Held in conjunction every five years, the Wyo ming Natural Resource Ren dezvous will welcome hun dreds of ranchers and other natural resource users across Wyoming on Dec. 5-8 in Casper at the Ramkota Hotel & Conference Center. Preregistration by Nov. 30 is $290, on-site, full registra tion after Nov. 30 is $340. For more information and to register, visit wysga.org
Nebraska Extension and the Center for Agricultural Profitability at the Univer sity of Nebraska-Lincoln will host a series of in-person land management workshops cov ering current cash rental rates and leasing considerations for 2023. The workshops will offer updated leasing infor mation relevant to landlords and tenants, including tips for communication and negotiat ing. The meetings are free to attend, but registration is required. More information is available at cap.unl.edu/ succession
The National Cattle men’s Beef Association (NCBA) announced Franki Moscato of Oshkosh, Wis., is the winner of the 10th annual National Anthem Contest. Moscato will sing the “Star-Spangled Banner” at the 2023 Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show in New Orleans, La. during the Opening Gen eral Session as well as at the “Party Gras” concert.
The Bureau of Land Management issued an adjusted environmental assessment for a new allot ment management plan and a proposed decision which would allow for expanded livestock grazing in the Alvord Desert of southeast ern Oregon. The proposed decision would allow about 9,000 animal unit months (AUMs) on all pastures in the Alvord Allotment and would allow one pasture which was previously suspended for use to stock 1,415 AUMs.
Cheyenne – The Wyoming Legislature’s Joint Judiciary Committee met Nov. 10 to continue its interim work, hear testimony and consider multiple draft bills.
A draft bill prohibiting
travel across private land for hunting purposes was discussed by attendees and passed by committee mem bers, forwarding the bill before the legislature during its 2023 session.
Bill outline and WGFD perspective
Under Wyoming law, hunting trespass and crim inal trespass are treated as separate offenses. The Wyoming Game and Fish
Department (WGFD) can currently cite individuals who are actively hunting, fishing, trapping or collect ing sheds on private prop erty without permission.
Riverton – The 29th Annual Wyoming Women in Ag Symposium was held at the Fremont County Fairgrounds on Nov. 17-18. The symposium included a keynote presentation and workshop on self-care; a ranch tour; educational break out sessions; a tour of the Central Wyoming College (CWC) Ag Department and Meat Processing Unit; and trade show.
Attendees were given the opportunity to socialize with fellow ranch women and enjoy locally-sourced meals during the event.
Keynote speaker
Dee Dee Raap presented on “Self-Care for the Stress of Life” and conducted a selfcare workshop during the symposium on Nov. 17.
Raap grew up on a farm in South Dakota where she learned the value of hard-work ing ag women. Over the years, she devel oped a passion for assisting women with their self-care to avoid stress and health problems.
“If we don’t take care of ourselves, can
In August, William “Bill” Bunce was appointed by the Biden administration to
Originally growing up on the Hermit’s
near Las Vegas, N.M., Bill found his way to the Cowboy State man aging largescale sheep and cattle ranches and feedlot operations. He has worked in oper ational management with the American Quarter Horse Associa tion, working alongside staff of the American Quarter Horse Journal and the Quarter Racing Journal
In addition, he has served as the vice pres ident of the American Polled Hereford Asso ciation and the executive director of the New Mexico Live stock Board.
Prior to his involvement with FSA, he was the director of strategic partnerships with Mercy Chefs, Inc., an international
Nationwide Land As Your Legacy program Cen tral Regional Vice Presi dent Lisa Quist spoke about developing a transition plan for farmers and ranchers transitioning their estate and assets to the next generation during the Wyoming Women in Ag Symposium on Nov. 18 in Riverton.
Generation one (G1) is the current major owner/ operator of the assets, gen eration two (G2) is the next generation which will be tak ing over the assets and gen eration three (G3) follows G2. The Nationwide Land As Your Legacy program was put together to help farmers and ranchers transi tion their farms and ranches from G1 to G2.
Quist mentioned the importance of a smooth tran sition from G1 to G2.
“There is a lot at stake for those generations coming behind G1,” she said. “G2 has most likely put a lot of time into the operation. This is what they are planning to do for their whole career, and if the transition doesn’t go smoothly, it stands to take away a lot from G2 and fol lowing generations.”
Quist noted many farm ers and ranchers will be
The Global Food Security Forum wel comed a variety of industry leaders and experts to discuss and examine the state of global food security and address current challenges facing the world’s food sup ply chain and distribution during the G20 Summit in Bali, Indonesia, Nov. 12-13.
During the workshop titled “The state of global food security: From farm to fork,” panelists met to discuss a variety of topics impacting global markets.
“My major involvement in this forum and the efforts to bring this about is because of Indonesia’s increasing interde pendence on global markets,” said entre
preneur and politician Hashim Djojohadi kusumo. “Many people are surprised, espe cially Europeans and North Americans, by the effect of the Ukraine crisis and war on countries as far away as Indonesia.”
Indonesia imports roughly 14 mil lion tons of wheat and produces very little wheat of their own.
He continued, “Anything happen ing in faraway places such as Ukraine, has a direct impact on the livelihoods of Indonesians.”
“It has been nine months since the start of the full-scale invasion by Russia on my country and it may seem as literally on the
As we start the Christmas season, I’m always looking for positive issues. Ranchers and farmers, along with others in agriculture, have had a tough year due to the high cost of inputs and infla tion.
We all feel bad for those in the sheep industry, they have to suffer through a downward trend in lamb prices while saddled with high input prices.
Since 2015, ranchers haven’t had much to brag on concerning cattle prices, but starting the second half of 2022, prices were looking up. And now it’s happy news to start the Christmas season. We’ll take it and enjoy it. Most every time I mention higher beef prices, some one always talks of rising input prices and I get it, but just think where producers would be if we had lower or falling beef prices.
The talk now is how high calf prices will go and the answer is “who knows.” I’ve heard as high as five dol lars a pound for a 500-pound calf next November. At this price, one wonders what the cost of beef will be in the grocery stores, and if those high prices will drive customers towards chicken and pork.
Diminishing cattle numbers, strong numbers of cattle processed weekly, especially cows and heifers, strong beef exports and good beef demand at the local meat counter are driving the higher prices.
They say 2022 is looking to be an exceptional year for beef prices. If cattle slaughter stays the same in November and December, the proportion of beef cows and heifers slaughtered would be around 47 percent. Using this analysis, it would suggest a decline in beef cow numbers somewhere around the four to five per cent during 2022, which would be levels not seen since 1985-86.
Through October, heifer slaughter was up about five percent overall in 2022, as compared to a year ago. Beef cow slaughter is about 13 percent higher than a year ago.
Combined, about 765,000 more beef cows and heif ers were processed in the first 10 months of 2022 as com pared to the same period in 2021. Due to the drought, higher input costs and higher slaughter cow and bull prices are the reasons for the strong numbers processed.
Cattle on feed estimates are down last week two per cent and placements were down four percent. Even with higher feed costs, the average profits for cattle feeders are $222 per head, the highest since late last April. The feeder cattle runs are starting to decrease, and so we’ve probably seen the low on those prices.
With milk prices rising, the dairy industry is adding dairy cows. The last couple of years, dairy farmers have bred their cows to beef-type bulls, mostly Angus, using sexed semen to get a certain number of bull calves. The outcome is a better beef steer to be processed at a higher grade and a better cut of meat. Hopefully this will mean less lean meat imports into the U.S.
Times are looking up for beef producers and feed ers. I just hope we don’t get any surprises to challenge the good prices.
Greetings from Chey enne and from the new executive director for Wyoming Agriculture in the Classroom (WAIC). I haven’t been in the saddle here long; however, I have been having fun immersing myself in this organization and exploring how we are aligned statewide.
As much fun as we are having, I want to take a moment to give an update on WAIC and how the WAIC team has been work ing diligently to implement and expand the Wyoming Stewardship Project (WSP) and curriculum into our state’s elementary schools.
As you know, this won derful state is a leader in numerous industries, and at the forefront is agricul ture. At WAIC, it is our duty
By Andrew Joannidesto help provide our chil dren with the tools to move through their educational journey with a high level of understanding of Wyo ming’s economic drivers. It is our dream to empower the youth of this state to become great stewards of our land and its resources.
I grew up in Chey enne and wasn’t involved directly in agriculture, but I firmly believe if my incredible teachers at Hobbs Elementary School used the WSP state stan dards-aligned curriculum like they do today, my path as a young person would have shifted. Nonetheless, I get this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to give back and help make a difference in our next generation.
More than ever, we
need our students to under stand agriculture, minerals, energy and outdoor recre ation and tourism. It will make a difference in their trajectory and the future of our state.
How incredibly lucky we are that Wyoming pro vides us with such a diverse and high-quality agricul tural environment. In the agricultural pillar of our cur riculum, we provide class rooms with a vast amount of information: where cer tain crops grow best; how Wyoming is unique in land and livestock; how live stock is cared for and who is involved; how ranchers are good stewards; live stock characteristics; hay meadow ecosystems; and even food webs.
I also want to brag
about this organization a little bit. It is filled with amazing people embrac ing its history and future. If you have been involved with this organization in years past, or are involved currently, thank you.
There is no doubt with out your assistance, the WSP would not be where it is today. Our curricu lum usage has jumped by 49 percent since 2021. This is great news and shows incredible progress as we move towards our 2025 goal of having the WSP in 50 percent of Wyoming classrooms, grades two through five.
As we are in a season of gratitude, I am grateful for our family, friends and partners around the state.
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) hailed the signing of the National Security Memorandum on Nov. 10 to strengthen the security and resilience of U.S. food and agriculture, which will allow the federal government to identify threats facing U.S. food supply and enhance national preparedness and response.
“Our agricultural sector faces a variety of threats which could inhibit cattle producers’ ability to bring beef from pas ture to plate,” said NCBA CEO Colin Woodall. “NCBA appreciates the Biden administration’s focus on identifying threats and developing new ways to mitigate them. Together, we can protect our industry while ensuring all Americans have access to wholesome foods like beef.”
The memorandum instructs top government officials, including the secretaries of state, defense, interior, agricul ture, commerce, labor, health and human services and home land security, the attorney general, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the director of national intelligence and the director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to identify threats to the food and agricul ture sector and coordinate with federal, state, local and Tribal governments to develop responses.
Ahead of the memorandum signing, Woodall attended a pre-briefing at the White House which included discus sion of key security issues for the cattle industry – tools like the National Veterinary Stockpile, which helps prevent the spread of disease and aids recovery, and cybersecurity and worker training programs supporting the continued opera tions of other members of the beef supply chain.
“I am particularly pleased to hear the administration is making security and resiliency decisions based on data. These data-driven decisions are the ones we can support,” said Woodall.
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) is planning to capture and collar 130 mule deer in the Wyo ming Range deer herd Dec. 1-2. As with past research, animals will be netted from a helicopter by a professional wildlife capture crew, fitted with a GPS collar at the cap ture site and released.
Most of the Wyoming Range deer captures will take place on the larger winter ranges near LaBarge, Kem merer and Evanston, but approximately 25 deer are planned to be collared in Star Valley for the first time.
Captures in Star Valley are planned for the foothills of the Salt Range between Alpine and Smoot, and also for the Spring Creek area near Fairview.
The new research will build on existing research which has been ongoing in the Wyoming Range herd for the past 10 years. The 130 newly-collared deer including does, bucks and juveniles will be in addition to approxi mately 80 animals already collared, bringing the total to some 210 collared deer. The Wyoming Range deer herd is one of the largest in the state, estimated at some 30,000 animals.
This effort is part of a new statewide Mule Deer Mon itoring Program designed to ramp up the WGFD’s efforts to help Wyoming’s struggling mule deer populations.
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) is running a bonus raffle for all hunters who purchase Super Tag tickets in November to win a NEXUS rifle system donated by Gunwerks.
The NEXUS rifle system is the next step in the evolution of the Long Range Rifle System. It features a user-change able barrel, improved vertical grip, new stock design, fulllength ARC + Picatinny bipod mount and more. The NEXUS is the first fully vertically integrated rifle system coming out of Gunwerks’ state-of-the-art facility in Cody.
The Super Tag raffle includes 10 license drawings, one drawing for each of the following species: Bighorn sheep, moose, elk, mountain goat, wild bison, deer, antelope, moun tain lion, gray wolf and black bear. The Super Tag Trifecta is one drawing and the winner chooses any three licenses from those offered. Super Tag tickets are $10 each and Trifecta tickets are $30.
Super Tag license raffle winners have the opportunity to purchase a license to hunt any open area for the species selected, with some exceptions for moose, wild bison and Bighorn sheep. Winners retain all preference points they have accumulated. Mandatory waiting periods for sheep and moose licenses and the once-in-a-lifetime restrictions for bull bison and mountain goat licenses are waived.
The last day to purchase Super Tag tickets for a 2023 hunt is Jan. 31.
Since 2014, the Super Tag raffle has raised more than $9.2 million for big game management and wildlife conservation in Wyoming. Last year, 124,602 tickets were sold, which amounted to over $1.6 million for important wildlife projects.
For more information, visit wgfd.wyo.gov
The Wyoming Livestock Board (WLSB) has sched uled a public meeting for Nov. 28, beginning at 10 a.m. at the Thyra Thomson Building, 444 W. Collins Dr. Casper, WY 82601 in the Turn Table room on the third floor. Zoom is also available.
Topics for discussion include: approval of Aug. 23 minutes, director’s report, legislative updates, brand inspection recording updates, animal health updates, discussion on designated service area boundaries, Chap ter 12 rules and regulation governing Brucella ovis cer tification and other administrative board business and matters. An executive session will be held during lunch to discuss legal and personnel issues.
Central Wyoming College (CWC) student Giana Biagioni placed first at the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federa tion (WyFB) Young Farmer & Rancher Collegiate Discus sion Meet on Nov. 10 in Casper.
Competitors representing CWC, Sheridan College (SC) and Casper College (CC) entered the competition. The competition is designed to simulate American Farm Bureau Federation’s policy development process in a com mittee meeting where discussion and active participation are expected. The competition provided a challenge to dis cuss real-time agriculture issues of concern and determine a potential solution.
Biagioni says she is grateful for the opportunity pro vided through this competition.
“It was great to share my ideas with my fellow agricul turalists and hear what they had to say in turn,” she said. “Together, we generated multiple solutions agriculture will benefit from in the future.”
Madison Henry, a CC student, was named the runnerup and was awarded a $150 cash prize. Rounding out the “Final Four” finalists were Logan Lapica and Kenneth Ray mond, both of SC.
Contestants are given pre-determined topics. They are judged on their knowledge, speaking ability, ability to par ticipate in a committee meeting and listen to others and air all points of view. All contestants competed in two rounds of competition. The top four advanced to the “Final Four” round.
The “Final Four” discussion topic was: “How can Farm Bureau effectively support and equip young farmers and ranchers to successfully manage economic and infrastruc ture challenges to ensure healthy and sustainable farms and ranches across the country?”
