2014 Fall Cattlemen's Edition

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup

“The history of Sweetwater County is diverse and chronicles a long pattern of human occupation, beginning with the Shoshone and Ute tribes,” says the Sweetwater County Historical Museum. “Later, the first Rocky Mountain Rendezvous marked the beginning of regular occupation by white settlers.”

While Sweetwater County once boasted a strong agricultural community, with hundreds of thousands of sheep grazing the desert lands, today, mineral and energy extraction play a large role in the economy of the county.

Dudley Gardner writes, “It is the Green River Canyon that came early on to symbolize the West and its vastness. Artist Thomas Moran’s ‘Green River Cliffs, Wyoming, 1881,’ captured the essence of the landscape that is Sweetwater County.”

First settlers European settlers first

arrived in Sweetwater County in the 1800s, but Comanche and Shoshone Native Americans had been in the area as early as 12,000 years ago, says Gardner.

Trappers and fur traders began to frequent the area in the early 1800s, utilizing it as a corridor to many areas of the West.

“When fur trader William Henry Ashley came west, he did not follow Robert Stuart’s path, but traveled instead through the heart of the Red Desert,” Gardner says. “Ashley’s first rendezvous, in 1825 on the Henry’s Fork 20 miles upstream from its confluence with the Green River, was the first such gathering held by trappers in the Rocky Mountains.”

The site sits near Mc-Kinnon on Anderson Ranch.

Following trappers, a series of trails, including the Oregon Trail, Overland Stage Road and Pony

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pany distributed pamphlets promoting the advantages of farming in the valley,” Chesnovar continues. “Claims proved to be exaggerated, such as ‘fruit orchards will thrive and corn will grow higher than a man’s head’ and ‘the growing season in Eden Valley is as delightful as can be found in the country anywhere.’”

New projects In 1923, the Farson Irrigation Company went bankrupt, and the project was transferred between owners, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Security Administration.

A dam was sited for construction on the Big Sandy River, but the project was delayed by World War II until the 1950s.

“The Eden Valley Irrigation and Drainage District was then formed to oversee operation of the project,” Chesnovar continues. “Flood irrigation was

1. Green River Livestock 2. Brown Hereford Ranch 3. Hodder Ranch 4. Blair and Hay Land and Livestock 5. Marvin ‘Trip’ Applequist 6. Bob Slagowski 7. Steve Griffin 8. Mountainaire Animal Clinic 9. GE Livestock 10. McMurray Ranch 11. Anderson Ranch

12. Southwestern Wyoming Wool Warehouse 13. Jack McMurray 14. Sweetwater County Conservation District 15. Arambel Ranches 16. Cindy Smith 17. Mud Springs Livestock 18. Spring Creek Ranch 19. Magagna Sheep Company 20. GZ Livestock 21. Almosta Ranch

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Express traversed the land of Sweetwater County, bringing more people to the region.

The northern part of Sweetwater County also provided a thoroughfare for many travelers.

Rail and energy On Dec. 27, 1867, Sweetwater County was officially created, and Green River was declared the permanent county seat in December 1985.

It wasn’t until 1862, when the Pacific Railroad Act became law, that the Union Pacific Railroad made its mark on the county. The railroad now proves to be a major asset to the area.

“Meanwhile, the Union Pacific Railroad and the coalmines it owned continued to dominate life and people living all across the southern Wyoming Territory,” Gardner continues.

Mining and the railroad have persevered as the major industries in Sweet-

water County.

Gardner continues, “By 1991, thanks to all its minerals, Sweetwater County had the second highest assessed valuation of any of Wyoming’s 23 counties, standing at $773 million. Coal was valued, for tax purposes, at more than $190 million, natural gas at more than $185 million, trona at more than $179 million and oil at more than $177 million.”

Eden Valley ag In the Eden Valley, settlers didn’t arrive until much later.

“Although there were a few attempts at settlement of the area in the 1880s, the majority of settlers came after a large scale irrigation project under the provisions of the Carey Act was financed by John M. Farson, Sons and Company in 1907,” says Taylor Chesnovar in Eden Valley Voices.

The Carey Act provided settlers land for 50 cents per acre for land and $30 per acre for water rights. The payment was spread out over a 10-year period for those with at least 20 irrigated acres.

“To attract settlers to the area, the Farson com-

the predominate method used.”

Chesnovar further noted that independent dairies, poultry, livestock and potato operations sprung up along the valley to support the residents of Rock Springs.

Agriculture today In the Eden Valley, agriculture continues to thrive today.

“Today, ranching operations grow hay and small grains to winter livestock or sell throughout the region,” Chesnovar writes. “In recent years, increasing numbers of residents who live on small acreages or ranches commute to Rock Springs and Green River to work.”

Livestock also still graze throughout the region, though not in the immense numbers as were seen in the past.

John Hay says, in a 2011 article by Kevin Litwin, “Rock Springs Grazing Association (RSGA) has been around since 1907, when 200,000 to 300,000 sheep grazed the winter range in southwestern Wyoming.

Now, there are about 50,000 to 70,000 sheep.”

Most ranchers use RSGA lands today for the winter season only, opting for higher mountain lands in surrounding counties during the summer months.

Chesnovar comments, “Settlers would be proud to know that Eden Valley, almost 100 years later, is an oasis in the desert, just as they dreamed it would be.”

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at saige@wylr.net.

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2014 Fall Cattlemen’s Edition

Green River – Since his grandfather moved to Wyoming in 1883 to work on the railroad, Bill Taliaferro’s family has ranched on the Green River.

“Green River Livestock was started in 1909,” Bill says. “My grandfather liked ranching and farming, but he got into the banking business.

He started the sheep outfit that we have.”

A look back Bill’s uncle began to run the place after the tragic death of the ranch foreman and his wife, and he began to develop the operation “They asked him to run the sheep outfit, and he came back on the promise that it would be his outfit,” Bill explains. “In 1947, my uncle bought a ranch at Kemmerer and expanded the outfit up there.”

Because of the expansion, some of the brothers and sisters didn’t receive a dividend that year, resulting in the ultimate buy-out of those partners. At that point, Bill’s father bought into the operation.

At the same time, Bill’s father worked at the family bank in Green River, where they also owned a grocery store – Green River Merc.

“My brother and I were out at the ranch at nine and 10 years old, staying in Kemmerer and taking care of things,” Bill says. “We went on the mountain and were riding the trail. We had a 28-day trail from Kemmerer to south of Jackson. That’s how we got started.”

Changing times Bill says they don’t run a typical sheep operation for Wyoming.

“For the last two years, we have worked on totally shed lambing all of our sheep,” he comments. “We don’t have to worry about coyotes or eagles or ravens that way.”

At the same time, shed lambing allows them to utilize a unique breed of sheep – the Finn Targhee breed, which results in better lamb crops.

“Dwight Holloway of Minnesota first went and brought Finnish sheep to the U.S.,” explains Bill. “They were very prolific. The wool isn’t the greatest, but the ewes will have up to six lambs.”

Prior to adding Finn Targhees, the ranch utilized Columbias, and he says they were lucky to have an 85 percent lamb crop, after they counted all their sheep.

“We count everything, and we had a 170 percent crop last year,” he notes. “We see a pretty high percentage of twins and triplet, and we even gets some quads and quints.”

Because ewes can’t support five or six lambs, Bill says they have learned to raise orphan lambs and to graft lambs onto ewes who only have singles.

Next steps After lambing, they begin to form bunches of, first, 25 and then 50.

“Once we get a bunch put together, we take them out,” Bill notes. “This is sheep country. Sheep can eat snow

and do great, but cattle need live water.”

They run on BLM and Forest Service land, as well as on the Rock Springs Grazing Association.

Bill adds, “We have pretty good guard dogs, and we still use herders.”

Using herders presents additional challenges, since the U.S. Department of Labor isn’t as reliable as it used to be.

“It used to take two herders to a camp, but we are already short of labor,” Bill says. “They have to know how to pack horses, move sheep, handle horses and deal with the predators. There is no one in the U.S. who wants the job, and fewer and fewer people in Mexico who do.”

He adds, “We sit around every day and try to figure out how to do it.”

Land use Green River Livestock also has a haying operation.

“When they were putting in the Seedskadee Wildlife Refuge, they wanted our ground and some of the Rock Springs Grazing Association land,” Bill explains. “We argued long enough that they finally made some land trades, and now we’ve got close to 700 acres under center pivot irrigation.”

While they recently sold their two farms in Farson, they are able to harvest enough hay to feed the sheep. They are able to get two cuttings off their alfalfa grass hay fields each year.

“We were the first ones to get center pivots in Farson, and we have pivots here,” he says. “This year, we put 91 acres into barley, wheat and oats with field peas. Once we get shipped, we are going to bring a bunch of ewes and pasture them here.”

He hopes that the crop will provide good forage for the sheep this winter.

Family involvement Three of Bill’s four children are intimately involved in the ranch, while the other operates a medical practice in Colorado.

“Edward works on the ranch, and Laura Pearson lives on the ranch at Kemmerer,” he says. “Debbie lives on the place by Green River.

She runs the hunting pheasants and clay course there.”

Last year, Bill gave his interest in the operation to his children to ensure it is passed into the next generation.

Challenges Since the operation started, changes have accommodated the challenging business environment.

“We used to run a high of 14,000 head of sheep here, and we are down to 2,000 now,” Bill says. “We have wolves, grizzly bears, predator control, the Forest Service and the U.S. Department of Labor all fighting us.”

They work to control predators, but the challenges of working with Forest Service and Endangered Species Act means there isn’t as much that can be done to handle wolves and grizzly bears.

Tax challenges are also at

the front of his mind.

“If we can’t put a little in savings for when we need to buy more land or equipment, that is hard,” he says, “but we are taxed a lot on any profit.”

Getting involved Because of the challenging climate the agriculture industry conducts business in, Bill continues his involvement in a variety of organiza-

tion.

“I’m on the board of the Rock Springs Grazing Association, and I was chairman of the State Grazing Board for years,” he notes. “I’m on the board of State Bank, a member and past chairman of the Weed and Pest Board and past chairman of the Animal Damage Management Board.”

The work he has done through these organizations is necessary to continue the future of the operation and

Finn Targhees - Bill Taliaferro switched to Finn Targhee sheep to benefit from their prolific nature. Ewes can have up to six lambs at a time, as this ewe did several years ago. Courtesy photo

the industry.

“I’m here because I don’t know where else I would go or what else I would do,” he says. “The kids like it, and we

are trying to keep going.”

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at saige@wylr.net.

Water work Because water is a constant concern in the Green River Valley, Bill Taliaferro continues to work to develop water in the area – particularly on a potential pipeline project utilizing the water from Fontenelle Reservoir.

“Bryce Reese and I are working on a project to use the water out of Fontenelle to irrigate and take water to Granger,” says Taliaferro.

Their proposal involves the installation of a pipeline system from Fontenelle to Green River. The system would allow water to gravity-flow from the reservoir. Because of the water pressure from gravity flow, Taliaferro notes that center pivots could be run in the area that it passes through, providing for the development of those lands, and Granger would be provided with much-needed water.

“If we stayed below 6,400 feet of elevation that Fontenelle sits at, we could take this pipeline about seven miles up the Kemmerer and Granger would also see water benefits.

“I think this project could be the number one water project in the state,” Taliaferro notes.

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Farson – After World War II, veterans were offered first option to purchase parcels of land around Farson – and Kim Brown’s father purchased a piece of property.

“We moved here from Evanston, and all of my siblings and I were raised here,” Kim comments. “It was starvation flat for a long time, but we hung in there.

We made this work.”

Cattle ranch When the family first moved to the Farson area, Brown Hereford Ranch began.

“My dad had cattle. He loved Herefords and had 250 registered Hereford cows,” Kim explains. “He always had the cows to feed and work.”

After growing up in the area, Kim went to work in the oilfield and then at the Jim Bridger Power Plant until 1987, when his father passed away.

“The farm was falling apart after dad passed away,” he explains. “All of us kids were gone, and mom couldn’t take care of the place on her own. I worked out a deal and bought the farm.”

Kim’s father was very proud of his cows, but as Kim took over the operation, he had to make a choice between raising cattle and farming.

“I decided to sell the cows when I took over, and that was probably a good thing,” he comments. “I always struggled with ani-

mals, and without the cows, I could focus on the farm.”

“I hung in with the farming and have enjoyed it,” Kim continues.

Farming operation The 1,600-acre farming operation raises alfalfa and barley under center pivot irrigation.

They have always raised alfalfa, but when hay markets softened several years ago, Kim began seeking another crop to rotate.

“Everyone was looking for something that might rotate better with alfalfa and be more profitable,” he explains. “Barley seems to work well. The barley likes cool nights, and Coors has been really happy with everything that we’ve raised here. Our climate is a good

fit for barley.”

At the same time, the barley is less labor intensive and provides a good cash crop.

“We also do a lot of alfalfa, and we’ve been growing that for years,” Kim says. “We ship hay all over the country. A lot of it goes to Pennsylvania, Texas and Oklahoma.”

Through his farming, he notes that he has seen success in experimenting with several varieties and have found what works for them.

“We’ve got this down to a science now,” Kim says, “and we had a bumper crop this year.”

Irrigation program An integral part of their operation is the irrigation that enables all the crops in the valley to grow.

“A salinity program was started in 1989,” Kim explains. “I was one of the first to put pivots in under that program on my parent’s place. Everyone was

skeptical about them, but I could see where they would improve agriculture.”

The pivots allowed better weed control and better use of water, he continues, and since the initial pivots were put in, most of the valley has transitioned to the irrigation method.

Not always easy Though he has seen success, Kim notes that there are some challenges related to farming.

“Our elevation is high,” he says. “The quality of our hay is really good, and that makes our alfalfa stand out, but the production is not what other areas might see.”

Because of the unique climate, fewer options are available for crop rotation.

“We try to address these challenges, though, and target good production,” Kim comments.

Water has also been an issue for the area.

“Like everywhere, we are dealing with drought,”

Oilfield business

money, and that is when this business started,” he says, noting that his business, Premier Powerplants and Pumps, grew quickly. “This grew along with the farm and worked well.”

Premier Powerplants and Pumps offers oilfield support services ranging from equipment rentals to irrigation, pumps and water transfer, among other services.

Farming haven - Kim Brown enjoys farming and says he is mechanically-minded. Their alfalfa continues to produce top yields and sell across the nation. Saige Albert photo

Sweetwater County CONSERVATION DISTRICT

around 30 employees, as well as a facility in Wamsutter and Minot, N.D.” Kim notes that he can train employees on the farm and then bring them into the oilfield business. bigger in scale, as well,” Kim says.

he explains. “The government has also been working to replace our canals with pipes, and there are pros and cons attached to that.”

While canals increase efficiency, Kim also says that open water created opportunities for wildlife that disappear with pipes.

“Water is challenging,” he says, “and we will continue to deal with that. A little water is all we need.”

Help on the farm Kim also notes that he has help on the farm from his nephew Clayton Chesnovar and Travis Hueller.

“Clayton runs the farm for me, and Travis is my superintendent at Premier Powerplants and Pumps,” Kim explains. “My mom Lois still lives out on the farm.”

Kim’s son Jeremy lives in Odgen, Utah, and his daughter Morgan Goicolea helps occasionally on the farm when she can.

“We’ve seen a lot of changes over time,” he notes. “The future has been a challenge, though.”

While he plans on handing down the farm within the family, Kim says he plans to keep running the operation for as long as he can.

“I’m not sure where we’ll go with the oil business, but the farm will be handed down through the family,” Kim says. “Our farm is a good, grassroots business that is nice to keep in the family.”

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at saige@wylr. net.

Our Mission Statement...

Provide for the conservation of the soil, and soil and water resources of this prevention or the conservation, development, utilization, and disposal of water, and thereby to stabilize ranching and farming operations, to preserve dams and reservoirs, preserve wildlife, protect public lands, and protect and promote the health, safety and general welfare of the people of this County.

Sweetwater County Conservation District can help sponsor Small Water Projects through the Wyoming Water Development Commission

SWCCD is eligible to sponsor projects located in watersheds within the District that have a completed a WWDC Level I Watershed Study.

Funding priority will be given to those projects that are ready to “proceed to construction” with permits, clearances, design and Flowing water from completed Big Sandy well project

maintenance plans in place or have an approved NRCS contract.

If you would like to apply for a small water project, please contact the Sweetwater County Conservation District at 307.362.3062 ext. 107 The application deadline is on or before January 1, 2015.

Small Water Program application information can be found online at: wwdc.state.wy.us/small_water_projects/small_water_project.html

Barley harvest - In addition to alfalfa, Kim Brown also grows malt barley for Coors. The barley does well in the cold climate of Farson. Saige Albert photo

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2014 Fall Cattlemen’s Edition

Rock Springs – Prior to 1900, migrant sheep herds flooded into the Sweetwater County area, abusing the range and leaving the available resources in shambles.

“There were 800,000 to 900,000 sheep coming onto the checkerboard ground early in the fall and staying until late spring,” explains John Hay, president of the Rock Springs Grazing Association (RSGA) Board. “We did not have the resources to handle those numbers.”

The land was owned, at the time, by the Union Pacific Railroad and the federal government, as well as the state of Wyoming, in a checkerboard pattern.

To address the misuse of resources, livestock producers came together to create a solution.

Forming an association “A number of local livestock growers all got together and visited with the railroad,” John explains.

“They asked if they could lease the odd-numbered sections that the railroad owned.”

When the railroad agreed, the livestock owners formed a loose partnership to formalize the number of livestock that the land could support.

“That was the beginning of RSGA,” John says.

“In 1907, the Union Pacific railroad started selling their ground in Carbon County, and the group became concerned that it could affect them.”

To address their concerns over losing grazing land, RSGA incorporated in 1907, and they purchased land that the railroad was selling.

