April 13, 2019

Volume 30 Number 50 • April 13, 2019

®

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

A Look Inside U.S. Forest Service grazing permits differ in many ways from BLM permits. . . . . . . . . . Page 2 The bull sale season is wrapping up this year. . . . . Pages 6-7 Carbon County feeders targeted the market when feeding cattle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 10 Lee Pitts looks at millennials and their perspectives on work. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 16.

Quick Bits Corn Exports Export prices for U.S. corn remain somewhat elevated by concerns over planting delays caused by flooding in the Midwest.

With abundant corn in the world market, sales and shipments of U.S. corn have been slower than expected in recent months.

Outstanding sales as of the end of March totaled about 13 million tons, smaller than the past several years, indicating slower foreign demand for U.S. corn, perhaps for the remainder of the year.

Winger: The principles of soil health are universal Casper – “The health of our soil is not dependent on the type of soil or location, but instead the management of the soil we have available to us,” said United States Department of Agriculture Soil Health Specialist Marlon Winger.

“No matter where we are or what kind of soil we have, we can improve the health using principles that are universal to any type of soil,” said Winger.

Winger was a keynote speaker at the “For the Love

of Your Land” workshop, sponsored by Natrona County Conservation District on April 8.

Characteristics of cultivated soils Winger explained his own upbringing in agriculture

encompassed the idea that a highly tilled and uniform field was a marker for soil health.

“When we go in and bulldoze the house every few months, it never has time to fully recover,” Winger Please see SOIL on page 15

Conifer removal is critical for sagebrushdependent species

LEADING THE AG INDUSTRY

Wyoming FFA members gather in Cheyenne for convention Cheyenne – From April 10-13, over 1,500 FFA members converged on Cheyenne, ushered into town by blizzard conditions. The convention kicked off officially on April 11, with a number of Career Development Events, AgriScience and Proficiency Awards and the first session of the convention.

“The wind and snow couldn’t stop our teams from competing this week,” says the Wyoming FFA Association.

The 2018-19 Wyoming State FFA President Kirby Hales commented, “I’m always excited to see how our members release their competitive side and battle it out

for a chance to walk across the stage.”

Kiley McConnell, Wyoming State FFA reporter, added, “I’m eager to see the legacy members leave on the floor of their competitions,” and Wyoming State FFA Sentinel Brooks Woody added, “I’m always pumped to see new faces and old friends as we come together to forget our own mark in the legacy of Wyoming FFA.” As they wrap up competitions on April 12, Wyoming FFA members were recognized for their efforts on April 13.

Look for results from the State Star Farmer and contest results in next week’s Roundup. For up-to-date information from convention, visit wyomingffa.org.

Urban Ag

The National Association of State Agriculture Departments (NASDA) and a broad coalition of leading food and agricultural groups are urging Congress to support a vibrant and sustainable agriculture system by fully funding the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production and the Urban Agriculture Data Initiative in fiscal year 2020. NASDA members recently voted to work toward ensuring Congress prioritizes urban agriculture.

Wolf Bounties The Foundation for Wildlife Management (F4WM) has historically offered rewards up to $1,000 for trappers who bag a wolf in Idaho. The State of Idaho is now helping to fund the program. The Idaho Fish and Game Commission granted F4WM $23,065 this year. to help fund the payments for wolves.

NIFA Program U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) has released this year’s request for application (RFA) for the Organic Transitions Program (ORG). NIFA has opted to release the fiscal year (FY) 2019 and 2020 RFAs concurrently. The deadline to apply for the FY 2019 ORG RFA is May 16.

Habitats for grouse

Young leaders - The 2018-19 Wyoming FFA State Officers retired from their year of service on April 13, after traveling the state, interfacing with members and business leaders and promoting the agriculture industry for the last year. Photo courtesy of Teresa Milner.

“We can’t talk about conifer removal and management without talking about sage grouse. They are the currency in this management system,” said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Habitat and Population Evaluation Team Member Jason Tack.

“I had never really thought about sage grouse and conifers until I read a paper published in 2013 that really opened my eyes to the effects of encroaching conifer covers,” Tack explained.

“While conifers are low-density disturbances, there is a very high population disturbance.”

Tack, along with Jason Reinhardt of University of Minnesota, presented a pair of webinars in regards to the effects of conifer cover in rangelands and management practices being used in conifer removal.

Sage grouse effects “Following initial studies, there has been a lot of work tracking sage grouse behavior in conifer dense areas,” said Tack.

He explains sage grouse avoid conifers “like the plague” as they are nesting.

They will actively avoid areas with as little as three percent Please see GROUSE on page 5

Gordon supports energy EO Gov. Mark Gordon applauded President Trump for signing the Executive Order “Promoting Energy Infrastructure and Economic Growth.”

“I am delighted President Trump issued his Executive Order directing the Environmental Protection Agency to modernize guidance on the application of Section 401 of the Clean Water Act,” Gordon said.

This Executive Order requires the Secretary of Energy, in consultation with the Secretary of Transportation, to study and report to the president on the economic and other effects caused by limitations on the export of coal, oil, natural gas and other domestic energy resources through the West Coast of the United States.

“This review is sorely needed,” the Governor stressed.

“In issuing this Executive Order, President Trump sets the stage to help correct the misapplication of the Clean Water Act that has been used inappropriately by some states to stymie the industries and commerce of others, and I commend him for that,” according to Gordon.

“Far from weakening environmental regulation, this Executive Order recenters the application of the law on its original purpose as a tool to protect our water quality not a platform for electioneering. We should focus on addressing climate change through advancements in carbon technology, as well as cooperating to improve technology across the spectrum of energy sources,” Gordon said.

“We are excited for the promise of a new day when Wyoming coal will be better able to compete internationally. We have cleaner coal and better technologies that we can marry to remove carbon from the atmosphere,” Gordon said.

Pocket gophers cause damages Burrowing rodents like pocket gophers can damage fields, pastures and crops.

When these critters move into barnyards or pastures, they may need to be exterminated or their numbers controlled.

Robert M. Timm, Ph.D. and Extension wildlife specialist emeritus at the University of California Hopland Research and Extension Center, says pocket gophers can have a serious impact on forage in fields and pastures.

Damage concerns These rodents can be a major problem in perennial plantings such as alfalfa, orchards and vineyards. Even on pasture and rangeland, gophers can reduce forage

productivity, competing with livestock.

In a hayfield or crop, sometimes rodents’ mounds can damage the implements used for harvesting.

“This can be the case with pocket gophers in alfalfa or grain fields. The machinery may run into their mounds and be damaged, and their burrows sometimes interfere with flood irrigation. Water may go down the tunnels of ground squirrels or pocket gophers, rather than where it’s intended,” says Timm.

Rodent burrows can create erosion problems, especially on slopes, and can also damage ditches, irrigation canals and

periodical

periodical

Please see GOPHER on page 4

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 30 No. 50 • April 13, 2019

The Real Deal For the first week in April, I was in Washington, D.C. for the annual Legislative Conference of the Public Lands Council and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. It is easy to see that both organizations really have their act together, and a From the good number of staff members are really Publisher working hard for all public land ranchDennis Sun ers and ranchers across the nation.

As the Wyoming Stock Growers Association works for all ranchers across Wyoming – not just their members, so do the Public Lands Council (PLC) and the National Beef Cattlemen’s Association (NCBA). Being a member does provide producers with more information and a better opportunity to be involved. With all three organizations and others in the state, it is well worth the money spent for membership.

All of these organizations lobby for the ranchers, both public and private lands users, at the state and national level, and they do it very well.

During the week in Washington, ranchers had the opportunity to visit with Department of the Interior staff, Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. trade officials and leaders in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, among others. Some even visited officials in the White House. Basically, those who are making the decisions of the topics that affect ranchers were either speakers to the members or members visited their offices.

If you were from Wyoming, you had multiple opportunities to visit with our Congressional delegation. The difference with Wyoming, as we all realize, is the accessibility of our Congressional delegation, both in Washington and here in Wyoming.

Most visitors during the week only spoke with the staff of their Congressional delegations. For those of us from Wyoming, we were with our Senators and Representative numerous times, either in their offices, at dinner, speaking at the conference and around the Capitol. That only happens with Wyoming’s delegation, and let me tell you, ranchers from other states are envious.

I can also tell you that Wyoming has some of the hardest workers in the Capitol building, from staff to our two Senators and lone Representative. Not only are they leaders of Wyoming politics, but they are chairmen of Congressional committees and members of the U.S. Senate and U.S. House leadership. Besides decisions on Wyoming and the West, they are right in the mix with national decisions.

We are really lucky being from the West. Besides PLC and NCBA, we have the American Sheep Industry Association and the American Farm Bureau Federation to help us with our issues in Washington, D.C., and they are all good. Your job should be to belong to these organizations, along with the Wyoming Stock Growers Association, Wyoming Wool Growers Association and the Wyoming Farm Bureau, to take advantage of the opportunities they provide us.

All organizations, by assisting their members, are really helping all in the business. These organizations can only do their job if we support them. It is good to see these organizations are working together to lobby, working with the media and representing us in Washington, D.C. Having that presence in our nation’s capital is vital to our businesses in the West.

There are so many people in Washington, D.C. and across this nation that are misinformed about our issues.

But, you know, they all like steak, hamburgers, lamb chops and other proteins we raise in the West. We have their attention, and with these organizations and help from our delegations, we can tell our stories.

GUEST OPINIONS What to Know About Your Forest Service Grazing Permit

By Brian Gregg Sheldon, Falen Law Offices, LLC The U.S. Forest Service has managed livestock grazing on its portion of the public lands for over a century.

Despite this long history, the agency’s actual guidelines for day-to-day management of a public lands’ livestock operation remain somewhat obscure to the average person. The process for acquiring, transferring and appealing permits and permitrelated decisions may seem a bit mystifying – particularly for an operator who is more familiar with the system used by the Bureau of Land Management.

This article aims to give a short overview of the practical operation of the U.S. Forest Service’s grazing management authority, along with some lessons garnered from experience.

Anatomy of a grazing permit Every Forest Service grazing permit is based on a standard form. It will state the permittee’s contact information; a description of the range being grazed, such as a map of relevant public and private land; the number, kind and class of livestock being grazed; the period of use for grazing; and the grazing allotment(s) with which the permit will be associated.

