing patterns. One recent example of the latter is “Beefshi” – a new sushistyle concept that uses beef products like pastrami, roast beef and summer sausage, to be enjoyed as an appetizer or full meal. The checkoff is working with those in the foodservice sector to bring these “Beefshi” options to more menus across the country, offering a beefier option for traditional sushi recipes. At beefshi. com, consumers and foodservice professionals alike can look up recipes and how-to videos to bring these delicious recipes to the table. I even got to try a few of these Beefshi recipes at a recent event, and trust me, they were delicious.
Finding New Ways to Tell an Old Story We’re all familiar with the iconic “Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner.” tagline and brand. It’s been over 25 years since the brand was first launched, and over that time, it has resonated with consumers, young and old. A couple of years ago, however, the Beef Checkoff knew it was time for an update, and relaunched the wellknown brand to a new generation of consumers. The relaunch blended the strongest assets from the long-loved brand – such as the famous Aaron Copland “Rodeo” music and the famous tagline – and coupled those with new creative assets, with a focus on the pleasure that beef brings to meals, the people who raise it, and the nutritional benefits (such as protein) that beef provides. The overall effort was designed with millennial media preferences in mind. The campaign launched in October 2017 with digital advertising and a new digital platform at www.BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com, a single, comprehensive location that provides an interactive experience on all things beef, from cuts and cookery, to a robust collection of beef recipes to an inside look at the lives of the people who raise beef. The Progressive Rancher
by Jill Scofield
Jill Scofield is the Director of Produce Relations for the California and Nevada Beef Councils. She grew up on a cow-calf ranch in Northwestern Nevada.
But beyond that, the relaunch included a comprehensive digital marketing campaign focusing on the people behind the product, the protein and other nutrients beef provides, and the pleasure and enjoying it brings to our lives. The relaunch includes a series of beautifully done videos, that challenge consumers to “rethink the ranch,” highlighting some of the modern tools and practices ranchers and beef producers use in their traditional livelihood. These videos offer consumers an opportunity to learn about each step of the beef production process, from the farms and ranches, to feedlots, to processing and retail. Expanding on that concept even further, the checkoff launched virtual ranch tours last year, offering an even more-in depth look at beef production facilities without having to leave the house. These are just a few examples of the creative and innovative programs taking place to help the beef community continue to thrive, and just a few examples of why I enjoy working for these organizations on your behalf. There’s of course a whole lot more happening thanks to your checkoff investment, and I encourage you to visit any of the following websites to learn more about these efforts: www.BeefItsWhatsForDinner. com, www.beefboard.org, or www.NevadaBeef.org. www.progressiverancher.com
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The Progressive Rancher
SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2019 11
By Joseph Guild
There's No Place Like Home For Steak Steak. If I said the word in front of one or two people in this country I am sure their thoughts would turn to a summer family barbecue with friends and relatives gathered in a backyard or on a patio with a grill, sizzlinghot, choice meat throwing up flavorful smells into the air and lots of talk and laughter. Or, another thought might be to a favorite specialty steak house serving dry-aged prime beef and only attended on very special occasions.
On a ranch, after a day of branding the neighbor’s calves, the treat would be outdoor eating of delicious, ranchraised beef cooked over an open wood fire. In any case, most Americans have a favorite way to have a steak, and of course the quality of the meat is unparalleled in the world. I have eaten beef on four continents and some Pacific Islands like New Zealand. I admit I am lucky to have seen a bit of the world. But having said that, there is no place like home and some of the great advantages we share as Americans.
When the publisher of this magazine found out I was going to Europe this summer, she gave me an assignment to write about a subject (which she has never done before). My assigned task was to eat beef in all the countries I visited and render a report, which is what I am now doing. We visited France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Scotland and England. I know the latter two are part of Great Britain, but they really are two different cultures with different attitudes and ideas. The fact that they have the same sovereign, Queen Elizabeth II, doesn’t change how they view the world separately.
The food in all of these places can be pretty homogenous. You can get a hamburger anywhere in Europe. In fact, I confess, out of curiosity and extreme hunger, driving through Scotland, we broke down and stopped at a McDonald’s, which is ironic because. I rarely eat at McDonald’s at home. But this quarter pounder did the trick although it didn’t have the same taste. It’s hard to describe. There was a distinct lack of a beef flavor, but everything else from the restaurant décor to the fries were the same as here.
On the other hand, I had a great, as-advertised Angus burger in Amsterdam for lunch one day. Accompanying the burger was a beer from a brewery which is finally getting their craft right having been established in 1389. I also had a Uruguayan rib eye steak in Amsterdam after a three hour bicycle tour of the city. It was very good. The meat was obviously from a grass-fed animal but the whole experience was positive. Speaking of the Netherlands, a little-known fact is after the United States, Holland is the second largest agricultural exporting country in the world. Many of their
12 SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2019
products are fresh cut flowers and plants, but riding a train through the lowland country side, farms and diverse plant and animal agriculture dominate the scene. Actually, this is also true of France, Scotland and England. Once quickly out of the cities the scene is decidedly rural and pastoral in all of the countries we visited.
Scotland is very reminiscent of Northern California in all but the summer season. The hills- they call them mountains- are green and there are cattle and sheep grazing everywhere. There are fields of wheat and barley (the latter necessary to make good scotch whiskey) and the food is varied and good in almost any restaurant you choose. I know this is supposed to be about steak but the two most memorable meals I had in Scotland, other than the McDonald’s were in a pub and a Spanish restaurant. In the pub I had a steak pie. The meat and vegetables were tender and fresh and the gravy and crust were so good I could have just eaten the baked crust dipped in the stoutflavored sauce. The Spanish restaurant featured loin lamb chops marinated for 48 hours in some secret Moorish
A report on eating beef while traveling through various European countries influenced creation that far outdid any bottled barbecue sauce you could buy here in the US. Thus, there wasn’t a memorable steak in Scotland, but maybe I just did not stay long enough to find one. The train from Glasgow, Scotland to London was like all train rides in most of Europe - fast. And, I mean breathtakingly fast. If you stand at a station in England waiting for your train, stay back on the platform because a through train will come past that station at 70 miles an hour and it feels as if you are going to be sucked into this transportation vortex.
On the trains the country side speeds by so quickly that sometimes realizing how fast you are going takes your breath away which also causes you to choke on your morning coffee. The trains speed along at over 100 miles per hour. A trip of over 400 miles from Glasgow to London takes about 4 hours with a few stops along the way. The same trip by car would take about six and a half hours by freeway for the entire journey. In my opinion, the European public transit system is exceptional and very easy to use. We don’t have such a system here because we are not willing to be taxed to pay for it, but it is a discussion we should continue to have. The Progressive Rancher
London is steak desert as far as I am concerned. It isn’t as if the British don’t love their beef either. They have a thing all over England called the Sunday Roast. Pubs and restaurants advertise it and I assume many families regularly observe Sunday with a big roast beef dinner. The Sunday Roast must be good because by the time we arrived at the restaurant in early afternoon, it was all sold out. Also, the beef pies are ubiquitous. I had one our last night in London, and I can still smell the rich gravy in the pie, or maybe it was the good ale I drank with the pie. Some things are hard to remember. I haven’t talked about my favorite steak on this European trip. My daughter’s father-in–law is a native to Paris. We were in France to celebrate our daughter’s marriage to a great young man who was raised in Paris and Southern France. The five of us went with Mikael to one of his favorite restaurants located on the banks of the River Seine. It was mid-summer in Paris so it stayed light for a very long time that night which gave us some great views of the famous river and all of its traffic. When travelling it is always a treat to be with someone who is quite familiar with your location. This evening was just amazing. We put ourselves in Mikael’s hands and were rewarded. The meal was many courses with a superb seafood soup, a salad with many very fresh vegetables, appetizers, dessert, and beef. Of course, we all know of the French contribution to beef breeding with such breeds as Charolais and Limousin, and we know how seriously the French care about food and cooking. The menu at this restaurant specifically said all of its beef offerings were from Limousin cattle. We were served an entrecote steak and an onglet. The entrecote is from the fore rib, cut between ribs for a relatively thinner rib eye than we would be used to in the United States. The onglet is a hanger steak. Again, it is a relatively thin steak. Both of these steaks were grilled and there was a hint of a marinade or rub of some sort but the flavor was very subtle. I ordered both medium rare and they came out perfectly. I was told the entrecote is the favorite by far of all French steaks and now it is also one of mine. The meat was obviously grass-fed but it was not tough and it was very flavorful. I had two very good steak experiences out of many tries, one in Paris and the other In Amsterdam. While those steaks were flavored differently than our grain-fattened meat (because our beef is finished very differently from European beef ), I enjoyed the contrast very much. Nevertheless, there is really nothing like a steak here at home grilled in my back yard with my friends and family. I’ll see you soon.
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Fake Meat Deserves the Same Regulations, Oversight as Beef Editorial by Missy Bonds Director of Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association Imitation is defined as a thing intended to simulate or copy something else. It has many synonyms: fake, forgery, reproduction and impersonation, just to name a few. As consumers, we sometimes seek out these imitation products as a cheaper or more readily available alternative to the original, but most often we would prefer the real deal. After all, the name itself implies that the original is better than the fake version. Whether at the jewelry store or grocery store, it's important that manufacturers and retailers clearly differentiate between these real and fake products so we can make an informed decision before we head to the cash register. With the current discussion surrounding plant-based imitation meats and cellcultured protein, also known as lab-grown meat, transparency is more important than ever.
Since our ranch is next door to the Dallas/ Fort Worth metroplex, we are no strangers to touring chefs, journalists, and others. We are proud to share our methods of raising cattle and producing beef with a curious public.
Having operated with this kind of transparency for decades, my family and our fellow members of Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) are concerned about the push for these fake beef products. I hear many of the same people who are proponents of unprocessed, organic, and non-GMO foods, pressuring the public to accept these imitation products that are cobbled together in a laboratory. One of the leading plant-based imitation meats has 21 ingredients, with the main one being soy protein concentrate, which is heavily processed in and of itself. Cellcultured meats are “grown” in a laboratory using things like fetal bovine serum.
Real beef, though, has only one ingredient, 100% beef, and it is grown using things like grass in sunny pastures. While plant-based fake meats are already available, the lab-grown product is still being developed, but it is likely not far from being offered to the public. Fake meat industry representatives have made a lot of claims, but the corporations developing these lab-grown meats are reluctant to provide details on their production methods or product. Those
products also have not been analyzed by independent scientists, which means there are still many questions about food safety risks and compositional and nutritional properties.
That’s why it is essential that consumers, cattle producers, and government regulators come together now, before the product comes to market. We must ensure that fake meats are properly vetted and regulated to protect the health and well-being of consumers and prevent false or deceptive marketing.
While they have established the basic framework, there are still many details to be determined. Both agencies will likely be creating guidance documents and rules to define more clearly the food safety evaluation process, nomenclature and labeling terms, grading standards, and more.
Whether you are a consumer or rancher, Unfortunately, some of this deceptive I urge you to stay engaged. Demand marketing has already begun, with that regulators clearly and carefully label supporters of fake meat calling it “clean” imitation products, so we know what we are meat. They acknowledge that “clean” is buying. not a legal term. They use this description Cell-cultured meat is not the same beef because “it is the expression that elicits that my family and I produce. These new the most positive response in potential products must be defined and properly buyers,” according to David Banis, a regulated to ensure we can continue to contributor to Forbes.com in a Dec. 14, benefit from the safest and most abundant 2018, article. food supply in the world. My family and I don’t criticize Texas and businesspeople for researching and Southwestern developing a new product. But, implying that cultured meat is cleaner than the Cattle Raisers beef we have produced for centuries is Association fearmongering and makes the regulation of the fake meat industry even more Contact: Jeremy Fuchs critical. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have agreed to a regulatory framework for labgrown fake meat that will give both agencies oversight of different aspects of production.
FDA will regulate the process before cell harvest, to include cell collection, cell banks and the like. USDA will have
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Winning the National High School Rodeo Championship Going into the National High School Finals Rodeo Finals this past July in Rock Springs Wyoming, there was no doubt in my mind that I couldn’t win. I knew I had the horse power, the preparation, and the mindset. However, before the first go round, I thought I was going to either have a panic attack or throw up everywhere. I was so nervous that I cried the entire morning before and could not eat. I practiced in the show arena the previous day and the morning of my performance. My horse felt very calm and smooth. By show time, I pushed my nerves away and just focused on what I needed to do. I broke down my run and what it takes to have a good smooth run, knowing if I had a smooth run that I would place in the top ten. Though I didn’t have the ideal cow run, I still managed to place in the top four. I had a couple of days before my next performance and worked my cutting horse. I didn’t do spectacular, but was proud of my horse and glad for the experience. As the second go round came along - the Rein Cow Horse event - I wasn’t nervous at all and felt confident. Unfortunately, the run I made wasn’t good enough for the top ten. I wasn’t proud of the run as I felt I didn’t show my horse to my full ability. I placed in the top twenty which meant I was going to be able to compete in short go in the seventh place position. This was certainly not the place I wanted to be in, and I felt considerably disappointed. The leader was around twenty points ahead of me and I had felt like it was nearly impossible for me to take the lead, but I still wanted to make a good run and go for a go round win. At the beginning of the week I was talking to fellow competitor LaRae Luis and she said, “It’s not over until it’s over and you really never know." I really didn’t believe it but was encouraged by her reminder that anything really can happen. The first two rounds I showed in a snaffle bit which worked amazing but I need a little something else to potentially boast up my score. So my dad and I made the decision to put on the Two Rein set. I knew this could potentially move me out of the top ten but if everything went well, would move me up in the placings. Going into short go I went in with the mentality of “there is no way I can win it” and “just show your horse good one last time”. My main goal was really just to prove to myself that I could be better than I had been in the second go round. I really wanted to prove this to myself and personally didn’t care what I placed. I also knew if I competed the way I wanted, I would make my parents happy. The support that I received in the short round was crazy, as most of the Nevada team was there to support me and that alone gave me so much confidence.
by Ali Norcutt
When I came in, we started off with a middle stop and after the first stop I could hear the song T.N.T by AC/DC and it really pumped me up! I guess you could say I was getting a little carried away and I was finally just having fun. My reining was by far the best work I did all week and though my cow was weak, it was still high enough to win the go round. They announced the World Champions at the end of short go and I still didn’t think I could have won it but as they went down the list starting with number twenty, I didn’t hear my name. Once they got to the top they went all the way to third place, and still my name wasn’t called. My initial thought was, “Wow, I went from seventh all the way to second place!” And then they said that there was a tie to win it and I was a little confused but my heart was pounding so hard and suddenly I heard my name being called and the whole Nevada crew came to congratulate me giving me all of the hugs in the world. About thirty minutes later they had the NRCHA awards, and once we arrived they said that there was a misunderstanding with the points and that I won by half a point! Now, me being me, I didn’t really believe them, mostly because I still could not believe I had won in the first place, but sure enough, they were correct and I had won the National High School Rodeo Reined Cow Horse Championship. As I was traveling home from the rodeo, I thought that the glory and celebration was over with, but as we were reaching the street to turn home, we were surrounded with fire trucks and police cars! At first we thought we were in some type of trouble, but then we realized that we were being escorted into town. When we reached town, I could see all my close friends and family on every street. Having such support from friends and family has really made winning this national championship special. I can't thank my parents, family members, and the State of Nevada enough for this outpouring of support. I really want to give a big thanks to my mom and dad for driving me everywhere and helping me become the rider that I am today. The win still does not feel quite real. When I see my name as a national champion it honestly feels weird and I still get butterflies. But then I realize that yes, I really won a national championship and I have a huge support system - what else could a girl ask for.
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Full-Service Cattle Sales & Marketing - serving Fallon, Nevada and the Outlying Areas. We are gearing up for the fall run. We have special sales lined up all through the fall & winter. In our area we are fortunate that buyers in the surrounding states have such good luck with the gains & health of Nevada cattle. You have something special and as a sale barn operator it is my job to help potential buyers realize that. We are committed to creating the best financial outcome for our customers. We look forward to marketing your cattle this year and hope you will make that trip to Fallon to watch your cattle sell. A lot of blood, sweat, and tears have gone into raising those calves, so we encourage you to watch your cattle sell at whichever sale barn you choose to sell at. You need to make sure they are stepping up to the plate, that they work for and protect you and your cattle. At Nevada Livestock Marketing we welcome the challenge of proving that we work hard for you. We want you to stay in business for a long time because without you, we don’t have a business! Good luck this fall, and let’s be optimistic that this crazy feeder market stabilizes.
