2019 Winter Cattlemen's Edition

A PUBLICATION OF

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup

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2019 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition

13 Wyoming’s neighbor on the southwest, Utah, brings with it a diverse culture of farming and ranching, along with production of a variety of fruit and vegetable products.

Each year, the Wyoming Livestock Roundup features the agriculture industry in a specific region in our Winter Cattlemen’s Edition, and this year, we’ve chosen to highlight Utah farmers and ranchers.

The state’s 18,200 farms cover 11 million acres and provide an economic impact of $21.1 billion in economic output during 2017, after adjusting for multiplier effects, according to a Utah Department of Agriculture and Food release. Overall, the industry contributed 15 percent to the state’s economy.

The top three agriculture products sold in the state are meat animals; cattle and calves; and dairy products. However, feed crops; hogs; poultry and eggs; and all other crops follow shortly behind.

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Crop production accounts for approximately 22 percent of the production value in the state, while livestock make up the remaining 78 percent.

While Utah is 35th out of 50 states in total number of farms and 26th in the total amount of land in farms, it hits higher marks in several areas. Utah comes in second in the nation for mink pelt production and third for tart cherry production. The state is sixth in both sheep and sweet cherries, seventh in onions and ninth in pears and trout.

Farm Flavor says, “Utah’s agriculture can be described in one word – diverse.”

Dennis Sun, Wyoming Livestock Roundup publisher, comments, “We hope our readers enjoy the 2019 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition, featuring central and northern Utah. It really highlights what our neighbors to the southwest are accomplishing in the agriculture industry.”

Operations Featured in the 2019 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition:

Lund Ranch Angus Wallace Schulthess Canyon View Farms Fuhriman Ranch Johansen Herefords Redmond Agriculture Basin Livestock Market Utah Wool Marketing Association 9. Rees Brothers Cattle Company

10. Wintch Livestock Company 11. Argyle Saddle and Tack, Boot and Supply 12. Anderson Livestock Auction 13. Munns Flying M Ranch 14. Wine Cup Cattle Company, Inc. 15. Western Range Camps 16. Utah State University 17. Argyle’s Ranch, Inc.

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Gunnison, Utah – Lund Ranch Angus has come a long way from its humble beginning as a commercial operation.Nearly 40 years ago, third generation rancher Scott Lund took over the ranch that his grandfather homesteaded near Gunnison, Utah.

“It started out as just a commercial operation and a little farm,” he explains.

“Since then, we have built it up to a quality seedstock operation with registered Angus cattle.

Registered Angus When Scott took over the ranch in 1980, he started purchasing registered Angus heifers and acquiring more land.

Through careful selection and management, he and his wife Suzette have been able to grow the operation, so their three children were able to have a

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part of it.

Lund Ranch Angus is a family-ran operation.

Daughter Mekenzy works full-time in the office, son Colton works part-time doing all the computer programming and maintaining the Excel programs, and son Sage works full-time on the ranch handling the day-today work.

Female focused The main focus, according to Scott, has been on the female side of the herd.

“The bulls are just a bonus. All of our best cows produce daughters that become really good cows. Rarely do we have a great cow that has a bad daughter. They have the mothering instinct and know how to take care of their young. The cows that don’t have the motherly

traits we want to weed out pretty fast,” he notes.

It has taken a lot of self-discipline and culling to bring the cows up to the standards they are at now.

“The cows don’t get second chances here. If it’s their fault, we don’t keep them around. I am a little more relaxed with the heifers because they are still growing, but we have an extensive culling process,” he says.

Scott explains that the cows are culled based on ratio not age.

“We have three cows on the ranch that are 16-years-old and ratio 109 to 110 percent. As long as they have a ratio above 97 percent and their udders, feet and teeth are good, we keep them in the herd,” he says.

Record keeping “A lot of computer

work goes into it now,” Scott continues.

With the help of his son Colton, who uses his computer programming experience to keep track of the ranch records, any cow that falls below a 97 percent ratio is culled from the herd.

“Because we are culling the bottom end of the herd every year, it tightens up the average and helps us see the cow families that are consistently above our cutoff ratio,” he says.

The cows are evaluated for EPDs but also visual culling criteria like soundness, correctness and eye appeal. They have PAP tested the bulls for more than 25 years, and recently started testing the replacement heifers.

“Most of our customers use that information to select bulls that can run in higher elevations,” he explains.

Bull production Lund Ranch Angus holds their annual bull

sale the first Friday of March, so they breed the cows to start calving in January, and they do this so that the bulls are a year old at the sale.

Then, after the calves are tagged, and they go on to several grass pastures that surround the ranch.

By the second week of May, they are loaded onto semis and shipped to summer pasture on a private ranch near Daniel, Wyo. nearly 350 miles away.

The bull calves are weaned and brought back to the ranch in midAugust, where they are fed a high roughage diet and growth ration developed by a nutritionist Scott works with.

Of the 200 bull calves born on the ranch each

year, only 100 will make the cut to be in the annual sale at the sale facility located on the ranch.

“We’ve had really good luck with our bulls that are turned out in desert high country or high mountain terrain. They stay in very good condition,” he says.

Cow base The cows are bred beginning in April. Artificial insemination (AI) is used extensively, as well as natural service. Scott says they collect semen from their own bulls, as well as those they purchase.

“We artificially inseminate (AI) the heifers and our best cows for one heat cycle, and then it’s natural Continued on next page

High-quality females – Lund Ranch Angus is focused on developing the female side of their herd. Scott Lund says the best cows produce daughters that become good cows, and high-quality bulls are a bonus. Courtesy photo

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Continued from previous page service. We’ve also done some embryo transfer work,” he says. “We want to prove our own bulls, so we breed a lot of the cows to the new bulls.”

Scott continues, “We want to know what we have right away, before we sell any of them to our customers. We don’t use any bulls longer than four years and rotate new genetics in every year to keep our bloodlines up to date.”

“After we carefully select our replacement heifers, we send the rest back east to a feedyard to be finished, along with the bull calves that don’t make the sale,” Scott continues. “The calves that we send back there consistently grade very well, and we receive beneficial carcass data and a premium.”

The cows are moderate in size, which seems to please the bull customers.

“We don’t chase trends. We just try to improve on the program

we already have in place,” he explains.

Customers travel to the ranch from Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Nevada, Oregon and Utah to make their pick of the bulls on sale day.

“We have a lot of repeat customers. I think once they try our bulls, they come back, and word spreads through word of mouth,” Scott says.

As the bulls pass through the ring on sale day they are also available to view and bid on Northern Livestock Video Auction.

This year’s sale will be held on March 1, 2019 at the ranch in Gunnison, Utah. For more information, see lundranchangus. com. Scott Lund can be reached at 435-851-0099 and Sage Lund at 435-2877614.

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

Family ranch – Scott Lund took over Lund Ranch Angus in 1980 as the third generation on the operation. With his wife Suzette, they raised three children on the ranch, and the whole family is still involved on the operation today. The children and their spouses are actively involved – either part-time or full-time – in the workings of Lund Ranch Angus. Courtesy photo

Strong calves – Cows at Lund Ranch Angus are expected to be good mothers and take care of their young to produce good, strong calves.

The calves are weaned after coming home from summer pastures near Daniel, Wyo., and bull calves return to the ranch. Courtesy photo

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Woodruff, Utah – Wallace Schulthess’ father was sent to a ranch near Woodruff, Utah when he was only eight years old in 1916 as a chore boy.

His mother had passed away when he was only three, and his father was working overseas, so he lived, worked and went to school in Woodruff until he was in the eighth grade.

“He also worked as a sheepherder, eventually acquiring a homestead that

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he was able to get a patent on, through the Homestead Act, in Lincoln County, Wyoming,” Wallace says. “That’s where he started ranching for himself.”

Wallace’s father continued to herd sheep, work for the cattle company and make cedar posts for many years until receiving the patent for his land in 1937.

“In 1945, my dad got married, and with mom’s savings and his homestead

and cattle, they borrowed some money and bought the Walton Ranch here in Utah,” Wallace explains.

Wallace’s father continued to purchase ranches, his last one in 1988 when he was 80 years old.

“My father ran those ranches until 1998 when Alzheimer’s took the best of him,” he says. “My sisters and I took over the ranch.

My sisters ended up with the properties north of Kem-

To the next generation – Wallace Shulthess began working at their family ranch from his childhood, and he continues to help with activities on the operation, saying he’s semi-retired and working to pass the operation to the next generation. His sons Chris and Seth are actively involved in the ranch today.

Courtesy photo

merer, and I ended up with the base properties in Woodruff and the range on the Cumberland Permit.”

Today, the cattle still run between Evanston and Kemmerer, as well as at Woodruff, and Wallace, with his wife Jeanette, is carrying on his father’s hard-earned legacy with Triangle Cattle Company.

“My dad’s brand was the open triangle, so we took that name for our company,” he comments.

Cow/calf operation The Schulthess family runs an Angus-based cow/ calf operation, working with Stevenson Angus in Mon-

“John Wayne had a song that had a line, ‘Mi esta raíces aqui.’ That means, my roots are buried here.” – Wallace Schulthess tana to purchase high-quality bulls and keep the base of the herd strong.

Each year, heifers begin calving in the middle of March, followed by the main cowherd. On May 1 and May 15, they are ready to turn out to summer pasture.

During the summer months, the cattle graze as part of a company that runs 9,000 cattle on 450,000 acres. The Schulthess family owns a percentage of the company.

“The cows rotate through

four pastures in the summer on the Cumberland permit, and then we start gathering cattle in September,” he says.

They strive to have all the cattle off the allotment by Oct. 15.

“We wean calves in the fall, sell the steers and retain heifers for replacements,” Wallace says.

Looking forward As he looks to the future, Wallace sees more challenges for cow/calf operators, noting that weather, feed costs

Continued on next page

Working together – The Schulthess family works together on their operation, and for much of the work, they ride horseback. Wallace comments that he feels fortunate to ride horses all day, seeing very few people and enjoying the company of his family as they work. Courtesy photo

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Continued from previous page and markets as challenges for the next generation of producers.

“My concern is whether we’re going to be able to continue ranching and enjoy what we do or if we’ll need to find some off-farm income,” he comments.

Today, Wallace says he’s semi-retired, laughing, “Ranchers never really retire, but we let our posterity do the hard work.”

His sons Chris and Seth are involved on the ranch and live in the Woodruff area.

They have four other children and a total of 20 grandchildren, all of whom come back to the ranch and help as often as they can.

“They’re the fourth generation on the ranch,” Wallace comments. “I think there’s still a future for producers in the cattle business, whatever production method they choose.”

Industry involvement Starting in 1985, Wallace also began serving as a parttime brand inspector, and he enjoyed the opportunity to talk to cattle producers about their industry.

“I started in 1985 when the beef checkoff started on the national level,” he says. “I was able to have a voice.”

Further, he was one of the first to get his Master’s of Beef Advocacy, and he began to get involved in the beef industry.

“I’ve also been involved in the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, as past president of the Utah Cattlemen’s Association and currently serve on the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board,” Wallace comments. “I miss the policy side because I’m not as involved in that as I used to be, but I enjoy being in a position to take time off, have the funds to travel, meet and represent beef producers in Utah and the West.”

Wallace says there is an abundance of work to be done, and most of that is volunteer work.

“We have to have skin in the game, be involved and be proactive,” he continues. “We work closely with our partners, like the Bureau of Land Management in Kemmerer with our grazing allotment.

We have a good working relationship with them because of the work we’ve put in.”

Love of ranching “When I talk about ranching, sometimes my emotion takes over,” Wallace says. “John Wayne had a

Grandchildren – Wallace Schulthess has 20 grandchildren who come to the ranch as often as possible. As the fourth generation on the ranch, Wallace says he looks forward to providing them with a future in the cattle business. Courtesy photo

song titled, ‘Mis Raices Estan Aqui’ That means, my roots are buried here.”

He continued, “Growing up on a ranch, I have learned to care about the livestock.

Sometimes we take too good of care of our livestock, and our families suffer a bit. We take care of the livestock, and they provide income for us.”

Wallace also noted he’s tried to teach his family the values of honesty, decency, courtesy and respect, which he sees them passing to their children.

“We’ve been working to cut back and make sure the operation is profitable so we can pass it on to the next generation,” Wallace explains.

“We have to be upfront about how we’re going to pass the ranch forward and make sure it is a strong, ranching operation.”

Wallace also looks back on his life, fondly looking at the experiences he has enjoyed.

“On the ranch, we’re able to get on our horses and ride all day, seeing very few people. We’re able to work with

livestock, which at times is uncertain, but it’s a rewarding life,” he adds.

Wallace continues, “If we

have a strong agricultural base and a strong economy, we have a strong country.”

Saige Albert is manag-

ing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to saige@wylr.net.

Miracle of life – As he looks back at his ranching career, Wallace Shulthess sees beauty in watching new life grow on the ranch. He appreciates the ability to care for livestock from birth to sale and says he’s fortunate to be involved in the industry. Courtesy photo

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“Sheep in Utah are pretty much synonymous with people,” says Sierra Nelson, executive director of the Utah Wool Growers Association (UWGA). “The first recorded sheep came to Utah with the pioneers.”

Sheep in San Pete County, Utah used to outnumber the population of the state.

While sheep numbers peaked during the Great Depression, 600 members of UWGA raise about 300,000 head of ewes every year today.

About the association UWGA formed in 1923 with the goal of representing sheep ranchers and livestock operators in Utah.

They operate under the mission of “supporting all lamb and wool producers of Utah by offering education, legislation, conservation and marketing initia-

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tives in a productive atmosphere of unity, protection and service.”

Sierra comments, “Everything we do is to enhance the sheep industry in Utah for our members.

Together, as a group, we’re much better off than individual products.”

While Sierra is the sole paid employee of UWGA, a board of between 10 and 20 producers guides the work of the organization.

“We have 13 active board members currently,” she explains. “The board meets quarterly, and all of our meetings are open to the general membership.”

Membership UWGA’s members range from farm flock owners to large-scale sheep producers, each providing their own flavor to the association. Utah’s sheep range from Rambouillet, Colum-

bia, Targhee and other traditional sheep to more exotic breeds, like Navajo churro sheep.

“We have all kinds of variety in our state,” Sierra says. “Our members and board members are all very involved and active, and they help us to accomplish our mission.”

On top of their regular association membership, Sierra notes UWGA has a healthy, active Young Entrepreneur’s group within the association.

“The average age of people in agriculture is 65.

We have a gray ceiling, and someone will have to feed our country in the future,” she explains. “We’re taking an active stance in getting the next generation involved.”

Currently, UWGA has 35 young entrepreneurs who are actively involved in the

association.

Sierra says, “We also sponsor their attendance at conventions – including our local and state conventions, as well as the American Sheep Industry Association Convention.”

Because professional development and convention attendance can be costprohibitive, UWGA tries to sponsor young producers and includes free and local workshops to help them grow and advance in the industry.

“We do specific professional development workshops for young entrepreneurs to help them understand business, rangeland management, lambing practices and more,” she explains.

They also utilize a mentorship program to encourage networking between long-time producers and young entrepreneurs.

Mission statement UWGA consistently faces challenges, whether they come from predators, weather, budgets, regulation

“There are so many things sheep can do, on top of providing the best protein.” – Sierra Nelson or somewhere else.

“Right now, we see problems with predation,” she explains. “We’ve seen bear numbers triple in the last 15 years, and mountain lions and coyotes are already really bad.”

In addition, budget and labor issues are also a challenge, as is the conflict between rural and urban areas.

“While we firmly believe in and support multiple uses, we’ve also had conflicts with Bighorn sheep management in our state,” Sierra says. “That’s a big issue. We also have some producers who deal with buffalo and wild horses.”

In Utah, over 80 percent of the state is rangeland, which means the vast majority of the state’s sheep spent at least some time on public lands.

“In the Intermountain West, that isn’t terribly uncommon, but nationwide, it is,” Sierra explains. “Our sheep also run at really high elevation, which also makes our producers unique.”

“On top of that, we produce some of the best wool in the world,” she adds.

Sierra comments, “As an association, we’re actively and anxiously involved in the issues that face our industry.”

Events Each year, UWGA hosts two conventions for its members, but throughout the year, they also provide other informational and networking events throughout the year.

“We host mini workshops, webinars and put out informational fliers for our members,” Sierra explains.

“As an association, we can help our members by doing professional development activities, which includes working of legislation,

working on range management concepts and more.”

