January 2014 The Progressive Rancher

NCA 2009 President’s Award Recipient

When it comes to your to-do list,

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In this Issue...

Nevada Cattlemen’s Assn..........pgs. 3-4, 6 Progressive Rancher Person of Character............................pg. 6 My Friend Doug Busselman..............pg. 7

Thoughts on Winnemucca Fire Rehabilitation...................................pg. 18 NCA Convention.......................pgs. 20-21 Beef Checkoff............................. pg. 22-23

Nevada Rangeland Resource Commission........................pg. 8

Repurposing PJ?........................pgs. 24-25

Eye on the Outside......................... pgs. 11

Nevada’s Priority Agricultural Weeds: Foxtail Barley............................pgs. 26-27

face with anshortEdward financial with your andJones long-term goals.advisor and develop strategies to help keep your finances in line with and goals.

Toyour find shortout how tolong-term get your financial goals

Fumes from the Farm................pgs. 12-13 EPA Tries Federalize All Waters......pg. 13

NVSRM: Rehab. of Cheatgrass-Infested Rangelands: Management.........pgs. 28-29

To find out how to get your financial Financial Advisorgoals on track, call or visit today.

Ramblings of a Ranch Wife.............pg. 14

Coloring Page...................................pg. 30

NV Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers...........................................pg. 15

HWCWMA: Poison Hemlock.........pg. 32

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Jason B Land, AAMS® .

2213 North 5th Street Suite A Jason B Land, Elko, NV 89801AAMS® Financial Advisor .775-738-8811

Importance of Quantifying the Nutritional Value of Nevada’s Forages...............pg. 16

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Look Up: Paid in Full.......................pg. 34 Edward Jones: Financial Focus........pg. 35

Grown in Nevada: 3B Egg & Livestock.........................pg. 17

Eureka Fair Results..........................pg. 36

Winnemucca BLM Begins 2013 Fire Rehabilitation ..................................pg. 18

How to Fix a Cold Backed Horse.........................pg.39

Member SIPC

ELKO FEDERAL CREDIT UNION Member SIPC

• Share Draft Accounts • Timeshare Certificates • ATM Cards/Debit Cards • IRAs • Visas

• Consumer Loans • Money Orders Member SIPC • Share Savings Accounts • Free Notary

The Progressive Rancher Owner/Editor/Publisher – Leana Stitzel progressiverancher@elko.net

Graphic Design/Layout/Production – Julie Eardley julie@jeprographics.com

Cover Photo: “We Ride for the Brand” by Cindy Sitz, Oregon

Wishing All a Healthy and Prosperous Year!

ELKO

2397 Mountain City Hwy. Elko Junction Shopping Center Elko, Nevada 89801-1496

Phone: (775) 738-4083 Fax: (775) 738-2582

2 January 2014

The Progressive Rancher is published monthly. The views and opinions expressed by writers of articles appearing in this publication are not necessarily those of the editor. Letters of opinion are welcomed by The Progressive Rancher.

Rates for advertising are available upon request. Advertising in The Progressive Rancher does not necessarily imply editorial endorsement. Liability for any errors or omissions in advertisements shall not exceed the cost of the space occupied by the error or omission.

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Published 9 times each year, The Progressive Rancher is mailed to more than 7,000 approved addresses, and has digital and print readership reaching more than 30,000.

Fax: (775) 753-6280

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The Progressive Rancher

www.progressiverancher.com

RIDING FOR THE NCA BRAND Ron Torell, President, Nevada Cattlemen’s Association

“R

iding for the Brand” is a saying that speaks volumes to cattlemen everywhere. It is an unspoken oath that describes many of the values we hold dear. Those who ride for the brand live their lives by the fundamental principles.

They are loyal to what matters and to the outfit they work for. They share in the goals and objectives with a passion to succeed. It’s always a pleasure to work and be around those who ride for the brand, regardless of their profession, man or beast. With that said, I feel honored that during the 78th annual Nevada Cattlemen’s Association (NCA) Convention and Trade Show, the Nevada beef industry placed their trust and faith in me to “Ride for the NCA Brand” as their 2013- 2015 President.

Originating in 1935 as the sounding voice for Nevada’s livestock industry, NCA had the same goals and mission as it does today: to promote, preserve and protect a dynamic and profitable Nevada beef industry. Unfortunately, many of the local, state, national and global political issues faced by our past NCA membership continue to plague the industry today.

Does this mean NCA has failed in our mission? Not at all! Just imagine where the Nevada Livestock industry would be without a sounding voice or the hard work and dedication of the many past and present NCA member volunteers who have ridden for the brand, fighting hard for NCA’s causes on the political front. The issues we faced in the past and those that are with us today are not going to go away. Neither is the NCA’s effort to preserve and protect our way of life and our industry on the political front.

Fortunately I will not be riding alone for the NCA brand. In addition to my incredibly supportive wife, Jackie, I have a great crew to fulfill NCA’s mission: Executive Director Desiree Seal, Executive Secretary Sharon McKnight, President Elect Dave Stix Jr. of Fernley, First Vice President Sam Mori of Tuscarora, and Second Vice President Tom Barnes of Jiggs.

The NCA Executive Committee is made up of equally capable and impressive individuals such as outgoing president Dr. JJ Goicoechea D.V.M. of Eureka, Dr. Boyd Spratling D.V.M of Starr Valley, Ron Cerri of Orovada, Ken Conley of Eureka, Jon Griggs of Elko, Craig Spratling of Starr Valley, Neil McQueary of Ruby Valley and Steve Boise of Jackpot.

Additionally, NCA’s Board of Directors includes 42 individuals who work to fulfill NCA’s

mission by also riding for the NCA brand. NCA boasts a membership of regular and associate members of over 525 members located throughout the Intermountain West. NCA also receives Allied Industry support either financially or technically that is unmatched and most appreciated. All these individuals are willing to ride for the NCA brand at the drop of a hat.

On the national and global political front, NCA is a state affiliate member of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA). While NCA is best served concentrating on those issues that hit close to home, many of the bigger picture issues such as the estate tax repeal, clean air and water acts, free trade, imports/exports, ethanol subsidy repeal act, and the Humane Society of United States activities, are all matters better fought in Washington

by NCBA. Our national organization has the resources, both monetarily and politically, to deal with these issues in a unified effort. NCA certainly has input into NCBA policy and we are not shy at expressing our views to them. Several of our NCA members serve on these national committees and look out for Nevada’s interests when forming national policy.

There is a tremendous amount of respect for the past and present NCA members and leadership among our membership. With such an impressive list of individuals riding for the NCA brand I have great confidence in taking the reins of NCA leadership for the next two years.

If you are currently riding for the NCA brand as a member or associate member, we thank you. If you are not currently an NCA member yet involved in Nevada’s livestock industry you continue to benefit from NCA’s efforts. We encourage you to join the crew. Call the NCA office at 775-738-9214 or nca@nevadabeef.org and become a due paying member.

Today more than ever we need everyone involved in the Nevada livestock industry wellmounted and riding for the NCA brand.

Through this monthly column our hope is to update those involved in the Nevada Livestock industry about the issues NCA is working on for our mission continues to be to promote, preserve and protect a dynamic and profitable Nevada beef industry. Should you like to visit with me or the NCA staff, please feel free to contact NCA at 775-738-9214 or my NCA e-mail address ncapresident@nevadabeef.org

Rodney C. (Ron) Torell

NCA Officers, Executive Committee and Staff. Back row from left: Sam Mori, Dr. Boyd Spratling DVM, Ken Conley, Craig Spratling, John Fallon, Ron Cerri, Dr. JJ Goicoechea DVM, NCA President Ron Torell, John Griggs, Steve Boise, Tom Barnes.

Missing from photo is Neil McQueary and President Elect Dave Stix Jr., front row: Ashley Buckingham, NCA Executive Director Desiree Seal, and Executive Secretary Sharon McKnight. Not pictured: Dave Stix Jr. and Neil McQueary. www.progressiverancher.com

The Progressive Rancher

Rodney (Ron) Torell was born and raised in Elko County on the University of Nevada Knoll Creek Experiment Station where his father conducted beef cattle research. Ron received both a B.S. and M.S. Degree in Animal Science at the University of Nevada, Reno. He worked on Nevada and California registered and commercial cattle ranches as a cowboy starting at a young age and managed several ranches as a young man.

Ron’s career as the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension Area Livestock Specialist spanned twenty-six years. He retired in 2010 to enter the private sector.

Ron and his wife Jackie reside in Elko, own and manage a 100-head registered Angus herd, selling range-ready artificially inseminated sired Angus bulls.

Collectively they manage a successful ranch consulting and custom artificial insemination business, selling semen and supplies for Accelerated Genetics.

January 2014 3

Nevada Cattlemen’s Association

By Desiree Seal, Nevada Cattlemen’s Association Executive Director

T

he close of the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association Annual Convention and Trade Show brought new leadership to the Association, as you will read in the new Association President Ron Torell’s article. You can also find more information on the Executive Committee and Committee Chairmen on our webpage at www. nevadacattlemen.org. Please feel free to contact each of the respective committee members if you have a concern or issue you would like to bring to the attention of the Association, or as Ron like’s to say, just to talk cows.

Also, this New Year brings a new home for the NCA office. This past year, NCA reviewed different options as to where to call home including a virtual office proposal. In the end, we have found a new office space at the Henderson Bank Building (HBB) in downtown Elko. The historic HBB building is located across the street from the Commercial and is well recognized by the community for its rich history and support of the livestock Industry and local economy.

For the past 10 years, NCA has leased office space from American AgCredit. This location has served the Association and the Nevada livestock industry well during that time.

However, with the move of Nevada Beef Council to join California Beef Council, the office space provided by American AgCredit was too large to meet the needs of the Association.

We have greatly appreciated the tenant / landlord partnership we have had and the support American AgCredit gives to the Livestock Industry and extend a thank you to the American AgCredit family. I invite you to stop by our new office space at the Henderson Bank Building. Our offices can be found on the second floor and we would love the company!

As for other Association concerns, the possible greater sage grouse listing is closer and closer to being determined. The Association still takes a strong stance in supporting the work of the Sagebrush Ecosystem Council of Nevada and the Council’s development

of the State Plan alongside Congressional Representatives and all of the other industries in Nevada. Further coordination with the Council and BLM will continue to take place to ensure consistency with the State Plan and management actions for the federal land management agencies.

The Association is working with numerous consultants through the Sustainable Grazing Coalition and our affiliate organizations to review the Draft EIS for the Greater Sage Grouse. I encourage each and every livestock producer to submit comments on the Draft EIS before the deadline of January 29, 2014. Please contact the Association should you have more questions on how to submit comments, become involved with your local area work group or would like more information on how to be involved with the greater sage grouse conservation process. Also, please check out the article by Ms. Theodora Dowling to learn more about how a greater sage grouse listing will affect you and how you can be involved.

More for Association News, we have a full bull sale this year. The Fallon All Breeds Bull Sale has brought strong, range ready bull consignments for Hereford, Angus and Limousin bulls. Accompanying the bull sale this year again will be the 2nd Annual Fallon Bull Sale Cow Dog Trials on Friday, February 14, 2014. This year’s cow dog trials entries are full as well and the proceeds from the cow dog trials continue to go towards the fight against cancer. Aside from our traditional bull sale, this past month brought the 10th Annual Silver State Classic Special Calf and Yearling Sale sponsored by the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association and the Fallon Livestock Exchange. As with last year, we had a full sale held at the Fallon Livestock Exchange December 14, 2013. This sale not only brings great calves and yearlings, but a portion of the proceeds benefit the Association and it’s mem————————— Continued on page 6

Interactive Video

Town Hall Meeting to Cover Front Burner Issues Tuesday, January 16, 2014 January 16, 2014

Pre-Town Hall Meeting Genomic-Enhanced EPD Technology Seminar

4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

•

NCA Town Hall Meeting 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

• Registration begins at 3:30 p.m.

4 January 2014

W ITH • Dr. JJ Goicoechea, DVM and Steve Boise, Nevada Sagebrush Ecosystem Council

(Sage Grouse Committee) • Dr. Boyd Spratling, DVM and John Falen; National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Committee • Ron Cerri, NCA Public Lands Chairman • PLUS NCA President Ron Torell, County Commissioners, elected officials, UNR Faculty, just to name a few.

(Pre-Town Hall) Genomic-Enhanced EPD Technology Seminar Program locations include: • Elko - Great Basin College GTA 130 • Ely - Great Basin College 114 • Eureka - Eureka County Cooperative Extension • Winnemucca - Great Basin College 109 • Fallon - Churchill County Cooperative Extension

• Gardnerville - Douglas County Cooperative Extension • Caliente - Lincoln County Cooperative Extension • Tonopah - Northern Nye and Esmeralda County Extension Office

For more information contact the NCA at 775-738-9214 The Progressive Rancher

www.progressiverancher.com

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB

Sifting: Friday, February 14, 2014

B

Bull Sale

B

Churchill Co. Cowbelles Dinner/Dance and FBS Awards Presentation February 14, 2014

Saturday, February 15, 2014

Fallon Convention Center

11:30 a.m.

Fallon Livestock Exchange Fallon, NV B

FBS Invitational Stock Dog Trial TO BENEFIT THE FIGHT AGAINST CANCER February 13, 2014: Handlers Draw Party February 14, 2014: Handlers Meeting at 7:00 a.m. B Trial at 7:30 a.m.

February 14, 2014: Cowdog Auction to be held after Dinner at the Fallon Convention Center

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB

For more information or a sale catalog, please call the Sale Office.

Nevada Cattlemen’s Association 775-738-9214 B PO Box 310, Elko, NV 89803 B nca@nevadabeef.org www.progressiverancher.com

The Progressive Rancher

January 2014 5

January 6, 2014 Reno

Registration 10 a.m.

Washoe County Cooperative Extension Office 4955 Energy Way Reno, NV 89502 Via Interactive Video to: Logandale, Caliente, Tonopah, Lovelock, and Eureka.

2 013 n of Ch ar ac t e o s r r Pe

l

The University of Nevada Cooperative Extension (UNCE), College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources (CABNR) with financial support from local sponsors and the USDA, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Beginning Farmer and Rancher Program

Present

2014 Cattlemen’s Update University program updates and research results impacting the Nevada livestock industry will be discussed.

Come join us and receive your Red Book and Proceedings.

For additional information, contact: Jennifer Kintz Mineral County Cooperative Extension (775) 945-3444 ext. 12 kintzj@unce.unr.edu

6 January 2014

January 6, 2014 Fallon

Registration 6 p.m.

Churchill County Fair Grounds Multipurpose Building 225 Sheckler Road Fallon, NV 89406

J.J. Goicoechea and Family

l January 7, 2014 Wellington

Registration 9:30 a.m.

Smith Valley Community Hall 2783 State Route 208 Wellington, NV 89444

l January 8, 2014 Ely

Registration 6 p.m.

White Pine Convention Center 150 6th Street Ely, NV 89301

l January 9, 2014 Elko

Registration 12:30 p.m.

Great Basin College Solarium 1500 College Parkway Elko, NV 89801

The Progressive Rancher 2013 “Person of Character” represents all that is great in our industry. This very strong, candid, passionately outspoken , and dedicated young leader has not been afraid to express what so many in our industry shy away from. In response to the question, “What can livestock operators live with? Where can we agree to cut to and be okay?

He replied, “We have passed that point long ago, and we will not accept more cuts without a fight!… I pledge to you that I will work harder to defend our industry and to represent all of you. I ask that you make a resolution to do the same!”

Thank you, JJ Goicoechea for dedicating the last two years to fighting for us. Your love of family, friends, our industry and your strong, yet reasonable voice, will serve as inspiration to us all as we confront the challenges before us.

Thank you, Leana

l January 10, 2014 Winnemucca

Registration 10:30 a.m.

Humboldt County Extension Office 1085 Fairgrounds Rd. Winnemucca, NV 89445

Nevada Cattlemen’s Association

Continued from page 4 ————————— bers. Thank you to all our consigners for each of this year’s sales. For a Fallon All Breeds Bull Sale Catalog, please contact the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association office or visit www. nevadacattlemen.org.

That is all for this month my friends. Stay warm out there. Happy Holidays and we’ll see you in the new year!

If you are not currently a member of Nevada Cattlemen’s Association, I encourage you to join. Become part of an Association that is working hard to protect the future of ranching in Nevada. To learn more about the association or to become a member, please call the office at 775-738-9214 or visit our webpage at www.nevadacattlemen.org. We look forward to hearing from you! If you are currently a member, we thank you for your continued support.

Without your membership the voice of the Association wouldn’t be as strong as it is today.

The Progressive Rancher

www.progressiverancher.com

e nd My FriDoug Busselman W

hile I cannot say that I personally was aware of your coming to Nevada 25 years ago, I did often hear your name spoken as a leader in Nevada agriculture. It wasn’t until I became more involved in leadership of the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association over the last decade, that I truly got to know you. We often attended the same meetings, hearings and workshops, and at that time I never could quite understand why we did not present a more unified front for agriculture in Nevada.

It was during the last few years, that because of you, the Nevada Farm Bureau and Nevada Cattlemen’s Association created a strong working relationship. While we did not agree of every topic and often times we had policy that actually was contrary to each other, we always managed to During the NCA Convention in November, work together for what we thought JJ Goicoechea and the NCA gave Doug was right for our industry and our Busselman a Special Achievement Award state. I knew that if I couldn’t attend and Thank You for 20 plus years of a meeting or hearing and you were involvement in our Agriculture Industry. going, our industry would be well represented. Because of your unending dedication, rural Nevada profited.

You set an example for others to follow and often took the lead on so many issues.

I and others followed this example and did our best to follow your lead in representing rural Nevada and agriculture. Whether you know it or not, you made a tremendous impression on me and provided me with values that I will forever carry forward. I hope that I and others can continue to represent our industry in the manner you did.

I often laugh when I think of you saying that when you came to Nevada you couldn’t even spell EIS, let alone understand what it was. I only imagine you thought we pronounced our state Nev-Aaahhh-Duh too. For someone who came from a background that didn’t deal with public land issues, and government grazing leases, you did one hell of a job representing those of us who did. Without your support and tireless efforts on many of the issues we faced, our industry could have never held its own, let alone won some battles.

I want to thank you for your efforts during legislative sessions in Carson City. You always packed the water for agriculture (pun intended) and were there every day. You tackled the issue of wild horses, stood up for grazing permits, fought against overreaching regulations and you truly were the voice and face of Nevada agriculture on a daily basis.

I don’t know if everyone in this state is aware of just how fortunate we all were to have you serve as a representative of agriculture. I know that I to may have taken your leadership and representation for granted from time to time. I want you to know that I am truly honored to have been given the opportunity to serve our industry with you. Our many phone calls and lunch meetings over pulled pork sandwiches often gave me the courage to push on and the knowledge of how to do it.

I am sure neither of us will forget the day you drove into the ranch to tell me personally that you were leaving Nevada. You won’t forget it because I made you stand outside in the cold while you told me, and I won’t forget it because I felt I was losing a true friend and ally. I am sorry I let your teeth chatter while I “messed around with that damn horse”. The fact that you drove to the ranch to tell me face to face is a testament to kind of man you are.