FALL SALE DATES Sept 18 Oct 2 Oct 17 Nov 7 Nov 13 Nov 21
Special Feeder Sale Special Butcher Cow Sale Special Feeder Sale Special Feeder Sale Special Butcher Cow Sale Special Feeder Sale
AUGUST 7, 2019 SALE Type # Head Desc Weight Price CWT Location
Type # Head Desc Weight Price CWT Location
Type # Head Desc Weight Price CWT Location
Type # Head Desc Weight Price CWT Location
STR STR STR STR STR STR STR STR STR STR STR STR STR STR STR STR
STR STR STR HFR HFR HFR HFR HFR HFR HFR PAIRS PAIRS PAIRS PAIRS PAIRS
COW COW COW COW COW COW COW COW COW COW COW COW COW COW COW COW
COW 1 COW 1 COW 4 COW 1 COW 1 COW 5 Heiferette 1 BULL 1 BULL 1 BULL 1 BULL 1 BULL 1 BULL 1 BULL 5 BullCalf 1 BullCalf 1
37 32 13 1 1 6 19 5 4 2 1 1 6 1 1 2
BLK 776 BLK 645 BLK 814 BLK 810 RDRN 390 BLK 563 BLK 700 BLK 616 BLK 701 BLK 617 BLK 701 BLK 617 BLK 701 BLK 617 RED 1225 BBF 673
135/C 145 130.75 50 145 136.5 140 150 140 150 140 150 140 150 72.5 132.5
Jordan Valley, OR Paradise Valley, NV Paradise Valley, NV Austin, NV Tonopah, NV Winnemucca, NV Jordan Valley, OR Jordan Valley, OR Jordan Valley, OR Jordan Valley, OR Jordan Valley, OR Jordan Valley, OR Marsing, ID Marsing, ID Winnemucca, NV Austin, NV
10 18 29 77 43 25 13 9 2 5 1/1 3/3 2/2 1/1 5/5
HOL 667 65 BLK 634 150 BLK 746 139 BLK 667 139/C BLK 823 123 BLK 823 122 MIX 868 121 BLK 578 137 BLK 578 137 MIX 620 124 BLK 1350 1410/H BLK 1573 1,300 BLK 1420 1,420 MIX 1190 1,000 Broken Mouth Mix ... ...1202 1,200
Fallon, NV Fallon, NV Fallon, NV Paradise Valley, NV Paradise Valley, NV Malin, OR Malin, OR Jordan Valley, OR Marsing, ID Austin, NV Lake Oswego, OR Fowler, CO Fowler, CO Murphy, ID Tonapah, NV
2 MIX 1325 2 MIX 1300 3 CHAR 1512 2 RED 1338 8 MIX 1463 1 RBF 1320 1 BLK 1090 2 MIX 1300 1 BLK 1730 6 BLK 1311 1 WF 1015 1 BLK 1,370 5 MIX 1,273 1 BLK 1,390 1 RED 1,230 1 BLK 1,090
69.75/C 60.75 71.75 71 59.25 67 60 60.75 64.25 60 64.25 69 60.75 71 66.5 60
Paradise Valley, NV Lakeview, OR Austin, NV Austin, NV Adel, OR Murphy, ID Lakeview, OR Lakeview, OR Redmond, OR Bonanza, OR Adel, OR Milford, CA Reno, NV Tonopah, NV Winnemucca, NV Lakeview, OR
BRN BLK BLK RED RBF BLK MIX BLK BLK MIX BLK RED BLK MIX RBF BBF
1,340 1,170 1,276 1,020 1,255 1,284 1,355 1970 1915 790 1705 2235 1680 1236 140 195
71 67 64 71.5 70 57 66/C 76/C 89 76 85 82 69 75 250 320
Bishop, CA Fallon, NV Tonopah, NV Tonopah, NV Winnemucca, NV Lovelock, NV Fallon, NV Lakeview, OR Austin, NV Fallon, NV Reno, NV Winnemucca, NV Carson City, NV Ely, NV Murphy, ID Adel, OR
AUGUST 21, 2019 SALE Type # Head Desc Weight Price CWT Seller COW COW COW COW COW COW COW COW COW COW COW COW COW COW COW COW COW COW COW COW COW COW COW COW COW
1 BLK 1755 1 BLK 1485 1 BLK 1375 1 BBF 1535 1 WFCX 960 2 MIX 1408 2 MIX 1455 1 RBF 1265 3 RBF 1305 1 BLK 1320 1 BBF 1655 6 RD 1522 5 RD 1445 1 RDRN 1780 1 HOL 1245 1 BLK 1331 1 BLK 1440 1 BLK 1420 2 RD 1530 4 RBF 1589 1 BLK 1440 2 BLK 1515 1 BLK 1065 1 BLK 1240 3 BLK 1408
$0.79 $0.79 $0.77 $0.75 $0.74 $0.74 $0.73 $0.72 $0.72 $0.72 $0.71 $0.71 $0.70 $0.70 $0.70 $0.69 $0.69 $0.69 $0.69 $0.68 $0.68 $0.68 $0.67 $0.67 $0.67
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Location
Type # Head Desc Weight Price CWT Seller
Location
Type # Head Desc Weight Price CWT Seller
Location
Winnemucca, NV Winnemucca, NV Winnemucca, NV Winnemucca, NV Paradise Valley, NV Battle Mountain, NV Battle Mountain, NV Paradise Valley, NV Deeth, NV Fallon, NV Fallon, NV Deeth, NV Deeth, NV Deeth, NV Fallon, NV Austin, NV Spring Creek, NV Spring Creek, NV Lovelock, NV Paradise Valley, NV Orovada, NV Spring Creek, NV Fallon, NV Fallon, NV Adel, OR
COW 5 BLK COW 1 BBF COW 8 MIX COW 1 BBF COW 7 MIX COW 7 BLK COW 1 HOL COW 2 BLK COW 5 RBF COW 1 BLK COW 5 RBF COW 4 MIX COW 8 BLK COW 1 CH COW 1 BLK COW 13 BLK COW 1 BBF COW 1 BLK PAIR 2/2 BLK PAIR 1/1 MIX BULL 1 CH BULL 1 BLK BULL 1 BLK BULL 4 BLK BULL 1 BRN
Fallon, NV Fallon, NV Lovelock, NV Paradise Valley, NV Denio, NV Fallon, NV Fallon, NV Paradise Valley, NV Orovada, NV Spring Creek, NV Orovada, NV Lovelock, NV Spring Creek, NV Spring Creek, NV Winnemucca, NV Paradise Valley, NV Fallon, NV Schurz, NV Adel, OR Fallon, Nv Orovada, NV Austin, NV Austin, NV Spring Creek, NV Austin, NV
BULL 1 BLK BULL 1 RD BULL 1 BLK BULL 1 JER STR 1 BLK STR 3 BLK STR 3 MIX STR 4 BLK STR 3 BLK STR 2 BLK STR 1 BLK STR 1 BBF STR 6 MIX HFR 2 BLK HFR 2 MIX HFR 1 BLK HFR 3 BLK HFR 2 BLK HFR 6 MIX HFR 3 MIX HFR 15 BLK HFR 3 MIX STR 2 MIX HFR 1 LHNX
Carson City, NV Fallon, NV Winnemucca, NV Fallon, NV Adel, OR Round Mountain, NV Paradise Valley, NV Fallon, NV Winnemucca, NV Winnemucca, NV Adel, OR Fallon, NV Adel, OR Adel, OR Round Mountain, NV Spring Creek, NV Winnemucca, NV Schurz, NV Paradise Valley, NV Fallon, NV Lovelock, NV Battle Mountain, NV Winnemucca, NV Graegle, CA
1526 $0.66 Michael Laca 1075 $0.66 Steve Venturacci 1442 $0.66 Thomas Moura 1100 $0.65 Patrice Stewart 1364 $0.65 Jim & Helen McDonald 1125 $0.65 Jaso Storm 1880 $0.65 Jeff Whitaker 1363 $0.64 John & Jhona Bell 1249 $0.63 McErquiaga Family Trust 1425 $0.63 Garrett Tomera 1249 $0.63 McErquiaga Family Trust 1096 $0.62 Michael Gottschalk 1146 $0.60 Edward Buckner 1995 $0.60 Jason Tomera 1200 $0.59 Stuart & Janine Avery 1174 $0.58 John & Jhona Bell 1355 $0.53 Tyson & Emily Torvik 1260 $0.50 Donald Quintero 1495 1250.00/H Kiely Brothers 1205 1225.00/H East Gate 2360 $0.91 Deanna Porter 1905 $0.89 Jay Gandolfo 1535 $0.86 Brian Bill 1885 $0.85 Kevin Tomera 1850 $0.85 Jay Gandolfo
The Progressive Rancher
1795 1665 1450 1820 285 342 475 626 570 683 865 715 1090 260 260 310 555 575 493 670 1143 1198 1193 785
$0.84 $0.80 $0.80 $0.74 $179.00 $175.00 $148.00 $146.50 $143.50 $125.00 $123.00 $101.00 $90.00 $170.00 $165.00 $162.00 $129.00 $125.50 $121.00 $115.00 $89.00 $75.00 $75.00 $70.00
Henry Hodges John & Vella Torvik Robert & Daniel Gordon Pete Olsen Kiely Brothers Daniel Berg Susan & David Kern Linda & Gene Bowmer Robert & Daniel Gordon Robert & Daniel Gordon Kiely Brothers East Gate Kiely Brothers Kiely Brothers Anna Berg Garrett Tomera Robert & Daniel Gordon Tanya Quintero Susan & David Kern East Gate Thomas Moura Bert Paris Uriel Castellanos William Lamb
SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2019 15
Preparing for Nevada CattleWomen, Inc. Convention Update of ANCW Summer Business Meeting By Staci Emm Well, I think my summer flew by, and now we are all scheduling appointments for fall making sure we block out those hunting dates.
I hope everyone had the best summer. I made several memories this summer while spending time with the girls at the spa, hanging out with friends, and I can’t forget the cows getting out and destroying my yard. I think I am ready for fall. I would like to update everyone on activities for Nevada CattleWomen, Inc. as we have been working on cattle women issues and events.
The summer business meeting for American National Cattlewomen (ANCW) at the end of July went very well. I taught the Level I Basics in Leadership with Leslie Lohrenz to kick off the meeting, which started on Sunday. The biggest highlight of the ANCW business meeting was working on, approving, or rejecting about 23 ANCW resolutions. The resolutions approved will be officially voted on by membership in San Antonio in February 2020. A committee had been working on these resolutions before the meeting and we thank them for all their efforts. A listing of resolutions discussed is at the end of this article, and I am very pleased that our Nevada Agricultural Literacy resolution will be moving forward. In addition to the resolutions, ANCW handled other business issues including approving the 2020 budget, putting out the application for 2020 officers, announcing region meeting dates, and updating bylaws and policies and procedures. The biggest change was in ANCW policies and procedures in regards to creating a “budget committee” and a “ways and means committee.” Previously, all these duties were put together, and current leadership would like to separate out budget from ways and means. Having these responsibilities together is a huge workload for a volunteer to take on. The final decision on this will also be made in San Antonio in February 2020. At the state level, we have been making plans for the state convention. This year Nevada CattleWomen, Inc. want to make some changes and participate more in the NCA convention. We also want to get youth to the convention and provide some events for them. Melinda Sarman and I worked with Nevada Cattlemen’s Association Executive Director, Kaley Chapin, to set the agenda and events for this year’s convention. We are currently working on getting sponsors and volunteers involved in the events.
The first thing that was negotiated with NCA is a special rate for NCW members attending the convention. We were able to set a $100 registration fee for our members that includes the convention, Nevada Cattlewomen, Inc. membership breakfast, lunch and convention socials. Please watch this as you are filling out your registration forms to attend the convention. Nevada CattleWomen, Inc. will also be holding a silent auction again this year. Please let us know if you would like to donate an item or sponsor one of the events below. I am listing the board members contact information right after the resolutions. The proposed Nevada CattleWomen, Inc. schedule will be the following for state convention in Elko, Nevada: Wednesday, November 20, 2019, Elko Convention Center 5:00 p.m. 6:30 p.m.
Nevada CattleWomen, Inc. Board of Directors Meeting Nevada CattleWomen, Inc. Social
Thursday, November 21, 2019 7:30 a.m. 7:45 a.m.
Nevada CattleWomen, Inc. Breakfast, Elko Convention Center Nevada CattleWomen, Inc. General Membership Meeting
10:00 a.m. Welcome FFA Youth- Location To Be Determined 10:30 a.m. Youth Assigned Stations for Beef Cook-off Event 16 SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2019
11:15 a.m. Youth Groups Provide Statement of what they cooked and how and how their recipe can be used to promote Nevada’s beef industry 12:00 p.m. Nevada Beef Council Lunch at Elko Convention Center. Winners of beef cook off are recognized. 1:30 p.m. 4:00 p.m.
FFA Youth Debate on Nevada Agriculture Issues at Elko Convention Center
Youth Day Completed, NCA Reception in the Trade Show Begins
Friday and Saturday, November 22, 2019 Nevada CattleWomen, Inc. members attend NCA events and meetings.
We hope that everyone is in favor of the changes we are trying to make. We strongly believe in giving our youth the opportunity to be a part of the overall events. The cook off will have to be at a different location than the Elko Convention Center due to the convention center’s food policies, but we are confident we can find a location near the convention center. We also want our students to be able to debate real life agricultural issues in Nevada. Please don’t hesitate to contact a board member with feedback. All your help and opinions are welcome. Lastly, there are seats open for Nevada CattleWomen, Inc. State officers beginning in December 2019. We have the seats open for Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. If you are interested in one of these seats, please send a letter and resume to past president and chair of the nominating committee, Sidney Wintermote, at cwnv.inc@gmail.com.
Current Nevada Cattlewomen, Inc. officers are below. Please contact us if you would like to sponsor a convention event, have an item for the silent auction, or would like to volunteer. Staci Emm, President (775) 312-0424
Melinda Sarmon, President Elect (775) 385-3619 Madison Bowers, Vice President (775)388-3259 Sidney Wintermote, Treasurer (775)397-4750 Ruby Uhart, Secretary (775) 297-5722
ANCW Policy and Resolution List – Denver July 2019 Existing resolutions to be reapproved (Resolution was approved unless there is a note): • Farm Policy • Disaster Relief • Animal Welfare • Animal Health • Congressional Oversite • Livestock Processing Facilities • Beef Safety • Border Security • Immigration (Immigrant Workers) • Nutrition • Agricultural Taxes • Beef Checkoff • Federal Lands Ranching
New resolutions to be approved (Resolution was approved unless there is a note):
• Lab Grown Protein • Traceability – Not voted on. Strike from record • Private Property Rights • Alpha Predators Wolves, Cougars and Grizzles • Beef Consumption Tax • Agriculture Biosecurity • Beef Irradiation – Not voted on. Strike from record • Labeling of Technological Safe Product – Tabled • Waters of the United States New resolutions to be approved from ANCW regions (Resolution was approved unless there is a note): • Mutual Affiliation – Region V • Ag Literacy and Education – Region VI
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InteRview: Mckenzie Molsbee by Ruby Uhart
My name is McKenzie Molsbee, wife to Jason for 10 years and mom to two boys, Easton (9) and Cavin (7). I grew up on my family ranch in northeastern Nevada. I am the 5th generation. We live in O’Neil Basin at the base of the Jarbidge Mountains. We are 2 ½ hrs from our closet shopping town which is tied between Twin Falls, ID or Elko, NV but because of Costco we go to Twin Falls. Our shopping days, similar to most other ranching families, are long, long, long days always involving a stroll to Costco. We try to limit our town runs to once a month. We are fortunate to have my folks and grandma living at the ranch also. When the kiddos were little, they would stay with my folks while we made the run. Now, we try to make every other trip where we stay the night and give the kids a chance to swim in the hotel pool. When I was growing up my parents made sure we did the same thing which has always stuck with me. Yes, we have irrigation ditches, head gates, and the creek but the water is still barely above the “snow melt” feel and it’s nice breaking up the town run trip with a special night in the pool. I went to elementary school in a one room school house in Jarbidge. My mom was the school teacher. When my brother went to high school we moved to Wells where my mom got a teaching job at the elementary school and we finished high school there. Growing up we weren’t the typical cattle operation. We also have a lodge and guests were a big part of the ranch. My grandparents also raised horses and we ran a stud bunch throughout all of my childhood. I remember having to pack a stick every time we had to ride through the pasture where they were kept. When I was about twelve, the ranch entered in Holistic Management. Riding changed at that time. We needed to move the cows around in a rotational grazing system which included more animal numbers. When we first started there were not as many allotment divisions as we have now so riding happened every day. Part of the grazing allotments run up onto the Jarbidge Wilderness where there is no back-boundary fencing. The wilderness is rugged, big, and well watered. Cows and riding are in my blood. My parents let me ride at a young age with the cowboys who were working for us. I would be the pesky kid tagging along, I’m sure they thought, but I would quiz them or my dad constantly to learn the country. I wanted to know it like my dad and grandpa knew it and be able to go everywhere I was sent.
yearlings the following year for about 3 years. Every winter we had to find new winter pasture and live away from the ranch where our calves were. If we weren’t doing that we were driving back and forth and after Cavin was born we decided we wanted to stay at the ranch during the winter. We changed out of the yearling operation and bought cows. Currently, we own and run a cow/calf operation at the ranch and an A.I. program on the heifers. In 2017, we went into partnership with Jason’s parents and started a registered Red Angus program. We wanted to supply our commercial side with part of the bull inventory. We still have a long way to go to get our Red Angus program exactly how we want it but it’s been a fun side enterprise to tinker on. Eventually we would like to private treaty a few bulls yearly. We have learned to work livestock together better. Communication is key and a few walks out of the corral and “leave you to your onesies” moments never hurt either. Making sure we value each other’s game plan and at least hearing each other out helps.