Public outreach An essential aspect of UWGA’s work is the public outreach and education they do.

“There are so many things the average consumer doesn’t know about agriculture,” Sierra explains.

“We’re working on changing the perception of sheep production and getting information out to the public.”

The association also owns and sponsors an educational trailer that travels the state.

She comments, “Second through fourth graders go to farms during Farm Field Days, and our trailer is there.”

The association also hosts food sampling events, allowing consumers to try lamb for the first time.

They also focus more on all aspects of the agriculture industry, helping the public to understand what sheep producers do and the products they make.

“Traditional fibers are becoming more and more important,” Sierra comments. “The U.S. has the second highest rate of obesity in the world, so it’s also important we emphasize and promote the healthy fats that lamb can provide.”

UWGA also promotes the role sheep play in helping to prevent fires and noxious weeds.

Sierra emphasizes, “There are so many things sheep can do, on top of providing the best protein.”

Visit the Utah Wool Growers Association online at utahwoolgrowers.com.

Saige is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

Uniting the sheep industry – Utah’s sheep producers come together in the Utah Wool Growers Association, which advocates for the industry and provides education to the public about sheep and lamb production. The work of Utah Wool Growers Association focuses on enhancing the sheep industry for its members. Saige Albert photo

Matt Lowery Professional Livestock auctioneer

308-750-6119 Burwell,NE

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2019 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition

“Agriculture remains a consistent economic producer for the state of Utah,” according to the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF). “Farmers and ranchers generate more than $1 billion a year in raw products.”

UDAF continues, “By the time these crops reach our dinner tables, they’ve added approximately $3 billion to the state’s economy.”

The agriculture industry employs more than 100,000 people in the state.

In 2017, 18,200 farms dotted Utah’s landscape, and 11 million acres of farmland covered the state. The average size of each farm was 604 acres, making it 12th in the nation for farm size.

The vast majority of Utah’s farms are small to mid-sized operations.

“We all partake of agriculture every day,” UDAF emphasizes. “Whether it’s the food we eat or the homes we live in, agriculture is our ‘connection to life.’”

Utah’s agriculture industry produces a variety of field crops, as well as fruits and livestock, all of which contribute to an economic contribution of $1.96 billion in 2017.

Meat animal production contributed $1.28 billion to the state, and crop production accounted for $404 million, with the balance of the economic benefit coming from other agriculture products including fruits and honey production, among others.

Livestock production “Animal agriculture in Utah represents the single largest sector of farm income in Utah. At a value of more than $1 billion, and 25 of the state’s 29 counties report livestock as the dominant agricultural sector,” says UDAF. In 2017, all cattle and calves hit 800,000 head, with 435,000 cows. Of those, 9,700 milk cows produced more than 2.2 million pounds of milk.

The calf crop hit 375,000.

Cattle and calves brought nearly $490 million in cash receipts in 2012.

The sheep industry boasted 275,000 head, with a lamb crop of 230,000.

Wool production was strong, with 2.3 million pounds of wool coming from the state, for cash receipts of $4.1 million in 2017.

Chicken production was also strong, with 6.2 million chickens in the state producing 1.5 billion eggs. Recordhigh egg production for the state was reached in 2017.

All hogs and pigs numbered 550,000 head. Hog production contributed over $172 million.

Honey production reached 837,000 pounds, and trout production netted $694,000.

Overall, livestock receipts make up one-third of Utah’s farm receipts, and the state ranks second in mink pelt production, fifth in sheep and 13th in trout production.

Crops Crop production in Utah includes corn for grain, barley, wheat and winter wheat, hay and safflower. Overall, in 2017, production of corn for grain, barley, all wheat and hay dropped from the previous year, largely influenced by widespread drought.

Corn for grain hit 3.5 million bushels, while 1.4 million tons of silage corn was produced.

Hay production reached 2.5 million tons. Of that, 2.2 million tons was alfalfa, and the remaining 357,000 tons was other hay.

Utah is the nation’s fifthleading producer of safflower, with 14.5 million pounds produced in 2017.

All wheat production hit 6.2 million bushels. Of total wheat production, winter wheat was 5.6 million bushels, while spring wheat contributed just 624,000 bushels.

Fruit and vegetables In addition to traditional commodity crops, fruit and orchard production is also an essential part of Utah’s industry, with peach and tart cherry production falling at the top of their commodity market list.

Peach production reached 3,370 tons, and 25 million pounds of tart cherries were produced in 2017.

Also, apple and apricot production continued to be strong.

On the vegetable side, onion production remained steady as compared to the previous two years in 2017, and the state also produced sweet corn and tomatoes, which were sold in local farmers’ markets across the state, according to Utah Agriculture in the Classroom.

New issues In the 2018 Utah Department of Agriculture and Food Annual Report, Commissioner of Agriculture and Food LuAnn Adams highlights notable achievements during the year, mentioning, “Utah’s Department of Agriculture and Food is broad and deep, touching the life of every Utahn and extending beyond state and international borders.”

During 2018, the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food undertook numerous new projects to advance further the industry, including crafting new cannabis legislation and updating rules and regulations to facilitate interstate commerce.

In addition, they worked to reorganize both the Utah Conservation Commission and the Utah Beef Council to strengthen both organizations moving into the future.

“Also, this past year, we facilitated better communication between ranchers, the Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service and the Division of Wildlife Resources,” Adams noted.

“We’ve created stakeholder groups that represent the interests of each entity and traveled the state to gather input and ensure everyone

has a voice to help ease concerns and contention.”

Adams comments, “We look forward to another great year ahead.”

This article was compiled from data released

by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, as well as the 2018 Utah Department of Agriculture and Food Annual Report.

Saige Albert, managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup, compiled this article. Send comments to roundup@wylr.net.

Strong industry – In Utah, agriculture provides more than $1 billion annually in raw products. Across over 18,000 farms and ranches, Utah’s agriculture industry contributes $1.96 billion to the state’s economy. Beef cattle production is an important part of the industry, with a value of $1 billion. Saige Albert photo

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Midway, Utah – A fatherson partnership that started in the 1920s still exists today at Canyon View Farm, where the Kohler family has continued to grow and build the operation to support all the families involved.

“In 2005, Russ Kohler approached his dad Grant and said he wanted to come back to the dairy farm,” says Tamra Annett, marketing coordinator for Kohler Creamery and Heber Valley Artisan Cheese.

Wyoming Livestock Roundup

At the time, Canyon View Farm was strictly a commodity dairy, selling milk wholesale for about $16 per hundred pounds.

Tamra explains, “At that point, Grant knew there was no way the dairy farm could support two families making the same or less than $16 per hundred pounds in 2005 that they did in the 1980s.”

Russ went to college and ended up working as an engineer in downtown Salt Lake City before he

came back, feeling a yearning to return to the farm. At that point, the Kohler family had two options – sell the farm in Midway, Utah and move to a rural area where they could run a much larger dairy or fulfill a lifelong dream of building their own creamery.

“The creamery opened April 1, 2011,” Tamra comments. “Kohler Creamery has been open for almost eight years, but Canyon View Farm is 90 years old.”

Kohler family Canyon View Farm started in 1929, by the patriarch of the family, Albert Kohler, who immigrated from Switzerland in the late 1800s to escape religious persecution.

“Albert settled in the Midway Valley because it reminded him of his home in the Swiss Alps,” says Tamra. “He bought the dairy farm in 1929, and it’s been passed on from generation to generation.”

Today, the farm is owned by Albert’s grandson Grant, the third generation, and his great-grandson Russ, the fourth generation, who partner on operations.

“Grant and Russ are really focused on the dairy farm,” explains Tamra.

“Grant’s wife Caralee does all the finances for both the creamery and the farm.”

Grant’s daughters Amber and Whitney are also heavily involved on the creamery side of the operation.

“Caralee, Amber and Whitney run the creamery, with Amber focused on operations and Whitney helping out,” she says.

Inside the dairy With its roots back to the turn of the century, the cattle genetics also stem from early days.

“Our cattle are Holstein Friesian crosses,” explains Tamra. “In the 1980s, when everyone was moving toward leaner, thinner milk, Grant’s father Roy decided to stay the course and produce wholesome milk – full of high protein and butterfat.”

She adds, “We’re really grateful he did that because it allowed us to have a perfect milk base for cheesemaking.”

The genetics of the

dairy cattle were built to have similar milk components – including high protein and high butterfat like Jersey and Guernsey cows, creating rich milk for Kohler Creamery’s products.

Making cheese As the creamery was built, Tamra notes the Kohler family invested in getting more education to learn the right ways to make cheese at the creamery.

“Utah State University (USU), our land-grant university, has a dairy science department, and they teach cheesemaking courses,” she explains. “Every awardwinning cheesemaker in the state learned how to make cheese at USU.” The family took an intensive eight-week course on cheesemaking before returning to Midway to begin making their own cheese. At the same time, USU staff helped on a consulting basis as Kohler Creamery made its first batches of cheese.

“Our types of cheese are made from cultures,” Tamra says. “A combination of cultures breaks down the lactose – or milk sugar – into lactic acid, which gives us the flavor and texture of the cheese.”

Then, a compound called rennet is used to separate the milk and solid curd.

“The recipe for each cheese is based on the type of cultures we use. It’s like one of grandma’s secret recipes – no one shares what their recipe is,” she says.

Heber Valley Artisan Cheeses are made using both pasteurized and raw milk from the dairy, and they are sold in a variety of retail outlets and at the farm.

The latest technology In July 2018, Canyon View Farm completed construction on a state-of-theart robotic milking system, which has increased their production and decreased

labor on the operation.

“Before, we were a typical dairy farm. The cows would line up at four in the morning. We’d push the herd through the milking parlor, and at 4 p.m., they line up again,” Tamra explains. “With our new system, the cows are milked by choice.”

Tamra continues, “The cows approach a robot and automatic stall doors open.

They step in, and a machine adjusts to the udder size and shape. It hooks her up, sanitizes the udder and milks her while she enjoys a small snack.”

The most significant change for the system is, rather than waiting 12 hours to be milked, newly lactating cows can milk themselves every two or three hours, up to five times a day.

To habituate the cows to the process, the Kohler family went through nearly eight weeks of training.

“We train cows just like someone might train a puppy – through positive reinforcement,” she explains. “On July 1, we started training 130 of our cows. We would guide them gently to the stalls and help them step in.”

Over time, the cows adjusted to the new stalls, and when they entered, they received a sweet pellet to eat.

“The cows also know milking relieves pressure from the udder, which is positive, as well,” Tamra says. “Once we got the bulk of the herd through, cows are social animals, so the rest are curious and figure it out, with the help of our farmers.”

Those animals that have trouble with the process are trained one-onone, and new cows are also observed to make sure they figure out the process.

“We have a dairy herdsman who observes the cattle to help guide those cows that need it,” she explains.

“Really, after the first six Continued on next page

Making cheese – When Russ Kohler wanted to come back to Canyon View Farm, the Kohler family started Heber Valley Artisan Cheese to support both families on the operation. Today, the milk from their dairy cattle goes into a wide variety of fine cheeses produced at Kohler Creamery. Courtesy photo

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Continued from previous page to eight weeks, most of the cows had the system figured out.”

With the change, Tamra says the family is now getting more milk than ever before.

“At the start, it was so much work, and Grant wondered what he had gotten himself into,” she comments. “Before, our Holsteins were giving seven to nine gallons of milk per day.

In the new system, without any additives or enhancements, the same cows are providing nine to 12 gallons per day. This is an investment that’s paid off.”

Farm legacy “Our mission is ‘Experience the Difference of the Farmer’s Touch,’” says Tamra. “Everything we do strive to provide a memorable experience to all those who engage with our brand.”

On the second and

fourth Fridays of each month, a cheese tasting event is held, which allows people to learn about the family and cheese making while also tasting 20 different cheese.

The creamery also hosts public tours on Tuesdays and Thursdays to give a behind the scenes view of what happens at the operation.

“By the summer of 2019, we’ll also have our dairy farm available for tours,” Tamra comments.

“When we built the milk barn, we built it with the strategy that it would be open to the public. The first floor includes lounging pens, calving pens and the milk barn, and on the second floor, we have an observation deck so people can get a bird’s eye view of the dairy barn.”

Eventually, the cheese tastings will move to the

Heber Valley Artisan Cheese makes 13 award-winning cheeses today, three of which have earned recognitions that come from the American Cheese Society. The remaining 10 awards are regional awards from the Intermountain West.

“We make four types of cheese,” Tamra Annett, Heber Valley Artisan Cheese and Kohler Creamery marketing coordinator, says, noting they make cheddar, queso fresco, Juustoleipä – pronounced oo-stay-lee-pa, and Monterey Jack.

“We have a raw milk cheddar, and we also do and aged cheddar sharp, extra sharp and six-year sharp cheddars,” she explains.

“The aged sharp cheddar ranges from two to six years, and in April 2019, we’ll have our first eight-year sharp cheddar.”

Queso fresco, she describes, is not the Mexican-style, crumbly cheese often used on street tacos and the like. Instead, the Kohler family makes a European style used mainly in melting or dips because of its smooth mouthfeel.

“Juustoleipä is a Finnish word for bread cheese. This is an iconic cheese that we’re known for,” Tamra comments. “It’s noncultured, and it caramelizes when it toasted on the grill, rather than melting.”

Finally, they make Monterey Jack cheese in two forms – The Midway Monterey and an award-winning Wasatch Back Jack, which is a salsa-infused pepper jack cheese.

Kohler Creamery also offers raw milk, but over the past year, they have pulled the product from shelves as they went through a major renovation at the dairy farm.

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dairy barn, creating a full experience.

Finally, the operation offers special events, including a Calves Munchand-Lunch, where the public can feed dairy calves and enjoy a grilled cheese sandwich lunch; farm days, where the Kohler family works with other farms in the region to bring a variety of baby animals to the farm and hosts a meal and petting zoo for families; a hay maze and pumpkin patch in the fall; and pasture snowshoeing, where families snowshoe through the Holstein herd.

“All the additions we have made help us to build and solidify our legacy,” Tamra says. “We have a diverse set of income streams to ensure that Canyon View Farm, Kohler Creamery and Heber Valley Artisan Cheese lasts long into the future.”

Learn more about Heber Valley Artisan Cheese at hebervalleyartisancheese.com.

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

“Our mission is ‘Experience the Difference of the Farmer’s Touch. Everything we do strive to add experiences.” –Tamra Annett, Heber Valley Artisan Cheese

Father and son – Grant and Russ Kohler (from left to right) run the dairy cattle at Canyon View Farm, and the father-son team works to continually improve the operation. Most recently, they have improved productivity by installing a state-of-the-art milking system in the dairy. Courtesy photo

A12

Logan, Utah – Fuhriman Ranch sits in the corner of the Cache Valley where the first settlers to the area weathered harsh winters while cattle perished in a

Wyoming Livestock Roundup

devastating winter storm.

“In 1855, Brigham Young sent some cowboys and nearly 3,000 head of cattle into the Cache Valley,” says Joe Fuhriman,

the patriarch of the ranch today. “The cowboys got here late, and they didn’t have enough time to put up the hay that they needed for cattle.”

The following winter was unsympathetic to the plight of the new immigrants. Scouts sent to provide aid couldn’t reach the Cache Valley because the snow was too deep, and nearly all the cattle perished, as did a number of the cowboys.

Starting a legacy – The Fuhriman family has been in the Cache Valley for over 100 years. Joe Fuhriman’s great-grandfather Jacob emigrated to Salt Lake City, Utah from Switzerland before making his way north. He purchased 80 acres and started the family ranch, which sits at the foothills of the mountains. Courtesy photo

However, in one nook in the Black’s Fork River, to this day, shows remnants of a stockade that likely provided shelter for the first settlers to the region.

“Different stories have arisen about this area, and people that lived here previously found dishes, fire pits and more all used by the settlers who came with cattle in 1855,” Fuhriman explains.

Fuhriman family The Fuhriman family first emigrated to Utah from Switzerland, when Joe’s great-grandfather Jacob moved to Salt Lake City, Utah.

“Brigham Young sent him to Providence to settle, and he started this ranch then,” Joe explains.

“He bought 80 acres, which started it.”

“My grandfather Joseph Henry got that portion from Jacob, and then, of course, my father, Howard Johnson Fuhriman, inherited the ranch,” he continues. “With each generation, we added to the ranch every year. Now, I’ve inherited it, and I’ve added to it, as well.”

Joe’s son Jason works on the operation full-time

today, and Joe says, “He’ll take the ranch over.”

