THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE NEW MEXICO FARM AND LIVESTOCK BUREAU®
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New Mexico Farm & Ranch
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NMF&LB President’s Column TRACTOR SEAT DAYDREAMING
BY CRAIG OGDEN
Our Watershed, Our Water
Hope you’re having a great spring and that you’ve gotten some rain. Some good news for New Mexico’s farmers and ranchers is that snow pack at the head waters of the Rio Grande is 135% above median levels. Snowpack is also above average in the Gila region and in the Sangre De Cristos. This bodes well for farmers who depend on river water to irrigate their crops. In fact, some are saying the Rio Grande could reach a 25-year high, good news after last year’s record lows. Additionally, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is calling for a wet spring with elevated chances for the El Niño to continue into Ogden cont. on page 11
AFBF President’s Column BEYOND THE FENCEROWS
BY ZIPPY DUVALL
How Farmers Hold onto Hope in the Tough Times
Spring is one of my favorite seasons on the farm. It’s a time of new life, fresh starts and, most of all, hope. Farmers and ranchers are some of the most hopeful people around. We can’t help it: it’s part of our DNA. We have to believe that the next season will be better than the last because we love the work we have been called to do. I love the Bible verse that says, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” I can’t think of a better description of what it takes to endure as a farmer or rancher. I believe that faith in God can carry us through all the valleys and mountaintops of life. That’s an Duvall cont. on page 11
NMF&LB CEO’s Column CHATTING WITH CHAD
BY CHAD SMITH
A Chance for Change, Preparing for the Future
You may have heard by now that New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau will not be hosting a Summer Conference this year. Unfortunately, attendance has steadily declined over the past few years and a cost-benefit analysis showed that the conference needed to be re-evaluated. Many state farm bureaus have allowed their summer conferences to go by the wayside, recognizing there are many demands on a food producer’s time during the busy growing season. We were at a crossroads, so we requested a peer review from the American Farm Bureau Federation. Margee Wolff, Vice President Leadership, Education, Smith cont. on page 10 On the cover: Chad Smith, NMF&LB CEO and Don Hartman, Luna County FLB President, pledge support for the disaster relief fund established to aid Nebraska’s farmers and ranchers affected by last month’s flooding. See page 10. Page 2
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HELP US END
DISTRACTED
DRIVING
Five seconds could change your world forever. That’s how long the average text takes your eyes off the road. In just five seconds traveling at 55 mph, you travel the length of a football field. It’s not worth the risk to take your eyes off the road.
Join us to end distracted driving. fbfs.com/distracteddriving
M224 (4-19)
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New Mexico Farm & Ranch
May 2019
Agriculture Needs YOU!
By Matthew E. Gonzales, NMF&LB Director of Governmental Affairs
When I first started lobbying 10 years ago, a question I found myself asking nearly every “seasoned” lobbyist I met was “What will this session be like?” And I found it incredibly peculiar that nearly all of them had the same answer, “Every session is different; each has its own uniqueness.” While the answer made sense, it wasn’t until I had few years of lobbying under my belt that I truly understood what they meant. Every session really does have its own set of characteristics that make it different from those prior. The 2019 Legislative Session was no exception, but the session itself was truly exceptional in Good and BAD ways. How Did We Get Here New Mexico has been a Democrat-leaning state for decades. In fact, in the 2014 Election when the GOP won the House from the Democrats, it was the first time they had done so in more than 60 years. However, most people who have dealt in State government over the years would say that New Mexico is very much a “purple” state; not “blue,” not “red,” but very moderate in its approach to government. And for my last 10 years lobbying, I would mostly agree with that statement. However, I have seen a shift in the political environment over the last decade. We have seen the two parties become more and more partisan, moving further to the right or left. We’ve also seen a rise in primary challenges with Moderate Republican and Conservative Democrat legislators becoming few and fewer. We’ve often see the narrative around issues call for extremes in order to meet political agendas rather than societal needs. Now one thing is certain, New Mexico is definitely a more “conservative” type state in terms of frugalness. More than 70% of New Mexico is made up of small, rural communities with a population of fewer than 3,500 people. Citizens in these areas are used to living far from resources and “big city” conveniences. This forces us to be more cautious when using resources, money or food given the limited supply of any of those items at any given time. Folks in our rural areas are often notorious for being