SD Farm & Ranch - April 2016

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South Dakota’s surging dair y 9 Maple syrup production running smooth 12

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5 Mud-slinging in the spring

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South Dakota Farm & Ranch is a monthly agricultural publication dedicated to informing South Dakota area farmers and ranchers about current topics, news and the future of agriculture. This publication fits the niche of our unique farmers and ranchers of SD, and the diverseness we have in our state. Although the Missouri River divides our state, we are all South Dakotans and thank the land for supporting us each and every day.

You, our readers, may be livestock ranchers, or row crop farmers, and everywhere in between, however, we all have a common goal in mind. We feed and support the growing population, and want the next generation to find that same love, dedication, and support that agriculture can offer.

We’re all South Dakota Farmers and Ranchers, and with this publication we want to showcase your successes, new technology, upcoming events, FFA and 4-H club news and much more.

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Spring soil temperatures important factor in planting, experts say SOURCE: SDSU EXTENSION

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ROOKINGS — South Dakota State University Extension provides real-time soil temperature data online at the SDSU’s Climate and Weather web page (http:// climate.sdstate.edu/).

“Soil temperatures are an important factor when considering planting dates for many crops,” said Ruth Beck, agronomy field specialist. “This Web page is a great resource for South Dakota’s agriculture producers.”

Temperatures are measured at the 4-inch depth and daily averages are calculated in bare soils as well as vegetation covered soils. Beck explains that this is because there is a temperature difference.

For example, on March 20, a map developed by the automatic weather stations across South Dakota show soil temperatures at the 4-inch depth in bare soils ranged from 34 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit; whereas, soil temperatures in the same locations and depth, but in vegetation covered soils ranged from 33 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

“Temperatures at shallower depths will be higher than those at 4 inches,” Beck explained. “The greater range of soil temperatures in bare soils is expected and makes sense. Vegetation insulates the soil surface from wind effects and evaporative water loss from the sun. Therefore vegetation covered soils can hold more moisture.”

She added that moist soils have a higher specific heat than dry soils, and are therefore not as sensitive to air temperature fluctuations. “This also means covered soils do not vary as much in temperature between daytime and nighttime as bare soils,” she said.

Planting recommendations Recommendations for spring wheat include planting when soil temperatures are 34-36 degrees Fahrenheit at seed depth (between 1 and 2 inches). Oats and peas are able to germinate when soil temperatures are just slightly warmer around 38-40 degrees Fahrenheit. Sunflowers germinate when soil temperatures are at or above 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Corn and soybeans germinate better when soil temperatures are consistently at or above 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Fungicide seed treatments recommended Although soil temperature plays an important role in seed germination, Beck said it is also very important for seeds to be in moist soils.

Soil moisture levels fluctuate across South Dakota this spring. The southeast part of the state received ample moisture during the winter, but the northwest portion of the state received little in the way of winter snows or moisture.

To keep spring crops healthy during germination, SDSU recommends the use of fungicide seed treatments to protect young plants from common root and seedling diseases for fields with a history of poor plant stand establishment.

“This will be especially important during an early spring when soil temperatures could potentially remain cool for an extended period of time,” Beck said. 

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Mud-slinging in the spring Fall is the best season, mostly because it’s not muddy

By CANDY DENOUDEN For South Dakota Farm & Ranch

W

hile most people gaze toward spring with wide-eyed wonder, clucking over cute little chicks and bleating about adorable baby animals, I have a slightly different reaction.

People say things like, “Oh! Spring! It’s a season of rebirth! Yay spring!” Fall, on the other hand, is like a gateway to the Dark Side. They whisper, “Winter is coming” ominously and try to console themselves with pumpkin spice.

That’s never really how I looked at it. I’ve always preferred fall. In fall, the days are still long enough you can be outside past 5 p.m., and the crisp, cool air is a welcome relief after July and August. No, that fear most people feel in the fall is what I feel in the spring.

It took a long time to identify this underlying dread, because it’s not overt. It’s more that, back-of-your-brain, “I’ve got a bad feeling about this” kind of thing. It’s not even that I dislike spring. But I dread a part of it, the ugly part that you see growing up on a farm.

So. Much.

Mud. To most people, spring is better, essentially, because it means winter is over. Their rationale goes something like this: “In the fall, everything’s dying. It’s depressing.

Also, snow is coming. Snow is evil because it is cold and I have lost my childlike sense of wonder and will now spend the next seven months complaining to everyone I’ve ever met and even some that I haven’t about how much I hate it even though I choose to live in South Dakota, where it snows EVERY. SINGLE. WINTER.” (That’s how it sounds to me.)

True, the temperatures in the spring are getting warmer — maybe? — and I’m just as much a sucker for furry farm animals as anyone. But, I actually like snow. Do I love 23 inches of snow in April? No. Because, seasons. There are four, and they are meant to be distinct. But, let’s face it folks. It’s not going to be balmy here in January. We might as well have some white stuff to cover all the dead stuff. It’s prettier.

But then it melts, and turns to mud, and that’s what I dread.

Mud, I understand, is not inherently evil. It’s a sign we had moisture, which is usually a good thing in this drought-prone prairie we inhabit. As a child, I enjoyed making mud pies. But not in the spring. In the spring, on the farm, mud is the enemy.

It lays waste to once-solid ground and stays for weeks. Particularly if it was a winter

with heavy snowfall. (OK, fine. That’s one thing I’ll blame on snow. Boo, snow.)