Cattle production The roots of Fuhriman Ranch have always been with the cattle industry.

“We’ve always had cattle,” Joe says, noting his father had Hereford cattle, and he slowly transitioned the ranch to a Red Angus base. “I have a herd of Red Angus, and I love them. I really do.”

Between the disposition of the cattle and their handling ability, Joe comments, “They’re docile, better to handle and better to deal with. They’ve also got good motherly instincts.”

He adds, “Red Angus are what I prefer.”

His son Jason, however, has a herd of AngusSimmental cross cattle.

The operation is a cow/calf operation that is flexible enough to hold heifers through the winter, depending on markets.

“We will finish or feed heifers through the winter and sell them in the spring, too,” Joe comments. “The number fluctuates depending on price and interest in our heifers. If someone wants our heifers,

Continued on next page

Working together – Joe Fuhriman (left) and his son Jason work together at the Fuhriman Ranch, located in the Cache Valley near Logan, Utah. Courtesy photo

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2019 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition

Continued from previous page we’ll sell them, but some years, it pays to keep them through the winter and get them a little bigger.”

Eye on the future As Joe looks forward, he says they will keep expanding to support the families on the operation.

“It seems like everyone in business has to expand every year to keep up with expenses,” he says. “Sometimes it seems like expenses go up more quickly than we can expand, but we try to keep up.”

“It’s hard to stay in business without expanding,” Joe adds.

As he looks across the landscape he grew up on, Joe says, “This area has grown and changed so much in my lifetime. There are houses on benches that were undeveloped. Traffic is a nightmare, and building keeps going and going.”

While expansion never seems to stop, he notes, “The Cache Valley is a beautiful area. We grow good crops, and we have good water.”

“The lifestyle here and the people we deal with keep me in ranching,” Joe comments. “Most ranchers are good, honest people who wouldn’t hurt a fly. I

like that, and this is the life I enjoy.”

At the same time, Joe says the valley feels like one big family, saying, “It’s a wonderful place to live.”

Off the ranch Outside of day-today ranch work, Joe also says it’s essential to be involved in agriculture organizations that support the industry.

“I’ve been with the Utah Cattlemen’s Association for a number of years, and I served as president in 2016-17,” he says. “Today, I’m chairman of the Utah Beef Council.”

He has also served on the Natural Resources Conservation District Board and has implemented many land-leveling and irrigation projects, as well as river projects on his ranch through the organization.

“We have a river that runs through our property, and we’re always doing projects to keep the river in its channel,” Joe explains. “The river fills with gravel, so we have to dredge it, as well as rocking and rip-rapping the banks to keep the river in its channel.”

Through his time serving the agriculture indus-

As Joe Fuhriman looks back through time, he sees that ranching operations were often more diverse than they are today.

“When my dad was ranching, they had a little bit of this and a little bit of that,” he explains. “My dad was more diversified than we are today.”

Fuhriman looks at his father’s operation saying, “My dad raised turkeys. He would start turkeys and at a day old until slaughter. He did 5,000 or 6,000 head a year.”

The ranch also had a small dairy operation, a few chickens, a handful of pigs and more.

“We had a little bit of everything,” he says. “Sometimes I think that might have been a better way to get by back then, rather than how we do it today.”

try, Fuhriman says he has some positive moments, noting one particular event stands out.

“A few years ago, the Milford Flats Fire consumed a large portion of ranchers’ winter range in the central part of the state,” Joe explains.

“Ranchers had nothing to feed their cattle, so I organized a hay drive.”

With the goal of finding a couple of tons of hay to donate to ranchers in the region, Joe was overwhelmed when nearly 1,500 tons of hay came to central Utah.

“I thought a couple of hundred ranches might donate a bale or two, which would give us a little bit to help,” he says, “but it far exceeded that.

Hay came from across the state and even from Wyoming. It was one of the more fun things I’ve done in my life.”

Joe adds, “I like to be involved, so I know what’s going on, but there are times that the opportunity comes, and we can really make a difference and help out. That’s what matters.”

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

“I like to be involved, so I know what’s going on, but there are times that the opportunity comes and we can really make a difference and help out. That’s what matters.” – Joe Fuhriman

Love of the work – In addition to cattle, the Fuhrimans enjoy using horses on their operation for cattle work. Courtesy photo

A14

Castle Dale, Utah – The Johansen family’s roots extend back to the mid1800s, when Peter Johansen left Denmark to settle in Mount Pleasant, Utah.

“In 1875, they followed the cowherd and sheep over the mountain and helped settle Castle Valley,” says Jonathan Johansen, the current owner/operator of Johansen

Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Herefords. “The family ran sheep until 1948.”

Jonathan’s grandfather Eugene and his uncle Merrial ran about 150 head of commercial cattle, all of which were straight Herefords. It wasn’t until the operation transitioned to Eugene’s son Craig that the purebred Hereford operation was launched.

“My dad’s passion for

Hereford cattle, as well as the demand for Hereford bulls in the area, led him to start the purebred herd in 1979,” Jonathan explains. “He found his niche in providing bulls to the local area, as well as in the rest of Utah, western Colorado and beyond.”

He continues, “We are celebrating 40 years of performance breeding in 2019.

We have now placed bulls throughout the western states and the Midwest, and we can easily send bulls anywhere in the United States.”

Craig is still engaged in the day-to-day work of the operation at 77 years old, but Jonathan and his brothers Justin and Merrial are deeply involved with the ranch.

“I am responsible for the cows, the purebred operation and the breeding program,” Jonathan explains. “Justin and Merrial are more focused on farming and irrigating.”

Family from the start – Since the mid-1800s when Peter Johansen came to Mount Pleasant, Utah from Denmark, the Johansen family has continued to raise Hereford cattle together on the same property that was homesteaded in 1875. Courtesy photo

Developing the breed As Jonathan looks at the bones of the Hereford operation, he explains they have built a breeding program around Line One bloodlines.

“We go to the Coopers, Holdens and Miles City to buy our herd bulls there,” Jonathan says. “We have a passion for improving our cattle and providing something commercial cattlemen need in our arid environment.”

On the Colorado Plateau, Castle Dale sees seven to nine inches of rain in an average year. When drought hits, they might only see four inches of rain or less.

“Even when we have severe drought, our cows stay fleshy and wean a good calf,” Jonathan comments.

Genetic focus In the 40 years since the Johansen family has developed a program that provides the female as a base for the herd.

“We have a firm belief that our female is the base of the operation. It’s important that she’s fertile and has the ability to convert milk into a big calf at fall weaning,” he says. “These maternal blood lines have proven to survive and even thrive in our environment.”

Jonathan adds, “Line One genetics have proven to exhibit predictability, hardiness, mothering ability and muscle expression.”

In addition, they focus on six essential characteristics, including disposition, fertility, weight per day of age, conformation, hardiness and milk production.

“We are proud that our program can bring these advantages to the commercial working rancher,” Jonathan explains. “We don’t chase fads, and our herd bulls don’t show up in show circles.”

He continues that the

program strives to provide the advantages of heterosis to maximize the potential for commercial buyers, noting that research shows a higher calving rate, higher calf survival, increased efficiency, increased longevity and increased lifetime productivity in F1 cows.

“The bottom line is, using our bulls in a commercial program will not only improve the calf crop from the positive traits of the Hereford breed but also those gained by using Line One genetics,” Jonathan comments.

Public lands ranchers Johansen Herefords run on public lands for much of the year.

“In January, we’re coming off Bureau of Land Management (BLM) desert permits on the San Rafael Swell,” Jonathan comments. “We start calving the last week of January and go heavy for about two months.”

At the same time, they start feeding hay.

“After calving, we separate the cows into different pastures for breeding in late April,” Jonathan explains.

“We rely heavily on walking herd sires. Because of this, we strive to find the top bulls to work here on the ranch. We also use artificial insemination (AI) for our heifers and about one-third of the mature cows.”

The heifers are AI’ed to low birthweight Hereford bulls to accelerate the quality of the herd, and the mature cows are AI’ed to the top bulls in the Line One breed.

By the end of June, the cows must be bred before they go to a U.S. Forest Service permit in the Manti-La Sal National Forest on a common allotment with nearly 800 other cows.

“The cows are moved periodically, depending on

Continued on next page

Hereford cattle – The Line One Hereford breed is the foundation of Johansen Herefords. When used as sires in commercial cattle operations, the Johansen family says heterosis provides higher calving rates, higher calf survival, increased efficiency, increased longevity and increased lifetime productivity of F1 cows. Courtesy photo

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2019 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition

Continued from previous page the availability of forage,” he says. “We move the cattle off the forest in September and October. We also have a little bit of private land near the forest permit that allows us to keep the cattle on the mountain a little bit longer.”

At that point, the cows return to Castle Valley, where calves are weaned. Then, cows return to the BLM permit for 90 days before calving starts and the year starts over.

Bull production As a purebred operation, Johansen sells bulls private treaty each spring, focusing on both yearling and twoyear-old bulls.

Data on the bulls is collected from birth until they are yearlings. The bulls are sold with a full breeding soundness exam, and the bulls are PAP tested, as well.

“We want to stay in the breeding business for another 40 years, so we make sure that the customer is happy.

Our bulls come with a guarantee on their first breeding season,” Jonathan notes.

“We also sell females, heifers and bred females every fall,” he says. “Part of them go to registered herds and part go to commercial operations, but all the livestock we sell are purebred and can be registered.”

Farming In addition to the cattle, the Johansen family also farms and irrigates primarily alfalfa hay for their cattle and horses.

“We get two solid cuttings and part of a third, depending on the year,” Jonathan says, “but we still have to purchase up to one-third of the hay we use.”

Future growth With a history of growth,

Jonathan says, “Our future is progress.”

“We’ve slowly expanded starting 10 years ago,” he comments. “We were running 90 to 100, up to 125 head now.”

Jonathan continues, “Our expansion is, in part, due to the fact that we’ve slowly purchased more land and pasture.”

Also, the family has transitioned from flood irrigation to pressurized sprinkler, pivots and wheel lines, increasing their efficiency and their crop production.

“As we’ve expanded, I’ve seen the quality of our bulls increase, as well,” he says. “We cull hard and keep 50 percent of our bull calves as bulls. We’re keeping a happy medium for the number of bulls we want to produce.”

Castle Valley agriculture The strong agriculture industry in the Castle Valley supports Johansen Herefords, and he notes the connection he feels to the area is strong.

“We could go to other areas of the country – be it north, west or east – and find better land, more moisture and more feed, but the thing that keeps us here is our heritage,” Jonathan comments. “We have five generations using this land. As the original settlers of this land, we take a lot of pride in the stewardship of our range.”

He adds, “Our cattle thrive in this environment, and we’re going to continue to produce them.”

Visit johansenherefords. com for more information on Johansen Herefords and their breeding program.

They can also be found on

Producing bulls – With 40 years in the seedstock business, Johansen Herefords produces high-quality bulls that are guaranteed for the first breeding season. They sell both yearling and two-year-old bulls to meet their customers’ needs. Courtesy photo

Facebook, Twitter and Instagram by searching @johansenherefords.

Saige Albert is manag-

ing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

“We have a passion for improving our cattle and providing something we think commercial cattlemen need in our arid environment.” – Jonathan Johansen

Public lands – For much of the year, the cattle at Johansen Herefords graze on Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service permits.

Summers are spent on the Manti-La Sal National Forest, while they spend the fall and early winter months on the San Rafael Swell. Courtesy photo

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Redmond, Utah – The town of Redmond, Utah is home of Redmond Minerals, Inc. “Within Redmond Minerals, there are five sales divisions,” says Aaron Elison, agriculture marketing and sales team leader at Redmond Agriculture. “Many people probably know about Redmond Minerals by our product Real Salt.”

However, Redmond’s product portfolio is much more expansive and has a specific segment aimed at serving the agriculture industry.

“Agriculture is one of Redmond Minerals five sales divisions,” says Aaron. “We have equine, industrial and wildlife industries that all use these products.”

From formation In 1958, two brothers from central Utah owned the land that Redmond Minerals mines salt and volcanic clay from today. They had sold the products for many years before 1958, but it wasn’t until then that Redmond Minerals was first incorporated.

“The clay and salt deposits have been used for many years, though,” Aaron explains. “Going back to Native American days, Redmond Salt has been found in New Mexico’s Indian Ruins and beyond.”

Wildlife were attracted to the product, and settlers to the region began to chisel it out to feed to their livestock.

“In 1958, the brothers incorporated as a business, and we’ve been selling both products since then,” Aaron says. “We work to continually grow and develop.”

Products Redmond Agriculture strives to be “the foundation of every mineral program on the farm and ranch,” Aaron comments. “We have two naturally occurring mineral deposits here that everything we do comes from.”

He continues, “One of those products is salt, which many people know us by, and the other is a volcanic clay. All of these products are for agriculture, and they came to be used in mineral programs for all types of animals – including livestock and horses – and some fertilizer programs.”

Salt Redmond’s salt mines extract over 600,000 tons of salt each year. The bulk of their product is used for industrial purposes. The agriculture salt is primarily used as a mineral supplement in animal diets.

“Redmond Salt is different from any other salt,” Aaron explains. “Our unique balance of minerals comes directly from an ancient mineral sea bed – harvested here in America and delivered exactly as nature intended.”

He continues, “When this deposit was laid down, over 60 naturally occurring min-

erals were laid down with it.

This mineral mix is in really close balance and proportion to the naturally occurring concentrations in the bloodstream of animals and humans.”

“We see a balanced mineral program including the salt for these animals,” Aaron comments. “The animals recognize the balance of our product, and they love Redmond Salt.”

Anecdotal evidence from numerous ranchers shows that Redmond Salt is readily consumed, and livestock perform better when Redmond Salt is used in the mineral programs.

Aaron adds, “We have tons of anecdotal evidence, but we’ve also done a lot more research in the last few years to back up those stories from producers.”

Because of the size of the dairy customer base in the U.S., Aaron says much of their research has focused on dairy cattle, but they also see the same kinds of results in beef cattle, as well.

“We’ve incorporated Redmond Salt into rations and measured reproductive data and more,” Aaron says.

“We’ve also researched our volcanic clay product, looking at buffering capacity, liver biopsies and blood work to look at mineral concentrations and see the impacts of Redmond’s products.”

Volcanic clay Redmond Agriculture’s second largest product is its volcanic clay.

Aaron explains, “There are 180 different kinds of bentonite clay, and bentonite is a product of 1,000 uses.”

The volcanic clay was formed under intense heat, which makes the minerals in the product highly available for animal consumption.

“Because of its properties, Redmond Conditioner, which is the name of our volcanic clay product, shows increased digestibility of forages, toxin binding and buffering, as well as mineral content,” Aaron explains.

Redmond Conditioner is best used when incorporated into feeds because it is not sweet, salty or sour so cattle mainly access it in times of need.

“Grain-fed animals have a lot more stress in the rumen, and they willingly eat Redmond Conditioner free choice, while animals on the range eat a lot less of it,” he says. “It’s best incorporated into feeds to get the highest benefit.”

Availability Redmond Agriculture’s products are available from dealers across the West, but for farmers and ranchers who don’t have a dealer in their area, Redmond sells directly, as well.

“We rely on our dealer network across the country and around the world to distribute our products,” Aaron

explains. “We sell in seven countries and all 50 states.”

As far as Redmond’s supply, Aaron says, “There are gobs of both salt and volcanic clay in the ground, so we’re not worried about this running out.”

Ag future Aaron sees a bright future for the agriculture industry and Redmond Agriculture.

“We’re very excited about our product because we’ve been around long enough that ranchers know and are talking about how well these products work and how affordable they are,” he comments.

“The value proposition for ranchers is good, as well,” Aaron continues. “We save ranchers money with our salt, and it also makes the livestock better.”

The Redmond Ag sales team is composed of people born and raised in the agriculture industry.

“Most of us have come from production agriculture, and we all love this industry,” Aaron says. “We love the industry, and we love to help

people and these great products allow us to do this.”

He adds, “Redmond Salt is a product that man can’t create. Nobody can blend this product or put it together.

We’re just trying to sell a good product and do it with integrity to help the agricul-

ture industry.”

Visit Redmond Agriculture online at redmondagriculture.com.

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

Redmond mines – Redmond Agriculture mines salt and volcanic ash from naturally occurring mines in central Utah. Their products come from ancient mineral sea beds, and over 60 naturally occurring minerals are present in the salt and volcanic ash. Courtesy photo

B2

Randolph, Utah – Wine Cup Cattle Company, Inc. is a fourth and fifth generation family operation, and the Westons raise more than just cattle.