A typical day for us changes with the different seasons. The boys are enrolled in an online public charter school so during school season I spend the majority of the I went to several educational workshops with my dad throughout my high school day helping with their school work. I always start my mornings with coffee and years; Holistic Management, Bud Williams Low Stress Stockmanship School, catching up on the news before the kids wake and it’s on to breakfast and school. several horse clinics, and Livestock Marketing Class. We had pressure from an I try hard to have the boys start their school days about 8:30. Fall is a hard time environmental group trying to stop livestock grazing within an allotment but I to get a routine down. My friend, Jessica and I do big game pack-outs during the was seeing the positive change on the land that was happening from grazing with hunting season so sometimes we are both pulled away for that and Jason is gone more numbers and shorter duration. That made my decision to go to college for all season with the guiding business. I also usually help with the cooking in the fall a range management degree from Utah State. I originally wanted to be a private for the hunters staying in the lodge. Throw our main business on top with livestock consultant to ranchers to help combat those environmental activist groups that were and the days are usually busy and it is by far my most stressful time of the year. A wanting livestock removed from the West. However, I discovered that I did not enjoy summer day still consists of coffee in the mornings but then regular ranch chores monitoring although I did love the knowledge behind it. I was always pulled back to begin. Days are filled with riding and moving cows to the next allotments, irrigating, cows, land, and horses. fencing, running horses, A.I. heifers, moving electric pasture fences in meadows, and Before Jason and I got married we attended a Ranching for Profit class which set the of course our favorite… brandings! My favorite time of year is late spring. We start spark to eventually dive into our own livestock enterprise and more knowledge in the calving out our heifers in April. I love seeing the new babies hit the ground. Our main think tank for coming into the family operation. In 2009, we had the opportunity to cows are outside on a BLM allotment which means feeding is less time consuming. come back to the ranch to manage the cattle operation. We moved onto my family’s The countryside is greening up and the sun once again holds warmth when it does ranch, Cottonwood, the year we were married. At the time we were living in Crescent show its face. Brandings start popping up and getting back in the saddle is always a Valley where Jason was working for the Dean Ranch. Being owned by Barrick Mines welcomed soreness. My absolute favorite thing about ranch life is the variety within meant the typical ranch lifestyle was very much altered to comply with their safety the days and seasons. Winter will eventually end and change into spring activities regulations. I was not allowed to ride in the pickup truck with Jason even to run out and new life. Spring’s crazy schedule will morph into summer must dos intermixed and check the pivots. We knew it just wasn’t going to be the long-term lifestyle we with playtime days. Then there is fall. Riding through the mountains with new crisp fall air and vibrant colors lifts the spirit for the crazed stress filled days ahead. And were wanting going into marriage and eventually starting a family. then winter returns and it’s a sigh of welcomed calmness and a time to recoup. All is When Jason and I came to the ranch they were running a cow/calf operation and experienced surrounded by family and each season brings new understandings and retaining calves to run as yearlings. The ranch had room for more livestock during the learning opportunities to have with the boys. growing season and it had always been a goal of ours to own our own livestock so in the fall of 2009 we bought into 500 head of calves. We went through Farm Service It seems like we are always thrown a curve ball from time to time but one sticks out Agency for the funding. When we pitched them our proposal, they thought we were in my mind the most. I am reluctant to share so please don’t judge. I won the “Mom a little crazy and they had never funded a business proposal for buying calves to run of the Year” award when Cavin was 4. We had gone 6 years since Jason and I returned as yearlings but somehow, they accepted. This was the beginning. We had to buy them to the ranch with mild winters. Well the winter of 2016 was one for the record books late that fall and carry them through the winter but O’Neil Basin was not the ideal spot across the West. We had hay hauled in for the cows but enough for a 90-day feed for running sick, pieced together calves coming from all different places. We needed season not 120 days. Things came tight. We had hay bought in Idaho but semi-trucks a more accessible and affordable winter spot. We spent that first winter in a borrowed were snowed out of the Basin. Every time the county road crews came, wind would 5th wheel outside of Winnemucca along the Humboldt River. I was pregnant with blow the road shut again. The snow berm along the road was wide enough for a ....continued next page our first son. We continued down that path of buying calves in the fall and selling as www.progressiverancher.com
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SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2019 17
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pickup and as tall. Then the warm up came and it took our piled road snow and made rivers down the county road. Our side of the Basin still held on to the snow but toward Hwy 93 the road was gone. It would be a long time until the road was made passable. Without the support of neighbors, we would have been in lots of trouble. We are thankful to have such great people around us. That was a long background story but, we had to turn cows out early. The south facing slopes on one of our BLM allotments were bare enough we had to take the cows everyday out across the snow to the exposed feed. Cavin, 7 dogs and I had that job one morning. We could travel the country road with the ATV while the dogs swung out around the cows in the brush. I parked the four-wheeler on the road with Cavin and was just walking over to where the dogs were moving the cows up the hill. I was focusing on each foot placement as I walked so wasn’t really paying attention to cows in front until I heard the noise; all 7 dogs on one mad red angus cow who was looking for anything to mow over in her path. I had no time to think: she came at me before I had time to put my hands out and jump to the side. She blew snot running by me with her old head bowed like they get when start to get hot blooded in the corral. I had NO idea that Cavin was right behind me just enough that when I stepped to the side as she blew by, she now had a new target. She nailed him straight on, knocking him clean out of his snow boots. Honest to goodness truth, his snow boots stayed in the snow as he was thrown. She stopped a little way past us and I was worried she was going to come again so I quickly gathered my crying little boy and his boots up and ran to the four-wheeler. He miraculously did not have any life-threatening injuries. He kept saying his “tooth was dulling” so we took him to the dentist and the old red cow did split one of his molar teeth to the root so we had to have that removed. The dentist asked “So you moved out of the way and your son got run over?” “Yes,” was all I could say. We definitely were a first for them. I do not feel too proud that I moved out of the way for my four-year-old to get mucked out but we all smile about it now.
One of our most memorable times is our 4th of July celebration, not always celebrated on the exact day due to friends and family with more fixed work schedules. It goes back to when my dad was a kid. They used to have a big rodeo event at the Ranch with close to 400 people attending until things got a little wild and they decided to take a break from hosting. It’s only been the last 10 years or so we picked up our old tradition in a slightly different way, and it grows every year. We have a party where everyone coming is required to enter a float in our spectator-less parade. Tractors, ATVs, trucks, trailers, jeeps, go carts, horses and our VFD fire truck all sporting red, white, and blue decorations file out our main gate to do a loop that ends in our meadows. A water fight is always held with the top victor usually being the fire truck. We stand in a circle for the Pledge of Allegiance, patriotic songs, and salute our veterans and those still serving. It's powerful and moving for all of us to gather over 70 miles from the nearest town and celebrate our country. The parade is following by a potluck dinner, pit cooked pig or lamb and fireworks.
We have to be flexible for the curve balls thrown at us. Living this far from town we have to have extras of everything, especially for the long blustery winter days. Sometimes going “with the flow” is something I struggle with. I have a very planned, organized demeanor and being thrown off my plan always rattles my cage. You just have to ask my husband! One fall day when I felt like my world was falling apart, my neighbor and friend told me, “It will all buff out, it always does.” I had no idea how much that little saying would replay itself to get me through the tough times.
Ranch life has its own stresses and issues that are very different from urban stresses and issues. Perhaps one difference might be that we don’t have the ability to leave our work at the workplace. It surrounds us daily and at all hours. Sometimes I envy an 8 to 5 job but the thought is always fleeting. It is important to share our story especially in today’s society. The ranching voice is not loud enough to ride over the dominant influence of the extreme environmental activist groups. We need to show and demonstrate good stewardship of the land and resources done within our industry. It is essential to show the value that livestock and ranching has on the landscape and have that positive picture painted within the minds of the urban communities who see and hear the negative. We are in a unique position to be able to have a positive direct impact on the land and resources surrounding us and to use what we do in our everyday lives to create a positive influence. If you’re interested in ranch life, go for it! Learn as much as you can. Be progressive and open minded. Remember to cherish the old traditions at the same time as bringing in the new. 18 SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2019
InteRview: Suzanne Montero by Ruby Uhart
We run a Red Angus cow/calf operation here at Leonard Creek ranch, 90 miles north of Winnemucca. I live in the middle of nowhere on a wonderful hidden paradise away from cell phone service and people. I like to call it God’s country. I enjoy being somewhere, where I can get off my horse and pee if I want to without anyone seeing. My two sons Glynn Montero and Leonard Montero have homes at Leonard Creek and are full time employees. Glynn is the manager of the ranch. His wife Susan is an aide at the Denio, Nevada rural school. The school has 9 students in various grades; from kindergarten to 8th grade. He has three kids: Trenten, Savannah and Caden. Caden is in 8th grade and loves science, Trenten is 27 and competes professionally in bareback riding and Savannah just returned from traveling all over Asia and Australia. Leonard works and also runs a separate business of selling horses; his business is called Broken Heart Quarter Horses. Leonard has his wife Jennifer out here. She is a school teacher in Winnemucca. Leonard has two sons Jake and Colt. My other two sons Daniel and Mike Montero have part time homes out here. Mike Montero is the Humboldt country judge and Daniel is my son who loves nature, enjoys hiking, the company of his two dogs and spends time traveling the world and playing Frisbee. Mike’s daughter Madison, 20, is a part time employee here at the ranch. I have a daughter who just had a baby boy. Her name is Suzanne Montero; she is a rodeo coach and university teacher. We have two other ranch employees: Jake and Mike. Mike is from Missouri and has been working with us for a while now. He owns a white Chihuahua named Jake (not the other employee lol) that rides in the tractor with him and the four-wheeler. Jake is our new employee that is a younger cowboy. Other than that we have various and way too many dogs at the ranch; everything from Huskies to Great Danes. I have four dogs (a cow dog, a purebred Chihuahua, and two other Chihuahua crosses that are a bit larger, that are with me at all times. They ride my four-wheeler with me, move cows with me, go to my doctor’s appointments along my side and are my very best friends. We have a pet deer that roams free and follows our help wanting grain. She has babies every year and brings more and more deer into our home. We also have an infestation of cats at the moment from a lose tomcat that is strongly racking up the numbers of offspring.
I grew up in Hollywood, California. My daddy owned a stable below the Hollywood sign. As a little girl I worked there and fed the horses and maintained the business. I was raised to work hard from the beginning of time. I would never leave a job until it was done well. Every day I would walk across the Hollywood stars going to school. When I was older I traveled to visit my brother in Kings River Valley, Nevada at Kings River Ranch. I met Frenchy Montero on that trip. The evening I met him, we went to Leonard Creek Ranch to spend the night. At the time Frenchy had a girlfriend. The night I went there we were traveling out in the middle of nowhere on a long stretch of dirt road, in order to get to Leonard Creek. I remember telling myself there was no way anyone could possibly live down that road, and I ended up spending the next 56 years of my life there. I returned to visit Nevada and went to the Battle Mountain rodeo and at that time started dating Frenchy Montero. Everything moved quickly after that. We were engaged by December and married by February at the Winnemucca Catholic church. The wedding reception was at the Sonoma Inn, now called the Winners Inn. I married into a ranching family and that is how my career in the beef industry all began. I have been involved with ranching for 56 years, and
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plan on staying here in God’s country until I die. My husband French passed away in 2006 of a fatal brain tumor. My husband was never a cowboy and when I first came out here women and children always had the backseat, we held the bunch, pushed and dragged and never got promoted. I finally had the opportunity to work cows instead of holding the bunch after my husband passed away. I work as hard as anybody and I can mother up cows and calves as good as anybody, but it was just not a woman’s place. I hold the bunch, because my son who is the manager works the herd. I do a better job than him. My son is too aggressive and makes the whole heard explode. I worked full time out here and just started receiving a paycheck after my husband died. When I was raising my children out here, I would pack a kid in front of my horse with me and lead another. The others would be loose on their horses around me. I would always worry where my children went. I would worry myself sick over where my kids were. My oldest Glynn, disappeared once when we were moving cattle at the age of ten. He finally showed up hours later with a baby burro in front of his horse and found it alone. My children were always causing trouble and making me worry.
The day we bought out the ranch from the Bidart family, that we originally split Leonard Creek with was a huge moment that stands out to me. Owning the ranch all Montero was very special to us. Shortly after that things took a dark turn for a while. My son Julian died that fall, we were in a terrible drought and one of our windmills went out causing a bunch of cows to die. I would go out alone and move cows that were alive out of the area. I would get so dehydrated on these cattle drives and it was before plastic water bottles were invented, that I would drink out of cow imprints of water. The cows would step on dried up springs and their imprints would bring a little bit of water up to ground level. I always knew that if bugs were floating in the water then the water was safe to drink.
The hardest part about ranch life is the death loss; I can’t stand the death loss of baby calves in the spring. It’s hard to see anything die, and I fight for the lives of those calves during Nevada’s sometimes very cold springs. I am really hard on my employees during that time, because we must be checking them constantly and making sure they have every ingredient to become one-hundred percent healthy. We will carry calves off a mountain that are motherless on the back of our horses. If a mother loses her calf and in another cow-calf pair the mother dies we will skin the dead calf and tie on the skin to the motherless calf. This allows the calfless mother to be able to smell her original calf on the new baby and take it under her wing, thinking it is her original calf. We give every cow and calf shots to prevent diseases. My workers, sons and I watch them every day and ride horses through the herds checking on cows. We are constantly moving cattle. We take them up in the mountains, but cows never want to stay. They prefer the flats. We separate our heifers with calves from the mass of cows so we can keep a better eye on them. I don’t have anything to do when machinery breaks down. However, I do break them down more often than not. I am constantly getting stranded out in the desert because the tractor got stuck in a mud hole or my truck did. My sons or grandchildren will find me walking home long distances every once in a while. Just the other day Glynn asked me how I already broke down the new four-wheeler. We found out later it was out of oil. When my worker was fixing the problem, the cap blew off because it was not tightened. Oil shot everywhere and even got on my powdered milk for the calves. I was covered in it.
stories need to be shared. The world needs to acknowledge that ranchers and farmers are just as much heroes when compared to firefighters, police officers, doctors, etc. We keep the world fed. A lot of individuals do not appreciate us, many even protest us. We may be selling animals for the food market, but I can tell you one thing, I love animals more than people. I care for them; I save and fight for their lives. I won’t let our workers move certain hay bales sometimes because a bird will have a nest built on one. I have had a vet tell me to put down one of my old and sick dogs. I refused and healed the dog myself. That dog lived another few years. My neighbor was going to put down a horse that had an extreme leg wound from getting caught in a barbed wire fence. I said I would take the horse, and now today that horse is one of my favorite long day mountain riding horses.
