Issue 25 of the Ag Mag by THEAGMAG

Michelle Martin

Owner/Editor michelle@theagmag.org (956) 330-8870

Al Benavides

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

A Letter from the Editor No one is perfect We have all heard that phrase a time or two - or more - and it stands true. No one person in this world is perfect. We all make mistakes, plenty of them. Some mistakes are greater than others, but they are all mistakes. Mistakes are made to happen to help us learn. For example, if a small child were to put his hand on a hot stove and burned his hand, chances are he won’t do it again. Another example, I wrote an article on someone and made a minor mistake - I didn’t include their name. I can promise that won’t happen again. But the important thing was I learned to slow down and not rush things. I bought a dog without telling my husband, that was a mistake too. (trying to add some humor in here - is that a mistake?) A lot of the time people can allow a mistake to control their attitude or stop them from progressing. It is important to recognize that your mistakes do not represent all of who you are, nor do they define you as a person. You’re much more than your situation, your problems or your past mistakes. Sometimes, the mistakes we have made keep us stuck in the mud; we let it wear us down and suck us in. We refuse to move and choose to wallow in them instead of learning from them. I know that if I were to allow my past mistakes to take control of me and determine my future, I would not be where I am today. God has great plans for each of us, but can we receive the blessing if we won’t close a chapter? A lot of us are struggling in a job and would like to move to a new one, but we don’t because we think, “what if it is a mistake?” Some of us are afraid to end a relationship because we think, “what if there is no one else?” A lot of us are afraid to try something new because we think, “what if something goes wrong?” I have made a lot of mistakes in my life, most of which I am definitely not proud of, some even recently. When I look back on my mistakes, I have to program my mind to forgive myself and to move forward; use it as a stepping stone. We are always learning. Learning is part of life. Your best teacher you can have is your most recent mistake. Remember, we are not perfect and we are not flawless. We will mess up. It is just life. It is how you handle the mistakes that builds character, whether that character is positive or negative. I have learned that almost every mistake I have made has molded me into the person I am today. Each mistake I have created (yes, sometimes we create our own mistakes) or encountered has taught me something about myself. Wherever you are in life, know it’s OK to fail and make a mistake. The important thing is to pick yourself up off the floor, brush off those knees, ask God for forgiveness and move on. Failure is the key to success. God died on the cross to forgive us when we make mistakes. We have been forgiven, all we have to do is forgive ourselves. Owner/Creator of AG MAG

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In This Issue: pg 6. Paving the Way for Produce pg.10 Trade Dispute Deals Blow to Sorghum Farmer Profitability pg.12 Valley Farmers Responding to Mexico’s Growing Interest in Truck Corn pg.16 Eat it Today...Chew It Tomorrow... You Have Work To Do. pg.20 Just Another Dry Spell pg.22 Jr. Beefmaster Hosts 34th National Convention pg.26 The Expense of Health and Wellness In Your Herd pg.28 The Valley Land Fund’s Photo Workshop pg.30 Permanent Imprint with Mando Correa pg.34 Michelle’s words - A Letter from the Editor pg.38 North Alamo Water Supply Dedicates New Wastewater Collection System in North Donna pg.44 Blessing of the Fleet pg.48 American Breeds are Right for the Times pg.50 Worse Than Dolly? pg.52 FFA & 4-H 2018 Calendar pg.56 Farm Her – Learning Faith pg.60 Molecular Diagnostics at USDA’s Mission Lab Help Protect U.S. Cotton Programs pg.64 Farm Assistance Focus 2018 pg.68 Soil Testing Basics and Strategy pg.70 A New Generation of Ag pg.72 My Journey West pg.76 Loving The Land Cover Photo provided by the Valley Land Fund’s Youth Nature Photo Contest “Southern Exposures” winner Ryan Mowers, age 18 of Harlingen, Texas Year 5, Issue 26 Sept/Oct 2018. No part of this publication can be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. Ag Mag reserves the right to edit, rewrite or refuse editorial materials and assumes no responsibility for accuracy, errors, omissions or consequence arising from it. All correspondence to the publication become the property of Ag Mag. Ag Mag is published bi-monthly ©2018. To advertise in Ag Mag, call (956) 330-8870 or email michelle@theagmag.org

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Paving the way for

PRODUCE

Throughout his life, Andres Zuniga has taken the leap of faith over and over again. And why not? Each time he leaps, he lands solidly on his feet, prepared for the next opportunity to leap again. 6

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uniga, a third-generation custom broker who specializes in produce, created one of the first cold storage facilities in South Texas. That facility, known as Evergreen, which is actually comprised of three different facilities is receiving an upgrade of major proportions. With the opening of phase one of Evergreen’s newest, and technologi cally advanced, warehouse the company will be working within a 130,000-square foot modernized cold storage facility. That phase is set to be complete, and opened, in January, 2019. By the time Phase 4 is completed, the facility will cover more than 450,000 square feet, and be one of the largest in South Texas and among the largest modernized facilities in the nation. Yes, it will be just a little bit bigger than Zuniga’s first business a Waco taco stand, open only on the weekend. “That was good money back then we were making,” Zuniga said. “Especially for a 17-year-old.” Zuniga has lived a successful life when it comes to businesses, opening and upwards of 20 of them – not counting the one where he sold oranges to a neighborhood store from his dad’s orange tree when he was about 12 - over the years, from a postal office to his taco stand to real estate developer and customs facility pioneer. He has owned a car lot and an electronics store and the list is a spectrum wide array or stories, offices and services. He has opened all of these by nothing more than being aware of his surroundings, studying what is happening and moving mainly on gut and instinct. “If I feel good about it, I take that next leap,” he said. “People keep asking me about my business plan and all that, but I’ve just done things that make sense and that I have a good feeling about.” While his passion is real estate, his exceptional knowledge of produce comes from being associated with it his entire life, beginning with the fact that his dad is a customs broker who specializes in produce and has been since Zuniga was a child. He even recalls his grandfather talking about produce. “He would always say something like we have to eat and will always have to eat,” Zuniga said. “Right now the population of Canada and the U.S. is growing but the weather after October is really bad so we need to import more fruits and vegetables for consumers to eat. “The purpose of the warehouse is to bring produce from Mexico and locally and to unload it for pre-cooling purposes and to prepare to to be shipped throughout the U.S. and Canada at the request of customers. Some may go to WalMarts across the country, some to HEBs and some to maybe 10

different distributors in Chicago.” Zuniga said he gets asked what the purpose is to unload the trucks in Pharr, or along the border, just to pack up another truck and send it on its way. “Many of the drivers don’t speak the language or don’t know the rules and the regulations of driving throughout the U.S. or Canada,” he said. “But they are always going back with something. The U.S. Is shipping everything from packaging to parts to machinery and Mexico is buying everything. They are awesome trading people.” Zuniga said they even shipped an entire movie theater – the screen, the chairs, everything. “Anything you can think of has been shipped,” he said. Despite NAFTA talks and the uncertainty of where those will finish, Zuniga said most involved in the produce industry are not too worried. “One thing is for certain – we need to eat. We can stop doing everything except eating,” the Pan American College (now UTRGV) said.. “The only thing that will happen is that the U.S. will likely impose a tariff on duties or produce, but the only ones who will suffer will be the end consumers. We are already paying a little more for avocados and mangoes and watermelons but we have to buy it anyway. Other industries, like steel, are worried, but for produce it’s just not possible.” As of press time for this publication, the foundation for the new facility had already been poured and the walls have been created and are being picked up by craned to be put into place. “It’s starting to look more like a warehouse now,” Zuniga said. “We are moving as fast as we can.” Zuniga said he spends hours whenever he has time reading up on real estate and different ways to invest. He especially enjoys that fact that investing in real estate and property doesn’t involve employees, and needs only a sharp eye, recognizing deals and developing a relationship with a bank or banks. “Investing in real estate is what I really love – and you don’t need any employees,” he said. “The beautiful thing about real estate is that even if you don’t always invest wisely the market will correct itself, even if you have to wait a little.” “I’ve learned that if you are paying attention there are always good deals to be had. There are good deals every day.”

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TRADE DISPUTE DEALS BLOW TO SORGHUM FARMER PROFITABILITY BY JOHN DUFF, National Sorghum Producers Strategic Business Director Originally published in Sorghum Grower 2018 Summer Issue

very dollar counts in the current economic environment. With the U.S. average sorghum price declining from a high of $6.33 per bushel in the 2012/13 marketing year to around $3.20 per bushel today, sorghum farmers cannot afford another blow. Unfortunately, ongoing uncertainty surrounding the trade negotiations with China has already cost sorghum farmers as much as $1.36 per bushel or $92 per acre in lost value and opportunity. Trade has always been an important component of sorghum demand. NSP was a founding member of the U.S. Grains Council, and sorghum farmers long relied on Mexico as their largest trading partner. In April 2013, trade grew even more important with the entrance of China into the market for U.S. sorghum. Chinese poultry, swine and dairy producers quickly became the crop’s largest end-users, purchasing 75 percent of total production in the 2015/16 marketing year. Mexico and others joined China to import over 90 percent of that year’s crop—a new record in both share of production and total volume exported.

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Five years—to the day—after the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported the first purchases of U.S. sorghum by China, the country levied 178.6 percent tariffs based on alleged findings that U.S. farmers had sold sorghum below their cost of production. This halted trade immediately, and the more than 60 million bushels of sorghum already en route to China had to be redirected. Had redirection not occurred, total tariffs would have approached $500 million or about twice as much as sorghum farmers have made from the Chinese market since 2013. The 178.6 percent tariffs were dropped in May, but the 25 percent tariffs levied in retaliation for the Section 301 intellectual property investigation remain in effect. As a result of the ongoing uncertainty, U.S. sorghum farmers continue to experience severe economic pain. Since the original investigation that led to the 178.6 percent tariffs was initiated, prices paid to sorghum farmers have fallen precipitously. This decline has lowered the average sorghum basis across the U.S. by up to $0.74 per bushel or $50 per acre. Furthermore, corn futures have declined by as much as $0.62 per bushel or $42 per acre. Together, the total impact is as high as $1.36 per bushel or

$92 per acre. The average sorghum farmer raises crops on less than 1,300 acres, of which approximately 600 are planted to sorghum each year. Accordingly, the trade war has cost each farmer as much as $55,000 in lost opportunity. Although some are also employed off the farm, some have cattle or other value-added enterprises,

working against U.S. industries engaging in international competition. Their industry is vibrant today in large part because of the opportunities provided by exports over the last six decades, and most believe other industries should have the same opportunities. However, U.S. agriculture is comprised of family farmers

and some have spouses that work off the farm, sorghum is the primary source of income for thousands of families across the Sorghum Belt. For these families, losing $55,000 could have disastrous consequences.

who cannot stand to lose markets. With this in mind, NSP will continue to advocate vocally for fair trade practices while urging lawmakers to stand by farmers during these discussions.

Sorghum farmers are keenly aware of the inequities currently

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Valley Farmers Responding To Mexicoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Growing Interest in

Truck Corn BY JOHN MILLER

Over the past several years, numerous factors have brought cotton acres roaring back across the Rio Grande Valley to levels not seen for some time. Greater demand around the world, and a reduction in world supply has helped the marketplace provide profitable pricing opportunities at key decision times in recent years. Decades of seed, pesticide, weed control and cultivation research has resulted in the potential for yields thought impossible just a decade ago as proven by multiple examples of valley farmers making over three bales per acre on some non-irrigated land in recent years. And the timing of wet and dry soil conditions has seemed to support the idea of planting more cotton especially when considering a crops development potential within the thresholds of proof of loss under crop insurance programs. After bottoming out at less than 75,000 acres just five years ago, 2018 saw over 225,000 acres planted valley wide. Although 2018 was a poor growing season due to ongoing dry soil conditions, the same factors that have helped get more cotton planted are still valid. But farmers across South Texas will likely tell you that cotton acres can expand only so much given the need of most farmland to annually rotate planting with grain crops. The proper management of soil-born diseases, soil fertility and moisture management have depended heavily on annually rotating cotton primarily with grain sorghum along with some corn. In recent years, however, there has been various market forces and technological factors that have more farmers across the valley attempting to increase corn acres relative to grain sorghum in their crop rotation. Over the past four years, Chinese purchases of grain sorghum for use in animal feeding and beer production has been a tremendous opportunity

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for Texas farmers. The importance of China relative to other buyers in the grain sorghum market can clearly be seen in the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;US Exports of Sorghumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; chart provided here. Prior to the past season, Chinese demand for grain sorghum vessels loaded

at the ports of Houston or Corpus Christi had helped prices remain at a considerable premium to corn given the large Midwest crops and relatively cheap rail values for corn going into Mexico. As Chinese demand began to wane in late 2017 and early 2018 in the face of trade disputes with the US, however, these

price premiums for grain sorghum began to fade relative to corn. During the 2013 to 2017 period of aggressive Chinese purchases of grain sorghum, the premiums being paid at Gulf ports encouraged increased feeding of corn at the expense of grain sorghum across Mexico. The ability of large Mexican feed producers to source US rail corn supplies encouraged many of them to set up their feed production facilities for utilizing more corn. The ‘US Exports of Corn’ chart provided here

some of which are of considerable size. The ability of merchandisers in the valley to source corn, or sorghum, by truck provides an important backstop to Mexican crop conditions, and overall US crop conditions and rail dependability. You can see from the chart labeled “US Exports of Corn by Land by State” illustrates how Texas leads the way by far in shipments of corn to Mexico. This past harvest season saw a short corn and sorghum crop in both northern Mexico and south Texas. Merchandisers near the border understood that their customers in Mexico would be interested in accessing what corn and sorghum they could from south Texas. Given the lower yields across the valley due to extreme drought on the crop, farmers were more than willing to take advantage of this opportunity. It was not uncommon to have sorghum prices paid to farmers trading between $6.75 and $7.75 per hundredweight during harvest. If not for the sales to Mexico, a Port of Corpus Christi driven price would have been a dollar per hundredweight less. Given the greater need for corn from these same feed producers in Mexico, corn delivered to those same valley locations traded a dollar per hundredweight higher in the $7.75 to 8.75 range. As harvest has moved north, these price

shows how Mexico has increased overall imports of corn since 2013, and gained in export share relative to the other major corn buyers shown. With less competition from China, and a short grain sorghum crop in Mexico this past season, it is true that Mexico has returned to buy Texas grain sorghum to some degree. Under this new environment, however, Mexican buyers have been unwilling to return to a practice of paying a premium over corn for grain sorghum. Over the past two years, it has been the case that valley farmers have seen better prices for corn versus sorghum during and after harvest. You are likely aware of the high level of southbound grain at border crossings such as Progresso. The valley is home to quite a few very sophisticated and far-reaching grain merchandisers that source corn and sorghum throughout south and central Texas and operate trucks that move these commodities to buyers across much of Mexico. This business has flourished due to the strong cross-border relationships that have developed over the years based on the desire of the Texas based merchandisers to remain dependable suppliers. The premium prices for corn over sorghum in recent years, then, is a response to the changing feeding practices among hog, poultry and cattle producers in Mexico,

relationships have been maintained. Of course every year is different and one cannot predict if feed producers will maintain the same feeding rations, or if price relationships will remain steady under future circumstances. But there is a growing trend in Mexico towards greater corn use in feeding rations, with sorghum being valued most at Gulf ports for shipment overseas. A dramatic turnaround in tariff negotiations with China could easily swing grain sorghum back into more favor among buyers. But is is hard to imagine that there would be a major reversal in the trend to more corn among feed producers which suggests that you could well see more corn fields around the valley in coming years.