savers of all things (i.e. old jugs, wood, furniture equipment, parts, tools etc.) because “you never know when you’re going to need it.” This is a practice that has proven beneficial to rural citizens for generations. New Mexico’s way of life is one that is envied by people all across the country. Many of them have given up their “big city” lifestyles to move to small places like Dixon or Fort Sumner or Silver City. Oftentimes they’re fleeing states like California or Oregon because of increased cost of living and government regulations. Now I have always been a big supporter of anyone moving into a small community and wanting to get involved to help better that community. Unfortunately, many of the people who have moved to New Mexico over the last couple of decades have brought those “big city” values and ideals to our small, rural areas and have tried to make our small communities JUST LIKE the communities they left. Now please understand, I very much support improvements to our small communities. Things like recycling programs that are run correctly can be a benefit to rural communities. But having lived in a small town and having been a part of its government; it’s evident that not every “well-to-do” idea works everywhere. Oftentimes, programs that are well-intentioned end up causing more harm to that community due to the lack of resources in that particular area. It then requires further work to roll back programs when they fail. Sadly, many environmental groups and activists have exploited our regulatory system to get “well-intentioned” initiatives in statute just to use those laws as weapons to limit agriculture producers, miners and energy companies from utilizing our natural resources for our citizens and our state. From 2007 to 2012 environmental groups lobbied to put new laws on the books that they knew were unenforceable just to turn around and sue our federal government (when they couldn’t implement them) to the tune of over a half a billion dollars. That was just in a five-year span and that is a trend that has continued, and there doesn’t seem to be any end in sight. This session saw that strategy play out with the hundreds of bad pieces of legislation that were introduced. There were so many bad bills that were introduced, had they all made it through the process and gotten signed, every business owner and Page 4
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job creator in the state would have closed up shop before the end of the year. I really wish I was making this up. Those attacks came in the form of things like environmental assessments (statewide NEPA), increased fees to do business, increased taxes, more mandatory regulatory compliance programs to “help” producers be better stewards (with no real intentions of actually helping producers; just putting them out of business). We Have to Be Heard The good news in all of this is that New Mexico doesn’t have to continue down this path. Legislators often understand the issues, but they don’t hear enough pushback from constituents to make a sound decision that is defendable during the session. The activists who hate industries like agriculture, energy, and mining have become quite effective at having their voices heard on issues. We can no longer allow them to have a pass. We must stand up for ourselves and we must be active in the political process. It is everyone’s responsibility to make time to be in Santa Fe EVERY legislative session to ensure that our values and way of life do not become a thing of the past.
Get Engaged New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau provides a number of opportunities to be involved with policy and decision makers around our state. Volunteer to help advocate during the session, work with the Legislative affairs team to do Interim Committee presentations or take part in a YF&R In-District ag tours. The opportunities to get involved are endless. I Love Agriculture Since coming to the agriculture industry, I have truly fallen in love with the sense of community that this industry has. From the time our children are born they’re involved in agriculture from showing animals at the County Fairs to participating in programs like FFA and 4H, to getting involved in Collegiate Farm Bureau and even YF&R. We have the most incredible, grassroots support structure for our future farmers and ranchers. It’s one that we should be proud of and fight for tenaciously because the excuse of “I didn’t get involved this year but I’ll get involved more next year” may not be an excuse we can use if the activists in Santa Fe ever get their way. Page 5
