December 2024

Central Dakota Ag Day brings federal insights

This year’s Central Dakota Ag Day promises an outstanding lineup of speakers, including a keynote presenter who will address federal agricultural policies and their impact on local producers.

The event, organized annually by North Dakota State University Extension, will be held on Monday, December 16, at NDSU’s Carrington Research Extension Center.

Tom Brusegaard, field representative for Sen. John Hoeven, will present “D.C. Agriculture Update,” offering the latest developments on the farm bill and other legislative priorities affecting agriculture.

“We’re excited to have Tom Brusegaard, who will share valuable insights into federal agricultural policy decisions,” says Jeff Gale, NDSU Extension agent in Foster County. “This is a terrific opportunity for producers to learn about what they can expect from future legislation.”

In addition to the keynote addresses, the daylong program also includes 18 concurrent sessions covering three main areas: agronomy, livestock and agricultural life.

NDSU Extension crops economist Frayne Olson will conclude the day’s program with a one-hour general session titled “Now What? 2025 Crop Market Outlook.”

PRODUCTION SALES

Dec 19, Bobcat Angus, Great Falls MT A7 Jan 10, Diamond Bar S Simmental & SimAngus, Great Falls MT A10

Jan 20 - 25, Schriefer Red Angus, Online A15 Feb 1, Hill 70 Quantock Ranch, Lloydminster, AB CANADA A13

MATE farm and ranch trade show

Montana’s largest agricultural trade show is back! The Montana Agri-Trade Exposition (MATE) and Home & Health Expo will take place February 20-22 at MetraPark in Billings. Since 1976 this show has drawn farmers and ranchers from throughout the region, to see, hear and learn about the latest in agricultural practices – just in time for the busy spring season.

The MATE features implement dealers showing the latest models of equipment, seed companies with new varieties, animal health companies with products designed to optimize cattle productivity and more. Attendees are able to test new equipment, investigate new technologies, and learn the best practices to take back to the farm or ranch to improve their bottom line.

With over 125,000 square feet of exhibit space and over 14,000 attendees, the Montana Agri-Trade Exposition (MATE Show) and the Home & Health Expo is the largest agricultural trade show event of the year in Montana. Everything from registration to move-out is handled smoothly and professionally by the friendly staff during the 3-day event.

We invite you to join us in Billings, Montana in February to showcase your business. For more information, please visit our website www.themateshow.com or contact Traci at traci@

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Cow Clinics focus on keys to a successful calving and breeding season

By Erin Laborie, Nebraska Extension Educator

A successful calving season does not begin at calving, rather it begins much earlier, with the management of the cow herd months prior. University of Nebraska Extension will be hosting Cow Clinics in December to review some of the basic management factors that can lead to a successful calving and breeding season.

The Cow Clinics will begin at 10 a.m. with registration and conclude at 2 p.m. local

time. The clinics will cover the how, when, and why of body condition scoring, teat and udder scoring, and forage sampling. Understanding a forage analysis and developing diets for the last trimester will also be a part of the program. A team of Extension educators and specialists will lead the discussion with hands-on demonstrations.

The first 20 producers who register at each location will receive instructions on how to receive a free forage test. The cost to attend

Soybean production webinar

Soybean producers, crop advisers and people looking for research-based soybean production recommendations will not want to miss the Getting It Right: Soybean webinar on December 10, from 8:30 a.m. to noon. The online event will be hosted on Zoom and is organized by North Dakota State University (NDSU) Extension, with support from the North Dakota Soybean Council.

The webinar will offer the latest research

updates and actionable recommendations to help soybean farmers make informed production decisions for the 2025 growing season.

Topics to be discussed include variety selection, soil fertility, plant protection (weed, disease and insect management) and soybean markets.

Presentations will be led by NDSU Exten-

Walter Schweitzer, President of Montana Farmers Union posed with Ella Chauvet from Big Sandy, Amiya Smith for Great Falls, Huck Turville from Belt and Joseph Mikulecky from Rudyard. They all received the Mildred Stoltz Award for demonstrating a positive attitude, kindness, strong verbal skills, and knowledge of cooperative principles during the MFU’s Summer Camps at Arrowpeak Lodge this summer.

Central Dakota Ag Day

CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE

No registration is required. Lunch will be provided. Certified crop advisors can receive continuing education units for many of the seminars.

Central Dakota Ag Day begins with coffee and doughnuts at 9:30 a.m. Introductions will begin at 9:50 followed by the first sessions at 10.

The Central Dakota Ag Day program is organized by NDSU Extension agents in Barnes, Eddy, Foster, Griggs, Sheridan, Stutsman and Wells counties, as well as staff from NDSU’s Carrington Research Extension Center.

For more information about Central Dakota Ag Day, visit ndsu.ag/ag-day

Direct further questions to Gale at 701-652-2581 at jeff. gale@ndsu.edu.

The Carrington Research Extension Center is three and a half miles north of Carrington on U.S. Highway 281.

MATE trade show

CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE

themateshow.com with questions!

Show Dates and Hours:

February 20 - Thursday, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

February 21 - Friday, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

February 22 - Saturday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Cow

Clinics

CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE

is $20, which includes a meal and Nebraska Extension resources. To register for a Cow Clinic, please contact the local UNL Extension office at least a week prior to the event:

December 18 – Broken Bow Livestock, Broken Bow, NE

Contact troy.walz@unl.edu or (308) 872-6831

December 20 – Ogallala Livestock Auction Market, Ogallala, NE

Contact randy.saner@unl.edu or 308-532-2683

Soybean webinar

CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE

sion specialists, followed by a question and answer session where participants can engage directly with the speakers. There is no fee to participate, but registration is required. To register and view a detailed list of topics and presenters, visit ndsu.ag/GIRsoybeans.

All registered participants will receive detailed instructions via email on how to join the webinar. The webinar will be recorded and archived for future reference. Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) continuing education credits will be available. Upcoming Getting It Right Webinars:

January 30, 2025: Sunflower

February 4, 2025: Flax

February 10, 2025: Dry Beans

March 14, 2025: Canola

For more information, please contact Ana Carcedo at 701831-5796 or a.carcedo@ndsu.edu.

Grass, Grass/Alfalfa mix, Alfalfa – Large squares

Good Grass, sweet natural sugar energy, mostly Manska pubescent, wheat grass

High TDN Purple & yellow blossom alfalfas Fair and dairy quality Tested and tarped

$40 - $170 per ton

Call Chuck, 1-605-891-0355, Winner, South Dakota 57580 www.chucknoblefarm.com

BLACK ANGUS BRED HEIFERS

100 head AI bred to CAR Legendary 026 reg #19940742, due January 20-25

36 head bull-bred to LBW calving ease sons of Sitz Logo, due February 10-16 21 head bull-bred to LBW calving ease sons of Sitz Logo, due in March

All heifers were Ultrasounded late July and were in big rough country

Heifers are on killed reproductive vaccination program. Will be retested prior to delivery.

Located between Park City and Columbus, Montana

December 14, 2024 • 11 AM

Location: Mile Marker 54 - Highway 59N - Volborg, MT Watch for Auction Signs! - Lunch Available.

3 Montana Brands! Lazy 3 hanging M, Reverse FL-, Bar 94, 2022 Case International WD 2505 AFS Windrower, 165 Rotary Header. 407 Hrs! GPS & Buddy seat. Great Condition! 2022 Case IH Maxxum 150 Tractor w/ Loader. 650+ hrs {daily use tractor} Buddy Seat & Def System. Great Condition! Hay Bales: 468 Round Grass Hay Bales, Crescent/Pubescent, Net Wrap, 1300 lb. avg.—440 Willowcreek Winter Wheat Round Bales, Low Nitrate. Net Wrap, #1650 lb. avg., Sells by the bale, make plans to load & haul. Cat 416 C Backhoe, 4,945 hrs. Backhoe Attachments Available: Bucket, Terex Digger, Ripper, 5 Different sized Diamond Carbide Tip Bits.

2004 Rock Ram 685 E Hydraulic Hammer, Drives Pipe or Breaks Rock, (30 Gal. Min. Hyd.)

Oil Field Pipe—(80+) 2 3/8” Pipe, Ready for Fence OR Structure. Not Rod Rubbed or Magnetized. Several sticks of 2 7/8, 3, 4 inch pipe as well- *Dismantled Oilfield Tank Sheets to make Windbreak etc.

Allis Chalmers HD21 Dozer, Runs. Rebuilt Engine, 676 Hrs. Collector!

Steiger Panther 325 Lime Green Tractor, Motor swapped to 3406 CAT with engine brake! 20 speed tranny. 1,960 hrs. Drivers Front Dual Rim needs fixed.

John Deere 4640 Dual Tractor- Duals removed, sells w/ Dual Tires. No Loader. 7,522 hrs. Fair

John Deere 568 MegaWide Plus Round Baler, 20,000 Bales, Used, Good Cond. * 3 Rolls Net Wrap.

John Deere 980 Field Cultivator, 34 ft. Great Cond.

2020 Great Plains Vertical Till 3000 Disc, 30 ft. 30” discs. Great Cond.

2021 Summers 24’ Disc, 22” Notched Discs. Great Cond.

1994 Keifer 20-ft. flatbed trailer.

Brillion Culti Packer Roller Harrow, 32 ft., needs 200 Horse Power. Used.

International 5100 Drill, 12 ft., 3 Seed Boxes. Clean H&S Wheel Rake, 14 wheels, Bent Tongue. Used.

2008 Dodge 3500, 6 Speed Manual. Cummins Woodhouse, 146,321 Miles, W/ 3375 Besler Bale Bed.

1973 GMC 6000 V8 Farm Truck, 350 4 sp. w/ 2 sp. NO Brakes. Bonus: Load of Iron sells with it! She Runs…but won’t stop!

HeatMaster 10,000 Boiler, Wood or Coal, Outdoor Unit, heats up to 10,000 Sq.Ft.

2008 Polaris Sportsman 4 wheeler, 500 HO EFI, Runs. Used.

Warne Chemical Sprayers* 300 Gal. Honda GC 160 Fire

Spraying Unit*75 Gal. Side by Side Warne Chemical Sprayer. Garden or Fire! *450 Gal. Poly Tank

Bar 6 Cake Feeder, Holds up to 4800 lb, Auger fed.

Portable Tin Open Face Hay Shed/Feeder, 8x10 w/ heavy duty Gate.

Fuel Tanks- (2020) 1,000 & 500 Gallon Fuel Tank on skids, Electric Pump, 110 volt, *(2016) 500 Gal. Skid Fuel Tank, 12 Volt pump. Red

Westfield hydraulic drill fil auger 12-14 ft.; Clipper No. 9 seed cleaner w/ asst. screens; Antique Air Vane 125 CFM yellow portable air compressor (needs work);10 ft. cattle guard; 2 JD implement tires; 2 inch water pump unit; 4 Big Mine truck rims; old pitch and cedar posts; steel posts; heavy duty thick plastic, used in big equipment; barbwire; 5-ft. tall mine conveyor belting; red rototiller, runs; old Ford relic, 2 dump rakes, large roll telephone wire on steel wheel, scrap iron.

Building Material: Concrete rebar panels; old barnwood; New house siding; New steel roofing, asst. colors, 8-, 1618-ft. long; sheets 4x8 insulation; 4 rough slabs of pine for mantels/coffee tables; The Earth stove, used; plus more.

Auctioneer’s Note: Frank & Judy are ready to take it easy. Please call Frank w/ questions! 307-941-1314 or 406-554-3545.  This won’t be a long Auction. Items to be removed Dec 14th, or within 1 week, as the Ranch is up for Sale. We hope this list, is on your Ranch’s Christmas List!” Watch & Like” Kuhbacher Auction LLC Facebook Page! We will Update if we Postpone, due to Weather! Stay Tuned! Please leave a recent copy of Bank Line of Credit, at sign up in office. All information is from sources deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed by the Sellers or the Auctioneers. Offering is subject to error, omission,

Columbia River Basin Watershed pesticide tour

From the MSU News Service

Montana State University Extension’s Pesticide Education Program will host the Columbia River Basin Watershed Pesticide Tour from December 9 to 12. The tour is supported by MSU Extension agents and will stop in Anaconda, Philipsburg, Missoula, Thompson Falls and Kalispell. The educational opportunity is designed for homeowners, small acreage owners, ranchers, farmers and private pesticide applicators across the area.

The goal of the tour is to improve water quality by giving applicators the tools and knowledge to reduce pesticides entering the Columbia River Basin watershed, according to Cecil Tharp, MSU Extension pesticide education specialist.

The program will share information about pesticides in the Columbia River Basin watershed, summarize how pesticides move into water sources, review high-risk and low-risk pesticides, identify sensitive sites, cover the pesticide disposal program, and discuss mitigation strategies for residential and rural situations. Tharp encouraged anyone who wants to learn about reducing the risk of pesticides in water or about pesticide chemistry to attend.

The program will be offered on the following dates and locations:

Monday, December 9: Anaconda. 1:30 to 5:30 p.m., Fairmont Hot Springs Resort, 1500 Fairmont Road.

Tuesday, December 10: Philipsburg. 8 a.m. to noon, Flint Creek Baptist Church, U.S. Highway 10A.

Tuesday, December 10: Missoula. 1:30 to 5:30 p.m., GW Marks Exploration Center, Balsamroot Conference Room, 1075 South Ave. W.

Wednesday, December 11, Thompson Falls. 8 a.m. to noon, Thompson Falls Senior Citizens Center, 1191 Mount Silcox Drive.

Thursday, December 12: Kalispell. 8 a.m. to noon, Kalispell Hampton Inn, 1140 Second St.

Presentations and speakers for the tour include:

“The Montana Pesticide Stewardship Partnership Program,” Rachel Malison, program leader, Flathead Lake Biological Station.

“Pesticide fate in ground and surface water,” Cecil Tharp, pesticide education specialist, MSU Extension.

“Water movement through soil and preliminary research update,” Adam Sigler, water quality specialist, MSU Extension, or Meghan Robinson and Hezekiah Afolabi, MSU graduate students.

“DEQ pesticide general permit and best practices,” Tiffany Lyden, education and outreach specialist, Montana Department of Environmental Quality.

“Montana pesticide disposal program,” Paul Johnson, pesticide container recycling technician, Montana Department of Agriculture.

“Pesticide detects in the Columbia River Basin,” Brett Heitshusen, sustainable agriculture section supervisor, Montana Department of Agriculture.

“Integrated pest management,” Jane Mangold, rangeland weed specialist, MSU Extension, or Cecil Tharp, pesticide education specialist, MSU Extension.

Space is limited, and participants are asked to register online by Friday, December 6, at www.montana.edu/extension/ pesticides/events/watershed.html. Walk-ins are welcome if space is available. There is a $10 event fee that may be paid by credit card in advance or by cash or check at the door.

Private applicators may attend any of the programs for four private applicator continuing education credits. Commercial applicator credits are also available and can be viewed on the event website at www.montana.edu/extension/pesticides/ events/watershed.html.

The tour is made possible by a grant led by Rachel Malison with the University of Montana in partnership with the MSU Extension Pesticide Education Program, MSU Water Quality Program, Montana Department of Agriculture, Montana Watershed Program, Department of Environmental Quality, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation, city managers and others.

More information, including a detailed program agenda, is available online at www.montana.edu/extension/pesticides/ events/watershed.html. Inquires may be directed to local MSU Extension offices.

Registration and event questions may be directed to Amy Bowser at 406-994-5178 or amy.bowser@montana.edu. For other technical pesticide questions, contact Tharp at 406994-5067 or ctharp@montana.edu.

Four D Farm & Ranch Inventory Reduction

December 17th 2024 – 10:00 am

Showing Day December. 13, 10 AM - 3 PM

Located 19 miles north of Saco, MT – 12925 Turkey Track Rd. Pay and Pickup Day - December 20, 10 AM - 3 PM

2007 Walinga 7614 Agri Vac grain

H & S HP 550 tandem axle manure spreader, poly sides & poly floor, vertical spinners, Hyd push off, 425/65R 22.5 tires, Serial # 905058 nice shape.

1975 Wilson 45 Ft cattle pot, tandem axle spring

60 Ft Gates Magnum heavy harrow, 5/8 diameter 23 inch long tines, 14L-16.1 tires, Serial # 0041460 good shape.

1999 Ford F-550 super Duty pickup, Regular cab, air conditioner, Cruise control, 7.3 L diesel engine, Auto Transmission, new batteries, 14 Ft long factory frame extended to 16 Ft with a receiver hitch, 225/70R 19.5 low pro tires, shows 253,604 miles.

1976 Chevy C-60 truck, 350 engine, 4 speed Trans, 18 Ft box & hoist fold down stock rack, roll tarp, wood floor, 900-20 tires, 8,000 # front axle, cab has some rust, windshield is cracked, runs well shows 23,751 miles (brakes need work).

2010 Bourgault 5710 Series II air drill, 54 Ft, mid row banders, 10 inch spacing rubber capped steel packers, new Top Con 30 control box, new upgraded X-30 monitor, estimated 50,000 acres, 2 years old Intelligent Ag wireless blockage monitor, Serial # 40140AH-0.

2010 Bourgault 6700 ST tow behind cart, 30.5L32 front tires, 650/75 R 34 rear dual tires with a new spare tire, 700 bushels total, tank 1-370 bushels, tank 2-95 bushels, tank 3-30 bushels, tank 4-205 bushels , remote control loading conveyor, Serial # 40079AS-06 ( this air drill is in good condition).

2011 Yamaha Grizzly 700, 4x4 ATV, HLRN automatic transmission, the engine has a bearing out, 4,770 miles, machine is in good shape.

2003 Yamaha Kodiak 450, 4x4, FRN automatic trans., runs and drives.

1996 Polaris Xpress 300, 4x2 ATV, HLRN automatic trans, 2 stroke, not running engine is free.

1977 International Load Star 1700, single axle truck, V8 gas engine turns over not running, 5 &2 speed transmission, Mid-West 18 Ft box and hoist, fold down stock rack, steel floor, 9.00-20 tires, shows 111,134 miles ( brakes not working).

Auctioneers Note: Pay attention to the showing date December 13th. The auction date is December 17th and starts at 10 AM. You will hear us bid calling out the end of the auction. Also the pay and loadout day will be Friday December 20th no exceptions, the machinery does not have to leave that day but it needs to be payed for and the loader is available that day. There will be some pallet lots by sale day. Owner: Tom DePuydt 406-674-7060

Thanks Shane & Blaine

single cab long box pickup, V8 gas engine, 5 speed manual transmission, 4X4, does not run engine is free, sells with John Deere 300 gallon sprayer, and Briggs 5hp engine free, 50 Ft fold up booms.

John Deere 14 Ft chisel plow one lift cylinder fixed with spike.

John Deere 8 Ft one way with mud scrapers. 11-Flexi-Coil new chisel plow shanks, 12-Flexi-Coil shank hangers and trips all new. 715 International Combine drive axle, has transmission and hydro motor, sells with two rims and 3 tires 23.1-26 diamond tread.

Back Saver brand electric auger mover. Twin cylinder truck hoist and PTO pump and tank. 64-10 Ft steel Tee posts.

1-New 5 Ft tall roll of welded

ride, 11R22.5 tires.

ALFALFA HAY & CLEAN WHEAT STRAW FOR SALE

1st and 2nd cutting alfalfa hay, tarped 3x4 bales. Also clean wheat straw. Phone (406) 600-4146, Bozeman, MT

Buying Pulses in The Big Blue Sky Country!

Call us for New Crop Pricing for 2025!

Call 406-397-3168 for more details

SAVE THE DATE:

January 15, 16, & 17, 2025

Visit us at booth B26 at the MAGIE in Great Falls, MT

Belle Pulses USA LLC 606 4th Street, PO Box 85 Hingham, Montana 59528

Phone: 406-397-3168

Youth receive scholarships from the North Dakota 4-H Foundation

The North Dakota 4-H Foundation has awarded 14 scholarships to 4-H members:

Great Place to take a PEA and LENTILS!

2024 Merhow Bronco 3 Horse Trailer. Features all-aluminum construction, extruded aluminum sides, aluminum wheels, drop-down windows, a front dressing room, and a rear tack area.

2025 Trails West RPM 34ft. Gooseneck FUEL CELL. All new double step, fuel cell with pump in the front, heated storage, heated floors, heated cab, sound system with subwoofer, Bluetooth radio, cup holders, cable holders, onesie rack, heat timer, glove rack, fold down benches, USB ports, storage, and 2-40,000 BTU furnaces

Stop by to pick up your FREE MAGIE Tickets! 3155 US Hwy 93 South Kalispell, MT. 59901 Phone: (406) 885-3333 www.crtrl.com

Come see the guys at C&R Trailer Sales for a new trailer to help offset your taxes! Largest stock, horse, and livestock trailer dealer in Northwest Montana!

Eleanor R. Schulz Memorial Scholarship – Emma Gullicks, Steele County, $300

North Dakota 4-H Foundation Scholarship in memory of John Norgaard - Lane Vachal, Mountrail County, $350

Erwin and Nora Klusmann Memorial Scholarship – Alyssa Thomsen, Barnes County, $500

Rosevold Memorial Scholarship – Allison Bryn, Barnes County, $400

William Bloom Scholarship – Quin Polensky, Billings County, $100

John DeKrey Jr. and Hannah DeKrey Scholarship – Heidi Wiedeman, Cass County, $1,000

Jerome Striegel Memorial Scholarship –Abby Freeberg, Ransom County, $150

YOUR SOURCE FOR Age Advantaged Bulls

CED +6

Sale: 12:30 PM - Lunch: 11:30

+68

+.99

+1.05

+.005

CED +9 BW -.1

Lot 3

Reg: 21062609

Connealy Craftsman x Woodhill Blueprint

20 YEARLING BULLS

50 FALL BULLS

100 2 YEAR OLD BULLS

20 8 YEAR OLD REGISTERED COWS

700 COMMERCIAL BRED HEIFERS

160 2-COMING 3 YEAR OLD COWS

35 10 YEAR OLD COWS

Sires with progeny selling:

Raven Unite L47 (*20779439)

Sterling Pacific 904 ( +*19444025)

Ellingson Prolific (*20136857)

Bobcat Blue Sky (*18880272)

GMAR Power Guard (19754679)

Carter Power Surge (19829429)

Connealy Craftsman (20132505)

Connealy Commerce (20132642)

Bobcat Exclusive (20206520)

Musgrave 316 Exclusive (18130471)

Bryan Ratzburg: (406) 937-5858 Cell: (406) 788-3272

Ernie Ratzburg: Cell: (406) 788-3244

bobcatangus@northerntel.net

+.061

Lot 31

Reg: *20915589

DB Iconic G95 x KR Synergy CED +6

+2.2

+94

+.79

+.036

CED +13

BW -.3 WW +76

+138

+19

+77

+1.29

+.96

+.032

Lot 72

Reg:21031428

Ellingson Prolific x Musgrave Big Sky

Lot 77

Reg:*21037567

Sterling Pacific 904 x Connealy Emerald

McMURRY CATTLE

Added Genetic Balance Trait And Carcass Value ONLY THE BEST SELL Private Treaty Bull Sales

Fred & Doreen McMurry 2027 Iris Lane

Billings, MT 59102

Phone 406-254-1247

Cell 406-697-4040

See: www.mcmurrycattle.com for videos and information about bulls available for 2024 mcmurrycattle@gmail.com

Montana Hereford Breeders

Anchor Polled Herefords 406-467-2880, Vaughn, MT

Beery’s Land & Livestock Co

406-979-5720, Vida, MT www.beeryherefords.com

Brownell Polled Herefords 406-788-3242, Pendroy, MT dave.brownell51@gmail.com

Double Bit Herefords 406-293-8185, Libby, MT www.doublebitherefords.com

J Bar E Ranch

406-765-7068, Plentywood, MT

Feddes Herefords

Dan 406-570-1602, Manhattan, MT www.feddes.com

Sparks Herefords 406-778-2320, Plevna, MT www.sparksherefords.com

Youth receive scholarships from the North Dakota 4-H Foundation

Ehlke Herefords 406-439-4311, Townsend, MT www.ehlkeherefords.com

K & C Herefords 406-240-9301, Deer Lodge, MT

K.L. Slagsvold Herefords 406-584-7571, Lindsay, MT

Thomas Herefords 406-544-1536, Gold Creek, MT

L Bar W Cattle Company

406-425-2484, Absarokee, MT www.lbarw.com

McMurry Cattle 406-254-1247, Billings, MT www.mcmurrycattle.com

Wichman Herefords 406-350-3123, Moore, MT www.wichmanherefords.com

Hanson Family Scholarship – Rebekah Pool, Emmons County, $500

“The North Dakota 4-H Foundation has the honor of having long-standing support for many scholarships,” said Katie Henry, a North Dakota 4-H Foundation board member and scholarship committee chair, and the North Dakota State University Extension family and community wellness agent in Cavalier County. “The foundation had the privilege of increasing the award amount of the Steve E. and Mary M. Tuhy Scholarship and adding the Domagala Family Scholarship award this year. A huge thank you to the donors who support scholarships, educational programs, travel experiences, camping and much more for North Dakota 4-H members.”

Marit Ellingson, all Walsh County, $1,000 each

Kelci Jo Willson Memorial Award – Linnea Axtman, Cass County, $1,000

Steve E. and Mary M. Tuhy Scholarship – Forrest Sears, Cass County, $750

Domagala Family Scholarship – Gracia Tong, Williams County, $350

John D. Paulson Memorial Awards -

Amilia Lillehaugen,

Connor Hodek,

NRCS accepting ACEP, and ACEP-ALE applications

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced a nationwide ACEP signup for the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Wyoming NRCS is currently accepting applications for enrollment into ACEP ALE. Applications for the current IRA funding cycle must be submitted by December 20, 2024. In Fiscal Year 2025, NRCS emphasizes implementing ACEP-ALE for grasslands in areas of highest risk to include program-eligible agricultural lands currently classified as grassland or native vegetation (e.g., sagebrush, tall grass prairie) where NRCS has identified a high threat of conversion to a non-grassland use and program-eligible cropland or grassland where NRCS has identified a high threat of conversion to a non-agricultural use.

ACEP protects the agricultural viability and related conservation values of eligible land by limiting nonagricultural uses which negatively affect agricultural uses and conservation values, and protect grazing uses and related conservation values by restoring or conserving eligible grazing land.

ACEP-ALE applications are submitted to the Wyoming NRCS State Office by the Eligible Entity that will hold the easement.

This is the second and final ACEP IRA funding cycle for Fiscal Year 2025 with applications due December 20, 2024.

Producers must have farm records current with the Farm Service Agency and work with the Eligible Entity to be considered for financial assistance through ACEP-ALE. To discuss the eligibility of the project and to locate an NRCS field office near you, please visit the USDA Service Center webpage.

Bull elk killed and wasted near Dillon, MT

Game wardens with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks are looking for information on a bull elk that was killed recently and left to waste south of Dillon.

Wardens found the carcass on public land near Small Horn Canyon after a tip on Oct. 26 that the elk died and was left to waste as a result of a herd shooting incident. Game wardens are seeking information on who may have been involved. Hunters are prohibited from wasting any part of a game animal that is defined as suitable for food, which, for most game animals, includes the four quarters above the hock, the loins and the backstraps.

Anyone with possible information about this incident is encouraged to visit tipmont.mt.gov to get in touch with a local game warden. You may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000.

Game wardens in the Dillon area have received additional reports lately of similar incidents that resulted in injured and wasted elk.

“This is a reminder of one of the basic rules of firearm safety: Always be sure of your target and beyond,” said FWP game warden Cameron Wischhusen. “Shooting into a herd of animals is never a good idea and often results in wounded animals and wasted meat.

We have factory incentivies on all new 2024 Dodge Durango, Jeep GR Cherokee, Jeep Wagoneer and GR Wagoneer’s in stock. Please call for details.

Whipworm therapy

Whipworms are a type of helminth–a worm classified as a parasite. Long, thin, and pale, whipworms thrive in places that lack proper sanitation. Their microscopic eggs are accidentally eaten, and then…they hatch. The newly hatched worms migrate to the intestines, attach themselves to the walls, and chow down. Whipworms can cause everything from intense stomach distress to retardation in children. In developed countries, better sanitation has largely wiped out whipworms.

RETURN OF THE WHIPWORM: However, whipworms may now be needed to treat disease. Some doctors now believe it’s possible for people to be too clean. (Huh?) Our immune systems are made to attack outside invaders like bacteria, germs, and parasites. But when invaders are in short supply, a person’s immune system can misfire. The result: an autoimmune disease, which happens when the immune system attacks a person’s own body instead of an invader. People infected with whipworms rarely suffer from autoimmune diseases. Doctors wanted to see if patients’ immune systems could be reeducated to attack whipworms and leave the body alone. Patients slurped down a dose of several hundred whipworm eggs in salty liquid and then let them grow. The little wrigglers did such a good job they may soon be available by prescription.

STOKES FENCING

WSU-led initiative focuses on veterinary vaccines to combat food insecurity

By Devin Rokyta, College of Veterinary Medicine

Fencing Done Right

1963 Kenworth Wrecker

400 hp Cummins BC ll, 13spd, Jake, Power steering, 4.11 ratio on Neway air ride, 260” W.B., Zaklift Z20 wheel lift, 30K capacity, with all forks, hydraulic stiff legs, Holmes 600 winches, new 11r24.5’s, runs and drives great $29,500

2004 Chevrolet C4500

6.6 Duramax, PS, AC, AT, 90% 225r19.5 tires, 81K miles, 12ft. service body, 16K GVW. Runs and drives great.$15,500

1995 International 4900 Hi-Rail Crane Truck

210hp DT466, 10spd, AC, PS, AB,7.5 ton National crane exh. brake, 60% 22.5 tires, full rail gear, aux. hydraulics $15,500

1986 Freightliner FLC112 10 yd Dump

400 Cummins, Jake, 9spd, 15’ box, plumbed for pup, 75% 11r24.5’s, roll tarp, air gate, spring suspension, steel frame, runs and works great. $25,500

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A new program led by Washington State University will receive up to $35 million over the next five years from the United States Agency for International Development to improve the development, delivery, adoption and use of effective veterinary vaccines to help combat global hunger and poverty.

Funded under USAID’s Feed the Future initiative, the Feed the Future Veterinary Vaccine Delivery Innovation Lab (VVDIL) will focus on boosting food security and improving nutrition for women and children in Kenya, Tanzania and Nepal by tackling the primary barriers to the widespread use of veterinary vaccines in those areas, including the significant challenge posed by cold chain dependency. Many essential vaccines require stable, low temperatures during storage and transport that are often difficult to maintain in remote areas with unreliable electricity. By developing heat-stable alternatives and enhancing distribution systems, the program aims to make vaccines accessible and effective in even the most isolated regions.

“By improving the delivery and adoption of these vaccines, we can protect livestock from preventable diseases, increase production, reduce reliance on antibiotics and ultimately uplift communities,” said Felix Lankester, who is serving as the program’s director and is an associate professor in the WSU College of Veterinary Medicine’s Paul G. Allen School for Global Health. “This program has the potential to make a difference in the lives of countless people.”

