The Progressive Rancher - September-October 2021 - Corrected Ad by The Progressive Rancher

IN THIS ISSUE 2 President’s Perspective 4 NCA Roundup - Update

20 Research Division | Wildfires in Nevada: An Overview

7 Beef Checkoff Recipe 8 Eye On The Outside: The Beef Checkoff 10 Nevada CattleWomen 11 Let’s Talk Ag | Drought Impacts Us All (Editorial) 12 SRM “Summer Tour” | Breaking the Cheatgrass Fire Cycle

26 National Geographic | The Science Connecting Wildfires to Climate Change

28 2021 Churchill County Junior Livestock Show & Sale Results & Carcass Data Explaination 34 High Desert Grange Happenings | S.G. Peterson 38 Range Plants for the Rancher | Richardson’s Geranium

39 Cowbelles Update 18 Nevada Farm Bureau | Making 39 Targeted Grazing - Free Book the Most of Every Drop 19 Nevada Farm Bureau | Ag Literacy Materials Available

39 Coming Soon! Park Ranch Harvest Facility in Minden

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President's perspective By Tom Barnes / President / Nevada Cattlemen's Association Summer is coming to an end and we are starting the planning process for our annual convention set for early December. The Nevada Cattlemen’s Association is a policy-based organization. Our policies provide the direction for our association and whenever we discuss an issue of any kind, we always ask “What is our policy on this?” or “Do we have a policy on this?” Our policies become very important when we meet with various agencies, both state and federal, while lobbing on specific issues affecting our industry or anything else that may affect our business. Our policies provide direction for our executive director when he is representing our association. The reason I mention this is that our annual convention is when we discuss and set these vary policies. This is the opportunity for membership to discuss those issues affecting them or that they they feel are important and help shape the direction in which our association is going to go.

I know I’ve mentioned this before but this is the most important thing we do at convention. These discussions take place during committee meetings and the membership session, not the most fun part of convention but very important. After missing a full in person convention last year, we look forward to being able to gather this year. I want to encourage everyone to attend because this is OUR association and we need to hear the voices of membership to maintain a strong Nevada Cattlemen’s Association. Hope to see you there.

Tom Barnes Tom Barnes President, NCA

Special Feeder Sales September 14 October 12 November 9

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Saturday | Oct 30 For info about our Team Roping, please visit FallonLivestock.com www.progressiverancher.com

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 3

by Martin Paris | NCA Executive Director | O: 775-738-9214

NCA September Update Happy September, Nevada Cattlemen and Women! I hope you are all doing well as you get into your busy fall work schedules. I had a chance to attend National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Cattle Industry Convention in Nashville, TN last month where a major topic of discussion was sustainability. Our industry faces a wide array of challenges including drought, wildfire, taxes, market disparities, etc… but one of the emerging challenges we face is the public perception of whether beef production is “sustainable” or not. Climate change is something we hear about nearly every day and we’ve seen a constant barrage of misinformation on beef production’s impacts on the environment. If you get a chance, Google the words beef and environment. You’ll see articles such as “The Real Problem with Beef ” by the New York Times or “Got Beef? Here’s What Your Hamburger is Doing to The Environment” from Forbes. Environmentalists and fake meat companies are working overtime to give beef production a black eye. Here are a few things to think about-

• Cattle grazing improves grassland soil health and carbon storage. • Cattle grazing helps mitigate the risk of catastrophic wildfires.

• Cattle are ruminants that recycle carbon as part of the natural carbon cycle

• Cattle upcycle a diet that is 90% inedible to humans into nutritious protein.

• Cattle methane accounts for only 2% of all U.S. Green House Gas Emissions.

The Nevada Cattlemen’s Association is hard at work with our Congressional delegation making sure they are aware of the significant impacts these tax increases • The U.S. beef industry reduced its emissions by would have on Nevada agriculture. Recently, the more than 40% from 1961-2018. U.S. Senate held a budget reconciliation vote where The U.S. produces the most sustainable beef in the Senator John Thune from South Dakota introduced world. Ranchers protect habitat for wildlife, maintain an amendment that protects stepped up basis. The the health of native ecosystems, and employ grazing amendment, while non-binding, passed 99 to 0 management practices that sequester carbon. Cattle signaling that the Senate is in support of protecting producers work hard to protect air and water quality, the important stepped-up basis tax provision. I’d not only to preserve the health of their animals, but like to thank Nevada Senators Rosen and Cortez for the health of their families and communities. We for supporting such a crucial measure. As Congress all know this, but the public is a different story. It’s continues debating tax policy, we encourage our imperative that our industry tells our story. Federal delegation to continue to support sound Another hot topic is taxes. Buried deep within the policy that promotes the next generation of ranchers Biden Administration’s American Families Plan is a and farmers. proposal to change two major tax provisions which As a reminder the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association includes raising the top end of the capital gains rate Annual Convention will take place in Elko on to 39.6% and nixing Section 1014 of the Internal December 9-11. I encourage those of you who Revenue Code which allows for “stepped up basis”. want to participate to please attend the convention Under current law, passing down a family business to and committee meetings. The convention is your the next generation does not impose a capital gains tax opportunity to voice your opinion and help set burden on the business or its new owners. Rather, the policy that will guide the Nevada Cattlemen’s decedent’s tax basis in the business is “stepped-up” to Association forward. For current and up to date fair market value, preventing a large capital gains tax information on things happening at the NCA, please follow us on Facebook and visit our web page at bill on the growth in the business’s value. www.nevadacattlemen.org as we are constantly If implemented, these changes would hit family- updating it. If you have questions regarding any of our owned businesses, farms, and ranches hard, particularly upcoming events, please feel free to contact the NCA in rural communities. Our businesses consist largely of office at 775-738-9214 or email nca@nevadabeef.org. liquid assets that might need to be sold or leveraged in order to pay the new tax burden. Business operators We wish you luck on your fall work as we understand could be forced to sell property, lay off employees, or this is a busy time for all. close their doors just to cover these new tax obligations. • The U.S. has had the lowest beef Green House Gas emissions intensity in the world since 1996.

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The Monopoly in the Beef Packing Industry Winning Essay by Mattie Merritt | Round Mountain, Nevada | 2021 NCA Scholarship Recipient

I think we can all agree that not much good has come out of the current coronavirus pandemic, but perhaps one good outcome is the exposure of the monopoly in the meatpacking industry in the United States. In 2020, reports and stories circled the national news and social media platforms, exposing an industry issue that has been buried for decades. Even President Trump addressed the need for exposure and change. Turns out, the meat packing industry is controlled by four major corporations who have been running the show for a hundred years. Millions of Americans, including myself, were shocked to find out of the current corruption that commercial producers and ranchers were dealing with. After researching some history and digging up truths, my curiosity led me to contact a local rancher to see his perspective on the meatpacking industry issues. What was historically a natural progression of progress and growth has turned into a controlling monopoly of greed and power. In the early 1900’s two urban stockyards and processing plants - Omaha and Chicago - dominated the commercial meat market. Back then, the Big Four meat processing plants were Armour, Swift, Cudahy and Wilson. They controlled 40% of the fresh beef trade. Cattle were transported to these feedlots, then processed and sent out to butcher shops around the country, but not the way meat is seen in grocery stores today. Sides of beef were sold to local butcher shops who then sold cuts of meat to customers. The government stepped in in the 1940’s to break up the monopoly of the Big Four and from that intervention a new Big Four was formed. It wasn’t until the 1960’s when most homes had refrigerators and freezers that “boxed beef ” in clear packaging was sold in grocery stores, thanks to the innovation of IBP, or Iowa Beef Packers. (Ganzel, 2007) From then on, meat was processed and packaged at packing plants and shipped out fresh or frozen through the newly expanded highway system, allowing boxed beef to be transported by truck as opposed to rail. According to one 2013 source, 85% of all US beef is still produced by four producers. The Big Four, by which they are still known, are under-regulated and overprotected by the government. After the Big Four were exposed to the public about strategies that are forcing ranchers to sell the cattle under market value, lawsuits broke out in an attempt to split up these companies. Tyson Foods, JBS, Cargill, and National Beef control most of the beef packing market and dictate prices all the way down to the rancher. Due to the control the Big Four has on the processing and packing of beef in the United States, ranchers are forced to use these companies because there are no other alternatives. After the cattle are sold to one of the companies associated with the Big Four, the prices are heavily increased once the meat is sold in stores. www.progressiverancher.com

This results in a giant profit margin for the Big Four, while cattle producers barely break even. Ranchers are attempting to hold their cattle back and get them sold locally, but there comes a point when the cattle must be sold in order to still have valuable meat. Local packing plants would not be able to accommodate the mass processing of cattle as well as their current clientele. An online reference states, “...smaller local custom plants are busier than ever, but are carrying on their business with integrity.” (Stadheim, 2020). Local packing businesses are doing their best to meet the needs of all people, while still keeping their prices fair.

Even though the Big Four seem so far removed from what goes on in Nevada, the effects of this monopoly reach rural Nevada ranchers. To get the inside scoop, I interviewed Mike Hastie, the owner and operator of the Twist Ranch in Big Smoky Valley, Nevada, to ask him just how far the Big Four’s reach goes. Mike states, “The packers have a huge profit margin with little to no risk involved where the rancher or stocker has a very narrow profit margin with the big risk of losses due to death of calves, weather (drought), and high feed or pasture cost. The packers are under scrutiny but nothing has been done to remedy it to this point.” (M.Hastie, March 9,2021, email interview). Commercial and local ranchers are dealing with tight budgets to begin with and then not making money from the sales of their feeder cows due to the control from the packing industry puts them in more of a bind. In theory, when the supply of a resource goes up, the retail value should go down. The packing industry has reversed this and paid less for a resource that is in demand so they can charge more to increase their profit. After the exposure of the corruption that has been occurring, ranchers and stockers are encouraging citizens to buy their beef locally, instead of supporting the Big Four. While this helps in the short-term, legal action will be required to make long-term changes that will positively affect the industry. Mike is hopeful that the current legislation known as the Cattle Market Transparency Act of 2021, will hold packing plants more accountable for fair prices and fix the current

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monopoly in the meatpacking industry. The Cattle Market Transparency Act of 2021 was developed on March 2 of this year by Deb Fischer and Ron Wyden. This bill aims to have the meatpacking industry held accountable for the prices they pay and charge, as well as having mandated requirements through the USDA. Ranchers and commercial producers have come up with this proposal to combat the monopoly that the meat packers have formed. In closing, the exposure of the meat packing plant monopoly has developed an uproar in citizens across the country, including myself. For many years, this issue has been buried, and not brought to the attention of the consumer. The Big Four have taken over the United States packing plants, and are in total control. While industry progress and growth over the last 100 years spurred the conception of the current meat packing system in the US, government regulation and controls need to be put in place to prevent the collapse of the US beef producer. Mike and other ranchers are hopeful that this new legislation will be the beginning of change that’s been a long time coming. Resources:

Cattlemen Call for Market Transparency. (2020, October 26). Beef Magazine. https://www.beefmagazine.com/marketing/ cattlemen-call-market-transparency Fassler, J. (2019, April 23). A new lawsuit accuses the “Big Four” beef packers of conspiring to fix cattle prices. The Counter. https://thecounter.org/meatpacker-price-fixing-class-actionlawsuit-cattlemen-tyson-jbs-cargill-national-beef/ Ganzel, B. (2007). IBP, Boxed Beef & a New “ Big Four. “ Wessels Living History Farm. https://livinghistoryfarm.org/ farminginthe50s/money_17.html

Intel, M. (2021, March 5). New Legislation on Cattle Market Transparency Introduced. Farm Bureau. https:// www.fb.org/market-intel/new-legislation-on-cattle-markettransparency-introduced Stadheim, C. (2020, June 5). DOJ subpoenas Big Four meat packers. The Fence Post. https://www.thefencepost.com/news/ doj-subpoenas-big-four-meat-packers

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 5

Winning Essay by Leanna Sarman | Spring Creek, NV | 2021 NCA Scholarship Recipient

I once saw an article in my local newspaper The Elko Daily Free Press titled “Wolf Den Confirmed in Nevada”; interested I decided to read. The article said that in February 2017 snowmobilers spotted two wolves in the Jarbidge Mountains. As I kept reading, I came across an interesting sentence. “Of course, today is April 1st, so an April Fool’s Day hoax is in order. There are no confirmed wolves in Elko County, and definitely no wolf dens.” The whole article was a ruse, but it wasn’t a complete tall tale. Due to near extinction, wolves were put on the endangered species list in 1974. In 1995 and 1996, 66 Northwestern wolves known as the Alaskan timberwolves were released in Yellowstone National Park. Since then, the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service has been attempting to delist the gray wolves nationally ever since the animals met target recovery populations. The wolves’ population currently exceeds that recovery number by up to 300%. The main thing halting the delisting is the Center For Biological Diversity and similar animal rights groups that are constantly suing the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service so that no legislation can occur. Finally, in October 2020, the Trump administration delisted the gray wolves nationally, meaning the management of the animals would be up to the individual states. Many people are excited about this. Others say that the delisting was done not because of science, but solely to get more rural voters for the upcoming election. Many people in Nevada are encouraging the introduction of the wolf. Wolves were once found in the Silver State but were removed shortly after European settlement, and now people want them back. The presence of wolves placed Yellowstone in better ecological condition. In the National Park, the wolves have greatly decreased the Elk population and how they grazed. This allowed for plants to flourish in places where they were over-utilized. For this reason, wolves are described as a “keystone species,” whose presence is vital to maintaining the health, structure, and balance of ecosystems. But, a healthy ecosystem will not be the case in Nevada. When I interviewed a biologist from the Nevada Department of Wildlife she said that there is not enough wildlife in Nevada to support the wolves, and because of that they will most likely not come. But, according to the International Wolf Center, “...due to the close proximity of viable wolf populations in Idaho and Wyoming, wolves may move into Nevada.” Not to mention the fact that Wolves are confirmed in Oregon and Arizona. There are also confirmed sightings in Utah and a confirmed pack in California. Nevada is surrounded and so the arrival of wolves is unpreventable. With the lack of wildlife in Nevada, it is inevitable that the wolves would have to turn to other food resources in order to survive which would include our pets and livestock. 6 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

Wolves around the nation have been proving detrimental to ranchers despite popular belief. According to Lines of Defense: Coping with Predators in the Rocky Mountain Region, conflicts between wolves and livestock are on the rise. Wolves reportedly killed 8,100 cattle in 2010. But it is extremely difficult to get an accurate number of how many livestock are killed by wolves every year because many of the animal carcasses are never found. For every confirmed kill, there are probably eight more unconfirmed losses. These wolf killings are very expensive. In Colorado it is estimated that it cost taxpayers more than $9,000 per wolf in 2018 to investigate livestock depredations and remove problem wolves, and in 2010, ranchers and farmers reported spending $185 million on non-lethal forms of wildlife control.