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Ag Mag Featured Farmer

Eat it Today. Chew it Tomorrow. You Have Work to do!

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That has been the successful mantra of Billy Lassig, the “oldest one here on the farm” and retired partner of Lassig Farm. With three kids, a wife of soon-to-be 66 years and grandchildren, that motto has served its purpose and has instilled the responsibilities it takes to run a successful operation. Billy moved to the Rio Grande Valley in 1941, “prior to Pearl Harbor” when his parents realized that all the farmland in the Robstown area was owned by old money, families who had farmed the land for generations. The Valley, however, was in its infancy. “Daddy came down here to construct labor houses for friends and relatives who came down here shortly before we did. There was a lot of brush land here back then.” When the family started farming they chose to harvest cotton, grain and onions (“Willacy County was considered the onion capital back then,” Billy said.) As he and his wife Joyce grew their farm and their raised their children, farming was never forced on them but Daryl, Mike, and Kelly are the three sons. Mike and Daryl are active on the farm still. Kelly was a partner in the farm but lived in Corpus Christi and kept the farm books etc. Jarrett is the 4th generation back on the farm, the son of Daryl. Of course, with families- especially this jovial group-there are stories to tell. One day while the kids were school aged, they all came back after school and were assigned two rows of cotton each – that included everyone in the family - to chop and clear the weeds. “Somehow the youngest one, Kelly, got two rows that weren’t very weedy,” said Mike. “He just fell into those two rows, it wasn’t specially picked for him or anything. He finished up and just kept going instead of helping the others with their rows. He went to the truck and got into the truck to wait. Then he got hungry and started to honk the horn.” After everyone was finished, they all arrived at the truck. Billy, however, used this as a teaching moment. “Dad got a wood shingle from the back of the truck and gave Kelly a good spanking.” Mike said. “ We went home, ate supper and dad asked him what he had learned that day. “’Don’t honk the horn,” Kelly replied. Next month Billy and Joyce will celebrate 66 years of marriage and 68 years of being together. She came from a ranching family and said it was a cultural shock to switch over to farming and all the brush land. “There were no trees and just brush land,” she said. “But I learned to love it.”

While talking with them, the family would regularly use the word “tight” to talk about their spending habit. Billy is quick to point out that he gets more enjoyment building something out of somebody else’s scrap than going to a store and buying something new. “I don’t say I do a good job but I enjoy it,” he said. “In fact, I’d rather do that than go fishing.” He recalled how he once bought a microwave (“we were the first family in the area we lived to get one,” said Daryl.) But it wasn’t to show off. It was to make life better. “She wasn’t only a housewife, she helped. When the kids were off to school and Kelly was little, she helped me compact that land after planting,” said Billy , adding that he build some slides (of course he didn’t buy them) to run across the rows. “I was planting and she would run the slide and I remember telling her that she had run off the row. She said ‘it’s windy and the wind blew the tractor off the row.’ She did a lot and I bought the microwave so she would stay in the field until 11:30 – and still have time to get dinner ready.” Through the years there’s little doubt that Billy has passed along much wisdom to his kids. They not only saw firsthand how to handle a family and a farm, but they would listen as he would tell stories about his dad, including when he would get his check for harvesting cotton. “He would go into town with his check and go to the bank,” Billy said. “He would walk down one street and stop into the businesses he owed to pay them, then he would walk back up the other side of the street to do the same. Then he’d go into the bank to ask for a loan. It was an annual thing.” Billy has clearly instilled much of the characteristics that are found within his family today, and those were passed on from his dad. “I had a good daddy. It was always a learning experience and he would teach me,” he said. “I never felt that I couldn’t say what I wanted to. Of course, part of that may be that I didn’t have any brothers to bother me. “I used to argue when people would say that farming was a gamble,” he continued. “I would respond that farming was no gamble; it’s a risky occupation but an honorable profession. You have to have farmers. If you farm to the best of your ability and don’t spend too much you will succeed. I guess today, however, my argument is shot out the window today and gambling might be the right word.” But even if it is a gamble, working it with family seems to give some leverage in return. “I’ve gotten to spend a lot more time with my grandparents and while that’s not a direct relation to farming, it’s a big plus,” Jarrett said. Mike echoed those sentiment. “Being with family just seems to make it work better. Sure, there are challenges and you’re always looking to save a buck but it happens like that every year. To me what has been important and helpful is understanding that you are not in control of your crops as much as you want to be,” Mike said. “I tell people a lot that God gives us a bumper crop when we’ve needed it, and a dose of humility when we’ve needed that too. I’m a better person because of our experiences and understanding that God and Christ are in control. Daryl said And to this day Kelly still doesn’t honk the horn.

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Handbags 74 Ag Mag

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Just another

DRY SPELL

exas is no stranger to dry weather and drought. Everyone has heard the quotation that says: “Texas is a land of perennial drought broken by occasional devastating flood.” An unknown early Texas meteorologist is credited with having said the statement. And this seems to be the case in the last several years.

After the overwhelming drought of 2011 that lasted almost into 2014; Texas has seen a few years of average or above average rainfall across much of the state for the last three or so years. And while 2017 was a little direr that 2016; the southeastern part of the state was then inundated with the flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey almost one year ago. But it didn’t take long for Texas to quickly transition back into drought this past fall and spring. John Burnett profoundly observed in his July 2012 ‘Texas Monthly article that: “Texas has suffered through many dry spells, but none so bad as the fifties drought. To the west Texans caught in its fiercest grip, it seemed like the world was ending. Half a century later, ‘The Time it Never Rained’ remains as vivid as ever”. During sustained droughts-crops dry up, livestock tanks go dry, plants and leaves begin to shrivel and turn brown, soil moisture disappears, cities enact water restrictions as the counties enact burn bans. During a long-term drought there is not a city or country dweller for whom the drought does not effect. The scientific definition of a drought is 1.) a prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall; a shortage of water (below average) resulting from the lack of rainfall. 2.) below average precipitation in a given region; resulting in prolonged shortages in the water supply. 3.) a condition of hardships due to the lack of water caused by unusual meteorological conditions. Drought affects both society and the natural environment. Droughts are common in areas where normal levels of rainfall are in themselves low. Drought is associated with an above average prevalence of high pressure systems, winds carrying continental (dry) rather than oceanic (wet) air masses. Ridges of high pressure areas aloft prevent or restrict the developing thunderstorm activity or rainfall over a certain region. (Wikipedia) There are different categories of droughts. A meteorological drought is brought about when there is a prolonged time with less than average precipitation. And an agricultural drought affects crop production or the ecology of the range. Conditions can arise independently from any change in precipitation levels when soil conditions and erosion are triggered by poorly planned agricultural endeavors. (Water Data for Texas, n.d.) “The severity of drought depends on its intensity and duration. Differences in

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BY KATHRYN BRADY

drought duration make it difficult to compare various droughts. A short-term drought, one lasting less than six-months will have a large impact on the agricultural industry but cause relatively few water supply problems. While a long-lasting drought of low intensity may have relatively little agricultural impact but may cause major problems for water suppliers due to steadily declining reservoir and aquifer levels”.: (Nielson-Gammon, 2011) Texas is so vast that there is no ’rule of them’ for weather and how it behaves from one end of the state to the other. In the eastern point of the state near Port Arthur rainfall averages around 55 inches per year while near El Paso rainfall averages only 10 inches per year. Statistics show that precipitation increases from west to east at approximately 1 inch per 15 miles. Historian Walter Prescott Webb is noted for having said that “it is our curse of geography and climatology (in Texas) to live in a zone where humidity and aridity are constantly at war. Texas Monthly author, John Burnett, states that “during every decade of the twentieth century, some part of the state of Texas endured a serious drought”. There are rainfall records in Texas dating back to around the 1870’s and that very first year of record keeping Texas happened to be in a drought then again about a decade later, in 1880 Texas suffered a drought lasting about one year Then in 1908 a much longer drought occurred lasting through 1912. It was during this drought that in what was then known as Post City, Texas near Lubbock, a cereal magnate named C.W. Post spent 4 years and $50,000 on 23 attempts to use explosives to cause rain. He died in 1914 believing that he could “shoot up a rain whenever he wanted’ Then a mere three years later after a flood in 1915 destroyed the Austin dam another drought struck the Lone Star state; this drought stimulated renewed interest in constructing storage reservoirs for irrigation. However, again, just ten year later a drought stuck again. The drought from July 1924 to July 1925 ranks as of 2011 ranked as the fourth driest 12-month period in the state’s history. The pattern of drought throughout Texas seems to follow about a ten-year interval with a few minor dry spells in between; the next occurring in 1933 lasting until around 1934. This was the time in the southern plains when the dust bowl began. And although, it was extremely dry and dusty; winters were also very cold. The lowest temperature ever recorded in Seminole, Texas occurred in 1933 on February 8th as -23 degrees F, but conversely in 1936 as the dust bowl raged on the highest temperature ever recorded in Seymour, Texas was recorded as 120 degrees F. The rest of Texas saw a bit of relief from 1935 to 1937, while the panhandle was suffering through the dry, dusty weather; where it is recorded in ‘The Worst

Hard Time’ that when the cattle died and were slaughtered; balls of dirt and dust were found in their guts. But, alas another drought struck the rest of the state in 1938.that lasted until 1940. During this time the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Boards were established to be locally led leadership for engaging farmers in conservation farming techniques. Also, the Lower Colorado River Authority approved the installation of fifty rain gauges which initiated the first comprehensive watershed reporting system in Texas. A decade later the great drought of the 1950’s struck, lasting from 1950 to 1957. When you run across old-timers in the state, they will still tell and remember like it was yesterday the plight of the drought of the 1950’s, even my dad, being a little boy during this time is scarred, like the land with memories of how it affected family ranches in Texas… stories like singeing off the spines of the Prickly Pear Cactus to feed the pads to the cattle. In the Texas Monthly article ‘When The Sky Ran Dry”, these old timers re-tell how it was when the drought began…“In some parts of west Texas, the dry period began in the late forties, elsewhere, it seemed to start in 1950. But by 9153, there was no mistaking what was underway. More than half the state was thirty inches below normal rainfall. And the average monthly rainfall barely measures three tenths of an inch-the lowest ever recorded”.

During this drought many wildfires broke out and watershed, streams and rivers dried up. In the book ‘Cow People’ by J. Frank Dobie, in the chapter aptly entitled, ‘Drought’ he talks about how, rancher, George West, of whom the south Texas town is named, would tell how the Nueces River quit running. Although, we have had many droughts since the 1950’s drought; it still goes down as one of the worst, if not the worst in state history due the duration, how widespread it was and severity. This was the drought about which the poignantly, vivid book by Elmer Kelton, called ‘The Time it Never Rained’ was written. Protagonist, Charlie Flagg tells about the beginnings of the drought of the 1950’s “It crept out of Mexico, touching first along, the brackish Pecos and spreading then in all directions, a cancerous blight burring a scar upon the land. Just another dry spell, men said at first…why worry? They said. It would rain this fall. It always had. But it didn’t. And many a boy would become a mon before the land was green again.” In 1957 the Texas Water Development Board was formed to produce plans to protect the state against devastating droughts. Following the pattern; another extended drought began again in 1961 and lasted until 1967 similar in length to the drought of the 1950’s, but not as widespread or harsh. The droughts between 1967 and 2011 are displayed on this graphic: 1970-71, 1988-90, 1995-1996, 1999-2001, 2005-2006, 2007-2009

Photo by Kathryn Brady-Mayfield Ranch 2011 in Silverton, Texas

And then the most recently extended drought that we all recollect quite clearly the drought of 2011 that lasted until about 2014. This saw the wildfires across the state and a lot of reservoirs going dry. “It is impossible to pinpoint the exact moment a drought will commence.” But we do know that as the hardened farmers and ranchers scan the horizon for sings of rain. It will rain again eventually and when the rain finally comes, “people will walk out into it” to enjoy the clean, refreshing shower. “they will walk around with thankfulness… and within three days what looked like dead roots will be sprouting, green blades will be shooting up around wooden stools

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Junior Beefmaster Hosts 34th National Show and Convention

ore than 200 Junior Beefmaster Breed ers Association (JBBA) members gath ered the week of July 15-21, 2018, at the Four States Fairgrounds and Holiday Inn Convention Center in Texarkana, Ark., for a fun-filled week at the 2018 JBBA National Show and Convention. In addition to the cattle shows, the event also included contests, leadership training, engaging speakers, a live and silent auction fundraiser, family fun night, the annual awards banquet and dance and other exciting activities. Bonnie Ramirez, JBBA Coordinator, said if she had to describe the week-long event in a few words they would be “An Awesome Experience.” “Though it was a long, hot and tiring week; the fellowship, fun and comradery experienced was one like no other,” Ramirez said. “I am so proud of the Beefmaster youth. They did great participating in contests, showing their animals, meeting and making new friends, and working. It takes a village to execute an event as such and our youth leaders, adult leaders, volunteers and generous sponsors definitely helped accomplish a successful event. I am proud to be a part of this great association and program.” Collin Osbourn, BBU Executive Vice President, expressed appreciation for all those that made the event possible. “We are thankful for everyone who donated their time and resources to make Nationals possible and support the JBBA this year be it through volunteering, donations, or participating in the auction fundraisers,” said Osbourn.