Ranch life isn’t any more stressful than any other life.. You know your seasons, you know your responsibilities and you are around animals and God’s wonderful creations. If I was new to ranching, it would be very stressful. It was actually extremely stressful for me when I first jumped into the way of a being a cattlewoman. I came from the city lights of Los Angeles to the huge open rural starry skies of Northern Nevada. In the summer I go out about 6:30 and spend all day in a tractor and I spend off I had to learn a new way of life. The life out here was not easy for a woman at days moving cattle in the mountains and working on my garden daily. In the fall we first. Everyone and everything would try to run you off. The strong women stayed; I are branding, gathering cattle and weaning calves. Winter months are spent feeding stayed. You had to be strong willed. I learned how to cook everything. Everything was cattle and watching the herds and of course in the spring we start calving, watching homemade. You never dared buy a loaf of bread. We made everything. Of course in heifers, checking cows and still feeding. I love all the seasons, and I love the variety of these modern times, I have gotten over that. My husband Frenchy, would cut meat. I works that comes with every season. I do really enjoy haying season at the moment, I never liked to kill and I never watched when animals were butchered. The only part I never used to do it, but with age I have started to take more of an interest in driving would participate in was gutting and plucking chickens. I have never killed anything tractors and helping in the fields. It is a unique change for me. I can tell you my on purpose. Occasionally, we have those awful days when a dog gets run over, a horse least favorite: fall. That is when all of my grandchildren head off to college or back colics or a cow dies and it makes me sick to my stomach. Those who live in the depths to school. It is when my allergies break out and it is the time of the year when my of the cities will never understand the way of life we live and the peace of it; not son Julian Montero passed away at the age of 11. My son owned a steer that he loved having a neighbor within 20 miles of us and the quietness of living in the middle of and would ride with a saddle. One day when he was picking apples in the orchard, nowhere. It is good for the mindset to escape the noise of the world and live peaceful he was standing up in his saddle on his pet steer and the steer spooked. My son’s foot in the mountains. It is hard for urban life community members to wrap their minds got caught in his stirrup and he was drug to practical death. We rushed him to the around the things we do out here. For example, impaling a bloated cow with a knife Winnemucca hospital; however, we were an hour and a half away. For 90 minutes I and sticking a straw in the wound to save a cow’s existence. I once watched a bull attempted to keep my son alive on a hell bent trip to the nearest hospital. He died shove a pregnant cow off of a cliff. My crew and I rushed to the bottom only to find later in the emergency room. My son and I had a great relationship. Every spring a cow that was slowly dying, taking in shorter and shorter breaths. I jumped off my when I started the garden, all of my children would complain of the gardening work, horse, pulled out a knife and cut the calf out. Today the calf ’s name is Tumbleweed besides Julian. He loved helping me with that project. My favorite thing about ranch and is our pet. life is the various seasons. From calving, haying, irrigating you never get tired on the The whole world needs to know our story and appreciate what ranchers and farmers ranching lifestyle and duties because they constantly are changing. do. We don’t want to share the number of cows we run because that is private. Our
If you want to make your way in ranching just do it. Be confident. Don’t over think it. Be brave and stubborn and say you won’t give up on your dream. It will be hard at first but very rewarding later. The ranching life is an unforgettable one, a unique one. If your dreams don’t scare you, then you are not making the most of your life.
A couple of years ago, I had a really good employee working for me. Well, one day we were getting ready to go feed cows and police officers showed up and arrested my employee. He had a serious record and was on a wanted list. I asked the cops if they would let him finish feeding cows first, but they declined my offer! Another time one of my employees was a bit crazy and decided he wanted me dead. The man shot a handgun at me and hit me in the hand. I ran at full speed towards my house, where all of my kids had pulled out their guns and hid in the house with me. We called the cops and he was later arrested. Another time a man that you may have heard of named Ronald Bristlewolf, murdered a few people and lived in holes in the ground near some natural hot springs not too far from my ranch. He was bat shit crazy and would eat on our dead cows. When he was trialed for murder, I testified with others that he was insane. Bristlewolf died in prison. www.progressiverancher.com
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SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2019 19
Beautiful Ranch in Eureka, NV. 410 acres with water rights located off of Antelope Rd, just west of Eureka. 944 SF remodeled 2 bedroom, 1 bath home, large metal shop, several outbuildings, corrals, horse barn, squeeze chute and a loading chute. Allison Creek runs through the property. This majestic property has views of Bald Mountain and the surrounding valley, and will take your breath away! $499,900 For details, call Cari Norcutt at Berney Realty 775-426-8023
Paul Petersen
State Fire Management Officer BLM Nevada
(775) 861-6670 ppeterse@blm.gov Below are the public links for Nevada Fire Information and a dashboard of current wildland fire status for wildland fires in Nevada. Please don't hesitate to contact Paul Peterson or your local FMO if you have questions. Nevada Fire Information Site https://www.nevadafireinfo.org/ Nevada Wildfire Operations Dashboard https://tinyurl.com/ NVWildfireOperationsDashboard
HalfPage PageProgram(5.5”x4.25”) Program(5.5”x4.25”) Half Page Program(5.5”x4.25”) Half Nevada Public Wildfire Information Map https://tinyurl.com/ Half Page Program(5.5”x4.25”) NVPublicWildfireInformationMap
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UPCOMING SALE
Thurs • October 24 Cottonwood, CA
Consignment Deadline: October 16
Wed • December 4
Peppermill • Reno, NV Catalog Deadline: November 15
WATCH & LISTEN TO THE SALE on the Web at:
For details call (530) 347-3793 or the representative nearest you:
Gary Nolan
Mark Venturacci
(775) 934-5678
(775) 427-8713
Elko, NV
Fallon, NV
Steve Lucas
Paradise Valley, NV
(775) 761-7575
Brad Peek— (916) 802-7335 or email us at wvm@wvmcattle.com Look for the catalog and video on our website www.wvmcattle.com
Market your cattle with the professionals!
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The Progressive Rancher
SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2019 21
MANY ENVIRONMENTAL NGO’S DO NOTHING TO ACTUALLY PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT
Staggering Numbers of Lawsuits Filed by Environmental NGO Attorney Members
One-third of the staff and board of WildEarth Guardians are attorneys so they are well versed at Western Watershed Project, WildEarth Guardians, submitting lawsuits and can churn filings and petitions and the Center for Biological Diversity as well as other out at an alarming rate. The intention of the EAJA similar non-governmental organizations (NGO’s) was not to pay lawyer members of non-governmental have very misleading names. They don’t actually organizations that already have millions in their bank protect the environment or “biological diversity”. accounts. The Department of the Interior has reported Instead, via their collusion and actions, these non- that over $800 million per year had been spent in such governmental organizations harm American families, settlements under the previous administration. On American taxpayers, and American businesses, as well their own website, the Center for Biological Diversity as our valued wildlife. states they have filed over 147 lawsuits against the Trump administration alone, since he took office. Google “Sue and Settle” to Learn the Truth According to the U.S Government Accountability The three groups we named frequently work in concert Office the EAJA was, “… intended to reimburse with each other in lawsuits. A quick Google search with individuals and small businesses with limited resources the keywords, “Sue and Settle” produces hundreds of for attorneys' fees and other expenses when they articles about non-governmental environmental groups prevail in both administrative and judicial proceedings abusing processes put into place to protect and support involving the federal government, when the action by Americans. These articles also outline how the groups the government cannot be substantially justified;” have made millions from filing overwhelming numbers of lawsuits. The activities of these groups bog down the Over the last number of years, 400 lawsuits have governmental agencies that they target by diverting been filed by the WildEarth Guardians and similar valuable staff time and budget resources towards their non-governmental organizations (NGOs), targeting livestock grazing permits, according to a 2013 report by frequent and incessant filings and other lawsuits. Karen Budd-Falen. Budd-Falen is an attorney and now serves as Deputy Solicitor for Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. Abuse of the Equal Access to Justice Act These groups are abusing the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA), using it to fill their coffers with government funding. Under the EAJA, the US Government is paying these groups to sue governmental agencies. A substantial portion of the WildEarth Guardian’s income comes from government grants, which is essentially taxpayer money they use to sue the government. In many cases, fees are partially or fully reimbursed to them upon winning or simply settling a case under the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA). This is summarized well by the website STRATA: “It seems that EAJA has created a system where groups like WEG jump much too eagerly into legal battles and are rewarded for it. These groups supposedly want to see species protected, but the results show that they are backlogging the system, and the money shows that they are getting paid to do so.”
According to reports produced by Karen Budd-Falen, during the span of 2007-2011, WildEarth Guardians and Center for Biological Diversity submitted 90% of the petitions to Fish and Wildlife Services regarding the Endangered Species List. 46% of the cases filed by WildEarth Guardians, 30% of the cases filed by Center for Biological Diversity, and 25% of the cases filed by Western Watersheds Project are ONLY to force the federal government to comply with Endangered Species Act timeframes. Reimbursement of Legal Fees to Environmental NGO Attorneys are Seven Times Higher
The exact cost of EAJA to taxpayers is unknown due to a lack in reporting mandates. Judgement funds are used in statutes like the Endangered Species Act, The Clean Air Act, and the Clean Water Act, thus giving these NGO’s further protection from scrutiny. Additionally, their 501(c)(3) status exempts these groups from the $7 million net-worth cap, despite having many times more than that in assets. The normal attorneys’ fee schedule set forth in EAJA puts a cap of $125 an hour, however, many environmental groups argue that specialized environmental lawyers are necessary and are often receiving a higher hourly fee (Baier, 2012, p. 34). Karen Budd-Falen found that environmental lawyers are getting reimbursed at rates as high as $750 an hour (Budd-Falen, 2013).
Abuse of the Endangered Species Act
Collusion To Swamp Agencies
In 2011, two settlements were recorded between the Department of Justice, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and WildEarth Guardians and the Center for Biological Diversity on petitions for over 1,000 additions to the Endangered Species List. For reference, the list at that time contained just over 2000 species. Meaning, WildEarth Guardians and the Center for Biological Diversity were petitioning to add over 50% to the list in one year. These two settlements, including processing the filings, conducting the scientific studies, and designating proposed critical habitat cost the US Fish and Wildlife Service over $206,000,000 (BuddFalen, 2011). In addition, WildEarth Guardians and Center for Biological Diversity were awarded attorney’s fees. Those amounts were not released.
Wild Earth Guardians, Center for Biological Diversity and Westerns Watershed Project work as a group to purposely overwhelm government agencies with petitions and lawsuits, abusing acts like the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Air Act, & the Clean Water Act and then collecting exorbitant fees under the Equal Access to Justice Act. Due to the incredible volume of petitions, the US Fish and Wildlife Services and other agencies are unable to keep up with their demands. This then provides these groups with the basis to file lawsuits for slow compliance under regulations listed in these acts. Once non-compliance with timeframes as outlined in the Act happen, lawsuits are filed, and the organizations collect their legal fees and other settlements under the EAJA. WildEarth Guardians, Center for Biological Diversity and Western Watersheds Project are openly colluding to overwhelm the federal government as evidenced with their petitions and lawsuits. The fact that they have filed thousands of petitions and hundreds of lawsuits shows that these activities to take advantage of both the Endangered Species Act, etc., and the Equal Access to Justice Act are not a one-time occurrence and have been very lucrative for the organizations. This collusive and repetitive behavior has been going on for decades. We believe these activities clearly qualify for a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization investigation by the Department of Justice.
Protect The Harvest was created to defend and preserve American freedoms and to support farmers, ranchers, outdoor enthusiasts, and animal owners. 22 SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2019
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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW HSUS BACKED LAWMAKERS INTRODUCE WILDLIFE CORRIDORS CONSERVATION ACT OF 2019 The Wildlife Corridor Conservation Act, S. 1499 was introduced to the Senate May 16, 2019. Its sponsors are the usual cast of animal rights characters, many of whom are HSUS “award winners”; Udall, Booker, Harris, Merkley, Wyden, Blumenthal, Sanders, Whitehouse, Tester, and Feinstein. There is a related bill, H.R. 2795, introduced on May 16th, of which a summary is in progress. H.R. 2795 has been referred to the House Committee – Natural Resources, Agriculture; Armed Services; Transportation and Infrastructure.
these groups have ties to serious animal rights and environmental extremist groups who aim to change and eliminate our American traditions, specifically farming and ranching. By offering up a larger voice to these individuals, we believe it is quite clear that this bill is not valuing the rights of the private landowners involved. Corridors Can Be Established on “Potential” Habitat
determine that the use is compatible with the wildlife movements of the species for which the National Wildlife Corridor was designated, consisted with applicable Federal laws and regulations”. There are key words here that are of concern; “may continue if the applicable Secretaries determine the use is compatible”. Funding
It is written in the bill that the “Wildlife Corridors Stewardship Fund” will consist of donations, leaving In addition to the vague language about the much room for undue influence by special interest management of this Act, the determination of the groups. In turn, the bill also states that the fund “may wildlife corridors seems to essentially encompass all be used by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to enhance the management and protection of lands. National Wildlife Corridors by providing financial The bill outlines that the wildlife corridors will be assistance to the Federal Government, Indian designated based on: tribes, and nongovernmental, science, and academic organizations,”. We have exposed the agenda and The summary of the Senate Bill S. 1499 reads as follows, Coordination with existing wildlife corridors. Does activities of several non-governmental organizations “To establish National Wildlife Corridors to provide this mean they will be expanding existing corridors? that seek to end the use of federal lands for producing for the protection and restoration of certain native fish, wildlife, and plant species and for other purposes.” • Coordination with existing wildlife corridors food for our nation. We have also helped bring to light that these organizations use federal funds in which We have a very important question. What does the established by states and tribes. Does this mean they to sue the government. We believe this allocation bill mean by the statement, “for other purposes”? This will be expanding those corridors as well? is opening the door to provide funding to nonseems to be left intentionally vague so that it may be manipulated and enforced at will. • The best available science of existing native species governmental organizations that are not concerned habitat and likely future native species habitats. about what’s best for American farmers, ranchers, and There is a lot to this bill, and we will just be covering So, in other words, the wildlife corridors will be rural property owners, or the American public who some of the key points. We encourage everyone to established based on the “potential” for a native rely on the food they produce. read it and to follow the referenced codes to fully species habitat, whether or not it is already occupied. understand its implications. Do farms and ranches fall into this category? It sure This Bill Offers Little Concern to the Rights looks like that to us. of Property Owners Wildlife Corridor Means Land AND Water • A corridor can be established if it is necessary for the After reading The Wildlife Corridor Conservation The stated goal of S. 1499 is to establish a system of Act, S. 1499 and considering who introduced it, we natural movements of one or more native species. wildlife corridors on Federal land and water. It will hope due diligence and a great amount of concern is be called the “National Wildlife Corridor System”. • A corridor can also be established on land or water given. Acts, like the several we have shared, if passed, The plan is to claim these corridors utilizing several that requires restoration including land or water look to change the face of this great nation. They will be different avenues which include, statute, rulemaking from which a species is currently absent and may be detrimental to our ability to feed people if farmlands are under section 102, or via a land management plan colonized or recolonized by a species naturally. converted. Private property rights seem of little to no developed or revised under section 202 of the Federal concern, rocking the foundation this country was built Land Policy and Management Act of 1976. We upon. The funding proposed and the distinct likelihood Management and Environmental Mitigation strongly recommend that readers stop and look up the this is a purposeful way to allow powerful and corrupt Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 to The sections regarding management of the corridors non-governmental organizations a powerful seat at the and environmental mitigation are of special concern. see what it allows. table should be given a very critical eye. Farmers and Ranchers Get Minimal Say in Bill’s Appointed Council
The sections give the secretaries in charge jurisdiction to do the following:
What is the true purpose of this and other Acts of the same nature?
According to Sec 303, four councils encompassing the entire United States must be established in regard to the National Wildlife Corridors. These councils will comprise of a director of a state fish and wildlife agency, a tribal government official, a Federal agency liaison, no more than three nongovernmental or scientific representatives, and at least one farmer or rancher - but no more than three volunteers that are private landowners. We find it convenient that the people this bill would affect most are a minority in the appointed council. Including just one landowner seems to be another way the authors of this bill are trying to disguise this proposal as representing all perspectives on this issue. In fact, this single farmer or rancher will have little power on the council with only one vote.
• Implementation of strategies and activities that enhance the ability of native species to respond to climate change and other environmental factors. This is vague and broad-sweeping language. What is the intent?
Additionally, we find it concerning that three nongovernmental representatives may be included in this council. Our organization has shed light on several NGOs over the years that have values that line up with this bill and are not what they claim to be. Often,
Tucked under the misleading title of “compatible uses” Sec 103 (d) states, “A use of Federal land or water that was authorized before the date on which the Federal land or water is designated as a National Wildlife Corridor may continue if the applicable Secretaries
• RESPOND to laws, regulations, or misinformation that would negatively impact animal welfare, animal ownership, restrict our rights, and limit our freedoms.
The Progressive Rancher
SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2019 23
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• The mitigation or removal of human infrastructure that obstructs the natural movement of native species. • Mitigation of damage to the natural movements of native species through strategies such as, the maintenance, replacement, or removal of dams, bridges, culverts, and other hydrological obstructions. Water
www.ProtectTheHarvest.com Our Mission: Inform. Protect. Respond. • INFORM and EDUCATE Americans about the activities of animal rights groups, anti-agriculture groups and other nongovernmental organizations that threaten agriculture, animal welfare, our traditions, and way of life. • PROTECT our freedoms and way of life by supporting agriculture, land use, hunting and fishing, animal ownership, and animal welfare.
