December 2015 by Nevada Farm Bureau

Nevada Farm Bureau®

Volume 67, Number 12 December 2015

Agriculture & Livestock

Journal

Farming Rehabilitation: A Look at Stewart Conservation Camp Farm

Recap of the 2015 Year • County Annual Meetings • Farmers & Ranchers of Nevada

Nevada Farm Bureau Agriculture and Livestock Journal December 2015 3 4 5 6 8 10 12 13 14 15

Farm Bureau Perspectives - James “Hank” Combs Recap of the 2015 Year Nevada Farm Bureau Update Nevada Agriculture News County Corner Farming Rehabilitation A Look at Stewart Conservation Camp Farm Farmers & Ranchers of Nevada Teaching Hard Work and Strong Values American Farm Bureau News Contact Your Local COUNTRY Financial Agency The Ag Agenda - Bob Stallman American Farms Are Leading the Way in Sustainability Classified Ads

“The Agriculture & Livestock Journal” (ISSN 0899-8434) (USPS 377-280) 2165 Green Vista Dr. Suite 205 Sparks, NV 89431 Phone: (775) 674-4000 Fax: (775) 674-4004 Publisher: Nevada Farm Bureau Federation Editor: Jessica Fagundes The Nevada Farm Bureau Agriculture & Livestock Journal is published monthly by the Nevada Farm Bureau Federation. Subscriptions are available to Nevada Farm Bureau members at an annual subscription price of $1, which is included in yearly dues. Periodical postage is paid at Reno, NV and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Nevada Farm Bureau Agriculture & Livestock Journal, 2165 Green Vista Drive, Suite 205, Sparks, NV 89431

Officers

Meeting & Event Calendar

Dec. 1: White Pine County Annual Meeting at 6 p.m., The Postal Palace, Ely Details: Gracyne Backus, 775-296-3230 or gracynebackus@msn.com

President James “Hank” Combs, fbcombs@cox.net Vice President Dec. 1: Nevada Board of Agriculture Meeting, NDA Office Bevan Lister, blister8@yahoo.com Details: http://agri.nv.gov/Outreach/Hearings,_Meetings,_and_Workshops/ Women’s Leadership Chair Cindy Hardy, hardyc@comnett.net Dec. 6-9: NVFB and CFBF Joint Annual Meeting, Peppermill Resort Hotel Casino District 1 Director Details: http://nvfb.org/annual-meeting Jamie Perkins, panacaperkins@gmail.com District 2 Director Dec. 8: Lahontan Conservation District Monthly Meeting from 7 to 9 p.m., Craig Shier, snoopyisa55@yahoo.com University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, Churchill County District 3 Director Details: www.lahontanstillwatercd.org Carla Pomeroy, carlapomeroy14@gmail.com Executive Vice President Jan. 8: Cattlemen’s Update 2016, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., University of Nevada Clay McCauley, cmccauley@nvfb.org Cooperative Extension, Humboldt County Details: Jennifer Kintz, kintzj@unce.unr.edu

Board of Directors

If you would like to include a meeting or event on the calendar, please contact Jessica at nvfarmbureau@nvfb.org.

Connect with Nevada Farm Bureau Federation nvfb.org

Nevada Farm Bureau Federation

@NVFarmBureau

/NevFarmBureau

Central County Joyce Hartman, alfalfaqueen@gmail.com Churchill County Julie Wolf, wolfpack@cccomm.net Clark County Jim Hardy, hardyj@comnett.net Douglas County Woody Worthington, woody@bentlyranch.com Elko County Jonathan Dahl, dahlangusranch@gmail.com Humboldt County Martin Muratore, disasterfarms@live.com Lander County Paul Young, yoyoungs@yahoo.com Lincoln County Lee Mathews, lrobm62@gmail.com Lyon County Darrell Pursel, darrellpursel@gmail.com Washoe County Louis Damonte Jr., damonteranch@charter.net White Pine Tom Baker, tombaker125@hotmail.com YF&R Chair Anna-Lisa Laca, annalisa.giannini@gmail.com

December 2015 | Page 2 | www.nvfb.org

Farm Bureau Perspectives Recap of the 2015 Year By James “Hank” Combs President, Nevada Farm Bureau

his past month we finished up county annual meetings and are about to kick off the 96th Nevada Farm Bureau Annual Meeting in Reno. The most important part of our upcoming event is the development of policy. As a grassroots organization, we rely on policy to guide our efforts. We represent the voice of Nevada agriculture, your voice. That being said, I would like to take a look at the efforts in the last year made by all of the volunteer leaders and staff to support our mission and policy. Lobbying Efforts This last spring Nevada Farm Bureau played an active role in lobbying on behalf of our farmers and ranchers at the 2015 Nevada Legislative Session, providing weekly updates to all of you on legislation of interest in our state. Several important pieces of legislation were passed, addressing common ravens (AJR2), trapping (SB4), public land transfer (SJR1) and greater sagegrouse (SJR5). In addition, we held a legislative workshop and reception at the capital, allowing members and government officials to discuss the important issues at hand. Lawsuits In the last year, we continued our lawsuit with Nevada Association of Counties against the United States Department of Interior and the Bureau of Land Management for their mismanagement of wild horses on federal land. In March 2015, a district judge dismissed our lawsuit. NACO and Nevada Farm Bureau appealed that decision. We are still waiting on a decision related to that appeal. We also financially supported a lawsuit filed against the Bureau of Land