During the convention JBBA members elected the following individuals to represent them as the 2018-2019 JBBA Board of Directors and Officers. • • • • • •

President: Raleigh Scherer of Brenham, Texas President Elect: Braylee Mackie of Lott, Texas Secretary: Amanda McCoskey of Simms, Texas Treasurer: Amelia Buckley of Collins, Mississippi Reporter: Caitlin Vargas of Edinburg, Texas District 1 Directors: Brynna Hardin of Sweeny, Texas, and Gracey Leopold of West Columbia, Texas • District 2 Directors: Kodi Stapp of Shawnee, Oklahoma and Kevin Paris of Azle, Texas • District 3 Directors: Reece Wrobleski of Anderson, Texas, and Isaiah Madison of New Ulm, Texas • District 4 Directors: Victoria Vera of Edinburg, Texas, and Kirstin (Nikki) Brady of Carrizo Springs, Texas

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BY JERALYN NOVAK

• District 5 Directors: Camrin Byers of Henrietta, Texas, and Troy Glaser of Rogers, Texas • Director at Large: Faith Martin of New Ulm, Texas

The annual event consisted of several competitions including public speaking, photography, power point presentation, livestock judging and herdsman quiz. The winners of the public speaking contest are as follows: • Junior 1st place: Braeden Lee of Azle,Texas • Intermediate 1st place: Weston Brooks of China,Texas • Senior 1st place: Saige Tassin of Bush, Louisiana

The winners of the photography contest are as follows: • • • • • •

Junior 1st place: Eli Middleton of Alto, Texas Junior 2nd place: Jackson Pounds of De Leon, Texas Intermediate 1st place: Emerson Dean of Colleyville, Texas Intermediate 2nd place: Sarah Wells of Grapevine, Texas Senior 1st place: Mayson Pounds of De Leon, Texas Senior 2nd place: Jarrett Mackie of Lott, Texas

• • • • •

Junior 1st place: Cody Barnett of Decatur, Texas Intermediate 1st place: Bennett Janssen of Victoria, Texas Intermediate 2nd place: Emerson Dean of Colleyville, Texas Senior 1st place: Sierra Rhodes of Raymondville, Texas Senior 2nd place: Haley Guerrero of Fayetteville, Texas

The winners of the power point presentation contest are as follows:

The winners of the livestock judging contest are as follows: • Junior 1st place: Cody Barnett of Decatur, Texas • Intermediate 1st place: Kortlynn Brantner of Sealy, Texas • Senior 1st place: Emily Martin of New Ulm, Texas

The winners of the herdsman quiz contest are as follows: • Junior 1st place: Jack Redden of Midway, Texas • Intermediate 1st place: Weston Brooks of China, Texas • Senior 1st place: Emily Martin of New Ulm, Texas

JBBA members exhibited their cattle in six different shows over the week, including; an ultrasound carcass contest, showmanship competition, a bred and owned heifer show, a bred and owned bull show, a Beefmaster E6/Advancer heifer show and the JBBA National Heifer Show.

The winners of the showmanship competition are as follows: Junior Champion Showman: Rheagan Karisch of Ellinger, Texas Junior Reserve Champion Showman: Rebekah Eaves of Hooks, Texas Intermediate Champion Showman: Braylee Cowan of Dodd City, Texas Intermediate Reserve Champion Showman: Audrey Field of Celina, Tx Senior and Pevine Hicks Memorial Champion Showman: Rebecca Small of Trinidad, Texas • Senior Reserve Champion Showman: Cade Judd of Gilmer, Texas • • • • •

The winners of the ultrasound carcass contest are as follows: • • • •

Class 1 Heifers: Cody Barnett of Decatur, Texas Class 2 Heifers: Haley Guerrero of Fayetteville, Texas Class 3 Heifers: Trevor Glaser of Rogers, Texas Class 1 Bulls: Troy Glaser of Rogers, Texas

The winners of the Beefmaster E6/Advancer heifer show are as follows: • Grand Champion E6/Advancer Heifer: Lyssy’s Iggy owned by Kaylee Beason of Rockdale, Texas • Reserve Grand Champion E6/Advancer Heifer: Shadow owned by Jacob Kolwes of Bellville, Texas

The winners of the Bred and Owned Bull Show are as follows:

• Grand Champion Bred and Owned Bull: BMW Cain Express owned by Bodie, Wrobleski of Anderson, Texas • Reserve Grand Champion Bred and Owned Bull: Emmons Shiner Britches owned by Raegan, Emmons of Fairfield, Texas

The winners of the Bred and Owned Heifer Show are as follows:

• Grand Champion Bred and Owned Heifer: WR Melania owned by Shawn Skaggs of DeLeon, Texas • Reserve Grand Champion Bred and Owned Heifer: -G 18/2 Rugga owned by Troy Glaser of Rogers, Texas

The winners of the JBBA National Heifer Show are as follows:

• Grand Champion Heifer: BR Selena owned by Amelia Buckley of Collins, Mississippi • Reserve Grand Champion Heifer: WR Melania owned by Shawn Skaggs of DeLeon, Texas

Friday evening, JBBA members and their families enjoyed a relaxing evening at the annual banquet and dance. Contest and event winners from throughout the week were announced and received awards. AllAround Champions were determined from points earned throughout the week were also awarded in each age division. The All-Around Champions are awarded on the basis of accumulated points in the National Junior Heifer Show, Bred-and-Owned Show, Judging Contest, Public Speaking Contest, Herdsman Quiz, Leadership Conference (Intermediate & Seniors only), and Showmanship Contest. The top ten in each age division received a buckle while the top two individuals in the junior and intermediate division and the top three in the senior division each received a buckle and a $1,000 certificate towards the purchase of an animal or if a graduating senior, they may use it towards college tuition. The All-Around Champions Awards were presented to the following JBBA members:

Buckley of Collins, Mississippi • Kenneth Lewis and Robert Miles Memorial JBBA Scholarship: Reid Lovorn of Como, Texas, and Amelia Buckley of Collins, Mississippi • East Texas/Louisiana Marketing Group Scholarship: Caitlin Vargas of Edinburg, Texas, Reid Lovorn of Como, Texas, Raleigh Scherer of Brenham, Texas, Amelia Buckley of Collins, Mississippi, and Saige Tassin of Bush, Louisiana

This year, a new award was instituted called the WorkHorse Award, was presented by the BBU staff to Reece Wrobleski of Anderson, Texas. “The WorkHorse Award is a staff sponsored and selected award to honor an individual that demonstrates a great work ethic, who willingly goes above and beyond what their responsibilities call for,” said Dusty Pendergrass, BBU Eastern Field Representative. “Not only does it call for dedication throughout the week of junior nationals but throughout the year.” Finally, the JBBA Top Hand Award was presented to Madison Emily Lee of Sealy, Texas. This award is similar to the BBU Breeder-of-theYear Award, as it recognizes the JBBA member that participates in JBBA and BBU programs and is involved in building their herd and marketing their cattle. In recognition of outstanding JBBA volunteers’ service, dedication, time, and support to the JBBA progrm, the JBBA Helping Hand Awards were presented to Allison Wells and Darrell Glaser. “I am proud to call Allison and Darrell friends because of JBBA,” said Casey Ballard, previous JBBA Adult Committee chair and current member. “They earned their names on this award – an award that is very special to this program. Lots of deserving individuals and organizations have won the Helping Hand Award over the years. I can not think of anyone else that has worked as hard for this program as Allison, Darrell and their families.” Ramirez said both recipients are extremely passionate about the JBBA program. “I have only been with BBU/JBBA for seven months, but within my first couple of months with the program I could tell how passionate both Allison and Darrell were about the youth,” Ramirez said. “Their dedication was undeniable.” The BBU Staff and JBBA Board of Directors would like to thank all those that made this year’s event possible and congratulate all the participants. They look forward to next year’s 35th Annual JBBA National Convention and Show to be held in Belton, Texas, July 21-26, 2019.

• All-Around Junior: Cayden Carpenter of Shawnee, Oklahoma (Received a buckle and $1,000 heifer certificate) • All-Around Intermediate: Braylee Cowan of Dodd City, Texas (Received a buckle and $1,000 heifer certificate) • All-Around Senior: Emily Martin of New Ulm, Texas (Received a buckle and $1,000 heifer certificate)

In addition to contest awards, several scholarships were awarded to the following senior JBBA members: • Brian L. Murphy Memorial Scholarship ($1,800/semester): Raleigh Scherer of Brenham, Texas • JBBA Scholarships ($500): Raleigh Scherer of Brenham, Texas, Saige Tassin of Bush, Louisiana, Amelia Buckley of Collins, Mississippi, and Reid Lovorn of Como, Texas • Beefmaster Educational Endowment Foundation (B.E.E.F.) Scholarship: Caitlin Vargas of Edinburg, Texas, Reid Lovorn of Como, Texas, Raleigh Scherer of Brenham, Texas, Amelia Buckley of Collins, Mississippi, Seth Byers of Muleshoe, Texas, and Rebecca Small of Trinidad, Texas • Beefmaster Breeders Cattlewoman Scholarship: Nicole Thomas, Reid Lovorn of Como, Texas, Raleigh Scherer of Brenham, Texas, and Amelia

For more information about Beefmaster Breeders United and its Junior Program please contact the BBU office at 210-732-3132 or visit www.beefmasters.org. Visit the website to download candid event photos and winner photos. Stay connected to BBU through Facebook, follow us on Instagram, view our videos on YouTube, follow us on Twitter and Pinterest, as well as receive our news updates through joining our mailing list. Beefmaster Breeders United (www.beefmasters.org), located in Boerne, Texas, is a not-for-profit breed registration organization that provides programs and services for its members. Beefmaster, Beefmaster Advancer and E6 cattle are selected on the “Six Essentials” of disposition, fertility, weight, conformation, milk production and hardiness.

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THE EXPENSE OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS IN YOUR HERD: INPUT DETERMINES OUTPUT

BY REBECCA QUESNELL

e’re all on tight budgets these days. Whether you are in the diary industry with its low milk prices, or the beef, swine, or poultry industries where the cost of feeding your animals quality materials can put a dent in your wallet, we have a lot to consider as we keep our business bottom line in mind. Realistically managing the herd to match our resources is the greatest challenge in livestock industries, although in most operations it is also truly a strength; I’ve met some amazing managers that could juggle the details and bring us out ahead even in the leanest of years. Over the many years of working with producers to manage their herds, I have learned that balancing qual-

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ity inputs with the budget means taking a very thoughtful approach. When I was a young college student, I had a roommate that bought only the best quality clothes and highest quality shoes. I, of course, was a financially-challenged student working several jobs while attending school and struggling to pay for tuition and books, as well as get a meal now and then. One of the challenges of working so many jobs was that my feet always hurt. My roommate dragged me to go shopping with her once (not my favorite thing to do with no money!) and she convinced me to buy an expensive pair of work boots. I admit it, I caved…. I bought the shoes knowing I was going to regret it.

However, over the next few weeks I realized that my feet did not hurt every night when I got home, and even in the rain and snow my feet remained dry and protected. Those boots lasted for many years. When the soles wore out, I had them resoled and kept using them, eventually grateful for that initial investment. If I had “cheaped out” and bought my usual dime-store finds, I would have bought more than a dozen pairs of shoes in the same amount of time, so I really saved money and increased my efficiency at work and home by investing in that simple pair of boots. With the pressure on the livestock industry to minimize the use of antibiotics and to improve animal welfare, choosing feed inputs with the highest nutritional value to maintain overall health in the herd must be a focus. Besides, the reality is that antibiotics are extremely expensive for treatment of those pesky diseases that seem to pop up right when we are facing a downturn! Or does it seem like we are using more dollars for treatment because we are valuing dollars over nutritional value in our feed and the animals are struggling? Hmmm. It’s a vicious cycle that can drag us down much more quickly than we realize. Whether you are producing your crop inputs yourself or purchasing them, it’s important to keep in mind that input determines output – whatever we can manage in feed quality will pay us back in less dollars for treatment and more dollars in milk or meat in the end. One of my coworkers recently bought a cheap pair of work boots while we were out on the road because he was unable to pack his boots from home. We were working many hours on-farm, and his knees and back started hurting just a couple of days into the project. By the time we were finished, he had visited the doctor twice and had not been able to work at the pace we would have preferred. The project took longer than expected and we went over budget and over time for the original proposal. He got back to our production facilities and was feeling better within a couple of days. He threw out the cheap boots and said he would never again forget to pack his own shoes again.

bales during storage is wise and penny-friendly. If you are ensiling, it is critical to know your crop. Determining the appropriate moisture at which to ensile depends on your plant structure, location, and conditions or method of ensiling – too dry and you will have lower yield, lower protein and vitamin retention, and mold can develop; too wet and the silage will sour and seep and again you will have lower yield and lower nutritional value for the animals you are feeding. Adding a silage enhancer will protect against mold, encourage better and faster processing of the plant matter into silage by limiting the oxidation phase (to limit heat build-up), support the bacteria that are responsible for the anaerobic phase, and drop the pH to speed up fermentation. Culbac® Silage Treatment offers lactic acid and acetic acid that helps lower pH, antioxidants with vitamins and minerals to support movement to the anaerobic phase of ensiling, and most importantly provides critical support to the lactic acid bacteria and other positive bacterial species that are responsible for ensiling the crop while maintaining the highest level of protein and dry matter nutrients available for your animal. Making sure you have the best feed available with the highest nutritional value will support the health and welfare of your animal and increase your bottom line. As a producer, having the utmost concern for the quality of feed inputs will result in the best outcomes for your animals. When you are purchasing, ask good questions. When you are growing the feed yourself, make good choices. Focusing on nutritional value and better health for your animals will provide a much higher return on investment. I know you have a good pair of work boots in your closet – and I know you see the return on investment for the quality and comfort of those boots. If you invest in your animals’ nutrition the same way, you will see higher returns in production and profit at the end of the day. Improving the health and welfare of your herd and collecting on its improved productivity will prove the wise management decision every time.