Typically, grazing permits are issued for terms of 10 years and may be renewed thereafter, albeit with the potential for new and potentially adverse terms.

Significantly, the permit will also contain language stating the permit may be cancelled or suspended, in whole or in part, for failure to abide

by the terms and conditions of the permit and/or for failure to abide by any applicable laws, regulations or instructions of the Forest Service. This includes penalties for making false statements to the agency and for violating environmental or wildlife laws.

Relatedly, operators should take care that some activity authorized by a state permit of some sort, like a hunting license, does not interfere with federal laws and regulations such as the Endangered Species Act. For example, while it may be perfectly legal to obtain a license to trap coyotes that are harming your livestock, the traps you set for the coyotes could inadvertently trap and injure a wolf or some other listed species. Even though your trap was otherwise lawful and any impact to the wolf was accidental, you could still face legal penalties for violating the Endangered Species Act, including adverse consequences to your grazing permit.

Obtaining a grazing permit To apply for a term grazing permit from the Forest Service, a would-be permittee must meet a number of qualifications. Of primary concern here is the requirement that a permittee own both the livestock to be grazed and the “base property” associated with a specific federal grazing allotment.

While simple in concept, this qualification requirement can present a headache for a permittee because it prevents leasing livestock or land or dividing ownership of same between different per-

800-967-1647 • www.wylr.net

DENNIS SUN, Publisher • Cell: 307-262-6132 email: dennis@wylr.net SAIGE ALBERT, Managing Editor • saige@wylr.net CALLIE HANSON, Assistant Editor • callie@wylr.net BEAU PITT, Production Coordinator • beau@wylr.net JODY MICHELENA, Advertising Director • jodym@wylr.net CURT COX, Director of Livestock Field Services • 307-630-4604 • curt@wylr.net CODY NEGRI, Livestock Field Services Representative • 208-697-1093 • cody@wylr.net ANDREA ZINK, Circulation/Accounting Manager • andrea@wylr.net DENISE OLSON, Classified Sales Manager • 307-685-8213 • denise@wylr.net

Please see GRAZING on page 4

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to begin with.

However, the approval of the new permit is conditioned on the new permittee purchasing the livestock and base property of the previous permittee. If the new permittee purchases both the land and the livestock from the previous permittee, this presents no problem. However, issues can arise when the would-be new permittee acquires only the previous owner’s livestock or the base property but not both.

According to the Forest Service Handbook on grazing, if the party purchases only the base property, the operator will need to have the new herd of livestock ready to graze with proof of ownership and branding information ready. Any livestock associated with the previous permit must be removed, and the new herd put on within 30 days of the execution of the waiver form.

Conversely, the handbook states that if the party purchases only the previous owner’s livestock, they must obtain the required amount of property necessary to support the permit. This may require re-designating nearby private land as the base property associated with the permit, which is a separate process that the Forest Service may, within its discretion, not approve.

Moreover, livestock purchased as part of a permit must be the same livestock that were permitted at the time of the purchase.

In addition, operators should be wary of entering into any “buy-back” agreements – both with livestock

SPRING ANGUS BULL SALE

Wyoming Livestock Roundup Wyoming Livestock Roundup (USPS # 005-774) is published weekly by Maverick Press, Inc. P.O. Box 850 • Casper, WY 82602 Periodicals postage paid in Casper, WY Fax: 307-472-1781 • Email: roundup@wylr.net

sons and/or corporate entities – a notable difference from the Bureau of Land Management’s permits. Moreover, if a permittee disposes of all or a portion of the land or livestock in question, the permit may be subject to cancellation.

Furthermore, every operator should be aware of the requirement to “validate” a grazing permit. Validation consists of a Forest Service employee personally verifying the permittee has turned out at least 90 percent of the livestock designated in the permit on the relevant allotment. The validation process need only occur once.

While validation may sound like a formality, it is nonetheless a crucial one – failure to validate one’s permit renders it subject to cancellation. Moreover, failure to validate a permit precludes an operator from transferring the permit, as described below.

Transferring a grazing permit Transferring a Forest Service permit can be difficult because the transfer process is intertwined with the qualification requirements described above.

Strictly speaking, a permit is not transferred between two different parties. Instead, the original permittee “waives” his or her permit via a standard waiver form and, if the Forest Service accepts this waiver, issues a new permit to the new permittee for the remainder of the term period.

Waiver forms will generally be approved, provided the new permittee is qualified and the prior permit was validated

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 30 No. 50 • April 13, 2019

3

NEWS BRIEFS WGFD hike planned To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Amsden Creek Wildlife Habitat Management Area, Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) and the Bighorn Native Plant Society will offer a wildflower identification hike at the Amsden on May 18.

The hike will begin at the north Amsden gate at 9:30 a.m. and will be led by members of the native plant society who will teach participants how to identify dozens of wildflowers and native plants. The hike is not strenuous and is appropriate for all ages.

In addition, WGFD personnel will give a short history of the area and how it was acquired. Geoscientist Steve Stresky will join the hike to discuss the unique geology of the Amsden area and eastern flank of the Bighorns.

Participants are welcome to meet at the Amsden gate at 9:30 a.m. or meet in Sheridan at the Information Center on Fifth Street to carpool to the Amsden at 9 a.m.

Wear comfortable walking shoes and bring water, snacks or a picnic lunch and sunscreen or a rain jacket, depending on the day’s weather.

Bear containers installed The Town of Dayton has recently installed two bear-resistant trash containers in Scott Park to reduce the number of bear conflicts in that area each year.

Town maintenance crews removed the previous trash cans at the two gazebos in the park and replaced them with bear-resistant containers. Dumpsters in the park are in deteriorating condition and are being considered for replacement as well.

New bear-resistant containers will soon be available for campers on the Bighorn National Forest, as well. Later this spring, the U.S. Forest Service will install food storage lockers for Sibley, Prune Creek and Pine Island campgrounds.

Bear-resistant trash cans are already in place, but the food storage lockers offer a dedicated space for cyclists, motorcyclists or other campers to secure food or trash if they do not have the option of putting it in a hard-sided vehicle.

Strategy released As part of the Trump administration’s Winning on Reducing Food Waste Month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the release of a federal interagency strategy to address food waste. The agencies held an event at EPA headquarters to hear from state, local and community leaders and other stakeholders on how all levels of government can work together to reduce food waste.

The strategy includes six key priority areas the agencies will work together on over the next year. The strategy includes enhanced interagency coordination, increased consumer education and outreach efforts, improved coordination and guidance on food loss and waste measurement, to clarify and communicate information on food safety, food date labels, food donations, collaboration with private industry to reduce food loss and waste across the supply chain, encourage food waste reduction by federal agencies in their respective facilities.

USDA, EPA and FDA invite public and private partners to participate in Winning on Reducing Food Waste Month by using #NoWastedFood on social media posts throughout the month.

For more information on the Trump administration’s Winning on Reducing Food Waste Initiative, visit epa. gov/reducefoodwaste.

High Plains Ranch Practicum School Hands on rancH management scHool focusing on production and rancH economics.

2019 Classes will be held in the Cheyenne, WY area.

School runs eight full days spread out from June to Nov.

Specific dates and registration details at http://HPRanchPracticum.com or contact Dallas Mount 307-322-3667 Registration deadline is June 15. Space is limited.

Stress help is available Farmers and ranchers have many stressors in their lives. Weather challenges and disasters, like many Nebraskans have recently experienced, have led to uncertainty in their crop and livestock operations.

Machinery breakdowns, debt loads, volatile markets, sleep deprivation, changing regulations and the stress of holding onto a multi-generational farm or ranch all play a part of the stress and mental health of a farmer or rancher.

Farmers and ranchers know the importance of planning and talking about their financial health to bankers, financial planners, spouses, etc., but might not realize how important it is to spend time on their own mental health.

Wellness in Tough Times will be presented by Nebraska Extension Educators Glennis McClure and Brandy VanDeWalle on April 23 starting at 11 a.m. This free webinar is available for farm and ranch families to participate and will provide strategies for dealing with the stress of farming or ranching in today’s difficult economic environment.

To view the webinar, visit go.unl.edu/farmstresswebinar. For more information, contact Brandy VanDeWalle at brandy.vandewalle@unl.edu or 402-759-3712.

Carnivore workshop set Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) will host a “Living in Large Carnivore Country” workshop on April 24 at 6:30 p.m. at Sheridan Fulmer Library.

The workshop will be led by WGFD Bearwise Coordinator and Large Carnivore Biologist Dustin Lasseter and is designed to increase participants’ awareness and understanding of bears, mountain lions and wolves.

The program will feature information on large carnivore behavior and biology, safety and legal issues, how to prevent conflicts and what to do in an encounter situation. Demonstrations of the proper use of bear spray will be presented. The workshop is free and appropriate for all age levels.

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Best Buys in Used Equipment

EHV-1 confirmed in Wyoming The Wyoming Livestock Board has confirmed a case of equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy in Johnson County, according to the Equine Disease Communication Center.

The 15-year-old mare had onset of clinical signs on April 3. Her signs included hind end weakness. She was confirmed with equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1 wild type) on April 4. The mare, which had been vaccinated, is still alive.

The mare has been isolated and 19 of her herd mates have been placed under quarantine. It is not known where the mare contracted the disease, but she attended college rodeo events on March 15-16 at the Cam-plex in Gillette and on March 21-24 at the Goshen County Fairgrounds in Torrington.

Any horses that were at those events should be considered potentially exposed, and owners should consider taking preventive measure that include twice daily monitoring of temperatures and close observation for neurologic or respiratory signs. Any horse with a fever or showing neurologic signs should be isolated immediately and a veterinarian contacted for advice and treatment options.

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 30 No. 50 • April 13, 2019

GOPHER continued from page 1 the integrity of earthen structures including roadways.

In the western U.S., there has been a lot of study involving these burrowing rodents’ damage to high-value agricultural crops, alfalfa or perennial plantings like orchards and vineyards.

They can also damage hayfields.

Control “The main control methods are trapping, rodent baits placed within the burrow system or fumigating the burrows,” Timm explains. “Historically, fumigation does not work well for pocket gophers, except for aluminum phosphide, which comes as a tab-

let or pellets that are placed within the sealed burrow.”