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Wildlife During the Legislative Session By Tanner Anderson, NMF&LB Regional Director Hunting, fishing and trapping are all practices that many of us in the ag industry value and rely upon in our daily lives. Whether we’re guiding hunts on our ranches, trying to control predators, providing food for our families or just enjoying nature, we all appreciate these practices. However, there are many in our state that see these practices as barbaric and obsolete. There are some in our state that would just as soon see the practices of hunting, fishing and trapping banned. Several pieces of legislation were introduced during the 2019 legislative session that aimed to attack these practices and affect our way of life in rural New Mexico. Trapping is an extremely important tool that farmers and ranchers use to protect their livestock from predators. Additionally, there are New Mexicans who rely on trapping and the sale of pelts in order to make a living. Many urbanites see the practice of trapping as a cruel and outdated practice that the citizens of New Mexico no longer need to practice. House Bill 366 sponsored by Representatives Matthew McQueen (D50), Christine Chandler (D43), and Roberto “Bobby” J. Gonzales (D42) titled “Wildlife Protection & Public Safety Act” would have made it unlawful for a person or government entity to use a trap, snare or wildlife poison on public land. While the bill provided certain exceptions, this bill would have been detrimental to livestock owners using public lands as it would limit them to using only cage traps to control depredation. Initially, the bill went so far as to include corrals in the definition of an illegal trap (NMFLB was able to get this amended out of the bill). Folks that trap will be the first to tell you that catching a coyote in a cage trap is next to impossible. Coyotes are a lot smarter than people give them credit for. Despite addressing other concerns about this legislation, further efforts to amend the bill were brushed aside. The legislation flew through its first two committees on party line votes, however the bill was never heard on the house floor thanks to the combined efforts of various groups working together to combat the bill; but it will most certainly be back in the next 60-day session. Farm Bureau will be working closely with other organizations throughout the interim regarding the trapping issue. Senate Bill 76 sponsored by Senators Jeff Steinborn (D36) and Mark Moores (R21) titled “Prohibit Coyote Killing Contests” makes it illegal for any person to organize, cause, sponsor, arrange, hold or participate in a coyote-killing contest. Those who do so would be guilty of a misdemeanor. The bill was fiercely debated in the senate, with rural senators from both parties recognizing the significant urban/rural divide facing the state with this legislation. In the house, the bill was carried by Representative Matthew McQueen (D50), and it was also heavily debated. The difficulty of enforcing the law was brought up, with not much answer given. Ultimately the bill passed through the house and has since been signed into law by the governor. It remains to be seen just how this law will be enforced. Proponents of the bill believe that without advertising, these contests will not occur. Within the legislation was the word “prize” which was never clearly defined in the bill. Someone inviting a friend over to deal with coyotes in exchange for reimbursement of ammunition, or even dinner could be perceived to be a prize in certain cases. There are definitely some grey areas within this legislation that were not addressed and may lead to issues with land owners, farmers and ranchers in the future. With the help of our grassroots, we were able to get a lot of work done in Santa Fe. Remember, it is important that you as members provide us with input regarding trapping and the many other issues that our industry faces. It is just as important that you make your voices heard in Santa Fe during the session and in the interim committee meetings. Take the time to send emails, call the offices of your legislators and visit with them in person whenever you have the chance. It takes a combined effort of both staff and members, just like you, to succeed at the roundhouse. Your voice is extremely important.
Interim Committees will begin meeting in June. For a complete schedule and meeting agenda, go to https://www.nmlegis.gov/Committee/Interim Page 6
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The Value of Selection for Improved Efficiency Marcy Ward, PhD Extension Livestock Specialist The Tucumcari Bull Test station has been collecting performance data on yearling bulls for over 40 years. Since its inception, production trends, breed, and expected progeny differences (EPDs) have all changed as the industry has moved towards a more efficient system. These changes have been made, in part, based on selection preferences and performance evaluation within the seedstock (pure bred) sector. In 1961, the predominant breed tested at the Tucumcari station was Hereford. The average end weight after 120 days on feed was 800 lbs. The bulls gained on average 2.25 lbs per day, and it took 10 lbs of feed to convert 1 pound of gain (FE). In 2018, the predominant breed tested was Angus. The bulls gained on average 3.31 lbs/d, with a feed conversion of 6.02 pounds of feed per pound of gain. The end weights of these bulls averaged 1092 lbs. Feed efficiency (FE) has become an important focal point for New Mexico seedstock producers. Efficient bulls can result more efficient females on grass and more efficient calves on feed. With the advancement of technology, a buyer has a full list of information at their disposal to make purchase decisions. From actual performance data, to EPDs, to genetic benchmarks, a producer can fine tune his or her selection process to focus on raising females, increasing weaning weights, or improving carcass traits.
