May Nevada Rancher Magazine 2020

The Oldest Independent Livestock Monthly in Nevada | May 2020 | Vol. XLIX | No. 5 | $3

HELPING NEIGHBORS

Lamoille Volunteer Fire Department Constructing New Central Station

LIVING WITH FIRE

Fire Prevention and Preparedness AMAZING GRAZE

Amid Pandemic, It’s More Important Than Ever To Prepare For Fire Season

Utilizing Grazing Management As A Tool To Improve Soils and Pasture

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Insights for Wildfire Season

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Spring has always been my favorite time of the year. Brandings are in full swing, cattle are turned out to graze, and the meadows and fields are turning green.

This year has been a little different due to the COVID-19. For the ranching community, work doesn’t get canceled.

Livestock still need to be tended to. Living outside of “town,” stock-piling food and social isolation are second nature to us. I am thankful for our lifestyle.

This issue’s theme is fire prevention and preparedness. Recently, the tragic Martin and Sugarloaf fires rolled through Nevada. With the odd weather year we have been experiencing, we

wanted to offer some insights into preventing wildfires.

My father and sister are involved with fire. Dad has always been very active in the rural fire department, where he has experienced it all, such as structure fires, vehicle roll-overs and wildfires.

My sister started fighting fire on an engine and over the years moved up to fire aircraft dispatching where she met her husband who is a smokejumper.

I pray the cattle market recovers from the Corona Chaos, your family and friends stay safe, and that we all do our part in preventing wildfires. I hope you enjoy this issue!

— Ashley

The Nevada Rancher (ISSN 0047-9489) (USPS #003-257) Published monthly at Winnemucca Publishing, 1022 S. Grass Valley Road, Winnemucca, NV 89445 Call us toll free at (866) 644-5011 Periodical Postage Paid at Winnemucca, 89445 Publisher: Peter Bernhard Editor: Ashley Buckingham Staff Writer: Jennifer Whiteley Contributors Heather Smith Thomas, David Glaser, Norma Elliott, Sarah Hummel Sales Representative: Ashley Buckingham Office Manager: Tracy Wadley Production Manager: Joe Plummer Advertising Designer: Emily Swindle Graphic Design: Lauren Solinger Production Coordinators: Adam Trumble, Brad Bancroft, Kevin MacMillan The Nevada Rancher does not assume responsibility for statements by advertisers nor products advertised within, and The Nevada Rancher does not assume responsibility for opinions expressed in articles submitted for publication. The publisher reserves the right to accept or reject advertising or editorial material submitted for publication. Contents in The Nevada Rancher may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, including, but not limited to original contents and original composition of all ads (layout and artwork) without prior written permission. Subscription rate: $16.00 per year. All content copyrighted, April 2020.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Nevada Rancher, Winnemucca Publishing, 1022 S. Grass Valley Road, Winnemucca, NV 89445

PHOTO: ASHLEY BUCKINGHAM

Pictured is Bob Buckingham, Assistant Fire Chief of the Paradise Valley Volunteer Fire Dept.

Inside this issue: How Wildfire Season Adversely Impact Ranchers – p. 12 Grazing Management as a Tool to Improve Pasture – p. 16 The Process of Artificial Insemination in Mares – p. 24 Paul Bottari Receives Realtors Leadership Award – p. 30

4

THE NEVADA RANCHER — MAY 2020

Cover Photo By: Cara Bieroth Small Soot covers a charolais pair as the smoke settles from the South Sugarloaf Fire near Mountain City, Nevada.

Hello from cow country

NCA President’s Monthly Message

As I write this, we are all in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is my hope that by the time you read this we can all see light at the end of the tunnel.

The last few weeks have been a lot different to say the least. Social distancing, businesses being closed, people trying to work from home, and telephonic and Zoom meetings, not to mention the toilet paper shortage. This was the first time in my life I remember going to the grocery store and finding bare shelves.

I feel bad for those businesses that have had to close, many of whom serve and promote our product. Concerns about our national and state economies seem to surround us. Many of our agricultural commodities have seen dramatic price decreases. We are in unchartered territory with this pandemic and cannot predict the future. I wish I could offer some insight as to how long it may impact our industry or how long until our market comes back up, but at this time, there is just too much uncertainty.

On a positive note, agriculture has been recognized as an essential business, and the public is becoming more aware of where their food actually comes from. The leadership of the NCA is working to stay informed and engaged as we navigate through this

pandemic to protect our industry. We are anticipating various USDA relief programs to come out and will closely watch for them and try to keep you informed.

The Nevada Department of Ag has assured us that they will continue to provide the services we need in order for us to continue to conduct commerce.

Brand inspectors are conducting inspections, the details for upcoming scale certifications are being worked out and other essential department services remain available with slightly modified processes. If you are having any issues or have any questions, please contact our office and we will do our best to help.

Times like these force us, as an industry, to reassess all aspects of the way we do business and undoubtedly, it will make us stronger. Historically, hard times have never been easy to get through, but once past them, many positive outcomes have prevailed. After we work our way through this pandemic, it is my hope that the cattle industry emerges stronger and that society has a greater appreciation for agriculture and the important things in life.

Tom Barnes President, Nevada Cattlemen’s Association

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Remembering Our Loved Ones Don Elser December 25, 1931 January 30, 2020

Don Elser was born in Sheridan, Montana to Ray and Ella Elser.

Don was preceded in death by his parents, five brothers and daughter, Cynthia Elser Hansford (Rodger).

Don is survived by his wife of 65 years, Barbara Trueman Elser of Melrose, Montana. Don and Barbara had four children, Suella Elser Brown (Russell), Don Elser (Polly), Rodney Elser; six grandchildren, Timothy Hansford (Darci), Christina Bucarey, (Ethan), Casey Brown, Scott Brown, Brian Elser (Danielle), and Sean Elser; three great grandchildren, Hazel Hansford, Audrey

Ramon“Ray”Mansisidor

Ramon “Ray” Mansisidor passed away peacefully March 11, 2020, after more than 95 years of a wonderful life.

Ray was born in Boise, Idaho May 7, 1924 to Leon “Guiputxe” and Santa Gabica-gojeascoa Mansisidor.

He went to school in Boise until the 8th grade when his family moved to Homedale, Idaho. Ray graduated from Homedale High School in 1942. Ray helped his Dad in the Sheep Ranch Operation in the summer while going to High School. He had many

and Charlotte Bucarey; sister, Ella Rae Olsen and numerous nieces and nephews.

Don graduated from Sheridan High School in 1950, where he was a member of FFA and captain of the football and basketball teams. Don received his Bachelor and Master of Science Degrees from Montana State University. He first taught Vo Agriculture classes at Elko High School in Nevada in 1954. He took four years off from teaching to serve in the U.S. Air Force, Rank of Captain.

After his military service, Don

interesting tales to tell from this period of his life.

In 1944 he went into the US Army and was sent to Fort Douglas, Utah. He took weapons training in Amarillo, TX. He volunteered and qualified for the Army Air Corp in the Air Cadet program. Ray was shipped to Cadet training at SW Missouri State Teachers College, Springfield, MO and then to William’s Field, Chandler, AZ

taught Vo-Ag at Enterprise High School in Oregon for two years before returning to Elko, Nevada, where he taught Vo-Ag at Elko High School from 1960-1970. He continued to coordinate the vocational and Vo-Ag programs in Elko County until 1972 while he was also director of the school district’s adult high school program {1972-1982}. In 1982 Don became Assistant Superintendent of physical services for Elko County School District, the position from which he retired in 1988. Don and Barbara retired outside of Sheridan, Montana where they raised Registered Quarter Horses for Ranch Performance.

Don was a member of the

where he was the first Cadet OLT (on line training) to qualify as a flight engineer on B-17s. He would remain as a flight engineer to help train Pilots, Co-pilots and navigators on B-17, B-24 and B-25 bombers until he was honorably discharged at the end of World War II in 1945.

Ray went to Washington State University in Pullman, Washington for 2 semesters to study veterinary medicine, however, he was offered a job with Brown Tie and Lumber Company in McCall, Idaho, driving a logging truck. He later joined the Forest Service

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American Legion in Sheridan.

Don was named honorary Nevada State Farmer in 1963 and received an honorary American Farmer Degree in 1967. He was named one of the top six Vo-Ag teachers in the U.S. in 1968, being awarded the A. O. Smith Harvester Travel Scholarship. Don was awarded Nevada Vocational Teacher of the Year in 1969 and the Sears Roebuck and Company Travel Scholarship that same year, along with the AG USA TV Outstanding Pacific Region Vo-Ag Instructor.

Don is a Lifetime member of the Future Farmers of America.

His membership in FFA began in high school as the chapter

Smoke Jumpers in 1946. He trained in Missoula, MT and then returned to McCall to be part of the beginning of the McCall Smoke Jumper training school.

Ray became an accomplished bush pilot flying supplies in and out of Idaho Back Country airstrips. Ray also flew on skis into Patty Flat for the Forest Service taking snow depth measurements. Ray was known to do exhibition parachute jumps and during the 1954 “Keep Idaho Green” celebrations in Caldwell, high winds carried him away from the airport and into the back yard of Mr. & Mrs. Hanna. The Caldwell News Tribune dubbed the story “Wrong-Way Corrigon”.

In 1956, Ray came back to Homedale to help his Dad on the farm and has been farming since that time. While farming, Ray joined the Idaho Army National Guard for 4 years and attained the rank of Sargent 1st Class. In 1957, Ray was also instrumental in the creation and development of the Homedale Municipal Airport (S66) as President of the Homedale Flying club working with local and state officials.

Ray was also a Boise Oinkari Basque Dancer for

Rodney Wayne Hopwood

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president, representative in Kansas City. He was awarded the State Farmer Degree in 1949 and elected to state office in the Montana FFA Association. While attending MSU, Don won the grand champion showmanship contest, was elected to the Alpha Zeta Agricultural Honorary Fraternity, collegiate FFA President and played football and basketball. FFA continued to be a part of Don’s life as a teacher for 10 years in Elko, with two American Farmers, thirteen State Farmers and ten State officers.

Thank you to all the wonderful people who helped care for Don in the past several months.

four enjoyable years. He traveled with the group to the 1962 World’s Fair in Seattle, the 1964 World’s Fair in New York and the Milwaukee Folk Festival in 1966. In November 1967, Ray married Mary Louise Osa, his wife of 53 years, in Gooding, Idaho.

They planned the date so it was after sugar beet harvest!

Ray and Mary Louise have four children, Anne-Marie, Michael, Joseph and Patrick.

For many years, Ray was a part of the Beti Gazteak (Always Young) playing his accordion every 1st Thursday of the month at the Basque Museum and Cultural Center in Boise. Ray was affiliated with the Homedale American Legion, Caldwell Elks, Owyhee County Soil and Water Conservation District (60 years), Owyhee County Sheriff’s Posse (30 years), NOCWMA Owyhee County Weed Management, Euzkaldunak Basque club in Boise, Basque Museum and Cultural Center in Boise and Txoko Ona Basque club in Homedale.

In January 2020, in recognition of 60 years of service, the Owyhee County Soil and Water Conservation District renamed their ‘Conservationist of the Year’

Rodney Wayne Hopwood walked through the narrow gate to hear “well done, good and faithful one” on Palm Sunday, April 5, 2020.

He was 62 years old and passed at his home in Kimberly, Idaho after a battle with cancer.

He was born on October 13, 1957, in Buhl, Idaho, to Allen & Dorien Hopwood. He was the first of four children. The day after he graduated from high school he started cowboying, the thing that he had always wanted to do. He loved working with livestock and good cattle dogs.

While working as a cowboy for the Western Stockgrowers Association in Kimberly, he met his wife, Carol Brockman. When they were newly married, Jesus got ahold of their lives and changed the trajectory forever. Rodney began a lifelong pursuit to get to know God. He was a family man. They had four children and he was very proud of them. In 1995, he and Carol got their own place to run some cows in Kimberly and Rodney also started working at the Twin Falls Canal Company to provide extra support for his family. Rodney was well known for his work ethic and worked tirelessly to provide for those he cared

award to the ‘Ray Mansisidor Memorial Conservationist of the Year’ award. Ray was always a natural storyteller.

He would usually engage his friends with stories of his past or their mutual shared experiences.

Ray was preceded in death by his parents, brother Al and his niece Terri. Surviving Ray are his wife Mary Louise, his children Anne-Marie DeCouto (Ed), Mike (Judy) Mansisidor, Joe (Susan) Mansisidor and PJ Mansisidor.

Ray has 11 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister Mary Dennis, nephew John (Diane) Mansisidor, nephew Jim (Beth) Dennis and niece Stephanie (Elden) Dorimer.

Due to the health crisis our country is experiencing, there will be a Celebration of Life for Ray at a later date. Probably after sugar beet harvest is over.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to your favorite charity or the Txoko Ona Basque Club in Homedale, the Basque Museum and Cultural Center in Boise, the Euzkaldunak Basque club in Boise or to Mansisidor Family Farms (for Save St. Huberts relocation fund).

about.

“Today, the birds are singing and the smell of the sagebrush that the rain awakened in the night is drifting in. Calling his best dog Shorty along with his pup Wilbur to his side, they head out to meet Grandma Charlotte. She has his horse Paint, his longest winded mount, saddled and she’s ready to show him the ropes on the new herd. There will always be cattle on a thousand hills that will need gathered and tended.” (Psalms 50) He is survived by his wife, Carol and children, Maggie ( Arlen) Gentert, Wesley (Niki, Cedar, Oasis), Caleb (Danielle), Tamzy (Kevin, Tucker, Layton, Will, Logan, Emery) Clark.

Also survived by his mother Dorien, siblings Alena, Kevin and Terry and many other family members.

He is preceded in death by his father Allen, his grandparents, and many other family members and friends. He has been looking forward to seeing them again. Services will be announced at a later date.

An Alternative Model of Wildfire Response Special to Nevada Rancher Magazine Wildfires are growing in size, frequency, and severity across rangelands in the U.S. West. Although fire is a natural component of sagebrush steppe ecosystems, it can also threaten values such as sage-grouse habitat, forage for grazing, and residential and commercial structures and encourage invasive plant establishment.

Wildfire suppression responsibilities have historically been divided among resident ranchers, some rural fire districts, and government agencies. But wildfire, and interest in managing it, crosses ownership boundaries.

Since the 1990s, numerous Rangeland Fire Protection Associations (RFPAs) have emerged in Oregon and Idaho, and a recent law authorizes RFPAs in Nevada as well. RFPAs organize and authorize rancher participation in fire suppression alongside federal agency firefighters, typically from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

These all-volunteer crews of ranchers have training and legal authority to respond to fires on private and state lands in landscapes where there had been no existing fire protection, and can become authorized to respond on federal lands as well.

There has been growing policy interest in better understanding the RFPA model.

APPROACH & FINDINGS

Our study analyzed RFPA establishment, functioning, successes, and challenges through four case studies of individual RFPAs and their respective state programs in Oregon and Idaho during 2015-2016:

COURTESY PHOTO

■ Ranchers’ advantages for fire response are put into practice through the RPFA model. These include in-depth local knowledge, their own resources and equipment, spatial distribution across large landscapes, and strong motivation to protect their and their neighbors’ properties from fire. They can respond quickly, keeping fires small and preventing the impacts of larger events.

■ RFPA-BLM relationships were challenged by histories of conflict, differences between state and federal standards (in Oregon), cultural differences between ranching communities and formal firefighting institutions, and specific negative incidents or experiences.

■ RFPA-BLM relationships were improved by experience and time spent together on and off the fireline, which built common understandings and allowed for informal and interpersonal interactions. RFPA members increased their understanding of federal fire management decisions, and BLM personnel developed respect for RFPA members’ local knowledge and skills.