He continues, “This fumigant is highly restricted, however, and can only used by trained and licensed professionals. It can’t be used for rodent control in and around structures because there is risk that the phosphine gas generated could seep out through cracks in the ground or through the burrow system itself into structures that might be occupied by animals or people. It is fatal to anything that breathes it.”

Most other types of fumigants don’t work well for pocket gophers. They either smell it coming or sense

GRAZING continued from page 2 and with base property. Livestock that has previously grazed on Forest Service land may not be resold to the orig-

inal owner within two years of the purchase without prior approval of the Forest Supervisor.

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that something is wrong and quickly wall up dirt to protect themselves.

Professionals Some producers hire pest control professionals who are licensed to use aluminum phosphide.

“In an orchard or vineyard, it might be worth hiring a professional to take care of the rodents. For producers who have perennial plantings – including trees or vines in full production – it is very expensive to lose them.

Pocket gophers may girdle the root systems below ground, and we don’t even see that the plant is dead, until the next spring when it doesn’t green up,” he says.

Trapping works well if a person is diligent.

“This is something we learn by doing, and most people become adept at it with a bit of practice. There are a number of good pocket gopher traps on the market, and once producers learn to use them, they can be very effective,” Timm explains. “Ranchers who are trying to eliminate gophers or keep them from building up carry gopher traps around in their pickup.”

“As soon as they see a fresh mound, they try to trap that gopher before it reproduces or causes major damage,” he adds.

Poison baits Trapping and using poison grain baits within the burrow system are the most common methods of control.

“Strychnine used to be the

most effective and most readily available product to use, but it’s become hard to get. It is imported, and supplies are dwindling worldwide,” says Timm.

After using it for a number of years, however, it can become less effective.

Zinc phosphide and anticoagulant baits are also registered for pocket gopher control, but these are generally less effective.

“A few companies in the West are doing burrow fumigation for pocket gophers and ground squirrels using pressurized carbon monoxide machines,” Timm explains.

“These devices use a fourcycle gasoline engine to produce carbon monoxide in the exhaust, which is piped into

the intake of an air compressor driven by the engine.”

He adds, “The machines are expensive to purchase, so some producers simply hire operators of these machines to come treat rodent burrows with high-pressure carbon monoxide. Recent research indicates this technique may provide moderate to good success in killing pocket gophers, depending on the location, time of year, soil type and who is doing the operation.”

To achieve complete control may require a second treatment or follow-up using traps or rodenticide baits.

Heather Smith Thomas is a correspondent for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup.

Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

Similarly, base property purchased from a permittee in connection with issuance of a new permit must not be transferred back to the original owner within two years of the purchase without prior approval. Violation of the “two-year” rule may result in a cancellation of the permit.

Operators should be aware that all the above-mentioned requirements for qualifying for and transferring permits are strictly enforced by the Forest Service. The Forest Service has “seen it all” when it comes to creative attempts to finagle base property or livestock ownership, and any attempt to circumvent these requirements will be dealt with harshly by the agency. While certain isolated exceptions exist - e.g., for foreclosed mortgages and “escrow” waivers, as well as the possibility of obtaining a conditional one-year permit if base property or livestock requirements are not met through no personal fault of the permittee - the end result of trying to bend the rules

may well be a cancelled permit.

Appealing an unfavorable decision If your permit or transfer application is denied or if your permit is renewed with unfavorable terms, it may be necessary to appeal the decision. Unfortunately, those operators who are familiar with the Bureau of Land Management’s appellate procedures will find that the Forest Service does things differently.

Comparatively speaking, there are fewer due process rights available to an appellant.

Pursuant to the Forest Service’s grazing regulations, the Forest Service appeals process typically consists of a single appeal to the Forest Supervisor, assuming the original decision was issued by a District Ranger, although a higher-level “discretionary review” is sometimes available in rare instances involving large-scale land management decisions. If the appeal

is likewise unfavorable, then one may seek judicial review in federal court.

Based on our experience with Forest Service appeals, a couple of points are worth bearing in mind. First, an operator should be aware the Forest Service has very strict formal requirements for its appeals and is known to reject appeals for not following formatting guidelines. This is why seeking legal assistance in the preparation of your appeal is often a good idea.

Second, if you are appealing a decision to cancel or to not renew a permit based on resource conditions and/or grazing practices, it is strongly recommended that you obtain the services of a rangeland consultant to provide a technical basis to ground your appeal and rebut any claims by the agency. This is especially true if your appeal reaches the level of “postdecisional” agency review or judicial review in federal court, as you will face an

uphill battle owing to inherently deferential standards of review in each instance.

Conclusion The Forest Service’s grazing management authority is highly discretionary.

Any applicant must own both the base property and livestock to qualify for the permit and must properly validate the permit before seeking to transfer it via waiver.

Special care must be given when acquiring a permit via waiver so base property and livestock requirements are met – particularly if new livestock or new base property will be designated.

Permittees must be transparent about their operational structure to avoid penalties from the agency.

Finally, while a permittee is allowed an administrative appeal of any adverse decision, the technical difficulty inherent in this administrative proceeding means it is a good idea to seek the help of legal counsel and rangeland consultants before filing your appeal.

Watch “Adaptive Grazing and Grazing Management” at beefresearch.ca/ resources/webinars.

Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 30 No. 50 • April 13, 2019

GROUSE continued from page 1 cover of conifers.

“The probability of nest success and brood survival are negatively impacted by increases in conifer cover,” said Tack. “When we look at rates in movement in conjunction with conifers, sage grouse move faster resulting in higher levels of mortality.”

“Covers as low as 1.5 percent can negatively affect the survival of sage grouse,” Tack noted. “But we can see almost immediate changes to sage grouse populations as we begin to address conifer removal.”

Tack explained sage grouse will almost immediately move back into an area following conifer removal.

A global issue “Conifer cover issues are not exclusive to the western rangelands,” said Reinhardt. “Woodland expansion is a global phenomenon.”

Reinhardt explained woody plant expansion affects fire regimes and precipitation patterns. In South America, woodland encroachment is reducing livestock production and sensitive savanna ecosystems in Australia are losing

ground to woodlands.

“There are numerous examples in North America,” Reinhardt said. “However, these shifts happen so slowly, it’s hard to notice it happening until it’s an issue.”

“The biggest issue we see here in North America is increasing Pinyon-Juniper (PJ) pines,” said Reinhardt. “PJ woodland expansion occurs at the expense of sage grouse habitat.”

Quantifying management Reinhardt explained the objectives of efforts to quantify management of conifers in rangeland habitats.

“We are looking to assess the management and magnitude of PJ reduction in the sagebrush steppe and illustrate relative distribution of effort and identify opportunities for future management,” Reinhardt explained. “We also want to quantify the relative roles of management and fire in terms of PJ reduction as well as identify key future priorities.”

Reinhardt noted in the mapping of conifer reduction, they evaluated changes between 2011 and 2013 and

To learn more about the effects of conifers on sage grouse habitats, visit sagegrouseinitiative.com.

5

then again between 2015 and 2017.

“In our evaluations of conifer reduction, we looked at partitioning out removal by treatment and wildfire,” said Reinhardt.

“We then compared patterns in reduction across states, ownership and priority areas for conservation (PAC).”

“The results of these studies show about a 1.6 percent reduction of woodlands,” Reinhardt said.

“Treatment and wildfire barely keep up with an estimated expansion of woodlands between 0.7 and 1.5 percent.”

Successful management “Fire is important,” Reinhardt stressed. “Fire has a substantial impact on the landscape and is huge in terms of overall PJ reduction.”

“Sixty-five percent of PJ reduction is attributed to management and 35 percent of that is because of fires,” Reinhardt explained.

“States and PACs have done a great job in working towards reducing conifers, especially in Utah, Oregon and Nevada,” said Reinhardt.

He explained the common thread for these states is they quickly empowered interested partners within the state.

“PACs saw 53 percent of reductions overall,” said Reinhardt. “Successful tar-

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geting exemplifies the ability to manage landscapes at a scale large enough to benefit important to imperiled species.”

Reinhardt noted a majority of reduction of conifers occurred on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) at 58 percent.

“A relatively higher percentage of overall PJ cover was reduced on state and local government land,” Reinhardt said.

Future policies “The National Resources Conservation Service Working Lands for Wildlife codified to ensure future funding for conifer management in rangelands,” said Reinhardt.

“Covers as low as 1.5 percent can negatively affect the survival of sage grouse. But we can see almost immediate changes to sage grouse populations as we begin to address conifer removal.” – Jason Tack, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service “Regulatory improvements provide certainty for partners,” Reinhardt explained. “However, there are some categorical exclusions.”

Reinhardt said there was a desire from partners across the country to share outcomes and replicate their successes.

“There has to be broad cooperative efforts, which will involve crossing own-

ership boundaries,” said Reinhardt. “In the future, we need to consider expanding removal efforts outside of PACs, recruiting additional partners and improving documentation and tracking of management efforts of expansion.”

Callie Hanson is the assistant editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup.

Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 30 No. 50 • April 13, 2019 Torrington Livestock Markets PO Box 1097 • Torrington, WY 82240 307.532.3333 Fax: 307.532.2040

www.torringtonlivestock.com

Lex Madden: 307-532-1580 Michael Schmitt: 307-532-1776 Chuck Petersen 307-575-4015

SALE REPORTS Bar 69 Angus 31st Annual Production Sale

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 2019 - FEEDER SPECIAL & VIDEO LOTS A FUND RAISER FOR THE FLOOD VICTIMS IN NEBRASKA WILL BE HELD IN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR SALE AT NOON Cattle Country Video 1:00 pm MT Gardner Ranch/Kelly & Claudine Gardner 128 Weaned Steer Calves; 100% Black, Base Wt: 775 lbs. Wt Stop: 785 lbs. Slide: .10 cents, Frame: Med-Large, Flesh: Med, Wt Var: Sl Uneven, Delivery: 4/18/19 to 4/20/19. Ranch Raised. Location: Shoshoni, Wyoming. Shots: Branding Cattlemaster Gold 5 FP5, Bar Vac 7 with Somnus. Weaning Cattlemaster Gold 5 FP5, Bar Vac 7 with Somnus. Poured 2 times. Knife Cut. BQA. Fancy, home raised steers, green, big end of 200 head. Test weighed 57 head on April 6th at 776 lbs average. Rep: Ty Thompson 307-340-0770 Gardner Ranch/Kelly & Claudine Gardner 73 Weaned Steer Calves; 100% Black, Base Wt: 660 lbs. Wt Stop: 670 lbs. Slide: .14 cents, Frame: Med-Large, Flesh: Med, Wt Var: Uneven, Delivery: 4/18/19 to 4/20/19. Ranch Raised. Location: Shoshoni, Wyoming. Shots: Branding Cattlemaster Gold 5 FP5, Bar Vac 7 with Somnus. Weaning Cattlemaster Gold 5 FP5, Bar Vac 7 with Somnus. Poured 2 times. Knife Cut. BQA. Fancy, home raised steers, green to go to grass. Test weighed 69 head on April 6th at 656 lbs average. Rep: Ty Thompson 307-340-0770 Gardner Ranch/Kelly & Claudine Gardner 80 Weaned Heifer Calves; 100% Black, Base Wt: 670 lbs. Wt Stop: 680 lbs. Slide: .14 cents, Frame: Med, Flesh: Med, Wt Var: Uneven, Delivery: 4/18/19 to 4/20/19. Ranch Raised. Location: Shoshoni, Wyoming. Shots: Branding Cattlemaster Gold 5 FP5, Bar Vac 7 with Somnus. Weaning Cattlemaster Gold 5 FP5, Bar Vac 7 with Somnus. Poured 2 times. Bangs Vaccinated. BQA. Home raised heifers, green to go to grass. Test weighed 70 head on April 6th at 673 lbs average. Rep: Ty Thompson 307-340-0770 For Complete information and video preview go to www.cattlecountryvideo.com FEEDERS - LIVE AUCTION Eklund-Hansen Ranch Inc. 450 Mostly Blk (4-5 Reds) Strs & Hfrs, 650-800#, Weaned since Nov, Been on a High Roughage Grower Ration, Complete Vac. Program, Home Raised, Wintered for grass, Mostly May Calves, Very Quiet and Good Disposition H & T Ranch Co. 112 60% Blk/Bwf-40% Char-x Strs & Hfrs, 835-900#, Weaned since Oct., Been on a Grower Ration, 3 Rounds of Shots-Modified Live Vac. Program, Mostly Home Raised few Purchased William Garrelts 140 Mx Strs & Hfrs, 650-800# (few 450-500#--10 hd), Weaned on 11/1/2018, Hay Fed, 7-way in the Spring, All Natural Jim & Diane Hall 100 Blk Heifers, 625#, Weaned since Nov. 18, Hay Fed, plus Lonolyx Tubs and Blueprint Mineral Program, 2 Rounds of Shots: Bangs Vac, Sired by Reyes, WEBO, Nieman, Powder River & Sinclair Black Angus Bulls, Green, May/June Calves, Home Raised Britt Wilson 69 Blk Angus Strs & Hfrs, 700-800#, Weaned 150 days, Hfrs are Guaranteed Open and Replacement Quality, Running out on pasture, supplemented with Grass Hay and Loomix Tubs, Branding & Pre-cond. Shots, Bangs Vac, Prebreeding Shots, No Replacements Kept Rudy Oliver 55 Mostly Blk few Bwf Strs & Hfrs, 625-725#, Weaned since Nov. 28, Hay Fed, Cake Broke, Little Corn, Complete Mineral Program, Branding & Weaning Shots, Hfrs are Replacement Quality, No Replacements Kept Baker Trust 4 Blk Hfrs, 800#, Replacement Quality, Full Vac. Program, Poured, Home Raised WEANED-PRE-COND. CALVES - LIVE AUCTION Paul & Nancy Landeck 171 Hereford/Bwf few Rwf Strs, 525-700#, Weaned a long time, Running Out, Hay Fed, Complete Vac. Program, Home Raised Mark Faden 130 Blk/Rd Strs & Hfrs, 500-650#, Weaned on Dec. 1, Hay Fed supplemented with Lick Tubs, Branding Shots, Home Raised Ron Lien 140 Mostly Blk Strs & Hfrs, 300-450#, Weaned, On a Light Grower Ration, 2 Rounds of Shots, Home Raised, Wintered for grass S & L Investments 100 Mostly Blk/Bwf few Rd Strs & Hfrs, 475-600#, Weaned a long time, Been on a Grower Ration, Complete Vac. Program, Wintered for grass, Home Raised Gardner Livestock/Greg Gardner 70 Mx Strs & Hfrs, 475-500#, Weaned since Jan., Hay Fed, Full Vac. Program, Lt end of Summer and Fall Clvs Wyse Bros. 65 Blk/Rd Strs & Hfrs, 600-750#, Weaned a long time, Been on a Grower Ration, Complete Vac. Program, Green Cole Creek Sheep Co. 60 Blk Hfrs, 600-650#, Replacement Quality, Weaned a long time, Running out on Native Pasture supplemented with Hay, 2 Rounds of Shots, Ralgro as Calves, Poured, Bangs Vac., 1-iron, Home Raised, Sired by Registered Blk Angus Bulls Barnett Family Trust 30 Blk/Rd Strs & Hfrs, 400-500#, Weaned a long time, Hay & Cake Fed, 3 Rounds of Shots, Home Raised R & D Jackson 25 Mx Hfrs, 500#, Weaned in Dec., Running Out on grass, Supplemented w/Grass Hay, All Natural Bruce Schneider 24 Mx Strs & Hfrs, 500-600#, Weaned, Running out on cornstalks, Home Raised, Green Roger Notsh 15 Mx Strs & Hfrs, 300-350#, Weaned 30 days, Hay Fed, 2 Rounds of Shots, Hfrs are Bangs Vac., Home Raised Christina Davis 14 Mx Strs & Hfrs, 475-560#, Weaned, Been on a Grower Ration, Complete Vac. Program, Home Raised, Wintered for grass Rodewald Cattle/Travis & Shelly Rodewald 7 Blk Angus Strs & Hfrs, 400-450#, Weaned a long time, , Wintered for grass, 2 Rounds of Shots

Reported by: Cody Negri, WLR Field Rep April 4, 2019 Belle Fourche Livestock, Belle Fourche, S.D. Auctioneer: Lynn Weishaar 57 Yearling Angus Bulls Avg. $4,916 50 Commercial Heifers Avg. $1,350 Top Sellers Angus Bulls Lot 8033 – Bar 69 Motive 8033 – Price: $8,750 DOB: 3/5/18 Sire: Soo Line Motive 9016 Dams Sire: Connealy Final Product EPDS: BW: +0.3, WW: +58, YW: +102 and Milk: +26 Buyer: S&L Sheep Ranch, Alzada, Mont.

Lot 8049 – Bar 69 Motive 8049 – Price: $8,500 DOB: 3/8/18 Sire: Raven Powerball 53 Dams Sire: Sitz Upward 307R EPDS: BW: -0.1, WW: +61, YW: +108 and Milk: +34 Buyer: Pat and Marilyn Herring, Veteran Lot 8014 – Bar 69 Composure 8014 – Price: $8,000 DOB: 2/10/18 Sire: G A R Composure Dams Sire: PA Power Tool 9108 EPDS: BW: +3.6, WW: +74, YW: +128 and Milk: +44 Buyer: Oetker Ranch, Marsland, Neb. Lot 8022 – Bar 69 Capitalist 8022 – Price: $8,000 DOB: 2/27/18 Sire: Connealy Capitalist 028 Dams Sire: Sitz Dash 10277 EPDS: BW: +0.9, WW: +59, YW: +97 and Milk: +25 Buyer: Oetker Ranch, Marsland, Neb. Lot 8030 – Bar 69 Powerball 8030 – Price: $7,500 DOB: 3/2/18 Sire: Raven Powerball 53 Dams Sire: Sitz Missing Link 677X EPDS: BW: +0.6, WW: +58, YW: +118 and Milk: +34 Buyer: Wes Tlustos, Oelrichs, S.D.

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 30 No. 50 • April 13, 2019

SALE REPORTS Midland Bull Test – The Final Sort April 4-5, 2019 Midland Bull Test Facility, Columbus, Mont.

Auctioneers: Joe Goggins, Roger Jacobs and Greg Goggins 32 Salers Bulls Avg. $3,719 12 Simmental Bulls Avg. $2,708 24 Red Angus Bulls Avg. $3,083 31 South Devon Bulls Avg. $3,371 11 Hereford Bulls Avg. $2,909 410 Angus Bulls Avg. $4,231 Top Sellers Salers Lot 906 – ECR CAPITALIST 822F OF 50B – Price: $8,000 DOB: 1/25/18 Sire: Connealy Capitalist 028 Dam’s Sire: MAC Black Vista 349Y EPDs: BW +0.6, WW +69, YW +121 and Milk +27 Consignor: Elm Creek Ranch, Hebron, N.D. Buyer: MJB Ranch, Lodge Grass, Mont.

Lot 907 – ECR FAME 831F OF 10T – Price: $7,500 DOB: 1/28/18 Sire: Connealy Capitalist 028 Dam’s Sire: GGT P Blk Tank 144R EPDs: BW +0.5, WW +54, YW +109 and Milk +25 Consignor: Elm Creek Ranch, Hebron, N.D. Buyer: Rugg Ranch, Plevna, Mont.

Lot 903 – ECR SUB 0 820F OF 53D – Price: $7,000 DOB: 1/23/18 Sire: Eathington Sub-Zero Dam’s Sire: Basin Payweight 1682 EPDs: BW -2.0, WW +49, YW +92 and Milk +19 Consignor: Elm Creek Ranch, Hebron, N.D. Buyer: Jensen Salers, Circle, Mont.

Simmentals Lot 810 – PRIVATE 1ST CLASS ET 107 – Price: $4,500 DOB: 9/18/17 Sire: Sitz Upward 307R Dam’s Sire: GW Lucky One 619N EPDs: BW -0.1, WW +62, YW +101 and Milk +27 Consignor: Circle Z Cattle Co., Nampa, Idaho Buyer: Sunny Okanogan Ranch, Omak, Wash.