Spring mud is like a swamp that’s dying, which means it’s angry and looking for victims on its way out. It makes simple tasks, like walking, Herculean efforts of skill and bravery. “Successfully Carrying Bucket to Barn Without Falling Down or Spilling” should be an Olympic event.

Every person who has lived or worked on a farm knows that “slurp!” sound of the mud claiming your shoe as its own. (This is often directly followed by a loud “plop!” as the now-unshod-human falls face-first into a muddy pile.) The odds of losing your other shoe at this point are high.

Try as you might to prepare, it doesn’t really matter what shoes you wear. At some point, the mud will claim them. If someone could figure out a way to reproduce and market the viscosity of spring mud, they could put Krazy Glue out of business.

The faster you need to move, the stickier it gets. It’s like quicksand, equal parts dangerous and humiliating. There’s not a lot more humbling in life than trying to herd livestock in 2 feet of mud only to wind up sitting in a pile of (hopefully) mud while the animals run past you, kicking more (again, hopefully) mud in your face.

The only person I’ve seen immune to this is my father, who had an intense pair of overshoes that buckled on in much the same way an astronaut suits up to enter zerogravity. His shoes always stayed on.

The mud bath wouldn’t be so bad, except it could range in temperature from a just-chilled refrigerator package of Jello to a hypothermia-inducing, southern-tip-ofAntarctica sludge pile. Springtime mud also usually comes with shards of ice mixed in, effectively turning the yard into a bog of freezing, sticky knives.

These are usually the conditions every animal wants to be born in. Most farm animals seem to look around and say, “Well. This looks awful. Better give birth.”

Maybe it’s their way of proving their worth to the other animals in the herd, or of getting back at humans for naming them things like “Blackie” or “Xena.” Either way, it means these are the conditions you have to trudge through to make sure they are OK. We then exact our revenge by naming a new bull calf “Fluffy.” It’s a vicious cycle.

Much like the seasons — and all mucky, muddy messes they bring.  — Candy DenOuden grew up on a farm near Avon. She is an editor of South Dakota Farm & Ranch.

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USDA announces $5.2M for nanotechnology research SOURCE: U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

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ASHINGTON, D.C. — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced an investment of more than $5.2 million to support nanotechnology research at 11 universities. The universities will research ways nanotechnology can be used to improve food safety, enhance renewable fuels, increase crop yields, manage agricultural pests, and more. The awards were made through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, the nation’s premier competitive, peer-reviewed grants program for fundamental and applied agricultural sciences.

“In the seven years since the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative was established, the program has led to true innovations and ground-breaking discoveries in agriculture to combat childhood obesity, improve and sustain rural economic growth, address water availability issues, increase food production, find new sources of energy, mitigate the impacts of climate variability and enhance resiliency of our food systems, and ensure food safety. Nanoscale science, engineering and technology are key pieces of our investment in innovation to ensure an adequate and safe food supply for a growing global population,” said Vilsack. “The president’s 2017 budget calls for full funding of the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative so that USDA can continue to support important projects like these.”

Universities receiving funding include • Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama • Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven, Connecticut • University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida • University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia

detect multiple foodborne pathogens simultaneously, accurately, cost effectively and rapidly. Mississippi State University will research ways nanochitosan can be used as a combined fire-retardant and antifungal wood treatment that is also environmentally safe. Experts in nanotechnology, molecular biology, vaccines and poultry diseases at the University of Wisconsin will work to develop nanoparticlebased poultry vaccines to prevent emerging poultry infections. USDA has a full list of projects and longer descriptions available online.

Past projects include a University of Georgia project developing a bionanocomposites-based, disease-specific, electrochemical sensors for detecting fungal pathogen induced volatiles in selected crops; and a University of Massachusetts project creating a platform for pathogen detection in foods that is superior to the current detection method in terms of analytical time, sensitivity, and accuracy using a novel, label-free, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) mapping technique.

The purpose of AFRI is to support research, education and extension work by awarding grants that address key problems of national, regional, and multi-state importance in sustaining all components of food and agriculture. AFRI is the flagship competitive grant program administered by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Established under the 2008 Farm Bill, AFRI supports work in six priority areas: plant health and production and plant products; animal health and production and animal products; food safety, nutrition and health; bioenergy, natural resources and environment; agriculture systems and technology; and agriculture economics and rural communities. Since AFRI’s creation, NIFA has awarded more than $89 million to solve challenges related to plant health and

• Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa

production; $22 million of this has been dedicated to nanotechnology research.

• University of Massachusetts in Amherst, Massachusetts

The president’s 2017 budget request proposes to fully fund AFRI for $700 million;

• Mississippi State University in Starkville, Mississippi

this amount is the full funding level authorized by Congress when it established

• Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri

AFRI in the 2008 Farm Bill.

• Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina • Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia • University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wisconsin With this funding, Auburn University proposes to improve pathogen monitoring throughout the food supply chain by creating a user-friendly system that can

Since 2009, USDA has invested $4.32 billion in research and development grants. Since 2009, NIFA has invested in and advanced innovative and transformative initiatives to solve societal challenges and ensure the long-term viability of agriculture. To learn more about NIFA’s impact on agricultural science, visit www.nifa.usda.gov/impacts, sign up for email updates, or follow them on Twitter @usda_NIFA, #NIFAimpacts.