Wyoming Livestock Roundup

“Two of my sons work with me on the ranch, where we run a cow/calf herd, a few heifers and some bulls,” says Monty Weston. “We also raise a few horses.”

Monty has lived and worked at Wine Cup Cattle Company since he and his brothers split their family operation in 2003 and formed their own opera-

Raising horses – In addition to cattle, the Weston family raises their own ranch horses to use when working cattle. Courtesy photo

tions.

He grew up working with his dad and uncles on their family ranch, and when he turned 18, that operation was split. Monty stayed on with his father to help run his newly formed operation.

“My dad and my brothers ran the JW Ranching Company operation together, and then we split it up,” Monty explains. “Now, my boys, Monty Brett and Joseph Hansen Weston, are here with me on the Wine Cup.” Cattle herd The cattle at the Weston family operation are 90 percent Black Angus, meeting buyer demands today.

“I used to be straight Hereford, but as our buyers started to ask what percentage of black our herd was, we decided to make our herd black,” Monty says.

He strives for a mediumframed cow that tops out around 1,100 pounds but brings home a 600-pound calf.

“In our area, it’s pretty cold in the wintertime, and it takes a lot of feed. A smaller cow is better for us because we can get a better return on a big calf,” he adds.

Calving season for Wine Cup Cattle Company begins by the first of April after spring starts to show up. By the beginning of May, they brand calves before going to summer range in the forest on June 12.

Running on U.S. Forest Service allotments brings its own set of challenges, particularly as administrations in Washington, D.C. change and new regulations pop up.

Next steps “The cattle stay on the forest until Sept. 20, when they come home,” Monty explains. “Of course, when we get cows home, we give them vaccinations and get ready to ship.”

Calves are shipped in the middle of November.

The Westons market

“The cattle do well here. Our ranch does well, and it works to raise cattle here.” – Monty Weston their cattle using Superior Livestock Auction’s Sheridan Video Sale each year, but Monty notes marketing has changed dramatically since he first started.

“We used to load our calves on a railroad car and take them to Omaha, Neb. to sell,” he says. “Now, we put them on the video and let the whole country look at our calves. I think, for the most part, the industry is doing well with these changes.”

After shipping, cows are pregnancy checked, receiving another round of vaccines, before they head to winter range.

“We feed some of our cattle through the winter, and the rest go to the desert in mid-January,” Monty says.

Those cows that stay near the home place are fed on grass hay.

“We also grow all of our hay,” Monty explains. “Most of our hay is from meadows, so we get one cutting and then use the regrowth for fall grazing. We also have some alfalfa, but not a lot.”

Love of ranching Wine Cup Cattle Company utilizes horses for all their cattle work, and Monty says, “We love ranching and riding.”

Everything from roundups to branding and sorting is done on horseback.

“We cut cattle and sort on horseback. We brand and bring our calves to the fire with horses,” Monty comments. “Everything is done with horses.”

“We’re a hands-on operation every day,” says Monty. “My son Joseph works here full time with me.”

Joseph graduated from Utah State University with a degree in ag business, and Monty says, “Joseph helps with a lot of the business decisions. My oldest son, Monty Brett, graduated from Utah State University with a bio-vet degree

but chose to be a dentist.

He has a good overview of the operation and helps out when he can.”

Monty Brett’s sons are also involved in the work of the operation.

“We run a family operation here,” Monty comments.

Looking forward In the next 10 to 15 years, Monty and the Weston family hope for strength in the cattle industry to support their family moving forward.

“If we could have $3 calves, that would be good, too,” says Monty. “With input prices on everything doubling, it would be nice to see the same thing happen for us.”

He continues, “In this country, we’re surrounded by cattle. The agriculture industry is strong.”

While the summertime is warm, Monty says it doesn’t get too hot, and the winters are usually not overly cold or snowy.

“The cattle do well here,” he comments. “Our ranch does well, and it works to raise cattle here.”

Way of life The Weston family has maintained the ranch because of their love for the industry and the associated way of life.

“This is a good place to raise a family. All my kids, three sons and five daughters, have learned to work here, and they’ve worked hard. They’ve also been successful in all they’ve done,” Monty explains. “That’s all that I can ask for.”

On top of the family connection, Monty continues, “We love ranching and riding, too. Here at Wine Cup Cattle Company, we’re just cowboys, and we love it.”

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

Working together – Monty Weston and his wife enjoy working together at Wine Cup Cattle Company. The couple has enjoyed raising their family and raising livestock outside of Randolph, Utah. Courtesy photo

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2019 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition

“A recent study showed that if Utahns spent just 10 percent more on local businesses, it could keep up to $1.3 billion in our state’s economy every year,” says Andy Pierucci, director of the Marketing, Communications and Economic Development Division at the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food.

“Supporting our local food producers creates more jobs for residents, provides extra tax revenues for local governments and provides you with products that simply taste better.”

As a result, the Utah’s Own program was created to help market and promote the local agriculture industry and bring awareness to small, local food producers around the state.

About 25 years ago, the Utah’s Own program was formed in a variety of different forms. In 2016, the program was re-branded to re-emphasize the food and agriculture industries.

“The program has seen a lot of success since the rebrand,” Andy comments. “Our mission is to help educate food lovers about the economic impact of supporting local, small food producers and showcase the incredibly large and diverse local product offering our great state has.”

From honey and cheese to produce and meat products, Utah’s Own, which is a program of the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, provides the outlet to fresh, high-quality products.

Today, over 600 total member companies are involved in the program, and 300 companies actively engage in the activities provided by Utah’s Own. Re-branding From 2016 to early 2018, Utah’s Own launched an effort to rebrand the program and emphasize the agriculture industry in particular.

“This program is part of the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, so we wanted to ensure that companies involved were actually food companies,” Andy says. “Farmers, ranchers and agriculture businesses should bene-

fit the most from this program.”

Additionally, companies must comply with Utah Department of Agriculture and Food regulatory requirements.

“When consumers see the Utah’s Own brand, they can trust that not only is the product local but it’s also a safe, quality product,” Andy emphasizes.

“When they see Utah’s Own, consumers will know that the product comes from their neighbors, friends, family and farmers in the state,” he continues.

“We are continuing brand awareness and brand promotion.”

Program benefits Utah’s Own has conducted studies across the state, finding benefits that come from local businesses.

“Studies conducted in Salt Lake City, Ogden and Wayne counties show that locally owned retailers return 55.3 percent of their revenue to the local economy,” Utah’s Own website explains. “That’s compared to just 13.6 percent of revenue from national chain researchers.”

The program adds, “That means every dollar spent at a locally owned, independent business returns more than four times more to the local economy than a dollar spent at a national chain retailer.”

One of the primary reasons many shoppers buy local is for freshness, according to a study from the Food Marketing Institute.

“Whether it’s farmto-table produce or other locally made products, food made in Utah travels far less to get to tables. The extra fresh flavors in every bite set Utah’s Own companies apart,” Utah’s Own says.

Company benefits Utah’s Own is a program that provides benefits for local companies, as well. Any Utah company that produces food and or beverage for human consumption – or value-added skincare products incorporating agriculture ingredients from Utah – is eligible to be involved in the program.

In addition, companies must pay a nominal fee, have a valid business license and be registered with the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food Regulatory Division.

Once accepted into the program, participants receive marketing and promotion on the website and social media channels and the opportunity for industry networking. In addition, business consultation and grant funding are available to Utah’s Own member companies.

In addition, Utah’s Own provides regular training programs to its members aimed at helping them to be as successful as possible.

“Multiple times a month, we do training,” Andy explains. “This month, for example, we’re hosting a social media training that goes through the nuts and bolts of utilizing social media.”

In addition, the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food provides training on topics like labeling, selling to grocery stores and food service companies, export mechanisms and more.

Andy adds, “We want to help companies understand what they can do to expand their businesses and increase their bottom line.”

Available products

“Utah is wellrenowned for its delicious fruits, vegetables and other crops,” Utah’s Own says.

“For most Utah’s Own farms, the farmer’s touch has been passed down for generations, and they continue to spend day and night working to get the freshest produce in consumers’ hands.”

While food and agriculture products are the staples of Utah’s Own, the program also hosts an array of body care product producers.

“Our local body care product producers use locally sourced agriculture ingredients to bring the Utah touch to skin,” Utah’s Own says, noting that the program has locally made soaps, lotions, balms and oils, all created from products in the state.

Andy explains that purchasing local food and foods branded with the Utah’s Own label provides more income for local farmers and ranchers and makes communities throughout the state stronger.

“Agriculture is incredibly important in Utah. It’s the fourth largest export industry and one of the top employers, both for raw products and food processing,” he says. “Agriculture is incredibly vital to the

future of Utah.”

“It’s the farmer’s touch and Utah soil that makes every bite satisfying,” Utah’s Own adds. “Utah’s Own features quality products made in our own backyard.”

Learn more about Utah’s Own at utahsown. org.

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

Unique products – Utah’s Own products are wide ranging, but they share a common tie in their relationship to agriculture. All products must use Utah agriculture goods to support the agriculture industry.

Zollinger’s apple cider, for example, is made in Logan, Utah using local produce. Courtesy photo

B4

In 1870, Utah Livestock Growers Association was formed when livestock producers joined together to protect the interests of the livestock industry.

“Next year, we will celebrate our 150th Anniversary,” says Utah Cattlemen’s Association Executive Director Brent Tanner.

The current name Utah Cattlemen’s Association (UCA) wasn’t adopted until February 1956.

At that time, UCA also adopted eight original points of purpose to govern the activity of the association.

UCA strives to pro-

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mote and protect the business of raising beef cattle; improve the quality of cattle and beef produced; uphold the rights of all persons engaged in the cattle business; encourage legislation designed to reinforce and improve the cattle business; oppose legislation devised to injure and/ or destroy the cattle business; support and establish the adoption of good principles of raising and marketing cattle; encourage state and local exhibits and contests planned to fortify the cattle business; and assist in asserting or defending the rights of

UCA members that affect their growing operations.

Membership “Utah is predominantly a cow/calf state, and the majority of our members are cow/calf producers,” Brent says. “We have members of all sizes – large and small, and we have a few cattle feeders, as well.”

Purebred breeders are also members of the association.

He adds, “Predominantly, however, the issues we face tend to be around the issues of cow/calf production.”

Utah cattle issues “We’re working on a number of issues, and one of our top concerns is not unique to just Utah,” Brent explains. “Several states across the West are dealing with wild horses and burros.”

“We’ve got some very serious issues with animals being over their allocated numbers, and they’re doing resource damage,” he continues. “There’s no simple answer to that issue, but we are heavily engaged in addressing wild horses and burros.”

Leadership – The leadership of the Utah Cattlemen’s Association is focused on advocating for cattle producers across the state. Leaders include Past President Joe Fuhriman, Second Vice President Jeff Young, Second Vice President Dan Crozier, President Mark Wintch, First Vice President Tracy Hatch and Second Vice President Joseph Weston. Courtesy photo

Further, Brent notes UCA works consistently with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources in a variety of ways.

“When one has as many elk and other wildlife as we have in Utah, some issues come up in the interface with cattle,” he comments. “We find that, while we butt heads on some issues, there are a lot of issues we work arm-in-arm on. It’s been an interesting relationship.”

In particular, Brent says that recently, wildlife and recreation advocates have joined forces with the cattle industry as organizations against ranching on public lands are also targeting hunting and wildlife issues.

“We’ve been working and trying to develop a better relationship with the sportsmen in our state,” Brent notes.

Recently, a reform of the brand inspection program in the state has been a top priority.

“We’ve spent hours and hours in meetings to look into alternatives to our current brand system,” he explains. “On the surface, we thought about different ways we could change the program, but it looks like we’ll end up keeping the system.”

Brent adds, “It was a

healthy exercise to vet the service and the program we have in place.”

Bigger picture UCA is also involved in cattle industry issues at the national level.

“Public lands issues are a challenge,” Brent says.

“We’re the second-largest public lands state, in terms of percentage of land in the state.”

For Utah, monuments are also a big concern, as the state still feels the challenges associated with President Trump’s action reducing the size of monuments in Utah.

“Recently, Utah’s Senators in Congress introduced legislation trying to get Utah exempted from the Antiquities Act, as Wyoming is. We’re working to get Utah exempted,” he says.

Working together With cattle producers joining together in UCA, Brent explains the cattle industry as a whole sees benefits.

“The biggest benefits the cattlemen’s association provides is a collective voice and representation,” he says. “Ranchers are busy, and they’re busy doing what they do well.

Sometimes hearings or regulatory meetings don’t fit in their schedule. UCA staff is there to speak on their behalf.”

Additionally, UCA provides an opportunity for networking.

“When I visit with members and ask them what the biggest benefit of UCA is for them and their operation, our members often mention the fact that they have the ability to network with industry experts,” Brent explains.

“Members can come to meetings, hear what other people have going on or what other people are doing and maybe get a few tips on management techniques.”

He adds, “From a member perspective, a lot of times, networking and education is a priority.”

Leadership A Board of Directors leads the work of UCA made up of six individuals who are selected and elected by the membership.

“We have a nominating committee that brings in people to make sure we have representation from all areas of the state,” Brent explains. “These are amazing producers who really have an interest in the state.”

He notes sometimes, producers work through issues, but they maintain a focus of their operations first.

“Our Board of Directors is really focused on the best interests of Utah’s cattle industry as a whole,” Brent says. “Our board is a group of individuals who are working for the best of the industry, who are open to hearing peoples’ problems and concerns and who try to do the best for the industry statewide.”

Brent summarizes, “We are following a tradition of many years of livestock men coming together to work on issues.”

Visit the Utah Cattlemen’s Association online at utahcattlemen.org or contact Brent Tanner at brent@utahcattlemen.org.

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

B5

2019 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition

Looking back to the beginning of statehood, Utah has always maintained a strong, thriving agriculture industry, and the rich history in the region has long supported producers.

In 1896, Utah was officially admitted to the union, and a publication titled Utah Agriculture 1896 looks at the struggles and joys of the agriculture industry at the time.

In 1896, the average family in Utah was a family of five, and the state’s population was nearly 276,000.

Over 19,000 farms dotted the Utah landscape, most of which were just 50 acres in size.

One hundred years later, 13,000 farms averaging 850 acres spread across the state.

According to the Utah History Encyclopedia, early towns were laid out in grids with small farms adjacent to the cities, and by 1900, more than 400 farm towns were established.

“Diversified, self-sustaining agriculture was dominant,” says Utah History Encyclopedia.

Even early Salt Lake City was said to resemble “a gigantic village” more than a traditional city, with many residents living near the land, where they had gardens and raised chickens and milk cows.

Overview “Life on the farm in 1896 was, for the most part, enjoyable and fruitful,” reads the document.

“Steam-powered tractors and threshers increased the production and changed the face of agriculture across the country.”

At the time, one-third of jobs in the state were related to the agriculture industry, which reflected in their growing economy.

The document continues, “Farming continued to be the predominant way of life during Utah’s first year of statehood, as 62 percent of the population was rural.

By 1896, the inhospitable

soil encountered by Mormon pioneers five decades earlier was well irrigated and made to blossom.”

“The values learned from nurturing life-giving crops from the stubborn soil remain in many Utahns today,” it adds.

Crop industry Utah pioneers planted the state’s first crops in July of 1847, according to Utah Agriculture 1896, prioritizing crop production over the building of houses and stores.

Early crops included potatoes, beans, corn, oats and buckwheat, all of which were carried with pioneers as they came to Utah.

The top-produced crops in 1896 included oats, barley and wheat, along with hay and grass, which supported the livestock industry.

In 1896, farmers earned 39 cents a bushel for oats, 42 cents a bushel for barley and 68 cents a bushel for wheat.

At the same time, Utah Agriculture 1896 indicates that farmers began to change from subsistence farming to commercial agriculture, looking to expand their operations and improve their lives.

“Utah farmers changed the types of crops they grew during the years leading to statehood. Instead of focusing on self-sufficiency – merely raising crops for family use – farmers began raising crops for commercial markets,” it reads. “Farmers were seeking the better life offered by commercial enterprise.”

Agriculture continued to expand, and the industry supported the state’s population.

Ranching At the same time, the ranching industry also began to grow.

“The number of sheep increased from 230,000 in 1880 to about 4 million by 1896,” the document reads.

“The number of cattle increased from 91,000 in

1880 to more than 300,000 by 1896.”

