Star-Herald Farm & Ranch Beef Edition 05-02-15

SPECIAL BEEF EDITION

Farm & Ranch A

Star-Herald publication

Nebraska Panhandle & Eastern Wyoming

Week of May 3, 2015

‘Family business’ celebrates 20th anniversary

First spring run

By SANDRA HANSEN Ag Editor

Photo by Sandra Hansen

Water flowing in the Interstate Canal is a sure sign that summer is on its way. Water is being delivered to the Inland Lakes for the next few weeks, and this will lead to early deliveries for irrigators on the Pathfinder and other smaller districts along the canal later in the month. Ownership supplies are in good shape going into 2015, but caution will be exercised as producers plan ahead. A below average snowpack is in the back of all water users minds as area irrigation districts finalize plans for the summer.

Ask Jerry and Sally Weekes what makes Platte Valley Livestock a successful business, and in unison, they say, “Our customers. It doesn’t take long, and they are family.”

The Weekes family, including son Josh, purchased the livestock auction business 20 years ago on April 15.

They had decided to sell their ranch in North Dakota and move here because Sally was spending so much time in the Panhandle helping her parents, Tom and Jean Durnal, ranchers near Chimney Rock.

The run-down auction business was for sale, and according to Jerry, it took a lot of cleaning and hauling to get it in shape again. They began by removing carcasses and large piles of manure from the pens.

Jerry and Sally both come from ranching backgrounds, so taking on the auction was not a totally unfamiliar process. The only problem was that Jerry had been determined to get out of the cattle business.

Instead he just took a different livestock path.

It’s been a successful one, according to the couple.

Jerry said it is because of “her bullheadedness and my stupidity.” Whatever it is, the business is a solid part of the region’s livestock industry. There are four full-time employees, as well as yard hands as needed.

“We used to have 14 just in the office,” Jerry explained, sitting at his desk following Monday’s sale.

“But now, because of computers and other technology, we have only four.”

Sale day is about as easy as one can get because of the conveniences, he said. Instead of hand writing a ticket for every lot sold, now the information is typed in and the computer spits it out, doing most of the work.

According to Jerry, things have changed so much that a 1,500 head sale day that used to take from 9 a.m. until 11 or 12 at night, now can be completed by 2-3 in the afternoon. And it’s possible to run through 4,000 head by 7 p.m.

PLATTE VALLEY LIVESTOCK, page 2

Cheatgrass challenge draws 13 teams

By SANDRA HANSEN Ag Editor

LINGLE, Wyo. — During a visit to the University of Wyoming Sustainable Agricultural Research and Extension Center last year, UW Extension weed specialist Brian Mealor noted the heavy cheatgrass population and decided to do something about his ongoing interest in ridding the land of cheatgrass and restoring the pasture to a more productive and diverse plant community. The result would benefit the entire state, and possibly the region.

The Wyoming Restoration Challenge kicked off with a meeting of team representatives at SAREC last month. Contestants in the three-year challenge to improve the land near

2015 Chamber water tour set for July 21-22 T he S cot tsbluf f/ Gering United Chamber of Commerce Agribusi ness C om m it tee w i l l ho s t i t s a n nu a l Water Tour July 21-22.

Reservations are being accepted now.

The two-day tour provides an understanding on how western Nebraska receives its irrigation water, and includes v isits to dams and reservoirs in Wyoming, as well as the Bureau of Reclamation computer center in Mills, Wyo ming, which operates many of these dams.

Not only is this tour educational, it is also CHAMBER, page 3

Photo by Sandra Hansen

Bob Baumgartner, farm manager at the University of Wyoming James C. Hageman Sustainable Agricultural Research and Extension Center near Lingle, Wyoming, explains details of the Wyoming Restoration Challenge.

The three-year competition among 13 teams will develop methods to control and/or eliminate cheatgrass in the region.

Lingle will be carried out by teams with a wide variety of interests. Teams are from Wyoming, except one from Nebraska. T hey include the U W Range Club, Glendo FFA, two from

Eastern Wyoming College, Carbon County Weed & Pest, Platte County and Goshen County Weed & Pest, U W Reclamation and Restoration CHEATGRASS, page 2

Photo by Sandra Hansen

Platte Valley Livestock auctions take place on Mondays, with special sales interspersed as needed.

Calling the sale will be owner Jerry Weekes, center, and his side-kick, Steve Flower, left. Doing the recording keeping is Andee Symonds. Josh Weekes shares the workload by keeping the cattle moving through the sale ring. Behind the scene is Sally Weekes, who oversees the bookkeeping chores in the office. Son Josh keeps everything humming, according to employees and his parents.

FFA and ag education students visit ‘real world’ sites

Jack’s Insights — May 2015

P

ura Vida! For many reading this month’s

By SANDRA HANSEN Ag Editor

FFA and agricultural education program students at Bridgeport High School completed a busy one-day tour of beef production Monday. With sponsor and instructor Alissa Coppel, 20 students did the tours.

This is only part of the 58 enrolled in the FFA and agricultural education program.

According to Coppel, students’ backgrounds vary from growing up on a farm and ranch to living in the country, to little or no experience at all, so it’s across the board.

“Although many students grow up in what is considered a rural area, many are still learning about agriculture and the different pathways it offers,” she explained.

“In the fall when I teach about the process of the beef life cycle, students asked if they could see it, in addition to learning it. Many haven’t seen one or more or all ‘REAL WORLD’, page 2

Photo by Sandra Hansen

Seven young ladies in the Bridgeport High School FFA/ Introduction to Agriculture and Animal Science educational program joined buyers and sellers Monday to observe an auction in progress at Platte Valley Livestock in Gering. They were welcomed by owners Jerry Weekes and Josh Weekes. From left, top to bottom are Jordyn Benavides and Tiffaney Connelly; Brooklynn Keim, Kenna Asche and Stephanie Connelly; and Anna Dobrinski and Alexis Douthit.

column, my greeting will mean little or nothing to you.

However, if you Jack Whittier have had Director the good UNL Panhandle fortune District and of visitPREC ing or living in Costa Rica, you will likely understand this greeting as a heartfelt expression by a resident of Costa Rica.

Pura Vida has a simple English translation of WHITTIER, page 3

Today’s farming demands tomorrow’s connectivity.

Vistabeam delivers broadband internet in remote and rural locations throughout the Panhandle.

308-635-9434

Farm & Ranch

2 Week of May 3, 2015

‘REAL WORLD’: FFA and agriculture education students visit sites Continued from page 1 of the operations we visited. I waited until the spring because of weather and timing. The tours took a day and students got to see the process in the order that the beef production cycle occurred, so they visited a cow/calf operation, then a feedlot, then the sale barn, then the processing plant.”

According to Coppel, hosts of the students included the Lapaseotes cow/calf operation and feedlot at Bridgeport. Cassie Lapaseotes, who

is on the advisory committee, led those tours. Platte Valley Livestock in Gering was the first afternoon stop, where Josh and Jerry Weekes led the tours. KDK Meats, also at Bridgeport, was an afternoon stop, where Denny and Karma Hogeland led the tours.

Leo Guzman was the bus driver and Coppel the sponsor.

“All facilities toured offered to have us come and tour their facilities/ operations,” Coppel said. “The agricultural education program has many guest speakers that also offer to come

throughout the year, which is beneficial to the students to see possible careers, learn about different agricultural sectors/technologies, and network with producers/potential employers.”

Coppel said the program also does industry tours during the students’ trips to stock show in January and when they attend National FFA Convention, along with any other operations that have offered and is approved in the master schedule.

For more photos, see page 5.

Email the writer: ag@starherald.com

CHEATGRASS: Challenge draws 13 teams Continued from page 1 Center, Natrona and Converse County Weed & Pest, Platte County NRCS/ Larry Cundall, UW Control Freaks (graduate students within the Weed Science program), U W Extension SMRR (Sustainable Management of Rangeland Resources), and University of Nebraska — Gary Stone.

Some participants prefer to keep their projects secret, although a couple divulged some details. They include simulating residue removal, herbicide treatments in special combinations, livestock utilization, herbicides followed by seedings, and farming practices.

Sydney Burek, range management specialist with the Platte Count y NRCS/Larry Cundall team, visited the site Wednesday. T heir team, Wrinkle Bellies/Larry Cundall, plans to combine grazing and cover crops in their 1/4-acre experiment. Cattle will be used to suppress cheatgrass growth and also to incorporate seed of a new crop.

Her job Wednesday was to move 18 head of heifers off the plot after a three-day stay to graze and stir up the ground.

“Our goal is to suppress cheatgrass before we try to seed a native perennial species,” she said in a telephone interview from SAREC. “A lot of people signed up, with a lot of interesting ideas. It’s going to be fun to see how it goes.”

The Nebraska team, “Bromus Eradicators,” is comprised of Dr. Mitch Stephenson, range and forage specialist; Meredith Bremer, Sheridan County Extension educator; Bethany Sitz

Johnson, Central Sandhills Extension educator; and Gary Stone, PREC Extension educator. They are one of the teams that prefers to maintain silence regarding their plans.

However, they believe Mealor’s idea is a good one.

According to SAREC farm manager Bob Baumgartner, farm employees will provide some resources and equipment, and give as much support as possible, but the main idea is to get the teams directly involved in the projects by setting their own fences, helping move livestock, and other facets of their individual experiments.

Mealor said his intent is to “put different approaches head-to-head in a fun, competitive environment, that is also an educational program.

“It’s a different model for doing extension,” he explained.

Each team will develop and implement a plan to meet the land management goals specified for each site, said Mealor. The $300 entry fee pays for use of the SAREC research property, awards or prizes and support for documenting the challenge through videos and visiting the plots.

The SAREC pasture had been used for fall gathering and spring calving prior to UW acquiring the property.

“It had repeated heavy use year after year,” said Mealor.

That led to deterioration of the plant community that normally would be there. SAREC officials had kept in mind using the land, between the SAREC headquarters and the North Platte River, as a research area.

The years of drought and necessary grazing may have caused a burst in cheatgrass. That degraded the range-

land and then affected sage-grouse habitat.

“Invasive annual grasses rank as a primary threat to sage-grouse habitat,” said Mealor. “As sage-grouse goes, so goes everything when it comes to rangeland these days.”

Mealor plans to make the cheatgrass challenge very public through blogging, videos, a Facebook page and by public visits to the sites. Search Facebook for Wyoming Restoration Challenge. More information about the challenge is at http://weedcontrolfreaks.com/.

Millions of acres of western rangelands are negatively impacted by invasive species, and cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) is one of the most widespread. Its ability to alter species composition and ecological functions negatively impacts habitat quality for livestock and wildlife alike. Hundreds of research papers have been published on its ecology and management, yet land managers in Wyoming and around the West are still uncertain of the most effective, cost-efficient methods to restore cheatgrass-dominated systems to a higher-functioning status.