Unfortunately, that is not the only expense wolves incur. Cattle who have been living with wolves experience PTSD, causing an increase in heart and blood pressure after being exposed to wolf scents and sightings. This causes weight loss, lower pregnancy rates, and sickness, increasing management by about $250-$300 per cow. Additionally, data from collared wolves and cattle show a single wolf encountered the same cow 140 times at less than 500 yards in a 137 day time period. The collars also show that cattle are spending less time in riparian areas than before wolves’ arrival, and staying in the open flat areas. There, it is safer for the cattle but there is less food available. This causes the cattle to overuse these areas, hurting the rangeland that the ranches, as well as many others, value greatly. The cattle also spend a lot of time bunched up in fence corners where the wolves often comer them. The collars on the wolves show the animals constantly circling the cattle as if they were hunting them. The owner of the ranch where the study was conducted says that he has several animals with wolf bites, and more crippled animals than before. This means that the animals constantly need expensive treatment and cannot be sold due to the injuries and vaccine treatments. The rancher also noticed a serious behavioral change in his animals. The animals that were once often worked around dogs now chased the dogs, seeing them as a threat. The animals are also extremely standoffish towards anyone trying to work with them; even young calves are in a constant fight mode and chase anyone who gets near them. The rancher also reports seeing wolf tracks 50 feet from his home. And this is not an isolated incident. The collared wolf came within 500 yards of one of the houses on the ranch, where a family with young children live, doing so 307 times in a single summer, putting the family in danger. This proves that wolves are interacting with people more and more and are losing their natural fear. This will prove to be extremely dangerous to anyone who lives near the wolf habitat. The Progressive Rancher

Wolves will also prove to be detrimental to Nevada’s wildlife and rangeland health. An introduction of any animal to an ecosystem causes severe damage to the area and the animals who live in it. The Battle Born State does not have the wildlife to support wolves, especially in large numbers. Due to this, wolves will not only over hunt their natural prey but, prey on other animals such as domestic cattle and sheep, feral horses, house pets, and the already threatened sage grouse. Wolves’ natural prey consist of many of Nevada’s rangeland grazers and a wolf population will lead them to be over-hunted. The loss of the grazers will throw the rangeland out of balance and the land will become greatly overgrown. This overgrowth will then dry out during the scorching hot summers and become a fire danger as we have never seen before. Nevada is the driest state in the United States and often sees numerous wildfires every summer. In 2019 alone there were 46,706 wildfires in Nevada burning 4.6 million acres. But, with the increase of fires larger and more frequent wildfires will burn every year. These fires will then allow the invasive cheatgrass and other invasive species to completely take over the rangeland that was once flourishing with native plants. Although the overgrowth on the rangeland could be combated by allowing more livestock grazing, it will likely be refused due to the high possibility of protection of wolf habitat under the Endangered Species Act at the state level. In addition, the sage grouse and other animals will be threatened or even endangered from over-hunting from wolves, causing further regulations on the land. But, unfortunately, people will still find a way to blame the rancher. Cattle are often seen as a threat to sage grouse by many people. So, even though the cattle actually protect the sage grouse from predators and will lower the threat of habitat destruction from wildfires, and overall improve the rangeland with responsible grazing, people will not allow cattle to graze. This will be detrimental for the small-time Nevada cattle rancher. This is because Nevada is over 85% public land and ranchers buy grazing permits to graze their animals on public lands. Many ranchers in Nevada rely on these permits to feed their animals. The restricted grazing permits with the additions of the other burdens ranchers suffer the consequences of introducing large predators to ecosystems that have adapted to function without them. It is important that producers in Nevada learn about all the ways their business and livelihoods will likely be affected by this upcoming nationwide hot topic. We need to do all we can to be better prepared and get the conversation started with lawmakers and the general population so everyone can be better informed of the issue from all sides so we can do what is best for our state’s wildlife, rangeland, and livestock producers.

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BEEF TENDERLOIN STEAKS with BLUE CHEESE TOPPING Try a steakhouse classic at home. Garlic-rubbed Beef Tenderloin Steaks are topped with creamy blue cheese.

Ingredients • 4 beef Tenderloin Steaks, cut 1 inch thick (about 1 pound) • 1 large clove garlic, halved • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley leaves Topping • 2 tablespoons cream cheese • 4 teaspoons crumbled blue cheese • 4 teaspoons plain yogurt • 2 teaspoons minced onion • Dash ground white pepper

Courtesy of Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner.

Are you selling your farm? Call me today! Wildhorse Cattle Co. Elko, White Pine, Eureka and Nye County

Preparation

Efficient Cattle Operation with great Summer Range in Elko County and winter range in Eureka and White Pine County. North Base is at Wildhorse Reservoir in Elko County with 830+ deeded of which 361+ irrigated acres plus BLM and USFS Allotments. South base just inside Nye County line plus deeded at Hwy 50 and winter on Fish Creek Allotment. Price: $4,200,000

• Combine topping ingredients in small bowl. Rub beef Tenderloin Seaks with garlic. • Place steaks on rack in broiler pan so surface of beef is 2 to 3 inches from heat. Broil 13 to 16 minutes for medium rare (145°F) to medium (160°F) doneness, turning once. One to two minutes before steaks are done, top evenly with topping. Cook’s Tip: To grill, place steaks on grid over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill, covered, 10 to 14 minutes for medium rare (145°F) to medium (160°F) doneness, turning occasionally. One minute before steaks are done, top evenly with topping. • Season with salt; sprinkle with parsley.

This ranch has a 320 acre base at the foot of Pilot Peak with approximately 40 acres of surface water and 130 acres of underground water rights. Winter range out the gate in Pilot Valley and Summer range over the mountain on the Utah side. 225 head of cattle, new pivot and equipment all included. Price: $2,500,000

For additional information on these properties, go to: BOTTARIREALTY.COM

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Bar O Ranch in Elko Co. on Utah border

Paul D. Bottari, Broker Nevada License No. B 015476

paul@bottarirealty.com

1222 6th St. PO Box 368 Wells, NV 89835

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Work: 775.752.3040 Cell: 775.752.0952 Fax: 775.752.3021 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 7

Opinion: The Beef Checkoff I am old enough like many of you to realize I am old enough and therefore I remember a lot of things. For instance, I remember when there was a struggle to get the Beef Checkoff passed and now, we are in the 35th anniversary year of this remarkably successful program to generate interest and demand for beef. Over the years there have been many court challenges to the checkoff and none of these challenges have successfully damaged or done away with the checkoff. Most recently, this summer, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held in favor of the checkoff declaring it to be protected government speech. Also, the nation’s beef producers were polled about five years ago and almost 80% said they favored the checkoff. Why then is there so much criticism of this program? I am not sure I understand why. I say this because when you look at the things that have been done with producer dollars over the last 35 years it is difficult for me to see the validity of the criticism even though I agree everyone has a right to their own opinion. By the way, one of those criticisms is NCBA has a monopoly on the checkoff and your dollars are used to influence policy in Washington D.C. and elsewhere. Currently, NCBA is one of twelve contractors to the Checkoff as administered by the Cattlemen’s Beef Board which is comprised of cattle raisers from all over the country. To use this checkoff money to influence policy would be illegal and thus NCBA and the other contractors only use the money for legally authorized expenditures such as research and education. In fact, NCBA has a full-time employee whose only job is to audit time sheets 8 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

and checkoff expenditures to make sure the money which comes to NCBA for checkoff projects is not spent to influence policy. Typically, each year, there is only a less than 1% error rate in the statistical audit sample in this area and these are attributed to clerical reporting and administrative errors. So, let’s look at some of the efforts undertaken in these three decades by NCBA as a checkoff contractor. Of course, everyone in the nation has heard the slogan “Beef it’s what’s for dinner”. But if this were the only successful thing done with checkoff money I might agree with the critics. However, this summer in response to consumers increasing demand to know more about the sustainability of their food production NCBA launched a comprehensive op-ed, letter to the editor writing campaign in major metropolitan newspapers by producers to tell their individual stories of sustainability. The issues management team at NCBA has reached out to local journalists across the country in a campaign of what is known as content partnerships to provide real stories about real ranchers and farmers and what they are doing to produce sustainable beef. In the world of public relations, these and other efforts will have reached consumers across the country more than 800 million times because of the repetitive nature of the messages. For more than 30 years the beef checkoff has funded the voluntary Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program. Many of us have attended such programs through the years to learn better, safer, and more humane ways to treat our animals and employees. This has been a useful education

experience for producers, but it is also a reassurance to consumers of our product that we care about the welfare of our animals too. More than 85% of the U.S. beef supply comes from a BQA certified ranch or farm. NCBA publicized the conclusions of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) which recognized that lean meat nourishes a healthy lifestyle and the nutrients found in beef are essential at every stage in life especially for infants and children. This campaign received more than 41 million impressions. Every rancher should be concerned about the growth, however slight, of meat substitute products. One of the tactics used by the manufacturers of these products to convince consumers to switch to a plant-based diet is if you consume “fake meat” you are helping to save the planet from the impacts of cattle raising. In fact, the notion that cattle raising is contributing significantly to climate change has been disproven. The U.S. is the world leader in sustainable beef production with the lowest emission intensity in the world. If all livestock were eliminated in the U.S. and every American followed a vegan diet, greenhouse gas emissions would only be reduced by 2%, or 0.36% globally. Another way to look at the success of American beef producers’ sustainability efforts is that we are producing 66% more beef today with fewer resources than we did a generation ago. These facts were disseminated this summer in graphics and info graphics to State Beef Councils and in interviews with celebrity chefs. This information reached the equivalent of close to 100 million non- agricultural

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consumers. Critics of the checkoff frequently say the only ones who see beef ads and information are those who read agricultural industry publications. The point of this checkoff generated expenditure is to get the information to consumers in large metropolitan and suburban areas that most farmers and ranchers rarely visit. None of this research and education effort would be worth the time, effort and, devotion of resources unless the people spending the money, you whose checkoff dollars are collected every time a beef animal is sold, were receiving a return on the investment. Research done by NielsenIQ has revealed beef makes up 30% of the protein market share. In contrast, plant-based alternatives represent less than 1% of market share. Beef consumption is expected to increase this year. The USDA predicts U.S. consumers will eat 8.9% more beef this year than in 2015. Even so, Americans eat less than 2 ounces of beef each day, which is well within the 2015 Dietary Guidelines. No less an authority than Cattle Fax recently reported that beef demand is at its highest level in 33 years. This brings me back to recognizing the 35th anniversary of the United States Beef Checkoff Program. After reading about these successful programs and statistics, which certainly is not an exhaustive list, perhaps we should just fold our tent, rest on our laurels, and go home. I would argue it makes no sense to get rid of something that is working. Anything can be improved. Let’s work on making this successful program better. I’ll see you soon. www.progressiverancher.com

www.progressiverancher.com

The Progressive Rancher

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 9

By Melinda Sarman, President Over ninety CattleWomen and Cattlemen gathered in Elko, NV on July 16-17, 2021 for the WIRED/ Stockmanship Stewardship Event. The event started with Tim Davis with Midwest MicroSystems with the Importance of Information Management Software followed by Kelly Barnes, with American AgCredit. She discussed understanding credit and the impact on your business. Claire Kehoe with Elko/Eureka County Farm Service Agency and Niki Zahrt with NRCS helped informed people about the lending prosses and the programs available with Farm Service Agency and NRCS.

We are pleased to announce the winners of the Kubota RTV Sidekick are Kristen and Neil McQueary of Ruby Valley. We wish them many happy miles. Thank you for all the support we received with NCW fundraiser. Smith Valley Garage was also so very supportive, thank you very much!

After lunch, the participants were put in to three groups. The first group was Dr Goodman with Multiman Nutrition his workshop was on trace minerals and their effect on reproductions and immunity then Ron Torell NV BQA coordinator worked on BQA testing. The second group was out by the Silencer chute with Chute Demo and Chute-Side companion to cow sense with Tim Davis. Gene Dubas with Dubas Equipment with a Moly Manufacturing demonstrated the importance of chute side mannerisms. Then Dr Gill focus on vaccine efficiency. The third demonstration was from the University of Nevada, Reno. The UNR showed the new fabrication trailer and carcass grading by Lindsay Chichester, Stacie Emm and Charlie Mori. On Saturday the day started with horsemanship session and adding value to ranch horses, with Curt Pate. Cattle handling in a today’s world with Dr. Gill, Curt Pate and Dean Fish. Then A Dog’s Place in Cattle Handling and a dog demonstration with Bill Dale and Curt Pate. After the sessions the participants where Beef Quality Assurance tested. This event was a hosted by American National CattleWomen, NV CattleWomen Inc., National Cattlemen Beef Association, Nevada Beef Council, Nevada Cattlemen Association, and UNR. Photos by Linda Huntsberger

10 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

The Progressive Rancher

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Let’s Talk Ag Drought Impacts Us All By Staci Emmn | Editorial

Drought across the West is impacting rangeland, water resources, feed supplies and food supplies. Experts say that the closest drought that we can remember ran from about 1998 to 2014. During this time, drought covered 60 percent or more of the United States and lasted about 100 months. Our state climatologist, during the Nevada Ag Outlook this past week, said that we are definitely in a drought and what makes this specific drought environment difficult for us, is that the entire West in in a drought. This affects the prices and availability of hay, and brings the issues of feral horses, range management, and water availability to the forefront. We do have the drought monitor that is familiar to most of us. The advantages of the drought monitor is that it automatically declares a disaster, triggers assistance programs when they are needed, and provides an overall outlook of drought across the United States. The downside of the drought monitor is that it has a limited number of authors, it does not always reflect the differences between surface and groundwater resources, and it is not always the most accurate reflection of rangeland conditions. Below is a drought monitor representation of the drought across the west posted on August 10, 2021.