Highest Valued Performance Traits $3,850.00 $3,800.00 $3,750.00 $3,700.00 $3,650.00 $3,600.00 $3,550.00 $3,500.00
High WW
1200+ End wt
High High test Low FE Low RFI WDA Index
The value of the performance parameters have been evaluated each year at Tucumcari since 2016. The purpose of this evaluation is to provide test participants information about what the buyers were basing some of their purchasing decisions. In Figure 1, actual performance data were compared against price. In 2018, final weight and feed efficiency had the greatest impact on price. These data are indicating a shift in buyer preferences. In years past, though end weight was still a key factor, buyers were more interested in birth weight and gain, rather than efficiency.
Figure 1.
Final index, a combination of gain (ADG), weight per day of age (WDA), and feed conversion (FE) remains another key data point that buyers look to. This value indicates how an individual animal’s overall performance ranked against all the other bulls he was evaluated with. Repeat customers of the bull test understand that the higher the bull’s index, the better the bull performed compared to his contemporaries. In the fall of 2015 the group of producers that own the test station invested in the Growsafe® Digital Feed Intake System (Figure 2). This system allows us to measure individual feed intake and thus Page 8
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more accurately determine feed efficiency. Feed conversion (FE) and residual feed intake (RFI) are key efficiency benchmarks used to evaluate animal performance. Residual feed intake is a specific measurement that estimates a bull’s metabolic efficiency. The lower the value from this calculation indicates a more efficient bull. These data can only be determined by knowing exactly how much each individual animal ate on a daily basis.
Price Trends of Gain vs. Efficiency $6,000.00 $4,000.00 $2,000.00 $-
2016 Sale Ave
Figure 2. Bulls on Growsafe System at the Tucumcari Bull Test Station
2017 ADG
2018 FE
2019
RFI
Figure 3. Average sale price of bulls performing in the top 10% in ADG, FE, or RFI compared with the overall sale average.
Based on sale data from 2016 to present, price trends relevant to gain and efficiency have changed at the test station. The 2016 sale was the first year this data was made available to buyers. Since that time, buyers seem to be gaining interest in FE and RFI traits, as their value now exceeds or matches ADG in sale price averages (Figure 3).
Cost of Gain vs. RFI $1.00
COG
$0.80 $0.60 $0.40 $0.20 $-
-3
-2
-1
0
1
2
3
RFI Value
When you consider the potential financial impact of efficiency, these performance parameters are very important. Cost of gain (COG) is a common profit indicator used in the feedlot industry. It is raw feed conversion multiplied by the cost per pound of feeding expense. When correlated at the bull test station, there was a very strong relationship (r=.96) between RFI and COG (Figure 4). With feed efficiency being 35 to 40% heritable, the implications of these data could be significant for commercial cow calf operations and feedlots alike.
Figure 4. Average COG vs RFI values from 2016-2019.
Come sale time, the buyer can impact genetic trends. It is a simple formula of supply and demand. The goal of the seedstock producer is to sell cattle that perform well and encourage repeat business. For this to happen, they must listen to what their customers want. “Fat Sells” is a term you used hear a lot in the bull sale business. Today, producers are realizing that over conditioned bulls tend to not perform well in the first year at the ranch. Instead, the buyers say they are looking for bulls that are “fit” and “ready to work”. Through selection and data analysis, producers have increased pounds of product per animal by 30% on 40% less feed since the first bull test in 1961. Page 9
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Help for Nebraska
We’ve all seen the devastation that last month’s “bomb cyclone” has wrought on the mid-west states, particularly Nebraska. Millions of dollars’ worth of livestock and stored crops have been lost. Many farmers are not expected to plant this year as they clear fields of debris and silt. To help these families get back on their feet the Nebraska Farm Bureau has established a disaster relief fund. It’s in the spirit of neighbors helping neighbors that Luna County Farm & Livestock Bureau President Don Hartman proposes a challenge. “We felt we had to do something to help fellow farmers and ranchers that are in such dire need,” says Don. “The LCFLB board of directors decided that challenging other county farm bureaus across the state to donate what they can to help our farm bureau family members was a great way to start.” The NMF&LB state office is donating $1,000 and Luna County FLB’s board has also approved a $1,000 donation. Please the State Office know if you’re interested in participating and we will add your county to the list of benefactors.