The lab will collaborate with a consortium of nine partners across Kenya, Tanzania and Nepal and include a multidisciplinary team of 30 experts in vaccinology, epidemiology, economics, nutrition, sociology, anthropology and business. The initiative will prioritize livestock diseases affecting cattle, sheep, goats and chickens in the target countries. Beyond addressing cold chain issues, the lab will address other barriers limiting access to veterinary vaccines in many

low- and middle-income regions, including inadequate distribution infrastructure, vaccine availability and financing for veterinary services. In addition, the lab will lead epidemiological, economic and social research and explore new methods to bolster local investments and government support for veterinary health services.

“We know the importance of data on burden of animal diseases, on household access to nutritious diets, incomes of families, and the wider impact on economies that are dependent on livestock,” said Thumbi Mwangi, who is the program’s principal investigator and an associate professor in the Allen School. “Through VVDIL, we will generate evidence that will support decisions on investments by governments and the private sector that improve the resilience, nutrition status and opportunities of many livestock dependent communities.”

A crucial component of the initiative is building local capacity to ensure sustainable development and widespread use of veterinary vaccines.

“We want to build a model that local communities can maintain and improve upon,” Lankester said. “This initiative aims to set a foundation for resilient food systems and healthier livestock populations.”

The program will also invest in training the next generation of vaccinologists, epidemiologists, sociologists and economists through master’s, doctoral and post-doctoral fellowships supported by WSU faculty and scientists from collaborating institutions, in addition to providing research exposure for undergraduate students from institutions in Kenya, Tanzania and Nepal.

“This project builds upon the deep commitment of our faculty and staff working in Africa and reflects their unique focus on sustainable, community-based health care,” WSU College of Veterinary Medicine Dean Dori Borjesson said. “Our team’s dedication to local solutions will be key to creating lasting, positive impacts on food security and economic resilience.”

Veterinary professionals vaccinate goats in Marsabit County, Kenya.

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Tractor and farm equipment safety course

Teens 14 or 15 years of age who work on farms, or others who are interested in learning about tractor and farm equipment safety practices, can register for a safety training course offered at seven locations across Nebraska from May 22 through June 8.

The course is sponsored by the University of Nebraska Extension and the Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health at the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Public Health.

Students will complete the first day of the course by attending a hands-on event at one of two locations or online through the eXtension Foundation Campus website. The hands-on events will occur on May 22 in North Platte and May 30 in Grand Island. After completing the hands-on event or the online course and testing, the required driving test will be offered at seven locations across Nebraska from May 23 through June 8.

Federal law prohibits children under 16 from using specific equipment on a farm unless their parents or legal guardians own the farm. However, certification received through the course grants an exemption to the law allowing 14- and 15-year-olds to drive a tractor and to do field work with specific mechanized equipment.

Aaron Yoder, PhD, associate professor at the UNMC College of Public Health, reports that a common cause of agricultural-related injuries and deaths in Nebraska is overturned tractors and ATVs and equipment entanglements. He emphasized that this course trains students to avoid these incidents and many other hazards on the farm and ranch.

The hands-on event and the online course will cover the required elements of the National Safe Tractor and Machinery Operation Program, including quizzes that students must pass to attend the driving portion of the training. Once a student is registered, the coordinators will send instructions, materials, course paperwork and a link to the online course if they do not attend one of the two hands-on events.

The onsite driving training and exam will include a driving test, equipment operation and ATV safety lessons. Students must demonstrate competence in hitching and unhitching equipment and driving a tractor and trailer through a standardized course. Instructors also will offer education on emergency preparedness, personal protective equipment, and safe behaviors and laws for ATVs, utility-task vehicles (UTVs) and other off-road vehicles (ORVs).

Instructors for the course are members of the Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health: Aaron Yoder, PhD, Ellen Duysen, Risto Rautiainen, PhD, and graduate student Sarah Tucker; and Nebraska Extension educators Randy Saner, Ron Seymour and John Thomas.

The course costs $35 and includes educational materials and supplies. Participants can pay at the time of registration or before the driving exam. Only checks and cash are accepted.

Hands-on training, driving dates, site locations and site coordinator contact information are below.

Hands-On Safety Days (If not attending a Hands-On Safety Day, online course must be completed).

May 22 – Lincoln Logan McPherson County Extension Office, 348 West State Farm Rd., North Platte, Nebraska

Contacts: Randy Saner (randy.saner@unl.edu) and Vicki Neidhardt (vicki.neidhardt@unl.edu) at 308.532.2683

May 30 – Raising Nebraska, 501 East Fonner Park Rd., Grand Island

Contacts: Randy Saner (randy.saner@unl.edu) and Vicki Neidhardt (vicki.neidhardt@unl.edu) at 308.532.2683

Tractor Driving Days

May 23 – Lincoln Logan McPherson County Extension Office, 348 West State Farm Rd., North Platte

Contacts: Randy Saner (randy.saner@unl.edu) and Vicki Neidhardt (vicki.neidhardt@unl.edu) at 308.532.2683

May 31 – Raising Nebraska, 501 East Fonner Park Rd., Grand Island

Contacts: Randy Saner (randy.saner@unl.edu) and Vicki Neidhardt (vicki.neidhardt@unl.edu) at 308.532.2683

June 1 – Legacy of the Plains Museum, 2930 Old Oregon Trail, Gering Contacts: John Thomas (jthomas2@unl.edu) or Stacy Brown (sbrown7@unl.edu) at 308.632.1480

June 2 – AKRS Equipment, 49110 US Hwy 20 in O’Neill

Contact: Debra Walnofer (dwalnofer2@unl.edu) at 402.336.2760

June 6 - Adams County Extension, 2975 South Baltimore Ave., Hastings

Contact: Ron Seymour (ron.seymour@unl.edu) at 402.461.7209

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Annual potato harvest boosts food security across Wyoming

Nearly 12,000 pounds of potatoes were donated to Food Bank of Wyoming during the fourth annual potato harvest at the University of Wyoming’s James C. Hageman Sustainable Agriculture Research and Extension Center (SAREC) last month. The potato harvest, made possible through a partnership between SAREC, Food Bank of Wyoming and UW Extension’s Cent$ible Nutrition Program (CNP), is part of ongoing efforts to address food security in Wyoming.

“We had another successful year at the SAREC potato harvest,” said Mindy Meuli, director of CNP. “We filled the Food Bank of Wyoming truck with potatoes for statewide distribution through local food pantries.”

The potatoes are grown at SAREC as part of outreach efforts that include educational opportunities for local elementary school students as well as donation. After the annual harvest, potatoes are transported by Food Bank of Wyoming to food pantries across Wyoming. They are available at no cost to hunger relief organizations partnering with Food Bank of Wyoming.

As of October 16, nearly all the potatoes have made their way out into the state through Food Bank of Wyoming’s express route, which delivers fresh produce to Wyoming communities.

“I would just like to thank the volunteers who came to help. Without volunteers, these potatoes don’t get bagged,” said Brian Lee, a research scientist at SAREC who is instrumental in coordinating all aspects of the annual harvest.

This year’s volunteers included SAREC staff members; women from the Wyoming Women’s Center; CNP and UW Extension employees; undergraduate students in UW’s family and consumer sciences department; 4-H families; community members; and Food Bank of Wyoming staff members.

“We’re beyond grateful for the initial collaborative efforts between CNP and SAREC back in 2021 that brought the harvest into fruition. We’re even more thankful for the continued partnership so our team can distribute the potatoes to communities around Wyoming, keeping fresh and local produce accessible,” said Rebecca Travers, Food Bank of Wyoming program manager. “A few of us on staff at the food bank were able to attend that day and help harvest potatoes, which was a great way to spend our morning.”

Since 2021, more than 42,000 pounds of potatoes grown at SAREC have gone to hunger relief partners through this partnership. “We have enjoyed hosting this project and wish to continue building on its success,” said Lee.

The donation of fresh, locally grown produce not only provides more food to hunger relief organizations, but can also increase nutritious options available to patrons. The longer shelf life of potatoes, compared to other produce items, makes them a great option for this time of year.

In addition to helping with the harvest, CNP works with local food pantries to connect patrons to recipes and resources for using and storing potatoes safely.

“We are excited to continue this partnership with SAREC and the Wyoming Food Bank to help feed Wyoming families facing food insecurity,” said Meuli.

Tractor and farm equipment safety course

CONTINUED FROM PAGE A14

June 7 - Cuming County Fairgrounds, W. Washington St., West Point

Contact: Mary Jo Lueckenhoff (mlueckenhoff1@unl. edu) or Melissa Hagemeister (mhagemeister5@unl.edu) at 402.372.6006

June 8 – Cass County Fairgrounds, 8400 144th St, Weeping Water

Contact: Sandy Prall (sprall2@unl.edu) at 402.267.2205

Registration form located here: https://go.unl. edu/2023tractorsafety

Cowboy Wisdom

When a cowboy’s too old to set a bad example, he hands out good advice.

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– Ken Alstad

The best way to make a fire with two sticks is to make sure one of them is a match. – Will Rogers

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receives Make It With Wool service award

Andrea Nisley of Elwood recently received the 13th Annual Ted & Alice Doane Service Award for her work with the Make It With Wool (MIWW) Program at the recent Nebraska Sheep and Goat Producers Association conference and annual meeting.

President Daniel Stehlik of Curtis presented the “Service to Others” plaque that reads “A person has not lived until he has done something which does not benefit himself, but rather benefits another. This is not only the Christianity in practice, it is the finest principle upon which a person can base his life.”

Nisley’s lifelong passion for sewing with wool began when she was inspired to enter the Nebraska MIWW Contest in high school and college. After earning her graduate degree, she continued to compete in the professional and adult MIWW divisions.

Wool is versatile, comfortable and durable, Nisley said. “It is a fantastic fabric to work with and is forgiving of small mistakes. Wool is a great choice for beginner sewers or seasoned pros. Wool has changed since I started so many years ago. Now, it comes in a wide range of weights, weaves and patterns, making it great for all kinds of garments.”

She also introduced her daughter, Erica, to the MIWW competition and recruited other Dawson County 4-H’ers wanting to learn sewing skills.

As demographics changed with new cultures, Nisley started a wool sewing workshop in 2001. The number of workshop participants increased and now includes girls and boys. These sewers have been successful at the state and national contests, Nisley said.

In addition, Nisley helped the late Alice Doane, MIWW state director for 28 years, with narrations, programs, entry coordinator and national competition assistant for contestants. Nisley also helped with emails, computer work, and sending wool samples to be tested when Doane’s husband, UNL Sheep Specialist Ted Doane, passed away.

Doane retired in 2016, and Nisley stepped into the MIWW state director role. As a state director, she also helps at the National MIWW Contest level. She is currently serving as chair of the National Fashion Show production and has helped with check-in, tours and workshops.

This year, Nebraska has 47 entries in the state contest, which will be conducted on November 23 in Lexington. Twenty-eight of the entries are preteens. Nisley’s goal is to see preteens return to compete in the junior and senior divisions.

Nisley and husband, Fred Nisley, of Elwood have two grown children, Erica and Clay, and one grandson, Parker. Andrea retired in July from the Dawson County UNL Extension Service with 45 years of service.

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The National Confectioners Association says a choirmaster originally gave the candies to young children to keep them quiet during long church services. Grandmas who still dole out sweets during droning sermons, you’ve got history on your side. But it wasn’t until a German-Swedish immigrant decorated his tree with candy canes in 1847 that they became popular as a Christmas candy.

Nebraska Sheep and Goat Producers Association President Daniel Stehlik of Curtis presents the 13th Annual Ted and Alice Doane Service Award to Andrea Nisley of Elwood for her many years of work with the Make It With Wool Contests. The plaque was awarded at a recent NSGPA conference and annual meeting.

Colostrum puts the best hoof forward

By Madison Kovarna, SDSU Extension Beef Nutrition Field Specialist

Newborn calves have little to no immune system when they are born. One of the keys to starting a calf out on the right “hoof” following birth is ensuring that it has received colostrum in a timely manner. Colostrum is the first milk produced from a dam and is packed full of nutrients and antibodies. These antibodies are known as immunoglobins and are imperative for future calf health and survival. While in-utero, little to no placental transfer of immunoglobins occurs. Immunoglobin G (known as IgG) is the antibody that most people are familiar with, and it is extremely important in protecting the newborn calf. Figure 1 depicts the percent survival in calves with varying levels of circulating IgG. Calves that had greater than 10 grams of IgG per liter had increased survival rates compared to counterparts with levels lower than 10 grams of IgG per liter. Colostrum provides a safety net for the calf to utilize while jumpstarting their immune system.

Grain Bins

Timing

There is a short window for a calf to receive colostrum in order to reap all the benefits of this liquid gold. In newborn calves, the digestive system allows large molecules to pass through the tissue walls. Immunoglobins are extremely large molecules and rely almost completely on this trait of the newborn’s digestive system for absorption. In as little as 24 hours following birth, these openings that previously allowed immunoglobins to pass through the gut wall into the blood stream close. To receive as many benefits as possible, a calf should ingest 5 to 6 percent of its body weight (on average about 2 quarts) of colostrum within 4 hours, ideally within 1 hour of birth.

“Calves that do not receive colostrum are 50 times or more likely to die in the first 3 weeks of life.”

–Mike Clawson, Research Molecular Biologist at ARC Genetics, Breeding, and Animal Health Research Center

Natural Versus Commercial Sources

Natural colostrum taken from the cow should be a thick and creamy consistency with a yellowish color. Thin or pale colostrum may be of lower quality and not provide the calf with enough nutrients and antibodies for success. The best source of colostrum for a newborn calf is directly from its dam, but that is not always possible. Commercially made colostrum replacements and supplements are available to use when poor maternal instincts or a stressful birth prevent timely nursing.

Commercial colostrum sources are labeled as a “supplement” or as a “replacer.” Understanding the difference between the two is critical. The USDA Center for Veterinary Biologics regulates colostrum products that contain immunoglobulin (G, IgG). Whether a product is labeled as a supplement or replacement depends on its ability to raise blood concentrations of IgG. Replacers are able to raise blood concentrations above 10 milligrams per milliliter (10 grams per liter). Supplements are cheaper than most replacer products; however, they must be fed with additional colostrum from the cow. The levels of antibodies in supplements are lower (40 to 60 grams) as their intended use is in situations where inadequate quality and or quantity of colostrum was received by the calf. In the event where natural colostrum is completely unavailable, colostrum replacers should be utilized. When examining the label of a colostrum replacer product, ensure that it contains at least 100 grams of IgG. A calf should, at minimum, receive 100 grams of IgG, but to ensure adequate levels are available to the calf, it is recommended that the calf receives 150 to 200 grams of IgG in their first feeding. Additionally, follow mixing instructions closely to allow for maximum absorption by the calf.

Colostrum Storage and Thawing

It is possible for producers to collect and store colostrum from cows within their herd. Below is a checklist1 for dos and don’ts of colostrum storage and thawing.

Do

• Chill colostrum immediately following collection.

• Store in a refrigerator for less than 24 hours.

• Freeze if wanting to store longer than 24 hours.

• Double bag in plastic freezer bags.

• Properly label and date storage bags (including cow number, date of collection, etcetera).

Don’t

• Store at room temperature.

• Store colostrum for longer than 1 year following collection.

• Thaw colostrum in extremely hot water or microwave for longer than 1 minute at a time (this destroys the antibodies).

1Adapted from “A Guide to Colostrum and Colostrum Management for Dairy Calves” by Bovine Alliance on Management & Nutrition, 2001.

Cow’s Impact on Colostrum Quality

Overall colostrum quality depends heavily on the cow and her nutrition, stress levels, and overall health. Proper nutrition of your cow herd is extremely important when looking at colostrum quality. Late gestation nutrition has a large impact on quality of colostrum, as colostrum development begins 4 to 5 weeks prior to calving. This being said, following and implementing sound nutrition and vitamin and mineral plans that meet cattle requirements year-round is extremely important to prevent playing catch up or compromising herd health and performance.

Stress levels a cow will experience can ultimately impact her colostrum quality. In a stressed cow, nutrients that otherwise may be going to her colostrum supply are going to be used for her own benefit. This also applies if a cow develops an illness. Her colostrum quality may drop, because she is now utilizing those nutrients rather than storing them away for her calf. Cow age may also impact colostrum quality, with older cows producing better-quality colostrum compared to heifers. Additionally,

Figure 1. Effect of blood immunoglobulin concentrations on newborn Holstein heifer survival. National Dairy Heifer Evaluation Project. USDA:APHIS:VS Survey.

Black angus calf standing near a cattle shelter. (SDSU Extension photo)

Christmas Beer Keg Tree

The Genesee Brewing Company in Rochester, NY boasts a lighted Beer Keg Christmas tree. It stands outside the Genesee Brew House. The Beer Keg Christmas tree is 27 feet high, has 12 layers, and is made of 520 empty half kegs. Every year there is a tree lighting ceremony, with thousands in attendance. Their sister brewery, Pyramid Brewery in Seattle, Washington has also started the tradition. Their lighted Beer Keg Christmas tree stands 27 feet tall.

Colostrum Puts the Best Hoof Forward

these mature cows may produce colostrum at higher quantities.

In the End Colostrum is extremely important to the newborn calf’s survival following birth. The immunoglobins and nutrients received from the first milk jumpstart the young calf’s immune system and start them out on the right “hoof.” Proper herd management through disease control, vaccination, and nutrition can help ensure that cows are producing highquality colostrum.

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How many gifts in total were given in “The Twelve Days of Christmas” song? Answer: 364.

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Eggnog is said to have originated from England.

Winter management options for weaned calves

By Karla Wilke, UNL Cow/Calf Systems and Stocker Management

There are many management options to consider for weaned calves depending on feed resources, labor, and subsequent management strategies. Photo by Troy Walz.

Many spring-born calves weaned in the fall are backgrounded through the winter prior to grazing summer grass or feedlot entry. There are many management options to consider for weaned calves depending on feed resources, labor, and subsequent management strategies.

Cornstalk residue and winter range

Cornstalk residue can be a very economical forage resource in the northern Great Plains region. However, both cornstalk residue and dormant winter range can be very low in energy and protein making it necessary to provide some supplement to achieve targeted gains. A research experiment conducted in eastern Nebraska reported a loss of body weight in 500-pound calves receiving only mineral supplementation while grazing cornstalks. Calves supplemented 3.5 pounds of a mixture of corn, molasses, and urea only gained 0.5 pound per day while calves supplemented 3 pounds of dried distillers grains gained 1.3 pounds per day. This suggests the calves needed supplemental rumen undegradable protein as well as energy while grazing cornstalk residue. Similarly, 450-pound calves in the Texas Panhandle grazing dormant native range gained 0.5 pound per day without energy or protein supplementation but gained 1.4 pounds per day when supplemented 2.5 pounds of dried distillers grains. In the Sandhills of Nebraska, 600-pound steers have been reported to gain 1 pound per day when supplemented 2 pounds of dried distillers grains while grazing winter range.

Annual forages and cover crops

In integrated cropping and livestock regions, planting winter annuals such as oats, triticale, or rye after corn silage harvest can provide high quality winter grazing for weaned calves. Research in Nebraska has shown 550-pound calves to gain between 1.5 and 2 pounds per day when grazing oats or a mix of oats and radishes from November to January.

On the southern plains, wheat pasture grazing is a common practice during the winter. Research from Texas A&M evaluated supplementing grazing steers (400 pounds) with 3 pounds of dry rolled corn or dried distillers grains. The calves supplemented with dry rolled corn gained similarly to the nonsupplemented calves (2.86 pounds per day) while the calves supplemented dried distillers grains gained 3.08 pounds per day. It is important to note that after the feedlot phase, performance and carcass characteristics were not different across grazing treatments.

Total mixed ration in a drylot

For producers with integrated livestock and farming operations and limited pasture acres, growing calves on a total mixed ration may be a viable option. Silages (corn and annual forage) and distillers grains are typically cheaper energy sources than hay. Another advantage of feeding a total mixed ration is that the nutrient density and intake can be controlled better than in a grazing situation and can result in not only the targeted gain, but also more uniformity in body weight of the calves at market. Additionally, research has shown calves placed on a finishing ration shortly after weaning to be more profitable than those first placed on a growing ration. This is something to consider if the producer plans to retain ownership through finishing.

Compensatory Gain and Marketing Strategies

Supplementation strategies should always be evaluated based on the price of supplement including transportation and labor against the value of the gain derived from the supplementation on a yearly basis.

Research has shown cattle backgrounded to gain 1.5 pounds per day maintain a weight advantage through the finishing phase over cattle backgrounded to gain less than 1 pound per day. Even though cattle restricted during backgrounding experience compensatory gain once they are placed on a higher plane of nutrition, they typically only compensate about 3738%, meaning they continue to have lighter body weight than cattle backgrounded to gain 1.5 pounds per day.

Summary

Some producers retain calves through winter while others may continue to graze summer grass with them, selling in the fall. Other producers may retain ownership through the finishing phase. Therefore, targeted gain and backgrounding resources should be evaluated against marketing strategies and the calf value. However, targeting adequate gain (1 to 1.5 pounds per day) to develop structural and muscle growth during the winter is advantageous regardless of marketing strategy.

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Reaping soil health benefits: Kernza outdoes annual wheat

By Maya Kate Gilmore

Most of the foods humans eat come from just a handful of plants. In fact, more than half the plant-based calories humans consume come from wheat, maize, and rice — and all of these plants are annuals, which must be re-planted every year.

In contrast, almost all native ecosystems around the globe rely heavily on perennial plants, which grow for multiple years, protecting the soil from too much agitation and providing a reliable harvest.

Thirty years ago, the Land Institute, a Kansas-based nonprofit, had an idea: What if we developed perennial grain crops, which combine the environmental benefits of native plants with the agricultural needs of modern humans? One of the first plants the Land Institute developed was Kernza, a perennial grain crop originating from intermediate wheatgrass.

Soil scientists investigate Wyoming Kernza

Kernza is exactly what graduate students Hannah Rodgers and Alex Fox set out to research in Linda van Diepen’s soil microbial ecology lab. Rodgers’ project focuses on the impact of Kernza on soil health in southeast Wyoming wheat farms.

In southeast Wyoming, wheat farms use a wheat-fallow system. Farmers plant a field of wheat; after harvest, they do not plant anything in that field for 14 months so as to store soil water for the next crop.

Rodgers compared wheat-fallow fields, wheat-fallow fields that were planted to Kernza at the beginning of the study in 2021, and wheat-fallow fields that were planted to perennial grasses 10 years ago. These final re-planted perennial grass fields serve as a proxy for healthy native grasslands. “There’s been a ton of studies that show that within about 10 years, perennial grasses can improve soil health to about 90% of native ecosystems,” says Rodgers.

Though Rodgers’ study did not demonstrate a change of that magnitude within a year of planting Kernza, she did find some early indications that the Kernza crop had healthier soil than the annual wheat it was planted next to.

Soil health findings

First, the researchers observed a higher ratio of fungi to bacteria in the Kernza fields relative to the wheat fields. More fungi is an indicator of healthier soil, because more fungi means more hyphae (thin tendrils similar to plant roots). The hyphae help the soil stick together and allow it to hold onto water more effectively. This water retention is especially important in a dry environment like southeast Wyoming.

Rodgers also found there was greater depth stratification in the Kernza fields. Depth stratification means that the soil built up a surface layer with more organic matter, higher fertility, and higher microbial activity. Rodgers explains, “In the native system, you can even see a thin thatch layer on the soil surface that’s protecting the soil beneath

it.” This surface layer improves water filtration, helps young plants start growing, and prevents erosion.

In contrast, conventional wheat often requires tillage, which mixes up this surface layer with deeper, less productive layers and leaves the soil vulnerable to erosion. Even just one year in, Kernza had started to form a surface layer, making the soil less vulnerable.

Rodgers also looked at the amount of organic matter, particularly labile (mobile) organic matter pools. Labile pools can be an early indicator of changes in soil health. Higher organic matter pools also indicate more stored carbon. Rodgers found higher labile organic matter pools in the soil around Kernza roots than in the soil around wheat roots.

Strong roots

One of Rodgers’ most interesting findings was that Kernza had greater root biomass than both the wheat and perennial grass plants nearby. “We often breed plants that put energy into seeds, and we really don’t know how that affects the roots,” says Rodgers. “It’s very hard to study that, because our food plants don’t have a close comparison to wild species.”

Kernza’s large roots could present a fascinating opportunity to quantify just how crops’ roots adapt as researchers change their fruit and seeds. Microbes associated with plant roots help plants access nutrients and water in tough times, so any adaptations or selection for root-associated microbes might be especially relevant in difficult terrain like Wyoming.

Kernza’s future in the West Difficult terrain is one of the biggest reasons that Kernza might present a meaningful opportunity for Wyoming farmers. “We’re really thinking about it more in this region as a crop for risk management,” says Rodgers.

Wheat is expensive up front — it requires

farmers buy seed every year, then spend time planting and managing weeds. Meanwhile, Kernza requires fewer passes with a tractor and competes with weeds better than wheat. In a dry year, Kernza can provide good-quality forage for livestock even if it does not produce many seeds.

In recent years, variability in precipitation and volatile markets have led to crop abandonment and made wheat-fallow systems less viable. Kernza may not produce as much good-quality seed as wheat in a good year, but it’s more flexible, costs less to implement, and is better for the soil.

Though Rodgers’ study is complete, Kernza is just getting started. “Kernza acreage is increasing year after year — more and more groups are starting to market products that include Kernza,” Rodgers comments. “A brewery in Fort Collins has a Kernza

Hannah Rodgers holding a Kernza plant. Photo by Hannah Rodgers.

Participants at a field day organized by Hannah Rodgers near Albin, Wyoming in June 2023. Participants are walking through a field of Kernza interspersed with alfalfa. Photo by Hannah Rodgers. that

Fraser’s Oil Inc.

NDSU offers guidance on post-wildfire erosion issues

The recent wildfires that affected more than 110,000 acres in northwestern North Dakota have been mostly contained, but the aftermath of the wildfires bring soil erosion concerns. The most immediate consequence of fire on landscape productivity is the potential for soil erosion, say North Dakota State University Extension experts.

• Increased early season vigor

• Phosphorus and Zinc to drive rooting & cold start the crop.

• Zinc to help with early season hormone production, ie. Auxin for root and shoot growth.

• Convey Technology to help with early season stresses, such as cool soils and excess moisture. It also improves nutrient use efficiency.

• Other essential nutrients target at each specific crop, ie. Boron for cell wall strength; Manganese for efficient photosynthesis.

• Second chance for a starter fertilizer

• Formulations are targeted at early season root growth (more root = more efficient moisture and nutrient uptake).

• Proactive way of managing the crops nutritional requirement.

• Convey Technology helps with early season stresses such as cool soils, excess moisture, and drought. Also improves nutrient use efficiency.

• Speeds up recovery from herbicide hangover - the correct supply of nutrients helps the crop metabolize the herbicide more quickly.

• Contains novel Phosphorus nutrition, providing increased nutrient uptake and movement within the plant.

• Targeted at the reproductive phse of the plant.

• Proactive way of managing the crops utritional requirement

• Contains other essential nutrients targeted for each specific crop, ie. Boron to aid pollen tube growth, Zinc to help produce Auxin, to ensure healthy pollen tube growth.

Wildfires significantly increase the risk of wind erosion and land degradation in crop and rangeland areas by destroying plant cover and the protective residue/litter layer. Vegetation, including crops and native grasses, helps anchor the soil and break the force of wind. Without plant cover, soil becomes loose and more susceptible to erosion. Additionally, plant roots stabilize the soil structure, while stems and leaves shield the surface from wind.

When a fire occurs, this natural protection is lost, leaving the soil vulnerable to erosion from wind, especially during the dry and windy conditions northwestern North Dakota is currently experiencing

“Another common issue following wildfires is soil hydrophobicity,” says Carlos Pires, NDSU Extension soil health specialist. “In slow-moving fires, the combustion of plant material produces a gas that infiltrates the soil profile. As the soil cools, this gas condenses, forming a waxy coating causing the soil to repel water and reduce infiltration. However, this should not be a major problem for land managers in North Dakota, as most of the wildfires in the region can be characterized as rapid fires.”

“With the current conditions, controlling soil erosion is a great challenge when you consider the lack of soil moisture, strong winds, and low temperatures,” says Pires. “The number one erosion control technique is reseeding the severely burned areas with native grass (rangeland) or cover crops (cropland), however, this approach is impractical this time of the year.”

Potential options for reducing erosion on fire-affected lands include increasing surface cover through the application of manure or other residues, or increasing surface roughness to slow the wind velocity on the soil surface. Further, any opportunity to retain snow will be critical for reducing soil erosion.

“Land that was spared by the fires and retained surface cover will likely accumulate eroded soil from nearby burned fields,” says Brady Goettl, NDSU Extension soil scientist. “Some landowners have reported soil “dunes” as deep as 18 inches in stubble fields and ditches.”

While this accumulating soil will create field variability and concerns with soil water dynamics, the best approach will be to allow accumulated soil to remain undisturbed until spring. Any attempt to level the soil this fall will only increase erosion potential, share the Extension specialists.

“Due to the nature of these fires, the recommendations and emergency practices to mitigate erosion should be addressed on a case-by-case basis,” says Goettl.

Landowners experiencing severe soil erosion issues should contact their county NDSU Extension agent to receive information tailored to their situation. Find your local Extension office at ndsu.ag/countyoffice.

Reaping soil health benefits: Kernza outdoes annual wheat

CONTINUED FROM PAGE A26

beer; small bakeries are starting to use it. It’s getting better and better, and with the really rapid progress on the breeding side, I think that’ll really push it forward.”

A new study in Colorado will continue to examine Kernza in dry Mountain West conditions. There are even efforts to get Kernza added to the USDA’s Conservation Reserve Program, which pays farmers to plant fields with crops that are more sustainable. From roots this strong, Kernza is bound to keep on growing.

For more information about Kernza in Wyoming, visit Kernzawyoming.org or follow @kernzawyoming on Instagram.

According to the song, what did my true love give to me on the eighth day of Christmas?

Answer: Eight maids a milking.

Great Selection of new & used windrowers

TRACTORS

steel conditioner. Stock #91200. $52,500

$422,500

2023 John Deere 8R 340 Signature Edition, IVT with RHR, ILS, full GPS, 6 SCVs, 480/80R50 rear tires with duals, 420/85R34 front tires with duals, 675 hours. 6 year/4000 hour extended PowrGard Warranty. Stock #90253

2023 John Deere 8R 340 Signature Edition, IVT with RHR, ILS, full GPS, 6 SCVs, 380/90R54 rear tires with duals, 380/80R38 front tires with duals, 270 hours. 6 year/4000 hour extended PowrGard Warranty. Stock #90254

$442,500

2022 John Deere 8R 340 IVT with RHR, ILS, 6 SCVs, 480/80R50 dual rears, 480/70R34 front duals, full GPS, 439 hours. Extended warranty til 8-2028 Stock #90437

$402,500

2023 John Deere 8R 310 MFWD, IVT, air seat, cab suspension, right hand reverser, 60 gallon per minute hydraulic pump, 6 SCVs, 480/80R 50 rear duals, 420/85R 34 front duals, 22 front weights, 1500 lb. rear weights, 590 hours. PowrQuad Warranty till 3-2029 or 4000 hours. Stock #89857.

