Summer 2021 New Mexico Farm and Ranch

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE NEW MEXICO FARM AND LIVESTOCK BUREAU®

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New Mexico Farm & Ranch

Summer 2021

NMF&LB President’s Column TRACTOR SEAT DAYDREAMING

BY CRAIG OGDEN

NMF&LB Working for You

The spring winds finally have a smell of optimism as they swish by over the ground. Clouds bellow and lightning lights up the sky in the theater presentation of New Mexico’s constantly changing weather. We finally got some rain to freshen the air and luckily didn’t get hail like some others, but we’re grateful for the amount we did receive. As soon as things look as if they are improving other challenges arise that require attention. Unfortunately, these are man-made or political problems that haven’t been addressed or are brand new. I would like to discuss a few of them with you today and some of the efforts the NMF&LB is taking to Ogden cont. on page 25

AFBF President’s Column BEYOND THE FENCEROWS

BY ZIPPY DUVALL

Ranchers Caring for Our Shared Wide-Open Spaces

Take a drive through the countryside in many states, and chances are you’ll catch the familiar sight of cattle roaming pastures and rangeland. As you move West, the rangeland gets more expansive, and you’ll see fewer private property signs. In Western states, the federal government owns every other acre of land, which has been placed in the public trust for all Americans to take part in enjoying, using and conserving. Americans are taking to the road again this summer to enjoy our nation’s wide-open spaces, forests and parks. These lands are under watchful care no matter the season. Many people are surprised when I tell them America’s Duvall cont. on page 26

NMF&LB CEO’s Column CHATTING WITH CHAD

BY CHAD SMITH

Policy Devevelopment - From the Grassroots Up

The importance of policy became very apparent during the last legislative session. We relied on existing policy to support or oppose proposed legislation and because of the strength of current policies we were victorious in the battle against many pieces of legislation that would have been detrimental to agriculture. Because of our grassroots policy it allowed us to advocate for or against key pieces of legislation. However, we could have been much more active in opposing detrimental legislation if we had policy in a few key areas. Grassroot policy development starts at the local level and is utilized to create movement and change. It allows Smith cont. on page 24

On the cover: Russell Johnson stands in front of the new border wall on his property. Read about the complications caused by immigrant traffic in the Border Stories article on page 4.

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New Mexico Farm & Ranch

Summer 2021

Ian & Colin Robson

Farm Credit of New Mexico has been farmer and rancher owned for over a century.

Year in and year out, we’ve provided financial services to family-owned businesses of all sizes, helping them grow and prosper. That’s the difference between being a bank and being customer owned. What can we do for you? farmcreditnm.com 1-800-451-5997

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New Mexico Farm & Ranch

Summer 2021

A Failure of Policy is Endangering Ranching Families along the Border

By Dalene Hodnett, Director of Communications and Media Relations

“I was riding back in our mountain country by myself, riding up an often-used canyon and I was looking for cattle up on the slopes and my horse stopped to pee. I looked down in front of me and there were four men in hunting camo and black masks that were brushed up under a juniper and it boogered me and I kind of jumped…I could see that they had carpet shoes on and big bundles stashed behind them and I had to ride right past them because the canyon walls were so steep. They never blinked, never moved, never made a sound, they just stared at me.”

This is just one of the stories Erica Valdez shares about how life has changed along the border as drug and human smuggling has increased dramatically. Erica’s ranch is south of LordsErica Valdez burg near Animas and she is aware of drug smuggling activity on a daily basis. Whether through dangerous interactions such as the one described, trash left at spotter camps, or damaged water systems, she and her family are paying the price of our nation’s failed immigration policy.

Russell Johnson’s ranch runs for eight miles along the international boundary and he shares Erica’s frustration.

“This ranch has been in our family since 1918 and I’m the fourth generation. This is a great place to ranch, and the border wall was going to provide us with some relief, but unfortunately it didn’t get finished and we’re left with bits and pieces and now it’s increasing the flow of traffic that’s coming through our ranch.” The portion of the wall that was not completed transitions to Normandy barriers and then to a barbed wire fence (which the Johnsons are charged with maintaining) that for a half mile serves as the barrier between Mexico and the United States. This has created a funnel right through the Johnson ranch and the resultant traffic destroys fencing meant to keep cattle from wandering to neighboring ranches or Mexico.

It’s not just the fences that need constant repair, it’s the water systems as well. Amanda Keeler’s ranch is eight miles north of the border, near Hachita. She explains that immigrants looking for water often break off the tank floats leaving the water running. This drains the system and leaves her cattle without water, a dangerous situation in New Mexico’s desert heat.

To hear more of the interviews with Erica, Russell and Amanda, search YouTube for NMFarmBureau for our channel.

Recently, NMF&LB joined all 50 state Farm Bureaus and Above: Amanda Keeler Below: Russell Johnson Puerto Rico in sending a letter urging the Biden administration to address the surge of undocumented immigrants entering the United States. The letter was also sent to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.

“For years our farm and ranch families along the southern border have been caught in the middle of a perilous situation that continues to escalate” says Craig Ogden, President of New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau. “My heart goes out to those families who have farmed and ranched in that area for generations and are victim to dangerous and sometimes violent, drug and human traffickers.” The letter asks the federal government to provide additional resources to secure the U.S. border.

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New Mexico Farm & Ranch

Summer 2021

PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE BADGES We’re excited to share our new Pursuit of Excellence Badge program with you!

The Pursuit of Excellence is a badge program where members earn digital badges to honor their involvement with our organization. These badges are awarded for service on the state and county boards, for grassroots legislative activity, and for volunteering for various programs such as the Women’s Leadership Committee, Collegiate Farm Bureau, or the Young Farmers and Ranchers program.

These badges can be featured in your email signature and included in your LinkedIn profile. They can be utilized on any of your social networks. Your badge includes the details of your accomplishment and identifies you as a Fam Bureau advocate.

What is Digital badging?

We are committed to providing you with the tools necessary to achieve your professional goals and we understand that communicating your credentials in an ever-expanding online marketplace can be challenging. That is why we have partnered with Credly’s Acclaim platform to provide you with a digital version of the credentials you have earned while being a member of New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau.

Digital badges can be used in email signatures or digital resumes, and on social media sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. This digital image contains verified metadata that describes your qualifications and the process required to earn them.

What are Pursuit of Excellence badges?

Our Pursuit of Excellence badges highlight your achievements and allow you to easily manage, verify and share them online. Digital badges are a highlight of your NMF&LB engagement and show the world your level of expertise in agricultural advocacy. They tell people:

What you’ve done Why it’s important Who says it’s important

Questions?

