Oldest Independent Livestock Monthly in Nevada $1.25
INSIDE: Trapping under fire
Bottari Creamery brings sheepmilk cheese to market
SPECIAL EDITION
Range & Forage
May 2017
Volume XLVII, Number 5
Photo by Ashley Buckingham
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 General Manager, Matt Dierlam Editor, J. Carmen Kofoed Staff Writer, Jennifer Whiteley WP Staff Contributors, Joyce Sheen, Debra Reid, Cheryl Upshaw Contributors, Heather Smith Thomas, Michael Thomas, Andi Harmon Erik Holland, Mike Popovitch, and Jolyn Young Sales Representative Ashley Buckingham
On the cover — Cowboys working at a Bar X Ranch Branding in Paradise Valley, Nevada in April. Left to right are Christian Stremler, Ty Bell, Junior Harney, Carlos Aguilar, Dereck Eldridge and Paco.
SPECIAL EDITION:
Range and forage
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2 THE NEVADA RANCHER – MAY 2017
Begins on Page 16
OPINION
Farmers and Ranchers Need a Simple, Fair Tax Code I don’t know any farmers who work in a perfect environment, free from any risks or elements beyond their control. Sober reminders are all around us these days. From raging wildfires and nonstop rains to the challenging farm economy, many farmers and ranchers are doing their best to hold on for better days. Agriculture is not a business for the faint of heart—it takes a lot of faith and perseverance, even in the best of circumstances. Congress can’t change the weather, but it can do a lot to improve the climate for running a farm or ranch. Farmers and ranchers grow food, fuel and fiber in a world of uncertainty. We need a tax code that recognizes the unique financial challenges we face, and we need flexibility to run and expand our businesses. Our tax laws should promote the business of farming and ranching, rather than punishing those who commit their lives to working in agriculture. Farmers shouldn’t be penalized for having a good year or for building a family business they can pass on to the next generation. When farmers must pay expenses to play defense against estate taxes, rather than investing those resources to make their farm better, we all suffer a loss. I’m proud of America’s tradition of farms passing from one generation to the next. The entrepreneurial spirit of first-generation farmers and ranchers is
another source of pride. With a growing population to feed, we need more young men and women to join in the important work we do. Tax reform can help. Reducing capital gains taxes makes it easier for beginning farmers to buy land, and the business expense interest deduction helps them invest in the equipment they need. At Farm Bureau, we’re pleased to see the U.S. House taking steps to improve our nation’s tax code with its blueprint for tax reform. Comprehensive tax reform is critical to boosting the economy for all Americans, and to do that the tax code must include provisions that farmers and ranchers count on to keep our businesses running. That’s why we’re calling on the House to approve tax provisions that give farmers the flexibility they need, like immediate expensing for our inputs, stepped-up basis, cash accounting and like-kind exchanges.
Agriculture creates jobs on and off the farm, boosts the economy, creates a positive trade balance and plays a vital role in conserving our open spaces and natural resources. When farmers and ranchers have the freedom to reap the harvest of their hard work and then replant that capital back in their businesses and rural communities, we all benefit. Whether a farm is first- or fifth-generation, decreasing the burden of taxes is one area where policymakers can help us offset the many uncontrollable factors we face. Farmers and ranchers are committed to being good stewards of all the resources we’ve been entrusted with. We expect our lawmakers to be good stewards as well—to use their authority for the good of the nation and craft laws that protect the hardworking men and women of this country. Tax reform is one way we can all work together to build a better economy now and for our future. F
Vincent “Zippy” Duvall, a poultry, cattle and hay producer from Greene County, Georgia, is the 12th president of the American Farm Bureau Federation. The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), commonly referred to as the Farm Bureau, is a nonprofit organization and describes itself as the largest general farm organization in the United States.
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Cartoon by Erik Holland
THE NEVADA RANCHER – MAY 2017 3
OBITUARY
Randy Bunch “Remember the Good Times” By Becky Prunty Lisle and Linda Drown Bunch Special to the Nevada Rancher
Randolph “Randy” Cooper Bunch passed away peacefully at his home in Tuscarora on March 15, with his wife of 52 years, Linda, and their canine menagerie nearby, just a few days short of what would have been his 78th birthday. Randy was born March 18, 1939 in Twin Falls, Idaho, to Arville and Mary “Molly” Bunch. He grew up in Battle Mountain but quit school to become a full-time buckaroo under the tutelage of the likes of Tom and John Marvel, Everett and Melvin Jones, and Lass Mendietta learning the old time-honored ways of horsemanship( with a little old-time mustanging on the side) of the Great Basin. In 1956 he moved north to cowboy at the IL under cowboss Marvin Jones who he always referred to as the best man he ever worked for. He moved on to Independence Valley where he worked for Willis Packer and Charlie Van Norman until he was drafted into the army in 1961. Upon returning from serving his country in late 1963 he returned to Independence Valley where he continued to work for either Willis or Charlie until he took the position as buckaroo boss for the YP Ranches in March of 1965 where he remained until March of 1967. It was during this period that he met Linda Drown who he married on August 21, 1965. In March of 1967 they moved to Three Creek, Idaho, where Linda’s parents owned a ranch on Deadwood Creek, and worked for Swan Livestock and Owen Barton. This marked a major milestone in his life as during this time he fell under the influence of his father-in-law Bill Drown, Frank Shively, Bert Brown and his 45 Ranch on the Owyhee Desert, and legendary lion hunter Fred Preston. All of these men were throwbacks to an earlier time. Their knowledge and expertise as well as their unique personalities stoked the fires for trapping coyotes and lynx cats, hunting mountain lions with hounds, or ranching in isolated enclaves of the Owyhee Desert while pursuing a path of rugged individualism which found fertile ground in Randy who carried it beyond most of his mentors. Another turning point in Randy’s life occurred when in 1980 he changed directions and went to work running heavy equipment for Hunewill Construction as the first mining boom struck Elko
4 THE NEVADA RANCHER – MAY 2017
At left above, Charlie and Linda Bunch; at right is Charlie dragging a calf to the fire.
County. Another powerful force in the form of a fiery individual named Jack Steinheimer, his boss at Hunewll, recognized the drive, intelligence, and fearlessness of his newest employee and sent him on the path of the next 10 years working for him and then Freeport McMorans Jerritt Canyon Gold venture in the Independence Mountains not far from his home. Typical of Randy he excelled and became a first class dozer operator. The politics and structure of modern corporate America held little appeal for him so after 10 years he turned his attentions elsewhere and spent the next 10 years trapping, hunting cats, raising horses, developing an outstanding horse breeding program, developing a ranchette at Lamoille, and later the Manuel Antone homestead near Tuscarora in Independence Valley which he and Linda purchased in the late 90’s. This is when he realized a goal he had had for years of learning to weld. The monument to this talent may be seen on the flat between Taylor Canyon and Tuscarora where his white pipe fences that he built to accommodate their horses and bucking bulls dominate the landscape. Offspring of Gray’s Staright, Boonlight Dancer, and Playgun share the manger with Reindeer Dippin and Whitewater stock. While he loved and appreciated his warm comfortable home and the conveniences of modern life, he was not a slave to them, and he spent many a night camped alone on the snowy high desert as he checked his trap lines or in his pickup waiting for his hounds to finally quit a cat track and come back. As he grew older, he spent fewer nights out among the wild things and more at home watching PBR or NBA basketball, especially the Golden State Warriors, who he watched hours before his passing. While Randy and Linda had no children of their own, Randy loved children—especially to tease and spoil—and made it a point to have king-sized
Snickers bars or some other sizeable treat on hand for his younger visitors, and a notoriously lukewarm Budweiser in his “B.S.” room for the older ones. Just as Randy learned the old cowboy, horsemen, and hunter’s ways from legendary men, he generously shared them with his own friends. It was his nature to help those he cared about in any way possible He never lost his love of a good adventure, and even in his later years, his help and humor were needed and appreciated in neighbors’ branding pens. He and Linda blessed numerous young people with colts or calves from their breeding programs, and Randy would do anything within his power to help the people he cared about. He may have been as tough as nails, but underneath was truly a heart of gold. In many ways, he was an element of a lost time that few understood, and truly one of a kind. He was not for everyone, but those who loved him loved him dearly. Randy was preceded in death by his parents, by brother Bud Bunch, and by sisters Mary Ellen Schroeder and Kate Barredo. He is survived by his wife, Linda, and by a close-knit network of dear friends and adopted family. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Friends of Tuscarora and Independence Valley Association (FsTIV) c/o of Julie Parks , Tuscarora, NV 89834. This is a community organization donated to preserving Society Hall (formerly the Tuscarora Tavern), the Tuscarora Cemetery, and the history of Independence Valley and Tuscarora. His ashes will be turned to the wind on the Owyhee Desert by some of the wonderful men who stuck with him through good times and bad. A celebration of his life will be held May 13 at 1 p.m. at Society Hall in Tuscarora where friends will gather for food, drink, laughter, tears, and stories. F
AnguS
RAnch
125 Long-Yearling and Yearling EZ Angus Bulls Sell Sat., Sept. 2, at Escalon Livestock Market, Escalon, Caifornia.
PORTERVILLE, cALIfORnIA
This year's bulls sell sired by these breed leaders and more: •Basin Payweight 1682 •WR Journey-1X74 •Connealy Black Granite •Basin Advance 3134 •VAR Index 3282 •AAR Ten X 70108 •VAR Discovery 2240 •JMB Traction 292 •Basin Rainmaker 4404 •VAR Generation 2100 •GAR Prophet 6128 •And More SEMEn noW AvAILABLE thRouGh oRIGEn on thESE EZ AnGuS RAnCh hERDSIRES
www.ezangusranch.com
Basin Advance 3134
CED +11
DOB: 1-19-2013 • AAA Registration 17597915 Sire: GAR Progress • Dam: Basin O Lass 1633 Dam’s Sire: Basin Payweight 006S
BW RE +.1 +.73 WW $W +68 +82.66 YW $F +113 +71.08
AdvAnce is a calving-ease bull with length and eye appeal that offers a Marbling ePd among the elite of the breed, along with strong growth ePds and balanced overall performance. Owned with express Ranches and Basin Angus Ranch, his progeny have been dominant at weaning and yearling weight in numerous extremely strong contemporary groups in herds across the country. The AdvAnce calves are long-bodied, heavy-muscled and will push down the scales.
SEMEN: $30 PER UNIT
VAR Heritage 5038
MILK $G +37 +44.81 CW $B +55 +156.34 CED +9
DOB: 1-9-2015 • AAA Registration +18066052 Sire: V A R Generation 2100 • Dam: SJH Complete of 6108 1564 Dam’s Sire: Summitcrest Complete 1P55
MARB +.96
BW RE +.9 +1.30 WW $W +66 +78.99 YW $F +112 +80.71
Owned with vintage Angus Ranch, HeRiTAge brings multi-trait excellence to the table with 14 traits and indexes in the top 10% of the breed; 10 of his 14 are top 1% or 2% rankings. This multi-trait excellence is not an accident – his sire has 12 traits in the top 10%, and his dam has 18 traits in the top 10% with 9 in the top 1%.
SEMEN: $40 PER UNIT
Basin Rainmaker 4404
MILK $G +39 +54.77 CW $B +48 +166.97 CED +8
DOB: 3-19-2014 • AAA Registration 17913751 Sire: Basin Rainmaker 2704 • Dam: Basin Joy 1036 Dam’s Sire: Basin Payweight 107S
MARB +.58
BW RE +0 +1.10 WW $W +63 +67.16 YW $F +107 +74.36
RAinMAkeR is a calving-ease bull with exceptional phenotype and balanced data, while also offering an outcross pedigree to many of the currently popular bloodlines in the breed. Owned with Basin Angus Ranch, RAinMAkeR has a pedigree stacked with generations of highly productive, functional cattle with balance, soundness and longevity.
Sale Management
MARB +1.23
SEMEN: $30 PER UNIT
MILK $G +26 +30.55 CW $B +66 +167.08
To learn more about our donors, herdsires and upcoming bull sale, visit www.ezangusranch.com. dOn’T fORgeT TO fOllOw us On fAceBOOk
John Dickinson ............................................... 916 806-1919 Jake Parnell ......................................................... 916 662-1298 Website ............................................ www.parnelldickinson.com
Call to Be Added to Our Mailing List!
Tim & Marilyn Callison................................................... Owners Chad Davis ..................................................... 559 333-0362 Travis Coy...................................................... 559 392-8772 Justin Schmidt ................................................ 209 585-6533
AnguS
RAnch
21984 Avenue 160
Porterville, CA 93257
THD ©
REPORT FROM THE FIELD
Eating, digging machines Don’t ignore them: Ground Squirrels are detrimental to pastures and rangeland By Jennifer Whiteley Nevada Rancher Magazine
B
urrowing rodents can wreak havoc on pastures and rangeland.
One of the most damaging of these rodents are ground squirrels. Rodents such as these can limit the production of grass or alfalfa on irrigated pastures. They do this by damaging the root systems, consuming the forage and covering
6 THE NEVADA RANCHER – MAY 2017
to crop with dirt. These rodents are more selective for the higher quality plants like alfalfa, allowing less desirable plants such as bluegrass, and weeds to increase. Rodent infested pastures can see forage losses anywhere from 10-50 percent. Ground squirrels live in a burrow system where they sleep, rest, rear young, store food, and avoid danger. The burrow openings are about 4 inches in diameter but can vary considerably. The burrows can be 5 to 30 feet or more in length and can
extend 2 to 4 feet below the soil surface. Often there is more than one opening in a burrow system. Ground squirrels live in colonies that can include several dozen animals in a complex of burrows. More than one squirrel can live in a burrow. “The mounds and holes are hard on haying equipment and contribute to dirt in hay bales which is problematic. Watering efficiency is also reduced as water flows down the holes. Gophers and ground squirrels can multiply at a high rate and
June 19-22, 2017
MONDAY JUNE 19 The 40th Annual Bob Feist Invitational, featuring 100 of the world’s best Open teams competing over six rounds for more than $800,000 in cash and prizes.
