HAPPY NEW YEAR!
As a whole, 2024 gave us a lot to be grateful for in the livestock industry in Nevada. I have an “attitude of gratitude” as I look back on 2024, but also as I look forward to 2025, my optimism abounds. The stars are aligning on numerous fronts for big things to happen in the cattle industry in 2025.
I am personally anxiously awaiting the USDA’s January Livestock Inventory Report. This report is a “look under the hood” at our leverage in the marketplace. We know there will be tighter cattle supplies moving forward, but the question is really just how tight things are going to get. My personal predictions are that we’ll see the Beef Cow Herd numbers at 27.9 million head, with Beef Replacement Heifers around 4.5 million. Those are the numbers I watch closely.
What do those numbers mean, you ask?
The cowherd is still contracting, and heifer retention to start expanding the cowherd hasn’t happened yet. Bottom line: cow-calf producers are still in the driver’s seat for higher prices.
Along with a favorable Inventory Report, beef demand from outside the industry still looks strong. In my cheap seat I feel we have weathered the price hike of our product at the retail level, and consumers are still spending their money to buy beef. Our consumers have shown real loyalty and love for our products. Now that the election is over, there is a new confidence in the economy, and I feel that beef demand might just go up!
I received a letter from my favorite lending agency a few days ago stating that the interest rate has been cut a half percent. It looks like energy and commodity prices
may soften a little moving forward into 2025, and maybe inflation is cooling off. Other than the price of a new pickup, everything else seems to be going our way!
I wish everyone a Happy New Year. 2024 was a great year, but it looks like 2025 might be even better and I hope it is!
Hanes Holman Hanes Holman President, NCA
GEM STATE ANGUS RANCH
MACBETH MEADOW BROME GRASS UP TO YOUR SHOULDERS
We run out of creek water about June 1, and Macbeth still kicked out the tons. We had to raise the swather to get through it!
Of the five meadow bromes on the market, Macbeth is the only one that excels on dryland or low water. A meadow brome will always be your highest yielding grass! Macbeth will have leaves about as wide as barley.
TESTIMONIAL
The Macbeth did extremely well! We take only one cutting and graze the rest, but it always cuts 31/2 ton which is excellent for 6200 ft-elev. We normally put 2 windrows together for bailing, but could only bale one windrow on the Macbeth.
James Willis: Willis Ranch Cokeville, WY
*Jerry Hoagland, Seven High Ranch, Reynolds Creek, Owyhee Co, Idaho
Performance TestedBULL SALE
by Martin Paris | NCA Executive Director |
Three Scholarship Opportunities
The Nevada Cattlemen’s Association (NCA) is eager to announce three scholarship opportunities this year.
The NCA Scholarship will be awarded to a first-year college student beginning to pursue an education within the agricultural industry. This scholarship is open to all Nevada high school graduating seniors planning to attend a community college or four-year college/university and majoring in an agriculturerelated field. The amount of this scholarship for 2025 will be $1,500!
Eligibility & application requirements for the Scholarships include:
• Applicant must be a senior graduating from a Nevada high school.
• Applicant must plan to attend a community college or a four-year college/university.
• Applicant must be seeking a degree in an agriculture-related field.
• Applicant must have at least a 2.5 GPA. A copy of the student’s official transcripts is required.
• Applicant must submit a cover letter describing themselves, how their future plans tie into the future of the cattle industry, their background in the beef industry, and how this scholarship may benefit them, etc.
Also offered is the Marvel/Andrae Scholarship, available to graduating high school seniors or college students. To be eligible, students must be pursuing a degree in agricultural economics, agricultural business, or the animal/meat science fields. The 2025 Marvel/Andrae Scholarship award will be $2,500!
The Nevada Cattlemen’s Association would like to thank Agri Beef for their continued support of the Marvel/Andrae Scholarship. This scholarship recognizes the legacies of Tom & Rosita Marvel and Jim & Sharon Andrae and the many contributions these two Nevada ranching families have made to our industry. Additional requirements are:
• Applicant must plan to attend or be currently attending a community college or a four-year college/university.
• Applicant must be from Nevada and pursuing a degree in agricultural economics, agricultural business, or the animal/meat science fields.
• Applicant must have at least a 2.8 GPA. A copy of the student’s official transcripts is required.
• Students who were previous recipients of the NCA Scholarship and meet the eligibility requirements of the Marvel/Andrae Scholarship are eligible to apply.
• Applicant must submit a cover letter describing themselves, their background, goals, future plans, and how this scholarship may benefit them, etc.
In its second year, the NCA will also be offering the Walt Leberski Memorial Scholarship. The Walt Leberski Memorial Scholarship will be awarded to a graduating high school senior or currently enrolled college student. Potential applicants must be pursuing a degree/certificate in an agriculture-related field at a community college, four-year university, or trade school. The amount of this scholarship for 2024 will be $5,000!
Eligibility & application requirements for the Walt Leberski Memorial Scholarship include:
• Applicant must be born in Nevada and have graduated or will graduate from a Nevada high school.
• Applicant must plan to attend or be currently attending a community college, university, or trade school.
• Applicant must be pursuing a degree or certificate in an agriculture-related field.
• Applicant must have at least a 2.8 GPA. A copy of the student’s transcripts is required.
• Students who were previous recipients of the NCA Scholarship or Marvel/Andrae Scholarship will be eligible to apply for the Walt Leberski Memorial Scholarship.
• Applicant must submit a cover letter describing themselves, their background, goals, future plans, and how this scholarship may benefit them, etc.
Scholarship application forms can be downloaded from the Nevada Cattlemen’s website at www. nevadacattlemen.org. Applicants can also call the NCA office at 775-738-9214 or send a request to nca@nevadabeef.org for a copy. Completed applications must be postmarked by April 2nd, 2025, and can be mailed to: Attn: Research & Education Committee, c/o Nevada Cattlemen’s Association, P.O. Box 310, Elko, NV 89803; or submitted by email to nca@nevadabeef.org.
NCA Seeking Teacher of the Year Nominations
The Nevada Cattlemen’s Association has started their annual quest for “Teacher of the Year” candidates and are asking for your help in soliciting nominations. The deadline for submitting nominations is May 1st, 2025.
Nominees must be an elementary, junior high, or high school teacher who incorporates agriculture into their regular curriculum. For example, a teacher who teaches a one-week segment on agriculture and its importance to Nevada. Current Agricultural Education teachers are not eligible. Nominees may also include teachers considered in previous years but were not selected for the award. Nominations must include a completed NCA Teacher of the Year Application Form and an attached short essay describing why the teacher is being nominated.
The winner of this award will receive a $1,000 school supply stipend courtesy of the Nevada Agriculture Foundation. The award recipient will also be recognized during the 2025 Nevada Cattlemen’s Association Annual Awards Banquet.
Anyone may submit a nomination form which is available at www.nevadacattlemen.org. For any questions, please contact the NCA office at 775738-9214. Nominations may be submitted by email to nca@nevadabeef.org with “2025 Teacher of the Year Nomination” in the subject line or sent by mail to Attn: Research & Education Committee, c/o Nevada Cattlemen’s Association, P.O. Box 310, Elko, NV 89803.
Online Resources Help Producers Promote Beef
by Nevada Beef Council | Courtesy of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board
Producers are the backbone of the beef industry. No one is more dedicated to raising healthy cattle and stewarding the land than a farmer or rancher. To help producers share their stories and promote beef to their customers, NCBA, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, created a new portal on the www.BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com website that provides access to a variety of assets and resources.
“We are here to serve producers, and we want resources to be readily available to make it easy for them to share information,” said Rashanda Cobbins, NCBA’s director of content strategy. “These materials will help drive a consistent message as well as drive demand for beef.”
An extensive library of Beef Checkoff-funded images, media, recipes and infographics are accessible by beef producers and stakeholders to assist in marketing and promoting beef. These resources, including beef cut and recipe imagery, lifestyle photography, how-to videos, fact sheets, and more are available for free through the Producer Resource portal at https://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/resources/producer-resources. Whether direct-marketing beef, educating consumers at an event or networking with fellow producers, the Producer Resource portal is the one place to go for materials.
Content will be updated regularly, highlighting beef throughout the seasons, from summer grilling to holiday feasts. Additional resources will be added based on producer feedback and requests. Accessing assets is free and easy, simply visit the website, https://www.beefitswhatsfordinner. com/resources/producer-resources or scan the QR code, to complete a short form.
Our Mission: Engage Nevada beef producers and stakeholders with consumer outreach and education to increase beef demand.
Our Values: We provide factual information to consumers and beef producers. We use checkoff dollars efficiently and effectively. We represent the entire Nevada beef industry.
NEVADA BEEF COUNCIL
4231 Pacific Street, Suite 35 Rocklin, CA 95677 877-554-BEEF (2333) Phone 916-824-1588 FAX
Staff and administrative duties for the Nevada Beef Council are housed in the California Beef Council office in Rocklin, CA.
Bill Dale, Executive Director, bill@calbeef.org
Christie Van Egmond, Director, Retail & Foodservice Marketing, christie@calbeef.org
Annette Kassis, Director, Consumer & Brand Marketing, annette@calbeef.org
Makenzie Neves, Manager, Producer Education & Engagement, makenzie@calbeef.org
Kori Dover, RD, Director, Food & Nutrition Outreach, kori@calbeef.org
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jay Dalton, Wells, Chair
John Jackson, Tuscarora, Vice Chair
Keri Pommerening, Smith Valley, Secretary/Treasurer
Ray Callahan, Reno
Ted Christoph, Fallon
Bernard Petersen, Ely
Lucy Rechel, Yerington
FAQ: www.beefboard.org/category/beef-board-news/
Mini Beef Wellington Bites
Try our easy, mini version of Beef Wellington: mushrooms, onion and thyme are paired with Beef Tenderloin and baked in pastry cups until golden and crisp. A perfect appetizer for entertaining or for a Valentine’s Day date night!
Ingredients:
1 pound beef Tenderloin Steak, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 package (8 ounces) mushrooms, chopped
3 tablespoons minced onion
1-1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
1 package (17.3 oz) frozen puff pastry, thawed
1/4 cup Dijon-style mustard
Horseradish sauce and chopped parsley, optional
Directions:
1. In large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; cook 2 to 3 minutes until tender and all liquid is evaporated, stirring often. Stir in onion, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; remove from heat and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss beef with remaining 1 tablespoon oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
3. Spray 24 mini-muffin cups with cooking spray. Unfold puff pastry on a lightly floured cutting board; cut each sheet into 12 (2-inch) squares. Place squares into mini-muffin cups. Brush dough with mustard, then place heaping teaspoon of mushroom mixture in center of dough. Top with steak piece.
4. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown and instant-read thermometer inserted in center registers 135°F for medium rare; 150°F for medium. Let rest. Temperature will continue to rise to 145°F for medium rare and 160°F for medium. Serve warm topped with horseradish sauce and parsley, if desired.
Not a fan of horseradish? Try this easy cream sauce: Mix a 1/2 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt with 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard.