NDA Signs Cooperative Agreement for Feral Horse Management New agreement addresses injured horses and public safety hazards The Nevada Department of Agriculture (NDA) entered into a second non-exclusive cooperative agreement with Wild Horse Connection (WHC), a Nevada-based nonprofit, for the management of feral and estray horses in the Virginia Range. The new cooperative agreement is in addition to a fertility control agreement the NDA signed earlier this year.
CONTACT:
Rebecca Allured, APR
Public Information Officer Administration Division Nevada Department of Agriculture 405 South 21st Street Sparks, NV 89431 775.353.3603
rallured@agri.nv.gov
WHC, with approval from the NDA, will respond to citizen concerns regarding public safety hazards, horse removal and adoption, diversionary feeding and fencing projects. “Entering into a cooperative agreement for the management of the Virginia Range feral horse population is critical for the protection of public safety,” NDA Director Jennifer Ott said. “I look forward to working with the volunteers of WHC and our shared goal of managing the population.” The new agreement addresses feral horse management for the safety of the public and the horses, and leaves room for additional agreements. NDA staff will continue to address public safety concerns as-needed in cooperation with WHC. Horses on highways or
roadways should be reported to local law enforcement or by calling NDA’s Animal Industry Division 775353-3608. “Wild Horse Connection is honored to have the added privilege of working with the Nevada Department of Agriculture to manage the Virginia Range horses, along with aiding community concerns, public education and working actively to limit public safety issues,” Corenna Vance, WHC president, said. The Virginia Range area includes Hwy 395 to 95A and I-80 to Hwy 50. Nevada is a “fence-out” state, which means if landowners do not want livestock on their property, they must construct a legal fence in accordance with NRS Chapter 569.431. Horses in the Virginia Range cross roadways in search of feed and water sources. Drivers should remain alert at all times. The NDA promotes a business climate that is fair, economically viable and encourages a sustainable environment that serves to protect food, fiber and human health and safety through effective service and education. The NDA includes the divisions of Administration, Animal Industry, Consumer Equitability, Food and Nutrition and Plant Industry.
Students stamp their names using brand symbols
24 SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2019
The Progressive Rancher
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Agriculture is on the Lesson Plan in Elko Students and teachers learn about agriculture inside and outside the classroom Nevada Department of Agriculture (NDA) staff and the Nevada Rangeland Resources Commission (NRRC), brought agriculture education and literacy to 23 teachers and more than 400 students in Elko County this past spring. The event, hosted at the Elko NDA office and Maggie Creek Ranch, included a two-day training for teachers in early March. In May, a four-day student event was held at Six Bar Ranch for their students to learn about all things agriculture.
By Sidney Wintermote, Animal Disease Laboratory Technician, and David Voth, Rangeland Health Coordinator
Teaching the teachers Teachers from all over Elko County received 15-hours of instruction and training in March to learn about how they can incorporate agriculture into their lesson plans. All Nevada Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC) resources have been developed to meet the Nevada Academic Content Standards, so training and resources are designed to contextualize their curriculum in the areas of science, social studies, nutrition and math. Participating teachers also received Nevada Department of Educational in-service credit. Over the course of the two-day training, teachers toured the ranch and learned about plants, cattle, sheep, watersheds, grazing, soils, branding, wool and much more. They also participated in hands-on activities they can take back to their classrooms, such as: making butter, greenhouse gardens, and bringing agriculture fieldtrips right into the classroom through virtual reality. Teaching about agriculture in Nevada is an ideal way for students to learn what their state is all about and provide real-life connections to science, math and core studies concepts. Agriculture themes provide perfect real-world connections to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education and make learning relevant to students. Agriculture is one of the topics students can easily connect to because they can apply learned concepts to daily life. After all, who doesn’t enjoy talking about food? Nearly everything they eat, wear and use – even the fuel that powers their school bus – comes from plants and animals grown on farms. Bringing the classroom into agriculture For four days in May, first- through sixth-grade students from throughout Elko County had the opportunity to visit the Six Bar Ranch. There were about 100 students each of the four days and all had the chance to visit eight stations to learn more about agriculture. The Elko County Cattlewomen taught about beef byproducts, and how producers use everything but the “moo,” including: leathers, hides, hair, lubricants, and plastics. NDA staff and local ranchers spoke to students about livestock brands – why we brand livestock, branding laws, and how it protects the producer and industry. Students even got to stamp their names using brand symbols. Students also got to meet pigs and a 4-H cow/calf pair project to learn about animal health, nutrition and gestation. They met bees, went on a hay ride, inspected a cattle truck, learned about ranching safety, and even got to see how wool gets sheared, cleaned and used. Nevada Agriculture in the Classroom is a shared responsibility Bringing agriculture into the classroom (or in this case, bringing the classroom out to agriculture!) is a shared responsibility, and it wouldn’t be possible without the support, donations and time committed by volunteers from all over the community. Funding for this event was provided by the NRRC, Nevada Woolgrowers Association, Nevada Agricultural Foundation, Elko County Farm Bureau and the NE Nevada Stewardship Group and Elko County Cattlewomen. Additional support in the form of time, space, food and supplies were provided by partners from the Elko County Cattlewomen, area ranchers and teachers, NDA, NRRC and many other generous members of the community to make the event possible. How to bring agriculture into your classroom School is almost back in session! To learn more about bringing AITC to your community during the 2019-2020 school year, please contact us: Amber Smyer, Agriculture Literacy Coordinator asmyer@agri.nv.gov | 775-353-3769 | agri.nv.gov/aglit
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About Sidney Wintermote Sidney Wintermote grew up in Jiggs, Nevada on her family’s beef cattle ranch. She was active in 4-H and FFA as a child and graduated with a degree in animal science. She and her husband Kelly reside in Elko where she works as a lab technician for the Nevada Department of Agriculture Animal Disease Laboratory. She has an immense passion for the livestock industry and can’t wait to reside on the family ranch again soon.
About David Voth David Voth works as the Rangeland Health coordinator for the Nevada Department of Agriculture in Elko, Nevada where he helps to care for Nevada’s rangelands, livestock and livestock producers. He was born and raised in central California where he attended Fresno State to get his degree in animal science. He came to Nevada in 2004 to cowboy on large ranches. He worked in beef production in Nevada until he took his current position at the NDA in September 2016.
About the Nevada Department of Agriculture The Nevada Department of Agriculture (NDA) promotes a business climate that is fair, economically viable and encourages a sustainable environment that serves to protect food, fiber and human health and safety through effective service and education. The NDA includes divisions of Administration, Animal Industry, Consumer Equitability, Food and Nutrition and Plant Industry.
The Progressive Rancher
SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2019 25
The Martin Fire: Living with Fire Figure 1. 2018 Martin Fire than consumed 439,000 acres. (Photo courtesy USDI-BLM).
By: Charlie Clements, Dave Voth, Melany Aten and Dan Harmon
Derek Messmer, Fuels Program Manager/Fire Planner for the BLM, Winnemucca District commented that the District does not follow a 2-year rest policy but rather an objective based approach. There was a concern about the lack of water distribution and the fact that fuel buildups are going to occur due to lack of dispersal of livestock which will just lead to another wildfire, especially in the wake of the current amazing spring precipitation the range received. The first stop occurred just inside the Martin Fire boundary on the Lower Owyhee Road where Ron Cerri, Humboldt, County Commissioner, spoke about the importance of good relationships with the state and federal agencies and how he cannot remember this relationship being any better than it is at the current time. Ron also spoke about the cost of range fires to Humboldt County. Ron sated that he received 2-3 calls per day from the BLM on where cattle were present and the movement of the fire as it related to danger to cattle. The estimated 80-90% of all fires that Humboldt County is called to are range fires, and even though BLM are the main source of fighting these fires, it is the County that are often the first responders. Not only is there an expense of updating and maintaining fire fighting equipment such as fire trucks, there is also a loss of revenue when cattle AUM’s are reduced as well as when hunting opportunities are reduced due to wildfires.
The Nevada Section of the Society for Range Management held their annual summer tour on June 27th in Paradise Valley. The focus of the summer tour was the Martin Fire that broke out on July 4, 2018 and consumed some 439,000 acres or 686 square miles of rangelands (Figure 1). This was the second year in a row that over 1 million acres burned in Nevada. These wildfires impact land owners, grazing resources and wildlife habitats at an overwhelming magnitude. The rehabilitation of such large areas of land is an insurmountable task that requires strategic actions to maximize effectiveness. Collaborative efforts between land managers, producers and researchers can increase the effectiveness of such efforts. The meeting started out with a Producers Forum where livestock operators Shane Hall of Crawford Ranches, Steve Lucas of Lucas Livestock and Pete Marvel of the Marvel Ranch all giving a brief introduction of their operations. All the operators discussed the challenges this specific wildfire had on their operations such as fencing @ $15,000/mile, loss of permits for the immediate future that can impact AUM’s, added labor in operating on alternative allotments, added trucking of cattle, the added costs associated with purchasing hay as well as rebuilding of fences at $15,000/mile. In the case of Steve Lucas, the Crawford Ranches offered private land for Steve to operate on so that he did not have to sell cattle, this is the epitome friendly neighbors in rural communities. All the operators complimented the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on good working relations and hard work to allow for increased flexibility in the various grazing allotments.
Following the Martin Fire, the insurance agreement between Humboldt County and Nevada Division of Forestry increased from $100,000 to $150,000 per year which make it very difficult for counties to cover these enormous costs. Ron pointed out that many of the habitats within the Martin Fire had not burned in nearly 70 years and that even though they could witness the fuel build up, the cattle numbers have decreased since 1984 from 700,000 down to 420,000 AUM’s. Derek Messmer provided information on the greenstrip seeding efforts with Siberian wheatgrass and ‘Immigrant’ forage kochia. Even though it took some time to get the seed and deal with the Government shutdown, the partnership with the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) allowed progress to be made. The greenstrip looked very good with an excellent initial stand of forage kochia that was well on its way to providing a much needed green plant material that will deter wildfire through August as well as provide important nutritional values to wildlife. The second stop occurred a little further into the Martin Fire edge where the BLM and NDOW presented seed mixes and seeding methodologies (broadcast and drill seeding) used to rehabilitate thousands of acres of burned rangelands (Figure 2). These rehabilitation efforts are critical in providing critical habitat to numerous wildlife species as well as improve grazing resources. Figure 2. Successful broadcast seeding of the perennial bunchgrass, Siberian wheatgrass, to help decrease cheatgrass densities.
These operators did discuss what they would like to see as far as rehabilitation following wildfires. They are partial to any natural recruitment that can occur and understand that it is wise when this natural recruitment is occurring to stay off the land with cattle until after the second growing season. In many areas though, natural recruitment does not occur and they favor the more successful species used in rehabilitation such as crested wheatgrass, Siberian wheatgrass and forage kochia. They did voice their concern that they are not contacted by the agencies as to any ideas they may have for the rehabilitation planning as well as the planning and implementation of seeding efforts on a few thousand acres, but yet have to keep their cattle off of the hundred of thousands of acres not seeded. They were also commented on the importance of paying attention to the facts on the ground, and if grazing is not causing harm then just don’t make a ruling that cattle will be off for 2-years, end of discussion. 26 SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2019
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Ed Partee, Wildlife Biologist with NDOW pointed out that these wildfires are devastating to game and non-game species and since this particular wildfire, mule deer have lost their transitional and wintering habitats in the near future and the male sage grouse peak counts have declined from 762 in 2017, 408 in 2018 down to 126 in 2019. The difficulties associated with successfully rehabilitating big sagebrush back into these environments can be very frustrating and significantly impact sagebrush obligate species such as sage grouse and mule deer, but fortunately for the persistent and continued efforts of the BLM and NDOW, significant improvements in the seedings of big sagebrush and other nutritious forage such as western yarrow, forage kochia and perennial grasses are the norm and not the exception (Figure 3 and 4).
project was funded by the Hazardous Fuels Department of the BLM with the goal of returning every 6-10 years to maintain these greenstrips. These greenstrips are about 150’ wide on each side of the road and run for miles, which aids fire fighters as these greenstrips change the behavior of the fire and increase the odds of firefighters success suppressing the advancement of the wildfire. The group then moved on and heard from Shannon Swim of the Institute for Applied Ecology on their sagebrush transplant program where their mission is to conserve native species and restore wildlife habitat. Shannon pointed out that the program will produce and plant 300,000 big sagebrush seedlings in 2019 throughout Nevada and northeastern California. The program utilizes inmates to grow out the seedlings, and the goal is to plant another 100,000 in addition to the 70,000 sagebrush seedlings transplanted in the Martin Fire in 2018. BYU Assistant Professor Matt Madsen gave an enlightening presentation on seed coating technologies to improve seeding success. One of the difficulties associated with sagebrush seeding is the complications that arise with the delivery of sagebrush seed through broadcast seeder. With such small seeds of sagebrush, the potential for drift from the targeted area is a significant problem. Also, with the addition of seed coating, the increase in size can make the seeding of sagebrush through a rangeland drill much more successful. When broadcast seeding from a ground rig, seed coating allowed for a more even flow rate of seed on uneven ground compared to non-coated seed. Seed coating can also provide a platform for applying various seed treatments such as fungicides, herbicides, plant growth hormones, fertilizers, etc.. Seed coatings may also aid in increasing the potential of seeds to germinate under conditions that are unfavorable for plant establishment.
Figure 3. Very impressive broadcast seeding of Wyoming big sagebrush and western yarrow following to improve wildlife habitat in the years to come.
Figure 5. Harry Quick, Western Stewardship Manager for Bayer Chemical, presenting factual data and opportunities for the use of the pre-emergent herbicide Esplanade (Indazaflam).
Figure 4. First year ‘Snowstorm’ forage kochia plants following seeding efforts to improve nutritional wildlife and grazing resources.
BLM and NDOW personnel added positive comments on the excellent relationship and cooperation among the livestock operators and state and federal agencies. This cooperation resulted in more than 120,000 acres being seeded or in the process of being seeded following herbicide treatments to reduce cheatgrass and improve seeding successes. Following a nice lunch sponsored by the Paradise/Sonoma Conservation District, the tour by a fuels break (greenstrip) where the BLM mowed sprayed Plateau (preemergent herbicide) to break up woody fuels and promote perennial grasses. The www.progressiverancher.com
The field tour ended up with a presentation from Harry Quicke, Western Stewardship Manager for Bayer Chemical, (Figure 5) where Harry described the potential of the new herbicide Esplanade on controlling annual grasses such as cheatgrass, medusahead and ventenata. Currently Esplanade is permitted in Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana and he expects it to be permitted in Nevada very soon. Bayer Chemical has teamed up with USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Great Basin Rangelands Research Unit to study the efficacy of Esplanade on cheatgrass in Nevada and its’ potential to improve perennial plant establishment through rehabilitation practices. The first clearance of Esplanade through EPA cost $280 million, there was no negative impact to fish and wildlife and in fact increased pollinator species for bees. The current cost of using Esplanade at 5 oz/ ac rate is $60/ac, but through the ability of Esplanade to restrict root growth and increase invasive annual weed mortality, this herbicide has a very high potential not only controlling annual weed densities, but also improving existing perennial grass stands as well as the establishment of newly seeded species. The day wrapped up with a nice Dinner-Banquet in Winnemucca at Chihuahuas. Thank you again for all that attended and presented, the Nevada Section-Society for Range Management (nevada.rangelands.org) is working hard to bring multiple sectors together to improve the functioning and sustainability of rangelands for future generations.
The Progressive Rancher
SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2019 27
BLM Answers BURNING Questions about Burning Man What is the Burning Man event and when and where does it occur? Burning Man is an arts and lifestyle festival that takes place the week before Labor Day. The event ends at noon on Monday of Labor Day weekend. Although the event itself is only nine and a half days long, organizers arrive a month before event participants to begin setting up facilities, and stay more than a month afterwards to clean up. The event takes place in Pershing County on the Black Rock Desert outside of Gerlach. The Black Rock Desert is part of a specially-protected area called the Black Rock Desert – High Rock Canyon – Emigrant Trail National Conservation Area. The Black Rock Desert is informally referred to by event participants as “the playa.”
How long has Burning Man been taking place on public land? The Bureau of Land Management first issued a special recreation permit for this event in 1991.
ensure that taxpayers do not bear the costs of administering the event. Cost recovery is required by the same law, FLREA, that mandates the 3% recreation fee. Each year, the BLM estimates the total cost of managing the event, including staff time during the off-season to draft the permit and plan on-site staffing, as well as straight time and overtime charged for staff on-site. Organizers are required to pay the total estimated amount in advance. After the event is over and all clean-up is completed to the agency’s satisfaction, actual charges are computed, typically resulting in a refund to event organizers.