Smith cont. from page 2 & Engagement for American Farm Bureau Federation has put together a team who will be visiting the state office in May to help us build a better NMF&LB. During this project the team of four Farm Bureau staff from across the country will review the programs and operations of NMF&LB. The team will review key documents and conduct several interviews with staff, volunteer leaders and others in the agricultural community. The team will prepare a written report identifying key issues and making recommendations for improvements. We’ve been preparing for months as we’ve compiled a top to bottom view of our organization. Everything from our financials to our marketing efforts, our state-wide meetings to New Mexico Ag in the Classroom will be under the microscope. We’ve provided them with past annual meeting agendas, examples of promotional materials, membership reports and snapshots of social media efforts. As you can tell the review will be exhaustive as they use their wealth of experience to carefully evaluate our efforts. We are eagerly looking forward to the results. What an opportunity to have fellow farm bureau managers help guide us on a productive path. After their office visit in May, they’ll come back in July to provide their results to the State Board. Following their presentation, NMF&LB will embark on creating a five-year strategic plan that will incorporate suggestions from the peer review and the strategic planning process. Watch this space as we keep you up-to-date on the components of the strategic plan and what it means to you as a member. We look forward to shaping the future of NMF&LB and making your organization better! Page 10
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Ogden cont. from page 2
summer. Our famers, ranchers and reservoirs would all benefit from a wet summer so let’s keep our fingers crossed. I recently attended the New Mexico Department of Agriculture’s (NMDA) strategic plan meeting in Las Cruces. The goal was to provide input that would help NMDA plan for the future. They put us in groups and one of the people in my group was Ralph Vigil of the New Mexico Acequia Commission. Acequias are community operated and organized water irrigation systems. Some of his concerns were if the acequias would be able to survive and maintain in the future with pressures concerning adjudication and the choices and effects the members’ decisions could have on those remaining to stay active in an agricultural operation. NMF&LB member and Northern New Mexico Stockman’s Association President Carlos Salazar was most concerned about the current forest revision plans and how they affect their members. Many of the residents in his rural community go back over 200 years. There is a long history of tradition, culture, and heritage of which all of this in one way or another is tied to the land. Knowledge that has been passed down through the generations is priceless. They have been caretakers of the land long before New Mexico became a state. You would think agencies would take advantage of this wealth of knowledge when drafting such plans. I live in the Southeastern corner of the state, but the primary watershed for all the Pecos River and the Rio Grande come from the North. The actions that occur in the North have an impact all the way down. To some extent, we are all tied together, thus you want sound plans that have multiple use included to maintain a vibrant and healthy forest I’d like to also call your attention to the challenge issued by Luna County FLB. See page 10 about the fundraiser they have started for farmers and ranchers in Nebraska affected by last month’s “bomb cyclone.” This is an excellent way for us to support fellow Farm Bureau members. Until next time, do justly, love mercy, walk humbly.