Other sources of information on the project include: h t t p : // w w w. u w y o . e d u /u w / news/2015/02/uw-weed-specialistinvites-teams-to-compete-in-cheatgrass-challenge.html http://uwyoextension.org/rangewriter/the-cheatgrass-challenge/ h t t p : // w e e d c o n t r o l f r e a k s . com/2015/01/think-you-can-restorecheatgrass-infested-rangeland-comeshow-us/ Email the writer: ag@starherald.com

Star-Herald

Windrow grazing annual forages in the growing season to increase harvest efficiency, productivity Forage values in Nebraska for growing season grazing have seen significant increases over the last several years.

Demand for grains encouraged many producers to convert tillable pasture land to crop land. In addition strong cattle prices have strengthened demand for summer grazing. Currently, crop prices have moderated while demand for summer forage has increased. This has created a scenario where many producers are considering planting annual forages on irrigated or dry land crop ground as a way to meet this forage demand.

To put the value of grazed forage at current prices in perspective, consider the following comparison of the cost per pound of air dried forage grazed by a cow-calf pair and its equivalent value on a per ton basis. This example assumes a cow-calf pair is eating on average the equivalent of approximately 1200 pounds of air dried forage per month over a 5 month grazing season. Usually one would think that summer grazed pasture forage would be of higher quality than hay. However, this may not always hold true, especially as grazed forages mature in mid to late summer or drought conditions occur.

Cost Per Pair Per Month

$35

$45 $55 $65 $75 $85 $95

Price Per Ton Equivalent $58 $75 $92 $108 $125 $142 $158

Windrow or swath grazing annual forages in the spring and summer offers two potential advantages over direct grazing. The first advantage is that the forage can be harvested at its optimum stage of quality and quantity based on the nutrient needs of the cattle that will be utilizing it.

For growing cattle, forage can be harvested at a more immature stage resulting in greater forage quality. For cowcalf pairs or dry cows, the forage could be allowed to grow to a greater degree of maturity before swathing, thus producing more pounds of forage per acre. See the following graph which shows the relationship between forage quality and yield as affected by the stage of plant maturity.

The second advantage of windrow grazing is the opportunity to significantly improve harvest efficiency. Typically it is estimated that 30-50 percent of annual forage that is grown and directly grazed actually gets consumed by the animal. The amounts may even be less for rapidly growing, tall summer annuals like sorghum-sudan hybrids.

When an annual forage crop is windrowed at its optimum stage of maturity, these windrows can then be strip grazed and harvest utilization improved to 80-90 percent with daily temporary fence moves. The combination of windrowing forage at its optimum stage of maturity along with strip grazing can significantly increase the grazing days or pounds of forage per acre consumed by the grazing animals. For some producers, windrow grazing has worked successfully in situations where they already had adequate hay produced. The excess annual forage was windrowed and grazed directly, allowing them to lessen grazing pressure on perennial pastures.

GRAZING page 3

PLATTE VALLEY LIVESTOCK: ‘Family business’ celebrates 20th anniversary Continued from page 1 S a lly is t ha nk f ul for technology for several reasons. One of the greatest conveniences is being able to make bank deposits by computer from the office.

In a matter of minutes, a day’s sale is in the bank.

No more hand writing individual tickets, trips to the bank, and waiting in line while tellers do their entry work.

Even though computers have brought about personnel changes, Jerry said their employees are valuable, and would be hard to replace.

“We have two who have b e e n he r e 2 0 ye a r s o r more, others 10 -15 years, and we’re proud of that,” Jerry said. “They are the k ind of people who tell me if they did something wrong, and they figure it out. T hey have pr ide in

what they do.”

He noted that they do h ave j ob s av a i l able for those who are interested, and he encourages young adults to get involved. “It’s a good way to make some money for a car or whatever,” he said.

One thing that the Weekeses, as well as other business owners, are challenged by is state and federal regulations. One is Check 21, which requires Weekes and all livestock s a le ow ner s t o p ay i m med iat ely for l ivest ock purchases, while allowing buyers five days to pay the company. “It just doesn’t seem fair,” he said.

A n o t he r i r r i t a t i o n i s the requirement to retain records for five years on every animal sold. This is designed to help trace sick animals or other issues.

On a local level, Jerr y

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said he has been at odds with the City of Gering for the past year over zoning issues, which would put him out of business. He said his operation pumps m i l l ions of dol la rs i nto the local economy, and he plans to continue contributing to the communit y

through his business.

In spite of the aggravations, Jerry and Sally are pleased with their accomplishment. Everyone pitches in to do what needs to be done, she said, explaining that “It’s a group effort.”

The auction business has been good to them in many

Email the writer: ag @ ways, one being introductions to a lot of good peo- starherald.com ple, and they are thankful for that.

Do you have “We’ve met a lot of wonderful people, a lot of them something to sell? we usually wouldn’t have Call 308-632-9020 met,” Jerry said. for assistance.

V iew more photos on page 10.

Farm & Ranch

Star-Herald

Week of May 3, 2015 3

Plant pathologist advises be on lookout for wheat stripe rust LARAMIE, Wyo. — Producers are being encouraged to scout fields this spring for early signs of wheat stripe rust.

While no cases have been reported in Wyoming, stripe rust is being seen earlier than normal in Colorado, Kansas, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska and Utah, said William Stump, plant pathologist

with University of Wyoming Extension.

Symptoms include long stripes of small, yellow-to-orange, blister-like pustules, primarily on leaves, and whose spores can be easily wiped off. Cool (45 to 60 degrees) and damp conditions favor the disease.

Reports close to Wyoming oc-

curring earlier this year means there is increased potential for inoculum being present during cool, wet conditions required for disease development, Stump said.

Stripe rust was an issue last year in southeast Wyoming and was found in fall-planted wheat but none has been found this spring.

“Typically, by the time inoculum blows up from wheat production areas south of us, warm temperatures set back disease development,” said Stump.

The disease is best managed by planting disease-resistant varieties but can be managed with foliar fungicides applied by the boot stage to protect the flag leaf,

said Stump.

Of the three most planted varieties in Wyoming, Cowboy is susceptible, Buckskin is moderately susceptible and Pronghorn is resistant, he said. Whether spraying for wheat stripe in dryland wheat can yield a return is unknown, but Stump said spraying irrigated wheat can be profitable.

No-Till Notes: Precipitation improves crop potential, part 2 GRAZING: Annual forages

L

ast week I took a look at the crop for efficient water utilization. amount of precipitation we have Whereas winter wheat requires 6 received to produce a winter inches of precipitation for vegetative wheat crop this year and a growth, field peas require projected yield for this year’s only .8 of an inch of precipicrop assuming normal pretation for vegetative growth. cipitation between now and I use the time frame of winter wheat maturation.

October through June to deThis week I’d like to take termine the amount of total a look at field peas and the precipitation available for a potential yield for this year’s field pea crop. I figure my crop of field peas. dry land corn crop, which Each time I have written precedes the field pea crop, an article looking at the is done using moisture by moisture and potential yield October. The yellow field Mark for these spring crops, it has pea crop is done using moisWatson rained. This past week anture by the end of June or Panhandle other storm system moved early July as the crop begins No-Till Educator through our region. On our to dry down for harvest. farm we received .25 of an So far we have received inch out of this last system.

5.5 inches of precipitation Local weather reports showed Sidney, on our farm since last October. We in the southern Panhandle, received may have additional moisture stored in 1.44 inches of rain from this system. the soil profile from the 4.1 inches of I have heard reports of as much as 3 precipitation we had last September. I inches in the southern Panhandle. doubt my dry land corn crop used up Needless to say these have been very all the September rainfall. beneficial rains in our area the past few If we have normal precipitation weeks. between now and the end of June that Yellow field peas are a newer crop would give us an additional 5.75 inches for this region. They have similar mois- to add to the 5.5 inches we have reture requirements as winter wheat as ceived since October. This would give far as the timing of the rain. Field peas the yellow field pea crop a total of 11.25 require moisture in the April, May and inches of precipitation for potential June months for their yield potential. yield.

Any moisture stored in the soil over Field peas add 3 bushels of yield the winter is also very beneficial to for each additional inch of precipitayield. tion above the .8 of an inch required Yellow field peas are an excellent for vegetative growth. If we take our

11.25 inches of total precipitation and subtract the .8 of an inch required for vegetative growth that leaves us with 10.45 inches of precipitation for field pea yield. Multiplying the 10.45 times the 3 bushels per inch of precipitation would give us a potential yield of 31.35 bushels of field peas per acre.

Obviously there are other factors besides moisture that will determine final yield. Yield will also depend on stand establishment, temperature, disease, weed pressure, soil type and possibly insect infestation. A yield of 30 bushels per acre is what I would consider an average field pea crop for our farm.

Over the last eight years, our farm has averaged about 36 bushels per acre of yellow field peas. We have had some very high yields during that time and some dry years where the field peas averaged as low as 22 bushels per acre.

We’ve also had some fields that were severely damaged by hail during this time.

Yellow field peas have proven to be a good alternative crop for this region.

Yellow field peas are the best transitional crop to go back to winter wheat in a continuous no till crop production system that I have found. I’ve been very satisfied with our winter wheat yields following the yellow field pea crop. If you haven’t tried yellow field peas on your farm I would encourage you to take a look at them and see how they may fit into your operation and continuous no till crop production system.

CHAMBER: 2015 water tour July 21-22 Continued from page 1 one of the fundraising events the Agribusiness Committee does each year to generate funds to provide scholarships to students pursuing ag-related careers.

The tour will leave from the Gering Civic Center at 6:45 a.m. Tuesday and return to the center about 5:30 p.m.

Wednesday. The first day includes visits to Seminoe, Pathfinder and Alcova dams with a stop at the Fremont Canyon power plant. On Wednesday, the tour begins at the Mills Computer Center and concludes with stops at the Glendo and Guernsey reservoirs and the Whalen Diversion Dam. Cost of the tour is $170 for single or $ 235 for double. This includes

transportation, lodging in Casper, Wyoming, and lunch on Tuesday.

Seats are limited. Reservations will be secured when the non-refundable deposit is received. Registrants will receive a detailed itinerary and instructions prior to the tour.

To register or for more information, contact the Chamber at 308-632-2133 or Jenni@scottsbluffgering.net.

WHITTIER: Jack’s insights for May 2015 Continued from page 1 “pure life,” but more accurately the phrase describes a culture and approach to life that reflects the peaceful contentment of this country’s citizens, or Ticos, a colloquial term they have given themselves.

I recently had the opportunity to spend 11 enjoyable days in this Central American country, and better understand why “Pura Vida” has been part of the Costa Rican dialect for some 50 years. My interaction with Ticos this past month confirmed their pure life approach to living and caused me to evaluate the pace and busyness that frequently engulfs my day-to-day activities and fills my calendar. It was refreshing to rub shoulders with a culture that appreciates simplicity, a beautiful tropical environment and a serene lifestyle.