“When they formed RSGA, the organizers thought they might be able to sell 100 shares, with the idea that one share would give the holder the right

to run 3,500 head of sheep from Dec. 15 to May 1,” Hay explains.

The same dates applied to running cattle later.

Because the country is ideally suited for winter grazing, RSGA began selling shares to local stockmen.

Selling shares “The local growers took advantage of the effort and many purchased shares,” John continues. “They didn’t sell all 100 shares, though.”

“Those 100 shares would have meant 350,000 sheep, and they thought that was the maximum amount that area could handle,” he continues. “The formation of RSGA was, from that sense, a conservation effort to try to improve the quality of the ground here. It worked rather well.”

After just a short time, the range began to recover, creating better feed resources and improving the landscape.

“To my knowledge, the largest numbers of livestock on the lease during the busy years was closer to 250,000,” John comments.

Adapting to the times As sheep numbers declined, RSGA allowed producers to run cattle, in addition to sheep.

“Things have changed,” he says. “In 1910, there were 6 million head of sheep, but today, the numbers run in the 300,000s. In the late 1960s, each share of RSGA could run 500 head of cattle or 3,500 sheep.”

Later, John notes that RSGA expanded the time that producers could run on the land.

“Producers willing to take a 10 percent cut could come on Dec. 1, rather than Dec. 15,” he explains, “and if they wanted to stay until May 15, they took a 10 per-

cent cut, as well.”

Today, most sheep producers come onto the grazing land Dec. 1 and stay through the middle of April.

Cattle largely come on Dec. 1 and stay until May 15, though the cattle numbers make up a relatively small portion of total livestock numbers.

Land makeup RSGA runs on roughly 2 million acres of land. Of that roughly 49 percent is public land and 51 percent private land. A portion of the public land is owned by the state of Wyoming.

“The state has school sections, and we have a BLM permit for the remaining even-numbered sections,” John says. “The odd-numbered sections are owned, with very few exceptions, by Anadarko or RSGA. What we don’t own, we lease from Anadarko.”

Through these combinations of land management, RSGA controls the grazing resource and land.

Addressing issues Like all producers in Sweetwater County, RSGA also faces a variety of challenges on its land.

“The wild horses are very important and have been an issue, but we are involved in litigation to address it,” John notes. “Drought has also been a huge issue.”

Though this year was much better, prior years

were very difficult. Livestock numbers had to be reduced to compensate for the sparse rangelands.

“There are a lot of entities using that feed, aside from livestock,” John adds.

“We have a large elk herd and some deer, though we used to have a lot more than we do today. We also have a large antelope herd.”

Sage grouse have become a concern, since much of RSGA’s land resides in core area.

“The sage grouse core area dramatically affects anyone who wants to do any development,” he says. “It is very difficult to work within the five percent allowed disturbance, and the core area designation has restricted the number of projects we have worked with.”

“These issues have kept us very busy,” John adds.

“Some of the issues we can’t do anything about, but we still have to work with them.”

He continues, “Our operators have been very good about putting out numbers that make sense, and it has been expensive for them. We have gotten through, though, and we are in nice shape compared to some others.”

Importance of organizing RSGA provides obvious and abundant benefits for shareholders.

“The greatest benefit is

being able to graze,” says John of membership. “This is a very good winter grazing area. We have problems, but the RSGA is very good for grazing.”

The organization provides benefits for citizens of the area beyond grazing, however, John notes.

“We don’t deny access to RSGA lands, unless someone is coming in for commercial reasons,” John says. “Most of the public around here doesn’t know the ground is private, and they enjoy the

outdoors, hunting, fishing and other recreational opportunities.”

“RSGA allows citizens to participate in whatever multiple use activities they can think of,” John comments. “It provides a great deal of recreation for our area, and that has been very good. Our prime reason and purpose for existing, though, is grazing.”

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at saige@wylr.net.

RSGA members The Rock Springs Grazing Association (RSGA) has 38 entities with shares in the organization though RSGA President John Hay notes that a single operator may run several shareholding entities. some of them do,” he adds.

Because RSGA controls the surface over Andarko minerals across a number of acres in Sweetwater County, they are able to participate in all the activity on those acres – including coal mining, trona mining, fertilizer facilities, pipelines, transmission lines and oil and gas activity.

“We have surface damages on our land,” John says.

“We deal with all of those companies and charge for surface occupancy.”

The money collected from surface occupancy and The remainder is distributed to shareholders.

“It is worth it for people to retain the shares, whether they are running livestock or not,” he notes. “We have quite a few people who inherited the shares form their parents, and they kept them.” annual meeting.

“Don Schramm, Rita Steinbreck and I work together to handle the day-to-day operations of RSGA. Eddie Lopez is our range rider,” John says. “It works out very well.”

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Farson – The Hodder Ranch not only produces malt barley, alfalfa and cattle but also commercial honey and greenhouse vegetables.

The Hodder family came to the Farson area when the land was raw after the Big Sandy Dam was expanded, the farmland leveled and the irri-

Wyoming Livestock Roundup

gation ditches established.

“My family moved here when I was 12 from Utah,” says Jim Hodder.

“Dad was farming rented land, and he wanted his own place.”

From the beginning The Hodder family produces grass hay that they bale as small squares and sell to horse owners

Ag issues – Jim Hodder of Farson says, “The Department of Ag looks to the board for insight, and they want to know how things are going out in the counties. This is a big state, and we’ve got a lot of issues that folks in Cheyenne may not understand unless some of us out here bring them up.” Melissa Hemken photo

and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department for use in their elk feed yards in the winter.

“The majority of our hay is certified weed-free.

We mainly do so for the Game and Fish,” Jim says.

“We only had one field this year that didn’t certify.”

Their hay fields, along with some neighbors, host the 10 bee yards that produce their Eden Valley Honey sold in nine stores in Big Piney, Pinedale and Farson. The three establishments in Farson sell a third of their production.

Diversity “I started beekeeping as a hobby,” Jim says.

“Then a fellow called me to see if he could bring some bees, and we got to partnering. We have about a semi load of bees now – not all of them ours.”

“Our honey is a clover honey,” he continues.

“This year we did have a bee yard next to a field of sainfoin, and I thought it would have a different flavor as the wax had a little different color. I could tell the difference, but not much. We have pretty mild honey. The clovers and alfalfas are the mildest.”

Jim’s wife Sue and their daughter Wendy operate the vegetable greenhouse.

They produce food for their own consumption

and also sell to neighbors straight from the ranch.

Getting involved Jim also finds time to volunteer on the Weed and Pest Board, Solid Waste Board and is in the last year of his six-year term on the Board of Agriculture.

“If there are problems we bring them to the Board or bring them to someone’s attention at the Department of Ag,” Jim explains. “The department is huge when we think of the responsibilities, including weights and measures, conservation districts, consumer health and tech support.

He adds, “We appreciate what they do, but not a lot of people realize how much the department does for the state. No one thinks, when they pull onto a scale, that someone had to test it.”

The Board of Ag has 11 members: five representing various parts of the state, four youth members representing quadrants appointed when under 30 years old, the state veterinarian and a representative from the Governor.

“I represent three counties – Sweetwater, Carbon and Albany,” Jim says. “The positions rotate between the counties in each area and every other term it switches political parties. The youth members are not party affili-

ated.”

Regulatory burdens Jim feels that the future of agriculture will have more federal regulations and some of them will hurt and cost money.

“We really need to keep an eye on the new regulations about navigable waters,” Jim cautions.

“The Board of Ag had the EPA in talking about it. I think there is some real concern that the way the law is written it could be interpreted to mean an irrigation ditch that runs into a river. Classifying ditches as navigable waters puts them underneath the regulation.”

He emphasizes, “The way it’s worded I know the Governor is quite concerned about it, and if he is, we should be. Congress’ intent is not always regulated the way people in Congress meant it to be.”

Jim was recently appointed to the Sweetwater County Solid Waste Disposal District Board and finds the economical and environmental issues surrounding disposal of solid waste to be intricate.

“Farson is hauling all of our waste to Rock Springs now,” Hodder

says. “Waste is an expensive thing. We are going to run out of resources if we don’t start thinking about some of these things.”

Because people require power and oil, drilling and power plants will continue to be a part of life, and Jim says changes will take generations because people only change when they have to.

“It is going to take generations to make the change to more renewable resources, but it will come,” he comments.

“People don’t want to make change until they have to, when the cost requires it.”

For example, he cites the use of solar energy wells.

“Solar wasn’t economical a few years ago, but now it is affordable for livestock wells. Solar panels are much cheaper than building power lines,” Jim says. “We, as Americans, are not prone to change.

We want the status quo, and farmers and ranchers are even worse.”

Melissa Hemken is a correspondent for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup.

Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr. net.

Working with the Board of Ag The Board of Ag advises the Department of Ag, provides insight on ag issues from their parts of the state and approve range monitoring and water quality grants.

“The monitoring grants are important to help justify grazing rights and to renew them “The Department of Agriculture does quite a bit of work to testify in these cases where people are trying to get grazing shut down.”

“Most people go through a conservation district to get help in pulling together the grant applications. Every meeting I get a large stack of grant applications to read over,” he continues. “We make decisions on who to fund and who not to. The department goes through and ranks them first, but we the wishes of the staff at times.”

When first asked to serve on the Board

had a good fight in long time, so I should do it.”

“It has been a tremendous education for me,” Jim continues. “I think the Board gives me more than I give them. We talk about wind power and power line rightof-ways. We look at wild horses, grazing leases and wolves. We bring in people from Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, EPA, Game and Fish and others to speak to us about issues.” in educating the EPA about agriculture, and they have educated us about why they think the way they do. A lot of times enemies because we go about things different,” he noted. “If regulators can get out and look at the situation, sometimes it has an effect. We are all concerned about the wise use of the land, we just have different ideas of how to go about it.”

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A7

2014 Fall Cattlemen’s Edition

Eden Valley – Lenny Hay is the fourth generation of Hays to operate on their Sweetwater County ranch.

“This ranch started with running sheep, and at one time, Great Grandpa John Hay ran 50,000 sheep from the Big Sandy opening all the way to Rawlins,” Lenny says. “Great Grandpa John had two sons who helped him on the ranch, John Jr. and Leonard.”

As time went on and the two brothers were not able to see eye-to-eye on the way they wanted things to be done, the ranch was split in half between the two boys.

“My Grandpa John Jr. got this side of the Sweetwater, and my uncle, Leonard, got the Red Desert side all the way to Wamsutter,” he explains.

The Hay family has continued to run the operation since, and many things have changed since the beginning.

“My family stopped running sheep on the ranch in 1978,” Lenny says. “After that, we turned into a cattle ranch. We continued to increase our numbers, and by 1989, we really started to get a good heard of cows. We have continued to run cattle ever since.”

Moving home After going to school until his sophomore year at Farson-Eden School in Farson, Lenny moved to Rock Springs to continue his junior and senior year at Rock Springs High School.

Then continued on to Laramie where he got his ag economics degree from the University of Wyoming.

“Before moving back out to Farson in 2005 and after attending college I was a banker in Rock Springs for 12 years. I came up here and worked on days off and during busy times,” he comments. “I’ve always worked at the ranch since I was very young but not full time until 2005.”

Lenny and his wife Misty moved back to Eden Valley to take over the ranch in 2005 after the ranch’s long-time foreman and his family moved on.

Today, the ranch runs approximately 500 head, though they have been up to 1,100 head at one point in time.

“The drought really knocked us down,” Lenny says. “We are getting back on track however, and the moisture this year has been amazing.”

A year in the life Each year, Blair and Hay Land and Livestock begins calving about March 15, turning cows out about May 1. They graze cattle across 197,000 acres between Eden Valley and the Sweetwater River.

“We’ve got a pretty good piece, but we only run about 50 percent of our animal unit months (AUMs) to stay good with the BLM,” Lenny explains. “We also put up 1,000 tons of hay on our three pivots.”

During the summer, they concentrate on getting two cuttings of alfalfa hay up.

“After we get done haying, we start gathering, and we usually ship calves in November,” Lenny explains.

“I’ve been selling on the video and have done well.”

Included in their accomplishments, Lenny notes that they sold calves to Russia several years ago when the country was developing their beef cowherd. While the political climate means that they can no longer do that, he says it was an exciting time to send cows overseas.

A look at the cattle The Hay family runs small- to medium-framed Black Angus cattle because of their effectiveness on the range.

“I’m not a guy who likes big-framed cows,” Lenny says. “They take more feed, and here in Farson, the winters are very cold, so it takes a lot of hay to feed them properly so they look good and stay healthy.”

While he has purchased cows from across the region, he sticks to smaller-framed animals to ensure they can

hold up in the harsh environment and traveling the number of miles they do.

Challenging atmosphere Agreeing with many of their neighbors, Lenny says one of the greatest challenges to ranching in the Eden Valley is dealing with the harsh environment.

“Winter is probably the biggest challenge we face,” he comments. “Our growing season is also very short.”

They typically see their first frost at the end of August or beginning of September.

“The past few years, the drought has been an issue for us, but this year, our reservoir looks good,” Lenny continues. “It also looks like we will have a good, wet winter.”

High calf prices, he notes, will likely help to make ranches healthier financially and turn things around for many ranchers.

“Last year was tough on several ranches, forcing them out of the cow business. I don’t know if they will come back,” he says.

For the future Lenny has plans to stay

involved and continue to improve Blair and Hay Land and Livestock.

“My goal is to get to 1,000 head,” he says. “I’ve run that many before, but to do that, we leased cows. I want Blair and Hay to have 1,000 head without any leased cattle.”

The challenge, he says, is to continue to find enough land to hay and keep their cattle on through the winter months. While they have shares in Rock Springs Grazing Association, Lenny notes that it is difficult to use because of the prevalence of wild horses on the land and the lack of water.

“Cow prices are great, but they are relative to everything else,” Lenny notes.

“Our prices are high right now for cows. However, all of our operating expenses are also rising.”

Family and community Lenny and his wife

Misty have four children, with three of them living on the ranch. Their daughter Korbyn is nine and is in the fourth grade at Farson-Eden School, son Kirklin is seven and in second grade, daughter Kamrie is 16 months old and fast at work learning how to get into all of her older siblings things, and Shelby Arambel who lives with her husband in Boulder.

Misty, Korbyn and Kirklin all enjoy helping on the ranch during the busy times.

It’s a great way to raise a family.

The Farson and Eden Valley communities are also important to Lenny.

“I’m on the school board for Sweetwater County

School District Number One,” he says. “Improving things for the district, and the K-12 school I started in and now the school my children and so many others attend.

That is what is important to me.”

“I’m not sure what it is about Eden Valley, but after graduating and moving on to college or wherever, my class mates all eventually moved back here.”

Lenny says. “Our community is a great place to live and a young community that works well together.”

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at saige@wylr. net.

Trucking operation In addition to the farm and ranch, Lenny Hay also operates a trucking company – K2 Trucking.

“I mainly just haul cows, but I have hauled equipment, pipe, sheep, hay and barley, as well,” Lenny says. “It depends on what each customer needs.”

He comments that many of his trucking customers are people he had seen in the bank when he was working in Rock Springs.

“It is neat to meet all of the customers and haul for them,” he says. “I enjoy it.”

Blair and Hay Land and Livestock - Lenny Hay runs their cattle and alfalfa operation south of Farson.

Lenny and his family plan to continue to develop the operation and build their herd. Saige Albert photo

A8

Eden Valley – Irrigation brought a realm of possibilities to Eden Valley when the area was being settled.

“What attracted settlers to the Eden Valley were its grasslands, punctuated by creeks that kept it vegetated,” wrote Leisl Klajic in a summary of the Eden Project. “Despite the altitude and harsh climate, it appeared to be well-suited for raising livestock in a time when stock raising, though often risky, became extremely profitable in the West.”

Leisl says that, following the drought and winter of 1886, irrigation became essential to ensure the longevity of ranching in the area.

“With irrigation assistance, the valley could be transformed into a ranching ‘Eden,’” she writes. “The first

Wyoming Livestock Roundup

permits to irrigate the valley’s natural pasturelands were issued in 1886 by the Eden Irrigation and Land Company, a private organization created to develop small irrigation projects in the Eden Valley.”

Larger developments The 1880s led to several attempts to settle the Eden Valley, but until 1907 when the John M. Farson, Sons and Company irrigation project was financed by the Carey Act, settlement was sparse.

“The majority of settlers came to Wyoming after 1907,” Tour Wyoming says.

The Eden Project resulted from federal government cooperation with private entities, and Leisl says, “Under the Carey Act in 1905, the state of Wyoming received 56,327 acres of irrigable pub-

lic land, and under the Reclamation Act, construction was approved for the Eden Dike and Canal System.”

The system was finished in 1914, and between 1914 and 1939, she comments that 9,000 acres were successfully irrigated in the valley.

Continued improvements By 1939, the system had degraded and was in dire need of repair.

Recognizing this need, President Franklin Roosevelt authorized the rehabilitation of the project under the Water Conservation and Utilization Act of Aug. 11, 1939.

A plan was developed

by Sept. 18, 1940 to not only rehabilitate but to further develop the Eden Project as part of the Great Plains Project.

“As construction began in

1941, America’s involvement in World War II increased, and many men and women left their homes and families to fight in the European and Pacific theaters,” Leisl says. “Unfortunately for the Eden Project, the labor supplied by the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Works Progress Administration were reassigned to other, more vital locations.”

The project wasn’t reauthorized until 1949, and the Eden Valley Irrigation and Drainage District was created on April 11, 1950 to assume operation and maintenance of the project on completion.

Water rights The Irrigation and Drainage District also managed the repayment of the project, which they financed through the use and sale of water rights, at a rate of $1.25 an acre for 60 years.