RECENT COST RECOVERY CHARGES FOR THE BURNING MAN EVENT YEAR ESTIMATE 2018 2.8 million 2017 $2.5 million 2016 $2.2 million
ACTUAL 2.5 million $2.3 million $2.166 million
REFUND $273,000 $162,000 $34,000
Why does BLM permit this event on public land?
Who provides the on-site EVENT facilities used by BLM employees?
According to the 1976 Federal Land Policy and Management Act, the BLM’s mission is to manage public lands for “a combination of balanced and diverse resource uses…including, but not limited to, recreation, range, timber, minerals, watershed, wildlife and fish, and natural scenic, scientific and historical values” (Section 103(c)). The Burning Man event uses public lands for outdoor recreation in the same way as off-highway vehicle (OHV) races or other organized activities. Like OHV races, the Burning Man event requires a temporary restriction of access to a specific area of public land, so the BLM issues a special recreation permit (SRP) with stipulations and conditions to the event organizers. The SRP specifies where and when the event will be held, and provides detailed requirements for public safety and resource protection.
What do BLM employees actually do at this event?
What are the BLM’s priorities for this event? Public safety and resource protection are the BLM’s two main priorities for this event. The BLM coordinates closely with local and state government cooperators, including the Pershing County Sheriff ’s Office, the Nevada Highway Patrol, the Washoe County Health Department, and the Nevada Department of Transportation to keep participants and the general public safe during the event. Event organizers advertise Burning Man as “the largest Leave No Trace event in the world,” and keep detailed records about how clean event participants leave their assigned campsites. Most of the permit conditions for this event relate to public safety and resource protection measures.
Does the BLM collect a fee from the organizers of this event? Yes. The Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act of 2004 (FLREA) requires the BLM to collect three percent of the gross ticket revenue of the overall event, plus three percent of the gross revenue of all commercial use permits associated with the event. These commercial user pemits include independent airlines bringing participants to the temporary onsite airport, NV-88; bicycle and RV rental companies; companies offering RV sewage pumping and other services. In 2017, the BLM collected $1.25 million in fees from the event. The same law requires fee revenues to be used locally for recreation improvements in the Black Rock Field Office.
Does BLM collect any other money from the event? In addition to the 3% recreation fee, the BLM also recovers all costs incurred by the event. Unlike the recreation fee, cost recovery results in no net gain to the government; it merely reimburses the government to
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Some services are contracted directly by the BLM. Other services are added to larger contracts already made by event organizers to provide the same services to their own volunteers and employees. The costs of directly-contracted services are recovered by the BLM from the event organizers. BLM law enforcement rangers protect visitors and natural resources during the event, and provide backup for Pershing County Sheriff ’s officers. BLM recreation specialists ensure compliance with commercial vending permits, and supervise a staff of Great Basin Institute interns who run an “Interpretive Camp” to teach event participants about the history of the California Trail and the natural resources of the Black Rock Desert. BLM resource specialists help event participants prevent pollution spills. These operational staff are supported by dispatchers and technicians who keep the computers running and the mapping software working.
How many BLM employees work at the event? About 110 BLM employees drawn from all over the country usually work at this event.
What were the findings of the 2019 Environmental Impact Statement for the next 10 years of the event? This year, the BLM produced an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to comply with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act to analyze and report on the environmental impacts that could result from issuing permits for the next 10 years’ worth of permits for this event. Burning Man organizers proposed to increase the event size from 80,000 to 100,000 people during that timespan. The EIS process analyzed several alternatives, including keeping the population at the level of 80,000; reducing it to 50,000; increasing it to 100,000; or not issuing a permit at all. In the final record of decision, the BLM determined to leave the population at 80,000, while both the BLM and the Burning Man organization work to solve several issues identified during the EIS process. These issues include safety and security during the event and trash being left by the side of the road between Gerlach and Reno. The BLM and the Burning Man organization are committed to cooperating to solve these issues. For more information about the 2019 EIS, please visit the BLM’s e-planning web site at https://go.usa.gov/xyJkm.
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A BLM law enforcement ranger assists an event participant at the mobile command center located at the central area of the event (“The Esplanade.”)
Great Basin Institute staff teach event participants about the history of the California Trail and about the natural resources of the Black Rock Desert at the BLM Interpretation Camp.
BLM permit compliance staff check permits for aircraft bringing passengers to the event at the temporary airport, NV-88. www.progressiverancher.com
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29 SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2019 29
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Efforts Underway For Improved Natural Resource Management Policies And Actions By Doug Busselman, Executive Vice President Over the past several months there's been a significant amount of attention required for review of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) proposals being advanced by federal government agencies. When reviewing NEPA environmental documents (Environmental Impact Statements - EIS - or Environmental Assessments - EA - or a scoping document for an environmental document to come) there is always the question of whether any of the input will have any consideration by the agency representatives who are going through the process. Consideration of public input by any government agency – local, state or federal – is questionable and frequently the perception that you have depends a great deal on whether your input fits with the outcome that the government agency is wanting to have as the outcome. There have been experiences where the formal input, offered in multiple ways, didn’t receive any traceable recognition from what was decided. Not offering formal public input to the proposals is also not an option. You can’t complain about the results if you’re not going to give input. Against this backdrop of fatalistic realism, we are very hopeful that these specific projects get the necessary green lights needed for on-the-ground implementation and improved resource management in the process…
installing the fuel breaks will cause fragmentation or possibly will result in corridors for cheatgrass and other invasive species from expanding. Installing fuel breaks to provide protection from the loss of entire landscapes is a much greater benefit than the risk attributed to fragmentation and actual resource management can result in control and productive resolution to the risk related to cheatgrass and other invasive annual species. If there is any real risk, it's the limitation to whether installing fuel breaks will be applied only to routes where roads or right of ways are recognized and the limitation of whether the programmatic EIS will be treated as enough approval or whether more study and analysis is required before the necessary work gets carried out. The public decision NEPA process seems to be a nearly impossible avenue for making sound management decisions capable of being accomplished. Whether it becomes “paralysis by analysis” or is used as the litigation freeway for those who want nothing accomplished (following their own business model of lawsuits for agenda and profit) – it’s far too easy to become cynical over whether progress is even possible.
to consider or to use. It is apparent that elections do have consequences…sometimes for the better. The proposals for tweaking the way that NEPA activities are carried out hold promise, especially if the streamlining idea for determining NEPA Adequacy can be used as an effective tool for not bogging everything down in endless analysis that don’t get anything accomplished beyond wasting time. Proposed use of categorical exclusions, within the parameters that are being outlined in the proposed regulation changes, would also be great improvements for greater efficiencies and management effectiveness. Mention is made in the proposed changes for “condition-based” management. As we noted in our comments (and a theme also highlighted by others who have shared their comments), an expanded explanation in future documents to this EIS will be helpful. When agency representatives talk with themselves, the language and terms might be clearer communication than when those same terms are documented in the definitions that are offered for more public consumption.
Maybe others can see or understand what is meant by this – “Condition-based management is defined as a system of management practices based on The need for doing a better and more-timely NEPA implementation of specific design elements from a process is at the core of the U.S. Forest Service’s broader proposed action, where the design elements Programmatic EIS For Increased Fuel Breaks In proposed changes in these self-governing regulations. vary according to a range of on-the-ground conditions The Great Basin: The Federal Register notice for the proposal states in order to meet intended outcomes.” Thanks in NFB and others have offered their input to a very that the objective is… “Improving the efficiency of advance for getting back with the help you can offer! promising fuel’s management proposal to implement environmental analysis and decision making will increased fuel breaks, along various roads/right of ways help the agency ensure that lands and watersheds are The outcome of the proposed regulation changes will on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) property. sustainable, healthy and productive; mitigate wildfire also trigger changes in the management manual that The Idaho BLM State Office is taking the lead in risks; and contribute to economic health of rural guides how decisions for on-the-ground activities coordinating this proposal, but if it were to be carried communities through use and access opportunities.” get carried out. Time will tell on how the input the out, Nevada BLM lands would be greatly enhanced Forest Service receives will be used to get to their final The background details to the proposal demonstrate decision for what will be offered as changes/if any. with improved pre-fire fuel management. that the agency struggles to get anything done by using Last summer’s massive wildfires in Nevada, should be the system that they have been using. Not getting stark reminders of how these fuel breaks could have things done is not helping to meet the requirements Scoping For Environmental Assessment – “Targeted been a great benefit in there being a lot less burnt of properly managed multiple uses. Again, we can only Grazing of Annual Grasses in Great Basin Ecoregions country-side. Never-the-less, doing something now hope that the input provided to move forward will in Nevada”: and into the future is better than dwelling on what translate into better agency policy and practices. Last, more from a chronological point of view, the would have been better if more sound management Nevada Farm Bureau submitted comments drew next pending NEPA-related decision process involves had been carried out in the past. attention to our appreciation for the Federal Register the development of an EA for using targeted grazing In spite of the essential actions of these fuel breaks, notice recognizing that the U.S. Forest Service is a of livestock as a tool for achieving desired resource even on the limited basis that is being proposed, is multiple-use, resource management agency. There have objectives for annual grass control. Scoping is the still drawing angst from those who are opposing the been times in the past where the impression was given preliminary step in the NEPA process. It basically fuel breaks because they don’t want any man-made that anyone considering or actually using the natural seeks input on what the analysis should be trying to solutions from being carried out at all. Supposedly, resources on Forest Service “managed” lands was wrong figure out.
30 SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2019
U.S. Forest Service Proposed NEPA Reform:
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2019 NFB Annual Meeting
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By Brittney Pericoli, Director of Communications Nevada Farm Bureau supports the role of livestock being used to manage annual grasses (normally meaning Cheatgrass). Overall the organization’s policy calls for using livestock grazing in reducing annual grass fuel loads and keeping the type of massive wild fires that have been devastating rangelands in Nevada. In the context of “targeted grazing” the understanding needs to be that the activity of grazing isn’t to feed livestock – but instead is being carried out to meet identified resource objectives. As being announced, the targeted grazing treatments would be for annual authorizations, outside the 10-year grazing permits which govern livestock grazing on BLM allotments.
We hope you join us in celebrating our 100th Nevada Farm Bureau Annual Meeting this November 10th through the 13th at the Silver Legacy Resort and Casino in Reno, Nevada. One of the primary purposes of the annual meeting is working on Farm Bureau policy recommendations, deletions and or amendments. The Nevada Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee will be sponsoring a silent auction to raise money for agriculture promotion and education. County Farm Bureaus are encouraged to donate items for the silent auction.
Research, conducted by the University of Nevada, Reno, (UNR) found that reductions in annual grasses (cheatgrass) was possible through the use of livestock grazing. It needs to be emphasized as a point that this wasn’t accomplished in the traditional view of livestock being used to graze cheatgrass in the spring as it might be greening up. The UNR success was accomplished at the back end of the grazing season, clearing off dried up cheatgrass and reducing the thatch of standing grasses which prompt a good growing bed for the spring-time green-up of sprouting new cheatgrass plants.
For more information about the silent auction, or to contribute please free to contact Brieanna Valdez at brieanna@nvfb.org
Ideally, there will be a strong level of input for the scoping process, helping Nevada’s BLM to have a full-range of points for appropriate consideration and analysis. From the scoping step the proposed options will be built and analysis carried out. When completed, a draft EA will be presented for more public input on the specifics of the alternatives laid out for consideration.
We have a lot of exciting things planned for our 100th celebration so we hope you join us for the fun!
The spurt of recent NEPA projects could be foundational improvements for advancing a greater enhancement of natural resources, directing policy and practices to adjust what is happening on the ground to more proactive activities.
The Nevada Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers (YF&R) committee will be hosting the Annual Discussion Meet. It will be a great competition with a one lucky winner taking home a belt buckle, cash prize and trip to the American Farm Bureau Annual Meeting to compete in the National YF&R Discussion Meet.
Early registration will open in September so make sure to follow our Facebook page, so you don’t miss out. Early registration will not only get you the discounted price, but an awesome swag bag filled with goodies. For any of your registration questions please feel free to contact Brittney Money at brittney@nvfb.org or call 775-674-4000.
Churchill County Cowbelles - Beef Recipe Double Barbecue Burgers
By Pegi Witte Hey, it's still summer... get out there and grill! This quick and delicious recipe only takes a few minutes to make and grill. Your family will love it!
BBQ Sauce: 1 cup ketchup 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/3 cup sugar 1/4 cup honey 1/4 cup molasses 2 teaspoons prepared mustard 1-1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke 1/8 teaspoon pepper
Burgers: 1 large egg, lightly beaten de 1/3 cup quick-cooking oats Homema e 1/4 teaspoon onion salt BBQ Sauc N 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt IN & O ! rs 1/4 teaspoon pepper the Burge 1/8 teaspoon salt 1-1/2 pounds ground beef 6 hamburger buns, split Toppings of your choice, such as bacon, lettuce, red onion, pickles, tomato, cheese
Directions: In a small saucepan, combine the first 10 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat. Set aside 1 cup barbecue sauce to serve with burgers.
In a large bowl, combine the egg, oats, 1/4 cup of the remaining barbecue sauce, onion salt, garlic salt, pepper and salt. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into six patties. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 6-8 minutes on each side or until a thermometer reads 160°, basting with 1/2 cup barbecue sauce during the last 5 minutes. Serve on buns with toppings of your choice (try it with a fried egg or onion rings!) and reserved BBQ sauce.
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SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2019 31
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NCBA Action Regarding Fire at Tyson Plant in Kansas Dear NCBA Member,
NCBA Hails Increased Access to European Markets for U.S. Beef Jennifer Houston, President of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), today joined President Trump and other NCBA officers at a White House signing ceremony for an agreement that will establish a duty-free quota for high-quality American beef in the European Union (EU). Houston released the following statement after the event: “Today is a good day for America’s cattlemen and cattlewomen. President Trump and his trade team deserve a lot of credit for standing up for America’s cattle industry and securing this important market access to Europe. For many years it has been difficult for us to sell our high-quality U.S. beef to European consumers because of the restrictive tariff and non-tariff barriers, but the establishment of this 35,000 metric ton duty-free quota sends the signal to America’s cattle industry that Europe is ready for U.S. beef. All across America, our beef producers go to great lengths to raise safe and delicious beef products that are enjoyed by consumers around the world. It is exciting to know that European families will enjoy more of the delicious U.S. beef that we feed our families. And this would not have happened if it were not for the effort of President Trump and his trade team.” BACKGROUND: The Office of the United States Trade Representative announced the signing of an agreement with the European Union to establish a duty-free quota for high-quality U.S. beef from non-hormone treated cattle. Once implemented, the annual quota will increase from 18,500 metric tons in year one to 35,000 metric tons in year seven. The country-specific quota will benefit U.S. beef producers who participate in USDA’s non-hormone treated cattle program that was established in 1999. USTR estimates that this quota will increase annual U.S. beef sales in Europe from $150 million to $420 million in year seven.
CONTACT: Ed Frank, 202-879-9125, efrank@beef.org
As you are aware, the Tyson beef processing facility in Holcomb, Kan., has been shut down due to a fire they sustained on Friday and Saturday. We recognize the enormous negative economic impact this plant shut-down is having on the beef industry. We want to reassure you that we are doing everything in our power to minimize the impact this is having on the market. After the fire, Tyson quickly announced it will rebuild the plant (see article below) which is crucial to beef producers in Kansas and surrounding states. Since being made aware of the event, NCBA has been working to ensure the Federal regulatory burden does not make recovery more difficult than necessary. Following are some of the steps NCBA has taken to minimize the inevitable economic disruption and help the industry recover as quickly as possible: • NCBA reached out to the National Economic Council at the White House to inform them of the situation and ask them to help with regulatory flexibility. • We contacted the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the Packers and Stockyards Division to request they keep an eye on the market to make sure it keeps working, and to identify any market participant who might try to illegally capitalize from the market situation. • We have requested US Dept of Transportation provide an Hours of Service waiver to allow trucks to transport live cattle to other plants for processing. • We contacted Secretary Perdue’s office and other USDA leadership to inform them of the uncertainty this brings to our industry, and we requested they work on APHIS and FSIS inspector flexibility to help the industry meet our needs while the Tyson facility is being repaired. • NCBA staff informed Senate and House Agriculture Committee Staff of the situation and our requests of flexibility to the Administration. • NCBA also followed up on phone calls with official letters of request to DOT, USDA, and CFTC for regulatory flexibility. NCBA will continue to engage on this issue on behalf of its members and the beef community as a whole until the plant is again operational. Sincerely, Jennifer Houston, NCBA President
Tyson Will Utilize Other Sites To Keep Supply Chain Full After Fire Tyson Foods says it plans to rebuild the Holcomb, Kan., beef packing facility after a fire Friday night forced the plant’s closure, and is taking steps to minimize disruption to the beef supply chain.
by Greg Henderson Original article can be found on drovers.com
In a statement released Sunday (Aug. 12, 2019) Tyson said it is still assessing the damage and a timeline has not been established, but work to clear the damage has already begun. The company said it will continue to pay workers and is “taking steps to move production to alternative sites.” In the statement, Steve Stouffer, group president of Tyson Fresh Meats, said, “Tyson Foods has built in some redundancy to handle situations like these and we will use other plants within our network to help keep our supply chain full.”