I traveled to Costa Rica with 35 other Extension professionals from 14 landgrant universities in the north central United States, including four colleagues

from Nebraska. We are all part of a year-long leadership development program called National Extension Leadership Development, or NELD. In some ways the NELD program has many similarities to the Nebraska LEAD program that I wrote about in last month’s Insights column. A central objective of NELD is to broaden understanding of Extension on local, state, national and international levels, and thereby build capacity to lead by current and future Extension leaders and administrators.

Our partner institution for the NELD experience was the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza or CATIE). CATIE´s origin dates back to 1942, when the Inter-American Institute for Agricultural Sciences (IICA) was founded through a partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

From its inception, CATIE’s mandate has centered

on research and education in agriculture and natural resources in the American tropics. In many ways CATIE mirrors U.S. Extension programs. It was refreshing to recognize that science-based educational programs are being developed and implemented in Central America with similar impacts on agriculture and natural resource systems as occur here at home. It was a valuable insight to me to see there is true value of universities in assisting in changes, adoption of technologies and supporting people to accomplish their goals not only in the U.S. but in Costa Rica as well.

As an added bonus to my Costa Rica trip, I was able to spend three days with a close friend and his family from Fort Collins, Colorado, who are living in Costa Rica. As parents of five young children, my friend and his wife determined that living abroad for eight months would allow their children to learn how children in another country live and

perhaps better appreciate living with all the comforts of life in the United States, while gaining an understanding of another culture and language.

My friends also set out to provide service opportunities as a family to assist others. As such, they have been able to develop a close relationship with an elementary school and help this school establish a library and playground.

It was fun to see their blonde, blue-eyed young children establishing close friendships with similar aged children in Costa Rica. I have no doubt that this experience will have life-long impacts for all.

I admire my friends for being courageous enough to step away for this experience and for their desire to serve others.

I will also remember and cherish my eight days with NELD and my three days with a beautiful family in a beautiful country enjoying Pura Vida!

in the growing season to increase harvest efficiency and productivity

Continued from page 2 The following are some management practices that can be important to success for windrow grazing annual forages during the growing season.

1. Develop a forage “chain” so the forages you want to windrow graze are not all at their optimum stage of maturity at the same time. Utilizing a combination of spring and summer planted annuals along with different planting dates can help stage these forages to match livestock forage demand.

2. In the late spring and early summer, only windrowing what cattle can eat in the next one to two weeks can help to keep windrowed forage from deteriorating should wet conditions occur. In the late summer and early fall, especially in central and western Nebraska, forage can be windrowed and quality better maintained as weather conditions are typically drier.

3. Have a pasture or sacrifice area where cattle can be fed for a few days if wet conditions would result in field damage from grazing.

4. Daily fence moves can greatly improve harvest efficiency over giving cattle several days of feed. Temporary electric fence along with electric fence mounted on center pivots that are then moved to ration out feed have been used successfully to strip graze.

5. Plant to test annual forages for nitrates before utilizing for windrow grazing. When cattle are direct grazing, they are typically grazing the tops of the plants and the leaves where nitrate concentrations tend to be lowest. With windrow grazing, cattle are eating the whole plant and nitrates which are usually most concentrated in the bottom third of the plant will be consumed. A variety of factors can influence nitrate levels in annual forages. Test plants prior to windrowing to identify at what level nitrates are.

Windrow grazing is usually thought of as a management tool to utilize for fall and winter grazing. However, windrow grazing annual forages in the spring and summer can provide a way to harvest forage at its optimum for quality and quantity while efficiently utilizing the feed produced.

The NebGuide Windrow Grazing provides additional information on the topic. A video titled Windrow Grazing in Nebraska also provides further information and examples.

For more information on growing annual forages see the NebGuides Summer Annual Forages for Beef Cattle in Western Nebraska, Utilizing Annual Forages for Beef Cattle During and Following Drought, and Summer Annual Forage Grasses.

Carl and Carol Carlson Equipment & Vehicles

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At the Residence located @ 5213 Rd 19, West of Yoder, WY

(From Torrington, take US Hwy 85 south to the Silvertip intersection.

Turn and go west on Hwy 154 5 miles to County Road 50. Take County Road 50, 5 miles west to CR 19 and go north on 19, 1¼ mile to the residence. Signs will be posted.)

Code for vehicles: B = Body, M = Motor, T = Transmission, R = Rear End

Vehicle Listing & Automotive Misc.: * 1934 Ford 1 ton truck * 1969 Chevy, 4 dr. Impala. B&R only * 1963 Chevy 4 dr. M,T&R * 1963 Ford Galaxie. M,T&R * 1948 Ford 2 ton truck. Motor good, Rear end * 1954 Chevy ¾ ton M,T&R * 1938 Chevy M & T* 1931 International Motor is free, 2 sp. T&R * 1955 Studebaker station wagon M,T&R * 1948 Chevy 1 ton truck. M,T&R * 1954 Chevy 2 ton truck * 1948 Studebaker 1 ton truck * 1948 Dodge 1½ ton truck * 1948 Chevy 6400 truck * 1978 Ford ¾ ton, 4 WD Pickup (runs) Tillage, Livestock Equipment: 5 btm trip/spinner plow * Case 3 btm spinner plow * Richardson Mulch/Treader* 15’ blade plow w/spare axles spare blades* 15 pk hyd. sm. square stack hand* 2, John Deere B tractors. One w/loader * Case 6 btm plow * 3 pt. Danhauser post hole digger * 3 pt. post pounder * 3pt., 6’ hyd., adj. blade * BMB 7’ brush hog mower * Powder River calf table* Squeeze chute w/quick attach Pearson head catch * Hastings calf creep feeder * 3, 12’ solid steel troughs * 3 pt. ditcher * grain truck transfer auger & add. augers up to 20’ * 40 sheets of corrugated tin w/out holes along w/50 pcs. of reclaimed tin* Bazooka grain cleaner w/good motors on both auger & cleaner. Other Miscellaneous: meat grinder * meat saw * 3, cream separators * saddle * harness* Hyd. engine hoist* Diamond Plate flatbed for a 1 ton truck * lg. asst. of misc. fence posts * asst. wagon wheels & misc. mainly for parts * model A & T hubs & rear ends * view the complete listing @

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Farm & Ranch

4 Week of May 3, 2015

Star-Herald

Rolling out breakfast

Photo by Sandra Hansen

Ron Fuss slowly maneuvers the feed bunk delivering breakfast to cattle at Terry Lofink’s feedlot north of Torrington, Wyoming, Thursday morning. Recent precipitation is an encouraging sign that pastures as well as crops might have a good start this season.

Insect development slowed by weather I nsect development has been slowed t h is spr ing due to below aver a ge t emp er at u re s .

A s temperat ures wa r m up, expect to see alfa l fa weev il la r vae in southern Nebraska and slightly later, in nor th ern Nebraska. A lthough t here have been no re p or t s of a l f a l f a we ev i l in Nebraska, there have been reports of feeding in K ansas.

B ot h t he a l f a l f a a nd clover leaf weevils feed on f i r st c ut t i ng a l f a l f a as lar vae, and regrow th af ter the first cutting as adult s ( a nd somet i mes lar vae). W hile research i n nor t he a st Nebr a sk a h a s s how n t h a t c love r leaf weevil lar va feeding does not cause yield re duct ion to f irst cut t ing a l fa l fa , a l fa l fa weev il feeding ca n cause se vere losses to yield a nd qualit y of the f irst cutting. T his is why it ’s i mp or t a nt t o c or re c t l y identif y the t ype of weev il feeding causing damage.

Clover leaf weevils Clover lea f weev ils are occasionally a prob lem, but a re v ulnera ble t o f u n g us d is e a s e .

T hese pests haven’t been a problem si nce the late 80s to early 90s when spring rains were rare. Dr y conditions over t he past severa l yea rs in wester n Ne braska may have helped populat ions increase, a lt hough recent ra ins may have knocked down populations.

Scouting. To scout for clover lea f weev il, look in the debr is around the crow ns dur ing day.

S c r a t c h i n g i n t he s oi l a round the crow ns and counting the number of lar vae found per crow n w i l l help g ive a bet t er idea of clover lea f wee v il in fest at ion. T heir brow n he a ds w i l l help d ist i ng u ish t hem f rom the black-headed alfalfa weevil.

Clover lea f weev il over w inter pr ima r ily as la r vae w it h brow n heads. Adults a re da rk brown, pitted light brow n under neath, and over 1/4 inch long. L ar-

v a e f e e d a ny w he r e o n pla nt , a nd most la r vae are in soil or debris du r i ng day t i me hou r s .

Adults may rema in in fields.

A lfalfa weevils A l fa l fa weev il over winter primarily as adults. Adults are brown with a dark brown stripe half way down the back, and 3/16 inch long. L arv a e h a ve bl a c k he a ds , and prefer to feed on t ips a nd rema in on the pla nt most of the t ime.

Adults leave f ields in June.

L i fe C ycle . Most alfalfa weevils over winter as adults, become act ive as temperat ures increase, and lay eggs.

S ome m a y l a y e g g s i n the stem during fall and, if w inter is not too severe, w ill suc c e s s f u l l y o v e r w i n t e r.

T he s e eg g s w i l l hat ch ea rl ier t ha n t hose la id in spr ing. T his is most likely to occur in southern counties.

I n some a reas of Ne br ask a , a l f a l f a weev i ls to not follow ing t his seasonal pattern. In the Pa nha ndle a nd in t he nor t he r n t ie r of c ou n t ie s t he r e m a y b e t wo f lushes of weevil lar vae in the spring. In the last few years some areas of the st ate have received da mage to reg row th a f t e r t he f i r s t c ut t i n g due to a combination of late la r va l feedi ng a nd a d u l t f e e d i n g. T h i s i s somet hing to be awa re of af ter the first cutting.

W h i l e a l f a l f a we e v i l damage has been spott y in much of Nebraska over the past few years, the potential for damage always exists. Even with the pressure of planting row crops , producers g row i ng high - qua l it y alfalfa hay should make t i me t o mon it or f ields for weevils over the next few weeks.

Scout ing for a l fa l fa weevils It is essential that f ields be monitored for a l fa l fa weev il feeding now. D a m a ge c ons is t s of s m a l l hol e s a nd i n ter veinal feeding on the newest leaf lets near the stem t ips. T he la r vae

a re sma l l (1/16 to 3/8 inch long) and pale yellowish green, becoming a da rker g reen when l a r g e r. T h e s e l e g l e s s worms have black heads a nd a wh it e st r ip e t he length of the back. T he al fal fa weev il lar vae s p e n d ne a r l y a l l t he i r time on the plant. T hey curl into a C -shape when disturbed.

Once the alfalfa is high enough to use a sweep net , t a ke a sa m ple to establish whether weev ils are present.