WEDNESDAY JUNE 21
TUESDAY JUNE 20
PRESENTED BY Join us during the Wrangler BFI Week presented by YETI at the Reno-Sparks Livestock Events Center in Reno, Nevada. Use BFI2017 when booking rooms at Silver Legacy, Eldorado and Circus Circus.
The brand-new #12 High Desert Showdown, with 80% payback and $10,000 added to the purse by Wrangler is the newly formed addition to the BFI Week. Contestants must be at least 21 years old, and the event features four go-rounds and fees of $1,000 per roper.
For entry, rooms, and ticket information visit
www.BFIweek.com
The #11 Reno Million is the updated version of the Reno Rodeo Invitational Team Roping. Invited teams will be roping for their shot at the #onedayonemillion dollar purse!
THURSDAY JUNE 22 The Charlie 1 Horse All-Girl Challenge starts with the traditional enter-twice, four-round Ladies Only team roping and adds a #8 Incentive paying at least $5,000 and a Youth Incentive paying at least $2,500. New this year is a three-round breakaway jackpot, and All-Girl all-around championship. The All-Around Champion also wins a $2,500 bonus!
THE NEVADA RANCHER – MAY 2017 7
Did you know?
Ground squirrels can harbor diseases harmful to humans. This is more prevalent when squirrel populations are numerous. Bubonic plague is a realistic concern. It is transmitted to humans by fleas that the squirrels carry. Ground squirrels are susceptible to plague, which can wipe out entire colonies.
increase damages that much more but they can also attract other animals that can increase damages rodents such meadow voles and badgers.” Explains Sam Sanders of Humboldt Wildlife LLC. “Most generally these rodents aren’t considered detrimental to rangeland, however they do disturb the soil and can provide excellent conditions for weeds to start growing. Of course, if there are lots of squirrel holes and badger holes this can make it a little tricky for working cattle horseback,” adds Sanders. Ground squirrels damage many food-bearing and ornamental plants. Particularly vulnerable are grains. Ground squirrels will enter gardens and devour vegetables in the seedling stage. They can damage young shrubs, vines, and trees by gnawing bark, girdling trunks (the process of completely removing a strip of bark from a tree’s outer circumference), eating twigs and leaves, and burrowing around roots. Ground squirrels will gnaw on plastic sprinkler heads and irrigation lines. They also eat the eggs of ground-nesting birds. Burrowing can be quite destructive. Burrows and mounds make it difficult to mow, and they present hazards to machinery, and livestock. Burrows around trees and shrubs can damage and desiccate or dry out roots.
Controlling this pest Methods for controlling ground squirrels vary, but most generally it’s an ongoing process. The situation and management goals would often dictate the control methods to be used. Traps are a practical option for small infestations, but may be time consuming for larger infestations. There are several options as far as traps go. Live traps aren’t recommended because they present the problem of how to dispose of the rodent. Fumigation is a relatively safe method of control. As with all pesticides, read and follow label instructions with care for nontarget species and safety factors. Poison gases can be produced from pellets
8 THE NEVADA RANCHER – MAY 2017
Photos by Jennifer Whiteley, Nevada Rancher
Ground squirrels estivate (go into a dormant or inactive state) and seal their tunnels while sleeping. They also eat above ground, and can cause production losses from 20 – 50 percent in pastures and alfalfa. Squirrel mounds can be 12-18 inches wide and 4-6 inches high. They can create several mounds in one day, and a single burrow system might cover 200 to 2,000 square feet.
that react to air or rodent’s stomach acid. Ignited propane torches can be used as a DIY approach. These torches put a combination of oxygen and propane into the tunnel. It is ignited, creating an explosion that kills the rodent and caves in the tunnel. Smoke bombs are available for purchase at farm supply stores as well. With these and the propane torches, there is a fire hazard. There are pesticides that can be placed in the squirrel holes. Baits come in grain or pellet form, with strychnine being one of the most common. It can’t be used above ground, so must be placed in squirrel holes. Often people are concerned about their pets getting into the pesticide or eating poisoned squirrels. Strychnine is very effective for rodents, but accumulates in body tissues, so if a pet or other animal eats a poisoned squirrel, it might also die. A PERC (pressurized exhaust rodent control) machine works well in smaller areas. The exhaust from a small gas motor goes through a cooling coil into an air compressor. The carbon monoxide is
then injected into the tunnel using a probe. This is one of the more humane ways to exterminate ground squirrels. There are also a multitude of natural predators. Coyotes, raptors, fox, badgers and weasels are among the most common. Sanders includes “I would suggest that attracting raptors by installing raptor perches may be the most useful aspect for using natural predators to manage ground squirrel activity in certain areas. The problem with most rodent populations that are causing damage is that they are usually so high in number that a few killed by predators isn’t likely to change anything. The most effective method to control these rodents is use of a varied and persistent rodent control program.” If you have questions or are interested in learning more about rodent population control on your farm or ranch, contact Sam Sanders at 775-3405949, or sam@humboldtwildlife.com. For more information find info on Facebook: Humboldt Wildlife LLC F
THE NEVADA RANCHER – MAY 2017 9
REPORT FROM THE FIELD
The truth about trapping Traps and snares are very effective tools for protecting wildlife and livestock Sam Sanders “used a Black Mouthed Cur as a decoy dog while calling in the meadows to distract coyotes while shooting them. ‘I had remarkable success as the coyotes were aggressive,’ he said. Here “Smokey” poses with coyotes who were shot near cows in Ruby Valley.
Propaganda pushing predator control bills Sam Sanders Humboldt Wildlife LLC
SPRING CREEK, Nev. – Extremist animal activists are out to destroy our western culture. HSUS, Predator Defense, and Trailsafe are just a few urban based extremist groups pushing legislation through politicians in Nevada. These groups use false propaganda to push extremist viewpoints and pursue political action without investing their time or money to addressing their issues in the real world. They don’t try to improve on what they believe to be wrong, they don’t care about the stakeholders involved. During the Nevada 2017 legislature, Senate Democrats introduced SB364 and SB365, bills dealing with the trapping of animals. Nevada SB 364 would have the opposite effect of its intent, and in my opinion would increase the number of pets getting caught, cause significant
10 THE NEVADA RANCHER – MAY 2017
conflict over trap locations, and take law enforcement away from the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW). Nevada bill SB 365 would essentially stop trapping on all public lands in the state, and take away this significant wildlife management responsibility from NDOW. Although portrayed as the opposite, when used by professionals, traps and snares are one of the most selective tools for removing specific wildlife. Traps and snares are an indispensable tool when it comes to protecting human health and safety on commercial airports across Nevada and within
urban environments. The alternatives do not work as well as traps: Pesticides for many animals are no longer legal, and shooting is not always an option – particularly on airports or in city limits. Traps and snares are also very effective in rural areas for protecting wildlife and livestock from excessive depredation. Traps and snares are a necessary tool for predation management throughout Nevada. This spring I started a predator management program for a local rancher. Their ranch sits in the shadow of the Ruby Mountains. The meadows were covered in snow, water, and ice. This winter was wet and the rain and snow made for impressive ice sheets across meadows. There was running water under much of the ice and mud holes. Cattle and tractors alike struggled to cross these sheets. But hungry coyotes had no difficulty whatsoever crossing the ice-covered meadows. The ranch has a coyote problem from February (the start of calving) until ground squirrels come up. Coyotes move into the area in large numbers and run in packs. They get bold enough to kill calves and chase ranch dogs. The ranchers were so busy keeping cattle alive and fed that they didn’t have time to adequately address the coyote problem. When I arrived, coyotes were interspersed throughout the cattle. They were acclimated to the feed truck and tractors driving through, checking, and feeding pregnant cows. These coyotes were aggressive to ranch dogs which could no longer safely guard cattle. I counted 12 coyotes in a field the size of a section, and heard another 20 or so coyotes within a mile of the field. After discussing what “non-lethal” methods being used, we discussed some of the “lethal” methods. Cattle were moved closer to the houses. Any dead cattle were removed. Ranchers tried shooting a few coyotes but shooting out of tractors wasn’t accurate. Guard dogs were ineffective due to the aggressiveness of the coyotes. The USDA Wildlife Services’ airplane was no longer effective , as coyotes would hide in the willows until the plane left. All while the first batch of cattle were getting closer to calving. To prevent coyotes from killing calves, I set out 28 neck snares for coyotes. When used by people who understand their application, neck snares are a
Foothold traps typically have two metal jaws, sometimes covered with rubber, that are closed by springs released when the animal steps on the trigger pan. Foothold traps are categorized by the type of spring (e.g. coil, jump, or long spring), and are made in varied sizes appropriate for catching animals as small as weasels and as large as coyotes and lynx. When set, the jaws of foothold traps range from 3 1/2 to 5 1/2 inches in spread. These traps are designed to hold an animal by gripping the toes or foot across or just above the foot pad. This prevents the captured animal from slipping the trap off its foot.
very selective and effective tool. Snares can be set in weather that other tools won’t work in. Snares can even be configured to live capture a wide variety of wildlife for the placement of radio collars and data collection, but I set snares to selectively and humanely kill coyotes. Leg hold traps were not going to be as effective in the weather conditions at the time. The snares were set out for over a month, which equates out to close to 900 to 1000 trap/days. I caught only coyotes and they did not suffer for days on end. I did not catch any eagles. I did not catch any deer. I did not catch any house pets, and I didn’t endanger anybody. I only caught coyotes near livestock. I also used a Black Mouthed Cur as a decoy dog while calling in the meadows to distract coyotes while I shot them. I had remarkable success as the coyotes were aggressive. There were instances when groups of 4 or 5 coyotes were running in after my dog. I did not kill all the coyotes, but they were not in aggressive packs either. Now the coyotes are more manageable. I removed 19 coyotes from within yards of the cattle. All but two of the coyotes were mature adults. All coyotes removed were near and capable of killing calves. Having successfully altered coyote behavior and because ground squirrels were emerging, I pulled my equipment and ended the control effort. Non-lethal control methods reinforced by lethal methods are very effective for reducing coyote predation. When I left, there were still coyotes on the ranch, they just weren’t in aggressive packs. The ranchers enjoy hearing them and seeing a few around, they just don’t want them killing calves.
It’s important to note what I did not see. There were no Humane Society people out shooing coyotes away from baby calves. There was nobody from Trailsafe out in the weather walking their golden labridoodles. Nobody from Predator Defense was out enjoying the scenic beauty found in the wild eyes of the coyotes. None of these groups were doing anything to help. I didn’t see any pets in traps. I didn’t see any coyotes suffering, I didn’t see the inhumanity of responsibly protecting livestock, I didn’t see what these extremist groups portray to be happening. There were only responsible, hardworking people trying to make an honest living in rural Nevada. Anti-trapping activists haven’t spent their time or money to develop better tools. They haven’t experienced the livestock losses to coyotes that happen across Nevada. These extremists can’t offer realistic solutions to problems they perceive because they have no applicable experiences. They don’t understand trapping, livestock production, or hunting. They don’t care to educate themselves, and they don’t care to educate themselves and they don’t care about the people of Nevada. I hope to continue providing valuable predation management services to the agricultural community. We need to educate the public on these matters and we need to fight extremist politicians who don’t care about rural Nevada. Your help in discouraging support for Senate Bill 364 and Senate Bill 365 is greatly appreciated by the trapping and hunting communities. If trapping is eliminated from our state, hunting cultures may be next. F
THE NEVADA RANCHER – MAY 2017 11
Counter-Points Busting Myths and Talking Back
Is grass-fed beef a healthier food source?
“Cows grow more slowly when grass is all they eat. If all of the beef in the U.S. were grass-fed we would need an additional 64.6 million cows in order to match the amount of beef produced in 2010. That would require an additional 131 million acres of land, which is about 75% of the state of Texas. That many cows would need an additional 1,700-billion liter of water, which amounts to the annual consumption of 46.3-million U.S. households. These cows would generate an additional 135 million tons of carbon which would be like adding 26.6 million cars to the road every year. So, in terms of land, energy, water, and carbon, grass-fed beef has a much larger environmental impact than conventional beef production.” Jude Capper, PHD adjunct professor at Washington State University.
By Jennifer Whiteley The Nevada Rancher
E
very publication you read, news show you watch, or social media outlet you see sings the praises of “Locally sourced, organic, hormone/antibiotic free, grass fed beef.” Their claims tout that grass fed beef is better. They warn that if you are a mother and truly love your family – you will feed them locally sourced grass fed beef. If you are an athlete, or health conscious, you will only eat grass fed beef.
Grain finished beef is bad for you, they say – and the health benefits of eating a moderate diet of grass fed beef is much greater than a moderate diet of grain fed beef. Are any of these claims true? Is there a difference between grass-fed and grain-fed beef? Or is it a clever marketing ploy to encourage the unsuspecting public to spend more for a food source that is marketed as ‘better for you’?