“Of the 39,700 acrefeet of water that the project stores in two reservoirs, 33,000 acre-feet are used for irrigation, 1,400 acre-feet are used for fish and wildlife and the remaining 5,300 acre-feed is sediment retention,” Leisl explains, noting that the figures are from prior to 2000.

“Construction of the Eden Project spanned 60 years of active and postponed construction,” Leisl says. “It began with a simple series of earthen dikes and a canal and has become a larger, more modern system of earth-fill dams and canals.”

Addressing salinity When the Colorado River salt loads were determined to be exceeding acceptable levels, irrigators in Eden Valley undertook efforts to address the issue.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation describes the project, noting, “The Farson/Eden

Irrigation Project replaced existing earth-lined laterals with pipe in a pressurized network system.”

They marked 1.8 miles of canal that were replaced with eight- to 18-inch pipe, and an existing 2,450 foot earthlined lateral was converted to a drainage lateral to drain the system in the fall.

The project was financed under the Colorado River Basin-wide Salinity Project, which received $11.1 million in support from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Improvements In addition, farmers in the area converted from flood irrigation to center pivots and sprinkler systems.

Kim Brown, a Farson farmer, estimates that 14,000 acres or more of the 17,000 arable acres in the valley are irrigated under center pivot sprinklers today.

The move allows farmers to more efficiently utilize their water, which also allows them to irrigate longer into the summer.

“Improvement in irrigation practices on the unit include primarily the replacement of traditional, uncontrolled flood irrigation methods with other practices that reduce deep percolation,” says the Wyoming Water Development Office (WWD). “Participation in all aspects of salinity control is voluntary on the part of private irrigators.”

As of February 2000, 107 sprinkler system, five improved surface systems, two drip irrigation systems,

112 on-farm conveyance systems and 54 regulating reservoirs had been installed in the valley.

The result, according to WWD, was 15,700 acres of land in contracts, with 85 percent of producers benefitting.

“The Natural Resources Conservation Service also reports that the irrigation improvements have resulted in an annual average water savings of approximately 12,500 acre-feet,” WWD says. “This reduction is due to smaller water calls from storage due to more efficient usage.”

Successful effort “The small communities of Eden and Farson have carved their living out of the harsh Wyoming seasons to raise livestock and feed to support their families,” Leisl says. “From the earliest irrigation projects in 1866 to the present, residents of Eden Valley are constantly concerned with improvement of the efficiency of irrigation.”

The Bureau of Reclamation continues to play an integral role in the valley, she continues, by facilitating the improvements necessary to maintain and expand the facilities.

Leisl concludes, “The Eden Project will continue to support the best efforts of the residents of Eden Valley in their pursuit of economic security.”

Saige Albert, managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup, compiled this article. She can be reached at saige@wylr.net.

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A9

2014 Fall Cattlemen’s Edition

Farson – For the Applequists of Farson, the ties of family and ranching weave through four generations in the “Gateway to the Eden Valley” of northern Sweetwater County.

This is especially true for Marvin Applequist, known as “Trip,” whose proper name ends with the Roman numeral III. His full name is one tradition passed from his grandfather to his father and then to him. The love of ranching and closeness of family are also part of the legacy.

Trip runs the hay and cow/calf ranch started by his grandparents, Marvin and Betty Applequist. Around this large undertaking, he dovetails a veterinarian career, running, family, coaching and public service.

Betty is as much a partner now as she was to her husband, who died in 2004.

She does all of the bookkeeping and “has the veto power on any decision,” Applequist says, adding they “never battle.”

She supported her husband’s dream of having a cattle ranch in Wyoming and now encourages her grandson and enjoys an abundance of quality time with her family.

“Family – that’s what it’s all about,” Betty says.

Cattle ranch dreams Marvin Nathaniel Applequist was born in Nebraska in 1922. As a boy he moved to Casper, and then to central California where he milked cows through high school.

After a World War II stint in the Aleutian Islands for the U.S. Army Air Corps, Marvin returned to California where his high school sweetheart, a young Scottish girl named Betty Ann Thompson, awaited his homecoming.

Although they’d written often, both were nervous about seeing each other after years apart. However, they married two weeks later. The couple acquired a small dairy farm in the San Joaquin Valley, where they raised four children, among them Marvin Applequist II, Trip’s father.

Apples are American The Applequist brand is an M over an apple, and the unusual family name has an unusual origin, Trip explains.

His Swedish great-grandparents settled in Kansas along with many other Swedes.

“Their name was originally Nelson, and everybody in town was named Nelson,” he says. “The postmaster couldn’t keep it straight, and they made up the Applequist name. The ‘quist’ is Scandinavian. They just added ‘apple’ to it because that was American, and they were in America now.”

Coming true Betty says her husband’s dream was to have a cattle ranch in Wyoming. They achieved that goal with great timing.

“My grandfather was a veteran of World War II, and at that time there were several projects in the country

where they opened ground first to veterans to buy pieces of Bureau of Reclamation ground in 1959. He continued to add to that until they had the place that’s here today,” Trip says.

Their first parcel was an entire section of 640 acres.

The original 640-acre section cost $16,000. Other veterans moved to the Eden Valley due to that water project, as well.

Applequists now have Angus cattle, a transition from the original Herefords, and 900 irrigated acres watered by recently installed center pivots rather than the original flood-irrigation ditches.

A large new shop, calving shed and corrals built this summer make chores more efficient.

Leap of faith In 1962, the Applequists learned of water charges from the new Big Sandy Reservoir whether they used it or not.

“We decided if we had to pay for the water we might as well use it,” Betty says, “so we said ‘why not’ and moved back here. We went back and forth for quite awhile.”

Trip smiles, saying, “She doesn’t really tell the full story. It was a struggle at first, so she kept working in California and helped support the ranch in Wyoming to make the whole ranching thing possible.”

Betty and the kids traveled every summer between her bank job and Farson by train, bus, car and airplane,

Puzzle pieces sibilities also consume much attention and dedication, turning his schedule into a giant jigsaw puzzle.

He became head coach at Farson-Eden in 2012, having already coached his son in middle school football and his daughter in basketball. This Pronghorn football season began with an undefeated record. Basketball comes later.

Jennifer, a teacher, also coaches the classroom and on the court.

To accommodate spring coaching, Trip breeds his cows to calve in April, a bit later than his neighbors and with nicer weather.

He turns them out in June onto the Sands Allotment shared with rancher Gary Zakotnik, and management mainly depends on which of four water wells are turned on.

In the fall, with the pairs grazing desert hard-grass, Trip catches up on haying after recent rainy days.

He also runs. Last summer, he completed his first 50-mile race, three half-marathons and a triathlon.

“I like to stay active,” he says. “I needed something to keep in shape and long-distance running is good.”

Trip is often recognized for another race in 2004 – as a contender for the U.S. House of Representatives seat then held by Barbara Cubin.

He says with a laugh, “I should have started somewhere smaller. At the time, I thought the ranching industry in western Wyoming was kind of being taken advantage of – we had wolves, we had grizzly bears, the brucellosis was a huge thing. That was my motivation.”

both commercial and private.

Moving to Wyo In 1986, she retired and moved to Farson full time. In the meantime, their son Marvin cared for the cattle winters after he finished college and stayed in ranching for awhile.

Marvin married Lorna Harns, daughter of a couple who moved up to Farson from Rock Springs. Lorna’s mother Sylvia came from Yugoslavia and her father Lee worked cattle on the new place. That gave Marvin and Lorna’s children, Trip and his younger sister Gentian, two sets of doting grandparents just two miles apart across the fields.

Now Trip and wife Jennifer live on the Applequist place with daughter Trilby and son Braxton.

Gentian and husband Darin Scheer bought the old Harns ranch, where their daughter Aden and son Eli are growing up.

Now the great-grandkids run between the two ranches.

Betty welcomes at least one every day for breakfast.

Do what you love “My dad actually worked on the ranch until I was about in high school,” Applequist says. “Then he kind of ran his course with the ranch work and decided he wanted to go in a different direction.”

Marvin worked for Sweetwater County, then for the Department of Revenue in Cheyenne and later the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation.

Trip lived with his grand-

parents for his senior year of high school when his folks moved and cherishes that time with his grandfather.

“We were very close,” Applequist recalls. “It was a great time.”

Heeding his grandfather’s advice for a “fallback” career, Trip attended University of Wyoming and completed his veterinarian degree at Kansas State University before moving his family back to the ranch full-time 15 years ago.

“I always thought I just wandered into it, but a couple years ago a high school science teacher showed me a paper I written as a fresh-

man and it said, ‘What are you going to be doing 15 years from now?’ and I’d written, ‘I’m going to be a rancher in Farson, and I’m going to be a veterinarian.’”

Confident and experienced, Trip credits his grandfather for his caring and wisdom and his grandmother with helping her family move forward. Ranching together keeps the generations closer, which brings the whole family great pride.

Joy Ufford is a correspondent for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

Family ties - Marvin “Trip” Applequist III and his grandmother Betty Applequist of Farson, share a closeness that represents their dedication to their family and to the ranch that Betty and her husband Marvin Nathaniel Applequist started with a land purchase from the Bureau of Reclamation in 1959. The ranch's headquarters are set along the Lower Farson Cut Off Road. Joy Ufford photo

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A10

Manila, Utah – With an address in Manila, Utah, Bob Slagowski and his family live just a few miles on the Wyoming side of the Utah border.

“I was raised here at the little house right here,” says Bob. “I was born in Manila and have been here since I was five. We’re just barely in Wyoming.”

The Slagowskis have ground in Utah, across the border from Manila and on Cedar Mountain near McKinnon where they run Red Angus cattle.

Cattle operation Red Angus have always been Bob’s breed of choice.

“I like the Red Angus better than the black,” he notes.

“They are easy fleshing cows, and I think they do better for us. I don’t know exactly what it is, but I have always liked them.”

They also have a few black cows, but Bob prefers red cattle.

“We have about 420 head, and 50 of those are probably black,” Bob explains. “I’m also the only one who runs red on our common allotment.”

“We start calving around March 10,” he notes. “We also have some that calve later.”

The Slagowski family runs on BLM land in four pastures that they move through during the summer. They also run on a common allotment

Wyoming Livestock Roundup

near McKinnon. Cattle are moved to BLM land beginning May 15.

“We don’t truck much at all,” Bob says. “We trail them probably 20 miles, and it isn’t bad.”

They also move their cattle regularly through pastures on the BLM land.

“We ride quite a lot,” he says, noting that everyone on the allotment works together to keep in good standing with BLM. “The BLM is good to work with so far.”

They sell calves in November of each year from a sale barn in Nebraska.

Haying operation Since beginning their operation, Bob notes that many things have changed, particularly with their haying operation.

The family puts up nearly 1,000 tons of hay per year.

“We hayed with horses up until 1987,” he says.

“We’ve changed quite a bit since then.”

As the Slagowskis started to gain more land, Bob’s wife Dawn says they switched to using tractors, rather than a team, to put up hay.

Most of their hay is grass hay, though they do have some alfalfa.

“We are converting more and more to sprinkler, and we’ll probably get back into alfalfa,” Bob explains. “I’ve gained a lot of ground using

the sprinkler.”

Irrigation They irrigate utilizing water from two irrigation districts – the People’s Canal and Sheep Creek Irrigation District.

On the People’s Canal Irrigation District, they have worked to put all their irrigation ditches into buried pipes.

“It has saved us so much water just by piping those canals,” Bob notes. “I can run a pivot on 150 gallons per minute, and we can’t even flood irrigate the lawn on that.”

He also notes that they continue to convert to sprinkler and pivot irrigation, but the change is expensive.

“I have five wheel lines now and a pivot,” he says.

“I’m also trying to get a pivot on Cedar Mountain where my son Luke lives.”

“We need moisture all of time, just like everyone,” Bob adds.

Benefits of the area Bob says he has stayed in the area for many years, and he plans to operate there for many years in the future.

“This is pretty good winter country here,” Bob notes.

“It is pretty easy, and we summer where it is a lot higher.”

During the winters, he says they don’t get much snow and only have to start feeding when they run out of pasture – sometimes as late as

February. Each year, they usually buy hay to ensure they have plenty of feed.

They also have decent water, Bob comments.

“We have an 1899 water right, and usually we get twothirds of it,” he says. “There are some places that don’t have water on our allotments, so we haul water to cows with a semi. That isn’t a big deal.

We know we have to do it, and we do.”

Border Because they live very close to the Wyoming-Utah border, they work frequently in both states.

“It’s not bad being on the state line,” Bob comments. “We have some good brand inspectors, though, who understand that we can’t get a brand inspection every time we cross.”

For example, Bob says when they move cattle to their McKinnon BLM allotment, they have to drive through Utah for several miles before returning to Wyoming. The cattle never stop in Utah during the trip, but they cross the border twice.

“Our brand inspector is good and understands that we have to go through Utah to get home,” he says. “It isn’t a big deal at all.”

Challenges The biggest challenge that the Slagowski family faces is the presence of trichomoniasis (trich) on their common allotment.

“We’ve never had trich ourselves, but for the last

Running together - The Slagowski family remains united in their love of agriculture. Though not all on the same operation, (from left to right) Scott, Luke, Bob, Dawn and (in front) Brynn all share a love for the industry. Courtesy photo

three years, lots of guys have on the allotment,” he says.

To handle the challenge, Bob notes that they test for trich between two and three times each year.

“Our biggest challenge and the biggest deal over the past two to three years is trying to keep trich under control,” he explains. “I haven’t had any so far, though.”

Coyotes and ravens also present a challenge.

Moving forward As they continue to develop their operation, Luke recently moved home to help out. Prior to that point, Bob and Dawn ran their place together.

Son Scott and daughter Brynne also run cattle in Wyoming. The children and

their families help out with the operation.

Bob’s grandchildren Daphne and Chloe Slagowski, and Ryker Goodman play an integral role moving cattle.

Though they are very young Teague Goodman and Layfe Slagowski will be involved, as well.

“I have three kids, and I suppose they will keep this place going,” Bob comments.

“Brynne and Luke runs some cows with me now, and Scott has his own.”

“Every day is something different.” Bob adds, “I’ve always been here, and I never wanted to go anywhere else.”

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at saige@wylr.net.

A11

2014 Fall Cattlemen’s Edition

Farson – Steve Griffin has called the Farson-Eden Valley home since 1959, after moving from Joplin, Mo. as a child. The valley has supported his life since then, first providing farming opportunities for his parents and now for himself and his own family.

Today, Steve continues the legacy started by his parents, while most of his eight brothers and sisters have left the agriculture industry. He bought the operation from his parents in the early 1980s.

Now the family farm supports Steve and his almost-grown children.

Inside the opertion Steve hays 320 acres due east of Farson, 220 acres of which are irrigated.

Steve grows an alfalfa/ grass mix, which he puts up in small bales. He markets these small bales to area horse owners.

In addition to his hay crop, Steve runs almost 70 head of Black Angus cattle and a handful of horses. He runs his cattle on two small BLM allotments in the county.

“One advantage we have here is we have a fair market for our hay products,” Steve says. “We

have a shorter growing season than other areas, and we can’t handle a lot of different crops. But we get good prices for our hay. There are a lot of horse owners in the area, and the high price of cattle helps the market, too.”

Irrigation efforts Like many producers in the Farson-Eden area, Steve has converted all his irrigation to center pivots, capturing efficiencies in output and labor.

Steve says he took advantage of one of the Natural Resources Conservation Service costshare programs several years ago to make the conversion. The programs helped provide financial and technical assistance to area producers to help conserve ground and surface water.

Irrigation District work Steve is also active in the Eden Valley Irrigation and Drainage District. The district has been active in helping area producers improve irrigation efficiencies and reduce the salt load in surface waters that area all part of the Colorado River Basin.

Steve explains that the district has overseen a number of projects benefiting area producers,

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including the construction of several pipelines to replace open air irrigation ditches. Funding comes from Bureau of Reclamation grants awarded to irrigation districts and canal companies in seven western states.

“These programs and agreements were made even before my time,” Steve says. “It was President Richard Nixon that started this business of improving our water that eventually makes its way to Old Mexico.”

Steve was referring to the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program, a public law signed in 1974 designed to reduce salinity in the Colorado River and its tributaries.

“Wyoming gets just a small part of the money, but the district is doing what it can to protect our irrigators and farmers,” he explains.

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The increased efficiency of water delivery from the new pipelines also reduces salinity contributions from agricultural return flows.

New adventures This summer, Steve tried what he described as a new venture in marketing his hay. He set up shop at the National High School Rodeo Finals, held in June 2014, in Rock Springs. Steve sold bales of hay to rodeo competitors from across the nation and Canada.

“I earned a fair amount. It was interesting to talk to folks from places like Texas and California,” Steve explains.

“Everyone encouraged me to return next year.”

Steve was struck by the diversity of problems facing hay producers across the country, including weeds, insects and fungus not found in Wyoming.

“We raise certified hay, like a most folks around here,” he says. “It

made me think about the importance of those kinds of programs and how they help all us producers out.”

Future in Farming While Steve’s son is interested in taking over the operation in the future, the elder Steve has his doubts about the feasibility of farming in the future.

“I just don’t know how that’s going to work out with taxes and other costs,” he says. “Equipment is so hard to buy in the ag industry as a whole.

How can small acreage operators ever afford something new? I have one newer tractor, and the rest of my equipment is older than my kids.”

Steve has some advice for the next generation of farmers.

“For young people,

they need a good honest job off the farm five day a week to make it work,” he says. “The farm would pay for itself for me as long as I didn’t try to live on it back when I worked off farm. Today prices are going up, but we still live day-to-day. If we keep our expenses down and don’t get carried away, we can make it work for us now.”

An outdoorsman, when he’s not taking care of his hay, Steve can be found on the back of his horse headed into the mountains for some hunting or swinging a golf club at a nearby course when the weather allows.