You are truly going to be missed by all of us in Nevada, especially those of us who worked closely with you. I wish you the best of luck on your new path and am confident that you will serve the needs of Minnesota Farm Bureau and more.

It was a pleasure my friend. My door is always open and should you ever feel the need to review an EIS or two, I would be happy to send several along for you.

Your friend, J.J. Goicoechea, DVM, Past President Nevada Cattlemen’s Association www.progressiverancher.com

UPCOMING SALES THURSDAY, JANUARY 30TH In conjunction with Red Bluff Replacement Female Sale

Red Bluff, CA Consignment Deadline: Wednesday, January 22nd

FRIDAY, MARCH 7TH Shasta Livestock, Cottonwood, CA WATCH & LISTEN TO THE SALE on the Web at:

For details call (530) 347-3793 or the representative nearest you:

Gary Nolan

Mark Venturacci

Steve Lucas

Elko, NV

Fallon, NV

Paradise Valley, NV

(775) 934-5678

(775) 427-8713

(775) 761-7575

Brad Peek— — (916) 802-7335 or email us at wvm@wvmcattle.com Look for the catalog and pictures on our website www.wvmcattle.com

Market your cattle with the professionals!

The Progressive Rancher

January 2014 7

Nevada Rangeland Resources Commission

RANGE Magazine

Nevada Ranchers Caretakers of our

by Rachel Buzzetti, Executive Director

N

Rangelands

Cowboys and sheepherders produce food and fiber for the nation. Growing food on Open range is a natural biological process.

Grazing actually benefits the land with hoof action and natural fertilization. Plants are healthier and regenerate faster after the herds move to a new range.

Antelope and other game animals and birds take advantage of the improvements made by ranchers.

Grazing cattle and sheep coexist peacefully with native wildlife and, in fact, make a friendlier habitat for many species.

Sheep often graze on steep terrain and can control cheatgrass, a major fuel for wildfires.

Nevada Rangeland Resources Commission was created by the State of Nevada to promote responsible public land grazing.

Representatives come from Nevada state grazing boards, Nevada Woolgrowers, Nevada Farm Bureau, and Nevada Cattlemen’s Association.

4780 East Idaho Steet, Elko, NV 89801 • 775-738-4082 WWW.NEVADARANGELANDS.ORG This ad is funded through the NRRC’s assessment of 10 cents an AUM paid by public land ranchers.

8 January 2014

evada Rangeland Resources Commission has supported RANGE magazine and the Range Conservation Foundation for many years, with a variety of projects. This includes advertising, sponsorship of high-quality hardback “good news” books about ranching for Nevada schools and libraries, and subscriptions to high-traffic areas in major cities (doctors’ offices, etc.).

The first meeting about RANGE in 1989 was conducted by five cowboys and scientists with roots in Nevada, Oregon, Montana, Idaho and New Mexico.

The group wanted a one-time, 32-page brochure, full color, to send to all members of Congress. Grazing fee pressures were intense and their hope was to prove to lawmakers that ranchers are not the bad guys.

John Ascuaga suggested photographer/writer C.J. Hadley, to write, photograph and produce it. She had recently retired from 10 years at Nevada Magazine and was an international travel writer who was willing to stop her journeys to handle a special project. She was guided to six ranches by the group: the Salmon River Cattlemen’s Association ranch near Jackpot, the T Quarter Circle in Winnemucca, the Barnes Ranch in Jiggs, Paul Inchauspe’s sheep outfit north of Austin, the Eldridge Ranch in Spring Valley and the Walking Box near Searchlight.

“Those stories taught me a lot about ranchers and a little about too many mustangs, endangered species, environmental activism, government overregulation, wildlife habitat and water. It was enough to send a poor socialist Democrat English woman who voted for Carter into a tailspin.”

To Hadley—who used to be managing editor of Car & C.J. Hadley Driver magazine in New York City and has free-lanced for Sports Illustrated, Saturday Evening Post, Air Canada and other national magazines—her outback adventures were educational and thought provoking. She forgot about travel writing and became more conservative.

“It looked like no one was telling your story, so, for 23 years, that’s what I have been trying to do.”

Award-winning RANGE has more than 170,000 readers from coast to coast and in 23 foreign countries. It has published 86 quarterly issues to date, an annual Real Buckaroo Calendar, plus 10 hardback books. Its website gets more than 1.5 million hits each year, it has more than 5,000 friends on Facebook, and 2,400 members of the national and regional media are on its press list. It has been called “enlightening,” “a breath of fresh air,” “RANGE makes me laugh and cry,” “once opened, I can’t put it down” and “RANGE is the voice of reason amidst a cacophony of madmen.” It has also been called “the shill of industrial polluters” a.k.a. ranchers.

Even though RANGE is a national publication, RANGE spent $161,340 on stories important to Nevada in the last six issues. “We are not about to quit caring about Nevada ranchers,” says CJ, who just hired her second full-time employee, “and you can bet your butt that we are working as hard as we can.” Thanks to western ranchers, RANGE is delivered each quarter to all members of Congress and key members of the president’s cabinet.

In 2013, RANGE won 20 awards from the Nevada Press Association. Twelve firstplace awards including Best Critical Writing (Dave Skinner), Best Feature Story (Carolyn Dufurrena, about Nevada fires), Best Investigative Story or Series (Bruce Vincent, Mike Dubrasich and Carolyn Dufurrena), Best Profile (Dave Skinner), plus Outstanding Visual Journalist (Mark Hayward) and Outstanding Journalist (Carolyn Dufurrena). RANGE also took first for the most prestigious award of all: Freedom of the Press (Ramona Hage and C.J. Hadley). Many of those stories can be found at www.rangemagazine.com or by calling 1-800-RANGE-4-U. “RANGE is telling the ranchers’ stories and helping warn us of issues that will affect us in the future, and they do it well,” says NRRC Chairman Hank Vogler. “Forewarned is forearmed, as another Brit said in 1592.”

The Progressive Rancher

www.progressiverancher.com

OFFICE: 775-423-7760 JACK PAYNE

Cell: 775-217-9273 Alt: 775-225-8889

Email: nevadalm@yahoo.com

Full-Service Cattle Sales & Marketing serving the Fallon, Nevada and Outlying Areas.

S A LE

Sales Results from

December 18th and 19th, 2013 Regular Butcher Cow, Bull and Feeder Sale Seller

City

# Head Desc.

Type

Winnemucca

5

BLK

McDermitt

2

CHAR

Cow/ Calf Bred Hfrs Bred Hfrs Broken Mouth Bred Cows STR

Dellis Bone

Reno

4

BLK

Dellis Bone

Reno

6

MIX

Henry & Joi Brackenbury

Yerington

1/1

RBF

Jeremy Block

Reno

11

BLK

Rafael Venzor

Paradise Vly

3

BLK

Lucas Livestock David Hinkey

Williams Charlois Dennis & Sharon Brown Ronald & Denise Cerri

Jordan Vly Winnemucca

Weight

Price CWT

1345

$1,300/hd

945

$1,470/hd

1090

$1,400/hd

1167 $975.00/hd 285

$207.00

STR

396

$207.00

STR

518

$169.00

11 CHAR STR

388

$199.00

2

MIX

STR

335

$197.00

Orovada

2

BLK

STR

393

$196.00

Rena Britton

Homedale

15

BLK

STR

419

$190.25

Rena Britton

Homedale

17

BLK

STR

494

$184.50

Five Fingers Grazing Assoc LLC Paradise Vly

16

BLK

STR

441

$189.00

Five Fingers Grazing Assoc LLC Paradise Vly

29

BLK

STR

517

$183.25

Five Fingers Grazing Assoc LLC Paradise Vly

27

BLK

STR

592

$164.25

Five Fingers Grazing Assoc LLC Paradise Vly

2

MIX

STR

735

$154.00

Giovanni Giordano

Winnemucca

4

BLK

STR

538

$173.00

McDermitt

1

BLK

410

$170.00

Fallon

1

BLK

400

$166.00

Dennis & Kathi Lee

Fallon

2

BLK

STR Bull Calf STR

550

$160.00

Dan & Terry Fuhriman

Parma

5

BLK

539

$158.00

Bruce Kent

Fallon

5

MIX

449

$157.00

Bently Agrodynamics

Minden

3

BBF

STR Bull Calf STR

595

$156.50

C-Ranches Inc

Beowawe

26

BLK

STR

679

$155.00

Hendrix Ranch

Fallon

12

BLK

STR

703

$153.00

Erin Cross

Fallon

4

BLK

STR

545

$151.00

Star Bar Cattle

Yerington

2

RD

STR

753

$150.00

Arlemont Cattle

Dyer

3

MIX

STR

583

$149.00

Jackie Juarez

McDermitt

3

MIX

STR

595

$147.00

Richard Hucke

Fallon

1

BLK

STR

575

$147.00

Gene Heckman

Winnemucca

1

RD

STR

765

$131.00

Kenneth Sam

McDermitt

1

BLK

685

$121.00

Simon Fisher

Gardnerville

2

BLK

798

$115.00

Rena Britton

Homedale

16

BLK

STR Bull Calf HFR

404

$180.50

Donald Hinkey Larry Bray

Star Bar Cattle Dellis Bone Marie Sherman Randy Osterhoudt Bently Agrodynamics

Every Wednesday Small Barn at 10:30 AM Butcher Cows at 11:30 AM Feeder Cattle at 1:00 PM

Feeder Sale in conjunction with our Regular Wednesday sale

December 18th and 19th, 2013 Regular Butcher Cow, Bull and Feeder Sale Seller

Jackie Juarez Dennis & Kathi Lee

January 2, 2014 (Including Butcher Cows)

January 15 & 16, 2014 February 19 & 20, 2014 Butcher cows on Wednesday Feeder cattle on Thursday starting at 11 AM

City

McDermitt

# Head Desc.

4

Type

Weight

Price CWT

MIX

HFR

381

$161.00

Fallon

4

WF

HFR

368

$158.00

Beowawe

18

BLK

HFR

593

$148.00

Gary Pennington

Lakeview

5

BLK

HFR

622

$141.00

Michael McNinch

Winnemucca

3

MIX

HFR

500

$141.00

Bell Ranch

Paradise Vly

9

BLK

HFR

888

$135.00

Minden

1

BBF

COW

1590

$91.50

Fallon

1

BLK

COW

1710

$90.00

Yerington

1

BLK

COW

1610

$89.50

1

RBF HFRTT 1350

$88.00

1

BBF

COW

1275

$87.00

Sunrise Ranch LLC

Carson City Round Mountain Yerington

1

BLK

COW

1055

$82.50

Donald Hinkey

McDermitt

1

BBF

COW

1115

$81.50

Orovada

1

BLK

COW

990

$81.00

1

BLK

COW

1215

$80.50

1

BBF

COW

825

$80.00

Kenneth Buckingham

Orovada Round Mountain Paradise Vly

1

BLK

COW

1190

$80.00

Kenneth Buckingham

Paradise Vly

1

BLK

COW

1045

$65.00

Uriel Castaneda

Paradise Vly

1

MIX

COW

1370

$80.00

C-Ranches Inc

Bently Agrodynamics William, Susan & Clint Chambers Pitchfork Ranch Selmi Brothers Livestock Dan Osterhoudt

Jeff & Lydia Cerri Ronald & Denise Cerri Jaime Berg

Ely

1

BLK

COW

1315

$79.00

Winnemucca

1

COW

1395

$73.75

Norris Albaugh

Fallon

1

COW

1375

$65.00

Ron Albaugh

Fallon

1

COW

1320

$59.00

Sage Hill Dairy

Fallon

1

BLK SHRT HORN SHRT HORN JER

COW

1245

$73.50

Open on Sale Days

Mills Jersey Farm

Fallon

1

JER

COW

910

$71.00

Jeff Whitaker

Fallon

1

HOLSTEIN COW

1525

$86.00

Stop by and have a Homestyle Burger

Desert Hills Dairy

Yerington

1

HOLSTEIN COW

1475

$80.00

Desert Hills Dairy

Yerington

1

HOLSTEIN COW

1670

$74.00

Hi-Test Products

Fallon

1

HOLSTEIN COW

1755

$79.50

Look for Weekly Market Reports at www.nevadalivestock.us

Oasis Dairy LLC

Fallon

1

HOLSTEIN COW

1555

$78.50

Lori Johnson

Fallon

1

HOLSTEIN COW

1530

$75.00

Scott Regli

Fallon

1

HOLSTEIN COW

1695

$74.00

We have 4 cattle trains available for your cattle hauling needs.

Phil Regli

Fallon

1

HOLSTEIN COW

1560

$71.00

Perazzo Brothers

Fallon

1

HOLSTEIN COW

1425

$70.25

Lacas Vacas

Fallon

1

HOLSTEIN COW

1350

$69.00

Arlemont Cattle

Dyer

1

BRDL BULL

2030

$96.50

We can haul approx. 80,000# of cattle per load either to our sale or in the country. Give us a call for pricing.

Pitchfork Ranch

3

BLK

BULL

1692

$92.00

1

BLK

BULL

1700

$92.00

Sunrise Ranch LLC

Yerington Round Mountain Yerington

1

BLK

BULL

1610

$89.00

Greg Schafer

Yerington

1

BLK

BULL

1650

$87.50

Fallon

1

BLK

BULL

1765

$85.00

CafĂŠ

Yerington

4

BLK

HFR

456

$167.00

Reno

18

MIX

HFR

453

$166.00

Fallon Round Mountain Minden

43

MIX

HFR

487

$165.00

3

BBF

HFR

423

$164.00

TO ALL OF OUR

11

BLK

HFR

466

$161.00

CONSIGNORS & BUYERS

www.progressiverancher.com

Sales Results from

The Progressive Rancher

Carolyn & Stacy Drayton Giovanni Giordano

Russell Berg

31 Ranch

January 2014 9

Ship ’Em To

LLON A F

MARKET REPORT December 14, 2013

Weight

TOP OFFERINGS Steer

300-400 174.00-198.00 400-500 170.00-192.50 500-600 162.00-176.00 600-700 161.00-165.00 700-800 156.00-157.00 800-900 139.00-152.00 Lite Holstein (under 600#) Heavy Holstein (over 600#)

Heifer

160.00-186.00 158.00-183.00 145.00-160.00 145.00-157.00 110.00-127.00 121.00-130.00 80.00-88.00 70.00-80.00

*Single, Small Framed or Plainer Cattle 15.00 to 20.00 less than top offerings

Livestock Exchange, Inc. www.fallonlivestock.com

is pleased to Announce the

c i l s s ’ a s r i w a a e N Ye Cl Spec 10th Annual

CALF and YEARLING SALE Saturday, January 11th, 2014 at 1:00 pm — Expecting More than 1800 Head! — Sellers, please call a week ahead with your consignments so that we can notify buyers what’s coming in. It makes a huge difference.

Also, please have your cattle here no later than 10:00 Saturday, morning, January 11th, 2014.

Remember you can bring them in on Thursday or Friday at no extra charge (only feed).

This is an open consignment sale. Anyone can consign their good cattle to this nationally advertised sale. Remember to call us early with your consignments and trucking needs.

Fallon Livestock Exchange, Inc. Sale Every Tuesday at 11:00 AM Selling All Classes of Livestock: • Cattle • Horses • Sheep • Goats • Pigs

2055 Trento Lane • Fallon, Nevada 89406 • 775-867-2020 For more marketing information, or to arrange trucking needs: Call Monte Bruck, Manager, at 775-426-8279

BUTCHER COWS & BULLS

Breakers (Fat Cows) Boners (Med Flesh) Cutters (Lean) Holstein Cows Butcher Bulls Shelly (Thin) Bulls Shelly Cutters (Thin) Young Feeder Cows Heiferettes Holstein Heiferettes Holstein Bulls Feeder Bulls Cutting Bulls Used Roping Steers Preg Tested Cows (3, 4, 5 yr. old solid mouth) Pairs (solid mouth) 3-6 yrs Pairs (older)

71.00-74.00 75.00-85.00 63.00-69.00 35.00-85.00 75.00-95.50 40.00-60.00 20.00-40.00 70.00-80.00 85.00-100.00 77.00-88.00 80.00-86.00 70.00-80.00 80.00-95.00 65.00-72.00

1300-1375.00 NT NT

TODAY’S COWS Top Cow Top 10 Cows Top 50 Cows Top 100 Cows Top Butcher Bull Top Holstein Cows Top 10 Holstein Cows

Avg. Wt 1150 1265 1190 1169 2160 1135 1472

Avg. Cost 87.00 85.87 79.80 74.93 95.50 85.00 77.23

CALVES-SHEEP-GOATS-PIGS-HORSES

Beef Calves (HD) Dairy Calves Feeder Lambs Fat Lambs Ewes (CWT) Bucks (CWT) Small Goats (under 65 lbs.) (HD) Large Goats (over 70 lbs.) (HD) Weaner Pigs Feeder Pigs Top Hogs Butcher Sows Horses (under 1100 lbs.)

Horses (over 1100 lbs.)

60.00-410.00 2.00-35.00 110.00-130.00 110.00-120.00 25.00-40.00 22.00-40.00 20.00-90.00 95.00-185.00 45.00-95.00 60.00-130.00 60.00-75.00 20.00-45.00 8.00-15.00 18.00-28.00

MARKET TREND: Feeder cattle were steady to 15.00 higher with very strong buyer demand on same kind and quality depending on fill. Cattle went to Nebraska, Colorado, Idaho, California, and Nevada. There was 84 different sellers.

Fallon Livestock is a key market for the livestock industry, where buyers and sellers meet each week with a professional staff with over 50 years of experience in marketing livestock.

PLEASE call us ahead with your consignments. It helps us market your cattle. We talk to buyers all the time – they want to know what's coming in. We are seeing good demand on weigh up cows& bulls. It sure makes a big difference on how they are sorted. Let our crew sort and class your cows, This will help you receive full market value for your cows.

We have trucks available for your hauling needs, pasture to pasture or from your Ranch to the sale yard.

See you and your Friends at Ringside Soon!

10 January 2014

The Progressive Rancher

www.progressiverancher.com

By Joe Guild

D

o you know your customer? One of the first rules of public speaking is to find out who your audience is. What is the audience interested in and why were you invited to speak are good questions to ask before you stand up in front of a crowd at a Southern Baptist convention and talk about the virtues of the newly elected pope.

Ask a cow-calf rancher a few years ago who is the customer for his calves and perhaps the answer was the feedlot buyer or even the packing house. In other words, the customer is the person who wrote him a check. But, it is only in recent years that ranchers have started to focus on the ultimate customer; the person with hamburger in hand, a steak on a plate or someone pushing a shopping cart full of meat.

The gas station owner knows who the customer is; the grocery store manager knows who the customer is and the saloon keeper tracks the favorite beer brands customers prefer.

The bartender also knows who to ask for ID from and the store owner won’t let 10 year old girl cash a check. These sellers all know their customers very well or they will soon be out of business.

