Volume 30 Number 42 • February 16, 2019
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The Weekly News Source for Wyoming’s Ranchers, Farmers and AgriBusiness Community • www.wylr.net
A Look Inside Bull sales have begun to ramp up for the 2019 sale season. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pages A10-11 The Green New Deal’s vague nature provides more questions than answers. . . . . . . . Page B6 Taters for Tots program brings agriculture to elementary students in Lingle. . . . . . . Page B8 Wyoming Ag in the Classroom is expanding its bookmark program to include technology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page B9
Quick Bits DOI Goals The Interior Department has set out a timeline for increased timber cuts and other “active management” of federal forests embraced by President Trump in December. In a secretarial order, No. 3372, written on Jan. 2, former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke set out a series of deadlines to “identify and remove” environmental hurdles for forest management projects, identify salvage logging projects and begin other measures aimed at reducing wildfire risks.
Decision-making provides barrier to ranch success Worland – “Dysfunctional decision-making leads to dysfunctional farms,” commented Andy Junkin. “This trend is killing us.” Junkin, a seventh-generation farmer from Canada and expert in farm decision science, headlined 2019’s
WESTI Ag Days, a two-day event highlighting a variety of production topics for farmers and ranchers. During his presentation, which included a four-hour workshop, Junkin emphasized the necessity of learning to communicate and make
decisions as a family to improve the business. “The real villain of our times is not the bank, cattle prices or our family members,” he said. “The real villain is the dysfunctional way we make decisions together.”
Junkin continued, “If we can make decisions as a family, profitability will skyrocket, and we’ll get rid of our frustrations. Then, farming gets fun again.” Helping ranches Junkin works with Please see PLAN on page A6
GRAZING FOR THE LANDSCAPE MCGRATH HIGHLIGHTS STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE RANGE
“One of the things we need to think about when we’re talking about adaptive grazing is it’s not necessarily about 10,000 miles of electric fence and moving cattle every two hours,” commented Sean McGrath, a rancher and consultant on ranch and grazing management. “It’s really using our resources that we have available in whatever region we’re in and on our operation to match plans and animals together over the course of a year.” During a webinar, titled “Adaptive Grazing and Grazing Management,” held on Feb. 12, McGrath explained ranchers will use different techniques to adapt to the grazing conditions on individual farms and ranches. Key principles of grazing As cattle producers in range situations, McGrath said, “We’re in the business of capturing sunlight and water and converting it into food.”
In these systems, plants – including both native grasses and forbs and invasive species and weeds – want to grow, and land managers desire plant growth. As a result, managers must make decisions to foster plant growth. “We all know our operations need to focus on energy efficiency,” McGrath said. “On our ranches, these plants are solar panels. To make them efficient, we need to make sure that our solar panels, the plants, cover the ground.” Cow requirements While the forage is important, McGrath said producers must also match the cow’s energy requirement to the available forage. “When the cow’s energy requirements are lowest, we want the lowest quality forage,” he said, noting crude protein requirements are smallest durPlease see RANGE on page A5
Session Break The Wyoming Legislature will not convene on Feb. 18 in honor of the Presidents’ Day holiday. The Legislative Service Office will also be closed. All committee meetings and floor sessions will resume as normal on Feb. 19. For a complete list of Feb. 19’s legislative business, visit the Legislature’s website at wyoleg.gov.
Wyoming Livestock Roundup photo
Riverton – With proper consideration and planning, caring for working and recreational horses can be fairly simple, according to Fremont County Extension Educator Alex Malcolm. Malcolm and his fellow Extension educators presented a variety of educational sessions at the annual Fremont County Farm and Ranch days held in Riverton on Feb. 6-7, and one session focused on working horses. Land Horses can be kept in a variety of enclosures depending on personal preference and availability of resources. “Like anything else, there are pros and cons to any type of housing we choose to provide for a horse,” Malcolm said. He pointed out horses on pasture will typically experience fewer disease and behavioral problems. “Stocking rate on pastures depends on whether the land is dry or irrigated,” Malcolm said. “For drylands, a single horse will need between five and 10
Wyoming producer sees win
Shoshoni couple keeps farm alive
Denver, Colo. – The National Western Stock Show Open Hereford Female Show brought the opportunity for a big win for Ned and Jan Ward of NJW Herefords in Sheridan. During the show, NJW 36A 10W Turquoise 22E ET was recognized as the Grand Champion Polled Female. NJW 36A 10W Turquoise 22E ET was born Jan. 29, 2017, sired by LJR 023R Whitmore 10W. Bred by Ned and Jan Ward, she is owned by Ned and Jan Ward and Pablo Herrera, all of Sheridan.
Shoshoni – “Ranching is a lot of responsibility, but it’s well worth it to take care of God’s land and animals,” says Fremont County Farmer and Rancher Jessica Sullivan. Sullivan and her husband Tim run a diversified crop and cow/calf operation in Shoshoni with her parents. The family grows corn, hay and pinto beans and keeps a herd of Angus cows. While Sullivan has been working on the farm full-time, her husband recently left his job at John Deere to farm full-time, as well. Farming in the family “I’m a fourth-generation farmer and rancher,” Sullivan says. “This lifestyle is
APHIS Plan USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is launching a campaign designed to prevent the spread of infectious diseases among U.S. poultry flocks. The “Defend the Flock” campaign will feature a new website offering pertinent information on protecting flocks from such avian-specific ailments as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and virulent Newcastle disease that can devastate commercial and backyard birds.
Caring for horses on the ranch is simple with proper planning
Please see HORSES on page A7
House Moves The U.S. House of representatives this week plans to fast-track legislation that would require federal settlement agreements to be published. The measure, H.R. 995 by Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Ala.), is titled the “Settlement Agreement Information Database Act.” Palmer introduced the act last week.
Raising horses
something I’m very familiar with and hope to pass on to our children in the future.” “The same year I graduated high school, the farm next door came up for sale,” Sullivan explains. “Being 18 years old, I had no credit and no ability to purchase it myself. Knowing I wanted to farm, my parents bought the land, and my husband and I eventually took it over.” “We still share a lot of equipment with my parents to save on costs,” she notes. “My parents are planning on slowing down in the next 10 years or so,” she continues. “My husband and I plan to work towards acquiring what they have so they don’t have
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Top female – NJW 36A 10W Turquoise 22E ET was the Grand Champion Polled Female during the National Western Stock Show’s Open Hereford Female Show this year. Courtesy photo
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Please see FARM on page A5