Nutritional value starts with the crop, but it also depends on how you preserve nutrients during harvest. If you are cutting and baling, making sure you are paying attention to maximum baling moistures is critical. A good, natural preservative like Culbac® Hay Treatment, allows you to bale your alfalfa or grasses at their optimal moistures or at higher moistures, decrease mold and heat damage, maximize leaf capture (read that as higher nutritional value in your bale) and the overall quality of your product. That means better quality and more nutrition for your animals. Using a natural preservative that does not damage your tractor (like the harsh, expensive acidic products can do) and that provides additional characteristics to protect

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THE VALLEY LAND FUND’S SOUTHERN EXPOSURES PRIVATE LAND NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP When Karine Aigner graduated, one of the gifts she received was a simple, little camera...

The camera was just the beginning of what ended up being more than a hobby, but a calling.

arine grew up in Saudi Arabia and came to the United States where she graduated from high school, then furthered her education with a degree in television at Boston University. She had no idea what she wanted to do. After graduation, she moved to Taiwan to spend a year teaching English, and traveling throughout Southeast Asia. At the time, her photography was only ‘for fun,’ as her focus was one traveling with a couple girlfriends. One of the girls had come to America as an infant who was adopted during the Vietnam War. Karine had spent a semester during college on a ship that stopped in Vietnam. So, when Karine returned back to college, she promised her friend that if she ever wanted to go back to the country she was born in, Karine would go with her. Two years later, the girls were traveling Asia, headed towards Vietnam. As they traveled, the three took photos and returned to her friend’s

Karine Aigner

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home in Vietnam. Months later, upon return to their homes in Connecticut the three friends put together a slide show to share with friends and family. During one of the presentations, Karine’s best friend’s mom started weeping after seeing one of the images – it was tight facial portrait of a senior Akha village woman and a young boy from a remote village in Thailand. “I couldn’t figure it out why she was crying,” Karine said. “But it was at that moment I realized the power of an image. I realize I could effect emotion. I realized I could bring back a moment that someone could identify with.” She knew this was something she was meant to do. Karine later moved to New York and worked for NBC television. She was unhappy with the impersonal and cutthroat nature of the job, and over dinner one night with a friend, she took a dare. “Let’s quit our jobs and go and travel.” Several months later, they found themselves in Spain, back on the travel path.

Karine returned to New York with no job. While developing the pictures of her journey in a film lab, she was told by the owner that her work reminded them of a local photographer. Karine contacted the photographer and eventually started working as an assistant for him, while also doing odd jobs such as waiting tables. Tired of temp jobs and assisting, Karine started to search for something more. She found an ad for a photo editor at Psychology Today Magazine, and jumped at the opportunity to apply. She says she pretty much “sweet talked the interviewers at the time” as she really had no experience picture editing. “I showed them some pretty pictures of my travels, and a couple days later I was hired. When they led me to my new desk, they said, “This is where the picture editor sat. We don’t really know what she did.” Karine stifled her own thoughts going through her head in response….’I don’t really know what a picture editor does either!” Photo by: Joaquin Galindo

Photo by: Joaquin Galindo

A quick learner, Karine spent the next two years figuring out what a picture editor did: from celebrity shoots, to booking models, to choosing the images for the interior of the magazine, she worked diligently to hone her craft. Because of budget issues, she was able to convince the editors into allowing her to also do some of the photography. Karine wasn’t confident enough to go out on her own as a photographer, and those shoots built the confidence she needed. One day she took a workshop hosted by National Geographic and befriended one editors. Months later, “Shortly after 9-11, one of the picture editors contacted me to make sure we were ok in New York, and that rekindled the relationship,” she said. “That helped open the next door in my journey a job as a picture editor with National Geographic.” Karine moved to Washington D.C in 2002 and never looked back. She got the job as senior picture editor for National Geographic Kids and spent nine years falling in love with nature, wildlife, and all things Kid related. But, as time passed, her ‘shooting’ itch came back, and she wanted to see if she could make the jump to being a full time photographer. In 2011 she made the jump to freelancer, and continues in that profession today. She not only shoots, but edits, teaches, and leads photography workshops and tours to Africa and beyond. Karine said she has learned a lot throughout her photography, her subjects have varied, but today, her heart lies at the intersection of humans and wildlife. She focuses as much as she can on conservation issues. She also loves to be part of workshops such as those of The Valley Land Fund, where she encourages kids to delve

into nature with the camera. She wants children and adults to see the world in a different way. “The camera acts as this amazing tool, when we look through it, we see the world in a completely different way, and form a relationship with our subject, through the lens. It’s a completely organic process, but, it works to change perspectives and awareness every time!” Getting people to see the world differently – with a different lens you could say - is a goal of hers. “There is a way to get through to someone, you just have to find their language,” she said. Karine’s Texas affair started with judging The Coastal Bend Wildlife Contest (since renamed “Wildlife in Focus”). At the contest BBQ put on for the judges and photographers, she met a ranch owner who found out that Karine had never been to a ranch-ever. One invitation lead to another, and she soon found herself photographing that same ranch in the contest! She spent three months in Texas making images. She remembers being on a golf cart driving around the prop erty, not knowing a thing about ranches - or Texas for that matter. Her drive and curiosity to make strong images led her to win sec ond place in the contest. “I love Texas,” Karine says. “Every day there is a new critter or landscape that shows itself — you just have to be out there in it to see it!” Karine will be back in Texas next summer doing another set of workshops. Dates can be found on her website at www.karineaigner. com. You can also follow her work on Instagram at @kaigner and on Facebook at @karineaignerphotography.

“ The biggest thing I have learned is that we take these pictures and not all of them are what we want, but we can go back and take them the right way.” – Zachary Ramirez “ I joined this workshop to further my photography skills because I know there is always more you can improve on with the updating technology.” – Dylan Payne “ Ms. Karine has taught us why we must preserve wildlife, the beauty of it, and she has also taught us all the neat things we can do with a camera.” – J. Cayetano Cappadona “ It is so much fun, and I want to do it again.”

– Duke Gonzales

“ I wanted to join this workshop, because I have never held a camera and I wanted to learn how to take pictures, especially in wildlife.” – Federico Giuseppe Cappadona

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PERMANENT IMPRINT with

Mando Correa Tell me a little history about what got you into Ag and wanting to become an Ag Teacher. I grew up around agriculture all my life. My family has farmed and run cattle in the Willacy County/San Perlita area the last 100 years. As a youngster, and into my teenage years, I always enjoyed the farming and cattle operations and spent as much time as I could at the farm with my father, grandfather, and all my uncles. I was an FFA member in the late 70’s at Sinton High School and my agriculture teachers Frank Wahl and Butch Koether played an integral role in influencing me to major in Agriculture Education.

Who was your mentor and what advice did they give you ? Without a doubt, my mentor and most influential person in my career was and remains my uncle, Joe Correa. He was highly respected throughout the region, state and nation as a great agriculture science teacher and FFA advisor. I had the good fortune of student teaching under him in 1984 and then teaching with him from 1988-1991 at Mission High School. I did my best to emulate and model after him as much as possible. I’d venture to say he served not only as a mentor and role model to me but to many others as well-he was a great man! He always stressed professionalism, hard work, and respect. One of the main traits that he instilled in me was to always stand up for what I felt was right, but to do so in a respectful, professional manner. Many of my current and past peers will probably say I may have overdone this a time or two! The trait I also always admired about Uncle Joe was his ability to attain love and respect from his students. I feel comfortable in saying that I feel I also possessed that same trait through my career.

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What is the biggest accomplishment as an Ag Teacher? One may think I’d mention the various championship livestock projects, leadership, and judging teams that I supervised and trained throughout my career; but I’d have to say what gives me great pleasure and pride is witnessing former and current students that have decided to go on to major in the Agricultural field and attain successful careers. Knowing that I may have played a part in their decision to major in Agriculture is quite rewarding.

What is one thing that you tried to instIll in your students ? The one thing I’ve always tried to instill and model for my students (and my own sons for that matter) is the ability to be humble. In the face of success and major accomplishments, I always stressed to my students that the notoriety and attention would come on its own without having to boast and be arrogant. By the same token, I stressed for them to handle failure or defeat with dignity. All in all, I stressed the ability to be gracious winners and graceful losers.

What is the most challenging thing about being an Ag Teacher ? The most challenging thing about being an Ag Teacher is juggling time between work and family-without a doubt! It has been quite strenuous at times with all the events associated with the profession that calls for us to be gone from our spouses and children. I missed out on several academic and athletic highlights of my two sons because I’d be out on the road with other folk’s children going to contests and competitions, looking for livestock projects, or attending professional conventions/conferences. You can’t get those events back to witness and enjoy and that was extremely sad for me. I could not have done all of this however without the ongoing support of my wonderful wife, Bernadette. She has been the rock of our family throughout it all and I love her dearly for all she’s had to endure. This profession is definitely a TEAM EFFORT, and without support and understanding at home it will make things extremely difficult.

What is one piece of advice you would give an upcoming Ag Teacher? The one thing that I’d advise to upcoming Ag Teachers, and quite frankly we’re not seeing enough of today, is all-out dedication and effort. This is a profession that when done right and successfully comes along with a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. If you’re not going to be 100% committed to giving it your all to assure that your students and program are successful and respected then you need to consider another line of work. Yes, I’m VERY OLD SCHOOL!

How many years did you teach and what school (s)? Finally an easy question! I retired after 30 years in the Ag Teaching profession with stints at Mission High School, Lyford High School, and most recently Mercedes High School

What was your favorite thing about teaching? Without a shadow of a doubt, my favorite aspect of teaching is and always has been my students. They kept me going when times got tough and I’d find myself down in the dumps. It was not only students I had on FFA teams or showing livestock for me. It was also the many students that I was blessed to have as students in my

classroom throughout the last 30 years. I feel confident in saying that many past and present students have enjoyed and learned a lot in my Ag Science classes, and equally important, we have developed bonds and friendships that can and do last a lifetime.

If you could just give me some history about yourself, your favorite thing, favorite memory, year you started, etc… – Married for almost 28 years to Bernadette Correa – 2 sons: Derek, 24 and Blake, 21 – Graduated from Sinton High School in 1980 – Graduated from Texas A&I University with BS in Agriculture Education with minor in Animal Science – Graduated from Texas A&I University with MS in Agricultural Business with minor in Plant Science – “Favorite thing”: ranching, golfing, hunting, fishing, sports – “Favorite memory”: Day I married the love of my life and the birth of our 2 amazing sons – Started teaching Ag in 1988 at Mission High School – Received my BS in 1984 and MS degree in 1986

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an American Company

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A Letter from the Editor Matthew 11:28-30

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Ever been sick and tired of being sick and tired? Ever been so tired you question how you can even put one foot in front of the other? So tired that you lay in bed in the morning and wonder how in the world you are going to make it through the day? Being physically tired is something each person struggles with. Being tired, however, is more than physical. There is emotionally and mentally tired too. Each day brings its own challenges; some more than others. Life is not easy, and there are times where we will have emotionally and mentally draining days, even years. There will be times when we ask ourselves how are we going to keep going, or why is this happening. Every step will seem more exhausting than the next. Some of us are tired of our jobs and feeling like we aren’t getting anywhere, some of us are tired of people not appreciating our hard work, some are tired from the sleepless nights because our minds won’t stop running.

The reasons why someone can be tired is endless.

I have had times where the first thought I have had when I wake up is “I don’t think I can do this anymore.” I want to lay in bed all day, turn off my phone and be left alone. Wouldn’t that be great? No problems to fix, no one to answer to, to just not be needed for one day. Sounds like a vacation doesn’t it? In reality, this usually can’t, and doesn’t, happen. Throughout the years I look back on my hard and tiring times and I think to myself, “How did I do that?” That’s the thing, we can overcome our problems, we can overpower being tired. We will experience being tired but, somehow, we find the strength to keep going. I found my strength in God. If we chose to lay in bed all day, sure we may feel more rested, but the problems don’t go away. Problems get resolved when we find a solution and implement that solution. Sometimes we may not know the solution to our problem and that’s when we should bow our heads and ask our heavenly father to give us the answer, and the energy to keep going. Sometimes problems we encounter are bigger than we can handle or feel we can handle. These problems can literally suck everything out of you if you allow it to. The good news is with God everything is possible. I remember when my mother died I was tired. I was tired one because I was pregnant, and two because it was just me dealing with the headaches and heartbreak of death. I was emotionally, physically, and emotionally drained. I couldn’t, but I did. I made it through, with one foot in front of the other. I learned not only can I handle problems that are large, but I gained patience. Throughout each problem we learn a little about ourselves. We can reflect and see where we are weak and where we are strong. Whatever you may be going through that is causing you that weary feeling, awaken to the fact God knows you are tired and will give you the strength to keep going if you ask. This year has been an unpredictable and tiring one for many Valley farmers and ranchers. Many of you may have wanted to throw your hands in the air and scream I GIVE UP. I AM TIRED. Somehow, though, you are still going. Learn this - rest but don’t quit. Resting our minds and bodies is important for your health, but we cannot quit. Being tired is ok, but you can either look at the positive side of the problem or dwell in the negative side of it. Being weary will always linger , but God will always lift the burden and bless you for your troubles.