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It’s been an honor he old adage that “time flies when you’re having fun” rings especially true as I reflect on my time with the South Dakota Department of Agriculture. I can’t believe it’s already been five years since I first walked into the department as the director of agricultural development, serving the last three years as your secretary of agriculture. During that time, we have continued to see growth and change take place in our state’s largest industry.

Soil health, water quality and agriculture’s role in protecting natural resources, continue to take center stage at a regional and national level. I’m proud that South Dakota’s farmers and ranchers are at the forefront of efforts to preserve our natural resources while also increasing the quality and quantity of the food they produce. They know that by caring for those resources properly, they are giving future generations the chance to succeed in production agriculture as well.

One of the great ways to increase opportunities for the next generation is by diversifying agricultural operations. Adding livestock or changing a crop rotation to include a niche commodity can help insulate producers from the volatility of the agricultural markets. I am especially proud of the diversity we see in South Dakota today, from poultry, dairy, pigs and cattle to corn, soybeans, wheat and berries. I’m confident that we’ll continue to see opportunities for producers to diversify their operations moving forward.

In my role as secretary, I have had the privilege to get to know many farm and ranch families across the state. Several are in the process, or will be soon, of transitioning the daily operation of the family farm or ranch from one generation to the next. If you haven’t started planning for this transition, I encourage you to start the process sooner rather than later. As I’ve mentioned in previous columns, there are a number of professionals that help families work through the questions that can arise and can provide important advice and insight. As you go through the planning process, it’s important to remember that your family and operation are unique. Find the strategy that works best for all involved.

One of the clear highlights as secretary of agriculture has been playing a role in developing the newly launched South Dakota Agricultural Foundation. While this non-profit foundation is completely separate from state government, thanks to the encouragement of Gov. Dennis Daugaard, I had the pleasure of being a member of the team that worked to make this idea a reality. I am excited to see how the fund will grow and evolve to meet the dynamic and changing needs of agriculture in South Dakota.

As my time as secretary draws to a close, I’m especially grateful to my wife Laura and our children Austin (18), Claire (16), Shane (12) and Kate (10). While this job has been demanding of our family, their support and understanding never wavered. It’s been the opportunity of a lifetime to be your secretary of agriculture. Thank you for allowing me to be a steward of the office. 

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South Dakota’s surging dairy Milk production in state on rising trend

By ERIN BECK For South Dakota Farm & Ranch

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outh Dakota has peaked the charts with a 13 percent increase in milk production from the previous year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which is the single largest jump in any state.

Marv Post, president of South Dakota Dairy Producers, believes the changing tide of the South Dakota dairy industry stems back to former-Gov. Bill Janklow’s term in office. Even as statewide dairy farm numbers took a dip, Janklow saw an opportunity to boost the South Dakota economy. He began actively recruiting milk processing plants to the state to encourage growth in the dairy industry.

“We had the processing,” Post said. “Now we needed the milk to support those plants.”

And so began the rising trend in the South Dakota dairy industry. With feed resources immediately accessible, the Interstate 29 corridor became a prime spot for dairies to start up. Programs were established to encourage growth and expansion.

Farmers from different countries were enticed by the fact that no quota was placed on herd size. Janklow also visited with California dairy farmers, who saw an opportunity to build in South Dakota where environmental problems weren’t as prevalent.

“There is an interest to continue to grow the dairy industry in South Dakota,” Post said. “We’ve met that processing demand that we have. Now we need to go further.”

While new and expanding dairies are certainly bumping up South Dakota milk production, Roger Scheibe believes increasing efficiency in milk production also plays an important role. Scheibe, director of industry outreach for Midwest Dairy Association, points out that improvements in feed quality, nutrition and management have all contributed to elevated milk production.

“We have the third-largest production per cow in the nation,” Scheibe said. “That’s phenomenal.”

Although South Dakota has permits for 20,000 cows in the upcoming months, Post doesn’t expect exponential growth to continue in South Dakota’s dairy sector compared to previous years.

“I don’t see the growth continuing right away simply because we need that

processing to go further,” Post said.

Supply and demand will dictate how quickly the dairy industry continues to grow in South Dakota. With processing plants at full capacity, Scheibe is in agreement with Post. And lower milk prices won’t provide the necessary incentive for new dairies to open up.

“Right now all of our plants are pretty well filled up,” Scheibe said. “That’s why we’re seeing depressed prices.”

A 12 percent reduction in exports compared to the previous year has led to increased domestic product in the United States. While that extra product has been funneled into increased cheese production and consumption, Scheibe expects the drop off in exports will take its toll on the dairy industry.

“As exports turn around and the dollar gets weaker, then we can sell more abroad,” Scheibe said. “We’ll see greater demand, we’ll hear about some plant expansions, and we’ll see some growth of dairy operations. Meantime it’ll be a little bit slower than usual.”

Dairy farmer Wilfried Reuvekamp also believes that processing capacity should be the next priority for the industry. With a 2,000-cow dairy farm near Elkton, Reuvekamp sees plenty of possibilities for dairy to expand in the Midwest, but he sees no motivation for more dairies to locate in South Dakota without more processing capacity.

“It’s really important as an industry that we work together,” Reuvekamp said.

Working in the dairy industry’s favor is its increased efforts toward more sustainable production. Not only are these practices providing added benefits for the environment, they’re increasing the efficiency level of dairy farms and milk production. Water in a dairy operation can be recycled and used three to four times before going into the lagoon. Applying manure on fields reintroduces nutrients back to the soil and enhances crop production.