Teresa Milner is a correspondent for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup.

Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr. net.

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Rock Springs – Paul Zancanella graduated from Colorado State University in 1976 and opened his practice – Mountainaire Animal Clinic – just one year later.

“After working for a couple of vets in the area, I decided I wanted to open my own clinic, so we did in April 1977,” Zancanella says. “We run a mixed practice of both small and large animals.”

The practice has changed through the years, and Zancanella welcomed a second veterinarian, Malia Schmidt, to the practice in 2005. Together, they address the challenges that animal owners in the Rock Springs area see.

Livestock industry Zancanella says his practice used to be a larger percentage of large animal work, but the companion animal segment has increased in recent years.

“When I started, we had

over 50 percent large animals,” he notes. “Today, we have over 50 percent small animals. A lot of that reflects livestock numbers and how people manage things.”

Rather than working on herd health issues, Zancanella says he works on individual animal health for livestock producers.

“We do a lot of things like pregnancy testing, bangs vaccinating, testing bulls and other things,” Zancanella explains. “Trichomoniasis (trich) is an issue here, too. We help producers test bulls and manage trich testing.”

Expanding practice Zancanella notes that they continue to address producer issues as they arise, and he has noted a general increase in numbers.

The equine segment of his practice is also growing.

With the National High

School Finals Rodeo, barrel racing events, team roping events, horse shows and other large equine activities in the area, Zancanella has taken a hands-on role to coordinate horse health management for the events as part of their practice.

“Sweetwater Downs is a very small part of our practice, because the meet is only two weeks a year,” Zancanella says. “We see a lot more horse events, in general.”

“We also work with the BLM wild horses in the area,” Zancanella notes.

“That is a big deal.”

In working with wild horse’s health in the holding facilities, he encourages the BLM to utilize increasing technology.

“We are trying to encourage increased technology in those areas and increased management of wild horse issues here in Sweetwater County,” says

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Zancanella. “We take care of the herd health, as well.”

As a contractor for BLM, Zancanella supports Coggins testing, vaccinating and deworming, as well as fertility management.

“We have some things going on with fertility management,” he explains. “We geld some stallions, and we have done a small study on ovario-hysterectomies – or the spaying of mares.”

While the technology is available, Zancanella says the public must embrace that technology to control wild horse herds.

Growing practice “I think we are getting larger,” he says. “We are seeing more and more technology, and the practice is getting bigger because of the technology we have today.”

The size of the practice enables Zancanella to utilize and invest in technology that keeps them on the cutting edge.

“We have digital radiography, computed radiography, digital ultrasound, endoscopy and arthroscopy,” he explains. “This equipment allows us to do technical procedures.”

Additionally, they have the capability to perform electrocardiograms, ultrasounds and a variety of surgeries.

Technological developments Mountainaire Animal

Clinic also performs a wide variety of high-level procedures, including laser surgery through the use of an Aesculight veterinary laser, stem cell therapy, therapeutic laser treatments and orthopedic surgery.

“The Aesculight veterinary laser can perform a wide variety of surgical procedures,” Zancanella says.

“Laser ablation is so precise that it can selectively remove only a few tissue cells at a time, if needed.”

The technology provides a number of benefits for both patients and their owners.

They also have an in-house laboratory, which enables the veterinarians to quickly perform diagnostic tests for more rapid diagnosis, and an in-house pharmacy.

The veterinary medicine industry has turned into a technology race, Zancanella says, and they continue to educate themselves to stay on top of the increasing technological developments.

“We attend a lot of continuing education,” he notes. “We attend the Western States Veterinarian’s

meeting and the American Association of Equine Practitioners.”

Continued practice “This is a lot of fun,” says Zancanella of his job.

“A vet named Dr. Maxine Benjamin told me that if you do something you like, you never have to go to work. That is way this is for me.”

He also says that he appreciates working with the ranching community.

“We like to work for the ranchers and people who have large animals,” he explains. “We like the lifestyle here.”

Zancanella notes that the ranchers in Sweetwater County reflect the values that he belives in.

“We raised our kids around the people we work for, and we think they are good role models,” says Zancanella. “These ranchers are all small businessmen like ourselves.”

Mountainaire Animal Clinic can be reached at mountainaireanimalclinic. com or 307-382-6698.

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at saige@wylr.net.

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2014 Fall Cattlemen’s Edition

Farson – When the Erramouspe family first moved to the U.S., Gaston Erramouspe came as a French Basque sheepherder, later purchasing the family’s Sublette County ranch.

“We were mainly a sheep operation when my grandfather was operating,” John P., Gaston’s grandson, explains, “but as he built his sheep herd, he also bought cattle.”

The continued growth of the operation coupled with long winters led to expansion, and John says, “We normally have to feed livestock for five months of the year, so we needed a way to feed them hay and sustain them during the winter. That is what prompted my grandfather to buy land in Farson.”

After his father, John B., took over the operation, he ran it very similarly to his grandfather. John P., the third generation on the land, continues their long-standing traditions while developing their operation, along with his wife Joy, several of his brothers and family members help on the operation.

Farming operation “Farson is a hay-raising community, and we could winter the cattle here and

raise hay,” John explains.

“We mainly use the hay in Farson for feeding cattle and supplementing sheep if there is bad weather or bad grazing on the winter range.”

In a good hay year, he notes that they are able to sell some hay, though most is utilized for feeding.

The Farson area provides many opportunities for farming, particularly for hay, because of the good quality hay it produces.

“This area produces good quality dairy hay because of the high elevation,” John explains. “It is a good quality dairy hay, and there are operations in the area that sell their hay to large dairies across the U.S.” Irrigation Historically, farms in the Farson area were flood irrigated, but the sandy soils resulted in water loss.

“So much of our water percolates through the soil, and we would run out of water before our second crop was ready,” John says.

The Erramouspes began to make changes in the early 1970s by converting ditches from dirt to cement.

“We were one of the first to adopt cement

Cattle operation Though their cattle operation resides primarily in Sublette County, the Erramouspe family raises hay in Farson to supplement that aspect of their operation.

“My grandfather started buying cattle in the early 1960s,” Angus cattle, and we have stayed with Black Angus.”

They have looked at crossbreeding for bigger calves but continue to raise primarily commercial Angus.

“We have 300 head and are very satisfied with our calves,” John says. “We have had good calf prices, and as long as it keeps going like this, it is promising.”

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ditches,” he explains.

“Soon after that, pivots first came into the valley.”

Cost sharing programs were developed, and John adds, “A lot of the farms have converted to center pivot irrigation, which is very economical and a smart way to use water without wasting it.”

Unless it is a drought year, John notes that they are able to effectively irrigate the land in the area.

He has also served on the Eden Valley Irrigation District Board for eight years and continues to be involved with water management.

Making changes “In 2000, we sold off the sheep and converted everything to cattle,” John says. “We run cattle today, and we continue to use the farm for feeding cattle.”

Though he notes that he enjoys running sheep, the increasing costs related to

sheep losses was difficult to sustain.

“We were fighting losses from predation and poisonous plants, and labor costs were getting so high,” he explains. “It was really tough to stay competitive.”

At the same time, John’s father was looking to get out of the operation, so they made the decision to reduce labor requirements and sell all of their sheep.

However, raising cattle isn’t without its problems.

“We try to raise our animals the best we can, and we can control the weight of the animals, but we have no say in the prices we have,” John says. “That is challenging for us.”

Challenges In addition to raising livestock, raising hay also presents a unique set of challenges.

“Our growing season is always a struggle,” John comments. “In the spring of each year, we always fight the cold temperatures and frost.”

More recently, they have been fighting drought.

“This past season was a good season with a lot of moisture and rain,” he continues, “but our growing season is one of the challenges we face to get two good crops.”

Fuel prices and equipment costs also are challenges.

“Our electrical prices are reasonable for this area compared to diesel electric generation prices,” he says. “Operational costs are always on the rise, and because of our short growing season, profit margin is always tight.”

Keeping in it “The agriculture industry is an absolute necessity for the survival of our nation, John says. “I love

the life. It is a struggle, but I can’t see myself doing anything else.”

As they are approaching a generation change on the operation, John says they face challenges moving forward since their children have moved away from the ranching operation.

“It is going to be a struggle to keep the younger generation involved,” he notes.

“We’d like to keep this going in the family.”

“I was born and raised in this life, and it is something that is in my blood,” John comments. “We struggle, but we make it work.”

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at saige@wylr. net.

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Eden Valley – McMurray Ranch sits east of Eden, and Bob McMurray and his wife Angie run cattle and horses and grow feed to supplement their livestock there.

“I’ve always liked being my own boss and running things,” Bob says.

“This operation is good for us.”

Bob and Angie were married in 1965.

“We were 30 when we started our married life,” Angie says. “I was a bookkeeper at the lumberyard in Rock Springs. Bob’s dad

Wyoming Livestock Roundup

introduced us.”

They purchased 1,300 acres in the Eden Valley and started their life together.

Though the land they purchased was originally a dairy, Bob converted it to a cattle and hay operation from the beginning.

They soon had four children – Randy, Kenny, Leanne and Shannon.

Today, the couple operates with the help of Randy and Kenny, as well as Leanne and her husband Bob Chesnovar.

Leanne also works in

Rock Springs for Sweetwater County School District Number One. Shannon lives in Kemmerer with her husband Dave Julian, where they run a sheep operation.

Cattle operation The McMurrays run primarily Black Angus cattle, though they have recently added some Hereford bulls.

“I like the crossbred cattle about as much as anything,” Bob says. “I bought a few Hereford cows a while back.”

They calve at the begin-

ning of May and then turn the cattle out into grazing acreage.

During the summer months, cattle are grazed with the Little Sandy Grazing Association. The last few years, drought has made it necessary to bring cattle back earlier than normal for grazing on irrigated pastures.

Horse outfit Along with the cattle, Bob also runs his own horses and pastures horses for others in the valley.

“We raised horses until the market went south, and we continue to pasture horses for other people,” he says. “I have a few horses

left, and I pasture about half of the horses for other people.”

With a limited horse market, Bob notes that he is selling horses now, rather than buying and raising them.

Growing feed In addition to running cattle, the McMurrays also grow alfalfa and other feed for their cattle.

The alfalfa is stacked in loafs and fed to cattle through the winter.

Bob also notes that his son-in-law Bob Chesnovar cubes a portion of the hay to sell.

“There is quite a demand for hay cubes,” Bob explains. “We usually just loaf all the hay and put it up in stacks.”

Because of the great costs behind investing in equipment, Bob notes that putting the hay up in this manner allows him to cost-effectively utilize the hay.

They also cut some of their hay and leave it in windrows in the field, allowing cattle to graze the forage in the winter months.

“We cut the hay in

windrows, and the cattle seem to eat it a lot better,” he explains. “We never get a lot of snow, so they can graze all winter.”

“We grow some peas, oats and beardless barley to make some cow feed,” Bob says. “It didn’t do as well this year, but it will make some good feed for the year.”

Irrigation To grow enough feed, Bob irrigates everything under center pviots.

“We put in the pivots about 16 years ago,” Bob says. “They came into this country because the flood irrigation was salt loading the Colorado River. The government paid for 80 percent of the pivots.”

He also installed a variety of pipelines to improve irrigation.

Their pivots are run with variable frequency drive (VFD) motors that allow the pumps to start slowly. The result is fewer broken water lines.

“The VFD generators starts the pumps slow and lets us run it at the speed we want,” Bob explains. “I also have a floating pump that is

Ranching together - Bob McMurray and wife Angie have run cattle at McMurray Ranch since they were married in 1965. Saige Albert photo

as efficient as I can get.”

2014 Fall Cattlemen’s Edition Prior to the installation of sprinklers across the valley, Bob says he had access to five or six feet of drain water each year. He utilized the drain water to irrigate more land.

“Since they installed sprinklers, there is no more drainage water, and that water we do get is really

A15

salty,” he explains also noting that the irrigation is more efficient under sprinklers, though.

Bob adds, “Water is the lifeblood of most of the world.”

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at saige@wylr. net.

Getting to Eden Valley ing college in the early 1900s.

“After teaching in Muddy Gap, my mother came to Farson and put up a new school with her best friend from Greeley,” Bob says. “She taught the younger students, and her friend taught the older students. That is how she got started.”

Casper, where he worked as a dishwasher and cook. He later moved to the Eden Valley area to run livestock.

Bob and his brother Jack remain in the Eden Valley today.

Grazing fields - Bob McMurray's cattle graze their pastures after grass and alfalfa are harvested each year. The fields are irrigated throughout the summer using center pivots. Saige Albert photo

On the side - In addition to their cattle and alfalfa, Bob McMurray says he raised horses when the markets were high. Today, he still has a few horses but also pastures horses for others in the valley.

Saige Albert photo

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A16

Wyoming Livestock Roundup

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McKinnon – Hidden nearly 45 miles south of Green River, the town of McKinnon is the home of Anderson Ranch, where Mark Anderson runs cattle with his family.

“My grandfather homesteaded here in 1914 – 100 years ago,” says Mark. “He didn’t homestead this piece of ground. He started on a rock garden and bought two or three places, buying this place in the 40s.”

In the 1970s, Mark’s father Lloyd was killed in a car accident, prompting Mark to return home and take over the operation.

Today, his brothers Bob and Larry have also returned to the ranch.

“Between everything we have here, we probably calve out 1,000 cows in the spring,” Mark explains.

“We sell the majority of our calf crop, my brother sells some yearlings, and we play with a few horses, as well.”

Inside the cattle The Andersons run an Angus-Simmental crossbred cow.

“I don’t like a straight Angus, and I don’t like a straight Simmental,” says Mark. “The cross is pretty good. We’ve also got some Salers bulls, and the majority of our cows are black.”

Each year, they start around March 10 calving their heifers. Typically, they finish calving by June 1.

“We have some late calvers, too,” Mark says.

Beginning in June, they run on BLM land in a common allotment.

“We’ve got some private leases, too,” he continues. “Between the leases we have and what we own, we can run about 850 head in the summertime.”

However, BLM is a big part of their operation.

“The biggest issue we have in this part of the world is with BLM,” Mark explains. “I don’t mind

working with BLM.” Thor Stephanson, the BLM range conservationist who works with Mark, has been an asset to their operation.

“I’ve appreciated what he has done, even though it gets frustrating to work through the bureaucracy,” he says. “It isn’t the fault of the guys on the ground when we get held up. It comes from above them.”

Mark’s daughter Kelly Westerberg has developed a range management system that they implemented in 2002. It has allowed them to stay on top of their BLM ground and continue to maintain the quality of the land.

“She is really conscientious about getting the range management done,” Mark says. “Kelly and her husband Lane work fulltime here.”

Family Alongside Mark, Kelly and Lane, Mark’s wife Wendy and his mother are still integrally involved in the operation.

“My mom is a huge part of the operation,” he explains. “My son Cliff and his wife Kindra live here on the ranch, too.”

Because their families are so involved, Mark notes that they continue to expand.

“If we aren’t growing,

we are going backwards,” he expresses. “We are getting to the stage where we need to be thinking about our kids. They want to be here, so we need to be in a situation financially where they can.”

“The idea is to keep what my grandpa started and expand it a bit,” Mark continues. “We have been able to do that and hope we can continue.”

Putting up hay To feed their cattle, Anderson Ranch puts up hay, and July 1 usually marks the start of their haying season.

“This year, we will cut hay through the first of October because of the rain in August,” Mark notes.

The grass hay feeds their cattle during the winter months.

“We don’t raise cows, we raise feed,” Mark explains. “How much feed we have dictates how any cows we have – and we always have an extra cow.”

Though they have some alfalfa, Mark prefers grass because the growing season allows better growth of the crop.

Challenging area The isolated nature of the area presents challenges for the operation.

“It is a long way to go to market from here,” Mark notes. “We take a lot of cat-

Passion for horses While they raise cattle and hay, Mark Anderson says, “The only reason we have cows is so we can ride around on our horses.”

Mark runs a small bunch of horses and owns tack that he leases to Red Canyon Lodge during the summer months. he adds.

The family is also very involved in rodeo, attending a vari“My oldest grandson went to Riverton on a rodeo scholthe Wilderness Circuit Finals this year.”

His grandsons have seen success in a variety of rodeo a horse from a very young age.

“My granddaughter is four, and she comes out on the des-

tle to Riverton, which is 200 miles. Torrington is 400 miles.”

At the same time, the Utah border is only a few miles away.

“We have a place leased south of McKinnon,” he says. “Sweetwater, Daggett and Summit County corner in the middle of that land.

We have some brand issues, but this area is a secret, and we like it here.”

With the advent of technology, Mark says that things are getting easier.

“The modern age has allowed us to order parts and whatnot on the phone, and UPS brings it up the next day,” he says. “Otherwise, it is 35 miles to Mountain View or 45 miles to Green River.”

For any cattle health issues, Mark notes that they have learned to be pretty self sufficient.

“I use a vet out of Rock

Springs or one out of Evanston,” he says. “If it isn’t serious or life threatening, we do our own veterinary procedures.”

Cost of operation The isolated nature of the area also means that they spend lots of money of fuel every year.

“Fuel is our biggest bill here,” Mark comments.

“No matter what we do, we have to get in a truck and drive 20 miles.”

Calf prices are up today, and he adds, it is agriculture’s turn to see a profit.

“Now that prices are up, we can quit running numbers and get our quality a little better,” Mark notes.

Continued development The benefit of the strong market means that Mark plans to work to tighten up his calving window and quality.

“Before, we preg checked everything, and as long as they were pregnant, we kept them,” Mark says. “Now we can shorten up our calving window and make it a lot more efficient.”

He adds, “The good cow prices give us some flexibility.”