Management related to their outdated drought environmental assessment and provided written support for a lawsuit filed against the Department of Interior and the United States Forest Service to keep them from implementing the new sage-grouse land use plan amendments. Waters of the U.S. Rule As you may remember, the “Waters of the U.S.” WOTUS rule was supposed to take effect Aug. 28, 2015. This rule has not been implemented as a temporary stay was placed on the rule on Aug. 27, 2015 in 13 states, including Nevada. On Oct. 9, 2015 this stay was applied to all other states. We supported these efforts as they put a stop to government overreach. Growing Leadership Programs This past year, we focused a lot of effort on building new leadership development programs and growing our current Young Farmers & Ranchers and Women’s Leadership programs. We created the first-ever collegiate Farm Bureau at Great Basin College in Elko. The group of students in this program worked very closely with our state office and Elko County Farm Bureau, allowing them to develop an understanding of Farm Bureau and to interact with membership and legislators. We are proud of all of the work the students and county did to make this program a success! Our Young Farmers & Ranchers program grew this year, adding programs in Lyon and Douglas County. We want to thank all of the YF&R programs across the state for developing the future leaders of our organization. December 2015 | Page 3 | www.nvfb.org

To send more women to leadership development activities, our Women’s Leadership Committee implemented two new fundraisers. This year they are raffling a quilt and selling postcards to counties. Be sure to contact our Women’s Leadership Chair Cindy Hardy, hardyc@comnett.net, if you want to support their program! Improving Communications In the past year, our state office has worked hard to improve communications. One of the improvements we made this year was to redesign our website. The new design allows for easier access of important information, including information about our programs and causes. In addition, this year we added a member profile section to the journal, highlighting members’ involvement in agriculture and Farm Bureau. We recognized nine Farm Bureau families in 2015, and we are excited to share more stories in the coming year. A bright future for 2016 This past year we accomplished a lot, and I know we will continue to grow as an organization and to do good work in the coming year. I want to thank all of our volunteer leaders for the work you have completed to promote our industry. Your efforts ensure that Nevada agriculture prospers. My family and I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Nevada Farm Bureau Update

Governor’s Conference on Agriculture held in Las Vegas

he second annual Governor’s Conference on Agriculture was held on Nov. 10 at the Las Vegas Culinary Academy. The event was attended by individuals connected to agriculture and food manufacturing.

Chair Cindy Hardy and Nevada Farm Bureau Director of Communications Jessica Fagundes visited with guest, sharing the ways Nevada Farm Bureau could benefit them as producers and advocates for the industry.

During the conference, attendees discussed the issues facing the industry in southern Nevada at two round table discussions, Range to Table and Plants to Plate. Issues of interest included development of a southern Nevada meat processing plant and a system to connect restaurants and retailers with local producers. Local food was served at the event luncheon. Nevada Farm Bureau President Hank Combs shared his story about working in the hog farming industry during the meal. At the end of the event, conference attendees visited with various organizations that provide support services to the agriculture/food industry in the state. Clark County Farm Bureau President Jim Hardy, Women’s Leadership

NVFB President Hank Combs presents findings from the Range to Table discussion.

AFBF Annual Meeting hotel block closes Dec. 7

oin your fellow ag professionals and attend the 2016 American Farm Bureau Federation Annual Convention co-located with the IDEAg Trade Show in Orlando, Florida! Farm Bureau members and non-members alike are welcome to be a part of our nation’s largest general ag organization. Come conduct business on the trade show floor, expand your knowledge at educational workshops, vote on upand-coming businesses trying to achieve the American dream, network with your peers and deepen your love for agriculture.

Interested in attending the 2016 AFBF Annual Meeting? Visit annualconvention.fb.org to register and find agendas and other information. Registration is $100 and the deadline for cancellations is Dec. 18. Nevada Farm Bureau has a block of rooms at the Hilton Orlando Hotel. Room reservations must be made by Dec. 7. Contact Clay McCauley, 1-800-992-1106, to make your hotel arrangements.

Benefits added to northern Nevada LeeAnne’s Floral Designs

evada Farm Bureau members receive 20 percent off fresh flower arrangements $50 or more at LeeAnne’s Floral Designs. LeeAnne’s Floral Designs is a professional local florist proudly serving Elko, Nevada and surrounding areas. They are located at 180 Idaho St. Elko, NV 89801. Call 775-738-4728 or visit www.leeannesfloraldesigns.com.