Biagioni will represent the WyFB in the AFBF Colle giate Discussion Meet March 3-6, 2023 in Jacksonville, Fla.
Three Tribal Nations in the Great Plains are partnering with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help conserve, maintain and improve grassland productivity, reduce soil ero sion and enhance wildlife habitat through the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP).
The Cheyenne River, Oglala and Rosebud Sioux Tribes are entering into CREP agreements with USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) to enroll eligible grassland, pastureland and other agricultural lands within the boundaries of their reserva tions in this conservation program.
These are the first-ever CREP agreements in partnership with Tribal Nations – reflecting priorities and goals of USDA to broaden the scope and reach of its voluntary, incentive-based conservation programs to engage underserved communities.
Each CREP agreement authorizes enrollment of up to 1.5 million acres by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe; up to one million acres by the Oglala Sioux Tribe; and up to 600,000 acres by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe.
Through these Tribal CREPs, farmers, ranchers and agri cultural producers voluntarily enter into contracts with the fed eral government for 10 to 15 years, agreeing to maintain an existing vegetative cover of permanent grasses and legumes (Conservation Practice 88), while retaining the right to con duct common grazing practices and operations related to the production of forage and seeding. In return, FSA provides par ticipants with rental payments and cost-share assistance for establishing permanent fencing and livestock watering facili ties needed to support livestock grazing.
Only Tribal land, either land owned by the Tribe or owned by a member of the Tribe, are eligible for these projects. FSA will open enroll in the coming weeks. To learn more and deter mine eligibility, contact FSA at a local USDA Service Center or visit usda.gov
The Colorado Simmental Association (CSA) gave its congratulations to Bradie Midcap, for being named the CSA Youth Education Grant winner. Midcap, a freshman at Butler Community College, is on the livestock judging team and working toward her associate degree. She then plans to pursue a bachelor’s in animal science at a fouryear university.
“I want to go into the genetics field and focus on reproduction and in vitro fertilization in cows,” she said.
“Bradie will continue to be a dynamic leader in the ag industry,” said Mark Valko of Wray, Colo. “Bradie has a keen commitment to excel – regardless of her endeavor. I certainly look froward to following this young lady,” who Valko predicts will someday lead a state or national organization.
“Her passion for livestock, especially her own Sim mental herd, has allowed her to become a strong busi nesswoman,” said Travis Taylor, a Colorado State Uni versity Extension livestock specialist.
Wyoming families facing hunger received a boost midNovember from the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation (WyFB) Young Farmer & Rancher (YF&R) Committee “Har vest for All” project. The 20th annual fund drive and raffle to benefit the Food Bank of Wyoming raised $2,745, which is the equivalent of 8,235 meals for Wyoming families.
During the annual state meeting Nov. 10-12 in Casper, county farm bureau federations and Wyoming farmers and ranchers donated money to help the food bank in their work with hunger-relief programs across the state of Wyoming.
In addition to the fund drive, WyFB YF&R Committee members volunteered at the Food Bank of Wyoming in Casper. Eleven members participated on Nov. 9 where they packed food boxes for the Food Bank of Wyoming evergreen boxes program. In just under one hour, volunteers packed 216 food boxes. According to the Food Bank of Wyoming, it amounted to a record of three boxes per minute.
The WyFB YF&R Committee is in its 20th year of joining with the American Farm Bureau Federation YF&R Committee in what is called a “Harvest for All.” Throughout the program’s 20-year span, the committee has partnered with farm bureau members to raise 6,044 pounds of food, $33,864 and 91 hours of volunteer time to help those facing hunger in Wyoming.
“For the last 20 years, WyFB has partnered with Food Bank of Wyoming by giving their time and donations to pro vide meals to Wyoming communities facing hunger,” Food Bank of Wyoming Director of Development Jill Stillwagon concluded.
The Beef Checkoff-funded Trailblazers program is seek ing applications for its next class of beef advocates. Trailblaz ers, developed by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, takes advocacy to the next level by giving participants the tools and training they need to promote beef to new audiences while address ing and correcting myths.
Trailblazers is looking for new spokespeople to partici pate in a year-long hands-on program designed to train, equip and empower beef advocates. Selected candidates receive training to become expert communicators, excel in media interviews and understand how to build confidence in beefrelated practices when talking to consumers.
Each year, 10 new Trailblazers are selected to create a tight-knit community working together to find solutions to social and practical issues impacting the beef community.
Throughout the year, Trailblazers receive advanced in-per son and virtual training from subject matter experts, learning how to effectively engage on various social media platforms, interact with the media and enhance public speaking skills.
Applications will be accepted through Dec. 30 and selected participants will be notified mid-January. Applicants must be 21 years of age, have completed their Masters of Beef Advocacy certification and provide at least two refer ences with their online application.
To apply, visit myreviewr.com. For more information, contact Chandler Mulvaney at cmulvaney@beef.org.
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and the Public Lands Council (PLC) announced their opposition on Nov. 18 to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) final rule to list the lesser prairie chicken (LPC) under the Endan gered Species Act (ESA).
“Over and over, the science has proven healthy, diverse rangelands – the exact kind of landscape maintained by live stock grazing – are where the LPC thrives. Cattle ranchers’ efforts to conserve these acres are absolutely critical to the sur vival of the species,” said NCBA Executive Director of Natu ral Resources and PLC Executive Director Kaitlynn Glover. “We are deeply disappointed by the FWS’s decision to impose redundant bureaucracy and punitive restrictions on the very same people we have to thank for the LPC’s continued exis tence on the range.”
FWS is also establishing a 4(d) rule for the Northern Dis tinct Population Segments (DPS) enabling them to appoint pri vate third parties – such as environmental activist groups – as the grazing authorities in the range of the LPC. FWS has stip ulated cattle producers in the Northern DPS range will only qualify for legal protection under the 4(d) rule if they are fol lowing a grazing management plan which has obtained arbi trary approval from a yet-to-be-named, FWS-approved third party. By contrast, other agricultural practices listed as key fac tors in the service’s decision are granted far more flexibility.
Designing a third-party verification system to empower distant bureaucrats over land managers and ranchers with decades of experience, with parameters blatantly prioritize political objectives over sound science, effectively ensures the only use of the 4(d) rule will be to obstruct grazing activities, stated a NCBA and PLC joint press release.
The rule establishes two DPS for the species: the South ern DPS covering New Mexico and the southwest Texas Pan handle, and the Northern DPS covering southeastern Colo rado, Kansas, Oklahoma and the northeast Texas Panhandle. The Southern DPS will be listed as endangered and the North ern DPS will be listed as threatened. The final rule does not include any critical habitat designations.
Fall Bulls
Two-Year-Old Bulls Lot 14 – KL Desert Toro 1010 – Price: $15,000 DOB: 5/23/21 Sire: OR TP Desert Prime Dam’s Sire: L3 Des ert Fox 842 ET EPDs: BW: +1.5, WW: +61, YW: +94, Milk: +27 and M&G: +58
Buyer: Mike Stroh, Kill deer, N.D.
Lot 10 – TP Desert
Prime 106 – Price: $11,000 DOB: 3/23/21 Sire: OR TP Desert Prime Dam’s Sire: THM Durango 4037 EPDs: BW: +3.2, WW: +65, YW: +98, Milk: +25 and M&G: +58 Buyer: Bauer Ranch, Union Center, S.D.
Lot 95 – L3 Desert Toro 209 – Price: $9,500 DOB: 8/13/21 Sire: OR TP Desert Prime Dam’s Sire: L3 Des ert Red Bull 533 ET EPDs: BW: +2.3, WW: +59, YW: +99, Milk: +28 and M&G: +57 Buyer: Dunmire Ranch Company, McFadden Bull Calves
Lot 1 – L3 B413 Desert Value 263 – Price: $12,000 DOB: 4/8/22 Sire: EFBeef
BR Validated B413 Dam’s Sire: OR TP Desert Prime EPDs: BW: +2.2, WW: +71, YW: 106, Milk: +33 and M&G: +68 Buyer: McMurry Cattle, Billings, Mont.
disaster response organiza tion. With over a decade of service to international min istry and disaster relief and response, he continues to volunteer and serve as direc tor emeritus with Mercy Chefs.
Throughout his career, he has traveled through many parts of the U.S. to work in the ag industry, but was excited to come home to Wyoming.
“Wyoming has been a big part of who I am and I feel very deeply about the state, lifestyle, culture and the conservative nature of the state and the agriculture industry,” says Bill.
As a Wyomingite, Bill has served as the director of marketing for the Wyo ming Department of Agri culture. He has also served as one of the foundational staff directors and as Wyo ming’s director of interna tional business and agri business for the Wyoming Business Council.
He has served on the board of directors of the U.S. Livestock Genetics Export, Inc., Wyoming Rural Devel opment Council, Univer sity of Wyoming College of Agriculture Advisory Com mittee and Gov. Jim Gering er’s Sub-Cabinets on Natu ral Resources and Economic Development.
“Wyoming is very for tunate to have the leader ship we have across all of our state agencies, nongov ernmental associations and organizations and across our industry leadership,” shares Bill. “It’s phenomenal – we should be incredibly proud of what we have and who we have.”
“The knowledge our team has, across the board, is truly exceptional and I’m proud to come and join the team and try to help agricul ture in Wyoming,” he adds.
The FSA serves farmers, ranchers and agricultural partners through the deliv ery of effective, efficient and agricultural programs –including farm commodity and disaster programs.
“My job is to work alongside our county offices, provide support and run interference,” says Bill. “My job is to represent the
state of Wyoming in Wash ington, D.C., explain fed eral policy and provide tools to FSA staff to help them be successful.”
“They don’t need me to know how to run our FSA programs, they need some one to be on the policy side representing Wyoming in Washington, D.C., and viceversa, and that’s what I plan to do.”
To start, he hopes to improve staffing. He notes there is more work being done by less and less people. Going forward, he hopes to be a point of contact for peo ple across the state who have intent and interest in FSA programs.
FSA works to conserve natural resources and pro vides credit to producers unable to receive private, commercial credit, includ ing special emphasis on beginning, underserved and women farmers and ranch ers. Bill is excited to extend a helping hand to the next generation of agriculture.
“If I could pick an area I feel in my heart to improve upon, it would be the Beginning Farmer and Rancher program,” he explains. “I would love to see this program expanded in dollar limitations and number of producers in an effort to make this program more accessible.”
The average age of farm ers and ranchers in the state is 57 years old, he says.
“We’re seeing this age increase and the continual contraction within the ag industry,” he says. “Unfor tunately, 75 percent of farms and ranches in the U.S. today support the off-farm income of the family. In order to preserve food secu rity in our country, we have to keep more producers on the ground.”
“If we can move this needle, we are saving our country a lot of problems in the future,” he concludes.
Bill has put together a state committee and hopes to announce selected candi dates by the end of the year.
Brittany Gunn is the edi tor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@ wylr.net.
continued from page 2
Our teachers are the life line to our children’s edu cation, and we will con tinue to help provide them with the means nec essary to get this curric ulum into more class rooms. However, we still need financial support to continue to achieve this mission.
There is a dona tion envelope inserted in this week’s edition of the Wyoming Live stock Roundup. If you would like to support our
efforts, please return the envelope to us or donate online at wyaitc.org. You can contact us via phone at 307-369-1749 or via e-mail at info@wyaitc. org.
Thank you for going to work every day for Wyoming and our future generations.
Andrew Joannides is the executive director of Wyoming Ag in the Class room. He can be reached at ajoannides@wyaitc. org.
Dear Wyoming Livestock Roundup readers,
I wanted to take a min ute to thank all of you for the incredible opportunity I had to learn more about life in the Cowboy State through my time as editor with the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. I am so grateful for the connections I was able to make in Wyoming and the knowledge I gained about ranching in the West.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the Roundup, so it is a bittersweet time for me as I prepare to head back to my roots in Minnesota and begin my work with the Minnesota State Cat tlemen’s Association as the executive director and the
Beef Quality Assurance pro gram coordinator.
I want to say a sincere thank you to the ranchers who extended a warm wel come to me and allowed me to visit their family operations. These visits opened my eyes to what ranching is all about in Wyoming and your hospi tality is something I will always be grateful for.
Through ranch vis its, conventions and trade shows around the state, I’ve concluded the Wyo ming ag industry is made up of some of the most hard-working, selfless and kind folks who are always working to improve their operations and provide for
future generations.
I am thankful for the entire Roundup team includ ing the staff, correspond ing writers, columnists and of course, the readers.
Thank you for showing me around this great state, and I am so excited to take what I learned here with me as I continue to advocate for farmers and ranchers while sharing the story of ag.
I was unfamiliar with the “Code of the West” before moving to Wyoming, but it will be something I will think of often as I work with producers in my home state. Although I will not be “out West” anymore, I think the code is something every producer should live by.
Live each day with cour age, talk less and say more, take pride in your work and above all else, ride for the brand. To me, the “Code of the West” outlines the way we should all live our lives, and I think the world would be a better place if we did. As the saying goes, the world needs more cowboys.
Thanks for showing me around and teaching me what it means to “ride for the brand.” I am honored to represent cattle producers as I move on with this new position.
Hopefully, I will be seeing you around sooner than later!
Sincerely, Kaitlyn RootDouble Doc 50 Mx Strs & Hfrs, 500-600#, Weaned 45+ days, Bunk Broke, Branding & Precond Shots, Producers All Natural Zach & Richard Hotchkiss 50 Blk/Bwf Hfrs, 600-700#, Weaned since Nov. 10, Bunk Broke, Hay Fed, Branding & Precond Shots
Doug Plummer 31 Blk Strs & Hfrs, 400-500#, Branding & Precond Shots, Weaned October 3rd, Running Out and Supplemented with Hay WEBO Angus 30 Angus Hfrs, 500-540#, Weaned 60+, Running out on Grass Pivots, Hay Fed, Branding, Precond & Weaning Shots
Indian Meadows 30 Blk/Bwf few Red Strs, 500-550#, Weaned on Oct. 1, Running out on Native Grass, Branding & Precond Shots
Bobby Star 29 Blk/Bwf Strs & Hfrs, 700-800#, Weaned since Nov. 13, Bunk Broke, Hay Fed, Branding & Precond Shots PJ Cattle Co 25 Blk/Bwf Strs, 600-650#, Weaned 45+ days, Calf Creep, Oats and Free Choice Hay, Branding & Weaning Shots
Clinton Finlayson 16 Blk Strs, 575-675#, Weaned 30 days, Hay Fed, Branding & Precond Shots, Producer All Natural PRECOND.