American ranchers raise the best beef in the world. It is nutritious, safe and tastes better than any other meat . It is also relatively inexpensive compared to other countries where a person might spend 30% or more of their income on food. By contrast, it is estimated Americans spend about 10% of their disposable income on food. Several questions arise in regard to how we view food in this country. Much of the recent discussion centers on how members of the younger generations view food. Specifically, the so-called millennial generation has received a great deal of attention because of their outspoken views and attitudes about what they eat, where and how it was raised, when they eat, how often they eat and what they will be teaching their children about food.

Members of the millennial generation were born between about the year 1980 and 2000. They now outnumber my generation, the baby boomers, at between 42 and 70 million people depending upon whose estimate you read. Google the word millennial and you will find some astonishing facts. As many as 35% of their meals are what we would consider snacks. They rarely sit at a table at home and eat a meal. They certainly do not ever sit down three times a day with family or friends and eat the traditional “three squares a day”. For that matter, I wonder who actually does that anymore.

They are concerned about ethics in food production. They mistrust genetically modified crops, radiated food protection and whether animal agriculturalists are treating their animals humanely. They like meat; only about 3.5% are pure vegetarians or vegans. But they are very concerned about the treatment of all animals because almost all of them characterize themselves as animal lovers even if they do not have a pet.

Interestingly, almost one-third of the millennial generation between the ages of 16 and 27 are overweight or obese. Much has been written and published in recent years about trans-fat, high fructose corn sugar, a failure to add fruits and vegetables to the diet and the latest food concern, gluten intolerance. At some point when health concerns related to being overweight resonate with this generation, already altered food habits will change even more.

They are the most ethnically and racially diverse group of people in our nation’s history. They do not communicate like you and I. I can almost guarantee not one member of that generation including all of my children will read this column. If they cannot find the information on their smart phones, they likely won’t get it. Moreover, they “talk” with each other in short texts or emails. They will occasionally talk with each other on the phone, but, as most of you know, just try and have one of your children call you back after you have left a message in their voicemail box- doesn’t happen. Thus, they receive and send information on the World Wide Web. This is where they learn about what is good and bad for one to eat.

This is where they do the research that helps them make their food choices and where, when and how they are going to eat that food. Therefore, if you want to communicate with these customers, social media is probably your best method for success.

It is also more than obvious to this audience millennials know almost nothing about farms and ranches and what it really takes to grow food. The baby boomer generation moved quickly away from agriculture when their parents raised them in the suburbs after the Second World War. Their children, the millennials and before them the so-called generation x, thought that every ranch was like the Cartwright’s Bonanza and every farm was like Green Acres, I suppose. More likely, they did not think about farms or ranches at all. As I have written many times before, this is a huge problem for agriculture. This is why I began this www.progressiverancher.com

piece by asking whether you know your customer.

One other thing I learned about millennials in research for this column is they are very community minded and they value authenticity above almost all else. If you are a phony they will spot you in a heartbeat and throw you back into the stream. They trust each other more than outsiders. But if they know you are truthful and trustworthy you are their kind of person. Artisanal goat cheese, “real” tomatoes from the local farmer’s market, free range chickens and grass fed beef all appeal to these young folks in a way that did not resonate with their parents. If any of these things were being pushed to a millennial through a hard sell approach that person would push back even harder and walk away.

The most honest, authentic, unpretentious people I know are ranchers. If these younger folks would go to a ranch and ask the owners what they do and how they do it to keep their land healthy and their animals alive, they would get a response from people who will literally spend hours with them in explanation. To get those answers they might have to tag along and pull a calf or rake some hay because there is so much to do on a ranch and not enough time to get it all done, but they will receive an answer to their questions. In the bargain they will also make some pretty good friends.

These are the folks the millennial generation need to get to know. And the millennials are the people cattle raisers need to learn more about and reach out to; these are your customers. These are the people and their children your children are going to be selling beef to in the future. If we do not respond to their concerns and understand their ethics and attitudes about their food we might not have a customer in the future.

So, how do we reach out to them? How do we communicate with them to let them know how we care for our animals and land? How does the public land rancher tell them livestock production is a valid and valuable use of the public’s resources which enhances and helps the resource and does not damage and harm the resource? Engage as many of the young people you know as you can and tell them the good story you have about taking care of your animals and your ranches.

Many companies and industries have done a great deal of research to figure out what makes the millennial generation tick. There is an obvious self-interest aspect to all this inquiry. A potential 80 million customers for any product will drive a lot of research. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association is one of those involved in attitude and choice research to see if these upcoming consumer generations have a taste for the beef products we currently enjoy or if there is a desire for something else.

One thing is clear to me as I have been studying this subject. The generations to come will dictate the market. They will require assurances from producers the animals raised for human consumption have been humanely treated form birth to processing. They will want to know these animals have received good nutrition, health care and do not have residual harmful substances which can affect human wellbeing. This is a tall order. However, there are no phonies in livestock raising. Once the millennials understand this, we will have friends and customers for future generations.

I hope you all have a Happy and Prosperous New Year.

I’ll see you soon.

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500 Commercial St. Elko, NV 89801 Phone: (775) 738-5816 Fax: (775) 738-8980

capriolas.com

January 2014 11

Fumes FROM THE Farm

by Hank Vogler

Playing Chicken With Nevada’s Future

F

or the last nine years, for one hour every Monday, I am on the radio. The program is called Rural Routes. I cohost the program with Trent Loos from Loop City, Nebraska. On Mondays, Trent winds me up like a top and then turns me loose. I pontificate about Western Issues and Wild Horses, Wildfires, Wild Politics, Wild sage grouse, wild pipelines and any other issue that gives me the purple slobbers.

Many is the time that issues that are hot button issues in Nevada have to be explained in the simplest of terms in order to get the audience in the Midwest to even begin to understand. Once a college professor, who had drank the Kool-Aid said we were welfare ranchers, as all we did was send our grazing fees to the federal treasury and then had our way with the public domain. After further discussion, he was astonished at how complicated federal graze was and finally concluded that it wasn’t worth the effort to hold a lease on the Nevada desert and that I needed my head examined. The part about having my head examined was no doubt correct; but the rule of law should be upheld and contracts made to grazers in Nevada precede the Taylor Grazing Act by fifty to eighty years.

One of the issues that always seemed to baffle the folks in mid America was the sage grouse issue. The folks back there began to place bets on how many minutes into the program would yours truly, say the word sage hen. The bet got up to a case of beer to the person that came closest to the minute that I mentioned the sage hen. After years and years of explaining this issue, I am now referred to as the Sage Hen Paul Revere. The people in the center of the country have very little, if any, federal land. They have always felt that “The Endangered Species Act” would never affect them. Low and behold, a small group of sage grouse has been found in South West South Dakota. Now they are up in arms. Previously I have explained that the feds could give a hoot about the actual bird. It is the “ACT”

that empowers them and expands their influence and territory. Solutions end programs and thus the need for salaries of bureaucrats and lobbyist and congressional aids, which in turn eliminates Beemer payments, Cocktail parties, horse trading on the backs of the citizens, house payments and retirement. The truth is damned. Please name a federal program that has been eliminated. Manifest destiny now has the new meaning of federal cronyism and complete take over of our country by meddling federal control. This is also called communism or socialism, or enslavement. I am trying desperately to get in touch with my feminine side and not blow up any more blood pressure cuffs.

We, out here on the high wide and lonesome know that the sage grouse, not unlike the spotted owl, is a tool to end resource development in the West. Science is to be shaped to reach a means to an end not a word of scientific integrity is needed. You merely need fuzzy critter pictures and Emotions to demonize ranchers and miners and loggers as the key to whip up support for your noble cause. Any one who operates for profit is evil. Well how about all the special interest groups? They don’t work for the glory. Poncho Villa said come to Mexico and fight for “the glory AND THE GOLD”. The equal access to legal justice act has cost the taxpayers millions and enriched many a so-called environmentalist coalition.

A few days ago, my friend Trent Loos was asked to be on a panel discussion with state legislators from many mid-west states. He travelled to Washington D.C., D.C. now means “Divide the Cash”. A representative was there with the Department of Interior, B.L.M., he was not schooled in land management; but had spent thirty-one years in the military and was now in the employ of the B.L.M. Trent felt that his talking points were scripted and that this fellow was merely regurgitating federal policy. The gentleman began to tell the reasons why the sage grouse was to be listed at all cost and an all out effort of the bureau was charging ahead. He told of the loss of habitat to the evils of mining, pipelines, not to

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8

e Bull Sal n o l l a F o t NV , Fallon, d h t 5 1 . b e n F a ear- olds 6 — 2-y arlings 2 Fall ye

s of r a n ds on G 6 g n i d i n cl u ye SHF Ribe 17 M326 R1 12 January 2014

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Daniels

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The Progressive Rancher

www.progressiverancher.com

include of course Uncle Harry Reid’s water pipeline to the toilets of Las Vegas, and the destruction of habitat by grazing. Not one word of predation or huge fires from under grazing as any reason for the loss of the previous numbers of the species. The evils of mining and ranching and pipelines was to bare the brunt of the entire reason for the need to list the sage grouse. Out herein the high cold desert, the local B.L.M. folks sing a song of compromise and coalitions and cooperation and coordination and holding hands. Obviously some one is prevaricating. My money is on the Divide the Cash crowd.

After listening to me rant and rave about predation and studies of ravens being the number one culprit in the demise of sage grouse, and how coyotes and badgers and general raptor populations have sky rocketed since poisoning was eliminated by President Nixon and the six hundred percent increase in ravens since the treaty with Mexico not to kill the crow and all the rest of the touchy feely stuff, Trent was loaded for bear. He began to ask questions and the poor fellow from the B.l.M was not prepared to provide answers and he even commented that he was amazed that a Nebraskan was so well versed in Western Land issues. So no matter what they tell you at the camp meetings of all is well, the greater Washington D.C. cash and carry crowd must be brought to heel. Our Western future is at stake and the divide the cash crowd must once again be reminded that power is supposed to be in the hands of the people. This gives rise to the argument that Nevada and the rest of the western federal land states should throw off the yolk of oppression and the federal lands be returned to the states as they have been returned to the states time and time again in the mid west and the South P.S. the gentleman from the B.L.M. also threw out that domestic sheep were killing the wild sheep with disease. That is a story for another day. I must go now and get my straight jacket back on and my muzzle placed securely so I won’t slobber and I must take my Valium. Hang and Rattle!!!!!!! Hank

Nevada Farm Bureau Applauds Court’s Decision to Temporarily Stop Eastern Nevada Water Transfer to Las Vegas

Sparks, Nev, December 12, 2013 – Nevada Farm Bureau applauds Senior District Judge Robert Estes and his ruling that will temporarily stop the Southern Nevada Water Authority from pumping billions of gallons of water from eastern Nevada.

The court ruled that the “State Engineer’s rulings is remanded: for recalculation of water available from the respective basins; for additional hydrological study of Delamar, Dry Lake and Cave Valley; and to establish standards for mitigation in the event of a conflict with existing water rights or unreasonable effects to the environment or the public interest.”

The Court continued to say, “that losing 9,780 afa from the basin, over and above E.T. after 200 years is unfair to following generations of Nevadans, and is not in the public interest. In violating the Engineer’s own standards, the award of 61,127 afa is arbitrary and capricious.”

Farmers and ranchers throughout eastern Nevada have battled the water grab plan from its inception, which began in 1989.

Nevada Farm Bureau policy states, “Nevada Farm Bureau is opposed to the export and transport of groundwater out of the basin of origin without full protection of agriculture and wildlife waters.” Furthermore, “When ground water is being exported from a geophysical basin and unexpected conditions occur in that basin or adjacent basin(s), both present and future needs in those basins should have a priority over the water being exported.” Farm Bureau policy also calls for an adequate monitoring process.

The court also stated, “SNWA’s expert reports make it clear that the hydrology of Spring Valley, as well as Delamar, Dry Lake and Cave Valley, is not completely understood.” The court continued to say, “Regarding monitoring and proactive monitoring by the Engineer, there is no plan.”

Nevada Farm Bureau will continue to monitor this and other decisions that impact the livelihoods of Nevada’s farmers and ranchers.

EPA Tries Federalize All Waters Reprinted from NCBA Beltway Beef, December 12, 2013

You have to give it to EPA, the agency is relentless and creative in getting regulations that it wants imposed on industry. The best example, spanning decades, is its persistent attempts to expand federal jurisdiction over “waters of the United States.” From decades of guidance documents, to failed legislative proposals, more guidance documents, and finally selfserving, flawed scientific reports drafted after a proposed regulation had already been written, EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) continue to try and find a way. It might be a good “Rudy” type story if what the agency wanted to do wasn’t going to put the cattle, mining and infrastructure industries (and the rest of the economy) under a mountain of new permitting requirements. The latest attempt is a proposed regulation that is simply awaiting final approval from the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) before being made public. And according to a leaked version of the proposal, ditches, streams, prairie potholes and every other depression that has any moisture whatsoever will now be a “water of the U.S.” subject to federal permitting requirements, despite it being entirely encapsulated on your property. The largest federal land grab in history is about to take place, unless we stop it.

Some specifics on the proposal: • For the first time ever, man-altered and man-made water bodies, including ditches are included wholesale in the term “tributary.” Tributaries will be jurisdictional.

• Any water adjacent to navigable waters or their tributaries….jurisdictional.

www.progressiverancher.com

• Any water in a floodplain (truly any, this includes isolated wetlands ephemeral streams, ditches or any other kind of water). EPA does not define “floodplain.” 20 year? 100 year? The proposal tells field staff to use “best professional judgment” in determining the “floodplain.”

• Any water in a “riparian area.” Also undefined.

If there is anything left outside those areas mentioned above, EPA/Corps can “aggregate” these “other waters” within a “single landscape unit” (undefined) to find a “significant nexus,” and therefore make them all jurisdictional.

Why should you care and what can you do? If you have a water on located on your property that would now fall into the “jurisdictional” category (I imagine most of you do), any activity touching that water will need the permission of the federal government through a Sec. 404 permit. It will also impact Sec. 311 Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) spill plans (required if you have a reasonable chance of spilling fuel/oil that could reach a “water of the U.S.”) and Sec. 402 NPDES (less than 1,000 head feedyards become “CAFOs” if there is a direct discharge into a “water of the U.S.”). Permits can cost tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands to get and satisfy, and Sec. 404 permits can take on average over two years to acquire, slowing down routine maintenance and expansion activities on your operation.

To stop a federal takeover of all waters it will take efforts from NCBA in D.C., you at home, and your Congressman and Senators. Let them know you adamantly oppose an expansion of “waters of the U.S.” by the EPA and the Corps.

The Progressive Rancher

January 2014 13

J. B. Wh i te l e y OF A RANCH WIFE

It’s Not the Destination, It’s the Journey

Y

esterday morning was a very long day. Feeding cows was going well until the Cow Boss decided it would be so much faster to just chum the cull cows into the lot with the hay wagon instead of catching horses. I raised an eyebrow at the Cow Boss, but kept my mouth closed.

Things were going good, the cows came quite easily out of their field and were content to follow the hay wagon into the lot.

Then the Cow Boss started kicking hay off in the gate. Cows were all gathered in the gate I had to drive back out with the tractor.

When I got turned around and headed towards the gate, 2 rotten cows darted back through and headed back to where they came from. The Cow Boss thought he could get around them on foot, push them through the gate, and all would be rosy. Unfortunately the 2 cows didn’t get the memo, and even tried running through the fence.

The Cow Boss was not thrilled. He shut the gate and QT and I headed to the house to catch a couple of horses while the Cow Boss and TR went to feed the rest of the cows.

About a month ago we had a windstorm that knocked down a couple of trees and a section of our horse corral. The Cow Boss cut down a bunch of the trees and tore down the rest of the horse corral, except the round pen. He finished the fence, but we have no gates, so you can’t really corral anything unless you have someone to block the gates. My biggest, stoutest, most favorite horse can be a little hard to catch. He won’t even eat grain out of a bucket if he isn’t in a barn. It took quite some time to get Cricket and TR’s horse caught.

The highlight of my day was riding with TR. We got chinked up, mounted, and headed towards the cows. He was just like a border collie puppy and I am still tickled by him. He said to me “Want to know our plan mom? We are going to trot our horses down there to those 2 naughty cows, cause that’s what you do when you are on horses, you trot. Then when we get there, I am going to chase one cow and you are going to chase the other cow until we get them to run through the gate.” I chuckled a little, and told him that was a pretty

good idea, but we needed to bump the rest of the cows up towards the corral first so we wouldn’t end up with the whole bunch in the lane and have to regather them. I hoped I could keep him slowed up so the cows would go through the gate and not through the fence.

Fencing and sorting were not on my list of things to do that day.

Trying to push the cows away from the gate was a challenge.

TR was in front of them every chance he got, whooping and hollering and having a great time, pushing them back over the top of mom to the point that I gave up trying to push them away from the gate and decided to just open the gate and get the other 2 cows.

It took us 1/2 an hour to get all of the cows out of the lane and into the corral. I was nearly in tears from frustration that they wouldn’t go through the gate. Kind of hard I realize when there is a little boy on a big sorrel horse in front of them whooping and hollering. When they were corralled TR came running up to me, still giddy with excitement and asked “Did I do good? Are you proud of me?!!” Yes, I still am.

What I learned yesterday: 1. Even if you know better, sometimes you have to let someone do something their own way. It may make more work for you, but it might not be all bad. You may get to spend some one on one time with someone you love while cleaning up the mess.

2. As hard as it may be, it feels really good to share something you love with your children. I have permanent teeth marks in my tongue from biting it so I wouldn’t yell at TR when he was running through the middle of the bunch of cows or running them back over the top of me. He can be such a little man at times I forget he is still just a baby and has so much to learn yet about riding and handling cows. If I want him to keep riding with me I need to encourage him and teach by example. It won’t do either of us any good for me to lose my cool or make him feel bad. As much as I want to push him, I know I need to hold back and be patient with him and let him come to enjoy riding with me on his own terms.

3. It doesn’t always matter how the job is done, as long as it gets done. Sometimes the journey is a lot more important than the destination.

Tonja Dressler of Gardnerville Awarded Ag in the Classroom Volunteer of the Year Award SPARKS, Nev, December 6, 2013 –Douglas County Farm Bureau member Tonja Dressler was awarded the 2013 Nevada Agriculture in the Classroom Volunteer of the Year Award during the 2013 Nevada Farm Bureau Annual Convention in Las Vegas. Sue Hoffman of the Nevada Agricultural Foundation presented the award.

Dressler has been involved and coordinating Ag in the Classroom events throughout Douglas County and Nevada for more than 10 years. In Douglas County, Dressler organizes two events each year. Dressler’s work in Douglas County has been tremendous and extends outside the borders of Douglas County.

Tonja has organized events throughout Nevada, including Clark County, Lyon County, Nye County, and Carson City.

The award is a part of the Nevada Agricultural Foundation’s “Excellence in Education” program. “The Nevada Agricultural Foundation is pleased to be able to provide awards to the teachers

14 January 2014

and volunteers for their dedication in teaching our youth about agriculture,” said Sue Hoffman, Executive Director of the Nevada Agricultural Foundation. “Tonja has done incredible work in Douglas County and throughout the state.”