$417,500

2022 John Deere 8R 310 IVT with RHR, ILS, full GPS, 6 SCVs, 480/80R50 rear tires with duals, 420/85R34 front tire with duals, 897 hours. 6 year/4000 hour extended PowrGard Warranty. Stock #90255.

$377,500

2021 John Deere 8R 230 Signature Edition, IVT with RHR, ILS, 6 SCVs, 380/90R54 duals, 320/80R42 front singles, full GPS, 1023 hours. Extended warranty till 7-2027. Stock #90440...$290,000

2022 John Deere 7R 290 cab tractor, MFWD, IVT transmission, Command Pro, air seat & cab suspension, triple link suspension, front & rear fenders, Ultimate Visibility package. PowrGard Warranty good till 10-23-2029 or 5000 hours. Which ever comes first. Stock #91693, 353 hours.

$345,000

2017 John Deere 8245R IVT with RHR, ILS, 6 SCVs, 480/80R50 dual rears, 420/85R34 front dual, full GPS, 3200 hours. Stock #90799........

$210,000

2012 John Deere 8235R IVT with RHR, ILS, 6 SCVs, 480/80R50 dual rears, 420/85R34 front singles, full GPS, 4500 hours. Stock #90801.

$172,500

2023 John Deere 6155M cab tractor with 640R loader/grapple, 20 PowrQuad with left hand reverser, AutoTrac ready, less receiver, 3 SCVs, MFWD, beacon and work lights, triple link suspension. Factory Warranty good till August 2025 or 2000 hours. PowrGard Warranty good till August 2029 or 4000 hours. 2- 450# weights each side & ballast, 535 hours. Stock #91151. $187,500

2023 John Deere 6155M cab tractor with 640R loader/grapple, 20 speed PowrQuad with left hand receiver, AutoTrac ready, less receiver, 3 SCVs, MFWD, beacon & work lights, triple link suspension. Factory Warranty good till August 2025 or 2000 hours. PowrGard Warranty good till August 2029 or 4000 hours. 2-450# weights each side & ballast, 1122 hours. Stock #91177. $177,500

2023 John Deere 6155M cab tractor with 640R loader/grapple, 20 speed PowrQuad with left hand reverser, AutoTrac ready less receiver, 3 SCVs, MFWD, beacon & work lights, triple link suspension. Factory Warranty good till August 2025 or 2000 hours. PowrGard Warranty till August 2029 or 4000 hours. 2-450# weights each side & ballast. Stock #91178. $177,500

2023 John Deere 6155M cab tractor with 640R loader/grapple, 20 speed PowrQuad with left hand reverser, AutoTrac ready, less display and receiver, 3 SCVs, MFWD, beacon and work lights. 1029 hours. Factory Warranty good till June 2025 or 2000 hours. PowrGard Warranty good till June 2029 or 4000 hours. Stock #89998. $172,500

2022 Johh Deere 6110M MFWD cab tractor, PowerQuad 24 speed transmission with left hand reverser, 3 SCVs, 540/1000 PTO, Pandramna roof and mechanical cab suspension, loader ready, 588 hours. Stock #90439.

$110,000

2022 John Deere 5090E cab, MFWD, 24/12 transmission with left hand reverser, air seat, 3 rear SCVs, 520M mechanical self leveling loader. Stock #88004. PowerGard Warranty till 10-2028 or 3500 hours

$81,900

2022 John Deere 5090E cab, MFWD, 24/12 transmission with left hand reverser, loader ready, air seat, 3 rear SCVs, approximately 400 hours. Stock #88003. PowerGard Warranty till 10-2028 or 3500 hours

2016 John Deere 994 header, steel conditioner, 14.5-ft. Stock #91242. $19,500 (2) 2018 New Holland 216 hydraulic rake. Stock #88660 & Stock #91171. Each. $19,500

$73,000

2013 TwinStar 24-ft rake. $13,000

$62,000

2019 John Deere 5090E cab tractor, MFWD, 12/12 transmission, 3 SCVs, 540M loader, 955 hours. Stock #90685.

2012 Circle 16W wheel rake, ground drive, hydraulic fold, gooseneck ball hitch. Stock #91243. $15,000

2014 Morris 900 Hay Hiker, 8 bale retriever. Stock #91605.$25,000

$315,000

2019 John Deere 8345R 2000 hours, IVT transmission, ILS, full GPS, 6 SCVs, front duals 480/70R34, rear duals 480/80R50. Stock #88843

2021 Newhouse C-5000 large square bale processor. Stock #89011. $52,000

2015 Haybuster 2660 round bale processor, hydraulic deflector chute. Stock #87924. $20,000

$126,000

2018 New Holland T6.170 cab, MFD, 16 speed, Dual Command transmission, 845TL loader & grapple, 888 hours. Stock #86681.

New Holland T6.165 cab tractor, MFD, 16 speed Powershift transmission, 3 selective control valves, 855LA 2 function loader 1220 hours. Stock #92103.

2014 Haybuster 2650 round bale processor, hydraulic deflector chute. Stock #82464. $12,500

$99,000

2021 Dew-Eze Super Slicer, hydraulic drive bale feeder with twine & net wrap box. Stock #91602. $15,500

Woods RT60 rototiller. Stock #85226 $3600

$120,000

2015 New Holland T7.210 T4A MFD, 165 hp, Powershift, 3 SCVs, 2380 hours. Stock #91852.

AgriEase TS120 rototiller. Stock #85227 $2450

Woods SB74C snowblower with manual discharge $4949

Woods DHS 80C 80” disc. Stock #84418 $3520

$112,500

2009 John Deere 8330 cab tractor, MFWD, IVT with right hand reverser, 3 SCVs, deluxe cab with Instructional seat, 480/80/46 rear duals, front & rear weights, 7384 hours. Stock #90320.

Woods BO72RC 72” rotary cutter $4290

Woods TK72 72” finish mower. Stock #84419 $4600

$122,500

2007 John Deere 8430 IVT with RHR, ILS, 480/80R50 dual rears, 480/70R34 front duals, 4 SCVs, Globe and 2630 display, 9000 hours. Stock #90438

2020 Frontier WC1205 wood chipper, 540 PTO, 5” capacity, 35-95 hp, like new. Stock #92065. $6400

$125,000

2012 John Deere 8360RT 30” tracks, IVT, 3-point hitch, 4 SCVs, 7500 hours. Stock #89304

2005 John Deere 6715 cab, MFWD, 16 speed PowrQuad, left hand reverser, 3 SCVs, front tires 320/90/42, rear tires 320/90/54, 3789 hours. Stock #87936.

Frontier AF11E 72” front blade with John Deere 300/400/500 mounts, never used. $2800 Frontier AP12F 42” pallet forks with John Deere 300/400/500 mounts, never used. $1000

$65,000

2020 John Deere 5075E cab tractor, 12F/12R transmission with power reverser, loader ready, 2 SCVs, 1479 hours. Stock #91379

$41,000

2022 John Deere 4066R cab tractor with 440 R loader, air seat, 2 rear selective control valves, Beacon light and rear work lights. 8 hours.

$65,000

2019 John Deere 4066R tractor, open station, John Deere 485A backhoe with mechanical thumb, pallet forks and 89” Frontier rear blade. Stock #91127.

$69,000

2023 John Deere 333G skidsteer, cab, heat & A/C, 2 speed with high flow, air ride seat, rear view camera, 3 sets of counter weights, Anti Vibration under carriage, 84” construction bucket, 260 hours. Stock #90879.

SQUARE BALERS

$102,000

2018 Massey-Ferguson 2290 4x4 square baler, 31,024 bales. Stock #88736.

$129,900

2017 John Deere L340 3x4 baler, tandem axle, large 1000 PTO, LED lights, auto grease bank. 23,800 bales. Stock #90176

$65,000

2019 New Holland L330 3x3 baler, single axle, hydraulic pickup, auto grease bank, bale chute, 11,270 bales. Stock #91260. $80,000

2017 New Holland L340 3x4 baler, tandem axle, moisture sensor, Maxi sweep pickup with gauge wheels, 1000 PTO, bale chute, 25,185 bales. Stock #91262. $59,000

ROUND BALERS

2023 John Deere 560M round baler, 1000 PTO, net wrap, MegaWide pickup, hydraulic pickup, flotation tires, grease bank, 5866 bales. Stock #91146

$59,500

2022 John Deere 560M round baler, 1000 PTO, net wrap, MegaWide pickup, hydraulic pickup, flotation tires, 8322 bales. Stock #88053.

$52,000

2018 John Deere 560M round baler with pre cutter, 1000 PTO, 17,063 bales. Stock #81836. $40,000

2016 John Deere 569 round baler, 1000 PTO, net wrap & twine, Mega Wide pickup, hydraulic pickup, flotation tires, approximately 38,000 bales. Stock #91914.

$20,000

2016 John Deere 569 round baler, 1000 PTO, net wrap & twine, Mega Wide pickup, hydraulic pickup, flotation tires, 46,322 bales. Stock #91915

$16,000

2011 John Deere 568 round baler, 1000 PTO, net wrap & twine, MegaWide pickup, hydraulic pickup, bale push bar, 19,830 bales. Stock #91159.

$20,000

Getting more out of fall and winter grazing

By Mary Drewnoski, Nebraska Extension Beef Systems Specialist & Erin Laborie, Nebraska Extension Educator

After about 5 years of fall cover crop grazing, one thing became apparent: the amount of grazing achieved when we gave cattle access to the whole field from the start did not appear to be determined by the amount of forage that was in the field. This was because the weather seemed to determine how much trampling loss occurred. In wet years, we harvested less than 15% of the forage, and on average, we captured about 30%. Thus, it seemed worth asking the question, “Would the extra forage captured with strip grazing be worth the extra labor?” Over the past few years, we conducted a series of on-farm experiments to evaluate the effects of strip grazing on harvest efficiency and cattle performance when utilizing various annual forage resources during the late fall and winter. We had 5 cooperating producers that compared continuous grazing (giving cattle access to a whole field) vs. strip grazing with a new allocation of forage being offered once to twice a week.

What we learned:

Strip grazing increases carrying capacity, allowing more grazing head days on the same acres. On average, strip grazing resulted in a 47% increase in grazing. This is due to less trampling losses as strip grazing lost an estimated 9% vs. 57% for continuous grazing of forage.

When grazing growing calves, strip grazing can result in more pounds of gain per acre, and thus, a lower cost of gain. However, due to reduced forage selectivity, individual animal gain can be slightly decreased (6 to 16%).

Higher quality forages like late-summer planted coolseason species such as oats and brassicas (rapeseed, turnips, etc.) seem to offer more return when strip grazing. Bottom line, strip grazing does take a little extra effort, but the extra grazing capacity can make it worth it.

#####

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BALE FEEDERS

Winter is right around the corner. Make sure you are ready for feeding this winter. We have a large selection of bale feeders ready to go.

2010 Vermeer BPX9000 bale processor and feeder with right hand discharge, 1000 PTO. Stock #88786 $15,000 (15)

2013 Vermeer BPX 9000 round bale processor, 2 bales, hydraulic feeder, right hand discharge. Stock #92042

$15,500 (1)

2008 Vermeer BP8000 with right hand discharge, 1000 PTO, center rotor, hydraulic deflector, carries 2 round bales. Stock #91078

$12,000 (16)

2013 Haybuster 2650 1000 PTO, right hand discharge, hydraulic deflector, good tires. Stock #92069 $14,000 (15)

2014 Haybuster 2650 carries 2 round bales, 1000 RPM PTO, right hand discharge, hydraulic deflector. Stock #91120

$16,000 (16)

2014 Haybuster 2650 with hydraulic deflector and right hand delivery. Stock #82464

$16,500 (4)

2014 Haybuster 2650 with scale kit, right hand discharge, hydraulic deflector, flotation tires. Stock #90177

$17,000 (4)

2016 Haybuster 2650 with 2 bale carrier, hydraulic deflector, right hand discharge, flotation tires. Stock #83710

$18,500 (4)

2016 Haybuster 2660 with 1000 RPM PTO, right hand discharge, table and chain style, carries two bales. Stock #88945

$19,000 (16)

2015 Haybuster 2660 2-bale round bale model, 1000 RPM PTO, right hand discharge, hydraulic shield. Stock #88180

$20,000 (16)

2015 Haybuster 2660 2-bale processor, flotation tires, left hand discharge. Stock #87924

$20,000 (4)

2021 Haybuster 2800 2-bale processor for round and large square bales, right hand discharge, 2 stage hydraulic deflector, 1000 PTO, fixed chamber. Never been used. Stock #78651..$46,000 (14)

2022 Bale King 6200 with round bale processor, 6 bale capacity, self loading, 1000 PTO, tandem 14Lx16.1 tires, requires 3 SCVs to function, used one season. Stock #89403 $39,000 (3)

2019 Highline CFR651 with right hand discharge, hydraulic deflector, 1000 RPM PTO, large flotation tires. Stock #90738

$19,000 (16)

2021 Highline BP661-300 with 1000 RPM PTO, hydraulic deflector, fine chop kit, only a couple hundred bales run through it, like new. Stock #90265 $31,000 (16)

2012 Bale King 5100 bale processor with RH discharge, hydraulic deflector, 1000 PTO, round bales only. Stock #87387

$11,000 (11)

2020 Jiffy 928 bale feeder, like new bale feeder, RH discharge, 16.1 tires, 1000 PTO. Stock #85863 $23,000 (15)

2021 DewEze S3 hydraulic drive round bale slicer/feeder. Stock #91602 $15,500

4WD, ROW CROP AND UTILITY TRACTORS

2023 John Deere 9RX640 with E18 transmission, 36” Camso track, fixed 87” spacing, engine brake, 110 GPM dual hydraulic pump, 1000 PTO, standard Mid rollers, tow cable, Ultimate Comfort, air seat plus cab suspension, Ultimate visibility package, Signature Edition, Intelligent power management. Stock #88307

$672,500 (2)

2023 John Deere 8R310 row crop tractor with IVT transmission with RH reverser, guidance less receiver, air seat/cab suspension, 6 SCVs, 1000 RPM PTO, 3-point hitch, 480/80R50 rear tires with duals, 420/85R34 front tires with duals, front suspension-ILS, cold weather package, front and rear weights. Stock #90257 $397,500 (16)

$747,500 (1)

2023 John Deere 9RX 640 with E18 transmission, Signature Edition with cab suspension, 36 inch track, 1000 PTO, less 3-point, 8 SCVs, Intelligent Power management, front and rear weights, extended warranty. Stock #90817

2021 John Deere 9620RX with 760 mm/30” track, narrow spacing, PTO, display, large hydraulic pump, Performance Package, E18 transmission, 18F/6 R speeds with efficiency manager, 4600 command center with extended monitor, StarFire 6000 receiver, SF1 command center premium activation, 3.04600 processor Premium Command View III cab with cab suspension, premium radio package, Cummins X15 14.9L (912 cu. in.) 6 cylinder tier 4/ Stage V compliant diesel engine. Stock #91049

2023 John Deere 8R340 340 hp row crop tractor with Signature edition, IVT, RH reverser, Guidance less receiver, 6 SCVs, 1000 PTO, 3-point hitch, 480/80R50 rear tires with duals, ILS, 420/85R34 front tires with duals, cold weather package, front and rear weights. Stock #92042 $422,500 (15)

$549,000 (12)

2018 John Deere 9520RX with cab, 18/6 PowerShift, 30” DuraBuilt 6500 (with poly mid rollers), 5 SCVs, no 3-point, 1000 PTO, premium radio, premium CVIII cab with suspension, Hi-Flo hydraulics, Cat 5 drawbar, electric mirrors, premium lighting, 4600 command center with activation, no SF6000. Stock #89083

$425,000 (12)

2018 Versatile 610 DT with 605 hp, 16 speed power shift transmission, 36” track, deluxe cab, LED lights, guidance ready with receiver and 10” display, differential lock, 6 SCVs, 2 set of low pressure couplers. Stock #91193

$405,000 (12)

2022 John Deere 8RT370 track tractor with 16-ft. track spacing with 16.5” 6500 series belts, poly mid rollers, 6000 receiver with RTK activation (no radio), 4600 display with automation 3.0, Signature edition, Ultimate cab, Ultimate lighting, 40K IVT with RHR, IPM, 6 remotes with high flow pump, 22 front weights, 12 side mount weights, radar, 1/2” PowerBeyond, 20,000 lb. 3-point hitch, Cat 4 swinging drawbar. Stock #87612 $450,000 (15)

1998 New Holland 8970 row crop tractor, 240/210 hp, MFWD, cab, 16/8 PowerShift, 4 SCVs, 3-point, 1000 PTO, front weights, dual rear 520/85R42, 16 front weights. Stock #91395.........$54,000 (2)

2013 Case IH Magnum 315 with 315 hp, suspended cab, 4 SCVs, 3-point, Quick hitch, 13/4” 1000 PTO, PowerShift transmission, LH reverser, front fenders, 380/80R38 front singles (10%),. 480/80R50 duals (20%), 18 front weights, outside mirrors, cast rear wheel weights. Stock #90144

$175,000 (16)

2008 John Deere 7630 with cab, MFWD, IVT, guidance ready, 540/1000 PTO, singles, deluxe Command View cab and Command ARM with John Deere Active seat, AutoTrac ready, left hand reverser, control and field cruise, deluxe comfort package, 3 deluxe rear remote cylinder control valves with electro-hydraulic controls, 480/80R46 rear tires, JD loader with bucket and grapple. Stock #90104

$89,000 (12)

2022 John Deere 7R 290 Signature Edition, IVT, AT ready less receiver, Ultimate Comfort cab with air seat and cab suspension, 6 SCVs, 1000 PTO, 3 point, dual 520/85R46 rear and single 480/70R34 front tires, front fenders, Triple Link front suspension, cold weather package, 24 front weights, rear weights. Stock #91693

2015 John Deere 6150 with IVT transmission, Premium cab, 4 SCVs, 540/540/1000 PTO, 3-point hitch, Cat 3/3N, 480/80R46 rear and 420/90R30 front tires, GreenStar ready, 3 function mid hydraulics, loader and rear weights. Stock #90687

$115,000 (3)

$345,000 (4)

2023 John Deere 6R 215 with IVT (40K), 680R MSL, with grapple, Triple Link suspension (TLS), 620/70R42 rear singles (1800 lbs. rear weights), 480/70R30 single front, 540E/1000/1000E PTO, Ulitmate cab with suspension, premium Panorama lights (LED), 4600 display with AutoTrac activation, no receiver, heated rear window, Panorama glass roof, rear quick coupler, Cold Start II, fuel heating. Stock #91655

$282,500 (14)

1996 Case IH 7210 with 540/1000 PTO, 5680 original hours, great paint, always shedded, 130 hp, 2WD, PS, duals, Raven lightbar system. Stock #91718

$59,500 (15)

2019 Case IH Puma 150 with CVT transmission, loader, bucket, grapple, front suspension, 3 rear SCVs, 3-point with hydraulic center link, front fender, rear fenders, rear wheel weights. Stock #91888

$132,000 (11)

2021 John Deere 6130R tractor with premium cab, 620R loader, bucket, grapple, 24 speed AutoQuad, MFWD with TLS, 3 electric SCV’s, 540/1000 PTO, 4200 display, front fenders, 460/85R38 rear tires, 340/85R28 front tires, rear wheel weights. Stock #88926 $157,500 (11)

2022 John Deere 5090E with PowerGard warranty through October 2028 or 3500 hours, 24 speed power reverser transmission, 3 SCVs, 3-point, loader ready package with 2 mid mount hydraulics, air suspension seat, cab, 18.4R30 rear tires, 12.4R24 front tires. Stock #88004

$317,500 (14)

2023 John Deere 6R 230 with Command Pro (40K), front suspension, AutoTrac ready, 4600 display with AutoTrac Activation, no receiver, Ultimate cab, heated rear window, Ultimate seat, cab suspension, Panorama glass roof with premium lights, 5 rear E-SCVs, 540E/1000/1000E PTO, loader ready, (no loader), Cold Start II, fuel heater, front weight bracket with 18 weights, 380/90R50 duals, (1200 lbs. weights), 380/85R34 front singles with turntable fenders. Stock #88845

2023 John Deere 6R 155 with IVT, AutoTrac ready less receiver, Premium cab package, cab suspension, 4 SCVs, 540/1000/1000E PTO, 480/80R42 rear and 420/85R28 front tires, MFWD, beacon lights, Panorama roof, JD loader with bucket and grapple. Stock #91431

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2023 John Deere 6155M with PowerQuad+ 20/20 transmission, AutoTrac ready, display less receiver, 3 SCVs, MFWD, 2 speed PTO, 480/80R42 rear and 420/85R28 front tires, beacon light, work lights, Panorama roof, JD 6450 loader with bucket and grapple. Stock #89994 $182,500 (15)

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National Poinsettia Day

Celebrated on: December 12th

John Poinsett brought Poinsettias to the United States. Beautiful Poinsettia flowers are a well-recognized symbol of the Christmas season. National Poinsettia Day was officially declared by an Act of Congress. It is in honor of Joel Roberts Poinsett, who died on December 12, 1851. Poinsett was the first Ambassador to Mexico. He was also a botanist and a physician. Poinsett brought this colorful plant back to his plantation in the U.S. He grew the plants in his Greenville, S.C plantation and gave them out as gifts to friends.

According to Mexican folklore, there is a story of a little poor girl who had nothing to bring to church for Christmas. On her way to church, she picked some plants by the side of the road. As she entered the church, the leaves at the tips of the branches, called bracts, turned into bright, brilliant red flowers. You guessed it… they were Poinsettias.

About Poinsettia Flowers

Originally from Mexico and Central America, Poinsettia plants are by far the most popular flower plants during Christmas. They are the largest flowering plant crop in the U.S. with sales of over 63 million pots! Native to the warmer southwestern U.S. climates and Mexico, Poinsettias are susceptible to cold and frost. So when you bring them home in cold weather, make sure to bring them right home. Don’t leave them in your car and go back to your Christmas shopping.

Purchasing Tip: When selecting plants, choose ones with leaves that are fully in bloom. The long-lasting blooms take a while to produce full color. Once they do, they’ll last for several weeks, usually well beyond Christmas and New Year.

There are over 100 varieties of this plant. These perennial plants actually are a shrub that can grow 10-15 feet in the wild. The traditional red poinsettias plants are by far the most popular. There are several other colors, including pink, white, salmon, yellow, and multi-colored bracts

Did You Know? Poinsettias are sometimes called the “Christmas Plants”. In Chile and Peru, Poinsettias are called the “Crown of the Andes”.

Poinsettia Trivia

• Poinsettias area also called “Lobster Flower” and Flame-Leaf Flower”.

• German botanist Wilenow gave the poinsettia its botanical name, Euphorbia pulcherrima, which means “very beautiful.”

• They are the highest-selling potted flowering plant.

• During Joel Roberts Poinsett’s day, many botanists considered the plant to be a weed.

• Leaves can measure 6 to 8 inches across.

• The sticky white sap causes skin irritation in some people.

• The Aztecs used the dap to control fevers and the red bracts for making red dye.

• Poinsettias can be “forced” to bloom in future years.

Christmas or Xmas?

Christmas is also sometimes known as Xmas. Some people don’t think it’s correct to call Christmas ‘Xmas’ as that takes the ‘Christ’ (Jesus) out of Christmas. (As Christmas comes from Christ-Mass, the Church service that celebrated the birth of Jesus.)

But that is not quite right! In the Greek language and alphabet, the letter that looks like an X is the Greek letter chi / Χ (pronounced ‘kye’ - it rhymes with ‘eye’) which is the first letter of the Greek word for Christ, Christos.

The early church used the first two letters of Christos in the Greek alphabet ‘chi’ and ‘rho’ to create a monogram (symbol) to represent the name of Jesus. This looks like an X with a small p on the top.

The symbol of a fish is sometimes used by Christians (you might see a fish sticker on a car or someone wearing a little fish badge). This comes from the time when the first Christians had to meet in secret, as the Romans wanted to kill them (before Emperor Constantine became a Christian). Jesus had said that he wanted to make his followers ‘Fishers of Men’, so people started to use that symbol.

When two Christians met, one person drew half a basic fish shape (often using their foot in the dust on the ground) and the other person drew the other half of the fish. The Greek word for fish is ‘Ikthus’ or ‘Ichthys’. There are five Greek letters in the word. It can also make up a sentence of Christian beliefs ‘Ie-sous Christos Theou Huios So-te-r’ which in English means “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour”. The second letter of these five letter is X or Christos!

So Xmas can also mean Christmas; but it should also be pronounced ‘Christmas’ rather than ‘ex-mas’!

Storing to reduce hay losses

By Ben Beckman, UNL

With winter near, now is the time to set up hay yards for easy access if you haven’t already done so. While sorting by lots and quality is important, keep in mind how we store can also impact spoilage. Are you storing hay so losses are at a minimum?

Hay stored outside will be damaged by rain, snow, wind, and ice this fall and winter. The average round bale may lose up to one fourth of its original nutrients during storage, but these losses can be reduced to less than 10 percent or so.

If we can’t get bales inside or under a tarp, giving space for air to flow around the bale to dry them out is better than placing them side to side where rain, snow, and ice will gather and get trapped. Stacking uncovered will create a similar problem. Worst of all is placing round bales on their ends so moisture is able directly enter the bale.

Does snow drift around your bales? Bales placed in eastwest rows often have drifts on the south side. Hay next to fencelines or trees can get extra snow. As snow melts it soaks into bales or makes the ground muddy. Plus, the north side never gets any sun so it’s slow to dry. This year, line your bales up north-and-south for fewer drifts and faster drying as sunlight and prevailing winds hit both sides of the row.

Most important is the bottom of your bales. Always put bales on higher, well-drained ground so water drains away from them. If necessary, use crushed rock, railroad ties, or even pallets to elevate bales to keep the bottoms dry. This also will reduce problems getting to your hay due to snow drifts or mud.

Plan now to store bales outside right. Use a single row of bales end to end, along with consideration for row orientation, and ground surface drainage for the best outcome. #####

Examine the faces on a penny, an original Jefferson nickel, a dime, and a quarter. All the presidents except Lincoln are facing left. People have long imagined a secret meaning behind this, but Victor David Brenner, the sculptor of the Lincoln penny, explained that he had worked from a photo of Lincoln facing to the right. Simple as that.

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Fall and winter management strategies for the cow herd – Sample, test, inventory and stage harvested hay

By Rick Rasby, Nebraska Extension Specialist and Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension Educator

Testing and organizing hay by quality and nutritional content can help make sure cows are getting their nutritional needs met at the right times. Photo by Troy Walz. Haying season is over, the days are getting shorter, and temperatures are cooler. Fall is here and winter is just around the corner. Beef producers will keep cows grazing as long as they can because grazing is cheaper than feeding harvested hays and forages. Depending on stage of production, supplements can be fed to take care of any nutrient gaps. Dormant range, cool-season pasture, and cornstalks are good winter feed resources as long as grazing recommendations (https://beef.unl.edu/keys-cornstalk-grazing) are followed. At some time during the winter and before pastures can be grazed next spring, there is a good chance that harvested hays will be part of the menu for the beef herd. Now is a good time to get the harvested hays component organized.

Sampling Hay

Contact the lab that you will send the hay samples to. The lab often provides plastic bags to put samples in (a quart zip lock will do just fine too), an information sheet identifying the hay type, analysis you want the testing lab to perform, and billing and contact information.

For harvested forages like hay, use a hay probe to collect the sample for an accurate assessment. Most extension offices have a hay probe that can be checked out. Sample each hay by lot (https://beef.unl.edu/beefwatch/2021/test-don%E2%80%99t-guesssampling-and-testing-hay). A lot is hay harvested at a similar time, from the same plant type and growth stage, and from a similar location such as a field. Because hay quality can vary due to differences from all the listed factors, sampling by lot ensures that a representative sample is provided for testing.

For most hays, 20 subsamples should be taken per lot and then mixed before the sample bag is filled and submitted to the laboratory. This helps capture variation in the hay. When sampling, try to take samples at random from bales. Don’t seek out good spots or avoid bad ones as this can skew results providing an inaccurate assessment of the hay quality.

Testing Hay

The most cost-effective analysis for most hays is a NIRS analysis (https://beef.unl. edu/stories/200810021.shtml). For this type of analysis, it is important to identify the sample (alfalfa, summer annual, prairie hay, bromegrass, etc.). Most common hays have a robust NIRS database for labs to pull from, but complex mixtures or rare hay types may still be best analyzed using traditional wet chemistry. If you have any questions, reach out to your lab of choice before submitting for confirmation on types of analysis (NIRS, wet chemistry) to use.

If hays will be fed to beef cows, test for moisture, percent crude protein, and total digestible nutrients (TDN). TDN cannot be

directly tested but is a calculated value. You can request minerals as part of your NIRS analysis. If there is a need to test for other minerals, the lab can do that using another testing procedure. Summer annuals should also be tested for nitrates.

Hay Inventory

Inventory hays by type (alfalfa, grass hay, summer annual, etc.). Inventory each hay type by quality, including high (percent crude protein and percent TDN), moderate, and low. Count the number of bales by type and quality. Take a weight of each hay type by quality and calculate total pounds of each type. This will help determine the number of feeding days for each hay type and quality. Cows will eat more of the high-quality hay compared to the moderate and low-quality hay because it is easier to digest.

Cows will eat between 2.0 and 2.5 percent of their body weight on a dry matter basis (https://beef.unl.edu/cattleproduction/ forageconsumed-day). As you budget the amount of hay needed, account for storage losses (10% to 25%) and feeding losses (10%). It is important to store hays in such a way to reduce storage losses. Store big round bales on the round side with space between them and not in low places where water settles. Additionally, limit or control (by mowing) the growth of weeds around the bales.

The following calculations will help you determine the amount of hay to budget per cow. If cows, on average weigh 1,200 pounds and the hay quality is moderate to high, each cow will eat 30 lb per day. When accounting for feeding losses (10%), this calculates to 33 lb per head per day on a dry matter basis. To determine the amount needed on an “as-fed” basis, look at the hay analysis to get the dry matter content. If the moisture content is 15%, then the dry matter content is 85%. Most baled hays will be between 84% and 90% dry matter. Divide 33 lb/hd/day by 0.85 to determine pounds per head per day “as-fed”. For this example, the amount is 39 pounds per head per day. If storage losses are 15%, you will need to budget 45 pounds per head per day.

Staging Hay

With inventory complete, consider organizing the stackyard by hay and forage quality. Stage by type (alfalfa, grass hay, summer annual, etc.) and quality. If some hays like summer annuals are high in nitrates, make sure you know where these hays are in the stackyard because they need to be diluted with other hays to be fed at a safe level. Consider identifying these bales by spray painting the bale wrap with a N. Organize the bales in the stackyard, so that you can easily get to each hay quality and type. Work with your Extension Educator or nutritionist to determine when and what to supplement when the hay doesn’t meet the cow’s nutrient requirements based on her stage of production (stage of gestation and stage of lactation).

Myth or truth

Myth: Cell phones are banned from hospitals’ intensive care units because they interfere with lifesaving equipment and electronic monitoring machines.

