Roundup for 1.2.21

Page 1

Volume 32 Number 36 • January 2, 2021

®

The Weekly News Source for Wyoming’s Ranchers, Farmers and AgriBusiness Community • www.wylr.net

A Look Inside UW’s Ranch Management and Leadership Program hires a coordinator to jumpstart ranch management education . ...................................... Page 5 Grazing cover crops can improve soil and the bottom line................................. Page 8 Extension specialists discuss the projected value of replacement heifers for the 2020-21 production season....... Page 11

Quick Bits Seafood Relief At the beginning of the month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a one-month extension to the signup period for the Seafood Trade Relief Program, which supports the U.S. seafood industry and fishermen impacted by retaliatory tariffs from foreign governments. Fishermen can now signup for the program through Jan. 15.

State ag organizations wrap up 2020, look to 2021 In wrapping up the year 2020, many uncertainties follow through to 2021. However, as always, agriculture remains resilient and continues to strive for progress in many arenas. COVID-19, changes

to administration and budget restrictions in local governments are all challenges from 2020 Wyoming will face into the new year. “One of the strengths of agriculture is we have always dealt with uncer-

tainty,” says Wyoming Stock Growers Association (WSGA) Executive Director Jim Magagna. “We are more prepared to deal with it than other segments of our economy and population because it’s the nature

of what we do.” COVID-19 impacts “The coronavirus has been one of the main issues for the sheep industry,” shares Wyoming Wool Growers Association (WWGA) Please see 2020 on page 5

Environmental Stewardship Award Winner

WSGA HONORS GALLOWAY RANCH FOR YEARS OF CONSERVATION AND STEWARDSHIP After moving to Wyoming to raise their three boys, Keith and Laura Galloway purchased a ranch in Ten Sleep with the hopes of running an operation where conservation and agriculture could meet. In 1998, the family established the Galloway Ranch, where they have continued to improve their operation and instill their love for animals and the land in their children. For 22 years, the Galloway family has prac-

ticed stewardship and conservation, and their efforts have not gone unnoticed. In fact, the Wyoming Stock Growers Association has recognized the operation as the 2021 Environmental Stewardship Award winners. The Galloway Ranch According to the Washakie County Conservation District, one of many nominators, the Galloways started out with 200 mother cows. They have since Please see AWARD on page 7

Hog Prices

Hog prices started to take a more seasonal pattern the fourth quarter of 2020, but prices did not follow typical seasonal patterns for most of the year. The pandemic hit the U.S. just prior to the typical price rally in the second quarter. Hog prices had a strong rally starting in August and have since taken a pattern similar to the five-year average to close the year. The peak price so far this year was $64.95 per hundredweight (cwt), which occurred in early October, more than double the low of $28.66 per cwt reached in late June.

Courtesy photo

CWD Positive On Dec. 16, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s Wildlife Health Laboratory confirmed an elk in Grand Teton National Park tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD). The cow elk was harvested by a participant in the park’s elk reduction program and tissue samples were collected as part of the park’s mandatory testing program. This is the first elk to test positive for CWD in northwest Wyoming and in close proximity to elk feedgrounds.

Soil Data

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service Soil and Plant Science Division (SPSD) announced the third version of their soils database called the Gridded National Soil Survey Geographic Database (gNATSGO). This product is a composite database providing complete coverage of the best available gridded soils information for all areas of the U.S. and Island Territories.

Ag promotion WSGA committee provides update at annual convention On Dec. 8, during the Wyoming Stock Growers Association’s (WSGA) Winter Roundup and Trade Show, the Agriculture Promotion, Education and Enhancement Committee met to discuss happenings around the state. College of Agriculture and Natural Resources First in the lineup of speakers at the meeting was University of Wyoming (UW) Extension Director Kelly Crane, who provided attendees with an update from UW’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. “Like many across the state of Wyoming, the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources is going through some budget reductions, which is currently taking up a lot of our time,” Crane stated. “It is no secret we are going to take some hits, and our programs are going to be impacted by the budget challenges we are going to see over the next few years.” With this said, Crane noted the college is currently embarking on a review of all of their academic programs. “We are taking a hard look at things to be more efficient and begin capitalizing on the strengths of our college,” he stated. “We are also Please see WSGA on page 4

Team sees success The University of Wyoming (UW) meats judging team placed within the top five of all contests but two this season despite setbacks from COVID-19. The honors included winning the American Royal contest, held virtually this year. Members include Grace Corrette of Brighton, Colo., Hunter Valasek of Savannah, Mo., Abby Vogl of Elizabeth, Colo. and Sam Wolf of Biggsville, Ill. Practices this past spring looked a lot different than their traditional practices, said Coach Sierra Jepsen, an assistant lecturer in the Department of Animal Science. Instead of meeting at the meat lab at 5 a.m. during the weekday and the traditional sixhour long Saturday practice, the team met via Zoom for virtual practices. Jepsen shared the team missed some of the traditional team building components, like traveling together in the van to get to contests, team dinners and other team building activities, but the team was still grateful to have some normalcy and consistency meat judging provided. “It was something normal for them to base their semester around,” said Jepsen. “When the rest of the semester was turned on its head, our practices, our team unit and competing was all very consistent for them. They knew what they were getting, they knew what to expect and it gave them something positive for a semester that was very non-traditional and challenging.” The team attended four contests in person during the spring, including the National Western Stock Show in Denver, the Southwestern in Fort Worth, Texas, Iowa State Invitational in Ames, Iowa and Houston Stock Show in Texas. Please see UW on page 9

Equine nutritional habits explained Ward Laboratories presented the last webinar of their educational series, Producing Robust Livestock Through Nutrition, Genetic and Soil Health Management, featuring Hagyard Equine Medical Institute Veterinarian Dr. Jenna Moline. Moline, originally from Sundance, focused on modern horse nutritional habits during the Dec. 14 webinar. Equid nutrition evolution “Prehistoric horses were fruit and browse eaters 55 million years ago,” Moline shared. “The jaw started to elongate and deepen as horses became mixed feeders, eating more abrasive

grasses.” The horses we know today entered the scene around 4.5 million years ago, mainly grazing for forage. Domestication of horses occurred roughly 4,000 years ago. “Back then, humans supplemented their horses with corn and barley,” she noted. “But, our knowledge of horse nutrition has really only evolved within the last 150 years.” Moline explained the first horse supplement, called Black Drink, was marketed in 1834. In the early 1900s, vitamins and probiotics were introduced for

periodical

periodical

Please see EQUINE on page 15


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.