Bolton Livestock/Bar 7 350 Blk/Red /Char Strs & Hfrs, 400-600#, Branding & Precond Shots, No Replacements Kept Murphy Ranch, Inc./Mary Murphy 220 Blk Strs & Hfrs, 500-600#, 3 Rounds of Shots, High Altitude, 1-iron Robert Bruchez 160 Red/Blk Strs & Hfrs, 500-600#, 3 Rounds of Shots, Heifers are Replacement Quality
Don & Sheri, Brendan & Taelynn Blackburn 130 Blk few Bwf Strs & Hfrs, 550-575#, Branding & Precond Shots Rothschild & 8 Ranch 90 Blk few Bwf Strs, 530#, Branding & Precond Shots
Kent Hunter 85 Blk/Bwf few Red Strs & Hfrs, 350-450#, Branding & Precond Shots
Miller Point Ranch 75 Blk Strs & Hfrs, 500-600#, Branding & Precond Shots, Bunk Broke (eating hay along side of moms) Barry & Melva Baldwin 74 Blk Angus Strs & Hfrs, 500-600#, Branding & Precond Shots, Started on Hay along side of their moms Bill & Sherry Redden/Lonny Boyd 70 Blk few Red/Char Strs & Hfrs, 550-600#, Branding & Precond Shots
Marty Blackburn 65 Choice to Fancy Blk few Bwf Strs & Hfrs, 550-575#, Branding & Precond Shots Guy & Kathy Landers 60 Blk/Bwf few Red Strs & Hfrs, 500-600#, Birth, Branding & Precond Shots
Joseph O. Fawcett & Sons 60 Mx Strs & Hfrs, 500#, Branding & Precond Shots
Paul & Miranda Zielke 30 Mx Strs, 600#, Branding & Precond Shots, Producer All Natural Stephen and Cheryl Perry 21 Mx Strs & Hfrs, 475-500#, Birth, Branding & Precond Shots, Producer All Natural CALVES
8 Bar Ranch 200 Choice to Fancy Blk/Rwf Strs & Hfrs, 500-600#, Branding Shots, Extreme High Altitude: 8000-11,000’ year round Marty Cox 65 Blk/Bwf Strs & Hfrs, 600#, Branding Shots Bob & Bev Yeik 50 Blk strs & Hfrs, 550-650#, Branding Shots Fred Benson 33 Blk Strs & Hfrs, 500-600#, Branding Shots, No
By Lynn Harlan
August – when the Christmas trappings start showing up in the back of stores such as Target and Hobby Lobby. Halloween makes a larger attempt each year, with orange-colored outdoor strings of lights mimicking the reds, greens and whites to follow.
Halloween has crept up into being a major holiday, so different from my years as a trick-or-treater living in town. Then, I roamed my neighborhood with my sib lings and maybe a parent –bringing candy home in a
plastic orange bucket and later in brown paper bags or pillowcases for more volume.
It gave us an opportunity for a face-to-face meeting with the grouchy old man next door or the spry smiling widow down the street.
Now they have “trunkor-treat,” the door-to-door alternative. A community of cars will gather in a parking lot, decorate their trunks and dispense candy there, usu ally in daylight and before the actual night.
Safer? Maybe. But
no pounding of the pave ment and shrieks in the dark approaching a scary deco rated house.
Halloween has never been my favorite holiday, since living on a ranch and having fall work to finish.
What? You need a cos tume tomorrow for the school party? Here’s a tornup sheet, you can go as a mummy again this year, or glue some straw to the bot tom of the coveralls and be a scarecrow.
Actual costumes, as my kids can attest.
Now we’re at the end of November, and Christ mas catalogs are showing up in earnest. Thanksgiv ing’s “one day in the sun” was held at our home with a home-grown prime rib.
Then there was the Christmas tree hunt. We had such a long, glorious fall, so I kept my horse around and did several rides to find the
everybody has an individ ual story and individual goals.
perfect tree.
The Friday after Thanks giving has been tradition ally known as “Black Fri day,” but it seems Black Fri day sales started turning up in early November. Retail ers are worried about folks spending for Christmas and are already trying in earnest to get our dollar. I believe there is a Black Friday sale every day of the week on some internet sites.
I don’t know why we receive some catalogs. Did I order something in the long distant past from Ham macher Schlemmer?
How about some heated gloves at $149.95? Will these spark when I’m retrieving chunks of ice out of the frozen water tank I just chopped? There is one interesting item, the quick removal windshield.
I can’t forget to mention the snow tarp with sewnin magnets to keep the tarp
why the farm or ranch exists,” she said.
secure in wind gusts. Bob usually throws an old coat over the windshield with the pockets full of staples, paint chalk and pliers heavy enough to keep it in place.
There is a heated cord less deep tissue massager for neck and shoulders which looks nice for $129.95, but I’ll probably just stick with the tube sock full of rice which can be heated in the microwave.
And for the family, the electric s’mores maker at $79.99. It uses electric heat to melt the marshmallows instead of flames – isn’t that what a gas cooktop is for?
December has arrived. Winter also showed up in an icy blast sent early from the Artic. We’ve still got a couple of water tanks to fix and cows to trail to their winter feedground. One snowy day spent going through the heaps of mail piled during fall work.
And speaking of mail, and all those catalogs, a shout out to our mail lady Jane Ann Gosney, who recently turned 80 years old and is still delivering the mail three times a week. For many years, she was the Barnum bus driver while helping run a ranch. She made handmade Christmas ornaments for each child on her route to start their own collection.
It’ll be time to get out the lights and decorate the tree. Nothing is more heart warming than to come in after a cold day and plug in the tree.
Emily Matthews once said, “From home to home, and heart to hearts, from one place to another. The warmth and joy of Christ mas brings us closer to each other.”
I hope you are able to enjoy the warmth and joy of the season.
going through this transi tion process within the next 20 years.
“The U.S. Depart ment of Agriculture states over the next 20 years, 70 percent of all U.S. farm land will transfer to the next generation, so this is a huge transfer of assets,” she said. “Because the age of the average G1 is getting older, this window is actu ally shrinking every single year to get this work done properly.”
Quist mentioned impor tant factors to keep in mind while developing and implementing a transition plan include open commu nication, developing a mis
sion statement and main taining family harmony.
Communication
Quist said the most important factor in devel oping and implementing a transition plan is communi cation.
“Relationships are the biggest challenge in getting this process to be success ful,” she said.
Quist acknowledged the conversations around tran sitioning assets are chal lenging to have, but what happens when families do not have tough conversa tions is much worse. She said it is normal to have conflicting objectives on the farm or ranch because
1st
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“It is crucial for an oper ation to identify those chal lenges so producers are not making decisions for their operation based on assump tions,” she said. “When producers are making those decisions based on assump tions, it is detrimental to their operation; and honest communication is the most important place for them to start.”
How well the operation communicates directly cor relates with how successful the transition will be, said Quist.
“The most success ful farmers and ranchers we work with on transition planning are the ones who are excellent at communi cation,” she said.
She mentioned commu nication isn’t going to solve every problem or take away differences in opinions, but it will define issues, vali date assumptions and mini mize misunderstandings.
“Good communication is the foundation of a suc cessful transition plan,” Quist said.
Quist said the first step in developing a transition plan is to create a mission statement.
“The mission statement shares the basic purpose of the operation – it explains
It may feel awkward to treat a farm or ranch opera tion like a traditional main stream business, but Quist said the most successful operations are willing to do this work. When develop ing the transition plan, she encouraged the “key play ers” in the operation to be involved with the process.
Make the mission state ment short, easy to under stand and display the mis sion statement where peo ple will see it every day once it’s complete, she said.
“Producers use the mis sion statement to guide their decisions to help them move in the same direc tion and start thinking and working together,” she said. “The mission state ment helps producers make tough decisions.”
Quist said families should conduct family meetings to ensure every one’s voice is being heard.
“These meetings may be awkward, challenging and uncomfortable when first started, but it is really important,” she said. “Pro ducers need to have the opportunity and the space to be able to have these conversations.”
In order for these meet ings to be worth everyone’s time, they need to be well structured with an agenda
“The most successful farmers and ranchers we work with on transition planning are the ones who are excellent at communication.” – Lisa
Quist, Nationwide Land As Your Legacy
sent out at least two days before the meeting, Quist said. The meetings must be a safe space for everyone attending.
“There’s no room at the meeting to feel ridiculed, mocked, not listened to or disrespected,” she said.
Quist recommended structuring the meetings with set roles including a person in charge of the agenda; someone taking notes; someone tracking the time; etc.
“I encourage produc ers to break out of the fam ily mindset and move into the business mindset,” she said. “Have these roles and then every time you meet, switch roles.”
Quist noted keeping the meetings consistent is key.
“These meetings need to be safe, well-structured and follow a schedule,” she said. “Find what works for the family, set the sched ule and stick to it. Make family meetings an impor tant part of the operation’s structure.”
Quist mentioned throughout the transition
process, family harmony can be challenging to main tain, but it is crucial. She said a major rule of hers is to avoid gossiping.
“This is a hard one,” she said. “It takes a lot of bravery to be the one to stand up and say our fam ily is not going to do this anymore. It’s a huge shift for a lot of families in the way they operate, but it is important.”
Families need to feel safe while openly discuss ing differences, concerns and issues, Quist said.
“Have those conversa tions,” she said. “Have the safe space where you can talk about it and have the opportunity to speak up.”
She also recognized the importance in avoid ing grudges, which she said applies more to G2 and G3.
“G1 is still the pri mary owner of the assets, ultimately it is their deci sion what happens with the assets,” Quist said. “The decision won’t always be what everyone is hoping for.”
Family members involved need to be will ing to let go of grudges and not carry them into the future, she said.
“At the end of the day, you’re still family, you still love each other and you still want to operate as a family in spite of tension,” said Quist. “At the end of the day, you still want to be able to spend time with your family and have a good relationship with each other, so you need to find out how to separate the family from the busi ness to be successful.”
Kaitlyn Root is an edi tor for the Wyoming Live stock Roundup. Send com ments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
The Kansas State Uni versity (KSU) Beef Cattle Institute’s (BCI) podcast Cattle Chat hosted KSU BCI Veterinarians Bob Larson and Brian Lubbers and BCI Clinical Assistant Professor Phil Lancaster on Nov. 4 to discuss a vari ety of questions in regards to topics impacting cattle producers.
“Anaplasmosis is a disease of the blood, in other words, there is bac teria infecting red blood cells. Red blood cells are destroyed, so the animal basically doesn’t have enough oxygen-moving capacity,” mentions Lar son. “The interesting thing is, this disease is moved from one cow to another through blood by ticks and other insects or with human activities – using a needle or a palpation sleeve can move anaplas mosis organisms from one cow to another.”
He notes there are parts of the U.S. where this dis ease is common and most herds have immunity to the disease, but some produc ers may occasionally lose a cow to anaplasmosis.
It’s important to note, as the disease moves to new areas, cattle herds are completely susceptible.
“It’s certainly a dis ease which can cause death
in otherwise healthy adult cattle,” shares Lubbers. “There is not a long list of diseases which will do that.”
Lubbers adds, “It typ ically affects older cows. Younger cows do a better job of regenerating new red blood cells – they typ ically don’t die at the rate of an older cow, because they can regenerate blood cells.”
Another important con sideration for anaplas mosis is the time of year. Depending on the part of the country a producer is in, anaplasmosis is typi cally not a disease seen in October, November or December.
“I’ve seen it in every month of the year, but the bulk of the cases are in late summer to early fall,” says Larson. “But it doesn’t mean we can’t see cases at other times.”
Because this is a blood borne bacteria, it’s suscep tible to some antimicrobi als, or medicines used to prevent and treat infections in humans, animals and plants. Tetracycline antibi otics traditionally are used to treat the disease. Other antimicrobials used can be either chlortetracycline or oxytetracycline.
“There is one other product which has condi
Crossing or being on private property is a crim inal trespass offense and can currently only be cited by law enforcement.
The draft bill would allow WGFD wardens the ability to cite individuals illegally passing through private property to get to public land with the intent to hunt or fish, etc., and to return back through public property.
“The genesis of this bill is really from frustration of landowners with trespass ing scenarios occurring on their property which could be handled by WGFD war dens when they are out per forming their conservation law enforcement efforts. Some of those trespass activities result in obvious foot, horse or ATV tracks on deeded-private property as a result of hunting, fish ing or trapping activity,” shared WGFD Chief Game Warden Rick King. “The intent of this legislation is to clarify what activity should be included in WGFD tres passing offenses and give WGFD wardens the ability to resolve issues when they are out working.”
“While I don’t feel this current draft bill language is perfect, I do think it’s a good step towards resolv ing the issue and frustra tion occurring at multiple levels, whether in the court room, with officers in the field, county attorney or
tional approval for treat ment of anaplasmosis which is enrofloxacin, otherwise known as Bay tril,” says Lubbers. “If treating with Baytril, pro ducers have to use Bay tril 100 with conditional approval.”
“It’s important to have a veterinarian involved because the earlier it can be diagnosed, the better,” says KSU Professor and Cat tle Chat Host Brad White. “Treatment is going to take care of the parasite; but it won’t fix the blood prob lem, so we don’t always see those affected cows respond all too well.”
Larson points out feed ing tetracycline in a min eral is not always the best way to treat infected cows because there is not con sistent daily intake across the herd. Theoretically, producers can feed tetra cycline to prevent the dis ease, but there are some drawbacks to this method.
Vaccinating for ana plasmosis is another option, but there is cur rently not a great vac cine on the market. Lar son shares there is research being done at KSU to develop an anaplasmosis vaccine.
“I’m hopeful for a vac cine in the future, but this disease has been very dif ficult to build effective
continued from page 1
landowner,” he added.
General trespass issues and public comments
For many ranchers across the state, private property rights are what sets the U.S. apart from other countries, and many don’t want unauthorized people traveling through their land.
“The bill more explic itly states the current expectation as a rancher – I want to know who is on my property and I want to grant those people permission or deny them in each and every instance,” explained Wyoming Association of Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police (WASCOP) Execu tive Director Bryon Oede koven. “This bill helps with the standpoint hunters have to have permission to travel through private property and, as we discuss amendments, to include to return from.”
“From the WASCOP perspective, having clarity in the bill is important,” he shared.
Crook County Attor ney Joseph Baron offered his viewpoint on the bill.
“I’m generally in favor of this bill,” he stated. “I think it actually takes care of an issue existing out in the field where the game wardens end up having to call the sheriff to help them out.”
He noted, in most cases, these trespassing
scenarios don’t happen in the presence of the game warden, but the landowner. The game warden is typi cally called to investigate.
Representing the hunt ing nonprofit Mountain Pursuit, Hoback hunter Rob Schaul shared his thoughts on the bill in terms of corner crossing cases.
“This issue does need to be addressed in order to protect landowners,” he said. “Our concern with this bill is it may be used to prohibit or fight corner crossing or flow fishing in the future. We ask this to be specifically addressed in the bill – to make it clear the intent of this act is not to address corner cross ing or flow fishing in any way.”
During the meeting, committee members clari fied the bill’s language so it wouldn’t become entan gled with cases surround ing corner crossings. A key component of the bill was making the text of the draft concise in defining “trav eling through” as “physi cally touching or driving on the surface of the pri vate property.” This also includes language about traveling back through pri vate property.