Truth: It’s sort of true. It’s been exaggerated…but for a noble reason. Ringing cell phones can be loud; conversations on them

may also be loud, disruptive, and emotional, and that can disturb patients and their families. Experts say that only about 5 percent of the devises in use in the ICU would be affected by cell phone signals, but then only at a distance of under 40 inches and even then, only a little.

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#####

On the Moon, you only experience one-sixth of the gravity felt on Earth, so you’ll feel a lot lighter.

On-Farm research looks at many variables over several years

By Chabella Guzman, PREEC Communications

On a warm September day along the edge of the Sandhills in Box Butte County, a combine harvested dry edible beans. The beans were in an On-Farm Research project by John Thomas, Nebraska Extension Educator at Box Butte County, and Tim Hashman, the farmer and driver of the combine. The project looked at a product called Pod Ceal.

“Last year, we had a hailstorm come through before harvest, and it (Pod Ceal) actually helped to keep the pod from shattering,” Hashman said. “This year, I’m hoping we see a sizable reduction in harvest loss.”

Pod Ceal is meant to reduce harvest loss with direct harvest beans. It’s sprayed on during the desiccation process. The coating should make the beans a bit tougher, so the pods don’t shatter and growers don’t lose as many beans in the field. It can also improve the quality of the beans. The product is supposed to help shed moisture. This is helpful with dry bean varieties like Great Northern. In a rainy season, the product will keep moisture out from causing staining or discoloration.

On-Farm Research partners with growers across Nebraska to answer their questions on products, row spacing, planting depths, and more. Pod Ceal is not a new product. It is used by many of the growers of dry edible beans in the Panhandle. “We answer On Farm questions from the population of a given crop, its fertility, water management, and different products that growers can apply to crops. We literally test those in a scientific fashion, and we determine if it’s benefiting the farmer,” Thomas said.

The Pod Ceal project is in its second year, and this year, Hashman and Thomas applied the product to a new field of dry beans. Hashman took over the acres about two years ago, which had originally been alfalfa and grass. The acres have never had dry beans, meaning the disease, and weed pressure would be lower.

“We started breaking it (acres) out into row crops. I had corn last year on the whole thing, and then this year, we’re starting to get into our rotation that we normally do. We chose to put beans down here because of the sandy soil,” he said. The soil is more of a sandy loam, and dry edible beans grow well in soil that has good drainage. The soil is also easy to work with for direct harvest beans. “The sand is easier to float a header on, and we don’t have to worry about dirt clods. We can keep our combine a lot lower, and it just makes harvestability a lot better.

The sandier soil requires management to keep it from eroding. “We’ve changed a few things as far as cover crops. For this particular field of beans, we worked very early, planted oats in it, grew the oat crop up, and then desiccated the oats and no-till the beans straight into the oats,” he said. After harvest, they will be drilling wheat into the ground for irrigated wheat next year and the surrounding fields will have cover crops until next year’s planting season.

Hashman and Thomas will work on the project next year to gather as much information as possible on Pod Ceal’s performance in various soil and weather conditions in western Nebraska. “We want to look at something for about three years before we determine if it’s really a value to our growers,” Thomas said. “There’s just always a lot of variables in farming, the growing season, the year, the variety, and the architecture of the plant. That’s another reason we want to use it multiple times with multiple conditions to see if it really works and if it’s if it’s a value.”

Hashman’s dry bean plot is only one of many studies going on across Nebraska. To find out more about the other studies, visit https://on-farm-research.unl.edu

The annual On-Farm Research meeting will be held on February 27, 2025, at the Knight Museum in Alliance, with information on this year’s project results and others in the Panhandle.

#####

A piranha only has one row of upper and lower teeth, not several, as many sharks do. But its teeth are sharper than almost any shark teeth. When the piranha snaps them together, says one expert, “the points in the upper row fit into the notches of the lower row, and the power of the jaw muscles is such that there is scarcely any living substance save the hardest ironwood that will not be clipped off.” Natives often use the teeth as cutting blades.

Food safety tip: Clean the kitchen sink

By K-State Research and Extension news service

The kitchen sink is used for a variety of tasks and activities. Kansas State University food scientist Karen Blakeslee says preventing bacteria that causes foodborne illness is especially important in the kitchen sink.

“We use the kitchen sink for food preparation and more,” Blakeslee said. “The possibility exists for foodborne illness-causing bacteria to hang out in the sink too. These bacteria could cross-contaminate your food and make you sick.”

Blakeslee added that a recent USDA study tested surfaces where participants prepared a breakfast meal with raw sausage, shell eggs, and a fruit salad made with cut-up cantaloupe. Test results showed that 34% of the sinks were contaminated after preparing the meal.

Even more scary, 26% of the samples of cut-up cantaloupe from the fruit salad were contaminated after breakfast prep.

“The bacteria in the sink or on your hands can crosscontaminate from the sink to other items, including those you normally eat raw. This means you’ll be eating that bacteria too,” Blakeslee said.

After using your sink to wash or prepare food, clean and sanitize the sink:

1) Use warm, soapy water to wash the sink. Wipe it clean with paper towels.

2) Use a sanitizer and let air dry. Sanitizers can be homemade (1 tablespoon of liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water) or use a commercial sanitizer or sanitizing wipe.

Blakeslee, who also coordinator of K-State’s Rapid Response Center for Food Science, publishes a monthly newsletter called You Asked It! that provides numerous tips on food safety.

More information is also available from local extension offices in Kansas.

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#####

Why are Christmas candy canes red and white in color?

Answer: The white of the cane can represent the purity of Jesus Christ. The red stripes are for the blood he shed when he died on the cross.

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Ken Olson retires after 18 years with SDSU Extension

Ken Olson, South Dakota State University professor and SDSU Extension Beef Specialist, has retired after nearly 40 years in animal and range science.

Over his career, he taught hundreds of students, mentored graduate students and research assistants, collaborated on dozens of complex research projects and delivered SDSU Extension programs to thousands of people.

Originally from Montana, Olson grew up on a cattle ranch and attended Montana State University in Bozeman for his undergraduate degree in agricultural education. He spent a year as a high school teacher, then returned to Montana State and earned a graduate degree in range science. He then went to Utah State University, where he earned his doctorate in range livestock nutrition in 1986.

While earning his doctorate, he also served as a range science instructor at Utah State, teaching range management principles and field study. In 1986, he joined the Agricultural Research Center-Hays at Kansas State University as a researcher, where he stayed until 1992.

From 1992 to 2006, Olson was an associate professor of grazing livestock nutrition at Utah State University. By 2006, Olson said he was ready for a change and a joint research and extension/outreach role at SDSU appealed to him.

Olson joined SDSU that year as an associate professor in the Department of Animal Science and an SDSU Extension Beef Specialist based at SDSU West River Research and Extension in Rapid City. In his role, Olson conducted research and delivered educational outreach and programming for South Dakota’s livestock producers.

“I really like being closer to the industry,” Olson said. “My job is something new every day – you just never know what’s coming at you. It never gets boring.”

Sandy Smart, SDSU Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources Senior Program Leader and professor, praised Olson’s deep experience in research and education.

“His knowledge of rangelands and beef nutrition were a great asset to the team of researchers and SDSU Extension folks assembled at West River Research and Extension,” Smart said. “Ken’s training in range-beef nutrition was especially useful to help beef cow-calf producers with production questions on rangelands.”

Olson pointed to beefSD and the Range Beef Cow Symposium as flagship programs of his tenure. He helped launch beefSD in 2010, which has graduated nearly 180 people since it began. The two-year cohort program provides cattle producers with in-depth education, networking and on-location case studies of successful operations.

Olson especially loved working on complex, multidisciplinary research projects that brought together animal and range science experts. His recent research efforts have included how grazing affects feedlot weight gain for yearlings, and collaborative work with meat science specialists on how gestational nutrition affects meat quality.

“Dr. Olson’s success was driven by an exceptional ability to develop and collaborate with interdisciplinary teams, fostering impactful research and outreach efforts which is exemplified by his development of the beefSD program,” said John Jaeger, Calvin and Mary Hayenga Endowed Department Head of Animal Science at SDSU. “His thoughtful, personalized approach to addressing producers’ questions and mentoring the next generation of researchers and SDSU Extension professionals has created a legacy at SDSU.”

Olson is a longtime member of the Society for Range Management and the American Society of Animal Science, serving in various leadership roles over the years. In 2024, he received the F.O. Butler Award for Excellence in Extension/Outreach.

From the producers to the people who eat the products created by producers, Olson said serving the people of South Dakota was the most rewarding part of his job.

“I got into this because of the rangeland and the livestock. I learned that I was never doing it because of the cows, it was the people,” he said. “I think the future for ranching in South Dakota is quite bright. It’s been great helping people.”

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Ken Olson, at left, receives the F.O. Butler Award for Excellence in Extension/Outreach in February 2024 from South Dakota State University President Barry Dunn. (SDSU photo)

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BTI Feeds, Cut Bank MT A35

Bull Mountain Fencing, Yoder, Dan, Roundup MT C10

C & B Operations, LLC, Billings, Culbertson & Plentywood, MT, Sheridan, WY, Powell, WY A22, A23

C & R Trailer Sales, Kalispell, MT A6

Cascade Machine & Supply, Great Falls MT B16

Central Heating & Air Conditioning, Billings, MT A26

Central Montana Distributing, Great Falls MT A18

Centrol Crop Consulting LLC, Brady & Conrad MT A34

Churchill Equipment, Manhattan & Belgrade MT B17

Circle S Seeds of Montana, Three Forks MT C6

Clearview Seed, Denton MT C8

Cut Bank Tire, Cut Bank MT B22

Dakota Truck & Farm, Minot ND B10

David Steed Company, Idaho Falls, ID A3

DBL Sales & Service, Coffee Creek MT A24, A36

Doane Western of Montana, Bozeman MT C22

Double Diamond Truck & Equipment Sales, Missoula MT C36

Dry Fork Ag, Ledger MT B15

Equipment Share, Billings, MT A2

Express Feed & Grain Parts, Norfolk NE....B2

Fire Pro Extinguishers, Pavillion WY B14

First State Bank, Shelby, MT B6

Fisher Metal Products, Fort Benton, MT C38

Flaman Rentals, Power MT B24, C34

Fox Ford, Wolf Point MT C24

Fraser’s Oil Inc., Inverness MT A28

Frieling’s Agricultural Equipment, Great Falls MT A27, B19, C15, C40

Frontier Precision (formally Triangle Ag), Fort Benton MT A37

Frontline Ag Solutions Dillon, Dillon MT...A29

Frontline Ag Solutions, Multiple locations MT A30, A31

Glass Trucking, Denton MT C4

Golden Harvest Seeds, Big Sandy MT C16

Gordon Repair, LLC, Miles City MT....B20, C18

Great Plains, Dealers A17

Greenway Seeds, Caldwell ID C36

Greyn Fertilizer, Choteau, Dutton, Valier MT C9

Grossenburg Equipment, Multiple Locations SD, Multiple Locations NE, Sundance WY A18, C11

Hamilton Systems, Inc. Hamilton ND C8

Heartland Ag Systems - Titan Applications, ID, KS, MT, ND, NE, SD, WA C33

Hedman, Inc, Grass Range MT B3

Helfert’s Helena Farm Supply, East Helena MT B8

Henke Enterprises, SprayFlex & Big Dog

Mowers, Chester MT C2

Holst Truck Parts, Ucon, ID B15

Hotsy Wy-Mont, Great Falls & Billings MT C31

Hoven Equipment Co., Great Falls & Lewistown MT C20, C21

Hwy 12 Equipment & Repair, Baker MT....C18

J & T Equipment Sales, Stevensville MT....A12

J Bar T Bins & Steel Buildings, Chester MT C29

Jamieson Motors, Inc., Chinook MT A10, C12

Jim Nielsen Trucks & Parts, Butte MT A2

Johnsen Trailer Sales, Inc., Bismarck & Fargo ND A14

Johnson Distributing, Great Falls MT B1

JRW Marketplace, Cut Bank MT B16

Kois Brothers, Great Falls & Billings MT....B6

Krogmann Mfg. B18

Lakeland Feed & Supply, Dillon & Hamilton MT A26

Lattin & Sons, Power MT B24, C34

Laurel Trading Post, Laurel MT C7

Love Montana Beef, Sun River MT A2

M & M Auto, Trailers, & Welding, Stevensville

MT B10

M & W Machine, Three Forks MT B24

Mahindra, Beartooth Harley Davidson, Billings MT C20

Mahindra, Big Sky Harley, Great Falls MT C31

Marks Lumber, Clancy MT B20

Missouri River Realty, Glasgow, Malta, M....B9

Montana Ag Safety Program B18

Montana Airguns, Great Falls, MT A18

Montana Holster & Shoulder Rig, Great Falls MT B7

Montana Metal Fabrications, Great Falls MT C6

Montana Shed Center, Great Falls MT....C37

Mountain View Canvas, Fairfield MT C10

Mountain View Metalworks, Wilsall MT....B17

MQS, Montana Quality Structures, Stevensville MT A38

MT Tractors, Matt Pendergast, Stevensville MT B16

Muggli Bros, Inc., Miles City, MT A37

Musselshell Valley Equipment, Roundup MT A21, A40, B23

Neal Hay Sales, Augusta MT C32

New Homes of the Future, Billings MT....B20

North Star Equipment, Great Falls MT....B21

Northern Ford, Cut Bank MT C19

Northern Prairie Auto Sales, Wolf Point MT C22

Nuseed, Breckenridge, MN C39

Pedigree Truck & Trailer Sales, New Salem, ND C2

Pete’s Auto Sales, Great Falls MT C3

Platinum Auto Center, Big Timber MT B4

Precision Truck & Trailer, Havre MT A19

Price Truck & Equipment Sales, Missoula MT C38

Quality Custom Sheds, Moore MT B7

Quality Sales, Great Falls MT C33

R & L Seed & Machine LLC, Geyser MT....C18

R & M Exterminators, Cheney WA C17

RDO Equipment, Kalispell, MT C12

RDO Equipment, Missoula MT C12

Reddig Equipment & Repair, Kalispell MT A32

Redhead Equipment, Regina SK Canada A25

Reinke, RPH Irrigation Services, Choteau MT A30

Rockwell Scales, Simms MT B22

Rocky Mountain Radiator, Helena MT A20

Roger Rader, Inc, Sun River MT C36

Rowse Farm Equipment, Avon MT C32

RPH Irrigation Services, Reinke, Choteau MT A30

Safflower Technologies International, Fairview & Billings MT A14

Schweiss Hydraulic & BiFold Doors, Hector, MN B22

Severinsen Irrigation, Zimmatic & RMB Bins, Fairfield MT C1

Shortline Ag, Scobey MT B17

Signature Auto & Equipment, Spearfish & Belle Fourche SD A9

Smith Truck Service, Great Falls, MT B14

Snowy Mountain Motors, Lewistown MT A26

Sod Buster Sales, Polson MT A34, C38

SprayFlex, Henke Enterprises, Chester, MT C2

Steel Etc, Great Falls MT A11

Stokes Fencing, Conrad MT A12

Sullivan Brothers Construction, Conrad MT A24

Sunrise Hoppers, Bow Island AB Canada C24

T & S Sales, Spokane WA A16, C28

T & T Farm Supply, LLC, Chester MT C1

Taylor Farm Store, Shelby MT A35

Taylor Transportation, Great Falls, MT....C34

TCB Transport LLC, Geyser MT B14

Tiber Tractor Co., Chester MT C7

Tilleman Motor Company, Havre MT C17

Titan Applications - formerly Heartland Ag Systems, ID, KS, MT, ND, NE, SD, WA C33

Tom’s Shop, Grass Range MT B16

Torgerson’s LLC, Multiple Locations MT, Multiple Locations WY, Dreary ID A16, A33, B11, C37

Treasure State Seed, Fairfield MT B11

Treasure State Wood Boilers, LLC, Bigfork, MT B14

Tri-County Implement, Sidney MT B5

Tri-State Truck & Equipment, Belgrade, Billings, Great Falls MT, Casper WY, Rock Springs WY C13

Triple T Sales, Chinook MT A36, B13

TT&E Inc, Victor MT & Spearfish SD C4

Vantage, Frontier Precision, Fort Benton MT A37

Vaughn Truck, Havre MT C32

VW Mfg, Chester MT C5

Weaver Grain Bins, Power MT A20

Wichman Ag Supply LLC, Hilger MT C18

Williams Ag Services, Circle MT C6

XB Trailer Sales, Great Falls MT B7, C30

Yellowstone Tractor Co., Belgrade MT....C28

The recent wildfires that affected more than 110,000 acres in northwestern North Dakota have been mostly contained, but the aftermath of the wildfires bring soil erosion concerns. The most immediate consequence of fire on landscape productivity is the potential for soil erosion, say North Dakota State University Extension experts.

Wildfires significantly increase the risk of wind erosion and land degradation in crop and rangeland areas by destroying plant cover and the protective residue/litter layer. Vegetation, including crops and native grasses, helps anchor the soil and break the force of wind. Without plant cover, soil becomes loose and more susceptible to erosion. Additionally, plant roots stabilize the soil structure, while stems and leaves shield the surface from wind.

When a fire occurs, this natural protection is lost, leaving the soil vulnerable to erosion from wind, especially during the dry and windy conditions northwestern North Dakota is currently experiencing.

“Another common issue following wildfires is soil hydrophobicity,” says Carlos Pires, NDSU Extension soil health specialist. “In slow-moving fires, the combustion of plant material produces a gas that infiltrates the soil profile. As the soil cools, this gas condenses, forming a waxy coating causing the soil to repel water and reduce infiltration. However, this should not be a major problem for land managers in North Dakota, as most of the wildfires in the region can be characterized as rapid fires.”

“With the current conditions, controlling soil erosion is a great challenge when you consider the lack of soil moisture, strong winds, and low temperatures,” says Pires. “The number one erosion control technique is reseeding the severely burned areas with native grass (rangeland) or cover crops (cropland), however, this approach is impractical this time of the year.”

Potential options for reducing erosion on fire-affected lands include increasing surface cover through the application of manure or other residues, or increasing surface roughness to slow the wind velocity on the soil surface. Further, any opportunity to retain snow will be critical for reducing soil erosion.

“Land that was spared by the fires and retained surface cover will likely accumulate eroded soil from nearby burned fields,” says Brady Goettl, NDSU Extension soil scientist. “Some landowners have reported soil “dunes” as deep as 18 inches in stubble fields and ditches.”

While this accumulating soil will create field variability and concerns with soil water dynamics, the best approach will be to allow accumulated soil to remain undisturbed until spring. Any attempt to level the soil this fall will only increase erosion potential, share the Extension specialists.

“Due to the nature of these fires, the recommendations and emergency practices to mitigate erosion should be addressed on a case-by-case basis,” says Goettl.

Landowners experiencing severe soil erosion issues should contact their county NDSU Extension agent to receive information tailored to their situation. Find your local Extension office at ndsu.ag/countyoffice.

Government waste

High-tech bus stop

In 2013 Arlington County, Virginia, received funding to build a bus stop complete with Wi-Fi, heated benches and sidewalks, and “a wall made of etched glass that opens the rear vista to newly planted landscaping.” Too bad the slanted glass roof doesn’t do much to keep out rain and snow or provide shade in the summertime.

Cost to taxpayers: $1 million

Silly solar panels

A federal grant was used to install solar panels on the parking garage at the Manchester-Boston airport. One problem: The reflective panels were blinding the pilots, so 25 percent of the panels had to be removed. But the remaining panels, says officials, will generate “$2 million in savings over 25 years.”

Cost to taxpayers: $3.6 million

Unscientific study

Executives from various independent music labels received an all-expenses-paid trip to Brazil in 2013 “to compare the record stores, club districts, and facial expressions of locals at the mention of their bands.” While the execs reportedly enjoyed their trip, one of them said he “didn’t ink any deals.”

Cost to taxpayers: $284,300

NRCS Montana success stories

Last summer, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Montana went around the entire state to capture success stories between field office staff and landowners, producers, and partners. For two weeks, staff from the NRCS state office and a production crew went out to document the various successes with local field office staff, partners, and landowners. Ranging from forest thinning to wildlife habitat restoration, there are various programs and stories that were recorded.

Habitat for Diverse Wildlife: For over four decades, Steve and Rita (Cossitt) Mueller have been partners in both life and their shared love for ranching. While their current chapter unfolds in Powder River County of southeastern Montana, their ranch’s history stretches back to Rita’s grandfather, “Shorty” Daly, who homesteaded the land in 1911.

Caring for the Land, Cattle, and Community: In the quiet town of Stanford, Montana, grassy plains spread out to the surrounding mountains where Rick Caquelin has embraced full-time ranching post-retirement.

Realizing the Dream of Bear Creek Land and Cattle: In the heart of Montana, Robert and Dede Griffin are transforming their dream ranch just outside of Roy into a haven for both wildlife and community. Thanks to water system improvements and regenerative conservation practices supported by NRCS and other agencies, waterfowl and shoreline birds have also become more common on their property.

Preserving the Legacy with Forest Thinning: Situated in Treasure County, bordered just to the north by the Yellowstone River with beautiful rolling hills to the south, this cherished property serves as both a historical landmark and a cow/calf operation. Collaborating with NRCS, the Ickes family is working to improve their land through forest thinning and fuels reduction.

Sustainable Ranching on Sacred Land: For over three decades, the Kipps have been safeguarding this land, collaborating with the Blackfeet Nation and NRCS.

Protecting Rangelands in the Knowlton-Pine Hills: Staci Ketchum and Erik Peterson are just two of the landowners in Custer County working to reduce conifer encroachment into rangelands through a locally led Targeted Implementation Plan.

Collaborative Conservation: USDA NRCS and U.S. Forest Service Joint Chiefs’ Project Preserves Forested Lands: The Joint Chief’s Landscape Restoration Partnership between NRCS and Forest Service holds great significance for the conservation and restoration of forested lands in northwest Montana.

Restoring Montana’s Forestland: The Davaz Family’s Journey Towards Conservation: Dennis and Karen Davaz acquired property along Eldridge Creek near Livingston, Montana and are committed to restoring the land, which had been idle for over 45 years.

Protecting Nature: Jim Watson’s Commitment to Conservation on His Forested Property: Through the Joint Chiefs’ Project, Jim and Carol Watson have been working closely with NRCS and Forest Services to help with fuel mitigation on their property in the Salish mountains.

It’s raining amphibians!

Once in a great while, people are forced to seek cover from a storm that drops not just rain, but…live animals. It happened in England in the 1800s, when jelly fish fell from the clouds. In the 1930s, frogs followed suit. In 2010 a remote town in Australia experienced showers of hundreds of spangled perch two days in a row. The Kicker? The town was more than 200 miles from the nearest body of water. This phenomenon is truly a mystery. Some scientists theorize that massive evaporation, a strong draft, or a tornado picks up aquatic life along with water, blows it 70,000 feet high, and carries it many miles before the winds die down and the animals fall with the rain. However, this doesn’t explain the situation in which only a single species rains at once (like the perch in Australia), instead of a mixture of different animals. People in Honduras have a legend to explain this phenomena. Ever summer in Yoro, Honduras, fish rain down during thunderstorms. The Hondurans believe it’s an answered prayer. Long ago, a Catholic priest prayed for food for the starving natives. Supposedly, that’s when the fish rains began. Today, some of the fish fall into waterways and swim off. What do villagers do with the rest? Cook and eat them, of course. Waste not, want not.

Green City: Vancouver

Population: 630,000

How green is it? Often called the greenest city in Canada, Vancouver has more than 200 parks in a region that’s surrounded by spectacular beaches, forest, and mountains. The city leads the world in the production of hydropower, which supplies 90 percent of its electricity. And one of Vancouver’s most famous innovations is the use of solar-powered trashcompactor bins on public sidewalks: The bins can hold five times the amount of conventional trash cans, so they need to be emptied only once a week instead of every night, which saves on the need to use the city’s gas-powered fleet of garbage trucks.

Vancouver has also been adding new streetcar lines and bike lanes, and it has constructed nearly 250 miles of “greenways,” special corridors for pedestrians and cyclists that connect parks, nature reserves, historic sites, neighborhoods and shopping areas. And 40 percent of commuter and tourist day trips in Vancouver involve walking, biking, or using public transportation.

FARM EQUIPMENT FOR SALE

2012 John Deere 4940 sprayer,

combine, 2486 engine hours/ 1607 separator hours, new engine at 2216 hours with 40-ft. MacDon header

$175,000

2000 John Deere 9750 STS combine, 5051 engine hours/3765 separator hours, used engine at 4852 hours, 36-ft. header with pea auger, come with GPS and monitor. $37,000

1999 Flexi-Coil drills, 45-ft with 12” spacing, 230 bushel cart with new stainless steel meter boxes and in tank cameras. $20,000 1995 Wilson spray tender, 6400 gallon storage with Chemhandler, 3” piping, chemical pump. Comes with 2nd unused chemical pump and unused 2” pump. $25,000 Parker 739 grain cart with hydraulic or PTO drive, 750 bushels, tarp, stored inside. $19,000

Recipe Patch By Geri

Velveeta Fudge

8 ounces Velveeta, cubed 3/4 cup butter

6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped 2 pounds (8 cups) confectioners’ sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-1/2 cups chopped pecans

Line a 13x9-in. baking dish with waxed paper. Place velveeta, butter and chocolate in a large microwavesafe bowl. Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until melted. Slowly add confectioners’ sugar to the chocolate mixture while beating on medium-low speed until incorporated, 2-3 minutes. Beat in vanilla extract. Fold in pecans. Transfer fudge mixture to prepared baking dish; smooth into an even layer. Cover; refrigerate at least 4 hours. Cut into 1-inch squares.

Peanut Butter Chocolate

Candy Crunch

1/2 cup white baking chips

1/2 cup chunky peanut butter

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1-1/2 cups dark chocolate chips, divided

1/2 cup coarsely chopped dry roasted peanuts, divided Line an 11x7-in. baking sheet with parchment paper, letting ends extend up the sides. In a microwave, melt white baking chips and peanut butter; stir until smooth. Stir in graham cracker crumbs. Spread over parchment. In a microwave, melt 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips until smooth; spread over peanut butter layer. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup peanuts. Refrigerate until firm, about 10 minutes. Using parchment, lift candy out of pan. Flip rectangle over; remove parchment. In a microwave, melt remaining 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips until smooth; spread over peanut butter layer. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup peanuts. Refrigerate until firm, about 10 minutes. Cut into 1-in. squares. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Eggnog Truffles

16 ounces white baking chocolate, chopped, divided 4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon rum extract

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

In a microwave, melt 8 oz. chocolate; stir until smooth. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, extract and nutmeg until blended and smooth. Beat in melted chocolate. Cover and refrigerate until firm enough to shape, about 4 hours. Shape chocolate mixture into 1-in. balls; place on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate until firm enough to dip, about 1 hour. In a microwave, melt remaining chocolate, stir until smooth. Dip truffles in chocolate; allow excess to drip off. Place back on waxed paper-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with additional nutmeg. Refrigerate until set. Store between layers of waxed paper in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Crunch Candy

1 teaspoon butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2/3 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup water

3 tablespoons butter, cubed

2 cups Rice Krispies

1 cup salted cashews

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Line a 15x10x1-in. baking pan with foil. Grease foil with 1 teaspoon butter. In a large heavy saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup and water; bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook and stir over medium heat until a candy thermometer reads 240° (soft-ball stage). Stir in butter; cook without stirring until mixture reaches 300° (hard-crack stage), brushing down sides of pan with a pastry brush dipped in water as needed. Remove from heat. Stir in cereal, cashews, baking soda and vanilla. Quickly pour into prepared pan. Using a buttered metal spatula, spread mixture to 1/4-in. thickness. Cool completely; break into pieces.

Recipe Patch by Geri

Potato Candy

1 medium potato, peeled and cubed

5 to 5-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Place potato in a small saucepan; add water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook, uncovered, until tender, 10-12 minutes. Drain. Transfer to a large bowl. Using a stand mixer, beat potato until smooth. Leave only 1/2 cup in bowl (save remaining for another use). Beat in 4 cups sugar until smooth. Gradually add enough remaining sugar until dough forms a ball.

Divide dough in half. On a surface dusted with confectioners’ sugar, roll half the dough into a 10x7-in. rectangle. Spread 1/4 cup peanut butter to within 1/2 in. of edges. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long end. Cover and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour. Repeat with remaining dough and peanut butter. Cut into 1/4-in. slices. Store in the refrigerator.

Candy Strawberries

1 cup ground pecans

1 cup flaked coconut

2 (3 ounce) packages strawberry flavored Jell-O®

¾ cup sweetened condensed milk

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 (2.25 ounce) jar red decorator sugar

¼ cup sliced almonds

5 drops green food coloring

Place pecans, coconut, and gelatin in a large bowl. Stir in condensed milk and vanilla; mix well to combine. Cover and chill for one hour. Shape mixture into “strawberries” and roll in red sugar. Tint sliced almonds with green food coloring and insert on the top of the “strawberries” to form leaves.

Peppermint Brittle

2 pounds white chocolate

30 small peppermint candy canes

Line a large jellyroll pan with heavy-duty foil. Place white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave on medium power, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth, 5 to 6 minutes. Place candy canes in a plastic bag or between 2 pieces of waxed paper. Using a mallet or rolling pin, break candy canes into small pieces. Stir candy pieces into melted white chocolate. Spread white chocolate mixture evenly in the prepared pan. Chill until set, about 1 hour. Break into pieces by slamming the pan on the counter.

Candy Cane Fudge

nonstick cooking spray

2 (10 ounce) packages vanilla baking chips

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 ½ cups crushed candy canes

½ teaspoon peppermint extract

1 dash red or green food coloring

Line an 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil; spray with nonstick spray and set aside. Combine vanilla chips and sweetened condensed milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently until chips are almost melted; remove from heat and continue to stir until smooth. Stir in candy canes, peppermint extract, and food coloring. Spread evenly in the bottom of the prepared pan. Chill for 2 hours, then cut into squares.

Angel Food

Christmas Candy

1 cup sugar

1 cup dark corn syrup

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 tablespoon baking soda

1 pound milk chocolate candy coating, melted

Butter a 13x-9-in. metal baking pan; set aside. In a heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup and vinegar. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, just until sugar dissolves. Cook without stirring until the temperature reaches 300° (hard-crack stage) on a candy thermometer. Do not overcook. Remove from the heat and quickly stir in baking soda. Pour into prepared pan. Do not spread candy; mixture will not fill pan. When mixture is cool, break into bite-sized pieces. Dip into melted chocolate; place on waxed paper until the chocolate is firm. Store candy in an airtight container.

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The average-sized candy cane (5 inches) weighs roughly half an ounce and only has 50 calories.

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“Tinsel” gets its name from the old French word estincelle, which means “Spark”?

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What popular Christmas song was actually written for Thanksgiving?