“When we look at the efficiency of the carbon footprint of a gallon of milk being produced now, it’s almost 50 percent less than what was produced 10 years ago,” Scheibe said. “That’s a success story for the dairy industry.” 

APRIL 2016 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH 9

USDA announces $260M for Regional Conservation Partnership Program SOURCE: U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

W

ASHINGTON — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced in March the availability of up to $260 million for partner proposals to improve the nation’s water quality,

combat drought, enhance soil health, support wildlife habitat and protect agricultural viability.

The funding is being made available through USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service’s innovative Regional Conservation Partnership Program and applicants must be able to match the federal award with private or local funds.

Created by the 2014 Farm Bill, RCPP investments of nearly $600 million have already driven 199 partner-led projects. The program leverages local leadership to establish partnerships that can include private companies, local and tribal governments, universities, non-profits and other non-government partners to work with farmers, ranchers and forest landowners on landscapeand watershed-scale conservation solutions that work best for their region. This will be the third round of funding through RCPP, helping USDA build on record enrollment in all voluntary conservation programs, with more than 500,000 producers participating to protect land and water on over 400 million acres nationwide.

“Across the country, locally driven efforts are having a positive effect on conservation and production,” said Vilsack. “RCPP serves as a valuable vehicle for matching federal investment and private capital to advance natural resource conservation and support agricultural production.

Partners in the 84 new high-impact projects we announced in February are matching USDA funding more than two-to-one for a combined investment of over $720 million.”

“We recognize the growing interest in leveraging private capital markets to foster impact investments in conservation, sustainable agriculture and forestry,” said Vilsack. “For this new round, we hope to see even more applications that support the development of environmental markets and conservation finance projects.”

One of the 2016 high-impact projects announced in February 2016, the Midwest Agriculture Water Quality Partnership, brings together the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and around 40 other public and private partners to advance a science-based, nonregulatory approach for reducing nutrient loss and improving water quality, soil health and habitat for at-risk species. Partners in this project are matching NRCS funding four-to-one for a total investment of about $47.5 million in priority watersheds in Iowa, Illinois and Nebraska.

Partners in Delaware and Maryland are using an RCPP project to accelerate the installation of best management practices that enable farmers to meet the nutrient and sediment water quality goals in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The NRCS investment here is being matched by 15 partners to deliver a $10 million impact in this critical watershed.

Projects from the first round of investment are already showing results. In New Mexico, an RCPP partnership between the Interstate Stream Commission and an acequia — a local communal irrigation system — has addressed long-standing infrastructure failures to significantly reduce water needs by improving irrigation efficiency. In Oregon, removal of encroaching juniper was part of the West-wide private lands conservation effort that helped obviate the need to list the Greater sage-grouse on the endangered species list.

10 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH APRIL 2016

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Across the country, locally driven efforts are having a

POSITIVE EFFECT on conservation and production — Tom Vilsack

APRIL 2016 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH 11

Sap drips from the spile on a warm March day.

Tapping into ‘a great opportunity’ McCrory Gardens ahead of schedule in maple syrup production this year

By ERIN BECK For South Dakota Farm & Ranch PHOTOGRAPHY BY Erin Beck

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ROOKINGS — Thanks to an early spring, McCrory Gardens is three to four weeks ahead of schedule with its maple syrup production.

South Dakota’s largest collection of maples is responsible for producing not only sugar maple syrup but also silver and Norway maple syrup. Chris Schlenker, head gardener at McCrory Gardens in Brookings, oversees the process from start to finish.

“We want to showcase what silver maple syrup is like compared to others so people can tap into it as a hobby,” Schlenker said.

The beginning of spring brings the best temperatures for sap collection, with ideal temps rising around 40 to 50 degrees during the day and hovering at 20 degrees at night.

“That gives the sap time to slow down and let the trees recharge,” Schlenker said.

Trees can be tapped up to a week in advance of the forecast temps. When tapping trees, Schlenker recommends placing the spile — which is like the tree’s faucet — in a place where the tree trunk will warm up. For trees that undergo several years of sap collection, the spile should be placed off to the side of previous years’ tapped holes.

Root growth and healthy branches are good indicators of sap flow.

After sap collection is finished for the year, the spile should be removed

12 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH APRIL 2016

to give the tree time to heal. According to Schlenker, spiles can be placed in trees with a diameter of at least 12 inches. A tree with a diameter of 24 inches or larger can hold up to three spiles.

Schlenker boils sap into syrup with the help of Christina Lind-Thielke two to three times a week during their sap collection season.

With their evaporator, a smaller scale version compared to what’s used in the commercial industry, Schlenker and Lind-Thielke can boil off 10 gallons of sap an hour.

“The syrup is straight from the tree and boiled

down,” Lind-Thielke said. “Nothing’s added to it.”

The sap is poured into the stock tank, which then drains into the warming chamber and enters the flue pan. The sap is boiled from a 3 percent sugar content until it reaches 66 percent sugar. At South Dakota

The evaporator used at McCror y Gardens is a small-scale version of what is used in the commercial industr y. It was one of the items of equipment purchased with Schaefer’s grant.

ABOVE LEFT: Christina LindThielke feeds the fire under the evaporator to keep the sap boiling in the flue pan. The wood is recycled from dead trees from the garden’s arboretum.