Brittany Gunn is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
listen to the full podcast or future podcasts, visit ksubci.org. For questions, e-mail bci@ksu.edu.
vaccines which are safe to use in animals,” he shares. “I’m hopeful and have my fingers crossed [the indus try] will have something in the future, but right now, prevention is hard.”
“Beta agonists are drug products, and in food pro duction, they are labeled for production with claims of increased growth and rate of gain and improved feed efficiency,” mentions Lubbers. “The most basic explanation of how beta agonists work are they preferentially partition to lean muscle.”
Most beta agonists are used in the feedlot and during the end of a feed ing cycle. These products are approved for use in the U.S., but not approved in several other countries. When the U.S. exports beef to other countries, it can become an issue.
“Roughly 15 years ago, China stopped beef imports from the U.S., and within the past five years the market has opened, but there is a specific beta ago nists called ractopamine which cannot be used in those cattle marketed to China,” says Lubbers.
“For certain export markets, producers were not feeding beta agonists,” says White. “As a nation, the U.S. was not feeding any of it, but recently, the U.S. began feeding some of it according to label ing requirements – I think we’re coming to those dif ferent levels and we don’t see a big change or shift, but people are going to respond to the market and incentives.”
Rice bran Lancaster mentions rice bran is a byproduct from the rice milling industry for preparing rice for human consumption. Rice bran is not a coproduct.
“A coproduct is when a manufacturer has some specifications they try to meet with the product, and a byproduct is really some thing they have and has some value, but they just want to get rid of it – they don’t want to put any extra cost into it and want to get rid of it for whatever value it has.”
He says one problem with feeding rice bran is the nutrition content of the product varies a lot because manufacturers don’t have to put any effort
into maintaining a certain quality.
“The issue with rice bran is it’s highly vari able and, particularly with the fat level, this becomes a problem for two rea sons,” he says. “One, if producers get a batch with a really high fat level and get the total fat in the diet up above seven percent, it will decrease feed intake in feedlot cattle, and if there is a high level above five percent, it negatively affects forage digestion.”
“My advice for use is to make sure producers are testing each batch because it can be so highly variable,” he concludes. “It’s not something I’d buy as a com modity and use as a supple ment to any animals.”
It’s important to note rice bran is a high protein, high energy, dense feed and rice wholes are very low protein and low energy. A testing lab would be neces sary to test rice bran, and producers should ask for a fat percentage analysis before feeding rice bran.
Brittany Gunn is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
Wyoming experienced its 28th warmest and 33rd driest October out of 128 years, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Centers for Envi ronmental Information data base, retrieved Nov. 17.
The U.S. Drought Mon itor (USDM) map for Wyo ming, released Nov. 17, clas sifies nearly 25 percent of the state as being abnor mally dry and nearly 57 per cent of Wyoming as moder ate to extreme drought. The remainder of the state, more than 18 percent, is classi fied as none – in other words, these areas are not experi encing abnormally dry or drought conditions. View the
current USDM map at bit. ly/2S28VTA. Consider sub mitting a Condition Monitor ing Observer Report at bit. ly/3c4WRLR
Carbon and Albany coun ties moving north and east into southern Crook County and along much of the east ern border of Wyoming. The exception is the southeastern corner where there is a 33 to 40 percent probability for below normal precipitation.
to
NOAA’s eight to 14-day forecast for Nov. 25-Dec. 1, issued Nov. 17, shows a 40 to 60 percent probability (or chance) for above normal temperatures for all of Wyo ming. For the same time frame, the forecast shows a 33 to 40 percent probability for above normal precipita tion for the central and west ern regions of the state.
There is an equal prob ability for below, near or above normal precipitation for the swath of the state from
The December forecast, issued Nov. 17, indicates an equal probability for below, near or above normal tem peratures for the entire state. For the same timeframe, there is a 33 to 40 percent probability for above normal precipitation for nearly all of Wyoming.
The southeast corner is the exception with an equal probability for below, near or above normal precipitation. For details and to view more NOAA forecasts, visit cpc. ncep.noaa.gov
Windy K. Kelley is the regional Extension program coordinator and state spe cialist for the U.S. Depart ment of Agriculture’s North ern Plains Climate Hub, University of Wyoming Extension and WAFERx. She can be reached at wkelley1@ uwyo.edu or 307-367-4380.
other side of the earth from here, but one of the les sons this world teaches us is how connected we are to each other,” said Member of Ukrainian Parliament and leader of the Holos/ Voice Party Kira Rudick. “Before the war started, my country was one of the top five world’s largest export ers of wheat, grains, sun flower oil, tomatoes and corn. Right now, my coun try, whose mission is to feed the world, has so much complications in doing so.”
The Russia-Ukraine war has not only had direct effect on food security in the countries with direct connections with Ukraine, but with all the countries in the world. She noted since the invasion, food prices and grain prices have gone up 30 percent.
In terms of regional food security differences, Rural Development and Food Security Thematic Group Asian Development Bank (ADB) Chief Qin gfeng Zhang highlighted three factors impacting the industry prior to the Rus sian invasion of Ukraine.
He pointed out several Asian regions were already suffering from politi cal conflict and have been greatly impacted by climate change, including floods and drought.
“When it comes to what we need to do, there is no sin gle blueprint,” he said. “But there are three things being very important – demand, supply and logistics.”
As of Sept. 27, ADB announced its plans to provide at least $14 bil lion over 2022-25 in com prehensive programs to ease a worsening food cri sis in Asia and the Pacific. The plan looks to improve long-term food security by strengthening food systems against the impacts of cli mate change and biodiver sity loss.
“I think through this group of discussions, we need to continue to promote the open trade and regional cooperation, particularly to fertilizer,” he said.
“The problem between Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the shutdown of exports from Ukraine through the Black Sea has brought global atten tion to the food security issue,” mentioned For mer Supreme Allied Com mander Europe North Atlantic Treaty Organiza tion General Wesley Clark. “But, it’s overdue attention. This is not a problem of one event, but a problem hav ing been built over several decades.”
He explained the global economy has knitted these markets together in such
a way that through these global supply chains, popu lation growth and changing consumer preferences, a system has been built being interconnected, and when shock occurs, such as ris ing prices, it hits countries and markets all across the world.
“We know the finan cial implications of this are worldwide in terms of what it does to rates of exchange and currency, and what it does for the cost of imported food in coun tries around the world,” he added. “These problems have to be addressed real istically – not in campaign pledges, but with real pro grams, technology and financing.”
“It’s excellent to discuss the troubled state of global food security, but the task is: What is the world going to do about it?” said U.S.Indonesia Society Presi dent David Merrill. “We have come a long way, but there’s a long way to go.”
In the spring of 2022, the G20 wasn’t sure it wanted to deal with global food security. The G20 viewed global food secu rity as a political issue, not an economic issue.
Merrill noted the G20 took four to five weeks to recognize global food secu rity as an economic devel opment issue, no mat ter how much it’s related to war. During the forum, he suggested international organizations must work together and domestic sup ply response needs to be cultivated. In addition, the G20 has an opportunity to bring forward ideas for supportive mechanisms on key issues.
“It’s great to talk about future solutions, but today we have a solution already. We need to get the industry actors to recognize we all need to work together and make difficult decisions,” mentioned Niels Trost, an attending panelist. “The U.S. government has been clear: Oil and food needs to flow to the market, and there are no sanctions on food and energy exports from Russia; but yet, the industry is self-sanctioned and it has contributed to the shortage we see today.”
“We need to address high energy prices,” he added. “Prices are dictated by supply and demand, so we need to do something about increasing the sup ply. The quickest way to bring prices down is to increase supply – it’s very simple.”
Brittany Gunn is the editor of the Wyoming Live stock Roundup. Send com ments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
we really be there for any one else?” she asked. “Let’s be there for ourselves, as well as our co-workers, family and friends – with self-care helping us make our journey great every day.”
She has helped thou sands learn valuable skills to implement in their life. Raap focuses on turning overwhelm, fear, uncer tainty and tiredness into clarity, energy, positivity, security and courage in her inspiring presentation. Raap provides women with the tools to overcome the stress of life.
“One of the best choices women can make today is to practice selfcare,” she said. “You work hard at making a differ ence and being successful in the ag world, and with out a doubt, you want to
sustain the good work you do. Self-care helps you do just that.”
Multiple breakout ses sions were held Nov. 18 dur ing the symposium. Nation wide Land As Your Legacy program Central Regional Vice President Lisa Quist discussed developing a tran sition plan for farmers and ranchers transitioning their estate and assets to the next generation.
Ranch Right LLC owner John Haskell informed attendees on financial planning. Uni versity of Wyoming grad uate student Abbi Rodg ers shared her research on tallgrass prairie, fire and grazing. She is graduating in December with a Mas ter of Science in Range land Ecology and Water shed Management.
University of Wyoming Ag and Horticulture Exten sion Educator Dr. Caitlin Youngquist discussed the importance of maintaining and improving soil health, as well as explained carbon sequestration.
The final breakout ses sion was geared towards meal planning and feeding the crew. Ranch women gathered during this break out session to share their famous recipes, discuss cooking tips and tricks and socialize. Attendees were encouraged to provide their favorite recipes for a Wyoming Women in Ag cookbook.
Attendees toured the 410 Ranch near River ton on Nov. 17. Owners Gwen and Reno Shepper son guided the tour as they
discussed the diversifica tion on their farm, feedlot and cattle operation.
CWC Instructor of Agriculture Keith Duren led the group through a tour of the CWC Ag Department and Meat Processing Unit on Nov. 18. CWC’s Ag Depart ment focuses on educa tion beyond the classroom through hands-on training and practical experiences. The college has recently developed their Meat Sci ence and Food Technol ogy Program. Attend ees were able to gain an inside-view of the handson experience students are offered.
Kaitlyn Root is an edi tor for the Wyoming Live stock Roundup. Send com ments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
For more information, visit wywomeninag.org.
This one is for the coffee lovers out there. This delightful beverage will make you the star of any holiday party or family gathering. Put it in cute little bottles and give it away, or hoard it for yourself on Christmas morning. This tends to be a little more Irish than the store-bought stuff. I personally like to throw it in some cold coffee with ice and shake it up, so if you see me with iced coffee in a December snow storm – you know why.
Tressa’s Irish Cream – heavy on the Irish Ingredients
2 cups Irish Whiskey (Plentiful, over flowing cups. Start with two and add to taste.)
1 cup half and half
1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
2 tbsp. instant coffee granules (Again, you can always add more to taste. I usually like three tbsp., but not every one loves coffee. If you’re not huge on coffee, start with one tbsp.)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. caramel or almond extract
1 tsp. unsweetened cocoa
Directions
Put it all in a blender and mix until combined. Put it in a mason jar in the fridge and dabble in it as your heart desires.
Tressa Lawrence lives and works on her family’s cattle ranch, where she runs cattle, cooks a few meals and jug gles freelance writing and photography. Comments can be sent to lawrencer anch-beefco@gmail.com.
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) BeefWatch podcast dated Nov. 9 welcomed coauthors Nebraska Exten sion Beef Systems Educa tor Hannah Smith and UNL Beef Cattle Nutritionist, Range Production Systems Travis Mulliniks to dis cuss their UNL BeefWatch newsletter article titled “Protein supplementation: What should I know before purchasing.”
Protein supplementation on low-quality forage
From a fundamental standpoint, producers are not only feeding a beef cow, but also feeding microbes in the rumen. During win ter grazing of dormant for ages, daily energy intake can be a limiting factor for cow performance.
“From a low-qual ity standpoint, we have to make sure we’re meet ing the requirements of the microbes first so the cow can digest and utilize the forage [she is consuming],” says Mulliniks. “Once for age crude protein (CP) gets to seven percent or lower, producers can start to see intake issues.”
Feeding a protein sup plement provides for microbes and increases energy intake, he adds.
“The cow now has the ability to consume and digest forage and increase energy,” he says.
In low-quality for age scenarios, Mulliniks encourages producers to think about meeting the needs of microbes in the rumen, and then meeting the forage needs of the cow.
When there is not ade quate protein in the forage to meet the protein needs of the microbes, CP typically
For more information on the BeefWatch podcast and newsletter, visit beef.unl.edu.
falls below seven percent, he mentions.
Feeding a protein sup plement will generally improve the energy and protein status of cattle by improving digestion and intake. By feeding microbes in the rumen, producers can increase microbe activity, which then increases the cow’s ability to eat more forage.
“Forage has to get to a very small particle size before it can leave the rumen, so it takes so much longer if there is not enough protein in the diet,” he says. “While these forages can be in the rumen for 42 to 72 hours, producers really want to enhance the ability of those microbes to digest forage and get it out of the rumen quicker.”
Protein supplements can be offered to cows daily, three days a week or once per week to maintain ade quate performance. Produc ers can utilize cake cubes, grain mixes, blocks, tubs and forages, all ranging in overall CP content.
Producers need to keep in mind the importance of changing feedstuffs or pro tein types across all classes of cattle, including calves and first- or second-calv ing heifers versus an older mature cow. It’s important to economically analyze cost per pound of nutrients, Smith says.
As a rule of thumb, pro ducers can feed 0.3 to 0.6 pounds of CP per day dur ing late gestation to mature cows to ensure the cow maintains performance and fetal growth.
“Protein supplementa tion is very complicated,” says Mulliniks. “It’s very important to consider the class of cattle being fed because producers can have two very different protein sources and have two dif ferent responses from feed ing the cow.”
Due to rumen fermen tation, not all proteins are equal. CP can come from natural protein sources or non-protein nitrogen sources such as urea, biuret and/or a mixture of the two.
Another CP option is rumen undegradable pro tein (RUP). This protein is protected from degrada tion in the rumen and will be absorbed and utilized by the cow.
“There’s a lot of research showing RUP sources have a much bigger benefit on the reproductive processes of getting cows pregnant,” he says. “There’s a lot of benefits to RUP sources as well – it’s important to understand the dynamics of when one type works and one type doesn’t.”
A few examples of nat ural proteins include alfalfa hay, distillers’ grains and soybean mills. Non-protein nitrogen includes urea used in cooked molasses tubs, liquid molasses and biuret.
“Urea and biuret have their own place, but they are highly degradable,” mentions Mulliniks. “They cheapen protein costs and they are a major protein source to a lot of liquid feeds and lick tubs – there is a good place for them, but the challenging part is they are highly degradable.”
When grazing a lowquality forage, a lot of highly degradable protein is wasted, and in scenarios where producers are feed ing a true protein, there is less waste and better uti lization of microbes, he notes.
“Just because some thing is cheaper and has better protein, doesn’t mean it’s a better choice from a cow performance aspect,” he adds. “It can make it a very complicated decision.”
In developing a protein supplementation strategy, it’s important for producers to consider what the goal of feeding the protein supple ment is and to remember not all protein sources are equal.