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17767 PRIMERA RD HARLINGEN, TX 78552 956-778-4295

2315 W. Expressway 83 #102, San Benito, Texas 78586 www.cropguardinsurance.com

956-688-8485 Thanks for 11 Years!

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MADE YOU

Pictured are: Andrea Hance and Commissioner Sid Miller state ag commissioner, who attended the 68th annual convention this past May on South Padre Island.

North Alamo Water Supply dedicates new wastewater collection system in north Donna BY NORA N. GARZA

A birds-eye view of the new wastewater treatment plant, located northwest of Donna.

eavy rains and flooding, like those we experienced in late June, can play havoc with onsite septic tanks or draining fields, espe cially with systems that do not meet county or state standards, said Steven P. Sanchez, general manager for North Alamo Water Supply Corp., based in Edinburg. “A lack of utility services has been tied to public health and safety,” Sanchez said. North Alamo Water is there to fill the gap for colonias or rual neighborhoods not connected to public sewer services. Recently, the water utility held a reception and dedication ceremony for its newest wastewater treatment plant, located northwest of Donna near North Donna High School. Among those attending the ribbon cutting and reception, were employees, board members, and representatives from local, county and federal agencies. For the past 50 years, North Alamo Water has worked diligently to provide safe drinking water and wastewater treatment to homes, farms and businesses in eastern Hidalgo, Willacy and northwestern Cameron counties. North Alamo Water is the largest rural water supplier in Texas. Its business office is located in Edinburg, and its water and wastewater treatment plants are scattered throughout its 972 square mile service area. At the dedication ceremony held on the grounds of the wastewater treatment plant, the corporation’s contributions to the economic growth and quality of life were mentioned by staff members representing public officials: Cassandra Meade with the office of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz; Anissa Guajardo for Congressman Filemon Vela Jr.; and Nuriddin Kalam for Congressman Vicente Gonzalez.

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Cutting the ribbon at the new North Alamo Water Supply Corp.’s wastewater treatment plant are, left to right:, Steven P. Sanchez, general manager; Steve Krenek, board president; Dennis Goldsberry, board vice president; Martin Drewry, board secretary/treasurer; Derrick Swanberg, board member; Agustin Gomez, wastewater operations manager; and Robert Rodriguez, water operations manager.

Engineer Ivan Garcia with Rio Delta Engineering, who oversaw the construction project, said the construction of the wastewater treatment plant is unique in how so many different agencies came together to make the project a reality. Local, state and federal entities all worked together, as did several sources of funding: Texas Water Development Board, Hidalgo County Urban County, and Border Environment Cooperation Commission/North American Development Bank. “As the Valley grows, there is now and will continue to be a need for wastewater service and this type of funding is a must,” said North Alamo Water board president Steve Krenek. The new wastewater collection system extends to six colonias: Alberta Acres, El Charro #2, Isaac’s Subdivision, L.J. #1, Muniz Subdivision, and Tower Road Estates. Sanchez pointed out that 400 homes, and nearly 1,600 residents are now connected to sewer services for the first time. Many of the homes previously used septic tanks or draining fields, which were inadequate for the size lot and overflowed during times of heavy rainfall as the Rio Grande Valley saw recently, Sanchez said. The total project cost of $11.78 million was funded mainly through grants. Trying to keep up with the growth, the corporation has submitted an application with the Texas Water Development Board for a similar project to be built north of Weslaco at Mile 12 north, and west of FM 1015. Note: Nora N. Garza is the Customer Outreach Coordinator for North Alamo Water Supply Corp.

Gene Cantu, wastewater plant operator, inspects equipment in the lab at the new wastewater treatment plant built and operated by North Alamo Water Supply Corp.

Looking at state-of-the-art machinery at North Alamo Water Supply Corp.’s new wastewater treatment plant, located in rural Donna, are, left to right:, Irma Tamez, officer manager; Agustin Gomez, wastewater operations manager; and Gene Cantu, wastewater plant operator.

S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 1 8

CHRIS SPARKS

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AMERICAN BREEDS ARE RIGHT FOR THE TIMES

BY CHRIS SHIVERS Infinity Cattle Services

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oThe American Breeds or cattle that are comm only referred to as Brahman influenced breeds have proven to be right for the times in the beef industry. With increased emphasis being placed on combining adaptability, efficiency, and carcass quality these breeds are gaining more popularity than any other breed type. The Brahman breed was developed out of necessity along the Gulf Coast region in the early 1900’s to assist beef cattle producers by injecting heat tolerance, insect resistance, longevity and the ability to survive on lower quality forages into the native cattle. Over the past 80 years a number of breeds have been developed by crossing the Brahman breed with English and Continental breeds. These developed breeds consist of varying percentages of Brahman blood to best fit the desired environment. Since their formation all of the breeds have continued to improve through research, breed improvement programs, the use of technology and producer tools. Regardless of the industry sector, users of these genetics have seen the superior benefits of these cattle especially when utilized in crossbreeding programs. Much research has been done by the academic community and it has been proven that American breeds of cattle are the leaders in profitability due to them producing longer with fewer inputs and weaning off the heaviest calves due to heavier milk production. Not only do these breeds excel in the cow/calf sector as they have historically been known for but also in the feedlot and on the rail. Texas A&M University recorded over 15,000 records over a 10 year period on producer nominated steers fed in the Ranch to Rail South Program. The results of this program confirmed that the American breed steers were the most profitable due to being more feed efficient, faster growing and getting sick less. It was also found that these breeds of cattle graded as well as any other breed crosses and excelled in yield grade further adding value.

In a time when producers are looking for a breed type that will excel in the pasture and on the rail the American breeds have proven to be the most profitable. It should also be noted that by 2050 the World is expected to have to increase food production by 70% due to the increase in population. Much of this increase in production will have to be done in the tropics or harsher environments due to available lands. Due to these demands it should be expected that the Brahman influenced breeds will become even more important in global beef production. As you prepare for the future of your herd consider the attributes of the American breeds of cattle and the influence that they can have on your bottom line!

To learn more about the benefits of these breeds of cattle you can view any of the websites from the American breeds that include:

www.americanredbrangus.org www.brafords.org www.brahman.org www.beefmasters.org www.gobrangus.com www.santagertrudis.com www.simbrah.org Chris Shivers is the owner of Infinity Cattle Services a full service cattle consulting and marketing firm. Shivers served as the Executive Vice President of the American Brahman Breeders Association for 14 years guiding the association and its programs to promote, improve and further the breed. Contact Chris Shivers to learn how he might assist you in the profitability of your cattle operation at 713-202-1747.

S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 1 8

Reprinted from: https://www.weather.gov/bro/2018event_greatjuneflood

Worse than Dolly?

Widespread Flooding Eviscerates Drought; Impacts Entire Rio Grande Valley June 18-22, 2018

broad tropical wave originating in the western Caribbean Sea moved across the Yucatan peninsula on June 15th and 16th, 2018. The slow moving but persistent system approached the Texas coast on Sunday, June 17th before finally arriving on June 18th. As the center axis of the wave passed the longitude of the coastline, the gates opened to repeated surges of tropical moisture deep into the atmosphere with origins in the western Caribbean Sea. A series of upper level disturbances interacted with this wave throughout its life cycle and helped to maintain a broad area of low pressure at all levels of the atmosphere for the period from June 18th through June 22ndacross Rio Grande Valley, and the adjacent Gulf waters. Several surface-based boundaries and convergence along the coastline also aided the production of heavy rainfall. Individual convective “systems” spun in place at several points during the event, including: • Tuesday morning (June 19) in Brooks County • Tuesday afternoon over Cameron County • Early Wednesday (June 20) in Hidalgo, Cameron, and Willacy County • Wednesday afternoon again in Cameron and Willacy County • Thursday morning (June 21) in Starr and Hidalgo County • Thursday afternoon in Cameron, Willacy, and Kenedy County • And finally, Friday morning (June 22) in southwest Hidalgo and southern Starr County along the Rio Grande.

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The wave and upper level disturbances finally exited southwest into north central Mexico on June 22nd, bringing a weekend of rain-free but oppressively hot and humid conditions to conduct broad recovery activity across the region.

Bout after Bout after Bout Ends the Drought but Wreaks Memorable Havoc

A wise Texas meteorologist from the early 20th Century aptly stated: “Texas is a State of perpetual drought, broken by the occasional [devastating] flood”. How right he was, nearly 100 years later. Severe-level drought, which had turned grass and rangeland crispy and yellow-brown and burned up non-irrigated crops by mid June, was replaced in days with scenes of several feet of water that flooded thousands of vehicles, inundated several thousand homes and businesses with 18 inches to more than 3 feet of water, and hundreds of rescues of persons and pets. As of June 25, state Emergency Declarations were declared for Cameron, Hidalgo, and Willacy County. Damage estimates were likely to run into the hundreds of millions of dollars, and the breadth of impact was perhaps even greater than that of Hurricane Dolly in 2008. The first bout of heavy rain was more welcome than anything else: A pre-dawn roaring downpour that dropped 2 to more than 3 inches between Los Fresnos and Harlingen on June 18th. The morning rain,

which spared many other locations, was a teaser of much more to come. The first serious flooding event developed during the late night and early morning hours of June 19th across the South Texas Brush Country of Duval, Jim Wells, and Brooks County. Torrential rains of more than 12 inches by midday west of Falfurrias, and flooding of at least 1 to 2 feet of water covered the streets of the city, closing many of them. Soon after, Palo Blanco Creek overspilled its banks and contributed additional water flows, and Los Olmos Creek spiked quickly and by evening reached flood stage by late afternoon and would crest just over moderate stage (12.32 feet) around 745 PM June 19th - the third highest crest in the modern record and highest since 1971 (remnants of Hurricane Fern). The second flooding rain event struck Cameron County from Brownsville to Los Fresnos, when a slow moving line of thunderstorms from west to east intersected the sea breeze and stalled, dumping 3 to 5 inches of rain over a 2 to 3 hour period and caused significant street flooding and some road closures in the area. The “big one” followed just 12 hours later, when the peak of the tropical moisture plume was lifted by an embedded upper level disturbance parked between the central Rio Grande Valley and the South Texas Brush Country. Incredible rainfall rates of up to 5 or more inches per hour struck the highly populated mid Valley between the east side of the McAllen Metro region to Harlingen, with peak rainfall just north of Weslaco and Mercedes. 11 to 13 inches fell in just a few hours at and near the Mid Valley Airport in Weslaco, though amounts may have been a couple inches higher in the heaviest rain core several miles northeast of this location. The cooperative observing station on the Mid Valley Airport grounds reported 11.36 inches in 3 hours! Drainage was unable to handle the deluge, and widespread flooding with photo and video evidence of at least 3 to 5 feet of water depth in many streets of each town ensued. The number of homes, businesses, and vehicles impacted by the floodwaters exceeded that from the October 22-24 Atmospheric River Event. As of this writing, Weslaco City estimates were more than 2500 homes, 100+ businesses, and at least 2500 vehicles with various degrees of damage. The homes and businesses had a minimum of 18 inches of floodwater depth inside portions of each. Data from Mercedes had not been received as of June 26th. The third event struck Cameron County - again - in nearly the same locations between Brownsville and northeast of Los Fresnos that same afternoon. This time, 4 to 6 inches fell, making for two day totals of 6 to 10 inches in the area and triggering additional flooding, especially in and northeast of Los Fresnos where several neighborhoods were inundated by a foot or more of water, with estimates of 3 feet or more of standing water in poor drainage locations as well as open fields. Parts of Harlingen were dealt a “triple” blow with rain during the afternoon of the 19th, morning of the 20th, and afternoon of the 20th. 10 inches fell there as well. By evening of the 20th, a defined swirl of upper level energy - in part due to the interaction of the earlier thunderstorm system with the broader tropical wave - settled over the four corners of Brooks/Hidalgo/Starr/Jim Hogg County. The system would drift little overnight; another complex of thunderstorms would spin in from the northeast overnight and reach Starr County, eventually dropping more than 7 inches from the ranches north of Rio Grande City to Rio Grande City itself, where local arroyos reached and overtopped their banks and at least one swift water rescue was required during the pre-dawn hours of the 21st. The big story of that day was just beginning, however, as a “fire hose” of moisture on the immediate east side of the swirl was lifted into a persistent band of torrential rains that began in western Hidalgo County before daybreak, where estimates of 6 to 8 inches fell, to the McAllen metro area between 7 AM and Noon, where estimates of another 6 to 10 inches fell, based on radar and ground truth observations. At least 2700 residences and businesses were estimated to be flooded in many neighborhoods in Mission and McAllen, as the additional rain fell on previously saturated ground from 3 to 6 inches

that fell during the pre-dawn hours of June 20th. For Cameron County, one more act was to come, as multiple shorter-lived bands of torrential rains rolled through Brownsville to Los Fresnos (again!) dropping another 1 to nearly 3 inches from late morning through mid afternoon of the 21st, which aggravated ongoing high water and flood conditions as well as recovery operations. The final act of the entire event occurred during the pre-dawn hours of June 22nd, when a final cluster rotated from the central Tamaulipas coast to the Mission/McAllen area as the tropical wave wheezed to its demise while moving southwestward into north central Mexico. An additional inch or two of rain aggravated ongoing flooding in these areas, as well as in Starr County near the Rio Grande. Rainfall totals are listed in Rainfall tab of this report. In general, between 12 and more than 18 inches fell in the McAllen/Mission area, up to 16 inches fell near Weslaco, with the potential of 18 inches between Weslaco and Mercedes; 8 to 17 inches in Harlingen; 10 to 15 inches between Brownsville and Los Fresnos, 10 to 15+ inches in Port Mansfield and through the King Ranch of Kenedy County, 12 inches near Falfurrias, and more than 8 inches in parts of Starr County. In addition to arroyos, drainage canals and ditches, resacas, and arroyos that filled to the brim, gaged creeks and a portion of the Rio Grande also swelled to flood levels. The following crests were noted at three locations across the Rio Grande Valley and Deep South Texas: • Los Olmos Creek near Falfurrias crested at 12.32 feet (moderate flood condition) during the evening of June 19th. This was the highest level observed since 1971, when Tropical Cyclone Fern dropped more than 10 inches of rainfall across the South Texas Brush Country. • The Arroyo Colorado crested at 23.98 feet, the highest level since the Hurricane Alex Flood Control System (Floodway) event. This time, there was no release of water along the Rio Grande basin (i.e. from Falcon International Reservoir), just runoff from the rainfall listed above. • The Rio Grande near San Benito crested at 51.6 feet, the highest since the Flood Control System event of July 2010.