What is grass-fed beef? Grass-fed beef comes from cattle that have been raised exclusively on a forage based diet all their lives. While most cattle spend the majority of their lives on pasture, eating grass before being moved to a feedlot for grain-finishing, grass-fed cattle remain on a pasture and foraging diet until slaughtered.
12 THE NEVADA RANCHER – MAY 2017
Beef is safe and wholesome Consumers have seen many studies that show lean beef is one of the best protein sources available today. American raised beef is a safe and wholesome food source to feed our families. We aren’t concerned about hormone or antibiotic residues in our meats because ethical producers adhere to strict withdrawal periods, and slaughter facilities follow a strict set of guidelines mandated and overseen by the USDA. All beef slaughtered in the USA goes through a rigorous inspection process and are subject to strict government guidelines to ensure the highest level of safety. We can sleep comfortably at night knowing the beef we buy in the grocery stores and meat we feed our families is a safe, wholesome, quality product, as each animal is inspected by a public health veterinarian before entering a packing plant and those with any signs of illness are not allowed into the food supply.
Researchers at Texas A&M University’s Department of Animal Science have published the only two research studies that compared the effects of ground beef from grass-fed cattle and traditional grain-fed cattle on risk factors for cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes in men. Their studies found no conclusive results that grass-fed beef was healthier than beef from traditional grain-fed cattle.
Ground beef nutrition Americans consume about 40 percent of their total beef intake as ground beef, which is higher in fat than most intact cuts of beef. Ground beef is one of the most important sources of oleic acid, a healthy monounsaturated fatty acid in the diet. Monounsaturated fats are simple fat molecules that have one unsaturated carbon bond in the molecule. Typically, they are liquid at room temperature and turn solid when chilled. Foods that contain monounsaturated fats reduce LDL (also known as bad) cholesterol levels in the blood while possibly increasing HDL (also known as good) cholesterol. A ground beef patty from cattle
fed on native pastures only contain 5 percent of the Daily Reference Intake (DRI) for oleic acid for women, and just over 3 percent of the DRI for oleic acid for men. The quarter pound beef patty from grain-finished beef contains over 2g more oleic acid than ground beef from grass-fed beef.
That healthy Omega-3 Grass-fed beef contains 3 times more omega-3 fatty acids than its grain-fed counterpart, but neither type of beef is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids which are one of two essential fatty acids that must be obtained from the diet. They
are more complex fat molecules, most commonly found in marine oils. These fatty acids are important for metabolism. In 2004, the USDA stated that the consumption of omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. While grass-fed beef is higher in omega-3 fatty acids, according to a Texas A&M study it is also higher in saturated and trans fats.
Oleic acid in beef Premium ground beef grain fin-
ished from conventionally produced Certified Angus Beef or cattle with Japanese genetics (think Wagyu or Akaushi ground beef) is very high in oleic acid, and much lower in saturated and trans fats than ground beef from grass-fed cattle. Researchers at Texas A&M University’s Department of Animal Science have published the only two research studies that compared the effects of ground beef from grass-fed cattle and traditional grain-fed cattle on risk factors for cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes in men. Their studies found no conclusive results that grass-fed beef was healthier than beef from traditional grain-fed cattle. Their research indicates that men who consumed grain-fed beef improved their cholesterol levels while men who consumed grass-fed beef experienced no change. In a nutshell, claims that grass-fed beef is a healthier food alternative for health conscious individuals is merely a clever marketing ploy to promote the sale of grass-fed beef. F
At left, Charolais yearlings eating alfalfa and wild hay. Most cattle spend much of their lives on pasture, eating grass before being moved to a feedlot for grain-finishing. In areas of the United States where cattle can’t graze year-round, they are supplemented in the winter months with native feeds. Photo by Cara Small
THE NEVADA RANCHER – MAY 2017 13
Nevada Rangeland Resources Report
Nevada ranchers launch aggressive ad campaigns Nevada Rangeland Resources Commission Special to the Nevada Rancher
O
n behalf of Nevada’s Public Land Ranchers, the Nevada Rangeland Resources Commission has approved an aggressive advertising effort scheduled throughout 2017. Annually, the Commission has the responsibility of considering funding proposals that educate or inform the public about the ranchers role in public land grazing. This year they considered requests all with programs designed to promote responsible grazing on Nevada’s rangelands. Nevada ranchers with public land grazing allotments fund the NRRC based on the number of AUM’s they are authorized to graze on their respective allotments. A major portion of the funding will, be allocated to a year long, multimedia advertising campaign that will include the airing of two hour long documentaries, a television advertising campaign and the
Gabe and Dennis Golden have produced five television documentaries for the Nevada Rangeland Resources Commission.“The Arid West”, to air in 2017, targets the controversy between ranchers and the Battle Mountain BLM relative to grazing policy on the Argenta Allotment in central Nevada.
30 second and 15 second commercials under a “Responsible Ranching” theme will inform viewers of the ranchers perspective on the wild horse issue, sage grouse, grazing fees and sustainable grazing. Golden Productions videographer, Alex Muench captures footage for the NRRC funded documentary “The Arid West’. Muench has filmed and edited four award winning documentaries in the “Stewards of the Rangeland” series.
14 THE NEVADA RANCHER – MAY 2017
launch of a social media program. All will be tied to an expanded educational series targeting both our state’s young people and their teachers, according to Rachel Buzzetti, NRRC Commission Secretary. Specific projects proposed by Golden Productions approved by the NRRC commission include: A 30 minute documentary targeting both ranchers and “Future Stewards of the Range” will be filmed at Smith Creek Ranch in the Desatoya Mountains in June. The documentary will air in the Fall of 2017 on Charter media channel 195 available in 101,000 households in Western Nevada. “The Arid West”, a 60 minute documentary, exploring the many issues that the prolonged drought in Nevada caused for Nevada Ranchers, particularly the Argenta grazing controversy of 2014-15, will be updated and aired summer of 2017. The successful advertising campaign launched in 2016 on Reno TV channels KAME Fox 11and KRXI My21 will again be aired in 2017 and include 30 second and 15 second commercials under a “Responsible Ranching” theme that will inform viewers of the ranchers perspective on the wild horse
issue, sagegrouse, grazing fees and sustainable grazing. All commercials can be viewed on www.nevada rangelands.org by clicking on advertising campaigns. The Stewards educational series originally funded and created in 2013 will be expanded and given new life in an alliance with the Nevada Department of Agriculture’s “Ag in the Classroom” program. Created to conform to current Nevada curriculum standards NRRC funded series will now be presented to educators in a Ag in the Classroom teachers workshop in the summer as well as through the students attending the Rangeland summer camp. The NRRC is governed by a commission of nine voting members. These members are nominated through each of the grazing boards, Nevada Cattlemen’s Association, Nevada Woolgrowers and the Farm Bureau; then appointed by the Governor. The NRRC has one part-time staff person. Current commissioners include: Hank Vogler, Chairman, Rama Paris, Vice Chairman, Tim Delong, Hank Combs, Bert Paris, Joe Kircher, Mike Riordan, Richard Huntsberger and Mitch Heguy. F
Nevada Rangeland Resource Commission
Cowboys and Sheepherders produce food and fiber for the na�on. Growing food on Open range is a natural biological process. Grazing actually benefits the land with hoof ac�on and natural fer�liza�on. Plants are healthier and regenerate faster a�er the herds move to a new range. Nevada large game animals and birds also benefit from the Rangeland improvements. Grazing cattle and sheep coexist peacefully with native wildlife and, in fact, make a friendlier habitat for many species. Sheep o�en graze on steep terrain and can control cheatgrass, a major fuel for wildfires. Nevada Rangeland Resources Commission was created by the State of Nevada to promote responsible public land grazing. Representatives come from Nevada state grazing boards, Nevada Woolgrowers, Nevada Farm Bureau, and Nevada Cattlemen’s Association.
4780 East Idaho Street, Elko, NV 89801 • 775-738-4082
WWW.NEVADARANGELANDS.ORG Producer Gabe Golden sets a shot for the NRRC funded documentary “The Arid West” which focuses on the impact drought has had on grazing policy by the Battle Mountain BLM office in 2014.
This ad is funded through the NRRC’s assessment of 10¢ per AUM paid by public land ranchers. THE NEVADA RANCHER – MAY 2017 15
ISSUE FOCUS
Range and Forage
Pasture weed management: Keeping native vegetation in a productive state is key By Jennifer Whiteley Nevada Rancher Magazine
SPRING CREEK – Weeds are troublesome in many ways. They reduce pasture and rangeland yields by stealing water, light, space, and soil nutrients from native plants. They replace desirable grass species and decrease the quality of pastures and forages. Both biennials and perennials produce seeds each year. These types pose the biggest problems for pasture producers. Weeds such as Canada Thistle and Leafy Spurge reproduce from underground roots or rhizomes and can be unaffected by grazing or occasional mowing. Weeds are grouped into 3 categories, based on their lifecycles.
Annuals complete their lifecycle within one year and reproduce by seed. Biennial weeds live during two growing seasons and reproduce only by seeds. The first year consists of vegetative growth, producing a rosette and fleshy taproot. The second-year plants make both vegetative and reproductive growth from which an elongated flower stalk emerges. These plants are found in areas of low soil disturbance, like waterways, pastures, and hay crops. Plowing usually destroys them. Perennial plants live for more than 2 years and generally reproduce by means of vegetative structures as well as seed. Pasture and hay production systems are often ideal environments for perennial weeds to grow and spread.
Photo by Jennifer Whiteley, Nevada Rancher
Scotch Thistle is a biennial plant that produces a large rosette of spiny leaves the first year. Plants typically germinate in the autumn and exist as rosettes throughout the first year. It prefers disturbed sites, roadsides, fields, and fertile soils. Scotch thistle can spread rapidly. It can be controlled by application of pesticide
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Range and Forage We have a variety of weeds in Elko County. To plan an effective weed management program, producers must be able to identify weeds and understand how biology and ecology affect where weeds are found. “The ones I pay most attention to are the ones listed on the states noxious weed list. Some of the weeds to be concerned about in our area include but are not limited to; Short White Top, Tall White Top, Leafy Spurge, Scotch Thistle, Canada Thistle, Spotted Knapweed, Black Henbane, Hounds Tongue, Medusa Head, and Dyers Woad.” Explains Sam Sanders of Humboldt Wildlife LLC. The best way to control weeds is to prevent them from getting started. Certain weeds are serious problems for forages, so it is important to eliminate them before they become established. Broadleaf weeds such as Dandelion and Canada Thistle and biennial thistles and Burdock are easier to manage before planting forage crops, they should be eliminated before establishing a forage crop. If they aren’t removed before seeding, they can persist as a problem for many years. When these weeds are present, it is often a continuous effort to manage them. Seeds can stay viable in the soil for many years. Some weeds aren’t that susceptible to herbicides and require various treatment methods. Treatment methods can include mechanical, chemical, and bio-control, including grazing. “Many of the weeds in our area come in along our road ways, so managing the cleanliness of vehicles and maintaining the road right of ways are important. Many weeds also come to our area from livestock of horse hay. Oftentimes people shop for the low prices and go out of the area to bring in cheaper feed, that has weed seeds in it.” Adds Sanders. Many weeds like disturbed areas where the native vegetation cannot compete with them. Preventing weed infestations also means preventing the dispersal of seeds into uninfested areas. Vehicles, humans, wind, water, birds, and livestock are all vectors of weed spread. Keeping native vegetation in a productive state can help limit weeds. This includes reseeding disturbed areas, and treating any noxious weeds that move in. Cultural practices that aid in weed control include anything that makes a crop more competitive against a weed. These practices include cultivating the pasture, planting at the optimum planting date, using certified weed free seed, and fertilizing properly. In established pasture systems, the most valuable tool for managing weeds is prevention. Preventing weed infestations also means preventing the dispersal of seeds. “We need more active management of our rangelands using these techniques if we are to get a handle on weeds. We are
Photo by Jennifer Whiteley, Nevada Rancher
Whitetop, also known as Hoary Cress is a perennial herb that reproduces by seeds and horizontally creeping roots. One plant can produce 1,200 to 4,800 seeds. Spring is the best time for controlling the plant because of the plant’s mid-season dormancy. It can be controlled with a combination of cultivation, planting of competitive crops, and application of pesticide.
getting more and more weeds that are expanding exponentially across our rangelands, and we are often limited by the cost of regulations such as the “NEPA process,” to do much about them on public lands.” Says Sanders. Natural methods to manage weeds include biocontrol, like the leafy spurge beetle that helps manage leafy spurge. Controls include insects, mites, nematodes, and pathogens. Biological control isn’t designed to eradicate the target weed, but to reduce its dominance to a more manageable level. It can flowering stem). Perennials are most susceptible to be a cost effective and environ- A flea beetle eats leafy spurge. Leafy spurge is an herbaceous mentally safe alternative to herbi- perennial plant that can rapidly take over a pasture. It reproduces cides. Other natural management readily by seeds with a high germination rate that may remain viamethods include prescribed grazing ble in the soil for at least seven years. It also spreads vegetatively from the root system. by livestock both to eat the weeds and to keep desired vegetation productive. Cattle, sheep, and goats control with herbicides in the bud to bloom stage, are the most common livestock used for grazing or early fall prior to dormancy. Forage grasses pasture. Combining ruminant grazing with other and legumes are more tolerant to herbicides than weed management tools like herbicides can offer seedling forages. Always follow the manufacturers a cost-effective approach to weed management. label warnings and use instructions when using Mowing and hand removal helps to control weeds herbicides. as well. Some weeds, when mown when young A program that combines chemical, mechaniwill be consumed by livestock. Repeated mowing cal, cultural, and biological control tools provide reduces competitive ability. Reseeding disturbed effective economic weed management in pastures areas and keeping functioning range lands resilient and rangelands. In established pasture systems, to disturbance through vegetation management. prevention is the most important consideration for Herbicides are also an effective way to help managing weeds. Invasive plant species control manage weeds. Young annual weeds in the seedcan help to improve pasture and rangeland plant ling stage are most susceptible to control with heryields and improve the quality of your pastures and bicides. Spray biennial weeds in the rosette stage, rangelands. F prior to bolting (the premature production of a
THE NEVADA RANCHER – MAY 2017 18
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Range and Forage
Save those precious leaves! Windrow moisture testing hay helps guard against alfalfa leaf loss By Michael J. Thomas Special to the Rancher
P
ackaging quality alfalfa hay can be a challenge.