When the discussion begins about drought, we must also talk about temperatures. The map below shows that the west has a higher probability of being warmer. The “EC” is an equal chance, which means that anyone doesn’t really know anything. There is also a high chance that we are going to see a La Nina this fall and winter. La Nina’s can be linked to floods and drought, neither of which is the best scenario. NOAA climate prediction center reports that typically a La Nina winter brings cold and snow to the Northwest and unusually dry conditions to the southern tier of United States. So, what does this all mean? We really don’t know what is going to happen, but we do know what is happening right now: • Nevada Department of Agriculture said Nevada has already liquidated 109,000 head of cattle • Hay prices have skyrocketed and hay is in limited supply • Surface water allocations in the Western part of the state ended in the first half of August • Army worms, grasshopper and crickets are impacting production • California fires are out of control resulting in animal health issues due to smoke • Reservoir storage is below average for this time of year The point is that we all need to brace ourselves and prepare for another year of drought. We had a La Nina year last year and we all know what happened. This makes management and financial decisions that more important. To highlight drought resources and issues, our Nevada Extension team will be holding an online drought summit tentatively scheduled for September 29-30 via Zoom focusing on Nevada. It is a tentative date because this summit will follow NOAA’s Southwest Drought Virtual Forum ending September 29 (https://sites.google.com/view/ swdroughtforum/home). The planning team will decide if we need two days of Nevada topics or if we just want to hold the Nevada Drought Summit on the 30th only. There will be a variety of topics and we hope that you can join us. We will be replacing our regularly scheduled Nevada Ag Outlook with the drought summit and will have the registration link out by the first of September. I encourage everyone to stay safe out there. Make the best decisions you can make with the resources that you have. Access assistance programs for water hauling and livestock feed if you can. Keep your records. If you do have to liquidate, know the tax options available to you. The more information that we have, the better prepared we can be.

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The Progressive Rancher

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 11

Breaking the Cheatgrass Fire Cycle By Dan Harmon and SRM “Summer Tour” Charlie D. Clements After a long year of too many virtual meetings, the Nevada Section - Society for Range Management (SRM) held its annual summer field tour June 10, 2021. The tour visited numerous sites near the northern Nevada town of Battle Mountain. It was good to see so many familiar faces in person again and to meet new folks interested in the art of range management. This year’s tour theme was “Breaking the Cheatgrass Fire Cycle”. Far too often the battle against cheatgrass and its’ associated wildfires seems hopeless, therefor we wanted to focus on effective methods that can restore and protect the landscape. Attendees included local ranchers, employees from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS), US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Nevada Division of Forestry (NDF), Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW), Nevada Association of Conservation Districts (NVACD), scientists from the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) and others interested in successfully managing cheatgrass and reducing wildfires. We began the day by meeting at the Horseshoe Ranch where Dave Voth, ranch manager and Chris Jasmine, Manager of Biodiversity and Rangelands for Nevada Gold Mines (NGM), gave us an overview of NGM’s ranching and rangeland conservation operations. Nevada Gold Mines, a joint venture between Barrick Gold and Newmont Mining, manages and leases numerous ranching properties. It also is an active

participant in both Nevada’s Conservation Credit System and Barrick’s Bank Enabling Agreement, which address impacts to Greater Sage Grouse habitat. Nevada Gold Mines ranches, including lessees, prioritize a commitment to conservation, including improvements to the habitat over time. They work closely with NDOW and USFWS on projects to improve the landscape and reduce threats from wildfires. Our first stop was a section of the Horseshoe Ranch allotment that has been included in the BLM Outcome Based Grazing Authorizations Initiative (OBGA). This new BLM initiative creates flexibility that is needed to best manage grazing on a highly variable landscape. One emphasis of this program is to create and maintain fuel breaks with grazing to disrupt fuel continuity (Figure 1). As Dave Voth explained, this requires flexibility in the allowed number of cattle and options to move the animals depending on the annual production of cheatgrass and perennial forage. Dave said the goal is to reduce the cheatgrass residual dry matter along the roadways, creating a firebreak that could limit the intensity and magnitude of future wildfires. He emphasized the importance of good monitoring to ensure that fuels are being reduced with minimal negative impacts to the desirable plant community. The area we observed had virtually no perennial plants and was dominated by cheatgrass and other weeds. Such areas are ideal for targeted grazing fuel breaks because they pose

Figure 1. Example of targeted grazing and fuel reductions. Without grazing, cheatgrass and other annual weeds produce a vast amount of dry fuel for the fire season.

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little risk for overutilization of desirable plants. The group discussed how monitoring would require a “control” area without any grazing to determine the effectiveness of fuels reductions, and how a major difficulty is achieving the BLM stubble height requirement with a plant like cheatgrass. The comparisons of grazed versus not grazed must be made within the same year, as opposed to having a baseline first year measurement and then comparing year to year, because annual cheatgrass production is so variable. Dave expressed the responsibility he feels for this effort to succeed since the ranch is at the forefront of this new program (OBGA) and it could be the difference between the program expanding or not. One of the attendees asked if targeted spring grazing of the cheatgrass could control cheatgrass enough to allow seeding of perennial grasses to be successful. Chris Jasmine explained that the goal was not to control the cheatgrass but to reduce its biomass (fuel) production. He stated that even with targeted grazing , cheatgrass produces enough seed to ensure its establishment the following year, and competition from the cheatgrass would decrease seeded perennial grass success. Targeted grazing can buy time and decrease the chance, rate,spread and season of wildfires until we can implement a more effective cheatgrass seed production control means and establish a sustainable perennial plant community. Our next stop was a 1,000 plus acre herbicide application on the TS Ranch (NGM property). The group could see the striking effectiveness on the treatment area, where practically no cheatgrass was growing. The sparse perennial grasses, such as basin wildrye and western wheatgrass, stood out dramatically in the absence of cheatgrass. Pre-emergent herbicides do not affect established perennial plants, with their deeper root system extending below the very shallow layer of active herbicide (<2”). William Kutosky with USFWS in the Partners for Fish and Wildlife program explained about the process of using pre-emergent herbicides to control cheatgrass (Figure 2). William often partners with NGM on habitat improvement projects. He explained how soil active pre-emergent herbicides, such as Imazapic (Plateau), will remain active in the soil and be taken up by the roots of all newly germinated plants, effectively killing them for one growing season, while having no effect on the existing established perennials with deeper roots below the shallow (<2”) herbicide soil zone. Imazapic should be applied (6 oz product/acre) in September to preempt any fall (October) cheatgrass germination, which can often occur. William explained that by doing so the cheatgrass seedbank will be depleted www.progressiverancher.com

Figure 2. William Kutosky explains how to use pre-emergent herbicides to control cheatgrass. Even on the edge of the spray application, the green perennial forage kochia dramatically stands out in the absence of cheatgrass.

when the cheatgrass seed germinates, and then the seedlings die before any new seed is produced. The goal of using pre-emergent herbicides, such as Imazapic, is not to control cheatgrass longterm,which it is incapable of doing; it will only kill cheatgrass as long it is active in the soil (about 1215 months) - but to deplete the cheatgrass seed bank so there is a window of opportunity to seed perennial grasses without cheatgrass competition. The perennial grasses will suppress cheatgrass and decrease fire threats long-term. The timeline for this process is to apply the herbicide in September, fallow the site for 1-year (depleting the cheatgrass seed bank) and then seed perennial plants in October, - 1-year after the herbicide application. This ensures your seeded perennials are safe from the herbicide activity and have the maximum available soil resources in the absence of cheatgrass competition. Imazapic can typically be applied for under $20 per acre. On the opposite side of the road was a 20 plus year-old seeding dominated by ‘Immigrant’ forage kochia. This seeding effort was conducted in 1991-92 to protect the critical Area 6 mule deer winter range. This provided a good opportunity to discuss the long-term sustainability of a successful green strip. Charlie Clements, range scientist with ARS, was part of this seeding project. He explained that they used spring discing to kill the cheatgrass prior to seed production, in order to reduce the cheatgrass seed bank prior to seeding perennials. They were quite successful establishing bluebunch wheatgrass, crested wheatgrass and ‘Immigrant’ forage kochia. Over time, however, the green strip was highly preferred by animals with little perennial forage in the untreated areas. With heavier utilization the perennial grasses were lost leaving forage kochia to dominate. Even though forage kochia is not www.progressiverancher.com

effective at suppressing cheatgrass like a perennial grass (tap root versus fibrous root), the space that kochia occupies reduces opportunities for cheatgrass, which was evident from observing how the untreated areas without forage kochia were dominated by dense cheatgrass cover. Charlie showed how the green leaves of forage kochia hold a lot of moisture (crush them in your hand) throughout the fire season and are very effective at stopping or reducing fire intensity. Lesley Morris, rangeland ecologist with UNR, asked if what we were looking at - a dense stand dominated by forage kochia - was the goal. The group came to a consensus that there are many goals with rangeland rehabilitation efforts, and if this goal was to reduce fuels and fire threats, then yes, the goal was achieved. If the goal was to provide a diversity of native plants representative of historical times before cheatgrass, then no. However, the latter was not the goal in this effort. The group further discussed that ultimately we all have the same broad goal of improving habitats, and if we could magically wish plants back on the ground, we would choose a diverse plant community of native grasses, shrubs and forbs. However, these are very arid, highly variable ecosystems often receiving less than 8 inches of annual precipitation, mostly during winter months. If we want to establish perennial plants that provide a service, we often have to narrow our focus and use introduced plants such as forage kochia and the crested wheatgrasses that have the inherent potential to be adapted to such sites. Caleb McAdoo, Eastern Region Habitat Supervisor for NDOW, stressed the important service these green strips of forage kochia provide. While he would like to see a more diverse plant community to provide a greater diversity of use for wildlife, he understands that sometimes these kochia stands may be the only food source available The Progressive Rancher

to help animals survive. Also, the fire protection they provide, to stop fires from spreading into intact diverse native plant communities that the wildlife rely on, is of utmost importance. The next treatment area was a successful seeding of perennial grass that is part of Chris Jasmine’s ongoing efforts for NGM (Figure 3). Each year Chris applies pre-emergent herbicide to a cheatgrass dominated area (~1,000 acres), the most recent being our last field stop, and then also seeds the previous year’s cheatgrass herbicide fallow plot. This repeated effort allows him to determine the methods that work best and what is a realistic chance of success. Because of the arid and unpredictable environment we are working in Nevada, there will always be failures because the precipitation just isn’t there, like this year, for example. However, Chris is confident that with enough repeated efforts you can be successful at least 75% of the time, resulting in an astounding improvement to the landscape. He always follows the steps of a 1-year herbicide fallow, to reduce cheatgrass competition, and then seeding with 6 to 8 pounds per acre of Siberian wheatgrass. He can achieve success with this treatment for under $100 per acre ($16/acre fixed wing herbicide application + $75/acre for seed and drill seeding). The treated areas are private grazing lands where multiple use is not a strong component, and a single species seed mix is appropriate. Besides being economically preferred, Siberian wheatgrass is readily available in large quantities and can be established on very arid sites. By converting cheatgrass landscapes to perennial grass dominance, multiple benefits are achieved - from increased quantity and season of forage to suppressing cheatgrass, and decreasing fire risk, and these are even

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Figure 3. Chris Jasmine explains the goals for his seeding efforts, on Nevada Gold Mines’ rangelands, including increased carrying capacity and decreased fire intervals. Decreasing fire frequency allows succession to occur, returning function to the plant community, and naturally increasing diversity. At the site, perennial grasses are 3 years old and starting to provide “resistance” to cheatgrass re-invasion.

benefitting carbon storage, an important topic when considering CO2 emissions. Perennial grass stands are found to store much more carbon than annual grass communities. After lunch at Lions Park in Battle Mountain we traveled about an hour north along Izzenhood Road to the mouth of Izzenhood Basin, where Marissa Murphy, project manager of range improvements and emergency stabilization and rehabilitation (ESR) with BLM’s Elko district and Casey Addy, the district’s ESR manager showed us a recent successful seeding effort after the 2016 Hot Pot Fire (Figure 4). The Hot Pot Fire burned 122,000 acres over five grazing allotments. Marissa explained the importance of having an effective seeding effort because Izzenhood Basin and the surrounding upper elevations are critical wildlife use areas. She emphasized the importance of choosing an effective seed mix based on experience. ESR plans must be completed 21 days after the fire. At that time post-fire funding for up to 5 years can be applied for, though Marissa and Casey explained that there is a national cap of $26 million per year and they have to compete with all BLM offices for those funds. They have been quite successful procuring funding, a testimony to their strong ESR program in the Elko district. Marissa explained that seeding done at the appropriate rates and timing, using the best methods available, can significantly increase your chance of success. The Elko BLM district has a great working collaboration with NDOW that helps meet everyone’s needs and improves success by sharing the seed purchasing and application contracting efforts to keep projects on time. It is critical to establish plants after the fire because often very few resources are left, and wildlife will be reliant on the plants you establish from the seeding 14 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

effort as well as forage for the grazing allotments. At this site, because of the topography and to avoid disturbing post-fire resprouting perennial plants, broadcast seeding was used instead of the preferred drill seeding method. One plant that established very well from the broadcast seeding was ‘Snowstorm’ forage kochia. ‘Snowstorm’ is a taller structured cultivar than ‘Immigrant’ forage kochia. This is an important characteristic to provide a food source that remains above the snow in the winter months. It resembles sagebrush from afar with its silvery gray leaves. Travis Allen, game biologist with NDOW, explained how important the fast establishment of ‘Snowstorm’ forage kochia is (sometimes 3 feet tall the first season) to provide cover and forage for the wintering mule deer herd. He explained that 2,000 to 4,000 deer winter in the area, and having food and cover is critical to their survival. Until the slower establishing sagebrush can reach that size (>3 feet), ‘Snowstorm’ forage kochia can provide that much needed resource. Forage kochia can also provide a good source of browse that takes utilization pressure off sagebrush to ensure its establishment and survival in the first few years. As Travis said, the kochia and sagebrush are living together very happily. Casey Addy then discussed their proactive seeding efforts. Often we focus on reactive seeding efforts after a fire, but Casey explained how the BLM is focusing on proactive green strip seeding efforts to protect their successful fire rehabilitation seedings, as we saw at Izzenhood Basin, from future fires. He led efforts to seed a 1,500-acre green strip along Izzenhood Road, (16 miles, 800 feet on both sides of the road) in 2020. Multiple sections of green strips have been seeded over the years along this road because the valley is at high risk for fire and has burned multiple times. The Progressive Rancher