Utah Agriculture 1896 continues, “Captain Howard Stansbury reported that in the area west of the Jordan River, a hardy grass called ‘bunch-grass’ grew in sufficient quantity to afford ‘excellent pasture to numerous head of cattle.”

Troy Forrest, of the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, says, “Livestock grazing began in Utah with the arrival of the pioneers in 1847.

Livestock production has increased over the years to parallel territory and population growth.”

However, by 1890, he notes ranges were soon overstocked, and heavy grazing damaged rangelands and watersheds, causing soil erosion and increasing natural disasters such as floods.

Sheep production “Sheep production was the dominant sector in Utah at the start of the 1900s, reaching a peak of nearly 3 million sheep and lambs by 1930,” Forrest continues. “In 1929, at the onset of the Great Depres-

sion, wool was selling at the highest price ever. This trend, however, like everything else in the economy, was badly hurt by the economic downturn and was sent tumbling downward in 1929.”

The passage of the Taylor Grazing Act in 1934 significantly affected sheep producers, Forrest notes, saying the industry fell to nearly 1 million head following the passage of the act.

At the same time, the number of cattle produced began to increase, as producers switched from sheep to cattle.

“The number of beef cows in Utah has nearly doubled between 1920 and 2008 to become what is now the dominant sector in Utah agriculture,” he says.

Impacts of industry With the industrial revolution also came improvements for the agriculture industry, and by the early 20th century, some of the wealthier families in the state owned or shared equipment.

“Population growth, improved irrigation and well drilling and dry farming techniques helped increase the number of acres farmed in Utah three-

fold, from 1.3 million acres to 4.1 million acres,” Utah Agriculture 1896 says.

Farms and ranches began to expand, and farmers and ranchers adjusted to newly created markets and opportunities in the industry.

“After a lull early in the new century, land use boomed again between 1909 and 1918, when settlers entered an average of 575,000 new acres each year,” the Utah History Encyclopedia says. “The number of farms increased from 10,517 in 1890 to an all-time high of 30,695 in 1935. This was due, in part, to mounting faith in the technology of dry farming.”

Dryland farming techniques became more popular, and Utah’s Agricultural College – now Utah State University – established six experiment farms to hone dryland farming methods better.

Continued advancement The agriculture industry continued to grow and change as farmers shifted their operations.

In 1891, sugarbeets emerged as a competitive crop, and 20 sugar processing plants were built between 1891 and 1918. At the time, sugar production

was only second to mining in the state, with farmers producing $28 million worth of sugar in 1920.

“Dairying, truck crops, orchards and canneries also flourished,” says the Utah History Encyclopedia. “With more than half the state’s canneries, a modest meatpacking industry and enough milling to make it one of the 10 leading centers nationally, Ogden was easily the state’s most important agricultural manufacturing center.”

When the great depression hit and prices fell, many farmers began to leave their farms, favoring urban areas and business.

“The farm population reached a maximum of 132,000 in 1910, and then fell each decade until, by 1940, only 94,000 remained,” the encyclopedia says. “Although fewer than 13,000 families still farmed in the 1980s, land values and rural ways continued to reflect strong sentiments and preference.

In 1990, as in 1847, agriculture was important to Utahns.”

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

B6

For nearly a decade, Utah’s Department of Education has taken a large role in the Farm to School movement in Utah and is leading the charge to bring local produce to the K-12 education system.

“In the last two years, we have really revamped our whole Farm to School task force at the state level,” comments Brett Milliken, who serves as the state lead for Utah’s Farm to School program. “I’ve been at Jordan School District for four years.”

In addition to Brett, the Utah Farm to Fork Task Force, consisting of supporting partners from across the state, does much of the legwork to improve relationships between schools and farmers around the state.

Brett says, “We’ve gotten more organized and strategic in our programming in

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the last couple of years to be more effective in our planning and to reach more people.”

Challenges While Utah’s system thrives during production months, Brett notes Utah’s growing season provides a bit of a challenge.

“Agriculture in Utah is similar to Wyoming as far as the land available, crops planted and our growing season,” Brett says. “When we look at a state like California, with a long growing season and a wide variety of produce, they have a bit of an advantage.”

However, Utah’s Farm to School Program can provide local produce during the growing season of late spring through the fall.

He says, “We haven’t really tapped into winter crops, stored crops or early spring crops yet, though we

are making an effort to promote those items.”

“Also, the majority of Farm to School programs don’t provide any proteins – no eggs, beef or poultry, with the exception of turkey from Norbest, which is headquartered in Utah,” Brett explains. “We’re starting to explore adding local proteins in our cafeterias.”

Geographical differences Also, the geographic diversity in the state of Utah means each school district often faces a separate set of challenges in providing local food. The degree to which each district utilizes local produce on their menu varies across the state.

“Jordan and Provo School Districts have been bringing local food in the longest,” Brett says. “We’re starting to see more school districts and charter schools adding local produce to their

cafeterias.”

He continues, “The National Farm to School Network is encouraging more early childhood centers to utilize local food, as well.”

Food in schools Today, many school districts have introduced their students to leafy greens and radishes produced by local farmers. Sweet corn and apples are also commonly used in school lunches.

“We use apples, pears, peaches, raspberries and blackberries,” Brett adds.

“We also use a lot of cherry tomatoes.”

As the program works to introduce new foods to the program, they also work to incorporate fruits and vegetables that work well for nutrition staff.

“We have tried to use winter squash, but it requires a lot of preparation and work, which our cafeteria staff doesn’t always have time to do,” he explains.

Growing and expanding To continue to expand the program, Brett explains that the Utah Farm to Fork

Task Force is developing a database to introduce new and existing farmers to new school districts.

“Our task force committees are reaching out and adding farmers into a database to help make connections with farmers who are interested in providing produce for farm to fork programs,” he says. “At the state level, we’re trying to jump the hurdle of making the first connection and starting from scratch.”

Brett continues, “It’s hard to make the cold calls and do initial visits.”

Currently, the task force is reaching out to small farmers who are communitybased and want to influence agriculture education.

The state program also has plans to set up farmer “speed-dating” to connect individuals.

“We’ll bring in farmers and consumers to meet oneon-one or give presentations to small groups about the crops they produce and their operation,” he says. “We’re trying to drum up some interest in the program.”

Opportunities Brett says he and the task force actively promote the farm to school program, working with nutrition service departments, cafeteria staff and educators to also bring an element of agriculture education to the program.

“When students get corn on the cob, they know it’s local corn, and they know it’s a special day,” he comments. “However, when they get lettuce and apples, they don’t always know it’s coming from a local farmer.

They know the quality is better. They know it tastes better, and they’re more apt to try it. They might not know, though, that it comes from somewhere near their school.”

“There is a great opportunity for the farm to school program to get more involvement from students and more buy-in with agricultural edu-

cation,” Brett says.

The next steps With a growing number of school gardens and hands-on activities for students related to agriculture, Brett says he sees that students are excited about eating locally grown produce and even growing produce themselves.

“My first year in this project, we had students who didn’t know where radishes came from or how they grew.

It was mind-blowing for them to harvest the radishes we grew in school gardens,” he explains. “We grew herbs and did integrated science projects and art projects with the plants they were growing.”

The kitchen staff has even worked to show students how to use herbs in daily cooking.

“School gardens are great, but they also need to be integrated into the curriculum,” Brett emphasizes.

“Whether second graders are learning how to read a ruler by measuring the plants they’re growing or learning the difference between plants and animals, one real hurdle is providing resources and curriculum for teachers.”

Because teachers are already overwhelmed by making sure they get all their standards addressed, Brett says the task force is working to promote education about food and agriculture by providing resources, so teachers don’t have to reinvent the wheel.

“Students are more apt to try foods they can grow,” Brett comments. “Seeing students go outside, dig a hole, plant seeds and watch produce grow gets them excited. If we can involve them and teach them about food and agriculture, it gives them an experience they will carry through their whole lives.”

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

New foods – Brent Milliken explains that children in Utah schools are more likely to try foods they are unfamiliar with, like radishes, if they are grown locally or at the school. Radishes grown in Jordan School District’s farm are a big hit during school lunches. Courtesy photo

B7

2019 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition

Tooele, Utah – In 1926, Utah Wool Marketing Association (UWMA) started in Salt Lake City, Utah, as a group of producers sought a local place to bring wool so it could be marketed more easily.

Today, the consignment wool warehouse buys and sells wool on a daily basis, weighing and coring wool to determine the yield, micron and vegetable matter of each sample.

“Every lot of wool is sampled, and that sample is sent to Yocum McColl in Denver, Colo.,” explains Will Griggs, manager of UWMA. “They analyze the samples scientifically and let us know about dirt, grease and average fiber diameter, as well as other test results.”

Primarily, yield, micron and vegetable matter composition are the most-used pieces of the testing sample.

Wool producers are charged a small commission for UWMA’s services, Will says, noting they also have to charge for freight occasionally.

“Our goal is to keep as much money in producers’ pockets as possible while earning enough to cover our overhead at the end of the year,” he comments.

Wool auctions For the last decade, UWMA hosts four annual wool auctions, where they invite buyers from around the country to come to the warehouse and place sealed bids on wool lots.

“Our first wool auction is typically in April,

and we sell typically around a million pounds of wool,” Will explains.

“We have another one in May that’s around a million pounds, and then we sell 300,000 to 400,000 pounds of wool.”

The final wool auction is held in November or December, and another 300,000 to 400,000 pounds of wool are sold.

“We invite our domestic buyers to come to the warehouse and inspect the wool,” he says. “We have all of the core information, weights and bale count for each lot. Samples and core data are provided, as well. The buyers look at each lot, and they give us a sealed bid for the wool.”

At the end of the auction, the high bidder is announced, but the price isn’t announced until the conclusion of the sale, when all winning bidders and prices are announced.

“We also sell some wool outside of the auctions,” Griggs explains.

“Sometimes, we have buyers who come up and inspect the wool, and we sell some other wool private treaty, under contract.”

In 2018, 3.8 million greasy pounds of wool were handled by UWMA. While the year was an anomaly, they handle around 3.4 to sometimes over 4 million pounds of wool annually.

Wool collection In addition, Will travels the northwest in July, collecting wool from wool pools all over the North-

Baled wool – After wool is baled, core samples are taken, and then the wool is stored until one of four annual wool auctions. Alternatively, some wool is bought throughout the year on private contracts.

Courtesy photo

Waiting for baling – The large warehouse allows Utah Wool Marketing Association ample space to work. Wool in large bins is next in line to be baled on a busy day at the warehouse. Courtesy photo

western U.S., into Washington, Oregon, northern California and Idaho, as well as Nevada and northern Utah.

When he returns to Tooele, where UWMA is located, the wool is run up a belt, graded and re-baled before being sold.

“It’s important we have a place for producers to bring their wool, so they don’t have to store it in their own facilities or handle it two or three different times. We keep it dry, covered, and out of the elements of the ranch,” Will says. “UWMA is a big advantage to sheepmen all over the western U.S.” The closest markets in the country to sell wool are in Bakersfield, Calif., Montana and Center of the Nation Wool, so UWMA allows a centrally located place for producers to sell their wool.

While initially located in downtown Salt Lake City, UWMA relocated 30 miles southwest to Tooele several years ago.

“Since we were right downtown, producers had issues with traffic and whatnot,” Will explains.

“A lot of our wools traditionally come from western Utah, as sheep are shorn on the desert, so it saves them from having to go through high population, high traffic areas with a load of wool.”

For producers from the north, the warehouse sits 12 miles off I-80, giving it an overall convenient location.

Grower owned With over 500 produc-

ers across the West selling their wool at UWMA, a board of nine sheep producers oversees the work of the grower-owned cooperative.

“Our board, at this moment, is all from Utah, but in years past, we’ve also had producers from out of state on our board,” Will says. “We also have an executive board with a president, vice president, secretary and treasurer, and at least one annual meeting per year is held to oversee the work of the organization.”

The last few years, UWMA has also begun to make investments in improving their facility.

The 45,500-square-foot facility has been developed slowly over time.

“We’ve been making some slow but rather large improvements to the warehouse,” he explains. “A couple of years ago, we put new, bigger windows in, as well as steel siding all the way around.”

“Our goal is to keep as much money in producers’ pockets as possible while earning enough to cover our overheads at the end of the year.” – Will Griggs They have worked to replace aging equipment and do pavement work outside, and just last year, they poured a 5,000-square-foot concrete pad to improve the ease of unloading flatbed trailers of wool.

However, as they make improvements, they do so in such a way that the association can keep as much profit on the producer side as possible.

Wool industry Utah is acclimated for a medium grade, wooled sheep, primarily Columbia and Columbia cross or Columbia-Rambouillet cross.

“In the northern part of the state, we see more purebred Columbias,” Will explains. “In the southern and central part of the state, we have more Rambouillet.”

Recently, more and more Merino blood has

been introduced into the state, but for the most part, Will says, “Our wool is usually around 24 micron, medium grade wool.”

Improvements in grade, density and amount of wool per ewe produced have also improved over the past few years.

“The future of UWMA looks good – and at least as good as the industry is,” Will says. “We’ll always be as strong as the industry.”

He continues, “We’ve been through hard times, with depressed markets in the early 2000s, and we’ve enjoyed high markets in recent history. The future is very bright for us.”

Learn more about Utah Wool Marketing Association at utahwool.com.

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

Grading wool – When wool arrives at Utah Wool Marketing Association’s warehouse, it is graded and inspected before being baled. Courtesy photo

B8

Morgan, Utah – Maintaining a family tradition and producing quality cattle for other seedstock and commercial producers is the primary goal at Rees Brothers Cattle Company near Morgan, Utah, just 50 miles west of Evanston, Wyo. Jake Rees thinks a lot about the responsibility of being the fourth generation to take over the family ranching operation that was started by his greatgrandfather in the 1930s, and more recently, his father and uncle, Scott and Roger Rees.

“I want to be able to carry the operation forward like my grandfather and father did, and with that comes a challenge and an opportunity. My goal

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is to raise a quality product that our customers will be satisfied with,” he explains.

Early days The ranch was started

by Rees’ great-grandfather in 1933.

“He sold commercial cattle until 1942, when he started marketing purebred registered Herefords.

They sold registered Herefords for 66 years. In 1999, we purchased a small herd of purebred Black Angus cows and began marketing the Hereford and Angus seedstock. Today, the ranch has doubled in size and numbers,” he says.

Over the years, the Rees family has focused on producing quality cattle that are docile, with eye appeal and the expected

progeny difference (EPD) numbers to back it up.

“Our cattle are handfed every day, and culled hard for quality and docility. If one of our animals is standing in the back of the corral with its head up, it’s not worth getting someone hurt just to have it in the sale, no matter how good it is,” he explains.

Right for the customer Producing the right cattle to fit their customers’ needs is a priority.

“Everyone in the commercial business knows pounds is money, so we try to target that market,” Jake says. “We want to produce a moderate-frame cow that is efficient and as structurally sound as possible, so we seek out breeding stock with low birthweight

Winter feeding – Rees brothers cattle are fed on winter pastures after calving season. The cattle are hardy animals that must make it on their own. Courtesy photo

expected progeny differences (EPDs), moderate frame size, soundness and good growth.”

He adds, “Ultimately, we want our commercial and purebred buyers to be able to capitalize on their investment when they buy cattle from us. We travel the country and seek out some of the best genetics that the industry has to offer.”

Knowing when and how to cull cattle is a big part of the management of the operation. Longevity, quality, and soundness, as well as EPDs, all figure into the culling process, Jake says.

Cows “We want the mothers to have nice udders, to be bred up early, and have good feet and leg structure.

It is a must for seedstock producers,” he notes.

The goal is to produce moderate-frame sized cows that are as efficient as possible for the conditions.

Performance data is sent in to the respective breed associations throughout the year.

Jake explains the benefit of what they get back from that.

“We get more accurate information regarding what is expected from that animal over its lifetime and the type of progeny it will produce,” he says.

The cows start calving March 1 outdoors since the ranch doesn’t have the calving facilities to put them inside.

“We are a no-nonsense kind of operation.

If the cattle can’t make it on their own, be good mommas and raise a good calf, they are culled,” Jake explains.

By mid-May, the pairs are moved to summer pasture at 5,000 to 9,000 feet in elevation in the mountains.

“Many of them we will not see until we round them up in the fall,” he explains.

Selecting bulls During the summer, the calves from the previous year’s crop are evaluated, and the animals that don’t meet Rees’ quality standards for the annual production sales are culled.