“With protein supple mentation, producers have a lot of flexibility,” con cludes Mulliniks. “Cows are extremely efficient, especially in low-quality forage situations with uti lizing and recycling of pro tein – it gives a lot of flexi bility with supplementation strategies.”
He notes one way to get around high feed, fuel and delivery costs is through frequency. If pro ducers are feeding up to five times a week for pro tein needs, producers can cut costs by feeding twice a week while maintaining the same performance.
In addition, when feed ing a starch-based supple ment, such as corn or milo, producers will need to feed every day, but if it’s fiber based, producers can feed every other day.
“As a whole, there’s a lot of flexibility when it comes to protein supple mentation with how often producers can feed protein supplements and still have the same performance,” he says. “With cost being high, no matter what pro ducers are feeding, there will always be waste –understanding waste is very important in controlling cost and making sure pro ducers are meeting protein needs.”
Brittany Gunn is the editor for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
“Greet School” and went from a class of three to his first year of high school in Worland. He finished high school at the Mount Ellis Academy in Montana and attended Union College in Nebraska before return ing to work on the family ranch south of Ten Sleep.
room, and he worked at a furniture factory while attending college.
John met Elsie Oneta Alexander at a dance in Worland and while they were dating, he would drive to Worland on Wednesdays and Satur days. Once, he got his car stuck in the mud and couldn’t get it out, so he had to walk back home. His parents offered to loan him their car and he got their car stuck too, so he had to write Oneta a letter instead.
ing cattle records to have information for improv ing the herd. Although the Greet herd began with Herefords, John eventu ally switched to Angus to develop quality genetics.
He was pleased when the Greet Ranch was hon ored with the Pioneer Pro ducer Award from North ern Livestock Video Auc tion in 2016, and when the Greet Ranch was awarded the Centennial Ranch sta tus in 2009.
also told stories of chas ing wild horses and hunt ing elk with his brotherin-law Jerry Lewis.
One year, John won a horse race between Wor land and Ten Sleep with his horses Brownie and Dick, but afterward swore he would never do that to a horse again.
We will miss him dearly. John was predeceased by his parents Frank and Edna; wife Oneta; daugh ter Rhonda; and siblings George, Marjorie, James, Neil and Mary.
John Wilfred Greet passed away at the age of 91 on Nov. 12. He was born in Worland on Dec. 24, 1930, the youngest of Frank and Edna Lucile (Pyle) Greet’s six chil dren.
He attended grade school in the one room
He grew up with a strong work ethic, and as a child some of his daily chores included filling big cans with water from the pumphouse and hauling them back to the house on his little wagon, as well as keeping the woodbox filled. At the academy, he worked on their dairy farm and shoveled coal or sawdust in the furnace
They married in 1952 and remained married for 50 years until One ta’s death in 2002. They had three children: Cindy, Rhonda and Vernon. He kept his love of old-time country music and danc ing his entire life, and played the guitar, har monica and accordion by ear.
A dedicated stockman, John spent many hours meticulously record
He often spoke of how much hard work had been done on the ranch by so many people over the years. John was immensely happy to know the Greet Ranch legacy will be continued by Ver non and Carol, their chil dren and grandchildren.
John was actively involved with the Ten Sleep Rodeo for many years. Running the buck ing string on the ranch was a joy he shared with his best friend Ped Mills. He
He was inducted into the Wyoming Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2016, and enjoyed sporting his fancy belt buckle and wool vest. John always took a great interest in weather and was a daily weather recorder for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra tion, who recently awarded him the Benjamin Franklin Award for 55 plus years of service.
Although John enjoyed and appreciated these rec ognitions, he always said his family was the most important and best thing in his life. He deeply loved his family and friends, and enjoyed being with them.
He is survived by daughter Cindy (Tom) of El Cerrito, Calif.; son Ver non (Carol); grandchil dren Daniel (Tessia), Bran don (Megan) and Victoria (Matt); along with eight great-grandchildren Quin lan, Waylon, Wyatt, Jaxon, Lorelei, Lacee, Matthew and Reagan.
Cremation has taken place and services will be held at 10:30 a.m., Dec. 1 at the Ten Sleep United Methodist Church with Pastor Chuck Powell offi ciating. Inurnment will follow at the Ten Sleep cemetery.
Memorial donations are encouraged to be sent to a charity of choice. Online condolences may be made at bryantfuneral homeonline.com
Reported By: Curt Cox, WLR Field Editor Nov.
Lot 42 – HD Dunn
Resource 1134 – Price: $11,000 DOB: 4/10/21 Sire: S A V Resource 1441 Dam’s Sire: GDAR Game Day 449 EPDs: BW: +1.4, WW: +65, YW: +122 and Milk: +24
Buyer: Edwards Livestock, Laramie
Lot 6 – HD Dunn Inter national 1111 – Price: $7,500 DOB: 4/8/21 Sire: S A V International 2020
Dam’s Sire: K C F Bennett Absolute EPDs: BW: +3.1, WW: +67, YW: +115 and Milk: +20 Buyer: Edwards Livestock, Laramie Lot 39 – HD Dunn Resource 1231 – Price: $6,000 DOB: 4/15/21 Sire: S A V Resource 1441 Dam’s Sire: Sinclair Mountain Pass 4P138 EPDs: BW: +2.9, WW: +63, YW: +125 and Milk: +31 Buyer: Hi-Allen Ranch, Medicine Bow
Lot
Buyer: Jon Brown, Devils Lake, N.D.
Lot 11 – E L K Rachel 530-J2 – Price: $5,500 DOB: 1/14/22 Sire: T/D Doc Ryan 049 Dam’s Sire: Sitz Lon gevity 556Z EPDs: BW: -2.5, WW: +69, YW: +122 and Milk: +30 Consignor: ELK Angus, Buffalo Buyer: Ron Gilland, Davis, Calif.
Lot 21 – JLF Queen Lexus 2313 – Price: $5,250 DOB: 3/31/22 Sire: PVF Sur veillance 4129 Dam’s Sire: V A R Generation 2100 EPDs: BW: +2.3, WW: +41, YW: +75 and Milk: +32 Consignor: JL Farms-The Wagner Girls, Billings, Mont. Buyer: Tallee Travnicek, Minatare, Neb.
It was the summer of 2017, I had my car loaded down and was about to hit the road to Saint Joseph, Mo., to begin my summer as the edito rial intern for the Angus Jour nal. I’d spent my last week in Texas making the rounds to see friends and family and on a Sunday after church, many members of my family went to Gramma and Grandpa’s house for a small lunch and to
send me off.
After saying my good byes, I gave Grandpa a hug and he gave me a bit of advice I still live by to this day.
As his arm was around me, he told me I was about to meet a lot of new people and learn a lot of new things. He said I’d be asked many ques tions and maybe not as an intern, but at some point in my life, would be asked for my opinion on certain things I didn’t know enough about to form an opinion on. He told me not to “BS” my way
through a conversation, and no one would make fun of me for not being an expert.
“Don’t be afraid to admit you don’t know something,” Grandpa said. “It’s okay to say I don’t know, as long as you follow it up with, but I sure would like to.”
For the past three years, I’ve dedicated a little bit of time every single week to craft my column, Activ ists vs. Agriculture. I’ve lec tured through written word about effective communi cation practices, shaken my fist at animal rights activists and encouraged anyone who would listen to appreciate agriculture.
I’ve done just about every thing to try and get my mes sage out there. I’ve pored over ag communication research, spoken at conventions, tried podcasting, which was time consuming, I’ve made t-shirts and I even went vegan for the longest six weeks of my life. My entire life’s mission has
been to effectively communi cate ag to the public, and gen uinely, I have given it my all.
However, recently I’ve done some reflection and learned, while I could give an impromptu 10 hour lec ture over communicating ag, I really don’t know if I could give an impromptu 30 minute lecture over ag itself.
And why not? I grew up around it, I studied it and I’m living it. Why do I feel so much more confident in my ability to talk about talking about ag, but not about ag by itself?
I’ll tell you why, and please don’t judge me, I don’t know jack about squat.
Sure, I think I know a lit tle more than the average per son about agriculture. Sure, I work cows with my fam ily when I can. Sure, I under stand the basic concepts of beef production.
But I feel like I should know more about all of it; and I should really know more
about the cattle industry as I’m married to a rancher. So, I’m working on fixing this.
In the middle of the sum mer, I quit my full-time job to focus more on my family’s operation and my growing business. Around this time, I purchased a pink leather bound calendar – a little big ger than the little red calving books – which fits nicely in my back pocket.
I take it with me every time we do anything ranch related, and use it to take notes, draw out little maps and give myself a how-toguide for next year when we are working on this or that.
My little pink book is a great resource for me now and will be in the coming years as I learn more about an operation in an environment I wasn’t raised around. It’s a start, but it’s not enough in the grand scheme of things.
I want to know about everything in ag, from heir loom tomatoes and honey
bees to soybeans and sheep. I want to know it all, and I want to take readers on this ride with me.
My column will still stay similar to what it has been –I’ll still try to fire everyone up about the latest and notso-greatest to come from the anti-ag world, but I also plan to profile some different areas of agriculture and provide my input on things going on in the ag world, outside of animal rights warriors.
This small content shift is me taking my grandpa’s advice. I’m admitting I don’t know enough about certain areas of agriculture to have an opinion; I don’t know, but I want to.
My goal is to expand my knowledge of agriculture in hopes to further my knowl edge about where all of our food, fiber and fuel come from; and hopefully, it will help me to better fight the good fight for good food and people.
I don’t know, but I sure would like to
Nov. 29 University of Nebraska-Lincoln Carbon Summit, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Nebraska East Union, Lincoln, Neb., For more information, visit ianr.unl.edu/ carbon-agriculture-summit
Dec. 5-8 2022 Wyoming Natural Resource Rendezvous, Ramkota Hotel and Confer ence Center, Casper. For more information and to register, visit wysga.org Dec. 8-10 15th Annual U.S. Cattlemen’s Association Meeting, Nashville, Tenn. For more information and to register, visit uscattlemen.org
Dec. 10-12 South Dakota State University Shearing School, Brookings, S.D. For more information, visit sdstate.edu/agriculture-food-environmental-sciences/ animal-science/sheep-shearing-school Dec. 13 Pinedale Anticline Project Office Meeting, 3:30-5 p.m., Elk Conference Room at the Wyoming Game and Fish Department Office, Cheyenne. For an agenda, visit wy.blm.gov/jio-papo. For more information, contact Tracy Hoover at thoover@blm.gov or 307-367-5342.
Dec. 13 Natrona County Predator Management District Annual Meeting, 1 p.m., ARLC Building, Casper. For more information, e-mail ncpmd1@charter.net.
Dec. 16 New Mexico Cattle Growers’ Association Legacy Awards Dinner and Dance, 7 p.m., Hotel Albuquerque in Old Town, Albuquerque, N.M. For more information and to register, visit nmagriculture.org Dec. 23-Jan. 1 The Wyoming Livestock Roundup office will be closed for Christmas through New Year’s Day. The advertising deadline for both the Dec. 24 and 31 editions is Dec. 19 at noon. For questions or to advertise, call 307-234-2700.
Jan. 6-11 American Farm Bureau 2023 Convention, San Juan, Puerto Rico. For more information, visit annualconvention.fb.org
Jan. 7-22 National Western Stock Show, Denver, Colo. For more information, visit nationalwestern.com
Jan. 18-21 2022 American Sheep Industry Annual Convention, Fort Worth, Texas. For more information, visit sheepusa.org
Jan. 20-21 Wyoming Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers 2023 Conference, Pinedale. For more information, visit wyfb.org or call 307-532-2002.