Wendy’s Mobile Notary

evada Farm Bureau members receive a 15 percent discount on any notary services with Wendy’s Mobile Notary. Wendy’s Mobile Notary is a traveling notary service. Contact Wendy Anker at 541-890-8927 to schedule an appointment.

December 2015 | Page 4 | www.nvfb.org

Nevada Agriculture News

Ag education funds available through Nevada Ag Foundation

he Nevada Agricultural Foundation (NAF) has recently received two special funding grants, which will benefit agricultural education in Nevada.

Application forms will be provided through the agricultural education teacher in high schools throughout Nevada.

The AT&T Aspire program has provided $10,000 for NAF to support Nevada High School Career and Technical Education Programs in agriculture providing academic areas of study, experiential learning and leadership opportunities in preparation for higher education. These funds will be available to supplement and enhance the educational opportunities available to youth participating in Nevada High School Career and Technical Education programs.

NAF has been included in the Nevada Risk Management Targeted States Crop and Livestock Insurance Project submitted by the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension. Through this program, NAF has been awarded $3,150 to support Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC) programs throughout Nevada.

This support will be made available through an application process that will allow individual students or student groups to request funds for their specific project. Projects may include but will not be limited to: materials in specific Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (AFNR) subject matter, materials for specific supervised agricultural experiences (SAE’s), registration to Nevada FFA leadership programs, registration to professional organization meetings, cost of participation and/or certification in specialize agricultural education or industry classes and projects for high school students to work with elementary age students in Agriculture in the Classroom programs.

Each program will need to provide risk management education and to disseminate information about current crop and livestock insurance products available to Nevada agricultural producers. Local AITC groups will need to submit a letter requesting support for their individual programs to the NAF Executive Director, Sue Hoffman. The Nevada Agricultural Foundation was formed in 1976 and seeks ways to encourage, develop, enhance and sustain a productive Nevada agricultural industry. The foundation’s goal is to foster education and research to benefit both the agricultural producers and leaders of today as well as those of the generations to follow. NAF is excited about the opportunity to enhance agricultural education through these two special opportunities.

Bees and beekeeping workshop held Jan. 23 in Yerington

ason Valley Beekeepers of Yerington, Nev. will be presenting “Introduction to Bees and Beekeeping,” a one day workshop for individuals with little or no experience who want to learn more about the possibility of beekeeping as a hobby. The workshop will be held at the Jeanne Dini Cultural Center, 120 N. California St., Yerington, Nev. on Saturday, Jan. 23, 2016, from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. The cost is $30 per adult and a student rate is $15. Lunch, snacks and printed resource materials will be provided. Topics included, but not limited to, are: honeybee biology, basic bee equipment and supplies, obtaining bees, hive management, pests and diseases, products from the hive as well as an overview of a beekeeper’s year. To register, please visit masonvalleybeekeepers.org or call 775- 463-1604 or 775-463-2757 for additional information.

December 2015 | Page 5 | www.nvfb.org

County Corner Check out what’s happening around the state!

ounty Corner is a section of the Agriculture & Livestock Journal that gives counties an opportunity to share their activities. Please email us your stories at nvfarmbureau@nvfb.org or call Jessica at 775-674-4000.

DOUGLAS COUNTY

Douglas County Annual Meeting

CLARK COUNTY

Clark County Annual Meeting

lark County Farm Bureau held their annual meeting in November. The event was very well attended by more than 80 guests. During the meeting, guests enjoyed a home cooked meal VP Rick Huskins discusses policy resolutions. prepared by some of the Young Farmers & Ranchers. President Hank Combs gave a report on the past year, Executive Vice President Clay McCauley talked about the Farm Bureau’s efforts and President Jim Hardy recognized the outstanding volunteers for the year. Clark County Vice President Rick Huskins discussed policy that had been drafted by the county, discussing topics like genetic modification and drones. Thank you to all who attended such a great event!

(L-R) VP Rick Huskins, YF&R VP Noah Reid, Kaluna Aki and WLC CoChair Stephanie Bunker received outstanding volunteer awards. Pictured with President Jim Hardy

Todd Gansberg (left) receives an award of excellence for his father Chris Gansberg.

Douglas County held their annual meeting on Nov. 3 at the J.T. Basque Restaurant in Gardnerville. The meeting was held in conjunction with the Carson Valley Conservation District annual meeting. The event was a great success and was attended by more than 70 people. During the meeting, Douglas County President Woody Worthington presented three awards of excellence to Chris Gansberg, Don Bently and Laurence Jacobson. Tonja Dressler was recognized for her efforts as an ag in the classroom volunteer. Worthington also gave a year recap, Executive Vice President Clay McCauley talked about the past year’s efforts, and Jessica Fagundes discussed the annual meeting. Three board positions were filled by Todd Gansberg, John Laxague and Meggan Stodieck-Melandow. Thank you for hosting such a nice event!

President Woody Worthington gives his president’s report.