An annual fall production sale at the ranch features 80 registered Hereford and Angus bulls, and 40 to 50 bred heifers.

Sometimes, they also have an offering of bred cows.

A second production sale is held each spring and features 30 to 35 registered yearling Angus bulls.

Jake says they start with more than 120 head of bull calves after weaning and eliminate calves until only the top end remains.

“The old-timers say if we pick the biggest and best ones, we can’t be too far off,” Jake points out. “I think there is some truth to that. If the mothers bred up early and had good milk, those traits will be expressed in that calf.

Continued on next page

Family – Jake Rees takes pride in his family’s cattle operation, which was started in 1933. He is also raising his children to love the land and cattle. Courtesy photo

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2019 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition

Continued from previous page We often select bulls and replacement heifers with that criteria in mind.”

The bull calves are culled right up until sale day.

“We are constantly evaluating and culling them. We really want to stand behind what we sell and provide our customers with the best product we can,” he explains.

The bull calves are

developed on hay up until two months before the sale.

“At that point, we try and feed them four to five pounds of grain, just to put a little more weight on them and get them more presentable for our sale,” he says. “If we get the bulls too fat, the customers don’t know what they are buying. Fat and hair can hide a lot of faults. We

sell our bulls in their work clothes.”

Replacement heifers The heifer replacements are developed on free-choice hay but never any grain.

“We save the ones that are bred up early because fertility is the most important of all economic traits,” Jake says. “But, phenotype and quality are also important selection factors.”

The replacement heifers are all bred artificial

insemination(AI) one heat cycle and then exposed to a high-quality clean-up bull. They are exposed for no longer than 60 days, but the final keeper heifers will calve in the first 40 days or less.

Ultimately, Jake is proud of the operation his family has established, and his task will be to preserve that for a fifth generation.

“I truly believe that everyone in this industry wants the best and has tried

“Ultimately, we want our commercial buyers to be able to capitalize on their investment when they buy cattle from us.” – Jake Rees their best to make a good product. We are all in this together,” he explains. “We stand behind our product.

We have some of the best customers, and we want them to feel comfortable that if something doesn’t work for them, we will try to make it right.”

The spring production sale is scheduled for April

20 at the ranch. For more information about Rees Brothers, visit reescattle.com. Jake Rees can be reached at 801-668-8613, and Scott Rees can be reached at 801-949-8960.

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

Picturesque cattle operation – Rees Brothers Cattle Company is located at Morgan, Utah, where Jake Rees’ great-grandfather homesteaded in 1933. The operation is nestled in a valley about 50 miles west of Evanston. Courtesy photo

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Milford, Utah – Ranching on an operation that started in 1898, Mark Wintch continues a legacy that his family started over 120 years ago on his commercial cow/calf operation in Beaver, Millard and Sevier counties.

“Starting in 1898, we ran sheep for almost 80 years, along with our cattle herd,” Wintch says.

“Around 1985, we sold the sheep and switched solely to cattle.”

The operation runs on federal, state and private land across the north-central part of the state, mainly on the desert country in the Wah Wah Valley.

With his father John and brother Paul, Mark

Wyoming Livestock Roundup

strives for a productive, profitable cattle operation that supports all three families and keeps their agriculture legacy alive.

Cattle herd The cattle at Wintch Livestock Company are Angus and Hereford base, working toward producing a moderate-framed animal that can survive in the desert. Ideally, he hopes for a black, brockle-faced cow that’s no bigger than 1,200 pounds.

“If the cows get bigger than that, they don’t breed back every year,” Mark says. “We only get 6.5 inches of water annually on the desert, so they run on almost nothing.”

Mark is focused on the

female and fertility, particularly in their heifers.

“We artificially inseminate (AI) all our heifers and then do a second round on anything that hasn’t caught,” he says. “We don’t use a clean-up bull at all.”

The family begins calving heifers in mid-January, followed by the main cowherd at the beginning of March.

“The cows calve into the month of May,” Mark explains. “We start the heifers two months early to give them time to recover, which allows us to give them a better shot to get pregnant again.”

The most important thing for the cowherd is the ability to have a calf every

Family values – Mark Wintch and Wintch Cattle Company runs across the desert in the Wa Wa Valley.

Mark, his father John and brother Paul run the operation today, and they involve their families in day-today work. The isolated location means the family works closely together. Courtesy photo

year.

“In these tough conditions, the number one thing is to produce a calf,” he says. “The land we run on is very, very dry, so we deal with limited feed sources and long distances between water tanks.”

Public lands ranch “We run on open range, and the cattle never come into the corral,” Mark continues. “They might get a bale of hay when we’re pairing up in the spring or fall, but they only get fed maybe one week a year at most.”

As a result, he says the cattle can be a bit flightier than other ranchers’ livestock, but they are handled infrequently.

They run mostly on U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands across about 300,000 acres.

“The cows go on the mountain in Sevier County the first of June, and we come off the first of October,” Mark comments. “We have three permits, and it’s very large, so our roundup takes a lot longer than many.”

After pairing up the cows and calves, they are trucked the 150 miles back home to Milford for the winter.

Calves are backgrounded in the feedlot that sits near the homeplace before being sold.

“We background them on feed that we’ve grown ourselves,” Mark says.

The Wintch family retains ownership on their calves, enabling them to understand the carcass merit of their cattle, as well.

“We’ve retained ownership for the last 20 years,” Mark explains.

“We decided that, if someone else was betting on us,

“In these tough conditions, the number one thing is to produce a calf. The land we run on is very, very dry, so we deal with limited feed sources and long distances between water tanks.” – Mark Wintch maybe we should bet on ourselves, as well.”

While the market returns can be challenging some years, it is also rewarding much of the time.

Growing and building While the Wintch family has a little bit of farmland to produce hay for the operation, they are looking to expand in the future to create opportunities for the whole family.

“My dad, my brother and I all run the operation, along with a couple of employees, so it can be a challenge to keep everybody happy and everybody employed,” Mark says.

“We’re going to stay the course and expand as we need to.”

The family has also worked to improve their desert land, installing over 100 miles of pipelines.

“We have to run off of our private ground and private springs out onto BLM and rangelands, so the cattle don’t have to go so far for water,” he comments. “It’s our goal to have a water trough every two miles.

We’re really close to achieving that.”

Each year, they complete at least one water proj-

ect, either at home or on the forest.

Joys and discomforts The agriculture industry is a family tradition for the Wintchs, but it’s not without its difficult times, Mark says.

“Our ranch here on the desert is totally off-grid,” he says. “It would be a beautiful thing is we had power, but we don’t. We do have a little hydroelectric plant that generates our electricity.”

He also notes that the country is always on the edge of drought, which can be challenging to deal with, but they see benefits to the ranching lifestyle.

“The biggest benefit we see is for our children,” Mark describes. “We get to work with our kids and do something we love. It’s been a great opportunity for me to put in so much time with our kids.”

Every day, the Wintch children drive 25 miles to school, and they are the only family in the valley where they live.

Mark comments, “This is a really unique place.”

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

While his day job is to participate in running Wintch Livestock Company, Mark Wintch is also passionate about serving the industry he is a part of and is currently serving as the Utah Cattlemen’s Association president.

“It’s important to be involved in the industry and our state association,” he emphasizes. “There are so many factors that come into play in the cattle industry.”

He has been actively involved in topics ranging from international and domestic markets to electronic logging device mandates and more.

“Our state associations give us a spot to voice our concerns and hopefully influence some changes,” Mark says.

“Even if things don’t work in our favor, we’re out there working on issues and fighting for our industry.”

He adds, “I hear, oftentimes, if we’re not at the table, we’re on it. I believe that very much, so I stay involved.”

2019 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition

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Randolph, Utah – Five miles outside of Randolph, Utah, Bret Argyle and his family run Argyle Saddle and Boot, Feed and Supply out of a building on their property, and the newly expanded operation has been an opportunity for the family to meet the needs of the farm and ranch community.

“I grew up on the family ranch that’s pretty good sized, which I still own a share of,” says Bret. “My wife and I independently own a small herd of Black and Red Angus mother cows.

The saddle shop and feed store are where I spend most of my time.”

Love for leather For nearly 25 years, Bret has owned and operated the saddle shop, but he’s been working with leather for much longer.

“I’ve always been inter-

Wyoming Livestock Roundup

ested in working with leather since I was a little kid,” he comments. “My parents bought my older brother a leather tool kit, and after a while, I started to use it.”

As he grew older, Bret wanted more tack and leather gear. When he couldn’t afford to purchase it, he started to make his own.

“The leatherwork took on a life of its own after that,” he says.

While Bret was putting himself through college, he would make wallets, purses and belts to help with the expenses.

Using books and asking questions, Bret taught himself the ins and outs of building saddles and boots, along with numerous other leather items.

“Really, I started through trial and error. I took things apart and asked a lot of ques-

tions when I first started 25 years ago,” he comments.

Wide variety Today, he builds and repairs boots and creates saddles, chaps, scabbards and other leather goods, as well as making accessories, like cell phone and multi-tool cases, belts, wallets, purses and bracelets.

A big part of his work comes in repairs.

“Repairs keep our cash flow strong, and they’re the mainstay of the leather shop.

There aren’t many places that do these repairs anymore,” Bret explains, noting they fix a lot of saddles and boots.

“Early in the year, we see a lot of camp and pack equipment from outfitters, and we also do a lot of repair work for the big sheep outfits in the area.”

“We can build anything if it’s made out of leather,” Bret

Home-based operation – Argyle Saddle and Boot, Feed and Supply is located five miles outside of Randolph, Utah at the Argyle’s home. While there was concern people wouldn’t drive out of town to the store, Bret Argyle says it has worked well to have the store on their property, which allows them to meet customers outside of regular business hours. Courtesy photo

says. “Leather is an interesting product,” he continues.

“It can be molded and turned into furniture, something useful, or something decorative.

It’s amazing what we can fix with leather.”

Bret laughs that one year, he fixed a broken, antique toilet when no one could find parts for it.

“There’s something about leather that’s unique, and it’s interesting,” he comments.

Feed and supply It wasn’t until a year-anda-half ago that the Argyles opened the feed and supply store to complement the saddle and tack business.

“For many years, there was a guy who was an IFA dealer in the Bear River Valley. I thought if he ever retired, I would like to open a feed and supply store,” Bret says. “We’re not a huge valley, so I didn’t want to compete directly against him, but when he shut his doors a few years ago, we decided to jump in.”

Because the valley has a large number of livestock, but not very many people, Bret says they are able to harness the small-town atmosphere and save people from driving hours to a big city for their feed and supplies.

“We carry a large variety of horse and animal feed, feeders, troughs, fencing equipment and vaccines.

We’re a big vaccine supplier,” he explains. “Anything that a farm and ranch needs can be found here or soon delivered to us.”

With the saddle shop in the basement of his home and the feed store about 20 yards away, Bret has engi-

neered a system that alerts him to when someone comes in the store. That way, he spends time in the saddle shop when no one is in the store.

“Right now, I spend about 60 percent of my time in the store and 40 percent in the saddle shop, but it varies from day to day and week to week,” Bret comments.

Small town atmosphere When he looks at Randolph, Bret says there are only a few minor disadvantages to his hometown, the same that can be found in many small towns across America, but he notes, “The advantages of being here definitely outweigh the disadvantages.”

“There aren’t a lot of people here, which is good, and we have small-town values,” Bret explains. “Everybody knows everybody, and we don’t have to lock our doors.”

He continues, “Our business is different than a lot of big businesses because we know almost everybody who comes through the door. If someone needs something late at night or early in the morning, we can leave it out Continued on next page

Love for leather – Bret Argyle started working with leather after his brother was given a leatherwork kit. He continued to develop his skills to make his own tack, and during college, he made and repaired tack for extra money. Today, he still fixes a number of saddles at Argyle Saddle and Boot. Courtesy photo

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2019 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition

Continued from previous page on the porch so they can pick it up. That’s not something customers can get in bigger cities.”

“We enjoy the smalltown feel everybody talks about in rural America with a good school system and strong community values,” Bret says.

The big picture As he looks towards the future, Bret says, “We intend to keep going and keep providing products to people in the valley at the same price

or cheaper than the big cities.”

Bret notes that his family also hopes to remodel their horse barn and turn it into a bigger feed store in the next two to three years, to continue to grow the operation.

“I enjoy being my own boss and helping other people out,” Bret says. “We’re not here to get rich, but we want to be able to support ourselves and support the community.”

At their location five

miles outside of Randolph, Bret remembers that some people told us we wouldn’t be able to make a saddle shop work so far out of town.

“I had ranched full time for 20 years when we opened the saddle shop full time, and it’s starting to take on a life of its own. A year-and-ahalf ago, we opened the feed store, and we think that’s pretty neat.”

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

Anything from leather – Bret Argyle can make anything out of leather, including chaps, scabbards, saddles and other tack, and he appreciate the versatility of the product. Courtesy photo

Importance of family – While his children are adults now, Bret Argyle notes they are still involved in helping out with the cattle at his place, and his grandchildren enjoy being a part of the operation, as well.

Courtesy photo

B14

Willard, Utah – For as long as he can remember, Jerry Anderson has been involved at the livestock auction.

“In 1972, my dad Keith Anderson and Dick Woodson started Weber Livestock Auction at the old Union Stockyards in Ogden, Utah,” says Jerry. “They ran it until I took over in 1994. When I

Wyoming Livestock Roundup

took over, we changed it to Anderson Livestock Auction.”

As he began to run the facility, Jerry noticed the age and size of the Union Stockyards made it difficult for the family to grow the operation, so in 2006, they decided to move out to Willard.

“We bought some

ground and built a new facility,” Jerry comments. “We started here in August of 1998 with our first auction.”

Continuing the family business Jerry says, “This is all I’ve ever done.”

Since his father started the auction, he has been there, working largely along-

side his father’s partner Dick.

“I spend a lot of time with Dick,” Jerry explains.

“Dick was out in the alley, so I spent time with him. We talked to people and traveled to Idaho, Promontory, Tooele and more. We met with people and tried to get them to come to our market.”

He continues, “If we get cattle, we get more buyers, and as we have numbers, it keeps the market up.”

Today, Jerry works with his sons JD and Taylor at the auction barn every day. His wife Teddy, daughter Brandy and granddaughter Sydney run the office at the auction.

“I also have a couple of other boys. Chance is in Montana, where he went to play baseball, and Colton is an electrician.”

When they built the new facility in 2006, the entire family helped.

JD, Taylor and Chance all pitched in to construct the new barn, while Colton did all the wiring for the place.

“We’re a family operation, and we work together,” he says.

Weekly sales Every Tuesday at 10 a.m., Anderson Livestock Auction hosts their weekly sale, selling sheep and goats first, then horse, calves, cows and bulls.

“We sell a little bit of everything,” Jerry says.

In addition to their weekly sale, Anderson Livestock Auction holds six horse sales a year on Saturdays.

“We have four horse sales in the spring, in March, April, May and June, and then in September and October, we have two more Saturday horse sales,” he says.

“If we get cattle, we get more buyers, and as we have numbers, it keeps the market up.” – Jerry Anderson “We sell pack horses, ranch horses and more.”

For the remaining Saturdays during the year, Jerry notes they lease the facility for a few bull sales.

He comments, “We try and use the place as many days as we can, which helps to pay a few extra bills.”

Strong markets, strong business “As long as we can keep a strong market, cattle will follow,” Jerry says. “Everyone looks at cattle futures to see what the livestock are worth.”

While buyers strive to purchase cattle as cheaply as possible, cattle producers are looking to make as much as they can. Jerry says Anderson Livestock Auction seeks to hit a middle ground that achieves the best for both sides.

To support the market, Jerry says, occasionally, he buys a few cattle to help producers keep prices stable, though most of the time, he doesn’t have to.

“We want competition and buyers here for strong cattle prices, but we don’t want to bring more than the cattle are worth,” he comments. “Everyone needs to make a living.”

Special auctions One unique feature on the calendar each year is the annual Rocking Horse Auction.

“Nearly 35 years ago, a man named Vern worked for my dad. One day, he asked, if he built a wooden rocking horse if they could sell it and give the money to the community,” Jerry says. “I got the first rocking horse they ever built, and my kids all used it, too. It’s a heavyduty piece that brought probably $160 back then.”

Today, the Rocking

Horse Auction has expanded to numerous items, including quilts and other handmade goods, in addition to the rocking horse. The pieces are auctioned off, and proceeds go to support families within the community.