Answer: “Jingle Bells”

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UTILITY VEHICLES

K9 2200 side by side, single row 4x4, steel dump box, bed liner, heavy duty tires.1 In Stock

Front Dozer Blade with manual adjust. Fits various models $2500

2 Oliver/White loader fits 1650/1655 $1250

Wagner loader for Ford 8N, 9N, and NAA. With front pump & mounts $1500

Kioti ZXR54 mower with Briggs & Stratton engine $6000

John Deere 6600 combine, gas, pickup header $2000

Massey-Ferguson 510 combine, Perkins diesel $3250

John Deere 420 tractor, runs great. $2995

Ford Major tractor. $1250

New Holland 855 round baler. $3850

Massey-Ferguson 1839 square baler, well kept. $12,500

Massey-Ferguson 1839 square baler. $8500

New Holland 1033 balewagon CALL New Holland 1032 bale wagon. $6000

Finetuning fertilizers for better crop yields

From Canadian Light Source

Worldwide, many agricultural soils are deficient in the nutrient zinc – despite the fact that farmers use fertilizers enriched with the element. This limits crop yields and reduces food quality. It’s estimated that roughly a third of the global population consume foods low in zinc, which can increase sickness and death in early childhood, as well as impaired growth and cognition.

Using the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at the University of Saskatchewan (USask), researchers from the University of Adelaide in Australia investigated how to manufacture more efficient zinc-enriched fertilizers. The HXMA beamline at CLS enabled the researchers to examine at the molecular level what happens to the water solubility of zinc (its ability to dissolve in water) when it’s added to ammonium phosphate fertilizer.

“Going in to the project, our group thought the type of zinc compound would be a good predictor of a fertilizer’s solubility” says Rodrigo da Silva, from the University of Adelaide. “However, the CLS beamline enabled us to understand that the agronomic performance cannot be predicted based on what form of zinc is present in the fertilizer granules. Instead, the pH drives the fertilizer zinc solubility and availability to the crops.”

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Kioti CS2210H tractor with SL2410 loader and SB410 backhoe 1 in stock

Kioti CX2510H tractor with KL2510 loader, 25 hp., 4WD, PTO, Cat I three point. 1 in stock

Dr. da Silva and colleagues found that when zinc is added to phosphate fertilizer, it forms a range of different zinc phosphate compounds. However, its solubility was not related to the relative abundance of these compounds, but to fertilizer pH. This means that zinc added to more alkaline phosphate fertilizers such as diammonium phosphate will have very low solubility and hence low agronomic effectiveness for crop uptake.

The University of Adelaide team found that lowering fertilizer pH by spraying the granules with an acid solution further increases the solubility and availability of zinc compared to current commercial products. The researchers also showed an additional method to increase Zn water solubility by putting a barrier coating on fertilizer granules, to separate the zinc from the phosphate. They showed that there was more uptake of zinc by plants treated with the barrier-coating fertilizer.

The Mosaic Company, which funded this research, has already patented both of these new technologies in conjunction with the University of Adelaide’s Fertilizer Technology Research Centre. Mosaic is the world’s leading producer of concentrated phosphate and potash. The findings are published in the Soil Science Society of America Journal.

“It is crucial to improve zinc fertilization practices, to maximize yields and produce more nutritional food,” says da Silva. “This research can help the industry produce more efficient fertilizers.”

What a shocker

Shenandoah National Park ranger Roy Sullivan claims he was struck by lightning an unbelievable seven times between 1942 and 1977!

Strike #1 (1942): While on duty in one of Shenandoah’s fire lookout towers, Sullivan took his first hit. The lightning bolt hit his leg, and he lost a big toenail.

Strike #2 (1969): This time, he was driving on a country road. The lightning hit his truck, knocked him out, and singed off his eyebrows.

Strike #3 (1970): People started calling Sullivan the “human lightning rod” after the third strike, which injured his shoulder.

Strike #4 (1972): He took this hit while on duty at one of Shenandoah’s ranger stations. The lightning set his hair on fire, so Sullivan started carrying a bucket of water around with him–just in case he needed to put out a blaze.

Strike #5 (1973): This one also set his hair on fire (thank goodness for that water bucket!) And it knocked him out of his car and blew off one of his shoes.

Strike #6 (1974): Lightning hit Sullivan at a park campground, and he hurt his ankle.

Strike #7 (1977): This might have been his most dangerous strike. The lightning hit him while he was fishing and burned his stomach and chest, requiring a hospital stay (He recovered.)

HONORABLE MENTION: Sullivan’s wife was also hit by lightning once while she and Roy were hanging up clothes on a line in their backyard.

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Salt of the earth

It’s acceptable to consume about 5,000 mg of salt a day. If you eat more than ¼ cup at once, you’ll die.

Salt is made of two elements–sodium and chlorine–which, if put in your mouth by themselves, will either blow up (sodium) or poison you (chlorine). But merged into a compound–sodium chloride–they change into an essential of life. The salt taste come from the chlorine–which is also vital for making hydrochloric acid, which is also vital for making hydrochloric acid which digests food in our stomach.

Scientists once thought the oceans were salty because rivers constantly washed salt out of soil and carried it to sea. But then they found pools of sea water trapped in underground sediments millions of years ago that show the ocean has always been about as salty as it is now.

There’s enough salt in the oceans to cover the world 14 inches deep.

Salt is the only mineral that can be mined by turning it into a liquid (by pumping water in). Then they pump out the brine and turn it back into a solid by evaporation.

Salt is hygroscopic, which means it absorbs water. That’s why you can’t drink seawater; it will dehydrate you.

Salt is one of the five things the tongue can taste (the others are sweet, sour, bitter, and umami, or savory).

Sweet and bitter are inborn, while umami and salty are acquired tastes.

The hypothalamus at the base of the brain measures sodium and potassium in body fluids. When they get too high (from either not drinking enough water or eating too much salt), it triggers the sensation of thirst.

When salt is made by vigorous boiling, it forms cubic crystals, but when it’s naturally dried, it makes pyramidshaped crystals. The pyramid-shaped crystals are particularly sought after for kosher use and in fine cooking.

It takes four gallons of seawater to make a pound of salt.

For centuries, salt was served in a bowl, not a shaker. It couldn’t be shaken, since it absorbs water and sticks together. The Morton Salt Co. changed that in 1910 by covering every grain with chemicals that keep water out–thus its famous slogan, “When it rains, it pours.”

You probably already knew that the idea of Santa Claus came from St. Nicholas, but the real saint wasn’t a bearded man who wore a red suit. That all came much later. According to legend, the fourth-century Christian bishop gave away his abundant inheritance to help the needy and rescued women from servitude. His name was Sinter Klaas in Dutch, which later morphed into Santa Claus. The rest of the trappings followed

#####

When gold was dropped down the chimney of the home of three poor sisters, it created what Christmas tradition?

Answer: Stockings by the fireplace! (The gold was dropped down to help the sisters fulfill their dowry.)

#####

The Holy Spirt expects spiritual fruit, not religious nuts.

Running cattle through the chute and applying a parasiticide doesn’t guarantee effective deworming. There is more to controlling parasites than meets the eye, especially when it comes to selecting a pour-on dewormer.

“A large misconception is that all pour-ons are the same,” said David Shirbroun, DVM, Boehringer Ingelheim. “They’re definitely not, and for a variety of reasons.”

Choosing the right products and using them effectively can make the difference in herd health, animal productivity, parasite resistance and your bottom line.

Choosing the right product

“I always encourage producers to choose a product with proven stability in the field,” stated Dr. Shirbroun. “Finding a product with research and data to show the effectiveness is another good characteristic.”

Taking time to research products and see what they have to offer can pay off. Dr. Shirbroun says the following characteristics are important to check on pour-on labels:

Ensure the pour-on is proven against a broad spectrum of parasite species and stages. The parasites you want to target need to be listed on the label.

Look for a satisfaction guarantee. Companies that offer a product satisfaction guarantee trust their product and offer that same confidence to customers

“Veterinarians are always aware of what kind of challenges might be in your region as far as the certain types of parasites there,” said Dr. Shirbroun. “Talking with them before a product purchase can help make sure it’s a good investment. The quality of pour-on products varies.”

Branded vs. generic pour-ons

When it comes to pour-on dewormers, Dr. Shirbroun says you get what you pay for. “The companies that made pioneer products invested in studies and data collection in order to prove the efficacy of their particular drug,” he explained. “To this day, there is a lot of data that stands behind those branded products.”

When patents on branded products timed out, generics naturally entered the scene. Although they are said to be bioequivalent, generics do not have to undergo the same efficacy studies as branded, pioneer products during the approval process.

“One of the biggest differences between pioneer products and generics is the larger team standing behind the product,” shared Dr. Shirbroun. “Some branded products have many salespeople and professional services veterinarians who are readily available to stand behind their product.”

Get the most out of your pour-on with correct application and label adherence

“Pour-ons need to be applied from the withers clear to the tailhead in a thin line along the midline of the back,” said Dr. Shirbroun. Selecting a pour-on with a quality applicator that releases product in a controlled stream will make proper application easier.

CONTINUED ON PAGE B11

Vanishing lakes mystery

In 2015 oceanographers from MIT announced that they had solved a decades-old mystery: How did the large lakes that form during the summer on top of Greenland’s ice sheets vanish in less than 24 hours? And where did the water go?

The appearance of summertime lakes, known as supraglacial or meltwater lakes, has increased in recent years, as has their size. Thousands of them, some covering up to a few square miles, show up each summer. And many of them do the baffling disappearing act. Where could so much water go so quickly?

The answer came when oceanographers placed seismic instruments around Greenland’s North Lake in 2011, 2012, and 2013…and waited. The lake covered 2.2 square miles and was as deep as 40 feet in some places, giving it in the neighborhood of 11.6 billion gallons of water. The team was able to record 90% of the lake’s water disappearing in 90 minutes. It had drained through massive cracks that the weight of the water had made in the ice. That explanation had been considered before, but such cracks would have to reach the bottom of the ice sheet to allow all the water to disappear, and that had been deemed impossible. It wasn’t. The cracks opened up to a depth of more than 3,200 feet–all the way to where the glacier sits on bedrock and slowly makes its way to the ocean. That allowed the millions of tons of water to drain almost at once–with more force than Niagara Falls–to the bedrock underneath the ice, which actually caused a huge section of the ice to rise some 20 feet as the water surged beneath it.

Mis-dosing animals can be a challenge producers are unaware of. “Many people think their animals are lighter than they actually are,” shared Dr. Shirbroun. “If we can weigh our animals, we know we’re more likely to dose them appropriately.”

Dr. Shirbroun added that improper product application and underdosing issues can open the door to parasite resistance. Taking the extra time to ensure a pour-on is spread across the topline and dosed correctly for each animal will lower the risk of resistance and maintain the efficacy of dewormers.

Diagnostics test program efficacy

A fecal egg count reduction test (FECRT) is one of the best tools available to check the efficacy of a deworming program, whether the product is oral, pour-on or injectable.

The test involves two manure samples from the same animal, one before treatment and one after. Each product will have a different wait time between treatment application and timing of when the second sample should be taken. FECRT tests should be run by reputable laboratories, and working with your herd veterinarian is a great way to ensure this. They will know the ins and outs of the test, and can provide guidance on where to send the samples for analysis.

“When we compare the first test to the second test, post treatment, we want to have 95% efficacy,” said Dr. Shirbroun. “If we aren’t meeting that standard, it might be a good time to review protocol, or even look at switching to a different product.”

Reviewing deworming protocols with your veterinarian at least once a year is an essential step in maintaining herd health and productivity.

“If we can deworm cattle appropriately, it is one of the best returns on investment we can offer our animals,” concluded Dr. Shirbroun. “Because there are so many pour-on options out there, working with your veterinarian and doing research will help find which product will perform the best for your herd.”

FAQ for fire damage to unharvested crops and harvested ground

By Ben Beckman - Extension Educator | Alfredo DiCostanzo

|

Nate Dorsey - Senior Curriculum Lead, Nutrien Ag Solutions

| Mary

Drewnoski

- Beef

Systems Specialist

| Leslie Johnson - Animal Manure Management Extension Educator | Mitiku Mamo - Former Extension Crops and Water Educator | Jeremy Milander - Former Water and Crops Extension Educator | Nathan Mueller - Former Extension Educator | Jenny Rees - Extension Educator | Gary Stone - Extension Educator | Amy Timmerman - Extension Educator, UNL

Fires have been widespread in Nebraska this harvest season. We’ve received questions on what to do when both unharvested and harvested fields have been burned. Additional information on crop residue impacts from wildfire can be seen in this article, Fire Damage and Crop Residue Impacts (https:// cropwatch.unl/2022/fire-damage-and-cropresidue-impacts), and range/pasture damage and stocking rates were shared in this article, FAQ for Wildfire Damage to Crops and Range/Pastureland (https://cropwatch. unl.edu/2022/faq-wildlife-damage-cropsand-rangepastyreland) Make sure to contact your insurance company.

Q: What to do with unharvested corn?

A: Fire damage to unharvested fields can leave stalks remaining with a combination of ears attached to them and on the ground. One could take a sample of corn ears from across the pivot and send them in for feed analysis and also grain analysis. Ultimately, our recommendation is to harvest the corn like you normally would. Your local grain elevator may have insight into whether they would accept grain from an affected field and how this could affect quality or pricing. Depending on grain analysis, one could take the grain to the elevator or mix with other grain in a ration for feeding. Cattle have been fed burnt corn grain before. The biggest concern would the loss in protein availability, depending on the extent of kernel damage. A fast fire may not have had enough time to burn through the starch and into the germ. That appears to be the case from the pictures we see. A measure of acid detergent insoluble crude protein would confirm how available crude protein is.=

Q: What to do with corn ears on the ground? How to safely graze this?

A: One thought was to harvest what they could and disk the field. Then consider getting the ground covered with rye or wheat.

For those who would like to graze, Dr. Mary Drewnoski, beef systems specialist, shares the following recommendations:

Fire-damaged grain, if not completely destroyed, will have an appearance ranging from a slight brownish tint to black. This grain can be salvaged and fed to cattle. Common methods used by commercial labs for evaluation of energy content such as NIR analysis will not provide an accurate estimate of the energy availability from heat-damaged corn. However, color can be used as a crude indicator of the relative energy available for cattle. Based on research conducted at Iowa State, the amount of starch from brown and black corn that was digested in the rumen was about 30% less than normal corn. However, this corn would still have a significant amount of energy and can be used as an energy source.

The corn in burnt fields can be gleaned through grazing. However, cattle will need to be adapted to corn — similar to working

cattle onto a finishing diet before turnout — or have limited access to avoid acidosis. Strip grazing is one method. Due to the fire removing the residue in the field, cattle will need to have a roughage source, such as hay, provided when grazing.

Grazing weaned calves on burnt corn fields could be a great way to use this feed resource. It is recommended to have them used to consuming at least 5 lbs of corn before turnout. In addition to a roughage source, these calves will need supplemental protein to make use of the best energy in the corn. Alfalfa hay could be used as a source of protein and roughage. Another option would be to provide free-choice grass hay plus 2 lbs of dried distillers.

Cull cows would be the next best option, as the corn can be used to put on extra weight and increase their value. Before turnout, producers should start feeding grain and work them up to at least seven to 10 lbs/hd of grain over a week to 10 days. If you don’t want to feed corn before turnout, then strip grazing can be used to adapt the cows to consuming corn. This Excel tool can be used to determine how much area to allocate.

Q: How will the fire impact my soil?

A: Please see the following article from Dr. Clain Jones from Montana State University on fire impacts to soil. (https:// landresources.montana.edu/soilfertility/ documents/PDF/sscoop/FireDroughtSS. pdf) The picture below of Table 2 from his article shows the N, P, K, and S in the top six inches of soil compared to nutrient removal in the grain or from stover that’s harvested or burned. In short, he shares that a small amount of nitrogen and sulfur are lost to the atmosphere, but increased nitrogen and other nutrients are made available due to quick mineralization from the fire. Additional nitrogen may be available next spring due to the combination of fire and drought conditions experienced. Microbes at the soil surface will be killed but will recolonize quickly deeper in the soil. We’d recommend taking a soil test including macro and micronutrients to determine nutrient availability. It may be wiser to do that next spring to see what’s available closer to the planting season as soil erosion from wind will most likely be a problem.

Ash may clog soil pores and wind erosion can cause a “sealing” of the soil surface, which reduces water infiltration from rain/ irrigation. Drilling a small grain may help in disturbing the ash. Conducting a soil infiltration test may also be of benefit to know how one’s soil is impacted.

Q: How can soil be protected from erosion in burned fields?

A: We realize we’re in the middle of a drought. We still recommend trying to get winter small grains (winter wheat, triticale

Clain Johnes “Soil Scoop”.

CONTINUED FROM

or cereal rye) planted as a cover crop in these fields. Rye will germinate at soil temperatures of 34°F, while winter wheat germinates at 39°F. Later than ideal, winter small grains can still be planted until the soil freezes, usually sometime in December. They likely won’t provide any cover this late fall and winter but will emerge in the spring to provide muchneeded protection from erosion (wind and water).

Seeding depths of 1.0 to 2.0 inches and seeding rates of at least 50 pounds per acre are recommended. However, higher seeding rates (80-100 lbs/ac) could be warranted to provide quicker cover and biomass in the spring. Fungicide/ insecticide seed treatments are usually not necessary when seeded as a cover crop.

If you haven’t seeded cover crops before or want to learn more, Nebraska Extension and the Midwest Cover Crop Council has “getting started on cover crop guidelines” after soybean and corn.

Spreading manure — especially manure with any bedding in it — can also be beneficial if one has availability to this at a large scale.

Snowboarding science

By the 1980s snowboarders were “shredding” the slopes (sliding downhill with their feet strapped to a board); they’d adapted the skills of skateboarding to snow. Like skateboarders, they rode wither regular (with their left foot in front) or goofy foot (with their right foot in front). They even adapted the half-pipe, picking up enough momentum in a high curving trench packed with snow so they could slide up over the top of the lip and catch some awesome–but cold–air.

Snowboarders also take advantage of the forces of friction, gravity, acceleration, and momentum. A board speeds downhill pulled, of course, by gravity, but it also melts the snow as it goes, so that it actually zips along on a film of water.

Like all other types of board riders, snowboarders position their critical mass and exploit the board’s rotational motion to stay balanced. One side of the board will have more contact with the snow than the other. A rider keeps his center of gravity over whichever edge of the board is in contact with the snow (the riding edge). To end a ride, a snowboarder turns uphill so that the force of friction and the force of gravity drag on the momentum and slow the board to a stop.

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Projects that strengthen food supply chain infrastructure awarded millions

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announced it has partnered with Montana to award $3.1 million for eight projects through the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program (RFSI) to build resilience across the middle of the supply chain and strengthen local and regional food systems.

“Projects funded through the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure program are building strength and resilience in Montana’s food system, diversifying agricultural markets, creating new revenue streams for small and mid-sized producers, and providing economic opportunities for local communities,” said USDA Marketing and Regulatory Programs Under Secretary Jenny Lester Moffitt. “USDA is grateful for Montana’s support strengthening local and regional agricultural supply chains.”

Through this program, the Montana Department of Agriculture will fund eight projects, including five Infrastructure Grants and three Equipment Grants to support middle of the supply chain infrastructure.

Examples of Funded Projects:

Central Montana Food Hub in Harlowton, Mont., is receiving an infrastructure grant to build a state-of-the-art warehouse and processing facility. This project will address critical gaps in the middle of the supply chain in Central Montana, enhancing the capacity and efficiency of agricultural producers, processors, and distributors in the region.

Western Montana Growers Cooperative in Missoula, Mont., is using RFSI funding

to modify an existing facility to expand cold storage, improve transportation capacity, and enhance worker safety.

Yellowstone Valley Food Hub in Billings, Mont., is receiving funding to enhance aggregation, storage, and distribution capacity of local food products and establish valueadded processing at an existing facility to expand retail and wholesale markets within the Yellowstone Valley.

“Montana’s producers are the backbone of our economy,” said Montana Department of Agriculture Director Christy Clark.

“Through this program, we will be able to invest in our small and mid-sized producers so they can keep more of what they earn, bolster our state’s food system resiliency, and keep rural dollars in our rural communities.”

This awarded funding is part of the $420 million available through the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure grant program to build capacity within the middle of the supply chain and support local and regional producers. It is funded by President Biden’s American Rescue Plan. Through this program, AMS has entered into cooperative agreements with state agencies, commissions, or departments responsible for agriculture, commercial food processing, seafood, or food system and distribution activities or commerce activities in states or U.S. territories.

For more information, visit the AMS Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure webpage. The status of each state and territory’s RFSI program is available on the program’s State Grant Webpage.

Mythunderstandings

Morse Code

Myth: The dot-dash code for telegraphs is named after the code’s creator, Samuel Morse.

The truth: The code is named after Morse– actually, he named it after himself. But many historians think his collaborator, Alfred Vail, actually created it. Morse’s original notes from 1832 suggest that he was planning a code that assigned each word in the dictionary a number. But six years later, someone came up with an alphabet code, using dots and dashes to signify letters. An apprentice, William Baxter, said it was Vail’s innovation. But Morse insisted he’d done it, and history books simply take his word for it.

#####

More than 80 percent of Americans buy artificial Christmas trees, according to the American Christmas Tree Association.

Random origin

Cell phones AT&T first tested mobile phones for use in Swedish police cars in 1946. To develop the technology in the United States, they needed approval from the FCC–which controls the radio waves. The FCC didn’t think, mobile phones would work and repeatedly turned down AT&T…until 1968, when AT&T unveiled its plan: offer phone service via many low-powered broadcast towers, each covering a “cell” of a few miles. As the car phone user traveled, calls passed from tower to tower uninterrupted. Meanwhile, rival Motorola had secretly developed their own mobile phone, only theirs was a handheld model. (AT&T had concentrated on car phones.) In 1973 one of Motorola’s engineers, Dr. Martin Cooper, used a prototype to make the first cell phone call–to AT&T, to gloat. But AT&T was the first to get FCC approval and had a trial cellular network set up in Chicago by 1978. The FCC authorized nationwide commercial cellular service in 1982 and just five years later there were over one million cell phone users in the United States.

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USDA Rural Development invests over $600,000 in renewable energy

USDA Rural Development has announced investments of more than $600,000 in clean energy projects across Montana, aimed at reducing operational costs and supporting energy efficiency for farms and rural small businesses. These investments are part of the Administration’s commitment to addressing climate change and promoting economic development in rural areas through the Inflation Reduction Act.

Nationwide, USDA is investing more than $256 million in loans and grants to support over 1,100 renewable energy projects in 40 states through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). In Montana, 15 recipients are receiving a combined $600,101 in cost-sharing to install solar arrays, energy-efficient heating systems, and other improvements that will help reduce energy consumption and lower costs.

“These projects are just one example of how the Biden-Harris Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act is providing muchneeded resources to rural communities,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “By investing in clean energy solutions, we’re helping farmers, ranchers, and small business owners reduce their energy costs and take meaningful steps to address climate change. This is about building a stronger, more sustainable future for rural America.”

“Thanks to historic funding from the Inflation Reduction Act, USDA Rural Development is helping Montana farmers and small business owners reduce their energy costs and improve their operations,” said Kathleen Williams, USDA Rural Development state director for Montana. “These projects are not only good for our climate future, but they also create jobs and strengthen the economic vitality of our rural communities.”

The REAP program provides grants and loan guarantees to agricultural producers and rural small businesses to purchase and install renewable energy systems and make energy efficiency improvements. Most of the projects announced today are funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, which represents the largest federal investment in clean energy and climate action in U.S. history.

Montana Projects Funded by REAP:

solar array with battery storage for K&T Cabinets LLC, a custom cabinet manufacturing business, in Polson, Montana. This project is expected to save $2,776.36 per year. It will replace 24,783 kilowatt hours (kWh) per year, which is enough energy to power two homes.

Legacy Bike Park LLC, $34,705, This Rural Development investment will be used to purchase and install a 10.08 kilowatt (kW) solar array with battery storage for Legacy Bike Park LLC, a bike park company, in Lakeside, Montana. This project is expected to save $2,352.00 per year. It will replace 8,088 kilowatt hours (kWh) per year.

Pioneer Meats Inc., $62,682, This Rural Development investment will be used to purchase and install a 58.5 kW solar photovoltaic system for Pioneer Meats Inc., a meat processing facility, located in Big Timber, Montana. The project is expected to save $38,689 in annual energy costs. This will generate 88,346 kilowatts (kW) in energy savings or enough electricity to power eight homes.

Slicks Auto LLC., $12,691, This Rural Development investment will be used to purchase and install a 12.6 kilowatts (kW) solar photovoltaic system for Slicks Auto LLC, an automotive repair business, located in Belgrade, Montana. The project is expected to save $1,862 in annual energy costs. This will generate 17,830 kilowatts (kW) in energy savings or enough electricity to power two homes.

Helena Montana Associates LLC., $39,000, This Rural Development investment will be used to purchase and install a 42 kilowatts (kW) solar photovoltaic system for Callaghan Properties LLC, dba Copper City Strength & Conditioning, a gymnasium located in Butte, Montana. The project is expected to save $3,143 in annual energy costs. This will generate 47,101 kilowatts (kW) in energy savings or enough electricity to power four homes.

CM Property Management LLC, $31,000, This Rural Development investment will be used to help purchase and install a 20.0 kilowatt (kW) solar array for CM Property Management LLC in Hot Springs, Montana, to reduce business operational expenses. This project is expected to save $4,909 per year. It will replace 25,818 kilowatt hours (kWh) per year, which is enough energy to power two homes.

Butte Elks Partnership LLC, $89,626, This Rural Development investment will be used to purchase and install an energy efficient boiler and make heating system upgrades for Butte Elks Partnership LLC, located in Butte, Montana. The project is expected to save $3,710 in annual energy costs. This will generate a savings of 20.34 percent.

J Bar L. Ranches LLC, $99,096, This Rural Development investment will be used to purchase and install a 31.92 kilowatt (kW) solar photovoltaic system with backup for J Bar L Ranches LLC, located in Melville, Montana (location of the sites is in Lima, Montana). The project is expected to save $3,143 in annual energy costs. This will generate 40,800 kilowatts (kW) in energy savings or enough electricity to power four homes.

Jordan Homestead LLC, $39,812, This Rural Development investment will help purchase and install a 20.16 kW solar array for Jordan Homestead LLC, an agricultural producer in Ronan, Montana. This project is expected to save $2,201.73 per year. It will replace 27,115 kilowatt hours (kWh) per year, which is enough energy to power two homes.

Lower Valley Processing Inc, $26,255, This Rural Development investment will be used to purchase and install refrigerator and freezer component replacements for Lower Valley Processing Inc., a meat processing company, in Kalispell, Montana. This project is expected to save $3,066.00 per year. It will save 94,200 kilowatt hours (kWh) per year, which is enough energy to power nine homes.

K & T Cabinets LLC, $39,066, This Rural Development investment will be used to purchase and install a 22.68 kilowatts (kW)

Ralph Kaye Miller, $149,750, This Rural Development investment will be used to purchase and install a 73.72 kW Ground Mount Solar and Solar Pumping system for Ralph Miller, a Cattle and Horse Ranch, located in White Sulphur Springs, Montana. The project is expected to save $35,235 in annual energy costs and generate 96,152 kWh, enough energy to power nine homes.

Laramie J. Olson, $26,381, This Rural Development investment will be used to help Laramie J. Olson, a sole proprietor rural agriculture producer in Grass Range, Fergus County, Montana purchase and install costs of a 24.25 kW solar PV array. The system will replace 100 percent of the CONTINUED ON PAGE B19

energy used by the business, saving the applicant $2,893 annually. The energy replaced will be enough to power one residence.

Lewis Heating and A/C LLC, $98,382, This Rural Development investment will be used to help Shaylee and Thomas Lewis, owners of Lewis Heating and A/C LLC, purchase and install insulation for their business building in Havre, Montana. The energy efficiency improvement will save the business $1,190 annually. The energy saved is enough to power two homes.

JWK Enterprises LLC, $20,008, This Rural Development investment will be used to help JWK Enterprises LLC, a beef cattle operation in Bridger, Montana, install a new 16.4 kW solar photovoltaic (PV) system. This project is expected to save $2,527 per year. It will replace 18,055 kilowatt hours (kWh) (100 percent of the company’s energy use) per year.

Excellence Unlimited LLC, $48,033, This Rural Development investment will be used to help Excellence Unlimited, a seamless gutter and siding operation in Laurel, Montana, install a 13.65 kW solar photovoltaic system. This project is expected to save $1,632.90 per year. It will replace 15,669 kilowatt hours (kWh) (26 percent of the company’s energy use) per year.

Absurd Inventions

Invention: Automatic-Response Nuclear Deterrent System

What it does: A relic from the cold War era, this idea was patented by British inventor Arthyur Paul Pedrick in 1974. He claimed it would deter the United States, the USSR, and China from every starting a nuclear war. How? Put three nuclear warheads on three orbiting satellites. If sensors on the satellites detected that nuclear missiles had been launched, they would automatically drop bombs: one each on Washington, Moscow and Peking.

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ACE program graduates

The Montana Farm Bureau Federation celebrated the Class of 2024 graduates of their ACE (Advocate. Communicate. Educate) Leadership Program during a luncheon today at the DoubleTree Hotel in downtown Billings. This was the ACE Leadership Program’s seventh year of empowering Farm Bureau members to become confident and effective leaders in their local communities, for Montana agriculture and for their county Farm Bureaus.

The year-long program started January 10 in Bozeman and was followed by five more seminars across Montana. During these trainings, ACE participants heard from agricultural advocates, media professionals, communications specialists and policymakers. As part of the ACE program, participants gave presentations to their fellow ACE members and MFBF Board members to demonstrate how they plan to use their newly honed leadership skills.

Austin Large, senior director of membership & organizational development for American Farm Bureau, provided comments to the graduates.

“Great builders see the entire picture, not just each brick. Now that you have graduated from ACE, you are a leader. People will be looking toward you for solutions

and leadership. It’s easy to walk into a room and simply go with the flow but step up as a leader. Ask how you promote Montana agriculture and the rural communities we live in,” said Large.

He encouraged the graduates to use their knowledge and skills gleaned from the ACE program to seek out and cultivate the next generation of talent.

The 105th Montana Farm Bureau Annual Convention started today in Billings with the ACE presentations and graduation, and continues through November 21 at the DoubleTree and Northern Hotels in Billings.

The 2024 ACE Graduate Class

Trina Jo Bradley, Valier

Buddy Cheff, Ronan

Gary Heibertshausen, Alzada

Nick Jerke, Clyde Park

Logan Kruse, Helena

Meghan Lehman, Joliet

Todd Lackman, Worden

Jeremiah Peterson, Bozeman

Gwynn Simeniuk, Glasgow

Ty Young, Missoula

To learn more about the ACE Program, visit: mfbf.org/Programs/ACE-Program.

gram graduates.

Photo: Montana Farm Bureau ACE Pro-

Front Row, left to right: Gwynn Simeniuk, Trina Jo Bradley, Meghan Lehman, Jeremiah Peterson. Back: Logan Kruse, Gary Heibertshausen, Nick Jerke, Budd Cheff, Tyson Young, Todd Lackman.