December 2015 | Page 6 | www.nvfb.org

HUMBOLDT COUNTY

Humboldt County Annual Meeting

update on state events. The county also developed policy to present to the state resolutions committee. Lee Mathews was elected president of the county, replacing Paul Mathews. Thank you to all who attended for a great event!

Guest speaker Cliff Gardner addresses the group.

Humboldt County Farm Bureau held their annual meeting in the middle of November. The event was well attended and included guest speaker Cliff Gardner. Gardner, who is a rancher from Elko County, spoke about states’ rights. Executive Vice President Clay McCauley gave an update of the state’s efforts, and President Martin Muratore talked about the county’s efforts. What a great event!

Members discuss policy at the Lincoln County Annual Meeting.

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LINCOLN COUNTY

Lincoln County Annual Meeting

The Lincoln County Annual Meeting was held during November at the Panaca Fire Station. The event was well attended by Farm Bureau members and guests. During the dinner, Executive Vice President Clay McCauley gave an

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Farming Rehabilitation

A Look at Stewart Conservation Camp Farm By Jessica Fagundes, Director of Communications, Nevada Farm Bureau Photos by Brooke Lawton, Nevada Farm Bureau Intern

arms and ranches around Nevada are unique due to the diverse crops and animals grown and the varying landscapes upon which they are built. One northern Nevada farm, Silver State Industries located at the Northern Nevada Correctional Center (NNCC) Stewart Conservation Camp (SCC) in Carson City, stands out for more reasons than those. It is run by prisoners. “We have 42 inmates that work on the farm, 20 in farming and 22 with the horses,” says Justin Pope, Prison Industry supervisor at SCC. All of the farm and ranch programs located at Silver State Industries have inmate labor. Inmates come from the SCC, a minimum security prison that houses more than 300 minimum custody and community trustee inmates in five dormitory type units. “For the most part, the jobs are filled by inmates. Some of the treatment that we do, the staff has to do,” Pope says, adding that some of the more training intensive jobs like checking milk counts go to prisoners with longer sentences. The prison farm was started in 1914. “The lieutenant governor was the warden of the prison, and he had the old bunk house erected as well as the old milking parlor and processing plant,” Pope says.

prison. We try to organize our herd and production to meet that goal of having enough processed milk, pasteurized milk to meet the demand of our customers,” Pope says. “We also usually ship between 600 and 1,200 gallons a week to the Dairy Farmers of America.” Silver State Industries also maintains a small beef cattle herd of 75 animals. At one time, they also did some of their own meat processing. “We would actually go up to UNR and use their kill plant, butchering between five and seven cattle a week. We would sell the beef to Butcher Boy directly,” Pope says. This program created inmate transportation issues, however, leading the prison to sell cattle directly to a local auction in Fallon. The wild horse program started in 1997 with a small holding facility for state estray horses brought in by Nevada Department of Agriculture. In 2000, the SaddleHorse and Burro Training Program was created at Warm Springs medium security facility. “In 2001, we constructed our BLM holding facility,” Pope says. “In 2008, the training facility moved to the prison ranch at Northern Nevada Correctional Center Stewart

Today, the prison farm is home to a cow dairy, beef operation, farm and wild horse management and training program. The farm works hard to meet the needs of the prison and the community. The prison runs a 150 Holstein cow dairy, milking 100 cows, processing milk and raising replacement animals. They process enough milk daily to provide milk to all of the prisoners at the facility. “The milk goes back into the

An inmate trains a wild horse. This is the second horse he has trained during his time at SCC. December 2015 | Page 8 | www.nvfb.org

Conservation Camp.” The prison houses and feeds between 1,500 and 2,000 horses and burros from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Nevada Department of Agriculture (NDA). They also train between 40 and 70 wild horses and burros, which are then adopted out to private citizens and government agencies. “Right now I think we have 30 horses that we’re working on for different purposes. We’ll have an adoption in February, and we’ll probably have about 12 horses available for that,” Pope says. Horses are also trained for the Forest Service, county sheriffs’ mounted patrols, border patrol, Marine Corps, search and rescue groups and game wardens. The prison’s 500-acre farm grows mainly alfalfa. And once the hay is cut and bailed, it goes back into the agriculture operation. “All the hay and the forage we put up goes into the dairy. That pretty much supports the dairy, the support stock for the dairy and the beef animals,” Pope says. “It is really nice to say you’re some what self-sufficient like that.” Although they grow enough forage for their cattle, the prison does purchase hay for the BLM and NDA horses. Because of the number of animals they house, Silver State Industries is considered a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO). This label requires them to have a plan for disposal of their liquid and dry manure from the dairy, beef cattle operation and wild horse program. In 2008, they partnered with Craig Witt, president of Full Circle Compost, to repurpose 3,700 cubic yards of manure from the prison operation. Full Circle Compost rents a 30acre property at the prison facility where they create 20,000 cubic yards of compost each year. They also hire between three and five inmates to work at the compost site. “We are a land-filling alternative,” Witt says. “What we’re doing is ungrowing everything here so that we can reintroduce that material into the soil and have a net positive gain and healthy, happy growing.” Full Circle Compost’s current compost recipes cannot use all of the manure from the prison farm. The excess manure is shipped to Bently Ranch for their composting operation. Bently has been a partner with the prison for more than 10 years. “We are the largest composting facility in Nevada,” says Woody Worthington, ranch logistics manager at Bently and Douglas County Farm Bureau president. “We started