Look for more information on our website at the tab marked Get Involved. You’ll find information on which badges are available and frequently asked questions. We are proud of your accomplishments and hope you will maximize the benefits of your achievements by sharing your success with others.

You can earn a digital badge for a range of activities such as serving on a county board, engagement in leadership programs, or participation in various training. We created these badges as a way to recognize our volunteers.

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New Mexico Farm & Ranch

Summer 2021

Scholars Recognized, Achievements Honored

By Dalene Hodnett, Director of Communications and Media Relations Agriculture is in good hands with the next generation at the helm. From Aztec to Deming, New Mexico’s youth are leading the way to a successful future and county farm bureaus are supporting them through a multitude of scholarships.

Torrance County FLB awarded a scholarship to Johnathan Aday of Estancia. He will be pursuing a degree in Agricultural Business at West Texas A & M University this fall. “We are very proud of Jonathan, and all the graduates in Torrance County, that are continuing their education in agriculture,” says Torrance County FLB President Allen Moreland. “We feel sure that they will make a positive impact in agriculture in the years to come.”

Laney White of Moriar- Jonathan Aday ty High School was chosen by Santa Fe County FLB as their Bud Hagerman Memorial Scholarship recipient. White is a Crimson Scholar at New Mexico State University majoring in Agriculture Business and Economics. “We’re so proud of all Laney has accomplished, says Deanna Runer, President of Santa Fe County FLB. “Every year it gets harder to choose a winner, which shows that the quality of young people in this coming generation. Congratulations Laney, with your support of the ag industry, the future looks bright.”

Deming County FLB recognized several students with scholarships, awarding $1,000 each to Tatumn O’Toole, who received the Ernie Hurt Scholarship, Laney White and Melody Ruebush, Karlie Hudson, Maison Treadwell, Rachel Simpson and Charlese Schultz. “Luna County is proud to award scholarships to our young Ag leaders,” says President Russell Johnson. “There is no better way to invest in our future than supporting our youth in their continued education.”

“San Juan County is honored to recognize our ag youth with these well-deserved scholarships,” says President Gary Hathorn. “We are Page 6

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New Mexico Farm & Ranch

Jessiann Dusenbery Summer 2021

Denym Seabolt

Kaylee Maes

Khale Lucero

Antonio Chav ez

Caleb Genson-Hallum

confident each will be successful in their chosen career.” Jessiann Dusenbery and Denym Seabolt will each receive $500 a semester for eight semesters and Khale Lucero and Caleb Genson-Hallum received the Earl and Opal Hickam Memorial Scholarships in the amount of $1500.00 each. Jessiann, from Aztec, will be attending Eastern New Mexico University to study Animal and Dairy Science.

Also of Aztec, Caleb will be attending San Juan College

in the fall to study Agriculture Business. Denym will be attending the University of New Mexico to study pharmacology and Khale will be attending NMSU majoring in Pre-Veterinary Science.

Colfax County FLB also has a scholarship program and this year they recognized KayLee Maes of Raton and Antonio Chavez of Springer. Each will receive $500 in the coming semester. Colfax County FLB President Troy Sauble says “We are happy to support the youth in the county and one of the ways we do this is through the scholarship program.”

Chad Smith, NMF&LB CEO, echoed the desire to support the next generation. “Our scholarship recipients, like those mentioned above, represent the best of the best and they are worthy of our support.” New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau awarded three scholarships this year, each in the amount of $1,000. Danique Blankvoort, a Page 7

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New Mexico Farm & Ranch

Summer 2021

Danique Blankvoort

Tatumn O’Toole

Abigail Spindle

graduate of Dexter High School, will be pursuing a degree in Public Policy at NMSU. Also attending NMSU in the fall is Tatumn O’Toole from Deming. She is the current state 4-H president and will have a double major in Agricultural Extension and Education and Agricultural Business. Abigail Spindle is from Moriarty and is majoring in Agricultural Economics at Texas Tech University. We are proud to help sponsor these students as they pursue careers that will ensure a successful future for our state’s agricultural community.

A Grassroots Victory for Doña Ana County FLB - proposed natural gas rate hike is significantly reduced

By Benjamin Segovia, New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau, Regional Director

From February 13th to the 17th, Winter Storm Uri hit a large portion of the United States and had a major impact on the state of Texas, causing temperatures to plummet and energy usage to skyrocket. This storm strained the electrical grid to the point where people were without electricity for long periods of time. Electricity producers scrambled to fill the gap left by the loss of renewable energy and a frozen natural gas system. Natural gas utilities had no choice but to pay extraordinarily higher prices to fulfill a high consumer demand.

As with forest fires, most of the public does not know what happens after the smoke clears. The same thing occurred during this winter storm. Most consumers returned to their normal day to day activities. In this case, a natural gas utility company who services five counties in New Mexico, and sourced natural gas from Texas during the storm, found itself needing to request a special rate increase from the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (PRC) to recuperate astronomical expenses it incurred.

The utility company has five classes of users (residential, small commercial, large commercial, irrigation and medium industrial) They proposed a rate increase on natural energy cost to irrigators/farmers of up to 32% for a seventeen-month period. Mesilla Valley pecan farmer and Doña Ana County Farm & Livestock Bureau member, John Clayshulte, became aware of the proposed increase and approached fellow members to activate the grassroots. They created a unified group of fellow farmers and agriculture organizations in an effort to oppose the rate increase by leading a comment writing campaign directed to the PRC Commissioners.

In all fairness, the utility company should be able to recover their increased cost but the way they were going to do it was not fair to the irrigators/farmers. In testimony provided to the Public Regulation Commissioners, it was made clear that very few irrigation wells were being used during the storm. The utility company stated they could break down total energy usage by class. PRC commissioners made the decision to have each class user pay for their actual use, therefore, the irrigator rate increase was reduced to 3.5% for a 36-month period. Through utilization of the grassroots structure, DACF&LB worked with all parties involved and was successful in advocating for a fair and equitable rate increase.

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New Mexico Farm & Ranch

Summer 2021

Growing a Love of Agriculture

New Mexico Agriculture in the Classroom was recently blessed with a significant contribution from an anonymous donor. We are grateful for this donation and appreciate that it speaks to the level of support for our program and the continuous efforts of 20+ years of hard work and passion for agriculture that many Farm Bureau members, volunteers, educators, and program coordinators have put into growing this program into what it is today.

Efforts to build ag awareness will be significantly boosted as we continue to strive to foster in students an appreciation of our farmers and ranchers and an understanding of the importance agriculture plays in our everyday lives. The New Mexico Agriculture in the Classroom program is instrumental in continuing to create educated consumers and in encouraging youth to consider a career in agriculture.