“This year, we raised a little over $7,500,” Jerry comments. “Then, we have buyers or others who tell us about families who might need a little extra help during the holidays. We send the money or buy items to support those families.”

In 2018, the money helped between 10 and 12 families in need.

“Giving back to the community and helping people is important,” Jerry says, adding that his wife Teddy and another couple deliver the donations to families. “I can’t go with to drop the money off. I’m too softhearted. It can be heartbreaking, but we do what we can to give back.”

Next steps Jerry says he has reached the point in his career where he runs the business, and he also thinks he can leave the operation and not worry.

“The boys can run the yards, and the girls run the office,” he says. “I don’t have to worry about the place. This is where I wanted to be.”

In the next 10 to 15 years, he hopes to be entirely retired, with his sons running the operation.

“Then I can winter in Phoenix, Ariz., go on cruises and relax,” he laughs. “Until then, we enjoy this life. The boys are great, and we’ll just keep working away.”

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

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2019 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition

Snowville, Utah – Just 10 miles south of the Idaho border and over 40 years ago, Tim and Laurie Munns borrowed money through a beginning farmer and ranch program to start their own cattle operation.

As newlyweds, the couple began with a handful of acres of dryland farm ground and a few cattle.

“I always wanted to be a rancher,” says Tim. “Since the beginning, we’ve wanted to raise cattle, and we’ve been blessed to be able to do just that.”

The Munns family raises alfalfa hay, crested wheatgrass, forage kochia and kids on their Hansel Valley property. As the only full-time residents of the valley, Tim says they are 35 miles from the nearest town.

From the beginning The couple started their operation in 1977, meaning the farm crash of the 1980s hit the ranch hard, but Tim comments, “We were blessed to make it through the 80s.

Through the crash, we continued making payments, expanding the cowherd and leasing pasture.”

The next 40 years have involved a continual expansion of the operation in both Utah and Idaho, where Tim and Laurie run Munns Flying M Ranch with their sons.

“My son bought a farm right next to us,” Tim comments. “Mainly, we run on private rangeland, with about one-third of that which is tillable.”

Family “We have two sons that work with us,” Tim says.

“Sonny and his wife Kallee are involved, and then my other son Bud is here part time.”

Bud spends the rest of his time as a fighter pilot for the Idaho Air Guard. His wife Kelli also helps on the operation.

The Munns’ daughter Sara is the oldest, and she lives in Utah County with her husband

Ted, who works as an executive chef.

Their third son, Bill, works for JBS at their corporate headquarters in Greeley, Colo. Bill and his wife Annaleigh also come to the ranch when they can.

Improving the land While the Munns family owns and leases a number of farmable acres, the family notes they have put the majority into improved pastures and cropland, working to provide a feed source for their cattle.

“We bought a lot of farms in grass, and we’re pasturing that land,” Tim says. “The area is historically dryland farms and cattle, but with low commodity prices and drought, we have kept it in pasture land.”

Laurie adds, “When the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) came into play, we put up half of our original tillable acres into CRP. At the time, we had a regular payment, which was what we needed.”

They also feed several hundred acres of dryland wheat, and the Munns family has planted forage kochia as a winter feed source.

“Forage kochia is an introduced forage that came to us from USDA’s research lab on the Utah State University campus,” Tim says. “We raise and sell the seed, as well.”

Bud found particular interest in the crop, which requires a lot of hand labor to harvest seed.

“Forage kochia is also highly fire resistant and provides good protein,” Tim explains.

Water improvements In addition to the rangeland improvements, the Munns family has put in more than 20 miles of high-density polyethylene pipe as water lines.

“We’ve been adding water lines, deep wells, solar pumps and solar panels to provide water,” Tim says. “We’re

INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT While the ranch keeps them busy, Tim and Laurie Munns have found time to stay active in advocating for the cattle industry in Utah and across the U.S.

“We’ve both been very involved in the industry,” comments Laurie.

Laurie is vice president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Federation Division, and she explains, “I work with the beef checkoff and have been very involved in the industry for the last 30 years.”

For the first 10 years of their marriage, Tim says the couple kept their nose to the ground starting their operation, noting that in 1985, he began to get involved in politics.

“From then on, we’ve been involved. I was president of Utah Cattlemen’s Association in 2002-03 and on the NCBA Board of Directors those same years.”

The couple has both served full terms on the Farm Service Agency County Committee, and they have served as members and on the Board of Directors for the National Grazing Lands Coalition.

“I think we owe a portion of our time, resources and money to the industry we’re involved in,” says Tim. “We have to get educated about issues to make good decisions. This country is also run by those who show up.”

Their involvement has also allowed the Munns family to be progressive in the operation, while also being cautious to not jump into new fads too quickly.

“It’s the second mouse who gets the cheese, so we stay on top of things, but we don’t try everything that’s new,” Tim says.

Laurie also serves on the Planning and Zoning Commission in Box Elder County Utah, and they work to stay involved in the community and church.

Tim comments, “We try to be a positive influence and contribute to our community and our industry.”

raising water 1,200 feet of vertical lift at 550 pounds of pressure.”

The water is gravity fed from 5,000 to nearly 7,000 feet.

They have also strategically utilized fencing and constructed new roads to more efficiently use the rangeland.

Cattle operation Tim and Laurie run a herd of mother cows with their family. Their herd is a Hereford-Angus cross herd, with some SimAngus influence added recently.

“We select for moderateframed cows that survive in our country,” Tim says. “Our cows are adapted in thickness, width, depth and size to this country.”

In the last few years, they have been downsizing the herd to eliminate the Limousin influence from the herd.

“The cows just got too big,” Tim continues.

Additionally, Tim says they are hard on their cows to ensure they’re going to survive on their harsh rangeland.

“Heifer calves are turned out and weaned on winter pastures,” he explains. “We start to cake them early in the year, but we don’t baby them. The cows have to make it on their own.”

The area can also get up to a foot of snow in the winter, so they have used improved pastures planted with crested wheatgrass as a feed source, with protein blocks and cake as supplements.

By March, they begin calving the cowherd, with the heifers following behind the cows, to avoid snow and weather challenges.

The cattle run on private land in Utah during the winter months, summering in Idaho

on the King Creek Grazing Allotment.

“We have a ranch lease in Promontory, where Sonny and Kallee live,” he explains.

Grazing land “Nearly everything moves 125 miles north for the summer, where it’s a higher elevation and greener,” Tim says.

The Idaho grazing allotment is a common allotment that’s part of a grazing association, where they run with 14 other ranchers and more than 2,500 cows. Part of the allotment is deeded, while the rest is a U.S. Forest Service permit and Bureau of Land Management permit.

Calves are sold right off the cow from the summer ground in Idaho, and cows come back home after grazing all summer.

On top of the mother cowherd, the Munns family also raises their own replacement heifers and bulls.

“Sonny is responsible for the genetics,” says Laurie.

“He does all of our breeding management on the ranch.”

Next generation Tim and Laurie are working to begin transitioning of the operation to Sonny.

“It’s challenging to bring the next generation in, while also making a living and expanding enough to support two families,” Tim comments. “We’ve been fortunate and blessed to do that. In the last two years, we’ve done some rapid expansion.”

As their neighbors

contemplate selling property, Tim notes they often approach the Munns first.

“People have come to us and asked us to run their places, too,” he continues.

“Because we take care of the land, absentee owners have also asked us to run their ranches.”

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

Munns ranch – Tim and Laurie Munns run their cattle on the IdahoUtah border, and cattle spend their summers grazing in the mountains of Utah. Courtesy photo

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Ballard, Utah – Deb and Don Richards purchased Basin Livestock Market almost 20 years ago, and since then, the auction has steadily continued to serve its customers by marketing livestock from a central location.

“Located five miles from Roosevelt and less than 30 miles from Vernal, Basin Livestock Market is open Monday through Saturday, with auctions on Fridays at 10:30 a.m., and closed Sundays,” Deb says.

Sam Mallery, who has worked at Basin Livestock Market for many years, helps out everywhere except for at the auction block.

“We all do what needs to be done,” Sam comments.

Selling at Basin Basin Livestock Market is located a mile off of Highway 40 near Duchesne, Utah, and while they’re not the largest sale barn in the state of Utah, they provide easy access, plenty of parking and lots of room, which gives it a number of advantages.

“The next sale barn is three or more hours away,” Sam says, “and it’s better to sell livestock locally to avoid transporting cattle too far.”

“This is a good place for a livestock auction,” he adds, noting the sale barn sits on the border of Duchesne and Uintah counties.

“We get cattle from all over the place, but the majority of the livestock we sell are from within the basin here.”

The Uintah Basin is home to a large number of farmers and ranchers, making it the perfect location for an auction.

Buyers, however, come from around the region, including Colorado and southern Utah, seeking high-quality animals.

Livestock “We sell sheep, goats, cattle and horses, mostly,” Sam says. “Sometimes, though, we get llamas and pigs. We’ve sold chickens and ducks, and every once in a while, we also sell dogs.

We’ll sell pretty much any kind of farm animal.”

Each Friday, Basin Livestock Market holds its sale, with the exception of major holidays, at 10:30 a.m. The gates open at 8 a.m. each Friday, allowing buyers to inspect livestock prior to sale.

During the summer, they also close in observance of local events and holidays.

In addition to the weekly sale, Basin Livestock Market also hosts a variety of specialty sales, including horse and bull sales, on Saturdays throughout the year, supporting local producers.

Local company With a weekly sale and strong following from local buyers, Sam explains they don’t have to do much marketing outside of special events.

“We have a Facebook page and an Instagram account that we post consignments and sale informa-

tion on,” he says, “but most of the people here are very familiar with the sale barn.”

They see regular buyers each week, creating a tight community at Basin Livestock Market.

In fact, Sam joined the company after a recommendation from his brother-inlaw, and he says he enjoys the day-to-day work.

Throughout the week, Sam spends his time feeding, making sure livestock are healthy and maintaining facilities.

“We start getting animals for the sale starting on Thursday, so we’re busy,” he says.

“There’s something different going on here all the time,” he comments.

“There’s always an adventure in working with livestock.”

Sam says livestock are similar to people in some ways, in that they each have their own personality, and the livestock also are different from day to day.

“It’s a different challenge every week,” he comments.

Growing While the livestock auction is successful, Sam says they’re always working to grow and build the operation.

“We want to make everybody as successful as we can,” he explains. “The more money we can bring from our buyers, the better off we are.”

Further, Sam notes, “It helps the economy here to have a strong and growing livestock industry, so we try our best to make sure producers have a place to sell their cattle and make things better here.”

“We want to assist clients and customers with profit maximization of assets in a timely and effi-

cient manner,” Deb and Don comment. “Through honesty, integrity and excellence, we provide expert service and consideration while providing an enjoyable environment for our clients, customers and employees.”

Learn more about Basin Livestock Market by calling 435-722-5043 or visiting basinlivestock.com.

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

Marketing livestock – Basin Livestock Market sells a wide variety of livestock year-round from their facility just one mile off Highway 40 and five miles outside of Roosevelt, Utah. Courtesy photo

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Mount Pleasant, Utah – Western Range Camps started with the vision of founders Dan and Matt Mickel, who are sheep and cattle ranchers in the desert of western Utah and on the Manti-La Sal National Forest.

From its humble beginnings, Western Range Camps continues to grow and build in San Pete County, Utah, building sheep camps and RVs for rugged use.

“We’re just a small, local company in Utah, in the center of the state,” says Heidi Anderson, who serves as bookkeeper and office manager for Western Range Camps. “Range camps and sheep camps have been around for over 100 years, but we build a rugged, durable, custom sheep camp for all types of people across the country.”

Looking back Western Range Camps

was formed in 2006 by the Mickel brothers. At the time, it was called Timberline Range Camps. When the brothers decided to focus on their livestock and trucking companies, Dale Lewis purchased the business and began growing the operation.

“Then, a year and a half ago, we changed our name to Western Range Camps for bookkeeping reasons after we had a management

Rugged and durable – The sheep camps made by Western Range Camps are both durable and rugged, and the product is meant to last a lifetime, says Heidi Anderson. Courtesy photo

change,” Heidi says.

One of a few Across the United States, Heidi notes that only a few different operations make sheep camps, and Western Range is one of the only full-time businesses.

“Wilson is a wellknown sheep camp business, and they’ve been building sheep camps for 30-plus years,” she explains. “They create a great product.”

A handful of other businesses make one to two camps a year, but Heidi says, “We’re different because this is our main business and this is

what we do.”

She continues, “We love the product we create, and we stand behind it.”

Custom sheep wagons “All of our sheep camps are made by hand,” Heidi explains. “We have a machine that helps to cut our materials precisely, but everything is handcrafted and built by hand.”

“Our camps are built by men who are not only the finest craftsman in the business, but they are also trained and certified RV technicians who understand the need for function and safety,” Heidi says.

“At Western, we use only top-quality materials in the

construction of the most modern, reliable and innovative camps on the market and back them with the best warranty in the industry.”

She notes that Western Range Camps works to make sure their customers are happy, so they take extra care to customize sheep camps and meet the needs of their customers.

“We sit down with our customers and make sure each of them has personal attention,” Heidi comments.

“They can change or add anything they want to the sheep camps. We want them to feel like they have Continued on next page

Customized camps – Western Range Camps strives to meet the needs or their customers, which means customizing everything about sheep camps. Each camp is made for the customer, according to customer specifications. Courtesy photo

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2019 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition

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Continued from previous page something that is built specifically for them because it is.”

Western Range Camps also crafts a handful of sheep camps they can take with them to several shows around the country, as well as to keep a couple in inventory if someone needs a sheep camp in a hurry.

“For the most part, though, when people come in and start looking at our product, there are a few things they want to add or change. Most of our camps are custom made, with little adjustments to meet customer needs,” she says.

More than sheep wagons Along with sheep camps, Western Range Camps also makes a line of high-quality RVs that are more durable than a traditional camper or RV. “Anyone – not just sheep producers – can use these camps,” Heidi says.

“We build camps for people the way they want to use them.”

She continues, “Often, for sheepherders, the camps are more scaled back and basic, which is how sheepherders want them.”

However, their RV model is still the same structure and durability as the sheep camp, with a design for hunting, fishing and more.

Additionally, it has more insulation and proven longevity.

Continued development In the future, Western Range Camps will continue to develop new products outside of their five main camps.

“We are going to start making some little changes, like changing up the floor plan, and

we’re looking to develop a camper that goes in the back of a truck,” Heidi explains. “We’re also looking at an enclosed trailer.”

With the people of their community in mind, Western Range Camps is looked to create a nice sheep camp that meets the needs of sheep producers around the West at an affordable price.

“We’re not 100 percent set in where we’re going, but we’ve got some big ideas in mind,” she adds.

Family business For Heidi, Western Range Camps is a family.

“We’re not technically a family operation, but everyone here feels like family,” she says. “The people who work here all love our product, and we want to see people purchase a great product.”

She notes that only five full-time employees work at Western Range Camps, with a handful of people who work part-time when things get busy.

“We all have to do a little bit of everything,” Heidi continues.

Also, the business allows them the flexibility of living in a great community with a friendly atmosphere.

“We love our product, and we love the people here,” Heidi comments.

“In a world of changing values, our customers can be sure the quality and values of Western Range Camps will not change.

Our camps are built to last a lifetime.”

Find Western Range Camps online at wrcamps. com.

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

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Options – With five base models, Western Range Camps not only make sheep camps. They also craft campers and RV. The company has a product for everyone, Heidi Anderson says. Courtesy photo

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Logan, Utah – Situated in a mountain valley within just a few hours of Salt Lake City, Utah, Utah State University’s (USU) College of

Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Agriculture and Applied Sciences offers more than 75 degree programs, ranging from associate’s degrees to Ph.D. programs.

USU was founded on March 8, 1888, and the campus spreads across 400 acres, not including the four regional campuses

in Brigham City, Moab, Tooele and Uintah Basin and USU Eastern campuses in Price and Blanding, Utah.

The mission of USU is “to be one of the nation’s premier student-centered land-grant and space-grant universities, by fostering the principle that academics come first, by cultivating diversity of thought and culture and by serving the public through learning, discovery and engagement.”

Across campus, nearly 28,000 students attend Utah State University, including those enrolled at regional campuses. Students come

from all 29 counties in Utah, all 50 U.S. states and 78 countries around the world.

College of Ag At Utah State University, more than 2,400 undergraduate students and 400 graduate students in the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences (CAAS) enjoy the diversity of the college, including students studying animal and plant sciences, agriculture and natural resources pre-law, ag communications, equine science and veterinary medicine.