Craigg Witt discusses his composting operation at the prison farm. composting to off-set the cost of commercial fertilizer, and now we use our compost exclusively in all of our rotational crops and fields.” According to Pope, the prison has experimented with adding compost from Full Circle Compost in several fields, but the nitrogen levels in the soil have prevented them from using any fertilizer on the operation for several years. Farming and ranching at the Stewart Conservation Camp helps make the prison more self-sufficient. And it also helps keep prisoners from returning after their sentences end. At the NNCC and SCC, 28 percent of inmates are reincarcerated after their release. But give those inmates a job in the wild horse program and only a little more than half (15 percent) will return to prison after getting out. Pope says this statistic is reflective of the entire agriculture program at the prison. “The people that are participating in the agricultural program show about half of the recidivism of the rest of the prison population, which is really good. A lot less repeat offenders.”

December 2015 | Page 9 | www.nvfb.org

Farmers & Ranchers of Nevada Teaching hard work and strong values By Brooke Lawton Nevada Farm Bureau Intern

.C. Schank taught agriculture at Churchill County High School in Fallon. As a horticulturist, he wanted to be able to raise and grow his own crops. So in 1939, he bought a small farm and did just that. Soon after, his son, Cyril Schank, started a small dairy on that same farm. He and his sons ran the dairy for many years. After more than 30 years and 300 cattle, the Schanks retired from the dairy industry and ventured into the forage industry. Today, Abe Schank, grandson of Cyril and great grandson of L.C., owns and operates Abe’s Hay ‘n’ Feed on that very farm. Abe attended the University of Nevada, Reno and received a degree in business management and finance. When he finished school, he knew he wanted to be back on the farm. “When I came back from school, I decided I wanted to come back to the farm,” Abe says. “I really liked the lifestyle. I liked the family aspect of it and getting to be around my kids. I thought that would be really enjoyable.” His father Ernest, who ran the business full time, did all of his own marketing. He sold a small amount of forage locally and contracted the rest out, with much of the hay going to California. But, Abe had different plans for his father’s business. “I figured, well I’m here and I’ve got the time, why don’t I try marketing it a little bit differently?” Abe dedicated his time and skills and readjusted the marketing strategy toward people who raised their own animals and desired smaller quantities of hay. “That’s kind of where it started. It was very small, and I didn’t think it would go farther than selling a little bit of hay on the side.” Abe started selling hay in the winter of 2011 as a side job. That small backyard hay side job is now Abe’s Hay ‘n’ Feed, a business that provides a variety of high quality forages for livestock in northern Nevada. “I love taking something from the very beginning, working

Abe Schank (right) loading hay for his delivery business. the land up, planting it at the very beginning stages and then seeing it all the way through the production. Then the very end of seeing the customer get that product and then feed it to their animals and the quality that they look for.” Over the last four years, customers had frequently inquired about deliveries, something that Abe had wanted to begin but did not have the resources to do so at the time. In January 2014, he broke his ankle, leaving him out of commission for six months and hardly able to do anything. “I had to hire some help, and I figured there was no better time than now to get into the delivery business,” Abe says. “So I bought some trucks and put them to work and it’s been doing pretty good.” Abe is currently developing a new way of delivering hay to speed up the delivery process and make it as cost efficient as possible. Working out the kinks in the delivery system and adding value to his forage product line are Abe’s two biggest points of focus for Abe’s Hay ‘n’ Feed. “The customers are the ones that keep me going,” Abe says. “I try to run everything around keeping them happy and focusing on what they want. Part of that is having supply year round.”

December 2015 | Page 10 | www.nvfb.org

Because hay only grows during six months of the year, Abe’s biggest challenge has been figuring out how to keep a year round supply for his customers. Abe has also been working on creating unique forage blends that come in a different format than normal feeds, known as cubes. The cubes are a wet feed, replicating an animal foraging in the open range, and come in a compressed bale wrapped in plastic. “We’re in the process of adding value to the forage that we grow and improving customer service,” Abe says. “I want customers to know that when they’re buying our products, they’re getting them locally from the producer and that we’re adding value to the product in whatever way we can.”

Lindsey and Abe Schank with their two sons. Photo Credit: Erin Lewis

Abe is a fourth generation member of Churchill County Farm Bureau. He is involved with ag in the classroom in Fallon and enjoys sharing information about his livelihood with kids and the general public. “It’s organizations like the Farm Bureau that help perpetuate agriculture and help people understand the importance of it in our society,” Abe says. “I think a lot of people just don’t understand where their food comes from, and if they do, they don’t understand the importance of and the involvement that it takes to actually get it to them.”