We do this through: Free educational presentations, resources, scholarships, grants, and workshops geared to kindergarten through 12th-grade educators and students to increase awareness in agriculture Creating classroom connections to experts in the field both in-person and virtually Volunteer training for the NM Ag Literacy Project in partnership with FFA, 4-H, and other volunteer groups The contribution received will be instrumental in ensuring sustained funding for years to come for New Mexico Agriculture in the Classroom.

Thank you for your continued support.

Chad Smith CEO,New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau Page 9

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New Mexico Farm & Ranch

Summer 2021

LOCAL TEACHERS RECEIVE CHS SCHOLARSHIP Teachers from across the U.S., including two from NM, were selected to receive scholarships from the CHS Foundation to attend the 2021 National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference "Field of Dreams" this June 28-July 1, in Des Moines, Iowa.

Annette Joyner, a family and consumer science teacher at Mountain View Middle School in Alamogordo, and Mary Lucero, an educator in Ft. Sumner, were both awarded scholarships that covered the cost of conference registration.

I am so excited to get to attend the NAITC conference in Iowa! I know I will learn a lot and I can't wait to get back to share that information with my students and also my fellow teachers! I never forget the things that made me smile!

-Annette Joyner

Ag in the Classroom offers a great place to exchange ideas for teaching the value of agriculture to students from all walks of life. I look forward to using these ideas in my classes and in the workshops we host on our demonstration farm.

-Mary Lucero

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New Mexico Farm & Ranch

The following individuals have begun documenting what New Mexico agriculture looks like to them, in a year’s scope, by submitting videos. Regardless of the snow, rain, mid-day heat, or rolling winds, agriculture still happens. Farmers and ranchers are dedicated to their passion and skill, and New Mexico Ag in the Classroom is excited to share what that looks like.

Follow the link to view current videos up: http://bit.ly/nmag24seven NMAITC “New Mexico Ag 24seven” AGvocates: Big Jim Farms: Los Ranchos, chile & water Bronson Corn: Roswell, ranching/sheep Erin & Allyn Fuchs: Santa Rosa, ranching/cattle & meat processing Ethan & Diane Fuchs: Santa Rosa, ranching/cattle Don Hartman: Deming, chile & water Russell Johnson: Columbus, ranching/cattle Seth Martin: Clovis, wheat & water Kris Massey: Animas, alfalfa Deveri Mathews: Portales, dairy & water Craig Ogden: Malaga, ranching/cattle & water Larry Reagan: Ft. Sumner, ranching/cattle & drought Dickie Salopek: Las Cruces, pecans Ralph Vigil: ABQ, specialty crops Austin Vincent: Des Moines, ranching/cattle Jamie Viramontes: Deming, watermelon & various produce Summer 2021

More to come! Could the next AGvocate be you?

T

Native American Agriculture Fund Sponsors NM Teachers

g n f

e

We are excited to announce that an additional two teachers from New Mexico received scholarships to attend the 2021 National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference thanks to a new opportunity provided by the Native American Agriculture Fund (NAAF). Vickie Lake, an agriculture teacher and FFA advisor in Shiprock, NM, and Oliva Coriz, a prekindergarten educator with the Santo Domingo Early Childhood Learning Center, were among teachers across the nation awarded scholarships. NAFF partnered with National Agriculture in the Classroom to offer scholarships specific to teachers of Native American ancestry or teachers of Native American students to attend the 2021 NAITC Conference “Field of Dreams” that took place June 28-July 1 in Des Moines, Iowa. The scholarship covered registration and travel expenses to the conference.

Thank you to these generous NMAITC sponsors: Rainmaker Sponsors:

Harvester Sponsors:

Cultivator Sponsors: New Mexico Cattle Growers' Association Roswell Livestock & Farm Supply

ForPage a complete listFarm of sponsors visit https://newmexico.agclassroom.org/about/donate/.

11 • New Mexico & Ranch Summer 2021

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Come on by, we’d love to see you!

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Store Hours: 8 am - 5:30 pm Monday–Friday 8 am - 12 pm Saturday

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Retail Agricultural Inputs

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Guy Cauthorn 512.658.0134 cauthorng@anco.com T. Cy Griffin 325.226.0432 cy@cauthornandgriffin.com

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For all your branding iron needs

800-437-8068

Farmington, NM 505-566-2630 401 Main St. | Muleshoe, TX 79347 (806) 272-4703

Emergency: 575-714-2915 Page 12

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New Mexico Farm & Ranch

Summer 2021

BE SET IN YOUR WAYS OR SET ON IMPROVING THEM.

© 2015 All rights reserved.

There’s no escaping change. Especially when you’re trying to keep pace with a growing nation. So when the time comes to buy new equipment, purchase land, a rural home or expand your operation, Ag New Mexico Farm Credit will be there. We give rural New Mexico access to the financial support it needs to never stop growing.

AgNewMexico.com 800.357.3545 Albuquerque • Clovis • Las Cruces • Roswell

Naturally New Mexico Foods

DESERT SCALES

In the Meat Business Over 30 Years • Donald Martinez

Truck Scales Livestock Scales Feed Truck Scales

Specializing in Lamb Meat

El Rito, NM • 575-581-4576

& WEIGHING EQUIPMENT

1-800/489-8354 CLIFF WAIDE

602/258-5272 602/275-7582 www.desertscales.com Lic. # 387830

Owner

www.admlabs.com Page 13

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New Mexico Farm & Ranch

YOUR ZIMMATIC FULL SERVICE DEALER

6436 Old Dexter Hwy. | Dexter, NM 88230 Fax: (575) 624-2373

Office: (575) 622-4416 Email: cwaide@dfn.com

Summer 2021

Organic Agriculture Supplies Since 1980 Organic Fertilizer Bio-rational Pest Control Organic Cover Crop Seed Biological Inoculants Drip Irrigation Supplies

FA R M SU P PL Y ORG AN IC S For better growing …from the ground up!

Based in Sebastopol, CA Online at: www.harmonyfarm.com or call 1-707-823-9125

Taking care of your Farm, Ranch, Rural and Lake Property Needs all across New Mexico.

3879 State Road 209 Broadview, NM 88112 Paul Stout (575) 456-2000 www.bigmesarealty.com

Qualifying Broker (575) 760-5461

#18912

Ranches Homes Land LLC stacie@americanwestre.com

Stacie Ewing

575-377-3382 575-779-6314

P.O. Box 73 Eagle Nest, NM 87718

NEW! We now have haul in cattle facilities! is available for purchase at the City of Santa Fe’s Wastewater Plant.