ABOVE: Syrup pours out of the evaporator once the temperature has reached 219.7 degrees Fahrenheit. At this temperature, the syrup has reached a 66 percent sugar content.

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McCror y Gardens sells its maple syrup at the Education and Visitor Center in Brookings. Syrup varieties include sugar maple, silver maple, Nor way maple and a sugar/silver maple blend. elevation, syrup reaches 66 percent sugar content when it’s boiled to 217.7 degrees.

Schlenker and Lind-Thielke open the valve at 219.7 degrees and let the syrup drain until the temperature reading drops down to 214 degrees.

“All we’re doing is boiling off water,” Schlenker said.

It typically takes Schlenker and Lind-Thielke eight hours to pull off three gallons of syrup. The syrup is stored in a cooler and processed within two weeks to prevent bacterial contamination. While syrup yield depends on the weather, they usually see yields of 10 to 15 gallons per year.

The syrup is sold at McCrory Gardens Education and Visitor Center. Right now varieties include sugar maple, silver maple, Norway maple and a sugar and silver maple mixture. Schlenker is currently experimenting with a black walnut syrup.

“Maple syrup is a healthy sweetener,” Schlenker said. “It has lots of vitamins and minerals.”

McCrory Gardens’ syrup production began with Peter Schaefer, professor in plant science at South Dakota State University. Schaefer was inspired to make maple syrup at his home in 2007 after attending a field tour in Illinois exhibiting silver maples used for maple syrup production.

“Since silver maple is native to the state and many trees have been planted in both rural and urban landscapes, it occurred to me that there were potentially a lot of people who would be interested in learning that they could make syrup from silver maple,” Schaefer said.

In 2011, Schaefer, along with David Graper and Rhoda Burrows, received funding through the South Dakota Department of Agriculture Specialty Crop Block Grant Program to demonstrate the feasibility of maple syrup production in South Dakota.

This funding enabled them to purchase the necessary equipment and supplies for demonstrating the production of maple syrup at McCrory as well as present workshops across eastern South Dakota.

“My vision is to eventually see small-scale commercial maple syrup production in eastern South Dakota,” Schaefer said.

Schlenker also believes maple syrup can be an economically feasible home project for anyone with maple trees on their property.

“People through our educational efforts are starting to do it themselves,” Schlenker said. “Those who might have a shelter belt have a great opportunity to tap into.” 

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Does calving season equal culling season?

SOURCE: SDSU EXTENSION

B

ROOKINGS — Calving season is one of the most exciting, frustrating and tiring seasons of the year for many cattlemen, according to Heather

is an important responsibility cattlemen must embrace. Read and follow the label instructions on all medications: injectable, pour-on or fed.

Gessner.

“This is a time when the only thing that compares to watching a newborn

• Genetics. Depending on the age of the dry cow, genetics may be

calf struggle to its feet is the sound of it nursing its dam for the first time,” said Gessner, a South Dakota State University Extension livestock business

improvements to your herd through sire selection and normal herd culling.

If the dry cow is old, culling her to invest in a genetically superior female

management field specialist.

However, when best-laid plans do not work out as expected, and a dry cow results, Gessner said cattle producers need to have a management plan in place to maintain an efficient and economically viable cow herd.

“Management of cows that lose their calf at or during the calving

an important factor. Younger heifers and cows should provide genetic

should add productivity to your calf crop without extra feed requirements.

• Space and time. During calving season, time is often limited.

Management of the dry cow will add space requirements as well as additional time required to feed these animals.

If additional space and time are not available, it may be more effective to focus on the cow herd that will be providing an income in 2016. Dry cows held over will not

season, must be considered in order to save high quality feedstuffs for lactating cows,” Gessner said. “The cows that lost a calf should be managed to minimize unnecessary weight gain (if the cow is already in a body condition 5 or higher) and reduce competition for feed within the herd.”

Gessner added that selling dry cows may provide a revenue source during a time of the year when feeder cattle or open cows are not traditionally sold and allow for utilizing feed resources for the productive animals.

Consider feed costs Cull cow prices were not immune to the drop in cattle prices at the end of 2015. Fourth quarter 2014 prices were nearly $100 per hundredweight higher than the same quarter 2015, $173.59 compared to $77.80.

The Economic Research Service is forecasting average prices of $84-92 per hundredweight and $84-96 per hundredweight for the second and third quarters of 2016, and $87-99 per hundredweight for the fourth quarter 2016.

While the price range for March through September are similar, feed costs for those months must be considered when determining when to sell the dry cow, if she will be sold prior to preg-check culling time.

How long to feed dry cows? Considerations regarding if and how long to feed the dry cow should include:

• Body condition score. Dry cows in “good condition” generally bring a higher price per pound than thin cows. Good condition would be a body condition score of 5 or higher. Thinner cows may benefit from time on feed to gain additional weight prior to culling. Develop a feed budget to compare feed expenses with anticipated returns when the dry cow is placed on feed.

• Medication withdrawal times. Beef Quality Assurance practices and good husbandry require that all withdrawal times are adhered to. This

provide a “calf check” until late 2017 given a traditional spring calving season.

It is critical to budget how much it will cost to run a dry cow for this time period and then determine how many additional calves it will take for her to pay for not raising a calf during one year.