I f t hey a re, ra ndomly select at least five sampling sites f rom across the entire field. At each site, gent ly pick or cut at least 10 alfalfa stems at g rou nd level. Sha ke the lar vae of f the stems by beat ing the stems into a deep - sided bucket. Count the lar vae and det er m i ne t he aver a ge number of la r vae per stem. Make sure to che ck for sma l l la r vae that may be enclosed i n new, folde d le a f let s at the tips of the stems.

Me a s u re st em len g t hs and determine the average stem height to help det er m i ne ap p rop r i at e action.

A l f a l f a we ev i l e c o nomic thresholds E conom ic t hresholds have been developed to aid decision making on a l f a l f a we e v i l c ont r ol .

T hese t hresholds were der ived by Nor t h Da kot a S t ate Un iver sit y entomologists ( Beauzay et al. 2013 ; http ://w w w. ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/ plantsci/pests/e1676. p d f ) f r o m a t wo - ye a r st udy conducted at the U NL A gricult ural Re search and Development Center nea r Mead in 19 9 0 a nd 19 91 ( Pet e r son et al. 19 93 ). T hese guidelines can f luctuate dep end i ng on g row i ng conditions and variety.

De c id i n g whet her t o t r e a t or r e - s a mpl e de pends on t he average nu mber of we ev i ls p er stem, t he stem leng t h, treatment costs, and the value of the alfalfa.

W hen al fal fa reaches 50 percent or more bud s t a ge , it m a y b e mor e prof itable to cut the al-

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falfa early than treat it.

Insecticides Because alfalfa weevil nat ura l enem ies have t he potent ia l to keep we ev i ls f rom re a ch i n g economic injur y levels, use insecticides only when necessar y.

Many insecticides are registered to control alfalfa weev il lar vae. See the most recent edition of t he Gu ide for We ed Management in Nebraska with Insecticide and F u ng ic ide I n for m at ion ( U NL EC130 ) for rates and restrictions of commonly used insecticides for alfalfa weev il lar val cont rol . T hey d i f fer i n t heir modes of act ion a nd p r e - h a r ve s t i nt e r va ls. H ighly ef fect ive i nse c t ic ides for a l f a l f a we ev i l c ont rol i nclude those that are pyre t hroids ( act ive i ng re d ient ends i n “ t h r i n” ). ( E C 1 3 0 Ta b l e o f C o n t e nt s l i n k s t o i nd i v i d ua l chapt er s . A ls o s e e Ma rket place.unl.edu to order dow n loadable or print copy.)

P yrethroid insect icides also ca n have det r i ment a l ef fe c t s on a ny b e ne f i c i a l i ns e c t s present.

Resources n Integrated Pest Ma nagement of A l fa l fa Weev il i n Nor t h Da ko t a ( E16 76 ), by Pat r ick B . B e a u z a y, J a n e t J .

K nodel, G.A .S.M. Gane hiarachchi, 2013. NSDU Extension Ser vice, Fargo, ND. n Y ield Responses of a l f a l f a t o S i mu lat ed A l f a l f a We e v i l I n j u r y and Development of Economic Injur y L evels

by R . K . D. Pet er son , S.D. Danielson and L .G. Higley, 1993. Agronomy Jour na l 8 5 : 595 - 6 01; view abstract.

T homas Hunt, E x ten sion Entomologist Bob Wright, Extension Entomologist Keith Jarvi, Extension Educator in Dakota, Dixon, and Thurston Counties Michael Rethwisch, Extension Educator in Butler County

Farming sucks sometimes You know farming sucks sometimes. It really does.

Doesn’t matter if you’ve been farming all your life or are just now doing it, it sucks sometimes. As a farmer you are entrusted with the care and stewardship of the soil, or the plants, of the animals, etc. You toil and sweat. You work and you work. And you work and you work. Hard work is a part of farming.

Farming sucks sometimes.

You not only have sweat equity, but you invest emotionally in your farm. As the steward you have to care about what you are farming.

Whether its plants, animals or whatever you are farming.

You care, you worry, you laugh and you cry. It matters, deeply. A n investment of emotion far outweighs any other investment. Farming sucks sometimes.

I hate losing animals. I don’t care if it is a day old chick or an 8-year-old Guernsey. I can’t stand it. My fault, nobody’s fault, I hate it. Hindsights always 20-20. Coulda shoulda woulda’s don’t matter to that animal that relied on you for support, for guidance, for fixing whatever the hell was wrong with it. They

don’t care whats wrong, just fix it. Make it better. And when you can’t and when you lose that animal, well farming sucks sometimes.

I had t he s e t hou ght s throughout an ordeal we experienced at Darby Springs Farm this past week, and after burying one of our ma ma cows. Merci f ul ly she finally passed away and was no longer in pain. As I walked back to the house late last night, recounting everything that had led to this moment of goodbye, I couldn’t help but think that farming sucks sometimes.

I hate death, and I hate it even more when it’s something that I feel could have been controlled, could have been changed. If only this, or if only that. Hindsight is always 20 -20. Coulda Should Woulda. Farming Sucks sometimes.

As I neared the treeline, and the house, I realized I had baby chicks that needed feeding, so the promise was still there, so sometimes it doesn’t. I’m sorry Eva, Goodbye Eva. — at Darby Springs Farm.

William A. Powers Ceresco, Nebraska

Make best use of water when growing alfalfa Alfalfa can use a lot of water. With less irrigation water available, you may not be able to fully irrigate all your alfalfa acres. So how do you make best use of the water available?

Alfalfa uses water most efficiently during spring growth, requiring only four to five acre inches per ton of hay.

By mid-summer, though, it takes seven or eight inches to produce the same ton of hay.

By fall, that may drop back to 5 or 6 inches per ton.

To maximize yield with limited water, produce as much y ield a s p os sible during the first cutting or two, when water use efficiency is highest. This could mean irrigating even before first cutting if rainfall is sparse during spring.

What if you won’t receive any water until after first cutting? Irrigate as soon as you get water if it will increase yield enough during second

cutting. Avoid irrigating alfalfa in the heat of summer when water use efficiency is reduced, and then apply most of what is left after temperatures cool down later this year. You might want to modify timing a little, though, to avoid having hay ready to cut near the end of September while it is winterizing.

I f you must decide on spreading water l ight ly across all acres or using heavier rates on fewer acres, I recommend heavier rates on fewer acres. The first couple inches you apply just keep plants green without growing. Once this maintenance moisture is met, the rest of the irrigation produces growth.

Whatever you decide, be sure to prioritize your best land for irrigation because that’s where plants will respond best to extra water.

Bruce Anderson Extension forage specialist

Star-Herald

Farm & Ranch

Week of May 3, 2015 5

Bridgeport High School ag students learn about beef production See accompanying story on Page 1

TOP: Cassie Lapaseotes, back to camera, provided a tour of the Lapaseotes cow/calf operation and feedlot at Bridgeport. As the first steps in the beef production process, this was the first stop in the day-long tour.

LEFT: Denny Hogeland of KDK Meats at Bridgeport explains the meat processing business to students during the final stop of the day. Denny and Karma Hogeland had invited the students to visit their operation.

BELOW RIGHT: Platte Valley Livestock in Gering was included in the beef production tour made last week by students from Bridgeport High School.

Community businesses volunteered to host the group as part of their ag education and FFA experience.

BELOW LEFT: Students got a close look at KDK Meats processing and packaging facilities as host Denny Hogeland gave them a tour Monday.

Courtesy photos

MINATARE, NEBRASKA 308-783-2131

Farm & Ranch

6 Week of May 3, 2015

Star-Herald

UNL Panhandle feedlot expansion enhanced research

By SANDRA HANSEN Ag Editor

In June 2003, the UNL Panhandle Research and Extension Center initiated an expansion project to construct 60 new updated feeding pens.

They are the core of a state-of-the-art research feedlot that conducts cutting-edge research, with a goal of enhancing the profitability of cattle feeding on the High Plains.

New equipment, including a new feed truck that provides accurate weighing and feed delivery, was also part of the improvements.

Expanded grain storage and a new electronic ID system were also part of the million dollar effort.

Photo by Sandra Hansen

LEFT: Ivan Rush, left, retired UNL livestock specialist, visits with Ronnie Green, Harlan vice chancellor of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at he University of Nebraska-Lincoln and vice president for agriculture and natural resources for the NU system, during a Panhandle tour earlier this year. Before his retirement, Rush was instrumental in developing the expanded Panhandle Research and Extension Center Feedlot about 10 years ago.

Courtesy photos

TOP: The new facility at the UNL Panhandle research feedlot north of Scottsbluff, contains offices, a storage area and state-of-the-art area to process cattle.

ABOVE RIGHT: A list of donors who made the 2006 expansion of the Panhandle Research Feedlot possible welcomes visitors to the facility on Experiment Farm Road north of Scottsbluff. The 61 pens have a capacity of 1,500 head.

ABOVE LEFT: Uniform size and layout of the additional 61 research pens make for more accurate results.

Feed and water consumption can be measured on an individual basis if needed. A total 102 pens are available.

NIELSEN PERSONAL PROPERTY

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SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2015 • 9:30 AM MT

LOCATION: SOUTHWEST MORRILL COUNTY, NE. FROM BRIDGEPORT, NE., 18 MILES SOUTH AND WEST ON HIWAY #88, OR 17 MILES SOUTH OF GERING, NE., ON HIWAY #71 TO JUNCTION WITH HIWAY #88 EAST, THEN 17 MILES EAST ON HIGHWAY #88.

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UPCOMING AUCTIONS SATURDAY MAY 9TH: Rex & Kim Nielsen Southwest Morrill County Personal Property Auction. IH TD9 Crawler, Large Rock Collection, Lapidary Equipment, Lots of Interesting Collectible Items.

WEDNESDAY MAY 20TH: LeRoy Cundall Personal Property Auction in Bayard. Evening Sale.

SATURDAY MAY 30TH: Personal Property Auction Including 2 Tractors, Some Equipment, Collectible Items & More.

SATURDAY JUNE 13TH: Dr. Milton L. Green & Lucille Green Estates Personal Property at Event Center at Scotts Bluff County Fairgrounds in Mitchell.