Nutrition information per serving, 2 pieces: 229 Calories; 126 Calories from fat; 14g Total Fat (6 g Saturated Fat; 0.1 g Trans Fat; 0.8 g Polyunsaturated Fat; 2.4 g Monounsaturated Fat;) 23 mg Cholesterol; 421 mg Sodium; 14 g Total Carbohydrate; 1.3 g Dietary Fiber; 0.7 g Total Sugars; 9 g Protein; 1 g Added Sugars; 5.7 mg Calcium; 1.7 mg Iron; 171 mg Potassium; 0.06 mcg Vitamin D; 0.18 mg Riboflavin; 1.9 mg NE Niacin; 0.21 mg Vitamin B6; 1.12 mcg Vitamin B12; 87 mg Phosphorus; 1.3 mg Zinc; 9 mcg Selenium; 21.4 mg Choline. This recipe is an excellent source of Vitamin B12; and a good source of Protein, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Zinc, and Selenium.
Recipes & photos courtesy of
Predictions
As I write this there is three inches of snow on the ground in my daughter’s back yard in Houston Texas. There is no snow in my backyard in Reno Nevada. Officially, I can say, Houston has received more measurable snow this winter than Reno. For the first time in over one hundred years, New Orleans has received enough snow so residents can ski in the streets!
No one could have predicted this degree of winter weather for these places, or for that matter much of the south which has never experienced this kind of weather. For instance, I read Louisiana borrowed 20 snowplows from Indiana to start to open up key roads affected by the storm.
Readers of this publication deal with unpredictable weather in all seasons, all the time so it shouldn’t surprise any of us what this part of the country is experiencing is a possibility, however remote, at any time. Afterall, Houston for instance, has severe hurricane events on a regular basis. If you have ever been to the Gulf Coast of Texas, evidence of
this possibility is displayed by the thousands of houses on stilts to let the flood event associated with most hurricanes flow through these houses, not bash against them.
Everyone reading this will have some interest in the dynamic cattle market we are facing. The best information I can obtain on the market is the 2024 calf crop was about one percent less than the 2023 calf crop. I think the record prices paid for feeder cattle in 2024 reflects the tighter supplies available fors sale in 2024. There are predictions supplies will even be tighter in 2025 which should result in a continuation of a vigorous calf market. However, am I going to bet the farm the 2025 market will be record high?
Not on your life because I’ve seen such predictions crash and burn. I hope we will continue to enjoy the benefits of higher calf prices but I will avoid predictions in this area just like I will avoid weather forecasting.
I also predict those who are sure they know what President Trump will do might be disappointed. We knew for some certainty he was going to pardon some of those convicted in the January 6, 2022 Capital attack especially those who merely entered the capital and did not participate in any violent activities including assaulting Capital Police. However, just the other day he pardoned over 1600 people associated with that incident including those who physically attacked and injured capital police officers doing their job. I would not have predicted that. In my mind there is a huge difference between being guilty of trespass and assaulting a police officer doing their sworn duty. Sometimes, a scalpel is a better tool than an ax.
I’ll see you soon.
Wildfires: CA fires delaying state’s new hazard maps.
LA fires delay California’s new fire hazard maps. E&E News- The Los Angeles fires are delaying California’s rollout of new fire hazard maps that broadly detail more danger than previous versions, the state’s fire marshal said Wednesday. What happened: Cal Fire is already behind schedule in putting out new statewide recommendations for local agencies detailing which areas are at very high fire hazard, down to the parcel level. LA’s wildfires will delay the agency further, State Fire Marshal Daniel Berlant told in an interview. He said Cal Fire is now planning to release the new map recommendations for Northern California first, sometime in the next few weeks, and Southern California second, sometime in the months to follow, so as not to overwhelm local officials in LA, who are required by law to review and adopt the maps within three months.
Gray Wolves: CO commissioners urge to halting of further wolf releases.
County wants Colorado to halt further releases of gray wolves. Center Square- Garfield County commissioners are urging Colorado wildlife managers to halt further releases of gray wolves in the state. The commissioners sent a letter to Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials and Gov. Jared Polis, saying the agency should “reconsider its current approach and recent decisions.” CPW recently released 15 wolves, which were captured in British Columbia, in an undisclosed location in Pitkin and Eagle counties. The agency initially released 10 wolves from Oregon in December 2023.Gray wolf reintroduction is required by law after Colorado voters narrowly approved Proposition 114 in 2020.
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Settlement reached to end ranching at Point Reyes National Seashore Settlement reached.... Livestock Journal- A dozen livestock producers in California’s Point Reyes National Seashore have agreed to a settlement to end beef and dairy cattle ranching at the seashore. In January 2022, the Center for Biological Diversity, Western Watersheds Project and Resource Renewal Institute filed suit against the National Park Service (NPS) challenging its management plan that reauthorized long-term grazing leases at Point Reyes. The settlement is in response to this lawsuit. Under the agreement, six beef ranches and six dairies will cease their operations within 15 months in exchange for compensation from The Nature Conservancy (TNC). The organization will then work with NPS on “natural resource restoration projects” on the former ranchlands. Two beef ranches were not party to the settlement and will negotiate long-term leases with NPS.
New Look For The Nevada Legislative Building
When the 83rd Nevada Legislative Session begins on February 3rd, the newest remodeling project for the Nevada Legislative Building won’t be completed, but it does seem that lawmakers will be able to make do and still hold their floor sessions and committee meetings in the Carson City building. Then again, that might still be determined for sure on February 3rd. Governor Lombardo was able to make his State of the State Address from the Nevada Assembly Chambers so that should bode well for the 2025 Legislative Session to go forward as planned. Entry to the building is now reserved from the backdoor which has also gone through a remodeling process since the 2023 Legislative Session concluded.
Nevada Farm Bureau will be engaged throughout the 120-session and will be providing updates on the bills where the organization’s member-developed policy applies.
Nevada Legislative Water Bill AB 104 Is Now In The Legislative Hopper
Another water bill has been pre-filed for the upcoming 2025 Legislative Session. AB 104 is another product of the Joint Interim Standing Committee on Natural Resources. It is a proposal that Nevada Farm Bureau and a number of groups with interests on water have been discussing and working through concepts to prepare a common ground of the legislative proposal. Like, SB 36 , AB 104 proposes voluntary buy-back of water rights and retires these purchased water rights, seeking to bring about a balance in over-appropriated and over-pumped groundwater basins.
Roughly 40 percent of Nevada groundwater basins are over-appropriated and half of those are also overpumped. Nevada Farm Bureau, based on policy, will be supporting legislative proposals which address the need to restore balance and reduce conflicts over rights. Nevada Farm Bureau policy also recognizes and supports prior appropriation and the rights of senior water right owners.
AB 104 is more of an omnibus approach pulling different elements together into a single bill. This bill will be considered by the Assembly Natural Resources Committee, chaired by Assemblywoman Natha Anderson of Sparks.
AB 109 Proposed By Assemblywoman La Rue Hatch
One of the pre-filed water bills that has recently been posted to the Nevada Legislature’s webpage is AB 109, sponsored by Assemblywoman Selina La Rue Hatch from Reno. Under the proposal Nevada law pertaining to geothermal operations could be connected to a requirement for a water right process, operated by the State Engineer.
Current state law provides that underlying geothermal resources are owned by the surface property owner. In developing a geothermal facility there is a requirement to obtain a permit from the Administrator of the Division of Minerals.
One of the provisions in AB 109 states that when the Administrator receives a permit application, the Administrator is required to transmit a copy of the application to the State Engineer. The State Engineer is directed to review the application. If it is determined that an exploration well or an exploration bore hole may impact an existing water right or a protectable interest in an existing domestic well or would prove to be detrimental to the public interest, the State Engineer will treat the proposal as if it were a water right. This would then trigger the proposal to be dealt with in the appropriation processes of Nevada water law chapters 533 and 534.
AB 109 will be sent to the Nevada Assembly Natural Resources Committee where Assemblywoman La Rue Hatch serves as the committee’s vice chair.
SB 104 Nevada School Garden Bill Proposed
Senator Julie Pazina from Las Vegas has re-introduced the school gardens legislation she sought in the 2023 Legislative Session (SB 244). This go around the bill, SB 104 the request is higher than the $3 million that was sought in 2023. The legislation is seeking $2 million for each of the upcoming fiscal years and continues to limit who can be awarded the funds in the same fashion as last session.
One of the issues that Nevada Farm Bureau and other supporters of a school gardens bill will attempt to address is providing for a broader set of entities who could qualify for financial assistance. A number of Northern Nevada entities are not part of a school garden (on an actual school property) but bring students to their community-based gardens for the students to obtain the hands-on experience of growing food.
Senator Robin Titus Seeks Increase In Channel Clearance Funds
Senator Robin Titus of Wellington has introduced SB 108 which proposes to increase the account balance for the Channel Clearance, Maintenance, Restoration, Surveying and Monumenting Program to $500,000 from the current level of $250,000. The first stop for the proposal will be the Senate Committee on Natural Resources.
AFBF President Lays Out A List For Congressional Attention
The preliminary necessities are wrapped up and it’s time to get down to business, American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) President Zippy Duvall pointed out in his recent Zipline column.
Duvall’s simple three-point priority list included:
• Renewing the 2017 Tax Provisions that are set to expire this year
• Agricultural labor legislation which addresses America’s agricultural worker shortage and updates for our guest worker program
• Passage of a modernized Farm Bill
Foreign Ownership Of U.S. Ag Lands
Nevada Farm Bureau recently received an inquiry on foreign ownership of agricultural lands in Nevada which initially was linked to the likely re-introduction of legislation that U.S. Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota had in the 118thSession of Congress. Researching the question in order to respond we learned some details on where Nevada and other Western States stood in the past as far as foreign ownership of agricultural lands.
As this research was unfolding, American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) economist Daniel Munch released his Market Intel findings of agricultural lands. Munch writes as part of the background details that foreign entities with an ownership interests in agricultural land are required by The Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 (AFIDA) to report purchases, sales and interests in U.S. agricultural land to USDA’s Farm Service Agency.
Nevada does not have state law on dealing with foreign ownership of agricultural lands, although other states do. Perhaps because of the domination of federallymanaged lands there isn’t a need for a state law focusing on the land acquisition of other countries… more focused on how much private land ends up under the control of our own national government?
Likewise, NFB does not have policy pertaining to foreign ownership of agricultural lands. Depending on voting delegate actions during the 2025 AFBF Annual Meeting in San Antonio, TX there may be stronger policy on the subject.
The Process for Monarch Butterfly Public Comments
On December 12th, 2024 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) published their proposed actions to list Monarch Butterflies as threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This publication in the Federal Register began the process for receiving public comments that will run to March 12, 2025.
NFB has been working through the proposed rule and also participating in webinars and one of the two virtual public meetings which were offered by USFWS.
Nevada is both a migratory area and a breeding area for Monarchs as they travel from their California overwintering areas in the spring and back later in
the fall. In communications with the Reno office of USFWS we’ve learned that monarchs in Nevada need both common milkweed plants and nectar sources throughout the duration of the time they spend in Nevada. This timeframe covers a window that runs from May through October. We’ve also learned that there are 5 different varieties of milkweed in our state.
The proposed rule provides for a 4 (d) rule proposal under ESA and this is believed to provide for the greatest flexibility. Livestock grazing and routine ranching activities are allowed under the proposed 4 (d) rule and routine farming activities are also provided.
The one area that might be of an issue involves pesticide use, which we’ll learn more about as the process continues.
Governor Lombardo State Of The State Address Announces Five Areas Of Priority
In his remarks to the joint bodies of the Nevada Legislature and other dignitaries, Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo drew attention to the five areas that he will be pursuing through legislation that he will be offering for legislative consideration. Governor Lombardo indicated that his legislative package will cover Housing, Health Care, Education, Public Safety and Economic Diversification. He also shared that his proposed $12.7 billion budget will include permanent pay increases for teachers and provide for a record level for the state’s Rainy-Day reserves of $1.3 billion.