Large & Small Animal Practice Internal Medicine & Surgery

The City of Santa Fe currently composts local wood wastes, bio-solids and stable horse bedding at the Wastewater Treatment Plant. The final product is a high grade soil amendment.

73 Paseo Real • Weekdays 8 am - 2:30 pm Check availability: 955-4650 or www.santafenm.gov/compost

DOMENICI LAW FIRM, P.C. ATTORNEYS AT LAW

320 Gold Avenue SW Suite 1000 Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102-3228 Tel (505) 883-6250 www.domenicilaw.com

DOCTOR ON CALL FOR EMERGENCIES 24 HOURS

 Portable Digital Radiology  Ruminant Medicine  In- House Laboratory  Farm/House Calls  Small & Large Animal Surgeries 2126 Old US 66

Edgewood, NM 87015

(505) 286-4604 • www.westerntrailsvet.com

Plaza Realty

When Only The Best Will Do! We Know New Mexico!

PO Box 985 216 Warm Springs Blvd.

Elephant Butte, NM 87935

575.744.5140 FAX 575.744.5121 www.plazarealtynm.com

BAR M REAL ESTATE Bar M Real Estate providing professional brokerage and appraisal services specializing in farm and ranch properties. We Live The Life. www.ranchesnm.com SCOTT MCNALLY P.O. Box 428 Qualifying Broker Roswell, NM 88202

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New Mexico Farm & Ranch

Farm & Ranch Sales & Appraisals

Bus/Res: (575) 622-5867 Fax: (575) 622-5867 Mobile: (575) 420-1237

Larry G. Marshall Dexter (575) 734-5415 | Roswell (575) 623-1020 | Artesia (575) 746-6544

www.AgentLarryMarshall.com

Summer 2021

Aerial Rangeland Spraying, Surveys, & Charter by Fixed Wing & Helicopter

BLUE GOLD

Industrial Cleaner/Degreaser Safety for the Worker • Blue Gold is NOT a - Caustic, Acid or Chemical Solvent • Blue Gold IS a safe non-toxic cleaner

BLUE GOLD IS: Non-toxic • Non-flammable • Non-corrosive Rust inhibitive • 99.3% phospate free Recyclable • Meets OSHA requirements

Safety of the Product • Safe for use on: - ferrous and non-ferrous metals - rubber and plastics

If it’s SAFE with water, it’s SAFE with Blue Gold

Kinetic Improvement

(505) 298-8842 Albuquerque, New Mexico www.kineticimprovement.com

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• Vibration Analysis • Dynamic Balancing • Precision Aligning

Agri-Land Advisors, LLC Appraisal - Review - Consulting

Colin S. McVaugh, ARA

Certified General Appraiser

PO Box 3203 Mesilla Park, NM 88047

575-649-0788

colin@agrilandadvisors.com www.agrilandadvisors.com

Michael Niendorf WILD GAME PROCESSING MEAT STORAGE Grover Armstrong, Owner The Country Store: 575-773-4545 Home: 575-773-4546

• Largest group of wool buyers in the U.S.A. • Competitive bidding • Producer, owner and operator “Dedicated to a Tradition of Integrity”

1-800-624-WOOL (9665) www.roswellwool.com

Office: 575-623-8440 Fax: 575-623-8442 Cell: 575-365-8291

920 East 2nd Roswell, NM 88201

burnettjimbob@gmail.com www.michelethomesteadrealty.com

Jim Bob Burnett

Associate Broker NMREC License #54042

Michelet Homestead Realty AG Networks LLC

PO BOX 10435 | Albuquerque, NM 87184 Cell: 505.227.7318 riograndescales@yahoo.com

Cardinal & Rice Lake Authorized Distributor Over 20 Years Experience Specialized in Mechanical Scales Servicing All Makes & Models Mechanical & Electronic

FIBERGLASS

AGRICULTURAL PETROLEUM ENVIRONMENTAL CUSTOM

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Feed & Fertilizer Tanks

800.487.4834

Livestock & Wildlife Tanks Fresh & Potable Water Tanks

Tanks approved for NRCS Cost Share Program

EASTVIEW IRRIGATION 425 SALT MISSION TRAIL P.O. BOX 531 ESTANCIA, NM 87016 (505) 384-2966

CENTRAL NM ZIMMATIC CENTER PIVOT AND LATERAL DEALER

(575) 988-3508 2838 PECOS HWY CARLSBAD, NM 88220

Feed Store & More Page 15

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New Mexico Farm & Ranch

Summer 2021

Animal & Range Sciences A Department of Animal & Range Sciences is part of the College of Agricultural, Consumer & Environmental Sciences

On-Campus animal facilities house: Beef Cattle/ Horses / Sheep / Goats

%

Hereford, Angus and Charolais Bill 505-220-9909 Tom 505-321-8808 Loewen Genesis billkingranch.com G16 ET

Students can major in Animal or Rangeland Resources and are provided with the very best of “hands on” academic instruction by our faculty. Fully equipped labs allow students access to cutting-edge research in; Livestock Nutrition / Genetics / Physiology / Endocrinology / Meat Science / Wool/ Toxicology / Watershed & Rangeland Ecology / Weed & Brush Control / Plant Systematics / Grazing Management

The department also offers pre-veterinary studies - our graduates have a high acceptance rate into veterinary medicine programs. We offer graduate degrees at the Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy levels. The M.S. or Ph. D. in Animal Science can emphasize nutrition or physiology, and offer a Ph.D. in Range Science to study range management, range ecology and watershed management.