Harbaugh Ranch receives Centennial Ranch honor from MFU

More than 100 years, acres added, cattle purchased, sheep sold, and hardships overcome have passed since Walter Lee “WL” and Elizabeth “Lizzie” (Elbert) Harbaugh filed for homestead rights on Sand Creek near Jordan and established Harbaugh Ranch.

The family’s fortitude was honored recently by Montana Farmers Union as part of the grassroots organization’s Centennial Farm and Ranch program, with Wade and Bev Harbaugh accepting the award during MFU’s Annual State Convention.

Rockwell Scales

“The Harbaugh family is a testament to what a family farm is and what it means to our rural communities. Their family has been an integral part of the Sand Springs and Jordan communities for over 100 years. MFU is honored to be able to recognize the Harbaugh family as this year’s Centennial Ranch,” MFU President Walter Schweitzer said.

“It’s nice to honor the hard work everybody’s put in the last 114 years,” Jake Harbaugh said after the family was recognized.

The Harbaugh Ranch has morphed and grown many times over the years, with

six generations nurturing the ranch into the future. Today, the family continues the Western Tradition with a few twists, including employing virtual fencing for its cattle herd and implementing other regenerative ag practices.

To the Harbaughs, being good stewards of the land also means they’re being good stewards of the family legacy. Family members who attended the award ceremony were quick to point out the key to the ranch’s longevity – family.

“We’ve been through the ups and downs and all stuck together,” Bev Harbaugh said, proudly surveying her extended family who came from as far away as Minot, N.D., to celebrate the milestone together.

“It’s truly in the blood and in the family,” her grandson, Jake, said.

The family could have homesteaded anywhere, and the resulting family ties would have been the same, he said. “We would have found home no matter where it was at.”

Learn more about MFU’s Centennial Farm and Ranch Program at www.montanafarmersunion.com.

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Ayrshire cattle

Written by Christina Pichler, cowcaretaker.com

Ayrshire cattle are a Scottish dairy breed of cattle known to be efficient grazers and are praised for their hardiness. They are also prolific milk producers, with owners yielding up to 20,000 pounds of milk during the lifetime of just one cow.

Today, the Ayrshire is known worldwide and has registration associations in Canada, New Zealand, and the United States.

Where does ayrshire cattle come from?

Ayrshire cattle are native to the district of Cunningham in the county of Ayr in Scotland.

They were first established in the 18th century when native Scottish cattle were crossbred with Teeswater cattle.

Teeswater cattle have been used in the development of several breeds including the Shorthorn breed in the United Kingdom, and the Holstein breed in Holland.

The infusion of Teeswater blood allowed the poor milk-producing breeds of Scotland to improve milk production in their native dairy cattle.

Ayrshire cows have been called Dunlop cows, and Cunningham cows but their name was changed to reflect the county of Ayr when they were first recognized by the Highland Agricultural Society in 1814, and subsequently had a herd book created for them in 1877.

In 1822 the first importations to America occurred and they were shipped to New England, with Ayrshire herds being established in New York, Vermont, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

Americans were slow to recognize the Ayrshire breed, but dairy farmers continued to promote the Ayrshire, and cleverly marketed Ayrshire milk by establishing the Ayrshire Breeder’s Association which created the Approved Ayrshire Milk program in the 1930s. The program promoted Ayrshire milk as healthier and better for children and was wildly successful.

Brindle and roan coloring is rare.

A calf will weigh 75 to 88 pounds. A mature cow will weigh between 1000 to 1200 pounds and stand about 4.5 feet tall.

A mature bull can weigh 1200 to 1500 pounds and stand about 4.7 feet tall.

Cows are ready to breed at 13 to 15 months and have a gestation period of 283 days.

The best ag to slaughter is 6 to 9 months, though 12 months is best. Carcass weight averages 698 pounds.

Their expected lifespan is up to 20 years in free-ranging farms. The productive lifespan is 4-6 years in commercial setups.

Ayrshire are known for feed efficiency, turning grass into milk, low mastitis counts, longevity, and good temperament.

The only weakness is lower butterfat content and less milk production when stressed

Ayrshire are able to adapt to many different climates reasonably well but don’t do well in extremely hot and humid climates.

Ayrshire cows are best known for their milk and they are the top choice for cheese production in the United States.

The average milk output for Ayrshire dairy cows is 20,000 pounds of milk throughout their life. They have a lactation period of 305 days.

They are well known as efficient grazers and cattle that are adaptable to different farming methods.

Ayrshires are known for excellent udder conformation. They do not have excessive leg problems and foot problems. They adaptable to different terrain and are able to forage well. They can adjust to warm and cold climates.

Ayrshire’s lack the yellow tallow that reduces carcass valuation making them profitable to raise bull calves to steers.

Ayrshire cattle are red and white spotted.

Ayrshire were developed as a profitable commercial dairy cow and are still widely used as such. Calves are strong, vigorous, and easy to raise.

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Maximizing manure

efficiency in the fall

By Leslie Johnson - Animal Manure Management Extension Educator, UNL

As the harvest season winds down and cooler temperatures set in, it’s time to start thinking about post-harvest plans. For many farmers, this means planning manure applica-

tion. Manure is a valuable fertilizer and soil amendment, but to maximize its benefits, it should be treated with the same attention as commercial fertilizers. However, some farmers overlook manure in their fertility programs, missing out on its potential.

Precision farming, particularly through grid soil sampling, has become a widely adopted practice in recent years, especially in the fall. This method helps farmers make more informed decisions on where to apply commercial fertilizers, reducing costs and preventing nutrient over-application. But grid sampling can also be applied to manure, ensuring that this organic fertilizer is used where it’s needed most.

Many commercial manure applicators now offer variable rate manure application, meaning they can adjust the amount of manure applied based on soil nutrient needs. If you’re hiring an applicator, don’t hesitate to ask if they provide this service. While some may charge extra, the reduced amount of manure used may balance the cost. Additionally, the savings on commercial fertilizers can make it a smart investment in the long run.

Even without access to high-tech equipment, there are still ways to utilize manure efficiently. Take a look at your fields and maps. You likely know where the lower-yielding areas are. Often, these areas also have lower nutrient levels or organic matter. If soil maps confirm this, focus your manure application in these areas to improve soil health and boost future yields.

On my own farm, we don’t have precision manure application technology, nor do we have enough manure to cover entire fields. Instead, we use soil maps to identify poor-performing areas and apply manure more heavily in those spots. By addressing nutrient deficiencies or rebuilding soil in eroded areas, we improve overall soil health and, hopefully, achieve more consistent yields over time.

Whether you’re using high-tech precision equipment or adopting a DIY approach, incorporating manure into your precision fertility plan can lead to healthier soils and more balanced yields. The key is to be strategic about where and how you apply it.

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Molting roundworms may uncover clues to understanding cancer

By Maya Kate Gilmore

David Fay, a professor in the UW Department of Molecular Biology, has spent his career studying a tiny roundworm. Specifically, for the last decade, Fay has been studying the genes that control how the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans molts.

As it turns out, humans have genes that are very similar to the genes that help this roundworm molt. In fact, Fay’s lab has discovered that human genes could be implanted into mutant roundworms missing some specific molting genes, and the worms could then successfully molt using the replacement human genes.

“You’re uncovering universal biology that will apply up and down the animal kingdom,” says Fay. “There’s fundamental cellular processes that are needed for molting.”

Molting genes in humans

In humans, molting-associated genes control the way that cells pass proteins and other substances from cell to cell, allowing old material to be broken down and new material to form in the right place. When growing a new fingernail, for example, many cells coordinate where the new nail ends up.

Some of these molting genes are also strongly connected to cancer. When processes controlled by these genes go wrong, cells can end up with materials they shouldn’t have, like someone ordering a hammer and receiving a drill. This could lead to the abnormal cell growth characteristic of cancer — in other words, equipped with the wrong materials, the builder might start trying to hammer in screws.

Much of the research on cancer has focused on cell division. Concentrating on the way cells move materials instead might help researchers discover new ways of detecting or preventing the disease.

Why study worms in Wyoming?

Fay chose to study C. elegans for several reasons. These worms reproduce quickly, their genome is well-understood and easy to manipulate, and the worms are transparent, making it easy to see how different experiments affect their insides.

Most people might not expect a huge medical advance to come from a sparsely populated state with just one public university. But Fay believes that scientific breakthroughs can come from anywhere, as long as the science is conducted meticulously.

That’s exactly why Fay values working at UW. The university provides valuable opportunities to students who might not otherwise have a chance to contribute to cuttingedge science. “You can make a real impact here,” says Fay.

Fay takes pride in the researchers he’s trained, some of whom have gone on to faculty positions at prestigious institutions like the National Institutes of Health, Rice University, and George Washington University.

“There’s a lot about science that feels out of your immediate control, including where the experiments take you and whether you can maintain funding to support your work in what has always been a very competitive environment,” he says. “In the end, what I have control over is training students and young researchers to do good science.”

National Pastry Day

This holiday is always observed on December 9th Indulge today and diet tomorrow. This holiday is a fun day created to encourage you to make, and of course, eat your favorite pastries.

Enjoy a variety of pastries today.

The holidays are on the doorstep. There will be lots of Christmas cookies, sweet treats, and of course fruitcakes. This may be the last time to enjoy pastries until after New Years. How to Celebrate National Pastry Day

• Don’t miss out. Get your fill of pastries on this very special day.

• Celebrate this day by making pastries. Don’t make just one variety. Make a variety of them. Creativity is big in the world of pastry making. Be sure to try your hand a creating a new pastry.

• Visit a bakery to get your fill.

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Work to improve understanding, management of bighorn sheep, mountain goats

By Chad Dundas, UM News Service

The best way to catch a bighorn sheep is with a helicopter. You also need favorable conditions, good planning and a little bit of luck.

“The capture is the hardest part, and the biggest part, manpower-wise,” said Dan Walsh, leader of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, and Distinguished Affiliate Faculty within the W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation at the University of Montana. “This is dangerous terrain.”

Generally, the best practice is to fly up and deploy a giant net over them. Then, if the sheep can’t be examined on the spot, they have to be carried in giant slings underneath the helicopter to a place where they can be safely examined. All the while the health of the captured animals is top priority. Researchers take extreme care to monitor the sheep, making sure no harm comes to them.

Sometimes, though, sheep and goats congregate in places not even helicopters can reach. In those cases, you do things the old-fashioned way: Hike up the mountain on foot or on horseback to set up drop nets or clover traps.

Either way, these animals make you work for it.

“It’s a bit of a rodeo,” Walsh said.

Bighorn sheep and mountain goats are among the American West’s most iconic species, prized by hunters and wildlife watchers alike. For centuries sheep have been regarded as sacred by some Indigenous groups, often represented in pictographs and other writings. Their distinctive, rounded horns have also been used to advertise wildlife organizations, sports teams and trucks. In Montana, sheep and goats have become synonymous with our wild spaces, often used on postcards and marketing materials for state and national parks.

Ironically, their rugged, remote habitats also make them some of the area’s most mysterious animals. For biologists and researchers, just getting their hands on them is half the battle. As a result, sheep and goats remain relatively understudied compared to more visible local ungulates like deer and elk.

This winter, Walsh and his team hope to change that.

In year two of a five-year study funded by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, UM researchers from the Wildlife Biology program, side by side with co-principal investigator Dr. Nicholas DeCesare and other Montana FWP researchers and biologists, will capture, collar and track as many sheep and goats as they can. It’s a sprawling effort, bringing together state and federal agencies, private landowners and scientists, with the goal of analyzing and streamlining population management efforts throughout the state.

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The study will survey and analyze data across 13 distinct bighorn sheep herds in Montana. Last year, the team was able to collar 128 sheep. This year they are out for more and are adding mountain goats to their capture list.

“I think it’s one of the largest efforts undertaken in Montana for bighorn sheep — and for sure for mountain goats,” Walsh said. “The idea is to try to accelerate our learning around the best way to manage these animals.”

Catch and Release: Monitoring Populations

What scientists do know is that, unlike many of their terrestrial counterparts, some

bighorn sheep populations haven’t totally bounced back from their lowest points in the early 1900s, when a combination of overhunting and disease led to a steep decline in overall numbers. Today, factors including predation, disease, habitat loss and a changing climate have kept sheep numbers in flux. With goats — which are even more difficult to find and to get official permission to collar — it can be hard to get any information at all.

Government agencies like FWP have historically used an array of techniques to keep sheep and goat numbers stable and on an upward trajectory. These approaches include the removal of sick animals before disease can spread among their herds, and translocation (a strategy that involves moving healthy animals from thriving herds to those that need support). Controlling predator numbers and expanding sheep and goat ranges are also employed.

But the isolated nature of individual sheep and goat populations and lack of a means to coordinate and evaluate the impacts of different management actions, make it tough to tell what is and isn’t working. Walsh’s study aims to create a clearer picture.

By tracking an unprecedented number of the animals across multiple years and creating a standardized framework to evaluate how they respond to management actions, they can help biologists gauge the effectiveness of various management techniques on different herds, in different areas. This framework will become an important tool to inform and adapt statewide policy on sheep and goats.

First, they just have to catch them.

UM’s Groundbreaking Research

In addition to the many public and private strategic partnerships involved in the study, Walsh’s effort uses vital input from a pair of UM doctoral students in the Wildlife Biology program.

Kaitlyn Vega oversees a disease-focused study of the Highlands sheep herd in southwest Montana, monitoring a type of pneumonia-causing bacteria that can cripple herds once it takes hold.

Colton Padilla is responsible for the computer modeling that crunches and analyzes data produced by Walsh’s project. He also writes research proposals and papers based on the study.

Vega’s work, which she conducts in collaboration with FWP research biologist Dr. Kelly Proffitt and Butte area biologist Vanna Boccadori, tracks the spread of a bacteria called Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae (M. ovi, for short). M. Ovi is a respiratory pathogen that can turn some sheep into “chronic carriers” that remain infectious over multiple years. Because bighorns are social animals, the chronically infected sheep can spread the disease through the herd again and again.

“Picture if you had a cold virus for many years in a row, and each time you came in contact with somebody, you could give them a cold, even if you didn’t feel sick at the time,” Vega said. “That’s what happens in sheep sometimes with this particular bacteria.”

The Highlands herd was once popular with Montana hunters, but after an initial bout with M. ovi during the 1990s, its current population can sustain only one or two tags per season. Vega’s team thinks it might be because of chronically infected sheep. In an attempt to stabilize and restore the herd’s numbers, Vega’s team will ramp up M. ovi

Work to improve understanding, management of bighorn sheep, mountain goats

CONTINUED FROM PAGE C4

testing throughout the five-year study. Sheep that test positive at least two years in a row will be considered chronic carriers and be removed from the herd.

“It seems sad to have to remove those sheep,” Vega said, “but if that saves a lot of other sheep from potentially getting sick and dying, then it’s worth it for the betterment of the herd.”

Meanwhile, information on management techniques from all over the state contributes to Padilla’s computer modeling. Among other data, he tracks survival rates, immigration between herds and annual numbers of offspring to map population trajectories.

“I build what are called integrated population models,” Padilla said. “Those models create a framework for us to smash together all the data that we have on sheep and goats. It allows us to merge multiple data sources into a single analysis.”

In layperson’s terms, more data generally equals more precise results. So, being able to compile information from Montana’s far-flung sheep and goat herds into one framework allows researchers to more accurately predict the effectiveness of various management techniques.

For sheep, that includes disease risk modeling. Padilla uses past data along with the numbers compiled by Vega and others in her current study to forecast the likelihood that different sheep populations will suffer a significant disease event in the future.

All of this can inform the way FWP manages different herds — and as years pass and more information is added, the computer models will only improve.

“Being able to have all that data in one place is good for the biologists of the future,” Padilla said. “Plus, they’ll have data that builds on this project in the future. This is just a start.”

Going After Goats

When the topic of mountain goats comes up, Walsh can only laugh.

“Everything about goats is hard,” he said. “They’re hard to observe, and they live in areas that are very, very hard to access.”

The trouble is two-fold: First, the aforementioned inaccessibility of mountain goat habitat. Second, many goats live on designated wilderness areas within national forests or national park land, which makes getting permission to go in and capture them difficult.

Bighorn_Capture: Wildlife biology doctorate student Colton Padilla (left) assists other UM researchers and Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks staff during a winter bighorn sheep capture in 2023. (Photo courtesy of Colton Padilla)

Blindfold: Field researchers blindfold a bighorn sheep for to study and tag it during a winter capture in

(Photo courtesy of Colton Padilla)

Seven tips for safe and healthy holiday dining

By Ashley Fenning, Nebraska Extension Instructor-Food, Nutrition & Health

As the holiday season approaches, many gather with family and friends to share traditional meals. With all the delicious food and the hustle and bustle of the season, it’s important to keep food safety in mind to ensure everyone has a joyful and healthy celebration. Here are some essential food safety tips to help make your holiday gathering both safe and memorable.

1. Start with Cleanliness

One of the most important food safety practices begins even before cooking starts. Clean hands and surfaces are key to preventing the spread of harmful bacteria that can lead to foodborne illnesses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend washing hands thoroughly with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food, especially raw foods, this includes uncooked eggs, raw meat, poultry or fish and their juices. It is also recommended to wash your hands after you use the bathroom, handle pets, tend to young children, blow your nose, or cough or sneeze. Another key component of food safety is to ensure that countertops, cutting boards, and utensils are properly sanitized, especially when switching between handling raw meat and other ingredients. If you would like more information on cleanliness visit: fsis.usda.gov.

2. Properly Thaw and Store Your Turkey

For those serving turkey, proper thawing is critical to ensure food safety. The safest way to thaw a turkey is in the refrigerator. Be sure to plan ahead, as thawing in a refrigerator will require 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds of meat. For example, a 20-pound turkey will need to defrost in the refrigerator for about five to six days. Alternatively, you can use cold water to thaw but be sure to fully submerge the turkey and change the cold water every 30 minutes. You will also need to make sure the turkey is in a container or completely sealed in its original packaging to prevent cross-contamination. A turkey thawed in cold water should be cooked immediately. Avoid thawing a turkey at room

CONTINUED ON PAGE C8

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Seven tips for safe and healthy holiday dining

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temperature, as this allows bacteria to multiply. Even though the center of the package may still be frozen, the outer layer of the food is in the “Danger Zone” between 40 and 140°F. After cooking, any leftover turkey should be refrigerated within two hours.

3. Cook Foods to the Correct Temperature

Cooking meats to the correct internal temperature kills harmful bacteria like Salmonella and E. coli. Use a food thermometer to ensure poultry reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, ground meats like ground beef to 160°F, and fresh beef like steaks or roasts, or pork like pork chops to 145°F. A whole turkey should be checked in three locations: the innermost part of the thigh, the innermost part of the wing and the thickest part of the breast. Remember, it’s not just about how long you cook the food but also reaching the right internal temperature for safe consumption.

4. Keep Hot Foods Hot and Cold Foods Cold

Temperature control is essential to reduce the risk of foodborne illness. Keep hot foods at 140°F or warmer using chafing dishes, warming trays, or slow cookers. Similarly, cold dishes like salads or desserts should be kept at 40°F or colder by storing them in the refrigerator or serving them over ice. Avoid leaving perishable foods out for more than two hours.

5. Prevent Cross-Contamination

Cross-contamination occurs when bacteria from raw foods come into contact with cooked or ready-to-eat items. Use separate cutting boards for raw meats and other foods to reduce this risk. Clean utensils and plates that have held raw food before using them with other items. Additionally, avoid reusing marinades that have been used with raw meat unless they’ve been boiled first.

6. Safely Store and Reheat Leftovers

Holidays often leave us with a generous number of leftovers, and safe storage is vital. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers within two hours of serving to prevent bacterial growth. Labeling and dating stored food can help you keep track of freshness. When reheating leftovers, ensure they reach an internal temperature of 165°F before serving. Visit: food. unl.edu/article/leftover-food-safety for more information on Leftover Food Safety.

7. Allergies and Dietary Restrictions

Finally, be mindful of guests with food allergies or dietary restrictions. Label foods with common allergens, like nuts or dairy, and prepare allergy-friendly options if necessary. This not only ensures everyone can safely enjoy the meal but also helps to create a welcoming environment for all guests.

Food Safety Ensures a Happy Holiday

By following these food safety practices, you’ll reduce the risk of foodborne illness and make your holiday celebrations safer and more enjoyable. Remember, a little attention to food safety can go a long way in making sure your holiday feast is memorable for all the right reasons.

Want additional food safety tips, contact your local Extension Office; visit food.unl.edu; call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854); visit FoodSafety.gov, or follow FSIS on Twitter, @USDAFoodSafety, or Facebook at Facebook.com/FoodSafety.gov.

Wassailing

Wassailing is a very ancient custom that is rarely done today. The word ‘wassail’ comes from the Anglo-Saxon phrase ‘waes hael’, which means ‘good health’. Originally, the wassail was a drink made of mulled ale, curdled cream, roasted apples, eggs, cloves, ginger, nutmeg and sugar. It was served from huge bowls, often made of silver or pewter. Jesus College, in Oxford University, has a Wassail bowl, that is covered with silver. It can hold 10 gallons of drink! Wassailing was traditionally done on New Year’s Eve and Twelfth Night, but some rich people drank Wassail on all the 12 days of Christmas! The Wassail drink mixture was sometimes called ‘Lamb’s Wool’, because of the pulp of the roasted apples looked all frothy and a bit like Lambs Wool!

One legend about how Wassailing was created, says that a beautiful Saxon maiden named Rowena presented Prince Vortigen with a bowl of wine while toasting him with the words ‘waes hael’. Over the centuries, a great deal of ceremony developed around the custom of drinking wassail. The bowl was carried into a room with a great fanfare, a traditional carol about the drink was sung, and finally, the steaming hot beverage was served. From this it developed into a another way of saying Merry Christmas to each other!

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Work to improve understanding, management of bighorn sheep, mountain goats

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The lack of access makes it challenging to collar enough animals to gauge overall population size and density. What little information is available says that mountain goat numbers vary wildly from herd to herd. In some areas, native herds have experienced extreme population decline, while many introduced herds seem to be thriving, and researchers aren’t sure why.

Walsh hopes they can start to unravel some of the mysteries surrounding goats when they begin this winter’s captures — but he admits success is not guaranteed.

“We’ve identified some herds that we think we can get to,” Walsh said. “So, we’ll see what we can do.”

Ultimately, Walsh’s work underscores an integral part of the mission of UM’s Franke College as a whole: to do the cutting-edge work necessary to answer Montana’s most enduring and important questions. Those answers will help preserve the state’s natural resources for generations to come.

Now, the University of Montana Foundation and Franke College are joining forces with the “Treasure Montana: Cultivating Our Tomorrow” fundraising campaign. The UM Foundation seeks to inspire $20 million in private support for a new state-of-the-art, 60,000-square foot hub for environment and conservation research and instruction on campus. The campaign will match $25 million committed to the project by the Montana Legislature in 2021.

Treasure Montana offers donors the opportunity to make an immediate impact on a college that is working to meet Montana’s most daunting environmental challenges.

With sheep and goats, that means identifying the best ways to stabilize and restore population numbers and helping land managers mindfully apply them throughout the state — even if it means scaling a mountain or approaching a wind-swept peak through the air.

New oat ready for active duty against crown rust disease

By Jan Suszkiw, ARS

A team of Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and university scientists has released two new oat germplasm lines to shore up the cereal crop’s defenses against its most devastating fungal disease, known as “crown rust.”

The team specifically created the oat lines so that they can be crossed with elite commercial varieties to fortify them with new genetic sources of resistance to crown rust, which is caused by the fungus Puccinia coronata f. sp. avenae. Crown rust is a plague of oat worldwide and can inflict grain yield losses of up to 50 percent in unprotected crops.

The team announced its development of the resistant oat germplasm lines—dubbed CDL-111 and CDL-167—in the May 2024 issue of the Journal of Plant Registration, culminating more than 25 years of germplasm screening, plant genetic mapping, selective breeding and evaluation in greenhouse and field trials.

the team resorted to a plant breeding strategy called “gene stacking” (or “pyramiding”). A key part of that strategy involved making a series of crosses between a cultivated oat variety and wild relatives, one known as lopsided oat, which carry genes for “adult plant resistance.”

“Adult plant resistance, sometimes referred to as ‘slow rusting,’ provides the oat plant some immunity—but not complete immunity,” Kianian said. “In this case, the selection pressure on the pathogen to change is reduced, and the plant is not damaged much so that it can still produce and yield grain for the growers.”

“Currently, the majority of the oat varieties with rust resistance carry a gene or two for resistance (often referred to as seedling resistance) to a specific isolate of crown rust,” said Shahryar Kianian, a co-author on the journal paper and research leader of the ARS Cereal Diseases Laboratory in St. Paul, Minnesota.

However, the crown rust fungus is a genetically diverse pathogen and highly adept at evolving into virulent new forms, called races. This can happen so quickly that the average productive life of an oat variety with seedling resistance is between three and five years, necessitating the use of chemical fungicides in conventional production systems.

Unchecked, the fungus infects the lower leaves and sometimes the sheafs of vulnerable oat plants, forming round- to ovalshaped pustules packed with masses of orangish spores that can be carried away by wind or rain. Damage to leaves can diminish photosynthesis and disrupt the movement of sugars from the leaves to developing grain, shriveling it and reducing feed value.

Whole grain bake goods including breads, oat flakes, hot and cold cereals, and oat flour.. ARS and university scientists have released two new lines of oat to better fortify this important grain crop’s defense against the fungus that causes “crown rust” disease.

To even the odds in the oat plant’s favor,

All told, the team stacked offspring plants derived from crosses with three genes for adult plant resistance to crown rust. They then subjected the offspring plants to a trial by fire, of sorts, starting in 2020. In essence, this involved growing them in nursery plots of common buckthorn, a secondary host for crown rust and known source of outbreaks. In the plots, under intense pressure from the disease, two lines of offspring plants consistently fared better than the others, namely, CDL-111 and CDL-167.

The sturdy oat lines have since been propagated for their seed, which is available for use in variety development programs under a material transfer agreement with ARS, Kianian said. This is to ensure the effectiveness of the gene-stacking strategy if the oat lines are crossed with commercial varieties—regardless of whether they already possess seedling resistance to crown rust

By adhering to this requirement, plant breeders can arm elite oat varieties adapted to particular production regions with a onetwo punch against the crown rust fungus—a “jab” via seedling resistance and a “right hook” with adult plant resistance.

“For this, we are also providing molecular markers linked to the three genes that can be used in selecting the lines that carry them,” added Kianian, who collaborated with Eric Nazareno and Kevin Smith—both with the University of Minnesota—Melanie Caffe (South Dakota State University), Roger Caspers (ARS), Howard Rines (ARS, deceased) and Marty Carson (ARS, deceased). Carson started some of the oat work 20 years ago, continuing much of it after retirement, Kianian noted.

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2023 John Deere 6R 155 (WA), Stk #80242, 71 Hours, Includes 640R Loader & 8-ft. Bucket, 2 Sets Of 450 lb Rear Weights, 3 SCV’s

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What’s it worth to you?

By Joe Zeleznik, Forester, NDSU Extension

Over the last 12 months, I’ve received more than 600 emails, text messages, phone calls and other forms of communication where people asked me a question related to trees and forests. Yes, I actually track those numbers.

One of the more interesting questions came a few weeks ago and it was pretty simple. How much is a mature shelter belt worth?

Oh, where to begin?

The question was straightforward, but a simple response was impossible. There are too many unknowns. What resource is being protected? Soil and/or crops? A farmstead? Livestock? Is a roadway being protected from drifting snow? Something else?

Even if we do know the resource that’s being protected, can we put a dollar value on it? Surprisingly, we often can. Before we go any further, and to avoid confusion, the terms shelter belt (or shelterbelt) and windbreak are synonymous

Here are some points for consideration:

Windbreaks increase crop yields by as little as 6% to as much as 44%.

With strategically placed windbreaks and “living snow fences,” snow can be stored at pennies per ton. Without them, snow can be pushed at dollars per ton.

Windbreaks can reduce winter heating costs by 20% to 40%.

Cattle that are protected from winter winds have lower feed requirements than those in more exposed areas. Calculations are available, but are somewhat complex.

In forestry school, we really didn’t discuss how to determine the value of these ecological services. Instead, we learned how to figure out the value of products. How many 2x4s can we cut from this tree? How many cords of pulpwood can we harvest from this 40-acre tract of land? Products are much easier to value than services.

Nevertheless, we can put a dollar value to services

How much does it cost to plow your driveway? How many times would it be plowed with a windbreak versus without a windbreak?

You can calculate that

One thing I don’t know how to calculate is the value that shelterbelts provide to pollinators. Flowering trees certainly provide forage for honeybees and other pollinators. Windbreaks also provide areas of rest for these important components of our ecosystems. That has to be worth something.

I keep one of my beehives in my neighbor Karen’s shelterbelt. It’s been one of my most productive hives for the last three years. I’m not sure if it’s the shade, the pollen and nectar from the flowering lilac shrubs, or the ease with which they can fly around. It’s probably a combination of all three things.

Karen also recently erected a greenhouse on her property, the kind that has a metal frame covered in flexible poly-plastic. She and her son constructed the frame, but she needed help putting on the plastic. Her schedule was pretty tight – there was only one afternoon where she could get enough help.

It was a very windy afternoon but our team barely felt it, thanks to the windbreak. How much was that worth?

I wish there was a clear answer regarding the value of windbreaks to wildlife. A lot of literature says they’re great for wildlife, but other literature says they’re not. Quite simply, the term “wildlife” is very general. So, some animals benefit from shelterbelts, while other wildlife doesn’t.

Over the past 20 to 30 years, a number of living snow fences have been planted across the state. Winter driving has become a lot safer in those areas that are protected. How much is that worth?

While windbreaks aren’t perfect, the fact remains that they provide a number of services that are considerably valuable. What’s a mature shelterbelt worth to you?

Manimals!

Bird-Bird Hybrids

Evan Balaban, a behavioral neuroscientist at McGill University in Montreal, has produced bird-bird hybrids: He took brain cells from embryonic quails and transferred them into the brains of embryonic chickens. When the chickens later hatched and grew up, they didn’t “cluck” or “cock-a-doodledo” like normal chickens…they trilled like quail. And they bobbed their heads just like quail do. Balaban said the work upended the long-held belief that these behaviors are learned, showing conclusively that they are not only hardwired– but that they can be transferred to entirely different species.

Cowherd expansion considerations

By Alfredo DiCostanzo, Nebraska Extension Educator and Connor Biehler, Nebraska Extension Educator

Fall of 2024 is officially here! The U.S. beef herd inventory was at 28.2 million cows as of January 2024. During the last peak of the cattle cycle in January of 2019, the U.S. beef herd inventory reached 31.6 million cows. That is a drop of 3.4 million cows (11% of the inventory) in five years! Will the U.S. beef industry rebuild to the same inventory as 2019? Likely not!

Many factors will affect the size of the U.S. beef herd at the next peak. Some might consider that beef on dairy crosses will likely affect herd expansion. Our perspective on this is that, unless dairy cows are used to produce fullblood beef breed embryos, the effects of breeding dairy cows to beef sires on beef production are already absorbed by the industry.