The green strips are intended to stop the fire from spreading into the intact upper elevation ranges that surround the valley and are home to large herds of deer. The lower elevations are not easy places to establish plants, and unfortunately 2021 was a very dry year. The green strip seeding area was herbicide fallowed in 2020 to reduce the cheatgrass seed bank and should allow the area to be reseeded this fall hopefully with more precipitation and still low competition next year. Casey explained that unless the perennial green strip species (Siberian wheatgrass and forage kochia) establish at a density high enough to suppress cheatgrass fuels, the goal of protecting their fire rehab seeding at Izzenhood Basin is not achieved, and they must reseed to achieve that goal and justify the cost of the herbicide control efforts prior to seeding. Casey also brought us full circle, discussing when to rest from grazing and when not to rest after seeding or fire disturbance. If a significant amount of perennials survived the fire and are stressed, or you have established seedlings from a seeding, those plants need to be rested from grazing until they have recovered or matured, which could take years. If the seeding failed or minimal perennial plants are present after the fire, and cheatgrass dominates, it is best to graze the cheatgrass to reduce fuels. A frequent logistical issue after a fire is that part of the area has remaining perennials and part does not; however, without fencing to separate the two parts, the entire area will be rested. The final stop for the day was at a research exclosure now occupied by the USDA-ARS Great Basin Rangelands Research Unit (GBRRU), Range Rehabilitation Lab, led by Charlie Clements. The exclosure was originally built with funding from an Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems (IFAFS) grant that supported over 30 scientists and

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numerous graduate students working on the site. That project began in 2001, and while many graduate degrees were produced, not many successful rehabilitation methods were developed as the exclosure was left a near monoculture of cheatgrass after the project. In 2014 after discussions with the Elko district BLM, the GBRRU began researching applied methods to rehabilitate the cheatgrass infestation in the exclosure. The USDA-ARS team of Charlie Clements and Dan Harmon began testing various herbicide applications and seed mixes in 2015. Their goal was to increase the success of establishing perennial grasses through seeding methodologies that will, in turn, actively suppress cheatgrass densities and associated fuels that are often the catalyst for catastrophic wildfires. One focus was to determine what weed control and annual precipitation conditions resulted in successful native grass establishment (Figure 5). Using repeated treatments of seeding introduced grasses (Siberian wheatgrass 8 lbs./acre) and native seed mixes (bluebunch wheatgrass 6 lbs./acre, Sandberg bluegrass 2 lbs./acre, Sherman big bluegrass 2 lbs./acre) for comparison, they were able to determine how often native grasses could be established. Comparisons of weed control included Landmark XP (off market), Imazapic, broadleaf control (Telar and Milestone) and burning of cheatgrass. Charlie walked the group through each year’s treatments and seed mixes and it was clear which were successful and which were not. Siberian wheatgrass established well in an 8 inch precipitation year with heavy mustard competition where the native grasses failed. With 13 inches of precipitation and effective cheatgrass herbicide control, Siberian wheatgrass and the native grasses established well. Seeded directly after a fire (usually has more cheatgrass competition than an herbicide fallow) with 13 inches of precipitation Siberian wheatgrass and Sandberg

Figure 4. (left to right) Mark Freese, Caleb McAdoo, Marissa Murphy and Casey Addy describe the emergency stabilization and rehabilitation (ESR) program. ‘Snowstorm’ forage kochia established from broadcast seeding (1 lb. /acre) after the Hot Pot Fire (2016) surrounds them.

bluegrass established well while bluebunch wheatgrass failed from lack of resources. During a 12-inch precipitation year with ineffective weed control (too much competition) Siberian wheatgrass and the native grasses all failed, emphasizing the importance of effective weed control prior to seeding. In summary first and foremost, effective weed control is required for any perennial grass establishment, introduced or native. For the native grasses, greater than 8 inches of annual precipitation should occur for establishment.

This site has received greater than 8 inches only 2 of the past 5 years making the use of native grasses risky but possible. Charlie also explained that timing is even more important than the total precipitation. Good late fall-winter precipitation that leads to earlier germination had the greatest success, likely due to the seeded perennial seedling roots having more time to grow before the dry summer months, when survival is limited.

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Figure 5. Native perennial grasses have been established through efforts of the USDA ARS Great Basin Rangelands Research Unit at the Izzenhood Road Research exclosure. A 5 year-old stand of ‘Anatone’ bluebunch wheatgrass, Sandberg bluegrass and Sherman big bluegrass is resistant to cheatgrass invasion.

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The day wrapped up with open discussions of all the sites we visited. Everyone had a genuine interest in rangeland rehabilitation efforts that decrease wildfire threats and successfully manage the cheatgrass problem. No one wanted the conversation to end, there was a hopeful comradery among new and old friends. The group finally headed back to Battle Mountain almost 2 hours later than planned, with a feeling that we can be successful managing cheatgrass and breaking the large frequent fire cycles that have overwhelmed northern Nevada. The first step of making a positive change is the willingness to try, and we are confident the attendees will be trying a lot of the techniques they learned on the tour. The Nevada section of SRM would like to thank everyone for their participation this year (Figure 6 below).

Figure 6. Attendees of the 2021 NV SRM field tour.

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Nevada Farm Bureau

Making the Most Of Every Drop By Doug Busselman | NFB, Executive Vice President Plans are underway for the Nevada Association of Conservation Districts and Nevada Farm Bureau to hold combined annual meetings together in Fallon, November 1619. As part of the plans being put together information sessions are being organized to provide practical examples of several agricultural producers sharing and discussing their efforts to maximize their water use for the greatest results. Basically -- getting the biggest bang from every drop of water available.

along with the possibility of $14,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2022 through 2026. It would be a good idea for those who are interested in learning more specifics to take a look at the “Open Access Evapotranspiration Data Act.” It also would be useful to gain more insight by taking an Internet trip to visit the website OpenETdata.org.

The Senate version of the legislation is S. 2568 is sponsored by Nevada’s U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto. Beyond the serious drought conditions The House version of the legislation that our state and the Western Region is HR 4832 is sponsored by Nevada of the United States is experiencing… Congresswoman Susie Lee, along maximum benefit from every drop with co-sponsors Congressman Chris needs to be on the top of all producers’ Stewart of Utah and Congressman minds. Profitability and long-term Jared Huffman of California. sustainability require effective use of all available resources, especially the Nevada’s Desert Research Institute limited and valuable resource of water. is one of the partners connected with the “OpenET” project, working along A few weeks ago an information with the United States Geological briefing was held by advocates for a Survey and the Environmental project that is underway to provide Defense Fund. Using satellitefor open access for a data program based data regarding the amounts of of evapotranspiration information. evapotranspiration occurring, those Legislation has been introduced in using the data will be able to see on a both legislative bodies in Congress field-scale estimate what is happening putting support behind the program, on their fields.

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When asked for a response on review of the proposed legislation, I openly admit sharing concerns over how the data might be used by government regulatory agencies (both at the state as well as the federal level) to further advance an agenda to undermine agricultural water right owners and the water rights that they own. One of the main themes of the information briefing on OpenET was to provide assurances that while the concerns were heard and understood – providing open access to evapotranspiration information would benefit agricultural producers.

At this point, Farm Bureau does not have a policy position on the “Open Access Evapotranspiration Data Act.” legislation. The organization’s current activity is working to gain a better understanding of not only how agricultural producers will be able to take advantage of the information available for their use, but also how their interests can best be served in assurances that regulatory agencies will not be seeking or be able to use the data to damage existing agricultural water rights.

As those who have agricultural water rights and go through the process of “Providing farmers and water considering how tools like OpenET managers free ET data is a core might have application in your efforts objective of the OpenET project,” to get the most of every drop of water according to the materials provided to that you have available…you are explain the project. encouraged to share those thoughts, questions and observations. Beyond Further in the information provided theory and ideas of non-agricultural to help explain the concepts, water right owners, those directly “Evapotranspiration” (ET) was involved need to step up and include defined as being the combination their perspectives. of evaporation and transpiration. The analogy provided offered that In order for support materials to be evapotranspiration is the opposite developed which can be of assistance of precipitation – “rather than water in learning how to make effective use, falling from the atmosphere to the those specifics can also be helpful in land, ET is water that leaves the preparing useful educational materials. land surface and goes back to the Look forward to hearing from those atmosphere as water vapor.” who have comments. Drop an email to The OpenET platform will cover doug@nvfb.org for further exchanges. 17 western U.S. states (Arizona, California, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, STAY UP-TO-DATE Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. The data ON AG NEWS! is produced to provide a resolution of Sign up at at nvfb.org for the 30 meters by 30 meters (just under a weekly Nevada Farm Bureau quarter acre). Grassroots Newsletter and have current topics delivered right to your inbox.

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Ag Literacy Materials Available Through The Nevada Farm Bureau By Brittney Money, Director of Communications School is back in session, and with the return of in-person learning Ag in the classroom events are making a return. The Nevada Farm Bureau has great resources for teachers or anyone assisting with an Ag in the classroom event who is looking for new and innovative resources to implement. There have been several new Ag Literacy resources made available that can be implemented into the classroom and events. Each year the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture releases great resources such as Ag Mags, Livestock Banners, Books of the year, Teacher Guides, and more! The 2021 Book of the Year is “Tales of the Dairy Godmother: Chuck’s Ice Cream Wish” and has a matching Teacher’s Guide and Ag Mag. The American Farm Bureau Foundation Ag mags are specifically designed with easy-to-read text that aligns with 3rd through 5th grade standards. These Ag Mags come in sets of 30, perfect for average classroom sizes! All topics covered by Ag Mags are: • Ag Innovations • Apple • Bees • Beef • Careers • Corn • Cotton • Energy • Entomology • Food Waste • Natural Resources

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• Pizza • Plant Breeding • Pork • Poultry • School Garden • Sheep • Snacks • Soybean • Specialty Crop • Wheat All the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture resources are available on their website at https://www.dmsfulfillment.com/ FarmBureau/ . Another great resource available is the Nevada Agriculture and Water Educational Series the Nevada Ag Foundation has collaborated to create. This booklet has 5 lessons that align with Nevada 3rd-5th grade standards. Lesson cover topics from the history and importance of water to how agriculture is being conservation aware. The booklet also includes access to a Water & Agriculture Video series. This would be an ideal resource for Nevada Educators or a resource to provide to Educators at Ag in the Classroom events. If you or your county are looking for relevant resources to provide to teachers after an Ag in the Classroom event this could be an ideal resource. Many of these resources are currently available and ready for use. If you have any questions or would like to use any of these resources, please feel free to contact Brittney Money at brittney@ nvfb.org.

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 19

WILDFIRES IN NEVADA: AN OVERVIEW Jann Stinnesbeck, Senior Policy Analyst | Jann.Stinnesbeck@lcb.state.nv.us | January 2020 Hundreds of wildfires occur each year in Nevada. During the last two years, the state has experienced especially devastating wildfires, with the 2018 Martin and Sugarloaf Fires alone burning nearly one million acres of land in northeast Nevada. Years of unusually dry conditions and the spread of invasive plants like cheatgrass have left the state particularly vulnerable to dangerous fire seasons. During drought years and after abnormally wet years, the acreage burned by wildfires typically increases. Large amounts of dry fuel contribute to more erratic burning conditions and increased fire intensity, and firefighting agencies may struggle to obtain the money and other resources necessary to suppress fires.

AGENCIES RESPONSIBLE FOR PREVENTING AND FIGHTING WILDFIRES Because of Nevada’s large proportion of public lands, several agencies share responsibility for wildfire prevention and suppression in the state. At the state level, the Division of Forestry in the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources provides fire protection. The Division implements fire suppression and prevention programs, as well as related emergency services. At the federal level, the United States Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the United States Forest Service (USFS) participate extensively in fire-related efforts throughout Nevada. These federal partners work hand in hand with state and local agencies to fight wildfires, rehabilitate burned vegetation, and prevent future fires by creating fuel breaks and removing hazardous fuels. Local fire protection districts and volunteer fire departments also are located across the state. Finally, rangeland fire protection associations RFPAs)—authorized by Assembly Bill 163 of the 2015 Session—are nonprofit associations that may be formed to protect Nevada rangeland from wildfire. The associations include a network of trained and certified fire teams that help to reduce fire risk by controlling fuel loads; rehabilitating and restoring burned areas; and working with federal, state, and local governments to implement a successful fire suppression strategy. The state forester firewarden is responsible for the routine evaluation and regulation of RFPAs relating to the formation, operation, and training of the members of an association. The cooperation of these entities at all levels is significant and contributes greatly to successful fire prevention and suppression efforts.

Sources: Bureau of Land Management (map); Nevada’s Division of Forestry et al., “Wildland Fire in Nevada,” presented to the Senate Committee on Natural Resources, Feb. 14, 2019 (chart).

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The total cost estimate for suppressing the 2018 Martin fire the largest fire in Nevada that year - is $10.3 million. ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF WILDFIRE IN NEVADA Wildfires can have a grave economic impact on local communities and the state. Not only are the costs of fighting wildfires high, but there can also be extensive costs associated with lost structures, burned agriculture and rangelands. Firefighting expenses, along with fire-associated losses in key sectors like the ranching industry, can cost rural communities tens of millions of dollars each year. Wildfires also negatively affect ecosystems and the wildlife that depend on them. Damaged or destroyed ecosystems, in turn, harm local economies that rely on outdoor recreation. Wildfires cause more complex and less quantifiable costs for Nevadans, as well. For example, it is hard to quantify the economic cost of adverse health effects from wildfire-smoke exposure. Despite costly losses to rangeland and habitat from wildfire, Nevada is not always prioritized for federal recovery aid. This is largely due to the state’s sparse population and an associated lack of fire-related structural loss relative to many other areas. Thus, Nevada often receives less recovery aid than other states.

FEMA fire management assistance grants, which repay 75 percent of state costs for suppression of large fires, are based on four criteria: 1. Threat to lives and property, including critical infrastructure and watersheds; 2. Availability of state and local firefighting resources; 3. High fire danger conditions; and 4. Potential major economic impact. RECENT NEVADA LEGISLATION CONCERNING WILDFIRES 2011 » TEMPORARY WATER PERMITS FOR FIRE-RESISTANT VEGETATIVE COVER

Senate Bill 361 (https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/76th2011/Bill/3652/ Overview) authorized the state engineer to issue a temporary permit to appropriate water to establish fire-resistant vegetative cover in certain areas. Under this bill, property owners or interested organizations may apply for a one-year temporary irrigation permit to help establish replanting in burned areas or to create “green strips” designed to contain a fire or prevent it from jumping into new areas.