■ The RFPA model has focused on

suppression, but many ranchers view fire management more holistically and the potential may exist for RFPA engagement in a wider range of activities. One RFPA has participated in a fuel break project, and several others have participated in prescribed burns on private and state lands.

■ Establishment of research on avoided costs and other benefits of RFPAs would help better quantify their advantages and inform policy.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE & POLICY

Collaboration for wildfire response may be improved by: ■ Ride-alongs and working side-by-side during fire events; ■ Time spent together off the fireline during trainings, meetings, social events, and in the community; ■ Collective after-action review; ■ Local BLM staff liaisons when non-local incident management teams come in; ■ Transition memos and time allocated for new BLM staff to obtain institutional memory and introductions to RFPAs. RFPA program design should take into account: ■ Roles of state agencies relative to and between RFPAs and the BLM, which may include mediator, advocate for RFPA needs, guarantor of compliance with federal standards, grantor, convener, pass-through, or program manager; ■ Importance of informal and interpersonal communications and relationships; ■ Provision of both equipment and training.

The organizational capacity of RFPAs may be enhanced with: ■ Strong leadership from a chairperson, board, or other leader(s) willing to do organizational and administrative work and set the tone or positive relationships within the RFPA and with the BLM; ■ Well-organized and maintained systems for functions such as bookkeeping, member training records, and tracking in-kind and volunteer contributions.

Other implications for working lands communities to increase their participation in fire preparation and response, and become more “fire-adapted” include: ■ Multiple issues must be addressed, including safety, liability, interfaces with agency and contractor fire personnel, and organizational structures through which participation could be legally and operationally feasible.

■ Learning and adaptation can help ease tensions between volunteer and professional institutions, even if volunteer partners may begin with relatively limited understandings of fire management. Experience, repeated interactions, and being given responsibility may help local participants gain broader understanding of professional firefighting techniques, and in turn increase professional comfort with and regard for local knowledge and values.

This article was published in fall 2017 through a partnership among Oregon State University, the University of Oregon and the Joint Fire Science Program. To learn more about this research and findings, visit: tinyurl.com/RFPAstudy.

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THE NEVADA RANCHER — MAY 2020

7

Lamoille Volunteer Fire Department – Neighbors Helping Neighbors

Jennifer Whiteley

Nevada Rancher Magazine

It is an unsettling feeling, watching a fire race down a draw to your home. The fear you feel for your home, family, and livelihood is immeasurable. In agriculture, we aren’t always close to manned fire stations and often rely on Volunteer Fire Departs in case of emergencies.

Local Volunteer Firefighters are often the first responders to any emergency in rural communities.

These are the guys who show up first to wildland fires, fires on the ranch, or accidents when town is far away.

They are your neighbors, family, and often spouses. Whether they are feeding cows, doctoring calves, or even eating dinner, they often drop everything to assist in an emergency because, as Lamoille VFD Co-Captain Travis Whiteley explains, “That rangeland, barn, or house could easily be ours. We help our neighbors and they help us.”

Volunteer Fire Departments are neighbors helping neighbors.

Joe de Braga, secretary of the Lamoille VFD tells us, “We have quite a few volunteers, but since they all have other jobs, they don’t all always make it to a fire. It is extremely important for rural communities to have VFD’s for first response. Since rural communities are usually a long way from a manned city station, volunteers in rural areas are usually first on scene. As a department we do community tours to evaluate fire danger around resident’s homes and inform them of ways to be better prepared for fire protection. We also provide standby service to many local events.”

When volunteers join a department, they often sign up for firefighting classes and other certifications that teach them what they need to know to be a firefighter. These may include Firefighter I, Firefighter II, Structure Fire, and Emergency Responder certifications.

They go through much of the same trainings as career firefighters, but receive little to no pay, and volunteer on their down time.

They also participate in trainings throughout the year.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, 70 percent of firefighters in the United States are volunteers. Oftentimes, volunteers are just as qualified as career firefighters.

The biggest obstacle local VFD’s face is funding and getting good equipment, asde Braga explains.

“Funding for the VFD comes partially from the County and partially from our own fundraising. For example, the County is providing funds for our building, and we are building the fences around it,” he says. “They provide heat and electricity for

8

PHOTOS: JOE DE BRAGA

The current LVFD fire station is a garage that houses a water tender and a fire truck, without room for much else. It is very difficult to park, and then remove the vehicles from the building in the event of an emergency.

LVFD watches the Range 2 fire. the building. We both provide maintenance to the building and apparatus. Our biggest obstacle has been funding for new, quality apparatus.”

Currently the Lamoille Volunteer Fire Department has a small station centrally located in the town of Lamoille. It is a garage next to the Lamoille School house that houses a water tender and a fire truck. The rest of the VFD’s fleet are kept at personal residences throughout the community.

Trainings are scheduled in shared facilities and are subject to room availability. Thanks to the

THE NEVADA RANCHER — MAY 2020

generous donation of four acres of land by John Robert Sustacha, the LVFD is in the process of constructing a new fire station centrally located in the Lamoille community.

This station will house all of their vehicles and will allow for the acquisition of a new Type 3 Wildland Fire Engine and water tender in 2021. The station will also contain a training room, showers, and storage for their equipment.

The property is large enough for a helicopter pad and storage of the county bulldozer and transport. It will also be used as

Mike Sarman of the Owl Ranch and LVFD member takes a moment to regroup after working on a dozer line on the Range 2 fire.

a staging area for large fires in the area, such as the recent Owl Creek and Range 2 fires.

Having a centralized location will result in faster response times and better protection of property in surrounding areas. This will give community members lower interest rates on homeowner’s insurance, allow firefighters the ability to get 4,000 gallons of water to a fire, and having all vehicles in one, central location will provide faster response times to fires as well.

The cost of constructing the building for the new station is paid for by County taxes. It is up to the LVFD to pay for everything that goes into the building.

Items to be purchased include lockers, personal protective equipment, handheld radios, desks, tables, chairs, and training equipment.

This station will go to bettering the community of Lamoille but is expensive. To help raise the money needed to purchase this essential equipment, America’s favorite cowboy cook Kent Rollins has offered to provide the meal for Lamoille’s “Help Build Our New Fire Station” dinner and auction to be held Saturday, June 6, from 5-9 p.m. at the 7th Canyon Ranch in Lamoille.

Rollins has cooked for hunters and cowboys throughout his cooking career and has made numerous television appearances including the Food Network’s

Thanks to a generous donation by John Robert Sustacha, the new home of the LVFD station will house all of their vehicles and will allow for the acquisition of a new Type 3 Wildland Fire Engine and water tender. The station will also contain a training room, showers, and storage for our equipment. The property is large enough for a helicopter pad and storage of the county bulldozer and transport. It will also be used as a staging area for large fires in surrounding areas. highly rated show “Throwdown! with Bobby Flay,” where he beat Flay with his chicken fried steak, as well as “Chopped Grill Masters,” “Chopped Redemption” and “Cutthroat Kitchen.”

He also holds an undefeated record on NBC’s “Food Fighters” and was featured on CBS Sunday Morning. In addition to Rollins’ storytelling, music will be provided by Southwind.

The LVFD is composed of

community members; neighbors helping neighbors. If you can, please support your local VFD. They can use your support.

If you would like to purchase to the “Help Build Our New Fire Station, or for more information on tickets or to donate to the new Lamoille VFD fire station, contact Joe de Braga at debraga. joe@gmail.com or find Lamoille Volunteer Fire Department on Facebook.

Lamoille VFD members Travis Whiteley, Jess Sustacha, Owen Reed and Matt Nelson wait for the arrival of and to join in the escort of officer Ben Jenkins as the procession enters Wells, NV.

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Fires Adversely Impact Ranchers Heather Smith Thomas

Special to Nevada Rancher Magazine

In recent years, fire has become the biggest threat to natural resources in many western states, destroying wildlife habitat, timber resources, and livestock forage.

More acreage burns each year, with devastating fires impacting not only livestock producers but also urban areas — with homes and towns destroyed, and loss of human lives. Fire has become one of the biggest concerns for many rural and urban areas alike.

Mark Lacey, of the California Cattlemen’s Association, has been visiting many ranchers in his state and several ranches have been seriously impacted, suffering horrendous fires.

“Some of the comments is that they are very frustrated with CAL Fire,” he says.

CAL Fire is the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the State agency responsible for fire protection on state-owned lands (31 million acres) as well as administration of California’s private and public forest lands.

This Department provides emergency services in most counties through contracts with local governments. As stated on the CAL Fire website, the Department’s firefighters, fire engines, and aircraft respond to an average of more than 5,600 wildland fires each year — fires that burn more than 172,000 acres annually.

“Ranchers are frustrated with the State government blaming all fires on climate change,” says Lacey.

Land management must be addressed. The state and federal agencies are not proactive enough in reducing fuel loads via logging, forest thinning, grazing, brush control, etc. and fuel continues to build up.

Logging on federal lands has been eliminated or severely curtailed, and livestock numbers have been reduced (and eliminated in many areas that were previously grazed) and now the West is suffering the consequences.

“CAL Fire doesn’t want to do controlled burns (to reduce fuel loads) because they don’t want negative comments from the public about smoke. Instead, they throw a lot of money in directions that are not very helpful for fire control,” Lacey says. “It’s typical government bureaucracy. The governor allocated more than $200 million toward fire control and CAL Fire used it to buy 20 helicopters. This will not solve wildfires; helicopters have marginal value for controlling a big fire. These large helicopters need a 2-person crew, possibly 3, such as a pilot, co-pilot and a crew chief. There will be 2 or 3 people in each helicopter, who will now be state employees, on duty about half the year, receiving salaries for the entire year, and then a retirement pension — and they can probably retire at age 55.

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COURTESY PHOTOS

Pinto Creek Fire.

“CAL Fire bought equipment that will continue to have operation/maintenance expenses, plus the cost to crew them, and legacy costs of California pensions.”

This will be an ongoing expense for state taxpayers, Lacey says.

“There are programs through NRCS and FSA to help ranchers who suffer fire damage, but the biggest expense besides livestock loss is supplemental feed (having to buy hay to make up for lost grass) or having to rebuild lots of fences. More ranchers are investing in fire insurance. My family operates a ranch along Highway 5 and we get 4 or 5 fires that start from that highway every year, so now we have fire insurance,” he says. “The other problem with the government is that in order to let us reduce fuel loads they’d have to change some of their existing laws and regulations. They don’t want to do that, because they face resistance from other agencies and environmental groups. Instead of doing the necessary thing, which is rolling back regulations and changing laws, they throw money at the problem.”

Money can help, but it’s often spent for things that don’t help.

“For instance, if CAL Fire is just going to buy equipment, it won’t reduce the fire problems. We are trying to identify ways for them to invest that money for long-term solutions, either through infrastructure for more grazing, or fuel reduction,” Lacey says.

Fuel reduction doesn’t have to

THE NEVADA RANCHER — MAY 2020

be burning; it could be selective grazing with livestock in areas where there’s been no grazing, or doing brush control with goats.

“We’re setting up meetings with state parks and state agencies.

If they don’t have the infrastructure to facilitate grazing, perhaps money the government had designated could be used to put in infrastructure to allow for grazing,” he says. “Anything that livestock can do to reduce fires and enhance public safety would be a positive thing. We could partner with the Woolgrowers and some of the goat people for some of these areas.”

Brush removal, whether by fire, spraying, or mechanical means, is temporary.

“In a short time we get regrowth of chaparral, other shrubs and heavy fuels. Most brush is unpalatable for cattle, but goats and sheep might keep the new growth down,” he explains.

A combined strategy can work in some of the state parks and municipalities.

“Brush could be controlled by sheep/goats in certain areas and then those lands could be utilized by cattle, and grazing continued on a rotational basis to keep down fuel loads in some of these areas,” Lacey says.

This could help keep brush in immature stages and not let it advance to maturity to produce heavy fuel loads that result in catastrophic fires that destroy wildlife habitat and put human

safety and property at risk.

Grazing is much more positive and productive than trying to control brush or overgrowth of grasses by burning. Grazing can aid the livestock industry, produce beneficial products and be a plus for the economy rather than trying to depend on costly fire control. It’s always better to utilize a resource than burn it up.

“The cattlemen want to create opportunities for increasing grazing because it’s a positive thing for our state, but we don’t want to be involved in a program where we’d be getting paid to graze,” Lacey says. “If some of the parks want to bring in goats for brush control and pay them to graze, that’s up to them, and that’s a different paradigm because a herd of goats can be herded in places other livestock might not go.”

Part of the fire problem today, however, is that some of the lands that used to be routinely grazed by cattle are not being grazed today.

“The state of California has invested in a lot of lands — state parks, etc. — and eliminated grazing. In the parks, where there is a lot of public access, there might be some issues with cattle, but they could certainly figure out a way to graze with sheep and goats,” says Lacey.

Most of the parks were originally grazing lands and ranches, and fire danger was much lower due to regular grazing by livestock, but these regions now have

tremendous fuel loads from lack of grazing.

“Years ago, on many of the annual grasslands on the west side of the Sierra, when areas did burn, the counties and universities experimented with reseeding different types of vegetation, and this is one of the post-fire treatments we need to reinstate,” Lacey says. “With big fuel loads, fires sometimes burn hot enough to sterilize the soil and destroy the seed bank. When we have a big fire, like we had in Santa Barbara County, and up in Butte County, there is often a rainstorm afterward.

“Then there’s erosion and mudslides. Some fires have been a big problem because it’s such a short period of time from when it burns and when the rainy season starts.

We may not always be able to reseed them, but we need to try to reseed some of these areas.”

Heavy brush tends to grow on the southwestern slopes because it’s drier and there’s more sunlight.

“Enough research has been done on many types of grasses, forbs, etc. that we could reseed with species that could do well on those slopes, and encourage cattle to graze those slopes better and more fully, and possibly delay return of shrubs,” says Lacey.

Then there won’t be such a heavy fuel load, and if a fire goes though it will be a quick burn and not as damaging, nor as likely to extend into more areas and

become a catastrophic fire.

“I live on the east side of the Sierra and we do a lot of range burning to retard desert shrubs.

We need to burn some of these areas every 5 to 7 years, to reduce excessive fuel buildup. If you can keep fire intervals short, it delays encroachment by so many shrubs,” he says. “The California Resources Board and regional air boards are part of the problem.

They have ‘clear air’ standards that are hard to live by. When we do a burn, the air board may limit us to 10 acres per day, so it takes 10 days to burn 100 acres, and people complain about the prolonged smoke. It would be better to burn the 100 acres in one day, with only one day of smoke.”

The alternative, if grazing, thinning, burning, etc., do not reduce fuels, is a huge fire and thick smoke all summer, producing a bigger health hazard for humans and animals from air pollution.

“Both of these agencies are so sensitive to public comments that they overreact to any comments about smoke or air quality,” Lacey says. “It will take a lot of work and effort to get these things resolved, and if the agencies are only going to listen to environmental groups and not let people use dozers and do some burning, there will continue to be more and more fires.

“The Park Service here has a ‘let burn’ policy and it’s not flexible enough. We get summer thundershowers in July and August and many lightning-caused fires.

It might start one or two trees on fire and they could easily put it out with a small crew, but they don’t, and then it becomes a huge fire. Then they get worried and have a hard time putting it out (and sometimes can’t) and spend millions trying to suppress it.

“The Park Service needs to change their fire program. If small fires start in the heat of summer, when you know there will be at least another 90 days of warm weather, upslope winds, etc. they need to just go put it out, and identify the areas that need to be burned for fire control. Then they could go back in there in October after the weather cools off, and light them off and let them burn until snowfall.”