Tale of the Tape - Initial Impact Statistics The Great June 2018 Flood of the Rio Grande Valley will be remembered for a long time to come, not just for its damage which is likely to run at least $250 million, with the potential for $500 million or more - but also for the challenges faced by the region for potentially much more rainfall from an organized tropical cyclone that decides to sit and spin over the region for a few days - perhaps worse than Beulah, but in a region with five times the population and exponential infrastructure growth. The following information is from initial reports from Emergency Management partners across the Rio Grande Valley. • More than 7,400 residences and businesses in Cameron and Willacy County with flood damage defined as minor to destructive by FEMA Standards. • At least 20,000 residences and businesses considered “affected” by the floods. This includes the 7,400 listed above. • More than 600 persons in at least ten shelters at the peak of the area-wide flooding • Several thousand vehicles with varying degrees of flood damage • Dozens to hundreds of roads, from neighborhood streets to major thoroughfares and frontage roads, closed during and after peak flooding • More than 2,000 rescues from vehicles and homes were conducted • 21,000 meals served by the American Red Cross • Public infrastructure damage of at least $50 million in Cameron and Willacy County alone So far, we’ve heard of no direct injuries or deaths from the flood despite the widespread damage, a testament to the resiliency of residents and families of the Rio Grande Valley and the public safety officials and workers who are critical to our shared mission to protect life and property. S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 1 8

FFA&4-H 2 018

RGV

D I S T R I C T

C A L E N

September 11, 2018

October 6, 2018

Location: Edinburg North H.S. Time: 4:15pm – 8pm

Location: MCC

Palm Valley Officer Training AST Meeting

La Muñeca Field Day

October 7, 2018

September 15, 2018

PalmFest Classic

Location: Weslaco Time: 9am – 10am “No Cost”

October 9, 2018

Steer Validation

September 19, 2018

Hog Tag Order Due D. Vela

September 26, 2018

Plant–Land ID Location: RGVLS Time: 10am

Location: MCC

Palm Valley AST

Location: Linn Time: 5:30pm

October 13, 2018

Rattler Diamondback Showdown Location: RGVLS

October 23, 2018

Goat/Lamb and Heifer Validation Location: Weslaco Time: 8am – 11:30am & 1pm – 5pm

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H Calendar DA R

O F

AC T I V I T I E S

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Sept 14, 2018

Heifer Validation orders due Location: Hidalgo County Extension Office

Sept 15, 2018

Youth Sewing Class (Elections)

Location: Extension Office, Edinburg, Tx

Sept 21, 2018

Swine Validation orders due

Location: Hidalgo County Extension Office

Sept 25, 2018

County Council Meeting

Sept 29, 2018

Achievement Night

4-H Awards Banquet Location: Jasmyl Ballroom, Edinburg, TX

October 6, 2018

La MuÃ±eca Field Day

October 12, 2018

Hidalgo County 4-H Hoedown October 13, 2018

Hidalgo County Food Show Location: TBD

Location: Extension Office, Edinburg, Tx

S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 1 8

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We buy and receive in our facilities in Progreso, Texas or in your facilities or farms throughout the Rio Grande Valley, Corpus Christi area, and South Houston. We are buying OND and JFM with the Best Prices.

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Farm Her

L E A R N IN G F A I TH BY R ONI M ARIE M C CARTLAN

She took a stance on the back porch and looked tensely at the sky. It was full blown summer and the heat beat every living thing relentlessly, daily. There had been no sign of rain for weeks. Today was no different. There was not a hint of a cloud in the washed out blue sky. She and her farmer were religious with the news and the weather channel, hoping and watching for rain that wasn’t in the forecast. The cotton had been planted and the corn was almost waist high. It was the corn that was suffering. Every day it looked more pale and wilted. The wrinkles deepened on her farmer’s forehead as he grimly assessed the drought. He would shake his head and say, “it’s not going to make it.” For awhile, she did not say anything but as day after hot day passed with no relief, she recognized something had to be done. She had no clue what that would be. There was no bringing buckets and trying to water the corn or pulling a water hose to the field to spray the crops as she did her gardens. She was very imaginative and she talked over a lot of ideas with her farmer. “What if we dug a trench around the field for water or what if we just dug a ditch from the house to the field, or how about hiring an airplane to drop water like they do on a big fire.“ Her farmer would smile and tell her stories of all the different ways in all the different droughts he had tried to save his crops. The only salvage was rain. He reminded her of the time they had needed rain so badly, she had come to visit (they were still in the dating phase) and it rained so they went out and danced in it. It was that desperate again. Summer baked on and one day the farmer returned from doing a daily inventory and bleakly said, “we’ve lost a field of corn. “ He reached for his phone to call the insurance agent. She listened as he talked and the news wasn’t good. All the fields had to be combined together and averaged out for there to be any kind of adjustment. He still had some fields that could make it so the possibility of a claim did not seem viable. Time seemed to stop as she felt the impact of this news. She was a part of this team and her beloved’s discouragement was her disheartenment. It was the next morning during their daily devotion when she realized a new role she could step into. She had always felt she was called to encourage so now faith needed to be added. She felt a leap of hope in her heart. She knew she was a good sup-

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port system, but it was time to go to a new level. Her husband’s late wife was a lady of faith and had left many quotes around the house that were still there. “Faith is not believing that God can – – it is knowing that He will.” She knew about faith. Her childhood teaching included ‘faith can move mountains’ and ‘faith as a grain of mustard seed’. Was it needed for the farm? Would it help the climate? Would it work? She knew it took words of faith, but what were those words of faith? What was an attitude of faith? She understood the quote ‘it is knowing that He will’ was a trust statement so her mind rationalized trust as a part of faith. As she was mulling over the compound of faith, an old song popped into her head. What you say is what you get. Let the weak say I am strong, let the blind say I can see. It almost seemed like an algebra formula; 1T + 1P (F)2 = S. Trust plus a positive spirit multiplied by extra faith equals success. Faith was a power tool. She analyzed each segment of the components that made up faith. It seemed trust was the most elusive or complicated as it was a letting go of the outcome even while believing for the best. Her quest uncovered faith as an energy reaching from not just the psyche but also from the heart into the universe. She saw the farm as energy, also, from the strong determination of that tiny seed to the stalwartness of the plant as it grows into maturity to the animals and insects that inhabit the island that houses the entire community and connects to the forthcoming intensity. Energy reacts to energy. Negative force can bring poison onto the farm or positive power can stimulate the lively vitalness that is living there. Both will affect the atmosphere. Faith is the words we say and the movement we spark—The cable to the battery; the gasoline in the automobile; the oil in the well. Her farmer came in with more bad news, another field was going down. No more wavering. It was time to put faith into action. She started with their morning devotions and into her prayer thanked God for the rain today. When she finished, her husband said sadly that there was no rain in the forecast. She took his hand and said, “let’s believe there is and when we believe it, we will see it.” She had just read that in a book called Manifest your Destiny by Dr. Wayne Dyer. The whole day she spent saying thank you for the rain today, thank you for the rain. There was nothing happening even as they went to bed nor did anything

stood there and let her faith work. “God, just because it rained, does it mean the cotton is not protected? Keep the cotton dry and pure.” It was a good lesson. Faith must be constant, it must be the norm, it must be something that is done, that is who we are. Two days later, the sky was ominous again. She went and stood by the fields and said, “God, please let this rain on the people who need it and keep it off the cotton fields that don’t need it.” She prayed again and then went in to finish the preparations for the food for supper. When she arrived in the field later that afternoon the farmer told her that it had rained 2” on all four sides of the field but it did not do anything but lightly sprinkle in the cotton and the pickers did not have to stop. She had found her place. New technology, new ideas, new beliefs. They all work together. At the end of the harvest, the machines went back in the barn, the exhausted team took a little time to rest and this up and coming ‘Farm Her’ reflected on the new time, the new journey, and the new path that went along with it. Faith, believing, trusting was ONI M ARIE C CARTLAN right in step with everyBY seedRplanted, everyMplant harvested and all the in between. It’s a recipe of life and success. The harvest is now complete, but faith is just getting started. Her heart was filled to overflowing with thanks and grati tude. She knew she still had a lot more to learn to be a ‘farm her’ but it had been a good year, and she had made progress. She truly felt she was becoming a part of the farm every night as she undressed for a shower and puddles of dirt fell from her clothes and shoes. She laughed as she thought about the fastidious person she had always been especially not wanting her hands dirty and avoiding germs. She loved it. This life was for her. Each season brought its uniqueness. She cherished each new day more than ever. She was growing sunshine, living her heaven on earth. The possibilities were endless.

“ “

happen the next day or the next. She decided to venture into the field and pray over the crops, so she did. Prayer was the transport, the way of bringing power words, thanksgiving and gratitude to the center of energy. She even prayed over the dead field of brown, shriveled cornstalks and told herself that God didn’t have to bring rain for the corn. He could just say the word and life would take over. As the days slipped by, she encouraged her husband to say positive things and quit watching the weather. “If we believe it, we will see it.“ She realized as she was learning this world of faith that her own was growing. “God is a God of possibilities”, she thought. She found a verse that talked about God’s way not being our way and His thoughts different than our thoughts. Someone had told her many years ago that there may be 100 ways to make something happen but God’s way was #101–a never before thought of plan. She didn’t give up, and one morning she awakened to the sound of rain on the tin roof and her love bringing coffee saying, “My darling, we have rain.” They went to the back door and looked at the rain coming down. It was going to be a good rain, a definite help for the cotton but would it help the corn? It did. It did not save the field that was completely burnt but the rest of the corn produced. Was it the best year? No, but from faith, the corn was harvested and by faith it covered expenses. The rain that strengthened the cotton came again and sporadically through the cotton season, showers fell. It was when the harvest began and the rains continued that the farmer once more became frantic with anxiety. She laughed to herself a little as she began fervently praying and believing for no rain. She was telling her friend who said, “but we all need it so much.” It made her realize she wasn’t the only person on the planet so she changed her prayer to no rain on the cotton but rain everywhere else it was needed. The farmer had gone back to the weather channel which each day gave the percentage of rain as 50% or 20% or 10% rain. Regardless of the percentage, every day of the harvest had a rain forecast. She changed her words to “ thank you for keeping the cotton dry.” It was one day when the clouds were especially ominous from the beginning – – huge white, blue, purple, gray clouds that looked like they held a million gallons of water and were ready to drop at any minute. The harvest was in full swing, and she hadn’t realized how foreboding the skies were until she had to turn a light on in the middle of the day. She went outside and looked upwards. The rain was coming. Tears flowed and she moaned, “no, no, no rain!” She had let down her guard, had not stood her ground in her faith, and now, it was raining. Her farmer found her on the back porch holding onto a pole and sobbing. “It’s going to be OK, darling,” he comforted. The rain stopped and the farmer left to go check the fields. She

If We Believe It, We Will See It. God Is A God of Possibilities.

S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 1 8

Molecular Diagnostics at USDAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mission Lab Help Protect U.S. Cotton Programs

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lant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ), a USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) program, supports ongoing efforts to keep U.S. cotton-producing areas free of the cotton boll weevil, a significant cotton pest. To accomplish this, we must have good detection and identification methods. Cotton boll weevil can be difficult to identify because it looks very similar to weevils that feed on wild cotton. In fact, the cotton boll weevil and weevils that prefer wild cotton are variants of the same species: Anthonomus grandis. PPQ scientists at USDA’s Mission Lab in Edinburg, Texas, rely on molecular diagnostics to analyze weevil DNA and determine whether trapped specimens are commercial cotton pests or not. Molecular scientists at the Mission Laboratory are equipped with the most up-to-date scientific instrumentation and technologies. Dr. Raul Ruiz-Arce is leading a science team at the Laboratory that genotypes weevils captured in and near cotton growing areas throughout the United States, including Texas. While most of these areas have been designated as boll weevil-free thanks to eradication efforts of state agencies and PPQ, we continue to monitor these regions for the pest. That’s because trapping and identifying a pest weevil early allows for an effective and quick response to the threat. Additionally, not all weevils trapped in or near a cotton production area are the cotton boll weevil variant. When we are able to confirm that the identity of trapped weevils is the wild cotton variant, we set growers’ minds are at ease and help them avoid costly pesticide treatments.

gather numerous weevil collections from as much of the insect’s geographic range as possible. We then used these collections to test the molecular methods we were developing and capture the breadth of genetic diversity for these weevils. Working closely with cotton programs in Texas and other states, Dr. Ruiz-Arce and scientists at the Mission Lab have diagnosed hundreds of weevils over the past twelve months. Some of those weevils were gathered along the U.S.-Mexico border in Northern Mexico and in the Southwest United States. This was accomplished in collaboration with the Mexican Agricultural Ministry, Secretaría de Agricultura, Ganadería, Desarrollo Rural, Pesca y Alimentación (SAGARPA) and the USDA PPQ. These efforts are part of the USDA’s mission to maintain boll weevil-free areas and ultimately eradicate this pest from the United States. This work has helped PPQ and efforts by groups such as the Texas Boll Weevil Eradication Program find and eradicate these threats quickly, resulting in the more efficient use of resources by state and federal agencies.