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at saige@wylr. net

McKinnon ranch - Anderson Ranch sits on the Wyoming-Utah border, just north of McKinnon. The ranch lies on the Henry's Fork River. Saige Albert photo

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Rock Springs – From their beginning catering to the wool industry to today’s marketplace where they carry products for everyone in agriculture, the Southwestern Wyoming Wool Warehouse has been able to withstand the test of time. “The Wool Warehouse started as a consortium of sheepmen and their families,� explains Clark Weber, who works at the Wool Warehouse. “It was started in 1954, and many

families are still shareholders today.�

The warehouse was originally built to store wool. Later, an annex was added to carry additional suppliers that sheepmen needed. “The sheepmen in the area needed someplace to take their wool so they didn’t have to drive all the way to Rawlins,� Jill Jelaco says. “There was enough sheepmen in this area that they decided to come together and build a

place to store their wool.�

After gathering the wool, it was shipped to buyers across the U.S. “The decline of the sheep industry in the 50s, 60s and 70s meant that they didn’t store as much wool here,� Clark notes, “so the Wool Warehouse shifted their inventory and got involved in feed and other supplies.� “It was in the mid-80s that we started to weigh a lot less wool out of here,�

Vess Ward adds. “In 1994,

Longstanding ag business - The Southwestern Wyoming Wool Warehouse was started in the mid1950s to allow sheepmen a place to stockpile their wool. Today, (from left to right) Vess Ward, Jill Jelaco and Clark Weber operate the facility on a day-to-day basis. Saige Albert photo

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we shipped our last lot of wool out.�

Today, the Southwestern Wyoming Wool Warehouse provides a wide array of feeds, seeds, tack, hobby horse supplies and more to southwest Wyoming’s population. “We have diversified to meet the needs of our customers,� Clark comments. “We try to carry everything that a Murdoch’s or Linton’s does, and then some more.�

Meeting the people Clark, Jill and Vess keep the Wool Warehouse up and running.

Clark began at the Wool Warehouse six years ago when he realized that he needed some additional income to support his cattle operation during the toughest years of the drought. “I started here and sold some of my cattle at that point,� he says. “I bought shares here, and it has been a really good deal.� “I’ve been working here for 29 years,� comments Vess.

Jill started at the Wool Warehouse when she was in high school. Her father managed the operation for many years, and it fit well for her to begin working there. “Even when I started working full time, I could be really involved in my son’s activities and working here was convenient for me,� Jill comments. “This has been a good place to work for me.� “Before Clark came, we were just getting by,� she says. “Vess and I don’t know as much about live-

stock, so when Clark came in with a lot more knowledge, he knew what we needed to carry and helped to revitalize this place.�

Products The Southwestern Wyoming Wool Warehouse carries a wide array of products for everyone involved in agriculture. “We have fencing, poles, posts, wire, panels, staples, nails, horseshoes, tools and more,�

Clark lists, also mentioning their line of veterinary products, feed and seed and horse equipment. “I think we have one of the better horseshoe selections in at least this half of Wyoming.�

They carry three lines of horseshoes in a variety of sizes for an inventory of over 2,200 pairs. “I’ve tried to cut our margins to stay competitive with the internet on our products, as well,�

Clark comments.

If a customer is searching for a product that the Wool Warehouse doesn’t have, Clark, Jill and Vess find the product and bring it in. “We try to find things that our customers want,�

Jill says. “No one goes out the door empty-handed,�

Clark adds. “They leave with the glimmer of hope that we can find them what they want and need.�

Additionally, the Wool Warehouse operates a leather, saddle repair and canvas shop to fix equip-

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Horse industry - The Southwestern Wyoming Wool Warehouse has seen an increase in the horse industry in Rock Springs in recent years. To accommodate the interest, they now stock a variety of tack, ropes, saddles and other horse-related equipment. Saige Albert photo

ment for farmers, ranchers and hunters in the region.

Customer service At the end of the day, the Southwestern Wyoming Wool Warehouse focuses on customer service. “Every bag of feed that goes out of our door is loaded by one of us,� Clark says. “We focus on customer service, and we turn no one away.�

From staying open for customers who are going to be a little late one day to specially bagging feed for customers who are unable to handle large feedbags, they strive to bring service that brings customers back. “We have very good customer service,� Jill says. “When people come back, it is because of our customer service.�

With competition from big box retailers moving in, Clark and Jill note that they have to differentiate themselves – and they have chosen to do so by maintaining a level of customer service seen very few other places.

Customer base The base of customers who frequent the Wool Warehouse extends from farmers and ranchers to small horse owners to 4-Hers and rodeo contestants. “There are a lot of barrel racers in town,� Clark adds, “and there are a lot of team ropers in the area. In the last 10 years, we have seen a huge increase in barrel racing and rodeo.�

To meet the needs of those segments, Clark says they have taken on three lines of ropes for the team ropers. “We work with a lot of 4-Hers here,� Clark says, mentioning that they work with 4-H youth to provide support in other areas as well. “We sponsor 4-H events as much as we can to help those kids.� “Things can get a little overwhelming here,� Vess comments, “but it’s also exciting, and I love it. We meet people from all over and get them what they need.�

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at saige@wylr.net.

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B3

2014 Fall Cattlemen’s Edition

Farson – Jack McMurray was raised in agriculture in Farson, and after college, he returned to pursue an ag operation in the same area.

“They were selling government units here after I graduated from UW,” says Jack. “We bought one and got started in cattle. I was also in oilfield construction.”

They chose to buy a parcel of land along the Big Sandy River.

“We like our spot here,” he says. “The Big Sandy River runs through the land for half a mile, and we have all sorts of birds and wildlife.”

“I got married, we came out here and got started,” he comments.

Jack lost his wife in 1996. He remarried Meriam, his son-in-law’s mother, several years later, and they have been married 18 years.

“We have an operation where we can get away in the winter and go to Arizona,” Jack describes. “We have 80 acres down there.

We needed something we can leave and don’t have to worry about when we are gone.”

They also sold part of their ranch 10 years ago to downsize and facilitate their lifestyle.

Farming Today, Jack raises barley and alfalfa on his land

just west of Farson.

“I raised alfalfa for nearly 40 years, and all of my fields were in alfalfa,” he says.

The McMurrays put their alfalfa hay up with sweeps and using large tractors.

“It is expensive, of course, but it is a lot better in many ways,” he comments. “We can do it ourselves.”

“Today we have barley planted because I had to rotate crops into something different,” Jack adds.

He selected malt barley because he felt it was the most profitable option.

“Some of the neighbors went into the malt barley and were quite pleased with it,” he explains.

The Farson-area is well suited to raising malt barley, continues Jack.

“Because of the altitude, the malt barley does great,” he says. “It is a cold weather crop, and we don’t have the bugs and diseases that other places have.”

His second year raising malt barley has proven to be successful. They plant the barley early, and it does well in cold spring months.

“If it freezes after we plant, that is better,” he explains. “The freeze makes the barley root down and produce more. It is an ideal second crop for us.”

“Everything did really

well this year,” Jack comments. “I just have 12 acres of alfalfa that is under flood irrigation. We put everything else under pivot.”

He plans to return to raising alfalfa in several years to replenish the soils again.

“If we run anything too long, we start running into less production and other problems,” Jack says. “I’ll switch back pretty soon.”

Irrigating practices The majority of Jack’s land is under pivot irrigation, a process that he started in 1992.

“We changed in 1992 to put this pivot in,” he says.

“The government was trying to keep the salt in our soil from going downriver to California. They costshared on the pivots.”

Jack says pivot irrigation has helped to improve production and is a great way to irrigate.

“We have more costs

now, though,” Jack says. “It is a lot different than when we started.”

Challenges of production The Farson area presents unique challenges that result from the weather and climate.

“Our growing season is a challenge,” says Jack.

“They say we have 90 frostfree days, but they aren’t consecutive. That creates a problem.”

While Meriam is able to raise a garden, she grows it in a trailer that can be pulled into the shop to protect the produce during cold nights of spring. She notes that the last frost they typically get is near the middle of June.

“The climate is probably more of a challenge than anything,” he continues. “We’ve been a little short of water the last few years, but this year turned out pretty good. The climate is what makes it hard out here.”

Good life “This area is home to me,” Jack says. “I got

attached to it, and I like it because there aren’t a lot of people here.”

He hopes to continue living in the area and farming for as long as he can.

“We are getting up in years, but as long as I have good health, I want to continue to do it,” he comments. “There will be a day that comes, I’m sure, when I’ll have to lease out the land, but I’m still going and so is my hired hand.”

Construction operation

starting to go around here.”

“It worked out well,” Jack notes. “We took in a lot, but we “I got out shortly after Meriam and I were married,” he says.

“After we got out of the construction business, we really got a lot more serious about farming,” Meriam adds.

Jack notes, “When I had more time, I was able to take better care of the farm.”

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Good life - Meriam and Jack McMurray live on the Big Sandy River west of Farson where they raise alfalfa and malt barley. Saige Albert photo

Meriam jokingly adds, “I told Jack when I married him that I’d be his hired hand.”

The couple has been working side-by-side on the farm ever since.

Jack comments, “We have a good life, and we really enjoy what we are doing.”

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at saige@wylr. net.

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Public Law 91-195 said, “Congress finds and declares that wild free-roaming horses and burros are living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West, and they contribute to the diversity of life forms within the nation and enrich lives of American people.”

Sweetwater County is the focal point of five wild horse herd management areas.

“The American public has chosen the wild horse as a nearly religious icon,” comments Gary Zakotnik, Eden Valley rancher and former member of the Wild Horse Advisory Board for BLM. Historic role Gary says the wild horses were historically rounded up, branded or trained as ranch horses.

However, he believes the original Mustang blood

Wyoming Livestock Roundup

was weaned out with the selection of bloodlines for workhorses.

When the Wild Horse and Burro Act passed in 1971, ranchers had the opportunity to claim any unbranded horses, but only one did.

Since then, the wild horses have been under the control of BLM, who has the authority and responsibility for managing horses to the appropriate management levels as described by each herd management area.

BLM responsibility “First and foremost, BLM’s charge is to protect the resources,” Gary notes.

“That is what BLM was created for, and protecting the resource can’t be done with an overabundance of wild horses.”

When the Wild Horse and Burro Act went into effect in 1971, about

25,300 horses existed on rangelands across the West, according to BLM. Today, they note that approximately 49,200 wild horses and burros live on the range.

Over the years, livestock grazing has been reduced while wild horse numbers have remained.

Horses reproduce at a rate of about 23 percent each year, and Gary says the math is easy. If the horses aren’t controlled, their populations grow to unsustainable numbers.

On their Wild Horse and Burro program website, BLM acknowledges that, “Left unchecked, Mother Nature would regulate the wild horse and burro population through the classic boom-andbust cycle, where the population increases dramatically, food becomes scarce, and the population

crashes through starvation or dehydration.”

BLM comments, “The BLM is seeking to achieve the appropriate management level of 26,684 wild horses and burros on western public rangelands, or about 22,500 fewer than the current west-wide population.”

Tourism opportunity “We do enjoy seeing horses,” says Gary of ranchers in southwest Wyoming, “but we also like to see grass and sage grouse and management of the land.”

While wild horses are less than fondly thought of by many public lands grazers, people come from around the country to view wild horses in their natural habitat.

“The Pilot Butte Wild Horse Scenic Loop Tour allows visitors to take full control of their wild horse viewing experience,” says Tour Wyoming.

Additionally, in Sweetwater County’s Guide to Wild Horses, the federal Rock Spring Wild Horse Holding Facility allows visitors to observe horses from a viewing kiosk.

“This federal facility is used for short-term holding and preparation of wild horses as they are gathered from Wyoming herd management areas or being transported eastbound from western states,” Tour Wyoming says.

Horse impacts “Ranchers enjoy seeing horses, but seeing the range overrun is challenging,” Gary says. “We all want healthy horses on healthy ranges, but that isn’t happening right now.”

Through the drought period, wild horses played a role in degrading the rangelands that were critical for grazing. Since much of the grazing land was privately held by the Rock Springs Grazing Association, litigation followed, and the court ordered that all horses be removed from private lands.

A September 2014 gather rounded up 338

horses from the checkerboard portions of the Adobe Town, Salt Wells Creek and Great Divide.

The horses are now being held in the Rock Springs holding facility.

Wild horses also impact other animals on the landscape, Gary comments.

“If wild horse numbers remain uncontrolled, elk numbers will likely start to decrease,” he explains.

“Sage grouse and deer also use the same lands.”

Gary notes that, on leaving his term with the Wild Horse Advisory Board, he told the board, “At some point, the American public is going to have to choose whether they want unmanaged wild horses or sage grouse. We aren’t going to have them both.”

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at saige@ wylr.net.

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2014 Fall Cattlemen’s Edition

Rock Springs – With economic benefit from the use of natural resources – ranging from grazing lands and water to trona and oil – the management of those resources is of utmost importance to Sweetwater County. The Sweetwater County Conservation District (SWCCD) operates under the mission “to preserve, conserve and improve our county’s natural resources.”

Under that mission, the Board of Supervisors for the SWCCD strives to address resource needs in the county by developing land use plans and working with stakeholders.

“The SWCCD recognizes that natural resourcebased industries, such as minerals, energy and agriculture, provide more than 84 percent of all tax revenue generated in the county for local government operations,” they comment.

“The Conservation District is the local government who can and has effectively put money on the ground for natural resource improvements.”

After the creation of conservation districts in 1930, following the Dust Bowl era, districts began to emerge across the U.S. It wasn’t until 1960, however, that the Big

Sandy Soil and Water Conservation District was organized at the request of local citizens.

In 2002, the Big Sandy Conservation District changed its name to the Sweetwater County Conservation District.

Priorities SWCCD has identified three priorities for their 2013-14 year, and watershed planning hits the top of the list.

With four target watershed planning efforts under their target areas, the district has determined not only objectives and action items but also identified a series of action plans to accomplish their work.

“In the Bitter Creek and Killpecker Creek Watershed Plan, the ultimate project goal is to gather water quality and other resource data, assess the data and implement strategies designed to address watershed-related water quality impairments issues identified in the plan,” SWCCD says.

They continue, “This goal includes implementing actual, on-the-ground activities such as implementation of Best Management Practices, which result in improved water quality.”

They also hope to

engage in those regulatory activities to legally and officially document the condition of the stream.

Other water goals In addition to the Bitter Creek and Killpecker Creek projects, SWCCD is looking at a drop structure in Bitter Creek and several other watersheds.

“The district is continuing to work to check site suitability on a failing, old dam, termed a ‘drop structure’ on Bitter Creek,” SWCCD describes, noting that work has begun to determine if the structure should be replaced or removed.

Sampling is occurring in the Big Sandy and Little Sandy watersheds to provide water quality data, and SWCCD recognizes their flexibility to be involved in other projects as they arise.

Soil efforts Along with water, SWCCD has taken on the immense task of mapping the soils across 6.59 million acres, or 98 percent of the county.

“To date, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has completed 1.78 million acres of the soil survey area,” says SWCCD. “Of the remaining 4.81 million acres to be mapped, only 1.87 million acres have no line of work

at all.”

They note that much of the unmapped area does have some data from BLM and Soil Conservation Service work done in the past that needs to be updated.

Only five percent of the unmapped land is private.

“Projects will include improved maps and knowledge of distribution of U.S. carbon stocks, soil survey databases and land use and management-based data that will help conservation planning,” they comment, adding that an additional project will look at publically accessible soil carbon databases.

Land planning SWCCD is also actively engaged in a variety of land use planning efforts.

“The SWCCD had adopted a Land and Resource Use Plan and Policy pursuant to the Wyoming Conservation Districts Law to guide the Board of Supervisors in their participation in numerous local, state and federal land planning processes,” SWCCD says.

Among their land planning objectives, they strive to improve and maintain natural resources for the benefits of domestic livestock, wildlife, watersheds, water quality, wetland and riparian area, recreation and other uses important for the county.

“We hope to provide for private and public involvement on public lands regarding natural resource management decisions and allow for decisions to be made focusing on what is good for the resource, rather than what is good for a single interest group,” SWCCD says.

They are working on a wide variety of environmental impact statements, resource management plans, transmission line projects, grazing allotment plans and other planning efforts.

In their work, they have cooperated with U.S. Geological Survey, BLM, the Wyoming Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Forest Service and others.

Work with their local governments is also important.

Community outreach With a focus on the top three priorities, SWCCD also works with the community to promote awareness of the conservation district, its activities and programs and the natural

resource base in Sweetwater County.

“It is the goal of SWCCD to work towards building strong public knowledge,” they say.

“We also hope to provide a friendly and visible resource to our local community for conservation information and assistance.”

Supervisors “SWCCD is led by a locally-elected board of five District Supervisors,” the district explains. “The supervisors are the only locally-elected board specifically charged with the responsibility of representing the citizens of their district on natural resources issues.”

Board Supervisors include Chairman Mary Thoman, Vice Chairman Tom Burris, Secretary Jean Dickinson, Treasurer Barb VanMatre and Bob Slagowski.

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at saige@wylr. net.

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B6

Farson – Jean Arambel, John Arambel and Bob Erramouspe arrived in western Wyoming to herd sheep, but their descendants have stayed involved in agriculture for more than 100 years because of the opportunities offered by the region’s abundant natural resources.

The Arambel Ranches are a case in point.

John F. Arambel and wife Mary Louise (Iberlin) Arambel, now of Buffalo, raised their four children on the ranch, and son Pete began overseeing daily operations of the ranch when John passed

Wyoming Livestock Roundup

away in the late 1990s.

Pete and wife Sue raised sons Ben and Lou on the ranch and now share ranch operations with the next generation, with newlywed Lou and wife Shelby, both in their mid-20s, remaining on the ranch.