Lombardo indicated he has been working with the Trump Administration at the national level as well as with Nevada’s Congressional delegation for having the federal government release more federal lands needed for expanding housing opportunities. The Nevada Attainable Housing Act that Lombardo will be proposing includes $1 billion in housing investments as well as streamlining permit processes and other barriers to greater access to affordable housing.
The Governor has proposed that the Dept of Health and Human Services will be split into two separate government agencies with the Nevada Health Authority being created through the division of the current one unit. The new agency will be headed by Stacy Weeks.
Challenging the members of the Nevada Legislature to work with him to “make a permanent difference in our schools,” Governor Lombardo briefly touched on the Nevada Accountability in Education Act that his administration will be bringing before lawmakers in the 2025 Legislature. Elements that will be part of this initiative will include School Choice and enrollment policies which will not tie students to zip codes where there are limitations for quality educational opportunities.
As a former county sheriff, Governor Lombardo noted that his proposal, the Safe Streets and Neighborhood Act will take a get tough on crime and drug trafficking as well as place an emphasis on helping the victims of crime.
As part of the priority of Economic Diversification, Governor Lombardo called attention to the work that his head of Business and Industry has been charged with in coming up with proposed reform of the 300 Boards and Commissions that Nevada operates with. The legislative proposal that will be coming forward on this is intended to make the state Boards and Commissions “smart, lean and productive.”
Governor Lombardo also pointed out the need for Nevada’s Election process to make it possible for our elections to be finished on time. He indicated his plans to work for getting ballots in and counted on Election Day. We shouldn’t be counting ballots four days after election day, he said. Noting that because he was involved in bringing the Voter Identification ballot question in the most recent election (supported by an overwhelming majority and likely to be approved again in the 2026 general election) – Governor Lombardo said that he wouldn’t feel restrained in taking the Election Day deadline for receiving ballots and having them counted to the voters if necessary.
Interesting Developments On Sage Grouse Plans
Based on a report that came from Greenwire, a news service which features reporting on environmental and natural resource information, the desired intentions of the Biden Administration to implement the wholesale edict on how Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land management would be carried out for Sage Grouse, have fallen short of completion. The states of Colorado and Oregon will have their plans locked in, but the other states are still works in progress.
The stumbling block in sewing up the desired outcome of having a range wide plan, decided from national BLM commands, turns out to be the push back that came from Governors in states which raised objections during the consistency review process. The report shared that there are five states (Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming) who have not knuckled under BLM’s plan and don’t seem to be close to resolving the issues that each of these states have with the Records of Decision (ROD) that BLM needs to have in place to make the changes the agency wants.
With a change in who is President, scheduled to take place on January 20, 2025, it is uncertain what might happen next or how the new President will deal with going forward.
Farmers Head into 2025 with a Farm Bill Extension, Aid
By Betty Resnick, Economist | www.fb.org/market-intel
Passed and signed into law in the early hours of December 21, 2024 – the day a government shutdown would have begun if Congress had not acted – the American Relief Act of 2025 includes $31 billion in natural and economic disaster aid for farmers and ranchers, a second extension of the 2018 farm bill and $2.5 billion in additional aid to be distributed through USDA. This Market Intel breaks down what these provisions mean for agriculture.
Farm Bill Extension
The 2018 farm bill expired – for a second time – on Sept. 30, 2024. While the farm bill has been expired for nearly three months, the impacts of an expiration unfold slowly and unevenly across programs it supports. If an extension had not been passed, markets would have gone over the “Dairy Cliff” on Jan. 1, 2025, with USDA required to purchase dairy products at about twice current market prices, based on parity price formulas established in the 1930s using 1910-1914 commodity prices. Similarly high prices would have been offered for many crops in the 2025 crop year under so-called permanent law, which is suspended with every farm bill – and every farm bill extension.
While the farm bill extension gives Congress until Sept. 30, 2025, to pass a new farm bill, it did not fund numerous programs without baseline funding – so-called “orphan programs.” The first extension of the 2018 farm bill included $177 million for 19 of its 21 orphan programs for the 2024 fiscal year. The current extension includes no such funding. Unfunded programs range from the Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program to Emergency Citrus Disease Research.
Disaster Aid
The second pillar of agriculture-related provisions in the American Relief Act of 2025 is $21 billion in disaster aid. Dozens of natural disasters occurred in 2023 and
2024 with over $1 billion in economic impact. For agriculture, significant events across these years include extreme drought in the Gulf Coast; hurricanes Hilary, Idalia, Helene and Milton; and flooding in the Northeast and California. Before estimates for hurricanes Heleneand Milton-related losses were included, Farm Bureau estimated that uncovered disaster-related agricultural losses had already exceeded $14.1 billion across 2023 and 2024 alone.
Most of the $21 billion in agriculture disaster aid in the American Relief Act of 2025 is to be distributed by USDA to cover necessary expenses related to the losses of revenue, quality or production for crops (including milk, on-farm stored commodities, crops prevented from planting, and harvested adulterated wine grapes), trees, bushes and vines. Qualifying losses include those caused by the natural disasters occurring in calendar years 2023 and 2024: droughts, wildfires, hurricanes, floods, derechos, excessive heat, tornadoes, winter storms, freeze (including a polar vortex), smoke exposure and excessive moisture. Of the $21 billion, up to $2 billion will be used to cover livestock losses related to drought, wildfires and floods and $3 million is mandated to be used to carry out regular testing for molasses imports at port of entry.
USDA may provide the disaster assistance through block grants to eligible states andM territories, including assistance in the form of compensation to producers for timber (including non-federal forest landowners), citrus, pecan and poultry (including infrastructure), and agricultural producers who have suffered losses due to the failure of Mexico to deliver water to the United States in accordance with the 1944 Water Treaty.
Producers who have insurance under the Federal Crop Insurance Program or coverage under the Non-insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) for the applicable crop year are eligible to receive payments
covering up to 90% of their disaster-related revenue losses, as determined by USDA. For producers without crop insurance or NAP coverage, payments are available but are capped at 70% of their disaster-related revenue losses as determined by USDA. If uninsured losses are determined to represent only a de minimis (insignificant) portion of a producer’s overall revenue losses, USDA may allow payments covering up to 90% of total losses. However, USDA has significant discretion in defining terms like “de minimis” and setting program provisions, which will ultimately determine the amount of assistance farmers receive. Other provisions, such as county-level drought triggers, administrative cost caps, expanded reporting obligations and payment rules for specialty categories, will follow the framework established in the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2022 to ensure consistency and clarity in program implementation.
USDA is required to provide $220 million through block grants to eligible states with smaller agricultural footprints to provide compensation for crop, timber and livestock losses, including on-farm infrastructure, for 2023 or 2024 weather events the state deems warrant relief. States eligible for this specific block grant must have a 2023 net farm income of less than $250 million, fewer than 8,000 farms, and an average farm size of less than 1,000 acres. Eight states meet all three criteria: Alaska, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.
Economic Aid
Of the bill’s $31 billion in direct payments for farmers and ranchers, $10 billion is specifically for economic aid in response to the perilous financial situation in farm country, particularly for row crop farmers. According to bill text, the $10 billion must be distributed within 90 days of enactment through a one-time economic assistance payment for producers of eligible commodities in the 2024 crop year. Eligible commodities include all those covered by Title I of the farm bill, excluding temperate rice japonica.
NU Payments per acre for each crop will be determined as the higher of the two formulasME featured in the following graphic. The primary payment will be calculated by multiplying projected per-acre losses by a factor of 26%. For corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton, rice, sorghum, oats and barley, the payments are to be calculated using the USDA-Economic Research Service’s published national average cost-of-production forecasts. For all other crops, USDA is to calculate a comparable total estimated cost-of-production. The projected revenue per acre will be calculated using projected 2024/25 market year average prices set in the Dec. 10 World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) and a 10-year average of the national average harvested yield per acre.
A minimum per-acre payment will be calculated by multiplying 8% of a crop’s statutory reference price by the national average payment yield. The payment yield is the yield used in calculating Price Loss Coverage (PLC) program payments.
The farmer will then be paid on all acres planted to eligible commodities for harvest, grazing, haying, silage or other similar purposes for the 2024 crop year. Additionally, farmers will be paid on 50% of all acreage that was prevented from planting during the 2024 crop year due to drought, flooding, other natural disaster or other conditions beyond the control of the farmer as determined by the secretary of agriculture.
Estimated per-acre payment rates: please note that these are only estimates, and there are still details to be determined by USDA. In addition to potential limitations in funding due to the $10 billion cap, there is uncertainty about how exactly payments for certain crops will be calculated. For instance, will the revenue for cotton and yields be determined based on seed cotton (pre-ginned cotton that is technically the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC)/PLC program crop? Or only account for cotton lint? Additionally, while the bill specifies that rice is defined as including long- and medium-grain rice, the ERS cost-of-production estimate for rice fails to distinguish between types of rice and includes high-value temperate rice japonica. Will the per-acre payments for rice be calculated using the same cost-of-production for all rice, or have different estimates for short-/ medium-grain and long-grain rice as is done in the ARC/PLC programs? See the appendix for breakout tables of how the per-acre payments in this Market Intel were calculated.
Economic aid will be capped at $125,000 for farmers and ranchers with less than 75% of their average gross income across tax years 2021, 2022 and 2023 derived from farming, ranching or forestry. The cap is increased to $250,000 for farmers with 75% or more of their average gross income derived from farming, ranching and forestry. There is no traditional adjusted gross income maximum to receive aid, and economic aid payment limitations are unrelated to any other program’s payment limits. As is typical with ARC/PLC payments and other forms of agricultural direct payments, the legal structure of the farm will determine the per-farm aid limit. If multiple farmers are part of a general partnership or joint venture, payment limitations are not imposed on the entity level but apply to each farmer individually.
Additional Misc Agriculture-Related Funding
A hodgepodge of other disaster funding to be administered by USDA totals $2.5 billion, including several funding items closely aligned to a November White House request for emergency funding for USDA. Additional USDA funding includes:
• $7.5 million for the Office of the Inspector General for oversight of projects andactivities carried out by funds given to USDA in the continuing resolution;
• $42.5 million for Agricultural Research Service ’s building and facilities;
• $356.535 million for Farm Service Agency’s Emergency Forest Restoration Program;
• $828 million for the Farm Service Agency’s Emergency Conservation Program;
• $920 million for the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Emergency WatershedProtection Program;
• $362.5 million for the Rural Development Program’s Rural Development DisasterAssistance Fund; and
• $25 million for the Food and Nutrition Service’s Commodity Assistance Program tosupport The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) for infrastructure needs relatedto the consequences of major disaster declarations from 2023 and 2024.
Conclusion
The American Relief Act of 2025 will provide much-needed relief to farmers and ranchers across the country. A total of $31 billion of economic and disaster aid for farmers and an extension of the 2018 farm bill has certainly saved farms. However, an updated farm billwith a functioning safety net would have made much of this ad hoc aid unnecessary. The suspension of funding for the orphan programs also leaves a hole for some important priorities for agriculture. A new farm bill in 2025 could plug these holes and prevent the need for ad hoc economic aid in future years. Disclaimer: the exact final payment calculations could be different from these estimates. Some proration may also be needed to keep payments within the $10 billion allocated by the American Relief Act of 2024.