2013 » WILDLAND FIRE PROTECTION PROGRAM

Through the state budget bill (AB 507: www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/ REL/77th2013/Bill/415/Overview) and General Authorizations Act (SB 521: www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/77th2013/Bill/104/Overview), the Legislature approved funds for the Division of Forestry to establish a voluntary Wildland Fire Protection Program. This program allows the state to provide financial assistance and other resources to participating fire protection districts during and after a wildfire.

FEDERAL ASSISTANCE

Assembly Joint Resolution 4 (www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/77th2013/ Bill/1077/Overview) urged the BLM and the USFS to assist Nevada with the prevention and suppression of wildfires and repeat wildfires in the state.

2015 » CREATION OF RFPAS

Assembly Bill 163 (www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/78th2015/Bill/1511/Overview) allowed the creation of RFPAs. The bill authorized counties and fire protection districts to approve petitions to create RFPAs submitted by persons or business entities within the relevant county or district, if the petitioners meet certain requirements. www.progressiverancher.com

TRANSFER OF STATE PROPERTY TO FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICTS AND COUNTIES Assembly Bill 34 (www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/78th2015/Bill/1231/Overview) authorized the state land registrar to transfer title to certain real property owned by the state, with restrictions, to qualifying local fire protection districts and counties. It also clarified that if the state forester firewarden determines a fire is the result of an unavoidable accident, then the entity that caused the fire cannot be charged the costs of extinguishing the fire.

2019 » INTERIM STUDY CONCERNING WILDFIRES

Assembly Concurrent Resolution 4 (www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/80th2019/ Bill/6395/Overview) establishes an interim committee to conduct a study concerning wildfires. The committee must study methods of reducing wildfire fuels, issues related to early responses to wildfires, and the economic impact of wildfires on the state and local communities.

NATURAL DISASTER PROTECTION PLANS

Senate Bill 329 (www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/80th2019/Bill/6598/Overview) requires an electric utility to submit a natural disaster protection plan to the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada. The plan must contain certain information, procedures, protocols, and measures relating to the efforts of the electric utility to prevent or respond to a fire or other natural disaster.

FORESTRY PRACTICES

Senate Bill 56 (www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/80th2019/Bill/5975/Overview) revises and updates provisions relating to forestry practices in order to reflect national fire industry standards.

2019 » LEGISLATIVE APPROPRIATIONS

Senate Bill 525 (www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/80th2019/Bill/6998/Overview) makes appropriations to the Division of Forestry for equipment necessary for fighting wildfires, and SB 508 (www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/80th2019/ Bill/6980/Overview) appropriates $5 million for wildfire prevention, restoration, and long-term planning.

THE WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE: RESOURCES FOR HOMEOWNERS AND COMMUNITIES Homeowners and communities located in places “where humans and their development meet or intermix with wildland fuel,” (“ Federal Register,” Vol. 66 No. 3, 1.4.211, pp. 75253) the so-called wildland urban interface (WUI), are especially vulnerable to wildfire risk. Several helpful resources are available for those living in the WUI in Nevada. NEVADA NETWORK OF FIRE ADAPTED COMMUNITIES

Nevada’s Division of Forestry runs the Nevada Network of Fire Adapted Communities program to provide people living in high fire-hazard locations with the resources needed to prepare their homes and communities before a wildfire occurs. The Network provides member communities with education, enables them to develop Community Wildfire Protection Plans, and facilitates collaboration between communities and stakeholders. LIVING WITH FIRE PROGRAM

The University of Nevada Cooperative Extension provides homeowners with information and resources through its Living With Fire program. The program promotes awareness to wildfire risks and, among other things, encourages homeowners and communities to create evacuation plans and defensible space around structures. As part of this program, the Extension produces region-specific publications in its “Fire Adapted Communities: The Next Step in Wildfire Preparedness” series. These documents outline best practices for protecting communities in the WUI and provide guidance for evacuation planning.

NEXT STEPS IN NEVADA WILDFIRE MANAGEMENT

Wildfires will almost surely continue to be an issue of special concern in Nevada, and measures to build on existing policy will likely be considered in future legislative sessions. At the 2021 Session specifically, the Legislature will receive results of the wildfire study created by ACR 4 (2019) and consider any legislation that may be recommended by the study committee. EDITOR’S NOTE: We will have a 2021 legislature NRS update on wildfires in the next issue.

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 21

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Sparking innovative education and outreach: K-12 Robotics Center | University of Nevada, Reno With support from Tesla and EDAWN, unique University facility for robotics-based education and competition teams will strengthen the path to degrees, careers and workforce development Bianca Wright | Jane Tors | www.unr.edu/nevada-today A vision to create a unique space that encourages young people’s interest in robotics, computer science, engineering and automation, strengthening the pathways to degrees and careers, is now reality. The K-12 Robotics Center | UNR supported by Tesla and the Economic Development Authority of Western NV (EDAWN), celebrated its opening in downtown Reno August 6, 2021.

K-12 robotics competitions stimulate interest and development in these critical fields of study, and competition teams need specialized equipment and large, open areas as they design, build and test their creations. The K-12 Robotics Center provides the necessary tools and space.

“It will be a place where kids and parents, coaches, teachers and University faculty, all come together,” said Mridul Gautam, the University’s vice president for research and innovation and professor of mechanical engineering. “The kids will learn to design and build, and they will see the opportunities and the support for their future success.” Chris Reilly, Tesla’s director of recruiting and workforce development, is confident the Center, and other efforts to encourage robotics-based curriculum and activities happening across the state, will lead more students toward careers in advanced manufacturing and engineering fields. Many Tesla employees tell Reilly it was involvement in high-school robotics competitions that sparked their interest in these future-oriented career possibilities. Educational innovation

Mike Kazmierski, EDAWN president and CEO, sees the K-12 Robotics Center helping to answer a big question: “Where are we going to be as a region in 10 years? If we are going to be a tech hub, we need to reinvent how we think about and teach technology.”

EDAWN has added the position of regional robotics coordinator to its team to support programming and connect the www.progressiverancher.com

region’s robotics-related efforts, educators and organizations. In this role, Caroline Hanson is coordinating with the team at the University’s Innevation Center, which oversees activities in the Center.

Dale Payne, robotics program coordinator with the Washoe County School District, reports that almost all Washoe County high schools have some robotics-based curriculum or programming in place.

Reilly envisions a day when all high schools in Nevada offer curriculum and programs in robotics, putting a larger number of students on the path toward careers in robotics and automation. “Having dedicated spaces in our community centers and at our schools will help accelerate this,” he said.

“We are especially interested in encouraging underrepresented and firstgeneration students to be part of this,” Gautam said. Life-changing When Rachel Salas, director of the University’s Center for Learning and Literacy in the College of Education & Human Development, participated in the First LEGO League program with her daughter many years ago, she observed how the program helps children gain confidence in themselves and their abilities. By building robots with LEGO pieces, participants learned STEM, robotics and language concepts without realizing it. “This was an activity where they got to come and shine and excel, and I still see it today,” she said.

Salas began the Center’s First LEGO League robotics program in 2017. Today, she and University-student-mentors coach the Wolf Pack Bots. Comprised of students in grades 3-6, the team prepares for competition in the University’s Innevation Center. “This program is worth it. We’ll keep this going no matter what,” Salas said.

Nevada Lt. Governor Kate Marshall and University President Brian Sandoval visit with members of FYRE Robotics, a FIRST Robotics Competition team, at the K-12 Robotics Center opening event. Photo by David Calvert FYRE Robotics, a community-based team with members in grades 6-12, also prepares for the FIRST Robotics Competition (For Inspiration & Recognition of Science & Technology) in the University’s Innevation Center and utilizes the specialized equipment in its Makerspace. “It really changes a kid’s life, and it has nothing to do with the robot the kids build or whether or not it works. It has to do with what they learn and what they can accomplish,” said Kerry Thompson, primary organizer of and mentor to the FYRE Robotics team.

“At the University, our student population is reflective of the state we serve; increasingly diverse, increasingly firstgeneration, increasingly eager to enter the world of discovery and technology,” said University President Brian Sandoval. “We need our students – at all levels of our educational systems and from all backgrounds – to see and understand the opportunities ahead.” Connecting the past and future The K-12 Robotics Center is in the historic Southside Studio, formerly the Southside School, at the corner of Liberty and Sinclair Streets, across the street from the University’s Innevation Center. Operated by the University since 2019, the Southside Studio is home to Sierra Nevada Journeys, a science-education

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nonprofit organization serving Nevada and California. The Southside Studio also helps meet the demand for work-space available to early-stage entrepreneurial companies engaged with the Innevation Center.

The Southside Studio’s upstairs space, once the former school’s combined gymnasium and performance stage, is home to the K-12 Robotics Center, thus blending the past with the future.

Recently completed remodeling of the Southside Studio, supported by Tesla, addressed ADA accessibility and added a new HVAC system, a competition practice area and a new Woodshop that complements the Innevation Center’s Makerspace. Gautam talks often about the energy of the University’s Innevation Center. He sees the Southside Studio, and the K-12 Robotics Center within it, as expanding the Innevation Center’s impact and the University’s footprint. “It is so exciting to see this project come together,” he said.

More information about the K-12 Robotics Center is available at unr.edu/ innevation/k12-robotics-center. For volunteers, organizations or businesses wanting to be involved, email Hanson at hanson@edawn.org.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 23

Megadrought or Mega-Hype? Weather experts disagree on how 2021 fits into historical patterns By Sean Pratt | The Western Producer | www.producer.com/news/megadrought-or-mega-hype/ The drought that has gripped the western United States is far from typical, says the chief meteorologist of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“This really is a drought of historical significance,” Mark Brusberg told his USDA colleagues in a recent webinar. In fact, it qualifies as a “megadrought,” since at least some portion of the western U.S. has been experiencing drought since 2000.

“It never really went away and that’s the characteristic of a megadrought,” said Brusberg. Scientists have discovered a number of megadroughts in the U.S. over the past one thousand years by analyzing tree rings and pollen records.

This one appears to be a doozy. It ranks as the second worst on record, next to one in the late 1500s. “You have to go back 500 years to see dryness to this extent and this severity,” he said. Drew Lerner, president of World Weather Inc., thinks Brusberg is blowing things way out of proportion.

“We don’t have good records of what took place thousands of years ago. Come on,” he said.

Lerner also bristles at using the term megadrought to describe what’s going on in the western U.S.

because populous states like California have become massive consumers of water. “The amount of water demand needed for agriculture has gone through the roof,” he said.

One thing both of the weather watchers agree on is that there is definitely a significant drought happening in 2021. The latest map shows muc of the western U.S. and the Northern Plains regions are experiencing extreme to exceptional drought. The USDA is forecasting a national average spring wheat yield of 30.7 bushels per acre, the lowest since 2002. The good news is that the ridging and dryness in the western half of the country has resulted in wet conditions in the eastern half. “Whenever you have one dominant pattern over one part of the country you usually see a compensation in another part of the country,” said Brusberg.

That is why winter wheat yields are forecast at 53.6 bu. per acre, the second highest on record. So while farmers in the Dakotas are looking at severely reduced yields, their counterparts in Illinois are poised to harvest what could be a record crop of corn and soybeans.

The bad news is that Brusberg thinks the current megadrought might not have an end like the previous ones, which were often followed by prolonged wet spells. He thinks this one could be perpetual due to climate change, so farmers might have to get used to living with more of the same hot and dry conditions. Lerner thinks that is a load of bunk, although he does believe the drought will persist into 2022 in both the U.S. and Canada. He is forecasting another tough spring and early summer in the eastern portion of the Canadian Prairies next year.

But there should be some relief later in the growing season as the U.S. drought expands further into the western corn belt, pushing the ridge further east. At that point there should be some better rains in Saskatchewan and southern Alberta.

Lerner is not forecasting a megadrought that lasts another 10 or 20 years for either Canada or the U.S. and he firmly believes there will be return to wet conditions in the not-to-distant future.

“It’s so inflammatory and so out-of-line with what data we have. It’s irresponsible,” he said. “They’re trying to scare the world to death and they’ve got very little data to base it on. It ticks me off.”

Brusberg firmly believes the western U.S. is in the midst of a megadrought caused by the “profound warming” trend over the past 30 years due to climate change. Water levels in Lake Mead, the largest water reservoir in the U.S., have fallen 43.6 metres between June 1998 and June 2021. It is now at 36 percent of its capacity.

If the megadrought lasts another 10 or 20 years the lake will be in danger of falling below the level at which Hoover Dam can generate electricity. In California’s Central Valley people have drilled so many wells that the land is starting to sink as aquifers compress. “Think about flattening a sponge,” said Brusberg.

Lerner said the situation in the western U.S. is tightly associated with the 22-year solar cycle and is something that has happened many times before.

It is not out of the ordinary but is garnering an inordinate amount of media attention this time around 24 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

The western United States is in the midst of a megadrought, according to the chief meteorologist of the LLS. Department of Agriculture. There have been a number of similar events over the past 1,000 years but this one is the second-worst on record next to the megadrought of the 1ate-1500s, said Mark Brusberg. Drew Lerner, president of Woad Weather Inc., thinks the USDA’s assessment of the current situation might be inaccurate and that this is nothing more than a regular, cyclical-pattern of dryness.

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By Alejandra Borunda

The science connecting wildfires to climate change A heating-up planet has driven huge increases in wildfire area burned over the past few decades

The Creek Fire, in the Sierra National Forest in California, has burned hundreds of thousands of acres. Its spread was fueled by the preesnce of many dead, super dry trees; climate change contributed to both their death and their dryness.

www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/climate-change-increases-risk-fires-western-us Climate change has inexorably stacked the deck in favor of bigger and more intense fires across the American West over the past few decades, science has incontrovertibly shown. Increasing heat, changing rain and snow patterns, shifts in plant communities, and other climate-related changes have vastly increased the likelihood that fires will start more often and burn more intensely and widely than they have in the past. The scale and intensity of the wildfires burning across the western U.S. right now is “staggering,” says Philip Higuera, a wildfire scientist and paleoecologist at the University of Montana. More than five million acres have already burned this year—and much more may be yet to come.