During the award presentation, Dressler thanked Douglas County Farm Bureau and members who help participate and give educational presentations at each Ag Days. “I am a the fifth generation Nevadan involved in agriculture, and if it weren’t for Ag in the Classroom materials and volunteers, my granddaughter who is seventh generation would not know where the food on the table comes from,” Dressler said. “Ag in the Classroom is so vital for our students and I thank the Nevada Agricultural Foundation for this award.”

For more information on the Nevada Agricultural Foundation visit their website at http://nevadaagriculturalfoundation. org/.

The Progressive Rancher

www.progressiverancher.com

Nevada Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers “…more important than ever for young farmers and ranchers to stand up and speak out about the ballot measure commonly known as the Education Tax Initiative, …”

B

by Anna-Lisa Giannini, Chairman

risk, cold, frozen mornings greet us nine times out of ten this time of year in Nevada. You know, those mornings when you head out the door to feed livestock and the bottom of your heart wishes you could just sit inside by the stove with another cup of coffee. Just a few days ago was one of those mornings. I made it to the barn just in time to greet a fresh new baby lamb, the first one born this year. Weak and wobbly at first the lamb fought hard to gain strength at the urging of his mother. Not but 10 minutes later the lamb was up nursing and standing strong as can be. Our lives as young producers are sometimes like that. We feel weak and wobbly, weary from the long days and stressful nights. It’s often the help of a neighbor, a hot meal delivered by a loving mother or a strong cup of coffee that gets us through. For many young farmers just starting out, it’s not an easy life, but one that we wouldn’t trade for the world.

As young people involved in the agriculture industry we have a unique opportunity to share our story with all Nevadans. Our stories are those of long days, hard work, young families and working hard to create opportunity. In the coming year it will be more important than ever for young farmers and ranchers to stand up and speak out about the ballot measure commonly known as the Education

Tax Initiative, it will affect our businesses, our bottom lines and has the potential to rob us of our livelihoods.

The proposed 2% tax initiative would not only apply to casinos and large corporations that operate here, but it would apply to most small businesses and even to businesses operating at a financial loss.

A prime example of this would be a dairy farm.

Dairy farmers have a lot of money coming into their business each month, but they also have a lot of money leaving their business each month. Milk checks come and feed checks go, that’s just the way it is and some years that means they operate at a loss. Unfortunately, the proposed bill is also not based on ability to pay. Instead small businesses who would fall under the umbrella to pay this margins tax would be wiped out of business once required to make such a payment. As a small business owner watching my fiancé start a dairy from the ground up, let me tell you that this does not sound like positive legislation to me but an egg basket of problems.

I encourage you to contact Nevada Farm Bureau if you are interested in learning how this law would affect your business. There are folks in the state office that are willing and able to help you prepare a testament, a letter to your representative or just to better understand this pervasive piece of

legislation.

Nevada’s young farmers and ranchers are the future of our State. Let’s remind the legislature that like the young lamb’s mother I mentioned earlier, the place of the legislature is to lift us up. In my eyes, their job is to provide policies that support the agriculture industry, not legislation that will put those of us who are the future of the industry out of business. I urge you to learn more about the margins tax initiative.

Call or Stop By!

HAPPY

New Year!

Jason B. Land 2213 N. 5th St. , Elko, NV 89801 775-738-8811, 800-343-0077 www.edwardjones.com

BULLS AVAILABLE AT THE RANCH AND THE SNYDER LIVESTOCK 21ST CENTURY BULL SALE MARCH 9, 2014

www.progressiverancher.com

The Progressive Rancher

January 2014 15

Antonio Faciola, Ph.D, Animal Nutritionist Assistant Professor of Animal Nutrition Department of Agriculture, Nutrition, & Veterinary Sciences, University of Nevada

The Importance of Quantifying the Nutritional Value of Nevada’s Forages I

joined the Department of Agriculture, Nutrition and Veterinary Sciences at the University of Nevada, Reno in the summer of 2013 as the new animal nutritionist. My area of research is in ruminant nutrition and my experience growing up on a dual purpose ranch (beef and dairy) in Brazil generated my love in pursuing a career in Agriculture.

I earned my Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison where I worked on the impact of feeding dietary supplements to dairy cows. At Nevada, my research efforts include evaluating forages for beef cattle and improving nutrient digestion and utilization with the goal of improving beef production.

My initial focus is to quantify the nutritional quality of Nevada’s forages because this is the basis of any nutritional program. Knowing the nutritional value of feedstuffs is the first step towards success in any feeding management program. Nevada is a gorgeous state, its landscape and climate are beautiful, and they allow the Agriculture sector to be one of the most important segments in the state’s economy.

It is well known that nutritional management affects beef cattle growth, reproductive performance, animal health, and the land utilization. Therefore, proper nutritional management has crucial impact on livestock profitability and on efficiency of land utilization. The landscape and climate of Nevada provide abundant range and agricultural lands suited to grazing and forage production, leading to a dominance of cow-calf systems. However, the nutritional value of forages, particularly those grazed from rangeland, varies seasonally and geographically due to different soil types and climate, with nutrient content often limiting high levels of livestock production.

The use of table values derived from different states does not provide accurate and precise information regarding forage quality in Nevada. Furthermore, information on the nutritional value of some specific forage species found in the state of Nevada such as forage kochia, cheatgrass, coyote willow, crested wheatgrass, meadow brome, and Great Basin wild rye are mostly absent in the scientific literature. The development of scientifically sound nutritional management tactics for livestock in variable and often extensive conditions presents unique challenges to researchers. Increased knowledge of the mechanisms of herbivory, digestion, and forage utilization can contribute to improved nutritional status, livestock productivity, ranch profitability, and sustainability in ranching enterprises and the rural communities that depend on them.

A multitude of issues challenge livestock producers throughout the western U.S., but maintaining economic viability is of utmost importance. Improving the proportion of forage nutrients converted to meat based on sound, empirically-tested management strategies is the most viable means of achieving improved biological efficiency. Furthermore, systems that concomitantly improve livestock and land utilization need to be used. For example, strategies leading to increased conversion of nutrients to meat also lead to reduced nutrient loading in air, soil, and water through decreased animal excretion of gases and underutilized nutrients. In other words, the more productive cattle are, the more environmental sustainable cattle become. Additionally, understanding and controlling animal factors affecting herbivory and distribution of livestock in extensive environments adds to our ability to maximize land utilization (which increases ranchers’ profitability and sustainability). The

16 January 2014

focus of this project is to contribute to our basic understanding of processes of nutrient digestion and utilization from forages, and the nutritional management strategies based on grazed or harvested forages.

The goal of this project is to characterize the nutritional value of forages commonly found in the state of Nevada and in the Great Basin area that may have potential as feedstuff for livestock. So we can improve livestock digestive and metabolic responses, and thus production, and to transfer this information to livestock producers and land management personnel to continue to grow and strengthening Nevada’s beef industry.

This project will include in vitro experiments (experiments conducted in the laboratory) aimed at evaluating forage fermentability and also in vivo experiments (live animal experiments) aimed at evaluating forage intake, digestion, and metabolism. Forage candidates will also be collected at different times of the year in order to allow quantification of nutrient variation throughout the year. Our hypothesis is that forages such as the ones described above may represent a substantial part of the animals’ diet and still meet animal’s nutritional demands.

This research will have great impact on education and outreach. It will offer learning opportunities for students at the undergraduate level through internships, and research employment. It will also provide funding for graduate students and the opportunity to learn advanced ruminant nutrition, nutritional laboratory techniques, and data interpretation while gaining experience in real world problem solving. In addition, the knowledge gained from this project will be included in learning materials in the courses at the University of Nevada.

Moreover, results from this project will have far reaching economic impact. This project is focused on an important agricultural challenge in the state of Nevada, which is how to feed beef cattle better and more efficiently. Results stemming from this project will contribute to efforts to increase product quality, reduce cost of production, and improve land utilization.

Feeding cost may represent a significant part of operational cost in the livestock industry.

In the state of Nevada beef cattle production relies primarily on grazing forages; therefore, knowledge of forage nutritional value is key for improving productivity and profitability of livestock operations in Nevada. The findings of these studies will provide cattle producers and extension agents with scientifically sound information on which plants can be used by cattle and how much of that particular plant can be safely used. Moreover, producers and extension agents will have the tools to better formulate diets to meet cattle nutritional needs throughout the year, which will lead to better production and profits.

This is an important and exciting project and I am looking forward to sharing the results here once they become available. I am also looking forward to receiving feedback from the ranching community. I hope that together we can find new ways to address their concerns with my research program at the University of Nevada. I strongly believe that agricultural research has to be practical and applicable to the realities of the community; therefore, I hope that this will be the first step towards establishing a research program that will benefit Nevada’s agricultural community, especially the beef cattle industry.

If you wish to provide me with any feedback, please do not hesitate in doing so by visiting my website at: http://www.cabnr.unr.edu/faciola/ there you will find more information on this and other research projects.

The Progressive Rancher

www.progressiverancher.com

www.growninnevada.org

Steak and 3B Eggs

By Rachel Dahl

L

ike farmers from the beginning of time, The Behimer Boys, Nick age 10, Bob age 7, and Ethan age 4 see the natural connection between using their resources to meet the needs of people and making a living along the way. They are financially motivated entrepreneurs growing up in Fallon, Nevada. Guided by their mother Erica, and with inspiration from their Aunt, Carey Gantt who raises chickens, the little band of brothers have decided they can raise their own calves for to sell for beef, and chickens to make money selling eggs.

“We just want to make money, we like to have our own money so we can buy whatever we want,” said Bob. Two years ago the boys got their first batch of chicks from Aunt Carey; five hens and one rooster. They successfully raised them into producing hens, started another batch of chicks and began selling eggs to their friends and family. Things were going so well the boys decided one day while walking around their neighborhood to start selling their eggs door-to-door to the neighbors. “They got pretty good at that,” said Erica, “and then they started selling to The Slanted Porch,” a Nevada Grown restaurant in Fallon. Currently the 3B Egg Company is going through the process of getting certification from the USDA. The boys are also looking to expand their operation with the production of good beef cattle. Nick recently sold his 4-H steer through the Fallon Junior Livestock Show to The Slanted Porch as well. But Bob had a hand in that, too. Each of the boys has a few mother cows of their own, and Bob had a nice steer that Nick wanted to use for his 4-H project.

Bob fronted him the steer and when Nick sold it to The Slanted Porch he was able to pay off his brother and all the boys learned valuable business lessons.

Currently Nick is in the 4-H Beef Club, and all three boys are in the Hotwings poultry club. They participate in shows all over the state and are continually learning about poultry husbandry. In August the boys were at the Lyon County fair where Ethan participated in his first show as a Pee-Wee. The livestock business has been good to the boys; they were able to pay all their own fees at their 4-H shows this summer and are completely self-sufficient with their chicken operations. They buy all their own feed and grain, pay for all their entry fees for the poultry shows, and as Erica says, “then they go buy silly things like ice cream.”

This fall the 3B Egg Company eggs were used in a dessert dish, the Bacon Maple Milkshake, at the annual Tractors and Truffles event hosted by the City of Fallon. This farm-to-table event showcases many Churchill County producers in dishes prepared by local and celebrity chefs. The boys were very excited to be a part of the event, even though they are still too young to attend.

Recently the 3B’s have been approached by a poultry producer in Reno who is selling her operation. She has offered the boys a great deal for 300 birds and “they are hot to spend

their savings on expansion,” says Erica. The deal also comes with the seller’s client list which has the boys salivating at the chance to get more of that green paper stuff. The prospect of expansion would enable the boys to meet the demands of their bigger Reno clients.

Besides an invaluable real world experience, the business world has been good for teaching the boys their school lessons. Ethan is not yet in Kindergarten, but he can already count to 100 in financial denominations. They boys have also developed skills with technology and computers.

3B Egg and Livestock Company has a strong presence in the social media world and can be found on Facebook and Twitter under “3B Egg Company”. Their most recent client was a direct result of their social media presence when they were approached by Nancy Horn of Dish Café in Reno to supply eggs for her restaurant.

Additionally, Bob has begun production of a weekly web video that he hosts called, “Today on Chicken News” where he updates fans and followers on the daily happenings at 3B Livestock. It is worth taking a look at their Facebook page just to hear Bob announce, “Chicken News.”

Turns out even Governor Sandoval follows the boys on Twitter and when they found out there was an incredible, edible celebration. Erica said Bob was out of his skin. He was jumping around and said, “I can’t believe it! That guy is like the President of Nevada and he’s following us!”

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Priority Concensus Game Day

The Progressive Rancher

Millie Spratling 775-934-2078

P.O. Box 44, Deeth, Nevada 89823 email: aspratling@crinet.com January 2014 17

Winnemucca District BLM Begins Rehabilitation Work for 2013 Fires, Continues with 2012 Fires Winnemucca, Nev. – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Winnemucca District (WD) has begun the planning process for Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation (ES&R) work for six fires that burned more than 22,000 acres across the District in 2013 and will continue rehabilitation from the 2012 fire season that burned more than 250,000 acres.

The treatments focus habitat rehabilitation for Greater sage-grouse and other critical wildlife species, such as Lahontan cutthroat trout, mule deer and pronghorn. Treatments will include the ground and aerial application of grass, forb, and shrub seeds as well as fence repair, seedling planting, and noxious weed treatments. Temporary fence construction and repair of livestock allotment fences is also planned to ensure recovery of native vegetation as well as protect the public land user’s investment in the seeding projects. Aerial seeding is planned to begin this winter, weather permitting, while other treatments, such as ground and drill seeding, have already begun.

Aggressive noxious weed detection surveys and treatments will be conducted across the burned areas in an effort to prevent any potential weed infestations occurring as a result of the fires. BLM crews will treat weeds through an integrated approach using both chemical and mechanical methods which will be coordinated with habitat restoration projects.

“The importance of the Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation efforts should not be underestimated,” said Mike Fettic, Desert Basin Zone Fire Management Officer. “All of this hard work helps speed the recovery of the affected ecosystems that otherwise would take decades to accomplish.”

The Winnemucca District is working cooperatively with federal, state, and local agencies, as well as other public stakeholders, Fettic added.

For additional information regarding these and future ES&R efforts, contact Eric Baxter, BLM Natural Resource Specialist, at 775-623-1500.

Project Specifics Planned Aerial Seeding: • Approximately 6000 acres of Greater sage-grouse Preliminary Priority Habitat (PPH) and Preliminary General Habitat (PGH) in the Holloway Fire near Kings

River Valley using Mountain sagebrush and a small amount of Bluebunch wheatgrass. Seeding continues to treat identified high priority habitat as determined by Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) and BLM Wildlife Biologists.

• 330 acres in the Raspberry Fire, near Winnemucca, using sagebrush and Sandberg’s bluegrass. This is the entirety of the public lands burned in 2013.

• 95 acres in the Cosgrave Fire, near Winnemucca, using sagebrush and Sandberg’s bluegrass. This is the entirety of the public lands burned in 2013.

Planned Drill Seeding/Ground Seeding: • Approximately 160 acres of drill seeding in the Dun Glen Fire, near Winnemucca, using Wyoming sagebrush, Sandberg’s bluegrass, Spiny hopsage, Indian ricegrass.

• Approximately 125 acres of drill seeding in the Porcupine Fire, south of Orovada, using Wyoming sagebrush, Fourwing saltbush, Bluebunch wheatgrass, Sandberg’s bluegrass.

• Approximately 90 acres of broadcast seeding in PGH/PPH within the Coyote Fire, using Mountain sagebrush.

Planned Hand Planting: • NDOW has committed approximately 1000 bitterbrush/Wyoming sagebrush seedlings to planting efforts in the Holloway and Porcupine Fires will be planted between December 2013 and March 2014.

• Approximately 40,000 Mountain sagebrush and 5,000 Bitterbrush plants have been produced at Boise Federal Nursery and will be planted in the Holloway Fire area in February/March 2014.

Fence Repair: • Repair of burned fences has occurred for all 2013 fires with ESR plans. A short section of temporary fence (to be removed in 3 years) has been constructed around the Dun Glen Drill seeding area. Repair of livestock pasture fences continues in the Holloway Fire.

Initial Thoughts and Concerns: Following the Halloway Fire, where there was big sagebrush habitat that burned there was a very short window (1st fall following the wildfire; September-November 2012) to drill seed grasses and to broadcast big sagebrush and ‘Immigrant’ forage kochia. Remember, grasses need to be placed into the soil to imbibe moisture and start the stratification process. The majority of these seeds are germinated by the end of January. Big sagebrush needs to be broadcasted on the surface of the soil so that the hypocotyl hair has contact with the soil as to anchor the seedling to the soil surface and allow the radicle (embryonic root) to penetrate the soil substrate and begin to take up moisture.

Seeding on top of snow does not ensure that the seed has soil contact at the time of germination. On habitats that were cheatgrass dominated and absent of big sagebrush, the cheatgrass seed bank already dominates the site and will be the vacuum species regardless of species seeded. A new release of ‘Snowstorm’ forage kochia was broadcasted behind the Nine Mile Ranch (Ugalde) last winter on approximately 10-15 acres and is very successful. Bluebunch wheatgrass at the lower slopes of this burn would be very risky as the sites are too arid the majority of the time, with that said, this drill seeding needed to take place the first fall following the wildfire.

I am not familiar with the Rasberry Fire, but big sagebrush seedings experience very poor results in the Winnemucca District from my experience. Sandberg’s bluegrass is a short-lived ephemeral that greens up early and is dry before cheatgrass. 3-5 bluegrass/ft are needed to

18 January 2014

Charlie D. Clements, Rangeland Scientist, USDA-ARS actively suppress cheatgrass. Using bluegrass with Siberian wheatgrass in the more arid sites would have a better chance of establishment and therefore a better chance of actively suppressing cheatgrass!

The Cosgrove fire that I am familiar with is already resulting in fall germination of cheatgrass from the very heavy density of cheatgrass in the seed bank. We measured this seed bank at over 700/ft². Without an active cheatgrass control methodology, this seeding will fail.

The Dunn Glenn Fire that I am familiar with burned in a Wyoming big sagebrush/cheatgrass interspersed habitat and the seed bank is dominated with cheatgrass. We measured this seed bank at over 500/ft². The open window for drill seeding this site has now past. This is a very arid site, so again Siberian wheatgrass and ‘Immigrant’ or ‘Snowstorm’ forage kochia should have been added to Indian ricegrass. Sandberg’s bluegrass could still be in the mix, but I’m not confident that it can achieve active cheatgrass suppression or decrease the wildfire frequency. Wyoming big sagebrush is very difficult to establish by seeding, therefore I question whether this is a Policy decision and not a biological one. Spiny hopsage resprouts after fire so I am at a loss as to why funds are being spent to seed this species The Porcupine Fire is very near our plant material testing plots which indicated no success with Wyoming big sagebrush, Four-wing saltbush or Sandberg’s bluegrass. Bluebunch wheatgrass experienced limited success whereas ‘Hycrest’ crested wheatgrass and Sherman big bluegrass experienced excellent success and were successThe Progressive Rancher

ful at suppressing cheatgrass. These two species decreased cheatgrass densities by more than 95%.