Duvall cont. from page 2 especially encouraging word for farmers and ranchers as our work comes with more unknowns than most. Farm life brings both unplanned hard times and surprising, rich blessings. It takes faith to plant a crop without knowing what the weather or the markets will hold across the year and at harvest time. Faith to find the workers you’ll need in time for tending and harvesting that crop. And faith to pick up the pieces and start again in the face of trial and hardship. President Ronald Reagan often enjoyed retelling a conversation he once had on his way to address the Farm Bureau annual meeting in Las Vegas: “And on my way to the hall, a fellow recognized me and asked what I was doing in Las Vegas. And I told him what I was there for. And he said what are a bunch of farmers doing in a place like Las Vegas? And I couldn’t resist. I said, ‘Buster, they’re in a business that makes a Las Vegas craps table look like a guaranteed annual income.’” Decades later, that story still gets a chuckle, but farmers and ranchers know the hard truth behind it. Many of us pressed on through the recession in the 1980s. Now, a new generation is seeing the steepest drop in farm income since then. When we add in the impact of an ongoing trade war and the devastation from hurricanes, wildfires and flooding, our faith is truly being tested. But when I travel the country and meet with many of you, I hear stories of hope. Folks who are not ready to quit even in the face of the toughest times. Folks who are hopeful for the future of agriculture because we know how far we’ve come and what we can accomplish when we work alongside our friends and neighbors. Our faith doesn’t come easy, but it is strong, and it makes our families and communities stronger. We are stronger when we work together and help our neighbors, like many of you have done for those who lost so much to the devastating storms across the Midwest recently. Congress could certainly follow this example as they work on a disaster relief bill for farmers and ranchers. Times of crisis are times when we should come together. Using FEMA data and data from a recent Feeding the Economy study, sponsored by the American Farm Bureau Federation and other groups, AFBF economists estimate the total economic contribution of agriculture in areas hit by natural disasters in 2018 and 2019 is more than $80 billion and includes 419,000 ag-related jobs. Our lawmakers need to set politics aside for the good of our farmers, our food security and our economy. I still have hope that our lawmakers can come together for agriculture and for what we can accomplish together as spring blossoms here in Washington. There are policies that will soon be ripe for harvest, from trade to regulatory reform. With USMCA, we have protected the gains of our trade partnership with Canada and Mexico: Now it’s time to urge Congress to get the deal done. Meanwhile, we will continue to work toward finding solutions to remaining challenges like seasonality issues with fruit and vegetable imports. There’s no doubt that the last few seasons have been tough for many in agriculture. From some of the pictures I’ve seen of the impacts of the Midwest flooding, I certainly could understand if things look hopeless. But just as spring returns every year and plants push through the soil, farmers and ranchers push through the hard times. Our hope is perennial and as sure as the seasons. We will endure. We will press on in the hope of a better and more bountiful harvest. Page 11
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Non-profit Organization U.S. POSTAGE PAID Las Cruces, N.M. Permit No.2093
2220 N. Telshor Las Cruces, NM 88011 ELECTRONIC SERVICE REQUESTED
NEW MEXICO FARM & LIVESTOCK BUREAU Since 1917 . . . a Leader in New Mexico
ISSN 0028-6192 2220 N. TELSHOR BLVD. • LAS CRUCES, NM 88011 575.532.4700 • FAX: 575.532.4710 PUBLISHER: New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau New Mexico Farm & Ranch is published monthly. Yearly subscription is $24.00. New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau members receive a complimentary subscription with yearly dues. U.S. Postage PAID, bulk rate, PERMIT #31, Las Cruces, NM 88001. FORWARDING/ RETURN POSTAGE GUARANTEED, ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED. OFFICERS Craig Ogden President, Loving Larry Reagan 1st Vice President, Ft. Sumner Boe Lopez 2nd Vice President, Springer Chad Smith Chief Executive Officer Page 12
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New Mexico Farm & Ranch
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Burl Brown, Des Moines Bud Deerman, La Mesa Crystal Diamond, Elephant Butte Jim Ellett, Hope Duane Frost, Claunch Travis Harris, San Antonio Don Hartman, Deming Gary Hathorn, Flora Vista Leon Hemann, McDonald John Jackson, Lake Arthur Deena Kinman, Elida Donald Martinez, El Rito Steve Myrick, Clovis Tommy Ortiz, Las Vegas Stewart Rooks, Gila Troy Sauble, Maxwell Casey Spradley, Cuba Tom Wilton, Ft. Sumner Anita Hand, Chair Women’s Leadership Committee Andy Ellett, Chair Young Farmer & Rancher Committee REGIONAL DIRECTORS Tanner Anderson Benjie Segovia
Valerie Huerta Director of Organization Matthew Gonzales Director of Government Affairs Brenda Logan Director, Northern Region Ag in the Classroom Traci Curry Director, Southern Region Ag in the Classroom Francisco Hatay Marketing Coordinator Dalene Hodnett Director of Communications and Media Relations Cecilia Diaz-Johnson Bookkeeper Theresa Widner Director of Membership Services Eva Hernandez Executive Administrative Assistant
May 2019