Sue maintains all the paperwork and bookkeeping and accounting associated with a vast ranching enterprise, while Pete works to transition daily operations to Lou and Shelby, who are assisted by a crew of American workers and foreign workers from Mexico and

Nepal recruited under the federal H2A program.

Inside the operation The family grazes hundreds of cattle and thousands of domestic sheep.

The cattle herd consists of a Hereford and Angus base, from which the family sells yearling steers and replacement bred cows. The base herd was established in western Wyoming in 1883 and is now known for reputation replacement cows that are highly sought after for grazing the deserts of Utah, Colorado and Nevada.

The Arambel Ranches

Transitioning operation – Pete Arambel works to transition their operation to the next generation. He strives to pass his knowledge and carry on the traditions of open-range agriculture. Courtesy photo

span parts of two counties, with winter range centered on the Rock Springs Grazing Association of Sweetwater County and state, federal and private grazing lands north into the Wind River Mountains of Sublette County.

As migratory as their herds, the family spends winters based in Rock Springs and summer months at the ranch near Boulder.

Driving forces The driving force in this ranch’s operation is none other than Mother Nature.

While meat branded “natural” may currently be trending with the public, it’s always been the mainstay of the Arambel outfit, with natural livestock breeding and grazing regimes taking place across hundreds of square miles of rangeland.

The herds graze open, wind-swept rangeland in the low-elevation desert outside of Rock Springs in the winter, grazing as far south as Wyoming’s border with Colorado.

As temperatures warm in the spring, herds are moved north for calving on range near Farson and, after branding, continue to move further north to the Boulder ranch and into the Bridger Wilderness of the Bridger-Teton National Forest for summer and fall, before hitting the trail back south with coming snowstorms.

Pete says, “Our livestock are year-round grazers on the open range. We are migratory, in that we run in the natural rhythms of the range. Over time, we’ve tried to become part of the ecosystem, and that is the key to our success.”

The ranch was founded on range Rambouillet sheep, and the Arambel family remains one of Wyoming’s largest sheep operations, as well.

The Arambel family has been grazing livestock in this sustainable way in France for more than 500 years, Pete points out, adding, “We want to continue in America in the same light.”

Challenging climate Pete foresees some future challenges for continuing open-range agriculture, including regulatory intervention and an uninformed public who doesn’t realize this stimulates the land, rather than harming it.

“It’s sustainable,” he says.

With diversity being one of the strongholds of the Arambel outfit, in addition to raising range cattle, sheep, horses, livestock guardian dogs and hay, the family added a small herd of meat goats and has branched into other areas, as well, by providing gravel and water for local industrial needs and private hunting and fishing opportunities on deeded ground.

Next generations Lou and Shelby are enthusiastic about being part of a younger generation continuing in agriculture.

“This is a young person’s game,” Lou says. “If we can stick with it long enough, it’s

Youngest generation – Lou Arambel and his wife Shelby are the youngest generation involved in running the operation today. They see ranch life as a wild, exciting adventure and seek to involve other young people in the endeavor. Courtesy photo

always a gratifying life.”

The combination of older and newer ideologies makes for an effective mix, as shown on the Arambel outfit.

“We can always ‘read’ the country,” Lou said, noting generations of his family that have worked the ground, examining the natural systems and responding appropriately.

But a new addition to the program is range science.

“We use range science to meet the regulations of the federal government for our grazing,” he explained, putting a measure to generations of rangeland knowledge.

“We have longevity within the ecosystem, stimulating it by grazing,” Lou said. “When we touch the land lightly with grazing, it responds positively.”

Strength in diversity The combination of sheep and cattle grazing provides for strength in one market while the other may be low.

“It’s a fail-safe for us,” Lou said, noting that overseeing the needs of two livestock species and responding to market conditions for these species, “makes our art a little more precise.”

Lou and Shelby hope to see more young people stepping up to a future in agriculture and agreed to be interviewed because they want to help fill the gap that exists in educating others who may not have a recent family background involving ag.

Lou cites the education that children receive from a life in agriculture, the moral foundation and the vital part agriculture plays in general American culture, as positives of a life in ag.

The challenge now may be to make agriculture seem cool or interesting to a generation far removed from agricultural traditions, so they may know ranch life as Lou and Shelby see it – a wild, new adventure.

Cat Urbigkit is a correspondent for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

THE WYOMING LIVESTOCK BOARD is preparing for the 2015 Brand renewal and wants to remind producers that it is very important to keep their mailing address current. By law, the Livestock Board must notify by mail at the address shown on the brand records, the party owning the brand that the brand must be rerecorded and if the brand has not been rerecorded within sixty (60) days from the expiration date of the brand will be declared abandoned. Brands that are subject to renewal expire on January 1, of the renewal year and the 60 day grace period expires March 1, of the renewal year.

If you are not sure of when your brand is scheduled for renewal or are not sure if the Wyoming Livestock Board has your current address, please contact the Wyoming Livestock Board via phone, mail, email, or fax at following address:

Wyoming Livestock Board 1934 Wyott Drive, Cheyenne, WY 82002-0051

Attention Brand Owners

B7

2014 Fall Cattlemen’s Edition

Eden Valley – Though not a Wyoming native, Cindy Smith grew up dreaming of being a cattle rancher.

“I came to Wyoming in 1982 and ended up in Baggs,” Cindy says. “I worked at the Dixon Club and mowed hay for a rancher down there. I spent quite a few years there, and I found my way to Farson.”

Soon after, Cindy purchased the farm she lives and works today.

Rejuvenating the farm “When I came here, this place was all in hay,” she says, “but it was quite old.”

She purchased the place after friends of hers decided to sell it.

“My parents moved up here for several years and stayed with us, but they had to move several years ago because of the altitude,” Cindy comments. “I stayed here to raise my son, Thomas.”

Thomas, now 22 and a student at the University of Wyoming, remains a vital part of the operation.

“When I started out, I had a little blue tractor and a Ford baler,” Cindy describes. “The people around here were gracious enough to show me what to do and to help me get going.”

She continues, “It took me a little while to get this place into production again, but we did it.”

Their alfalfa is irrigated

using center pivots, and she continues to develop old stands by replanting them.

They are typically able to harvest two crops of alfalfa each year.

“The pivots have really changed things here,” Cindy comments. “I can’t imagine anyone not being pleased to have a pivot. Before the pivots, we’d run out of water early. With the pivots, we have instant rain when we need it.”

Since beginning, she has purchased bigger equipment and evolved her operation.

Working on the side Immediately after moving to the area, Cindy worked in the oilfield for several years.

“I drove a fuel truck for a few years,” she says. “Then, I delivered liquid feed for a few years.”

In the winter, Cindy notes that she would work driving truck to supplement the income from the summer hay crop.

“Delivering liquid feed got really busy, and I had to quit because it kept me away from here,” she says.

“I decided to really get into doing the hay and stay away from truck driving.”

Developing the business In addition to producing alfalfa on her own land, Cindy now operates a custom haying business, cutting alfalfa for many growers in the valley.

“I run back and forth between places to cut hay, and that has also increased my equipment,” she says.

“It keeps me pretty busy.”

Alongside her, Thomas works to help hay during the summer months, and Cindy has hired a couple to run equipment, as well, as her custom haying operation has grown.

A year in the life Each year, Cindy begins calving her cows at the beginning of April.

“What I really like to do is work with cows,” Cindy comments. “I have a small bunch of Black Angus and a handful of Corrientes because Thomas ropes. We run the cows north of here.”

After calving is complete, she beings to prepare for the year of farming by servicing pivots and getting equipment ready.

Irrigation starts in the middle of May. “For the last several

years, we have spent our springs and falls scooting around to rodeos in the area, as well,” she says. “After the pivots are running – and when we are home – I get the equipment serviced and ready to go. I also work on fencing and other maintenance.”

Haying starts the beginning of July and continues until it is complete – usually the end of September, but Cindy says she has harvested clear into October to try to get everything done.

“We get pretty busy here,” she says.

Eden Valley benefit The Eden Valley suits Cindy perfectly for many reasons.

“I like it here because there are very few people around,” she comments. “I also like the weather here.”

The farm ground is also suited to raising good quality alfalfa.

“This is probably some of the highest quality hay in the country, when it gets put up right,” Cindy says. “We have alkali and high calcium in the soils, and there are

other things that have to be added to increase production, but it’s good farm ground.”

She also notes that the wind in the area helps to keep bugs and pests out of the fields, though she does experience some challenges.

Addressing the problems Eden Valley isn’t without its challenging aspects, however, Cindy notes.

“Our biggest problem right now is the ground squirrels and moles,” she comments. “When the land was flood irrigated, it drowned all those animals out, but now the only way to keep them away is trapping and shooting them.”

The pests have created a problem because their holes tear up equipment, and they decrease crop yields.

“If we all work to keep the numbers down, it is better,” she says. “All the neighbors work to control them

with me, so it works well.”

Moving forward Cindy notes that her goal today is to successfully pass the farm onto Thomas when she is ready to retire.

“The last few years, I have decided to stay home as much as I can and get as much done as I can while Thomas is in school,” she says. “I don’t plan on going anywhere. I’ll stay right here as long as I can, and this can be his when I can’t work anymore.”

In preparing to pass the land to her son, she says she continues to improve the property. They have also started working together to talk about his goals for the place.

“We’ll work towards he goals and what he wants the property to be like,” Cindy says.

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at saige@wylr.net.

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Developing fields - While the farm Cindy Smith purchased in Farson was planted in alfalfa, she notes that the stands were old and required significant renovation. Today, she continues to improve the property but is proud of the progress the farm has made. Saige Albert photo

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B8

Farson – In mid-1960s, the Farmer’s Home Administration of USDA made loans available for small communities to purchasing grazing lands, and a group of producers in Eden Valley did just that to create the Little Sandy Grazing Association.

Wyoming Livestock Roundup

“Five guys got together in Eden Valley and applied for one of the loans,” Gary Zakotnik, founding member of the association and current board vice president, mentions. “We bought the lambing grounds from two sheep outfits, merged them together

Grazing opportunity - The Little Sandy Grazing Association provides shareholders grazing land on deeded ground. By working together, members of the association are able to manage their land as they see appropriate. Saige Albert photo

and converted them to cattle.”

Today, Gary says, “We are a member-owned cooperative that runs cattle. It works well.”

Financing the operation Originally, the association was formed to provide farmers in Eden Valley options for both diversification and added income.

“The money was available to buy grazing permits and deeded land,” Gary adds.

“Unfortunately, they fell short on money to finance individual farmers.”

Those farmers who were financially able to get involved purchased shares in the association, even though pasture could often be found cheaper elsewhere.

“At the time, pasture was available for five dollars a month as part of the grazing association,” Gary describes. “Ranchers could purchase grass for three dol-

lars a month in other places, so some people didn’t see any reason to get involved.”

Gary says that, fortunately, he and his wife were among those members who were able to purchase shares and make it work.

Membership today The association has 13 shareholders, with several members from the Vernal and Duchesne, Utah area. Gary estimates that just over half the cattle in the association come from the Eden Valley.

At one time several ranchers in the Riverton area held Little Sandy shares.

When they tired of trucking their cattle around the Wind River Mountains, they sold their grazing shares to the Utah ranchers.

“The guys who live in Utah truck their cattle home,” Seth Jones, a Farson cattle producer, says. “They stay ahead of the game because they have winter range, so they turnout and don’t feed hay like we do. We spend just as much on haying and tractors as they do on trucking

and winter range.”

Making decisions The stockholders gather annually for a meeting, and the board meets every month or two via telephone conference to stay updated on the issues facing the association.

“We take the shareholders, and they all have their own businesses and ranches.

They’re the bosses of everything they do,” Seth says.

“We set them all down, and it is the hardest thing in the world to get an agreement.

Then it’s a vote contest.”

But the members continue to work together to make the decisions that govern the direction of the grazing association.

Grazing lands Grazing is split between deeded land and BLM leases, with about 80 percent in BLM leases.

The association hires a cow boss, an irrigator and a few riders to care for the cattle. Both the BLM and deeded pastures have grazing rotation plans, and the hands move the cattle and manage the drift fences accordingly.

The grazing is a mix of irrigated meadow and rangeland.

“We delegate one hired person to watch the grass and give a report,” Jones explains, “and the association also sends out one of the shareholders as an elected grass manager. We compare reports for an agreeable decision on movement.”

The grazing season extends 5.5 months for members of the association, offering grazing options for the area’s cattle producers.

Monumental move This year, both Seth and Gary note excitement as the Little Sandy Grazing Association made the final payment on their bank note, meaning the land now belongs to the corporation.

Seth says, “We were able to pay the note off after 40-plus years. We’ve got Marvin And His Cow Dogs

our management and maintenance expenses, and over that, to be able to pay off the loan is pretty neat.”

“Before we got the note paid off, we had an annual payment we had to make,” Gary says. “Half of the members’ grazing fee went to the payment and the other half went for operation and maintenance.”

Today, after paying off the loan, the association has more options to develop and improve.

“Now we have the option to improve infrastructure or skim some of the price per head and make it a lower price for the shareholders,” Seth explains. “We would like to dig more wells and put in solar panels, build new corrals and have a better house for the hands to stay in. There are a lot of different opinions, but we have options now.”

Gary comments that the membership agreed that capital improvements are necessary and will improve the ability of the grazing association to serve its membership.

Benefits of membership Seth feels grazing associations are disappearing, though they allow ranchers to access more grazing without having to depend solely on federal leases.

“Everyone wants into Little Sandy because it has more deeded ground than most places around here,” Seth explains. “Most leases are blue sky – the BLM calls to tell us how many animal unit months we have, and they might decrease them.

We never know how much grazing we’ll have. There are not very many associations anymore. There are permittees who run together on public leases but not associations holding deeded land.”

Saige Albert, managing editor, and Melissa Hemken, correspondent, co-wrote this article. Send comments to roundup@wylr.net.

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B9

2014 Fall Cattlemen’s Edition

Rock Springs – Clark Weber has operated on the land at Mud Springs Livestock for a number of years, and he continues his family traditions.

“This ranch was homesteaded by a man who wasn’t a member of the family in 1893,” explains Clark. “My family acquired it in 1906.”

Clark’s grandfather, who purchased the ranch, was a Swedish immigrant.

“They started raising beef and never left,” he explains. “We’ve been a Hereford outfit since day one, and I still have a few left.”

While not at the numbers he used to run, Clark has a handful of Hereford cattle and a small flock of crossbreed sheep that he raises on his land south of Rock Springs.

Good country Mud Springs Livestock sits 30 miles south of Rock Springs, and Clark describes the country as “good cattle country and very good sheep country.”

He notes that they summer as high as 9,000 feet when running on high country grassland leased from BLM. “It is really good country to run in and really good winter country,” he

comments, adding that the nature of the land creates warm, protected areas in ravines and streambeds for livestock to shelter in.

He also sits on Salt Wells Creek, so he has the benefit of live water throughout the year, which is one of the best attributes of the land.

Sheep operation “My dad started out with Suffolks and crossbred sheep, and he was playing to the 4-H crowd, raising show lambs,” says Clark. “When I took over, I was looking for something different.”

He notes that Suffolk sheep were hard to keep alive during their harsh February and March lambing period, and the offspring lacked the vigor he was seeking in his sheep herd.

Even as he continued to push lambing dates back, Clark notes that the sheep still struggled, so he made a few changes.

Adjusting the operation “Today, I have a smutfaced crossbred sheep. They are Rambouillet and Suffolk crosses,” he explains. “This is the best year of lambing I have ever had with this breed. They hit the ground and are up and looking for food almost immediately.”

The flock lambs in late

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May now, and Clark says he pushed the dates back to echo those times that wildlife give birth to their young.

“There is a reason that elk calve when they do and antelope have their fawns so late,” he explains.

“When all the species have their kids at the same time, whether we are talking about cattle, elk, sheep, deer, antelope or gophers, they are spreading out the predation. It helps.”

Cattle side On the cattle end of the operation, calving takes place also late for the area – in middle of April and beginning of May. “We tried Angus cattle,” Clark says. “They are good cattle, and they are the cattle that today’s marketplace wants, but I still prefer the Herefords.”

Clark notes that the Hereford cattle have a more pleasant disposition and are

“easier to get along with.”

The drought hit his cattle herd hard.

“In 2001-02, we sold off half our animals to save half of the genetics we had,” he comments. “We did the same thing this go around.

We have just a fraction of the animals we used to.”

Despite low numbers, Clark says all his cattle run in fenced pastures, making management easier.

“When I was running cattle on a BLM permit, we had to travel 30 to 40 miles a day just to get around the cows,” he says. “It’s much easier now.”

He runs all on deeded ground now, as well, which makes things much less challenging.

Changes and challenges Clark says he feels fortunate to run on deeded ground and not have to deal with BLM or the Forest Service.

“We are under constant threat of the hammer when running on BLM ground,” he explains. “With the stroke of a pen, we could be

confined to just the deeded ground, and while I’m able to do it, if I was any bigger, I wouldn’t be – and most guys can’t.”

“I don’t see how people live with that constant pressure,” Clark continues. “It gets worse all the time, and it isn’t going to get any better.”

He also sees problems with predators and wild horses on his land.

“The drought really created a predator problem,” Clark explains. “I have the only live water in 15 square miles, so every predator in the country moved in.”

However, with assistance from predator control, the problem was alleviated.

Wild horses also dominate much of the range, and Clark says he has seen challenges with the horses related to both feed and water.

Next steps With a number of threats constantly facing agriculture, Clark says, “I’ll keep trying to keep this place afloat.”

Though he has a son, Clark feels that the place will likely be sold when he is no longer out there because of its remote nature and his son’s job in town.

“I don’t have electricity or cell phone service out there,” he says. “It’s 30 miles from town, and it’s a good place for me.”

The resulting remote nature of the place means it is necessary to be very innovative in some situations.

Despite the challenges, Clark says, “This is a great place to live.”