Spring transplanting of both antelope bitterbrush and Wyoming big sagebrush experience significantly less establishment than fall transplants (our data shows 32% for spring and 74% for fall for big sagebrush and for antelope bitterbrush the spring transplants = 3%, fall transplants = 34%). Spring transplants (March-April) receive 4-8 weeks of precipitation, experience increasing temperatures and are actively trying to grow. Fall transplants (October-November) are dormant, receive 6 months of reliable moisture and can develop root mass and depth. Cone container transplants and bare-stock transplants experience significantly less establishment than quart-sized container seedlings that have a better root mass to start with.

There appears to be a “Native Species” only policy here. This concerns me, as the species you decide to use in restoration/rehabilitation efforts must have the inherent potential to germinate, sprout, and establish in these environments. The obvious exclusion of crested and Siberian wheatgrass as well as forage kochia are alarming as these species do have the inherent potential to have some degree of success depending on cheatgrass densities. If the goal is truly to replace cheatgrass at some level with species more desirable than cheatgrass, then the establishment of long-lived perennial grasses is necessary. Our research out at Kelly Creek north of Winnumacca in fact suggests that native/introduced seed mixes do better than native or introduced mixes by themselves. www.progressiverancher.com

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Greg: (208) 459-3029 Sam: (208) 453-9790 Tucker: (208) 455-1678 Ron Shurtz: (208) 431-3311 January 2014 19

Nevada Cattlemen’s Association

Convention and

by Desiree Seal, NCA Executive Directory

A gavel handing the NC JJ Goicoechea esident Pr ll, 2013- 2015 over to Ron Tore

NCA with Sam Mori, JJ Goicoechea d Recipient President’s Awar

past NCA with Joe Guild, JJ Goicoechea District rrent NCBA 6th President and Cu Vice President

his Nelo Mori and

20 January 2014

wife, Ida May

A

nother year’s convention is in the books and another year shared with our neighbors from the golden state of California. This joint convention brought together Cattlemen, CattleWomen and Wool Growers from both Nevada and California to discuss issues of importance and establish policy to direct leadership of the Associations. With over 500 producers and trade show exhibitors, this year’s convention provided many activities and events to learn and connect with friends and neighbors.

During the two day event, the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association’s five policy committees met to establish policy on private lands, public lands, livestock issues and animal health, taxation, and research and education. In addition to reviewing and establishing policy, this year’s convention had an excellent line up of speakers. Zoetis’ Cattlemen’s College featured Richard Linhart, DVM, JJ Goicoechea giving his wife, Sally, a Scott Brown, Ph.D., Mark Burrell, and Larry Gran. Along silver engraved bit, a big hug, and all with valuable information such as succession planning his love and gratitude for her support and DNA technology uses to improve your cattle herd during his term as NCA president. from Zoetis’ Cattlemen’s College, the Beef Promotion Luncheon featured Nevil Speer, Ph.D. an industry-renouwned speaker with unique insight about all facets of the beef industry and an update on current beef industry supply and demand trends was presented by Cattle-Fax Economist Duane Lenz at the CattleFax Breakfast.

The NCA Membership Meeting began with an inspiring reflection and thank you to the veterans of our country from the Nevada FFA State Officer followed by this year’s speaker, Dustin Van Liew, Public Lands Council Executive Director. Dustin is no stranger to annual convention and provided members with current legislative approach to renewing the Farm Bill and Congressional legislation introduced that is being supported by PLC including the Grazing Improvement Act. This year, we also honored the Martin Ranch near Eureka and the Manha Farm in Yeringon, the newest inductees into the Nevada Centennial Ranch and Farm Program during the NCA/CCA Dinner on Friday evening. The two families have been supporting Nevada’s agriculture for more than 100 years and continue to be successful operations. President JJ Goicoechea and Nevada Department of Agriculture’s Director Jim Barbee presented the awards to a full banquet room of Nevada and California Members.

Each year we look not only to our producer members to support the Association; we also turn to our Associate members to help sponsor events, meals, and meetings during convention. Without the help, dedication, and support of our allied members, events such as convention would not be possible. We would like to thank the sponsors who helped to make this year’s convention a success: PLATINUM SPONSORS: Allflex USA, American AgCredit, Barrick Gold of North America, Bayer Animal Health, Destron Fearing, IMI Global, Newmont Mining Corporation/Elko Land and Livestock, Novartis Animal Health, Westway Feed Products and Zoetis.

GOLD SPONSORS: Andreini & Co., Merial, Stockmen’s Insurance, and Boyd Spratling, DVM and Audrey Spratling/Spratling Ranch.

SILVER SPONSORS: Eureka Vet Service/JJ and Sally Goicoechea, Nevada State Bank and Resource Concepts Inc. The Association would like to thank these Trade Show participants: AgriLabs, AmeriAg LLC, Animal Health International, Allflex USA, Bar ALE, Inc, Bayer HealthCare, Animal Health, Boehringer Ingelheim, Cal Poly State University, California Beef Council/ Nevada Beef Council, California CattleWomen, Cargill Regional Beef, Farm Credit, Foster Farms Commodities Div., Greenway Seed Company, Hi Qual Livestock Equipment/Stanislaus Farm Supply/ Boss Tanks, Kirby Mfg Inc, Knipe Land Company, Loomix California, Merck Animal Health, Merial/Newport Labs, Moly Mfg, Inc/SILENCER, Multimin USA, Inc., Mytty Angus, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Nevada Department of Agriculture, Nevada Section of Society for Range Management, Nevada State Bank, New Holland Agriculture, Novartis Animal Health, Pinenut Livestock, Powder River, Prima Tech, Pro Group, Progressive Cattlemen, Ridley Block Operations, Shaw Cattle

The Progressive Rancher

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d Trade Show November 14—16, 2013

Co., Silveus Insurance Group, SmartLic, SweetProFeeds, Total Scale Service Inc., UNR College of Agriculture, Biotech & Natural Resources, US Fish & Wildlife Service, USDA – Natural Resources Conservation Service, Veterinary Service Inc., Vigortone, Wells Fargo Bank, Western Video Market, Westway Feed Products, Wulf Cattle, Y-Tex Corporation & Stone Manufacturing, and Zoetis. The Association thanks these allied members of Nevada Cattlemen’s Association who help to make events like this possible. We appreciate all your support and dedication to our producers and members.

The final event of convention was the Awards Banquet. After two days of meetings and hard work, the Awards Banquet allowed the leadership of the Association to celebrate those individuals in our industry who represent what this industry is really about. President JJ Goicoechea began the Awards Banquet with a thank you to the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association staff, Director Desiree Seal and long-time Secretary Sharon McKnight. President JJ Goicoechea also presented a thank you to Executive Vice President of Nevada Farm Bureau Federation and ally to the Association, Doug Busselmann.

This year, the prestigious 100,000 Mile Club Award was given to two recipients, Frank Bidart and Nelo Mori. Frank’s daughter, Andree Rose, introduced her father and presented his years in the saddle, many of which were earned at the family’s ranch in northwestern Humboldt County, Leonard Creek Ranch. Second Vice President Sam Mori presented his father, Nelo Mori, with his 100,000 Mile Club Award. Nelo earned countless miles on the back of a horse and is remembered by many members for his dedication as the Membership Chairman of the Association. Both men received standing ovations to celebrate their lifetime accomplishment.

The next presentation was to Bob Gardner, Teacher of the Year Award for 2013. The Nevada Agricultural Foundation presented Bob with his award and a grant of $1000.00 to go towards school supplies and activities. Bob is a science teacher at Dayton Elementary School and has strong programs in science, biology and horticulture. Bob’s teaching program is based on the idea of trying to supplement the town’s food supply, teaching his students the importance of a sustainable food supply. The Nevada Cattlemen’s Association thanks Bob for his commitment to teaching our youth about the importance of agriculture.

The Association would also like to thank the Nevada Agriculture Foundation for their continued support of the Teacher of the Year award.

Each year, the President honors an individual who he feels has served the industry with dedication and passion by presenting them with the President’s Award. This year’s recipient of the President’s Award was Sam Mori. JJ remarked on Sam’s dedication to the Association, persistence in helping find solutions to any issue as they arise and his general support for JJ during his term. Sam was presented with a custom pad folio and a standing ovation from the audience.

The Cattleman of the Year was presented by Ron Cerri and Wade Hofheins from American AgCredit, ACA to JJ Goicoechea. As the outgoing President, JJ received this year’s hat to honor his hard work and dedication to NCA and the livestock industry in Nevada. He was presented with a custom hat donated by American AgCredit, ACA and Nevada Cattlemen’s Association. For over 30 years, American AgCredit has supported the Cattleman of the Year award by presenting a custom hat to the recipient and thank them for their service.

The final presentation of the evening was the passing of the gavel from outgoing President JJ Goicoechea to incoming President Ron Torell. Both men gave a huge thank you to their spouses, Sally Goicoechea and Jackie Torell, for the continued support in their active roles within the Association. As JJ stepped down, he promised to continue to fight for the beef industry of Nevada as an active member of the Association and his many roles he has taken on this year including Eureka County Commissioner and Chairman of the Sagebrush Ecosystem Council. Ron Torell took the gavel, thanking JJ for his service, and spoke of his excitement to represent the Association as President and serve the beef industry of Nevada.

We hope everyone made it home safe from convention and was welcomed by moisture to offset our drought conditions. And for those that were unable to attend, we hope fall work is proceeding smoothly and we look forward to hearing from you with your ideas for the future of NCA.

www.progressiverancher.com

Bob Gardner, Teacher of the Year

Nelo Mori, 100,000 Mile Club Award recipient

Frank Bidart, 100,000 Mile Club Award recipient

The Progressive Rancher

Leana Stitzel Photos January 2014 21

CHECKOFF NEWS News From the Nevada Beef Council

Nutritional Corner: AHA Extra Lean Cuts of Beef

The start of a new year often brings with it a flurry of Working Hard for Producers resolutions for healthier living. It’s a perfect time to be rePresentations to Nevada dietetic professionals and AHA members about the nutriminded of how healthy beef is—and just how many options tional benefits of beef; promotions with Food4Less, Costco, WinCo, Raley’s and others there are when it comes to lean beef cuts. For example, did to increase beef sales in Nevada grocery stores; and partnerships with restaurants and you know that there are several cuts of extra lean beef certifoodservice operators to keep beef at the center of the plate—these are just a few examples fied as “heart-healthy food” by the American Heart Associaof what the NBC does on behalf of Nevada beef producers throughout the course of a year. tion (AHA)? To achieve this designation, beef cuts must meet To learn more about all of the activities the NBC and Beef Checkoff have done recently the AHA’s criteria for heart-healthy foods, which means they to support and advance the beef industry, visit www.nevadabeef.org, call us at 877.554. must have less than 6.5 grams of total fat, 1 gram or less of BEEF (2333), or email us at askus@nevadabeef.org to request a copy of our 2012-13 ansaturated fat, and less than 0.5 grams of trans fat, among other nual report. nutritional criteria.

The extra lean beef cuts include: • Boneless Top Sirloin Petite Roast • Top Sirloin Filet • Top Sirloin Kabob • Top Sirloin Steak • Top Sirloin Stir-Fry • Sirloin Tip Steak • Bottom Round Steak Displaying the AHA Heart-Check mark on such cuts as these STEP makes it easier for consumers to identify heart-healthy extra-lean Beef Coach’s beef, with the goal of helping grow beef sales among healthYOUR TIPS: conscious consumers.

Some of the best cuts Top Sirloin* Round Tip Steak* Flat Iron Closer to home, the NBC, in conjunction with the California TIP  for Stir-Frying include: When Stir-Frying, cook beef (*indicates lean) Beef Council and national Beef Checkoff, assisted Save Mart Suand vegetables separately, then For easier permarkets to acquire AHA certification for four of the extra lean combine and heat through. slicing, partially freeze beef cuts, including Boneless Top Sirloin Petite Roast, Top Sirloin beef (about YOUR 30 minutes).

Filet, Top Sirloin Kabob, and Top Sirloin Stir-Fry. Consumers can Best Tool: STEP now visit Save Mart’s nine Northern Nevada retail locations to Skillet or Wok purchase these extra lean beef cuts that display the AHA certificaCut beef into thin, Marinate beef to add flavor, tion logo.

Heat a small amount of oil in

3 SIMPLE STEPS FOR

STIR-FRYING BEEF

1

2

CHOOSE CUT

PREPARE uniform strips or pieces.

Building Consumer Confidence in Cooking Beef We’ve shared with you in previous updates the importance of marketing to the millennial population. At nearly 80 million strong, this generation—which includes people born between 1980 and 2000—is bigger than the baby boomer generation and currently makes up about a quarter of all Americans, and a third of all adults. Forecasts indicate that this important generation of consumers will outspend baby boomers by 2017, as household size and food spending decline among older generations. By 2020, millennial spending is expected to reach $1.4 trillion a year.

Research indicates that when it comes to cooking, millennials are looking for convenience and simplicity in how they prepare food, and they are looking for easily accessible and engaging content to increase their confidence in cooking with beef. That’s why the Beef Checkoff has created a series of infographics, available at BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com, teaching consumers about preparing beef using the skillet-to-oven and indirect grilling cooking methods. Infographics like the one featured here provide helpful tips to give consumers the information they need to feel confident about cooking with beef. The graphics are provided in a digital format to enable consumers to promote and share them online, expanding the reach of this important information.

Check out this and other infographics on cooking with beef at BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com/Cooking—and be sure to share them with your friends and family!

22 January 2014

3

STEP

1

BEEF

if desired, while preparing other ingredients.

wok or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot.

TIP 

2

TIP 

3

Thicken cooking liquid with cornstarch dissolved in water, if desired.

COOK YOUR BEEF

½ lb.

Stir-Fry beef in ½ pound batches (do not overcrowd), continuously turning with a scooping motion.

WORKING THE WOK

Beef

Cook until outside surface of beef is no longer pink. Add additional oil for each batch if necessary.

If you don’t have a wok, a 12” nonstick skillet with slightly sloped sides is another great option.

The fool-proof recipe to getting a delicious stir-fry on the table in no time!

Your Favorite Veggies

Sauce

Delicious one-pot meal!

For simple meal ideas, nutrition and cookery information as well as other great cuts for broiling, visit

BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com

Funded by the Beef Checkoff.

The Progressive Rancher

© 2013, CATTLEMEN’S BEEF BOARD AND NATIONAL CATTLEMEN’S BEEF ASSOCIATION

www.progressiverancher.com

Two Families Inducted into Nevada Centennial Ranch and Farm Awards Program Picadillo Style Beef Stir Fry

It’s an all-too familiar story this time of year. We over-indulged during the holidays, we’re tired of cooking elaborate meals, and we have limited time as we welcome a new year. This recipe offers a delicious and healthy take on steak that is short on time and preparation, but heavy on flavor and nutrition.

Total Recipe Time: 25 to 30 minutes INGREDIENTS 1 pound beef Top Sirloin Steak boneless or Top Round Steak, cut 1 inch thick 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves 1 tablespoon olive oil

Makes 4 servings 1 large all-purpose potato, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch chunks 1 medium onion, thinly sliced 1 medium green bell pepper, thinly sliced 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce 1/2 cup raisins

Serving Suggestions: Warmed flour tortillas or hot cooked rice, toasted sliced almonds, chopped fresh cilantro, sour cream INSTRUCTIONS 1. Cut beef steak lengthwise in half, then crosswise into 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick strips. Combine beef strips, cumin and oregano in medium bowl; toss to coat.

2. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add 1/2 of beef; stir-fry 1 to 3 minutes or until outside surface of beef is no longer pink. Remove from skillet. Repeat with remaining beef and additional 1 teaspoon oil. Season with salt, as desired; keep warm.

3. Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in same skillet over medium heat until hot. Add potato, onion and pepper. Cook and stir 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and raisins; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15 to 18 minutes or until potato is tender; stirring occasionally. Add beef; cook until heated through, about 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt, as desired.

4. Serve beef mixture in tortillas or over hot cooked rice topped with almonds, cilantro and sour cream, as desired.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION Nutrition information per serving, using Top Sirloin Steak: 361 calories; 9 g fat (2 g saturated fat; 4 g monounsaturated fat); 70 mg cholesterol; 624 mg sodium; 41 g carbohydrate; 5.2 g fiber; 30 g protein; 13.1 mg niacin; 1.0 mg vitamin B6; 1.5 mcg vitamin B12; 4.1 mg iron; 31.0 mcg selenium; 5.4 mg zinc; 122.7 mg choline.

Nutrition information per serving, using Top Round Steak: 363 calories; 9 g fat (2 g saturated fat; 4 g monounsaturated fat); 71 mg cholesterol; 605 mg sodium; 41 g carbohydrate; 5.2 g fiber; 31 g protein; 10.7 mg niacin; 0.8 mg vitamin B6; 1.5 mcg vitamin B12; 4.7 mg iron; 31.5 mcg selenium; 5.2 mg zinc; 126.9 mg choline.

This recipe is an excellent source of fiber, protein, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, iron, selenium, zinc and choline.

For more delicious and healthy beef recipes, visit www.BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com.

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Two more families have been recognized for their long-time contributions to Nevada’s agricultural heritage. The Martin Ranch near Eureka, and the Manha (min-yah) Farm in Yerington were inducted into the Nevada Centennial Ranch and Farm Program on Nov. 15 at the Nevada/California Cattlemen’s Convention in Sparks.

The Martin Ranch was established in 1887 by James and Agnes Morrison in Antelope Valley. The cattle and hay ranch is now run by granddaughter Vickie Buchanan and her son Beau. Nevada Cattlemen’s president JJ Goicoechea presented the award to four generations of the Martin/Buchanan family, including Buchanan’s mother Ruth Martin, the Buchanans and sixth generation, 4-year-old Jaden Buchanan. “It’s an honor for me to present this award to the Martin family who I have known all of my life,” said Goichochea. “Ruth Martin was my elementary school teacher, and she also taught my mother in elementary school. This is a perfect example of what a close knit community we are in agriculture.”

The Manha Farm was purchased in 1912 by Antone Manha, who raised dairy cattle and hay. Grandson William and Lorraine Manha lease out the farm that now raises premium garlic and alfalfa hay. Jim Barbee, Nevada Dept. of Agriculture director, presented the award on behalf of Governor Sandoval to Bill and son Tony Manha.

“The Centennial Awards are a tremendous opportunity to recognize those who have been devoted lifetimes to Nevada’s most historic and important industries — farming and ranching. Governor Sandoval and the Nevada Department of Agriculture are honored to be a part of the awards program and cannot thank enough the families who contribute to Nevada agriculture being one of the state’s most diverse and valuable industries,” said Barbee.

Family members traveled from Washington, D.C., Texas, and Utah to attend the ceremony.

The Nevada Centennial Awards Program recognizes agricultural families who have owned and operated the same land for 100 years or more. Forty-seven families have now been inducted into the program that began in 2004.

The awards program is sponsored by the Agricultural Council of Nevada, Farm Bureau, Agricultural Foundation, Dept. of Agriculture, Cattlemen’s Assoc. and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. For more information, contact Liz Warner at (775) 721-0129 or any of the sponsors.