Stouffer also said Tyson will pay full-time, active team members “weekly until production resumes.” He called the aftermath of the fire a “difficult time for our team members and their families, and we want to ensure they’re taken care of.”
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Holcomb team members may be called on to work during the reconstruction to help with clean-up and other projects, but regardless of the hours worked, all full-time active employees are guaranteed pay, the statement said.
Stouffer commended plant management for quickly and efficiently evacuating the building, and noted there were no injuries as a result. He also commended the Garden City, Kan., fire department and the Finney County sheriff ’s office. Tyson Foods operates six plants in Kansas, employing more than 5,600 people. In the company’s fiscal year 2018, it paid $269 million in wages, and estimated its total economic impact in the state to be more than $2.4 billion. Read more about the Tyson Fire here:
https://www.drovers.com/article/updated-fire-shutters-tysonplant-near-garden-city SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2019 33
Understanding Bovine Viral Diarrhea PART ONE Testing for BVDV
Carla L. Huston, DVM, PhD, ACVPM Dept. of Pathobiology and Population Medicine College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University Submitted to Cattle Business Magazine, September 2014
The weather is cooling in Mississippi and it’s once again time for the fall cattle production sales. “PI tested” is a term frequently used on many advertisements that we see this time of year, and I often get calls from potential buyers wanting to know exactly what this means. In this article, we will look at the disease targeted by this testing, Bovine Viral Diarrhea. Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD) is an economically important disease first identified in 1946 in dairy cattle in New York State. It has since been found worldwide in cattle and other species, and has become a serious threat to both the US beef and dairy industries. Infection with BVDV often causes immunosuppression, a reduction in the animal’s immunity, resulting in additional disease problems and production losses.
There are several testing options for the detection of BVDV in your herd based on the age and use of your animals. Acute or transient infections may be detected through serum or blood sampling. The most sensitive testing methods to detect PI animals utilize a skin biopsy such as an ear notch. Ear notches are easily taken at the time of processing and results can be returned within a number of days. If you suspect a BVDV infection or if you are concerned about the possibility of a PI animal(s) being present in your herd contact your veterinarian. He or she will know the proper samples to send to the laboratory for BVDV testing.
Prevention and management of BVD in the herd A BVD control plan consists of several management steps: good biosecurity practices to prevent the introduction or spread of the disease onto your farm, vaccination of animals to reduce the risk of acute disease and the birth of PI animals, and identification and removal of positive animals. Producers should work with their herd veterinarian to develop an appropriate program to meet the needs of his/her individual operation.
Approximately 4% of beef cattle herds and 15% of dairy herds contain at least one animal positive for BVD. The prevalence of BVD infected animals within these • Do not purchase BVDV infected cattle. Test all replacement animals for BVDV herds has been estimated to be low in beef cattle and dairy herds (less than 0.05%), persistent infection prior to admission to the herd. depending on the age of animals tested. The seemingly low prevalence of the disease in beef herds is likely an underestimate due to management factors which remove • Isolate all newly purchased cattle for at least 30 days, preferably on another farm. positive animals prior to herd testing. • Purchase only animals from herds with a known effective vaccination program. BVD is caused by the BVD virus (BVDV), a type of pestivirus. There are two dif- • Consult your herd veterinarian and/or extension livestock specialist when ferent genotypes of BVDV, BVD type 1 and BVD type 2, which are further clasdeveloping a vaccination program. Make certain your own cattle are properly sified into cytopathic or non-cytopathic strains based upon their laboratory charvaccinated before bringing new cattle into the herd. acteristics. While most infections in the US are caused by type 1 infections, both • Monitor for the presence of BVD in your herd by seeking veterinary help with genotypes can cause serious disease. any respiratory disease, reproductive failure or other herd health problems. Clinical syndromes associated with BVD • Consider implementing a BVD monitoring program. In cow-calf operations, this BVDV infections are classified into three clinical syndromes: fetal infection, persistent infection, and transient (acute) infection. • Depending on the stage of gestation when infected with the virus, fetal infections can result in early embryonic death, abortion, congenital defects, the birth of sick or weak calves, the birth of persistently infected calves, or the birth of normal calves.
may involve testing prior to the breeding season. In stocker operations, this may involve testing prior to or at arrival.
The Mississippi Voluntary Bovine Viral Diarrhea Control Program
Several states have initiated voluntary BVDV control programs based on recommendations by animal health professionals across the US. A cooperative effort between the Mississippi Board of Animal Health (MBAH), the Mississippi • Persistent infections occur when the fetus is infected at early stages of gestation State University College of Veterinary Medicine, and the MSU Extension Service (40 – 125 days). A persistently infected (PI) animal will be infected for life, and has developed the Mississippi Voluntary Bovine Viral Diarrhea Control Program. can shed millions of virus particles in its nasal discharge, saliva, urine, semen, This program follows guidelines under the Uniform Program Standards for the milk, and possibly feces. MVBVDCP, which are available through the MBAH website or by contacting the • Transient, or acute, infections occur in the post-natal period and can result in BVD program coordinator at 662-325-1183. Talk to your veterinarian if you are fever, depression, reproductive problems (such as infertility, abortions), diarrhea, interested in participating in the Mississippi Voluntary BVD Control Program. respiratory disease, and much more depending on the age and immune status of the animal infected, as well as the strain of BVDV involved. Some animals will show no outward signs of illness (subclinical disease), but the immunosuppressive effects of the virus leaves them susceptible to other diseases. Transiently infected calves have the potential to shed and transmit BVD for up to 3 weeks after infection. Most animals recover from acute infections, but some animals will remain as “poor-doers” or die.
BVDV transmission Direct transmission between animals is the most common route of transmission of BVDV. Since they can shed millions of viral particles every day, persistently infected (PI) animals, especially calves, are the most significant source of infection in a herd. PI animals therefore serve as a constant source of BVDV exposure in a herd because they continuously shed virus in saliva, mucous, tears, milk, feces, urine, and any other bodily secretion. PI females that survive and enter the breeding herd not only become a source for acute infections, but will also always produce a PI calf. Likewise, purchased pregnant heifers pose a high risk for PI introduction. Postnatal infection results in a transient infection, and these acutely infected animals are a temporary source of BVDV transmission. 34 SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2019
Persistent Infection (PI)
Transient (Acute) Infection (TI)
• Calf is infected in utero in early gestation (40-125 days)
• Calf is infected postnatal
• Clinical signs may or may not be present • Infected calf can shed virus throughout its life
• Infected calf can shed virus up to 3 weeks after infection
• Calf will never clear virus or be BVDV negative
• Calf can clear virus and be BVDV negative
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• Clinical signs may or may not be present
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Understanding Bovine Viral Diarrhea PART TWO Carla L. Huston, DVM, PhD, ACVPM Dept. of Pathobiology and Population Medicine College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University Submitted to Cattle Business Magazine, October 2014
In our last article, we discussed the disease Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD). Bovine viral diarrhea is a serious disease that can have severe economic impacts in an infected herd, with the potential to spread to other herds through close contact. Given the complexity of the disease and the wide variety of control options available, in this article we will answer some of the most frequently asked questions that we receive about the disease.
Frequently asked questions: I would like to purchase some bred heifers this fall. If they are vaccinated, does that eliminate my risk of bringing PI animals into my herd? No vaccine provides 100% protection against infection or disease. It is important to know the type of vaccine used and when it was administered to ensure it was given in the most effective manner possible. The risk also depends on the herd health history of the seller’s herd. If the herd practices good biosecurity and has a good vaccination program, the risk of BVD will be much lower. Pregnant animals with an unknown vaccination or health history pose the biggest risk of bringing in a BVD persistently infected (PI) animal. They should be isolated from the rest of the herd until they have calved and both they and their calves tested negative for BVDV.
Will vaccination of pregnant cows with a modified-live BVD vaccine cause them to have PI calves? No. As long as the vaccination is used according to label, there is little chance of causing either a persistent infection in fetuses or a transient infection in calves or cows following vaccination with a modified-live vaccine.
Will vaccination of calves cause them to have a positive BVD test? With the newer antigen-based testing methods, such as those used on ear notch samples, vaccinated animals will very rarely falsely test positive. However, depending on the timing of the test, maternal antibodies and vaccines can occasionally cause false-positive test results on blood tests or other antibody tests. Animals testing positive for BVD on an antibody test should be retested to differentiate persistent infection from transient infection.
I sell all of my calves at weaning. Why should I bother with the added expense of testing them? There are several good reasons for testing. Testing calves for BVD PI is a good way to monitor your overall herd health plan. The presence of a PI calf in your herd indicates that there has been a break in your herd health plan somewhere along the line, whether it has been in your biosecurity plan or your vaccination protocol. Furthermore, having a reputation for healthy calves is also good business. Depending on your marketing strategy, you may also receive a premium for having negative PI calves.
I have a calf that tested positive for BVD. Does this mean he is a PI? Not necessarily. Diagnostic tests can identify calves that are either PI or transiently infected (TI) with BVD. A PI animal will be infected for life, and can shed millions of virus particles in its nasal discharge, saliva, urine, semen, milk, and possibly feces. Transient, or acute, infections occur after birth and can result in fever, depression, reproductive problems (such as infertility, abortions), diarrhea, or respiratory disease, although some animals will show no outward signs of illness (subclinical disease). Most animals recover from transient infections, but some animals will remain as “poor-doers” or die. Depending on the situation, a second test performed 2 weeks later may be needed to differentiate a persistent versus transient infection. www.progressiverancher.com
Do all animals need to be tested for BVD PI, or just the calves? It depends on your type of operation. Many long-term control programs for cowcalf operations require that all animals be initially tested in order to ensure the absence of adult PI animals in the herd, followed by subsequent yearly testing of calves and new additions.
I raise stocker cattle, and I only buy calves that look healthy. Why should I test for BVD, or purchase only BVD-negative animals? Since they can shed millions of viral particles every day without showing clinical signs, PI animals serve as a constant source of BVDV exposure in a stocker herd. PI animals can continuously shed virus in saliva, mucous, tears, feces, urine, and any other bodily secretion. Numerous studies have shown that a single PI animal commingled with other susceptible calves can successfully transmit the transient form of the disease. Coupled with the fact that fresh calves may be stressed, immunocompromised, and more susceptible to disease, not testing for BVD can be costly to the stocker producer.
I’ve been told by my buyer that I had a “PI calf ” in the last group of calves that I sold. What does that mean? This usually means that the calf was tested at arrival by the buyer and found to be positive for a BVD persistent infection (PI). If you had a PI calf, that calf must have been exposed to BVD while still in utero through another infected animal or through its dam. Infected herds must identify PI animals and remove them from the herd. The dam of this calf should also be tested, and your herd veterinarian should be contacted to help implement a prevention and control program for the rest of the herd.
What are my options for disposal of a PI calf? Any animal that tests positive for BVD-PI should be immediately isolated from the rest of the herd. That animal will never recover or become negative. In order to prevent the spread of BVD to other animals and herds, slaughter or humane euthanasia is recommended for a PI animal.
Where can I obtain additional information on BVD prevention and control? Your herd veterinarian is the best source of information on BVD prevention and control. BVD is a complex disease with many manifestations and control options. He or she can give you specific recommendations for diagnostic testing schemes, vaccination protocols, and biosecurity practices for your specific operation.
"Since they can shed millions of viral particles every day without showing clinical signs, PI animals serve as a constant source of BVDV exposure in a stocker herd."
The Progressive Rancher
SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2019 35
NEWS RELEASE Contact: FPAC.BC.Press@usda.gov
Report: Farmers Prevented from Planting Crops on More than 19 Million Acres Agricultural producers reported they were not able to plant crops on more than 19.4 million acres in 2019, according to a new report released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). This marks the most prevented plant acres reported since USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) began releasing the report in 2007 and 17.49 million acres more than reported at this time last year. Of those prevented plant acres, more than 73 percent were in 12 Midwestern states, where heavy rainfall and flooding this year has prevented many producers from planting mostly corn, soybeans and wheat.
Nevada Water Solutions LLC
“Agricultural producers across the country are facing significant challenges and tough decisions on their farms and ranches,” USDA Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Bill Northey said. “We know these are challenging times for farmers, and we have worked to improve flexibility of our programs to assist producers prevented from planting.”
Water Rights / Resource Permitting Expertise
Cover Crops USDA supported planting of cover crops on fields where farmers were not able to plant because of their benefits in preventing soil erosion, protecting water quality and boosting soil health. The report showed where producers planted 2.71 million acres of cover crops so far in 2019, compared with 2.14 million acres at this time in 2018 and 1.88 million at this time in 2017. To help make cover crops a more viable option, USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) adjusted the haying and grazing date of cover crops, and USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service held signups in select states that offered producers assistance in planting cover crops. Meanwhile, USDA added other flexibilities to help impacted producers, including adjusting the deadline to file acreage reports in select states.
Thomas K. Gallagher, PE 775•825•1653 / FAX 775•825•1683 333 Flint Street / Reno, NV 89501 tomg@nevadawatersolutions.com
Ranch properties now available Jiggs, Nevada Smith Creek Property
About the Report This data report aggregates information from crop acreage reports as of August 1, 2019, which producers file with FSA to maintain program eligibility and to calculate losses for various disaster assistance programs. The crop acreage data report outlines the number of acres planted, prevented from planting, and failed by crop, county and state. To find more information, view the Aug. 12 report.
200 deeded acres with approx. 126 with surface water rights out of Smith Creek. Great homesite already carved out of the hill above the meadows with well and trees planted. On countymaintained road approx. 30 miles out of Elko. $600,000
Antelope Peak Ranch 5,300 deeded w/ BLM permit attached. 5 center pivots irrigating approx. 583 acres plus another 28 acres with surface water rights out of large spring. Three homes plus shop and other outbuildings. 1 land owner Elk Tag. Offered at $3,900,000.
Because some producers have not completed their filing and data are still being processed, FSA will make available subsequent data reports in September, October, November, December and January. You can find reports from 2007 to the present on FSA’s Crop Acreage Data webpage.
Elko Area River Property with Water Rights 650 deeded acres of which approximately 300 acres have surface water rights out of the Humboldt. May work well for mitigation of environmental and water issues. Access at the Ryndon Exit. Price: $950,000.
To receive FSA program benefits, producers are required to submit crop acreage reports annually regarding all cropland uses on their farm. This report includes data for producers who had already filed for all deadlines in 2019, including the midJuly deadlines, which are for spring-seeded crops in many locations.
Other Prevented Planting Indicators In addition to acreage reports filed with FSA, producers with crop insurance coverage for prevented planting file claims with their insurance providers. These claims are provided to RMA and may differ from the prevented planted acres reported to FSA. More information on prevented plant coverage is available on the RMA website. Official USDA estimates of total acres planted, harvested and to be harvested, yield, and production are available from USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service at nass.usda.gov. 36 SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2019
Flat Nose Ranch East Side This ranch is just outside of Pioche, Nevada approx. 2 hours North of Las Vegas. 700+ Acres with approx. 340 acres water righted with surface and underground water rights. Ranch has been getting 1-6 landowner Mule Deer tags each year. Price: $2,700,00 For additional information on these properties, go to: BOTTARIREALTY.COM
Paul D. Bottari, Broker
paul@bottarirealty.com 1222 6th St. PO Box 368 Wells, NV 89835
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Work: 775.752.3040
Home: 775.752.3809 Fax: 775.752.3021
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A Homeowner’s Guide to Planting Crested Wheatgrass By: Ed Smith, Natural Resource Specialist; Jay Davison, Plant and Soil Specialist; Bill Carlos, Horticulturist
Planting Guidelines for Crested Wheatgrass The following description for planting crested wheatgrass applies to homeowners seeding relatively small areas (less than two acres) and who do not have access to specialized rangeland seeding equipment. For larger planting efforts, contact your local University of Nevada Cooperative Extension office for suggestions. Step One: Planting Time
Crested wheatgrass is a bunchgrass native to Russia and was introduced into the United States by plant scientists during the early 1900s. Since that time, thousands of acres of Nevada rangelands have been successfully seeded with crested wheatgrass. Crested wheatgrass is:
• Inexpensive and the seed is readily available. • Easy to plant and establish. • Low maintenance.
• Drought tolerant and does not require irrigation where it is adapted. • Good forage for grazing animals.
• Less flammable than many other plants. • Effective in suppressing weeds.