Dr. Shanna Ivey (575) 646-2515 ∙ Dr. John Campbell (575) 646-6180 http://aces.nmsu.edu/academics/anrs

REGENERATE WEAVING WATER, LAND, AND PEOPLE

A hybrid conference Fall 2021

REGENERATECONFERENCE.COM Holistic Management International | Quivira Coalition | American Grassfed Association

PORTALES MEAT PROCESSING 42707 US. Hwy 70 Portales, NM 88130 575-356-0501 Emergency: 575-714-2911

Cornerstone Tax Services, LLC Your ease of mind is our priority

Income Tax Preparation & Resolution, Bookkeeping & Payroll Service ~ Federally Licensed Enrolled Agent ~ Kandie Daves, EA • Cell: 575-740-0077 • cornerstonetax2@gmail.com 200 Rock Canyon Rd, POB 1669 • Elephant Butte, NM 87935 Phone: 575-744-4088 • Fax: 575-744-4460

C & J Traders EKO Inc. BUY - SELL - TRADE

Stock Trailers • CM Trailers & Truck Beds Flatbeds • Livestock Panels • Livestock Feed Ernest & Kim Ortiz • (505) 832-9300 • (505) 220-6035 C & J Traders cjtraders.com 2503 W. US Route 66 • PO Box 2235 • Moriarty, NM 87035

COWTOWN FEED & LIVESTOCK TIETJEN RANCH

Buyers & Sellers of All Classes of Livestock Feed • Livestock • Medicine • Wool • Mohair

DUDLEY & BRENDA BYERLEY dudleybyerley@yahoo.com

N. Hwy 491 - PO Box 852 - Gallup, NM 87305 Wk: 505-722-6913 - Hm: 505-722-4604 - After Hours: 505-870-2535

LIMOUSINE CATTLE

3921 Tidwell Road Carlsbad, NM 88220 575.628.8388 | 575.361.3216 www.guadalupemountainfencing.com

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New Mexico Farm & Ranch

DRAFT HORSES

RUNNING CREEK RANCH CO., LLC JOE FREUND

(303) 841-7901 Cell (303) 475-6062

45400 RD 21 ELIZABETH, CO 80107

Fax (303) 840-1849 jfreund@myedl.com

Summer 2021

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Visit FordFarmBureauAdvantage.com today! * Farm Bureau Bonus Cash is exclusively for active Farm Bureau members who are residents of the United States. $500 Bonus Cash on the purchase or lease of an eligible new 2020/2021/2022 Ford Ranger, F-150 or Super Duty.® This incentive is not available on F-150 Raptor, F-600, F-650 and F-750 Super Duty®. This offer may not be used in conjunction with most other Ford Motor Company private incentives or AXZD-Plans. Some customer and purchase eligibility restrictions apply. Must be a Farm Bureau member for 30 consecutive days prior to purchase or lease and take new retail delivery from an authorized Ford Dealer’s stock by January 3, 2022. Visit FordFarmBureauAdvantage.com or see your authorized Ford Dealer for qualifications and complete details. Note to dealer: Claim in VINCENT using #37860.

Official National Sponsor:

Water quality and its effects on pasture use and cattle performance

By Dr. Marcy Ward, NMSU, ACES-CES Livestock Specialist

New Mexico’s ranches are predominantly family-owned businesses that contribute an estimated $114 million to rural economies (NMDA 2019). Resiliency of ranch operations are rooted in sustainable management that focus on balancing animal numbers with water and forage availability. Though drought is a relative constant in the desert southwest, severe droughts have become more frequent and prolonged. Extreme dry conditions have been documented 16 out of the last 20 years for the region (epa.gov, 2020). In 2019, 30,000 beef cows left the state of New Mexico due to drought, followed by a 16% reduction in herd replacements in 2020 (USDA Nass, 2020). Culling began in the early summer prior to the monsoon season, as water resources along with forage were no longer available. From personal communications, some ranches were forced to cull up to 50% of their cow herd between 2019 and 2020. This rate of herd reduction is a tremendous threat to the New Mexico beef industry and rural economies. Even during normal precipitation years, water availability and quality remain a persistent problem for ranchers in these arid regions.

For one New Mexico ranch, a water quality survey revealed all water sources were greater than 400 mg/L in CaCO3 (brackish), and five of the eight water sources were also dangerously high in Na, and Fe (Ward 2019, unpublished data). Based on these results, it could be hypothesized that these mineral levels would restrict how much water animals would drink at these sources, altering their grazing behavior. If daily water intake is restricted due to quality, how might it also be affecting cattle performance and health, and thus the producer’s profitability?

Previous work has demonstrated inconsistency of water availability and quality Figure 1. Shade balls for stock tank (Beef Magazine May 7, 2019) affect animals’ watering behavior and influences forage use patterns in pastures (Holechek et al., 2011). Research has also shown water quality reduces weight gain in both yearling cattle and beef cows on pasture (Lardner et al., 2005). Sulfates are another common problem for many ranches in New Mexico. When sulfate levels exceed 2800 ppm, water and feed intake is reduced which results in reduced growth and weight loss in cows. Sulfur also reduces copper absorption. Copper is an essential mineral for optimum reproduction and immunity. If steps can be made to improve water quality, access, and conservation, ranchers may improve cattle performance and health, pasture utilization, and range management.

To address these issues, members of the NMSU Range Improvement Task Force have been working on several projects focusing on water quality and use in beef cows and wildlife grazing arid rangelands. The current research will determine pasture use and distribution based on watering behavior due to quality and access. The data may also determine if there is a Page 18

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genetic link to water use efficiency. The next step will be to evaluate different tools and systems designed to improve water resources. This information will help producers assess the need to address water quality, invest in improved access, which intern could allow them reach additional acres of forage. The potential impact of this project will be to reduce the impacts of drought and improve resource and financial resiliency of New Mexico’s beef cattle operations that are increasingly faced with more extreme climate variability. When producers are more financially stable, the rural communities they support may also thrive.

Figure 2. Windmill pond aeration system (paulfishfarm.com)

The first step a producer can take to start their water management plan is assess water quality. Many laboratories that do feed analysis also analyze water. The reports typically include mineral and compound levels and will indicate if those levels are safe, moderate, or too high for livestock. For more information on safe mineral levels in water for livestock, visit https:// aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_m/M112/welcome.html.

If it is determined that a ranch has unsafe levels of calcium carbonate, sodium, iron, nitrates, phosphorus, or sulfur, there are options to improve quality. Managing evaporation can keep mineral concentrations in check and save water. Shade balls have become an effective way to help with evaporative loss in stock tanks (Fig. 1.). Water aeration is another method that can improve water quality (Fig. 2). Aerating water reduces the risk of harmful algae build up, manages phosphorus distribution, and oxygenates sulfur, iron, and manganese. All will improve odor, palatability, and problematic mineral levels.

Both require a financial investment, but should pay dividends at the weaning pen.

Save the Date!

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County Spotlight

Otero County Farm & Livestock Bureau Pitches in to Repair Greenhouse at Alamogordo Middle School

COVID and vandals proved to be a bad combination for the greenhouse at Mt. View Middle School leaving it broken and overgrown with weeds. But with some help from Otero County Farm & Livestock Bureau, airmen of Holloman’s 49th Wing, and community partners, the outdoor classroom is right as rain.

“It was so disheartening to return to school and see my greenhouse in such disrepair,” says Annette Joyner who teaches Family and Consumer Science at the middle school. “It had been vandalized and because we had been gone from school for so long, the bermuda grass had taken over my basil and mint plants. Thank goodness for the wonderful volunteers who came to help.”