Regardless of what his sons choose to do, Abe wants them to learn strong values on the farm.

“I just want to teach them hard work and how to be honest in their dealings.”

-Abe Schank, Churchill County Farmer

Nevada

Abe and his wife Lindsey are parents to two boys, three and five years old, who say they want to be farmers when they grow up.

Agricultural

“Of course they want to be like their dad right now,” Abe says. “But they’ll be able to make that choice when they’re grown up, and if they want to do it that would be great, and if they don’t, then they can do what makes them happy.”

Foundation

To all who know that Ranching or Farming is not just a job, but a way of life, the Nevada Agricultural Foundation congratulates you on another productive year. Your hard work and dedication make a safe, reliable and affordable food supply available. Nevada Agricultural Foundation 2165 Green Vista Dr., Suite 204 Sparks, NV 89431 Phone: 775-673-AGNV

Mail: P.O. Box 8089 Reno, NV 89507

nevadaagriculturalfoundation.org December 2015 | Page 11 | www.nvfb.org

American Farm Bureau News

Thankful for Farmers and Ranchers at Thanksgiving By Cyndie Shearing American Farm Bureau Federation

he American Farm Bureau’s 30th annual informal price survey of classic items found on the Thanksgiving dinner table revealed this year’s cost is $50.11, a 70-cent increase from last year’s average of $49.41. The big ticket item – a 16-pound turkey – came in at $23.04 this year. That’s about $1.44 per pound, an increase of less than 9 cents per pound or a total of $1.39 more per whole turkey, compared to 2014. Concerns about the supply of two favorite holiday foods – turkeys and pumpkins – turned out to be just a blip on the radar screen. Plentiful supplies of both are available at reasonable prices to grace our holiday tables. As we turn to cooking and eating special meals at this time of year, exploring what farmers and ranchers have to say about how they produce food for our tables adds a little spice to our food-related conversations.

Many people believe that cranberries grow under water, but they do not. The bogs where cranberries grow are actually dry during most of the season. Water is used to help with the harvest and to protect the berries from the cold. Water also helps the cranberries grow. If you’ve ever wondered why cranberries float, LeFleur has the answer. “The cranberries float to the top because there are air pockets inside them,” he explains. Order a copy of “Farm a Month: Where Does Our Food Come From?” from the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture to learn more about Steen, Wegmeyer, LeFleur and other food producers.

Don Steen, a turkey farmer in Missouri, has been working on his farm since 1973. “There are both hen and tom turkeys. A hen is a female and a tom is a male,” explains Steen. Water is very important to a turkey’s survival. Poultry – turkeys, chickens, ducks and other fowl – need to be able to drink water at all times. The Steen’s turkeys eat a corn, soybean and mineral mix made at a local feed mill. The Steens have a high level of biosecurity on the farm to protect the turkeys. Cars and trucks are washed when entering and exiting the farm. Don and his wife even wear special clothing in the barns to protect the turkeys. Pumpkin farmer Harriet Wegmeyer of Virginia was a guest on Emeril Lagasse’s cooking show. She and her husband plant pumpkins in early summer and harvest through mid-October. In winter they care for the land by planting cover crops to add Nitrogen to the soil.

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“Harvesting pumpkins is a hard job, because all of the picking must be done by hand and some of them are very heavy,” Wegmeyer says. Being a farmer is a year-round job but one that she finds exciting. “Each season there is something new going on at the farm,” according to Jeff LeFleur, a cranberry farmer in Massachusetts. “Our goal is to take good care of the farm for future generations,” he says.

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• 206 S. Division St. Ste. 2, Carson City, NV 89703, 775-841-6316 • 150 East Main, Ste 210, Fernley, NV 89408, 775-835-0100 • 585 5th Street, Elko, NV 89801, 775-738-1744 • 1082 Lamoille Hwy., Elko, NV 89801, 775-738-3757 • 364 Aultmann St. Ely, NV 89301, 775-289-2886 • 560 W. Williams Ave., Fallon, NV 89406, 775-423-7168 • 311 S. Bridge St. Ste. G Winnemucca, NV 89445, 775-623-6677 • 1664 Hwy. 395 #104, Minden, NV 89423, 775-782-8363 • 143 S. Nevada St. Yerington, NV 89447, 775-463-2642 • 10615 Professional Circle, Ste 200, Reno NV 89521, 775-829-1011 • 1255 N. McCarran, Sparks, NV 89431, 775-626-3100 • 6490 S. McCarran Blvd. #14, Reno, NV 89509, 775-828-2930 • 515 Double Eagle Court Ste 110, Reno, NV 89521, 775-853-6586; 775-853-6535 December 2015 | Page 13 | www.nvfb.org

The Ag Agenda American Farms Are Leading the Way in Sustainability By Bob Stallman President, American Farm Bureau Federation mericans love a good story and we love a good meal. All the better when the two can go hand-inhand. Consumers are eager for more stories about their food. They want to know where each meal comes from and how it’s grown.