The Mission Laboratory works with traditional morphologists to first screen and identify weevil captures. We then analyze the insect DNA to verify identifications and confirm differences in the weevils’ external appearance. These molecular methods target mitochondrial DNAs and provide results that reveal subtle and unique differences among these two weevil types. To accomplish this level of variant determination, the Mission Lab worked with other USDA scientists and international scientists build a substantial reference database. This effort included collaborating with agencies in both the United States and Mexico to

Barr, N., Ruiz-Arce, R., Obregón, O., Leon, R. D., Foster, N., Reuter, C. & Vacek, D. (2013). Molecular diagnosis of populational variants of Anthonomus grandis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in North America. Journal of economic entomology, 106(1), 437-449.

S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 1 8

FARMERS.GOV

Interactive Website for Agricultural Producers

FARMERS.GOV is a new website that is being developed for farmers by farmers in order to improve customer service for the USDA customers. The vision is that farmers.gov provides farmers, ranchers, private foresters, and agricultural producers with online self-service applications, educational materials, engagement opportunities, and business tools to increase efficiency and productivity while preserving and fostering long-held traditional relationships between local USDA offices and producers. Â A new Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool launched that directs producers to Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Risk Management Agency (RMA) disaster preparedness and assistance programs. This new resource will serve as a model for simple self-service discovery tools to help farmers, ranchers, and foresters find the information they need to use our programs and improve their operations. Farmers.gov developed a new soil health page to provide resources and tools to farmers, ranchers and other land stewards on soil health practices and principles. Â Fridays on the Farm is a new series that

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Farmers.gov is able to highlight producers around the nation showcasing their efforts working with NRCS, FSA, and RMA. Farmers.gov is mobile device-friendly and can identify for farmers the most convenient USDA office locations. New functions will be added including an interactive calendar, farming success stories, an online appointment feature, digital forms, and a business data dashboard. Additionally, when the 2018 Farm Bill is signed into law, there will be plain language program descriptions and a tool to determine eligibility.

From our family to yours. THANK YOU FOR YOUR BUSINESS!

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S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 1 8

FARM ASSISTANCE

No-Till Farming Practices Offer Cost Savings and More Profit Potential to Cotton and Grain Sorghum Producers

FOCUS 2018

Mac Young - Jamie Foster - Josh McGinty Steven Klose - Andrea Maeda

Department of Agricultural Economics Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

farmassistance.tamu.edu

This study illustrates the crop performance and potential profitability of no-till versus conventional cultivation practices in dryland cotton and grain sorghum farming in South Texas.

armers progressively seek ways to control costs, sustain yields and improve bottom-line profitability. Adaptation of new varie ties, herbicides, insecticides, farming practices, and other technology is often necessary to improve performance and insure survival, especially in times of rising costs and relatively low crop prices. More cost- efficient ways of producing a crop can often make a big difference in accomplishing goals. The dominant management practice in the Texas Coastal Bend is conventional tillage, where crop residues are incorporated into the soil after harvest, and several tillage passes are typically made to prepare the field for planting and to manage weeds (Stichler, 2006). Conventional tillage practices can leave the soil prone to wind and water erosion. Repeated disturbance of the soil also tends to deplete soil organic matter, which leads to poor soil structure and reduced pore space. This can have the net effect of reducing water infiltration rates and reduced water storage capacity of the soil. “No-till” is the practice of leaving the soil undisturbed throughout the year, except for fertilizer placement. Over time, this practice can help rebuild soil organic matter. In the soil, organic matter acts as a sponge for moisture, and serves as the “glue” for forming soil structure. This leads to improved water infiltration and storage. Crop residues left undisturbed on the soil surface help reduce evaporative water losses by protecting the soil from sun and wind exposure, as well as reducing crusting and sealing of the soil surface. Under no-till management, weeds are managed with herbicides, as cultivation is not an option. This can pose a challenge; however, weeds can be effectively managed with the use of diverse herbicide technologies currently available. This study illustrates the crop performance and potential profitability of no-till versus conventional cultivation practices in dryland cotton and grain sorghum farming in South Texas.

Assumptions In 2011, a trial was established at the Texas A&M Research and Extension Center at Corpus Christi comparing conventional to no-till management practices in a cotton and grain sorghum rotational system. The objective was to demonstrate the feasibility and yield of no-till dryland farming on Vertisol soil in south Texas. The plots were arranged in a split-plot design with four replicates of a 16 row (36-inch centers) by 160-foot tillage treatments in each block. Sorghum was grown in half the blocks and cotton in the remaining half in the first year and alternated annually. Fertilizer was applied according to soil test, weed and insect control as needed and similarly to local practices. On average, the no-till yields per acre were slightly higher than the conventional yields (+62 lbs. for cotton and +3.24 cwt. for grain sorghum; Table 1). The Financial And Risk Management (FARM) Assistance strategic planning model was used to illustrate the individual financial impacts of conventional vs. no-till dryland farming practices in South Texas. Four scenarios were evaluated: 1) conventional cotton; 2) no-till cotton; 3) conventional grain sorghum; and 4) no-till grain sorghum.

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Table 1: Cotton and Grain Sorghum Conventional and No-Till Yields Per Acre, Corpus Christi Research and Extension Center Year

Cotton (lbs.) Conventional

Grain Sorghum (cwt.)

No-Till

Conventional

2011

266

277

35.65

No-Till 36.79

2012

428

415

26.43

39.49

2013

190

0.00

2014

517

565

27.74

34.41

2015

916

1,058

53.42

48.85

2016

953

910

51.29

56.48

2017 Average

1,168 610

1,286 672

45.86 34.34

47.02 37.58

34.34 34.87

37.58 38.16

Case Study Projected Average Yields 2018 2027

610 640

672 705

Based on the results of the AgriLife Corpus Christi trial, a case study 100acre farm was developed to project the profit potential of conventional and no-till practices in cotton and grain sorghum over a ten-year period (20182027). The estimated 2018 crop yields for each crop and production practice were based on 2011-2017 average research trial yields. Yields for the remaining 9 years of the forecast period are gradually increased for the assumption of improved varieties over time (Table 1). The 7 years of research trial yields provides an estimate of the yield risk of each crop/practice. Per acre production inputs, costs, and estimates for overhead charges were based on typical rates and farming practices, and the 2018 District 11 Coastal Bend dryland cotton and grain sorghum budgets. Table 2 indicates per acre production costs differences between conventional and no-till. All other per acre production costs were the same for each crop. Custom costs reflect repairs, maintenance, fuel, and pickup charges. Debts and assets were not included in the analysis. Crop prices were based on average December 2017 to February 2018 futures market adjusted for discounts and basis for the Coastal Bend ($0.66/lb. cotton and $6.96/cwt. grain sorghum). The base year for the 10-year analysis is 2018 and projections are carried through 2027. The projections for commodity price trends follow projections provided by the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI, University of Missouri) with costs adjusted for inflation over the planning horizon. Net cash farm income (NCFI) per acre was used to measure profitability, illustrating the trend and risk associated with the case study farm’s financial performance expectations throughout the 10-year planning horizon under each crop and cultivation scenario.

Results Financial projections for each crop and management practice scenario are given in Table 3. These results represent the average outcomes for total

costs, receipts, and net cash farm income projections for 2018-2027. A 10-year average net cash farm income (NCFI) analysis reflects the impact of possible yield fluctuations, and changes to input costs and crop prices that likely will occur over time. Figure 1 illustrates the range of NCFI possibilities comparing conventional and no-till for both crops.

to one or two additional applications. Repairs specific to planters may also be higher in no-till systems than normally expected in conventional farming since the soil is not tilled before planting and may be compacted in the surface. But, the overall costs savings from no-cultivation are expected to

No-till cotton was the only scenario evaluated that potentially generated profitability (Table 3 and Figure 1). The average NCFI per acre is $40/year, compared to negative $28 NCFI for conventional cotton. The $68/acre, no-till advantage reflects the 62 lbs./acre higher yield, $21.60/acre less cultivation related expenses (fuel, repairs, and maintenance), and $5.46/acre labor savings per acre. These savings offset an estimated $10/acre additional no-till herbicide expenses.

Switching to no-till cultivation has the potential to maintain or improve yields, reduce production costs, and increase profitability per acre. Overall fuel, labor, and repairs and maintenance expenses are less due to eliminating several cultivation trips across the field annually.

At a beginning $6.96/cwt. grain sorghum price, both the no-till and conventional scenarios did not generate a positive NCFI (Table 3 and Figure 1). However, no-till had a $73/acre advantage. No-till cost savings included $22.35/acre due to no cultivation and $5.65/acre less labor, offsetting $3.13/ acre additional no-till herbicide costs. The 324 lb. higher no-till yield was also a significant difference. At the average yields for both the conventional and no-till trials, the $6.96/cwt. price is below break-even.

Table 3: 2018-2027 Projected Profitability of Conventional vs. No-Till Dryland Crops in South Texas Scenario

Table 2: Conventional and No-Till Cotton and Grain Sorghum Production Costs Differences Per Acre

Expenses

Herbicides (1) Insecticides

Cotton (lbs.)

Grain Sorghum (cwt.)

Conventional No-Till ($/Acre) ($/Acre)

Conventional ($/Acre)

No-Till ($/Acre)

35.13

38.26

41.24

51.24

27.33

27.35

11.15

11.54

Custom (2)

54.48

32.08

69.59

47.24

Harvest (2,3)

155.55

171.36

15.45

16.91

Boll Weevil

4.27

4.70

n/a

Labor

13.18

7.72

15.07

9.42

(1) Includes defoliants for cotton. (2) Assumes cotton is custom harvested. (3) Includes ginning for cotton; hauling and drying for grain sorghum.

2 4

10 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Year Annual Averages Total Cash Receipts ($/Acre)

Net Cash Total Cash Farm Income Costs ($/Acre) ($/Acre)

Conventional Cotton

507

535

No-Till Cotton

557

517

Conventional Grain

249

341

-92

No-Till Grain

272

291

-19

-28

offset any additional spraying expenses and planter maintenance. No-till also has potentially significant agronomic benefits over conventional practices including higher soil organic matter, improved water infiltration and storage, and protecting against wind and water erosion. Actual results will likely vary by producer, actual cultivation practices, production region, and crop markets. Crop producers should continue to implement management practices that improve the bottom-line and financial performance of their operation.

Implications and Other Considerations Although not considered in this analysis, no-till may also have a fixed cost advantage over conventional, as it would typically require less investment in machinery and equipment. Based on calculations from the Texas AgriLife Coastal Bend budgets, the savings in depreciation and investment costs of no-till vs. conventional was estimated to be $19.90/acre for cotton and $22.37/acre for grain sorghum in 2018. Savings are primarily due to the elimination of larger horse-power tractors, field cultivators, rippers, and crop cultivators. However, short-term costs and cash flow implications of an equipment transition must be considered. While the estimated economic cost of ownership may be less expensive for a no-till system, that difference assumes all other things (age of equipment, timing of purchase, required debt, etc.) are equal. Often, these other factors are not equal, particularly if you are considering a transition to newer no-till equipment from an older conventional equipment complement. The newer equipment could, in the short-term, create a higher fixed cost of ownership. The higher value asset will mean increased opportunity cost of capital, higher depreciation, and possibly additional cash flow obligations if debt financing is necessary for the purchase. It is this short-term hurdle that may be holding many producers back from transitioning to no-till. Switching to no-till cultivation has the potential to maintain or improve yields, reduce production costs, and increase profitability per acre. Overall fuel, labor, and repairs and maintenance expenses are less due to eliminating several cultivation trips across the field annually. For both no-till cotton and grain sorghum, herbicide and spraying expenses will likely be higher due

References: Stichler, C., A. Abrameit, and M. McFarland. 2006. Best Management Practices for Conservation/Reduced Tillage B-6189. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. College Station, TX.

S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 1 8

SOIL TESTING BASICS

& STRATEGY BY DEREK EMERINE

he 2018 crop year is ending and planning for the 2019 crop year will begin very quickly. An accurate soil test or soil testing program is the best way to determine a fertilizer program for the upcoming season. Collecting an accurate and representative sample is the most important step before the sample is sent to the soil testing laboratory. Once the sample is at the lab, it is important to understand the two independent components that are incorporated to provide an answer to the question. How much and which fertilizer should be applied? One is the extraction method used at your chosen soils testing laboratory. The second component is the fertilizer recommendation. Collecting an accurate and representative sample can also be broken down into the two components of soil sampling and sampling strategy. Accurate soil sampling is important regardless of the sampling strategy involved. Ideally, a soil probe should be used to collect the soil samples. Sampling depth is also very important. Most university, lab, and independent recommendations are based on a 6 inch depth. Sampling shallower can result in artificially high results and sampling deeper can result in artificially low results. In some high clay content soils, a spade might be used rather than a probe. Care should be taken to try to mimic the probe sample dimensions when using a spade. With either tool, it is important to clear all vegeta-

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tion or plant stubble from the soil surface and ensure that no plant stalks, roots, etc. make it into the soil sample. When using a soil probe, at least 6-8 cores should be collected to make one sample. Collecting a representative sample is best done by utilizing some sort of precision soil sampling like grid or zone soil sampling. These methods will identify nutrient variability across the field and give a much more accurate view of fertility levels. Composite sampling can also be employed. Composite sampling will most likely involve more than 6-8 cores because one composite sample might represent 20-40 acres or more. Therefore it is encouraged to pull representative cores from across the field and thoroughly mix them together before pouring into sampling bag and sending to the lab.