Lacey went to college on the coast and worked on ranches in the coastal mountains, where they did a lot of proactive burning.

“We did it by ourselves, and didn’t have CAL Fire and didn’t need them. Everyone grew up burning and knew how to do it.

We’d do it in the cool season, and prevent major fires during summer,” he says. “We created fuel breaks, and back in those days the California Department of Forestry (before they changed their name to CAL Fire) used to have large fuel breaks to help them effectively control or prevent large fires and get ahead of them.

They could backfire off those fuel breaks.”

Lacey says there are some good people working for CAL Fire but the historical knowledge is no longer there.

“I don’t think very many of them know that the only reason

that department was created was for fuel reduction and fire protection. The reason they got helicopters in the first place was so they could use a heli-torch to set backfires to do controlled burns,” Lacey says. “Now they buy helicopters just to move people around or monitor a fire, without actually doing anything to retard the fires. These helicopters can’t carry enough water to do much good. If they were going to spend that money on equipment they’d have been far better off spending it on extra-large bombers that can lay down a lot of retardant.

“The small amount of water a helicopter can dump might be adequate for one small tree, or to help a crew that’s endangered, but this is inadequate for fighting a big fire.”

There are a lot of challenges and many problems to try to resolve.

“Some of it needs to be regulatory changes and some need to be legislative fixes. People need the courage to resist the environmental attitude of not wanting anything done, and not overreact to public comment about smoke from controlled burns to reduce fuel loads,” Lacey says. “I keep asking them, ‘Would you rather apologize for a couple days of smoke, or have to apologize to someone whose house burned down (or lost a family member fighting fire)?’

“The state and county governments have a huge responsibility.

California has continued to allow rural sprawl and development pushing farther out, with people building homes in areas that used to be ranches. When you drive into Sacramento you are driving through areas that used to be ranches. Now people have built out to El Dorado, Shingle Springs, all the way out to Placerville where the terrain transitions from grasslands to heavy brush and scrub, to conifer forest.”

The town of Paradise was a pretty place, and many people moved there to build homes. The Camp Fire (named after Camp

Creek Road, where the fire originated) was the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history, and also the deadliest wildfire in the United States since the Cloquet fire in 1918 in Minnesota. In that fire, 453 people died and 52,000 people were injured or displaced, 38 communities were destroyed, and 250,000 acres were burned.

The Camp Fire that burned Paradise, California, was the world’s costliest natural disaster in 2018.

The fire started on November 8, 2018, in Butte County, in Northern California and went through the community of Concow, before hitting the densely populated foothill town of Paradise.

This fire resulted in nearly 90 civilian fatalities, and injured 12 civilians, two prison inmate firefighters, and three other firefighters. It covered an area of 153,336 acres and destroyed 18,804 structures, with most of the damage occurring within the first four hours, becoming the most destructive wildfire in history.

Total damage was $16.5 billion, and one-quarter of the damage, $4 billion, was not insured. The fire was finally contained after seventeen days on November 25, 2018. The town of Paradise was built in a forested area where fire could easily travel.

“You can’t tell people that they can’t live out there, but if counties are going to allow development they need to have more plans for fire control,” Lacey says. “They need more restrictions on development; it’s no different than allowing people to build in a flood plain.”

After the big San Diego fires (more than 10 years ago), the state said they would make legislative changes regarding building materials, layout of development, space, etc.

“That lasted only until the financial crisis when the state and counties were going broke.

At that point the counties just opened the floodgates and allowed development to take off again, to generate revenue,” Lacey

says. “Someone will have to step up and think about how to curb the development that is pushing into rural areas — and if they are going to allow it, what kind of requirements they should make, to protect those people. Whenever we have extreme conditions, power companies may start shutting down transmissions to protect themselves and not be liable for these fires.

Then people will be complaining about lack of power. They’ll need alternative sources (solar, generators, or wind power) if the power companies make it a practice to start shutting down transmission lines when conditions are risky.

“Livestock people have suffered greatly these past few decades.

They’ve lost feed, they’ve lost livestock, and facilities/fences, and many hardships trying to get their livestock through until the next grass season, but homeowners have also suffered. They’ve lost property and suffered loss of lives and residences.”

Fires in the West have become a huge concern, and today are affecting towns and communities as well as farms and ranches.

“The federal government has about 240 vacant Forest Service allotments in California alone, just because the FS doesn’t have the manpower or the money to supposedly write and renew the Allotment Management Plans,” says Lacey. “So we have that many grazing allotments that should be being grazed, to help with fuel reduction, that are not being grazed. Thus the federal government has a role in this problem.”

Environmental groups are also pushing hard to take more livestock off federal lands, which would compound the problem.

“These are the people who don’t want any logging, or thinning in the forests, or grazing,” Lacey adds. “They’d rather have the catastrophic fires that decimate wildlife habitat, destroy natural resources and put human life and private property at risk. With this lack of management on federal,

state and county lands, and increasing restrictions on private lands, unless we can change this around, westerners will be doomed to live with ever-increasing fire danger and unhealthy summers of smoke-filled days when it is not safe to breathe.

“Everyone wants to blame climate change, but that’s a weak argument. Earlier we had 15 to 20 million people living in California, and a lot of these fires start along highways. We had all these people and most of them own one or two cars, so we had up to 40 million cars on the road daily, plus all the trucking to bring all the goods to people who live here. There may have been 50 million vehicles on the road every day. Now we have 40 million people living here, so we have 80 million vehicles, plus trucks, so we probably have 100 million vehicles on roads, with potentials for blowouts or chains dragging on their travel trailers, starting these fires, or a careless cigarette.

“What does that have to do with climate change?”

California gets a lot of attention because billions of dollars’ worth of property burn every year, because there are so many people in this state.

“But there are also hundreds of thousands of acres every year burning in the Great Basin (Nevada and surrounding states) and most people don’t hear about that — because it’s mainly impacting ranchers rather than towns and cities,” he says. “It’s the same sort of issues, however, that create opportunity for those fires; the change in management of federal lands has been the biggest culprit, in response to environmental groups like Western Watersheds, Defenders of Wildlife, etc.

“They don’t want cattle out there and don’t want controlled burns or any other helpful programs. The agencies have changed how they’ve managed these rangelands over the last 30 to 40 years, to the severe detriment of those lands.

“If you look back to before World War II, when the agencies were putting in crested wheatgrass, etc., to improve grazing, there were huge swaths of crested wheat that for the most part were a buffer for some of these fires — not nearly as problematic as the cheat grass we have today.”

There were also a lot more livestock out there, reducing fuel loads. Livestock numbers have been decimated on public lands these past few decades.

“People can talk about climate change, but it all stems back to changes in how the agencies have managed rangelands in response to environmental groups that don’t want grazing. We haven’t addressed the fuel load; the old crested wheat seedings are mostly gone, grown back into shrubs,” Lacey says. “Once you get fires, then you get cheat grass coming in. If people really want to solve the problem they need to look at how the federal government and other government agencies have changed management of our rangelands.”

THE NEVADA RANCHER — MAY 2020

13

PHOTOS: COURTESY LIVING WITH FIRE

Wildfire Knows No Boundaries

Special to Nevada Rancher Magazine

In the unprecedented times of Covid-19, it is even more important that Nevada communities prepare for other emergencies like wildfire. The global pandemic reminds us that we need to build resilience to disasters before they arrive.

There are steps you can take now, tomorrow and for years to come that will help prepare you

and your family for wildfire.

The Living With Fire Program (managed by University of Nevada, Reno Extension) is here to provide tools and recommendations for how to prepare now. May is Nevada Wildfire Awareness Month and this year our them is “Wildfire Knows No Boundaries.

Make Yours.”

This sentiment is true now more than ever as we all create boundaries between our families and the outside world in order to

stay safe.

Specifically, this year’s theme is a call to action for residents to work on their defensible space.

Defensible space is the area between a home and an oncoming wildfire where the vegetation has been modified to reduce the wildfire threat and which provides an opportunity for firefighters to effectively defend the house.

Oftentimes, one’s defensible space is simply a homeowner’s backyard. It’s important to

consider that every property differs in slope and vegetation type and not everyone has the same defensible space recommendations. Taking that into consideration, the following are some general defensible space recommendations for homeowners:

Non-combustible Zone — 0-5 feet from the house: ■ Use irrigated herbaceous plants such as lawn, ground cover or flowers

■ Use rocks, concrete, bricks or pavers ■ Remove mulch, wood piles, dead plants, dried leaves, pine needles and flammable shrubs such as sage brush and junipers Lean, Clean and Green Zone — 5-30 feet from the house: ■ Lean means only a small amount of flammable vegetation (if any) is present in this zone ■ Clean means no accumulation of dead vegetation or

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THE NEVADA RANCHER — MAY 2020

flammable debris ■ Green means all plants in this zone are healthy, green and well-irrigated Wildland Fuel Reduction Zone: — more than 30 feet from the house: ■ This area lies beyond the residential landscape area and can include sagebrush, pinyon, cheatgrass and other wildland plants ■ Remove all dead vegetation such as dead shrubs, dried grass and fallen branches ■ Thin out thick shrubs and trees to provide separation ■ Prevent ladder fuels by removing low tree branches and pruning or removing shrubs under trees Our first responders are working tirelessly to fight COVID-19. Let’s take the strain off of them and reduce the wildfire threat by working on our property’s defensible space.

To learn more about defensible space, recommended plant choices for Northern Nevada’s high fire hazard areas, or other ways to reduce your wildfire threat, please visit our website: www.livingwithfire.com.

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15

Adaptive Multi-Paddock Grazing

Utilizing Grazing Management as a Tool to Improve Soils and Pasture

By Heather Smith Thomas

Grazing management has been slowly evolving over the past few decades; some of the innovations for improving soils, forage and cattle performance are now becoming more accepted by mainstream agriculture.

The first big step was rotating pastures a few times during the summer or even just in alternate years (to give desired forage plants a chance to recover, go to seed and reproduce) instead of continuous grazing. Next came management intensive grazing, moving the cattle more often, letting the grass regrow, and grazing it again.

Then some people started high-density intensive grazing (mob grazing), putting a lot of cattle in a small area for a very short time, moving on, and letting that area completely recover (a few months to a year later) before grazing it again.

Results have been phenomenal, improving forage quality and quantity, and soil health.

A growing number of livestock producers are moving past traditional grazing methods — looking at grazing holistically as a tool, not only to grow cattle but as a way to keep improving pastures and soils.

One rancher recently stated: “There’s a new term, adaptive grazing, and I wasn’t sure what it meant. Then I realized that over the years I’ve been doing this, without even knowing. Grazing management has to be flexible.

Every year, I’m looking at pastures and deciding which one to use next, and figuring out my strategy. How long am I going to hold the cattle on this paddock?

What’s still ahead of them?”

A good pasture manager is always juggling, planning, adapting his/her grazing strategies to fit the terrain, forage, weather, livestock needs, etc.

Many producers are starting to look at a bigger picture — not just cattle production or grass production (since even some rotational grazing methods don’t give the plants and soil a chance to become healthier) but looking at cattle as a tool to help heal/ improve land and pastures.

Adaptive multi-paddock grazing involves concentrating cattle in a small area for a short time and moving on, leaving much of the grass there (trampled, with lots of urine/manure as future fertilizer), then not coming back until it is fully regrown.

With this type of flash grazing (the opposite of overgrazing) there is never any bare ground or short grass—so every drop of

16

COURTESY PHOTO

Mob grazing. rainfall is captured in the thick vegetation and doesn’t run off.

These areas are green and growing, holding soil moisture, while overgraze areas (perhaps right through the fence on a neighboring farm or ranch) are brown and dry in a drought, suffering wind and water erosion.

In a hard rain on bare soil (or with scanty vegetation) there isn’t much to buffer the pounding water or hold the soil.

Dr. Richard Teague, Texas A&M AgriLife Research rangeland ecology and management scientist in Vernon, Texas, says his goal in research has always been to discover what kind of range management results in the best ways to restore ecological function and farm livelihoods.

He grew up in Africa and did his PhD work there.

“Native grazers and grasslands around the world developed together, and because of large herds moving around the landscape, grasslands are very adapted to and actually need this periodic disturbance. Grazing is a natural part of the whole system and the way plants (and the soil microbiota they partner with), operate synergistically,” he explains, adding that the plants need this periodic impact. “What drives an ecosystem is the energy captured by the plants, which in turn feeds the soil microbes, and they feed the plants with the minerals, etc. they pick up. It’s

THE NEVADA RANCHER — MAY 2020

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OVERSTOCKING AND OVERGRAZING

“For sustainable pasture, key things to avoid are first overstocking and then overgrazing. Some people confuse those two. To avoid overstocking, make sure you don’t have too many animals — that you leave enough grass to feed the animals and perform ecosystem functions like shading the soil, etc. You also must avoid overgrazing, which occurs when you graze too long, and don’t provide enough recovery time. Regardless of conditions, you want to avoid those two situations as best you can,” says Texas A&M’s Dr. Richard Teague.

Too many people believe that by just having a few animals on the landscape you can achieve those goals, but those few animals generally return to the same plants again and again, and they get no recovery time.

“If left to graze where they want, animals will graze fairly close to a water source, until it’s grazed out and they have to move farther away,” he said.

Also, they tend to graze their favorite plants again and again (often to the point of weakening and killing them), leaving the less palatable ones.

Under continuous grazing in large pastures, cattle stay close to water and the more palatable plants. Even under light or moderate stocking these areas are more heavily grazed while the rest of the paddock is under-grazed.

This weakens heavily grazed plants so they have shallower roots, produce less biomass and are more adversely affected during dry years. If paddocks are divided and water points provided, a larger portion of the ranch or range can be utilized — with only moderate defoliation in the growing season — and not grazing the paddocks again until those plants recover.

“Even under low stocking rates, if livestock are continuously grazing the same area, they diminish and degrade certain patches of vegetation. Eventually those degraded patches increase in size, particularly during drought; eventually the whole landscape is degraded. And if you have too many animals there all the time (overstocking) it simply speeds up that process,” he explains.

With well-managed adaptive multi-paddock grazing, etc. plants have more recovery time and vegetation is predominately taller, more productive grasses With heavy continuous grazing (overstocking and overgrazing), the landscape is dominated by less productive short grasses and forbs. Light continuous grazing (which is overgrazing even though stocking rate is low) creates a lower proportion of tall grass species. a mutualistic, self-supporting system.”

“The way animals grazed in large herds (staying together as protection against predators), like the mob grazing some livestock producers are using today, works best for the plants.

If a herd grazes in one spot for even half a day, their excrement discourages them from eating where they just pooped, so they keep moving. They graze that area quickly and move on.”

Their feces add fertility to the soil, and the recovery period — before the animals return again to that spot — allows the plants to regrow. Then the herds come back and graze it again. Good grazing management uses those principles, mimicking natural movement of large herds.

“Most rangelands are moderately to extremely dry, so whatever rain you get, you want all or most of it to get into the soil instead of running off — or

suddenly you have loss of soil, lower production, and loss of species. You want to make sure the moisture gets into the soil,” says Teague.

In rangeland ecosystems, maintaining normal soil and ecosystem function and healthy watershed is possible only if there is adequate plant cover with varied species, to prevent soil loss and maintain the conditions for soil microorganisms to thrive.

A healthy ecosystem provides water-holding capacity, control of erosion, soil fertility and optimum forage production.

Grazing, especially when many animals graze a small area in a short time and move on, adds fertility with feces and trampled litter for nutrient recycling that feeds the life within the soil.