The market responds, but only haltingly. Walk into a grocery store and you can find just about every label imaginable--free range, non-GMO, organic, glutenfree and natural--you name it, there’s a label for it. Some of these labels are helpful, but none of them can fully tell the story of American agriculture. That’s up to us farmers. We need to tell the story instead of letting others define who we are. Consider the mantra of sustainability. It’s today’s buzzword, but it’s been our way of life for a century or more. Farmers are producing more food with less land, water and pesticides, and we can prove it. Thanks to tools like Field to Market’s Fieldprint Calculator, we can track our efficiency and environmental impact and share the impressive results. Our practices may vary, but we all know the importance of protecting our resources. Our livelihoods depend on it. Whether conventional or organic, we all work hard to produce the highest quality food for our customers as affordably as we can. American farms are growing more food using less water and energy, all while protecting the soil for future crops. We need to get out there and tell consumers how we’re making this happen.

We need to tell people in cities and suburbs-cubicle dwellers and factory workers-about the new technology we’re using. They need to know how we are growing more crops on less land with less soil erosion than ever before. Even water use is down thanks to better equipment and genetically modified seeds. Big data systems let us zero in on fields to use the exact amount of water, seed and crop protection each crop needs. Average consumers don’t know how practices like conservation tillage are protecting our soil, but we can teach them. We can explain how homegrown fuels like ethanol are cutting greenhouse gas emissions. We can proudly share more about how we rotate our crops and use conservation plans to keep the soil healthy. Cover crops, green manure, grassland preservation, no-till techniques--all this and more are mysteries to non-farmers. Agriculture has a great story of sustainability to share. Conventional and organic alike--we’re keeping America fed and preserving our valuable resources for generations to come. People need to hear it straight from the ones who know it best.

December 2015 | Page 14 | www.nvfb.org

Classified Ads Animals

For Free

Domestic Geese for Free White, gray, mixed -- FREE TO A GOOD HOME. Call 775-786-1532 or 775-560-1532.

Property

For Lease

DEADLINE: Ads must be received by December 16 for next issue.

For Sale Equipment/ Vehicles

Frade at 775-463-2923. Capri Camper Has hydraulic jacks, AC Unit, Shower and electric water heater. Asking $3,000. Call Clint: 775-225-4527

20 acres Horse/Cattle Pasture $5,000 annually, excellent location near Genoa and Minden. Surface water. Available now: 831-512-3225

Caravan Campershell For Dodge Ram 2009 & up. Double door, slider window, silver. Like new - $3,000. Call 775-225-2431

10 Acres (Commercial Building) – Diamond Valley (For Lease or Sale) 7500 sq. ft. w/ 2 loading docks and large automatic 14 ft. door in Diamond Valley, large office 1,440 sq. ft.. Pad & hook-up for doublewide residence, 10 acres, fenced on 3 sides. Call 775-385-0030 or email lisamarshall278@gmail.com.

Drolet Classic EPA Wood Stove 3 years old. $400. Call 775-578-3536.

Animals

For Sale

Livestock Guardian Dogs Proven crosses, working parents. Puppies raised on sheep. Spanish Mastiffs, Pyrenean Mastiffs, Maremma/Anatolian crosses. Winnemucca. Brenda M. Negri 775-931-0038 www.lgdnevada.com

Equipment/ Vehicles

8” Irrigation Discharge Head 1 1/2” shaft. Call 775-224-3283 60 HP Miller Mill 1 60 HP Miller Mill. Call Joe Frade at 775-463-2923. 125 HP Motors 1-US 125 hp motors, new re-wind: $8,200; 1-GE 125 hp motor, used: $5,500; Call 775-224-3283. 2008 Mahindra Tractor Model 4510C. 829 hrs. Pallet forks, box scraper & front end loader. Enclosed cab. AC/Heat, Radio w/ cassett player. One owner. $18,500. Good tires. Have equipment manual. Call: 775-463-3430 or 775-781-5040 8400 Hesston Swather 2,730 hours. Like new condition. 14’ header with all bearings replaced 500 hours ago. Comes with $3,000 of brand new parts in boxes. Can help with transportation of swather. $27,500 or best offer. Call 775-2243283. 10,000 Gallon Upright Gas Tank 1 10,000 Gallon Upright Gas Tank. Call Joe Frade at 775-463-2923. Butcher Boy Meat Saw 1 Butcher Boy Meat Saw. Call Joe