Time for Lawmakers to Get to Work in 2025
By Zippy Duvall, Farm Bureau President
With a new Congress and Administration sworn in, it’s time to get back to work in Washington. Just like there’s never a shortage of work to be done on the farm, there’s a full list of issues that our leaders and lawmakers will need to tackle this year.
Top of mind for farm and ranch families are important tax provisions that are expiring this year. Lawmakers have signaled that they plan to make this a priority, and we need to hold them to it. If we lose tax provisions like the small business income deduction and bonus depreciation, farm families will see a serious tax hike on their businesses, placing their farms and our food security in a tight spot. Also set to expire is the higher estate tax exemption rate. Farm families simply cannot plan for the future if they have to worry about selling off land when a loved one dies. We need to ensure our tax code keeps our farm businesses economically sustainable not only for next season but also for generations to come.
Another pressing issue for farmers across the country is the labor shortage. It’s unacceptable that we have been talking about this issue for decades now, without a solution from Congress that works for all of agriculture. Yes, we have had our hopes raised from time to time, but politics have always stood in the way of delivering a solution that works for farms of all sizes, all commodities, and all regions of the country. Farm Bureau has not slowed down our work here, and we will not let up until lawmakers come to the table with legislation that addresses worker shortages and updates our guest worker program in a way that works for farmers and our employees.
Speaking of issues that Congress let politics stand in the way of … It’s time for lawmakers to pass a modernized farm bill. We were thankful Congress included over $30 billion in agriculture assistance plus a farm bill extension at the end of 2024, but that is simply not enough for farmers and ranchers trying to hang on from one season to the next. The 2018 farm bill is long outdated, now that Congress has been kicking the can down the road for two years. The most recent USDA Census of Agriculture showed that we had lost more than 141,000 farms across the country over a five-year period. That’s roughly 77 farms a day. Our nation cannot afford to lose more. We expect this Congress to pass a modernized farm bill that meets the needs of farmers and ranchers, then send it to the President’s desk for his signature.
Of course, these aren’t the only issues agriculture is facing in 2025. We have work to do on a number of matters from regulatory oversight to restoring the balance of fairness in the Federal Milk Marketing Order system. We also are looking forward to engaging our leaders on the importance of expanding trade opportunities for farmers, and exploring opportunities to help our rural communities thrive.
Farmers and ranchers know our families, our communities and our nation are counting on us to produce a safe, nutritious and sustainable food supply. That’s why we’ll be doing our part across Farm Bureau to engage with our leaders and lawmakers to ensure they understand the issues impacting our farms, ranches and rural communities, and make agriculture is a top priority in 2025/
Making Ag Trade a Priority
By Zippy Duvall, Farm Bureau President
The new year always feels like a fresh start, a time to plan for the months ahead and think about what needs to get done. For farmers, it’s a chance to think about our upcoming planting season, what we want our herds to look like or even what projects around the farm we plan to take on. It’s also a chance to look beyond our farms and look toward what challenges and opportunities lie ahead for American agriculture in 2025.
One looming challenge for agriculture this year is our projected trade deficit. According to the USDA’s latest outlook, we are expecting a $45.5 billion agricultural trade deficit for 2025.
This is now the third year in a row that exports have dropped while our imports continue to climb. And while the decline of commodity prices may explain part of the problem, the other issue is that the U.S. has been practically standing still on trade agreements while other countries have moved forward without us. Over the past decade, we have seen very few new trade deals, and our farmers continue to get priced out by countries that have fewer trade barriers.
Agricultural trade must become a priority for our new administration this year so that we as farmers can continue our mission of ensuring that everyone has access to the best food, fiber and renewable energy in the world. We need a proactive approach to opening new markets, strategizing or limiting trade barriers and keeping our products competitive in the global market.
The other side of this coin for ag trade is making sure to improve and update trade deals with our current partners. We saw a major victory in this area with the result of the biotech corn dispute with Mexico within our United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement. Mexico has been one of our biggest trading partners for decades and maintaining this relationship is crucial, but we also needed to ensure we chartered a path forward—a path that prioritizes sciencebased standards. In December, a USMCA dispute panel ruled in favor of the U.S., finding that Mexico’s restrictions on American-grown biotech corn violated the trade agreement. This decision was not only a big win for American agriculture, but also a reaffirmation of the importance of science and innovation in agriculture. Hopefully, this resolution also serves as a launching pad as we revisit the USMCA in 2026 and go back to the table with other partners such as China, the EU and the World Trade Organization.
As we look to the year ahead, it’s clear that agricultural trade must be a priority. This deficit should serve as a wake-up call for bold action in securing new agreements, holding trade partners accountable and tackling barriers that hinder our competitiveness in global markets. Let’s bridge the agricultural trade gap and ensure that American farmers can continue to provide the best food, fiber and renewable fuel in the world.
Three Reasons Farmers Need Economic Aid
By Betty Resnick, Economist
This week, two continuing resolutions (CR) that would have kept the federal government operating after Dec. 20 have been introduced which included many things American farmers have been asking for: $21 billion in disaster aid, a farm bill extension, $10 billion in economic aid and year-round E-15. While the future of a CR is uncertain, the need for economic aid for farmers remains.
1. Farmers are entering their third year of losses on every acre they plant. Since crop prices peaked in 2022, they have taken a nosedive. Corn and wheat are down 37%, soybeans down 28% and cotton down 22%. At the same time, input prices have remained high and sticky. As compared to 2020, the cost to produce an acre of corn has grown by nearly 30% nationally. When combined, many farmers are facing losses on every acre they plant. This is felt acutely. Data from the Farm Business Farm Management program at the University of Illinois illustrates this well. Farmers with a 50/50 corn and soy rotation on some of the very best cropland in the world will have faced an average loss of nearly $90 per acre between the 2023 and 2025 crop years. While farmers are familiar with a downturn, these deep, sustained losses are not manageable for many crop farmers across the country.
2. Thanks to inflation, the traditional farm safety net is ineffective. American farmers have traditionally had a safety net in the farm bill that kicks in during tough times. Agriculture is inherently cyclical, so these safety net programs, including the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs, provide help during down times so that farmers can stay in business today to support American families and the rest of the economy tomorrow.
Unfortunately, the mechanisms that make these programs work have not kept up with changes in input prices. The statutory reference prices have not been updated since the 2014 farm bill. In the last decade-plus, inflation has gutted the effectiveness of these reference prices. What you could buy for $1 in January 2014 would now cost $1.35, and programs carefully designed to provide just enough help in 2014 provide almost no help in 2024.
This outdated farm bill is not protecting farmers. Despite the difficult times farmers are finding themselves in, when accounting for inflation, 2024 is projected to have the lowest payments to U.S. farmers since 1982 – over four decades ago.
3. The net farm income picture is bleak. In aggregate, net farm income has declined by $41 billion – nearly 25% – in only two years, according to USDA’s figures. While this number is striking on its own, it covers even steeper losses in the row crop sector with high returns in the livestock sector. The net cash income of farms specializing in corn, wheat and soybeans are down 42%, 43% and 44% respectively.
The agricultural industry is in recession. Farmers bear the brunt of this recession – but they are not alone. There have been thousands of layoffs throughout the agribusiness sector as well.
The lack of a new farm bill, which is two years overdue, has left farmers in a lurch during the difficult stretch where they traditionally relied on a safety net. Due to the capitalintensive nature of farming, farmers rely on annual operating loans to plant their crops. Without assurance of help from Congress and USDA, farmers are at risk of losing access to credit and going out of business. The most vulnerable farmers – including beginning farmers, the next generation to grow our food – may be the first to lose their farms.
Nevada welcomes Peter Rolfe, DVM, as new State Veterinarian
Nevada Dept of Ag welcomes Peter Rolfe, DVM, as the new State Veterinarian. Dr. Rolfe will be joining the NDA after previously serving as a regulatory veterinarian for the Colorado Department of Agriculture.
“We are very excited to welcome Dr. Rolfe as part of our team at the NDA,” said Director J.J. Goicoechea. “His regulatory and thorough veterinary background will be a great asset to the work we’re doing in the state.”
He holds a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) from Oregon State University, and brings over two decades of experience in large animal practice. Originally from the Reno area, Dr. Rolfe looks forward to being back in the Silver State.
Yellow Petal Flower Farm named 2024 Nevada Agriculture, Food and Beverage Small Business of the Year
Ciara Ressel | Public Information Officer II | NDA Division of Administrative Services 405 South 21st Street, Sparks, NV 89431 | Office: 775-353-3603 | agri.nv.gov
(SPARKS, NV) – The Nevada Department of Agriculture (NDA), in partnership with Made in Nevada (MIN) presented the 2024 Nevada Agriculture, Food and Beverage Small Business of the Year Award to Yellow Petal Flower Farm from Fallon, Nevada with Senator Robin Titus and representatives from Governor Joe Lombardo and Lieutenant Governor Stavros Anthony’s offices.
“Yellow Petal Flower Farm truly represents the spirit of small business in the agriculture, food and beverage industry,” said NDA Director J.J. Goicoechea. “From putting seeds into soil, to nurturing their community just as they do their crops, they are a reflection of the important role these small businesses have in Nevada.”
The award recognizes the extraordinary work done by agriculture, food and beverage industries in Nevada. Yellow Petal Flower Farm was selected from 22 nominations to receive this year’s award. Along with them, 7 Hawk Ranch, Huck Salt Company, Park Ranch Meats and Urban Roots were among the top five nominees. Nominations for Yellow Petal Flower farm recognized them for their service to the Churchill County community, uplifting other farmers, creating a space where they can bring their products to consumers, and showcasing what Nevada agriculture can look like.
“This award is more than a recognition—it’s a profound validation of our journey, our vision, and the community that has embraced us,” said Kim Urso, owner of Yellow Petal Flower Farm. “It stands as a testament to the love and care we’ve poured into our farm, but even more so, is a tribute to everyone who has walked this path with us—family, friends, mentors and every visitor who has found joy and peace among the flowers.”
If you’re looking to sell a farm or ranch, give us call!
Central Nevada Ranch
This 400 head year around ranch has good winter range and the deeded has good sub irrigated pasture on most. There are two homes and good corrals. Price: $4,800,000 Call Chad Steele on this one 775-962-1395
Central Nevada Farm
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The Bottari Realty Team
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PLOWDOWN ALFALFA
MIX 25%
“Plowdown” alfalfa with your regular alfalfa seed. Expect a hearty yield increase your “new seeding” first year!
“Plowdown” is #9 fall dormancy. It is supposed to winterkill, but has often been known to overwinter for a second growing season!
You could plant “Plowdown” as a one year only crop. Great for a bean crop, for example, next growing season.
Cattlewomen’s Corner
By Keri Pommerening, NVCW President
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and I’m sure you are now shipping calves, with some amazing market prices! Like many of you, most of our NVCW board members are getting ready for calving season to start. We are also looking forward to the ANCW Annual Meeting to be held at the 2025 Cattle Industry Convention & Trade Show, February 1st – 4th in San Antonio, Texas.
With all the home and cattle activities, I don’t have much to report on NVCW activities this month. We are looking forward to hosting a Beef and Wine Pairing again in Minden, Nevada in the spring. We had great feedback from the event last year. Some of the attendees recommended Beef and Whiskey instead of Wine, so we are looking at possibly making some changes. We also want to continue our venture of hosting these in other parts of the state.
This is also the year for us to do a big raffle fundraiser. In the past we have sold tickets to a Kubota sxs, and a beautiful turquoise squash blossom necklace. This year we are thinking about possibly offering more than one item on the raffle. We will keep you updated.