The amount of carbon in soil (organic matter), influences abundance of microbial life.

Water-holding capacity is increased in direct proportion to the amount of organic matter in the soil. Fungi are particularly important as they provide soil nutrients and water that plants cannot access without their help.

“Microbial activity, particularly fungi, facilitate moisture getting into the soil. Fungi are one of the main entities forming soil macro and micro-aggregates. Good aggregation facilitates rainfall infiltration, and without it most of the water runs off, eroding the soil and causing flooding. The fungi and other soil microbes need food from the plants to function well, and shading by the plants so the soil doesn’t get too hot for a good environment for the microbes to function well,” explains Teague.

The capture of energy, infiltration of rainfall, and cycling of nutrients is what makes the ecosystem tick.

“For it to tick as well as it can, in a particular environment,

you have to manage grazing so the right species are there. If you graze poorly, you diminish those functions, and degrade the resource. Good grazing allows you to use the plants to feed the animals, give them recovery time, and then graze them again.

This way, you can keep the right plants there, in good condition, and all the necessary functions are happening,” he says. “That’s what is done with mob grazing, now called adaptive multi-paddock grazing. With many paddocks, the animals can be moved around — grazing each paddock for a short period so they don’t overgraze the plants, and providing adequate recovery time, which is absolutely essential.

“You must adapt the timing because not every season is the same. As growth rate of plants change, you have to change the period of grazing and the period of recovery. You’ll graze it for a shorter or longer time, and allow a shorter or longer recovery period, depending on forage growth rate changes.”

The big plus in addressing land/plant health holistically is that forage production increases, and so does cattle performance.

Before long, stocking rate can also increase.

Many stockmen tend to think that grass left behind (or trampled and not “used”) is wasted, not realizing that it serves as mulch/fertilizer and contributes

3305 Potato Rd, WINNEMUCCA 3305 Potato Rd, WINNEMUCCA

FIRE OR GRAZING?

Some people consider fire a natural part of nature’s balance and would rather see rangeland burned than grazed. Fire has a place, but today some of the most devastating fires occur in areas that have not had adequate grazing — with too much old, tall dry grass and extensive fuel loads.

“Dr. Walter Jehne, an Australian scientist who recently visited this country put together a document that illustrates why we need to graze, and ecologically cut back on fire episodes,” says Texas A&M’s Dr. Richard Teague.

“When an area is periodically grazed, heavy fuel loads are reduced and a fire that goes through now and then is not such a catastrophic or devastating event that does ecological damage.

“Fire can be very damaging, especially in a low rainfall area. In the area of Texas where I am, we get about 22 inches of precipitation annually, on average. When a region burns, how long does it take for essential ecosystem functions like infiltration, nutrient status and carbon status to recover after a fire? It takes 3 average or better-than-average-rainfall years for that to happen. Then we ask the question: how many years does it take to get 3 average rainfall years? It takes about 8 years. So it takes longer than people realize.”

A catastrophic fire can have a negative impact on the ecosystem for a long time, especially if it burned hot enough to destroy the plants, root systems and seed bank, and top layers of soil and its microbes.

“A fire can cause ecosystem degradation since it removes vegetation that protects the soil from exposure to sun, raindrop action and overland water flow. Fire increases soil erosion, and damages soil biological function until plant cover is restored. Good grazing management is required after burning, to speed up the recovery process,” says Teague.

You want less bare ground and higher soil organic matter, and fire can be counterproductive. In one of his studies he looked at the amount of bare ground in various range areas.

This is a well-documented way to assess erosion hazard — which increases if there is insufficient plant cover to dissipate the energy of raindrops before they strike the soil.

Research on rangelands around the world indicates that bare ground has considerably lower infiltration and higher runoff and erosion than ground covered by perennial grasses.

After a hot fire, perennial grasses are often destroyed and the first things that come in are annual weeds, which have less ability to minimize erosion. When drought conditions precede and follow burning, there can be an increase in bare ground and an increase in annual forbs and annual grasses at the expense of perennial grasses.

In most situations, properly managed adaptive multi-paddock grazing can be healthier for an ecosystem than fire. “It’s a matter of improving the health and function of the soil to improve water infiltration and retention, energy capture, and nutrient cycling; these are the most important things you need to look after,” Teague says. to greater future production.

Cattle used as a tool to improve the land can eliminate the need for commercial fertilizer and chemical weed control (healthy grass stands outcompete annual weeds) so everything is healthier and more productive.

In studies of ranch and rangeland in northern Texas, get found the fungal/bacterial ratio and functional soil life was highest with multi-paddock grazing — as a result of greater amounts of tall grass species. This creates better infiltration, water-holding capacity and nutrient availability

and retention.

His study documents the positive results for long-term maintenance of resources and economic viability for ranchers who use adaptive management and multi-paddock grazing, compared to those who practice continuous season-long grazing.

To ensure our community has access to safe and well-functioning transportation our Service, Parts and Rental Department are open. Additional internal precautions have been taken to ensure health and safety. We are offering vehicle pick up and vehicle return to further encourage social distancing.

THE NEVADA RANCHER — MAY 2020

17

NRCS, Partners Seek to Assist Bi-State Sage-Grouse Area Special to Nevada Rancher Magazine USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is accepting applications for the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) – Livestock in Harmony with Bi-State Sage-Grouse project.

This RCPP project contains two funding streams: one from the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and one from the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP). All ACEP funds under this agreement have been expended, however limited EQIP funding is still available. The deadline for EQIP applications is June 19, 2020.

The purpose of the Livestock in Harmony with Bi-State Sage-Grouse RCPP is to assist agricultural producers as they plan and adopt conservation practices that will restore sage-grouse and other wildlife habitat, improve agricultural water quality, conserve private ranchlands and upgrade agricultural infrastructure.

The RCPP prioritizes those conservation practices in the Bi-State area that focus on the implementation of pasture and rangeland management practices to improve: ■ Water Quality ■ Wetlands ■ Sage-Grouse Habitat ■ Rangeland Ecosystems

PROJECT LOCATION:

The Bi-State region includes portions of Douglas, Lyon, Carson City, Mineral, and Esmeralda Counties in Nevada, and portions of Inyo, Mono, and Alpine Counties

of California — in total, an area of 7,000 square miles.

The Bi-State encompasses an area approximately 170 miles long and up to 60 miles wide. Private landowners, and, under some circumstances, ranchers with the authority to operate on public lands (e.g. a grazing lease or permit) are eligible for assistance. Please refer to the map for the boundaries of this RCPP.

ABOUT RCPP:

The Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) was created as part of the 2014 Farm Bill. The purpose of RCPP is to demonstrate the power of well-designed, public-private partnerships to maximize the impact of federal conservation programs.

ABOUT EQIP:

EQIP is a voluntary, conservation program administered by NRCS that can provide financial and technical assistance to install conservation practices that address natural resource concerns.

The purpose of EQIP is to promote agricultural production, forest management, and environmental quality as compatible goals; to optimize environmental benefits; and to help farmers and ranchers meet Federal, State, Tribal, and local environmental regulations.

The EQIP funds are to assist with land improvements that will help address the following resource concerns: soil erosion, soil quality degradation, insufficient water, water quality degradation, inadequate

COURTESY NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE

habitat for fish and wildlife, and air quality impacts.

ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP:

The Livestock in Harmony with BiState Sage Grouse RCPP brings together many partners: Eastern Sierra Land Trust, Eastern Sierra Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy, Mono County Resource Conservation District, Mono County, Nevada Department of Wildlife, California

Department of Fish and Wildlife, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, United States Geological Survey, NRCS and private landowners in an effort to leverage additional funding to conserve working ranches and farms in the Bi-State sage grouse area that borders the Eastern Sierra in Nevada and California. Go to bit.ly/2wGnAfA to learn more.

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18

THE NEVADA RANCHER — MAY 2020

National Forest Uses Sheep to Reduce Fuels Special to Nevada Rancher Magazine As part of the Carson Ranger District’s Hazardous Fuels Reduction Program, the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest announced in early April it has partnered with Carson City’s Open Space Properties to have sheep released to graze on the West Carson Fuels Project.

These sheep help remove cheatgrass and other non-native vegetation from both Carson City and National Forest System (NFS) lands.

“Cheatgrass is an aggressive non-native species outcompeting our native vegetation,” said Fuels Specialist Steve Howell. “It eventually pushes out our native grasses and shrubs from their natural habitat. Cheatgrass plants also create an exceptional fuel bed for wildfire spread and can be a threat to the surrounding Carson City communities.”

The West Carson Fuels Project is located on the west side of Carson City. Grazing will begin on approximately 500 acres of NFS lands.

The Forest has contracted the Borda Land & Sheep Company out of Gardnerville, Nevada, to perform the grazing project. Approximately 1,000 ewes have been divided in half between two locations monitored by herders and livestock guard dogs.

The northern flock was released to start grazing during the week of April 6 behind the Western Nevada Community College. A week later, the southern flock began grazing behind the Greenhouse Garden Center weather permitting. Grazing will continue through the end of May. “This program is an important collaboration to help keep the Carson City community safe from destructive wildfire,” said Carson District Ranger Matt Zumstein.

Many of the fuels reduction project areas where sheep graze are popular place for people to hike with their dogs. However, this popularity has resulted in an increased number of incidents where off-leash dogs are harassing the sheep.

Continuation of the grazing program can only continue if the sheep and dogs can be kept safe from harm. Both uses can coexist as long as the public abides by the Carson City animal ordinances and posted trail rules for dogs.

“Together, we can keep both the sheep and pets safe from harm and protect the Carson Community from a catastrophic wildfire,” stresses Howell. For more, contact Howell at 775-884-8114.

Partners Protect Sage Grouse in California and Nevada Special to Nevada Rancher Magazine In April, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced it is withdrawing a 2013 proposed rule to list the bi-state distinct population segment of greater sage grouse as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The bi-state sage-grouse population is an isolated group of sage-grouse living along the California-Nevada border at the southwest edge of the species’ range.

After an extended, comprehensive analysis of the best available science, the Service has concluded that successful implementation of conservation actions to date, as well as future commitments to aid the bird and its habitat by a coalition of federal, state, tribal, private and non-governmental partners, are sufficient to ameliorate threats to the bird.

“The Service is humbled and proud to work with such a committed group of partners to conserve the bi-state sage-grouse and its habitat in California and Nevada. This partnership shows that conservation for at-risk species can be successful when we work together and leverage our resources,” said Paul Souza, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Director for the Service’s California-Great Basin Region.

Since 2012, partners in the Bi-State Local Area Working Group have conserved, restored or enhanced more than 100,000 acres of sagebrush habitat in the bi-state

area, helping reduce habitat fragmentation, pinyon-juniper encroachment and loss of wet meadows used by sagegrouse to raise their young.

“The sustained commitments and science-based collaborative approach embraced by our partners in the bi-state area provides a solid foundation for conservation success,” said Steve Nelson, Bureau of Land Management Bishop Field Manager.

“We look forward to working with our partners as we continue to implement our shared vision to conserve this iconic species.”

“This extremely positive news is very welcome,” said Carlos Suarez and Ray Dotson, NRCS state conservationists for California and Nevada respectively. “It is an inspiring and desirable outcome of the tireless work across so many different types of boundaries—states, branches of government, private landowners and partnerships. And it is eloquent testimony to the powerful benefits to the land and the species when we all work together.”

Six sage-grouse populations spread across 4.5 million acres of high desert sagebrush make up the bi-state distinct population segment. Greater sage grouse are known for the males’ flamboyant springtime mating displays on traditional dancing grounds, known as leks. The birds use a variety of sagebrush habitats on private, state and federal lands.

In 2013, the Service proposed listing the bi-state

DPS of greater sage grouse as a threatened species with a 4(d) rule and proposed critical habitat. The Service withdrew the proposal in 2015 after concluding the population did not warrant protection, but a May 2018 court ruling vacated the withdrawal.

In April 2019, a 60-day public comment period was re-opened for the proposed rule. The comment period made clear that debate existed among experts over the interpretation and accuracy of current scientific information, making it necessary to extend the final determination and re-open the comment period for another 30 days in September 2019.

“The May 2018 court ruling that required another look at this species has provided our agencies an opportunity to tell the story of effective science-based collaborative conservation with five additional years to develop cutting edge science and deliver conservation for sagegrouse. The bi-state sage grouse conservation model is the epitome of collaborative science based conservation,” said Tony Wasley, Director of the Nevada Department of Wildlife. “Our department supports this decision, and I’m grateful to have another chance to showcase this conservation story.”

A copy of the notice is available for public inspection in the Federal Register under docket numbers FWS-R8-ES-2018-0106 and FWS-R8-ES-0107. Go to fws. gov/cno to learn more.

Ranching Scrapbook

Farmers and Ranchers are Essential!

Jennifer Whiteley

The Nevada Rancher Magazine

2020 has been a crazy ride so far. COVID-19 has impacted nearly every aspect of our daily lives. From not knowing where to turn for accurate information, “nonessential” workers losing jobs, and empty shelves at the grocery store, this pandemic has

touched each and every one of us.

We think it is safe to say all American’s have felt some fear and anxiety when we have considered the economic impacts and the toll it is taking on our economy so far. Not to mention the strain of actually contracting COVID-19.

While schools were closed and

classes canceled, events postponed or completely cancelled, and stores limiting the quantities of products purchased, those of us in agriculture are still trucking along.

Cows still have to eat. Meadows still need to be drug and prepared for irrigation and crop production. Cows are still being turned out and calves are still

being branded. We are still doing what we do best.

Growing the products that feed the world. If you are lucky, you have a few extra hands to help you do these things who might normally be in school, you are teaching the next generation of farmers and ranchers a love and respect of the land and animals that make our livelihoods in the

The best social distancing out there!

Riddle Ranches 2020 Turnout.

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Good cow country- bad socializing country.

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The road less traveled.

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20

THE NEVADA RANCHER — MAY 2020

Social distancing on the Ranch means you still have friends to play with.

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best classroom available.

We here at the Nevada Rancher Magazine hope you are surviving this global pandemic and practicing social distancing, and that when this all blows over, the rest of the world appreciates your contribution to making America great just as much as we do! We see what you are doing and we appreciate you!

Where are your parents!?

Tagging calves is better than school anyway!

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PHOTO: JUSTIN GALBREATH

Still Farming.

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Social distancing ... no problem.

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Doctoring at a distance.

PHOTO: RACHEL WINES

Stetson Steele (age 4), his sister Hadlee Steele (age 5) head out with dad Chad to sort some pairs.”

PHOTO: KATIE STEELE

THE NEVADA RANCHER — MAY 2020

21

PHOTOS: BOBBY MAGILL / BLOOMBERG LAW

In a broad Eastern Nevada valley, a sagebrush steppe transitions to pinyon-juniper forests in the distance in February 2020.

Unintended Consequences?

Scientists Worry Agency Plan to Prevent Fires Could Do Opposite Bobby Magill

Special to Nevada Rancher Magazine

Scientists say the Trump administration’s proposed program to cut down trees to gain an upper hand over wildfire and protect the sage-grouse bird may in fact do the opposite: increase the wildfire threat and risk ecosystem “collapse.”

At the same time, the administration says the program is no match against extreme wildfires driven by climate change.

The proposed plan, which the Bureau of Land Management published in early April, aims to reshape the ecology of sagebrush ecosystems across 38.5 million acres of federal land in six states to reduce the severity of wildfires and help restore sagebrush.

It comes as climate change is contributing to larger, more volatile wildfires across the region. Those include the Martin Fire, which scorched a 57-milewide swath across 435,569 acres of sagebrush and grasses in Nevada in July 2018 — the largest in the state’s history.