The hay industry is constantly pursuing new technologies to help the hay producer grow and package a consistently high quality forage. Machinery design has advanced in order to handle the hay as delicately as possible to minimize leaf loss. But, even with these advances, the proper moisture level is still the most effective means of insuring leaf retention. Today producers are equipped with hand-held moister testers, many large balers have high quality on-board moisture testing equipment, and more producers are applying preservative to the hay to stretch the moisture window in order to maximize leaf retention and still maintain storage quality. Despite all of these tools at our disposal, a producer is still faced with the dilemma of determining the stem moisture of the hay in the windrow across the entire field: too dry and you lose quality to leaf shatter, too wet and you cannot compensate with enough preservative, or it becomes cost prohibitive to apply enough to offset damage or fire. The more a producer knows about determining the average moisture in the windrow, the better prepared he is to make a baling readiness decision. The age-old method of twisting a handful of alfalfa until it breaks is a good way to know the hay is dry enough to bale, but unfortunately by the time the hay is dry enough to break by this method it is too dry for good leaf retention—without a heavy dew. Another method is to insert an electronic moisture probe into a handful of alfalfa from the underside of sample windrows to get an idea of the moisture. While this is a step up from the twist test, the probe will tend to provide data suggesting
Photos courtesy Glenn Shewmaker, University of Idaho Forage Specialist, Twin Falls, Idaho.
Glenn Shewmaker inserts hay from sample windrow into moisture testing collection tube.
the hay is dryer than it actually may be. Electronic moisture probes function by passing an electric current through two brass contacts on the shaft and analyzing the conductivity. This conductivity is effected by the density of the material the current is passed through. A loose handful of hay that tests 14 percent may actually be over 30 percent moisture when tested under the density conditions of the bale. The relationship between bale size, moisture content, and density is very important. Small 16x18 inch bales can safely contain 18-20 percent moisture, half ton bales 14-16 percent, and one ton bales should not exceed 12-14 percent moisture. As moisture and density increase beyond these levels undesirable reactions occur. White mold causes palatability to decrease and may also cause livestock to abort or deliver underdeveloped fetuses. Browning decreases palatability and increases acid detergent fiber (ADF) and acid detergent protein (ADP) to unacceptable levels. This high moisture and density accelerate microbial growth. The microbes consume sugars and starches—leaving behind the structural carbohydrates, cellulose, and lignin, which make up ADF. The heat generated by this process also damages some protein, reported as ADP, causing it to be indigestible by livestock. To accurately test moisture samples in the past producers relied on the following methods: laboratory drying, Koster field drying, convection oven drying, and microwave oven drying. Determining the moisture content of the sample using these techniques is based on the following formula: ((wet forage weight – dry forage weight)/wet forage weight) x 100 = percent windrow moisture. These methods are very accurate and still should be used to calibrate electronic moisture probes, but they have limiting factors that make them undesirable to producers. It could take
20 THE NEVADA RANCHER – MAY 2017
Build Your Own Windrow Sampling Tool Materials needed: 2 feet of 2 inch ABS pipe 3 feet of 1 ¼ inch PVC pipe 2 – 1 ¼ inch PVC pipe caps 2 inch ABS cleanout adapter 2 inch ABS cleanout plug Assemble the tool: 1. Glue the end caps on the 1 ¼ inch pipe to create a simulated plunger 2. Glue the cleanout adapter on one end of the 2 inch ABS pipe. 3. Screw the 2 inch ABS cleanout plug into the adapter to create a simulated bale chamber.
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Nevada Rancher Magazine Photography Contest Eureka County Fair is partnering with the Nevada Rancher to hold a photo contest during the Eureka County Fair, Aug. 9-13. Who: Contest open to all photographers 18 years and older When: Entries due by Wednesday Aug. 9 @ 4:00 p.m. Why: Winning photograph published on the cover of Nevada Rancher Magazine. How: For rules and information visit Eureka County Fair online, then visit the Forms and Rules link and select Nevada Rancher Magazine Photo Contest.
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days to get the results of a lab test, a Koster field dryer requires a portable generator and several units are necessary to test multiple samples in a timely manner, convection oven drying takes 24 hours to run an adequate sample, and microwave ovens are fast, but the number of samples a producer can run at one time are limited and it is easy to burn the samples. In order to compensate for these limiting constraints and come up with a more efficient method of testing samples, two University of Idaho researchers, Ron Thaemert, Blaine County extension educator, and Glenn Shewmaker, forage specialist with University of Idaho Twin Falls Research & Extension Center, preformed a study and developed an inexpensive tool, that can be made with a few simple supplies from the local hardware store, to replicate the compaction and density of the hay in a bale.
Using the Windrow Sampling Tool Shewmaker said, “Selecting the correct location in the field for sampling is not as important as the number of samples that are taken. We suggest that you take at least 20 random samples per 200 ton of hay across the whole spectrum of the field. This assures the producer that adequate representation of the entire field has been collected.” Keep in mind that irregularities in the geography of a field will effect drying: windrows from low areas could be wetter while windrows from high open areas tend to be dryer. Shewmaker said, “The common practice of irrigation prior to harvest is less beneficial than previously thought. Not only is soil compaction increased, but drying time is increased by placing a wet alfalfa windrow on wet soil.” Once a sample location is selected turn a portion of the windrow over and feel for the dampest hay in the sample area. Insert this hay into the testing tool a handful at a time until the tube is full. Place the collection chamber on the ground with the capped
Glenn Shewmaker uses an electronic moisture probe to record moisture in the sample. Plunge the probe deep into the tube of packed hay. This simulates baled hay conditions and gives a more accurate reading. Taking many samples from windrows across the field yields the most accurate picture of moisture before baling.
end down and use the smaller tube (plunger) to compress the hay in the collection chamber, simulating the compaction of baled hay. Insert an electronic moisture probe into the hay in the collection tube and record the moisture readings from four levels of the collection chamber: 4”, 8”, 12”, and 16”. Next, average the readings to obtain an average moisture of the sample area. Continue the process across
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the remainder of the field and average the data from all of the samples. Care should be taken to clean the electronic probe after a few samples have been taken. As residue builds up on the probe it begins to reduce the accuracy of the reading. Also, probe readings should be compared to oven samples periodically to maintain that the probe is calibrated correctly. F
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Spring Fever hits Northern Nevada
Cooper Tervort helps his dad Mike trail pairs down the rode on the T/T ranch near Jiggs, Fall 2016. Ranch kids are irreplaceable help once they are big enough to ride on their own. Parents often plan moving cattle and other cow works for when their kids are out of school and can help. / Lacie Tervort photo
Nothing says spring time like watery eyes and horse hair! By Jennifer Whiteley The Nevada Rancher
ELKO COUNTY — Nothing says spring time in the west like sunshine, green grass and horse hair in floating the air. Shedding horses often lead to allergies, and a strong desire to be outside in the fresh air. Children being able to ride by themselves is a huge milestone for most Ranchwife mamas — it ranks right up there with kids being able to open most gates on the ranch, driving the feed truck, and being able to saddle their own horses. Ranch kids riding horseback on their own gives them (and their moms) a huge sense of freedom. No more riding with kids precariously balanced on bucking rolls or bouncing along behind the cantle! his month we celebrate independence and warm weather. Here’s to the kids that love riding horses, warm weather, and sunshine.
Stevie Badger, 4 years old prepares to ride her pony “Buckaroo.” Part of the ranching lifestyle is encouraging children to do things and think things for themselves. Unable to reach the top of Buckaroo’s rear she said “I know! Nana, if I get on and turn around I can reach it!” Her Nana Sharon was happy to oblige her, as you can see, it worked out well! / Sharon Bachman photo
ever have. When you are on a great horse, you have the best seat you—will Winston Churchill 24 THE NEVADA RANCHER – MAY 2017
Riding his favorite horse “Jack,” Raleigh Groves heads down the road with his Grandpa to help him move bulls to new pasture near Jiggs, Nev. / Thaysha Groves photo
Audrey Wright of Lamoille, takes a minute to love on friend “Meo.” Meo, owned by Tana Gallagher taught Audrey a lot about riding in the arena and is a fixture in the Lamoille area. / John Wright photo
Cooper Tervort, age 7 and his brother Cray, age 5 warm up their horses at the 2016 Elko Youth Rodeo. Both boys have shown their horses, and help their dad on the T/T ranch near Jiggs to do all things cowboy. / Ladie Tervort photo
Four year old Hugh Reed hitches a ride on his grandpa Tommy Tomera’s horse “Tadpole” after a day of branding in Pine Valley, Nevada. His grin lets you know he is pretty comfortable and content to be in the saddle on a sunny day. / Sabrina Reed photo
Beau Badger, aged 5 in 1984, shows his mom’s mare “Velvet” at the Mitt’s Little Rodeo (Spring Creek, Nevada). Beau competed in all events hoping to win the all-around title. Old ranch horses make the best kids horses and babysitters. / Sharon Bachman photo
THE NEVADA RANCHER – MAY 2017 25
Range and Forage
What to plant this spring? By Steve Foster University of Nevada Extension Educator
Now that the area farmers are finally going to receive a full allotment of irrigation water this year, what should they plant this spring? It is normally a good practice to plant new alfalfa stands in the late summer. However, last year it was still unknown how much water would be received this year to grow crops, so many did not take the risk of planting alfalfa last year. Spring-sown alfalfa is more risky than fall plantings. This is primarily due to more problems with strong drying winds, insects, weeds, frost and intense heat that may come early. So, if you plan on planting now, here are a few tips that may improve your chances for growing a healthy stand of alfalfa: When spring establishing alfalfa, planting between mid-March and mid-April is critical. This allows seedlings enough time to develop good root systems prior to the onset of high temperatures (above 90° F). The use of multiple-pest resistant varieties, excellent seedbeds, and pre-plant incorporated herbicides, are even more important with spring plantings. Normally only one or two cuttings are possible during the first summer for spring-sown alfalfa stands. Even in subsequent years, yields for spring-sown stands tend to be lower than those established in late summer. It is advisable to consider an annual forage crop to sow in spring and then harvest it in time to plant
alfalfa in late summer. Annual forages can provide rapid growth and high production with limited amounts of moisture as long as the moisture is timely. Under irrigation, annual forages provide more reliable forage production. Annual forages offer great flexibility for managing forage supplies. They can be used to fill forage production gaps or serve as a primary forage source for grazing in spring through winter with multiple, staggered plantings of different types of annuals. Also, annual forages can be used between crop rotations as an annual forage double-crop. Annual forage species should be selected based on the seasonal forage needs and the time of planting. The earliest spring grazing (beginning in April) can be achieved with fall planting of a winter cool-season species, such as cereal rye or triticale.
26 THE NEVADA RANCHER – MAY 2017
Later spring grazing (beginning in May) can be gained through planting winter-sensitive cool-season species like oats in mid-March. Warm-season species, such as sudangrass, can be planted in late spring for summer grazing (beginning in July). Warm-season species also can be stockpiled for winter grazing. Oats planted in late summer produce high quality forage for late fall and early winter grazing. It may be getting too late to plant spring oats or wheat. However, for successful production the following steps should be taken: • Seed quality is crucial. A minimum germination of no less than 85 percent will ensure an adequate stand under reasonable growing conditions. • Do not cut back on seeding rate. Because spring-planted oat/wheat forms a single stem with minimal tillering, it is necessary to have a high
plant population. • When grazed, do not begin grazing until the plants are 6 inches tall. This will increase forage production over plants that are grazed earlier. • When harvested for hay, cut at early heading to optimize yield and quality. Spring-planted oat/wheat harvested for hay, should be cut at early heading. Once the seedheads begin to emerge, there will be no appreciable increase in forage yield. Likewise, once the seedheads begin to emerge, a substantial decrease occurs in nutritive value due to the accumulation of stem tissue and also leaf loss. If harvested for hay, delaying harvest until early heading will maximize yield for that production method. With planning and a little luck, a spring-planted forage crop may add some additional forage to an already short or non-existent forage supply. F
Native Seed important for restoration Nevada Department of Agriculture Due to the continued need for restoration and rehabilitation projects on public and private land, demand for Nevada seed is increasing. Yet, a dilemma has arisen because much of the seed stock is imported. Historically the native seed market in Nevada has faced instability due to the lack of market consistency – it’s a risk many producers are not willing to take. As a result, regional supply of native seed has been limited for decades in Nevada. “Native seed” refers to seeds of plant species native to Nevada landscapes, cultivated in this climate. Therefore, they are adapted to Nevada’s unique landscapes, increasing the plants chance of survival. On public land, the federal land management agencies like the Bureau of Land Management
(BLM), Forest Service (FS), National Park Service (NPS) and Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) are moving toward using seed mixes with higher percentage of native species. The Nevada Department of Agriculture (NDA) has recently reopened its seed lab and is currently re-launching the native seed certification program, ensuring the species purity of wild-collected and agriculturally-produced native seeds. F
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THE NEVADA RANCHER – MAY 2017 27
SPECIAL FEATURE
Bottari Family Creamery Specializing in artisan sheep’s milk cheese and grass fed lamb in Lamoille By Jennifer Whiteley Nevada Rancher Magazine
LAMOILLE – Josh and Tory Bottari of the Bottari Family Creamery in Lamoille, Nevada specialize in Farmstead Artisan unpasteurized sheep’s milk cheese, naturally grass finished lamb, raw wool, and soap products. They began their adventure in 2003, when sheep dairies began their rise in popularity as hobby farms across the United States. Their goal is sustainability while embracing modern agriculture techniques to produce a quality product. Bottari grew up in production livestock, working with his grandparents and family on their cattle ranch in Lamoille, and then went to college to be a music teacher. To help pay for college he worked at a specialty foods store where the owner took pride in supplying customers with the highest quality specialty foods available. What started as a small variety of specialty cheeses evolved into a large case with over 300 cheese varieties when Bottari graduated from college. Bottari found his passion for artisanal sheep’s milk cheeses while working at that store. After college Bottari decided “I want something sustainable. Something that will last 100 years. I had never made cheese, or owned sheep, but I decided I was just going to do it.” Bottari Family Creamery was born. The rich flavors of sheep’s milk make it ideal for crafting wonderful cheeses. Sheep’s milk is extremely high in fat and conjugated linoleic acid, compared to other milk producing species. There are a large amount of solids present in the milk which makes sheep’s milk an excellent choice for making cheeses. It produces higher yields of cheese compared to other milk producing species. Sheep’s milk has a
28 THE NEVADA RANCHER – MAY 2017
Josh Bottari and one of his bottle babies in the pasture. Most of the sheep at Bottari Family Creamery have names. They are very gregarious and friendly animals who yield about a half gallon of milk each day, which the Bottari Family Creamery makes into cheese.