3 GENERATIONS OF ITEMS-ROCKS, IH CRAWLER, COLLECTIBLES ROCKS, MINERALS AND CRYSTALS: PETRIFIED WOOD FROM: Dubois, Blue Forest, & Powder River, Wyo., Parker, Co., Escalante, UT., Jackpot, Nev., Palm Wood, TX., and Montana*Montana, Laramie Peak & Eye Agate* Wyoming Stromatolite & Turritella Agate, Grey’s Quarry Calcite & Quartz, Guernsey & Bass Agate* Arizona Fire Agate*Utah Dugway Geodes & Dino Dung* Agate Including Lysite, India Black Skin, Nebr. Blue, Prairie, Obsidian* Also: Youngite, Misc. Tumbling Rock & Agate, Rough Rock & Some Fossils* POLISHED ROCK: Many Flats of Agate Slabs & Specimens From US & Mexico*Petrified Wood From Wyoming & Nevada*Many Other Rocks & Minerals Plus Indian Artifacts-This Is A Partial Listing* LAPIDARY EQUIP: Androc Model ARX78 Rotary Lap Polisher* Highland Park Model E50 8” Wheel Rock Grinder*Hustler 10 Vibrating Lap* Lortone Rock Saw* 24” Rock Saw* CRAWLER, CAR, MOTORCYCLES: 1940’s Int TD9 Crawler w/ Blade-Gas Pony Motor, Diesel Engine, Shedded. Hasn’t Run Since Parked 15-20 Years Back* 1987 Chrysler 5th Avenue 4 Door-82,000 Miles, Rough* MF #10 Riding Mower w/Deck* 1960’s Benelli 1125L Motorcycle* Kawasaki 125 Motorcycle*Other Motorcycles* Holsclaw Motor Cycle Trailer* Rototiller* Jet Pump Pipe* Ford Ind. Flat Head 6 Engine* UNIQUE & COLLECTIBLE: Wincharger Generator, Governor & Tail* Antique Forge* Oak Short Drawer File* School Desk*JD 1-A Corn Sheller* Pedal Grinder*Leaded Glass Windows* Library Table* 5’ Pew*Antique Furniture*Curio Cabinets*China Hutch* Roll Top Desk* Tin Tractor Seats* Cream Cans*License Plates*Egg Crates*Lamps* Scales* Antique Car Parts*Glassware, Crocks & Pottery* MISC: GM Straight 8 Engine*Transmissions* 500 Gal. Propane Tank*JD Horse Drawn Cultivator*Belt Drive Buzz Saw*Old Post Hole Digger*10’ Auto Gate* Set of Cabinets*Lots of Household Items* PLEASE NOTE: THERE ARE SEVERAL SHEDS FULL OF ITEMS THAT COULD NOT BE SEEN FOR LISTING. MANY INTERESTING ITEMS WILL BE DISCOVERED BY SALE DAY. TERMS: Cash or good check the day of sale. No Credit Cards. Nothing removed before payment. State sales tax applies. Not responsible for accidents, or lost items. All items sold in “as is” condition. Announcements the day of sale take precedence. Driver’s license required to register for bidder number. PICTURES & LIST ON WEBSITE.

REX & KIM NIELSEN-OWNERS

If you are planning a personal property auction of any type, call Helberg and Nuss Auctions & Realty. We would appreciate the opportunity to talk to you about your sale plans.

Mike Nuss 783-2468

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Licensed In Nebraska & Wyoming Nebraska State Auctioneer Champions in 1995 & 2008

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Don Helberg 631-0527

1145 M Street, Gering, NE 69341 • 308-436-4056 www.helbergnussauction.com

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Nebraska State Auctioneer Champions in 1995 & 2008 Mike Nuss 783-2468

1145 M Street, Gering, NE 69341 • 308-436-4056 www.helbergnussauction.com

Don Helberg 631-0527

Farm & Ranch

Star-Herald

Week of May 3, 2015 7

Meat of the matter: Of rats and mice and cattle the animal rights movement: medical research using mice, rats, cats, dogs and primates. t’s never easy countering Few people other than wildactivists who hate everyone eyed crazies pretend that mice and everything involved with and rats deserve protection, the industry. But a new research although certain experiments project provides an effective involving monkeys and toxic antidote to their constant critimaterials testing on rabbits cism. have generated serious outrage Three issues favored by and backlash. activists opposed to livestock Which is troubling, because production and meat-eating rep- such opposition obscures and resent serious “soft spots” for denigrates serious studies those involved in the industry aimed at developing life-saving and those who are tasked with therapies, projects that require promoting its operations and its biological systems with which products. to identify and refine potential One is the environmental drug therapies. Particularly impact of raising food animals. with various types of cancer, That’s been discussed at length these drug therapies simply in this space and certainly repcannot be conducted with the resents an ongoing challenge animal rights advocated mythidealing with both real and percal “computer modeling,” which ceived problems associated with they always pretend is a peranimal agriculture. fectly suitable replacement for Another is the steady flow of using lab animals. scientific studies that purport to You don’t run some computer assign various levels of health software program projecting risks for the development of the effects of powerful, highly heart disease, cancer and diatoxic pharmaceuticals on both betes to “heavy” meat eaters, tumor growth and on actual versus those who eat little or no human beings, and then tell onmeat. The Grand Canyon-sized cologists, “Got your treatment flaws in these types of rethere, ready to go.” rospective, epidemiological It doesn’t work that way, nor studies have also been dissectwould FDA ever approve such ed at length here, although a therapies as being either safe or widespread public perception effective. remains that eating red meat is New approach to cancer not a good idea, health-wise.

The reality is that cancer The third soft spot is animal remains a monumental medical abuse — which, as activists dechallenge. I know that for a fact, fine it, involves everything from having lost a parent, aunts, unveal stalls to canned hunting, cles and other extended family to puppy mills, to what’s often members to various forms of the rolled out as the trump card of disease over the years. Testing

By DAN MURPHY

Drovers CattleNetwork

I

promising new anti-cancer therapies, ones that simply didn’t exist 20 or 30 years ago, depends on the use of “human tumors” grown in mice. How else would you propose to experiment with drugs that, while they might halt the rapid cellular reproduction common in tumors, could literally kill the patient along with the disease?

According to a new project underway at the University of Colorado Cancer Center, when a human tumor is transplanted into a mouse, the mouse immune system must be “knocked down” so that it doesn’t react to the foreign tumor tissue, which would permit the tumor to continue growing.

As noted in the current issue of the clinical journal Oncogene, a new model called XactMice uses human blood stem cells to develop a “humanized” mouse immune system, so that the transplanted human tumor can respond to anti-cancer therapies in a bio-environment similar to real patients.

Now, with a human-like immune system interacting with a human-like tumor in this model, researchers can test anti-cancer therapies in an environment much more akin to that found in real patients. According to the study, this new model may be particularly effective in developing so-called “immunology-based therapies,” which attempt to stimulate an immune system response, rather than conventional drug therapies that target the tumor tissues.

“One of the reasons that

anti-cancer immune therapies have been difficult to develop is that perhaps we haven’t had adequate models,” said Dr. Antonio Jimeno, Ph.D., the paper’s senior author and director of the University of Colorado School of Medicine’s Head and Neck Cancer Clinical Research Program in collaboration with the Gates Center for Regenerative Medicine. “Now we have a model that will enable some of those studies.”

“We essentially did a bone marrow transplant on those mice,” added Dr. Yosef Refaeli, the study’s co-author and a faculty member in the U of C Dermatology Department and the Gates Center. He explained that mice were treated with radiation to knock down their existing blood system, and then stem cells from human cord blood were introduced to regrow the blood system as a human immune system.

“After a few months, the mice became ‘chimeras’ — with human blood cells and hence, a human immune system,” Refaeli said.

The research is in its initial phases, and actual, proven clinical treatments might be years away. So why is this study important? Because it’s a rock-solid refutation of activists rhetoric pounding away against the use of animals in medical research.

Common sense would suggest even to lay people with minimal knowledge of clinical medicine, that it would be a bad idea to rely some computer program that says taking powerful drugs

From These Roots

is fine and dandy — but it’s your loved one who’s going to be the “guinea pig.”

This is cancer we’re talking about. There’s virtually no one alive in American who doesn’t have a friend, family member or loved one who hasn’t been afflicted with this disease. Finding a cure, or at least an effective treatment, for this deadly disease is a cause that has few, if any, opponents.

Research such as Drs. Jimeno and Refaeli are conducting, represents an important, urgently needed initiative in fighting a modern scourge that ruins millions of lives every year. Supporting their work, and that of many other researchers using lab animals in similar experiments, is a two-fer: A chance to silence the critics of using animals in medicine, and an opportunity to undermine the platform that animal activists use to denigrate not just doctors, but ranchers, farmers, feeders, breeders, packers, processors and everyone else involved in producing safe, wholesome, nutritious animal foods for the 95 percent of the public who consumes and enjoys them.

Next time someone starts in with the “horrors” of animal abuse, whether it’s factory farming or lab animals, that would be a good time to reference this new research on humanized mice that just might save the life of someone they care about as much as all those laboratory mice and rats.

Dan Murphy is a food-industry journalist and commentator

National Research Council presents suggestions for sustainable agriculture

By SARAH GONZALEZ With cigars in hand, these young cowboys pose for a photograph at Trager & Kuhn Studio in Crawford.

Further information is unavailable for this picture that is included in The Farm & Ranch Photo Book, which is available at the Legacy of the Plains Museum west of Gering.

If you have photos of people and events from the past that you would like to share with other readers, contact Sandra Hansen, ag editor at the Star-Herald, at 308-632-9049.

Reinvigorating animal agricult ural research is essent ial to sust a inably addressing the global challenge of food security, according to a report issued by a Nat iona l Resea rch Council committee, part of the National Academies of Sciences.

The report, The Critical Role of A nima l S cience Research in Food Security and Sustainability, argues t hat a nima l ag r icult ure faces many sustainability challenges in meeting global food demand, namely, in three areas of sustainability: environment, economic, and social. “ W hatever the def ini tion of sustainability and however it is applied to animal agriculture, a key to ensuring a sustainable food system is a holistic systems approach,” the report says.

The Network for Emerging L eaders in Sust a in ability launched the report earlier this month at the National Academy of Sciences Building.

Courtesy photo Global demand for f a r m e d a n i m a l p r ot e i n i s a nt i c i p a t e d t o ne a r ly double by 2 0 5 0. T he United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that there will be a 73 percent increase in meat and egg consumption and a 58 percent increase ability of food, fiber and fuel in dairy consumption over production. The alliance is comprised of more than 70 members representing all facets of the U.S. agricultural supply chain, with member companies employing more than 3.9 million Saturday, May 9th people and representing Starting at 10:00 AM combined revenues of more than $1.3 trillion. For more The Fort Casper Building @The Wyoming State information, visit http:// Fairgrounds, Douglas, WY www.fieldtomarket.org.

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Nebraska Extension joins Field to Market manage natural resources, increase productivity and strengthen their bottom line, and they will play a critical role in helping the agricultural system meet future food, fiber and fuel ne e ds i n a s us t a i n a bl e ma nner,” sa id Rod Snyder, president of Field to Market. “We are pleased to welcome Nebraska Extension to the alliance and look for ward to working together to help producers identify opportunities for

continuous improvement in both productivity and environmental quality.”

Field to Market brings together a diverse group of grower organizations ; agribusinesses; food, beverage, restaurant and retail companies; conservation groups ; universities and public-sector partners to focus on defining, measuring and advancing the sustain-

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LINCOLN — Nebraska Extension has announced that it has joined Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture, a multi-stakeholder initiative working to foster improvements in productivity, environmental quality and human well-being across the agricultural supply chain.