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at saige@wylr. net.

B10

Rock Springs – Cindy and Todd Jones lease Spring Creek Ranch from owner Greg Sanders. They raise cattle on the southern Sweetwater County land and host guests at the ranch.

“We’ve been here six years leasing the cattle operation from Greg, who lives in California,” Cindy explains. “We were on the Utah side of the border for many years, but when we met him, we worked out a deal and moved up here.”

She continues that she has freedom to operate the guest side of the operation and is able to run cattle with her husband at the same time.

Spring Creek Ranch sits just 15 miles north of

Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Dutch John, Utah, right across the Wyoming border.

“Before we moved up here, we would come up and help with brandings and work and whatnot,” says Cindy. “We’ve known how this place has run for years, and it has grown since then.”

Cindy and Todd run the ranch with the help of their nephew Brandyn Jones.

Running cattle Cindy and Todd run cattle under the name T-C Cattle.

“The cattle are the reason we can stay here all year,” Cindy says, noting that they have to come off their leased land for only two weeks every year in the

beginning of March.

During the winter months, they run cattle on the south slopes near Flaming Gorge where they are unable to run in the summer because of scarce water.

They haul water to the cattle during those months.

“With the snow, we can put the cows out there in the winter, and it works well,” Cindy says.

“We come back March 1 and go back out March 15,” she explains. “During that time, we have a team of Percherons that we feed the cows with.”

They purchase all of their hay, as they are unable to raise hay on their ground.

The Joneses trail their

cattle back to the home ranch meadows just as they are getting ready to calve.

“We start calving on March 1,” Cindy says.

“That is what makes the situation kind of difficult.

The cows are usually heavy with calf, or have just calved when we are moving them. Those that have just calved are left back, but we have to worry about coyotes and other predators.”

Range operation On March 15, the cattle are turned back out on the range.

They ship calves in the middle of October to beat the winter snow storms.

“We usually contract our calves the last part of July or the beginning of August and ship them in October. After October, we don’t know if we can get trucks in or not,” Cindy says. “We sell on a video sale, and that has helped out, too.”

Their breed-up isn’t as uniform because they turn

the bulls out on the range with their cows, and Cindy explains that the video sale provides more flexibility.

“We don’t have as much control over when the cows are bred because they run in a single big pasture, so we usually have quite a few shorts that we sell in the spring,” Cindy says. “It works pretty well.”

Black cattle The Joneses run Black Angus cattle, which are particularly suited to the area.

“If we had our preference of cows to run, we would choose Longhorns,” Cindy explains. “Longhorns can live on next to nothing, and they are good, protective mothers. Buyers want the black cattle, though, so that is what we raise.”

The Black Angus, she

Guest ranch started with just one small cabin.

“After that, the owners decided to build the kitchen and

built the bunk house.”

The ranch also now has two new cabins for guests to stay in. A total of 22 guests can stay on the ranch at one time.

“It stays fairly busy all summer,” she adds. “We see a lot Spring Creek Ranch - Guests at Spring Creek Ranch welcome the isolation and quiet that the ranch offers. Additionally, a variety of recreation opportunities are located nearby. Saige Albert photo

quiet.”

their guests.

“We have draft beer and are only 15 miles from Dutch

adds, produce more meat because they are smaller-boned cattle.

The Joneses have to be careful when buying cattle to bring in, however, because they seek cattle that do well on the range.

“We want a long back and a big rear end in our cows,” Cindy emphasizes.

“We are looking for an easy birth, since they calve on the range.”

They buy very low birth weight bulls to facilitate easy calving.

“We also want good conformation and milk production,” she adds. “This year, we are keeping back all of our heifers, so we have younger cows coming up.”

“This year, the calves have done very well because of the rain,” Cindy comments. “They look 100 percent better this year.”

The ups and downs Because of the remote nature of the property, Cindy notes that the majority of the work is done by horseback, and very few roads exist on the property.

They also utilize Kelpie dogs to navigate the tough terrain.

She also says that water and the terrain can be difficult to deal with, though they prefer the remote nature of the ranch.

Cindy notes that they are particularly fond of the area because of its remote nature.

“It is quiet and peaceful out here,” she says. “We can just crawl on a horse and go. There is no better feeling than being out and seeing no one.”

She notes that they hope to continue to ranch for many years into the future.

“We’ll stay here as long as our health holds up,” says Cindy. “This is something we’ve done all of our lives, and we like it.”

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at saige@wylr. net.

B11

2014 Fall Cattlemen’s Edition

Farson – “My family originally homesteaded by South Pass City, and we operated over there until 1952,” says Jim Magagna. “We’ve been on this place since 1952.”

Jim, the owner of Magagna Sheep Company, says, “We summer here, and Rock Springs is our headquarters in the wintertime.”

His summer headquarters sits in the corner of Sweetwater, Sublette and Fremont County and provides a good environment to raise sheep.

Inside the livestock operation The operation is a sheep outfit, and up to about 15 years ago, Jim ran nearly 8,000 ewes, wintering them on the checkerboard and trailing them up the desert to north of Farson.

“We lambed up here on Little Prospect Mountain, and we summered some of the sheep in the Wind Rivers and the rest in the Wyoming Range,” he says. “We shipped at the first of October and then trailed across the highway to our allotment on the Red Desert.”

After spending the summer and fall on the Red Desert, he would start the process over again.

Jim says that after 40 years working with the sheep and managing five bands of sheep and 15

employees, he sold some of his land and put his Forest Service permits in a Forest Reserve.

“Today, I’m a gentleman rancher,” he says. “I have this place – which is about 3,000 animal unit months of BLM and bunch of state and private land scattered out.”

Between running several hundred head of sheep and leasing some land to fellow sheep ranchers, Jim keeps busy at his ranch and in other endeavors.

Sheep “We run strictly Rambouillet,” Jim says. “I could probably do a lot of things, but historically, to maximize our revenue, we had to have a good wool crop and a good lamb crop. Rambouillet are the primary dual purpose breed.”

The fairly fine wool provides a revenue stream, and the sheep are able to lamb on the range.

He also notes that the family has always run sheep on their contiguous land.

“Resource-wise, this is sagebrush country with short grasses,” Jim explains.

“It works well for sheep.

Cattle do okay, but there aren’t a lot of meadows. We do like to have some cattle come onto the meadows that we have, though.

Back at the ranch Jim says, “I love raising

sheep. That is the reason I stay in ranching, and I love it.”

“I love the outdoors, open spaces and agriculture,” he continues. “Aside from ranching, everything I do is related to agriculture.

It’s fun for me if it’s related to agriculture.”

Jim comments that he has always wanted to be a rancher, and he went to law school at Stanford with the intent of ranching with a fallback career. He has never practiced law professionally.

Ranching today On the operation today, Jim says they move up to the area north of Farson the last week of April to the first week of May. “We have sheared the sheep in Riverton before we bring them over for the last three years,” he explains.

“They lamb in May, and we are pretty well finished by June 1.”

The sheep run in pastures with guard dogs for the summer months.

The herders and foremen who have come to work at Magagna Sheep Company are integral in the operation.

“Most of our workers, when I took over the operation in 1964, were from New Mexico and were Mexican Americans,” he explains. “We’ve had one

man who worked with us for 54 years, another for 52 and one for 48. My foreman here has been here for nearly 40 years.”

Many years, Jim brings in sheep from the outside to pasture on the land.

However, the strategy also allows him to adjust during drought years.

“Last year, I didn’t bring any sheep in,” he says. “It’s helped me to be responsive to drought.”

Organizations After he first came back following college, Jim stayed on the ranch for four or five years before he became involved in the Wyoming Wool Growers Association, working in the organization until he became president.

He later served as pres-

ident of the National Public Lands Council and the American Sheep Industry Association.

“I was doing volunteer-type political things related to ranching, and that was a good balance for me,” Jim says. “Then I let myself get talked into a few other things.”

Jim ran for Congress and served as the state director of the Office of State Lands and Investments for three years.

Getting involved “After that, I was going to come home and ranch when Nels Smith asked me to consider working with the Wyoming Stock Growers Association (WSGA),” Jim explains. “I thought

that, if I am going to be serious about doing these other things, it doesn’t make sense to have a big ranching operation, too.”

At that point, he started downsizing and became the executive vice president of WSGA. “Unless we get involved, we don’t have much influence,” says Jim. “Everyone ought to have some level of involvement in the organizations that work for ranchers. Everyone ought to have some engagement. A ranch isn’t an island.”

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at saige@wylr. net.

Peak operation - At the peak of Magagna Sheep Company, Jim Magagna ran 8,000 sheep across Sweetwater County. Today, the sheep wagons they used sit at the ranch and are used for housing.

Saige Albert photo

Working together - Jim Magagna and the foreman of his operation work together to ensure that their Rambouillet sheep are raised to the highest quality. Jim says this man has been on the ranch for nearly 40 years. Saige Albert photo

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B12

Wyoming Livestock Roundup

While agriculture is entwined in the roots of Sweetwater County, the county’s current economy is based around mineral and natural resource extraction.

From oil and gas to coal and trona, the county plays host to a wide variety of industrial sites.

“Whether one is seeking adventure in Sweetwater County or just passing by, it’s hard to miss the abundant industrial sites located across the vast, high desert landscape,” says Tour Wyoming. “Wyoming is a

C

T

S

well-known leader in the world’s energy industry, and Sweetwater County is at the head of that race.”

Coal mining Coal is mined from several sites within Sweetwater County to power the Jim Bridger Power Generation Plant.

Both Bridger Coal and Black Butte Coal Company have surface mines west of Rock Springs. Bridger Coal also has an underground mine in the area.

“These mines provide coal for export and for use as a fuel source to generate steam to turn the large

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power turbines at the Jim Bridger Power Generation Plant located just north of Interstate 80 at Point of Rocks,” TourWyoming says.

The memories of coalmines from days past are also present in the area.

Numerous coalmines were present in the Rock Springs area, owned by the Union Pacific Railroad to fuel steam locomotives that passed through the area.

“Numerous mines existed in this once small community, including the Stansbury Mine, Winton Mine, Reliance Mine and Gunn Mine, just to name a few,” Tour Wyoming continues. “The Quealy Mine, another old coal mine, is still in operation today just south of Rock Springs and provides high quality coal.”

At one point, coal was mined over almost the entire Rock Springs corporate city limits, according to Tour Wyoming.

In 2013, Sweetwater County produced nearly 9 million tons of coal from the area’s three major mines. The mines employ 587 people in the county, according to the 2013 Annual Report of the State Inspector of Mines of Wyoming.

Trona “Traveling west from Rock Springs on Interstate 80, people pass through the city of Green River and will quickly notice a number of surface processing plants for what is known as the ‘Trona Patch,” Tour Wyoming says. “Sweetwater County contains the most massive and easily mineable deposits of trona known in the world.”

Trona is a relatively rare, sodium-rich mineral that is mined and process to become soda ash.

BLM says, “Soda ash is a significant economic commodity because of its application in manufacturing glass, chemicals, paper, detergents, textiles, paper, food and conditioning water.”

The Wyoming Mining

Association reports that Wyoming has the world’s largest deposit of trona, which supplies 90 percent of the nation’s soda ash.

“This mineral is Wyoming’s top export and is shipped to markets around the globe,” The Wyoming Mining Association says.

“Wyoming mines produced over 16 million tons of trona and employed 2,328 people in 2013.”

Five companies – FMC Corporation, OCI Wyoming LLC, Solvay Chemicals Inc. and Tata Chemicals Partners – support the industry.

Oil and gas Oil and gas production also provides economic benefit to the county.

“Oil and natural gas production has been surging in recent years,” Tour Wyoming notes. “Throughout the area, drilling rigs are visible for miles and

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extract oil and natural gas from some of the largest deposits in North America.”

They further comment that rock fracturing, or “fracking,” has become prominent, allowing further development of the industry.

“Carbon dioxide, a product also manufactured in Sweetwater County, is injected into the older formations to force the gas and oil up to the surface for processing through a drill stem and gathering system,” Tour Wyoming explains. “Numerous gas plants exist throughout the county, and many can be seen from Interstate 80.”

The Petroleum Association of Wyoming says 52.07 percent of the county’s property taxes assessed in fiscal year 2013 came from the oil and gas industry.

Minerals in Sweetwater County Because of the significance of the mineral extraction industry in Sweetwater County, numerous jobs are provided and a high percentage of the county’s revenue results from the industry.

“Mineral extraction accounts for 67 percent of the total revenue generated in Sweetwater County,” Tour Wyoming adds. “A portion of these revenues are then returned back to each community from the state through mineral royalty revenues for use in funding capital projects and operational and maintenance needs.”

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at saige@ wylr.net.

B13

2014 Fall Cattlemen’s Edition

WYOMING ANGUS ASSOCIATION Angel Angus

Ken Haas Angus

Terry & Jackie Angel, Riverton 307-856-0046 • 307-850-4291 tjangel@wyoming.com

Ken & Heather Haas, LaGrange 307-834-2356 www.kenhaasangus.com

Staple J Angus-Baker Family

Hancock Livestock

Betty or Cory Baker, Wheatland 307-322-2346 • 307-331-9144

Baker Livestock

Charles Hancock, Basin 307-250-6900 hancockc90@yahoo.com

Kal & Vickie Herring, Encampment 307-327-5396 • 307-329-8228

Ballou Angus

Pat & Marilyn Herring

M Diamond Angus Brad Boner 307-436-5406 mdiamond@hughes.net

Douglas Booth Family Angus Dudley & Jennifer Booth, Torrington 307-532-7179 • 307-532-6207 dbooth@scottsbluff.net www.boothfamilyangus.com

Douglas Booth Family Angus

Veteran 307-837-2540 • 307-532-6170 gbarh@bbcwb.net

Hiser Farms

Wesley & Velvet Hiser, Casper 307-262-1410 (Wes) • 307-277-5952 whiser@wyoheart.com velvethiser@yahoo.com

DMH Angus

Doug & Marilyn Hixon, Laramie 307-721-5847

Hoggs Angus

Douglas & Carolyn Booth, Torrington 307-532-5830 www.boothfamilyangus.com

Ronee, Michael & Kurt Hogg Meeteetse 307-868-2431• 307-272-9602 hoggsangus@tctwest.net

Booth’s Cherry Creek Ranch

Hull Farms

Michael & Lindsy Booth, Veteran 307-837-0164 • 307-532-1830 mlboothwyo@vistabeam.com

Robert M. & Debra P. Hull, Powell 307-754-3086

Booth’s Cherry Creek Ranch

Toby Hytrek, Cheyenne 307-760-7664 thytrek@gmail.com

Shawn and Diane Booth ,Veteran 307-837-2994 boothangus@scottsbluff.net

Bowman Cattle

Lyle Bowman, Pine Bluffs 307-246-3281

Riverton 307-690-7557 dan@ingalls.us

Little Goose Ranch

Dan Ingalls

Chad Bradshaw, Manager, Big Horn 307-751-1535 • 307-673-0049 chad4lgr@yahoo.com

Riverton 307-690-7557 dan@ingalls.us

Buline Angus

Lucky 7 Angus

Jim, Pam and Robert Buline, Crowheart 307-486-2300

WS Ranch

Sheridan & Lindy Burgess, Wyarno 307-737-2261

Curt & Diane Cox 307-630-4604, Casper curt@wylr.net

Lazy GT Ranch

Don Cox, Cheyenne 307-630-0400 lgtranch@wildblue.net

Justin & Renee Jensen, Boulder 307-367-2510 (h) • 307-360-9136 (c) rjj@wyoming.com

Bill & Chris Johnson

Veteran 307-575-3026 • 307-575-0014 bcjohnson@bbcwb.net

XH Land and Cattle Co. XH Angus

Earhart Farms

Deer Creek Angus Ranch

Cross Diamond Cattle Co.

Scott & Kim Ford, Bertrand 308-876-2211 • 308-991-2452 thefords@crossdiamondcattle.com

Labonte Creek Angus Ranch Neil & Clarice Forgey, Douglas 307-358-9232 labontecreek@hotmail.com

Forgey/Smith Angus

Bill & Jo Ann Keith, Casper 307-457-2314 jokeithkv@rtconnect.net

Bret & Laurie Gardner, Shoshoni 307-856-0282 laurieg@directv.net

Godley Angus Ranch Gary Godley, Kaycee 307-267-2683 godley@rtconnect.net

Grandstaff Angus

Curtis & Cheryl Grandstaff, LaGrange 307-834-2459 • 307-575-2459 granny@prairieweb.com

Gray’s Angus Ranch

Rod & Lora Gray, Harrison 308-668-2520 (h) • 308-668-2525 (o)

Double Lazy A

Daniel Greet, Ten Sleep 307-366-2062 dgreet@tctwest.net

Guest Angus & Quarter Horse Ranch J.T. & Beth Guest, Hawk Springs 307-534-5823

B & D Cattle Co.

Bill Haas, Veteran 307-575-0294 • 307-837-2925

Sinclair Cattle Company

J Bar M Angus

Neal & Amanda Sorenson, Arvada 307-736-2260 • 307-680-7359 nasorenson@rangeweb.net

Buffalo 800-761-2077

Powder River Angus

John & ManDee Moore, Douglas 307-464-6222 jjcattleco@gmail.com

Steinbrecher Livestock Company

7X Ranches

Kody Steinbrecher, Sundance 307-290-0821 wyoming74@gmail.com

Wayne & Kevie Morrison, Alva 307-467-5475

Neiman Cattle Co.

Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Ryan & Sonnie Neiman, Hulett 307-290-0791

Dennis Sun, Casper 307-234-2700 dennis@wylr.net

Nickel Cattle Co.