Nov. 28 Stevenson’s Diamond Dot 62nd Annual Fall Production Sale, at the ranch, Hobson, Mont., 406-366-9023, 406-374-2250, stevensonsdiamonddot.com
Nov. 29 Ward Livestock Red White & Blue Bull Sale, at the ranch, Laramie, 307399-9863
Nov. 29 Western Video Market, Silver Legacy, Reno, Nev., 530-347-3793, wvmcattle.com
Nov. 30 40th Annual Utah Cattlemen’s Classic All Breed Bull Sale, Utah State Fairgrounds, Salt Lake City, Utah, 801-857-0490
Nov. 30 Harward Farms Auction, Springville, Utah, 208-431-3405, 801-369-4221, vantassellauction.com
Dec. 1 Sitz Angus 57th Annual Fall Sale, at the ranch, Harrison, Mont., 406-6835277, 406-581-6448, 208-670-2364, sitzangus.com
Dec. 3
Pharo Cattle Company Sale, Valentine, Neb., 800-311-0995, pharocattle.com
Dec. 3 Leachman Cattle of Colorado High Altitude Sale, Location: TBD, 970568-3983, leachman.com
Dec. 3
Pyramid Beef Annual Production Sale, at the ranch, Spearfish, S.D., 605254-4872, 605-645-1630, pyramidbeef.net Dec. 3
T-Heart Ranch High Altitude Female Sale, at the ranch, LaGarita, Colo., 719-850-3082, 719-850-3083, t-heartranch.com Dec. 3 Lofink Farms Live Hay Auction, Lofink Farms Stackyard, Thermopolis, 307-921-1825, 307-921-1864 Dec. 8
ZumBrunnen Angus Combined Bull & Female Sale, at the ranch, Lusk, 307-334-2265, 307-216-0198, zbangus.com Dec. 8 The Berry’s Herefords Annual Bull Sale, at the ranch, Cheyenne, 307634-5178 and 307-630-7944 Dec. 9
Bowman Cattle Ranch-Ready Rugged Two-Year-Old Bull Sale, Sugar Valley Stockyards, Gering, Neb., 307-287-6503, 307-575-4992, bowmancattle.com Dec. 12
Cross Diamond Cattle Company Annual Production Sale, at the ranch, Bertrand, Neb., 308-991-2452, crossdiamondcattle.com Dec. 13
Rock Lake Angus Production Sale, at the ranch, Wheatland, 307-3311175, rocklakeangus.com Dec. 14
Shipwheel Cattle Company 14th Annual Bull Sale, at the ranch, Chinook, Mont., 406-357-2492, shipwheelcattle.com Dec. 16
Bobcat Angus 18th Annual Production Sale, Western Livestock Auction, Great Falls, Mont., 406-937-5858, 406-788-3272, 406-788-3244, bobcatangus.com Dec. 16 5L Red Angus Profit $eeker Winter Sale, at the ranch, Sheridan, Mont., 406-842-5693, 406-596-1204, 5lredangus.com
Jan. 14
Rafter T Angus Annual Bull Sale, Buffalo Livestock Marketing, Buffalo, 307-736-2415, 307-299-4569, raftertangus.com
Jan. 17 Ken Haas Angus 42nd Annual Right Combination Bull Sale, at the ranch, LaGrange, 307-834-2356, kenhaasangus.com
Jan. 27 McConnell Angus Bull & Female Sale, at the ranch, Dix, Neb., 308-2355187, 308-230-0430, 970-215-3204, mcconnellangus.com
Jan. 28 Little Goose Ranch Sixth Annual Production Sale, Buffalo Livestock Market ing, Buffalo, 307-751-1535, 307-751-5793, 307-751-6737, littlegooseranch.com Feb. 2 K2 Red Angus Winter Bull & Female Sale, at the ranch, Wheatland, 307331-2917, k2redangus.com
Feb. 9 Booth’s Cherry Creek Angus 50th Annual “Progress Through Perfor mance” Bull Sale, at the ranch, Veteran, 307-534-5865, 307-532-1805, 307-532-1532, boothscherrycreekranch.com
Feb. 10 Powder River Angus Annual Bull Sale, Buffalo Livestock Marketing, Buf falo, 307-680-7359, 307-680-8266, powderriverangus.com
Feb. 14 G Bar H Genetics Angus Bull Sale, Torrington Livestock Market, Torrington, 307-575-5520, 307-532-6170, 307-575-0294, 307-575-0373
Feb. 15 Shaw Cattle Company Annual Bull Sale, at the ranch, Caldwell, Idaho, 208-459-3029, 208-880-9044, shawcattle.com
Feb. 20 Weaver Ranch 38th Annual Production Sale, at the ranch, Fort Collins, Colo., 970-568-3898
Feb. 25 Kretschman Angus Annual Bull Sale, Buffalo Livestock Marketing, Buf falo, 307-351-0794, 307-736-2327, kretschmanangus.com
Feb. 27 Reyes/Russell 32nd Annual Sale, at the ranch, Wheatland, 307-331-1530, 307-322-4848, 970-587-2534, mrangusranch.com
Hotler, JB - Powell 3 Blk Str Clvs, avg. 490# $21550 Schatz Irrevoc Trust - Lovell 11 BWF Str Clvs, avg. 501# $20950 12 Blk Str Clvs, avg. 598# $19250
Hampton Sheep Co. - Worland 10 Blk Str Clvs, avg. 504# $20750 25 Blk Str Clvs, avg. 573# $19900 15 Blk Str Clvs, avg. 637# $19350
avg. 1185# $8250
Mead, Mary - Jackson
6 Blk Cows, avg. 1312# $7700
9 Blk Cows, avg. 1232# $6900
5 Blk Cows, avg. 1382# $6400
Berg, Bryan - Riverton
2 Blk Cows, avg. 1600# $6750
1 Blk Cow, 1085# $6300
1 Blk Cow, 1470# $6250
Paumer, Joe - Hyattville
2 Blk Cows, avg. 1375# $6400
Lyman, Richard - Manderson
1 CharX Cow, 1590# $6250
Wilkinson, Kurt - Basin
1 Blk Cow, 1325# $5350
Mead, Mary - Jackson
1 CharX Hfrette, 1025# $10900
2 CharX Hfrettes, avg. 1048# $10050
Twitchell, Samuel - Lovell
1 Blk Hfrette, 990# $10200
HEIFERS
Black, Vern - Riverton
2 BWF Hfrs, avg. 755# $15000
Sommers Ranch LLC - Pinedale
38 Rd/Blk Hfrs,
Simon, Deborah - Thermopolis 4 Blk Str Clvs, avg. 528# $20600
Howe, Glen - Lovell 6 BWF Str Clvs, avg. 526# $20400
Roush, James - Vernal 4 Blk Str Clvs, avg. 506# $20000 3 Blk Str Clvs, avg. 567# $19550
Robertson, Joseph - Johnstown
2 Red Str Clvs, avg. 528# $19900
Wilkinson, Kurt - Basin
3 Blk Str Clvs, avg. 558# $19850
4 CharX Str Clvs, avg. 690# $16800
Anderson, Sawyer - Worland 3 Blk Str Clvs, avg. 558# $19750
Paumer, Dave - Hyatville 5 Blk Str Clvs, avg. 559# $19500 1 Blk Str Calf, 705# $16200
Rubis, Gayle - Manderson 2 Blk Str Clvs, avg. 553# $19400
Hicks, Rob - Cody 2 RWF Str Clvs, avg. 580# $19400 3 RWF Str Clvs, avg. 728# $16600
Hopkin, Neil - Lovell 5 Blk Str Clvs, avg. 591# $19250 5 BWF Str Clvs, avg. 667# $18000
Henderson, Tye - Powell
Having recently returned from several weeks in the mountains hunting, fishing, relaxing, drinking beer, BSing and just enjoying the most beau tiful fall colors I witnessed in years, I was reminded of an elk hunting story I wrote more than 30 years ago. My “Saratoga Chips” column in the Oct. 18, 1978, issue of The Saratoga Sun read: Any elk hunter with experience knows better than to take his wife hunt ing with him.
Every time he does “give in” and take the little woman along, she ends up getting the biggest bull in the woods.
I am well aware of this happening, but I took Marty elk hunting anyway, and sure enough she has the only elk in camp and it is a big six-point bull.
Marty not only got the only elk so far, but she also proved another of the known elk truisms – those women will kill it down in the deepest hole in the country, in a pile of downed timber and then expect the men to spend two days car rying it to camp a quarter at a time.
The big bull my wife bagged wasn’t quite as bad, but the hill on which it was killed was so steep you couldn’t walk on it with out slipping and sliding. The only way the elk kept from sliding to the bottom was when it fell, it rammed its antlers into a pine tree and hung there. We dressed it out while the bull’s ant lers remained implanted in the tree.
It took four of us most of Tuesday to pack the meat
and magnificent rack back to camp.
After bagging her first elk, now Marty’s talking about getting a big black bear we see every year. Sure hope the bear stays hidden, since the little woman is starting to gain confidence after getting a deer and an elk.
The only thing I’m good at getting is a spe cial elk permit nearly every year. Maybe I’ll see a big, dry cow wander by camp while I’m doing the gut ting and packing and fixing supper, while Marty is bear hunting.
It’s back to the woods tomorrow to try my luck.
This year’s memories of past hunting trips with Marty were especially plen tiful and vivid as she passed away this spring.
Live Heifer 152.25 152.30 133.39 Dressed Steer 241.79 241.34 209.60 Dressed Heifer 242.00 242.09 209.77
reflecting the typical sea sonal demand climb.
By Paul DykstraIn a Nov. 16 Certified Angus Beef (CAB) Insider, fed cattle prices were steady in the previous week with a $152.73 per hundredweight (cwt) average six-state steer price. The northern end of the feeding region sold some as high as $156 per cwt, but a volume at $153 per cwt. Very light cash trade volume in Kansas and Texas found an average near $150 per cwt.
Live cattle futures con tracts have traded up and down in the past two weeks with the December con tract gaining nearly two dol lars per cwt from the begin ning of the month through last week. With volatility in the markets, this increase has since been erased in the past four days with the con tract closing on Nov. 15 at $151.27 per cwt. The Feb ruary 2023 contract has declined around three dol lars per cwt since the first of November.
In the same timeframe, corn futures worked to the
cattle feeders’ advantage with a 40 cent drop from Nov. 1 through Nov. 14. Reports on Nov. 15 of Rus sian aggression in Ukraine spilling over into Poland sent corn prices higher as heightened tensions in the region once again generated volatility in grain prices.
Despite the weekly average data showing the CAB cutout $2.18 per cwt higher last week, the Choice boxed value has declined daily since Nov. 8 by seven cents per cwt. With Thanks giving meal preparations at the focus of many retail ers, the beef spot market demand tends to decline in the week prior to the holi day. Emphasis on “spot mar ket” is important since beef purchasing for late fourth quarter needs has been well underway.
Ahead of Thanksgiving, ribeyes and tenderloins are not giving up any ground. These two cuts, in each of the quality grades – includ ing the CAB brand – are
CAB reported recordhigh tenderloin prices two weeks ago and the trend has only strengthened in the meantime. As of Nov. 15, heavy Choice tenderloin price was $15.24 per pound, wholesale, versus $13.73 per pound a year ago. Last week, the heavy CAB ten derloin price was $1.20 per pound premium to Choice.
Across the rest of the carcass items, prices are mixed with notably weaker prices on thin meats and round subprimal cuts. Chuck rolls have been dif ficult for buyers to source in the past few weeks and are consequently 25 percent pricier at wholesale than a year ago.
Tight cattle supplies and increasing carcass weights
The current cattle mar kets can provide a history lesson for those new to the scene. With the previous week’s $152 per cwt fed cattle average, feedyards experienced the highest price since June 2015.
To give a quick recap of this era: Record-high prices, fueled by a supply chain starved for cattle numbers, came to an abrupt end. The November 2014 record steer price of $171 per cwt eroded rapidly and bot tomed out nine months later
in September 2015.
Following the 31 per cent drop to $117 per cwt, the market stabilized and turned higher. This signaled the end of tight cattle sup plies, caused by drought liq uidation and beef cattle pro ducers were able to restock the nation’s cowherd.
At the market high in November 2014, weekly steer/heifer slaughter head counts were near 445,000 head, just 13 percent smaller than the average in the most recent four-week period.
At the 2014 market high, carcass weights averaged 874 pounds whereas most recent carcass weights in 2022 have been 18 pounds heavier at 892 pounds. The resulting estimated car cass tonnage is 15 percent larger in recent weeks than in November 2014.
It’s interesting to note while fed cattle prices declined precipitously in 2015, weekly slaughter head counts continued to trend lower in 2015 as well. As a matter of fact, fed slaugh ter was 4.8 percent smaller in 2015 than the prior year, even as price declined at three times this pace.
The feedlot sector’s response to tight cattle sup plies in late 2015 was to send carcass weights to new record highs. During that October, steer carcasses
SETT PRICE
Month Week Prev This Week Change
DECEMBER 152.75 153.80 +1.05
FEBRUARY 155.40 156.43 +1.03
APRIL 158.90 159.90 +0.70
JUNE 154.58 156.03 +1.45
AUGUST 154.50 156.05 +1.55
JANUARY 179.98 181.68 +1.70
MARCH 182.50 184.58 +2.08
APRIL 185.78 187.93 +2.15 MAY 188.48 190.70 +2.22 AUGUST 199.30 201.00 +1.70
SETT PRICE
Month Week Prev This Week Change
DECEMBER 8.07 7.91 -0.16
MARCH 8.25 8.10 -0.15
MAY 8.35 8.20 -0.15
JULY 8.39 8.22 -0.17
SETT PRICE
Month Week Prev This Week Change
DECEMBER 6.67 6.57 -0.10
MARCH 6.69 6.59 -0.10
MAY 6.67 6.59 -0.08
JULY 6.61 6.54 -0.07
DECEMBER 3.94 4.00 +0.06 MARCH 3.93 3.96 +0.03 MAY 3.93 3.95 +0.02 JULY 3.97 3.98 +0.01
SETT PRICE
Month Week Prev This Week Change
JANUARY 14.17 14.30 +0.13
MARCH 14.22 14.36 +0.14
MAY 14.28 14.43 +0.15
JULY 14.31 14.46 +0.15
averaged 930 pounds, 24 pounds heavier than the fall 2014 high and 51 pounds heavier than this period in 2013. It was a conscious effort by packers and feed ers to capture more pounds from fewer head.
As noted, the recent weekly slaughter is much more robust than in 2015 and cattle supplies are at least adequate for the short term. Fed cattle numbers will certainly tighten as pro ducers move into 2023 due to the shrinking cowherd and a 2022 calf crop at least one percent smaller than last year, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture’s July report.
The latest steer car cass weight average of 928 pounds is just two pounds lighter than the 2015 fall heaviest, a record at the time, seemed an excessive departure under extreme circumstances.
As producers stare down the road at a scenario similar to what they experi enced a decade ago, it’s dif ficult to imagine producers will be able to capitalize on more pounds per head in the fed cattle sector.
Carcass weights are starting the upcoming sup ply dip at an already-ele vated level. The beef indus try has added an average of five pounds of carcass weight annually across a very long timespan. Another two-year, 50-pound increase response to tight head counts is a bit unimaginable today.
However, odds are great for carcass weights to press upward, within normal sea sonal patterns for many months to come.
Paul Dykstra is the assistant director of supply management and analysis at CAB. He can be reached at pdykstra@certifiedan gusbeef.com.
The Natrona County Predator Management District is holding its 2022 Annual Meeting on Tuesday, December 13th, beginning at 1 p.m. This meeting will be held at the ARLC Building, Mills Room, 2011 Fairgrounds Road, Casper. All producers, Wyoming Game and Fish representatives, Wildlife Services representatives and the public are invited to participate. Tentative agenda items will be reports from the NCPMD trappers, game and fish, ADMB, Wool Growers and Wildlife Services representatives. At the conclusion, we will conduct Election of Officers and set Predator Fees. For additional information, please contact the NCPMD office at ncpmd1@charter.net.
EARN $60,000/YEAR, PARTTIME in the livestock or farm equipment appraisal business. Agricultural background required. Home study course available. 800-488-7570 or www.amagap praisers.com 1/28
MID-AMERICA FEED YARD LOCATED NEAR OHIOWA, SOUTHEASTERN NEBRASKA IS CURRENTLY LOOKING TO HIRE FULL-TIME PEN RIDERS: Skilled horsemanship and feed yard or ranch experience pre ferred. Pay based on experience. Comprehensive benefits include family health and dental, 401(k), life insurance benefits, sick and vacation pay. Five days a week, 7 a.m.-5 p.m. with rotating week ends and rotating holidays. Appli cants are required to furnish their own horses and tack. Drug and background tests required. Call 402-295-2216 12/10
ALL TYPES OF EQUIPMENT AND VEHICLE FINANCING.
