January 8, 2022

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Volume 33 Number 37 • January 8, 2022

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

A Look Inside Fertilizer cost and availability may impact producers...... Page 6 Rezoning request causes stir in rural community................ Page 8 Eagle relocation gives producers a break from predation....Page 17 Winter supplement economics should be considered..... Page 22

Quick Bits UWBF Milestone The University of Wyoming Biocontainment Facility (UWBF) has become registered with the Center for Disease Control for working with select agents. This is a major accomplishment for the Department of Veterinary Sciences and the Wyoming State Vet Lab. UWBF will enable new avenues of research, as well as enhanced capabilities and safety for working with different levels of pathogens in diagnostic veterinary medicine.

Brucellosis The Montana Department of Livestock (MDOL) received notice that an animal from a Madison County herd located within the state’s brucellosis Designated Surveillance Area has been confirmed positive for brucellosis. The positive animal tested as a ‘suspect’ on a whole herd test conducted in December 2021. The ranch has been placed under quarantine and an investigation has begun. The animal in question tested negative the prior year, which allows MDOL to reduce the scope of investigation.

NCBA provides updates on current policies, markets, future work

Washington, D.C. – During a press conference held Dec. 21, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane provided an update on policy changes in the Biden admin-

istration affecting agriculture. During the call, Lane positively reflected on the work done by the NBCA in the last year and their future plans going into 2022. NBCA work in 2021 “Sitting here reflect-

ing back on the first of the year with the Biden administration, I think we’re pretty pleased with the progress NBCA has made,” shared Lane. “First and foremost, we have to start with where we are ending, which is with

the Build Back Better Initiative and some of the large, aggressive spending plans which were advanced by this administration pretty quickly as they took off in January 2021.” Please see NCBA on page 6

Restoring fairness in meat supply chain White House releases action plan for fairer meat and poultry supplies

Throughout the last few years, the need for a more transparent meat industry and increasing the independence of producers, feeders and processors has become more apparent. On Jan. 3, the White House published its “Action Plan for a Fairer, More Competitive and More Resilient Meat and Poultry Supply Chain” in reaction to this need, which has been continually gaining more attention. A fact sheet provided by the White House noted, “Over the last few decades, we’ve seen too many industries become dominated by a handful of large companies that control most of the business and most of the opportunities – raising prices and decreasing options for American families, while also squeezing out small businesses and entrepreneurs. The meat and poultry processing sector is a textbook example, with lack of competition hurting consumers, producers and our economy.” The report mentions the top four meatpacking companies control 85 percent of the beef market, and four processing firms control 54 percent of the poultry market and 70 percent of the pork market. The action plan is comprised of four core strategies: invest in processing capacity, strengthen rules, increase transparency and enforce existing anti-competition laws.

Invest in business The current administration has announced $1 billion in American Rescue Plan funds has been dedicated for the expansion of independent processing capacity. Through a call for stakeholder input in 2021, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) identified the need to “expand and diversify meat and poultry processing; provide producers an opportunity to have ownership in processing facilities; create stable, well-paying jobs in rural regions; and raise the bar on worker health, safety, training and wages for meatpacking jobs,” along with increased producer income and collaboration between investors. In the plan, USDA will provide up to $375 million in gap financing grants for independent processing plant projects and another $275 million in partnership with lenders supporting these businesses. Another $100 million is dedicated to supporting worker training and safety. Additionally, USDA is providing $100 million in reduced overtime inspection fees to help small and very small processing plants keep up with demand – an issue discussed between many small processors in Wyoming. This announcement comes with some skepticism, Please see PLAN on page 12

USDA Funds

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is encouraging local sponsors to submit project requests for funding through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service offers several programs to help communities improve land and water resources within watersheds. For more information, visit nrcs.usda.gov.

U.S. Drought

For the contiguous 48 states, the U.S. Drought Monitor showed 54.80% of the area in moderate drought or worse, compared with 55.29% a week earlier. Drought now affects 93,685,357 people, compared with 99,321,936 a week earlier. For all 50 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, the U.S. Drought Monitor showed 45.81% of the area in moderate drought or worse, compared with 46.22& a week earlier. Drought now affects 94,492,102 people, compared with 100,147,218 a week earlier.

Savannah Peterson photo

Ranch honored Gray’s Angus Ranch receives 2021 Nebraska Producer of the Year Award Harrison, Neb. – Rod and Laura Gray and their family of Harrison, Neb. are the recipients of the 2021 Nebraska Angus Producer of the Year. Raising registered Angus has been a family tradition for the Grays. Rod’s great-great grandfather Starr Fuller had American Aberdeen Angus registries from Toledo, Iowa dating back to 1898. Harry Gray, Rod’s grandpa, purchased Angus cows from his wife’s father, Art Fuller and held public auctions of “Richly Bred Angus Cattle” in the 1940s. Wayne Gray, Rod’s dad, built the Angus cowherd to 400 registered females and sold bulls private treaty. At the age of 15, Rod purchased his first bull from the Champion Pen of Three at the National Western Stock Show (NWSS) in Denver, which was a son of Ankonian President – the Grand Champion Angus Bull at the International in 1964. Rod grew up active in the Iowa Junior Angus Association and served as president. He showed their Please see GRAY on page 5

UW College of Ag provides update on new programs Laramie – University of Wyoming (UW) College of Agriculture and Natural Resources Dean Barbara Rascoe and UW Associate Dean and Director of Extension Kelly Crane provided an update on exciting new agriculture programs and opportunities for attending students at the Wyoming Stock Growers Association’s Winter Roundup. Program movement After votes by UW’s Board of Trustees, a major reorganization of the university’s academic programs is expected in 2022 and 2023. The board approved plans to update UW programs following months of development through review and feedback from internal and external stakeholders. The reorganization of several programs has started immediately, but some won’t start until the summer of 2023, shared Rascoe. Several departments will be reorganized, and the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources will incur some changes. UW will be making changes to the departments of zoology and physiology, botany and the life sciences program as well as relocating degrees from the College of Arts and Sciences to the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, shared Rascoe. “Part of what UW is doing over the next year is starting a strategic planning process for this reorganization,” said Rascoe. “We have a very strong advisory board who is giving us guidance at the college.” UW will provide updates on the reorganization process Please see UW on page 7

Rammell brand inspection appeal continues Sublette County – Although county and state attorneys argued Veterinarian Rex F. Rammell’s appeal in Ninth District Court of four brand inspection convictions and sentences was untimely and improper, the judge disagreed. In Sublette County’s possibly longestrunning misdemeanor case, Rammell was charged on June 27, 2019, with violating the state required brand inspection law by trailering four horses and a colt from Sweetwater County to Sublette County for summer grazing. The law is Wyoming Statute 11-21103, which Rammell has argued as unconstitutional search and seizure. He was

cited for four violations although multiple livestock often appear on one brand inspection form. Three-year trial Rammell pleaded not guilty and has represented himself since 2019 in various courtrooms. Initially, Sublette County Circuit Court Judge Curt Haws assigned the case to Magistrate Clay Kainer, who ruled in Rammell’s favor that the law overreached the veterinarian’s constitutional rights. However, Kainer was not properly appointed at the time and his ruling to suppress the deputy’s stop as evidence against Rammell was overturned.

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Please see RAMMELL on page 7


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