Ag & Range

Courtesy photo From left, Brolin Morgan, sophomore of McCook, Emma Pendleton, junior of Hemmingford, Sage McGinnis, sophomore of Buena Vista, Colorado, Society for Range Management (SRM) President Poncho Ortega and Hayden McGinnis, senior of Buena Vista, Colorado hold up the Range Cup award during the international SRM meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Range Cup, from page 1

The team had to take their research paper and turn it into a presentation.

“The hardest part had to be turning a complex topic into a small, summarized poster that accurately represented the topic given to us and the topic that we chose for the poster,” Brolin said.

The team was competing against other rangeland students across the country, with varying topics and projects.

“The hardest part for me was the day or two leading up to our presentation,” Pendleton said. “We had the chance to see some of the projects that the other schools had put together and it was intimidating! There were some great competitors there who had also come up with amazing research and creative answers to the Rangeland Cup Prompt.”

The prize for winning the Range Cup is a traveling trophy that is housed at the winning school until the next years competition.

“This award is extremely meaningful,” Sage said. “The group invested many long hours into creating a presentation we are proud of. The other universities in the competition have excellent rangeland management programs, and outperforming them is a big deal for us as their projects were all very well done. Winning the award with Brolin, Hayden and Emma made it even more special as we all worked so hard throughout the process and sharing that experience with them is something I will never forget.”

“Winning this award was a big deal,” Hayden said. “CSC historically has done well in this competition, so it is really cool to restore that legacy and bring the cup back to Chadron. This was a total group effort, and every group member did their part exceptionally, so to be awarded for those efforts was special.”

The team hopes that those who choose to compete in the Range Cup in the future will pick a topic they enjoy and not put off working on the presentation.

“My main piece of advice would be to begin working on the project immediately when the prompt comes out,” Hayden said. “Find an issue that is important to you, as that both helps with your interest level and with the actual presentation. Finally, when presenting, be humble and personable, as it is an excellent opportunity to showcase your knowledge of the subject, but also to learn from those who have deeper knowledge and experience in this field.”

USDA announces new Equity Commission

u By Kamryn Kozisek

Ag and Range Editor

On Feb. 10, the USDA announced the new Equity Commission and Subcommittee on Agriculture and the members that will be on both.

The commission is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act and will hold its first meeting Feb. 28.

The commission members include: Arturo Rodriguez of California, Hazell Reed of Arkansas, Toni Stanger-McLaughlin of Washington, Derrick Johnson of Mississippi, Ronald Rainey of Arkansas, Mireta Loza of District of Columbia, Charles Rawls of Virginia, Shorlette Ammons of North Carolina, Poppy Sias-Hernandez of Michigan, Todd Corley of Ohio, Yvonne Lee of California, Elizabeth Lower-Basch of Virginia, Shirley Sherrod of Georgia, Ertharin Cousin of Illinois and Rick Smith of Missouri.

Members of the subcommittee include: Shari Rogge-Fidler of Illinois, Savonala Horne of North Carolina, Alexis Racelis of Texas, Gina Eubanks of Louisiana, Michelle Hughes of Virginia, Kari Jo Lawrence of South Dakota, PJ Haynie III of Virginia, Russell Redding of Pennsylvania, Janssen Hang of Minnesota, Erica Lomeli Corcoran of California, Sarah Vogel of North Dakota, Gary Matteson of New Hampshire.

The application process included selecting for those that can voice the concerns of people of color, women, indigenous communities, rural communities, the LGBTQI+, small businesses, those with disabilities and limited English proficiency.

“USDA acknowledges we have not done enough to provide all farmers and ranchers an equal chance of success and prosperity, and we are striving to change that,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a USDA press release. “This Commission will support our work to build a USDA that does not ignore or leave anyone behind anyone as we dismantle barriers that historically underserved communities have faced in accessing USDA programs and services.”

Rodeo team to host Black Tie Calf Fry

u By BreAnne Benson

Reporter

After a two-year hiatus, the CSC Rodeo Team’s Black Tie Calf Fry returns live Friday, March 4, to the Dawes County Fairgrounds.

Tickets for the annual fundraiser, on sale now, cost $25 and may be purchased from any CSC Rodeo Team member or online at www.chadroneagles.com/tickets.

The Calf Fry’s social hour and silent auction starts at 5 p.m. The evening’s dinner, catered by The Ridge, follows at 6:30 p.m. A live Western auction for the big-ticket items, which include a cowboy hat; hand-tooled, leather belt; and a pair of rasp spurs – all custom made – follows the dinner. All proceeds benefit CSC’s Rodeo Team.

After the dinner and auction, the night concludes with a performance by the Bar Flies at The Ridge, just down the road from the Fairgrounds on Main Street.