7

Red Angus Lot 763 – KCC PLATINUM F71 – Price: $6,500 DOB: 2/16/18 Sire: LSF MEW Platinum 5660C Dam’s Sire: Paringa Iron Ore E27 EPDs: BW +1.4, WW +72, YW +122 and Milk +25 Consignor: Knaub Cattle Co, Lodge Grass, Mont. Buyer: Laubach Red Angus, Big Timber, Mont.

Lot 787 – SUTPHIN’S FUSION 227Y – Price: $4,000 DOB: 9/25/17 Sire: Andras Fusion R236 Dam’s Sire: LCOC High Noon A093R EPDs: BW -1.2, WW +63, YW +106 and Milk +23 Consignor: Sutphin Cattle Co, Lamar, Colo. Buyer: Kathy Shortridge, Absarokee, Mont.

South Devon Lot 1014 – MJB FIELDMASTER 861F – Price: $5,500 DOB: 3/13/18 Sire: MJB DILLON 689D Dam’s Sire: DLCC Sure Thing Too 119T EPDs: BW +3.3, WW +60, YW +103 and Milk +27 Consignor: MJB Ranch, Lodge Grass, Mont.

Buyer: Neyl Eagon, Marmarth, N.D. Lot 1024 – MJB DEFENDER 856F – Price: $5,250 DOB: 3/11/18 Sire: Cimarron Defender 443B Dam’s Sire: Cimarron Triumph 705T EPDs: BW +1.8, WW +57, YW +99 and Milk +27 Consignor: MJB Ranch, Lodge Grass, Mont. Buyer: RRL Cattle Co, Ridgway, Colo.

Lot 1011 – MJB PROGRESS 893F – Price: $5,000 DOB: 3/4/18 Sire: BG Progress 315U Dam’s Sire: DLC Royal Lad 1139 EPDs: BW +0.9, WW +47, YW +100 and Milk +37; Consignor: MJB Ranch, Lodge Grass, Mont. Buyer: Owen Ranch, Hammond, Mont.

Hereford Lot 861 – NEXT GEN 2296 SENSATION 118 – Price: $4,000 DOB: 12/22/17 Sire: UPS Sensation 2296 ET Dam’s Sire: RST Times A Wastin 0124 EPDs: BW +6.0, WW +75, YW + 121 and Milk +22 Consignor: Next Generation Genetics, Endeavor, Wis. Buyer: Felton Ranch, Springdale, Mont.

Angus Lot 159 – KB-GENERATION OF A39 E66 – Price:

$23,000 DOB: 12/29/17 Sire: VAR Generation 2100 Dam’s Sire: AAR Ten X 7088 SA EPDs: BW +0.9, WW +65, YW +121 and Milk +30 Consignor: KB Angus, Merritt, Mich.

Buyer: Klein Angus, Wheatland Lot 18 – WRAF PARTY TOP 810 – Price: $22,000 DOB 1/26/18 Sire: Werner Flat Top 4136 Dam’s Sire: Werner War Party 2417 EPDs: BW -1.3, WW +61, YW +110 and Milk +25 Consignor: Winding River Angus, Billings, Mont.

Buyer: Apex Angus, Valier, Mont.

Lot 9 – AJR EPIC 8131 – Price: $21,500 DOB: 1/23/18 Sire: 3F Epic 4631 Dam’s Sire: Sitz Investment 660Z EPDs: BW +1.6, WW +84, YW +154 and Milk +33 Consignor: Flying AJ Ranch Stevensville Mont. Buyer: B&R Livestock, Brigham City, Utah Lot 101 – MARDA BOURBON 852 – Price: $17,500 DOB: 12/16/17 Sire: ACC Bourbon 0115 Dam’s Sire: TC Total 410 EPDs: BW +1.9, WW +72, YW +133 and Milk +23 Consignor: Marda Angus Farm, LLC, Lodi, Wis. Buyer: TC Angus, Franklin, Neb. Lot 21 – ALLISONS GRANITE INNOVATION – Price: $15,000 DOB: 1/28/18 Sire: MAR Innovation 251 Dam’s Sire: Connealy Black Granite EPDs: BW +0.8, WW +66, YW +114 and Milk +17 Consignor: Winding River Angus, Billings, Mont. Buyer: Schurrtop Angus, Wheatland Lot 48 – RAF BANKROLL 801 – Price: $15,000 DOB: 12/21/17 Sire: Barstow Bankroll B73 Dam’s Sire: Vision Unanimous 1418 EPDs: BW -0.6, WW +72, YW +129 and Milk +21 Consignor: R&P Ramsey Farms, Frankfort, Ind. Buyer: Hone Ranch, Gardnerville, Nev. Lot 100 – MARDA TURNING POINT 859 – Price: $15,000 DOB: 12/17/17 Sire: Stevenson Turning Point Dam’s Sire: SAV Final Answer 0035 EPDs: BW -0.7, WW +64, YW +111 and Milk +19 Consignor: Marda Angus Farm, Lodi Wis., LLC Buyer: Sunny Okanogan Angus, Omak, Wash.

Meeting not rescheduled The Bureau of Reclamation has cancelled the North Platte River Water Information Meeting, which was scheduled for April 11 in Torrington due to weather concerns.

The meeting will not be rescheduled. However the presentation on reservoir storage and current water supply conditions, snowmelt runoff and expected reservoir operations for water year 2019 will be available online after April 11 at: usbr.gov/gp/wyao/north_ platte_water_operations.pdf.

For additional information contact Shane Hayden at 307-261-5647 or shayden@usbr.gov.

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 30 No. 50 • April 13, 2019

RightRisk.org resources help evaluate risk strategies Risk (and uncertainty) is around every corner in commercial agriculture, whether the business includes crops or livestock.

The industry depends on numerous variables outside of most managers’ control for a profitable outcome. Weather and natural disasters, unstable markets and prices, human resources, and other uncertainties all contribute to the risky nature of the business.

Agricultural enterprise managers have two basic choices when dealing with risk: ignore it and deal with the consequences or choose to manage it. Think of risk management as creating strategies to increase the likelihood of positive outcomes and reduce the consequences of negative outcomes.

Evaluating Risk Strategies (ERS) is an online course by academic professionals at RightRisk.org to help producers learn how to identify and properly manage risk. Remembering that the only thing certain in life is uncertainty is important. Risk is always present. The more we plan for uncertainty, the better our chances for positive outcomes.

The course outlines five main sources of risk in agricultural operations: marketing, production, financial, institutional, and human resource.

Marketing (price) risk refers to the inherent uncertainty of prices for inputs (such as seed and fertilizer) and outputs (crops or livestock).

Production risk includes all uncontrollable variables in the production process. Financial risks are the results of borrowing outside capital.

Institutional risks come from government (rules, regulations, and other policies), and affect profitability. Finally, human risk comes from the

human element involved in a business (such as employees).

Estimating risk A broad range of strategies for identifying risk is outlined. Generally, estimating risk is projecting the probability of an event or circumstance and its potential impact. For example, a dry land wheat farm might expect 20 bushel/acre yields with less than average rainfall, 35 bushel/acre with average rainfall, and 50 bushel/acre with above average rainfall.

The ERS course suggests carrying this approach further by using statistics to estimate possible outcomes and their associated probabilities. These estimates offer the most accurate description of the risk involved. For the wheat farm example, this would mean assigning probabilities, like 50 percent for the average rainfall, to each expected outcome.

Risk management process Risk management planning should be thought of as circular. ERS outlines risk management as a three-step process. The first step establishes the context, both internal and external, along with objectives or risk criteria. The second step involves risk assessment, including risk identification and analysis. The last step covers implementation.

Following this process allows for evaluation and review of everything involved, from identifying risks to the strategies to address them.

Strategies for risk management FOR MORE INFORMATION Evaluating Risk Strategies includes a course e-book, companion presentations, and webinars. Just one of the many risk management courses available from RightRisk.org, topics include estate planning, financial management, management succession planning, crop insurance programs, and RightRisk Analytics tools. Begin by selecting the desired course from the menu at the RightRisk.org homepage.

Setting a concise set of goals and objectives is the first step in creating risk management strategies.

Goals show the direction of the business and should help begin identifying the resources needed to achieve them. Subsequent risk management planning should outline specific steps and the timeline for reaching the objectives.

The course offers four generalized risk management strategies typical to agriculture: avoiding risk, transferring it, controlling risk, and accepting risk. Avoiding risk typically involves not pursuing a strategy viewed as unacceptable, such as avoiding a certain crop. This strategy can limit income potential and must be weighed against the potential benefits.

Transferring involves shifting the risk to a third party for a premium or fee. For most producers, this means insurance or contracting, with the benefit being lowering the potential downside risk in exchange for a premium (or contract) cost.

Controlling risk involves taking action that makes either negative consequences less likely or reducing the consequences if they occur. This

could mean performing regular maintenance on a machine to prevent catastrophic failure.

Remember that the goal should be to manage risk to an acceptable level, not minimize risk. An example would be to pursue strategies that improve expected returns rather than reduce variation in outcomes (such as diversification or increasing cash reserves). Accepting the risk is the last option and is sometimes referred to as self-insuring.

Evaluating Strategies Evaluating risk management strategies and decisions is extremely important to properly gauge their effectiveness and ensure they align with the goals of the organization.

The ERS course discusses how to recognize strategic decisions – a choice that guides future direction. Strategic decisions tend to be longer term and larger in scope than other management decisions. Various aspects of decisions are discussed, including evaluating the differences between a decision and a strategy. Measuring progress and accomplishments, along with quantifying variations in outcomes, is a key part of evaluating a risk management strategy.

The overall success (or failure) of a strategy can be judged once these areas have been addressed.

Accounting for all aspects of the strategy – resources, timing, and goals met – when evaluating effectiveness is important.

Strategy success should be gauged periodically and proactively as the strategy is carried-out, making sure to consider the entire approach when assessing whether or not things are still headed in the right direction James Sedman is a consultant to the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics in the University of Wyoming College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and John Hewlett is a farm and ranch management specialist in the department.

Hewlett may be reached at (307) 766-2166 or hewlett@uwyo.edu.

Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 30 No. 50 • April 13, 2019

9

April 2019

UW EXTENSION | AGRICULTURE & HORTICULTURE | USDA | RISK MANAGEMENT AGENCY

Eastern Laramie County wrestles with water use today versus conserving for future needs Nearly 5 million acres in Goshen, Laramie, Niobrara, and Platte counties in southeastern Wyoming overlie the High Plains Aquifer.

Many in this area rely on a mix of surface and groundwater for irrigated agricultural production, but roughly 30,000 irrigated acres in eastern Laramie County depend almost entirely on groundwater. Aquifer levels in this area have been dropping for several decades. As early as 1981, the Board of Control designated the Laramie County Control Area. Within a groundwater control area, applications for new high-capacity wells or any changes to existing groundwater use must undergo an additional layer of review involving public notice and an advisory board.

Aquifer levels in the area continued to decline, so in April 2015, the State Engineer issued a new order implementing spacing requirements for new wells and requiring adjudication and flow meters on all high-capacity wells.

What should be done, if anything?

Communities at risk from declining groundwater levels in Laramie County include Albin, Pine Bluffs, and Carpenter. Farmers in each area depend heavily on groundwater for agricultural production. In 2014, the Laramie County Commissioners convened a steering committee of groundwater users to discuss what – if anything – should be done about the declining aquifer levels.

A big question was whether the communities want to stabilize aquifer at current levels, allow but manage aquifer decline, or recover groundwater to an earlier level.

How to achieve their preferred goal was another big question. The committee discussed several possible management strategies. Allocation and a buyout program were two. Allocation would restrict irrigators to pumping only a specified number of acre-inches each irrigation season. (Nebraska already enforces allocations in several districts across the state.) Buyout would ask irrigators to voluntarily relinquish their water rights on some irrigated acres in exchange for a payment. (This type of program existed in Laramie County from 2010 to 2015.) After much discussion, the steering committee was unable to settle on a single goal or management strategy.

Steps toward a solution Not knowing the economic impacts of the different proposed goals and strategies was one hurdle the steering committee faced. To answer some of these economic questions, our research team at the University of Wyoming estimated the farm-level economic impacts of alternative strategies for reducing overall water use, including allocation and buyout.

Our estimates assume farmers would respond to reduced water supplies by either irrigating the same crops with less water, switching to crops that use less water, or switching to dryland farming.

A key takeaway from our analysis is that each groundwater management strategy

creates economic winners and losers, depending on how the aquifer behaves under individual farms or parts of a community.

For farms already feeling the effects of aquifer depletion – maybe as reduced pumping capacity – the economic impacts of an allocation strategy are lower because their farming system is already well-adapted for limited water. In contrast, farms not yet feeling the effects of aquifer declines – those currently able to fully irrigate on all of their pivots – would experience larger economic impacts from an allocation strategy. Of course, the more hydrology varies within a community, the more difficult to choose one management strategy that benefits – or at least does not harm – all water users in a community.

Another takeaway is a buyout strategy can create economic and hydrologic benefits but a source of funding is needed to support the program. Economic and hydrologic benefits of a buyout program also depend on whether pivots near those enrolled in the program are restricted to historical consumptive use. If there is no restriction, economic benefits to remaining pivots are higher, but hydrologic benefits are lower.

The other big challenge for local water users is not knowing exactly what is going on beneath the surface. The need still exists for a better understanding of the hydrology beneath each community. Even if we fully understand the hydrology, though, water users must agree on what, or even if, groundwater management should be pursued.

They and the State Engineer are the ones to decide the balance between economic net benefits of using water today versus conserving it for the future!

Kaila Willis is a graduate student in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Wyoming, and Kristi Hansen is an associate professor in the department. She can be reached at (307) 766-3598 or at kristi.hansen@uwyo.edu.

10

Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 30 No. 50 • April 13, 2019

CALENDAR

April 20 April 24

Submit your events to: Editor, Wyoming Livestock Roundup, P.O. Box 850, Casper, WY, 82602, or e-mail to roundup@wylr.net.

April 27

EVENTS April 24 May 1 May 8 May 17-19 May 18 June 3-8 June 5-7 June 8-9 June 9-15 June 11 June 15

Living in Large Carnivore Country Workshop, Sheridan, Fulmer Library. Contact Sheridan WGFD Regional Office at 307-672-7418 for more information.

Excellence in Agriculture Symposium, Gillette, Camplex Energy Building, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information or to RSVP by April 5, call 307-746-3264.

Society for Ecological Restoration Pub Talk, Casper, The Gaslight Social.

Contact Karen Rogers at 307-777-5003 for more information.

Rocky Mountain Leather Trade Show, Sheridan. Visit LeatherCraftersJournal.com for more information.

Wildflower Hike, Amsden Creek Wildlife Habitat Management Area. Contact Sheridan WGFD Regional Office at 307-672-7418 for more information.

Wyoming High School Finals Rodeo, Gillette, Cam-Plex. Visit wyhsra.org for more information.

Wyoming Cattle Industry Convention and Trade Show, Gillette. Visit wysga.org for more information.

Don Layton Antique Engine and Tractor Show, Shoshoni, East Park. Contact Carlita Witthair at 307-856-1164 or Cindy Leonhard at 307-456-6304 for more information.

College National Finals Rodeo, Casper, Casper Events Center. Visit cnfr. com for tickets or more information.

Wyoming Women in Ag Diversification Tour, Gillette. Visit wywomeninag. org for more details.

Chris Ledoux Days, Kaycee, 2 p.m. Visit wywomeninag.org for more details.

SALES April 15 April 15 April 15 April 16 April 19 April 20 April 20

Rock Lake Land and Cattle Bull Sale, K2 Red Angus Sale Facility, Wheatland, 307-331-1175 McClun’s Lazy JM Ranch Annual Production Sale, Torrington Livestock Sale Barn, Torrington, 307-837-2524, 307-575-2113, 307-575-3519 Pharo Cattle Company Spring Bull Sale, Burlington Livestock Exchange, Burlington, Colo., 800-311-0995, pharocattle.com Pass Creek Angus Ranch 45th Annual Bull Production Sale, at the ranch, Wyola, Mont., 406-620-7165, 406-343-2551, passcreekangus.com Sellman Ranch Annual Performance Bull Sale, Crawford Livestock Market, Crawford, Neb., 308-430-4223, 308-430-3742, 308-430-3634, sellmanranch.com Real Ranch Horse Invitational Sale, Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch Indoor Arena, Billings, Mont., 406-446-2203, realranchhorses.com Rees Brothers Spring Angus Bull Sale, at the ranch, Morgan, Utah, 801668-8613, 801-949-8960, reescattle.com

Big horn Basin

Worland, WY

Sale Barn: 307-347-9201 Danny Vigil: 307-388-0781

LIVESTOCK AUCTION LLC

April 12, 2019 - 1,397 Head Cows Steady • Bulls Steady • Feeders Steady COWS Hessenthaler, Charles - Lovell 1 Blk Cow, 1060# ....................................... $9300 1 Blk Cow, 1135# ........................................ $8000 1 RBF Cow, 1320# ..................................... $6200 1 Blk Cow, 1365# ....................................... $6050 1 Blk Cow, 1385# ....................................... $6000 1 Blk Cow, 1510# ....................................... $5850 Herman Livestock LLC - Hyattville 1 Red Cow, 1235# ...................................... $7600 Griemsman Livestock - Worland 1 Blk Cow, 1260# ....................................... $6100 1 BBF Cow, 1320# ..................................... $6050 1 Blk Cow, 1410# ....................................... $5950 1 Blk Cow, 1420# ....................................... $5600 1 Blk Cow, 1460# ....................................... $5450 Doyle McKim & Sons Inc. - Manderson 1 Blk Cow, 1375# ....................................... $6050 1 Blk Cow, 1575# ....................................... $5850 Crowfoot Ranch Inc - Worland 1 Blk Cow, 1190# ........................................ $6000 1 CharX Cow, 1360# .................................. $5350 1 Blk Cow, 1365# ....................................... $5250 Dooley Livestock LLC - Worland 1 Blk Cow, 1440# ....................................... $5950 Hamilton Properties - Worland 1 Blk Cow, 1405# ....................................... $5850 1 Blk Cow, 1580# ....................................... $5600 Bonita Ranch LLC - Ten Sleep 1 Blk Cow, 1325# ....................................... $5500 HEIFERS Silver Sage Farms LLC - Basin 12 BWF Hfr Clves, avg. 365# ................... $17000 8 BWF Hfr Clves, avg. 583# ..................... $15450 Griemsman Livestock - Worland 10 Mxed Hfr Clves, avg. 397# .................. $16800 5 BWF Hfr Clves, avg. 523# .................... $16500 1 Yellow Hfrette, 860# .............................. $12600 Horton, Duane - Otto 20 BWF Hfr Clves, avg. 471# ................... $16450 1 Blk Hfrette, 790#.................................... $11150 Bonita Ranch LLC - Ten Sleep 15 BWF Hfr Clves, avg. 587# ................... $16200 Lungren, Luke - Worland 6 Mxed Hfr Clves, avg. 443# .................... $16000 18 Mxed Hfr Clves, avg. 519# .................. $15800 11 Mxed Hfr Clves, avg. 639# .................. $14600 BHB Livestock - Worland 8 Blk Hfr Clves, avg. 458# ........................ $16000 Carter Cattle Inc. - Ten Sleep 32 Blk Hfr Clves, avg. 564# ...................... $15850 34 Blk Hfr Clves, avg. 630# ...................... $14450 Doyle McKim & Sons Inc. - Manderson 38 Mxed Hfr Clves, avg. 577# .................. $15700 24 Mxed Hfr Clves, avg. 654# .................. $14400 69 BWF Hfr Clves, avg. 757# ................... $13850