Filson Calf Table 1 Filson Calf Table. Call Joe Frade at 775-463-2923. Freeman 330 3 Twine Baler Gas Engine, $5,000. Call 775-4275056 Freeman 330 Baler Parts and Case IH Windrower Parts New and Used. For parts list and prices, email Shabbor@aol.com. Call 775-265-3185. Holman Cattle Scale 1 Holman Cattle Scale, 60,000 lbs. Call Joe Frade at 775-463-2923. Links and Pipe 48 6” Links and 28 4” pipes. Call Joe Frade at 775-463-2923. Molasses Tanks 2 Molasses Tanks. Call Joe Frade at 775-463-2923. New Holland 1112 Swather 16 foot header. Good backup machine. $2000 OBO at Washoe Valley. Call 775-771-5510 or email jamessgreil@gmail.com. New Holland 116 Swather New Holland 116 pull type swather. $3000. 775-572-3337 New Holland 1431 Swathers 2 New Holland 1431 pull type swathers for parts. Call 775-5783536. New Holland 1051 Retriever New Holland 1051 Retriever on 78 International. Model 2554, DT 466 Diesel (10 speed). 145 inch C2A. New Batteries. 8 tube-type wheels and tires, 7 tubeless wheels, size 22.5. Used w/ 3X4 bales and small bales. Call Duane at home: 775-578-3547 or cell: 775-304-2537 New Pipe and Wood Stall Fronts 2 New, Never Installed Fronts. Paid $1,500. Sell both for $750. Ask for Jim - 775-720-4634, 775-465-2936.

For Sale Equipment/ Vehicles

Thurston Cattle Shoot 1 Thurston Cattle Shoot for sale. Call Joe Frade at 775-463-2923.

Feed

Alfalfa Hay For Sale 3x4 bales. Several grades: nice green-rain damaged feeder, 53-47 TDN & 18-17 Proteins. No weeds. Triticale Grain Hay available. Stacks located 80 miles East of Tonopah. elar200@gmail.com 775-863-0321

Other

Certified Appraiser Wes Wilson: Certified Livestock and Equipment Appraiser for banking, insurance and other needs. Serving Nevada and surrounding states for over 14 years. Call 435-632-9941.

Property

5 acres Agritourism Opportunity Washoe Valley 2047 sq. ft. custom cedar home. USDA certified organic u-pick apple orchard. Water rights, barn, shop, chicken pens, playhouse, greenhouse, garden area, seasonal stream, RV hookup & fully stocked gift shop. $685,000. 775-720-2904

For Sale

68 Acre Fallon Alfalfa Farm 53 water righted TCID. 1300SF, 2/1 remodeled house; 2/2 motel

guest house. New roofs, windows & coverings, floor coverings (mostly), heaters, paint inside/out. Garage, corrals, hay barn, river/highway frontage. FSBO. $510,000 Firm. (530) 474-4609. 37 acres (House w/ water rights)Wellington 1846 sq. Ft., 2 bed 2 bath, recently remodeled w/ new windows/ flooring. Numerous out buildings, covered hay barn, corrals. $425,000. Call 775-465-2252 or 775-720-1388 or e-mail caroleobanion@gmail.com. 315 acres -Central NV Alfalfa Farm Approx 315ac/240ac under 2 Zimmatic pivots. 2 100KW wind generators. 1620 sqft 3bd/2 bath, 484 sqft detatched garage, 2650 sqft shop, 248 sqft greenhouse. $1.1 million. 775-867-2995 or 775-217-1999 www.CandeeFarms.com

Equipment

Wanted

3 Point Weed Hog Preferably 4 ft.. cutting. 813-512-3225

25 acres (Ranch w/ surface water) – Near Genoa $1.5 million, 25 acres with rich soil, surface water, 2 wells and 3 houses. Near Lake Tahoe, Genoa, Minden, Douglas High School and Wally’s Hot Springs. 831-512-3225.

Property

For Sale

Used Roterra Used Lely Roterra that is in working condition, or needs minimal work to be field ready. Cary 775-691-7655. cyamamoto@charter.net Windmill Working or easy fix windmill, with or without tower. And 20’/30’ nonleaker container. Call 775-557-2804.

Property

Pasture Wanted Pasture Wanted for 20-40 pair in Northern Nevada. 775-287-6978

FREE CLASSIFIED ADS Non-commercial classified ads are free to Nevada Farm Bureau Federation members. Must include membership number for free ad. Forty (40) word maximum. Non-member cost is $0.50 per word. You may advertise your own crops, livestock, used machinery, household items, vehicles, etc. Please specify how long ads should run or they will run one time We reserve the right to refuse to run any ad. Please type or print clearly. Proofread your ad. Mail ad copy to: Attention: Jessica Fagundes Nevada Farm Bureau Federation 2165 Green Vista Drive, Suite 205, Sparks, NV 89431 or email ad copy to Jessica at nvfarmbureau@nvfb.org.

Name: Address: City / State / Zip Code: Phone: Ad Copy:

December 2015 | Page 15 | www.nvfb.org

Membership No.

Nevada Farm Bureau Federation速

2165 Green Vista Dr., Suite 205, Sparks, NV 89431 1-800-992-1106 | www.nvfb.org