We submit a few reasons for this:

Firstly, the U.S. dairy herd is static at 9 million cows; thus, the number of replacement heifers needed to maintain this inventory is set at somewhere between 3 and 4 million. This figure has not changed. What changed is the quality (muscling size and distribution) and quantity (greater dressing percentage) of beef derived from the non-replacement breeding of dairy cows. These effects are already built into beef production.

Secondly, as greater beef production results from future beef herd expansion, beef cattle prices will find new levels reflective of production. This will limit interest in using beef sires on dairy cows by dairy producers to the proportion of the herd not needed to breed for replacement purposes. Also, because of production efficiency gained through genetics, selection pressure resulting from culling less productive cows during droughts, and technological advances, the U.S. beef cow herd will likely achieve a lower peak resulting from the next expansion.

Since 1975, each U.S. beef cow inventory peak has diminished from 45.7 in 1975 to 39.2 (1982) to 35.3 (1996) to 32.7 (2005) to 31.6 (2019) million cows. The peak of each cycle since 1982 was from 1 to 3 million cows smaller #####

English is funny: Put on your shoes and socks. This is an exceedingly difficult maneuver. Most of us put on our socks first, then our shoes.

FARM EQUIPMENT

Cowherd expansion considerations

CONTINUED FROM PAGE C13

than the previous: the most recent cycles reflecting smaller drops in the peak from previous cycles.

So, what is the expectation for peak inventory during the next cycle?

Although difficult to predict because of the reasons mentioned above and the fact that the age of cow-calf operators is also advancing while fewer young people are entering the business, it is likely that the beef industry will expect modest expansion during the next and ensuing cattle cycles. It is quite possible that the U.S. beef herd will never reach beyond 29 million cows again.

If that is the expectation, then how does a cow-calf operator prepare for expansion?

At a starting point of 28 million beef cows (round figures), every percentage loss in productivity (fetal, birth, preweaning, pre-breeding or pre-harvest mortality) represents 280,000 calves. Therefore, if the next herd expansion is to reach 29 million cows by the next cycle peak, then the beef industry has a choice: 1) prevent 1 million heifers from entering the feedlot, 2) improve survival and breeding success by four percentage units in existing inventories of heifers destined for herd replacement, or 3) a combination thereof.

Raising more calves than needed for harvest or breeding is a necessity of the system. Building efficiency while rebuilding the herd should prevent excessive inventory swings that lead to excessive price swings. Lower cycle-over-cycle swings in beef cow inventory since the peak of 1975 are reflective of a unified commitment by the industry for greater production efficiency.

Knowing the factors and costs of raising replacement heifers provides a basis for continued efficiency improvements in the beef industry. A recent experience in developing heifers at the Haskell Agriculture Laboratory in Concord, NE provides an analysis of the process of growing replacement heifers. The analysis is represented here for educational purposes and is intended to motivate producers to consider the costs of preparing for herd expansion.

Overall, 87 heifers were considered in this analysis. Heifers were enrolled by producers from various regions. Heifers were housed in pens and fed a diet based on corn silage, alfalfa hay, wet distillers grains and a mineral supplement. Heifers were prepared for timed artificial insemination (AI) a second time if they failed to conceive after a first attempt at timed AI. The average heifer spent 220 days in the program.

A total of 71 heifers were confirmed pregnant (82%). Costs were $627 per heifer ($2.85/heifer/day) or $768 per pregnancy.

Therefore, under conditions of the program (82% pregnancy rate), if a heifer was retained in the fall of 2023 for replacement, the total cost of her first pregnancy would be $2,400 ($1,620 was the value of the heifer in the fall of 2023 and it cost $768 to achieve pregnancy).

As producers look at current prices, there may be an opportunity to retain heifers at similar prices as a year ago and expect to spend from $2,300 to $2,600 to raise a pregnant heifer. However, a thorough analysis of critical control points (energy, protein and mineral supply, water quality, winter housing, heat abatement, and gentle handling) to ensure breeding success in 2025 is in order.

If interested in retaining your own replacement heifers, the University of Nebraska has a program called the Great Plains Heifer Development Center, at the Haskell Ag Lab near Concord. This program focuses on the benefits of precision heifer development, and collecting valuable data for the producers to use If interested in the program please follow this link or contact Connor Biehler at 402-624-8030 for information about the 2025 program year.

Oatmeal Muffin Day

Always observed on December 19th

Enjoy the cholesterol-lowering benefit of oatmeal in your muffins. That’s great news… eating something that tastes good and is also healthy for you. During the holidays, we’re usually eating high-fat, high-sugar, and high in cholesterol foods. So, it’s good to eat these healthy oatmeal muffins. Unlike many other December holidays, this special day is not steeped in tradition. Of course, baking the muffins yourself adds to the enjoyment and pleasure of this day. Have a couple of oatmeal muffins and have a Happy Oatmeal Muffin Day!!!

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Documenting Idaho’s bees

University of Idaho Extension is working to build a program that will train volunteers to collect and identify bees, with the goal of establishing an atlas cataloging the rich diversity of bee species throughout the state.

Oregon State University Extension created the Master Melittologist Program in 2018, training citizen scientists to collect and curate specimens toward a broader goal of documenting the bees of the Pacific Northwest (PNW). UI Extension Educator Brad Stokes, of Canyon County, who specializes in horticulture and entomology, is collaborating with Andony Melathopoulos, an associate professor and pollinator health specialist with OSU Extension, to expand the program into the Gem State.

Stokes is pursuing funds to launch and sustain the program and has already begun building his base of volunteers.

Mellitology is the branch of entomology pertaining to the study of bees. Ten volunteers and four instructors — Stokes; Melathopoulos; Armando Falcon-Brindis, an entomology specialist at the U of I Parma Research and Extension Center; and Ron Bitner, an Idaho vintner and bee biologist who manages his vineyards for the benefit of pollinators — participated in an introductory training session hosted Sept. 12 at Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge in Nampa.

Largely overlooked in the past, native bees are gaining recognition for their role in maintaining healthy ecosystems and pollinating agricultural crops. Pomology experts, for example, believe the native blue orchard bee will be more crucial for pollinating orchards in the future than domesticated honeybees.

“We’re figuring out that these native bee species are almost certainly better pollinators than Apis mellifera — the European honeybee,” Stokes said. “Idaho has such a diversity of crops — especially here in the Caldwell area where we have 140 different crops and a lot of seed crops — and we have a diversity of native bees that have been undocumented to date. We don’t even know what we have, and that’s a really important scientific question because you can’t protect something if you don’t know what species you have.”

The Master Melittologist Program trains volunteers to become naturalists who explore the landscape and collect bees, photographing any plants they discover supporting bees and placing bees associated with a common plant into the same jar. Volunteers who reach the program’s apprentice level are able to collect bees, prepare museum-quality specimen mounts and capture data in a scientifically robust manner. Volunteers who pass rigorous testing to reach the journey level are qualified to identify bees to the genus level. Their work is verified by a taxonomist. In both Idaho and Oregon, the program’s registration fee is $300.

OSU’s program has already produced more than 200,000 samples of native bees tied to associated plants, which is one of the world’s largest datasets of its kind. The program has identified 600 individual bee species, including dozens that were previously undocumented in Oregon. Melathopoulos anticipates some of them will eventually prove to be previously unknown bee species and will be assigned names. OSU has also developed a tool that draws from the database of bee species, their associated plants and the locations where they were found to provide site-specific guidance for landscape revegetation efforts.

The Washington State Department of Agriculture launched its own bee survey in 2023, also using Master Melittologist volunteers. The Washington Bee Atlas has since grown rapidly.

In 2020, Bitner and the College of Idaho received an $87,000 Specialty Crop Block Grant, provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and awarded through the Idaho State Department of Agriculture, to evaluate native bees in Treasure Valley specialty crop farm fields, employing a former Idaho middle-school teacher, Amy Dolan, to assist in the project. OSU later hired Dolan to train a small group of Idaho volunteers to begin work on cataloging specimens for an Idaho Bee Atlas. Dolan has since left the state, and partnering with UI Extension will bolster Idaho’s contributions toward cataloging the bees of PNW.

“We’re just in the perfect geographical location to find all of these species, and probably some that are yet to be documented,” Stokes said. “They might be closely associated with very rare flowers or plants, so their impact on the ecosystem might be extraordinarily important.”

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has provided funding for the identification of bee species collected within National Wildlife Refuges in Idaho. Any bee specimens representing new species in Idaho counties or statewide will be added to the collection at the Orma J. Smith Museum of Natural History and the USDA Pollinating Insect Lab in Logan, Utah. CONTINUED ON PAGE C17

Christmas Card Day

This special day is always observed on December 9th

Is your Christmas card list up to date? This holiday honors Sir Henry Cole (1818 – 1874) of England. Cole created the first commercial Christmas Card in 1843. It grew into a tradition. People created a list of all friends and family members. The number of cards you received was a source of pride. And, you had to send a card out to everyone who sent you one. As a result, the list grew year after year.

Just a few decades ago, sending Christmas cards through the mail was a holiday “must”. Now, sending cards through the mail continues decline in popularity. The cost and time of writing and sending cards have caused many people to stop sending them. Free Ecards have surged in popularity. Animated Christmas and daily seasonal Ecards have made sending and receiving them a lot of fun.

History and Origin of Christmas Card Day

We suspect that on this date, Henry Cole marketed the commercial Christmas card. The timing is certainly appropriate. How to Celebrate Christmas Card Day

Today is a good day to send out your Christmas cards and holiday greetings. If you have yet to do so, use today to get started.

Documenting Idaho’s bees

“The Great Basin has the highest bee diversity in the world, and Idaho sits at the crossroads of three major bee faunas,” Melathopoulos said. “All of the cool bees are in Idaho.”

For more information about the Idaho Master Melittologist Program, contact Brad Stokes at bstokes@uidaho.edu or 208-459-6003. Visit master-melittologist to enroll directly.

Protecting northern water supplies from toxic metals in thawing permafrost

By Brian Owens, Canadian Light Source

As the climate warms and arctic permafrost thaws, some of the toxic elements locked away in it are starting to emerge and could contaminate the water supplies that many northern communities rely on.

Elliott Skierszkan, a geologist at Carleton University, and his colleagues recently measured the concentrations of naturally occurring uranium and arsenic in water released from permafrost samples collected in the Yukon.

“Our samples had levels of uranium and arsenic in the water beyond what would be considered safe,” he says. The work was published in two papers, in Environmental Science and Technology, and ACS Earth and Space Chemistry.

Using the Canadian Light Source at the University of Saskatchewan, Skierszkan also probed the chemical composition of the elements in the solid portion of the permafrost. They found that uranium was largely associated with organic carbon in the soil, while arsenic was associated with iron oxides. “The synchrotron was essential to understanding the chemistry of these elements and their potential to be mobilized,” says Skierszkan.

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The results showed that the fate of both elements was linked to organic carbon. As the permafrost thaws, the organic matter it contains breaks down, which can release associated uranium. This decaying organic matter can also cause the iron oxides and the arsenic associated with them to dissolve into the water.

Skierszkan says these findings “show the increased need to monitor these processes,” to keep an eye on water quality. More than 90% of the population in the Yukon relies on groundwater, and while people don’t currently drink water from the study sites, it will be important to monitor water quality in populated areas where permafrost is at risk of thawing.

There are also implications for mineral exploration – the changing baseline of water quality needs to be considered in the waste remediation plans for mines, and mine locations should be selected to minimize disruptions to permafrost.

“There’s a big shift happening with water chemistry in the North, and that has implications for ecosystem health,” says Skierszkan. “How that plays out in the coming years we don’t know, but we can anticipate there’s going to be some change.”

Corn stalk quality after weathering

By Jerry Volesky, UNL

Fall rain and snow are good for wheat and next year’s crops, but it does have its drawbacks. One challenge is its impact on corn stalk feed quality.

While this fall has been dry, there have been some areas that received some rain and it is likely there will be more rain or snow over the next few weeks. Rain reduces corn stalk quality several ways. Most easily noticed is how fast stalks can get soiled or trampled into the ground if the fields become muddy.

Less noticeable are nutritional changes. Rain or melting snow soaks into dry corn stalk residue and leaches out some of the soluble nutrients. Most serious is the loss of sugars and other energy-dense nutrients, which lowers the TDN or energy value of the stalks. These same nutrients also disappear if stalks begin to mold or rot in the field. Then palatability and intake also decline.

Another factor that affects cornstalk grazing is wind. Throughout the fall, there always seems to be those days where excessively high winds will easily blow corn leaves and husks off the field. This of course, can impact the amount of feed, and after grain, those leaves and husks contain the highest nutritional quality.

There is little you can do to prevent these losses. What you can do, though, is to closely monitor cow and field conditions while adjusting your supplementation program accordingly. Since weathering by rain reduces TDN more than it reduces protein, consider the energy value of your supplements as well as its protein content.

Weathered corn stalks still are economical feeds. Just supplement them accordingly.

Vermeer, the Vermeer logo and Equipped to Do More are trademarks of Vermeer Manufacturing Company in the U.S. and/or other countries. © 2016 Vermeer Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

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Frosty the Snowman Song

History and Origin of Frosty the Snowman Song

The Christmas Classic song Frosty the Snowman was written by Walter “Jack” Rollins and Steve Nelson. This popular Christmas song was first recorded by Gene Autry and the Cass County Boys in 1950. Frosty the Snowman song lyrics are listed below. You can’t go caroling without this song.

Frosty the snowman was a jolly happy soul

With a corn cob pipe and a button nose

And two eyes made out of coal

Frosty the snowman is a fairy tale, they say He was made out of snow

But the children know how he came to life one day

There must of been some magic in That old silk hat they found

For when they placed it on his head

He began to dance around

Frosty the snowman was alive as he could be

And the children say he could laugh and play

Just the same as you and me

Frosty the snowman knew the sun was hot that day

So he said, Let’s run and have some fun before I melt away

Down to the village with a broomstick in his hand

Running here and there all around the square

Saying Catch me if you can

He led them down the streets of town

Right to the traffic cop

And he only paused a moment

When he heard him holler stop

Frosty the snowman

Had to hurry on his way

But he waved goodbye sayin’, Please don’t cry

I’ll be back again some day

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38120 snowblower 2.5 hp, 2 cycle, recoil and electric start. stk# 32166.$150 (G)

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CONSTRUCTION

2022 Bobcat E42 Mini Excavator, 359 engine hours. stk# 29370. $69,900 (L)

2022 Bobcat E35 Mini Excavator, 33 hp, 408 engine hours. stk# 29371. $59,900 (G)

2022 Bobcat E35 Mini Excavator, 25 hp, 375 engine hours. stk# 29373. $55,900 (G)

Great Falls Sales: James – (406) 868-2570; Will – (406) 590-0372; Brad – (406) 403-5987; Tucker - (406) 440-5813 Lewistown Sales: Anna – (406) 231-4251; Xavier – (406) 707-0138

SWATHERS

2020 New Holland 260 swather, 411 engine hours, full GPS, DLX cab, suspended axle/ cab, single caster, LED lights, DLX mirrors, 419 header. stk# 25673. $189,000 (L)

TRACTORS

2024 Kubota LX3310HSD tractor, 32 hp, hydrostatic transmission, 74 hours, with warranty stk# 32065. $26,900 (G)

2010 Bobcat 325 excavator, open station, thumb on boom, good tracks, 3470 engine hours. stk#32024

$19,500 (G)

2022 Bobcat T740 Compact Track Loader, 430 engine hours, Power Bobtach, 7 pin, dual direction bucket positioning, ride control, reverse fan. stk# 29376. $69,900 (G)

2023 Bobcat S740 Skidsteer, 128 engine hours. stk# 29380. $60,500 (G)

2011 Bobcat S650 Skidsteer, single speed, enclosed cab, hand & foot control, A/C & heat, radio, standard flow. stk# 32135.$34,500 (G)

1994 Bobcat 773 Skidsteer. stk# 31453. $14,900 (G)

2021 New Holland 260 swather, 371 engine hours, GPS complete, high speed, 600# weight, 419 header attached. stk# 27182. $179,000 (L)

2017 MacDon M1240 swather with 16-ft. R85 header, No GPS, draper ready, cap & rear axle suspension, LED lights, Bluetooth radio, steel conditioner, shear protection. Excellent condition. 749 engine hours. stk# 21654

$144,900 (G)

2022 Vermeer TM1410 swing tongue with floats, 2 remotes, electric, hydraulic kits, 1000 PTO. stk# 29072. $59,900 (G)

RAKES

2022 NEW New Holland 1631 rake, 16 wheel high capacity, single side opening, 60”, rear tandems, rear hydraulic opening. stk# 28671. Payments as low as $5530/oac (G)

2007 John Deere 9520 tractor, new tires, 4 remotes, buddy seat, Trimble GPS, hydraulic steering, 6219 engine hours. stk# 31467. $163,400 (L) Steiger PT225 tractor. stk# 20554.$25,000 (G)

2006 New Holland TS130A tractor with loader/ grapple, Semi powershift, cab, 3 remotes, rear wheel weight, 540/1000 PTO, 4529 engine hours. stk# 31403. $79,900 (L)

1988 Case 2096 tractor, DuAl 310 loader, 130 hp., 3 rear remotes, 10,827 engine hours. stk# 31858. $31,250 (L)

2022 Bobcat CT2025 HST tractor, 56 engine hours. stk# 29350. $24,000 (L)

SPRAYERS

Let us show you what we can do for your bottom line with this NH 310 sprayer fully equipped with a nearly new $230,000 Weed-It system! Spray weeds, not dirt.

2017 New Holland LM7.42 Elite telehandler, reverse fan, rear hyd couple, ext. tool box, continuous flow aux hyd, Bluetooth & aux radio, bucket/grapple, engine hours 3621. stk# 22833

$95,000 (L)

Quick Attach Sledge Pounder skidsteer mount. stk# 29228 $2900 (G)

2018 JCB 48” pallet fork. stk# 31522.$850 (G)

2011 Bobcat 80 dozer blade. stk# 31340. $5965 (G)

Quick Attach 68” angle blade. stk# 32129. (G) Bobcat 68” angle broom. Good bristles. stk# 32128. (G)

2019 Bobcat 8B wood chipper, lightly used, skidsteer attachment, two side attachment, hydraulic drive. stk# 31613 (G) High Volume 66” bucket, skid steer attachment. stk# 29035. $650 (G)

2018 Bobcat 68” bucket. Includes blot on cutting edge. stk# 23986. $1245 (G)

2014 Bobcat drop hammer. stk# 17553. $5900 (G)

2022 New Holland 230 7 bar, hydraulic rake. stk# 28667.

2019 New Holland SP310F sprayer, 1200 gallon, Weed-It System, Mono Boom, 120-ft., 5-way nozzles, auto rinse, ISO, Full GPS. stk# 24818. $439,900 (G)

$49,900 (L)

2009 New Holland HT154 12 wheel rake, needs 2 new tires. stk# 31739. $9500 (G)

2005 New Holland SF115 sprayer. stk# 28655. $12,000 (G)

TILLAGE

2023 NEW Morris 1400 Hayhiker, 14 round bale hay wagon. stk# 30270. $55,000 (G) Land Pride FDR1548 mower, 3-pt. finish, 48” mower. stk# 25354. $990 (G)

2022 NEW Massey Ferguson 66” grapple. Grapple kit for 82” bucket. stk# 29284. (G)

2008 Vermeer 2300 hydraulic basket rake. stk# 31803.

2018 Gates 84-ft. Magnum 5 bar harrow, 26x9/16 teeth with carbides, hyd tine adjust., excellent condition. stk# 31435.$59,900 (G)

$19,000 (L)

2006 Vermeer R2300 rake. stk# 8029.

$12,900 (G)

Hesston 12 wheel rake. stk# 30919.$13,000 (L)

2023 NEW Maybridge 2M26 Harrow. stk# 31173. $15,900 (G)

2023 NEW Kirchner 8-ft plow, Cat II, 3-pt. unit with 16” sweeps. stk# 30802. (L)

2023 NEW Mandako L5060 50 ft. 3-plex Landroller, 42”x5/8” drum, hydraulic steer axle, hydraulic float hitch. stk# 30283 $62,900 9-ft. V-plow. stk# 26357. $700 (G)

John Deere 18-in. planer, 14 pin control, carbide teeth, high flow. stk# 31623. (G)

2018 Manitou 96”

Dormant-season grazing is a win for all

In 2015, the Soda Fire burned 280,000 acres in southwest Idaho and southeast Oregon, including large swathes of Malheur County.

One of the biggest contributors to the fire — and others like it — are invasive grasses, otherwise known as “fine fuels.” Not only do fine fuels worsen wildfires, they can also out-compete native plants that make up the unique biodiversity of the Northern Great Basin, where Malheur County is located.

Sergio Arispe, who’s been with the Oregon State University Extension Service since 2014, knows all about the problem of invasive grasses and their effect on the local cattle industry. That’s because Arispe’s number one priority as an associate professor with Extension and research appointments is to evaluate what is important to the community he serves.

Arispe often thinks about wildfires, invasive grasses and public lands — three vital concerns for a county whose ranchers rely on healthy rangeland for grazing. Almost threequarters of Malheur County is designated as public land.

When community members and the Vale District Office of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management reached out to Arispe asking for help to manage fine fuels on public lands, he was more than happy to oblige.

The subsequent eight years of research has been incredibly successful with contracted grazing beyond what was traditionally permitted that reduces combustible plant materials.

Arispe has been awarded $515,132 from the Fuels Management and Community Fire Assistance Program — within the Oregon/Washington Bureau of Land Management —to continue working on the project and incorporate drone sensing technology.

Intricate ecosystem

“Within the Northern Great Basin where we are in Malheur County, you go out see birds of prey, apex predators like pumas and bobcats,” Arispe said. “You also see herbivores, elk, pronghorn antelope, smaller bird species, waterfowl and pheasants. You find insects, all the way to bacteria and moss.”

The ecosystem is a special ecological and recreational resource, he said. “It’s just a very active, intricate ecosystem that allows people like you and people like me to go out there, take a deep breath, and really appreciate the beauty.”

Seventy-seven percent of Malheur County is rangeland. The cattle and dairy industries make up 59% of the agricultural products sold, by value. Malheur has the second largest cattle industry in the state.

Rangeland forage and feed costs are big concerns of Malheur cattle producers.

Arispe hoped that he could solve two issues at once: reducing winter feed cost and wildfire risk. He enlisted partner cattlemen to try answering the question: Would cattle eat invasive, fire-fueling grasses during the fall and winter seasons?

The cattle grazed during the fall, the dormant season for the native plants. This means the native plants were not experiencing new growth and were therefore more resilient.

The experiment to extend the grazing season paid off. Over the past eight years, Arispe’s research has led to the removal by grazing of over 6,000 tons of fine fuels from the ecosystem and saved his partner ranchers a total of $50,000 in feed costs during the contracted fall-winter grazing period.

Perennial bunch grasses are native, create better habitat and cause less risk of wildfire. “They are ideal grasses that we want.”

Notably, the grazing didn’t harm the native plants. “We’re not seeing any negative effects on the perennial bunch grass community,” Arispe said.

Arispe published these successes in Rangeland Ecology & Management with partners from Boise State University, University of Idaho, Brigham Young University, USDAAgricultural Research Services, and the University of Nevada, Reno.

The next step, funded by Arispe’s new grant, will allow him to learn more about the relationship between cattle grazing behavior and the growth of different plant types on public lands.

“We are going to use drone sensors to look at different stages of growth to improve degraded sage brush,” said Arispe.

Roy Scherer got his stage name by combining two geographical spots; the Rock of Gibraltar and the Hudson River: Rock Hudson.

Sorghum in 2025: low seed costs, resilience and crop rotation benefits

Brent Bean, Sorghum Checkoff Director of Agronomy

Persistent drought, high temperatures, soaring input costs and poor commodity prices have created challenges for all crops. With this outlook, grain sorghum emerges as an attractive option for the 2025 planting season, offering advantages such as low input costs, crop rotation benefits and resilience to drought.

Economic Benefits: Low Seed Costs and Input Efficiency

One of the primary reasons to consider grain sorghum is its cost-effectiveness. Sorghum seed is significantly less expensivecompared to other crops, with costs ranging from $6 to $19 per acre, depending on seeding rate and desired seed treatments.

Sorghum has relatively few insect and disease issues. Hybrids with sorghum aphid tolerance have greatly reduced the need for an insecticide application. When aphids do reach threshold levels they can be effectively controlled with Sivanto PrimeR, TransformR or SefinaR insecticides.

Foliar diseases are seldom a problem in the Great Plains region with its dry climate. In wetter regions, such as the Southeast, anthracnose is the number one disease that infects sorghum. Selecting a hybrid with good anthracnose tolerance can go a long way in avoiding this disease.

Sorghum in Crop Rotation: Yield Benefits for Other Crops

Sorghum’s advantages extend beyond cost savings; it also provides substantial benefits when used in crop rotations with cotton, soybeans and even corn. Rotating crops can improve soil health, break disease cycles and increase yields.

1. Cotton Rotation: Sorghum plays an important role in breaking soil disease cycles, particularly for verticillium wilt, a common issue in cotton. Additionally, sorghum residue after harvest enhances soil moisture retention and helps protect emerging cotton seedlings from wind damage. A 2017 study by Texas A&M University found that cotton yields increased by 26% when rotated with sorghum compared to continuous cotton planting.

2. Soybean Rotation: In a multiyear trial conducted near Mead, Nebraska, soybeans planted after sorghum experienced a 16.6% yield increase compared to continuous soybean planting. This increase in yield has been attributed to improved soil fertility, better physical properties of the soil, more effective weed control, and reduced diseases, nematodes, and insect pests.

3. Corn Rotation: One of the more surprising findings for many growers is that corn also benefits from being rotated with sorghum. A five-year Kansas State University trial demonstrated that corn yields increased by 8.4% when following sorghum compared to continuous corn. These yield increases reflect the long-term benefits of improved soil health and nutrient cycling that sorghum introduces into a cropping system.

Herbicide Innovations and Grass Control

Grass control has traditionally been a challenge for growers considering sorghum. However, new herbicide technologies have significantly improved management options. Non-GMO herbicide technologies like Double TeamTM (S&W Seeds), igrowthR (Advanta Seeds) and InzenTM (Corteva) have made it possible for farmers to effectively control grass, including volunteer corn, in their sorghum fields. This advancement removes a key obstacle that has deterred some growers from planting sorghum in the past.

Irrigation Efficiency and Drought Resilience

Sorghum is commonly planted as a dryland crop, but it can also thrive under limited irrigation. One of the crop’s strengths is its ability to withstand short periods without water, making it a valuable addition to fields with variable water availability. For example, growers may split a field between corn or cotton and sorghum, concentrating irrigation on water-sensitive crops while knowing that sorghum can wait a few extra days without suffering significant yield losses. This flexibility allows growers to optimize their water resources more effectively.

Conclusion: Sorghum as a Smart Choice for 2025

As growers prepare for 2025, sorghum offers a compelling case for inclusion in crop rotations. Its low seed costs, drought resilience and benefits in crop rotation provide both economic and agronomic advantages.

National Hard Candy Day

Cinnamon or peppermint. Butterscotch or strawberry. Hard candy is delicious no matter what a person’s favorite flavor it is. Reminiscent of grandma, who would always carry hard candies in her purse or have a bowl full of them on the coffee table, National Hard Candy Day offers an enticing reason to celebrate!

History of National Hard Candy Day

Also sometimes known as “boiled sweets”, hard candy dates back as far as the Ancient Egyptians who would make their own version of candy which was made from honey that they would mix with various nuts as well as fruit. Of course, today’s hard candies are made almost exclusively from sugar.

Used since the 13th century, the English word ‘candy’ was likely derived from the Arabic word ‘qandi’ which literally translates to “made of sugar”. In the 14th century the candy industry grew in Europe when candy makers would boil sugar and combine it with nuts and fruits like their Ancient Egyptian predecessors.

By the 19th century, as sugar began to become more accessible, hard candy was becoming more popular in England as well as in North America. And, today, the candy industry is huge not only in North America and England, but all throughout the world.

Try Making Hard Candy

Candy making is not necessarily for people who are new in the kitchen, but making hard candy can be a fun and meaningful activity when it is done with friends or family.

The great news about making hard candy is that it doesn’t require a whole lot of ingredients. Typically it only requires corn syrup, white sugar, food coloring and flavored extract. And the most important piece of equipment is to make sure there is a working candy thermometer available! Many recipes can be found online.

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Brooke Shields, Teri Garr, and John Travolta all appeared in the 1970s BandAid commercials.

2014 Bobcat E35 mini excavator, full cab, air/heat, 8,000 lb. operating weight, auxiliary hydraulics, ex-municipal

2011 Ford F550 4x4 bucket truck, 6.7 diesel, automatic, Altec AT37G boom, 42-ft. reach, articulated, telescopic, service body, complete Call

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2000 John Deere 444H front end wheel loader, new Grabtech grapple fork, quick attach, auxiliary hydraulics, air conditioning/ heat, tight clean one owner ex-municipal loader, 8000 hours Call

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Global licensing partner will help launch WSU’s next apple, WA 64

By

Seth Truscott, College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences

Washington State University has named International New-Varieties Network LLC (INN) of Ephrata, Washington as the exclusive global licensing partner for its new WA 64 apple.

Experienced in introducing new fruit varieties worldwide, the company will manage sales of licensed WA 64 trees and budwood to growers for planting or grafting in orchards, as well as license the new apple’s forthcoming trademark to fruit packers and marketers. The new apple is expected to reach consumers in 2029; its name has not yet been announced.

“The license agreement is the latest step in a decadeslong process to commercialize a new apple,” said Jeremy Tamsen, director of innovation and commercialization for WSU’s College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences.

Selected by WSU through a competitive proposal process, INN is a network of more than a dozen companies in the U.S., Chile, France, Italy, China, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa that offers tree fruit propagation, commercialization, and distribution globally.

“All three services are necessary to protect the hard work that went into breeding and selecting this cultivar in Washington,” Tamsen said. The company was chosen for the strength of its proposal, business position in the marketplace, and experience bringing new varieties to market.

“Through our members, we’ve helped bring new variety innovations to growers around the world for nearly 30 years,” said Garry Langford, the company’s general manager. “We look forward to working with the world-renowned WSU apple breeding program to successfully develop WA 64.”

A hybrid of Honeycrisp and Cripps Pink — one of several cultivars sold as Pink Lady® — WSU’s new WA 64 apple is tart, firm, sweet, and juicy. Selected for the fresh market, the apple has outstanding eating and storage qualities. It will be great for charcuterie boards and lunch boxes, Tamsen said — much like Cosmic Crisp®, consumers can slice WA 64 now and enjoy it later, since the slices are slow to brown.

The result of a cross-hybridization made in Wenatchee, Washington, in 1998, WA 64 was selected for further evaluation at private and research orchards. The university officially released it in 2023 and launched a public naming contest for the apple last spring. The winning name of the new apple is expected to be announced by the end of the year.

In addition to working with licensed nurseries and growers, INN will monitor and enforce the variety’s plant patent and plant variety protection certificate (PVP) while collecting royalties. INN has appointed Willow Drive Intellectual Property Protection (WIPP) of Ephrata to issue licenses for WA 64.