Crested wheatgrass is used by homeowners to create: • Dryland pasture for horses, cattle and sheep.
• Fuelbreaks around houses and other buildings.
• Low maintenance groundcover to control weeds, blowing dust, and soil erosion. Crested wheatgrass can usually be grown in areas that receive more than eight inches of precipitation a year and where the naturally occurring vegetation is big sagebrush, pinyon, or juniper. It does not grow well in areas with excessively alkaline or heavy clay soils. For areas receiving between six to eight inches of precipitation a year, ’P27’ Siberian wheatgrass can be substituted for crested wheatgrass. In areas receiving more than twelve inches of precipitation a year, grass species other than crested wheatgrass can be used. Contact your local University of Nevada Cooperative Extension office for recommendations.
The best time to plant is during the late fall when temperatures are cool enough to prevent seed germination and soils are dry enough for successful seed planting Typically, these conditions are present in northern Nevada mid-October through November. The seed will over-winter in the soil and germinate in the spring. Step Two: Site Preparation
The area to be seeded should be cleared of debris. If there is a dense stand of shrubs present, they should be thinned to reduce the competition to young crested wheatgrass plants. If cheatgrass or other weeds are actively growing, they should be controlled before seeding. One approach is to spray the area with a herbicide containing glyphosate (Roundup*, Kleenup*, or similar product). Glyphosate will kill or injure all existing plants but will not affect crested wheatgrass seeds if planting occurs at least ten days after spraying. When using any herbicide be sure to read and follow the label direction. A light tilling just prior to seeding can also be used to remove weeds. Areas with compacted soil should be loosened by light roto-tilling. Compacted soils may occur around newly constructed homes, areas with concentrated livestock use, or locations receiving a lot of foot traffic. If footprints greater than one-half inch in depth are created when walking across the area to be seeded, the soils are probably too loose. These areas should be packed with a roller prior to seeding or irrigated to settle soils. Take care to not overly compact soils. The surface of the soil should be “roughened” to provide crevices and furrows for seed to fall into. For small areas, this can be accomplished through scratching the ground with a steel rake. When preparing larger areas, dragging a piece of weighted chain link fence can be effective. Step Three: Seed Amounts, Variety and Acquisition
About 14 pounds of crested wheatgrass seed per acre or one-third pound per 1,000 square feet should be used. There are many different varieties of crested wheatgrass available. Some of the recommended varieties are presented below by intended use. Pasture…Hycrest, Nordan, Douglas | Fuelbreak…Fairway, P-27, Nordan | Weed Control…Roadcrest, Ephraim, P-27 | Erosion Control…Roadcrest, Ephraim Crested wheatgrass can usually be purchased from local seed dealers, nurseries, livestock feed stores, and farm and ranch supply stores. Seed can also be ordered from out-of-state commercial seed companies by phone, but they may have minimum order requirements. Make sure you buy “certified” seed. This will guarantee the variety and purity of seed. Step Four: Planting the Seed
The seed should be evenly broadcast over the prepared site. Using a hand-held “whirlybird” canister seeder can assist in uniform application of the seed. Once the seed has been applied, it should be lightly covered with soil through raking or dragging. The goal is to cover the majority of seed with no more than one-half inch of soil. Step Five: Maintenance
For more information about crested wheatgrass, call your local University of Nevada Cooperative Extension office and ask for Fact Sheet 96-53 “Crested Wheatgrass Hero or Villain in Reclaiming Disturbed Rangelands.” www.progressiverancher.com
Seedlings should start appearing in early spring. If spring precipitation is lacking, it may be necessary to irrigate the seeded area several times during the first two months after germination. While crested wheatgrass typically does not require fertilization, it may benefit from application of 40 pounds per acre or one pound per 1,000 square feet of “actual nitrogen” during the third growing season after seeding and thereafter. Grazing of crested wheatgrass can begin the second summer after planting. When used for fuelbreaks, crested wheatgrass should be maintained at a height of about four inches once it has dried out for the season. *Brand names are provided for example purposes only. Other brands may also be licensed for use in Nevada. Information herein is offered with no discrimination. Listing a commercial product does not imply an endorsement by the authors, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, or its personnel.
The Progressive Rancher
SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2019 37
NevadaFIT
Freshman Intensive Transition Boot Camp
More than 2,600 incoming freshmen at UNR participating in program designed to increase college success NevadaFIT, the University of Nevada, Reno's premiere academic preparation program for incoming freshmen students, began its seventh year Saturday, Aug. 17, with a kick-off ceremony and parents' workshop. The program, which stands for "freshman intensive transition," gives freshmen a five-day crash course on the rigors of college academics. It spans all eight colleges and more than 40 majors across the University.
The program is open to all registered freshmen, regardless of grade-point average. This is the fourth year NevadaFIT has counted as a course credit. Participants are grouped in "packs" of seven students led by a peer mentor and many of these peer mentors have participated in past boot camps.
Course fees are used to pay student mentors and to go toward scholarships. The program's financial aid helps cover course fees and dormitory costs for students NevadaFIT began in 2013 as BioFIT, a program geared toward incoming who qualify. biology majors, with 48 students participating. In 2014, the program was expanded to include 350 students in all eight colleges with varied majors, and "Thanks to the generosity of our donors, students who qualify have their full last year had over 1,600 participants. Each year, the program has grown and this NevadaFIT attendance paid," Carman said. "We work hard to make sure any year it will welcome the largest NevadaFIT class to date with approximately student who has financial need will be able to attend." 2,700 students, about two-thirds of the incoming freshman class. Every boot camp in last year's program saw higher GPAs in NevadaFIT "College is not an extension of high school; it's not grade 13," Kevin Carman, participants compared to the students in their major who did not participate. executive vice president and provost for the University, said. "Students learn the NevadaFIT participants are also graduating at a higher rate in five years than value of going to class, sitting up front, how to study with other students and the average University student does in six years, yielding a 67 percent, fiveyear graduation rate from the Fall 2013 cohort. The University's overall six-year how to make effective use of resources like the writing and math centers." graduation rate is 55 percent. The FIT programs or "camps" include BizFIT (College of Business), E-FIT (College of Engineering), LiberalArtsFIT (College of Liberal Arts), FIT2Care "Coming out of high school, I knew that psychology was something I wanted (College of Education), HealthFIT (College of Health Science), J-FIT to pursue," University psychology and French major Taylor Chase said in a (Reynolds School of Journalism), CABNRFIT (College of Agriculture, recently published NSights blog. "I had taken the AP class and knew that Biotechnology and Natural Resources), and ScienceFIT (College of Science). somewhere in the realms of research and the study of behavior, there was a place for me. Learning that PsychFIT (LiberalArtsFIT) gave me the chance to meet Much of this growth is attributed to the College of Science, the initial college the department's faculty and start school a week early told me that NevadaFIT at the University to make the program mandatory for incoming students in was something I had to do." 2016. This year, the College of Business and College of Engineering have joined a number of other colleges making the program mandatory for all students, The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities recognized the University’s and every major from every college can now participate. More students on academic boot camp program as an innovative approach to improve degree campus earlier mean more logistics and planning, so LiberalArtsFIT hired a completion and was named a finalist for its 2018 Degree Completion Award. FIT coordinator for their program last year, and other camps are starting to University freshmen and their families are encouraged to join the NevadaFIT follow that lead. conversations online by using the hashtag #NevadaFIT. Typically presented to students in the sciences, NevadaFIT, modeled after Note: Students in the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology, and Natural Resources, Louisiana State University's BIOS program, is the first known intensive College of Business, College of Education, College of Engineering, and College of Science introduction that has moved beyond the sciences in the country. Although true DO NOT need to apply. They are automatically enrolled in NevadaFIT. to its origins, the program remains anchored in mathematics. Students in most disciplines will attend daily math classes that relate to their field of study. This Learn more at www.unr.edu/nevadafit stems from research that has shown students who are successful in math are NevadaFIT video: https://youtu.be/kYi8s_14ha4 more likely to graduate within their chosen majors.
For more information visit www.unr.edu/welcom or contact UNR Media Contacts: Natalie Fry, Communications Officer Office of Marketing & Communications 775-784-4611 | nfry@unr.edu Nevada Today: www.unr.edu/nevada-today Nicole Shearer, Communications Officer Office of Marketing & Communications 775-784-1169 | nshearer@unr.edu 38 SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2019
NevadaFIT students – HealthFIT and E-FIT camps gather for their first dinner on campus in 2018 at the University of Nevada, Reno during the NevadaFIT five-day academic boot camp, which started this year Saturday, Aug. 17. The Progressive Rancher
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Get A Head Start On College! Contact: Claudene Wharton Communications/Senior Marketing Specialist University of Nevada Cooperative Extension whartonc@unce.unr.edu / 775-784-7072 / www.unce.unr.edu
National Leader in Renal Disease joins University Dietician and Nutritionist David St-Jules joins the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources University of Nevada, Reno is excited to welcome David St-Jules to the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources. He is a registered dietitian and nutritionist, and his research focuses on renal disease, which is the final and most severe stage of chronic kidney disease. St-Jules’ decision to focus on this disease came from his interest in obesityrelated chronic diseases, which are currently major concerns of the population. Renal disease is understudied and has not received as much attention from the medical community as diseases such as diabetes, even though 15 percent of U.S. adults are diagnosed with it.
“I’m excited to be transferring to the University since it has an established dietetics program with a good reputation that I know will support my research,” said St-Jules. “The school has a great environment, and I’m excited to get to know the faculty and staff there.” St-Jules completed two postdoctoral fellowships at Harvard School of Public Health and the New York University School of Medicine for Nutrition. He now plans to continue his research into renal disease and build the evidence base for treatment. Immediate plans include studying the role of registered dietitians in medical nutrition therapy and the use of technology in the treatment of pre-dialysis patients. He also aims to perform basic research on plant-based diets and their effectiveness in treating individuals with chronic kidney diseases. St-Jules looks forward to using his experience as a nutritionist to mentor graduate students who are interested in nutrition research.
“We’re excited to be bringing a national leader in renal disease to this institution,” said Jamie Benedict, chair of the College’s Department of Nutrition. “Dr. StJules will complement the strengths of our current faculty and help to enhance the research, teaching and outreach efforts of the Department of Nutrition.
David St-Jules will continue to develop research on renal disease, as well as mentor graduate students. www.progressiverancher.com
The Progressive Rancher
SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2019 39
Contact: Claudene Wharton, Communications/Senior Marketing Specialist University of Nevada Cooperative Extension College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources University of Nevada, Reno / MS 405 / Reno, Nevada 89557-0404 whartonc@unce.unr.edu / 775-784-7072 / www.unce.unr.edu
New Assistant Professor Researches Reproductive Physiology and Epigenetics Luis Schütz joins the University’s College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources The University of Nevada, Reno’s College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources welcomes Luis Schütz to the faculty as a lecturer and researcher. Schütz has studied bovine (cattle) reproductive physiology for more than a decade. Recently, he began research in the field of epigenetics, which includes focus on the effects of animal management methods, nutrition and environmental factors on reproduction efficiency and health. Schütz completed his postdoctoral research at the Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy at the Texas A&M Health Science Center and completed graduate work at Oklahoma State University, where he received the Distinguished Graduate Fellowship two years in a row. “I am very happy to have chosen the University of Nevada, Reno and this city as my home,” said Schütz. “I hope I can establish a meaningful research program and be impactful as a teacher and mentor for students, just like the mentors I was fortunate to have in my life.” Schütz will develop and teach undergraduate and graduate courses in the areas of animal physiology and reproduction. In addition, he plans to continue his research as part of the College’s Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station, establish research programs for reproductive physiology and epigenetics at the University, and investigate the impact of a semi-arid climate on the reproductive efficiency of cattle. “Schütz’s interest in dairy cattle will greatly increase the breadth of knowledge in the animal science curriculum,” said Tamzen Stringham, chair of the College’s Department of Agriculture, Veterinary & Rangeland Sciences. “He is also providing helpful science-based information to Nevada’s dairy industry.” Luis Schütz will develop programs in reproductive physiology and epigenetics as part of his research in the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources.
Charles Schembre brings Vineyard Experience to Desert Farming Initiative Experience in soil health and biodiversity will benefit the Experiment Station’s research and programs The Desert Farming Initiative welcomes a new project manager, Charles Schembre, to the Nevada Agriculture Experiment Station. The Initiative is a diversified commercial farm at the University that serves as a demonstration, education, outreach and research farming program. It is a collaborative project of the University’s College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources and its Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension units. Schembre joined the University in Fall 2018, and in December, he attended a course so he and DFI staff could teach food safety best practices and began developing a technical assistance program to teach Nevada growers how to comply with the Food Safety Modernization Act. This past spring, Schembre oversaw the planting of a new, 1-acre demonstration vineyard of cabernet franc, merlot and malbec wine grapes at the University, expanding upon more than 20 years of wine grape research done at the Experiment Station focusing on techniques for advancing viticulture in the high desert. Schembre previously worked for the Napa County Resource Conservation District managing a demonstration vineyard and orchard, as well as multiple conservation programs focused on soil health, water conservation and bio diversity. He also served two terms in the AmeriCorps Watershed Stewards Project. In addition to researching grapes at the new vineyard, Schembre says the Initiative is conducting trials on vegetables and fruits, such as winter lettuce and raspberries, to collect crop data on different growing conditions. “We collect data on 30 different varieties of vegetables we grow and also provide services, like organic plant propagation, to the local agriculture industry,” he said. Schembre hopes to expand the farming operation to become a mid-sized farm that focuses on precision farming techniques. He also wants to create more teaching and learning opportunities for students at the Experiment Station, as well as expand the Initiative’s services to the community. “I hope that with the expansion of the farming operation we can donate even more to the food pantry,” explained Schembre. “I also look forward to continuing to provide the latest research-based food safety information to our state’s producers, which is one of the Initiative’s primary focuses.”
Charles Schembre plants a new 1-acre demonstration vineyard to continue studying wine grapes. Photo by Robert Moore.
40 SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2019
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Three Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Pour-on Dewormer Develop an effective deworming program that keeps cattle comfortable and reduces resistance “Let’s face it….We aren’t going to have an unending supply of new molecules and new active ingredients for parasite control,” warned Dr. John Davidson, senior associate director, beef cattle professional services, Boehringer Ingelheim. “That’s why we need to ensure judicious and proper use of the products we have available now — to ensure they maintain their efficacy in the years to come.” Dr. Davidson said there are several best practices for getting good parasite control from pour-on dewormers:
Compare product labels and choose a dewormer that: • Controls a broad spectrum of species and stages. • Is weather proof, in case it rains following application. • Is nonflammable, if you will be branding cattle.
Properly administer pour-on dewormer: • Ensure facilities are equipped to adequately restrain animals so that there is minimum movement. • Determine each animal’s weight, using scales whenever possible. • Calculate the volume of pour-on product to be administered based on each animal's weight. • Apply the product with an applicator gun along the midline (over the top of the back of each animal). Begin at the withers, and pour all the way down to the tailhead. Make sure the entire dose gets on the animal, not on the sides of the chute or on the handlers.
Dosing Done Right Follow the label. In doing so, you have the greatest likelihood of achieving the appropriate drug levels to kill the parasites. This means that the dosage — or the amount of product applied — is adequate for the size and weight class of the animal being treated. If you are not applying the right dose, you may be over- or under-dosing:
Under-dosing: • If an animal is under-dosed, the amount of the product’s active ingredient is not present in the animal’s tissues at the necessary level and the product will not deliver its desired effect. Under-treatment will likely leave some of the parasites behind. That becomes problematic because the surviving parasites are potentially more likely to be resistant to subsequent and future treatments with products in a similar class.
Over-dosing: • When you over-dose animals, you waste hard-earned dollars on product. Generally, the safety index on this class of products is fairly broad, so toxicities as a result of over-dosing are rare. Proper dosing ensures that the drug will be available, and in the necessary concentration, in the animal’s tissue so it is effective against the species of organisms that it is indicated for. Simply put: You need to deliver enough of the drug to kill the parasites that you’re intending to kill. ©2019 Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc., Duluth, GA. All Rights Reserved. BOV-1762-ANTH1018
DON’T TRUST A GENERIC TO DO A BRAND NAME JOB. If a job’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right. Ivomec® Pour-On (ivermectin topical solution) has proven itself as the right dewormer with decades of pound-adding performance. IVOMEC IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION: Do not treat cattle within 48 days of slaughter. Do not use in female dairy cattle of breeding age or in veal calves. Do not use in other animal species not on the label, as severe adverse reactions, including fatalities in dogs, may result. IVOMEC and the Cattle Head Logo are registered trademarks of Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc. ©2019 Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc., Duluth, GA. All Rights Reserved. JOB-US-BOV-0566 ®
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