• Evaluate the reason for the calf loss. If she is a young cow that wouldn’t claim her calf or ended up killing the calf, she may need to be culled when she is in the best body condition because this may be something that she will continue to do as she calves in the future. However, if the death loss was due to environmental factors, such as a storm or mud and the female has the most valuable genetics for your herd, it may be of value to graft a calf from an older, less desirable cow onto her. This will give her the opportunity to raise a calf and stay in the herd, while culling the older cow.

• Beef cattle budget worksheets.

“Given the current cattle price situation, carrying a cow until 2017 without producing a weaned calf may not be an effective use of feed or labor resources,” Gessner said.

Beef cattle budget worksheets can be found at www.sdstate.edu/econ/ extension.

“These budgets are in an Excel format and allow individual operations to input their own feed costs and other expenses to determine enterprise costs for different classes of beef cattle, including the beef cow and replacement heifer,” she said.

To learn more, or for additional insight and assistance using the budget calculator, contact Gessner or Shannon Sand, SDSU Extension livestock business management field specialist. To discuss nutritional requirements for the dry cow, contact any one of SDSU Extension cow-calf field specialists, Robin Salverson, Adele Harty, Warren Rusche or Taylor Grussing. 

APRIL 2016 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH 15

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ABOVE: Shearer Jim Barnett drinks coffee while sitting on a filled bag of wool on March 9 near Mitchell. Shearing a flock of sheep tends to be an all-day event and takes place normally around the spring, so sheep will be cool in the summer months. BELOW: Barnett holds a sheep still as he begins the shearing process.

Wakonda man makes career out of shearing sheep, selling wool

BY CANDY DENOUDEN For South Dakota Farm & Ranch PHOTOGRAPHY BY Sarah Barclay/ For South Dakota Farm & Ranch

C

up of coffee in hand, Jim Barnett takes a break from shearing Brian Iburg’s sheep. They seem unaware of the change, however, as they mill around the barn. It’s hard to hear over the bleating, which Barnett weathers good naturedly.

“You’d swear these sheep were trying to interrupt you all the time, wouldn’t you?” he said with a smile.

Barnett, of Wakonda, rests his lean frame on the electric wool sacker he has used since 1977. A veteran of the industry, Barnett got his start in Sioux Falls just out of high school. In need of a job, he started catching sheep for shearers, then started shearing in the fall of 1971. He’s been doing it ever since, now the proprietor of Jim Barnett Sheep Shearing.

“I just grabbed a hold. I was just watching people,” he said of how he learned. “I just thought it would be a good way to see the country. I like to eat and I like to work, so the two go together.”

He later went to a sheep-shearing school when he was 28 years old, but by then most of the information was repetitive, he said.

It’s physically demanding work, he admits. He’s had to have a hip replaced, which slowed him down for a while.

“That and mentally demanding, too. Because it doesn’t always go your way,” he said.

Catching, shearing sheep Iburg, of rural Mitchell raises Rambouillet and Suffolk sheep, along with about 130 head of cattle. A Mitchell High School graduate and lifelong area resident, Iburg also farms corn and soybeans. His dad used to raise a large herd of sheep, about 1,000 head; now Iburg’s herd is about 150, which he raises for meat and wool. For a few years, he has sold the wool to Barnett; Iburg and two of his children, Justin and Jamie Iburg, were on-hand on a recent spring morning to help catch sheep for the shearers.

A finely tuned process, it starts with Iburg’s herd being cordoned off in one of his barns.

The system works something like an assembly line: Iburg and his son and daughter catch a sheep, then pass it to Barnett or Duane Norberg, of Sioux City, another sheep shearer.

The shearer typically begins by removing the belly wool and some other bits, which is separated from the main fleece. The rest of the fleece is kept in one piece so it can be graded, Barnett said.

Over the years, Barnett has come up with his own style of shearing, where instead of lifting the sheep up, he rolls them over.

“I just roll them, let them do the work. It’s a different way, but it still works,” he said. “The fleece still comes off in one piece, and the sheep seem to be more satisfied, too.”

Once Barnett or Norberg finishes a sheep, they send them to freedom

Continued on page 19 APRIL 2016 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH 17

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Clockwise Left to Right1) The motor that runs the shears hangs above the shearers. Though small, the contraption is ver y loud. 2) Jim Barnett holds a sheep still while he shears its wool away.

3) Barnett guides the clippers through the wool. Despite the size and look of the clippers, the sheep are not harmed, beyond a small nick or cut. 4) Jamie Iburg pushes freshly sheared wool into a contraption that will assist in getting the wool into the attached burlap sack for transport.

5) The wool is then pushed into a bag to be transport 6) Barnett ties off a freshly filled bag of wool. 6) Barnett, left, and Brian Iburg, right, haul a bag of wool onto a truck after it has been filled.

Continued from page 17 on one side of the pen. Then one of the Iburgs hands them another wooly creature, and the process starts over.

Barnett likes to bring in another person for bigger jobs — whether that means larger herds, or just larger sheep — which helps jobs go faster, he said.

“Instead of doing it at 5 o’clock, you get done at noon or so,” he said. “On the bigger jobs, we’ll take two or three days to do it.”

‘You go where the sheep are’ Sheep are raised for meat and wool, and the industry has gone through significant changes since the mid-1970s, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. Sheep numbers peaked in 1884 at 51 million head in the U.S., according to the USDA. They totaled 5.32 million head on Jan. 1 of this year. That’s a 40,000-head increase from 2015, according to the USDA, marking the second consecutive year of gains in the sheep and lamb inventory after eight consecutive years of declining numbers.