On Saturday, March 27th volunteers gathered to pull weeds, repair water lines and paint picnic tables. “Our students have had a difficult time with the virtual learning, so I needed to get them back into the swing of things, and most importantly keep them safe. Outdoors is the safest place to be and that is why we decided to fix up the greenhouse and pergola area, which I could not have done without everyone’s support.” Joyner has had the greenhouse since 2008 and uses it to grow things such as herbs for her cooking classes, pumpkins to make pies with her students, and tomatoes to sell at the farmers market.

Joyner also incorporates a great deal of agricultural lessons into her classroom and was recognized as the New Mexico Ag in the Classroom Teacher of the Year in 2013. “Through her culinary arts program, Mrs. Joyner continuously strives to help her students make important connections to agriculture,” says Traci Curry, Director of NMAITC. “Students get to learn how their hard work grows great tasting food, which creates lifelong memories and connections to agriculture.”

Otero County F&LB members were happy to help. “I feel the purpose of Farm Bureau is to teach people about agriculture and what we do as food producers,” says Earlene Ellett, Otero County F&LB member. “Helping restore the school green house was a wonderful opportunity to do just that.” Below are photos of Holloman Air Force Base members and Jim Ellett, Innis Lewis and Earlene Ellett helping with the repairs. Photo credit - Traci Curry.

Torrance County Farm & Livestock Hosts Safety Day

When you think of farm and ranch safety you might imagine tractor roll bars or ear protection from loud noises, but there’s so much more to be aware of when working on a farm or ranch. “Unfortunately, those in agriculture can face some significant risks,” says Allen Moreland, President of Torrance County Farm & Livestock Bureau. “Whether it’s endangering your eyes by not wearing safety glasses or risking skin cancer by not wearing a hat and sunscreen, farm and ranch safety is so much more than tractors and horses.”

To highlight the importance of safety when on the farm or ranch, Torrance County Farm & Livestock Bureau, in conjunction with the mayor’s office and Rick Lopez of the Estancia American Legion Post 22, held a safety fair with booths Page 20

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at the park in Estancia on Saturday, June 12th. The day kicked off with a tractor parade beginning at 11:00am.

“We encouraged local FFA students and 4-H members to participate since they are the future of agriculture” says Moreland. “Our community really needed this type of activity so we could rally together. The isolation caused by COVID has been hard on everyone.” Photo credit - Katelin Spradley

Calling New Mexico Agricultural Youth!

We are working hard to develop these new contests and obtain sponsors for scholarships and prizes. We need the outstanding youth of New Mexico to participate!

NEW MEXICO STATE FAIR  Agriculture & Natural Resources Science Fair Contest

Win NMSU College of ACES Scholarships!!

Win Prizes!!

Develop valuable workforce skills!!

New opportunity to compete in agricultural contests!!

 Agriculture & Natural Resources Public Speaking Contest  Contests on Sept 11, 2021 – Entries due by August 1st

SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO STATE FAIR  Agriculture & Natural Resources Science Fair Contest  Agriculture & Natural Resources Public Speaking Contest  Contests on September 25, 2021, Entries due by September 1st

To request information packet email NMYouth@NMSU.edu or call (575) 646-1162 Page 21

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Santa Fe: A Review and Preview

By Tiffany Rivera, Director of Government Affairs

This year’s legislative session was truly a historic one. Amid a global health pandemic, the NM legislature held its 60-day legislative session entirely through Zoom. Unlike years past, we were not able to be in the Roundhouse to advocate and meet with our elected leaders in person. This lack of access created a real challenge as we had a large cohort of new legislators with whom we had minimal opportunities to meet with before they were off to begin work in Santa fe.

The virtual legislative session posed many challenges this year requiring we take on a new approach to our advocacy efforts. We had to change the way we used our resources, really focus on utilizing our relationships and connections, and most importantly divide and conquer as a team. Many of the committees this session required you to register before their hearings in order to testify and provide comment. If you were lucky you would receive the required link and would generally be granted one minute to present your comment. As you can imagine this made providing testimony very challenging. We had to strategically plan what was most important and ensure that we could hit that point hard in our given time. We made many calls, sent emails, and texted back and forth with our legislators to best brief them on our stances. We also worked closely with committee staffers and analysts who compiled reports and one pagers for the various pieces of legislation being considered.

This year we monitored and tracked 184 pieces of legislation. We had some major wins including securing $500,000 for the NM Livestock Board to begin developing a statewide meat inspection program. Another notable victory was the defeat of the dreaded SB 103 Restricting the Use of Neonicotinoid Pesticides, sponsored by the Senate Pro Tem Mimi Stewart. Defeating this bill was a long and hard-fought battle. Only through strong collaboration and coordination with multiple groups and organizations were we able to kill this bill after three hours of floor debate. We strongly applaud Senator Pirtle on his stellar presentation during this bill’s floor hearing, he highlighted many good points on how and why this class of pesticides needs to be available for use by our state’s agriculture producers.

Unfortunately, experienced some major losses this year including HB 20 Healthy Workplaces Act (paid sick leave) and SB 32 Wildlife Conservation & Public Safety Act (banning trapping on public lands). We tried our absolute best with both bills, unfortunately we could not garner enough support to kill them. We will monitor both pieces of legislation as they go through their respective rulemaking and into implementation.

Although there were many ups and downs this past session, looking back I believe we did an excellent job all things considered. It was the strangest of circumstances to host a legislative session where policy that would affect us in our day to day lives was being developed and voted on virtually. I would like to thank our issue advisory committees and all our members who assisted in our advocacy efforts, this is truly a team effort and your actions, input, calls, and texts were extremely effective and very much appreciated. I would also like to take a moment to thank the entire NMF&LB advocacy team for all their hard work, assistance, and support this legislative session.

Special Session

A short week and a half after the 60-day regular legislative session concluded, Governor Lujan Grisham called legislators back for a special session to continue work on crafting a recreational cannabis bill. This piece of legislation was a major priority of the Executive as it was being looked at as a significant revenue generator. Multiple cannabis bills were presentPage 22

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ed to and considered by the legislature during the regular session, however none of them were successful in passing both chambers before the legislative clock expired. Legislators met again in Santa Fe for two days during which they passed HB 2 The Cannabis Regulation Act sponsored by Representative Javier Martinez. HB 2 makes it legal for individuals 21 and over to possess and utilize cannabis and establishes the regulatory framework for commercial production and sales. The legislation also states that commercial sales are slated to begin no later than April 1, 2022. The Governor signed HB 2 into law on April 12th.