Great service!! Great rates!! Call Chuck Brown at C.H. Brown Co., WY LLC, 307-3223232 (office), 307-331-0010 (cell) or e-mail chuckbrown@ wyoming.com 11/26
have been the victim of fraud, contact the Wyo ming Attorney General’s Office, Consumer Protection Unit, 109 Capitol Building, Cheyenne, WY 82002, 307-777-6397 TFN
PUBLIC HEARING ON THE CAID LATERAL 256 DROP STRUCTURE 2023 WILL BE HELD ON NOV. 30 at 3 p.m. in the Thyra Thomson Building, Yard Goat Room, 444 W. Col lins Dr., Casper, WY 82601. The Wyoming Water Development Commission will hold a public hearing to receive comments on the above listed project. The commission will also be seeking information as to whether the pro posed project functions and ser vices can be served by any per son, association or corporation engaged in private enterprise. Representatives of the Water Development Commission, the project engineering team and the project sponsor will be present to explain the proposed project and to record comments. For further information, contact Wyoming Water Development Office, 6920 Yellowtail Rd., Cheyenne, WY 82002, 307777-7626 11/26
PEN RIDER: UFI FEEDING LLC, PLATTEVILLE, CO. Feed lot cattle. Livestock background required. Duties include: Riding pens, doctoring cattle, process ing cattle, miscellaneous build ing tasks, driving feed truck. Paid vacation and sick leave up to 3 weeks, willing to work on weekends. Health insurance provided. Please contact Rex Beall, 970-539-6115 12/17
WIGGINS FEEDYARD, LLC HIRING FULL-TIME EMPLOY EE: Current driver’s license required. Call Sue Wiggins, 308-279-0924, e-mail sswig gins@wigginsfeedyard.com, 10077 U.S. 385, Bridgeport, NE 69336, provide references with phone numbers 12/17
WYOMING BRAND FOR SALE: Previously owned by Leland and Dona Settell. One iron brand, comes with 2 hot irons. RRC, RSH. Ask ing $2,500. E-mail pponcelet@ whitlockmotors.com or call 307254-8117 12/17
WYOMING BRAND FOR SALE: RHC, RHH. Expires Jan. 1, 2027. No irons included. $3,000. Call 435621-3113 12/17
WYOMING BRAND FOR SALE: RHC, LBH. Expires Dec. 31, 2026. No irons included, $3,500. Call 307-7721126 12/10
WYOMING BRAND FOR SALE: RRC, RSS, RHH. Expires Jan. 1, 2029. Electric iron included. $3,500 OBO. Call 307-5756589 11/26
REGISTERED WYO MING BRAND FOR SALE: RHC, RJH. $2,000. 307-321-1266 or 702-4672158 12/3
AKC MINIATURE AMERI CAN SHEPHERD PUPPIES FOR SALE: These little Auss ies will help on the ranch, ride in your truck and generally be your best pal for life, www. bluegrasskennels.com. Call 605-206-4519. To view photos, go to www.wylr.net in the clas sifieds 12/17
CAUCASIAN SHEPHERD CHRISTMAS PUPS FOR SALE: Four males and 4 fe males, born Nov. 3. Protect your family, property, livestock with this ancient, herding, guard dog!! Please call 406210-4807. To view photos, go to www.wylr.net in the classi fieds 11/26
TIMBERLINE STOCK RANCH HEELER PUPS FOR SALE: One blue male and 1 blue fe male. Born Aug. 7. Call 406667-2151 (home) or 406-8556237 (cell) 11/26
AKC LAB PUPPIES: All colors available, whites, blacks, yellows, dark chocolates and dark reds. Excellent hunters, family compan ions. Full AKC registration. Shots, wormed, dewclaws removed. All puppies are cute, but it’s what they grow into that counts. Not all Labs are the same. Proud to own!!
Been raising quality AKC Labra dors for 25-plus years. Look at the rest but buy the best. Both parents on site for viewing. Will sell quick ly!! $200 deposit, picking order is when the deposit is received.
Doug Altman, Mitchell, S.D. Call/text 605-999-7149, click the our Labs tab on the website for pictures, www.southdakotayel lowlabs.com 11/26
SANDHILL BORDER COLLIES: Working border collies for ranch ers. Reds, blacks, merles, mainly short hair. Thirty years experi ence. Shots appropriate to age, dewclaws removed, wormed weekly. Pups and ready to start pups available. Prices vary. Call us (texts are better) to set up de livery, 701-770-2364 or e-mail sandhillbc@yahoo.com. Or visit our Facebook page: Sandhill Per formance Horses and Border Col lies. To view photos, go to www. wylr.net in the classifieds 12/17
PUREBRED BORDER COLLIE PUPPIES FOR SALE: Out of excellent working parents. Ex tremely smart. All are traditional black and white. $500. Call 307645-3322 11/26
AKC COLLIE PUPPIES (Lassie type), sable/white and tri col ored. Born Oct. 4, 2022. Shots and dewormed, $875. Riverton, WY, 307-858-6000 or 307-8585000, no texting. To view photos, go to www.wylr.net in the clas sifieds 12/17
BEAUTIFUL QUEENSLAND HEELER FEMALE PUPS, born July 3, 2022. TWO MINIA TURE QUEENSLAND HEELER MALE PUPS, born Aug. 27, 2022, mom 18 lbs., dad 22 lbs.
QUEENSLAND HEELER/MIN IATURE AUSTRALIAN SHEP HERD CROSS MALE, born May 29, 2022, out of a Heeler mom, 30 lbs. and Aussie dad, 25 lbs. UTD on puppy shots/wormings. Prespoiled with fun personali ties. All pups come with a file that includes vaccine records/infor mation book/starter bag and 1 year health guarantee. For more information, pricing and delivery options, call 406-581-7586. To view photos, go to www.wylr.net in the classifieds 11/26
WYOMING RANCH RAISED MINIATURE AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERDS: Been around kids, cows, horses, goats and cats. Starting at $950. Check out our website at www.cowpoke cornerkennels.com or give me a call or text at 307-254-3968. Thanks, Erin!! 12/10
GREAT PYRENEES PUPPIES FOR SALE: Proven bloodlines, parents onsite, ranch raised with livestock and ready to go to work!! $1,000. ALSO, TWO 9-MONTHOLD MALES running with live stock. Have been raising these fantastic LGD for 40+ years. For more information, call 406-2077674 12/3
WANTED: Cow/calf pairs. Call Kelly at 307-780-7027 11/26
AKAUSHI CATTLE FOR SALE: Thirty yearling full-blood Akaushi bulls. Five 2-year-old full-blood Akaushi bulls. Twenty-five 1/2 and 3/4 blood Akaushi/Angus cows, 4 to 7 years old, exposed to fullblood Akaushi bulls, calving April 1, 2023. Ten full-blood Akaushi cows with papers, 4 to 10 years old, exposed to full-blood Akaushi bulls. Approximately 90 steer and 90 heifer Akaushi cross Angus calves available January 2023, weaned at 60 days, DNA verified to ensure authenticity. ALSO, pre mium Akaushi hamburger, 1 lb. packages, $5/lb. Call Mike Mel lott, 719-740-0403 11/26
200 BLACK ANGUS BRED HEIFERS: South Dakota origin, OCVD, exposed to proven LBW Black Angus bulls for 45 days. Start calving Feb. 1, 2023. Refer ences available. Please call 785394-1955 (cell), 785-394-2374 (home) or 785-731-5067 12/3
CODY GUN SHOW, DEC. 2-4: Cody Auditorium, 1240 Beck Ave., Cody, WY. Guns, knives, Old West collectables. Fri., Dec 2, 5-8 p.m. Sat., Dec. 3, 9 a.m.5 p.m. Sun., Dec 4, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. For information and table reservation, call Paul, 307254-2090 11/26
FOR SALE: 300 registered and commercial Black Angus BRED HEIFERS, 1 group of F1 baldie bred heifers. Three groups AI bred to these elite calving ease sires: MAF Tri umph O415 (Musgrave Ex clusive 316 son 2022 high selling calving ease bull) and Connealy In Focus 4925. Two groups pasture bred to “sleep all night” low birthweight, calv ing ease Black Angus bulls. AI bred: Group #1, due March 19. Group #2, due April 5. Group #3, due April 6. Bull breds: Group #1, due April 1 for 30 days. Group #2, due May 1 for 21 days. Vaccinated and poured/dewormed. Avail able FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED. Delivery and volume discounts available. MILLER ANGUS FARMS, Estelline, S.D. Kody, 605-690-1997 or Brady, 605-690-5733 2/4
Ranch Simmental
BROWN SWISS BRED HEIF ERS FOR SALE: Will calve March, April and May. Bred to Brown Swiss bulls. Have had all shots. Poured with Ivomec on regular basis. TB tested and current health papers. Nice, gentle, outside cattle, in good shape and well fed. De livery options available. For pictures or more informa tion, call Larry W. Carlson, 605-224-6100 (home) or 605280-3879 (cell), if no answer leave message. Pierre, S.D. To view photos, go to www.wylr. net in the classifieds 12/3
WIGGINS FEEDYARD, AC CEPTING CATTLE OF ALL CLASSES: Cows, yearlings or calves to background or finish. Call 308-262-1140 (of fice), Steve, 308-279-1432 (cell) or Sue, 308-279-0924 (cell) 12/17
fancy black SimAngus heifers at the Western Choice Sale Dec. 3, 2022, 1 p.m. at Billings Livestock. Managed by Allied Genetics and online with DVAuction. These heifers are AI’d to JC Heiken Angus’ bull Sitz Incentive 704H for a March 3, 2023 due date. Clean up bulls are sons of EGL Fireman 111F. Heifers are from short grass country north of Lavina, MT and bred to work with longevity. Strong maternal and disposition cattle. Call KJ Fauth 406-860-9351
HEREFORD BULLS FOR
SALE: Home of the Cham pion Pen of Bulls at the 2021 Wyoming State Fair. Big, stout, sound Hereford bulls with calv ing ease and high growth po tential. Lots of pigment and no extra white. Get 30-40 lbs. bigger weaning weights on your baldy calves through the heterosis factor from these bulls. Come select your top bulls early!! BUY WYOMING FIRST!! Gene Stillahn, Sticks & Stones Ranch, 307-4211592 11/26
COWBOY SANTA SHOPS HERE!! 5 STAR saddle pads and MOHAIR cinches. MON TANA Silversmith and AUSTIN Accent jewelry, MONEY clips, barrettes and MORE… Tom BALDING and DUTTON BITS and SPURS. 20% OFF OF HONDO and BOULET BOOTS. Also, GREAT SELECTION of JUSTIN WORK BOOTS, TWISTED X (boots and shoes) and more!! Ride, ROPE, WORK and play!! LEATHER belts, WALLETS, checkbook covers. Wool VESTS, silk SCARVES and more!! WE CAN ship!! Shop Moss Saddles, Boots and Tack, 4648 West Yellow stone Highway, Casper, WY; 307-472-1872. Our family serving yours for 50 years!! Check us out on Facebook or our website 11/26
GOOD AVAILABILITY OF ROUND AND SQUARE HAY AND STRAW BALES FOR SALE: Low delivery charge at cost. Volume discounts avail able. Call/text 1-204-209-1066 anytime for pricing 2/11
2022 LARGE ROUND BALES: Net wrapped, 1,5501,650 lbs., tests done, nitrate free, Japanese and German millet, $130/ton, will deliver. Call 605-224-6100 (home) or 605-280-3879 (cell), if no an swer leave message 12/3
YEARLING VIRGIN
RAMBOUILLET RAMS: Open faces, good size, fine wool, B. ovis negative. McDonald, 307856-1802 12/17
HAIR SHEEP FOR SALE: Ten pure Katahdins, born in May, uniform and healthy replace ment ewe lambs, $275/each. ALSO, GOATS FOR SALE, 1 Nubian nanny, 3 weathers and 1 doeling (crossbred) and a La manche/Boer doe 1 1/2 that was exposed. Located in Sundance, WY 82729. Please call if inter ested 970-398-0017. To view photos, go to www.wylr.net in the classifieds 12/10
YEARLING WHITE FACED RAMS FOR SALE: Columbia, Rambouillet and Targhee. Con tact Russell Bell, 307-358-2188 or 307-680-4950 12/3
GRASS SEED FOR SALE: Manifest wheat grass, Man ska wheat grass, Cash Mead ow Brome, good germination, $4.50/lb. Call Big Horn Seed Company, 307-202-0704 or 307-645-3322 12/10
APPROXIMATELY 300 ACRES OF IRRIGATED (40 acres) pasture 30 miles up the Nowood in Ten Sleep, WY. For 60 to 80 head of cattle or 200 head of sheep. Grazing turn in May 1 to Nov. 1. Two year contract with the possibility of renewal. There are a few re quirements that will need to be addressed, like responsibility for irrigation of fields, cleaning of ditches and weed spraying. Send bids to Tolman Ranch LLC, PO Box 576, Ten Sleep WY, 82442, postmark by Feb. 20, 2023. For more informa tion, contact Frank Keeler, 307-350-6994 12/10
PASTURE WANTED for 2,000 yearlings and 500 pairs. Can split into smaller bunches. 701523-1235 11/26
HAY FOR SALE: 2022 first and second cutting alfalfa, alfalfa/ grass, grass mix, straight grass, Haybet barley, straight millet and sorghum. 2021 alfalfa, al falfa/grass, grass, alfalfa/oats, alfalfa/oats/millet. All in netwrapped round bales. Semi load delivery available. Call for pric ing, 701-690-8116, please send a text if no answer or keep trying 12/17
FOURTH CUTTING ALFALFA: Net-wrapped rounds, 23.7% protein, 225 RFV, 5 loads. Call Ian, 307-421-9116 12/3
BARLEY STRAW: Certified weed-free small squares, $4/ bale. ALSO, round bales. OATS, WHEAT AND BARLEY, $20/100 cwt Greybull, WY area. Call 307-762-3878 or 307-2020108, leave message 12/17
APPROXIMATELY 200 TONS OF SANFOIN/ORCHARD GRASS MIX HAY FOR SALE: Both first and second cuttings available, 4x4 squares, $225/ ton. ALSO, approximately 175 TONS OF BARLEY STRAW for sale, 4x4 squares, $90/ton. Volume discounts available. Lo cated west of Powell, WY, can load. Call 307-202-0532, please leave message 12/17
Horn Showcase cham pionship lines for show, beef and pasture ornamentation with traffic stopping colors and excellent horns. Easy cattle accustomed to simple han dling, great for youth. West haven Ranch in California, 209-274-9917, e-mail swest moore@gmail.com or visit www.westhavenlonghorns. com To view photos, go to www.wylr.net in the classi fieds 11/26
SEVERAL WELL BRED, REGISTERED THOROUGH BRED MARES AVAILABLE TO GOOD HOMES: Most of them are winners. All good brood mares. Owner is 85 years old, only selling due to getting older and health issues. Willing to make a heck of a deal, just want them to go to good homes. For more information, call 559-6606182 11/26
VALLEY VIDEO HAY MAR KETS, LLC: Wyoming and western Nebraska hay avail able. Call Barry McRea, 308235-5386, www.valleyvideo hay.com 12/17
CERTIFIED BARLEY STRAW FOR SALE, 3x4. Cody, WY. Call 307-899-1952 TFN
300 TONS OF THIRD CUTTING ALFALFA, $250/ton. 100 TONS OF FOURTH CUTTING ALFAL FA, $275/ton. 120 TONS OF MIL LET HAY, $200/ton. All in 4x4x8 bales. Located south of Douglas, WY. Call 307-351-4175 12/10
HAY FOR SALE: Grass, alfalfa and STRAW. Also, CORNSTALK bales. Delivery available!! Call 307-630-3046 11/26
FOUR USED LT235/80R17
10 PLY TIRES, still in good shape, stored in a shop, still have good tread. Asking $200 for all 4 tires. Call 307-8514018. To view photos, go to www.wylr.net in the classi fieds 12/10
2009 F350 XL: White, 4x4, extended cab, long box, au tomatic, 6.8L, 141,300 miles, good condition. $11,000. Call 308-884-2424 11/26
FOR SALE: NEW DIRECTION EQUIPMENT 1652 MIXER FEEDER. Very little use. Like new!! $34,500. Call 303-7174156. To view photos, go to www.wylr.net in the classifieds 12/10
W-W CORRAL PANELS AND GATES, W-W Longhorn chute, W-W crowding alley and W-W sweep pen. ALSO, calf table and 8’ heavy duty bale feed ers. Call 970-213-0454 for more information 11/26
ELIMINATE ● RISING ● FUEL COSTS: Clean, safe and efficient wood heat. Central Boiler Clas sic and E-Classic Outdoor Wood Furnace; heats multiple buildings with only 1 furnace, 25-year war ranty available. Heat with wood, no splitting! Available in dual fuel ready models. www.Central Boiler.com WE ALSO HAVE whole house pellet/corn/biomass furnaces. Load once per month with hopper. www.Maximheat. com A-1 Heating Systems. In stant rebates may apply! Call today! 307-742-4442. To view photos, go to www.wylr.net in the classifieds TFN
ARIZONA RANCHES FOR SALE: 22,000 + acre central Arizona ranch, 200+ head year-long, plus up to 2,500 stockers seasonally, Arizona state plus small BLM grazing leases, small feedyard, mod est headquarters on 10 deed ed acres, $1,200,000; Former ranch homestead, 1,056 sq. ft. house built in 1935, fireplace, kitchen private well, electric power and phone, feels re mote with mountain views and thousands of acres of open space but sits just a highway close to shopping, medical facilities, Tucson and Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, $390,000.