Noah Diffenbaugh, a climate scientist at Stanford University, makes a baseball analogy to describe increase in risk. “If there’s a three-run home run in baseball, it’s the home run that definitely caused the runners to round the bases and score. The home run is the proximal cause of the event. But people being on base matters,” he says, and global warming is putting people on base.

Other factors also hike fire risk, like forest management decisions that have allowed for the buildup of vast amounts of vegetation that can quickly turn into fuel, as well as more problematic issues like the slow creep of houses and other infrastructure into risky areas. But for fires near that so-called wildland-urban interface, as well as more remote, forest-centered burns, climate change has significantly heightened the baseline risks. Heat like a thirsty sponge

In some ways, fire is simple. It takes three components: the right weather and climate conditions, plenty of burnable fuel, and a spark.

“People are changing all three of those,” says Jennifer Balch, a fire ecologist at the University of Colorado, Boulder. “Climate change is not the only thing going on, but it is a big and important part of the story.” (Human-caused ignitions are clearly a major part of the risk: A study published in September, on which Balch was a co-author, found that humans were responsible for 97 percent of the ignitions that caused fires that then threatened homes in the wildlandurban interface, between 1992 and 2015). 26 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

Climate change has affected the first two components (and in some cases, the third) in clear, measurable ways that have become increasingly obvious over the past few decades. The clearest connection is with warming air temperatures. The planet has heated up nearly continuously since the start of the Industrial Revolution in the late 1800s, when humans started burning massive quantities of fossil fuels, releasing carbon dioxide that traps excess heat in the atmosphere. Since then, global average temperatures have ticked up roughly 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit (1 degree Celsius); California’s change is closer to 3 degrees Fahrenheit. Warming has accelerated since the 1980s to just under 0.2 degrees Celsius (0.3 degrees F) per decade, and it’s likely to accelerate further in the future. That might not seem like very much warming, but just a little can go a long way. Hot air, if it’s not at 100 percent humidity, is like a thirsty sponge: It soaks up water from whatever it touches—plants (living or dead) and soil, lakes and rivers. The hotter and drier the air, the more it sucks up, and the amount of water it can hold increases exponentially as the temperature rises; small increases in the air’s heat can mean big increases in the intensity with which it pulls out water. Scientists can measure this “vapor pressure deficit”— the difference between how much water the air holds and how much it could hold. If that deficit is cranked up for a long time, soils and vegetation will parch. A brief heat spell will dry out the smallish stuff or the already dead stuff—and maybe even some of the bigger tinder. Intense, record-breaking heat waves like the ones that encompassed the West during August and early September likely caused major crisping of burnable material, as the regional vapor pressure deficit and associated drought climbed to record levels. “In a lot of places, you have a lot of ‘flashy’ fuel on the ground,” says Balch. “This stuff that’s as thin as paper—(like) grasses. Short-term drought events or heat waves are really impactful for drying those out.” That small stuff ignites so easily that it can often help speed along a fire’s spread. When excess heat stays in place for months or longer, the wildfire risk rises even further. An early, warm spring can jump-start a summer drought by extending The Progressive Rancher

Photograph By Stuart Palley, National Geographic

the season of heat and growth, increasing the amount of water vapor that is shed by plant leaves or that evaporates directly from soil. Lower soil moisture, in turn, can feed back into the local warming cycle and intensify it, since evaporating moisture usually takes up a lot of the energy the sun beams down. When there’s no moisture left to evaporate, the soil or vegetation, dead and alive, absorbs that heat instead— feeding back into the drying-out process that increases fire risk. This year, the snow melted early; across the West, snow cover in February and March was well below its longterm average. Then, the heat kicked in and stayed. Many western states had their hottest summers on record; the average temperature across the U.S. was 2.6 degrees Fahrenheit above the 20th-century average. But even before that, a longer, deeper aridity had California and much of the West in its grips from 2011 until a brief period of reprieve last year. Not coincidentally, five of the state’s hottest years on record occurred in the past decade.

A particularly severe phase of that persistent drought, fueled by climate change and of an intensity not seen for the preceding 1,200 years, set in between 2012 to 2016. It stressed out the region’s trees more and more as the water deficit dragged on. In the grand conifer forests of the Sierra Nevada, as in many other forests across the state, the damage accumulated.

By 2014, millions of trees had died, pushed beyond repair by the record-breaking temperatures and dryness, which reached so far into the soil that even the deep-rooted trees could find no moisture. By 2015, mass die-off was obviously underway; by 2016, the mortality count soared to about 100 million. At high elevations, nearly 80 percent of the trees died. And across the state, some 150 million trees have died since the drought’s onset. Many of those trees are still there, drying out, a major fuel source ready to burn hot and bright when a fire arrives. Since the 1970s, a recent study found, human-caused climate change caused more than half of the dryingout of burnable materials and consequent fire risk.

“These most recent heat waves are coming on top of an already hotter period, and it’s all coming together and sucking moisture out of dead and live fuels, into www.progressiverancher.com

the atmosphere,” says Matthew Hurteau, a climate scientist at the University of New Mexico. Changing rains, changing snows

Climate change is messing with the seasonal rain and snow patterns across the Western U.S., too—one of the other factors that controls fire risk.

Springtime is often coming earlier. Snowpack, which usually provides about 30 percent of the state’s summer water needs, is melting earlier in year, giving the plants and soils longer to dry out. A 2016 study found that over 70 percent of the area burned in forest fires between 1970 and 2012 occurred in years where the winter snows disappeared early.

The hot drying-out season is stretching on the tail end, too, according to research published in August. Higher autumn temperatures and less precipitation— in particular, a growing delay in the onset of winter rains, which usually puts an end to the fire season in California—have led to a 20 percent increase in the number of autumn days ripe for burning. In all, the western fire season has extended by at least 84 days since the 1970s. Cal Fire, California’s fire protection service, has said publicly that it no longer considers there to be a wildfire “season,” because the season is now the entire year.

The very character of the fires has also changed, growing larger and more intense, and that in turn can accelerate future fire risk. Even plants that need fire to propagate, like many high-elevation conifers, are now often finding themselves in fires more intense and powerful than they’re adapted for, says Scott Stephens, a forest ecologist and fire expert at the University of California, Berkeley.

“One of the very alarming trends we’re starting to see is that these fires are killing very large patches of conifers: 200, 300, 500, 1,000-acre patches, and some even larger,” he says. In contrast, research from his group and others found that in the Sierra Nevada forests, before European colonizers arrived and started changing the landscape, the patches burned were small: less than an acre in many cases, or sometimes a bit bigger. And, Stephens says, the increase in fire size has accelerated in the climate-changed present, particularly since the 1990s. That’s a problem because when vast swaths of forest burn, we can no longer count on them to selfregenerate. The seed sources and gentle shade that may have been normal in the past are gone, and the conditions become ripe for highly flammable species, like non-native grasses and shrubs, to move in. Similar plant transitions are also occurring across other fireprone habitat, like Southern California’s chaparral and Colorado’s forests.

of it spawning a big fire are much higher than they would be, absent climate change. Overall, over the past few decades in California, the annual average area burned increased fivefold.

Today’s fires are both shocking and wholly expected, say many researchers. “That’s the tricky thing about fires—it isn’t any one thing that’s causing them, it’s multiple puzzle pieces fitting together,” says Balch. Climate change. Forest management. Human behavior.

Learning to adapt to the new reality and mitigate risks requires swift, decisive action from many different angles, she says.

“What this year is showing me is the nature of fires here is changing, and changing really fast,” says Higuera. “We need to be doing like five things at once: patting our heads, rubbing our belly, chewing gum, and more, but for fire.”

Higher temperatures & drought increase the potential for wildfire. Climate change exacerbates the factors that create perfect fire conditions. Lower precipitation and warmer air temperatures dry the forests and other vegetation. Add strong winds and decades of fire suppression into the mix and you have a dangerous recipe for wildfire.

2020 wildfire potential High

Low Non-burnable lands and open water includes agricultural fields, perennial snow or ice, and bare ground

300 miles 300 km CHRISTINA SHINTANI, NG STAFF SOURCES: GREG DILLON, USFS RESEARCH DATA ARCHIVE; MEG KRAWCHUK, OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY

The bottom line

So climate change has increased fire risk in both direct and indirect ways. When an ignition happens, even if it’s natural— like the unusual and dramatic lightning swarm that hit the Bay Area in August—the chances www.progressiverancher.com

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 27

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2021 Churchill County Junior Livestock Show and Sale Results 2021 CHURCHILL COUNTY JUNIOR LIVESTOCK SHOW AND SALE

BEEF CARCASS

BEEF

Animal #

Beg. Wt.

McKay Winder Lonnie Adams Caitlyn Dock Waldo Albaugh

928 926 50 62

725 885 740 1020

1125 1310 1060 1265

Wilhelmina Albaugh Haley Hancock

60 929

1045 820

54 63

Name

Lauren Goings Dawson McKnight

ADG CW (average)Dress. %

% KPH

Fat

REA

Marbling

Prem /

Q.G.

P Y G

2.60 2.76 2.08 1.59

588 773 523 728

52.3 59.0 49.3 57.5

3.0 1.0 1.0 3.5

0.60 0.25 0.40 0.50

14.2 11.0 10.0 10.8

small 10 slight 10 small 40 slight 70

CSeSe+ Se+

3.5 2.6 3.0 3.3

1280 1295

1.53 3.08

743 758

58.0 58.5

2.0 1.0

0.50 0.25

10.4 16.2

1385

1.33

848

61.2

2.0

Se+ Se+ C

3.3 2.6

1180 1000

1210

1.36

673

55.6

2.5

slight 60 slight 60 modest 30 small 50

C-

3.1

0.48 0.44

13.0 12.3

HCW Adj.

Disc Carcass

Carcass

Basis*

Wt. Adj.

Adj.

KPH Adj. REA Adj. Final Y.G. Price $/cwt

Total Ribbon

-0.10 -0.50 -0.50 0.00

-1.06 0.00 0.33 0.07

2.3 2.8 2.5 3.8

$238.14 $238.14 $238.14 $238.14

$1.00 ($8.00) ($6.00) ($7.00)

$0.00 ($4.00) $0.00 $0.00

$1.00 ($12.00) ($6.00) ($7.00)

0.57 0.63

-0.30 -0.50

0.20 -1.72

3.7 1.0

$238.14 $238.14

($7.00) ($5.00)

$0.00 ($4.00)

($7.00) 6 ($9.00) 7

0.99 0.29

-0.30 -0.20

-0.66 -0.43

3.2

$238.14

$0.00

($4.00)

2.8

$238.14

$1.00

$0.00

$1.00

-0.05 0.69 -0.31 0.51

3.2

Base Retail

1 8 4 5

3 2

Ties at the Adjusted Rail Price are broken at REA, ties there are broken at Dressing Percent 2021 CHURCHILL COUNTY JUNIOR LIVESTOCK SHOW AND SALE Goat Carcass of Merit NAME I.D. # BEG. ENDING A.D.G. CARCASS DRESS.BODYWALL R.E.A. WT. WT. WT. % THICKNESS

Alexis Olsen

902

113

0.50

53.1

0.65

2.40

REA squared

%SBTP

5.76

-2.95

BASE RETAIL PRICE /CWT. $225.00

CARCASS VALUE SOLD ON GRID $135.00

CARCASS OF MERIT RECOGNITION Grand

2021 CHURCHILL COUNTY LIVESTOCK SHOW & SALE LAMB CARCASS RESULTS

LAMB CARCASS

EXHIBITOR NAME Haley Hancock Gianna Salisbery Angel Arteaga Kenadee McKnight Addison Diaz Trace McKnight Allie Fait Caden McKnight Bailey Beebe Bailey Prinz DQ-Fat Thick

SHOW # 575 733 732 724 560 723 565 130 543 516

BEG WT 112 89 72 81 124 84 134 77 108 109

END WT 148 125 115 114 153 116 138 127 144 130

ADG 0.58 0.58 0.69 0.53 0.47 0.52 0.06 0.81 0.58 0.34

CARC WT 92 69 59 58 97 60 82 71 88 74

DRESS % 62.2 55.2 51.3 50.9 63.4 51.7 59.4 55.9 61.1 56.9

FAT THICK 0.25 0.24 2.20 0.21 0.38 0.25 0.25 0.20 0.15 0.35

KPH % 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Quality Grade Choice Prime Choice Choice choice+ ChoiceChoice+ Choice Choice + Prime -

Quality Grade Score 11 14 10 11 12 10 12 11 12 13

Leg Conf. Prime + Prime + prime Prime Prime+ Prime Prime+ Prime Prime Prime-

Leg Conf. Score 15 15 13 13 15 13 15 13 14 13

Page 1 of 3

Yield Grade 2.83 2.76 15.91 2.66 3.69 2.93 2.83 2.59 2.21 3.59

LEA

LEA /60 LBS. 3.00 2.96 3.36 3.62 2.04 3.00 2.27 3.00 2.22 2.51

4.60 3.40 3.30 3.50 3.30 3.00 3.10 3.55 3.25 3.10

Base Rail Price LEA $/cwt Adjust. $210.00 $6.00 $210.00 $5.91 $210.00 $6.71 $210.00 $7.24 $210.00 $4.08 $210.00 $6.00 $210.00 $4.54 $210.00 $6.00 $210.00 $4.43 $210.00 $5.03

LEA Bonus $4.20 $1.80 $1.60 $2.00 $1.60 $1.00 $1.20 $2.10 $1.50 $1.20

Carcass Prem/Disc Adjusted Grid Weight Carc. Rail Price Adjust. AdjustmentsBasis $/cwt. $8.00 $0.00 $18.20 $211.40 $8.00 $9.00 $24.71 $169.61 ($10.00) $9.00 $7.31 $131.21 $2.00 $9.00 $20.24 $142.04 $2.00 $0.00 $7.68 $211.38 $2.00 $9.00 $18.00 $144.00 $8.00 $0.00 $13.74 $185.94 $8.00 $9.00 $25.10 $174.20 $8.00 $0.00 $13.93 $198.73 $2.00 $9.00 $17.23 $172.63

Carcass Flank Value Streaking Carcass of Sold on Merit Comments Grid Recognition $194.49 slight 4 $117.03 modest 2 $77.42 trace+ D/Q Fat Thick $82.38 slight3 $205.04 smallD/Q Fat Thick $86.40 trace+ 5 $152.47 slight+ $123.68 slight1 $174.88 slight + D/Q Fat Thick $127.74 Small +

* Carcasses designated DQ-Fat Thick (Thickness) by USDA / NJLSB, because of a measured fat thickness outside of the desired market requirement (.16 to .35), had no further measurements taken. *

Leg Score / Quality Grade Good- (7)

Good@ (8) Good+ (9) Choice- (10) Choice@ (11) Choice+ (12) Prime- (13) Prime@ (14) Prime+ (15)

Loin eye adjustment:$0.20 per 0.1 square inch of loin eye per 60 pounds of carcass weight. Loin eye bonus:

Add $0.20 per 0.1 square inch of loin eye over 2.50 square inches.