Interim

The 2021 interim season officially kicked off with the first meeting of the Legislative Finance Committee in Santa Fe. The meeting was held in person at the Capital and was the first legislative meeting open for in-person participation.

Although we had to observe from the House gallery chamber, it was great to finally be back in the Capital and connect with the legislators in person. The main task on the committee’s plate during this hearing was to discuss what type of action they’d be seeking in the future regarding $1.6 billion dollars of federal money which the legislature appropriated and the Governor vetoed. There is a major question at hand regarding who has the power to appropriate these federal funds. The legislature argues that it is the appropriating body and has the ultimate authority of how the funds are to be spent. However, the Governor believes that these funds fall under her jurisdiction. NM law states that any money deposited into the general fund is subject to legislative appropriation. Due to the uncertainty of this issue, the legislature is considering taking legal action to once and for all settle the question of who has the ultimate appropriating power over federal funds. The state will be receiving a single lump payment of $1.75 billion dollars, an increase over the originally anticipated $1.6 billion. It is uncertain what the federal fund will be utilized for and who will get to make that determination. We will continue to monitor this issue as the interim proceeds.

All interim committees will meet virtually during the month of June for their respective planning meetings. In July, actual hearings will be scheduled statewide and will be held in person. Please watch the Daily Dirt for interim committee notices and opportunities to engage with your legislators as the committees make their way across the state. The interim is a great time to get to know your locally elected officials and learn their stances on issues you care about.

This year the interim committees will only run through the month of November, cutting their schedule down a month to address redistricting. The legislators will need to call a special session in December to finalize the redistricting proposal for the state. Redistricting occurs after every census and is the process in which the state redraws its congressional and state legislative district boundaries. This is an extremely important process and will have a direct impact on the composition of our Congressional delegation and state legislature. The redistricting effort in NM will be headed by a Citizens Redistricting Committee who will be tasked with drawing the maps, hosting public meeting statewide where they will take public input, and developing a recommendation which they will present to the legislature. The state ethics committee voted on members of the committee during its June 4th meeting. As it becomes available, you can access the state’s redistricting information via the NM Legislature website. I encourage you all to participate in this effort and attend the local meetings and hearings as they pass through your communities.

NMF&LB is excited to announce that in order to increase accessibility and reach a broader audience, the New Mexico Farm & Ranch newsletter will be transitioned to a digital format. This is our last mailed issue, but you will find new quarterly issues on the FB Benefits app through your smartphone or online at https://issuu. com/nmfb. We’ll alert you through Facebook and the Daily Dirt when new issues are published. Thank you for your understanding as we continue to look for new opportunities to better serve you.

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Smith from page 2 for local ideas, concepts, and issues to grow into state and national policy, all while allowing each individual member the opportunity to voice their opinion. This movement all starts with you, our members. Policy is a statement of intent that reflects the thoughts, opinions, and values of our members as it pertains to a specific topic. Members bring forward issues that are important to them and produce statements on those issues. Policy statements can support, oppose, or even remain neutral on a topic. Policies are utilized to guide our organizational and advocacy efforts for the year. The NMF&LB policy book is a living document that evolves over time along with the development of issues.

NMF&LB utilizes the policies crafted and adopted by our membership in a multitude of ways. We use our policies in decision making, legislative advocacy, state and national affairs, regulatory reform, commenting opportunities, and letters of support or opposition, and much more. It is the document staff lives by while advocating for membership. Strong policy is essential to ensure that the voices of our membership are heard.

So how is policy developed? Policy development is a yearlong process that starts at the county level during county board meetings, policy is then voted on at county annual meetings before it moves to the state level for consideration at our annual meeting in November. Prior to the state annual meeting, a resolutions committee meeting will be held, made up of all the county presidents who meet and go through all the resolutions submitted. This is an opportunity to know what policy is coming forward but also to allow opportunity to deal with duplicative resolutions and streamline the process during the house of delegates.

Prior to the annual meeting, counties will receive a resolutions form, a resolutions memo, and a voting delegate report. Counties should utilize these documents in order to submit policy items for consideration during the house of delegates. Remember that resolutions must be submitted on the resolutions form. When filling out the resolution form it is imperative that the county provide as much background information as possible as this background information provides supporting evidence for the policy and is extremely important from a historical perspective. Each section is important and tells us the origin or where it came from, the recommendation or the action, and the background or the history.

We encourage you to start thinking about any policies that we may be lacking or that need amending. Topics that may need to be addressed include: 1) Production Agriculture Mandates 2) Pesticide Use/Requirements/Prohibitions 3) Boards and commissions (specifically the game commission) 4) Rural Representation/Resiliency 5) Establishment of statewide agriculture plans (AG/General omnibus bills, Agriculture plans and mandates)

These are just a few examples and remember that policy is the backbone of our organization and provides us the guidance on how to best serve you our members while ensuring that your voices and values represented. Thank you for your efforts in policy development and we look forward to these important discussions. See you in November!

Women’s Leadership Committee Creates Care Kits

New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau’s Women’s Leadership Committee gathered June 8th to assemble care kits for residents of La Casa, a shelter in Las Cruces for women impacted by domestic violence.

The WLC purchased over $200 work of supplies and created 28 kits containing personal items such as toothbrushes, socks and body lotion. “We’re pleased to support the important work of La Casa by providing personal items to its residents,” says Anita Hand, president of the Women’s Leadership Committee.

“Often times, victims of domestic abuse leave in a rush and have little time to gather essentials as they run for safety. We’re happy to provide this piece of comfort in a tumultuous moment.”

WLC members: Earlene Ellett, Sue Deerman, Carlina Harris, Cheryl Hartman, Melinda Jackson and Connie Rooks Page 24

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Ogden from page 2 bring them to the forefront.

The first is the continuing problem on the border. The four border states of New Mexico, California, Arizona and Texas have joined the 46 states and Puerto Rico in signing onto a letter sent to the Biden Administration and Secretaries Mayorkas, Haaland and Vilsack. We shall see if it helps, but relief will never come soon enough for those families dealing with the situation.

You can hear testimonies of the difficulties of farming and ranching along the border by going to YouTube and searching for NMFarmBureau. There you will find interviews with Russell Johnson, Amanda Keeler and Erica Valdez where they explain the effects of immigration on their families, cattle and lands.

The second is taxes. Death and taxes appear to affect families more often than not, but when put together, they intensify the hardship. The new administration is proposing to eliminate the step-up basis, increase corporate tax rate, reduce the estate tax exemption and treat the tax rate on capital gains and dividends like that of ordinary income. Work is in progress to campaign against these changes and to explain the effects they would have on our FB families.