Barnett agreed the number of sheep has been dropped steadily since he started in the ’70s, but he manages to stay busy. Spring is typically his busiest time of year, but he shears year-round, covering a large region. Most of his clientele are repeat customers, but those clients are as far away as Oklahoma, and everywhere in between. Barnett said he travels to Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and a little in Iowa and Minnesota. He used to go into Wisconsin, too, but “that’s long gone,” he said.

“You go where the sheep are and where you can be there long enough to make the money, make it work,” he said. “You’ve got to travel quite a bit to stay busy.”

One day it could be a herd of 230; the next, it could be 40. As long as they’re sheep, Barnett said he’s “not fussy.”

He sells the wool, too, to Illinois-based Groenewold Fur & Wool Co., which he said is one of the few remaining places to sell wool. The fleece, once removed from the sheep, goes into the wool sacker, which packs the wool into a large, burlap bag. Once the bag is full, Barnett ties it off and loads it onto his trailer. From there, he takes it home to Wakonda and stores it until the buyer picks it up.

They’ll sort out the wool to determine the quality, or grade. According to Sierra Trading Post, sheep’s wool grades are selected to suit the needs of the products being made. Different wool grades offer different fiber lengths, fiber thicknesses and other properties.

Fine-quality wool is used to make luxury garments, medium-quality wool is used to make things like sports coats, sweaters or light blankets. Coarser wool is used to make heavy blankets, topcoats or upholstery items.

Barnett raises about 100 head of his own sheep, too. If he gets too busy, he might sell — but he enjoys the animals.

“If you’re patient with them, they’ll do about anything for you,” he said. 

If you’re patient with them, they’ll do about anything for you — Jim Barnett

APRIL 2016 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH 19

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CLUB CONNECT The following is a roundup of events and activities by various FFA and 4-H clubs in the region: Brookings County 4-H The Little Leprechaun 4-H Club meeting was held at the Extension rooms at the Swiftel Center. The members took part in the 4-H community service project Bake and Take. The kids work with yeast to mix, knead, shape and bake into bread products they can take home and share with their families. Along with the bread baking, the club held its monthly meeting.

Right: Karianne Kessler spreads butter on her “cinnamon pie” at the March meeting.

Moody County 4-H In February, the Happy Youngsters 4-H Club held a community-wide diaper drive in Flandreau, with a goal to collect 200 packages of diapers and/or wipes to be donated to the Breadbasket and to ICAP, two local organizations that reach out to low-income families. We held it during the month of “love” and encouraged community members to donate Huggies, Luvs and Pampers. We placed collection bins at businesses around Flandreau and Colman and collected a total of 142 items.

Members are pictured with Steph Bagaus, the Community Service Worker for ICAP. She was present at our March meeting to accept our donation. Front row, from left to right: Matthew Heinemann, Morgan Sheppard, Rebecca Heinemann (all on the left), Nora Hamilton, Josie Hamilton and Rachel Heinemann (all on the right). Middle row, from left: Torry Harding, Ava Mousel, Kylee Pulscher, Claire Sheppard, MiKenna Harding, Jace Mousel, Jack Mousel, Cole Paulson, Josie Mousel and Lanie Mousel. Back row, from left: Steph Bagaus, Grady Gullickson, Gage Gullickson, Brady Bietz and Macy Williams.

Beadle County 4-H Broadland Buddies 4-H Club of Beadle County spent Jan. 23 serving chili and hot dogs at Prostrollo Motor Sales in Huron.

Contributions received from this project will go toward our commitment to the new Nordby Exhibit Hall for 4-H, youth & community on the South Dakota State Fair grounds.

Right: Pictured are some of the members preparing to greet and serve customers.

Lawrence County 4-H

Above: Members do a character education session and book donation to local third-graders.

The Crow Peak Valley Rangers 4-H Club based in Spearfish strives to complete community service activities monthly. In February, the club created “Golden Valentines” and delivered them, along with a little conversation, to residents of a Spearfish Nursing Home. In January, 4-Hers helped serve an annual community soup supper on Martin Luther King Day. In December, 4-H members visited third-grade classrooms

and shared the Character Counts message, as well as read the book, “What Makes You A Super Hero?” which was written by Crow Peak Valley 4-H club member Danika Gordon. Eight books were then donated to the eight Spearfish third-grade classrooms.

Viborg-Hurley FFA As the Viborg-Hurley FFA Chapter continues with its spring Career Development Events, the chapter has been busy with individual and team practices, along with competing in several practice CDEs. Our chapter has had very successful teams this year, with teams competing in dairy cattle judging, horse judging, livestock judging, floriculture, ag business management and natural resources. The ag business team has won each competition so far and our floriculture team has placed in the top 10 as well.

Deuel FFA The end of the year is a very busy time for the Deuel FFA Chapter. FFA week, which was Feb. 20-27, was packed full of fun activities for the school. Every day included a different dress-up theme and lunch activity. There was also a “Kiss the Donkey” Contest.

There was a jar set out with every teacher’s name on it, and whoever had the jar with the most money in it had to kiss the donkey. The proceeds went to the food pantry. The chapter also sold SDSU ice cream at a basketball game for FFA Week.