So, until we meet again, I hope this issue finds you healthy, happy, and enjoying your winter cattle care, whether that is feeding, shipping, or calving. We work hard to put beef on the table so take the time to enjoy some of the good moments.
February 28
Consignment Deadline: February 20
WVM Headquarters | Cottonwood, CA
March 21
Consignment Deadline: March 13
WVM Headquarters | Cottonwood, CA
wvm@wvmcattle.com (530) 347-3793
www.wvmcattle.com
Challenges in Rehabilitating Degraded Winterfat Communities
By Charlie D. Clements and Dan N. Harmon
Winterfat, (Krascheninnikov lanata), also known as white sage, first came to the attention of North American botanists in plant materials collected by the expeditions of Lewis and Clark. Using this plant material, pioneer botanist Federick Pursh described the shrub as winterfat, Euratia lanata.
The first generation of range managers identified this species with the widely occurring and highly important species of the western range suitable for grazing and browsing. Federick Pursh did not realize that similar shrubs occurred in Eastern Europe and into central Asia. After an intermediate period of a scientific name change to Ceretoides lanata, winterfat was changed to Krascheninnikov lanata in honor of Russian botanist Stephen Krascheninnikov.
Winterfat is a member of the Chenopod or Goosefoot family that includes such landscape characterizing species as shadscale (Atriplex confertifolia), four-wing saltbush (Atriplex canescens), Bailey’s greasewood (Sarcobatus baileyi) and black greasewood (Sarcobatus vermiculatus). Many of these shrubs are sufficiently spiny to discourage browsing or even cause mechanical injury to browsing animals. Black greasewood is
poisonous to ruminants, especially when browsed during early spring. Livestock on winter ranges obtain digestible protein by licking the seeds (fruits) of these species from the soil surface.
Winterfat is not only an important browse species to livestock, but also wildlife species such as bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis), Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus canadensis), pronghorn antelope (Antilocapra americana) and desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii)
The nutritional value of winterfat is rated as above average, with crude protein levels ranging from 14% during winter months to 21% during spring and early summer months.
Winterfat occurs in semi-arid to temperate regions of North America from Canada down to Mexico in many different plant communities. Although many salt desert species possess deterrents such as spiny assemblages, winterfat does not.
This silver-gray shrub is a component of a variety of salt desert plant communities in Nevada, including lake plains and alluvial fans where it often dominates extensive areas (Fig. 1) along with species such as bud
Figure 1. Winterfat stands provide excellent nutritional value, especially during challenging winter months. Densities of winterfat vary but can exhibit excellent dominant stands as seen here in Spring valley, Nevada.
sage (Artemisia spinescens), and needle-and-thread grass (Hesperostipa comata) or desert needlegrass (Achnatherum speciosum). On salt desert ranges in the Intermountain region of the United States, pioneer ranchers were astounded to observe cattle and sheep readily browsing on this native shrub and in fact recognized that cattle came off of winter ranges that possessed winter fat in excellent condition, therefor the name of this valuable shrub species was very fitting.
In central and eastern Nevada, many winterfat communities are experiencing extensive die-offs and are being replaced by the exotic, invasive and noxious weed halogeton (Halogeton glomeratus) (Fig. 2).
Halogeton, also a member of the Chenopod family, is an annual weed that is poisonous to sheep. Most range scientists believe that halogeton is not killing winterfat, but rather moving into areas where winterfat has died out, although halogeton may compete with the recruitment of winterfat seedlings.
Halogeton accumulates salt in the plant tissue and is also leached from the roots back onto the soil surface, increasing soil salinity and pH levels which negatively affects the germination potential of many plant species, including winterfat.
Halogeton is also tough to perform effective weed control practices on due to the extensive longevity of this species to build persistent seed banks and for the seeds to acquire dormancy for a minimum of 10 years. We tested halogeton seed dormancy abilities for 10 years and still had seeds that were viable but dormant after 10 years, in which we quit testing.
Our initial approach was a combination of mechanical and chemical fallows followed up with plant material testing. We selected two sites in eastern Nevada, 1) Strawberry, just east of Eureka, Nevada and 2) Spring Valley, east of Ely, Nevada. Both sites already had a 10-acre exclosure to develop plots and conduct our research. Mechanical treatments consisted of disking plots in June to reduce halogeton densities followed by seeding with a half-sized rangeland drill the following late September. The chemical treatment consisted of applying 2,4-D at 2 lbs./acre rate in late July following halogeton emergence, fallowed and then seeded with a half-sized rangeland drill in late September. Our initial plant material testing consisted of 1) drill seed Indian ricegrass (Achnatherum hymnoides) @ 2 lbs./acre rate, 2) bottlebrush squirreltail (Elymus elymoides) @ 7 lbs./acre rate, 3) Siberian wheatgrass (Agropyron fragile) @ 7 lbs./acre rate, 4) ‘Hycrest’
crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum) @ 7 lbs./ acre rate and 5) broadcast seed winterfat @ 2 lbs./ acre rate.
Initial seedling emergence of seeded species experienced higher seedling counts at the Spring Valley study site compared to the Strawberry Study site. For example, the best performing seeded species at the Strawberry site was crested wheatgrass, 0.13 plants/ft², and squirreltail, 0.10 plants/ft², compared to 0.28 plants/ft² with crested wheatgrass and 0.49 plants/ft² with squirreltail at the Spring Valley site. After 2 years of monitoring though, plant establishment of seeded perennial grasses significantly decreased with crested wheatgrass and squirreltail, declining down to less than 0.001/ft² for both species at both the Strawberry and Spring Valley sites.
The best performing seeded species, as far as established plants are concerned, occurred with Siberian wheatgrass, 0.28 and 0.36/ft² at the Strawberry and Spring Valley sites, respectfully.
Broadcast seeding of winterfat experienced an initial emergence of 0.46/ft at Spring Valley and 0.01/ft² at Strawberry. There was no recorded establishment of winterfat after 2-years at the Strawberry site, whereas the Spring Valley site recorded an establishment rate of 0.02/ft². This extremely low establishment rate is far less than what is needed to restore and sustain healthy winterfat communities.
Moving forward, we adjusted our seeding efforts to focus on establishing Siberian wheatgrass to replace halogeton and reduce the issues halogeton has on salt accumulations on the soil surface as well as seeding salt tolerant species ‘Immigrant’ forage kochia (Bassia prostrata) and Russian wildrye (Psathyrostachys juncea) to provide additional sustainable forage.
We seeded Siberian wheatgrass @ 8 lbs./acre rate, Russian wildrye @ 10 lbs./acre rate, and ‘Immigrant’ forage kochia at 2 lbs./acre rate. We also increased the broadcast seeding rate of winterfat to 5 lbs./acre. Siberian wheatgrass experienced good emergence at both sites, 7.3 and 4.2/ft², respectfully.
Russian wildrye performed well at the Spring Valley site, 3.9/ft², but did poorly at the Strawberry site where only 0.02 plants/ft² were recorded. ‘Immigrant’ forage kochia recorded low initial emergence at Spring Valley, 0.003/ft², compared to 0.35/ft² at the Strawberry site. Winterfat continued to struggle even with the higher seeding rate, recording the establishment of less than 0.02 plants/ft².
After 2-years of monitoring, initial establishment was encouraging with Siberian wheatgrass recording the establishment of 2.1 and 1.8 plants/ft² at Spring Valley and Strawberry, respectfully. Russian wildrye recorded 0.8/ft² at the Spring Valley site (Fig. 3), but only 0.003/ft² at the Strawberry site. ‘Immigrant’ forage kochia did not record any established plants at the Spring Valley site, whereas at the Strawberry site ‘Immigrant’ forage kochia recorded the establishment of 0.35/ft² with excellent signs of newly sprouted seedlings (Fig. 4, next page).
...continued next page
Figure 2 (above). It is suspected that winterfat die-offs result in the invasion of Halogeton, as seen here. The establishment of desirable perennial grasses is one way to reduce halogeton densities, reduce salt concentrations on the soil surface, and move towards the future restoration or recruitment of winterfat back into these communities.
Figure 3 (below). Siberian wheatgrass has the inherent potential to germinate, emerge and establish these arid environments, while replacing halogeton, Russian thistle and other exotic weeds.
Anyone that has ever attempted to restore or revegetate rangelands understands how difficult it is to experience success over failure and the frustrations associated with this daunting task. These degraded winterfat communities are of no exception, yet we are encouraged by our experiences when looking back at others who have attempted the same daunting task. The late range scientist, Perry Plummer, was one of the early pioneers in rangeland restoration, and he often reported on the wearisome difficulties in restoring winterfat communities. The fact that winterfat communities are primarily located on xeric, saline soils limits the potential for successful restoration or revegetation.
One of our major concerns is the fact that even though we experienced some level of initial emergence and establishment of Siberian wheatgrass and Russian wildrye, the ability of these species to persist on the sites grew increasingly challenging as stands declined within 5-years. ‘Immigrant’ forage kochia at the Strawberry site however, did persist and increased in density as the this species propagated very well within the seeded areas. It is important to note that winterfat communities are immensely variable, with significant differences in site potential due to soils and precipitation. The presence of competitive and exotic species often requires further intervention. To improve the probability of success, it is often essential to control competitive species such as halogeton, Russian thistle (Salsola tragus), and annual kochia (Kochia scoparia). Effective weed control of these species increases much needed soil moisture and nutrients for seedlings of seeded species. Because resources in these arid environments are limited, it is important to understand that heavy seeding rates may increase competition as seedling density may be more that the site can support.
Restoration or revegetation of winterfat communities is critical to support the sustainability of these grazing lands, wildlife, and the range livestock industry. It is important to recognize the challenges in attempting to restore or revegetate degraded rangelands in harsh environments. It is also important to recognize degradation early on; perhaps the threshold was passed in front of our very eyes and these belated restoration or revegetation practices would have been more successful if they had been attempted at an earlier stage of degradation. Our approach has been to experimentally investigate the challenges that resource managers are likely to endure when attempting to restore or revegetate degraded winterfat communities and to find ways to overcome these challenges.
By applying numerous approaches to small scale plots and learning from those experiments, we can better inform resource managers of challenges they will face, and hopefully they can learn from our efforts and avoid the costly failure of some of these restoration or revegetation efforts on thousands of acres of degraded winterfat communities.
Figure 4 (above). Following plant material testing of numerous species, Russian wildryre stands out as a productive species to compete with exotic invasive weeds while also providing sustainable forage in these degraded winterfat communities.
Figure 5 (below). ‘Immigrant’ forage kochia has shown the ability to persist in arid environments with seedling recruitment levels that are needed for stand persistence.
THE ROUNDUP
An analysis of western ranching politics.
Congress: Western Senators push for state officials to reach agreement over Colorado River Basin plan.
Colorado River senators press states to reach deal, E&E News- Western senators are pushing state officials in the Colorado River Basin to reach agreement on a new long-term operating plan for the drought-stricken waterway. The lawmakers are also seeking a formal briefing on their progress. Every senator representing a Colorado River Basin state — Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming — signed off on a Wednesday letter highlighting the “great value” of “a seven-state consensus agreement.” “We all know the stakes: the drought conditions that confront us are top of mind for you, us, and all of our constituents,” states the letter, a copy of which was obtained by POLITICO’s E&E News.
PLC applauds House for passage of ACRES Act & Fix Our Forests Act; House NR Committee squabble over subpoena rule changes.