The third is the America the Beautiful Campaign. This is the goal of conserving 30 percent of America’s land and waters by 2030. A preliminary report was done by the U.S. Department of the Interior, USDA, the US Department of Commerce, and the Council on Environmental Quality. The report is somewhat vague, but two interesting points caught my attention. The first was input from stakeholders which stated that historically, conservation efforts done by Federal agencies was more focused on the West. The second and the best is that they realize that private property rights should be honored. This campaign is just starting with details coming later. We all should monitor the situation and get involved if the opportunity arises.

New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau is always looking for ways to improve what we do. Changes are made and even moved back sometimes. Your input is valuable, so give me a call if you like. You can’t do the same thing and expect different results. I told Chad Smith this joke the other day which drives home this point, so I will share it with you. Fellow Aggies please don’t take it personally.

Two Aggies were hauling hay for the summer. They would go and get the hay out of the field, pay the farmer $9/bale and take it to their place where they would then resale it for $9/bale. After a month of doing this they realized they weren’t making any money. So, the solution by one of the Aggies was, “Well, I guess we’ll just have to haul more hay”. I wanted to end on a humorous note, for humor and a smile are sometimes the only thing that gets you through a rough day.

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Serving Northern New Mexico

website We s t r i c t l y l a w s

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Duvall from page 2 ranchers are often the first caretakers and first responders to ensure the safety and sustainability of our public lands.

For more than 40 years, federal law has protected “multiple use” management of public lands, which permits a wide range of activities from recreation to ranching. Nationwide, more than 200 million acres of public lands are used for grazing, mainly in the West.

Grazing on public lands is critical to conserving our nation’s vast open lands. It helps reduce the risk of devastating wildfires, slows the spread of invasive weeds, helps build robust root systems and spurs forage growth. In some areas, wildlife will follow cattle herds to eat the new forage that grows once the herd has moved on. This cycle helps increase the health of wildlife habitats.

Ranchers often serve as volunteer caretakers, spotting wildfires, clearing debris and reporting dangers to local law enforcement. A 2017 report from University of Wyoming Extension found that for each pound of beef raised on public lands, we get $0.44 in ecosystem related returns. These returns are benefits like habitat maintenance, biodiversity, forage production, recreation and tourism. Both public and private rangelands support over 23 million head of cattle, and our beef cattle ranches are responsible for 2.1 million jobs across the country.

As some of the original conservationists, America’s ranchers work hard to responsibly manage and conserve rangeland, both public and private. Recently the Biden administration laid out principles to help the federal government reach its goal of conserving 30% of our nation’s land by 2030. We must remember—and remind lawmakers—that conservation and productive use of land go hand-in-hand. The work ranchers do on public lands already plays an important role in conservation, and I was happy to see that the administration acknowledged the importance of working public lands in their report.

Ranchers could be even more effective at conserving our nation’s public lands if we further streamlined the regulatory process for grazing permits. The National Environmental Policy Act was passed in the 1960s with the goal of helping protect and enhance our environment. Today, bureaucratic red tape and backlogs can result in ranchers waiting more than a decade for the environmental review process as they seek a grazing permit. Worse yet, these delays often occur on renewal applications.

Responsible management of our rangeland benefits all stakeholders. We are each one of those stakeholders because our public lands are for everyone. Farmers and ranchers know firsthand the importance of conservation in keeping all our nation’s land productive and thriving. For generations, ranchers have done their part to protect the land and ensure our children and our grandchildren can enjoy the wide open spaces we cherish across our great country.

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Non Profit Organization PRSRT MKT

US POSTAGE

PAID

2220 N. Telshor Las Cruces, NM 88011

PERMIT 1152

Albuquerque, NM

ELECTRONIC SERVICE REQUESTED

NEW MEXICO FARM & LIVESTOCK BUREAU Since 1917 . . . a Leader in New Mexico

NMF&LB 2220 N. TELSHOR BLVD. LAS CRUCES, NM 88011 575.532.4700 • FAX: 575.532.4710 OFFICERS Craig Ogden President, Loving Larry Reagan 1st Vice President, Ft. Sumner Boe Lopez 2nd Vice President, Springer Chad Smith Chief Executive Officer

BOARD BOARD OF OF DIRECTORS DIRECTORS

Burl BurlBrown, Brown,Des DesMoines Moines Bud BudDeerman, Deerman,La LaMesa Mesa Crystal CrystalDiamond, Diamond,Elephant ElephantButte Butte Jim Ellett, Hope Jim Ellett, Hope Duane DuaneFrost, Frost,Claunch Claunch Travis TravisHarris, Harris,San SanAntonio Antonio Don DonHartman, Hartman,Deming Deming Gary GaryHathorn, Hathorn,Flora FloraVista Vista Leon LeonHemann, Hemann,McDonald McDonald John JohnJackson, Jackson,Lake LakeArthur Arthur Deena DeenaKinman, Kinman,Elida Elida Donald DonaldMartinez, Martinez,El ElRito Rito Steve SteveMyrick, Myrick,Clovis Clovis Tommy TommyOrtiz, Ortiz,Las LasVegas Vegas Stewart StewartRooks, Rooks,Gila Gila Troy TroySauble, Sauble,Maxwell Maxwell Mario MarioTrujillo, Trujillo,Questa Questa Tom TomWilton, Wilton,Ft. Ft.Sumner Sumner Anita AnitaHand, Hand,Chair Chair Women’s Women’sLeadership LeadershipCommittee Committee Andy AndyEllett, Ellett,Chair Chair Young YoungFarmers Farmers& &Ranchers RanchersCommittee Committee

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REGIONAL DIRECTORS Benjie Segovia Katelin Spradley REGIONAL DIRECTORS Benjie Segovia ValerieSpradley Huerta Katelin Director of Organization Valerie Huerta Tiffany Rivera Director of Organization Director of Governmental Affairs Tiffany Rivera Curry Director ofTraci Governmental Affairs Director, Ag in the Classroom Traci Curry Britney Director, Ag in Lardner the Classroom Coordinator, Ag in the Classroom Britney Lardner Francisco Coordinator, Ag in Hatay the Classroom Membership and Marketing Manager Francisco Hatay Dalene Hodnett Manager Membership and Marketing Director of Communications and MediaHodnett Relations Dalene Director of Communications Cecilia Diaz-Johnson and Media Relations Bookkeeper Cecilia Diaz-Johnson Bookkeeper Theresa Widner Executive Administrative Assistant Theresa Widner Executive Administrative Assistant Spring2021 2021 Summer