NCA Fallon Bull Sale Invitational Stock Dog Trial

Attendees at the 2013 Fallon All Breeds Bull Sale received a special treat when 19 stock-dogs under the tutelage of their pink-clad handlers, demonstrated their cattle handling skills in the Fallon All Breeds Bull Sale Invitational Stock Dog Trial.

Organized as a benefit for Gail Kerr to help defray expenses of her cancer treatment, promoters who had hoped for 10 dogs were pleasantly surprised when 19 showed up. All entry fees were donated, and a completely surprised Gail Kerr was presented with more than $1800! All contestants received a goodie bag with a dog leash, pink wildrag, which they immediately donned, and a pair of gloves. The pink shirts and wildrags in support of breast cancer research were a great hit According to Gayle Hybarger, one of the organizers, this year’s event is scheduled for February 14, 2014 at the Fallon Livestock Exchange Inc., sale yard on the Reno Highway and will benefit someone in the livestock industry who has had cancer or lost a loved one to cancer.

Plans are also being formulated to auction 3 stock-dogs shown in the Friday trial. The auction will be held during the Friday night dinner/dance at the Fallon Convention Center hosted and organized by the Churchill County Cowbelles.

Planners expressed appreciation for all the community support and especially the sponsors of the event: Fallon Livestock Exchange - Monte Bruck, Nevada Cattlemen’s Association, 7 Lazy Elven Murrray Greys - Mike & Gaylene Lowry, Pinenut Livestock Supply, Hoof Beat Gates & Corrals, DLC Ranch- Gary & Donna Lu Campbell, Tommy Lee Livestock, Lance & Cindi Johnson, Flint Lee, Conrad & Janece Stitser, Louie’s Home Center, Lahontan Valley Veterinary Clinic and Jeff’s Copy Center.

If interested in being a sponsor, contact Billy Lewis (916) 517-2232 or Gayle Hybarger (775) 426-8123.

The Progressive Rancher

January 2014 23

Repurposing PJ?

USDA Awards $75k Grant to Eastern Nevada Landscape Coalition to Test Pinyon-juniper Biochar on Agricultural Lands Reno, Nev.— In an effort to make good use of pinyon-juniper biomass that has been removed through conservation, fuels reduction and wildlife habitat conservation projects, the Eastern Nevada Landscape Coalition applied for, and received, a $75,000 Conservation Innovation Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The grant will be used to fund the first-ever field trials in Nevada to test whether biochar applied in production agriculture and rangeland restoration settings will significantly increase water availability and productivity, even during drought years.

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530-527-2045 24 January 2014

In the Great Basin, one of the major impacts on rangeland is the encroachment and expansion of singleleaf pinyon pine and Utah juniper (PJ for short) outside of normal, desired locations. Woodlands dominated by these plants have been expanding since the turn of the century and currently occupy about 21 million acres of land in the western United States.

These plants, if left unchecked by management or natural processes, end up overtaking areas formerly dominated by shrubs and grasses. PJ expansion and encroachment decreases important wildlife habitat, especially for the Greater Sage Grouse—a sagebrush-dependent species—and increases the fuel loading that carry catastrophic wildfires. There are also impacts to water quality and quantity, and herbaceous species, all while increasing erosion and providing prime conditions for weed invasion. Nevada is the driest state in the Union, with years of drought, so losing soil moisture due to PJ residing outside of expected locations can exacerbate the effects.

“With this project, we are providing leveraging and synergy by addressing an ecological problem in one place—PJ encroachment—and using what would have been the waste product to potentially improve agriculture land and rangeland for hundreds or thousands of years,” said Jake Tibbitts, Natural Resources Manager for the Eureka County, Nevada Department of Natural Resources and the local project coordinator. “By turning woody biomass, such as PJ, into biochar, and then returning the biochar to the soil at or near the site where the biomass was harvested, we hope to maintain or improve soil moisture and productivity, improve sage grouse and other wildlife habitat and return soil carbon to historic levels. This technique is expected to reduce the overall cost of PJ treatment by creating a value and beneficial use for the removed woody biomass, thereby helping to stimulate the local economy while addressing a resource issue.”

While trials similar to these have taken place in laboratories or greenhouses, these trials will be the first of their kind to take place on working farms in Nevada—specifically

schedule of events

redbluffbullsale.com The Progressive Rancher

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! jan. 28-Feb 1, 2014

Tues., January 28 Range-Ready Bull Show Wed., January 29 Haltered Bull Show Thurs., January 30 26th Annual Female Sale Fri., January 31 Stock Dogs - Final Work 36th Annual Stock Dog Sale 52nd Annual Gelding & Mule Sale Sat., FEBRUARY 1 73rd Annual Bull Sale Cinch Jeans presents Red Bluff’s Buckin Best bull riding www.progressiverancher.com

in Diamond Valley, near Eureka.

What is biochar?

Biochar is a product of pyrolysis. It’s the result of taking organic matter, such as PJ woody biomass, and “baking” it under low oxygen conditions. The original biomass releases (1) heat and gases during its conversion into liquids (bio-oils) and (2) various black carbon solid products—biochar. Biochar has been touted for its potential to generate energy, mitigate pollution, and store carbon, potentially mitigating climate change via carbon sequestration. It may increase soil moisture and fertility, increase agricultural productivity and provide protection against some plant and soil-borne diseases. Biochar is essentially pure carbon—a stable solid—and can remain in soil for thousands of years.

What are Conservation Innovation Grants?

NRCS provides funding opportunities for agriculturalists and others through various programs. Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) is a voluntary program intended to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies while leveraging Federal investment in environmental enhancement and protection, in conjunction with agricultural production. Under CIG, Environmental Quality Incentives Program funds are used to award competitive grants to non-Federal governmental or nongovernmental organizations, Tribes, or individuals.

CIG enables NRCS to work with other public and private entities to accelerate technology transfer and adoption of promising technologies and approaches to address some of the nation’s most pressing natural resource concerns. CIG will benefit agricultural producers by providing more options for environmental enhancement and compliance with Federal, State, and local regulations.

The grant to Eastern Nevada Landscape Coalition is one of 33 that Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced was awarded across the nation to develop and demonstrate cutting-edge ideas to accelerate private lands conservation.

“Conservation Innovation Grants activate creativity and problem-solving to benefit conservation-minded farmers and ranchers,” Vilsack said. “These grants are critical for developing and demonstrating new ideas for conservation on America’s private lands and strengthening rural communities. Everyone relies on our nation’s natural resources for food, fiber and clean water and will benefit from these grants.”

The awards total $13.3 million. At least 50 percent of the total cost of CIG projects must come from non-federal matching funds, including cash and in-kind contributions provided by the grant recipient. NRCS has offered this grant program since 2004, investing in ways to demonstrate and transfer efficient and environmentally friendly farming and ranching.

For more on this grant program, visit USDA’s Conservation Innovation Grants webpage, contact your local NRCS office or visit: www.nv.nrcs.usda.gov.

Elko County Ranchers Winners in Statewide Video Contest

Sparks, Nev – Elko County ranchers Travis and Amber Miller won first place, adult division, in the 2013 Nevada Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee Video Contest.

The Miller’s are members of Elko County Farm Bureau and have actively been involved in promoting agriculture through the Farm Bureau’s video and photo contests.

Their video “A Day on the Gund Ranch” tells the story of daily chores and the work involved in operating a cattle ranch. As Travis Miller said in the video, “It’s the greatest life in the world.” Along with video of moving cattle, branding, and more the video showcases stunning photography from Elko County.

“The video contest is great way for students and adults to share an agricultural story,”

www.progressiverancher.com

said Cindy Hardy, Nevada Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee Chair. “With the popularity of YouTube, promoting agriculture through video provides great opportunity to share agriculture’s message with a lot of people, especially those that aren’t directly involved in farming and ranching.”

2013 Video Contest categories were “Food From Farm to Fork” or “A day in the life of a farmer or rancher.” High School students can compete in the senior division (9th – 12th grade) and those between ages 18-35 can complete in Young Farmers & Ranchers division.

Watch the Miller’s video at http://youtu.be/bq6l8DTfPtk.

The Progressive Rancher

January 2014 25

Nevada’s Priority Agricultural Weeds:

Foxtail Barley Brad Schultz, Extension Educator, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, Winnemucca, Nevada.

F

oxtail barley (Hordeum jubatum L.) is a native, short-lived, cool season, perennial bunchgrass that generally has lower forage value than other plants that can occupy the site. Numerous environmental settings are predisposed to the establishment of foxtail barley. These include disturbed areas, abandoned farm ground, roadsides, ditch banks, saturated depressions, seasonally wet basins, tailwater and wastewater ponds, sloughs and salt marshes, mismanaged pastures and meadows, and hay and grain fields. Another common setting throughout the Great Basin is exposed lakebeds after reservoirs are drawn down and remain low for several years or more. On these types of sites, foxtail barley may become the preferred species because less desired noxious weeds are the probable alternative (Figures 1a and 1b)). Foxtail barley tends to thrive on sites that remain moist for long periods, have high water tables, and have saline or alkaline soil. In some settings, foxtail barley can develop a nearly complete monoculture.

In the vegetative growth stage foxtail barley is very palatable. As the seed heads develop the palatability of foxtail barley rapidly declines, largely due to the abundance of awns, each of which has numerous fine barbs. The awns can easily become lodged in a grazing animal’s mouth, nose, eyes, or skin and lead to undesired animal health issues.

The awns and associated barbs also facilitate widespread dispersal, from either the wind or attachment to an animal’s fur. Once the awns develop, livestock avoid foxtail barley and select other plants. Continuous and/or heavy grazing throughout the growing season, on pastures and rangelands infested with foxtail barley, tends to further increase its abundance. The more desired forage species are regularly consumed and the foxtail barley is largely unused and allowed to produce abundant seed. Regular, heavy defoliation of the desired forage plants permanently reduces their leaf area and root size, which decreases their ability to acquire sunlight, water and nutrients: the essential ingredients of plant growth.

These critical ingredients for growth become readily available for the foxtail barley plants and the weed rapidly increases.

Plant Biology Existing foxtail barley plants typically begin growth in April or May and set seed from late June to August. Cooler conditions tend to result in growth starting later in the spring and lasting longer into the summer months. Existing plants regrow from buds formed on the root crown the previous growing season. There are no buds on the roots; thus, any control technique that breaks long roots into smaller segments does not spread the plant. Control of foxtail barley requires eliminating existing plants and preventing seed germination and emergence for a period long enough to allow all viable seed in the soil to die.

All new foxtail barley plants originate from seed, which typically germinates in the spring. Fall or early winter germination and emergence may occur if soil moisture and temperatures are adequate. Foxtail barley seed does not require light to germinate and germination may reach its highest level when seed remains in dark conditions. Germination and emergence tend to increase when seed is buried from just under one-half inch to about

three-quarters of an inch deep and soil moisture is at field capacity. Seed on the soil surface generally has lower germination and emergence, except in no-till and low-till settings. Notill conditions generally create a low or reduced light condition, compared to a tilled field, because a substantial amount of plant litter resides on the soil surface. This litter can reduce the amount of sunlight reaching seeds on the soil surface.

Seed dispersed in the summer has high germination potential and almost all of the recently dispersed seed can germinate in August or September, if conditions are optimal.

Current year seed that does not germinate can overwinter and germinate in the spring. Seed longevity generally is short. About 70 percent of the seed crop is viable after one year, but viability declines to less than one percent after three to four years, and approaches zero after seven years. Each mature plant of foxtail barley can produce nearly 200 seeds, so a large infestation of several thousand mature plants may result in hundreds or more viable seeds in the soil after three to four years of complete control. Management of foxtail barley, like all weeds, requires a very persistent effort.

Management and Control A variety of techniques may control foxtail barley. These include: grazing, mowing, tillage, burning, changing drainage patterns, herbicide application, planting competitive vegetation, and improved management of forages and grain crops to increase competition from the desired species. No single approach works in every setting (e.g., cropland, hay ground, pasture, disturbed areas); thus, each infestation needs to be independently analyzed. Only after a careful assessment of the current infestation, including identification of the probable factors that resulted in the current situation, and a clear understanding of the short- and long-term management goals, can one accurately identify the most appropriate control and management techniques. Most likely, an integrated approach that uses a suite of techniques across time will result in the best long-term control of foxtail barley.

Grazing and mowing may or may not suppress/eliminate seed production, which is needed for long-term control of foxtail barley. The probable outcome depends on several factors. On sites where foxtail barley has established a nearly complete monoculture of plants, continuous, season-long, heavy grazing can keep the plants in a largely vegetative (i.e., palatable) state. For those continuously grazed locations where the soils eventually dry, the grazed foxtail barley plants are unlikely to have enough moisture to continue growth and produce seed. After several years of heavy continuous grazing some foxtail barley plants probably would die, and others would have less leaf area and smaller root systems (i.e., are smaller plants) which would result in an increased amount of bareground. The management question becomes: is an increase in bareground a desired outcome? For locations where the soil’s salinity, alkalinity, or frequency of flooding largely precludes many desired forage grasses, foxtail barley may be the most desired species and maintaining high vegetative cover from foxtail barley probably is a management goal (Figures 1a and 1b). The loss or reduction of foxtail barley may actually facilitate the establishment of an even less

Figures 1a and 1b. The lakebed at Chimney Dam Reservoir in Humboldt County Nevada the year the water was drawn down (Figure 1a) and several years afterward (Figure 1b).

When the lakebed was exposed in the spring of 2007, a dense population of perennial pepperweed seedlings established. The reddish brown feature in Figure 1a is the leaves of perennial pepperweed seedlings ten days after a herbicide treatment.

Treatment of the perennial pepperweed seedlings largely eliminated that weed and facilitated establishment of foxtail barley (Figure 1b). The lakebed goes through periodic cycles of exposure and inundation. This condition results in foxtail barley being the best adapted species to inhabit the lakebed when it is exposed. Additional information about the control of perennial pepperwed on this site can be found at the following website locations: http://www.nacaa.com/journal/index.php?jid=103 and http://www.nacaa.com/journal/index.php?jid=136 26 January 2014

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desired species (e.g., perennial pepperweed). When the maintenance of foxtail barley on a specific site is a desired outcome, a corresponding management goal should be to reduce its potential spread via seeds to more productive pastures, meadows or cropland. If grazing or mowing are used to decrease foxtail barley, once the weed has reached manageable levels, management must change (and may include seeding) to facilitate an increase in the desired species so they can reduce the risk of foxtail barley reinvading the site.

Single grazing or mowing events often have little effect on seed production from foxtail barley. On many infested sites the high water table facilitates rapid regrowth, and the shape (morphology) of the regrowth typically changes to a prostrate form, which is less accessible to subsequent mowing or grazing events. Limited research indicates that if mowing occurs, it should be within ten days of seed head emergence, otherwise the seed has developed enough to reach maturity.

Changing drainage patterns and/or lowering the water table can reduce the abundance of foxtail barley. This management action, however, very expensive and usually must be accompanied by revegetation of the affected ground. Without revegetation, foxtail barley is likely to return quickly and become even more abundant, particularly on soils that are saline or alkaline.

Fire may be useful in some situations. First, desired and productive plants must be able to fully occupy the site so that reinfestation can be prevented. Second, fire has the highest probability of being successful when it occurs in the spring when foxtail barley is actively growing. A successful spring burn requires a fairly continuous layer of dry, dead litter (fuel) to carry a fire and produce enough heat to kill the active growing points located on the root crown of each foxtail barley plant. Third, dormant foxtail barley plants are unlikely to be adversely affected by fire; thus, fire during their dormancy does not directly affect the plant. Dormant season fire, however, can remove plant litter, which could improve herbicide contact with green leaf material if an herbicide is applied shortly after growth begins. The effectiveness of most herbicides on foxtail barley is greatest the plant is in the early stages of vegetative growth.

Three traits of Foxtail barley make the plant susceptible to tillage as a control treatment. First the root system is shallow and easily uprooted. Second, the roots do not have buds that can regrow and produce new plants. Third, seed germination is highest when seeds reside just beneath the soil surface. Tillage typically buries seeds too deep for them to germinate and/or for seedlings to emerge.

Like all weeds, foxtail barley thrives best on sites where bareground is widespread. It reaches its highest density and cover on areas that have recently been disturbed or mismanaged, and have few established plants on the site. Foxtail barley has the added dimension of preferring sites with high salinity or alkalinity and frequent flooding. Pasture, rangeland, and other wildland settings are very resistant to large scale invasion from foxtail barley when their species composition includes highly competitive species growing at a high density and vigor. Competitive plants with large and deep root systems are likely to capture most of the resources needed for plant growth; thus, competitively excluding foxtail barley and other even less desired weeds. Research has identified several grasses that can compete well with foxtail barley. These are creeping foxtail (Alopecurus arundinaceus), tall fescue (Festuca arundinaceus), reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea), and tall wheatgrass (Thinopyrum ponticum – syn: Agropyron elongatum or Elytrigia elongata). Each of these species (and their multiple varieties) has varying tolerances for salinity, flooding, drought, and herbicide treatment, and should be evaluated for potential use based upon site-specific situations, including the long-term intended use of the site and its susceptibility to weed invasion by any species.

Table 1 lists the herbicides known to control foxtail barley, or suppress its seed head production, in a variety of crop (typically small grain), pasture, and non-crop settings.

There are no selective herbicides that can readily remove foxtail barley from any crop, pasture or rangeland setting throughout the year. Herbicide selectivity, however, can be increased by using specific rates, at specific growth stages, and/or during specific times of the year. Desired perennial plants that are at least one year old generally have a much higher tolerance for many herbicides than do seedlings (of the same species), particularly seedlings only one to two months old. Foxtail barley is easier to kill in the early vegetative growth stages and is very tolerant of most herbicides after the seed heads have emerged.

In part, increased tolerance is due to more herbicide landing on the awns and seed heads and not being transported to sites of action at the growing points at the base of the tillers or on the root crown. Herbicides that land on the young leaves are much more likely to be moved to the growing points on the root crown and base of the tillers. Before applying any herbicide, you should always read the product label and understand the fine points associated with that chemical.

The next weed addressed in this series will be puncturevine, a warm season annual forb..

Table 1. Active ingredients and representative products known to control or suppress foxtail barley. Not all representative products are listed. Some of the active ingredients listed also come in pre-mixed formulations with other products and those products are not listed in the table. A complete list of all active ingredients and products labeled to control foxtail barley can be searched for at the CDMS (http://www.cdms.net/LabelsMsds/LMDefault.aspx?pd=7607&t=) and Greenbook (http://www.greenbook.net/) websites.

The order of chemicals shown below does not reflect any preference or efficacy.