“Over the last 10 years, we have seen an increase of 250 percent in the number

of students in the college,” comments Brian Warnick, CAAS associate dean for academic programs. “Our programs are growing, largely in non-resident students. We maintain a strong foothold with our in-state students, as well.”

Brian notes the programming in the college ranges from typical agriculture programs, like plant and animal science, agriculture business and more, while also adding applied sciences programs, including nutrition, dietetics and food science.

“Some of our animal science students are pre-

Continued on next page

Unique research – Students hold Lilly Star, a goat who is the first of her kind. Utah State University and SAB Capra, a subsidiary of SAB Biotherapeutics in South Dakota, collaborated to genetically engineer goats that produce human antibodies. Serum from their blood can create treatments for human diseases, such as influenza, Ebola, hantavirus and cancers, without the many side effects of other animalderived medicines. Courtesy photo

Campus – Utah State University’s campus sits in Logan, Utah, just a few hours north of the Salt Lake Valley. The campus is student-centered and located in a beautiful place that is geographically located in the center of the Intermountain West. Courtesy photo

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2019 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition

Continued from previous page paring to run a dairy farm or ranch, while other animal science students and faculty focus on cloning and genetic engineering, aimed at using animal models to cure human and animal diseases,” says Lynnette Harris, who serves as USU CAAS editor. “A plant science student may be studying crop science, while others are breeding and growing plants that are more drought tolerant. Still others are learning about growing plants in controlled conditions, such as greenhouses, aboard spacecraft or on Mars.”

Program development A new program at USU focused on agriculture and natural resources pre-law allows students to earn a minor.

“Policy is so important to agriculture and natural resources today,” adds Lynnette. “We also have a growing equine science program, with different emphasis areas. Some students are in equine business management and others are in equine therapy.”

Both western and English riding equestrian teams are active at USU, as is the college’s rodeo team.

“Our School of Veterinary Medicine is a program in collaboration with Washington State University,” Lynnette explains. “We typically accept 30 students each year, and they complete the first two years of the four-year veterinary medicine program here in Logan and the final two at Washington State University in Pullman, Wash.”

Students have historically done well after transferring to Washington, in part due to the small program and extensive research farm facilities, which means students gain hands-on experience assisting with large animal procedures early in their training.

USU has a strong tradition in its food and dairy science programs, and their Aggie Ice Cream is wellrecognized in Utah and across the nation.

“We also have meat science and chocolate science,” Brian comments.

“We have our own chocolate factory. It’s the only

chocolate factory at a university west of the Mississippi.”

A recent development, the chocolate factory serves as a laboratory that allows for faculty and student research and outreach, in addition to their community interface, which sells single-source chocolate bars.

“One of our faculty members specializes in lipid and confectionary science,” he adds. “She offers a course called ‘Chocolate: Science, History and Society’ that teaches students about food chemistry and economics of chocolate.”

The chocolate program, and a number of others, provide unique learning opportunities for college students.

“We also have the first university outdoor product design and development program in the nation, and it has seen tremendous growth in the last few years,” Brian says. “Our aviation program also has high enrollment and great job placement in both the pilot and aviation maintenance degrees. We also have a new minor in drone operation.”

“While we have a wide variety in terms of students and program availability, our roots are still with our traditional agriculture programs,” Brian emphasizes.

Extension In addition to activities on the main campus of Utah State University, CAAS Dean Ken White, an animal scientist by training, also serves as vice president for USU Extension and Utah Agricultural Experiment Station (UAES) director.

“UAES supports researchers in all kinds of disciplines related to agriculture. Whether it’s economics, crop science, human and animal health, range management, food science, climate science, rural sociology, more than 170 research projects with UAES ties are underway in a given year at USU,” Lynnette says.

USU Extension serves populations across the state, with programming under four headings – Agriculture and Natural Resources; Gardening; Home, Fam-

As a land-grant university, Utah State University (USU) participates in numerous research efforts in a wide variety of subjects.

Lynnette Harris, an editor for USU’s College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences (CAAS), says, “We have important research going on in animal genetics and reproduction, climate science and, recently, a notable cloning project.”

NBC News featured White Magic, a bull that was cloned six times through research and work done at USU’s genetics lab, under the direction of a Professor Ken White, dean of the college.

“As a university in the West, we, of course, are very involved in water research and education,” comments Lynnette.

USU also has the second-oldest undergraduate research program in the nation, according to Brian Warnick, USU CAAS associate dean of academic programs.

Utah State University says, “The College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences is an active and diverse research environment.

From cloning cells to studying new ways to conserve water, CAAS undergraduate researchers have the opportunity to impact future generations while strengthening their resume and making valuable faculty contacts.”

ily and Food; and Utah 4-H and Youth Development.

Widespread Extension professionals mean that Utahns across the state have easy access to experts in a variety of areas.

Choosing USU In addition to the college’s exceptional campus, Brian says, “Mountains surround the Cache Valley.

It’s a beautiful location that is also geographically centrally located in the Intermountain West.”

Brian, who was raised in Lyman, notes a number of Wyomingites are on staff at USU’s College of Agriculture and Applied Sci-

ences, and Provost Frank Galey at USU is the former dean from the University of Wyoming College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

The college is attractive for many reasons, but Brian explains that USU has invested in facilities and in preparing students for realworld careers.

“We’ve invested heavily in facilities over the last few years, and we’ve also invested in technology that really moves the scientific and business side of agriculture forward,” he explains. “Robots milk our dairy herd, and the milk

“While we have a wide variety in terms of students and program availability, our roots are still with our traditional agriculture programs.” – Brian Warnick feeds our food science program, specifically the dairy science division.”

Further, the updated equine center has attracted top-notch faculty and staff, as well as new programming. USU recently added an equine-assisted activity and therapy program, which has grown drastically.

Undergraduate laboratories provide students the opportunity for hands-on, experiential learning and research before they reach

the graduate level, which prepares them for future careers.

Brian adds, “We’re committed to staying with traditional programs, but we also want to make sure our students are well-prepared for their future.”

Learn more about Utah State University at caas. usu.edu.

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

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Randolph, Utah – Since the turn of the century, the Argyle family has run both cattle and sheep on their Randolph, Utah property, but the family also spends much of its time in Wyoming, grazing range and forest land across the southwest corner of the state.

Bart Argyle and his brother Kent run Argyle’s Ranch, Inc. today, with their wives Patti and Alice, but the roots of the operation trace back to 1904, when Bart’s grandfather Alma Monroe Argyle and his grandmother Emma Ireta Mitchell Argyle came from the Provo and Payson area with herds of sheep and cattle.

“My dad Arthur Mitchell and his wife Gayle ran the operation, and now my brother and I are involved,” says Bart.

“We raise Angus mother cows and Targhee sheep.”

He continues, “My grandparents always had both sheep and cattle.

Usually, when one market is down, the other market is up, so we see benefits there, too. We’ve always continued what grandma and grandpa had.”

Sheep production Targhee sheep have also always been an integral part of the ranch, and

Wyoming Livestock Roundup

the roots of the herd trace back to Jimmy Johnson’s herd in Belle Fourche, S.D. “His Targhee sheep are strong in twinning, and their wool is excellent. They also have small udders for milking, so we don’t see a lot of sling bags and other problems,” Bart explains.

The sheep graze on the Rock Springs desert in the wintertime and lamb near Cokeville, Wyo.. The family also has forest permits right before Star Valley, Wyo. near Smoot, Wyo. and on the Gray’s River.

“The sheep never leave Wyoming,” he says.

Cattle operation The Argyle family runs an Angus-based cattle herd, emphasizing their mothering ability and the explosive growth of the calves.

“We buy our bulls from Ken Haas in LaGrange,” Bart explains.

“Ken’s bulls have turned our cowherd from weaning 430-pound calves to 560-pound calves.”

Using Haas bulls exclusively, the Argyle family has also seen highquality females result, with mothering ability and calving ease as prominent, desirable traits.

During the last eight

years, the cattle summer in Wyoming above Kemmerer, Wyo. on the Ham’s Fork River.

“We have a lot of ties to Wyoming,” Bart says.

Through the year The Argyle family begins calving by March 20. At the tail end of calving season, they begin to trail the sheep from Rock Springs towards Cokeville, where the sheep lamb in mid-May. “We try to start branding around April 20,” Bart says. “We still rope and drag calves to the fire when we brand.”

At the same time the sheep start to lamb, the family also begins to turn cattle out onto summer range.

“At home, we also start to irrigate all the meadows,” he continues.

“By June 15, we start to dock the lambs.”

Three bands of ewes and lambs graze the Bridger-Teton National Forest during the summer months, with sheepherders following with their pack outfits.

“We also dock whatever lambs are left on the forest. There’s always a few little guys left to dock,” says Bart. “At the end of June, we start putting up our meadow hay.”

Throughout the rest of the summer, the Argyles move livestock around different pastures on their allotments.

Fall work In September, Argyle’s Ranch, Inc. begins to

move livestock to lower elevations.

“Generally, the Utah cows come home between Sept. 10 and Sept. 14. We ship lambs around Sept.

23,” Bart comments. “The cows from the Ham’s Fork

come home on Oct. 1, and we begin to trail sheep toward Fontenelle at the same time.”

The end of October, the Argyles are finishing their roundups on the SugContinued on next page

Working sheep – The Argyle sheep never leave Wyoming, shipping from allotments at the end of September. Courtesy photo

2019 Winter Cattlemen’s Edition

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Continued from previous page arloaf Allotment until they ship cows off of Brinegar’s Ranch on Current Creek near Rock Springs.

“By Oct. 15, the cattle work is done, and the calves are gone,” he says.

“Generally, we don’t start feeding until the first week of December.”

From December until calving, the family feeds cattle and ensures the sheepherders have adequate supplies.

Ranch help With Bart, Patti, Kent and Alice working hard on the ranch, Bart also notes that his sons Chris and Scott are also on the ranch full time.

“Without my family members – including my wife Patti, brother Kent, sister-in-law Alice and sons – running the ranch would be tough,” he explains. “We also have two girls and two other boys who help from time to time.”

Bart emphasizes, “Kent and I work really closely together.”

In addition to the family, the Argyles utilize herders from Peru and Mexico.

“Without them, it’s impossible to run the ranch,” Bart comments.

“We use Mountain Plains Agricultural Service and the H-2A program for foreign labor, and it’s essential.”

Bart notes that Border Collies and Akbash guard dogs are also integral in helping to protect and move the livestock throughout the year.

Positive future As Bart looks forward,

he sees a bright future for Argyle’s Ranch, Inc. “A solar company is in the process of building a solar farm on our land,” he says. “With the help of a little additional money, we’re hoping the next 10 to 15 years are great.”

However, he notes that predators, labor and regulation are persistent challenges for their operation.

“A lot of sheep producers are probably going to go out of business because of the higher wages for sheepherders,” Bart comments. “The younger generation on the ranch also sees government control as being a pretty big problem at times.”

“The biggest thing for us, though, is predators,” he continues. “As sheep numbers decrease, coyotes and wolves are starting to attack cattle where they didn’t before.”

On top of coyotes and wolves, grizzly bears also pose a problem for Argyle’s Ranch.

“Predators will always be a big thing for us,” he comments.

Ranch life As he looks at the ranch, Bart says hard work and challenges are part of the industry, but Bart says, “We enjoy what we do.”

“We enjoy watching the calf and lamb grow and ship to market,” he explains.

“We love being with our family, and hopefully, we’ll hand the place down to the next generation.”

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

Targhee flock – The sheep at Argyle’s Ranch, Inc. are Targhees, bred for their twinning ability and wool. The sheep run on Wyoming rangelands throughout their lives. Courtesy photo

Angus operation – Angus cattle are the base of the cowherd at Argyle’s Ranch, Inc. Over the years, the Argyle family has worked to increase weaning weights while also improving the nothing ability of their herd. Courtesy photo

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“Livestock production has always been an important part of rural communities in Utah,” said E. Bruce Godfrey in a report of livestock grazing on public lands.

In 2006, Godfrey began a study to provide information to state and federal agency personnel, state and local government officials and private citizens to look at the differences between ranchers who have permits to graze on public lands and those who do not.

Godfrey, a member of Utah State University’s Department of Applied Economics, compiled a report titled, “Livestock Grazing in Utah: History and Status” for the Utah Governor’s Public Lands Policy Coordination Office in November of 2008.

History Livestock grazing on public lands in Utah extends back 150 years, with herds recorded as early as the 1940s, when a herd of cattle owned by Miles Goodyear covered the state.

“Grazing of lands by cattle and sheep in Utah increased rapidly after 1847, following the arrival of the pioneers in the Salt Lake Valley,” Godfrey describes.

Wyoming Livestock Roundup

Changing times “Data indicate that livestock production is a very important part of economic activity in most rural communities in Utah, but the structure of the livestock industry has changed over time,” Godfrey wrote.

At the turn of the 20th century, sheep were the dominant species, but the 1930s and 1940s brought rapid decline of sheep numbers.

“This period of decline in the sheep industry was followed by growth in the beef industry, as producers switched from sheep to cattle,” he explains.

However, the decline in sheep numbers did not occur uniformly across the state, and Box Elder County saw a relatively slow decline in sheep herds as compared to the rest of the state.

Across Utah, nearly three-quarters of the state is public land, administered by both the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS).

Additionally, the State and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA) manages those lands owned by the state of Utah.

Distribution of SITLA, BLM and USFS lands is not even across the state, Godfrey

points out, noting that use of public lands by livestock has also varied.

“Data from BLM indicate that use by domestic livestock has declined more than two-thirds over time,” Godfrey says, noting many associate the decline with the decline of the sheep industry.

“Usage of USFS lands today is about half what it was 60 years ago.”

In the 1940s, for example, USFS data reports just over a million animal unit months (AUMs) were permitted, but that had declined by half in the 2000s.

“This decline pales in comparison to the decline of the use of BLM lands by sheep,” Godfrey adds. “This decline was more than a 10-fold reduction from over 1.8 million AUMs in 1940 to about 130,000 AUMs in 2006.”

He adds, “The overall decline – both cattle and sheep – in the use of BLM lands by livestock has been over 2 million AUMs since 1940.”

In a Utah State University Extension publication titled, “Livestock Grazing in Utah,” Robert Banner notes, “National forests in Utah provide a disproportionate amount of livestock

grazing compared to BLMadministered land, almost an equal number of AUMs on 35 percent of the land area.

This reflects the differences in land productivity between land administered by the Forest Service and land administered by the BLM.” Reasons for change With a general downward trend in permitted AUMs on BLM and USFS lands, Godfrey noted that livestock numbers overall have been mostly stable.

“This suggests that an increasing portion of the forage used by livestock in Utah is coming from private lands,” he continues.

Further, decreases have not been uniform across the state, and Godfrey suggests urban sprawl, grazing policies, private land development, economic variables and individual circumstances all played a role.

“These changes, the controversy associated with the grazing of livestock on public lands and the desire to have a better understanding of the livestock industry in Utah resulted in this study and others to obtain data,” Godfrey says.

Conclusions After analyzing a variety of data points associated with those livestock producers utilizing public lands for grazing purposes, Godfrey drew many conclusions.

First, he notes that livestock production has shifted

WEAVER 6X8 BROWN

“The overall decline – both cattle and sheep – in the use of BLM lands by livestock has been over 2 million AUMs since 1940.” – E. Bruce Godfrey from southern to northern Utah and an increasing portion of feed requirements for grazing livestock come from private lands, rather than USFS and BLM lands.

“Livestock production has commonly declined in areas where the amount of development of private land is limited,” Godfrey notes.

Further, Godfrey says large operations that glean the majority of their income from ranching are more likely to have public lands grazing permits, and the same family frequently owns those permits for generations.

He says, “Most livestock producers believe that livestock grazing has a positive impact on the reduction of fires, and livestock grazing is

generally viewed as having a basically neutral impact on other uses.”

While the value of grazing permits varies widely in the state, the livestock production industry is still of utmost importance to the state, particularly in rural counties of Utah.

“As a result,” Godfrey explains, “other segments – especially firms that supply inputs used by livestock operations – of the economy in these counties are closely related to and dependent on a healthy livestock production sector.”

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

Public lands state – A large majority of Utah is public lands, and cattle and sheep grazing is an important activity across the landscape. Many livestock operations utilize Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service allotments for grazing throughout the year.

Saige Albert photo