Additional Adjustments: 60 to 75 pound carcasses a bonus of $9.00. Good Quality Grade a discount of -$20.00. No break joint a discount of -$100.00.

2021 CHURCHILLL COUNTY JUNIOR LIVESTOCK SHOW & SALE PORK CARCASS RESULTS

PORK CARCASS

EXHIBITOR NAME

Kesley Sandberg Kalaya Downs Zac Lews John Zulz Luke Sorensen Owen Whitaker Rustin McKnight Alexander Sorensen Iasbella Grimes Rhett Hammond Maddison Keller Maddisen Renfroe Dakota Vest Jason Lewis Avery Laca Trey Bradley Wyatt Hatch Claire Barbee Thayne Hatch Brook Vest Jacob Sorensen Brodie Cabral

SHOW #

BEG WT

END WT

ADG

CARC WT

DRESS %

LAST RIB FAT

10TH RIB FAT

MUSC. SCORE

534

187

281

1.52

234

83.3

0.65

522

148

263

1.85

216

82.1

0.65

547

188

267

1.27

220

82.4

0.60

523

148

260

1.81

213

81.9

0.70

538

147

253

1.71

206

81.4

0.45

Page 1 of 3 Carcass Prem/Disc Adjusted Value Carc. Rail Price Sold on Basis $/cwt Grid

LEA

LOIN COLOR

LOIN FIRM/ WET

LOIN MARB.

Fat Free Lean %

Base Rail Price $/cwt

Wt. Adjust.

FFL % Adjust.

USDA GRADE

Carcass of Comments Merit Recognition

2.75

7.50

53.7

$144.50

($4.00)

$6.00

$2.00

$146.50

$342.81

2.75

10.00

57.8

$144.50

($0.67)

$7.50

$6.83

$151.33

$326.87

0.60

2.75

8.60

56.2

$144.50

($1.33)

$8.00

$6.67

$151.17

$332.57

0.70

3.00

7.80

54.3

$144.50

($0.67)

$7.00

$6.33

$150.83

$321.27

DQ LC/LF/LM

0.45

2.75

8.60

58.4

$144.50

($0.67)

$7.50

$6.83

$151.33

$311.74

DQ LM DQ LM

DQ LF LM DQ LF LM DQ LM

541

158

266

1.74

219

82.3

0.85

2.75

7.80

52.6

$144.50

($1.33)

$5.00

$3.67

$148.17

$324.49

548

164

280

1.87

233

83.2

0.80

3.00

8.60

53.8

$144.50

($2.67)

$5.00

$2.33

$146.83

$342.11

537

132

253

1.95

206

81.4

0.65

3.00

7.40

54.6

$144.50

($0.67)

$7.00

$6.33

$150.83

$310.71

264

119

264

2.33

217

82.2

1.00

3.00

7.40

50.6

$144.50

($0.67)

$3.00

$2.33

$146.83

$318.62

540

158

255

1.56

208

81.6

0.90

3.00

7.90

52.6

$144.50

($0.67)

$5.00

$4.33

$148.83

$309.57

524

152

256

1.68

209

81.6

0.45

3.00

8.10

57.5

$144.50

($0.67)

$7.50

$6.83

$151.33

$316.28

549

159

254

1.53

207

81.5

0.50

2.50

8.30

57.4

$144.50

($0.67)

$7.50

$6.83

$151.33

$313.25

543

173

276

1.66

229

83.0

0.35

3.00

9.60

59.5

$144.50

($2.67)

$8.50

$5.83

$150.33

$344.26

DQ LM

563

179

253

1.35

206

81.4

0.50

3.00

7.70

56.6

$144.50

($0.67)

$7.50

$6.83

$151.33

$311.74

DQ LM

525

143

228

1.37

181

79.4

0.60

3.00

7.40

56.3

$144.50

$0.00

$6.50

$151.00

$273.31

528

139

245

1.71

198

80.8

0.50

3.00

9.08

59.1

$144.50

$0.00

$7.50

$152.00

$300.96

530

155

266

1.79

219

82.3

0.50

3.00

8.85

57.6

$144.50

($1.33)

$8.00

$6.67

$151.17

$331.06

DQ LF DQ LM

552

183

259

1.23

212

81.9

0.25

3.00

9.50

61.4

$144.50

($0.67)

$8.00

$7.33

$151.83

$321.88

529

142

224

1.32

177

79.0

0.30

2.75

8.00

61.2

$144.50

$0.00

$6.00

$150.50

$266.39

535

176

279

1.66

232

83.2

0.45

3.00

8.20

56.6

$144.50

($2.67)

$8.00

$5.33

$149.83

$347.61

539

183

285

1.65

238

83.5

0.80

3.00

8.30

53.2

$144.50

$0.00

$5.00

$149.50

$355.81

518

208

286

1.26

239

83.6

0.70

3.00

9.08

55.1

$144.50

($4.00)

$7.00

$3.00

$147.50

$352.53

DQ = Disqualification. LC = Loin Color LM = Loin Marberling LF = Loin Firmness

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DQ LM DQ LF LM

DQ LM 4 DQ LM 2

DQ LM 1

DQ LM

DQ LF DQ LM

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Cowbelles will have a Thank You Letter for all the sponsors who helped us pay for the USDA Carcass Grader and Ultrasounder the Cowbelles contracted for the CCJLS last April 22-24. Our preference was Beef Quality Grade Award, that which awards the greatest possibility for “tenderness, juiciness and flavor”, which did not happen, but the future holds great rewards, yes it does! The Progressive Rancher

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 31

2021 Churchill County Junior Livestock Show and Sale Results CARCASS DATA EXPLANATION LAMB

SWINE

SHOW# - Show Number: The number or tag that identifies the animal from when it was live for the specific event.

BEG WT - Beginning Weight: Animal’s weight from the first weigh in.

ENDING WT- Ending Weight: Animal’s weight from the last weigh in.

ADG -Average Daily Gain: Computed as how much the animal has gained on a daily basis from beginning weight to ending weight. Formulated by the difference in the ending and beginning weight divided by the number of days from the beginning weight to the ending weight. For example if a lamb weighs 501bs on March 1 and on May 15 the lamb weighs 1351bs. The lamb gained 851bs in 76 days so to get our Average Daily Gain (ADG) we would divide 851bs by 76 days for an ADG of l.lllbs.

ADG - Average Daily Gain: Computed as how much the animal has gained on a daily basis from beginning weight to ending weight. Formulated by the difference in the ending and beginning weight divided by the number of days from the beginning weight to the ending weight. For example if a pig weighs 90lbs on March 1 and on May 15 the pig weighs 260lbs. The pig gained 170Ibs in 76 days so to get our Average Daily Gain (ADG) we would divide 170Ibs by 76 days for an ADG of 2.23Ibs.

CARC WT-Carcass Weight: The weight of the carcass after removal of the hide, head and internal organs.

CARC WT -Carcass Weight: The weight of the carcass after removal of the hide, head and internal organs.

DRESS% - Dressing Percentage: The proportion of the live weight that the carcass weighs. To calculate divide hot carcass weight (CARC WT) by live weight and then multiply by 100. So, this would look like (70/125 )* 100=56%.

DRESS % - Dressing Percentage: The proportion of the live weight that the carcass weighs. To calculate divide hot carcass weight (CARC WT) by live weight and then multiply by 100. So, this would look like (70/125)*100=56%.

FAT THICK -Fat Thickness: The amount of fat on the carcass measured at the 12th rib, as the% of fat increases the% of lean muscle decreases.

BACK FAT-The amount of fat at the last rib (P2) is used as an indicator of lean meat on the carcass.

QUALITY GRADE - Quality grades are based on the factors of tenderness, flavor, color, texture and juiciness. USDA’s quality grades for lamb are: prime, choice, good, and utility. These grades are assigned by looking at both the maturity and degree of marbling. There is also an increment of 10-100 that goes in conjunction with how close it is to the next grade. CARCASS CONF -Carcass Conformation: Grading the entire carcass based on the Quality grades set forth by the USDA as prime, choice, good, standard, and utility. YIELD GRADE - There are five USDA yield grades that are numbered 1-5. Yield grade 1 carcasses having the highest yield of lean meat based off of the measurement at the loin eye (12th & 13th rib) and yield grade 5 which have the lowest. LEA-Loin Eye Area: Area of the muscle behind the 12th & 13th rib that is measured on a grid to calculate the Loin Eye. Also, indicates muscle development.

LEA - Loin Eye Area: Area of the muscle behind the 12th & 13th rib that is measured on a grid to calculate the Loin Eye. Also, indicates muscle development. LOIN COLOR -Based on a scale of 1-4 going lightest to darkest respectively. LOIN FIRM/WET -Loin Firmness/wetness: Based on a scale of 1-4 going driest to wettest (including PSE meat) respectively. PSE- Pale, Soft, Exudative meat that will remain watery even after cooking. LOIN MARB - Loin Marbling: Graded on a scale of 1-4 based on indication of marbling, visible intramuscular fat. FAT FREE LEAN % - The percentage of lean meat on the carcass, based off the calculation of the fat percentage off of the 10th rib. CARCASS MERIT OF RECOGNITION - Scale in judging overall desirable carcass traits.

FLANK STREAKING - Flank streaking is an indication of marbling, visible intramuscular fat. Ranked based on Abundant, Moderately Abundant, Slightly Abundant, Moderate, Modest, Slight, Trace Amounts, and Nearly Devoid. There is also an increment of 10-100 that goes in conjunction with how close it is to the next grade. CARCASS OF MERIT RECOGNITION -Scale in judging overall desirable carcass traits. www.angus.org

32 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

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2021 Churchill County Junior Livestock Show and Sale Results CARCASS DATA EXPLANATION BEEF ANIMAL# - The number or tag identifying the animal when alive. BEG WT - Beginning Weight: Animal’s weight from the first weigh in.

KPH ADJ - Kidney, Pelvic, and Heart (KPH) Adjustment: Adjustment for the amount of KPH fat removed. REA ADJ - Rib Eye Area (REA) Adjusted: If there is any adjustments needed to the REA after trimming based off of the KPH whether the REA should be larger or smaller based on market condition.

LW- Live Weight: The ending weight of the animal while it is alive. In this case it would be comparable to the ending weight in lamb, pig FINAL VG - Final Yield Grade: Based on the results after the final trim and goats. of the carcass. Yield grades are based on the amount of trimmed boneless retail cuts from specific areas which are; the loin, round, ADG - Average Daily Gain: Computed as how much the animal has chuck and rib. gained on a daily basis from beginning weight to ending weight. Formulated by the difference in the ending and beginning weight PREMIUM/DISCOUNTED CARCASS - Carcasses are discounted if they divided by the number of days from the beginning weight to the are a dark cutter. ending weight. For example if a steer weighs 500lbs on March 1 and on May 15 the steer weighs 1050Ibs. The steer gained 550Ibs in 76 CARCASS OF MERIT -Scale in judging overall desirable carcass traits. days so to get our Average Daily Gain (ADG) we would divide 550Ibs by 76 days for an ADG of 7.24Ibs. CW - Carcass Weight: The weight of the carcass after removal of the GOAT hide, head and internal organs. ID# -The number or tag identifying the animal when alive. DRESS% - Dressing Percentage: The proportion of the live weight BEG WT - Beginning Weight: Animal’s weight from the first weigh in. that the carcass weighs. To calculate divide hot carcass weight (CARC WT) by live weight and then multiply by 100. So, this would look like ENDING WT- Ending Weight: Animal’s weight from the last weigh in. (70/125 )* 100=56%.

ADG -Average Daily Gain: Computed as how much the animal has gained on a daily basis from beginning weight to ending weight. % KPH - Kidney, Pelvic, and Heart Fat Percentage: A percentage of fat Formulated by the difference in the ending and beginning weight measured around the Kidney, Pelvic, and Heart areas. divided by the number of days from the beginning weight to the FAT - The percentage of external back fat on the carcass prior to ending weight. For example if a goat weighs 30Ibs on March 1 and on May 15 the goat weighs 95Ibs. The goat gained 65Ibs in 76 days trimming. so to get our Average Daily Gain (ADG) we would divide 65Ibs by 76 REA - Rib Eye Area: Area of the muscle behind the 12th & 13th rib days for an ADG of 0.86lbs. that is measured on a grid to calculate the Rib Eye. Also, indicates CARCASS WT - Carcass Weight: The weight of the carcass after muscle development. removal of the hide, head and internal organs. MARBLING - Visible intramuscular fat. Ranked based on Abundant, Moderately Abundant, Slightly Abundant, Moderate, Modest, Slight, DRESS % -Dressing Percentage: The proportion of the live weight Trace Amounts, and Nearly Devoid. There is also an increment of 10- that the carcass weighs. To calculate divide hot carcass weight (CARC WT) by live weight and then multiply by 100. So, this would look like 100 that goes in conjunction with how close it is to the next grade. MATURITY- Evaluation based on (A- maturity) where the soft cartilage (70/125)*100=56%. is still apparent in the rib area indicating the carcasses age. As the BODYWALL THICKNESS -The amount of fat at the halfway point animal ages the cartilage turns to bone. between the last rib and the spine, is used as an indicator of lean Q.G. - Quality grades are based on the factors of tenderness, flavor, meat on the carcass. color, texture and juiciness. USDA’s quality grades for beef are: REA- Rib Eye Area: Area of the muscle behind the 12th & 13th rib prime, choice, good, standard, and utility. These grades are assigned that is measured on a grid to calculate the Rib Eye. Also, indicates by looking at both the maturity and degree of marbling. muscle development. PYG - Preliminary Yield Grade: Based on the Hot Carcass Weight, % SBTP-Percentage of semi-boneless, closely trimmed primal cuts Yield grades are based on the amount of trimmed boneless retail from leg, sirloin, loin, rack, and shoulder. Measured at 12th rib to cuts from specific areas which are; the loin, round, chuck and rib. the spine. HCW ADJ - Hot Carcass Weight: Adjusts the live weight to the carcass CARCASS MERIT OF RECOGNITION - Scale in judging overall desirable weight prior to the final trimming, generally a decrease. carcass traits www.progressiverancher.com

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 33

High Desert Grange Happenings CANTALOUPE FESTIVAL Everything anyone wants to know from knights to homesteading will be available at the High Desert Grange display at this year’s Cantaloupe Festival. All Grange displays and activities will take place inside the Grange tent. Fifth graders will be special guests for an agriculture educational event the afternoon of Thursday, August 26 during setup and on Friday, August 27 at 8:00 AM when older Grange youth will demonstrate fitting goats, clipping lamb and goat hooves, and milking goats. Knights of the Grange plan on keeping everyone’s attention with demonstrations of their sword prowess, knowledge of chain mail armor, and discussions of the role of knights in world history. The Grange sewing club will display their creations and share information on the group.