higher percentage of small fat globules than cow’s milk, making it easier to digest. Non-casein protein is twice that of cow or goat milk, which also enhances digestibility. Sheep’s milk is naturally thick and is easily turned into cheese or yogurt. Cheese made from sheep’s milk is creamier and ages more mildly than cow or goat cheeses and has its own special flavor, texture, and aroma. There are more than 50 different varieties of cheese, as well as types of yogurt, ice cream, and butter, all made from sheep’s milk. Sheep dairies are an important economic enterprise in many European, Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean countries. With only about 100 sheep dairies in operation across the country, sheep dairies are in their infancy in the United States. Many of the dairies that started up in 2003 quickly ran out of business. The Bottari Family Creamery is slowly growing and gaining popularity. What started as a barn and a handful of Dorset and Suffolk ewes has grown into a milking parlor, creamery, and aging room. Sheep breeds include the original Dorset and Suffolk, as well as Icelandic Crosses, Lacaune, East Friesian, and Awassi, breeds of sheep that do well on forage and have high milk production. Bottari modeled his business plan after European sheep dairy models.
All photos by Jennifer Whiteley, Nevada Rancher
At top, an Awassi cross bred ram watches over his ewes as they graze. Awassi sheep originate in the middle east and are known for the ability to adapt to harsh environments. They are one of the highest milking breeds for sheep and cross well on other milking breeds. At left, a yearling ewe and her day-old ewe lamb in the nursery. Sheep give milk for about 150 days after giving birth. The milk is naturally thick and flavorful, making it perfect for creating cheese, yogurt and other dairy products.
THE NEVADA RANCHER – MAY 2017 29
Bottari Creamery Sheep graze native grasses much like cattle, free choice in the spring, summer, and fall months. The sheep are fed grass hay and alfalfa over the winter, until the grass begins to grow, and supplemented with mineral and grain while milking. “You need to be able to build your own fence, give your own shots, and shear your own sheep to make a living in the dairy industry.” Says Bottari. Sheep have a lower input cost than cattle production, there is no fuel or horse costs. Bottari is able to graze pastures within minimal walking distance of the dairy. Sheep are milked for about 150 days after they wean their lambs. Bottari’s ewes give an average of ½ gallon of milk each day. Milk is frozen and stored until enough is accumulated for a batch of cheese. Milk is heated and rennet is added. After curds are formed, they are cut with a knife and stirred to break into smaller pieces. The curds are then firmly packed into cheese molds, and the whey is drained away. After cheese is removed from the mold, it is rubbed with coarse salt and aged in a cellar or aging room. The cheese gets harder as it ages and the taste becomes stronger. Lambs are weaned around 60 days of age. Bottari’s don’t castrate ram lambs. Some are sold for breeding stock by private treaty, and the remaining rams are sold for meat. Bottari’s feed rams out on pasture until ready to butcher and sell the meat locally through Facebook word of mouth, and area farmer’s markets. The Bottari Family Creamery sells the milk and meat produced by their ewes and have plans to eventually sell wool and sheep pelts as well. The opportunities available to sheep dairy producers is immeasurable. For more information about or to purchase cheese or lamb from the Bottari Family Creamery, they can be found on Facebook and Instagram. F
30 THE NEVADA RANCHER – MAY 2017
All photos by Jennifer Whiteley, Nevada Rancher
Above left, this new 100-gallon pot was installed in the creamery in January. It is used to heat the milk, and cook it until the curd is formed. Its generous size makes it ideal for thawing frozen milk as well as creating artisanal cheeses. Above right, after ewes are loaded in the milking stanchions, the udders are cleaned, a milking machine is attached to their teats. It takes about to 2 minutes to milk out a ewe, each ewe yields an average of ½ gallon of milk a day. At left, cheese wheels ripening in the aging room. Ripening is responsible for the distinct flavor of the cheese. Ripening determines the features that define many different varieties of cheeses, such as taste, texture, and body. Below, Cheese curds are placed into molds that are used to press the curds and form wheels of cheese. Weights are hung off the arm of the press to help remove excess whey from the cheese before being rubbed with salt and placing wheels in the aging room to ripen.
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THE NEVADA RANCHER – MAY 2017 31
PEOPLE & PLACES Hawley Ranch – Part Two
Bill Hoyt and the crew moving cows
More innovations on the ranch today By Heather Smith Thomas Special to the Rancher
B
illy Hoyt and his wife Sharon raise cattle, sheep and goats on the Hawley Ranch in Oregon that was started by Bill’s great-great-grandfather in 1852.
“Sharon and I are partners in all of our ventures and I couldn’t do it without her; she helps take care of the sheep and goats, does all the invoicing for our meat business, works with the cows and keeps the herd records, and researches forage options. She’s been a huge part of our meat marketing and the lamb and goat business,” says Hoyt. “We have a few hundred ewes we lamb out every year, and if some of my friends in Montana (where I grew up—before I came here to run the old family ranch) knew that I was raising goats and sheep, they would never speak to me again! I was a dyed-in-the-wool cowboy, and it was hard for me to get my mind around the western Oregon environment,” he says. It was quite a change from Montana’s cold winters and dry summers. “We can grow grass here year round, but also have the problems this can bring—with parasites and weeds. To do a good job of grazing it takes multi-species grazing, and at first I had a hard time with that. I finally realized the advantages, with the help of my wife who is very knowledgeable about sheep and goats. She showed me the light! Twenty years ago we started that process and it’s been a success,” he says. “We changed again when we began to participate in the farm-to-table production that is becoming popular today. We joined a couple of rancher cooperatives selling beef and lamb. As that developed, we saw the opportunity to do this on our own, because of our proximity to Portland and some of the major urban centers here in Oregon. We took the leap and entered the meat business,” says Hoyt. “The thing that changed my ranching experience more than anything was getting into multi-species
production, and the thing that changed my personal experience the most was becoming a meat wholesaler. We sell beef and lamb to 13 restaurants and small markets around the Pacific Northwest. This has taken my ranching experience to a whole new level,” he explains.
The cattle His grandparents, great-grandparents and great-great-grandparents had English breeds, beginning with Shorthorn. “They needed a cow they could milk and use for beef. Then in the late 1950’s they became involved in the purebred business raising Herefords. I got out of the purebreds in 1987.” From the mid-1970’s until the late 1980’s the ranch experimented with different breeds to increase weaning weights. At that time, production had become the big thing, as ranchers tried to raise bigger cattle, with more pounds of meat to sell. “We were using some of the continental breeds like Limousin to give us hybrids and bigger calves. Now we’ve gone full circle and back to smaller cattle, and looking at carcass quality rather than total weight,” says Hoyt.
32 THE NEVADA RANCHER – MAY 2017
“We are also looking at efficiency--making a steer fat and ready for processing in the shortest possible time. To do this it takes a slightly smaller-framed animal, and we are also looking at EPDs for marbling and ribeye size. We are starting to use the technology that’s available,” he explains. “Another thing that has become really important for us is disposition. We have a rating system of 1 to 5, with 1 being an animal with a nasty disposition, and 5 completely docile. I have a theory that the higher that rating, the more efficient that animal becomes in terms of converging forage to meat.” The docile animal is not as nervous, spends more time eating, and also has better quality meat (no dark cutters due to stress hormones). “We buy our Hereford bulls from the best Hereford breeders in Oregon. Our cow herd now is basically black because we use Angus and Hereford bulls. We use the Angus bulls to produce our replacement heifers. We have a small herd of 30 purebred Angus cows and buy a herd bull every few years, to raise our own Angus bulls. We now have a few purebred Herefords as well—to cross back and forth for baldy calves,” says Hoyt.
“We also keep a lot of the heifers. If I get a black whiteface or brockle heifer and she’s a 5 in her disposition score, I keep her as a cow. This cross makes a great cow. I breed her to a black bull and she’ll give me a black calf. We try to stay on the cutting edge of beef production and keep up with what is required to be as productive as possible,” he says. The hard part financially is that the first half of the year the ranch has all or part of 3 different calf crops to grow. “We’ll have all the 2017 calves that are born by the first of March, and more than half the 2016 calves we are developing, and still finishing/ killing the last of the 2015 calves.” This requires a lot more forage, and more intensive management than in earlier years. His grandfather sold the calf crop in the fall and just fed pregnant cows through winter, and started on the next calf crop in the spring. “We run 150 yearlings we carry over from each calf crop, and have 300 mother cows. We try to keep 10 to 15% of our heifers as replacements each year, so we are developing those, and have the purebred cows for producing our own bulls. In that sense we are very traditional, but the way we market our beef is different,” he explains.
Marketing the meat “We are feeding these animals from birth to slaughter, and that in itself takes a great deal of management. It changes many things. The marketing part, and developing a business plan for marketing, has been a challenge, along with understanding the meat business—learning which cuts are easy to sell and which ones are harder.” A person has to find a home for the parts of the carcass that are harder to sell. “Our job is to sell the whole carcass because we don’t want to have much meat sitting in inventory,” he says. Hoyt enjoys the marketing part of this business. “This is one of the things that I do well, and the big challenge for me is to be able to match my production with
Sharon and Bill Hoyt work together on the historic Hawley Ranch.
sales. I know I could quickly outsell my ability to produce the meat if I didn’t have a rein on it,” he says. One thing he became aware of early, in this business, was that ranchers are selling a lot more than meat; they are selling their story. “This is what agriculture must do: sell their story to the public. This includes our history and all the things that got us to where we are today.” Ranchers also have to show the public that we are good stewards of the land and animals and doing a good job. “I have been very active politically; I was part of the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association and went through the whole process—as treasurer, and then president in 2010-11. I’ve also been involved in NCBA and that group asked me to go to a seminar for a week in San Francisco with the Ketchum Group (one of the largest PR firms in the country) as part of the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance to represent beef,” he says. That was an amazing experience. All aspects of agriculture were there, from people growing popcorn in
Nebraska to all sorts of crops and livestock all over the U.S. “The seminar was on traditional and social media and how we might interact in that. The first thing they said was that the public loves farmers and ranchers but they hate farming and ranching! The light came on in my head. The public loves us but they don’t like what we do!” So we have to show them that what we do is ok—and beneficial for the environment. “It dawned on me that not only are we trying to do this as an industry, but we should also be trying to do this as individuals. I feel strongly that this is my mission in life—besides my religious faith—to tell my story and try to be an example of how ranchers do things. The other thing I learned from that week is that when you are interviewed by the media, you don’t want to make a comment on what your neighbor or other people in the industry are doing, because no two places are the same, and no two management practices are the same,” he says. “Your response, when they try
to pin you down, is to say you can’t speak for anyone else in this issue: ‘I can only tell you what we do here, at our ranch.’ Then you won’t get yourself in a corner, in a traditional media interview,” says Hoyt. There are many controversial issues, and we all face them and react to them a bit differently. “I became aware that what I do on my ranch regarding cattle management and stewardship practices may not be exactly what someone else is doing and that’s ok. We each tell our story, and our story becomes part of the greater story,” he says. “I recently had lunch at my biggest customer’s restaurant and was very impressed. I had a salad, and a hamburger without a bun. It was the best hamburger I’d ever eaten in my entire life and I was so proud—not only of my role in raising this animal, but also proud of how the restaurant prepared that product. I deliver a whole carcass to them, and they take it from there,” he says. They use the whole animal, cut it up, grind it, cook it, season it and serve it. “They have a restaurant and butcher shop and nothing goes to waste; they are selling bone broth, dog bones, etc. They do a fantastic job.” He appreciates all his customers, large and small. Some of his accounts do $30 a week, and some do $3000 a week. “One customer focuses on the paleo diet and asked if I would do a paleo hamburger for them. I had no idea what it was, and they gave me the formula of what they wanted in the hamburger, so we produce it for them, and they sell a bunch of it,” says Hoyt.