Active Ingredient

Representative Products

Selective

Soil Residual

Powerflex

In wheat, winter rye and winter triticale

Short

Metribuzin

Sencor 4

Mixed

Yes, especially sandy soil

Pronamide

Kerb

Yes

Yes

Pre- and early post-emergence in the fall. Root uptake only

Glyphosate

Touchdown, Departure, Roundup and others

No

No

Post-emergence at 4 to 6 inches tall

Clethodim

Select, Envoy and others

Yes, for annual and perennial grasses

No

Post-emergence when foxtail barley is growing fast and 2 to 6 inches tall

Pyroxsulam

S

Imazapic Propoxycarbazone Sulfometuron

Hexazinone S

Growth Stage Post-emergence at the 2-leaf to 2-tiller growth stage and actively growing Post-emergence when foxtail barley is less than 2 inches tall or 2 inches in diameter

Plateau

Yes

Yes

Post-emergence when foxtail barley is growing fast

Canter R&P Olympus

Variable

Yes

Post-emergence from 2- leaf to 2-tiller growth stage

Oust

Mixed, but perennial grasses usually safe

Yes

Pre- or post-emergence, just before or during the wet season when plants are germinating (pre) and growing rapidly (post)

Velpar

Mixed

Yes

Early post-emergence when foxtail barley is in the seedling stage

Provides suppression more than control.

Listing a commercial herbicide does not imply an endorsement by the authors, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension or its personnel. Product names were used only for ease of reading, not endorsement.

Herbicides should be selected for use based upon the active ingredient and the specific bio-environmental situation. www.progressiverancher.com

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January 2014 27

SOCIETY FOR RANGE MANAGEMENT Rehabilitation of Cheatgrass-Infested Rangelands: Management Charlie D. Clements, James A. Young, Dan N. Harmon and Robert R. Blank Range Scientist, US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service 920 Valley Road, Reno, NV 89512, charlie.clements@ars.usda.gov Range Scientist US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (retired) Agricultural Research Technician US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service Soil Scientist US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service

T

his is the final part of a three part series specifically addressing lessons learned concerning the management of rehabilitated cheatgrass-infested rangelands.

In our first series we pointed out some of the competitive advantages cheatgrass possesses to be successful on Great Basin rangelands. Adding to those advantages, the ability of cheatgrass to outcross with neighboring cheatgrass plants or other Bromus species has been an area of contention by many. G. Ledyard Stebbins, a former professor of genetics at the University of California at Davis pointed out as early as 1957, “…genetic variability must be very slow, unless the number of individuals is enormously large and reproduction is very rapid…a few generations of outcrossing can give rise to hundreds or even thousands of new genotypes.” Dr. Stebbins did not specifically mention cheatgrass, but the description sure fits. Steve Novak and Richard Mack reported in 2003 that they found no evidence of outcrossing in 2,000 cheatgrass seedlings from 60 North American populations.

At the same time we proposed that cheatgrass was expressing hybrid vigor as we witnessed exerted anthers in the field. Mike Ashley and Bill Longland of the USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Great Basin Rangelands Research Unit reported in 2007 evidence of such outcrossing in western Nevada. In 2008, P. M. Fortune and others reported that an Eastern Mediterranean grass, Bromus fasciculatus and Bromus tectorum (cheatgrass) were the parents of Bromus rubens (red brome), which is an enormous problem in the southern Great Basin. The ability of cheatgrass to improve itself genetically through self-fertilization and outcrossing behavior is cause of great concern as cheatgrass moves into habitats formerly thought to be resilient to such invasions. K. R. Merrill and others reported in 2012 that the outcrossing of cheatgrass was really of no consequence since they had measured it at only 0.58% occurrence. We have measured many densities of cheatgrass in numerous habitat types, one that sticks out is between Lovelock and Winnemucca, Nevada in the spring of 2001 following the 1999 wildfire storms that roared through this area. We measured 173 cheatgrass plants/ft² in May 2001 (Figure 1), if only 0.58% of those plants outcross there are at least 54,000 individual cheatgrass plants/acre exhibiting this outcrossing ability, this is alarming. Cheatgrass is not even looking in the review mirror as it leaves our management of these Great Basin rangelands in the dust.

Another area of contention is the use of introduced plant materials on Great Basin rangelands. Some environmental and ecologically focused groups demand that native species should only be used in restoration/rehabilitation efforts. In 1999, following the firestorms that consumed 1.8 million acres in Nevada alone, 1.4 million pounds of native seed and 3.4 million pounds of seed of introduced species was purchased by the USDI, Bureau of Land Management and seeded by aerial broadcast and drill seeding methodologies. These seedings resulted in near complete failures (Figure 2). If double or triple the amount of native seed had been seeded to these burnt rangelands would we have experienced twice or three times the success? We don’t believe so, but if your answer is yes, then realize 0 x 3 = 0%. If it was very risky to seed such species as bluebunch wheatgrass in the 1940’s before cheatgrass became such a dominant species on Great Basin rangelands, what are the chances of widespread range restoration using native species today? As we have pointed out in the previous two series of this topic, the best known method at suppressing cheatgrass is through the establishment of long-lived perennial grasses. If your goal is truly to suppress cheatgrass, decrease the frequency of wildfires, and allow succession to take place; then, the establishment of long-lived perennial grasses is essential. The replacement of cheatgrass with perennial plants has been a management and research priority for more than eighty years. It is important to understand that the perennial grass species you are

trying to establish has to have the ability to germinate, emerge, compete and establish in that specific environment under the face of such competitive species as cheatgrass. Simply labeling the species “native” or “introduced” will not lead to success, a much more thoughtful and integrated approach is needed.

Another critical topic in the management of Great Basin rangelands falls under stewardship. Without good stewardship, degradation of Great Basin rangelands will occur.

Good stewardship reduces conflict in many cases, poor stewardship on the other hand will lead to numerous conflicts. In 2006, a wildfire swept through part of the Rodeo Creek Allotment in northwestern Nevada killing the Wyoming big sagebrush shrubs and opening the window for the transition to cheatgrass dominance. We set up a study site within the burned area to test a number of plant materials and methodologies in an effort to reduce the cheatgrass dominance following this wildfire. In 2008-2009 we reported on the establishment of perennial grass (crested wheatgrass) at 9.3 perennial grass/m², which successfully suppressed cheatgrass by reducing the above-ground cheatgrass densities by 95% (Figure 3). The permit to this allotment changed hands in 2010 and poor stewardship followed. Our 2006 seeding efforts experienced excellent success despite less than 6” of annual precipitation. Precipitation in Great Basin deserts is extremely variable as average precipitation actually never occurs as many dry years are averaged in with a few exceptionally wet years.

We are very active at all of our research sites and pay close attention to on-the-ground realities, and therefore we did recognize the exceptionally wet precipitation year of 2010-2011 in which the site received more than 13”, but as is so often the case this was followed up by 4.4” in 2011-2012 and 7.4” in 2012-2013. The combination of the extremely dry year of 2011-2012 and improper grazing management resulted in a 93% loss of perennial grasses (crested wheatgrass) and a 630% increase in cheatgrass (Figure 4a and 4b). The transition of this site to cheatgrass dominance occurred in a very short two years. Unfortunately, cheatgrass-dominance will last for many decades without an innovative and extremely expensive cheatgrass control program and seeding effort. Not only has this poor stewardship caused future management problems for this allotment and permitee, it also reflects poorly on its’ neighbors, the Cattlemen’s Association and the Livestock Industry as a whole.

The management of Great Basin rangelands must be active, not passive. With so many acres already converted to cheatgrass-dominance, managers are very nervous to apply any range improvement practices in fear of failing and promoting further conversions. A plant community is the result of past disturbances or lack of disturbances. Forest Sneva pointed out more than 50 years ago that for every 1% increase in big sagebrush cover between 10% and 20%, herbaceous cover can decrease by as much as 10%. For example, with 15% canopy cover of big sagebrush, herbaceous cover may be 25 units/m². Increase the shrub cover to 20% and herbaceous production is reduced to 12 units/m². This increase in shrub cover may be subtle to the eye, but it brings extreme influences to the sub-dominant herbaceous layer in the community. If you lose the long-lived perennial grasses to improper grazing or let the site be takeover by big sagebrush, the site will eventually burn and the active cheatgrass seed bank will occupy the vacuum. If you actively manage the site to maintain the presence of long-lived perennial grasses then cheatgrass suppression can take place (Figure 5) Along with the active on-the-ground management of Great Basin rangelands come the additional concerns with Policies. Whether it’s the bureaucratic constraints of purchasing desired wildland seed for rehabilitation/restoration practices, native seed only policies, or the policy of resting a site for two years following a wildfire, these policies can promote failure. We argue these policies should be guidelines and be more flexible with on-the-

The Society for Range Management (SRM) is “the professional society dedicated to supporting persons who work with rangelands and have a commitment to their sustainable use.” SRM’s members are ranchers, land managers, scientists, educators, students, conservationists – a diverse membership guided by a professional code of ethics and unified by a strong land ethic. This series of articles is dedicated to connecting the science of range management with the art, by applied science on the ground in Nevada. Articles are the opinion of the author and may not be an official position of SRM. Further information and a link to submit suggestions or questions are available at the Nevada Section website at http://www.ag.unr.edu/nsrm/. SRM’s main webpage is www. rangelands.org. We welcome your comments.

28 January 2014

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ground realities. For example, in 1999, the wildfire that burned from Lovelock to Winnemucca, Nevada crossed many allotments and were closed off to grazing under policy for two years. By May of 2001, it was obvious that rehabilitation/restoration efforts were a dismal failure as cheatgrass densities were 173/ft² and posed a serious wildfire threat (Figure 1). Resource and land managers onthe-ground realized that the site was not going to magically restore itself just because livestock had been removed, yet the policy handcuffed them to be able to perform fuels management. The USDI, Fish and Wildlife Service has an histogram that reflects that the top two threats to sage grouse habitat in the West are Invasive Species and Wildfire. Let’s be honest, in cheatgrass-infested rangelands these two could be considered one in the same. Why then would you have a policy in place that promotes cheatgrass and the associated wildfire threats? If the site has been seeded and managers recognize the on-the-ground potential for success, then by all means follow the guideline, but if the rehabilitation/restoration is an obvious failure don’t promote further cheatgrass associated fuels that endanger the adjacent unburned habitats to the same outcome. The Rehabilitation of Cheatgrass-Infested Rangelands is a very demanding task that requires the understanding of the competitive nature of cheatgrass, rehabilitation/restoration practices that provide the best opportunity to be successful and reduce the threat of cheatgrass as well as accountability at various levels in the management decisions that impact these rangelands. Our goal is simply to provide resource and land managers with the necessary information required to best combat the advancement of cheatgrass through an integrated weed control program and rehabilitation practices that will suppress cheatgrass densities, fuel loads, and allow succession to take place to improve wildlife and grazing resources.

Figure 1. Dr. Young and Dan Harmon, 2001, viewing a landscape of cheatgrass dominance for as far as the eye can see following a 1999 wildfire storm.

Figure 2. A failed rangeland drill seeding in northwestern Nevada. An integrated weed (cheatgrass) control method followed by the use of proper plant materials is a must or this will be the end result.

Referenced Literature Ashley, M.C. and W. S. Longland. 2007. Microsatellite evidence of facultative outcrossing in cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum): Implications for the evolution of invasiveness. Plant Species Biology 22:197-204.

Fortune, P.M., N. Pourtau, N. Viron and M.L. Ainouche. 2008.

Molecular phylogeny and reticulate origins of the polyploidy Bromus species from section Genea (Poaeceae). American Journal of Botany 95:454-464.

Merrill, K. R., S. E. Meyer and C. E. Coleman. 2012. Population genetics analysis of Bromus tectorum (Poaeceae) indicates recent range expansion may be facilitated by specialist genotypes. American Journal of Botany 99:529-537.

Sneva, F.A. 1972. Grazing return following sagebrush control in eastern Oregon. Journal Range Management 25:174-178.

Figure 3. The establishment of longlived perennial grasses is essential in suppressing cheatgrass and associated dangerous fuels. This establishment, if managed correctly, will decrease wildfire frequencies and allow succession to occur.

Young, J. A. and C. D. Clements. 2003. Bromus tectorum invasion of western North America Rangelands. African Journal of Range and Forest Science 20:174.

Young, J. A., and C. D. Clements. 2009. Cheatgrass: Fire and Forage on the Range. University Nevada Press, Reno & Las Vegas. 348pp.

Figure 4a and 4b. The mis-management of perennial grass communities favors cheatgrass, which results in wildfire risks and loss of critical wildlife and grazing resources. Figure 4a shows the perennial grass densities in 2009, whereas figure 4b shows the loss of perennial grass due to mis-management. www.progressiverancher.com

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Figure 5. The encroachment of big sagebrush must be kept in check to protect the long-lived perennial grass/herbaceous component of this habitat which is suppressing cheatgrass present in the seed bank and in small amounts above-ground.

January 2014 29

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30 January 2014

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January 2014 31

Poison H emlock

H

ello from the Humboldt Watershed Cooperative Weed Management Area! This month we would like to introduce you to another state listed noxious weed, poison hemlock (Conium maculatum). Poison hemlock originated in Europe and was introduced to North America in the 1800’s as an ornamental.

Since then, it has been extremely successful distributing itself throughout most of North America. It now occurs in nearly every state in the United States and southern Canada.

Poison hemlock is commonly found at lower elevations along roadsides, ditch and stream banks, creek beds, fence-lines, waste places, and in or on the edge of cultivated fields where there is sufficient soil moisture. It can also invade native plant communities in riparian woodlands and flood plains where natural aquatic systems dominate. It can survive in dry sites with poorly drained soils, but is most competitive under wetter soil conditions.

Poison Hemlock Plant Poison hemlock can invade perennial crops like alfalfa, but it is only a significant problem in the first cutting, because subsequent regrowth of the alfalfa can suppress poison hemlock.

In grain fields, poison hemlock can contaminate harvested grain seed. However, it is more common for poison hemlock to invade grazing areas than crops. It tends to grow in moist pastures and meadows where it has the potential to out-compete more desirable native species. Perhaps the largest impact of a poison hemlock invasion is its toxicity to livestock.

Serious livestock losses can occur when animals graze on fresh forage, harvested silage, or hay contaminated with poison hemlock. Hemlock is capable of rapid establishment after late-season rains, particularly on disturbed sites or where little vegetation exists.

Once it firmly establishes itself under such conditions, the weed can preclude most other vegetation.

Poison hemlock has small but attractive white flowers, arranged in umbrella-like clusters, which open in the early summer. The fruit is tiny, flattened, and ridged, about 1/8thof an inch long, and grayish green in color. Seeds ripen in August and September and can be spread by farm equipment, vehicles, agricultural produce, clothing, water and wind. The weed has a smooth purple stem and triangular, finely divided leaves with bases that sheathe the stem. The stems are hollow between the nodes, while the leaves resemble those of a fern. Poison hemlock is also characterized by a rank, disagreeable odor that is detectable

Poison Hemlock Leaves

32 January 2014

when one is near the plant, or has crushed a leaf or stem. The odor is associated with the alkaloids that the plant contains and toxicity of the plant increases throughout the growing season. In an animal that has been poisoned by hemlock, the odor can be detected in the gut, breath and urine.

Use these recommended control methods to remove poison hemlock from your property. Always wear protective clothing and gloves to prevent accidental exposure to the plant’s toxic juices.

Keep children away from poison hemlock.

Mechanical: Small patches of poison hemlock can be carefully dug up, making sure to remove the taproot. Do not cut or mow the plants, as they will only re-sprout. Dispose of plants in the trash.

Chemical: Herbicides containing glyphosate are readily available and can be very effective, especially for larger infestations. Always read and follow the label instructions before applying any herbicide product. The best time to spray poison hemlock is when the plant is still young and the leaves are just a basal rosette, and before it forms a stem and flowers. If plants are already in bloom, make sure to cut flower-heads and dispose of them in trash bags.

Follow-up: Monitor for and treat areas for seedlings and re-sprouts. Plant grasses and other desirable vegetation to help prevent further weed establishment at the site.

As always, please notify the HWCWMA if you see poison hemlock growing within the Humboldt River watershed. Our staff can provide the property owner or appropriate public agency with site-specific advice on how best to remove it. We have an opportunity to stop it from spreading if we act quickly. We map all known locations of regulated noxious weeds in order to help us and others locate new infestations in time to control them.

The Humboldt Watershed CWMA has also developed a website to serve as a clearinghouse for information on weeds in the Humboldt Watershed. Our website (http://www. humboldtweedfree.org) contains fact sheets for state listed noxious weeds in Nevada, Board of Director’s information, funding partner’s links, and many more features including a detailed project proposal packet that you can print, fill out and mail back to us at your convenience. We are looking to expand our project area outside of the Humboldt River and always welcome new funding opportunities and partnerships.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Andi Porreca, HWCWMA Coordinator at (775) 762-2636 or email her at aporreca@humboldtweedfree.org. Or you may speak with Rhonda Heguy, HWCWMA President at (775) 738-3085, email: hwcwma@ gmail.com.

Poison Hemlock Spotted Stem

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Round Mountain High School Students Work With Conservation Groups To Preserve Greater Sage-Grouse

Tonopah, Nev. – Round Mountain High School Agriculture students worked with Pheasants Forever to launch the 2013 Sage Grouse Fence Marker pilot project, funded by the Tonopah Conservation District.

Conservationist Tyrel Brown of Pheasants Forever presented information about sage grouse issues to the students and led them in making enough markers for 2000 feet of fence line, to be donated to a local rancher. It is expected that this project will be ongoing, ultimately providing markers for additional miles of fence line throughout central Nevada.

The Greater Sage-grouse has been listed as a Candidate Species for consideration by the Endangered Species Act. It is believed that marking fences will increase wire visibility and therefore reduce the number of bird strikes. It is hoped that this practice, in concert with other initiatives, will be effective in preserving sage grouse.

More information about the Conservation District Program and the Sagebrush Ecosystem Program may be found at dcnr.nv.gov.

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January 2014 33

LookUP

Paid In Full

by Pastor Diana Gonzalez

W

ebster’s definition – Free: not under the control or power of another.

Webster’s definition – Freedom: independence, being free, civil or political liberty, exemption from an obligation, discomfort, etc., being able to act, use freely, ease of movement, frankness, right or privilege.

As I write today, it’s Veteran’s Day. The day we set aside to remember and appreciate those who served our country with their time and comfort, and those who laid down their lives for the freedom we all enjoy in this wonderful country.

Freedom isn’t free, is it? It costs something and so many brave Americans gave all they could give so we can be safe and free. We must never forget them. And we must never let the freedoms they paid so dearly for slip through our hands. We must always be ready to fight anyone or anything that would take away the freedoms that those brave Americans bled and died for. Any freedom we let get away would be hard, if not impossible to get back.

Let’s not be passive or lazy; let’s honor our veterans and those that fell for our country by hanging on to our Christian values and our laws of freedom.

Jesus said in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” NKJV Thank you Veterans for your service to our country!

Jesus would know about serving and sacrifice, wouldn’t he? Jesus was born to die. To die for us. To take back what satan had stolen from Adam, and to put Man back in right standing with God. Praise God that He loved us so much that He sent His Son to pay the price for our sins (reference John 3:16). A price we couldn’t pay. Jesus paid it for us, in full.

Jesus is God’s Grace and Mercy manifested in human form.

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Philippians 2:5-11: Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. NKJV If Jesus was willing to lay aside the glory of heaven to come and die for us, shouldn’t we look beyond ourselves to our fellow man and his interest? Shouldn’t we want to protect our freedoms for the next generation and the next? Let’s teach our children and grandchildren the godly principles our great nation was founded on. Let’s teach them the Pledge of Allegiance – one nation under God. Let’s teach them, we can be saved by faith through grace (Jesus).

Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me!” That’s the only way.

We receive God’s righteousness through faith in Jesus. None of us can meet God’s perfect standard. That’s why it was necessary for Jesus to pay for our sins, in full. So if Jesus was willing to die for us, let’s be willing to live godly, Christian lives and teach our kids to live that way, too. Let’s elect godly men and women to public office and vote out those who would take away our laws of freedom that were paid for with such a dear price.

Let’s honor God and His Word and put Him first in our lives, then let’s see if our country doesn’t go in a better way.

Proverbs 29:2: When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when a wicked man rules, the people groan. NKJV Let’s honor Jesus and the price He paid for us by making Him our Lord and Savior, and by asking Him into your heart today. May God bless our veterans, and our nation.

Scripture reading: Romans 3:21-26

Romans 10: 8-10, 13

Revelation 1:4-6

Revelation 3:19-20 Happy trails. May God richly bless you. We love you and would love to hear from you.

If you would like someone to pray with, or just have a question, please give us a call at (775) 867-3100. ‘Til next time….

You are invited to COWBOY CHURCH!

Are you having a Rodeo or Livestock event?

Give us a call.

1st Saturday of every month Standish, CA @ 6:00 p.m.

Call 800.800.4865 today or visit AgLoan.com RENO • ELKO • FALLON A part of the Farm Credit system. Equal Opportunity Lender.

AAC_ProgRanchr_cattlefinancing_4.8x5.425_bw.indd 1

34 January 2014

1/22/2013 12:34:24 PM

Hwy. 395 /A3 — Standish 4-H Hall

We would love to come to your event or ranch and host Cowboy Church for you.

Harmony Ranch Ministry 3767 Keyes Way Fallon, NV 89406

The Progressive Rancher

Tom J. Gonzalez | Diana J. Gonzalez, Pastor threecrossls@cccomm.net

(775) 867-3100 Cell (775) 426-1107

www.progressiverancher.com

SNAKE RIVER

Financial Focus Presented by Jason Land, Financial Advisor, Edward Jones in Elko, Nevada 2213 North 5th Street, Suite A | 775-738-8811

What Does Debt Ceiling Resolution Mean to Investors?

Bull TesT

A

fter plenty of haggling, and a fair amount of political theater, Congress reached a last-minute agreement to raise the debt ceiling and end the partial government shutdown. Most people would agree that a fully functioning government that can pay its bills on time is a positive thing — and it’s certainly good news for investors, because a default on the part of the U.S. government could have had serious repercussions in the financial markets. But what’s next?

We may find out fairly soon, because the legislation that passed only funded the government through Jan. 15 and raised the debt limit through Feb. 7.

But as an investor, you don’t have to wait until next year to respond to these ongoing political issues. Consider taking the following steps: • Look for opportunities. The stock market didn’t overreact to the drama in Washington. Also, despite the likely short-term drag on the economy caused by the partial government shutdown, U.S. companies have shown that they are able to increase earnings, even with slow sales growth — and corporate earnings are a key driver of stock prices. These are all good signs for investors. And stock valuations (as measured by price-to-earnings ratios) are reasonably attractive. So, now may be a good time to pursue new investment opportunities, assuming they’re appropriate for your individual needs, goals and risk tolerance.

• Be prepared for volatility. The financial markets have their “likes” and “dislikes” — and one thing they don’t like is uncertainty. So, despite the fact that the markets stood up pretty well during the shutdown/debt ceiling episode, it’s still quite possible that we’ll see some volatility in the weeks ahead. To prepare yourself for these potential fluctuations, you’ll want to own an appropriate mix of investments — which means you may need to rebalance your portfolio. A diversified portfolio can’t guarantee profit or protect against loss, but it can reduce the impact of volatility — and it can help keep you calm, too.

• Be aware of interest rate movements. If the debt ceiling had not been raised, it’s highly possible that we would have seen a spike in interest rates, which could have hurt the value of your bonds. (When interest rates rise, investors won’t pay full price for existing bonds because they can get newly issued ones at the higher rates.) But even though we avoided this scenario, you’ll still need to be on the alert for interest-rate movements over the next several months — especially if the Federal Reserve discontinues its bond-buying program, which is designed to help keep long-term rates low. Still, it’s probably not a good idea to totally avoid bonds in anticipation of rising rates, because bonds can help balance your portfolio if stocks were to decline. Nonetheless, keep a close eye on the Fed’s actions, and be prepared to make changes if it appears that rates may indeed jump.

Apart from registering your opinion with your elected representatives, you can’t control what happens in Washington. But, no matter what political conflicts are taking place, you can control your investment decisions — and you can continue with a strategy that can help you make progress toward your long-term financial goals.

llc

FRidAy, MARCh 7

Twin Falls livestock Commission Co. Twin Falls, idaho

Selling 130+ BullS And FAnCy heiFeRS The best bulls100 from 35 different ranches – “THERE’S ALWAYS ROOM AT THE TOP”

Angus - Hereford - Red competing for the top spot. Angus

There is Always PERFORMANCE BULL RoomTESTED at the TopSALE

MarchFeaturing 7, 2014 the Best Bulls from Twin Falls 32 Livestock ReputationComm.

Ranches – Angus,AllHereford, Red Competing forAngus the Top Spot Selling 130 bulls & 100 heifers Growth. Maternalfancy & Carcass

   

GROWTH

MATERNAL PleASe ConTACT uSCARCASS To RequeST A SAle Book:

www.snakeriverbulltest.com Jason Anderson: 208-420-7352 Ben eborn: 208-399-2350

snakeriverbulltest.com Jason Anderson (208) 420-7352 Ben Eborn (208) 399-2350

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.

thd ©

www.progressiverancher.com

The Progressive Rancher

January 2014 35

2013 Results

YOUTH ROUGH STOCK Sheep Riding 1st

Mason Johnson

Calf Riding Chandler Green

Youth Rough Stock

Steer Riding Tyler Bundy

BRANDING 1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Mens

Womens

Coed

Lee Stock Horses

Flying M Ranch

Mori-Sestanovich

Flint Lee

Timmy Lyn DeLong

Pete Mori

Kenny Lee

Tammy Lee

Chad Sestanovich

Steve Gorden

Bea Venable

Andrea Sestanovich

Jack Logan

Rita Fowler

Katie Groves

Flying M Ranch

6th

Freeman Mori

DW Fowler

Rhonda Garaventa

Abra Snow

Tim Mayer

Rosie Bliss

Michael Mori

Brogan Kendall

Renee Jackson

Kelsea Krenka

Frank Bengoa

Andrea Sestanovich

Asher Freeman

2-4 Ranch

Petan Ranch Abra Snow

John Jackson

Russ Jackson

Jessica Kelly

Renee Jackson

Greg Snow

Katie Groves

Russ Jackson

Kade Saylor

Danielle Jackson

Danielle Jackson

C Ranches

Marvel Dental Jamie Marcel

Flying M Ranch Timmy Lyn DeLong

Will DeLong

Katie Delong

Rita Fowler

Jeff Garijo

Chantell Walker

DW Fowler

Gene Curtis

Annie Joanette

Brogan Kendall

NK Ranch

Flying M Ranch, 1st place Womens Branding

J Lazy N Ranch

Will Knight

Nathan Kelly Jr.

Marshal Smith

Crystal Kelly

Nathan Kelly Sr.

Jessica Kelly

Alan Malotte

Will Knight

Freeman Mori

Lee Stock Horses, 1st place Mens Branding

2-4 Ranch

John Jackson

Jim Filippini

5th

Tuscareka

DeLong Ranches

Pete Mori

Will Delong

Barack Freeman

Jamie Marvel

Michael Mori

Katie DeLong

Asher Freeman

Frank Bengoa Mori-Sestanovich, 1st place Coed Branding

36 January 2014

The Progressive Rancher

www.progressiverancher.com

Ward Ranches

PERFORMANCE GENETICS 8th Annual Production Sale

UNIVERSITY 50% SAL ERS / 50% ANGUS His sons sell February 16th!

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2014 1 p.m. at the Ranch Gardnerville, Nevada

Ward Ranches Optimizers “Balanced Business” Salers and Angus are both proven to be compatible for calving ease and marbling quality. Both breeds offer maternal and carcass qualities that are valued in the industry today. We have been blending the best of the two breeds to develop the ideal Optimizer bull. An Optimizer can be from 25% to less than 75% Salers. This has resulted in a superior individual with the qualities that increase profitability for you, our customer.

71% Salers / 25% Angus University son sold in our 2013 sale

70 FALL 2012 RANCH-READY BULLS SELL FEBRUARY 16 Angus • Salers • Salers/Angus Composites • Performance test and ultrasound results • Bulls fertility tested & unconditionally guaranteed • All bulls tested BVD–PI negative • Free delivery to central locations within 500 miles

The focus at Ward Ranches is to produce a quality product, year after year. We know that the Angus breed is known as the “Business Breed” and that the Salers breed is known as the “Balanced Breed.” Experience has taught us, and research has proven, that these two breeds complement each other well. “Balanced Business,” as we call it.

Be sure to attend the Nevada Cattlemen All-Breed’s Bull Sale at Fallon on Saturday, and especially plan to join us

Sunday, February 16th, for the 8th Annual Ward Ranches Production Sale at Gardnerville!

We are a 1.5 hour drive southwest of Fallon. www.progressiverancher.com

Purebred Angus son of DPL Daybreak K82 sold in our 2013 sale

Guest Consignor: Hunsaker Livestock

Buhl, Idaho

Not on our catalog mailing list? E-mail: wardranches24@gmail.com

/

Ward Ranches “ Y OU R

The Progressive Rancher

GARY WARD & FAMILY

(775) 790-6148 P. O. Box 1404, Gardnerville, NV 89410 E-mail: wardranches24@gmail.com Ranch: 1155 Foothill Rd., Gardnerville

Western G ENET I C SO UR C E ” January 2014 37

Since 1959 - Manufactured in Scio, Oregon Main Office Powell Scales NW 39120 West Scio Rd. Scio, OR 97374 Ph 503-394-3660 Fax 503-394-3502 Toll Free: 1-800-451-0787

Spokane Office Inland Scales NW 5602 E. Desmet Ave. PO Box 11335 Spokane, WA 99211 Ph 509-535-4295 Fax 509-535-4296

Steve Orr • 503-510-3540 www.scalesnw.com • SteveOrr@ScalesNW.com • SCALES 800-451-0187

TRUCK SCALES • LIVESTOCK SCALES • WAREHOUSE SCALES • RENTAL SCALES

Price: $650,000

MOBILE LIVESTOCK RENTALS AVAILABLE AT:

Bullet Rental - Klamath Falls, OR • ACW Rentals - Burns, OR • Powell Scales - Scio, OR

Rentals Available!

BRUNO’S COUNTRY CLUB Gerlach, NV Includes: Restaurant, Bar, Banquet Room and Motel & Apartments (53 units)

CERTIFIABLE! AFFORDABLE!

For Information Contact: Tom Corty

PORTABLE TRUCK SCALE S WITH STEEL RAMP OR MOBILE LIVESTOCK SCALE S AVAILABLE

SCALE SERVICE • SYSTEMS • PARTS • SALES & CONSTRUCTION

38 January 2014

The Progressive Rancher

CORTY R EAL ESTATE 775-746-4442 tomcorty@att.net

www.progressiverancher.com

HOW TO FIX

Allie Bear

a Cold Backed Horse Randy White, White Performance Horses

H

ave you ever been bucked off by a supposed to be “broke” horse?

Wanted to go on a nice easy ride, and wham, your body slammed into the dirt, or grass, or even the manure?

Some horse are labeled as cold backed horses. Meaning they have the tendency to buck or get a big hump in their back when you first saddled them, or first climbed on them to ride.

I bring this up because of a horse we have had in training recently. This horse is a nice, easy going, slow walking half draft, but he is a cold backed horse. Not at all convenient for a ranch horse.

Why do they do it? I don’t know exactly, could be a wide range of reasons, bad saddle, soreness, pain, or other physical ailments.

But a lot of the time, that’s just the way they are. That’s right certain breeds, and bloodlines carry this tendency and its as much a part of their personality as narcissism is a part of Charlie Sheen’s.

So how do you fix one of these horses? You can’t. But you can still have a working relationship with them if you show a little respect and understanding for their quirks and imperfections.

Generally a “cold backed” horse is only that way at the beginning or the start of a ride. Once they warm up, or get moving they free up and relax a little bit. So the key to keeping them from bucking when you get on is making sure that they are adequately warmed up. That doesn’t mean run them around the round pen 3 times. You have to really get them warmed up, with a sweat break-

PINENUT

LIVESTOCK SUPPLY INC. 263 Dorral Way Fallon, Nevada Reno Highway across from A&K Earth Movers

Stop by and see us, we look forward to seeing you!

ing, without scaring them or working them up while you do it. You can do this in a number of ways: • Put them on a walker for 30 minutes or so (preferably saddled).

• Lunge them on a line or in the round pen for 20 minutes or more.

• Pony them with an older, more experienced horse for first 20 minutes of a ride.

Are any of these methods easy or convenient, or even a sure solution? Not really, but they are much better alternatives than starting every ride with a rodeo. Horses are animals with personalities and their own fears and quirks. They don’t come custom built like a vehicle can. Can a “cold backed” horse get better, or even completely get over it? You bet, but until that happens we have to respect that part of their personality and make the adjustments for any success to be possible.

A good training program isn’t made for convenience, its made for results. We can’t force horses through a cookie cutter training program, we have to adjust and customize the program to fit the skills, talents, and personalities of each individual horse, giving them the specific tools they need to be successful.

Remember ... Whether cold backed or not, most times the best horses are tired horses.

Ruby Valley: Two adjoining Ranches will make one good ranch! Total of 2,174 deeded with 470.31 Water righted acres out of creeks and springs. USFS permit for 95 head. Split by paved State Rt.229. Modest improvements. Combined price: $1,650,000.

Clover Valley Farm: 243 Acres with 160 acres with underground water rights, two irrigation wells, a stock well and a good domestic well. Large modern home with detached 5 car garage, 3500 and 5000 sq. ft metal buildings and greenhouse. All for only $500,000.

Or buy the farm land for $225,000.

Elko Co. 10,706 deeded with BLM grazing permit: These private sections are in the checkerboard area and are intermingled with public lands. The ranch has historically been a Spring Sheep range. The BLM permit is only 29% public lands. Price includes 50% of the mineral rights on all but 320 acres.

Price:$130/acre. Or $1,392,000. Considering adding the property below to it to make a year around unit.

Elko Co. Humboldt River Property: 650 acres located between the Ryndon and Osino Exits on I-80. This property has over 300 acres of surface water rights out of the Humboldt River. The BLM permit for the 10,706 acres above is a short distance from this property with a stock driveway on this property. Price:$1.2 million.

Tent Mountain Ranch: Approx. 3500 deed acres in Starr Valley. Nice larger home on paved road plus mountain cabin. Great summer range with water from numerous creeks and seeps. This ranch is made of up of over 20 separate parcels if a buyer were more interested in Investment property vs.

Agricultural property. Over 135 acres with surface water rights. Price $3.5 million.

Indian Creek Ranch: 126 acre Homestead with large Spring and at the foot of the Cherry Creek Range in White Pine County.

Certificated and permitted water rights on the spring for 60 acres. Price reduced to $275,000.

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

We need more Ranch and Farm listings!

PHONE: 775-423-5338 john@pinenutlivestocksupply.com

Paul D. Bottari, Broker paul@bottarirealty.com

1222 6th St., P.O. Box 368 Wells, NV 89835 www.progressiverancher.com

Work: 775-752-3040 Home: 775-752-3809 • Fax: 775-752-3021

•

www.bottarirealty.com

The Progressive Rancher

Real Estate

Spec ializing in hunting, ranching, and horse properties Davis Ranch

Great little ranch north of Elko about 14 miles out. 157.19 acres. Fenced, cross fenced, large barn, stalls, tack room, corrals, round pen, arena. 3 Bedroom / 2 bath home with covered deck, 4-car garage. $500,000

Flying M Ranch

Great ranch, Just minutes from I-80 (Imlay, NV) & not far from Winnemucca. Approx. 23,000 acres of deeded ground with more than 23 miles on the river. Winter outsideno feeding. One of the oldest water rights along the river. $15,000,000

J and M Farm

Very nice farm just minutes from Battle Mountain, Nevada. 169 acres of which 130 are in production. Feedlot, corrals, new shop & equipment shed. New 3 bed, 2 bath mobile with mature landscape.

J M Farm (Winnemucca) 58 acre well maintained farm just 3 miles from downtown Winnemucca.

Approx. 43 acres planted in alfalfa/ grass mix. Water rights included in sale. Includes two homes, mature landscaping, several outbuildings, barn and horse corrals. Farm equipment will be negotiated with sale. $780,000 Starr Valley Pasture

Unique fenced 1,104 acres on Boulder Creek bordering U.S. Forest Service in Starr Valley, Nevada. Water-righted with nice meadows. $1,400,000

South of Eureka (Duckwater) 830± head cattle ranch operation with 4,851.52 deeded acres. Irrigated meadowland, rangeland in undulating and mountainous native land. Elevation 5,300’ to 6,300’ at highest point. BLM and Forest Service grazing permits.

Recanzone Ranch

Neat ranch in Paradise Valley. 900 + acres, 300 AUMs, right by town.

Original Sandstone House. Easy access to Hinkey Summit & surrounding mountains. Includes Barn, Outbuildings and Corrals. $1,500,000

View comple listings at:

www.ARanchBroker.com

775-738-8535 Allie Bear, Broker/Realtor 775-777-6416

January 2014 39

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit # 3280 Salt Lake City, UT

Angus and Hereford Bull Sale Monday, March 10th, 2014 1:00 PM at Spring Cove Ranch in Bliss, Idaho

Selling 150 Angus Bulls Yearlings & Falls

50 Hereford Bulls 3 Red Angus yr. Bulls Yearlings, Falls & 2’s

25 Angus yr. Heifers 13 Hereford yr. Heifers

Selling sons of CCA Emblazon 702 Reg 15980098 CED+16 BEPD-1.8 WEPD+60 YEPD+106 MEPD+22 SC+1.01 CW+30 MARB+.50 RE+.63 $W+51.22 $B+79.37

Selling sons & grandsons of SLL Overload T18 Reg 15843888 CED+7 BEPD+1.3 WEPD+60 YEPD+100 MEPD+18 SC+1.12 CW+50 MARB+.71 RE+.57 $B+107.78

Selling sons & daughters of KCF Bennett 9126J R294 Reg P42651401 CED+10.1 BW-1.5 WW+54 YW+96

Selling sons of Apex Windy 078 Reg 16237970 CED+1 BEPD+3.9 WEPD+72 YEPD+110 MEPD+40 SC+1.60 CW+41 MARB+.38 RE+.16 $W+51.02 $B+76.03

M+33 Milk & Growth +60 SC+1.4 RIB+.06 MARB+.58 CHB+$39

For Catalogs Call: 208-352-4332 www.springcoveranch.com

40 January 2014

The Progressive Rancher

www.progressiverancher.com