Peterson, Donny - Buffalo 13 Mxd Hfr Clves, avg. 572# .................... $15700 8 Mxed Hfr Clves, avg. 783# .................... $13275 Coyote Springs - Riverton 30 Mxd Hfr Clvs, avg. 452# ...................... $15600 12 Blk Hfr Clves, avg. 501# ...................... $15300 Schwede, Walter - Manderson 10 BWF Hfr Clves, avg. 600# ................... $15250 Tyra, James - Powell 4 Mxed Clves, avg. 550# .......................... $15200 Rudnick Cattle Co. - Cora 17 BWF Hfr Clves, avg. 610# ................... $14900 30 BWF Hfr Clves, avg. 700# ................... $14200 18 CharX Hfr Clves, avg. 766#................. $13600 5 Blk Hfr Clves, avg. 864# ........................ $12800 Lineabaugh, Dustin - Powell 12 CharX Hfr Clves, avg. 662#................. $14400 Hessenthaler, Charles - Lovell 73 Mxed Hfr Clves, avg. 689# .................. $14350 16 Mxed Hfr Clves, avg. 831# .................. $13100 Lazy T Ranch LLC - Ten Sleep 26 Red Hfr Clves, avg. 691# .................... $14075 9 Red Hfr Clves, avg. 702# ...................... $14050 Mastre, Gust and Sharon - Worland 29 BWF Hfr Clves, avg. 719# ................... $13875 McCarthy, Roalene - Omaha, NE 4 Blk Hfr Clves, avg. 633# ........................ $13700 Hefenieder, John - Worland 11 BWF Hfr Clves, avg. 670# ................... $13600 STEERS Greer Land & Livestock - Hyattville 9 RWF Str Clves, avg. 301# ..................... $21250 9 Rd/Blk Str Clves, avg. 427# .................. $19000 Griemsman Livestock - Worland 6 BWF Str Clves, avg. 419# ..................... $19500 5 Mxed Strs, avg. 920# ............................ $12900 Lazy T Ranch LLC - Ten Sleep 8 Rd/Blk Str Clves, avg. 518# .................. $19100 Coyote Springs - Riverton 11 Mxed Str Clves, avg. 460# .................. $18750 Lungren, Luke - Worland 14 Mxed Str Clves, avg. 546# .................. $18650 10 Mxed Str Clves, avg. 649# .................. $16550 Mastre, Gust and Sharon - Worland 6 BWF Str Clves, avg. 531# ..................... $18400 Lineabaugh, Dustin - Powell 2 Mxed Str Clves, avg. 598# .................... $16000 20 CharX Str Clves, avg. 723# ................. $15700

•

April 26

pcoming Sales •

April 18

Bred Cow and Bull Special Bulls Sell at 1 p.m.

Also, All Class Cattle, Sheep oats April 25 All Class Cattle April 26 Horse Sale May 2 All Class Cattle May 9 All Class Cattle and Pair Special May 16 All Class Cattle, Sheep oats

April 18, 201 Consignments ennifer Taylor 10 Goats TD Partnership 40 bred black cows, 4- to 6-year-olds, May to June calvers. 8 fall pairs, black, 4- to 6-yearolds. 6 pairs, black, 3-year-olds.

Duane Horton 30 bred, black heifers, April/May calvers.

C Livestock 15 Black Angus, low birthweight, yearling bulls.

Dan obertson 3 Red Angus yearling bulls.

Cannon McKim 20 Charolais yearling Angus bulls. eal McCoy ed Angus 3 yearling, calving ease bulls. **Pieper Red Angus Genetics** M B LLS B SAL T M Bulls sell at 1 p.m.

Stuber Ranch’s 51st Annual Sale, at the ranch, Bowman, N.D., 701-5235371, 701-523-3496, 701-523-5297, stuberranch.com Wedge Tent Ranch Bull Sale, Faith Livestock Auction, Faith, S.D., 605-7882838, 605-545-0335, wedgetentranch.com Medicine Rocks Angus Ranch Annual Production Sale, Bowman Auction Market, Bowman, N.D., 406-775-6478, medicinerocksranch.com Herring Angus High Country Bull and Ranch Horse Sale, Herring Ranch Sale Barn, Encampment, 307-327-5396, 307-329-8228

POSTCARD from the Past

Compiled by Dick Perue rrichardperue@gmail.com

Feeding for Market in 1894 Feeding cattle for beef is an industry which, though young in this locality, has already begun to assume considerable proportions. The ranchmen and cattlemen of this valley have determined that if the mountain will not come to them, they will go to the mountain. They have discovered that about the most profitable way to market their surplus hay was to feed it to cattle and then drive them to the railroad for shipment.

Acting upon this idea, preparations were made to carry it out, and so complete were the arrangements, and so generous the supply of hay, that not only have accommodations been made for feeding the beef of the valley, but a large number of cattle are driven in here every fall to be fed for market.

While at the large ranch of Haines Bros., the

other day, we took note of the improvements in that line, which they have made during the past year. Having a large crop of alfalfa, between 600 and 800 tons, each year they were prepared to feed a much greater number of beef than almost any other ranch in the valley. With that end in view, they have erected corrals, sheds and feeding racks, put in scales, sunk an artesian well on the grounds and made such other and substantial improvement as the work demanded.

Hon. L.G. Davis, the sheriff-elect of Carbon County, is another man who stands in the front rank of this new enterprise. He has had considerable experience in feeding for market, and his cattle have brought him fancy and highly remunerative prices.

The past season he cut about 320 tons of hay and alfalfa, timothy and native and has added to his feeding pens and sheds until he, too, is able to

Feeding livestock – Livestock were fed during the cold winter days on a ranch in south-central Carbon County. Photo courtesy of Kathryn Sanger, Historical Reproductions by Perue

handle his cattle with still greater ease and profit than heretofore. Mr. Davis does nothing by halves, and we shall expect him to make even a more brilliant record in feeding this coming winter than in the one achieved last spring.

Charles McKay is another cattleman who appreciates the wonderful advantages of feeding, and he will have 150 head fed on the famous hay ranch of A.H. Huston on Cow Creek this winter.

G.H. Reader of Snake River is also feeding 150 steers for market, on the ranch of W.G. Forney on Jack Creek and there are many others throughout the valley, who are feeding from 25 to 100 head of beef for the spring market.

The Saratoga valley beef and feeders have won for themselves an envious reputation in all the cattle markets, and when a bunch of either class goes to Omaha, Kansas City or Chicago, they are snapped up without delay.

There will be from 2,000 to 2,500 head of extra fine beef sent to market from this valley the coming spring, and there is no reason why this number should not be increased from year to year, until the product of this locality will become an important factor in the markets named.

Preparations for future feeding are continually being made. Every season witnesses an extensive addition to the acreage devoted to the cultivation of alfalfa, which succeeds here remarkably well and is of a much better quality than that raised in lower altitudes and is now leading all other kinds of hay produced in the valley.

Thus reads an article on the front page of the December 6,1894, issue of “The Saratoga Sun.”

Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 30 No. 50 • April 13, 2019

11

MARKETS

LIVE CATTLE FUTURES SETT PRICE

Month

Compiled from USDA Market News Service information and other sources

Location Volume PAYS 4-3

UnUnder 400

1087

400-500

500-600

194 147-165.50

173-186.75 148-163

600-700

700-800

154-176 132-151.75

142-149 130.50-136.50

Steers Heifers

Over 800

Sltr Bull Sltr Cows

75-100 49.50-90

Crawford 4-5 295

75-86 60.50-65

Riverton 4-9 462

175 147

161 136.50

61-85 45-57

Torrington 4-5 368 184-192

Big Horn Basin 4-11 1397

212.50 168-170

189-191 159-171.50

174-186 151-166.50

126.50-174 145.50-162

142-169 138.50-141

134-141.25 85.50-105

70-82.50 49.50-85

187.50-195 156-164.50

160-191 152.50-162

165.50 136-152.50

157 132.75-42

129 111.50-131

52.50-93

168-179 149

150

132

185 168

775

127.55 121.58 118.23 118.50 121.93

126.00 120.43 117.38 118.45 122.05

Change -1.55 -1.15 -0.85 -0.05 +0.12

FEEDER CATTLE FUTURES SETT PRICE

Month

$800-$1635 $1000-$1050

Week Prev

This Week

146.33 150.08 157.20 158.48 159.00

145.43 149.85 157.65 159.10 159.40

APRIL MAY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER

Change -0.90 -0.23 +0.45 +0.62 +0.40

WHEAT FUTURES

80-84.50 60-65.50

St. Onge 4-5 2500

Billings 4-11

Stock Cows Pairs

64-90.50 53-64.50

Centennial 4-5

This Week

APRIL JUNE AUGUST OCTOBER DECEMBER

FOR THE WEEK ENDING April 12, 2019 WEEKLY CATTLE AUCTIONS

Week Prev

SETT PRICE

Month

Week Prev

This Week

4.71 4.74 4.81 4.95

4.60 4.65 4.73 4.90

MAY JULY SEPTEMBER DECEMBER

88.50-114 62.50-79

Change -0.11 -0.09 -0.08 -0.05

CORN FUTURES

Belle Fourche

SETT PRICE

Month

WEEKLY SHEEP AUCTIONS Auction

PAYS

Volume

Feeder Lambs

Slaughter Lambs

Slaughter Ewes

Stock Ewes

Slaughter Bucks

No Report

Centennial

762

167.50-276

St. Onge

811

195-213

130-202.50

47.50-91

Week Prev

This Week

3.65 3.74 3.82 3.92

3.60 3.69 3.77 3.88

MAY JULY SEPTEMBER DECEMBER

Change -0.05 -0.05 -0.05 -0.04

OATS FUTURES

52.50-85

SETT PRICE

Dry Edible Beans Daily Grower Bids - ND/MN and NE CO/WY/W NE Beans Region Bids Change Pinto ND/MN 21.00-22.00 Steady NE CO/WY/W NE 22.00 Steady Black ND/MN 26.00 Steady Great Northern NE CO/WY/W NE 24.00 Steady Navy ND/MN 21.00-22.00 Steady Light Red Kidneys ND/MN 34.00-35.00 Steady NE CO/WY/W NE 35.00 Steady Grower: Delivered elevator thresher run in 100 lb bags.