Helping educate the public Working with his meat customers has been a great experience. “Being part of the beef industry and the food industry in general has also been a learning experience. There are so many misconceptions and many things that are easily tweaked. The facts are often slightly twisted and can get lost in translation. This has
THE NEVADA RANCHER – MAY 2017 33
Youngsters enjoy a trailer ride as part of an educational tour of the Hawley Ranch.
become a problem for us in the beef industry because the public doesn’t always understand the facts,” he says. “Our society has lost touch with people on the ground. Most folks don’t have any idea about what actually happens on our farms and ranches and have misconceptions about how life really is. They can be ‘sold’ almost any story because they have no base of knowledge or way to judge whether what they are hearing is plausible,” says Hoyt. “The definition of grass-fed beef, for instance, is unclear. It’s not a good term, and the people who raise beef know this. It should be called forage-fed beef.” There’s also a difference regarding whether it was finished on forage, since almost all beef animals spend most of their life on grass. “Most animals could be called grass-fed because 80% of their lives were spent eating forage. Those kinds of definitions get lost in translation because the public doesn’t have a foundation on the ground. What often happens is that legislators, who have been just as removed from agriculture, get pressure from their urban constituents and think that what they know is better than what the people who live on the ground know!” Western ranchers go through this challenge daily, with public land issues, agricultural issues, etc. “Part of what we have to do as ranchers is be true to our story. I feel strongly that if I make a claim about my product or how it is raised, I am absolutely bound to be sure that I do what I claim— and be able to show that to anyone. Then it’s very clear that I am not making claims that I can’t back up with facts,” he says. “This is part of our marketing scheme. It is human nature to want to make ourselves look as good as we can, but we have to remember to be true to what we do and what we are,” he says. When he was president of the Oregon Cattleman’s Association, the manager of the Hilton Hotel in Eugene invited Hoyt to come to the hotel for an interview with the chef about supplying product. “When we got done, I realized that what they wanted was something I was absolutely unable to do and maintain my story. I told them I could probably do it for them, but I would become a middleman instead of the producer. I could not, as one ranch, meet what they needed. I would have to be buying beef from someone else and selling it to them. I am my own distributor, and I told them that
Hawley Land and Cattle Company cannot produce what they were asking for. I walked away from that meeting a little disappointed because I really wanted that account, but I realized that being true to personal capabilities and making production fit those sales is important,” he says. Things keep changing, but he looks at the future with a positive attitude. “We have faith in God, and in our country, and hope that we in agriculture can contribute as much as we can. We also realize that when we go to town and sell our product, we will rarely agree politically with our customer, and that’s a very large challenge. We just take it one day at a time and hope to keep educating the public about our role in producing their food,” he says. The ranch has a two-day field day every year, inviting all their meat customers and their employees. “I’ve had two restaurants shut down for those days, and bring everyone. They camp out on the ranch and we take them on a tour. In the evening we do a barbeque and I cook for them. Here are all these great chefs, and I cook breakfast and dinner, and they bring their own lunch,” he says. After the evening barbeque they all sit around and talk. “I get their impression about what we are doing, and what they would like to see us do, and how we can interact better with them.” This is always very interesting, and broadens everyone’s perspective. “At the restaurant where I was eating recently, the employees were at our field day in September, and they know us. When people at a restaurant as a chef or waiter get to know us, they become our emissaries. If they know what I am doing (they’ve had their boots on my ground), they can tell their customers more about the meat they order. They can say that they know the ranch it came from and know what it is. This is a great connection,” says Hoyt. “I spend time in their establishment, too, and get behind the meat counter and interact with their customers. I try to get there several days each year and go around to my customers and spend time in the restaurant talking to their customers. It goes both ways. I get them to my place, and I go down and spend time in their restaurant,” he says. “I’d like to take credit for this model like it was my idea, but I got it from a lady who managed the largest cooperative in the country. I just continued
34 THE NEVADA RANCHER – MAY 2017
doing this when I went out on my own. It definitely works! When I saw her doing this, I recognized that this was brilliant in terms of marketing and personal relationships—creating relationships with the customer. I am blessed to have had that opportunity,” says Hoyt. “Because of my experience in the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association, and from ranching in general, I know people in the ranching business all over the West. I have many great friends and have gotten to know some wonderful people. Some of the greatest people in the world are ranchers because they are so tuned in to the environment and the Creator— especially the people who actually work the ranch. We’ve seen a lot of absentee owners come into the picture in the past 20 years, however, because ranches are very expensive today,” says Hoyt. He really appreciates the hard-working people out there on the land every day taking care of the land and the cattle, even if it’s 30 below zero. “I have friends near La Grande, Oregon who were dealing with 12-foot snowdrifts this past January and needed a D8 to break trail through all that snow so they could go feed their cows,” he says. “I am thankful to be able to do what I’m doing, and to have my health, and be able to contribute to the ranching business, and I pray for the people who are having a hard winter and dealing with tough challenges. I also pray for the industry. We’ve had some great years, and should be thankful for that, even though our prices today are half what they were two years ago. We just deal with it; that’s what ranchers do,” he says. He and Sharon have two grown children who are not involved in the ranch. “At this point I don’t want to retire. My dad is 94 and still very active; he’s on the phone with me every day. He is very savvy about ranch issues. He started interacting here on the ranch in the 1930’s before I was born and I respect him and his viewpoints and experience. I am always interested in what his take on things might be,” Hoyt says. “Perhaps one of my biggest faults is that I am too much of a controller. I would have a hard time stepping away and letting someone else do what I do. I like to have my own hands on what I am doing. There is another generation coming on, however (our grandkids) and it will be interesting to see what the next generation brings to the ranch!” F
Top Hand will receive a saddle made by Cope Saddlery
WSRRA Qualifier
Taking 25 teams
Lovelock Ranch Rodeo is a a WSRRA sanctioned event
June 2nd, 2017
Open and Women’s teams $600 PER 4 PERSON TEAM
5pm Kids Events (must pre enter) 6pm Steer Stopping
The tenth annual Lovelock Ranch Rodeo will be held on June 2-4 this year. Events will kick off on Friday evening at 5 p.m. with the kids under 10 events (must be pre-entered), followed by a steer stopping and team roping jackpot. Saturday at 10 am the 4-man rodeo teams will start off the main event. We will have Ranch Doctoring, Team Branding, Big Loop Cow Roping, Tiedown Roping, and Team Roping. This event started in 2007 and has continued to grow every year. This event typically has from 20 - 25 teams compete. Teams must pre-enter the event by May 26. Entry forms are available online at rodeolovelock.com. Contestants come from all over the western united states. Typically, teams roll in on Friday night from California, Utah and Idaho with the more local teams coming in Saturday morning. The top hand will receive a Ryan Cope saddle on Sunday afternoon in
Memory of Sean Miller. This event Lovelock, NV has taken Miller’s name since Sean Top Hand will receive a saddle made by Cope Saddlery passed in 2010 soon after the first WSRRA Qualifier Taking 25 teams rodeo. Sean loved everything cow boy and truly enjoyed being at ranch 10am Check In rodeos. Open and Women’s teams Wally Blossom will bring bucking 11am Rodeo $600 PER 4 PERSON TEAM horses from Owyhee for theBronc Riding jackpot which takes place on Saturday and Sunday during the main performances of the rodeo. We striveTop Hand will receive a saddle made by Cope Saddlery 10am Rodeo WSRRA Qualifier to put on a great rodeo each year,Taking 25 teams Awards Presentation awarding the cowboys with prizesOpen and Women’s teams they will use and a decent pay-out. $600 PER 4 PERSON TEAM WSRRA Qualifier Taking 25 Teams In 2016, we had our largest pay- Open and Women’s Teams out just shy of $10,000 in cash and additional $9000 in awards. The $600 Per 4 Person Team awards change every year. This year we will have custom Entries are available online for all made conchos for the Top Open Events at: team, stirrups, head stalls, spur straps, breast collars and ropes, in addition to Rodeolovelock.com Top Hand Will Receive a saddle made by Cope Saddlery the top hand saddle. Food and drinks will be provided once again by Crazy Corners Saloon. Come enjoy the fun- filled rodeo weekend in Lovelock! F
June 3rd, 2017
June 4th, 2017
Rancher Facebook contest winner! The April issue of the The Nevada Rancher Magazine was themed “Inspiring the Next Generation.” Pacific Intermountain Mortgage Company and the Nevada Rancher Magazine have teamed up for another awesome giveaway! The winner is the photo at right: Luke Armstrong! Grandma Jennifer London entered the photo, and said: “Here is Luke Armstrong, two years old. He comes over to help with chores twice every day at our Nevada Stars Dairy Goat herd. He is my grandson. He helps feed baby goat bottles, gathers eggs and opens and shuts the gates for us. He is a wonderful lit-
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tle rancher, who also helps his daddy feed the horses and cows every day, too!! His parents are Chance and Mary Armstrong. Congratulations, Jennifer and we look forward to watching Luke grow up to become a great Nevada cowboy.
NV Rancher Magazine THE NEVADA RANCHER – MAY 2017 35
Barrel racing — in the beginning...
I
All In A Day’s Ride
was looking at a calendar of up and coming horse events, it was dominated by many, many Barrel Racings.
d It sta rted here an we’re keeping the legacy alive.
June 15 - 24, 2017 tickets 800-325-SEAT RenoRodeo.com
36 THE NEVADA RANCHER – MAY 2017
Made me wonder who, why and how Barrel racing got started? After a lot of research and some digging I came up with this, I like to call it: Barrel Racing, in the beginning! The earliest documentation of the first race was probably written on a stone tablet. The hairy legged feller that wrote it made it kinda hard to read, but I imagine it went something like this. These two young ladies, Sheep Hide Sally and Raven Head Rose were riding their two toed steeds around the countryside. As they set atop a little hill, Rose spotted a boulder down on the flat, she said to Sally, “Bet I can beat you down around that boulder and back here.” You know how young girls love speed? They laid their willow whips to their ponies and off they went. A lot of thought wasn’t given to the course, as they were neck an neck, Sally went left and Rose went right, a crash occurred on the back side of the rock. Back on top of the hill the girls were met by Alley Oop, he was the Chief Knuckle-Dragger of this group. He explained to the girls that they couldn’t both run at the same time around the same object. He suggested Rose run first and Sally second and he would time them. Right now you are scratching you head, it’s about a hundred years before the clock was invented. Ol’ Oop might have had hairy legs and a pea brain, but there was a lot of
Commentary by David W. Glaser
savvy inside it. He picked up a hand full of pebbles, when Rose started he dropped a pebble and kept dropping till she came home. Twenty pebbles ….that was the pebble to beat! As time went on, this got too easy and more girls started running, so Alley Oop had to start adding more rocks and he needed a left turn an a right turn, and thus the Cloverleaf pattern was born. With all this activity he had to hire more timers – and then of course there has to be RULES! Rule 1. You can NOT run a T Rex at the races, as he eats too many ponies. Rule 2. Your skins must be securely fastened, no flashing. The clothing issue led Sally and Rose to start the “Bling” thing, with feathers and bright colors and Purdy rock necklaces. The next evolutional change was upgrading the stock, and Sheep Hide Sally crossed her mare with Raven Head Roses stud and got a single hoofed colt, that could fly. Some of his ancestors are probably running today. For a cowboy who’s three hardest years of his life was the third grade, that’s a pretty good interpretation of the stone tablets. It’s all in a Day’s Ride! F
Special Offer
Ranch Wife Skills: The Home Haircut h, shoot,” I said, except I Desolate didn’t say shoot. Considering that I was holding a pair of clippers and standRanch ing behind my husband, these words were especially foreboding. It’s never Wife good when the hairdresser curses
O
while working. It’s even worse when the hairdresser is barely qualified to plug in the clippers, much less select and change the blade guard. Even though I have no formal or informal training regarding how to administer men’s haircuts, I have been roped into doing them for the last several years. When a woman shows up on a remote ranch, someone immediately hands her a pair of clippers and all the cowboys line up. It’s weird. Cowboys live a long ways from town and a barbershop, and I guess they figure women have a knack for cutting hair. Ha. I’ll take full credit for single-handedly proving them wrong. The worst haircut I have given to date happened a few days ago in my kitchen. My husband wanted me to try giving him a high and tight, so he handed me his phone to watch a YouTube video. After 18 minutes, I said “She makes it look easy, but I’m not fooled. I will probably screw this up.” “You told me to watch a YouTube video and install your car stereo, so get the scissors and give it a try,” Jim replied. You’d think someone would be more interested in their hairdresser’s proper training and education. But, you’d be wrong, if that someone was a cowboy with extremely limited barbering options. While the kids were occupied in the bath, I used the bare clippers on the base of Jim’s head. I carefully took them straight up, not following the curve of his head. So far, so good. Just like the woman in the video. I grabbed the scissors that once upon a time came in a haircut kit but have since been used to open bags of goldfish crackers, cut through cardboard boxes, and slice
Commentary by Jolyn Young
through string. Once snip of the hair revealed they were way too dull for the task at hand. So, I grabbed a number two blade guard and took the low-skill approach to finishing the haircut. By now, the kids were out of the bath and the little one was angry. I held him with one arm and ran the clippers with my non-dominant hand. I have no idea why I do the things I do sometimes. I tried to smoothly blend the short back with the slightly longer top, but the toddler’s spastic reaching for the clippers caused me to equally spastically jerk him away from his dad’s head. Naturally, this affected my ability to run the clippers in a controlled manner. The haircut quickly acquired a variety of straight lines, sharp corners, and indentations. “This looks like sh*t,” I dejectedly told Jim. “It’s okay, you’re doing good, just keep blending.” God bless that man for being so helpful and encouraging, even as his wife was butchering his hair. I grabbed the number zero blade guard, because I’d never seen one before and I thought it might help blend the short area into the tooshort area. One buzz in proved that theory wrong. That’s when I cussed again and said there was no hope. He would just have to wear a hat 24/7 until his hair grew out. Possibly longer, to prevent me from trying to give him another home haircut. F
Ashley Buckingham Advertising Representative
Jennifer Whiteley Staff Writer
CELL: (775) 304-8814
a.buckingham@winnemuccapublishing.net
PHONE: (775) 934-3207
j.whiteley@winnemuccapublishing.net
NV Rancher Magazine
Jolyn Young lives in a remote cow camp on the O RO Ranch in northern Arizona with her husband and their two small kids. To read more of her work, visit www.jolynyoung.com.