Once the sample is at the lab, it will be dried and ground up. Only a very small amount of the sample (about 20 grams) will be used to determine nutrient levels. At this point, understanding the extraction method used by your lab of choice is important. There are multiple extraction methods including: Mehlich I, Mehlich III, Bray I, Bray II, Olsen Bicarbonate, Ammonium Acetate, DPTA, etc. Some extractants like Mehlich III can be used to extract multiple nutrients. Others like Olsen Bicarbonate are just used for phosphorus extraction. Debates can ensue around which extraction is the “best”. Some of these extraction methods are better suited for low pH soils and some are better suited for high pH soils. Results from different extraction methods should never be compared because different extraction methods extract more or less nutrient depending on the strength of the acid in the extraction method. The number scale used to identify low, medium, high, etc. is also different between extraction methods. Once nutrient levels are established, they are converted into a fertilizer recommendation. In the simplest terms, lower measured nutrient levels result in a higher fertilizer recommendation. The problem is that fertilizer recommendations can widely vary.

Sometimes confusion arises when two labs (utilizing the same extraction methods) recommend different rates of fertilizer based on the same result. This happens because each lab may use a different logic to calculate fertilizer needs. This logic can be based on building soil test levels, crop removal, economic response, soil balancing, or a combination of these. Universities, soil testing labs, retailers, and consultants may generate fertilizer recommendations. There can be never ending debates about which recommendations are “correct”. Ultimately it is about choosing a strategy that makes sense on your farm and realizing that all of this is just a recommendation not a guaranteed result. There are many factors that can drastically affect soil test results and fertilizer recommendations. Ultimately, economics will probably drive how much fertilizer is applied. Soil testing is still extremely valuable because it provides a road map to help determine fertilizer prioritization.

S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 1 8

AgAg Ag

A New Generation of BY KUSY ZARZOSA

My introduction to agriculture came through the STEP-UP to Agricultural Careers program funded through a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) grant awarded to Dr. Deborah Villalon, Dr. Keith Daniel Murray, and Steven J. Schneider. I was selected to participate in the STEP-UP program in my sophomore year at South Texas College, and that opportunity changed my career path. During that program I worked side-by-side with USDA scientist Dr. Norman Barr (APHIS PPQ CPHST) on molecular diagnostics of fruit flies. Fruit flies are major pests of fruit bearing plants around the world, but immature flies found in fruits are incredibly difficult to identify. My goal was to improve methods to acquire DNA for use in molecular diagnostic tests. Through this program, I was introduced to, and mastered, proper molecular techniques that I have continued to utilize ever since.

For my Junior year, I moved to the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) and was selected to participate in the BASE program funded by USDA to Dr. Alex Racelis. This program allowed me to continue working side-by-side with a USDA scientist. This time I worked with Dr. Evan Braswell (APHIS PPQ CPHST) and focused on a much smaller pest, mites in the genus Brevipalpus. Despite their small size, these mites carry, and transmit, a devastating disease, Citrus leprosis, which is approaching the southern Texas border. My goal was to try to understand how these tiny mites are moving such long distances. Following that work, I was hired as a cooperator on an agreement between USDA and Dr. Yuanbing Mao at UTRGV to continue working with Dr. Evan Braswell. My goal with this current project is to develop methods to use insects to deliver treatments for Huanglongbing, the bacterial disease attacking Citrus crops around the world. We are currently still developing a data base to track detection of the insect delivery. I’ve enjoyed the numerous trial and errors of testing the variety of feeding methods and all the preliminary work done, prior to artificially feeding hundreds of young psyllids. It’s striking to notice the difference from working in the university lab compared to a government laboratory, the difference in numbers is alluring, I’ve been fortunate because the number of samples I can apply to one experiment is significantly large; for example for the number of samples used of test a gene regions can be done in sets of 96-well plates compared to 1 sample at a time is immense. Likewise, rearing hundreds of insects in temperature control chambers and greenhouses are amenities not many undergraduates get a chance to do. Not to mention, besides working on these three projects I’ve had a great experience to exposure to new technologies and numerous trainings available during my internship in the USDA laboratories. Thanks to these programs and grants I was able to gain invaluable mentorship and hands-on, experience in laboratory and field research. These experiences have opened new career paths to me that I hadn’t, previously, considered. Agricultural research funded projects have taught me the difference between bacteria that have symbiotic versus pathogenic relationships; experimental design, ecological field experience. As well as, how to rear psyllids and how to develop different artificial diets. All in all, I plan to attend Graduate school and pursue a thesis-based Master’s of Science in Biology. After graduation I am eager to apply for a summer internship with USDA-NIFA agency around the Washington, DC area.

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8-27-2018 Portrait picture at the USDA Mission LabMoore Air Base.

These two images represent a colony of 1,000 of Brevipalpus mites crawling on these Persian limes. Building an Artificial leaf one sided with psyllind (Diaphorina citri). Not yet encapsulated with artificial diet.

The tubes are holding the liquid collection of 10% Propylene glycol solution from the fruit fly traps. Then will be furthur analysed by running these solutions through seives with warm water and inspected under the microscope for traces of Brevipalpus mites.

Filed work set-up of 20 McPhail fruit fly traps to collect field mites at the USDA Moore Airbase citrus groves.

Fruit fly larvae air drying after being rinsed-off of ethanol. Prep-work before starting DNA extraction methods.

MY JOURNEY WEST BY JOSHUA MATHEW

s a scholar at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), I am always exposed to a myriad of opportunities. One such opportunity was the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS) “Science in Action” Summer Internship Program. This program gave students like me the opportunity to intern at locations such as Albany, California, Hilo, Hawaii, Corvallis, Oregon, and Tucson, Arizona while receiving a paid salary, round-trip airfare, funding for housing, and much more benefits. My prior research experience with the USDA began at UTRGV in the Fall of 2016, under the Talent in Agriculture for Climate Change and Food Security Adaptation (TACFSA) program. Through TACFSA I was able to research Citrus Greening and its effects on the Rio Grande Valley. With the support of the program director, Dr. Teresa Feria Arroyo, I was able to create my own project and present at our university conference. Through my year-long experience, I knew that I wanted to pursue another research endeavor and I later applied and was accepted for the USDA Science in Action initiative. For the past 8 weeks, I have spent my time in Albany, California, at the USDA ARS Western Regional Research Center. I was selected to work under the guidance of research geneticist Dr. James Thomson who serves as the labs’ principal investigator. Through Dr. Thomson, I was assigned a project that pertained to a phloem-specific promoter, Small cyclic amphipathic peptides (SCAmpPs), that would aid in the defense of a plant. The plant utilized in this project was the Arabidopsis thaliana as it has a rapid life cycle of six weeks as well as prolific seed production for future experiments. My overall goal was to grow the plants and stain them with GUS, a gene expression system, throughout different stages of their life and analyze the effectiveness of the promoter through microscopic images.

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In this project, I began by sterilizing 10 sets of Arabidopsis thaliana seeds that already had the phloem-specific promoter in place. From this step, I proceeded to spread the seeds onto agar plates that contained a certain selection of antibiotics such as kanamycin and timentin, as well as benomyl, a fungicide. Next, I left the plates over the weekend in a cold room so that they would not grow and instead placed them in a growth chamber the following Monday to ensure that the seeds would germinate evenly.

After twelve days of growth, I moved 4 plants from each of the ten agar plates into the soil at our greenhouse. On that same day, I began my first staining of the ten sets, each with varying results. It was concluded that although the plant was stained, it may have been due to a wound-induced response and not that of the promoter. Additionally, at twelve days the plants secondary-phloem was not fully developed.

Therefore, it was necessary for me to continue with another stain; this one at 19 days of growth. Dr. Thomson, who had assisted me throughout this process, recommended a new method for staining the plants. By placing the plants in a vacuum chamber with the GUS solution, we would be able to produce better results as the plants would be able to absorb the GUS at a higher rate. From the original 10 sets of plates, I chose two plants from each, one for regular GUS staining and the other with GUS + vacuum. Upon further analysis, it was determined that using a vacuum yielded better staining patterns, but the specific section that we had wanted to see wasn’t quite visible. During this time, I transferred 4 plants from each set into 2 “sundae cups” for a total of 8 plants. The “sundae cups” were regular cups with agar that allowed for plants to expand their roots as there was much more capacity compared to the original. Once 30 days had passed another stage of staining was required. This portion consisted of one plant, from each set, that was extracted from the soil as well as one plant from each sundae cup. The plants from the soil were cut for specific pieces, such as the floret, leaf, and stem whereas the whole plant from the sundae cup was stained. Both the soil and sundae

cups were vacuumed to ensure max absorbance of GUS. This stage of staining proved crucial as the secondary phloem was apparent in the stem extracted from the plants in soil. This was the last staining I was able to carry out before my internship concluded, but further stainings have been planned. Overall, I had an amazing hands-on experience at the USDA ARS Western Regional Research Center, and this would not be possible if it wasn’t for the great people I have met. Christopher Carter, who serves as the executive assistant to the cen-

ter director, helped me accommodate for my two-month tenure in California, and was always of immense assistance to me. Through such individuals like Dr. James Thomson and Dr. Upul Hathwaik, I was able to learn a plethora of invaluable skills and knowledge that I can bring back to my university and further research endeavors. Additionally, other laboratory personnel such as Dr. Min Shao and Ronald Chan were always willing to assist me in any matter they could and taught me many of the practices I used in my experiments. For all their help and encouragement, I am thankful to the scientists and researchers I have had the honor of working with. Lastly, I would like to commend Dr. Teresa Feria Arroyo as she was the first person to spur my interest in the field of agri cultural research and I would not be here if it wasn’t for her passion and drive to push me to do better.

S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 1 8

Sept 19 Seed Cotton Program Meeting at A&M Research & Extension Center in Weslaco Oct 6

Important upcoming dates for Ag Producers SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2018 DATES

La Muñeca Field Day

Oct 12 Hidalgo County 4-H Hoedown Oct 19 Cotton & Grain Producers Golf Tournament Nov 7

Pesticide License Training at Hidalgo County Extension Office

Nov 8

Cotton & Grain Marketing Workshop

South Texas’ Finest Meats

Contact the County Extension Office for details on any of these events

Brad Cowan, County Extension Agent Agriculture Hidalgo County Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service 410 North 13th Avenue, Edinburg, TX 78541

707 Dove McAllen, TX 78504 956-682-9331 Fax 956-682-5075

https://hidalgo.agrilife.org/home/agriculture o) 956-383-1026, m) 956-330-3208

2301 E. Griffin Pkwy. Ste C, Mission, TX 78572 956-584-7530 Fax 956-584-7443

S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 1 8

the land

ervando Leal is a fifth-generation farmer and all five generations have worked in the cow/calf area of agriculture. The Leals have owned and operated their ranches since 1874, given their original plots of land through a grant. With nearly 145 years in their history books, it’s needless to say they have become experts in the cattle industry. Servando, however, doesn’t take that historical or institutional knowledge for granted. He still believes there’s a lot to learn from cattle. So if you see him in the morning or evening hours just observing the cattle as they roam the field or graze throughout the acreage, he is reading a story – the cattle story. “I learn from them daily,” he said. “I enjoy watching them throughout the day, primarily during the morning and evening hours when I am observing them. They are telling

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me a story about how and where they graze. “I watch for certain grasses that they prefer at a given time. Then I have to decide if there are others pastures that will offer what they are preferring at that time.” Leal said that he is fascinated by cattle, from the fact that they provide a basic need for food to the fact that they have environmental benefits that they give back to the land. “What fascinates me as well is they are not only takers by grazing, but are givers by depositing back to the soil through their bodily functions,” Leal said. “A natural process that is often overlooked and undervalued.” The Leal family and ancestry is a virtual encyclopedia when it comes to the history, the facts and the do’s and don’ts of cattle ranching.

Leal is the youngest of nine grandchildren and the youngest grandchild to Pedro and Felicitas Leal. He is also the youngest of three children to his late parents, Armando and Virginia Leal. “Each generation has obviously had its obstacles and challenges but they were able to fulfill their needs and desires that they were afforded for themselves,” Leal said. “It has always been the goals of each generation to fill the previous generation shoes and their end goal has been to make the land their greatest benefactor.” Leal has been married for 22 years to Idalia – and he is quick to profess that her love and support have been the biggest reason for the successful farming operation. And that began when she agree to leave her life behind to live at the ranch. “She has not only has been a blessing in my life but has been very supportive with the operation of the ranch and land,” he said. “She has also allowed me to fulfill my desire and passion for improving the land on the property.” Idalia is not just a sit back and cheer type of supporter but she gets involved on the farm as well. Among her duties are helping with checking for of the cattle by labeling test tubes of blood samples and paperwork necessary to send samples for results. ,” Leal said. “She has never stood in my way when I have been afforded the opportunities to attend numerous conferences and seminars in and out of the state.” These conferences have helped Leal partner with NRCS local offices where with the assistance of their various programs, he has introduced different types of grasses and created numerous pastures along with a network of water distribution.

“This has allowed me to better rotate, manage and effectively utilize the property for grazing,” he said. “With all this being said, by far the greatest change has been within myself. It has been my greatest tool in regards to understanding the land and animals that depend on the land,” he said. “Due to my understanding of holistic practices and management, since 2011, I no longer vaccinate my cattle and have completely become non-dependent on any hay or supplements. My ultimate goal is to be one with nature the way God intended. “ Servando and Idalia have two daughters along with some grandchildren. “They are more involved in regards to helping me work cattle,” Leal said. “I feel very proud of them when they show their interest in how and why I do the things that I do for the land. I will continue to teach them how and why they should love and respect the land.” Leal plans to continue working on a more holistic approach to his ranching in the upcoming years as well as earning certification to raise and sell beef that is naturally grass fed or organic meat.

S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 1 8

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