Kevin & Jackie Nickel, Veteran 307-837-2279

Obsidian Angus

Fred & Kay Thomas, Meeteetse 307-868-2595 307-2724911 fkdramsrus@tctwest.net

Nolke Angus

Calvin Nolke, Jr., LaGrange 307-477-0029 nolkeangus@gmail.com

Wagler Angus

George Ochsner & Sons

Kim & Elsie Wagler, Cody 307-587-5440 • 307-272-6727

Blake Ochsner, Torrington 307-532-3282 • 307-532-5892 ochsner@dishmail.net

Walker Angus Ranch

Oedekoven Angus

Ramon & Verla Walker, Lyman 307-787-6106

David & Diana Oedekoven, Sheridan 307-674-7375 doangus@gmail.com

Weaver Ranch

Page Angus Ranch

Tom & Margaret Page, Laramie 307-760-8429 • 307-745-3278 pageangus@yahoo.com

Susan, Maurine and Maxine Weaver or Sheldon Emerson, Fort Collins 970-568-3898 weaverrch@aol.com

Jon & Cathy Peldo

Beaver Creek Ranches/WW Angus

Sheridan 307-674-5541

Pete & Lucy Widener, Sheridan 307-674-6947 (h) • 307-674-0848 (o) doublew@fiberpipe.net PABW@fiberpipe.net

T/P Angus Ranch Tom Phipps, Cody 307-587-3732

Wilkes 6-D Angus Ranch

Pingetzer’s Six Iron Ranch

Don or Darrell Wilkes, Hawk Springs 307-532-2835 • 303-570-9207 docwilkes@comcast.net

Rock Lake Land & Cattle, LLC.

Waldon & Buttons York, Lusk 307-334-3006 • 307-334-9989

Robert or George Pingetzer, Shoshoni 307-856-4401 • 307-851-4401 rpping@wyoming.com

WEBO Angus

Todd, Bill and Nancy Platt, Wheatland 307-331-1175 • 307-331-1745 wyocowdude1@yahoo.com danes-grandma@yahoo.com

XL Angus Ranch

Redland Red Bank Angus

Bob & Kate Ballew, Evansville 307-258-0107 bob@bkfarmsllc.com

MR Angus Ranch

Zorko’s 7Z Livestock

Deb & Adam Redland, Ten Sleep 307-250-1546- Deb • 307-250-1548- Adam

Klein Angus

Bill Klein, Wheatland 307-331-0136 Bill82201@yahoo.com

Robert J. Zorko, Laramie 307-742-4077 bobless2@vcn.com

ZumBrunnen Angus

5-5 Angus

Jason & Shirley ZumBrunnen, Lusk 307-481-7090 jason@zbangus.com

Rafter T Angus

The Wyoming Angus Association

Kretschman Angus

4th Annual “Select” Female Sale

Kelby & Lacey Kretschman, Arvada 307-736-2327 • 307-351-0794 klkret@rangeweb.net

Gardner Heart Dot Angus

Mitchem Ranch

Stan & Karen Mitchem, Glenrock 307-436-2504 stan@stanmitchem.com

Colton & Tanna Rodeman, Douglas 307-358-3675 tannarodeman@yahoo.com

SO Cattle

Jim French, Greybull 307-762-3541 bulls@claycreek.net www.claycreek.net

Ted Seely, Lander 307-330-8773 • 307-332-2839

Kilts Angus

Russell & Sheila Kilts, Edgerton 307-437-6466 • 307-267-2566 shekilts@rtconnect.net

Wayne & Cheri Smith, Shirley Forgey Douglas 307-351-1255 trippleswayne@yahoo.com

Clay Creek Angus

Popo Agie Angus

Juan Reyes or Jen Reyes-Burr, Wheatland 307-322-4848 307-331-1568 (Juan) • 307-331-1530 (Jen) joreyes@wyoming.com

Kale & Kim Kretschman, Gillette 307-736-2415 • 307-299-4569 raftert@rangeweb.net

Gary & Diane Frank Mike & Angie McConnell, Lander 307-332-4062 • 307-332-5969 socattle@wyoming.com

Micheli Ranch

Dale or Ron Micheli, Ft. Bridger 307-780-8232 • 307-782-3897 dmicheli@bvea.net

Jensen Angus

Larry & Jackie Dobrenz, Gillette 307-464-0315 Larry & Andrea Earhart, Powell 307-272-5171 • 307-754-3709 Learhart@tctwest.net

John & Judy Rueb, Sheridan 307-672-9499 doublejrranch@gmail.com

Jim & Jamie Jensen, Riverton 307-850-2514 cowboybulls@hotmail.com

Chad Jones, Saratoga 307-326-3553 • 307-710-6700 xhranch@union-tel.com

Flying M Angus

Sheridan 307-674-9092 • 307-752-4085 twmich@optimum.net

Hytrek Cattle Company

Ingalls Angus & Quarter Horses

Double JR Ranch

Tom & Garcia Michelena

Herring Angus Ranch

Logan & Jolene Baker, Banner 307-737-2239 • 307-254-1477 bakerlivestock@tctwest.net Roger & Bonnie Ballou, Hulett 307-467-5767 ballouangrch@rtconnect.net

“THE BEST IN THE WEST”

November 16, 2014 • 12:30 p.m.

Casper College • Casper, WY

LTJ Angus

Tim & Julie Lathum, Powell 307-202-1356

Bovagene/FFL

Ben Lawson, Rancho Murieta 307-340-0488 bovagene@msn.com

Lisco Angus

Richard W. (Dick) Lisco, Douglas 307-358-3810 (h) • 307-359-0167 (c) liscoangus@vcn.com

SS Ranch Company

®

Wyoming Angus Association Officers President: Brad Boner, Glenrock 307-426-5406 • mdiamond@hughes.net

Vice-President: Buttons York, Lusk 307-216-0090 • buttons@weboangus.com

Secretary/Treasurer: Curt Cox, Casper 307-630-4604 • curt@wylr.net

Andy & Stacy Malm, LaGrange 307-834-0128

DIRECTORS - TERMS EXPIRING 2015

Malm Ranch Co.

Gordon Malm, Albin 307-246-3223-Gordon 307-834-0128-Andy mrc3mt@aol.com

Larry Earhart, Powell (307) 754-3709 Learhart@tctwest.net

Dan Ingalls, Powder River (307) 797-4370 dan@ingalls.us

Kale Kretschman, Gillette (307) 736-2415 raftert@rangeweb.net

McClun’s Lazy JM Ranch

Neil Forgey, Douglas (307) 358-9232 labontecreek@hotmail.com

Brad Boner, Glenrock (307) 436-5406 mdiamond@hughes.net

Teasa Nauta, Douglas (307) 359-2206 teas2008@hotmail.com

McConnell Angus Ranch

Wayne Smith, Douglas (307) 351-1255 tripleswayne@yahoo.com

Jim or Jeff McClun, Veteran 307-837-2524 • 307-534-5141 jkmcclun@wyomail.com

Roger, Ryan and Royce McConnell, Dix 308-682-5615 mcconnellangus@msn.com

Cow Capital Livestock, LLC Doug McLean, Miles City 307-462-1683 • 406-853-6961 Cowcapital61@gmail.com

Paint Rock Angus Ranch, Inc. Martin & Kelli Mercer, Hyattville 307-469-2206 km@tctwest.net

TERMS EXPIRING 2016 Buttons York, Lusk (307) 334-3006 • (307) 334-9989 buttons@weboangus.com

Amanda Sorenson, Arvada (307) 736-2260 nasorenson@rangeweb.net

TERMS EXPIRING 2017 Neal Sorenson, Arvada (307) 736-2260

Kelli Mercer, Hyattville (307) 469-2206 km@tctwest.net Shawn Booth, Veteran (307) 837-2994 boothangus@scottsbluff.net

JT Guest, Hawk Springs 307-534-5823

B14

Eden Valley – The land that Gary and JoAnn Zakotnik run their cattle on today was passed through the daughters of JoAnn’s family for several generations, and today, Gary and JoAnn continue running livestock on the property.

“This place was called Dearth-Jameson Sheep Company until we converted from sheep to cattle,” JoAnn says. “We converted in 1966.”

The family converted from sheep to cattle as the sheep market softened, labor was difficult to find and the family needed to be closer to home year-round.

“Economically, the sheep didn’t work for us,” she continues, “so Gary and I started with Hereford cattle.”

“In 1977, when my mom passed away, my dad, Gary and I formed a partnership

Wyoming Livestock Roundup

and changed the name to GZ Livestock,” JoAnn says. “At that point, Gary and I bought pasture from my parents, and they ran their cows on the BLM permits.”

Prior to moving to Eden Valley, Gary grew up in Kemmerer, where he started herding sheep following his sixth grade year.

“My dad was in the coal business,” he notes. “At that point, JoAnn’s folks still had a ranch on Fontenelle Creek.

I worked for her folks when I was a freshman in high school.”

Gary says, “I married the rancher’s daughter and ended up in Eden Valley.”

Today, JoAnn and Gary work together to raise Red Angus cattle on the property.

Raising cattle Like many in the 1960s, the Zakotniks began with Hereford cattle.

“We don’t like the black

cattle,” Gary notes. “Their disposition has never been what we liked to work with.

Our first cross away from Herefords was with Beefmaster bulls.”

The Beefmaster bulls – a Brahman, Shorthorn and Hereford cross – yielded cows that were too large to live on the range, so they went to Red Angus.

JoAnn notes, “We went to Red Angus, and we like the red cows.”

Each year, the Zakotniks turn their cattle onto Rock Springs Grazing Association allotments on March 1, where the majority of the older cows calve on the range.

“We supplement them a bit with alfalfa cubes, and May 15, they come off the winter country and go to the summer allotment where we brand the calves,” Gary explains. “That country is

Zakotniks - JoAnn and Gary Zakotnik have lived in Eden Valley for many years raising Red Angus cattle and growing grass hay. Courtesy photo

around the Boar’s Tusk and Killpecker Sand Dunes.”

Developing heifers While the older cows go to Rock Springs Grazing Association allotments, first calf heifers and second calf cows are shipped to the Little Sandy Grazing Association land.

“The country in the Little Sandy is easier for our heifers,” Gary explains.

“It is easier for them to raise a calf and grow like a heifer is supposed to.”

Allowing the heifers to develop is important because the Zakotniks raise all the replacement heifers for GZ Livestock.

“We keep our own replacements because, in my thinking, we have to buy cows from tougher country than we run in,” Gary says.

“It is harder to find tougher country than the Eden Valley.”

When looking for the perfect cow, they hope to raise a cow that weighs 1,150 pounds and is capable of raising a calf to 50 percent of her mature weight.

They also look for good milk production and a nice, long-bodied cow.

Coming home The calves are weaned on the range in October.

“We’ve been selling our calves on the Northern Livestock Video Auction, and we hold them until the middle of December,” Gary says.

“That works well for us.”

The cows come back to Eden Valley for the winter around Dec. 1.

“We have enough permits to stay out with the cows for 11.5 months a year,” he notes. “When the feed got short with the drought years, we started coming home from December until March.”

As a result of their decision to bring cows home for the winter, the cows are

healthier and conception rates increased.

Farming To feed their cows during the winter, GZ Livestock also puts up 1,000 tons of hay each year.

“We have a couple of center pivots, but most of our land is still under flood irrigation,” Gary says. “We have grass hay, and we cut it once. The cows graze the aftermath.”

Because of the expense of center pivots, he says that they would need to put in alfalfa to make it worthwhile financially. Their irrigation strategy has been successful to meet their purposes.

Ranching for the future Gary says he plans to continue ranching for as long as he can.

“I raise cows because I never found anything else I wanted to do,” he says.

“JoAnn and I talk about this all the time – we are pretty fortunate to make a living and enjoy what we do.”

“We stay here because we enjoy what we do,” JoAnn adds. “We both feel the same way.”

The future of their operation is what Gary describes as a “tough question.”

“Our daughters and sons-in-law are always willing to come and help, but they don’t want this lifestyle,” he notes.

Jodee and Jim Burnett, daughter and son-in-law, are also pursuing their own operation while also working in town. The couple will be involved in planning for the future of the operation.

“I enjoy getting up and doing what I do every day,” Gary comments. “I’ve been exposed to a lot of other things, but there aren’t a lot of other things I want to do.”

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at saige@wylr.net.

Other activities Aside from ranching, Gary Zakotnik stays busy as a brand inspector, member of the Little Sandy Grazing Association Board and on the State Grazing Board. He also served on “I became a brand inspector 39 years ago,” Gary says, noting that the Little Sandy Grazing Association needed a brand inspector, as cattle required a brand inspection to return to their home ranches after the grazing season.

Then, when the area brand inspection supervisor decided to retire, Gary and JoAnn took over. and JoAnn would do the bookwork,” Gary explains. “It has worked out well for us.”

He notes that being involved is important to him, though he has spent more time on the ranch in recent years.

to help some. I think we did do some good.”

B15

2014 Fall Cattlemen’s Edition

Farson – The Seth Jones family of Farson’s Almosta Ranch have found their niche with alfalfa hay, cattle and a trucking company servicing the Jonah Field.

It can be hard to get a second cutting from the hay in Farson, but the high altitude grass contains 20 to 25 percent protein. Seth has changed from flood irrigation to all pivots and has begun fertilizing to increase production.

“If I keep my cattle numbers where I’m at right now, my hay production should be make us self-sufficient,” Seth says.

Cattle operation The Joneses graze their cattle on the Little Sandy Grazing Association from May 10 to Oct. 15.

“I bought my uncle’s shares on Little Sandy

as he is running entirely on the Forest now,” says Seth. “We don’t come into grazing shares very easily, so I was fortunate. My grandfather Neil Jones and James Mines started Little Sandy in the 1960s.”

Grazing the association’s higher pastures near Big Sandy Opening in mid-summer has minimized their predator problems, as most predators have followed the receding snow line up into the Wind River Mountains at that time.

In 2013, the Association did confirm several wolf kills with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

“It does cost a little more to run a cow there then some other places,” Seth says.

“They purchased the private land first. There

were eight farmers who got a loan to purchase it,” Seth continues. “They picked up public land leases that were attached to the private places. Last year, we paid the loan off.”

Off the ranch Seth and his wife, Nicole, have six children and know first-hand that often an off-ranch income is needed to support a family.

“I look at the kids I grew up with here in Farson, and I’m the only one ranching,” Seth says. “I have a brother and sister who are not working in agriculture. Young people can’t get started on their own. My dad loaned me tractors and whatnot when I started. There was no way I could have gone and bought tractors and equipment.”

He notes that despite the recent gains seen in the cattle market, it is challenging to get started as a young producer.

“Even with the high cattle market this year, the cost of tractors and fuel still make it a wash,” Seth explains. “Someone like me couldn’t solely survive on a ranch without another income – especially if they were trying to put one together.”

From the beginning “When I bought this place it was just 40 acres, and then I bought another 40, an 80 and another 80,” Seth notes. “I couldn’t just step out as a 22-yearold and buy an $800,000 place.”

In the Farson area, the farms and ranches have become smaller, and it is hard to find larger land parcels to purchase.

“When I was little kid, everyone had 400, 500 or 600 acres,” Seth recalls.

“It’s very seldom anyone can now buy 400 acres at a time as it is being chopped up, which is a good thing and a bad thing.”

Though there aren’t big places in the area anymore, Seth notes that more people are able to live in the valley.

“Folks are either cutting their land for kids or because the prices are so high the old-time farmers can sell 40 acres and go another 10 years on that

money,” he explains. “A lot of them have gotten out of the cows. With the hay market the way it is, they are just selling hay.

There is a market for small places as there are a lot of people who want out of town and to still be close to the oil field for work.”

Family The Jones kids are involved in 4-H and have shown sheep in past years.

This year the older boys are selecting calves from their family’s herd.

“They all own a cow or two in our herd,” Seth explains. “They raise bum calves that our neighbors don’t have time for, and then they sell them and save the money to buy older cows or we trade them a heifer calf for their steer. They are pretty proud of their tiny herds.”

Melissa Hemken is a correspondent for the Wyoming livestock Roundup.

Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr. net.

Starting small – Almosta Ranch was started as a 40-acre parcel that Seth Jones purchased when he was only 22. Since then, it has grown as he has worked to expand the operation. Melissa Hemken photo

Wyoming

LIVESTOCK GENETICS Family operation – Seth and Nicole Jones raise alfalfa hay and run cattle on their Farson Ranch.

Their family includes (back row, left to right) Colby, Carson, Lane, Seth, Nicole, (front, left to right) Cree, Cadence and Cash. Melissa Hemken photo

Association

• A newly formed Wyoming organization promoting Wyoming’s livestock genetics industry in local, statewide, regional, national and international markets. Offering individual producers and affiliated business more trade show exposure opportunity at extremely low cost.

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• Initiating a young producer international education exchange program. Opportunity for young producers from foreign countries to spend several months in Wyoming visiting cattle and sheep ranches.

• Memberships available to Wyoming cattle breeders, local businesses affiliated with the genetics industry and associated large regional and national genetics industry companies and organizations.

Contact Scott Keith for more information: 307-259-3274 • scott.keith@wyo.gov Mailing Address: WyLGA, P.O. Box 51739, Casper, WY 82605.

This ad paid for by Wyoming Business Council Agribusiness Division.

B16

Wyoming Livestock Roundup

This 15-year-old wonder cow continues to disregard all previous standards! Currently, nursing her natural 2014 heifer calf, she condition and vitality as that of a cow half her are all striving for:

THM Durango 4037 UPS Domino 3027 NJW 98S R117 Ribeye 88X ET Using these leading sires along with several others has a dramatic impact on progress when crossed with “CHRISTI” genetics. Over half of our 80 bull offering is this very combination!

Selling: 80

Bulls • 30 Females ~ Nov. 20, 2014

At the Ranch • Auctioneer: Joe Goggins • Lunch: Noon • Sale: 1 p.m.