THE NEVADA RANCHER – MAY 2017 37
Ranchin’ Aint Always Pretty
W
e’ve all seen the Instagram or Facebook photos
Oh you know ... the guy with the perfect heelin’ shot or the cowgirl extraordinaire selfie, she’s looking good and draggin’ one to the fire at the same time!! Dang, why don’t I look like that? Have you seen the pictures people post of the perfectly groomed ranch with the indoor arena? Do you ever wonder if they snuck over to the neighbors to get that shot? Things certainly don’t look that way around here? The ranch truck’s on blocks with assorted wrenches and WD40 on standby, to nurse it back to health. Probably not gonna post this picture on Instagram. The truth is we want people to see the good side of us.…..because everyday is a cover shot kind of day at the ranch, right?!! But what about those days where you don’t want anyone to see. The makeup less girl in her p.j.’s and a pair of boots heading out to bottle feed
The Cowboy Pastor’s Wife
Commentary by Norma Elliot
calves, for the hundredth time and she’s not to happy about it either! Or what about that not so pretty time you lost it because the bulls water trough was dry…..yet again!!! Let’s picture for a minute what that looked like……. You’ve got the tunes cranked and heading down the ranch road as happy as can be. With the windows down and a nice breeze circulating through the cab of the pickup, you’re singing your best Johnny Cash, that is until you catch a glimpse, of the bulls standing around a empty water trough! Johnny Cash has turned
Consider it all joy, my brethren, whe n you encounter vari ous trials, knowing that the testing of your faith pro duces endurance. And let endurance hav e its perfect resu lt, so that you may be perfec t and complete , lacking in noth ing.
into well … Johnny “CRAP” and you jump out and start cussing. It isn’t to pretty and thank God no one saw that ugly tantrum! We all can admit that there are days when ranchin’ aint always pretty and I suppose that is a good thing. Who really wants to see people in there p.j.’s and mad ranchers at water troughs. Quite frankly we are only lying to ourselves if we think ugly is not a part of life. The problem lies when we give up on something just because it’s tough or ugly or messy? Are we raising a generation that learns that if it isn’t pretty than its useless? We see it in the job market, friendships, and even marriage. The messy middle, the tough times, the overwhelming times. The times when it doesn’t rain and our feed bill keeps
James 1:2-4
getting higher!! We see it when we disagree with someone and want to write them off. We also see it when we get bored with our jobs and think life looks more exciting for the guy next door. So what’s to learn in this ugly part of life, ranchin’, marriage,….a job we want to quit?! Something quite rewarding actually….endurance, integrity, staying power, and grit. Those things our grandparents were made of. Those things that don’t run and hide when the going gets tough. It’s these lessons that teach us value and shows us areas we can improve. Ugly times are sometimes the best teachers, even if it shows us how to NOT do something…. ever again. I don’t like going through these times…besides I like those confident pictures of the gal draggin’ to the fire and lookin’ good. But that doesn’t mean if it all goes down a different way that it doesn’t hold value. So next time, ugly happens at the ranch or just in life…keep this in mind…… James 1:2-4
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. Now that’s the kind of truth that will get us through those empty water troughs and broken feed trucks. F
Thanks for reading…..you can find me at www.thecowboypastorswife.com
38 THE NEVADA RANCHER – MAY 2017
Checking on the Checkoff
Spring Beef Promotion Underway
A
nother Nevada Beef Council (NBC) beef promotion involving the popular consumer app Ibotta is underway, this time centered around Cinco de Mayo festivities. The promotion, which started in early April and extends through early May, allows consumers to get a $1.00 rebate on any brand fresh ground beef using the Ibotta app, which will be good at any participating Nevada retailer. The promotion has primarily focused on Cinco de Mayo and recipes, with a supplemental digital campaign specifically targeting the greater Las Vegas and Reno markets. Once the promotion concludes later this month, the NBC will work with Ibotta and other partners to collect and assess results. As we’ve previously shared, consumer research has indicated for years that shoppers – particularly those in the millennial audience – are turning away from the physical or on-pack coupons and moving more toward mobile-based apps or digital coupons. This trend is part of the lure of the current national promotions, which will provide savings on all brands of beef – including ground beef, steaks and roasts – at the retailers. Ibotta is one of the most frequently used smartphone apps for shopping that is making waves in the marketplace. The company partners with leading brands and retailers to offer rebates on groceries, electronics, clothing, gifts, home and office supplies, restaurant dining, and more. The consumer unlocks the qualifying rebate on the app, purchases the item at the store, and verifies the purchase for a rebate that comes in the form of cash or gift card from Ibotta. To learn more about Ibotta – including the retailers it partners with – download the free app for your smartphone, or visit www.ibotta.com.
SLOW-COOKED CORNED BEEF IN BEER WITH RED CURRANT-MUSTARD SAUCE INGREDIENTS
1 Corned Beef Brisket Boneless with seasoning packet (2-1/2 to 3 pounds) 3 ribs celery, cut into 3-inch pieces 2 medium onions, cut into quarters 2-1/2 cups water, divided 1 bottle (12 ounces) beer 1 pound green cabbage, cut into thin wedges 1 pound red potatoes, cut into 2-inch pieces 6 to 8 baby carrots, trimmed or 4 medium carrots, cut crosswise into thirds 2 tablespoons butter, melted Chopped fresh parsley (optional) Red Currant-Mustard Sauce 1 jar (12 ounces) red currant jelly 3 tablespoons country Dijon-style mustard INSTRUCTIONS
Place celery and onions in 4-1/2- to 5-1/2-quart slow cooker; top with corned beef brisket. Sprinkle contents of seasoning packet over brisket. Add 2 cups water and beer. Cover and cook on HIGH 6 to 7 hours or on LOW 9 to 10 hours or until brisket is fork-tender. (No stirring is necessary during cooking.) Meanwhile, place cabbage, potatoes and carrots in microwave-safe dish; add remaining 1/2 cup water. Cover; microwave on HIGH 15 to 18 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring
Beef Achieved Big Results This St. Patrick’s Day Again this year, the checkoff delivered St. Patrick’s Day beef recipes to more consumers than ever before! With a different approach to St. Patrick’s Day content, including a new video and online advertisements, the checkoff was able to generate more than 3.7 million impressions and over 507,000 video views across Facebook, YouTube and paid search. The Beef with Red Currant-Mustard Sauce recipe (also featured in the How to Make Corned Beef video) landing page on the “Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner.” website received more than 22,000 page views, and the St. Patrick’s Day
or rearranging once. Drain; remove and discard cores from cabbage wedges. Add butter; season with salt and pepper, as desired. Toss to coat; keep warm. Prepare Red Currant-Mustard Sauce. Place jelly in medium microwave-safe bowl. Cover; microwave on HIGH 1-1/2 to 2 minutes or until melted, stirring once. Whisk in mustard. Cover; microwave on HIGH 30 seconds. Stir; keep warm. Remove brisket and carve diagonally across the grain into thin slices. Serve with vegetables and sauce. Garnish with parsley, if desired. Test Kitchen Tips To cook on range-top, place corned beef in stockpot; sprinkle with contents of seasoning packet. Add celery, onions, 2 cups water and beer. Bring just to a simmer; do not boil. Cover tightly; simmer 2-1/2 to 3 hours or until brisket is fork-tender. Prepare vegetables and sauce as directed.
Favorites recipe collection received more than 18,000 views during the same time period. St. Pat’s-specific Facebook carousel ads resulted in more than 344,000 impressions among 189,000 unique users, with higher click-thru rates than average carousel performance. Additionally, the ad generated more than 6,000 engagements during the St. Patrick’s Day holiday. Disseminating the checkoff’s triple-tested recipes and cooking information when consumers are looking for it, helps ensure that consumers have a positive beef-eating experience every time. It also continues to build consumer confidence in BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com as their go-to, trusted resource for all things beef. F
THE NEVADA RANCHER – MAY 2017 39
ON A HISTORIC NOTE
Money from nothing By Mike Popovitch Special to the Rancher
B
orn into a middle class family in New York City in 1870, Jacob Simon Herzig found his adult life on the other side of the law when he was caught forging checks and sent to jail.
Disowned by his family, he served his time and eventually left New York City, drifting throughout the country. By 1900, Jacob resurfaced in Galveston, Texas under the name of George Graham Rice. It was by chance that he was in the right place at the right time when the great hurricane of September 8, 1900 hit the Gulf Coast and destroyed much of the city. Rice escaped the tidal wave that leveled the sea wall, stole a horse and made his way to a telegraph office where he was the first reporter to break the news of the storm, or so he claims. Eventually, Rice was fired because of double billing his expenses and found himself out of money after gambling losses. It was at this point in his life, Rice decided to change careers and travel back to New York. Upon arriving in New York, Rice set up a book making firm which boasted it’s skills in horsemanship. He decided to create a fictitious company name because a partnership sounded better than a man who seemed to know a lot about horses and betting. The company would be called, Maxim & Gay. Maxim, taken from the Maxim machine gun and Gay from a street sign Rice had seen. His company published a newspaper with rac-
40 THE NEVADA RANCHER – MAY 2017
“When news was scarce, I could write more about nothing than any man I ever met.” That boastful quote comes from the memoirs of a man just before his 50th birthday, with audacity and self promotion, this was the man known to the U.S. Postal Service, investors, and other authorities as a slippery self-promoting con artist.
“By the end of 1901, Tonopah had grown to support thirty-two saloons, two dance halls, a newspaper, and two churches.” ing odds and recommendations, all of which were exaggerated or manipulated by Rice. He even conjured up stories about the jockeys, stables, horses, and tracks... all to his benefit. Eventually, his competitors fed up with losing money to Rice, took their frustrations out in unscrupulous ways which finally led to Rice losing his paper to another competitor, The Daily Racing Forum. Rice, now broke, unemployed and unwelcome chose to go west. Rice later reflected in his memoirs, “The place was New York. The time was March
1901. My age was thirty. My cash capital was $7.30. I was out of a job.” Rice found himself in the boom town of Tonopah, Nevada with it’s 2,000’ long main street full of brothels, saloons, and vaudeville acts. The lure of the last great gold rush and the amazing tales of getting rich in America had drawn him in. When he stepped off the train in Tonopah, he met up with a fellow gambler who invited Rice to help him peddle shares of stock in Tonopah Home Gold Mine. Unknown to the public, the mine was nothing more than a claim that would expire within a year. That didn’t stop Rice from printing up stock certificates and selling shares, proceeds of course lining his pockets. With his newspaper and promoting skills, Rice would report colorful stories of miners, gambling, stampedes, shoot outs, and other far fetched tales that would lure would be marks to invest in his stocks. He reported on mines in Tonopah, Rawhide, Manhattan, Wonder, and Rhyolite. Some of the stories were true but most were fictional including an attempted robbery of the Tonopah Mines manager, complete with a shoot out, posse, and explosions. Rice would sell hundreds of thousands of shares of stock at twenty five cents per share, sell it over and over again creating activity and public interest until it hit a rate of three to six dollars per share through false publicity and manipulation. Eventually, he would unload his stock, dropping the value to pennies per share and causing the company to go bankrupt. Rice could get away with market manipulation because of the lack of enforce-
ment in the stock market. He would take investors money and never open a mine. He accepted $75,000 from investors into the Broken Hills Mine in Mineral County, Nevada, which only netted $7,000 and subsequently ceased operating. Investors would pay their hard earned money and all they got in return was a fancy stock certificate that wasn’t worth the paper it was printed on. His tall tales and manipulation of stocks caused his company; The Sullivan Trust to collapse which led to the failure of the Goldfield State Bank in 1907. Eventually, Rice left Tonopah and Goldfield to seek investors in copper mines in Death Valley, California and Greenwater, Nevada. Although only traces of copper was found in these areas, it didn’t stop Rice from forming a mining company complete with worthless stock certificates that would swindle money from investors and line his pockets. Rice’s tactics never changed. He set up boiler rooms where offices filled with salesmen would make long distance calls to entice investors to part with their money by exaggerating the profits, existence, and activity of his mines. Long distance phone calls were something new in this day and age. After all, if someone was making a long distance call, it had to be legitimate. In time, federal authorities caught up with Rice. He began to throw money to Democrat political candidates in turn for favors but when those candidates lost, so did he. Newspapers were rejoicing in Rice’s arrest, forcing him to live the rest of his life in obscurity. Rice was the eternal promoter of nothingness and grew rich from it. F
THE NEVADA RANCHER – MAY 2017 41
WESTERN AG NEWS New bill would assist new veterinarians with student loan repayment AVMA says measure would aid underserved areas American Veterinary Medical Association Press Release WASHINGTON, — The AVMA welcomes the introduction of S. 487, the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program Enhancement Act (VMLRPEA), by Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.). This bill will increase funding available for grants through the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP), which implements loan forgiveness for veterinarians who commit to serving in federally designated veterinary shortage areas. Representatives Adrian Smith (R-Neb.) and Ron Kind (D-Wis.) introduced companion legislation, H.R. 1268, in the U.S. House of Representatives. This bill was introduced March 1, 2017 and now is being reviewed by the Senate Finance Committee. “The VMLRP is a win-win for veterinarians and rural economies because it provides loan relief while also helping alleviate veterinary shortages in areas that lack adequate access to veterinary services for livestock animals,” said AVMA President Dr. Tom Meyer.