LARGER RANCHES also avail able. Harley Hendricks Realty, 877-349-2565, www.harley hendricks.com 12/10
320 ACRES WITH A MILE AND A HALF OF LIVE SPRING WATER: Alpine setting. Beautiful views. Lo cated in the Dillon, MT area. $1,700,000. Call Sidwell Land & Cattle Co., Richard Sidwell, 406-861-4426, 406322-4425 or e-mail sidwell@ sidwell-land.com 12/3
DEC. 5-6: PETSKA FUR WILL BE BUYING ALL RAW/DRY FUR DEER/ELK HIDES AND ANTLER, IN THE FOLLOW ING TOWNS AND LOCA TIONS: DEC 5: Pine Bluffs 3:45-4 p.m., Sinclair; Burns 4:40-4:50 p.m., Antelope Truck Stop (drive thru); Chey enne 5:15-5:30 p.m., Home on the Range Processing. DEC. 6: Cheyenne 7:45-8:10 a.m., Tractor Supply; Chug water 9-9:15 a.m., Stampede Saloon; Wheatland 10-10:20 a.m., Wheatland Travel Plaza; Guernsey 11-11:20 a.m., Crazy Tony’s; Fort Laramie 11:4011:50 a.m., Haystack Hills Trading (drive thru); Lingle 12:10-12:30 p.m., Ty’s Pit Stop; Torrington 12:40-1 p.m., Gary’s Gun Shop; Scottsbluff, NE 2-2:30 p.m., Murdoch’s (north side). For more information, call Greg, 308-750-0700, or visit www.petskafur.net 11/26
DEC. 15: Douglas 7:107:20 a.m., Douglas Feed (drive thru); Bill 8-8:10 a.m., Bill’s Store (drive thru, call Greg); Wright 8:50-9:20 a.m., Exxon Big D on S. 387; Newcastle 11:15 a.m.-11:45 p.m., Voelker’s Body Shop; Up ton 12:30-12:45 p.m., Joe’s Gro cery Store parking lot; Moorcroft 1:15-1:45 p.m., The Coffee Cup; Gillette 2:10-2:30 p.m., T&T Guns and Ammo; Gillette 3-3:30 p.m., Rocky Mountain Sports. DEC. 16: Gillette 7-7:20 a.m., Rocky Mountain Sports; Sheridan 9:3010 a.m., Sportsman Warehouse; Buffalo 10:45-11:15 a.m., Good 2 Go; Ten Sleep 12:45-1:15 p.m., Pony Express; Hyattville 1:452 p.m., Paint Rock Processing; Manderson 2:40-2:50 p.m., Hi way Bar (drive thru); Basin 3-3:20 p.m., Overland Express Mart (drive thru); Greybull 3:40-4 p.m., Overland Express Mart (drive thru); Lovell 4:30-4:50 p.m., Good 2 Go; Byron 5-5:15 p.m., Card trol (drive thru); Powell 5:30-5:50 p.m., Murdoch’s. DEC. 17: Powell 7-7:20 a.m., Murdoch’s; Ralston 7:30 a.m., Good 2 Go (drive thru, call Greg); Cody 8-8:40 a.m., Na ture’s Design Taxidermy; Meetee tse 9:20-9:40 a.m., Elk Horn Bar; Worland 10:50-11:20 A.m., Coop One Stop; Thermopolis 11:50 a.m.-12:20 p.m., Renegade Guns; Shoshoni 1-1:15 p.m., rest area/bus stop; Riverton 2-2:50 p.m., Vic’s Body Shop (behind the Dollar Tree); Hudson 3:103:20 p.m., Wyoming Custom Meats (drive thru); Lander 3:404:10 p.m., Zander’s One Stop; Jeffrey City 5:15-5:30 p.m., Split Rock Cafe; Muddy Gap 5:50-6 (drive thru call, Greg). DEC. 18: Casper 7:20-8:20 a.m., Wagner Outdoor Sports; Glenrock 9-9:15 a.m., east exit on I-25; Doug las 10:10-10:20 a.m., Douglas Feed; Orin Junction 10:50-11 a.m., truck stop (drive thru); Lost Springs 11:20-11:40 a.m., truck pull off (drive thru); Manville 12-12:15 p.m., truck stop (drive thru); Lusk 12:20-12:40 p.m., Decker’s Grocery. For more in formation, call Greg, 308-7500700, or visit www.petskafur. net 12/10
Around our house we practice the traditional Christ mas customs. My wife and I kiss under the mistletoe, or a close facsimile thereof. And we eat turkey in every con ceivable fashion from Thanks giving until New Year’s.
There is the customary wrapping and unwrapping of packages and not taking down the outdoor lights until July 4. We swap cards with long lost friends and relatives, drink eggnog, hang our stockings
with care and test the limit on our charge cards like everyone else.
The one Christmas cus tom I enjoy most is decorat ing the dead evergreen we drag into our house every Novem ber. It’s when I get to open the boxes containing our Christ mas ornaments. Individually wrapped in crumpled tissue, like a jigsaw puzzle each piece when hung on the tree collec tively tells the story of our life together.
My wife and I each inher ited a few ornaments from our respective families to remind us of Christmas as kids, but most of our ornaments have been collected in our nearly 50 years of marriage.
Amongst my favorite are the hand painted wooden fig ures reminding me of our early years when we didn’t have enough money to buy gaily colored glass balls or blown glass figurines. Through the years we have added orna ments of every description: glass, leather, plastic, wood, old fashioned and modern. Like us, many of them bear scratches and scars.
Whenever my wife and I would travel, we would buy an ornament to remind us of our adventures to places like Wil liamsburg, Australia on Christ mas Eve, the Caribbean, ski
ing or houseboating with Skin ner and Joan, Hawaii, our three month trip to all the continental 48 states and one very special evening at the Kennedy Cen ter with my mom. Unwrapping the ornaments and hanging them on the tree is like revisit ing those special places.
Some cherished ornaments have been given to us by spe cial friends and favorite rela tives. A picture of a godchild in a small frame or an engraved angel with the date of an anni versary. In our house an orna ment doesn’t have to be pretty to be hung in a prominent posi tion on our tree.
One of our least pretty ornaments is also one of our most prized – a gift from a much loved aunt who lived in Ecuador for a while.
It takes three days to dec orate our tree each year. Not
because it takes this long to toss the tinsel, but because each ornament tells a story I must recall and retell. Or, an ornament will remind me of someone I think about only once a year.
Naturally, many of our ornaments have a country theme. A cowboy Santa Claus, a Holstein reindeer or a candy cane boot. A few years ago, my wife began collecting cow ornaments. Someone found out and now cow ornaments are found in every gift shop in America, and we have bought one of each I do believe.
In our scrapbook of Christ mas “Kodak moments” are two pictures of our trimmed tree taken several years apart.
Astonishingly, the ornaments are placed in nearly the same spot although years apart.
It seems unknowingly my
wife and I have prioritized the ornaments. Favorites go in the front and in the middle. Those without a story to tell are hung in the back.
But they are all irreplace able. So much so, my wife keeps them in boxes close at hand for easy retrieval in case of fire or flood.
Like the people we have met and the places we have been, these Christmas tree ornaments decorate our lives. In most cases they were pres ents we gave ourselves. They represent the shared experi ences we have hung on our tree of life.
I must admit, the tree is getting crowded now and I don’t know how much more it can handle, but it will always bring a smile to my face and holds a special place in my heart.
The National Sustain able Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) released its com prehensive 2023 Farm Bill Platform on Nov. 17. The platform provides titleby-title recommendations across farm bill programs and policies detailing how Congress can better sup port farmers and ranchers by strengthening their bot tom lines, their communi
ties and their resilience.
“NSAC’s member organizations span every corner of the country and countless communities in between. The years since the 2018 Farm Bill was signed into law have been among the most tumultu ous in our nation’s history, yet the lessons from these experiences light a path for the 2023 Farm Bill.
As the new, 118th Con gress takes shape in the months ahead, NSAC’s 2023 Farm Bill Platform offers a comprehensive, member-driven vision for a more sustainable farm and food system informed by the expert analysis and experience of farmers, ranchers and food system stakeholders nationwide,” said NSAC Interim Policy
NSAC’s platform spans key issue areas including natural resource conser vation, local and regional food systems, sustainable agriculture research, struc tural reform to farm pro grams and more, with cross-cutting recommenda tions focused on advancing racial equity across farm bill programs, support
ing beginning farmers and addressing the climate cri sis and its impacts on food and farms.
“The farm bill sets the stage for our food and farm system, impacting farm ing livelihoods, as well as consumers and the natural environment. As a leading advocate for family farmers and sustainable agriculture, our coalition looks forward
to working with Congress to ensure the next farm bill advances racial equity, builds a climate-resilient future, invests in local eco nomic development and levels the playing field for small- and medium-sized farms and farm-related businesses,” said Lavender.
To view NSAC’s plat form, visit sustainableagri culture.net
CORA
WOODRUFF, UT
20 Steer, 354# $269.00
4 Steer, 561# $203.00
RANDOLPH, UT
3 Steer, 388# $255.00
2 Steer, 495# $215.00
LANDER
18 Steer, 400# $239.00
6 Steer, 508# $212.50
1 Steer, 1020# $160.00
MEEKER CO
6 Steer, 439# $236.00
RIVERTON
5 Steer, 446# $233.50
1 Steer, 460# $226.00
KINNEAR
15 Steer, 449# $227.00
2 Steer, 1032# $153.00
MANILA, UT
5 Steer, 457# $227.00
DUBOIS
16 Steer, 469# $225.50
COKEVILLE
7 Steer, 483# $225.00
BOUNTIFUL, UT
39 Steer, 521# $210.00
SAVERY
3 Steer, 625# $200.00
23 Steer, 687# $174.00
ARAPAHOE
2 Steer, 677# $181.00
SALT LAKE CITY, UT
12 Steer, 945# $170.00
3 Steer, 1140# $141.00
BOULDER
HEIFERS
8 Heifer, 406# $240.00
RANDOLPH, UT
66 Heifer, 458# $207.50
20 Heifer, 526# $185.00
14 Heifer, 749# $162.00
MEEKER, CO
7 Heifer, 485# $195.00
36 Heifer, 538# $180.25
KINNEAR
5 Heifer, 512# $187.00
CASPER
15 Heifer, 577# $165.00
ROBERTSON
9 Heifer, 589# $165.00
CROWHEART
2 Heifer, 900# $162.00
DANIEL
COWS
10 Cow, 996# $95.00
CROWHEART
3 Cow, 991# $91.00
DANIEL
1 Cow, 920# $90.00
1 Cow, 1245# $83.00
ENCAMPMENT
1 Cow, 1060# $82.00
BONDURANT
1 Cow, 1080# $81.00
RIVERTON
3 Cow, 1070# $80.50
FREEDOM
1 Cow, 1280# $79.00
KINNEAR
1 Cow, 950# $77.50
KEMMERER
1 Cow, 1205# $73.00
LANDER
1 Cow, 1470# $71.50
RAWLINS
2 Cow, 1262# $69.00
DUBOIS
2 Cow, 1410# $68.00
9 Cow, 1297# $67.00
10 Cow, 1273# $66.00
2 Cow, 1427# $65.00
LANDER
9 Cow, 1455# $64.00
ROBERTSON
BULLS
3 Bull, 1621# $85.00
LANDER
1 Bull, 1465# $84.50
WELLSVILLE, UT
1 Bull, 1560# $84.00
ROBERTSON
1 Bull, 1540# $83.00
BONDURANT
1 Bull, 2000# $82.00
LANDER
1 Bull, 1530# $81.50
AFTON
1 Bull, 2195# $81.00
BAGGS
1 Bull, 2055# $80.00
ARAPAHOE
1 Bull, 2145# $79.00
LANDER
1 Bull, 1925# $77.00
1 Bull, 1915# $76.00
JACKSON
1 Bull, 2050# $75.00
1 Bull, 1955# $74.00
KINNEAR
1 Bull, 1975# $73.00
DANIEL
HEIFERETTES
31 Heiferette, 851# $132.00
RIVERTON
28 Heiferette, 914# $126.00
2 Heiferette, 900# $114.00
DANIEL
14 Heiferette, 892# $113.00
Fleur de Lis Cattle Co – 105 Blk Ang Bred Hfrs 1,000#.
Bred to LBW Reyes Blk Ang bulls to start calving March 1st for 60 days. Rec Virashield 6 VL5, Multi-Min & Poured. Big, stout Bred Heifers. Bred to reputation bulls!
Kent & Shelli Haun – 84 Blk Ang/Sim Bred Hfrs 1100#.
Bred to LBW Sim/Ang bulls from Big Country Genet ics & Black Summit to start calving 3/10 for 60 days. Pulled bulls 7/28. Sim/Ang herd since 2011. Reputa tion genetics! Awesome, herd building females!!
Greet Ranch – 23 Blk Ang Bred Hfrs. AI Bred to Select Sires Bull GAR Sure Fire to start calving 2/20. 57 Blk Ang & AngX Bred Hfrs. Bred to LBW & Low PAP Vermillion Bomber Sons to start calving 3/10. All heif ers run @ high elevation as calves & yearlings. Rec Virashield 6 VL5 & Ivermectin this fall. Reputation, one iron heifers! Superior disposition!
RB Livestock – 60 Blk Ang Bred Hfrs 1000#. Bred to LBW Blk Angus Bulls to calve March/April. Rec Virash ield 6 VL5, wormed w/ Safeguard & poured w/ CleanUp in the spring. Fancy, High Elevation Bred Hfrs! One ranch, one raising!!