“Meeting the challenge of doubling agricultural output without further pressuring already-stressed water and land resources largely depends on significantly improved efficiency in agriculture and food systems,” said Chuck Hibberd, dean and director for Nebraska E x t ens ion . “ B y j oi n i n g Field to Market, we look forward to contributing our expertise to their efforts to advance the sustainability of commodity crop production.”

Field to Market’s membership of grower organizations, leading companies, academ ia , conser vat ion g roup s a nd publ ic s e c tor pa r t ners prov ides a plat form that unites the agricultural supply chain in defining, measuring and advancing the sustainability of food, fiber and fuel production.

“Land-grant institutions h a ve a l o n g h i s t o r y o f partnering with farmers to

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2011 levels worldwide by 2050.

A mong its recommendat ions , t he com m it tee that published the report says the recently created Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research, authorized by the 2014 Farm B i l l , s hou l d work w it h USDA to develop a U.S. Animal Science Strategic Plan or Roadmap for capacity building purposes that covers planning from 2014 to 2050.

A lso, t he rep or t s ays engaging social scientists a nd resea rchers f rom other relevant disciplines should be a prerequisite for securing grant funding for integrated animal science resea rch projects, such as the National Institute of Food and A griculture Coordinated Agricultural Project.

Research in animal agriculture should continue to develop the field’s understanding of nutrient metabolism and utilization in farmed animals and the affects of those nutrients on gene expression, the report says. Research must also focus on alternative feed ingredients, which may be inedible to humans, but could be used to reduce the cost of animal protein production and the industry’s environmental footprint.

Also, USDA should carry out an animal welfare research prioritization process, the report adds.

See pics at www.timstrickerauctions.com VEHICLE: 2000 Buick Park Avenue, 4-dr, leather seats, 89295 mi, 3800 v6 engine.

FURNITURE/HOUSEHOLD: 20 cf chest freezer, hide-a-bed couch, glider rocker w/ottoman, small drop-leaf kitchen table, 4 vintage kitchen chairs, vintage bedroom set w/hdbd/dresser/ chest, white metal daybed w/mattress, wood 2-fr file cabinet, lamps, Hoover Runabout vac, Kirby vac, Singer sew machine, Lifetime Super Delux portable sew machine, wood plant stand, Holmes humidifier, Oreck iron, Oreck steam cleaner, 27” tv w/ stand, usual assortment kitchenware, bedding, linens. SHOP/ YARD: Toro elec snow blower, charcoal grill, lawn/garden tools, Craftsman string trimmer, Troybuilt 220 self-prop lawnmower w/bag, Porta Heat space heater, patio loungers/chairs, step ladders, 22’ & 14’ alum ext ladders. Other misc items packed in boxes and not seen.

TERMS: Cash or check day of sale. No property to be removed until paid. Announcements sale day take precedence over prior advertising. Not responsible for accidents or lost purchases.

Merchandise sold as is. Photo ID requested if unknown to us. Lunch available on premises.

Auction Conducted for Shirley Larive

TM

HUGE Gun, Ammunition & Outdoor Enthusiast

Auction

Telescopic bolt .243 * Browning Medallion 7mm -.08 * Weatherby Mark V .270 Weatherby Mag * Rugar M77 Mark II * Winchester All weather stainless .338 Win Mag * Browning A-bolt .25 WSSM * Remington, Custom 700 BDL Boone & Crockett .300 Win Mag * Stag Arms AR-15 .223 * Browning A-bolt Medallion .25-.06 * Sako #5 All Weather .300 Ultra Mag * Browning BAR Safari .270 Winchester * Browning BLR 7mm Mag * Stevens 1915 .32 Long * Winchester 90 Takedown 3rd model .22 short slide * Kimber Classic 8400 .270 WSM * Rugar #1 Tropical .416 Rigby * Tikka 695 .338 Win Mag * Kimber 8400 Montana .300 WSM * Browning BAR Belgian Safari .300 Win Mag * Marlin, 1894 flip-up globe bead .25-.20 * Kimber Oregon 82 (target) .22 LR Govt. * Browning BAR Mark II Belgian Safari .270 * CZ 550 .416 Rigby * CZ 550 Safari Classic .375 H&H Ammunition, Knives, Fishing, Misc.* Scopes: Rifle & Pistol * Binoculars* Gun Scabbards * Ammunition-many calibers (approx. 800 boxes)* Empty Army ammo boxes (metal- approx. 100) * Variety of Knives varying from long to short * Fishing poles (approx. 24) incl. some bamboo flyrods* 15 Fishing boxes w/lures * 105-yr. old WYO Brand* 19 Saddles including some nice kids saddles * Woodburning stoves * Oak church bench from 1890* Complete Lionel Train set* Horse bits * Saddle Racks * Animal traps * Wood-burning stoves * Oak church bench from 1890* Rawhide & leather lamp shades* Misc. tools * Utilitarian rope – various sizes/types * Framed pictures * Antlers

Marker Ag

McNamee Auction Co., LLC.

718 21ST Ave., Scottsbluff 308-633-1057

307-532-4976 OR 307-534-5156

6465 CR 39, Torrington, WY

Ty & Kerry Marker

(308) 631-7134

www.mcnameeauctioncompany.com.

Farm & Ranch

8 Week of May 3, 2015

Star-Herald

“On the Ditchbank” ­­-­- Opinions about Ag Issues

Fresh-produce growers learn ways to prevent food-borne illnesses LARAMIE, Wyo. — Fresh produce growers learned ways to reduce food safety risks and qualify for Good Agricultural Practices certification at a workshop during the annual Wyoming Farmers Marketing Association meeting last month in Casper, Wyoming, according to Cole Ehmke, University of Wyoming Extension specialist.

Ehmke said 48 million Americans, or one in six, get sick from foodborne illnesses every year. That statistic prompted the Food Safety Modernization Act, which requires farmers to take preventative measures against food safety risks once the Food and Drug Administration finalizes rules to enforce the law.

Illness-causing pathogens, such as salmonella and E. coli, come from a variety of sources. The most common source is fecal matter, Ehmke said, which can be spread by water, wildlife, waste and workers.

Simple steps like hand washing, using clean equipment and keeping wildlife away — things many farmers already do — can reduce contamination. What’s more difficult is keeping the records to prove it, which FSMA will require, said Ehmke.

Documenting food safety efforts is required if farmers want GAPs certification. GAPs are market-driven, voluntary practices farmers can implement to reduce food safety risks, Ehmke said.

Purchasers of fresh produce such as restaurants, retail stores and institutions (like schools, care facilities and prisons) may require GAPs certification or at least a written Farm Food Safety Plan.

Growers passing a GAPs audit — an on-farm inspection part of the certification process – will likely comply with FSMA rules, too, Ehmke said.

Week in Review A DAY ON WALL STREET May 1, 2015

19,000

Dow Jones industrials

18,000 17,000

183.54

18,024.06

N

D

Pct. change from previous: 1.03%

J

F

M

High 18,028.89

A

16,000 M

Low 17,859.27

May 1, 2015

Nasdaq composite 63.97

5,005.39

N

D

Pct. change from previous: 1.29%

J

F

M

A

M

5,200 5,000 4,800 4,600 4,400 4,200

High 5,005.39 Low 4,962.74

May 1, 2015

2,200

Standard & Poor’s 500

2,100 2,000

22.78

1,900

2,108.29

N

D

Pct. change from previous: 1.09%

J

F

M

High 2,108.41

A

M

1,800

“There is a cost for the auditing process, but the certification provides a point of distinction from other producers,” he said. “At this point in time, producers with annual sales of $25,000 or less are not required to be audited. But it is most certainly to their advantage to follow GAPs practices to produce their products in ways that reduce the risk of food-borne illnesses.”

Establishing a food safety plan and designating someone to oversee it is a good idea, Ehmke said. The plan identifies the policies and practices on the farm and should be enforced, even for visitors.

“A food safety plan is an opportunity for ag producers to identify the food safety risks on their farms and the common sense methods they’ll use to reduce them,” he said. “Cleaning things regularly and well is central.”

Elizabeth Killinger, a GAPs trainer with Nebraska Extension, said, “Farmers need to provide adequate restroom facilities for workers and keep them clean and stocked with supplies. Proper hand washing is a big step toward preventing illness.”

Farm operators also need to be familiar with symptoms of foodborne illnesses. If a worker is sick, they should be sent home, or at least given a task that can be done without touching produce.

“Farmers do many of these things already,” Killinger said. “If they are required to have GAPs certification, then they just need to get organized and document all of it. This will mean changing a few things for some producers, like in the timing of when they apply compost or how often they test their water for contagions.”

Many producers use manure to fertilize crops and improve soil, but they must be careful. FSMA and GAPs allow untreated manure on soil

Low 2,087.38

Livestock

AP

Futures H Regional markets

Closing stock quotations provided by Wells Fargo Advisors LLC for Friday, May 1, 2015.

New York Stock Exchange Firm Cls Becton Dickinson & Co. 142.19 Berkshire Hathaway 143.36 Cabela’s Inc 54.17 Avis Budget Group Inc 55.33 Conagra Foods Inc 36.56 Clean Harbors Inc. 56.16 Centurylink Inc. 36.14 Eaton Corp PLC (Ireland) 70.52 HewlettPackard Co 33.80 JP Morgan Chase & Co 63.61 Kinder Morgan Inc (Delaware) 43.13 PHH Corporation 25.16 Pinnacle West Cap Corp 60.48 Sprint Corp 5.22

Chg +1.32 +2.15 +1.43 +1.19 +.41 +.91 +.18 +1.79 +.83 +.35 +.18 +.04 -.72 +.09

H Torrington cattle Torrington, WY

CHICAGO (AP) — Futures trading on the Chicago Board of Trade Fri.:

Open High Low Settle C hg.

WHEAT

5,000 bu minimum; cents per bushel May 469½ 472¼ 465¼ 470 +3 Jul 476 479¼ 468¼ 474

Sep 482½ 488½ 477¼ 482¾ -1 Dec 502¼ 506¼ 494¾ 500¾ -1½ Mar 520 523¼ 512 518 -2 May 532¼ 532¼ 524 529½ -1½ Jul 531¼ 534½ 528 533 -1½ Sep 542¾ 542¾ 541½ 541½ -1¼ Dec 553¾ 560¼ 553¾ 556½ -3¾ Mar 569½ 569½ 565½ 565½ -4 May 572 572 568 568 -4 Jul 552½ 552½ 548½ 548½ -4 Est. sales 85,399.