NCBA and PLC secure House passage of key land management bills, Beef Magazine- The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and Public Lands Council (PLC) hailed the House passage of two significant land management bills strongly supported by America’s livestock producers: the ACRES Act and the Fix Our Forests Act. “Scientific research has continuously shown that grazing prevents wildfires,” said PLC President Tim Canterbury, a Colorado rancher. “For us in the West, the threat of wildfires is a very real and terrifying risk. I am grateful that Congress is working on solutions that support livestock grazing and help us manage our Western lands to remove fuels and reduce fire risk.” Both bills passed the U.S. House of Representatives in bipartisan votes this week. The legislation will now go to the U.S. Senate for approval. NCBA and PLC strongly urge Senators to vote in favor of this legislation so President Trump can swiftly sign it into law before the 2025 wildfire season.
Natural Resources lawmakers spar over subpoena power, E&E News- House Natural Resources Democrats, under new ranking member Jared Huffman, pushed Republicans on Wednesday to change panel rules for issuing subpoenas. The California lawmaker said Chair Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) should submit subpoenas
to a vote. Indeed, Huffman said Westerman supported subpoena power limits when he was in the minority. “Then-ranking member Westerman was so concerned that he offered an amendment to give himself full veto power over Democratic subpoenas,” said Huffman. Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.) added, “Majorities come, majorities go, for as long as anyone can remember the fundamental rule was to enable basic safeguards, basic guardrails for the issuance of subpoenas — notice requirements and consultation with the minority.”
Tax: SCOTUS lifts injunction that halted enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act.
Supreme Court Lifts Corporate Transparency Act Injunction, News Dakota- National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Executive Director of Government Affairs Kent Bacus reacted to the Supreme Court’s decision to lift the injunction that temporarily halted enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act’s reporting requirements. “Cattle producers across the country are disappointed in the Supreme Court ruling, which will allow the federal government to blanket family-owned farms and ranches in fresh red tape while subjecting millions of law-abiding small business owners to potential legal jeopardy,” Bacus said. “We urge President Trump and his administration to rescue millions of American small business owners from these burdensome reporting requirements and delay enforcement until a meaningful solution is found.”
BLM: Records of decision (ROD) on sage-grouse issued in OR and CO; New management plan for southcentral Oregon announced.
BLM issues OR, CO sage grouse ROD, Western Livestock Journal- The Bureau of Land Management signed records of decision (ROD) in mid-January to update greater sage-grouse management on public lands in Colorado and Oregon. The plan amendments are part of a greater plan introduced in November that includes nearly 65 million acres of public land across 10 states. BLM said the plan amendments for Oregon and Colorado enhance greater sage-grouse conservation and support western communities, in addition to benefiting more than 350 other wildlife species. The Public Lands Council (PLC) said in a Weekly Roundup e-newsletter that the agency’s inability to finalize the eight other states’ plans and RODs was expected and “hampered by the significant issues left to resolve after protest periods and issues raised in the governors’ consistency reviews, which were submitted earlier this month.”
BLM releases south-central OR management plan, Western Livestock Journal- The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) finalized a management plan for approximately 3.2 million surface acres of public land in Oregon, primarily in Lake and Harney counties. Administered by the Lakeview Field Office, the plan prioritizes protecting wilderness characteristics across significant portions of the area while balancing other resource uses. The resource management plan (RMP) updates the 2003 Lakeview RMP, incorporating
changes from the 2015 and 2019 Oregon Greater Sage-Grouse-approved RMP amendments and records of decision. The amendment addresses managing wilderness characteristics, off-highway vehicles and specific grazing processes, including the Standards for Rangeland Health and voluntary grazing permit relinquishment.
Water: President Trump signs executive order increasing water to California.
Trump wades into CA’s water supply with EO, Western Livestock Journal- On his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order (EO) directing federal agencies to increase water flow through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to other parts of California, a move aligned with his inaugural address’s mention of wildfires in Los Angeles and the need to address the state’s water challenges. The EO titled “Putting People over Fish: Stopping Radical Environmentalism to Provide Water to Southern California,” asks the agencies “to immediately restart” the work of his first administration to divert more water to “other parts of the state for use by the people there who desperately need a reliable water supply.”
Agriculture: The Trump administration finalizes its USDA; Inspector general of USDA removed.
Trump’s USDA takes shape , POLITICO- Senators’ top questions for Rollins included how she would support U.S. agriculture as Trump rolls out his tariff and mass deportation plans. Rollins said, if confirmed, that she will continue to back Trump’s agenda, as a close ally of the president, but work with other agencies and staff to address those concerns. Some Democrats, who have said they’re “open-minded” about Rollins’ nomination, are still hoping for more clear answers on her approach to DEI, bird flu, nutrition and immigration at USDA. Republicans continue to point to Rollins’ relationship with Trump as a crucial strength that will help her defend the needs of the agriculture industry in the administration and during Cabinet talks.
Trump removes inspectors general, including Fong at USDA, TheFencePost.com- On Friday night, The White House removed the independent inspectors general of nearly every Cabinet-level agency including the Ag Dept “in an unprecedented purge that could clear the way for President Donald Trump to install loyalists in the crucial role of identifying fraud, waste and abuse in the government,” The Washington Post reported. The inspectors general were notified late Friday by emails from White House personnel director Sergio Gor that “due to changing priorities” they had been terminated immediately, according to people familiar with the actions, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private messages, the Post said. The White House has not released a list of the inspectors general who were fired, but the Post said Phyllis Fong, the Agriculture Department inspector general, was among them.
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Putting Plant Science to Practice
By Jill Moe, Director of the Desert Farming Initiative | Mackessy, V. 2024
https://naes.unr.edu/dfi/blog-post.aspx?PubID=6809#
My internship at the Desert Farming Initiative (DFI) has granted me an incredible amount of knowledge on climate-smart farming and has been an all-encompassing learning experience in my academic career. These past five months allowed me to put everything that I have learned on paper into physical practice. Ranging from the initial seeding of plants in the greenhouse to transplanting them into beds and finally to post-harvest removal. Being able to work a full life cycle from germination to harvest is not only rewarding, but allows you to fully understand how an organic system can grow and thrive.
I started at DFI as summer farm crew earlier in the year, where my focus during peak season was to prioritize food safety precautions pre/post-harvesting, harvesting to meet local demands, and upkeep of the annual crops such as tomatoes and peppers. My transition into the organic farming internship is where I was able to fully refine my skills and implement what I have been learning in the classroom to real work. In all of my classes, such as Principles of Irrigation instructed by Mr. Andrade, one of the critical issues that is discussed is how to use water as effectively as possible. At DFI, we use drip tape which has the highest water use efficiency rate paired with an irrigation schedule that is less frequent but allows for long-timed irrigation events. This allows for the water applied to infiltrate and reach the rooting zone, reducing the evapotranspiration rate and keeps moisture deeper within the soil profile. Besides irrigation events, another reason why this schedule works well is the state of our soil health. In class we discuss how important soil structure and organic matter is, here at DFI we have many ways to promote these factors. Such factors involve leaving the roots of crops in the soil for nutrient cycling and adding compost onto the surface level. If there is one thing my classes did not prepare me for, it would be weeding. In class we are taught about the interactions between weeds and crops, especially in the early stages of the plant’s life cycle, but not when to prioritize removal. Using a variation of tools such as a wire-hoe to run through bed tops or a hula-hoe for pathways, I prioritized weeding in beds that were affecting seedling-staged crops where they are most likely be out-competed if the weeds stayed as well as as any weed that was flowering or going to seed.
Being in my senior year and taking high-level classes, I challenged myself this semester by applying the knowledge I have gained from this internship to class projects and how I would respond in demanding situations. As an example, my integrated pest management course, instructed by Dr. Andrew Nuss, semester project was to complete a pest management strategy plan based on a crop of our choosing. I based my project on my experience with DFI’s 90-ft tomato hoop house and how to identify and manage potential pests with a focus on tomato hornworms and spider mites. These pests are prominent in Northern Nevada, with tomatoes being DFI’s most profitable crop it is extremely important to prevent and control these pests organically via monitoring, cultural practices, and the use of biological control such as predatory insects.
Climate-smart farming is pivotal to being able to produce crops within the semi-arid climate of Nevada, both by an economic factor and, most importantly, to promote healthy soils, ecological balance, and conservation. One way I promoted climate smart farming situations when preparing a bed for the next succession of crops either during post-harvest bed clean up or pre-planting, minimal tillage was the goal. When tillage was necessary to break up compactions such as in the outdoor plots or to mix compost on the surface layer of the soil, I would use a manual broadfork. Using a broadfork promotes aeration within the soil allowing for better infiltration of water when applied, reducing water usage and prevents further compactions deeper in the soil profile when compared to conventional tillage.
One of my favorite tasks this semester was planting a cover crop mixture in our outdoor plots; A, B, and D. Using an Earthway seeder; winter rye, Austrian peas/field peas, and hairy vetch were planted, overhead watered, and drip tape was laid. Row covers were then laid on top of these beds to promote germination as well as protect the seeds from wildlife intervention. Cover cropping is an amazing tool in climate-smart farming; it prevents weeds from competition, reduces compaction, and retains moisture in the soil by reducing evaporation, as well as the peas and hairy vetch present are natural nitrogen fixers.
Lastly, I was honored this semester to be invited and included in a student roundtable event with the USDA’s chief scientist; Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young, representing both CABNR’s major of Agriculture; Plant Science as well as Desert Farming Initiative. Expressing my passion and ambition for in the future to continue climate smart farming within the state with the future career goal to be employed with the USDA or BLM.
Desert Farming Initiative has been an amazing experience allowing me to learn and grow alongside the crops in which we plant, the sense of pride and accomplishment is indescribable. This learning experience is all thanks to our farm manager, Garrett Menghini, and all of the incredible staff that have shown me the tips and tricks along the way. My one regret? not applying earlier in my academic career!
Let’s Talk Ag
Cattle numbers across the United States decreased by six percent in January 2023 and two percent in January 2024, with new cattle counts taken in January 2025 to be released this month.
As we finished up the 2025 Cattlemen’s Update, the economist pointed out that our cattle numbers are still on a downward trend. The 2025 cattle counts will be released next month. The American Farm Bureau data released last year (2024) stated that the cattle inventory was the smallest in 73 years, and the question then becomes: will the industry continue this downward trend?
The smaller cattle herds and a strong demand for beef by the consumer will have a positive impact of keeping cattle prices strong. The other thing that is always interesting to me is the carcass weights of federally inspected steers and how they continue to increase. In fact, at the cattlemen’s update this last week, Dr. Peel estimates that carcass weights have almost doubled since the 1960’s due to US Cattlemen efficiencies and improved genetics.
What I am questioning and thinking about is if we are headed for harder times. We are slaughtering more heifers than ever before. This combined with drought, fire, and floods has made it increasingly more difficult to expand herds as input costs of the operation continue to climb and/or operations are still recovering from past losses.
Then, we get into the conversations of Tariffs and foreign workers. In this type of environment, every action taken will have a reaction. Some say tariffs will provide an opportunity to expand and rebuild herds. But will the current consumer wait for that burger and/or pay more for it? Will the fast food restaurants come up with non-beef products?
Then, let’s talk workforce. I have been working with local agricultural entrepreneurs for a few years now, and workforce is a big issue. Nevada depends on the H2A program/s for vegetables and fruit, and larger ranchers also depend on this workforce for irrigating and ranch work. How can you expand operations if you don’t have a workforce?