“This BLM plan will destroy habitat on a massive scale, and it will worsen the wildfire problem, which is the problem that the BLM plan is claiming to solve,” said Erica Newman, a researcher at the University of Arizona whose work focuses on wildfire and landscape-scale ecology.

But federal officials say the wildfire plan aims only to reduce the amount of land that wildfires scorch each year, not halt or control extreme fires like the Martin Fire.

“These big fires — nothing’s going to stop them,” said

22

“

This BLM plan will destroy habitat on a massive scale, and it will worsen the wildfire problem, which is the problem that the BLM plan is claiming to solve.

”

— Erica Newman

University of Arizona

Ammon Wilhelm, BLM project manager for the wildfire fuels reduction plan. “They can jump the freeway. They can jump the Snake River. They can move beyond what we can stop.”

REDUCE FIRES, RESTORE HABITAT

The agency’s plan aims to reduce the severity of less extreme fires, and to restore the habitat of the chicken-sized sage-grouse. The bird’s habitat has been lost to energy development and the expansion of woodlands.

To do that, the BLM wants to re-plant grasses and clear out trees and other vegetation using giant chains dragged across the forest, as well as through prescribed burns, and chemicals such as dicamba and glyphosate.

But scientists worry the ecological costs will be high, and the evidence is scant that the wildfire fuel reduction projects over such a broad area will effectively reduce the threat of fires and restore sage-grouse habitat.

The bureau is advancing this proposal alongside another plan to clear an 11,000-mile network

THE NEVADA RANCHER — MAY 2020

Tanner Beymer, associate director at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, examines a wildfire burn scar in a sagebrush and pinyon-juniper forest in Northern Nevada in February 2020. of fire breaks across the same area in Nevada, Utah, California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. A 2018 U.S. Geological Survey study called the breaks proposal a “grand experiment” because there’s little data to support it will cut wildfire risk.

The BLM’s wildfire plan will play out over a span of decades, and not all of the 38.5 million acres will be treated, Wilhelm said.

“It’s not a grand experiment,” he said. “We know we can make these things work.”

The bureau is moving ahead with the draft wildfire plan during the coronavirus pandemic, forcing the bureau to hold virtual public meetings on the plan. The public comment period is open until June 2, and virtual public meeting dates

were slated to be posted online

by April 18.

TWO CHALLENGES

Some scientists say the ecological impact of the program is unclear, but it could make the wildfire threat worse.

Newman, from the University of Arizona, said a new network of fire breaks and tree-removal projects will increase invasive grasses such as cheatgrass that are flammable and help spread wildfire.

“With our understanding of ecological processes and the importance of maintaining undisturbed habitat, we can predict the collapse of large parts of the sagebrush ecosystem if this plan goes into place,” Newman said. “This is certainly not the protection or conservation

LEARN MORE

X Go to bit.ly/3afJaWc to read the proposed plan from the Bureau of Land Management.

X Go to bit.ly/2VcaaS9 to learn about upcoming virtual public meeting dates for comment.

of sagebrush communities, as BLM has claimed.”

The West’s sagebrush ecosystem is facing two big challenges today, said Lisa Ellsworth, a fire and habitat ecologist at Oregon State University. Her work suggests that some projects to reduce wildfire fuels may improve both ecosystem health and wildlife habitat.

At higher elevations, pinyon and juniper trees have been encroaching on sagebrush and

sage-grouse habitat because the BLM hasn’t allowed some naturally-occurring wildfires to burn and control the forests’ spread.

At lower elevations, wildfires and invasive grasses have damaged sagebrush, she said.

Removing trees makes sense in some places so sagebrush can recover; in other areas, replanting grasses or using herbicides to kill invasive species is a better option to restore the ecosystem and reduce the fire threat, she said.

“Maintaining flexibility in the approach is going to be critical,” Ellsworth said. “There is not a universal treatment that will work everywhere.”

Controlling wildfire in the region depends on how many firefighters the federal government has on the ground — and they’d have to be in the right place at the right time for the fuels reduction plan to work, said Max Moritz, a wildfire specialist at the University of California, Santa Barbara studying how wildfire affects broad landscapes.

As the climate changes, the effectiveness of fuels reductions projects and fuel breaks begins to fade, he said.

“Climate change seems to be priming the landscape for fires to ignite more easily, spread more easily, to burn hotter and larger — so all of these aspects of climate change would make

“

Climate change seems to be priming the landscape for fires to ignite more easily, spread more easily, to burn hotter and larger — so all of these aspects of climate change would make one suspect that fuel breaks have a harder and harder time doing their job.

”

— Max Moritz UC Santa Barbara

A fence separates heavily cattle-grazed Bureau of Land Management land from a road right-of-way covered in grasses and sagebrush near Elko in February 2020. one suspect that fuel breaks have a harder and harder time doing their job,” Moritz said.

The wildfire program is an “expensive large-scale experiment,” he said.

NO BENEFIT TO GROUSE?

The BLM hopes that sagegrouse habitat will expand as the agency builds the 11,000mile network of wildfire fuel breaks, and more land is “treated” to expand sagebrush and cut the threat of wildfire, Wilhelm said.

But tree removal at a landscape scale fragments sagegrouse habitat; few scientific studies have been conducted that suggest such a project could increase sage-grouse populations, said Jack Connelly, a retired biologist for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game who helped develop Idaho’s sage-grouse conservation plan for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Western states are working to protect the greater sage-grouse and keep the bird from being

listed under the Endangered Species Act and getting in the way of energy development.

“We’re seeing projects or proposals that haven’t been vetted by the scientific community,” Connelly said.

Some research conducted in Oregon shows that removing trees may help the sage-grouse, said Clait Braun, a sage-grouse habitat consultant and retired sage-grouse researcher at Colorado Parks and Wildlife, a state agency.

But “the basic problem is that

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no one’s been able to demonstrate that sage-grouse populations have increased,” he said.

“I’m not convinced yet it’s going to add one more square mile of habitat over time to sagegrouse” populations.

Bobby Magill is a reporter for Bloomberg Law. Reach him for comment at bmagill@ bloombergenvironment. com. Contact the editors responsible for this story at the following: Gregory Henderson at ghenderson@ bloombergenvironment. com; Anna Yukhananov at ayukhananov@ bloombergenvironment.com; Rebecca Baker at rbaker@ bloomberglaw.com.

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THE NEVADA RANCHER — MAY 2020

23

Artificial Insemination in Mares

By Sarah P. Hummel, DVM

There are many reasons why you may want to breed your mare, and luckily we have several amazing stallions around us, you can often find one with good genetics and the traits you want that can offer you live cover.

Occasionally though the stallion or genetics that you desire are in California, Texas or even back east. Artificial insemination technology has enabled us to bring superior genetics from far away, right to our front door.

Despite the amazing similarities between reproductive systems in mammals, there are enough variations to make artificial insemination more or less successful in different species. And the technique and methods of timing artificial insemination are critical for success but they also vary between species.

For example, cattle semen handles freezing very well and we have the ability and often the desire to synchronize the heat and ovulation of large groups of cattle and breed them all in the same day. We know cattle are ready to be bred because they have an overt sign of heat which is they start to ride each other about 12 hours prior to be ready for breeding.

Horses are very different though. Their outward sign of heat is not as obvious at times and often the use of a teaser stallion is required to be more sure of timing of heat, but many of us do not have a stallion near by. And to make things even more complicated, mares notoriously fool you by showing signs of heat before and after they are actually ready to be bred.

The veterinary community has circumvented this problem with the use of ultrasound

detection so that we know exactly when a mare is getting ready to ovulate and we administer a drug in order to ensure that they cooperate so when we order semen, the mare will be ready when the semen arrives.

Timing is everything — and I mean everything to ensure the chances of your mare getting pregnant are at their highest. After a mare ovulates and her egg enters the uterus where it is ready to get fertilized, the egg has a life span of about 8 hours.

So that egg needs to see semen within 8 hours or the chances of a successful pregnancy plummets. Semen, however, can last much longer, generally 12-24 hours. So our goal as veterinarians is to get the semen in the mare prior to ovulation so that it is ready when that fragile egg enters the uterus.

So why is all of this important? It is the reason that we often need to palpate mares several times to see what her ovaries are doing and be adequately prepared to call and order semen when the time is right.

The semen is collected certain days of the week, generally on a Monday/Wednesday/ Friday schedule or a Tuesday/Thursday/ Saturday schedule. We see when the mare is close to ovulating, order semen accordingly, and induce the mare with a hormone for force ovulation and make our timing even more accurate.

Then you sit and pray to nothing holds up your FedEx or UPS package. After a successful breeding, we can actually detect a pregnancy a short 14 days afterwards (unlike cattle where the earliest we can detect is about 30 days but more consistently at 32 days).

Fourteen days after insemination, the mare

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COURTESY GRAPHIC

This graphic shows the artificial insemination process for mares. can be checked for a pregnancy. If she is not bred, then you try it again, as she should come into heat approximately one week afterwards (they come into heat, on average, every 21 days).

At this 14-day mark, we also look for the possibility of twins. If twins are present, it is rare that mares can carry them to term. They are dangerous for the mare and twins rarely survive. At this time in the pregnancy the fertilized egg is buzzing around the uterus (literally, it buzzes around telling the uterus that it is pregnant).

If two fertilized eggs are present, we generally try to get rid of one, in order to save the other. Thankfully this is a rare occurrence

as terminating one of the pregnancies puts the other at risk due to the inflammation it causes.

Artificial insemination in mares can be very exciting and rewarding. As long as the timing is right and the mare and her reproductive system are in good working order, the chances of success are high which can afford you the opportunity to bring genetics from far away, right to your front step!

Happy spring everyone and I hope this chaotic world settles down in the near future.

Sarah Hummel, DVM 775-530-4137 Winnemucca, NV

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SOIL WATER STORAGE SOLUTIONS

Steve Foster

Special to Nevada Rancher Magazine

In most of the world, crop yields are limited by timely rain or irrigation. The truth is that rainfall only promotes plant growth after it soaks into the soil. Water that is taken below the surface quickly has less of a chance to become runoff and is less exposed to evaporation.

Maximizing the amount of water available for plant growth could be one of the most profitable improvements available to a producer. The following information is exurbs taken from an article written by Stewart B Wuest, Soil Scientist, USDA-ARS Soil and Water Conservation Research, Pendleton, OR, pertaining to how soil takes in and stores water.

This article explains what determines the fate of water that arrives on the soil surface and how our soil management strategies can improve water storage and reduce runoff and evaporation.

PRINCIPLE 1: WATER MOVES IN SURFACE FILMS

Gravity is only one of the forces controlling water movement, and it is not the most powerful. Water clings to soil particle surfaces. It spreads out and creates water films that connect particles that touch, creating a network.

Water does tend to move downward after the water films become thick enough that their surface tension is no longer sufficient to resist the pull of gravity.

When the water comes to a gap where there is no

surface-to-surface contact, water starts to accumulate and form drips hanging into the void. The water backs up until the drops are large enough to fall or bridge the gap. This slows water movement and can nearly saturate the soil above the gap. This situation is common on finely tilled soils during the first several rainfall events.

In a naturally consolidated loam soil (either never tilled or several years since being tilled), water can move downward fast enough to prevent most surface water runoff.

Water movement downward is a chain reaction.

Water entering the soil at the surface thickens the water films there, and that reduces tension, so water flows down, thickening the water layers below. The chain reaction is like turning on a faucet with a hose attached.

Water introduced on one end of the hose moves all the water a little farther down the hose, so this can happen quickly.

The most important concept here is that voids do not help increase water flow under normal circumstances. Except at the soil surface, water is not moving in the voids (roots holes, cracks, and inter-aggregate spaces) because it is under tension, and for water to enter an air space, it needs to be forced there under pressure.

Excessive soil compaction is bad, of course, and it is important for a soil to be well aerated to allow gas exchange for plant root growth, but increasing voids through tillage does not improve water infiltration (or not for very long, as we shall

see). Tillage decreases the number of contact points between soil particles, and this interrupts water films and slows the advance of water.

PRINCIPLE 2: GETTING PAST THE SURFACE

On many agricultural soils, the limit on the maximum possible rate of water infiltration is determined by the top inch at the soil surface.

The force of raindrops, or exposure to drying or freezing, liberates sand, silt, and clay size particles, and they become incorporated in the moving water. When a drop of water finds an opening in the soil surface, the water moves downward, carrying the soil particles along until they get trapped somewhere.

Therefore, small soil particles move wherever water is moving, and they stop when the water slows or stops. The soil particles then settle into a dense crust that, over the first few rain events of the season, seals the soil surface and plugs any available cracks and holes.

The process accelerates as more water accumulates, more sediment settles, and the soil surface becomes more saturated under even small rainfall events.

This is how classic sheet and rill erosion happens.

When dry, we see the soil sediment as crusts — fragile but dense if undisturbed.

When wet, they are amazingly watertight. Even rough-plowed soil will form these seals because soil that melts off the clods settles in

the lowest points, gradually causing small ponds that collect more sediment and increase in size with every event.

Soil crusts slow water infiltration and generate runoff, but they also promote evaporation. In semi-arid regions, it is not unusual for rain to be followed soon after by dry, sunny, or windy weather.

Soil crusts are densely packed because the soil particles were settled together when they dropped out of the accumulated water. In this tight layer, there is a lot of water being held by capillary forces, and that water is exposed to the sun and wind.

The water films are relatively thick, so evaporation on the exposed surface of the crust draws water up and out of the entire thickness of the crust. Most or all of the water from a small rainfall event can be lost immediately if it is held at the surface in a crust. Soil that shines in the sun after a rain or during a thaw is evidence of a saturated surface layer where water is suspended — unable to infiltrate and subject to high rates of evaporation.

How do we prevent or reduce soil sealing? There are two mechanisms that seem to work independently to prevent crusts and maintain high water infiltration rates. One is to develop and maintain a high soil organic matter content at the soil surface.

No matter how you measure it, more organic matter at the soil — atmosphere

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soil seal happens, it is very effective at improving water infiltration.

The other way to prevent crusts is to maintain surface residue cover. A little is good, more is better. Surface residues protect soil aggregates from raindrop impact and other environments factors.

Given the above, it is easy to understand why minimum tillage and no-till systems have proven to be good at reducing or practically eliminating runoff. If a management system has very low soil disturbance, soil organic matter accumulates at the surface, and generally the same practices leave large amounts of crop residue covering the soil.

Even relatively small reductions in tillage can promote significant soil organic matter stratification, and they generally leave more surface residue.

Every reduction in tillage and every increase in surface residue produces measurable improvements in maximum water infiltration capacity.

For more information on this topic, you can find the entire article by searching “Soil Water Storage Stewart Wuest.”

Steve Foster is an Extension Educator in Pershing County with the University Of Nevada Cooperative Extension.

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interface helps to strengthen soil aggregates and prevents soil particles from becoming entrained with moving water.

Crusts will not form if soil particles are not mobile.

Raindrops are more likely to penetrate right where they fall, and if they cannot and instead accumulate and move downhill, they are less likely to bring soil sealing sediments to the low spots in the furrow or into cracks and holes.

High organic matter content works to improve water infiltration even in plowed and thoroughly tilled soils. We know this because long-term experiments where manure or legume residue has been applied demonstrate much greater infiltration rates than where only synthetic fertilizers have been applied even though all treatments had been intensively tilled (see image).

Generally, however, the only practical way to increase soil organic matter at the soil surface is to reduce or eliminate tillage. This keeps crop residues on or near the surface instead of burying them and reduces mixing of the top inch of soil with deeper soil that has lower organic matter content. It is a matter of concentrating organic matter at the surface and keeping it there, and since this is where the

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BULL SALE REPORTS Special to Nevada Rancher Magazine

Thank you to the following bull sales for trusting the Nevada Rancher with your advertising dollars!

