Volume 32 Number 32 • December 5, 2020
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The Weekly News Source for Wyoming’s Ranchers, Farmers and AgriBusiness Community • www.wylr.net
A Look Inside The American lamb industry begins recovering from significant damage caused by COVID-19...................... Page 6 UW Extension’s Cole Ehmke explains how CFAP funds were used in Wyoming.......... Page 7 Tips for avoiding feed waste this winter are provided by BCRC.......................... Page 14 Lee Pitts gives readers a tour of Make-Believe Land............... .................................... Page 16
Quick Bits Cowboy HOF The 2021 Wyoming Cowboy Hall of Fame (HOF) inductee nominations opened on Dec. 1 and will be accepted through Feb. 28, 2021. Nominations can be submitted online at wyomingcowboyhalloffame.org/ inductee-nomination.
Corn Exports Corn export sales fell 14% below the prior fourweek average, with 54 million bushels but made it to the high end of trade estimates, which ranged between 31.5 million and 63 million bushels. Mexico was the top buyer, with 25.9 million bushels. Cumulative sales for the 2020-21 marketing year are maintaining a healthy lead over last year’s pace, with 408.4 million bushels. Corn export shipments made it to a marketing-year high, with 42.2 million bushels. China was the number one destination, with 18.7 million bushels.
U.S. Drought For the contiguous 48 states, the U.S. Drought Monitor showed 48.04% of the area in moderate drought or worse, compared with 48.61% a week earlier. Drought now affects 71,997,940 people, compared with 80,337,708 a week earlier. To find populations affected by drought for specific states or time periods, visit droughtmonitor.unl.edu/ Data/DataTables.aspx.
Eagle Survey The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Pinedale and Rawlins Field Offices are seeking volunteers to assist with a national mid-winter bald eagle survey on Jan. 9, 2021. Volunteers should call the Pinedale Field Office at 307367-5359 or Rawlins Field Office at 307-328-4255 by Jan. 7, 2021 to be assigned survey routes along public roads in Sublette County, Sweetwater County or Carbon County and to receive instructions on survey methods and eagle identification.
AFBF’s chief economist provides economic overview of 2020 “It has been a pretty challenging couple of years. In 2019, we had a lot of producers across the country who were unable to get a crop in the ground due to excessive flooding. Then, this year, we saw fires rag-
ing across the West, hurricanes in in the Gulf Coast and a global pandemic. There is also no secret we had a tough go on the trade front,” stated American Farm Bureau Federation’s (AFBF) Chief Economist
Dr. John Newton. Newton, among other AFBF personnel, presented during the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation’s (WyFB) 101st annual meeting held in Casper on Nov. 12-14. During his presen-
tation, Newton provided attendees an economic overview of the year 2020. Production numbers To begin, Newton explained beginning-of-theyear production estimates Please see AFBF on page 5
Winter bull management Specialist provides tips to manage bulls in colder weather and prepare them for the next breeding season
“Moving into winter management after wrapping up the breeding season is a great time to keep our bulls in mind and not throw them on the back burner,” says University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) Beef Cow/ Calf Extension Specialist and Assistant Professor Dr. Kacie McCarthy in the first of the UNL December Beefwatch webinar series dated Dec. 2. “This is a great time to think about our winter nutrition and setting bulls up for success coming into the next breeding season.” During the webinar, McCarthy explains the impor-
tance of bulls during the breeding season, considerations for winter nutrition, the impacts of cold weather on bull fertility and how producers can prepare bulls for the next breeding season. Importance of bulls McCarthy notes understanding the importance of bulls and bull fertility is critical to maintaining a productive and healthy herd. “Bulls provide half of the genetics in our calf crops,” she explains. “Being able to manage bulls Please see BULLS on page 8
WYLR photo
Focusing on fertility AAA presents cuttingedge research on fertility haplotypes During the 137 th American Angus Association’s (AAA) annual meeting, held on Nov. 8-9 in Kansas City, Mo., several speakers presented on two of the association’s current focuses – fertility and longevity. AAA’s “Focusing on Fertility” panel discussion included University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Department of Animal Scientist Professor and Chair Kent Weigel, the Holstein Association’s Executive Director of Research and Development Tom Lawlor and Angus Genetics, Inc.’s (AGI) Director of Genetic and Genomic Programs Kelli Retallick. “Reproductive function has really been a priority for individuals at AGI, those involved with AAA and Angus breeders around the nation,” Retallick stated at the event. “As we gain a genomic database of the size and scale AAA members have committed to, we have the opportunity to identify haplotypes affecting different traits, including fertility.” In an antecedent Angus TV webinar, dated Please see ANGUS on page 9
Case moves to Wyoming Mountain States Legal Foundation (MSLF) celebrated a victory on Nov. 30 when a pair of consolidated grizzly bear-related cases that plaintiffs wanted heard by a federal court in distant Washington, D.C., were transferred to Wyoming’s Federal District Court for resolution. This is where the cases rightfully belonged, argued MSLF, which supported the venue change because it believes such cases should be heard closest to where the impacts of any final rulings will be felt. “The Washington, D.C. court recognized with this ruling the matters of great local importance, like local grazing issues, should be decided locally, and the courts of Washington, D.C. do not have any special advantage in deciding such cases,” said MSLF General Counsel Zhonette M. Brown. “The Washington, D.C. court also rejected the environmentalists’ invitation to turn this into a ‘national’ more than ‘local’ matter just because federal statutes are involved.” The consolidated cases involved are Center for Biological Diversity v. David L. Bernhardt and Western Watersheds Project v. David L. Bernhardt. Wyoming ranchers represented by MSLF convinced U.S. District Court Judge Amit P. Mehta Wyoming was a better venue for the case because most of the research and government actions related to the litigation occur in the state. “In administrative law cases, like this one, courts Please see MSLF on page 4
Weed management discussed There are many noxious weeds plaguing producers in the West, including common mullein and cheatgrass. In a recent University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) Beefwatch podcast, dated Nov. 27, UNL Extension Integrated Weed Management Specialist Nevin Lawrence explains common control measures for the two weeds on rangelands. Common mullein “Common mullein is an invasive weed, non-native to the U.S., and it has been a priority weed in Colorado, Wyoming and Montana,” says Lawrence.
“Like a lot of the invasive weeds we deal with, it tends to take a foothold in disturbed areas.” Lawrence shares mullein typically spreads from right-of-ways and roadsides into Crop Reserve Program (CRP) pastures after farming and into rangelands. The corresponding Beefwatch newsletter, written by Lawrence and UNL Extension Range and Forage Management Specialist Mitch Stephenson, says previous winters have favored overwintering weed species, like common mullein and cheatgrass.
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Please see WEEDS on page 9