By Suzann Gilliland Peterson

HIGH DESERT GRANGE CLEANS LAHONTAN DAM STATE PARK CAMPGROUND Once every year the High Desert Grange in Fallon, NV, chooses a large community service project that benefits the residents of Churchill County. This year’s project was the Lahontan Dam State Park Campground Cleanup that took place from Friday, July 31 through Sunday, August 2. Grangers brought their own cleanup tools and began campsite setup on Friday. Guest speakers from the Nevada Outdoor School featured their Leave No Trace program, a hands-on activity that teaches the seven basic rules of enjoying the outdoors responsibly. This was the only event open to the public. Chloe Kent Clipping Her Goat

Poultry, cavies, goats, sheep, geese, ducks, and desert tortoises will be shown by livestock youth for all visitors to see and learn about. Homesteading is a popular endeavor and the Grange homesteading group will share their stories and information about homesteading in our area.

While some people stayed the entire weekend, others joined in during the days. Saturday found Grangers on their mission to clean up the park’s campground. Grange member Taylor Reynolds, who works for the park, focused on clearing the hiking trail and showed families what needed to be done. Participants removed dead wood, cleared and pruned trees, and raked the trail. Once their work was accomplished for the day, everyone headed back to camp where the youth took advantage of the down time to swim in the lake and collect toads. At noon, Grange instructors taught eager students how to construct five bat houses and six Wood Duck boxes. Four of the boxes were given to the rangers to place in the park. The bat houses are available from the Grange for a donation. Thirteen year old Riggin Stonebarger and his family live just up the dirt road from the park. When asked what he liked best about the weekend, he said, “It was neat to give back right here! My favorite part about our cleanup weekend was that we were able to come together to help our local dam and camping facility become a safer and healthy place, not just for humans but for animals, too! With the drought this year and the low, low lake levels, ensuring that the wildlife have safe places is really important.” In addition to camping, working and playing the entire weekend, Riggin found himself reuniting with many families he had not seen for some time. Next on the agenda was an evening of Dutch oven potluck. Families came together to enjoy each other’s company and taste the culinary gifts of family cooks. Alyssa Gardner Milking Her Goat

Sir Taylor Reynolds 34 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

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On Sunday morning, Grangers continued cutting and clearing dead branches and raking the trail. State park rangers had given several canoes to the group to use. Needless to say, canoes, lake, and play were rolled into one exhilarating activity. Campsite cleanup and pack up followed. While community service is a hallmark of the Grange, having fun while contributing is embedded in the Grange psyche. Alena Vest, mother of sixteen-yearold Dakota, fourteen-year-old Brook and elevenyear-old Jaylee, participated in the cleanup because she wanted to teach her children that it’s good to help out others. In addition to lending their hands to help, Dakota liked floating down the river, Brook enjoyed swimming at the lake and hanging out with everybody, and Jaylee loved it all a lot! Making new friends while working to improve our community is very important for Grange members. The Chris and Tara Byrne family, new Grange members, had the opportunity to weave new friendships into their lives as they worked side-by-side with other Grangers. Eight-year-old Caoilainn, eight-year-old Deaglan, seven-year-old Tiernan and four-year-old Lochlan were pleased to hang with a group of people they call family as they know this group will always be

there for them. Caoilainn was asked what she enjoyed best about the cleanup weekend. She said she “enjoyed making the trail cleaner,” and Deaglan replied to the same question with we “had a lot of fun catching toads with friends.” When asked why she chose to involve her family in the cleanup weekend, Tara said, “We enjoy helping out our new-found family. It’s important for my husband and I to get the kids involved in things that matter and to surround themselves with people who are kind, loving and strong.” This year’s camp cleanup project was a testament to how giving back reaps positive rewards … a job well done that benefits the community, fun time, making friends, educational opportunities, connecting with old friends, challenging activities, and enjoyment of one another, young and old. Perhaps Granger Snow Morrison said it best: “I enjoy the family atmosphere of Grange. If someone needs something, they just ask and there is usually someone that has it or can help.” For more information on The High Desert Grange or to inquire about a bat house donation, contact highdesertgrange22@gmail.com or call (775) 4278210. Come join us and see what High Desert Grange offers our community! Play Time - High Desert Grange 2021 Lahontan Dam State Park Campground Cleanup

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 35

36 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

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UPCOMING SALES September 14

Haythorn Ranch • Ogallala, NE Consignment Deadline: August 26

October 21

WVM Headquarters • Cottonwood, CA Consignment Deadline: October 13 Check our website www.wvmcattle.com for consignment deadlines. WATCH & LISTEN TO THE SALE on the Web at:

For more information, please call

(530) 347-3793 or email us at wvm@wvmcattle.com Look for the catalog and video on www.wvmcattle.com

Market your cattle with the professionals!

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 37

RANGE PLANTS FOR THE RANCHER Richardson’s Geranium By Paul T. Tueller, Ph.D., CRMC After a short hiatus for Covid-19 it is time to continue my discussion and description of various range plants that are of interest to the ranching community in Nevada and surrounding area.

Richardson’s Geranium plants have a tough, woody taproot and older plants develop rhizomes. The leaves are up to 15 centimeters wide and are divided into generally five segments, each segment subdivided into small rounded or pointed lobes.

For this issue I propose to describe another forb. Recall that forbs are flowering, nongrassy “herbaceous” plants, which means they produce seeds and have stems and leaves that die back at the end of each growing season (versus woody plants, whose stems remain year after year). Informally, forbs are what many call wildflowers. These plans individually do not provide considerable forage and while we do not spend much time on many of the forbs they overall make up a significant proportion of our range vegetation complex.

The flower has five pointed sepals beneath five rounded petals, each one to two centimeters long. The petals are white to purple with darker purple veining. The fruit has a small body with a straight style up to 2.5 centimeters in length.

For this issue I describe a plant commonly known as Richardson’s Geranium. Geranium richardsonii Fisch and Trautv. is native to western North America from Alaska to New Mexico, where it can be found in a number of habitats, especially mountains and forests. Geranium comes from the Greek geranos, “crane,” from the beak-like fruit. It is a member of the Geraniaceae family and is a perennial herb varying in maximum height from 20 to 80 centimeters. (The term “herb” refers to any seedbearing plant that does not have a woody stem and dies down to the ground after flowering. As an aside, the banana plant is considered to be the world’s largest herb.)

38 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

Richardson’s geranium occurs in a variety of habitats including woodlands, forest openings, grasslands, meadows, and riparian areas such as stream terraces, alluvial benches, wet valley bottoms, and stream and lake margins. It is most commonly found in moist areas. Richardson’s geranium grows best on moist to semi-wet soils with good drainage. It is moderately tolerant of drought. It grows best on loam, sandy loam, and clayey-loam soils derived from shale and limestone, but occurs on gravelly substrates as well. Richardson’s geranium occurs in both seral and climax communities. It is shade tolerant, but also grows in some open habitats. It can be clsssified as facultative wetland species or facultative upland.

Richardson’s geranium is a valuable forage species for livestock. It provides forage for mule deer in wet meadows. The nutritional value of Richardson’s geranium is rated good to excellent for cattle and sheep during early growth stages, and poor to good in later growth stages. Plants can withstand heavy grazing by cattle because of its stout woody taproot. One study showed this species to be an increaser species and dominant forb on cattle-grazed rangelands in Utah, although Richardson’s geranium decreases on sheep-grazed rangelands. Richardson’s geranium is utilized by deer, elk, pronghorn, upland game birds, passerine birds, waterfowl, and small mammals. Palatability of Richardson’s geranium is rated good for sheep and fair for cattle and horses. Richardson’s geranium is rated good in nutritional value for elk and mule deer, and poor for pronghorn and waterfowl, and fair for small mammals, small nongame birds, and upland game birds. Energy rating and protein content are generally poor.

A facultative species refers generally to a species that can occur both in wetlands and uplands. Richardson’s geranium is a common understory species in aspen communities. It is a facultative species in aspen and Douglas-fir forests of Utah, Richardson’s geranium is present in seral stands of lodgepole pine.

The Progressive Rancher

www.progressiverancher.com

Churchill County Cowbelles Update In October 2019 I talked with the Cowbells thenPresident and I was encouraged to put my name in for the office of the presidency for the club. I will step down this September and our current Vice President will step into the position. Since Oct 2019, life has been a whirlwind. During the past two years there has been considerable change in our Cowbells organization, the community, and our country. I have seen new members join and others focus their energy in another direction. Many communities across the nation are experiencing unrest, division, and in my opinion a period of testing that will result in forever altering the landscape of the United States. Change is inevitable and scary; we must move forward through this change with boldness and faith. Our forefathers faced the challenges of crossing oceans and prairies with faith and boldness to forever alter their lives. As we move through this period, we need to speak the truth boldly and have faith that the citizens will hear the truth. Only then our nation will be “the shining light on the hill”. Matthew 5:14.

By Susan Van Patten, President

During my time in Cowbelles I have met and worked with individuals of different backgrounds; we were successful because we focused on our common goals. Primarily, all of us had a genuine desire to educate the community about the beef and agricultural industry and to focus on the youth of the community. I enjoyed working with many of the members, but two have a special spot in my heart. Karen Lawson and her family moved to Winnemucca last year and are currently ranching there. We worked together for over ten years at the high school in Fallon. She is extremely hardworking and knowledgeable. If she makes a commitment, she honors it. We did not always agree, but we respected each other’s views and opinions. She has a deep-rooted love for the “cowboy” way of life and their independence. Equally important to her is the safety and well-being of her family. Her entire teaching career was at Churchill County High School, most of it was in the mathematics department. Her students respected her, but most of all they learned. She was frequently sought out to tutor individuals in the community. She is quite a partner and friend. The other person I met through Cowbelles is Laverne Albaugh. In my mind she is the quintessential “western” lady. She is polite, definitely determined,

TARGETED GRAZING Targeted grazing is the application of a specific kind of livestock at a determined season, duration, and intensity to accomplish defined vegetation or landscape management goals; ie, the carefully controlled grazing of livestock to accomplish specific vegetation management objectives. Examples of these goals include: controlling invasive plant species and weeds, reducing fire fuel loads and fire risk, and enhancing wildlife habitat.

Learn more by downloading this free resource: “Targeted Grazing Handbook: A Natural Approach to Vegetation Management and Landscape Enhancement” www.sheepusa.org/wp-content/ uploads/2021/09/Targeted-Grazing-Bookcompressed.pdf

This handbook is a compilation of the research on employing livestock to graze targeted vegetation in ways that improve the function and appearance of a wide variety of landscapes. It provides an introduction to targeted grazing for the novice and as a reference for those already familiar with the topic.

www.sheepusa.org www.progressiverancher.com

Chapters include animal husbandry, plant response to grazing, monitoring plant landscapes, multi-species grazing and applications of prescribed grazing on grasses, weeds, forests, orchards and in agronomic situations. Additional content includes business plans, labor requirements and guidelines for developing and carrying out contracts. Download yours today! The Progressive Rancher

and fiercely independent. She has been a member of Cowbelles for over fifty years. It was fascinating to learn about the chapter’s history as she described the evolution of The Bull Sale Dinner over the years. She is not an individual that sits back and waits to be saved.

At one time she made leather purses and sold them to assist with the ranch’s finances. This year she did not plant a garden as the family had received an offer to sell. She is not a spring chicken, but she keeps busy cooking, gardening, and doing other ranch chores. This year instead of canning and gardening she is packing the house to move when they find their “new home”. She holds a special place in my heart because she reminds me of my Great Aunt Allie that homesteaded the ranch, I grew up on in Wyoming. A slight woman with a big heart and a warm smile. It describes both of them. Miss you already! Bests wishes.

Coming Soon!

Park Ranch Harvest Facility

July 13, 2021, Park Ranch and our team of professionals went before the Douglas County Planning Commission and received a 7-0 vote of approval for a harvest facility. A harvest facility is known as a meat processing facility. The processing facility will be located at Park Ranch headquarters at 1300 Buckeye Road, Minden NV. The entire process will take place in our 9,320 sqft building; most people won’t even know a harvest facility is here. We will be harvesting cattle, hogs, and lamb. However, we will also be processing big game on a seasonal basis. On average 30 head of cattle will be processed per week at the facility with a max of 60 per week. The facility will be fully inspected by the USDA. Ranchers and farmers alike will be able to bring their animals to our enclosed facility the day before or day of and will be able to return for their meat once complete. We won’t have product here for sale but we hope to open a retail store in town so the public can enjoy locally raised beef, pork and lamb.

Look for our full story in the next issue of the Progressive Rancher!

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 39

The Progressive Rancher - September-October 2021 - Corrected Ad

Articles inside

Range Plants for the Rancher Richardson’s Geranium

High Desert Grange Happenings | S.G. Peterson

Nevada Today | K-12 Robotics Center | UNR

National Geographic | The Science Connecting Wildfires to Climate Change

Research Division | Wildfires in Nevada: An Overview

The Western Producer | Mega Drought or Mega-Hype?

Nevada Farm Bureau | Ag Literacy Materials Available

Nevada Farm Bureau | Making the Most of Every Drop

Let’s Talk Ag | Drought Impacts Us All (Editorial)

Beef Checkoff Recipe

SRM “Summer Tour” Breaking the Cheatgrass Fire Cycle

Nevada CattleWomen

Wolves In Nevada; Are They Closer Than You Think? | L. Sarman

The Monopoly in the Beef Packing Industry | M. Merritt

Eye On The Outside The Beef Checkoff

NCA Roundup - Update