UTAH BEEF IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION (MARCH 21, SALINA, UT)

Smaller crowds participated in the Annual Utah Beef Improvement Association’s (UBIA) 48th Annual Performance Bull Test Sale held in Salina, Utah.

Many who opted to participate online via DVAuctions.com bolstered the small crowd and helped the Association to market the top bulls from the 2019-2020 bull test. This year’s sale average was $3,552 across the six breeds represented in the sale.

A Sim-Angus bull in the Sr. test division raised by Top Hat Farms from Deweyville, Utah topped the sale, selling for $6,000 to Key Hole Ranch from Fillmore, Utah. Other top-selling bulls in the different breeds included the following: ■ Top Hereford bull sold by Doug Hall Family Registered Herefords of Fruita, Colorado to the Luke family of Ragged Mtn. Angus in Hotchkiss, Colorado for $5,000.

MIDLAND BULL TEST (APRIL 2-3, COLUMBUS, MT)

24 Charolais bulls: $3,906 (average) 9 Hereford bulls: $3,806 331 Angus bulls: $3,661 25 Salers bulls: $3,460 35 South Devon bulls: $3,600 17 Gelbvieh bulls: $3,338 8 Simmental bulls: $3,188 15 Red Angus bulls: $3,034 TOPS — Angus: Byergo Colonel G14, 1/5/19 by Baldridge Colonel C251; to Connelly Angus, Valier, MT, $16,000.

Craft Southern Charm 5045-914, 1/15/19 by BUBS Southern Charm AA31; to MJB Angus, Lodge Grass, MT and Lucky 7 Angus, Riverton, WY, $13,500. SS Sure Fire G27, 12/17/18 by GAR Sure Fire; to Hudson Angus Farms, Elk City, OK, $12,000. Next Gen 36 Next Step 189, 1/12/19 by Prairie Pride Next Step 2036; to MR Angus, Wheatland, WY, $11,000. BCC Renown 1G, 1/17/19 by SAV Renown 3439; to GM Lusk Inc., Rhame, ND, $10,000. Campbell Rainfall 9721, 3/6/19 by SAV Rainfall 6846; to MJB Angus and Webo Angus, Lusk, WY, $10,000. Salers: ECR 935G of 59E, 1/26/19 by Musgrave Aviator; to JP Cattle Co., Bismarck, ND, $7,500.

PRK Grandview 542G, 3/3/19 by SRS

■ Top Black Angus bull in the Low Birth Weight division was sold by Crozier Angus from Neola, Utah for $5,100 to Robert Holts Farms of Enterprise, Utah.

■ Thomas Nielson from Salt Lake City, Utah purchased the top-selling Red Angus bull offered by Bastian Red Angus of Neola, Utah for $5,500.

■ The top-selling Balancer bull was sold by Pace Ranch in Teasdale, Utah to T C Ranch from Holden, Utah for $4,750.

■ Two Sr. division Black Angus bulls in the Growth division offered for sale by Lowe Livestock from Toquerville, Utah sold for $4,000 to take top honors for the Angus Growth category.

They were sold to Tracy Beckstrom of Payson, Utah and David Roberts of Beaver Utah.

The members of the UBIA want to thank all those who attended the sale and participated online to make this years’ sale a success. We look forward to working with you in the future.

If you would like to participate in the 2020-2021 bull test contact C. Kim Chapman, USU Extension Animal Scientist & UBIA Executive Secretary at 435893-0474 or via email at kim.chapman@ usu.edu. Go to ubiabulls.com to learn more.

Domino 155D; to Rugg Ranch, Plevna, MT, $5,500. ECR 957G of D603, 2/10/19

by TSB Hunter 10C; to Jacobsen Ranch, Sun River, MT, $5,250. Red Angus: Sutphin’s Prospector 6681, 9/2/18 by DVO Prospector 300D; to Debbie Poeschl, Sheridan, WY, $4,000. South Devon: MJB NFL 953G, 3/20/19 by NFL Progress DSB014; to Double RL Cattle Co., Ridgeway, CO, $5,250. MJB Xtra 1029G,

by Cimarron Bold One 404B; to T Bar J Ranch, Molt, MT, $5,250. Simmental: Mallett F893, 9/16/18 by KNH Added Value 58W; to Randy DeVries, Robert, MT, $4,000. Hereford: EPH E424 Donald 810, 9/3/18 by NJW 73S W18 Hometown 10Y ET; to Sidwell Ranch, Columbus, MT, $6,500. Charolais: Southern 1977F ET, 12/17/18 by LT Ledger 0332P; to Juan Fantazzi, Puerto Rico, $6,000.

Southern 188F ET, 12/15/18 by LT Ledger 0332P; to Juan Fantazzi, $5,750.

Southern 1207F ET, 11/2/18 by LT Ledger 0332P; to Juan Fantazzi, $5,250.

Gelbvieh: MDR 9334G, 3/4/19 by MDR Gallagher Rule 3020A; to Matt Braun, Hobart, OK, $5.750. MDR 9850G, 1/28/19 by MDR NH Blackout 7412E; to Doug Honeycutt, Stigler, OK, $5,750.

Go to midlandbulltest.com to learn more.

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Weed By Example

Controlling Noxious Weeds and Reducing Fire Fuel Biomass

By Sean Gephart

Special to Nevada Rancher Magazine

Noxious weeds are invasive plant species that can damage Nevada landscapes impacting plant diversity, property values, wildlife habitats and agricultural and rangeland production sites.

Nevada currently has 54 species of noxious weeds, many of which can create a fuel source for wildfire frequency and intensity.

Several of our annual grass species in particular, such as Medusahead, Ventenata and Barbed and Jointed Goatgrass, spread quickly and outcompete native vegetation, and in disturbed areas can take over, preventing other species from growing.

These annual grass species can permanently disrupt the biodiversity of our rangelands.

In efforts to mitigate these negative impacts associated with noxious weeds, the Nevada Department of Agriculture’s (NDA) noxious weed program coordinates resources and efforts focused on preventing noxious weeds from developing and spreading.

CONTROL NOXIOUS WEEDS

Spring brings growth and propagation of plants across Nevada. As plants sprout and grow, identification becomes critical.

Early identification of plants can aid in treatment and eradication of noxious species.

Treatments can include hand pulling, mowing, grazing, herbicides, and biocontrol, where an insect or pathogen is introduced to weaken or kill the plant. Per Nevada Revised Statue 555.130, all landowners are responsible for noxious weeds control on their property.

The NDA encourages an integrated weed management approach, combining multiple control methods, to address noxious weeds. Integrated weed management relies on the following: ■ Early detection, rapid response and consistent monitoring are essential.

■ Control methods may require multiple applications or methods in one growing season or over several growing seasons.

■ Plant competitive species to reduce recurrence of weeds.

■ Carefully follow label instructions if using pesticides.

■ Be diligent, some weeds take multiple seasons to control.

COMMON NOXIOUS WEEDS IN NEVADA

As mentioned, there are currently 54 designated noxious weeds in Nevada that have been destructive to the natural

28

environment and can act as fuel for fires. Here are a few to monitor and tips for removal: ■ Annuals like Yellow Starthistle that have not flowered (or “gone to seed”) can be mowed or sprayed. These plants will likely need to be mowed or sprayed twice over the season as they finish their growth cycle.

■ Biennials such as Scotch Thistle or Musk Thistle, which take two years to reach maturity and seed, can have the flowering heads cut off, placed in bags and thrown away. Before the plant matures into a tall, flowering plant, the roots can be dug up with a shovel to prevent the plant from reaching maturity the following year. This is also known as removing the plant at the rosette stage.

■ Perennials like Perennial Pepperweed (also known as Tall Whitetop), should be sprayed with an appropriate herbicide to achieve long term results or, if chemicals are not an option, the plant should be mowed annually before flower or seed development emerges. This plant can spread through propagative roots, so it is important to not till it as it can sprout more plants from each severed root tip.

PHOTOS: COURTESY NEVADA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Annuals like Yellow Starthistle, seen here, that have not flowered (or “gone to seed”) can be mowed or sprayed.

KEEP NOXIOUS WEEDS AWAY FROM YOUR PROPERTY

Keeping noxious weeds away from uninfected areas is a large part of the battle. Always remember to clean your vehicle, clothes and pets if you have been in a weed-infested area.

Use certified weed free forage and gravel materials to ensure you are not bringing noxious weeds onto your land. You can find a full list of certified weed free producers agri.nv.gov/ NoxiousWeeds.

Noxious weed resources are available The NDA can help landowners identify and develop a proper management strategy. There are several other local, regional and state resources available as well: ■ Find a Cooperative Weed Management Area (CWMA) that serves your area at agri.nv.gov/ cwma.

■ Visit the UNR Cooperative Extension (UNCE) website for help with identification at unce. unr.edu.

■ Download the EDDMapS app (available for iPhone and android) to monitor treatments and help the NDA manage throughout the state ■ The Quick Reference Guide can help in identifying noxious weed species and can be found at agri.nv.gov/NoxiousWeeds.

Sean Gephart is Noxious Weed Program Coordinator for the Nevada Department of Agriculture. Email him at sgephart@agri.nv.gov for comment.

THE NEVADA RANCHER — MAY 2020

Biennials such as the Scotch Thistle, seen here, can have the flowering heads cut off, placed in bags and thrown away.

Perennials like Perennial Pepperweed, seen here, should be sprayed with an appropriate herbicide to achieve long term results.

Specialist Works in Elko to Maintain Rangelands Special to Nevada Rancher Magazine University of Nevada, Reno Extension welcomes Paul Meiman to Nevada as the Extension specialist for rangeland livestock and wildlife interactions. Meiman works out of the Extension office in Elko and has responsibilities primarily throughout Northern Nevada as part of the University’s College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources.

As an Extension specialist, Meiman’s main focus is on promoting and supporting effective management of rangelands in Northern Nevada to maintain or improve plant communities to better support rangeland animals.

As part of the College’s Experiment Station unit, he will work with land and animal managers to monitor how wildlife and livestock interact with each other and other components of rangeland ecosystems. Additionally, he will be looking for opportunities to apply and develop innovative tools, such as virtual fencing systems, to help rangeland managers improve livestock distribution and sustain Nevada rangeland habitats and the animals that rely on them.

Prior to working at the University, Meiman worked at Colorado State University as an associate

PHOTO: ROBERT MOORE

Paul Meiman is supporting proper rangeland management techniques in Nevada. professor in the Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship and at the University of Wyoming as the state Extension specialist for rangeland resources.

Meiman hopes to make a significant impact in Nevada, and is excited to be associated with the rangeland ecology program in the College’s Department of Agriculture, Veterinary & Rangeland Sciences, which is continuing to grow steadily. He is also a member of the Society for Range

Management and the Range Science Education Council.

Meiman is particularly interested in livestock grazing management to maintain or improve habitat in and around streams. Plant communities in these areas have important links to instream habitats for many species, including Lahontan cutthroat trout, which is a threatened species according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

“It’s so great to be back in Extension,” Meiman said. “I love

being able to get out of the office and connect with people who manage rangelands. I’m learning a lot right now about what is happening in northern Nevada and how I can make an impact and best support efforts to improve rangeland management here — even in instances where it is already pretty good.”

Going forward, Meiman plans to work with ranchers who have Bureau of Land Management or Forest Service grazing permits on

how to best monitor rangelands cooperatively with the agencies to support their management decisions.

He also plans to continue working with the bureau and bureau permittees in Nevada who are involved in outcome-based grazing.

This is a new approach to grazing management that provides permittees with opportunities for increased management flexibility and input on defining management outcomes, but also more responsibility for those outcomes.

“I have known Meiman and have watched his career develop over the last 20 years and can definitively state he is one of the most qualified and talented rangeland scientists in the USA,” Tamzen Stringham, chair of the College’s Department of Agriculture, Veterinary & Rangeland Sciences, said. “The department and Extension are extremely blessed to have him as part of our Extension and research team. Nevada rangelands and our rural communities will benefit significantly from Meiman’s knowledge.”

This article was provided by the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources University of Nevada, Reno. Visit www.unr.edu to learn more.

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Paul Bottari Earns Realtor of America Award Special to Nevada Rancher Magazine Paul Bottari, ALC, with Bottari & Associates Realty, Inc. in Wells, Nevada, recently received the Realtors Land Institute 2019 Land Realtor of America Award as part of their RLI Leadership Awards Program.

The Land Realtor of America Award nationally recognizes one RLI member each year for their effort and work expended in the interest of their fellow members, their profession, and their community.

Paul was presented the award by 2020 National President Kyle Hansen, ALC, and RLI CEO Aubrie Kobernus, MBA, RCE, during RLI’s Virtual National Land Conference (NLC20) on Monday, March 30.

Land professionals from around the country tuned-in online to attend the Virtual NLC20 where four RLI members received awards through the esteemed Realtors Land Institute Leadership Awards Program. All award recipients are nominated and selected by their peers.

“I’m certainly surprised and greatly humbled to have been selected to receive this award.

Also, would like to thank my wife Lori who deals with rentals

and house sales while I get to do land, farms and ranches which is a joy to me.” said Bottari upon receiving the award.

Bottari is a lifelong agriculturist, being part of a ranching family who now have over 106 years of continuous ownership.

After graduating with a B.S. in Ag Education from UNR, he taught Vo-Ag for two years and worked as the CEO of the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association for over five years before getting into real estate in 1984.

While getting the real estate business working, he also found time to run an Outfitter and Guide Service; to get a Feed, Seed and Fertilizer business going; and, along with Templeton Livestock, got Superior Livestock Video sales started in Nevada.

He has always been willing to work for the industries he’s been involved in, serving as the Secretary/Treasure for Nevada Outfitter & Guide Association for over 16 years; as a Past President of the local chamber of commerce; as a Past President of the Elko County Assn. of Realtors, being named their Realtor of the Year in 2008; and has been their Public Policy Committee chairman for over 20 years.

He was selected as Nevada

Distinguished Realtor® Award recipient by the Nevada Association of Realtors and has served on the National Association of Realtors Land Use, Property Rights and Environment Committee for over 10 years in total representing Regional, State and RLI. Paul now serves as the Chairman of the Realtors Land Institute’s Government Affairs Committee and represents RLI on the NAR Land Use Committee. He is also the President of the Society for Preservation of Western Heritage a local 501(c)3 organization and is a member of the newly formed Land Broker C0-OP and the Land.com network.

“The RLI Leadership Awards recognize the land professionals most dedicated to serving our organization and serving our industry. They are truly the best of the best in the business as proven by their service and contributions, and we could not be more proud to have them as a part of RLI,” said Kobernus.

ABOUT THE REALTORS LAND INSTITUTE

The Realtors Land Institute, The Voice of Land, continually strives to maintain its status as the acknowledged leader for all matters pertaining to

COURTESY PHOTO

Paul Bottari, a UNR alum, previously worked as the CEO of the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association for over five years before getting into real estate in 1984. the land real estate profession.

RLI endeavors to remain the essential membership organization for the extraordinary real estate professionals who broker, lease, sell, develop, and manage our most precious resource: the land. The Realtors Land

Institute provides the expertise, camaraderie, and valuable resources that are the foundation for all land real estate professionals to become the best in the business. For more information, visit rliland.com or call 800-441-5263.

Bottari & Associates Realty RANCH PROPERTIES NOW AVAILABLE THROUGH BOTTARI AND ASSOCIATES REALTY

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Pioche, Nevada Over 700 acres of which 345 have water rights Out of Flat Nose Spring and 3 underground wells.