March is the start of spring Career Development Event season. The chapter travels to multiple schools to compete in events such as horse judging, livestock judging, ag mechanics, floriculture, dairy foods, and more. From April 10-12, the top four people in the chapter for each event competed against FFA students from the entire state at state convention at SDSU. May is the conclusion for the FFA year. The chapter will clean road ditches in May and hold an end-of-the-year banquet on May 2 at Deuel School. The banquet includes the presentation of awards for the year, the presentation of officers for the upcoming school year and a potluck meal. (Photo courtesy of Marie Jaacks)

Tri-Valley FFA February was both exciting and hectic as the Tri-Valley FFA chapter celebrated the annual FFA Week. On Tuesday and Wednesday of the week, we taught our elementary student about butter, soil, feed rations, ice cream, farm-to-plate, Above: At petting zoo, Keith Warne teaches cheese and leadership. students about donkeys.

Also on Wednesday, the FFA officers held a teacher breakfast and our officer team made egg bakes and monkey bread to show our appreciation to the Tri-Valley staff. On Thursday, we had a pork loin feed for seventh through 12th grade and all of the staff. We also had a flood of FFA apparel this day. Last but not least, Friday was our annual petting zoo. Once February comes, the days till the FFA petting zoo are counted down, not only by the FFA members, but by all of the anxious elementary students. This year we had horses, donkeys, jersey cows, a dairy calf, a jersey calf, beef calves, piglets, baby goats, lambs, chickens and border collie puppies. With all of this excitement came a very successful month for Tri-Valley FFA. APRIL 2016 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH 21

Winter 2016 ranks among warmest in SD history SDSU Extension climate releases outlook for spring, summer SOURCE: SDSU EXTENSION

B

ROOKINGS — Winter 2015-16 ranked among the warmest on record for South Dakota in the last 121 years, said Laura Edwards, SDSU Extension climate field specialist.

“We’re on-trend with the rest of the United States and it looks like winter’s warmer climate is continuing into the spring and summer,” said Edwards, referencing today’s national climate outlook released by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration Climate Prediction Center.

Edwards went on to say that although all of the U.S. was above average, the Dakotas and Montana were among the states that ranked warmest compared to long-term averages. This winter ranked as the 11th-warmest on record for South Dakota.

“Winter 2015-16 was a little wetter than average statewide, primarily due to the snowy and rainy southeast,” she said.

From Dec. 1, 2015, through Feb. 29, Sioux Falls measured 39 inches of snow, which is more than 170 percent of average. “This total does not include snow that fell in November, which brings their seasonal total to over 50 inches,” Edwards said.

On the flip side, the state’s northern counties were drier than average, with precipitation totaling around 75 percent of average or less.

Edwards explained that El Nino’s warm Pacific Ocean played a significant role in South Dakota’s wintertime climate.

“Warmer than average temperatures in our region are consistent with historical El Nino events,” Edwards said. “Drier conditions in the north and wetter to our south have also been associated with El Nino conditions in the Northern Plains.”

El Nino is forecast to dissipate over the spring season, as ocean temperatures cool.

“Currently, more than half of the long-range computer models are forecasting La Nina, or cooler than average waters in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, to build by the end of the fall season,” Edwards said.

This transition and long-term trends and other conditions have been factored into the outlook for the 2016 growing season.

Precipitation prediction for growing season According to NOAA’s March 17 outlook for April and the season ahead, we can continue to expect warmer-than-average temperatures over western South Dakota in April, with equal chances of warmer, cooler or near average for the eastern region.

“For the rest of the spring and summer, there is increasing likelihood of warmer than average temperatures in the Northern Plains and across the lower 48 states,”

22 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH APRIL 2016

Edwards said. “The outlooks have been consistent in indicating warmer than average temperatures throughout the growing season.”

As far as precipitation is concerned, Edwards said the pattern of drier to our northeast and wetter to our south-southwest is projected to continue.

For precipitation, the spring season appears to continue the same pattern of drier to the north-northeast and wetter to the south-southwest.

“The summer season is less clear, as climate models are often challenged with our typical thunderstorms that can bring locally intense rainfall,” Edwards said.

“In addition, the timing of a transition between our current strong El Nino and the potential of La Nina can be difficult.”

Overall, Edwards said the general outlook of warmer than average temperatures in our region could be good news for row crops, as a few extra Growing Degree Days and warm weather could help in increasing our yield potential, especially for corn. “Additionally, we could benefit from an extended growing season, if we are fortunate enough to have an early spring frost date and/or a late fall frost,” she explained.

Soil temperatures, at least at 4-inch depth, are already above freezing nearly everywhere, according to data from the S.D. Mesonet. Fieldwork activities have already begun, and favorable weather for an early spring planting season is on the horizon.

On the other hand, Edwards said additional heat during the growing season could add some stress in areas where we are moisture-limited. “This might bring on some short-term or moderate drought concerns at some point in the growing season,” she said.

In areas that are starting out slightly dry, such as in the north-central and northeast, timely rainfall could be more important this year.

Edwards reminded growers that 2015 started out very dry as well, with record dry conditions statewide for January through March.

“The growing season was productive as far as grain yields go, so it is too early to say what will happen this year for sure,” she said. “We are starting out warmer than usual, both with air temperatures and soil temperatures, but hopefully that works to our benefit as the busy spring farming season is upon us.” 

INDUSTRIES GRAIN BINS • LEGS • DRAGS • DUMP PITS AIR SYSTEMS • DRYERS

1-844-700-BINS 001393077r1

APRIL 2016 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH 23

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