“Unfortunately, the heavy tax applied to VMLRP awards decreases the number of awards that can be made and the number of rural communities that can benefit from increased services..” Student loan debt for graduates of veterinary colleges in 2015 topped $140,000 on average. This significant debt can make starting a veterinary practice in a rural shortage area cost
prohibitive for recent graduates. As a result, many new graduates are unable to practice in underserved areas where they are most needed. The VMLRP makes practice in rural underserved areas more financially feasible for recent graduates by providing up to $75,000 in loan repayments in exchange for at least three years of service in designated veterinary shortage areas. Since the program’s implementation in 2010, more than 350 veterinarians have participated across 45 states, Puerto Rico and U.S. federal lands. However, a 39 percent income withholding tax is applied to each award, which significantly lowers the number of awards that the U.S. Department of Agriculture can make each year. If this tax had been removed, more than 100 additional veterinarians – and rural communities – could have benefitted from the VMLRP. If passed, the VMLRPEA will implement this important change. “Access to animal care is critical to Idaho’s agricultural economy,” said Senator Crapo. “But too often, ranchers and farmers can’t access the care they need because they live in areas where demand for veterinary services exceeds availability. This legislation will increase the number of veterinar-
ians able to serve in the areas where they are needed most, which will help strengthen rural economies and protect the safety of our food supply.” “Veterinarians are vital to animal welfare and our nation’s agricultural economy,” said Senator Stabenow. “Unfortunately, many small towns and rural communities in Michigan and across the country don’t have access to the veterinary services they need most. This bill creates important incentives for veterinarians to practice in underserved areas.” “Animal health is critical to maintaining the United States’ world-leading standards for food safety, with veterinarians and producers working together to ensure livestock are appropriately cared for,” said Representative Smith. “However, shortages of large-animal veterinarians in many of the rural areas where our meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy are produced make this work more challenging. This legislation addresses an inconsistency in our tax code involving the treatment of student loan repayment programs while ensuring the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program’s limited funding is more directly focused on bringing animal health providers to the areas where they are most needed.” F
CV Equine Ventures presents: Annette Coker Horsemanship Clinic in Reno, NV June 2nd-5th, 2017 410 Tranquil Dr, Sparks, NV Sponsor: Theresa Skinner 775-742-7709 $600 4 Full Days, $20 day to Audit Annette’s clinics are taught in such a way that they are beneficial to any riding discipline and, students of all skill levels. Visit us on Facebook or visit cvequineventures.com
42 THE NEVADA RANCHER – MAY 2017
Grazing fees for 2017 set by BLM, Forest Service
Precision agriculture professionals invited to check out ASCEND Conference Drones add efficiency to farming operations ASCEND Press Release
Bureau of Land Management Press Release
The upcoming ASCEND Conference & Expo will deliver practical information about using drones to improve processes in precision agriculture. ASCEND will be held at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Ore., July 19-21. “ASCEND will go beyond celebrating drone technology to provide practical integration of techniques into current practices,” said Tim Kidwell, Editor-inChief of Drone360 magazine and leading member of the ASCEND Conference & Expo team. “We won’t just talk about the evolution of the technology; ASCEND will help attendees turn concepts into action plans.” ASCEND Conference & Expo will convene experienced, successful UAS pros to deliver hands-on workshops, insights into successes, case studies and best practices, and other programming that will drill down to the fundamentals needed to achieve success. ASCEND will offer a combination of interactive panel discussions, classes, workshops, workflow sessions, mentor meetings, and interviews. A sample of topics includes: ·Thermal sensors and agriculture analysis for crop monitoring and management ·Data collection issues in precision agriculture ·Yield, maturity and quality estimates: the benefits of drone usage in precision agriculture ·Key benefits of UAS in agriculture: tools for efficiency, rules for success (crop and herd mon-
The Federal grazing fee for 2017 will be $1.87 per animal unit month (AUM) for public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management and $1.87 per head month (HM) for lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The 2016 public land grazing fee was $2.11. An AUM or HM – treated as equivalent measures for fee purposes – is the use of public lands by one cow and her calf, one horse, or five sheep or goats for a month. The newly calculated grazing fee, determined by a congressional formula and effective on March 1, applies to nearly 18,000 grazing permits and leases administered by the BLM and nearly 6,500 permits administered by the Forest Service. The formula used for calculating the grazing fee, which was established by Congress in the 1978 Public Rangelands Improvement Act, has continued under a presidential Executive Order issued in 1986. Under that order, the grazing fee cannot fall below $1.35 per AUM, and any increase or decrease cannot exceed 25 percent of the previous year’s level. The annually determined grazing fee is computed by using a 1966 base value of $1.23 per AUM/HM for livestock grazing on public lands in Western states. The figure is then calculated according to three factors – current private grazing land lease rates, beef cattle prices, and the cost of livestock production. In effect, the fee rises, falls, or stays the same based on market conditions, with livestock operators paying more when conditions are better and less when conditions have declined. The 2017 grazing fee of $1.87 per AUM/ HM applies to 16 Western states on public lands administered by the BLM and the Forest Service. The states are Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. Permit holders and lessees may contact their local BLM or U.S. Forest Service office for additional information. F
itoring, variable-rate fertility, equipment inspection, irrigation control, pest management) ·Beyond sensing to application on the farm ·One chance for harvest – technology to help you maximize yields and profits ·SOP for precision agriculture: getting started series Sessions will help attendees do one or more of the following: ·Start a business or incorporate drones into an existing business · Learn best practices through case studies and practical examples ·Understand policy and comply with FAA, state, and local regulations ·Find resources and management tools · Provide commercial application workflows · Minimize financial and legal risk ·Manage data acquisition, processing and use ·Develop operations processes Additionally, the ASCEND marketplace will encompass all aspects of UAS including ser-
vice providers, commercial applications, platforms, software, research, technology, training, components, advocacy, education, government agencies, trade associations and retailers. The commercial UAS industry is at a critical stage of development, with the potential to solve real-world problems across a wide variety of business segments. Additional targeted conference tracks will focus on real estate, construction, insurance, utilities management, photo and video, and police/fire/SAR. About ASCEND Conference & Expo ASCEND is a new UAS technology event presented by Drone360 magazine. Attendees, exhibitors, and media can find full details at the website, www.ascend-event.com. Knowledgeable industry professionals are invited to visit the website to submit speaking proposals. Details on each conference track will be presented at the website as the event nears. Event updates will be posted to Twitter @ASCEND_UAS, on Facebook @ascendUAS, and using the hashtag #AscendUAS. F
THE NEVADA RANCHER – MAY 2017 43
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44 THE NEVADA RANCHER – MAY 2017
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Mason Mountain Ranch: 3782 deeded acres plus small BLM permit. Summers up to 300 pair in the past. Recent improvements to stockwatering sources and new set of corrals. Landowner Elk Tag. Price: $1,750,000.
Recanzone Ranch - Subdivision potential! For the investor, the property consists of 9 parcels, all contiguous, if someone wanted to split the property. Neat ranch in Paradise Valley. 900+ acres, 300 AUMs, right near town. Original sandstone house. Easy access to Hinkey Summit & surrounding mountains with excellent hunting opportunities. Includes barn, outbuildings & corrals.
Elko County 566 acre Organic Farm: This farm is located approx. 15 miles South of Wells
SALE PENDING
on the East side of US Hwy 93. There are 249 acres under three pivots, one full and two wipers. Price: $825,000.
Clover Valley Z Bar Ranch: 598+ deeded acres at the foot of the mountains and on paved state
route. Approx. 150 acres with harvest and pasture surface water rights out of several streams. Four (4) homes from 1100 sq ft to 6,320 sq ft. 3 shops including 2 heated the larger being 5000 sq ft. Green house and gravity without power. A truly unique property. If you’re looking for a family ag property that can be self-sustaining or a corporate retreat this may be the one you’re looking for. Price: $2,400,000.
Ruby Valley Ranch:937 Acres at foot of the Rubies with surface water rights for approx.. 160+ acres and permits for 285 acres of underground water for irrigation. On paved road. Some improvements Price: $950,000.
Clear Creek Ranch Year around cattle ranch approx. 10,000 deeded acres, 6 pivots and with 11-month BLM permit. Only 15 miles from Winnemucca, NV.
Starr Valley Pasture 1,104 pasture acres with water rights, fully fenced. Private access on gravel/dirt approx. 3 miles from Starr Valley County Road. The East and West Fork of Boulder Creek and the spring all run through the property. Woodward Ranch Humboldt Co. - Denio 1,536 deeded acres, multiple parcels. 1,636 AUM BLM grazing permit. 40 AC Pivot, 35 AC Pivot. 2 Irrigation Wells with good water rights. Hot Spring on 80 deeded AC with vested water rights to hot spring. Two story 6 bedroom home, cellar, walk-in cooler, storage building, shop, barn with tack room, nice corrals, orchard.
View Complete listings at www.ARanchBroker.com
Pending
Fish Creek Ranch: 2957 deeded acres in Eureka Co. Nevada. This ranch has approx. 2000 water
, center pivot, and hand line irrigation. Paved access to the ranch property. Located 20 miles South of Eureka. There are 5 homes plus a bunkhouse, a cook on at approx. 350 head year around. Has potential to increase production. Price: $4,000,000.
775-738-8535 • 775-777-6416 Allie Bear, Broker/Realtor Dawn Mitton, Broker/Realtor
Bar O Ranch: Elko County, Nevada: Approx. 500 deeded in Pilot Valley at the foot of Pilot Peak plus summer and winter range on BLM. 3 homes plus other improvements. Price: $1,200,000.
BOTTARIREALTY.COM THE NEVADA RANCHER – MAY 2017 45
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 F
Superior Livestock Auction Load-lots of cattle sold via satellite and the Internet Northern Nevada Representative Allie Bear (775) 738-8534 www.superiorlivestock.com
CALIFORNIA Shasta Livestock Auction Yard Sale every Friday Cottonwood, California Office: (530) 347-3793 Fax: (530) 347-0329 www.shastalivestock.com F
Cattlemen’s Livestock Market Sale every Wednesday 12495 E. Stockton Blvd., Galt, California Office: (209) 745-1515 www.clmgalt.com
Turlock Livestock Auction Yard Sale every Tuesday 10430 N. Lander Ave., Turlock, California Office: (209) 634-4326 Fax: (209) 634-4396 www.turlocklivestock.com
IDAHO
Burley Livestock Auction, LLC Sale every Thursday 1100 Occidental Avenue, Burley, Idaho Office: (208) 678-9411 www.burleylivestock.com F
Producers Livestock Marketing Assn. 11 South 100 West, Jerome, Idaho Office: (208) 324-4345 Cattle auction every Tuesday; dairy auction every-other Wednesday www.producerslivestock.com F
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 F
Twin Falls Livestock Commission Co. Beef sale every Wednesday; General sale every Saturday 630 Commercial Ave., Twin Falls, Idaho Office: (208) 733-7474 Fax: (208) 734-2955 flcco1.qwestoffice.net
OREGON Eugene Livestock Auction, Inc. Sale every Saturday 92380 Hwy 99, Junction City, Oregon Office: (800)288-6217 Website: www.eugenelivestock.com F
Producers Livestock Marketing Sale every Wednesday P.O. Box 67, Vale, Oregon
LIVESTOCK AUCTION YARDS
SALE May 4, 2017
VIDEO AUCTION Catalog Deadline APR 24
May 18, 2017
VIDEO AUCTION Catalog Deadline MAY 8
June 1, 2017
VIDEO AUCTION Catalog Deadline MAY 22
Advertise here! (775) 623-5011
CELL (775) 304-8814
Ashley Buckingham Sales Representative Nevada Rancher Magazine a.buckingham@winnemuccapublishing.net
Winnemucca Publishing WINNEMUCCA
PUBLISHING
46 THE NEVADA RANCHER – MAY 2017
1022 S. Grass Valley Road Winnemucca, NV 89445
Facebook: NV Rancher Magazine
Office: (541) 473-3136 www.producerslivestock.com F
Central Oregon Livestock Auction Sale Every Monday 3457 S.W. Hwy. 97 Madras, Oregon Office: (541) 475-3851 www.centraloregonlivestock auction.com
UTAH Producers Livestock Marketing Assn. Highway 89 South, Salina, Utah Office: (435) 529-7437 Cattle auction every Tuesday; hog and sheep auctions first and third Monday www.producerslivestock.com
WESTERN REGION Western Video Market Satellite video auctions www.wvmcattle.com
e s a c Show MAKER
The perfect advertising space for your Western gear, tack, clothing, gifts or home accessories business
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