By Staci Emm | Editorial
Overall, I am watching as this may be a wild ride. We have the lowest cattle numbers since 1961, and where are we going from here? All the US Ag economists have different opinions of when we will start rebuilding. Some say this next year, but most say it won’t occur till 2026. Heifers are bringing top prices at the sale yard. If you are impacted by weather and don’t have the grass, I see those heifers going down the road. Also, interest rates are still a concern and are going to impact management decisions.
I believe we will be on a wild ride as we switch federal administrations, and a new farm bill is still out there waiting to be discussed. If the federal government is going to impact markets and pricing through tariffs, they will need a farm bill to have a safety net just in case something goes off the rails.
Attendance Increases for 2025 Cattlemen’s Update
Over 300 producers, stakeholders and agency staff attend
Animal health, traceability, conservation programs and livestock economics was the highlight for over 300 producers, stakeholders and agencies that attended the 2025 Cattlemen’s Update.
The University of Nevada, Reno College of Agriculture, Biotechnology, and Natural Resources hosts the annual update every January to build relationships and provide the latest information, education and research that impacts livestock producers in Nevada.
The annual update began on Monday, January 13, 2025, with a national presentation on livestock production and marketing economics from Dr. Derrell Peel, Extension Specialist for Livestock Marketing, at Oklahoma State University. Peel compared the current low cattle numbers to those in 1961 as he went over cattle numbers within the United States over the decades and the economics of the livestock industry. Dr. Peel was followed by a Nevada Veterinarian update by Dr. Danye Archuleta, Dr. Lyle Whitaker, Dr. Lena Torvik, and Dr. Randy Walstrum, who discussed a variety of animal health topics that are impacting Nevada producers.
The webinar in the afternoon returned to an economics discussion with Dave Weaber, Senior Research Analyst, Terrain Ag. He discussed the cattle market implications based on strong demand.
Weaber was followed by Luis Schutz, Assistant Professor, Department of Agriculture, Veterinary and Rangeland Sciences at the University of Nevada, Reno, on how to prepare bulls for the reproductive season in cow-calf operations. Extension faculty Tracy Shane, Livestock Specialist, and Gary McCuin, Agriculture Educator, discussed biosecurity related to foot and mouth disease and other foreign animal diseases. Lastly, United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resource Conservation Service (USDA, NRCS) went over their programs and the funding that would be available to livestock producers through 2026.
The in-person agenda began on January 14 in Fallon, NV, and was held January 15 in Ely, NV, January 16 in Elko, NV, and concluded January 17 in Winnemucca, NV. The in-person agenda is different from the previously held webinar. The webinar agenda focused on the introduction of Extension’s new Livestock Specialist Tracy Shane, and Nevada Department of Agriculture (NDA) new State Veterinarian Peter Rolfe. Shane discussed how she plans to implement an extension program and asked producers to work with in identifying Nevada livestock needs. Rolfe gave a health update about Avian Flu and focused on animal traceability with an electronic ear tag update with NDA Livestock Administrator, Chad Sestanovich. USDA, NRCS provided a program overview and explained funding allocations that are available to
Left: “How to use USDA, NRCS Programs from Contract to Implementation” was presented by Staci Emm, UNR Extension Professor
Right: Staci Emm with Professor & Department Chair (Agriculture, Veterinary and Rangeland Sciences) Berry Perryman, who is retiring in June
producers. Extension Professor Staci Emm gave examples of how to implement a USDA, NRCS cost payment program through the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP).
Additionally, Paul Meiman, Extension Rangeland and Wildlife State Specialist, discussed GPS ear Tags and how they can be used to manage the distribution of livestock on rangelands. Elko had a special presentation by the National Weather team where they want to start providing weather updates to livestock producers in the county.
There were Platinum, Gold and Silver sponsors that provided food at each of the locations. In Ely Nevada, local prime rib for dinner was provided by Perigo Hay & Cattle in Lund, NV and JT Steakhouse in Ely, Nevada under local food entrepreneurs Terrill and Jessica Trask. Machi’s Saloon and Grill catered the event in Elko. Humboldt County CattleWomen provided the lunch in Winnemucca that included homemade pies. Collaborations were also made with contributors that support the annual program.
The in-person event was recorded at Great Basin College in Elko. The video(s) will be available the first of February on the University Cattlemen’s Update website. Videos, sponsors and collaborators can be found at: https://naes.unr.edu/cattlemens/ default.aspx
Nevada departmeNt of Wildlife’s Wildlife maNagemeNt Areas
by Jeremy Lutz, Caleb McAdoo, and Mark Freese
The Nevada Department of Wildlife manages 14 Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) across the state for the purpose of conserving and enhancing habitat for many of Nevada’s wildlife species and public recreation opportunities. In total, the Department manages approximately 167,000 acres as WMA’s. Typical management activities on a WMA includes irrigating, weed abatement, fencing, farming, and recreation management (hunting, fishing), similar to many of those activities undertaken by a typical Nevada ranch. Many of these areas are also grazed or farmed through leases to maintain and improve the wildlife habitat values they were originally purchased for. Not only do the WMA’s provide wildlife with valuable habitat and the public with recreation opportunities, but are also good for local communities, economy, and for farmers and ranchers. This is part one of a twopart series highlighting the Argenta WMA.
The Argenta Wildlife Management Area, known to many as the “Licking Ranch”, can be found outside of Battle Mountain, NV. The Nevada Department of Wildlife purchased the ranch in 2022 after being approached by the owner who wanted to sell the ranch to an organization that prioritized conservation values. The Department had long recognized the importance of the property for wildlife and its uniqueness in hosting the confluence of the Humboldt River, the Reese River and Rock Creek on the property. This area provides habitat for tens of thousands of migrating waterfowl and shorebirds which utilize the large river meadows as a stopover along their Pacific Flyway migration. When approached, the Department recognized the opportunity to conserve valuable wildlife habitat, while maintaining agriculture as a key management strategy.
This ranch has a deep Nevada history with Anna Pate and William Licking establishing the property in the 1880’s and since has been
owned and managed by several prominent ranching families, including the Venturacci family from Fallon, as well as the Tomera family from Battle Mountain. It was these families and their ranching practices that paved the way for this ranch to remain prime wildlife habitat throughout the years and all the changes on the Humboldt River system. The ranch consists of approximately 1,550 acres of intact river bottoms and large native hay meadows that have been hayed since the 1880’s and depending on the water year, can produce up to a couple thousand tons of meadow hay that in turn is fed back to the lessee’s livestock during the winter months. These large meadows are extremely important for wildlife and as such, the Department fully recognizes the importance of keeping them intact with annual weed maintenance, haying and actively and thoughtfully managing willows to keep them from encroaching or overtaking these pastures.
The Department fully recognizes these land management practices as being crucial to the overall maintenance and enhancement of habitat for wildlife on the property. After the purchase in 2022, the Department immediately put out a competitive bid for the farming and grazing lease. Since this contract has been in place with the lessee and during the last two years, over 2,200 tons of hay has been put up by the lessee which in turn is fed back to his livestock on the property. The Department and lessee work cooperatively on ranch management actions such as fencing, irrigation, improvements, etc. to provide practices that holistically benefit the ground and ultimately the livestock and wildlife that use it.
Since the Department has taken ownership of the ranch, major upgrades have occurred on the property including upgrading all remaining stock wells with solar applications; aerial and ground herbicide treatments; aerial and ground wet and dry seeding projects using several species of clovers and millets; strategic willow
abatement and black willow re-establishment; water control structure installations, bridge and dam upgrades and maintenance; fence repair and entrance gate installations; hay corral installations; road and facilities maintenance; as well as an installation of a park-like area containing sod, trees, picnic benches and a surrounding pipe rail fence for the public to enjoy. The only irrigation well on the property was recently refurbished with new casings, motors and electrical components. This well will allow the Department to irrigate and plant up to 20 acres of pasture into a desirable wildlife food plot in concert with a holistic livestock grazing management strategy across the ranch. The Department also contracts with USDAAPHIS Wildlife Services to strategically trap predators at the WMA to meet objectives.
The Argenta WMA is currently open to the public for all to enjoy with some regulations in place that aim to protect the intrinsic and historic values of the ranch and keep the public safe. The majority of the public users just want a place to go for a walk to connect with wildlife and nature. This connection for the public is very important in that both consumptive and non-consumptive users see can see first-hand a harmonious relationship of a private lessee and government agency working together on a property where livestock, agriculture, and wildlife are thriving on a State Wildlife Management Area.
The Department would like to take this opportunity to express our deepest sympathy and condolences to the Ancho family. Kathy Ancho passed away in 2024, and her passion, dedication, and never-ending positive attitude for the Argenta WMA will be truly missed. Kathy spent a lot of her life on the Licking Ranch with the Venturacci and Tomera families and her support as a Lander County Commissioner was invaluable for the success story that is the Argenta WMA.
Creeks and Communities:
A Continuing Strategy for Accelerating Cooperative Riparian Stewardship
2025 Trainings
Riparian proper functioning condition (PFC) assessment uses common terms, definitions, and methods to identify opportunities for positive change from reasonable investments, enhance local management, and solve problems by people most affected. Integrated Riparian Management uses PFC assessment to prioritize needs for adaptive management with monitoring for riparian objectives and strategies. Trainings are available to landowners, Federal, State, and local agency personnel, tribes, industry, conservation interests, and others. Instructors are from Nevada Creeks and Communities Team. There is no cost for classes. Please share this announcement within your networks.
PFC Assessment for Integrated Riparian Management – February 17-19 by Zoom - The Zoom class will feature an optional evening (Wed.) of participant-provided practice or problem solving about class concepts.
PFC Assessment for Integrated Riparian and Grazing Management – May 19-23 McDermitt Community Hall, McDermitt NV.
PFC Assessment for Integrated Riparian and Grazing Management – June 23-27 Pioche, NV Fire Hall first building off Hwy 93 west on Airport Rd.
PFC Assessment for Integrated Riparian and Grazing Management – August 18-22, Eureka, NV Opera House
PFC Assessment for Integrated Riparian and Grazing Management – July 21-25 Feather River Land Trust Sierra Valley Preserve Nature Center 495 Beckwourth Calpine Rd., CA 96129
For PFC class reservations or questions: Sherman Swanson (775-233-6221 swanson@unr.edu) with name, affiliation, address, phone, e-mail, and interest, discipline, role or area of expertise.
You are welcome for the parts of the class you need or want (1 -5 days). After requesting a reservation, an agenda will provide a timeline. All classes begin mid-day on Monday with learning about and participating in PFC assessment, step 1 in the integrated riparian management process (IRMP). Presentations on steps 2 -7 of IRMP - riparian values, riparian area/reach prioritization, goals and objectives, management and/or restoration, monitoring, and adaptive management begin on Thursday for place based classes. PFC -IRMP and Grazing management classes include more about grazing management concepts and engagement with a case study for application of IRMP concepts.
PFC Assessment and/or Integrated Riparian Management -- Coaching field sessions are available for small groups such as interdisciplinary or collaborative teams beginning in May. Contact swanson@unr.edu
For reference materials go to https://www.blm.gov/learn/blm-library/agency -publications/technicalreferences Be sure to scroll down the page and expand the riparian area management section.
From the frigid temperatures sweeping the nation to the inauguration of a new President, this month has been eventful for all of us.