Thu.’s sales 115,257 Thu.’s open int 444,295, up 2,051 CORN

5,000 bu minimum; cents per bushel May 362½ 363 357½ 359¾ -2¾ Jul 366 366½ 360¾ 363 -3¼ Sep 372¾ 373 367½ 369¾ -3 Dec 383¼ 383¾ 378 380¼ -3¼ Mar 394¾ 394¾ 389¼ 391½ -3¼ May 401¾ 402½ 397 399¼ -3¼ Jul 408¾ 409¼ 403¾ 406¼ -3 Sep 402¼ 402¾ 400¼ 402¾ -2¼ Dec 403¾ 404½ 400 402¼ -2 Mar 411 414 409¾ 412 -2 May 417¾ 421 417¾ 419 -2 Jul 422 424½ 422 422¼ -2¼ Sep 417 417 414¾ 414¾ -2¼ Dec 411¾ 411¾ 409½ 409½ -2¼ Jul 429 429 426¾ 426¾ -2¼ Dec 402¾ 402¾ 400½ 400½ -2¼ Est. sales 234,641. Thu.’s sales 361,050 Thu.’s open int 1,293,196

H Kansas City wheat

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Wheat futures on the Kansas City Board of Trade Fri:

Open High Low Settle Chg. WHEAT 5,000 bu minimum; cents per bushel May 490¼ 494½ 488½ 493¼ +3 Jul 500¾ 505 495½ 500½ +1½ Sep 509¼ 514 505¾ 510½ +1¼ Dec 529¾ 533 525 530 +1½ Mar 543½ 545¼ 538¼ 543¼ +1¾ May 548½ 552 547 552 +2 Jul 552¾ 557½ 552¾ 557½ +1½ Sep 567 568½ 567 568½ +1½

USDA- WY Dept of Ag Market News

Receipts: 1140 Week Ago: 450 Year Ago: 1245

Compared to last Friday: Slaughter Cows 2.00-3.00 higher; Feeder Cows 3.00-5.00 higher. Slaughter Bulls 2.00-3.00 higher; Demand good. Supply included 15 percent slaughter cows and bulls; 30 percent feeder cows and 55 percent bred cows & pairs.

Slaughter Cows: Pct Lean Weight Avg Dressing High Dressing Low Dressing Breakers 75-80 1350-1800 109.00-117.00 Boners 80-85 1000-1650 111.00-122.50 123.00-130.00 106.00-110.50 Lean 85-90 950-1350 101.00-111.00 114.00-116.00 Slaughter Bulls: Yield Grade 1-2 1300-2500 lb 137.00-148.00; low dressing 127.00-131.00.

Feeder Cows: Medium and Large 1: Heifers 850-950 lb 196.00-217.00; Heiferettes 850-1250 lb 175.00-187.00, fleshy 159.00-165.00; Young 950-1200 lb 147.50170.00, few 132.50-142.00; Aged to Middle Aged average condition 1050-1650 lb 113.00-124.00, few 125.00-129.00, full 108.00-112.50; fleshy 108.00-117.00; thin 107.00-115.00

Futures H Chicago grain futures

Fri May 1, 2015

Feeder Cattle Weighted Average Report for 05/01/15 Torrington Livestock Commission Co.

Supervalu Inc 8.84 +.05 Target Corporation 79.65 +.82 US Bancorp New 42.91 +.04 United Parcel Svc Inc 101.38 +.85 Vodafone Group PLC 34.93 -.27 Wendy’s Company 10.15 +.03 Windstream Holdings Inc 11.52 -.16 Wyndham Worldwide Corp 86.50 +1.10 Over the counter Cls Chg Advanced Energy Inds Inc 25.47 +1.01 Apple Inc 128.95 +3.80 Comcast Corp New 58.41 +.65 Fastenal Co 42.84 +.22 Level 3 Communications Inc New 55.71 -.23 Oracle Corporation 44.37 +.75 Risk George Inds Inc 8.35 +.05 Staples Inc 16.51 +.19 Telemetrix Inc .01 — WalMart DE Mexico 23.42 -.04 Yahoo! Inc 42.51 -.06

Bred Cows: Medium-Large 1: (Tested for Age, Pregnancy and Bangs vaccination) Per Head Basis: Medium and Large 1: Mostly summer to fall calvers.

Dec 580½ 582 580½ 582 +1½ Mar 582¾ 584¼ 582¾ 584¼ +1½ May 582¾ 584¼ 582¾ 584¼ +1½ Jul 554½ 556 554½ 556 +1½ Est. sales 22,420.

Thu.’s sales 27,603 Thu.’s open int 164,851, up 473

Heifers

980-1150 lb

2250.00-2650.00

Young

825-1400 lb

2025.00-2400.00

Middle Aged

1175-1225 lb

2050.00-2400.00

Aged short solid

1325-1500 lb

2125.00-2200.00

Aged Short term

H Chicago meat futures

CHICAGO (AP) — Futures trading on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Fri:

Open High Low Settle Chg. CATTLE 40,000 lbs.; cents per lb.

Jun 149.50 150.55 148.40 149.17 -.53 Aug 147.90 148.90 146.90 147.82 -.28 Oct 149.47 150.57 148.62 149.60 -.07 Dec 150.22 151.45 149.70 150.67 +.20 Feb 150.35 151.22 149.85 150.80 +.30 Apr 149.50 150.30 149.10 149.77 -.03 Jun 143.45 143.60 142.75 143.60 +.08 Aug 141.50 141.50 141.00 141.05 -.45 Oct 142.05 -.45 Est. sales 86,795.

Thu.’s sales 52,052 Thu.’s open int 276,099 FEEDER CATTLE 50,000 lbs.; cents per lb.

May 213.35 214.77 212.05 213.62 +.65 Aug 214.70 216.30 213.50 215.07 +.37 Sep 214.12 215.57 213.00 214.70 +.78 Oct 213.45 214.80 212.40 213.77 +.52 Nov 212.00 213.80 211.22 213.22 +1.15 Jan 206.90 207.25 205.55 206.67 +1.12 Mar 205.42 205.42 203.52 205.10 +.95 Apr 202.50 203.22 202.50 203.22 +.77 Est. sales 13,542.

Thu.’s sales 10,479 Thu.’s open int 39,207, up 835 HOGS,LEAN 40,000 lbs.; cents per lb.

May 77.45 77.92 75.97 76.00 -.95 Jun 81.95 81.95 80.75 81.25 -.17 Jul 83.00 83.07 81.70 82.05 -.47 Aug 82.77 82.90 81.77 81.97 -.40 Oct 72.65 72.67 71.87 72.37 +.50 Dec 69.10 69.40 68.65 69.30 +.65 Feb 71.12 71.40 70.87 71.35 +.48 Apr 73.22 73.42 73.00 73.40 +.58 May 77.25 +.05 Jun 79.60 79.65 79.55 79.65 +.33 Jul 77.80 77.80 77.80 77.80 -.07 Aug 76.20 -.07 Est. sales 57,747.

Thu.’s sales 57,986 Thu.’s open int 222,835, up 1,350 PORK BELLIES 40,000 lbs.; cents per lb.

No open contracts.

before planting, but it’s better to treat it, she said. Manure can be passively treated by letting it sit in a pile for six months. It can also be actively treated, or composted, by turning the pile periodically over a 45- to 60-day period.

Composted manure can be applied at any time as long as it is composted properly and meets FSMA microbial standards. More caution must be taken with passively treated or raw manure.

“It will still have some pathogens in it, so avoid using it for root or leafy crops or apply it at least 120 days prior to harvest,” Killinger said. “For other crops whose edible portion doesn’t come into direct contact with the soil, it’s safe to apply it 90 days before harvest.”

Sometimes, manure arrives on a farm unintentionally due to wild animals. To be GAPs certified, growers need to make an effort to keep animals away, such as installing an electric fence, noise cannons or traps.

“Following GAPs doesn’t mean complete elimination of these problems,” she said. “It’s about taking preventative measures.”

Before harvesting, growers should check if there’s evidence of animals or workers not complying with hygiene rules. If so, they shouldn’t harvest the crops in affected areas, Killinger said.

While packing produce, Killinger suggests labeling boxes with the farm’s name, a field number and the date. Traceability is critical in case of an outbreak and a recall, she said.

This training was provided by UW Extension, the Wyoming Department of Agriculture and University of Nebraska Extension using funding from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service Specialty Crops Program.

More trainings are planned next winter.

1275-1325 lb

1950.00-2050.00

Cow/Calf Pairs: Medium-Large 1: Young 1200 lb/150 lb calves 2600.00; Middle Aged 1350 lb/2000 lb calves 2650.00; Aged short solid to short term 1325-1525 lb/140175 lb 2025.00-2450.00.

Baby Calves: Per Head: 60-150 lb 460.00-585.00, 190 lb 900 Feeder Steers Medium and Large 1 Head Wt Range Avg Wt Price Range Avg Price 7 589 589 269.00 269.00 Feeder Heifers Medium and Large 1 Head Wt Range Avg Wt Price Range Avg Price 18 610 610 240.00 240.00 Feeder Heifers Medium 1 Head Wt Range Avg Wt Price Range Avg Price 5 538 538 246.00 246.00 Source: USDA- WY Dept of Ag Market News Service, Torrington, WY (307)532-4146 24 Hour recorded market information 307-532-7200 Office e-mail: TorringtonWy-LPSMNLS@ams.usda.gov www.ams.usda.gov/mnreports/TO_LS752.txt

Mon Apr 27, 2015

USDA Market News

NEBRASKA WEEKLY WEIGHTED AVERAGE CATTLE REPORT - NEGOTIATED PURCHASES (Includes all transactions regardless of delivery day) For Week Ending Sunday, 4/26/2015 Confirmed:

36,488

Last Week:

25,818

Last Year:

LIVE FOB BASIS - Beef Breeds Head Weight Wtd Avg Price Count Range Weight Range

29,299

Wtd Avg Price STEERS Over 80% Choice 3,496 1,325-1,600 1,494 157.00-161.00 159.77 65 - 80% Choice 6,578 1,250-1,450 1,376 157.50-161.00 159.93 35 - 65% Choice 1,566 1,325-1,450 1,363 157.50-160.00 158.63 0 - 35% Choice Total all grades 11,640 1,250-1,600 1,410 157.00-161.00 159.71 HEIFERS Over 80% Choice 2,458 1,170-1,435 1,326 156.50-160.50 159.83 65 - 80% Choice 2,129 1,150-1,365 1,253 157.00-160.50 160.01 35 - 65% Choice 863 1,100-1,300 1,153 157.50-160.00 158.32 0 - 35% Choice Total all grades 5,450 1,100-1,435 1,270 156.50-160.50 159.66 DRESSED DELIVERED BASIS - Beef Breeds

STEERS Over 80% Choice 65 - 80% Choice 35 - 65% Choice 0 - 35% Choice Total all grades HEIFERS Over 80% Choice 65 - 80% Choice 35 - 65% Choice 0 - 35% Choice Total all grades

STEERS Over 80% Choice 65 - 80% Choice 35 - 65% Choice 0 - 35% Choice Total all grades HEIFERS Over 80% Choice 65 - 80% Choice 35 - 65% Choice 0 - 35% Choice Total all grades