INN-developed varieties and brands include Aztec Fuji, Modi®, Kissabel®, Royal Red Honeycrisp, and Galaval. The company also helped introduce the Rosy Glow and Lady in Red cultivars into the trademarked Pink Lady® brand.

Within the U.S., only growers in Washington state can be licensed to grow WA 64 until August 2034. Nurseries must meet certification requirements to be licensed to then sell licensed trees to licensed growers. Trees for home gardeners will be available at licensed nurseries, but only for planting in Washington. Trees may be planted for farmgate sales, in which farmers sell produce direct to consumers, but will also require licenses.

Royalties from tree and apple sales support apple breeding research at WSU. Using funding from the Washington State Department of Agriculture and the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission, scientists are also studying the best ways to grow and harvest WA 64.

“After so much time in research, I’m very excited that consumers are now several steps closer to purchasing and eating WSU’s next apple,” Tamsen said. “We have so many promising products and technologies in the research pipeline at WSU, and this apple is a delicious winner that I know consumers will love.”

To learn more about the licensing process for WA 64 apples, visit the INN WA 64 website.

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What gift did the Little Drummer Boy give to the newborn Christ?

Answer: He played a song for him on his drums.

New 73 hp, MFWD, 20 speed LH reverse transmission, Self leveling loader with quick tach bucket, 540/750/1000 PTO, 2 remotes, Climate controlled cab, 3,626 lbs loader lift capacity at pins

By Sara Zaske, WSU News & Media Relations

A “deep learning” artificial intelligence model developed at Washington State University can identify pathology, or signs of disease, in images of animal and human tissue much faster, and often more accurately, than people.

The development, detailed in Scientific Reports, could dramatically speed up the pace of disease-related research. It also holds potential for improved medical diagnosis, such as detecting cancer from a biopsy image in a matter of minutes, a process that typically takes a human pathologist several hours.

“This AI-based deep learning program was very, very accurate at looking at these tissues,” said Michael Skinner, a WSU biologist and co-corresponding author on the paper. “It could revolutionize this type of medicine for both animals and humans, essentially better facilitating these kinds of analysis.”

To develop the AI model, computer scientists Colin Greeley, a former WSU graduate student, and his advising professor Lawrence Holder trained it using images from past epigenetic studies conducted by Skinner’s laboratory. These studies involved molecular-level signs of disease in kidney, testes, ovarian and prostate tissues from rats and mice. The researchers then tested the AI with images from other studies, including studies identifying breast cancer and lymph node metastasis.

The researchers found that the new AI deep learning model not only correctly identified pathologies quickly but did so faster than previous models — and in some cases found instances that a trained human team had missed.

“I think we now have a way to identify disease and tissue that is faster and more accurate than humans,” said Holder, a co-corresponding author on the study.

Traditionally, this type of analysis required painstaking work by teams of specially trained people who examine and annotate tissue slides using a microscope — often checking each other’s work to reduce human error.

In Skinner’s research on epigenetics, which involves studying changes to molecular processes that influence gene behavior without changing the DNA itself, this analysis could take a year or even more for large studies. Now with the new AI deep learning model, they can get the same data within a couple weeks, Skinner said.

Deep learning is an AI method that attempts to mimic the human brain, a method that goes beyond traditional machine learning, Holder said. Instead, a deep learning model is structured with a network of neurons and synapses. If the model makes a mistake, it “learns” from it, using a process called backpropagation, making a bunch of changes throughout its network to fix the error, so it will not repeat it.

The research team designed the WSU deep learning model to handle extremely high-resolution, gigapixel images, meaning they contain billions of pixels. To deal with the large file sizes of these images, which can slow down even the best computer, the researchers designed the AI model to look at smaller, individual tiles but still place them in context of larger sections but in lower resolution, a process that acts sort of like zooming in and out on a microscope.

This deep learning model is already attracting other researchers, and Holder’s team is currently collaborating with WSU veterinary medicine researchers on diagnosing disease in deer and elk tissue samples.

The authors also point to the model’s potential for improving research and diagnosis in humans particularly for cancer and other gene-related diseases. As long as there is data, such as annotated images identifying cancer in tissues, researchers could train the AI model to do that work, Holder said.

“The network that we’ve designed is state-of-the-art,” Holder said. “We did comparisons to several other systems and other data sets for this paper, and it beat them all.”

This study received support from the John Templeton Foundation. Eric Nilsson, a WSU research assistant professor in the School of Biological Sciences, is also a co-author on this paper.

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Jimmy Carter was the first president to write a children’s book. Carter wrote The Little Baby Snoogle-Fleejer, which was illustrated by his daughter Amy, and published in 1995. The plot: A crippled boy named Jeremy meets a repulsive sea monster who turns out to be quite friendly.

Saying goodbye to metal bangs tags and hello to EID tags

By Bethany Johnston, Nebraska Extension Educator

If your heifers are bangs tagged, those orange metal clips will soon be a relic of the past. Starting November 5, 2024, your veterinarian will not be tagging with metal clips, but instead will use electronic identification (EID) tags.

Veterinarians used metal clips to identify heifers receiving the brucellosis vaccine (“bangs”), and to identify animals moving between states.

In the spring of 2024, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced mandatory EID tags for certain bovine classes. This builds upon the 2013 ruling that only requested visual ID tags. The electronic version will be used to track and contain animal disease outbreaks, just as the metal identification clips did.

What is a USDA 840 EID Tag?

The EID tags replacing the metal clips are USDA 840, showing the country code for the United States (840), with the official USDA shield. The remaining 12 numbers are unique to the tag/animal. The 840 tags provide animal identification to trace animal movements in the event of an animal disease. The 15 numbers can be visually read off of the EID button, or can be read with a computerized EID reader or wand

There are other types of EID tags, but only 840 EID tags will fulfill the APHIS ruling to replace the metal clips.

What does the EID mandate mean for cattle producers?

Animals with the old metal tags already in their ears are “grandfathered in” and will not need new 840 EID tags.

“840 EID” tags can come as “buttons” with no hanging tag, as long as the 15digit number is viewable on the top of the button.

The buttons can come with matching visual hanging tags.

Some “840 EID” tags should be placed in the middle rib of the ear, unlike the metal clips that were placed in the top portion of the ear.

This could be an issue if you have a visual tag in each ear, plus a fly tag in each ear. Adding an EID tag would make 5 tags per animal, and you may run out of room in their middle ribs.

Reach out to the tag manufacturer for tag placement recommendations.

Producers will need to establish a premise ID number or use the premise ID number of their veterinarian.

You or your veterinarian may put in 840 EID tags. Your vet will put 840 EID tags only into animals that used to require a metal clip for identification.

For example, if a producer tags all their calves at weaning with 840 EID tags, your vet will record those EID numbers when they give the bangs vaccine

to your heifers. The vet would not have to put a new EID tag in.

Check with the sale barn on what records are required.

For example, if you are selling breeding heifers, records showing the EID numbers matching the “bangs” vaccination might be helpful.

What will change for your veterinarian?

After November 5, 2024, your vet will be tagging with 840 EID tags instead of the metal tags.

The United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) is providing a certain number of tags for each state, during the transition. Nebraska veterinarians can receive tags for replacement animals.

If a disease is traced back to that veterinarian’s premise ID number, then the vet will work with the Nebraska Department of Agriculture to track the path that animal. Ideally, the EID tags will speed up the process and reduce losses during a disease outbreak.

More information can be found at the Animal Disease Traceability (ADT) website at: https://nda.nebraska.gov/adt/index.html .

MONTANA BRAND FOR SALE

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God, I wondered why the house was so cold this morning. I forgot to close the window before going to bed even though it was on my to-do list. I guess I need to check that list every day. Thank you for keeping me safe all night.

Winter protection for tender roses

By Esther E. McGinnis, Horticulturist, NDSU Extension

We have been blessed by an unusually lovely fall in the northern Great Plains. Unfortunately, the long-range weather forecast promises that all good things must come to an end. Before winter is upon us, gardeners should consider protecting tender roses. Most hybrid tea, floribunda and grandiflora roses were bred for warmer climates and cannot survive northern winters without protection.

Resourceful gardeners have devised many methods to protect tender roses. Regardless of the method, timing is important. Gardeners need to wait until the rose is completely dormant after several hard freezes. Considering that dead rose leaves can harbor spores that can cause next year’s fungal diseases, cleaning up plant debris is also important.

The styrofoam cone method used to be the most popular but has fallen out of favor for many reasons. The cone traps moisture that can lead to rotting. Research also shows that cones can heat up on sunny winter days and cause the plant to come out of dormancy. This can lead to winter damage or outright plant death. Styrofoam cones are an eyesore in the landscape and they can blow across the neighborhood if not adequately secured against winter winds.

Other winter protection methods are better because they insulate the plant and minimize temperature variability. Essentially, we want the plants to avoid freeze and thaw cycles. One method is to pile a well-drained media such as compost to a depth of 10 to 12 inches over the base of the rose. After the compost has firmly frozen, another foot of leaves or straw can be added to the pile and retained by creating a chicken wire cage. To protect against rotting, a fungicide should be sprayed on the canes prior to burial.

Hill County Montana 2024 4-H Livestock Sale Buyers

Thank you for your continued support of the Hill County 4-H program.

40 Below Public House

AgWest Farm Credit

Ag Wise – Kremlin

Aquatana

C & H Tires

CHS Big Sky

Cowan & Sons

Curt and Mary Kay Rambo

Double R Inc

Dr. Karrie Lien

Duchscher Kapperud Insurance

Erickson Insurance Group

Ezzie’s Wholesale

Family of Larry Sasaki

First Bank of Montana

– Big Sandy

Fleet Wholesale Supply

Frontline Ag Solutions

Gary & Leo’s IGA

Golden Triangle Seeds

Havre Distributors

Havre Ford

Havre Lions Club

Havre Space Center

Independence Bank

JS Livestock – Jeff Solomon

James Albertson Construction

Koefod Agency

Korb Construction

Krista Hellebust

Loch Electric

Lodestar Land and Home

MaxAg of Montana

Milk River Insurance

Miller Simmental / Deep Roots

Partnership

Montana Premium Processing Coop

N7 Land & Livestock – Bob Molitor

NKP Inc – In Memory of Nancy K Peterson

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Pacific Steel and Recycling

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Preputin Inc – Shawn and Dominique

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Stockman Bank

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The Boardroom

The Oxford Bar

Tilleman Equipment

Tilleman Motors

Triangle Communications

Valley Furniture

Vaughn Truck Salvage

Western Trailer and Marine Sales

Whistling Winds Livestock

X5 Ranch – Bill and Cathy Bradbury

The ultimate winter protection for roses has its origins in Minnesota. The Minnesota tip method involves tipping the plant into a hole dug next to the plant. First, tie the rose canes together using soft fabric to create a more compact bundle. Then apply a fungicide and dig a trench in the soil adjacent to the plant’s base that will accommodate the height, width, and depth of the rose. Next, use a spading fork to loosen the soil around the plant roots on the opposite side and tip the plant into the trench. Make sure to remove the soil from the crown of the plant. If done correctly, only the roots will bend. Then cover with the remaining soil. After the soil has frozen, cover with another foot of leaves or straw. If this sounds like too much work, you can plant hardy shrub roses that don’t require winter protection. The Canadian Artist Series of roses were bred to be winter hardy and disease-resistant. The cultivar, Campfire, was so successful in my garden with its prolific yellow, red and pink flowers that I added Emily Carr as a lovely focal point in the front yard.

Baling hay - Hazardous pay required

By D. Tomaskie

I walked off the job after only 3-hours on. The old guy kept yelling something about shutting down the PTO and powering up the throttle thing-a-mabob or was it the other way around? Stay in rabbit and shift into 2nd gear and straddle the windrows, but shift to turtle, and put it in 3rd when you move away. It’s a little hard to tell which is rabbit when the ears are all worn off the shifter knob!

And then, keep your eyes on the windrows but keep checking behind you to make sure everything is baling correctly. And don’t forget to check the temperature or was it moisture content? How does one keep eyes in front if having to check what’s happening behind you??

Then there was a lot of, do this, and don’t do that, like don’t let it wad up like that and don’t pop the clutch!! Did you know when you pop the clutch, you can pop wheelies with a tractor? Who knew? When this job is done, I’m writing to the company and asking them why they don’t make those shear bolts stronger so they won’t break like that? I’m definitely asking the old guy for hazardous pay for this job. Plus, there were no outhouses available, so no potty breaks.

As I was running out of the field towards my vehicle, I took a peek back and noticed the old man with his head in his hands and a lot less hair…. on his face …. because his head was already bald from last year when I offered to help my husband bale hay!

Addition of new sorghum forms to USDA’s FoodData Central Database

The United Sorghum Checkoff Program (USCP) is pleased to announce that four new forms of sorghum have been officially added to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s FoodData Central Database. This significant milestone ensures that the most up-to-date nutritional information on commonly used sorghum products is readily available to consumers and food companies amid growing demand for sorghum.

In collaboration with USCP, USDA collected samples from sorghum farms across the United States, gathered metadata and conducted nutrient analyses. The newly updated sorghum forms now available in FoodData Central are:

•Whole grain

•Pearled grain

•Pearled flour

•Bran

“This is a pivotal step in making sorghum information more accessible and understood by both consumers and the food industry,” said Lanier Dabruzzi, MS, RD, LD, Director of Nutrition & Food Innovation at Sorghum Checkoff. “We are excited about the potential growth this brings to the sorghum market.”

USCP will continue working with the USDA’s Methods and Application of Food Composition Laboratory (MAFCL) to include data on cooked grains and popped sorghum varieties. #####

Calvin Leon Graham enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1942. Later that year he was awarded for heroism after being wounded while serving on the USS South Dakota in the Battle of Guadalcanal. A few months after that he was thrown in the brig for three months, and in May 1943 he was dishonorably discharged from the navy. Why? Because he lied about his age when he enlisted: he was just 12 years old. (He turned 13 in April 1943.) He was the youngest American to serve during World War II.

The deadline for advertising in the January 2025 issue of the Trader's Dispatch will be December 31st. Phone (406) 271-5533. or email: advertising @tradersdispatch.com

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UW alum and faculty lead U.S. Army training in Scotland

By Brooke Ortel

Major Craig Calkins is the senior U.S. Army veterinarian for all of southern Europe, serving as the deputy commander for Veterinary Readiness Activity, Italy. But, 12 years into a decorated military career, Calkins still considers himself a Wyoming kid determined to find his way home.

In the meantime, he’s managed to do the next best thing: bring Wyoming resources abroad. Recently, that meant collaborating with two University of Wyoming faculty members to lead a livestock handling training for U.S. soldiers in Scotland.

Bucking convention

Calkins joined the Army as a veterinarian in 2012. When it came time to further his military career through specialized training, he chose an unconventional path: pursuing a rangeland ecology and watershed management degree at UW.

Having grown up in Wyoming, Calkins recognized the importance of understanding and managing agricultural land and livestock. Besides, after deploying to Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, and Qatar, he was eager to return to his home state.

Why work with livestock?

noticed that by the time a group of soldiers got comfortable working with large animals, it was time to pack up and head home. Not so at the Laramie Research and Extension Center. There, the sheer volume and repetition associated with collecting hundreds of blood samples and running hundreds of ultrasounds proved to be an invaluable training exercise.

That’s not the only advantage of working with large agricultural animals, Calkins says. For example, physical examinations of cattle and sheep provide an opportunity for soldiers to detect and treat internal parasites. That’s an experience they might not have in a clinic that primarily sees military working dogs and service members’ pets, which receive monthly preventatives.

“I genuinely believe that working with agricultural animals—large animals—is the recipe for success for building competencies in the small animal clinic,” Calkins concludes.

International relevance

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During his time in the military, Major Calkins had observed that many Army veterinarians and animal care specialists, while accustomed to handling military working dogs, lacked experience with large animals like sheep and cattle. In 2022, he decided it was time to explore training options for U.S. soldiers under his tutelage.

He knew exactly who to ask for assistance: his UW graduate advisor, rangeland management specialist Derek Scasta, and Whit Stewart, UW Extension sheep specialist.

It wasn’t the first time that Calkins had arranged for the Army Veterinary Corps to work livestock with UW faculty. In 2019, when he began his graduate research in rangeland ecology, Calkins recruited the 438th Medical Detachment (Veterinary Service Support) from Fort Carson, Colorado, to help draw blood from UW cattle.

The purpose of his research was to analyze how factors like blood-clotting times, hide thickness, elevation, and environmental conditions affect hornfly parasitism. These insects are the most economically damaging external parasite of cattle in the U.S., and the project meshed well with Calkins’ veterinary experience and interest in livestock production.

It turns out that collecting baseline data for his research project was also a key learning experience for the 438th Medical Detachment. In other settings, Calkins had

In addition to honing translatable veterinary skills, familiarity with livestock and agricultural systems may benefit soldiers serving in international conflict zones, whether to help sustain their units or provide humanitarian aid. “As we continue to shift from counterinsurgency operations to largescale combat operations, vet services need to be familiar with livestock operations,” says Calkins.

For example, soldiers deployed to eastern Europe might be tasked with procuring sheep to feed their division, Stewart explains. That might require building a temporary corral, purchasing sheep, moving the animals, and coordinating with a local harvest facility.

But, in order to successfully complete such tasks, the soldiers would need to understand the basics of livestock handling and care.

Civilian service

That’s where Stewart and Scasta came in. After some brainstorming about potential partners, they reached out to Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) in Edinburgh to arrange a training in August 2022. In cooperation with SRUC faculty and staff, Calkins and the two UW Extension specialists devel-

Major Craig Calkins

Stewart sorting lambs at the SRUC Hill and Mountain Research Centre near Crianlarich, Scotland, for soldier small group training activities.

National Pear Month

Pears have been around for over 4000 years, coming from the Caucasus and spread over from Asia and Europe to North America. Today, pears are considered a stable in any American supermarket, but in comparison to fruits like apples and oranges, pears can be difficult to incorporate into your daily meals.

History of National Pear Month

National Pear Month, started by USA Pears and officially declared by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is a month-long holiday dedicated to educating people about how to tell the ripeness of a pear and how to make the most out of eating pears. USA Pears created this holiday back in 2011 based off of a survey that stated that 84% of shoppers cannot tell when a pear is ripe when they are shopping in a grocery store. According to USA Pears, checking the ripeness of a pear can make all the difference because pears, when harvested, don’t come off the tree ripe but rather mature. The best way to check if a pear is ripe is the check the stem of the pear.

USA Pears chose the month because of the fact that most pears, specifically the 10 types of Northwest pears, get harvested during the month of December. Pears also have high nutritional value, having more fiber than bananas, oranges, and strawberries. This fruit is also hypoallergenic, safe for people with allergies to eat, and has pectin which helps control high cholesterol. National Pear Month encourages people to eat more pears and get more creative with pear recipes because of its texture and light flavor. As part of this celebration, USA Pears creates national tours and chef competitions to create the most out of using pears to help shine the light on how pears can improve overall health and being.

##### Don’t whip your horse, give him oats.

– Jewish Proverb ##### Never tire a grass horse. – Ken Alstad

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UW Alum and Faculty Lead U.S. Army Training in Scotland

CONTINUED FROM PAGE C32

oped a multi-day educational program for 33 U.S. Army soldiers stationed in Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, Turkey, and Spain.

“I brought all these subject matter experts with me instead of being a jack of all trades, master of none. I think that was the key to success,” Calkins reflects. “Whit and Derek are teachers—they can get messages across and work well with different learning styles.”

The hands-on training, which focused on handling, caring for, and physically evaluating sheep and dairy cattle, took place at SRUC’s Hill & Mountain Research Centre in the Scottish Highlands.

“It brought in all three parts of the landgrant university—extension, research, and teaching,” says Scasta. “The patriotism of supporting soldiers is pretty cool, and it’s a bit of an unusual opportunity. These soldiers are abroad sacrificing time with family, sometimes in very difficult places, to try to help provide stability and food security globally.”

The first training of its kind

The Scotland training was designed primarily for animal care specialists, Army personnel who serve as veterinary technicians. In addition to caring for military dogs, animal care specialists must demonstrate

internal

Veterinarians, animal care specialists, and veterinary food inspection specialists are also responsible for food and feed inspections, ensuring that local manufacturers meet U.S. military standards. Calkins worked with UW and SRUC to ensure that the training addressed these topics and/or directly translated into working with mili-

studies and prompting soldiers to consider livestock care as part of a larger integrated system.

“We got to work with armed forces, which is special to begin with,” he says. “Even cooler, we got to teach them about livestock stakeholders worldwide—how they sustain rural communities and why it’s important to know how to feed and care for these animals.”

He and Scasta started by discussing how environmental factors can affect an animal’s health. Next, they segued into how to safely handle large animals, keeping in mind that some soldiers had never interacted with livestock before.

Under the guidance of UW and SRUC instructors, the soldiers also performed physical examinations, focusing on how to take basic vitals and recognize common issues in feet, eyes, ears, and udders. Next, they practiced specific diagnostic techniques, such as using microscopes to inspect fecal samples for parasites.

For some participants, particularly veterinarians, the content was familiar; for others, getting in a pen or stall was a completely new experience. “We were teaching soldiers [and noncommissioned officers] that may not have a college degree or any level of post-secondary education, clear up to veterinarians. We integrated everybody’s knowledge,” says Stewart.

Leadership lessons

The training was a valuable learning experience not just for the soldiers, but also for the UW faculty members. “I really appreciated teaching a diverse set of stakeholders that had different baselines,” Stewart reflects. “It absolutely has enhanced how I teach in the classroom and with producers and extension people.”

The two UW educators were also impressed with the high standards for leadership and accountability upheld by soldiers of all ranks, from technicians to senior veterinarians like Calkins. “Leadership is at the forefront of everything they do,” says Scasta. “They facilitate constructive criticism at all levels but also hold high expectations within ranks. I think there’s a lot the academic institution can learn in that regard.”

Both he and Stewart were especially struck by the value of after-action reviews, structured discussions about each day’s successes and challenges. “That’s the beauty of the Army model,” says Stewart. “Every edition is iterative and we get better as we go.”

Based on pre- and post-evaluation feedback from participants, the training was a success. In recognition of their contributions, Scasta and Stewart were each honored with a civilian service award from the U.S. Army.

“They seemed to value having university ag folks there,” Scasta comments. “I see a lot of potential for synergy and collaboration.”

During their time at SRUC, the soldiers spent two days working with sheep; on the third day, they visited SRUC’s teaching dairy, where they learned to handle and milk cows. “It was really intentional to facilitate hands-on learning,” Scasta explains. “We didn’t want to just be in a classroom and lecture these folks.”

The instructors took what Stewart describes as a holistic approach, complementing animal handling exercises with case

Continuing the collaboration Inspired by the success of the Scotland training, Calkins and the UW team are considering hosting a similar program in Laramie.

Coordinating international logistics is no small feat, but UW has a lot to offer when it comes to livestock handling and care. While SRUC provided an excellent venue and coinstructors, due to licensing requirements, the soldiers were unable to perform blood tests on the livestock they handled. Hosting a similar training in Wyoming would allow

Soldiers practicing methods for assessing fecal samples and examining indicators of anemia and

parasite infestation at the SRUC Hill and Mountain Research Centre near Crianlarich, Scotland competency in livestock-specific tasks.

Soldiers practicing safe animal restraint and assessment of cattle vital rates at the SRUC Barony and Crichton farms near Dumfries, Scotland. tary dogs.

low boy service

##### As the clock chimes midnight to ring in the New Year, a Spanish tradition involves eating twelve of what? You’re supposed to have one for each chime?

Answer: Grapes.

#####

Who invented electric Christmas lights? Answer: Thomas Edison in 1880

UW Alum and Faculty Lead U.S. Army Training in

Scotland

CONTINUED FROM PAGE C34

soldiers to practice this key skill, potentially with hundreds of animals.

In addition to the facilities at the Laramie Research and Extension Center, the UW Meat Lab would provide an opportunity for soldiers to learn firsthand about meat processing. Uniquely Wyoming

Regardless of what the next training might look like—or where it might be held—the program in Scotland forged a unique and mutually beneficial relationship between the U.S. Army and the University of Wyoming.

“For Craig to reach out and invite us and recognize we could do something special in a very unique Wyoming way—I think that speaks to one of the things we’re good at here at UW,” says Stewart. “We can make things happen.”

It’s also a testament to Major Calkins, he and Scasta agree. Whether moving cattle at the Laramie R&E Center or handling sheep in Scotland, their former student consistently models discipline, integrity, and a good-natured willingness to do what needs to be done.

“I think Wyoming should be really proud of someone like Craig,” Scasta comments. “He’s the best of Wyoming in many ways.”

As for Calkins, Wyoming will always be home. “I will never forget where I’m from and what the state has provided me,” he says. “I think you can leave Wyoming, but Wyoming will always be with you. There’s always a resource I can reach back to and they’ll pull through.”

Improving pulse flours for consumer use

By Victoria Martinez, Canadian Light Source Chickpeas, lentils, beans and peas are a fast-growing food market, with new uses going well beyond bean salads and hummus – think brownies, vegan meats, and salad dressing. Researchers like Chitra Sivakumar are working to drive dining innovation by studying the tiniest details of flours made from these pulses.

“This is what I want to create, what the research is about: a specific flour for a specific product,” says Sivakumar, who conducted her doctoral research on pulse flours under the supervision of Dr. Jitendra Paliwal at the Grain Storage Research Lab at the University of Manitoba. The study explored how particle size, protein and starch, and other micro-properties of milled pulse flour influence the quality of the end product. Processing rice and wheat flours is standardized because century-old research on these crops has helped establish and optimize particle size for milling; however, pulse flours have not received the same attention.

Sivakumar explains that consumers and food producers are interested in pulse-based food products because beans and lentils are great sources of fibre and protein. They’re also good for the environment: Pulse Canada estimates that growing 10 million acres of pulses can capture 4.1 million tonnes of CO2 emission per year – the output of approximately 1.2 million passenger vehicles.

“Many consumers want to switch to the pulse-based proteins rather than animal-based proteins. But when they are looking in the grocery store they do not have many options,” says Sivakumar. She is using the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at the University of Saskatchewan to conduct specialized research aimed at changing that. The work is sponsored by the Canadian Pulse Science Research Cluster.

Sivakumar and her colleagues studied more than 60 flours from four pulse crops to understand how milling affects them. The ultrabright synchrotron light enabled them to see how starch and proteins were mixed together, the extent to which they were damaged by milling, as well as texture, getting a molecular-level picture of the size and distribution of the milled particles – not just at the surface, but within the flour.

“All these results can be applied, on both the agricultural producer side and in pulse milling processes,” says Sivakumar. Her research into starch and protein can inform decisions on what varieties to plant for different purposes, while the insights into particle size can help refine milling techniques.

“I am so glad we were able to use this wonderful facility for our research. The resolution and accuracy level is so good – I would say it is really brilliant.”

A Designated Driver

A friend is not bound by the words

To have and to hold

But their smile has a special meaning When you come in out of the cold

They didn’t share the words

Till death do us part

It’s just a bond that always Comes straight from the heart

It didn’t have anything to do with Do you take so and so It started with someone Who just likes to go where you go

Friends don’t notice how you look And probably don’t care about your age But they are always there when Through life, it’s time to start a new page

They’re there to tell anything Or just the happenings of the day

Maybe it’s a deep, dark secret

That you know, with only them, it will stay

They’re always around when Nothing seems to be going right They make you feel like Seeing you, to them, was a welcome sight

With them, you can talk for what seems like hours Or way into the night

And they know who you’re talking about When you say, “I wish I may, I wish I might.”

Tomorrow one friend, won’t have a headache Or won’t wonder how he was a survivor

Tonight he’s drinking coke It’s his turn to be designated driver

© ROBERT RIDGWAY (Vaughn, Montana) donnaridgway.com

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The risks of offering wrapped hay bales to cattle

By Lisa Moser, K-State Research and Extension news service

When driving in Kansas, it is easy to spot big, round hay bales that are wrapped in plastic and ready to be fed to cattle. When it is time to feed the bale, some producers put the hay with the wrap on in a grinder and chop it up together, while others choose to remove the wrap before offering free choice hay to the herd.

Which way is best for the cows? That is a question that the experts at Kansas State University’s Beef Cattle Institute answered on a recent Cattle Chat podcast.

The question came from a producer who discovered that one of his cows who died had a ball of plastic in her gut that likely came from eating the bale wrap and caused her to have a blockage that ultimately led to her death.

“Even chopped plastic can form a ball in a cow’s gut that will accumulate over time and can in some cases lead her to die,” K-State veterinarian Bob Larson said.

This has to do with how feed moves through the rumen, which is a chamber in the cow’s stomach, K-State beef cattle nutritionist Phillip Lancaster said.

He shares that as the feed passes through the rumen in the normal digestion process of a beef animal, there is a liquid layer that the feed must sink through to get to the next chamber – the reticulum.

“The particles have to be dense enough to sink into the reticulum, but plastic pieces are very light so they float and can accumulate in the rumen over time,” Lancaster said.

He added that death can happen when the plastic ball acts like a plug either preventing gas release or passage down the digestive tract.

Eating chopped plastic is a greater challenge for cows than for cattle on feed because of the years of a cow’s life versus that of a feedlot steer, Lancaster said.

“A greater percentage of a cow’s diet is hay, and she is consuming it over a lifetime compared to a steer who only has about 10% of his diet as hay and he is only in the feedyard for about five months before being processed,” Lancaster said.

With that in mind, the experts agree that the best strategy for the herd is to remove all plastic wrap before offering the hay to the herd.

Along with the lessened risk of digestive issues, K-State Brian Lubbers added that removing the wrap is also physically safer for the cattle.

“That wrap can get stomped in the mud and get tangled around their legs, which in some cases leads to lameness for the animal,” Lubbers said.

Testing hay

By Ben Beckman, UNL

While we as producers do all we can in season to store up quality hay, nutrient value in hay can change drastically from year to year. Even in the same field cut at a similar time, annual swings of 5% crude protein content and 10% TDN are not uncommon. With crop residues like cornstalk bales, we may have a smaller swing in nutrient differences, but a drop from 5% CP to 3% can have a big impact on supplement strategies and need. When it comes time to feed this winter, knowing what quality hay you have can mean the difference between over or underfeeding hay and/or supplement. Ultimately, differences can affect the bottom line as well as have negative consequences for herd health and fertility.

Testing hay isn’t hard, it just takes a bit of time and planning. The first step is to get a quality hay probe. Next, divide your hay into lots, bales that were harvested from the same field under similar conditions.

Sample 15-20 bales per lot, using the probe on the side that will capture the most layers. For round bales, sample from the rounded side; for squares, sample the shorter front or back end. Mix these samples from a lot together in a bucket and take out a quart sized Ziploc bag worth. Label the final sample with the hay type, lot number, and producer name and address and store in a cool, dry place until you can send it to your lab of choice for analysis. To avoid your sample sitting in the mail, ship during the first part of the week so the lab can begin processing before the weekend shutdown. Testing hay can take a bit of time, but accurately knowing the value of forages this winter can save money and help when it’s time to make decisions about providing supplemental feed. If you haven’t done so yet, now’s the time to test before winter sets in.