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This ranch is located North of Wildhorse and South of the Idaho border near Roland. There Are approx..280 deeded acres made up of two Homesteads both fenced and one with corrals and a cow camp. The Diamond A Allotment on the USFS is included which is for 230 pair from June 14 – October 31. Two pastures and it’s a private allotment.

PRICE: $995,000

Paul D. Bottari, Broker E-mail: paul@bottarirealty.com • Bus. 775-752-3040 • Res. 775-752-3809 • Fax 775-752-3021 • 122 8th Street • P.O. Box 368 • Wells, NV 89835

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BOTTARIREALTY.COM 30

THE NEVADA RANCHER — MAY 2020

New Company Aims to Gather Feral Livestock JY Livestock Gathering LLC

Special to Nevada Rancher Magazine

Catching maverick cattle is a longstanding battle for ranchers, and a new company just joined their forces.

JY Livestock Gathering LLC is the culmination

of Owner/Operator Jim Young’s 22 years of experience in handling livestock and catching feral animals.

He first caught wild burros in the Book Cliffs of Utah as a teenager and has since gathered feral horses and cattle in Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, and California. His

company is based out of Fallon, Nevada, and serves all Western states.

Successfully locating, gathering, and removing feral livestock requires a highly specialized skill set.

A wild cow man must be able to track and find cattle in rough, brushy country

where the cattle have all the advantages. Once he finds them, he must either gather or rope and lead them to a stock trailer or corrals. It’s not an undertaking for the faint of heart.

“The majority of big maverick bulls are the biggest thing in their part of the world and they’ve done whatever they want their whole lives. So, you have that to deal with that,” said Jim Young.

Even though it’s daunting, he enjoys the unique challenges presented by gathering mavericks for a living.

“I like figuring out what it’s gonna take to get them where you need them,” said Young.

Each situation is different depending on location, elevation, topography, etc.

Whether the livestock reside on public lands, state parks, or private ranches,

the need for their removal is the same, though.

Feral livestock damage natural resources, carry diseases, and need to be removed. JY Livestock Gathering LLC hopes to help both public land managers and private landowners meet their unwanted livestock removal goals.

For more information, visit www.JYlivestockGathering.com or call Jim Young at 775-385-9354.

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THE NEVADA RANCHER — MAY 2020

31

The Cowboy Pastor’s Wife

THE DYING OF THE EMBERS Norma Elliott

Special to Nevada Rancher Magazine

U

sually I would write to you about a fire we experienced back about 12 years ago while living in Carbon, Texas.

A wildfire that devastated our community and left 40 people without homes, including us.

Lately though, I am not focused on that, I am more concerned about the fire within us. A fire that is dwindling, that if we don’t fan the embers we have left, it will quickly go out.

This time of year is one of my favorites. We will gather and brand calves. When arriving to the pens, we may sort out a few, tie up our ponies and unload the necessities to work. We gather up a bit of wood, tear up a feed sack from the ranch truck, stike a match, and get a fire going. When it’s rollin a bit and we’ve made a few coals, we set our brands on and let ‘em get hot.

We load up vaccine guns, a roper tightens their cinch and takes down their rope, and drags his first one to the fire. If calves aren’t enough to make your day, the smell of a fire and burnt hair just add to the ambiance of ranch living. Nothing like branding season and all the sights and smells that go along with it.

Fire in this case is a good thing and is a tool in the work we love.

We are also aware that fire can be problematic when it comes to burning up country or fences, or endangering livestock or even human lives — that is the devastating part.

As far as our spiritual lives go, the problem is not fire, but rather the lack thereof ... preventing us from passionately pursuing God. Now I’m no theologian, I’m just a cowboy pastor’s wife living out in the middle of nowhere, but I don’t see the water haulin’ truck heading to the Christian community right now.

I don’t see us speaking up for

COURTESY PHOTO

what’s right, I don’t see us standing up to fear and bowing down to God. This is why the lesson Paul gives to Timothy was vital to the church then and to us now.

“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God” — 2 Timothy 1:6.

Haven’t you seen a few cowboys fan a fire with their hat just at the right moment and voila ... flames? That’s what we need now.

We need some fanning, we need some embers to burn hot, we need flames to ignite the gift of God within us.

It may look like some folks speaking up. It may look like some laws being changed. It may be a call to our congressman or woman. Most of all, it will look like us seeking God and standing up for truth. We need more faith and less fear. And since that fire can not survive with only one

piece of wood, neither can we. We need each other.

Let’s revisit the problem however to get a better perspective…

Here’s an example. Did you know during quarantine, one of the mayors of America’s biggest cities, was up to no good? Not naming anyone (cough ... cough ... Los Angeles), but the mayor was offering to pay people willing to rat out their neighbors if they leave their homes — thus, fining the accused neighbor for “breaking the rules,” in an already challenging economic time.

A fine? Sure, that’s what people need. Are you shooting for a bigger homeless crisis? I believe this will push you over the edge California! Sounds nothing like loving your neighbor to me. Sounds more like a dictatorship caused by fear. The type of fear that gives over our rights as citizens.

History repeats itself.

In the cowboy culture, we’d call this person a traitor, oh excuse me ... we call them that here in America right? What if the accused neighbor went to get groceries, deliver something to the door of an elderly parent? What if they just needed to walk ... social distancing, of course.

This kind of behavior is unacceptable for us as Christians, as humans, as Americans. It actually sounds more like Nazi Germany.

It sounds like an enemy lurking.

It sounds like sleeping Christians! And it sounds like a taste of what’s to come for the next virus or a flare-up in the fall, if we don’t stop the madness. Can we really go inside and hide every time danger lurks? Will we become a wussified nation? Oh Lord help us! And I really mean that!

But here’s what we can do…

1. Strengthen our dependency on God. History does repeat itself. Man sins, strays from God. Man or woman tries everything else and holds opinions of themselves and others higher than God. It’s time to call out to Him. Let’s not waste any more time but humbly approach the throne of God with repentant hearts.

2. Pray first. “The fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” — James 5:16.

In order to become righteous, we must align ourselves to God’s word. It’s true we cannot earn righteousness, that only comes through Christ, who shed blood for us. Perfectionism looks for rules, righteousness is seeking forgiveness and continuing on.

We must pursue the constant alignment of truth in our lives thru regular study and communication in prayer.

3. Remember. Paul told Timothy to remember sincere faith, which first lived in his mother and his grandmother. We need to remember God is faithful, He has been in the past, He will be in the future. Remembering His faithfulness quenches our doubts and changes our mindset.

4. Fan the flames. Not just those in the branding pen but the ones in our hearts. The gift of God is within us. Further instruction in 2 Timothy 1:7 tells us we are not to be timid, but full of power and of sound mind.

5. Tell others. Testify without shame, and that includes having a voice in our Country. We can no longer afford silence — if we don’t speak up someone else does the speaking for us. Be bold friends!

Can you imagine the change we will see when we fan the flames? When together we build up the fire? The change within our community, states and our Country. Most importantly, the relationship God desires with us to restore us to Him. I know we can do this — will you join me?

Thank you for reading, The Cowboy Pastor’s Wife

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32

THE NEVADA RANCHER — MAY 2020

MAY 25

Christmas in Spring

All in a Day’s Ride

Are You a Sheep or a Lion?

F

rom my point of view, it sure is a strange world we are living in right now!

Rumors abound! I call them rumors cause we don’t know who starts them or who is spreading them. The worst part is most of them are based on negativity. This world is full of way too much negativity. We need to get back on that horse they call “Positive Attitude.”

From my point of view, there are two critters roaming this earth, lions and sheep. We know for a fact the lions are positive! They are aware of the real things going on around them. They are proactive, they think for themselves and use common sense.

Let me ask you a question, when is the last time you saw a Positive sheep? Don’t get me wrong — I like sheep: leg of lamb, lamb chops, lamb shanks, to name a few. And wool underwear. However, sheep like to play follow the leader, with no common sense, to where they are going or what they are doing.

And they are letting a dog, who is smarter than the whole flock, tell them what to do? So, before I get off my soapbox, I’ll ask — are you a sheep or a lion?

On the lighter side and on the subject of fire prevention, I have to tell a story that was told to me a long time ago by a hired hand that worked

David W. Glaser on a ranch in Nevada. He swore it was true!

It all started when a stray dog turned up at the ranch. He picked a fight with the ranch dog and chased the momma cat up a tree. The hired man, I’ll call him Cliff, told the two young boys, Mike and Bill, “You fellers catch the dog and we’ll tie a couple tin cans on his tail. He’ll go home and won’t come back.”

They did as they were told, and when they released the beast, he took off like a bat outta hell, yowling and wringing his tail, the cans banging and making a lot of noise. The boys thought that was great sport and were laughing up a storm.

A week later, Trouble, he now had a name, showed up again. This time he got into the missus’ chicken house and killed her favorite hen.

Cliff said, “Boys I got a cure for that; catch Trouble and we’ll wire that hen around his neck. It’ll get rotten an stink so bad, he’ll never kill another chicken again.”

The boys did as they were told and Trouble ran off. Couple day later, the

boys told Cliff, “We seen Trouble out in the sagebrush, and he was just laying there eating that stinking ol hen. It was just like he was packing his lunch?”

A week later, right on schedule, Trouble showed up at the ranch. Cliff told the boys, “This is war, go get a wire brush and some turpentine, we are gonna send him home for good.”

They held him down and brushed his backside and poured on the juice.

Before they let him loose, Mike found a firecracker left over from the 4th of July and they taped it to the end of his tail. Fuse lit, they set him free. Ol Trouble was howling and running in circles, when the firecracker went off. “BANG!” His whole tail caught on fire. Trouble headed straight for the haystack. Every 8 or 10 feet, he’d stop and drag his butt, starting a little fire in the grass and old hay.

The fire on his tail finally went out and he went howling over the hill never to be seen again. However, he left 12 or 14 little fires all around the stack and the barnyard. The moral to this story and on the subject of fire prevention is, “never, ever let two young boys play with matches!”

It’s all in a Day” Ride!

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pring mornings are a lot like Christmas. Each day we get up and go out into the yard, or walk along the creek or visit the horses in the pasture. And each day, each morning, we find something new the sun has brought us.

Pinfeather leaves of an unbelievable green now start showing on cottonwoods that have stood like stark ghostly frames all through the cold winter. Hopeful blades of grass peek through clumps of brown left over from last summer’s verdant pasture.

Everywhere we look there is something new and different.

A lot of this Christmas-inspring is kept just among us, because we might be accused of being ... well ... poetic if we told people why we were really carrying that coffee cup out into the yard. So we say lame things like, “I think I’ll get some of that fresh air this morning.” What we really mean, of course, is “I want to see if Richardson’s bay mare has had that foal yet.”

Some of us have worked very hard last fall and winter to prepare for this spring. By grafting.

OK, we have a Granny Smith apple tree. Let’s see if we can’t get a branch of Rome Beauties or Jonagolds to grow on it, too.

And we understand completely that where we live no olive tree

can survive the winter. That isn’t supposed to stop us from trying, is it?

Nature pitches us a boatload of challenges each day that we’re alive. This plant needs more water than falls naturally here. That tree can’t take the temperatures we get. This little tree needs soil with more organic matter in it.

And those challenges are the stuff winter dreams are made of.

We do the best we can to cure the lack, the freeze, the drought, and then we wait for April. We wait impatiently until we can come out of the house some morning and check the grafts on the apple tree and see tiny green leaves coming on the grafted branch. We search the bare ground where we planted that new kind of seed that won’t grow here — to see if it’ll grow here.

It is a continuing feast of green, a triumph of anticipation. An April morning can make us want to sing.

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THE NEVADA RANCHER — MAY 2020

33

CHECKING IN ON YOUR BEEF CHECKOFF

Nevada Beef Council Update – May 2020

Resources During a Challenging Time

MORE RESOURCES ONLINE

Nevada Beef Council Staff

Special to Nevada Rancher Magazine

These last several weeks have been filled with challenges and uncertainty. But during this unprecedented time, the Beef Checkoff and State Beef Councils like ours have worked to assure consumers that beef is still what’s for dinner, and that they needn’t be concerned about the ongoing availability of this high-quality protein.

The industry as a whole has stepped up to show how beef producers are committed to providing a great product, and also how consumers can easily prepare beef for their families in this new era of increased at-home cooking.

An extensive library of content, including advertisements, recipes, cooking videos and educational materials about beef nutrition have been amplified to help consumers while they are home during the pandemic.

“We know consumers are seeking preparation and recipe tips for cooking beef at home,” said Alisa Harrison, senior vice president of Global Marketing and Research at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA). “The good news is that BeefItsWhatsforDinner.com and our partners with the

Federation of State Beef Councils have great recipe ideas, resources and cooking tips that can help consumers as they transition to eating at home more.”

These same recipes and resources are also being provided to food influencers, supply chain partners and the news media to support their efforts to educate consumers about food preparation and healthy eating.

Beef preparation and recipes tips that are being provided to consumers through Checkoff-funded content include: ■ Recipe Collections: While Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. has many recipe collections, current efforts are focused on sharing recipes that are easy, simple, affordable and kid friendly.

■ Cooking Lessons: These lessons provide step-by-step instructions and tips for a dozen different cooking methods, from grilling to pressure cooking, these cooking lessons are a great resource for all levels of home chefs.

■ Beef Safety Information: From beef handling and storage information to preparation guidelines and additional tips, the Beef

There are a number of helpful resources for producers to learn more about this pandemic and the impact on industry: u COVID-19 FAQS: beefitswhatsfordinner.com/newsroom/covid-19-faqs u COVID-19 Response from the Beef Checkoff: beefboard. org/2020/04/06/covid-19-response — note: this site also includes guidance that may be helpful to beef producers during this time, including a Memorandum of Identification citing Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers, and a template document providing employee critical infrastructure designation. u Beef Quality Assurance Certification at bqa.org and Masters of Beef Advocacy Training at beefitswhatsfordinner.com/masters-of-beef-advocacy — both available online at all times.

Checkoff is providing consumers with the information they need for a safe eating experience.

■ Batch Cooking: As families adjust to more time at home, the Beef Checkoff is also offering tips and ideas for batch cooking and leftovers to ensure meal planning is stress-free and packs a nutritious punch. Planning ahead in the kitchen saves time and money, and can also help families reach daily nutrition goals, even when they’re busy juggling a variety of needs and responsibilities.

To ensure consumers are armed with knowledge to have the best eating experiencing with beef, Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. has also provided some quick tips on how to safely handle and prepare beef when cooking at home, including:

■ Ground beef can safely be stored in the refrigerator for one to two days before cooking or freezing. Once in the freezer, ground beef can be stored for three to four months before quality is impacted.

■ Steaks and roasts can safely be stored in the refrigerator for three to five days before cooking or freezing. Once in the freezer, steaks and roasts can be stored for four to 12 months before quality is impacted.

■ If you plan on freezing, repackage your beef into the rightsize portion for upcoming meals.

■ For longer storage, remove beef from original packaging and place into freezer bags or similar air-tight packaging to remove as much air as possible.

STORING BEEF:

■ Defrost beef in the refrigerator, never at room temperature.

■ Account for 12 to 24 hours to

■ Refrigerate or freeze beef as soon as possible after purchasing.

DEFROSTING:

defrost ground beef and steaks.

■ Use a plate or tray to catch any juices.

HANDLING:

■ Wash hands well in hot, soapy water before and after handling raw meat and other fresh foods.

■ Keep raw meat and juices away from other foods.

■ Wash all utensils, cutting surfaces and counters after contact with raw meat.

PREPARING:

■ Always use a meat thermometer.