We offer congratulations to both President Trump and Vice President Vance. At PLC, we are enthusiastic about
collaborating with the new administration and are eager to commence our work as the President’s Cabinet nominations take shape.
We are delighted to endorse Mr. Doug Burgum for the position of Secretary of the Interior and Mr. Lee Zeldin for Administrator of the EPA. These distinguished individuals are poised to provide exceptional leadership to their respective agencies in the coming term. It is crucial for PLC to have robust support from our federal agencies, and we are optimistic that these nominees will offer just that.
There is much work ahead, but I am confident that PLC will remain resilient, diligent, and focused to see every task through to completion. While challenges will undoubtedly arise in the coming years, I am certain that we, as an organization, can overcome each one. I encourage all of you to continue fighting the good fight and to remain steadfast in all endeavors within the public lands grazing community.
It is always a pleasure to serve you, and I wish you all a safe and healthy calving season!
Tim Canterbury, President | Public Lands Council
From the Desk of the Executive Director
“Promises made, promises kept.”
This is the refrain echoing through the halls of Washington this month as the sweeping changes in the House of Representatives and President Trump’s decisive victory in November became reality after the January 20th inauguration.
For ranchers and rural communities, this mantra has already started to bring change. One of the Day One Executive Orders reconstituted the Endangered Species Act “God Squad” to bring commonsense back to the law that has continued to destroy local confidence in
land management. President Trump visited California this week to discuss wildfire damage and policy change. The House passed key legislation to address pervasive wildfire threats and interrupt the “business as usual” of the wildfire mega-industry.
The outcome of the November election made clear that the American people are looking for disruptors; in ranching and natural resources, this holds true. PLC is working toward and immediate end to sue-and-settle. We are working to reform regulations and guidance like the ESA and NEPA that have long plagued reasonable and effective permitting. Now is the time to address wasteful spending and ineffective policy in all areas, like wild horse and burro management.
Congress and the agencies are with us - with YOU. As leadership teams take shape at USDA, the Departments of the Interior, Commerce, and more, it’s clear that the next four years will be the best opportunity we have had in generations to not just “get back to where we were” before Biden administration regulatory reversals, but make real, lasting policy progress. On grazing regs, on land management for fire, on singlespecies management, on water rights (and the list goes on) - now is the time to be creative and think about foundational changes for the future. Not for the next four years, or the next 10, but the next 50.
This won’t come easily. Already, we have seen a huge upswing in the fundraising emails coming from the groups who are working to raise money to fight all of our priorities in court. They are treating this political reality as the end of the world - and they’re fundraising on fear and outrage.
PLC will need your support and engagement to defend our priorities and ensure we can make land management policy in Congress and in the agencies, not in isolated courtrooms that lack natural resource expertise.
Support your local PLC affiliate. Participate in our meetings and working groups. Support our mission by visiting our website and keeping up to date with all of our open opportunities.
We often say that “we’re in Washington so you don’t have to be”, but we look forward to seeing you this year as you attend our Legislative Conference (dates coming soon!) and as you come to visit. I think you’ll find Washington feels a little less... red tape-y this year..
Kaitlynn Glover | kglover@beef.org
Executive Director, Public Lands Council
Association Update
As we begin a new year, PLC is off to a dynamic start. It has been an eventful period here in Washington, DC, marked by the commencement of the 119th Congress and the Trump Administration.
In addition to the developments in DC, our national affiliates are actively engaged in their convention season. Last week, the American Sheep Industry Association convened in Scottsdale, Arizona, where PLC Vice President Ron Cerri and Executive Director Kaitlynn
Glover shared their insights and expertise with the sheep industry. In a few weeks, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association will host its annual CattleCon in San Antonio, Texas. PLC staff and leadership will be present, and we look forward to connecting with those attending. To register, please visit: convention.ncba.org
Furthermore, PLC is pleased to welcome two new interns for the spring semester, Madelyn Schmidt and Samuel Griffith. We are excited to have them join us for the next few months! Their introduction messages can be found below. In addition to that, our Summer 2025 intern applications are now open! To apply, please visit: publiclandscouncil.org/get-involved/careers
As we look ahead to the remainder of 2025, I am eager to see our plans and initiatives come to fruition. It is always an honor to serve each and every one of you, and I look forward to seeing you in the coming months!
Will Baugh | wbaugh@beef.org
Associate Director, Public Lands Council
Policy Update
The start of 2025 marked a pivotal shift in our nation’s policy direction. Despite the winter chill, Americans gathered in Washington, D.C., to witness history as Donald Trump was sworn in for a second term as President. By day’s end, the administration had already begun advancing a bold agenda, with several executive orders signed hours after the oath of office.
Among these actions, President Trump declared a national energy emergency aimed at “unleashing America’s affordable and reliable energy and natural resources.” For ranchers, rural communities, and public land users, this executive order represents a significant opportunity to strengthen local economies while ensuring access to the resources necessary for agricultural and energy development. By opening more federal lands, including areas like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, to oil and gas exploration, this administration has signaled its commitment to revitalizing domestic production and ensuring America’s energy independence. Supporters emphasize that these measures not only bolster national security but also provide essential revenue streams that support rural economies and public land management programs. In tandem with these policy changes, President Trump has nominated leaders whose expertise aligns with a pragmatic approach to resource use and public lands management. The nomination of Doug Burgum as Secretary of the Interior has sparked particular interest and support among public lands ranchers. Burgum’s background reflects a practical understanding of balancing land stewardship with economic development, a perspective shared by many in the ranching community. Similarly, the nominations of Chris Wright as Secretary of Energy and Lee Zeldin as EPA Administrator indicate a coordinated focus on promoting energy innovation while respecting the unique needs of rural communities. While early tensions over hearing schedules have surfaced, Ranking Member
Heinrich has signaled a willingness to collaborate, particularly noting Burgum’s experience and pragmatic approach to public land issues.
Amid these nominations, Brooke Rollins, nominated to serve as the Secretary of Agriculture, received a positive reception during her hearing before the Senate Agriculture Committee. Rollins’ deep understanding of rural issues, combined with her pragmatic approach to policy, has earned her praise. She is seen as a strong advocate for agriculture and is well-positioned to champion rural America’s interest within the Trump administration. We are pleased to see Senate Majority Leader John Thune prioritizing the Senate’s role in confirming these key nominees, even going so far as to keep the Senate in session into the late-night and over weekends to vote and ensure swift confirmations.
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, now chaired by Senator Mike Lee (R-UT), has begun advancing the nominations within their jurisdiction, with bipartisan signals of cooperation from Ranking Member Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM). This collaboration is going to be critical as the committee tackles issues central to public land users, such as wildfire prevention, grazing policies, and permitting reforms. In addition to nominees, PLC welcomed Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso’s introduction of the Wildfire Prevention Act.
On the House side, Representative Jared Huffman (DCA), Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee, continues to advocate for sustainable policies that prioritize long-term stewardship of public lands while supporting rural economies. His acknowledgment of the complex roles in managing public lands presents an opportunity for dialogue moving forward. Encouragingly, January saw bipartisan progress with the passage of the Fix Our Forests Act and the ACRES (Accelerating Conservation and Environmental Sustainability) Act in the House. Sponsored by Representative Bruce Westerman (RAR), the Fix Our Forests Act addresses wildfire mitigation and rangeland health through proactive forest management. The ACRES Act, championed by Thomas P. Tiffany (R-WI), focuses on expanding conservation opportunities and providing resources for sustainable land management. For ranchers and rural communities, these bills represent a step forward in ensuring that public lands remain healthy and productive while fostering responsible economic growth. These legislative moves represent the momentum that developed towards the end of last Congress to address our federal lands.
As policies take shape, public land users are paying close attention to how these developments will influence the balance between environmental stewardship and economic opportunity. Ranchers, in particular, understand the value of sustainable practices that preserve land for future generations while enabling the economic vitality of today’s rural communities.
The month ahead promises to be transformative for public lands policy. As ranchers and advocates, we remain steadfast in pushing for practical, commonsense solutions that address the needs of the people who live and work on these lands. By collaborating
with policymakers and other stakeholders, we can ensure that federal actions reflect the shared priorities of conservation, economic growth, and rural resilience. Together, we can champion policies that respect the critical role of ranching in maintaining the health, productivity, and legacy of America’s public lands.
Garrett Edmonds gedmonds@beef.org Director, Public Lands Council
Honoring a Legacy: Mike Byrne’s Lifelong Service to Public Lands
Mike Bryne’s lifelong contributions to the ranching community and public lands advocacy exemplify the core values of the Public Lands Council. As a seventh-generation cattle rancher from Klamath Basin, Mike diligently served as PLC president from 2004-2006, where his leadership solidified his legacy as a tireless advocate for livestock producers. His efforts not only supported cattle ranchers but also championed the preservation of sustainable land use practices across public lands.
Mike’s dedication extended far beyond his presidency. Throughout his career, he served in numerous national leadership roles, amplifying the voices of Western producers and fostering collaboration among agricultural stakeholders. His commitment to advancing the interests of ranchers nationwide has inspired many individuals within the livestock industry.
On January 22, 2025, over 225 members of the ranching community gathered at the Tulelake Fairgrounds to honor Mike Bryne’s remarkable legacy.
U.S. Representative Bentz (R-OR) recognized his contributions on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, a testament to Mike’s extraordinary impact on public lands and agriculture. The event celebrated not only his professional accomplishments but also the values he upheld as a leader, rancher, and advocate.
The Public Lands Council is proud to have had Mike Byrne as one of its most influential leaders. His unwavering dedication to the public lands ranching industry and his local community serves as a beacon for future generations of ranchers and public lands stewards.
Welcome PLC Spring 2025 Interns Madelyn & Samuel
PLC is excited to introduce Madelyn Schmidt and Samuel Griffith as our public policy interns for the spring 2025 term. Over the next four months, they will be gaining valuable experience in our Washington, D.C. office while supporting PLC’s important work. We look forward to having them join our team and contribute to our mission!
Madelyn Schmidt is from North Dakota where she grew up on her family’s commercial cow-calf and backgrounding operation, and was very involved in agriculture and advocacy. A senior at the University of Jamestown, she’ll graduate with degrees in Political Science and Accounting, and with her acceptance to law school this fall, Madelyn’s aspirations to champion American agriculture in public policy are solidified. She’s excited to learn, grow, and advocate for American ranchers this spring in Washington, D.C.
Samuel Griffith was born and raised in Wolfforth, Texas. A junior at Texas Tech University, he’s pursuing a degree in Natural Resources Management with a focus on Ranch Management. Sam has always been an outdoor enthusiast, and while he did not grow up in agriculture, he has developed a passion for ranching and natural resources management through his time working for different cow-calf operations. He wants to pursue his passion through a career in natural resource law, representing the communities and people of agriculture he has grown to love so dearly.
The change in agriculture today is just a glimpse of what lies ahead. It’s why, more than ever, we are committed to being the partner you can trust, who understands your needs and delivers value to help you achieve your goals.
Wherever agriculture goes, we’ll be there, alongside you, as you lead the way.
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The Central Nevada Regional Water Authority was established in 2005 to proactively address water issues in the Central Region, the largest of Nevada's 14 hydrographic regions. CNRWA formulates and presents a united position on water-related issues; monitors, assesses and responds to water projects that may adversely impact a member county; implements a groundwater monitoring program and encourages citizen participation in water-related issues. CNRWA’s nine member counties are: Churchill, Elko, Esmeralda, Eureka, Humboldt, Lander, Nye, Pershing, and White Pine.