Head Count

Weight Range

2,700 5,540 837 9,077 1,698 2,198 146 4,042

Wtd Avg Weight

Price Range

Wtd Avg Price

838-983 934 252.00-260.00 254.47 812-950 893 253.00-260.00 256.21 802-950 838 250.00-260.00 253.44 802-983 900 250.00-260.00 255.44 762-950 876 252.00-260.00 255.33 744-950 861 251.00-260.00 256.69 803-803 803 253.00-253.00 253.00 744-950 865 251.00-260.00 255.98

LIVE DELIVERED BASIS - Beef Breeds Head Weight Wtd Avg Price Wtd Avg Count Range Weight Range Price 167 167

1,490-1,490 1,490 160.50-160.50 160.50 1,490-1,490 1,490 160.50-160.50 160.50

940

1,325-1,370 1,328 158.00-161.50 161.28 1,325-1,370 1,328 158.00-161.50 161.28

940

DRESSED FOB BASIS - Beef Breeds Head Weight Wtd Avg Price Count Range Weight Range 190

190

Wtd Avg Price

835-835 835 252.00-252.00 252.00 835-835 835 252.00-252.00 252.00

-

-

-

-

-

-

WEEKLY ACCUMULATED Head Count Live Steer 11,640 1,409.50 Live Heifer 5,450 1,270.30 Dressed Steer 9,077 900.20 Dressed Heifer 4,042 865.30

Avg Weight $159.71 $159.66 $255.44 $255.98

Avg Price

SAME PERIOD LAST WEEK Head Count Live Steer 529 1,397.20 Live Heifer 798 1,397.20 Dressed Steer 13,170 893.60 Dressed Heifer 4,703 843.40

Avg Weight $160.76 $159.91 $257.02 $256.87

Avg Price

SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR Head Count Avg Weight Live Steer 6,043 1,349.90 $146.99 Live Heifer 2,352 1,255.90 $146.33 Dressed Steer 10,133 882.70 $234.99 Dressed Heifer 3,473 794.90 $235.00

Avg Price

WEEKLY PRICE DISTRIBUTION

H Nebraska Weekly Slaughter Cattle St Joseph, MO

STEERS Over 80% Choice 65 - 80% Choice 35 - 65% Choice 0 - 35% Choice Total all grades HEIFERS Over 80% Choice 65 - 80% Choice 35 - 65% Choice 0 - 35% Choice Total all grades

Live FOB Head Price 40 156.50-156.99 469 157.00-157.49 1,540 157.50-157.99 594 158.00-158.49 0 158.50-158.99 829 159.00-159.49 1,054 159.50-159.99 8,818 160.00-160.49 4,708 160.50-160.99 291 161.00-161.49

Dressed Delivered Head Price 156 250.00-250.49 0 250.50-250.99 190 251.00-251.49 0 251.50-251.99 688 252.00-252.49 0 252.50-252.99 5,863 253.00-253.49 0 253.50-253.99 467 254.00-254.49 0 254.50-254.99 2,127 255.00-255.49 0 255.50-255.99 660 256.00-256.49 0 256.50-256.99 0 257.00-257.49 0 257.50-257.99 148 258.00-258.49 0 258.50-258.99 38 259.00-259.49 0 259.50-259.99 5,377 260.00-260.49

Source: USDA Market News Service, St. Joseph, MO 816-676-7000 email: stjoe.lpgmn@usda.gov www.ams.usda.gov/LSMarketNews

Crops/Hay H Regional produce

Wheat

Corn Crossroads Co-op Crossroads Co-op (Lyman) Crossroads Co-op (Gering) Farmers Co-op (Hemingford) Scoular Grain (Sidney) West Plains (Gering) Panhandle Feeders Frenchman Valley Co-op Yoder Grain Pine Bluffs Feed and Grain Wyoming Ethanol

no quote no quote no quote 3.27 3.31 3.39 call 3.39 no quote 3.25 3.39

Great Northerns Kelley Bean Trinidad Bean Stateline Co-op New Alliance Bean

ask no quote call ask

Pintos Kelley Bean Trinidad Bean Stateline Co-op New Alliance Bean Northern Feed and Bean Co.

Light Reds Kelley Bean Trinidad Bean Navies Kelley Bean Trinidad Bean

ask 24

Black Turtles Kelley Bean Peas Stateline Co-op

ask

call

Millet Farmers Co-op (Hemingford)

call

Crossroads Co-op

call

(Sidney, Gurley, Potter, Lorenzo, Dalton) Frenchman Valley Co-op Pine Bluffs Feed and Grain

24 no quote call ask

call

48 48

3.00 call

Sunflowers Crossroads Co-op (Sidney, Gurley, Potter, Lorenzo, Dalton)

call

Crossroads Co-op

4.41

Crossroads Co-op (Bridgeport, Lyman)

4.41

Farmers Co-op (Hemingford)

4.47

Scoular Grain (Sidney)

4.55

West Plains (Gering)

4.47

Frenchman Valley Co-op

4.47

Yoder Grain

4.10

New Alliance Bean

4.38

Pine Bluffs Feed and Grain Oshkosh Grain

4.33

4.47

H Hay summary Greeley, CO Thu Apr 30, 2015 Ag Market News

USDA- CO Dept of

Wyoming, Western Nebraska, and Western South Dakota Hay Report Compared to last week: All classes traded steady on very light demand. According to the Wyoming NRCS Snow Surveys, last year at this time the state median was at 121% with a low of 52% and a high of 161%. This year the state median is at 62% with a low of 0% and a high of 111% of median. Spring is still

here with the rains and cool temperatures. Pastures are green and waiting for the cows and calves to mow it down. All prices dollars per ton FOB stack in large square bales and rounds, unless otherwise noted.

Most horse hay sold in small squares. Prices are from the most recent reported sales.

Eastern Wyoming Alfalfa Large Rounds: Fair 125.00 delivered.

No reported quotes for other classes of hay.

Central and Western Wyoming Oat Hay Large Squares: Good 100.00.

No reported quotes for other classes of hay.

Western Nebraska Alfalfa Large Squares: Good 130.00; Fair 85.00.

Ground and delivered: 120.00.

No reported quotes for other classes of hay.

Western South Dakota Alfalfa Large Rounds: Premium Good 85.00-90.00; Fair 60.00; Utility 45.00.

No reported quotes for other classes of hay.

Alfalfa hay guidelines, used with visual appearance and intent of sale: ADF NDF RFV TDN-100% TDN90% CP Supreme <27 <34 >185 >62 >55.9 >22 Premium 27-29 34-36 170-185 60.5-62 54.555.9 20-22 Good 29-32 36-40 150-170 58-60 52.554.5 18-20 Fair 32-35 40-44 130-150 56-58 50.5-52.5 16-18 Utility >35 >44 <130 <56 <50.5 <16 RFV calculated using the Wis/Minn formula. TDN calculated using the western formula. Quantitative factors are approximate and many factors can affect feeding value. Values based on 100 percent dry matter.

Source: USDA-CO Dept of Ag Market News Service, Greeley, CO Jonathan Gittlein 970-353-9750 Greeley.

LGMN@ams.usda.gov www.ams.usda.gov/mnreports/TO_GR310.txt http://marketnews.usda.gov/portal/lg

Star-Herald

Farm & Ranch

Week of May 3, 2015 9

Filet of Beef Total time: 30 minutes Makes 8-10 Servings Ingredients: •4-5 pounds filet of beef, trimmed and tied •2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature •1 tablespoon kosher salt •1 tablespoon fresh coarse ground black pepper Instructions for Filet of Beef (Beef Tenderloin Whole) 1.Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. 2.Place the beef on a sheet pan and pat the outside dry with a paper towel.

3.Spread the butter on with your hands.

4.Sprinkle evenly with the salt and pepper.

5.Roast in the oven for exactly 22 minutes for rare and 25 minutes for medium-rare.

6.Remove the beef from the oven, cover it tightly with aluminum foil, and allow it to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.

7.Remove the strings and slice the fillet thickly.

8.Note: Be sure your oven is very clean or the high temperature will cause it to smoke.

Find more great beef recipes at food.com

By Laura Fagen Drovers CattleNetwork

EXPERIENCE THE DINKLAGE DIFFERENCE

Do you have something to sell?

Call 308-632-9020 for assistance.

FIVE LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU Torrington, WY (307) 532-4094 Sidney, NE Alliance, NE (308) 254-5940 (308) 762-2961 Fort Morgan, CO Proctor, CO (970) 867-4977 (970) 522-8260

Reinke Manufacturing is pleased to welcome Josh Smith and Sean & Janeene Brown, the new owners of Deines Irrigation, to our family of outstanding Reinke irrigation system dealerships.

Deines Irrigation still carries the finest in center pivot parts and equipment, including Reinke Electrogator II™ systems. They are ready to assist you in custom-designing a Reinke irrigation system for your operation’s specific needs.

At Reinke, we know our greatest strength lies in our dealers and their commitment to outstanding service – visit the irrigation professionals at Deines Irrigation today and find out why Reinke and Deines Irrigation are “More Right Than Rain.”

2510 10th Street • Gering, NE 69341 Ph. 308-635-5344 • Email: kdii@nebmail.com www.deinesirrigation.com www.reinke.com

10 Week of May 3, 2015

Farm & Ranch

Star-Herald

Teamwork leads to successful 20 years

By SANDRA HANSEN

Ag Editor

Prior to purchasing Platte Valley Livestock, Jerry Weekes had planned to get out of the cattle business.

Somehow his plans went awry and now, 20 years later, he and his wife, Sally, and their son, Josh, have a successful livestock auction business in Gering. The accomplishment is due, they say, to the people they work with, employees as well as customers. According to Jerry, they all form a sort of family.

A brief halt in the sale gives the crew a chance to catch their breath. From left to right, in front are Jerry Mackin and Josh Weekes. In the box from left, are Jerry Weekes, Steve Flower and Andee Symonds.

Photos by Sandra Hansen CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: Before Monday’s sale starts, owner Jerry Weekes, left, visits with Tye Wallesen, on horseback, and Chester Dye, who also helps on sale day. Weekes says sales that used to take 12-15 hours, can now be accomplished in about half the time because of computers.

BOTTOM RIGHT: Becky Cove r a nd he r faithful mule, Redneck, help move cattle from and to pens during sale day, with the assistance of other yard help like David Davis, who can be found opening and closing gates.

B OT T O M LE F T: S a l l y Weekes, left, Lucy Bernhardt, and Andee Symonds make up the office crew at Platte Valley Livestock.

Their short partner, Pard, keeps an eye on Mondays’ sale day operations.

Sink your teeth into this.

Chairman’s Reserve Aged Angus Premium Beef uses a certification process that ensures every cut of beef meets a strict set of specific quality requirements. This includes characteristics like marbling, texture, maturity and thickness.

You know…the things that make beef the king of the plate.

Chairman’s Reserve – the highest quality cuts available.

Visit your Main Street Market Meat Department for beef that’s ready for the grill or the oven.

Stop in today and explore what we have to offer.

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Drawing to be held on Friday, May 29TH

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