■ Ground beef should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F. ■ Steaks and roasts should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145°F for medium rare.

■ Don’t forget to refrigerate leftovers within two hours after cooking.

As Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. lends consumers a hand when it comes to preparing beef at home through this time of unknowns, farmers and ranchers are urged to follow along on social media platforms — including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter — to see how Beef Checkoff dollars are helping consumers feel confident in choosing and preparing beef and can rest assured that the beef industry is committed to providing safe, healthy, wholesome beef to the food supply.

MAY RECIPE: CUBAN CRISPY SHREDDED BEEF

Nevada Beef Council Staff

Special to Nevada Rancher Magazine

With so many consumers cooking from home more often these days, BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com is offering up some great tips for the home chef, including guides on batch cooking beef cuts to allow one cooking session to cover several meals.

In this recipe, for example, you can take leftover Pot Roast to the next level.

Traditionally known as Vaca Frita, it features sautéed beef with bell pepper, onion and lime juice, commonly served with rice and black beans. Delicious!

INGREDIENTS:

■ 12 ounces shredded cooked beef Chuck Pot Roast ■ 1 cup sliced green bell pepper ■ 1 cup sliced onion ■ 1/4 cup fresh lime juice ■ 2 tablespoons olive oil ■ 2 teaspoons minced garlic ■ 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided ■ 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper ■ Hot cooked rice, black beans and lime wedges (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

■ Combine the beef Chuck Pot Roast, bell pepper, onion, lime juice, oil, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt and black pepper in large bowl. Marinate in refrigerator for

34

PHOTO: NEVADA BEEF COUNCIL

15 minutes or up to 1-1/2 hours.

■ Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Spread 1/3 of beef mixture in thin layer in skillet.

THE NEVADA RANCHER —MAY 2020

Cook until crispy in spots, turning several times, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from skillet. Repeat twice with remaining beef mixture.

■ Season beef with remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt.

■ Serve with rice, black beans and lime wedges as desired.

Let’s eat!

THE IMPOSSIBLE PIE

How are you coping with social distancing? If your house runs like mine, it has been business as usual! We haven’t made many changes to our daily lives but have tried to limit our town trips to once a week, to try to avoid getting sick right now or potentially spreading the disease.

We have also given up pizza as much as it saddens us. We had grown accustom to takeout pizza on these long days when we didn’t get home very early. As you know in ranching, sometimes avoiding extra trips to town isn’t always possible.

It never fails, you blow a tire on the feed truck, blow a hydraulic hose on the backhoe, or the kids conveniently forget to tell you that they are out of steer feed until you get back from your trip to the feed store. It is always something!

Can you believe the items people have been hoarding? You can’t imagine how embarrassed I was on my payday grocery shopping trip when I was shopping like normal and my cart was comparable to those who were panic shopping. I wanted a sign to carry saying, “I grew up 80 miles from town and used to live in a remote cow camp. Don’t judge me!”

In seriousness though, the only time I had much anxiety was when I realized I couldn’t buy flour and yeast at liberty. I’m so glad that week is over! I truly hope that the people who bought up all of the dried goods and baking supplies that don’t normally bake make it a point to use everything they buy and it doesn’t end up in a landfill when this is all over. All of that food wasted would make me very sad.

In addition to having my mind blown by all of the toilet paper and food hoarders, I have been amazed at the generosity and ingenuity of our community at this time.

Small family owned businesses still paying employees what they can even when their doors are closed and local restaurants selling baking and cooking supplies from their own pantries and giving to those in their communities who are struggling with making ends meet with job layoffs.

It makes me very proud of the industry and community we live in. I don’t know about you, but I’m going to remember these businesses when all this craziness is over, and we can eat out and shop again! I also hope that people once again realize and appreciate the contribution Agriculture makes to their daily

IMPOSSIBLE PIE

Ingredients:

■ 4 eggs ■ ¾ c. white granulated sugar ■ ½ stick (4 T.) softened butter ■ 1 tsp. vanilla extract ■ ½ tsp. ground nutmeg ■ ½ c. all-purpose flour ■ 2 c. milk ■ 1 c. shredded coconut

Directions:

■ Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. ■ Cream eggs, sugar, butter, and vanilla with a hand mixer.

■ Add nutmeg, flour, and milk. Continue mixing until all ingredients are wet.

■ Stir in coconut with a spoon.

■ Spray a 10-inch deep dish pie plate with cooking spray and pour in pie ingredients.

■ Bake in oven 55-60 minutes and pie is brown on top.

■ This pie will rise up during baking, and then fall as it begins to cool. It will slice easier if you let it cool in the refrigerator before slicing.

This pie makes your kitchen smell fabulous and has been known to entice stray cowboys in for a bite! Enjoy!

PHOTO: JENNIFER WHITELEY

lives.At my house, we love pie. It is probably one of the few things we can agree we all like.

This recipe is my boys’ favorite. I like it because it is easy. So easy that when the boys ate the first pie I baked before I could take a picture, I wasn’t too upset I would have to bake a second! It’s pretty good for breakfast too.

When I bake a pie, I tend to get carried away making the crust pretty. You simply cannot just do a plain crust, and sometimes a lattice crust falls under simple! Then, baking a pie turns into an all-day project for me.

(Not to complain, but some days I just don’t have enough time to do it how I want to).

Spring is one of our busiest seasons and even with more hours of sunlight, I don’t have enough hours in the day to spend making a pretty pie crust, and this recipe is “impossibly” easy! This pie makes its own crust, saving lots of time! It makes a quick dessert when you are short on time and ingredients but want something tasty.

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Jennifer Whiteley | Nevada Rancher Magazine

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THE NEVADA RANCHER — MAY 2020

35

AUCTION DIRECTORY Get the most up-to-date market reports by visiting these websites

NEVADA Nevada Livestock Marketing LLC

Sale every Wednesday 1025 North Allen Road, Fallon, Nevada Office: 775-423-7760 Fax: 775-423-1813 www.nevadalivestock.us

Fallon Livestock LLC

Sale every Tuesday 2055 Trento Lane, Fallon, Nevada Office: 775-867-2020 Fax: 775-867-2021 www.fallonlivestock.com

CALIFORNIA Shasta Livestock Auction Yard Sale every Friday Cottonwood, California Office: 530-347-3793 Fax: 530-347-0329 www.shastalivestock.com

Cattlemen’s Livestock Market

Sale every Wednesday 12495 E. Stockton Blvd., Galt, California Office: 209-745-1515 www.clmgalt.com

IDAHO

Superior Livestock Auction

Load-lots of cattle sold via satellite and internet Northern Nevada Representative Allie Bear Office: 775-738-8534 www.superiorlivestock.com

Producers Livestock Marketing Association

Cattle auction every Tuesday; dairy auction every other Wednesday 11 South 100 West, Jerome, Idaho Office: 208-324-4345 www.producerslivestock.com

Treasure Valley Livestock Auction

Beef sale every Friday; general sale every other Saturday 1901 E. Chicago, Caldwell, Idaho Office: 208-459-7475; 800-788-4429 www.treasurevalleylivestock.com

Twin Falls Livestock Commission

Sales every Wednesday and Saturday 630 Commercial Ave. Twin Falls, Idaho Office: 208-733-7474 www.twinfallslivestock.com

OREGON Producers Livestock Marketing Sale every Wednesday P.O. Box 67, Vale, Oregon Office: 541-473-3136 www.producerslivestock.com

Central Oregon Livestock Auction Sale Every Monday 3457 S.W. Hwy. 97, Madras, Oregon Office: 541-475-3851

www.centraloregonlivestockauction.com

L i v e s t o c k A u c t i o n S e rv i c e s TREASURE VALLEY FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM FOR EXCITING GIVEAWAYS, CONVERSATION, AND MORE!

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SALE EVERY TUESDAY 2055 Trento Lane, Fallon, NV 89406 (775) 867-2020 - Fax (755) 867-2021 FallonLivestock.com - Email FallonLivestock@gmail.com Tommy Lee, Owner (775) 741-4523

SALE EVERY TUESDAY AT NOON (MTN) Dan Hinman 208.250.1210 Eric Drees 208.329.4808 Emmett, Idaho www.7riverslivestock.com Check us out on Facebook

36

May 7

CALVES, HOGS, SHEEP & GOATS

Every Second & Fourth Saturday @ 11am

BEEF CATTLE, FEEDER CATTLE,

BUTCHER CATTLE, STOCK COWS & PAIRS Friday @ 10am

SALE

May 14 May 21 May 28

VIDEO AUCTION VIDEO VIDEO AUCTION VIDEO (Website Catalog) AUCTION (Website Catalog) AUCTION Catalog Deadline Catalog Deadline Catalog Deadline Catalog Deadline May 5 May 4 May 19 May 18

Contact Nevada Representative Allie Bear

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THE NEVADA RANCHER — MAY 2020

LIVESTOCK

208-459-7475 800-788-4429

Market report Fallon Livestock LLC Fallon, Nevada

300-400 lb.

400-500 lb.

124-124 avg

129-137 avg

Stock Cattle by Weight 500-600 600-700 lb. lb.

700-800 lb.

800+ lb.

129-132. 103.50-115 avg 120-122 61-61 avg 50 avg avg 126-126 avg 115-123 avg 121-128 113-119 avg 100-112 92-98 avg Heifers avg avg Preg Tested 3,4,5 year solid Top cow: 1215 avg wt (avg. 61) mouth 975-975 April 14, 2020 sale; volume: N/A. Single, small-framed or plainer cattle 30 to 65 less than top offering.

Steers

Breakers (Fat Cows)

Cattlemen’s Livestock Marketing Galt, Calif.

Shasta Livestock Auction Yard, Cottonwood, Calif.

Steers Heifers

No Test No test

400-500 lb. #2 80-110 #1 140-167

500-600 lb.

600-700 lb. #2 quality

#1 125-143 80-110 #2 80-100 80-100

68-83

Boners (Med. Flesh)

41-54

Shelly Bulls

No test

Cutters (Lean)

40-41

Cutter Bulls

78-91

Shelly Cutters (Thin)

No test

Top Bull

1,980 avg wt 83 avg cost

Stock Cattle by Weight 300-400 lb. #2 quality

Slaughter Cattle Butcher 54-61 Bulls

Slaughter Cattle 700-800 lb. #2 quality 80-110 80-100

800+ lb. #2 quality

Boner Cows

55-65

No Test No Test

Breaker Cows Cutter Cows

42-55 25-41

65-80

Bulls

Pairs: no test April 15, 2020 sale; volume 225. Market notes:Compared to the previous week slaughter cattle were $7-12 higher. Compared to the previous week feeder cattle under 650 lbs. were steady. Compared to the previous week feeder cattle over 650 lbs. were steady

Steers

300-400 lb.

400-500 lb.

No Test

No Test

Stock Cattle by Weight 500-600 600-700 lb. lb.

No Test No Test

700-800 lb.

No Test

Heifers

Slaughter Cattle Bulls 54-58

800+ lb.

High yielding

No Test

Medium yielding

40-53

No Test

Low yielding

20-39

45-77

April 3,2020 sale; volume 416. Market notes: A small sale with only small bunches of feeders. A $10 drop in futures and coronavirus concersn continue to pound the market. Cull cattle $10 lower. Industry concers of more beef and dairy cows coming to market soon may indicate now is the time to sell culls.

300-400 lb.

7 Rivers Livestock Commission Emmett, ID

Steers

No Test

Heifers

No Test

400-500 lb.

164.50-172 avg 152-162

Stock Cattle by Weight 500-600 600-700 lb. lb.

143.50-159.50

132-141.50

115.25-124 105-119

700-800 lb.

High Yielding

113-125

105-125

Medium Yield

53-56.25

102-105

No Test

Low Yielding

53-56.25

No Test

Heiferettes: No Test

Bred Heifers Pairs, full mouth No Test No Test April 14, 2020. A very active market todyao on gress weight calves. Feeder weight calves were lagging as fed cattle prices remain low due to continued packer manipulation. To consign or other questions call the office @ 208-365-4401 Sale every Tuesday at high noon.

Stock Cattle by Weight

Producers Livestock, Salina, Utah

Slaughter Cattle 57.50-62 Bulls

800+ lb.

Steers Heifers

Slaughter Cattle

300-400 lb.

400-500 lb.

500-600 lb.

600-700 lb.

700-800 lb.

800+ lb.

158-165

125-167.50

116-148

101-140.75

94-143.50

89-109

140-146

120-132

96-128

75-113

76-102

72-91

Cows:46-55

Commercial/Utility Cows

25.75-60.25 Cutting Bulls Slaughter Bulls

700-1050lb 86.50 53.75-65

Heiferettes: No Test

April 7, 2020; volume: 456 The figures on this report are computer generated from “The Hottest Sale in the West” at Producers Livestock in Salina, UT. Notes: For great service contact the Salina Producers Auction at (435) 529-7437. For current market information call toll free 1-888-287-1702.

Producers Livestock, Vale, Ore.

Steers Heifers

700-800 lb.

112-120

800+ lb.

143-156

Stock Cattle by Weight 500-600 600-700 lb. lb.

135-146 120-136

129-150

115-125

No Test

No Test

300-400 lb.

400-500 lb.

No Test No Test

110-119

105-109

Butcher Cows – bulk Shelly Cows Thin

Slaughter Cattle 49-58 Butcher Bulls 40-48

62-72 75

Top Bull

Young cow pairs Older BM Pairs Heiferettes: No Test No Test No Test April 15,2020 308 volume: There is no doubt that cattle market is struggling to find direction. Good news is there are still buyers for quality grass ready cattle. Slaughter cows and bulls saw improvements. Questions about the market and/or to consign, call Producers Livestock, Vale Oregon, at (541) 473-3136

THE NEVADA RANCHER — MAY 2020

37

THD ©

CLM REPRESENTATIVES Jake Parnell.................916-662-1298 George Gookin .........209-482-1648 Rex Whittle.................209-996-6994 Mark Fischer..............209-768-6522 Kris Gudel ................... 916-208-7258 Steve Bianchi ............707-484-3903 Joe Gates....................707-694-3063 Jason Dailey ...............916-439-7761 Brett Friend ..................510-685-4870

WEDNESDAY WEEKLY SCHEDULE Butcher Cows................................... 8:30 a.m.

Cow-Calf Pairs/Bred Cows ..... 11:30 a.m.

Feeder Cattle ........................................ 12 p.m.

AUCTION MARKET Address 12495 Stockton Blvd., Galt, CA Office........................................209-745-1515 Fax ............................................ 209-745-1582 Website/Market Report..www.clmgalt.com Web Broadcast ......www.lmaauctions.com

CLM SPECIAL FEEDER SALES AND THE 2020 AMADOREL DORADO-SACRAMENTO AND CALAVERAS COUNTY CATTLEMEN’S SPECIALS

Cattlemen’s Feeder Sales are open to consignments from any County Cattlemen’s Association.

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to each respective County Cattlemen’s Association.

COUNTY CATTLEMEN’S..... MON., MAY 11 CLM SPECIAL ........................... WED., MAY 20 COUNTY CATTLEMEN’S..... MON., JUNE 1 CLM SPECIAL ........................... WED., JUNE 10 COUNTY CATTLEMEN’S..... MON., JUNE 15 CLM SPECIAL ........................... WED., JUNE 24 CLM SPECIAL ........................... WED., JULY 8 CLM SPECIALS .......................... BEGIN AT 12 P.M. COUNTY CATTLEMEN’S....... BEGIN AT 9 A.M.

UPCOMING WESTERN VIDEO MARKET SALES FROM WVM HEADQUARTERS, COTTONWOOD, CA

May 7 • May 28 • June 12

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