Source: USDA-CO Dept of Ag Market News Service, Greeley, CO WEEKLY NATIONAL GRAIN MARKET REVIEW Compared to last week, cash bids for soybeans were higher; wheat was mixed whilecorn and sorghum was lower. Ethanol production for week ending March 29th totaled 0.999 million barrels per day, a slight inccrease compared to the week prior. According to analysts, 10-15 percent of total US Ethanol production is offline due to the flooding in the Plains, with most of the lost production in Northeast Nebraska. As the calendar turns to April now, planting delays are now creeping into the forefront as waterlogged, cold soil is a concern. Days suitable for fieldwork in the“I” states for week ending March 31 averaged less than 1 day. Export sales for week ending March 28th totaled 21.2 million bushels of corn, 72.4 million bushels of soybeans, and 25.9 million bushels of wheat. Wheat was 57 3/4 cents lower to 10 cents higher. Corn was 3 3/4 to 9 1/4 cents lower. Sorghum was 15 to 18 cents lower. Soybeans were 7 to 20 cents higher.

WHEAT: Kansas City US No 1 Hard Red Winter, ordinary protein rail bid was 3/4 to 5 3/4 cent higher from 5.66 1/2-5.76 1/2 per bushel. Kansas City US No 2 Soft Red winter rail bid was not quoted. St. Louis truck US No 2 Soft Red Winter terminal bid was 8 to 10 cents higher from 5.02-5.03 per bushel. Minneapolis and Duluth US No 1 Dark Northern Spring, 14.0 to 14.5 percent protein rail, was 57 3/4 cents lower at 6.32 1/4 per bushel.

Portland US Soft White wheat rail was steady to 25 cents lower from 5.90-6.05 per bushel.

CORN: Kansas City US No 2 rail White Corn was 8 1/2 to 9 1/4 cents lower from 3.77 3/4-3.81 1/4 per bushel. Kansas City US No 2 truck Yellow Corn was 3 3/4 to 8 3/4 cents lower from 3.60 1/4-3.73 1/4 per bushel. Omaha US No 2 Yellow Corn was 7 cents lower at 3.57 per bushel. Chicago US No 2 Yellow Corn was 9 1/4 cents lower from 3.54 3/4-3.68 3/4 per bushel. Toledo US No 2 rail Yellow corn was 7 3/4 to 8 3/4 cents lower from 3.54 1/4-3.59 1/4 per bushel. Minneapolis US No 2 Yellow corn rail was not quoted.

OATS AND BARLEY: US 2 or Better oats, rail bid to arrive at Minneapolis 20 day was 2 3/4 to 23 3/4 cents higher from 2.97 1/2-3.53 1/2 per bushel. US No 3 or better rail malting Barley, 70 percent or better plump out of Minneapolis was not quoted.

Portland US 2 Barley, unit trains and Barges-export was not quoted.

SORGHUM: US No 2 yellow truck, Kansas City was 15 cents lower from 5.90-5.99 per cwt. Texas High Plains US No 2 yellow sorghum (prices paid or bid to the farmer, fob elevator) was 16 to 18 cents lower from 5.89-6.61 per cwt.

OILSEEDS: Minneapolis Yellow truck soybeans were 7 cents higher at 8.26 1/2 per bushel. Illinois Processors US No 1 Yellow truck soybeans were 20 cents higher from 8.71 1/2-8.86 1/2 per bushel. Kansas City US No 2 Yellow truck soybeans were 17 to 19 cents higher from 8.56 1/2-8.81 1/2 per bushel. Illinois 48 percent soybean meal, processor rail bid was 5.40 higher from 306.90-313.90 per bushel. Central Illinois Crude Soybean oil processor bid was 0.57 points higher from 28.45-28.70 per cwt.

Source: USDA-MO Dept of Ag Market News Service, St Joseph, MO Mountain Area and Western U.S. Direct Sheep Report (CO, WY, MT, NE, SD, ND, UT, NV, ID, WA, OR, AZ and CA) Receipts: 0 Last Week: 0 Last Year: 2800 Compared to a week ago: There were no confirmed trades reported this week. Feeder lambs sell FOB with an overnight stand or equivalent 3-4 percent shrink unless otherwise noted.

The state identified is the state of origin. Prices quoted per cwt.

Current delivery unless otherwise noted..

Source: USDA- CO Dept of Ag Market News Service, Greeley, CO National Wool Review

31-44

$175-$185

46-65

Domestic wool trading on a clean basis was inactive this week.

There were no confirmed trades reported. Prices reflect trades FOB warehouse in original bag or square pack, bellies out, some graded, and 76 mm or longer. No allowance made for coring, freight or handling fees at the warehouse level to reflect net grower prices (*) indicates new prices this week. (NA) represents microns not normally available in this region. Wools shorter than 75 mm typically discounted .10-.20 clean. Classed and skirted wools usually trade at a .10-.20 premium to original bag prices.

Clean Del Price Change from 75-85 Percent Micron US Grade in U.S. Dollars Previous Sale of Australia 18 80s 7.86 - .02 5.89-6.68 19 70-80s 7.56 + .00 5.67-6.43 20 64-70s 7.48 + .02 5.61-6.36 21 64s 7.46 + .01 5.60-6.34 22 62s 7.38 - .04 5.54-6.28 23 60-62s ---------------24 60s ---------------25 58s 5.53 + .12 4.15-4.70 26 56-58s 4.89 + .05 3.67-4.16 28 54s 4.17 + .13 3.13-3.54 30 50s 3.39 + .13 2.54-2.88 32 46-48s 2.29 + .09 1.72-1.95 Merino Clippings 3.72 - .01 2.79-3.16 Eastern Market Indicator was down 7 at 1936 cents per kg clean.

Australian exchange rate was weaker by .0045 at .7163 percent of the U.S. dollar.

Source: USDA- CO Dept of Ag Market News Service, Greeley, CO Wyoming Hay Summary Compared to last week all baled hay sold steady with suncured alfalfa pellets trading 10.00 higher. Majority of the contacts stated they are mostly out of hay. Several reports up in the Powell area that barley planting is under way with some producers completely done planting. Most of the Powell area is dry but with snow pack at 110 percent and should have enough runoff to fill holding ponds for summer irrigation use. Some hope the alfalfa will have a good early growth as most contacts have a lineup of prospective buyers for their square bales for out of state shipment. All prices are dollars per ton FOB the field or hay barn unless otherwise noted.

Eastern Wyoming Alfalfa: Good large squares 150.00-160.00; Good large rounds 130.00-140.00. Sun-cured alfalfa pellets 15 percent protein 255.00.

Central and Western Wyoming Alfalfa: Premium small squares 200.00-215.00. Grass: Fair to Good large squares 125.00. Straw in large squares 50.00-60.00.

Certified weed seed free alfalfa cubes bulk 230.00-240.00, bagged 280.00.

Source: USDA WY Dept of Ag Market News Service, Torrington, WY Nebraska Hay Summary Compared to last week alfalfa hay fully steady. Grass hay steady.

Ground and delivered forages steady. Demand was good, especially the last couple of days before the second round of the bomb cyclone that made its way across the state late Wednesday and Thursday. Road conditions from the winter and spring rains have made it very hard for truckers to haul hay. Some counties road departments have put weight restrictions on county roads hampering travel even more. But, these soft roads, need repair before traffic of any kind can travel them in a safe manner. Very few, talks this week on what standing hay price may be. Some numbers have been thrown out but, nothing nailed down to report as of today. Some producers were very busy before this last moisture and baled dry fields of cornstalks. Some reports from buyers of these stalks they look pretty good. Many thought they would be black or half decomposed but on the whole look fairly good. All sales are dollars per ton FOB the field or hay barn, unless otherwise noted.

Eastern/Central Nebraska Alfalfa: Premium large rounds 125.00; Good large rounds 110.00.

Alfalfa/Orchard mix: Good to Premium large squares 165.00175.00. Grass Hay: Premium large rounds 100.00-110.00; Good large rounds 85.00-95.00; Fair large rounds 60.00-75.00.

Month

Week Prev

This Week

2.88 2.79 2.69 2.59

2.80 2.73 2.66 2.59

MAY JULY SEPTEMBER DECEMBER

Change -0.08 -0.06 -0.03 NC

SOYBEAN FUTURES SETT PRICE

Month

Week Prev

This Week

9.06 9.19 9.25 9.30

8.95 9.09 9.14 9.19

MAY JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER

Change -0.11 -0.10 -0.11 -0.11

CUTOUT VALUES CUTOUT VALUES Primal Rib Primal Chuck Primal Round Primal Loin

This Week

Prior Week

Last Year

225.08 371.52 176.56 177.54 307.74

227.04 372.64 178.73 180.87 309.22

214.59 348.41 171.08 163.98 292.56

5 AREA WEEKLY WEIGHTED CATTLE PRICE Live Steer Live Heifer Dressed Steer Dressed Heifer

This Week

Prior Week

Last Year

125.30 125.01 204..41 204.84

126.34 126.13 205.60 205.52

116.73 117.63 187.74 187.19

Premium small squares 160.00-170.00. Sun-cured alfalfa pellets 15 percent protein or better 270.00.

Platte Valley area of Nebraska Alfalfa: Good large round bales 110.00-115.00, few at 120.00.

Cornstalks round bales 70.00-75.00 delivered. Ground and delivered alfalfa 150.00-160.00. Ground and delivered alfalfastubble mix 135.00-145.00. Ground and delivered cornstalks 110.00.

Western Nebraska Alfalfa: Good large squares 160.00; Fair large squares 140.00.

Good large rounds 130.00-140.00. Ground and delivered alfalfa 158.00. Sun-cured alfalfa pellets 15 percent protein 245.00.

Source: USDA NE Dept of Ag Market News Service, Kearney, NE

The latest markets data can be found by visiting USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service at https://www.ams.usda.gov/marketnews

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 30 No. 50 • April 13, 2019

Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 30 No. 50 • April 13, 2019

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 30 No. 50 • April 13, 2019

Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 30 No. 50 • April 13, 2019

SOIL continued from page A1 explained. “When we physically disturb the soil, we are knocking down the intricate structure that is a soil system.”

He explained soils that are highly cultivated or disturbed have decreased water infiltration and storage, lower biological activity and diversity, stunted nutrient cycling and aggregation.

“Aside from physical disturbances brought on by excess tillage, soil can be disturbed chemically via overuse of fertilizer and pesticides as well as biologically disturbed in the form of overgrazing and fallow systems,” said Winger.

He explained any combination of these disturbances could destroy the habitat for vital soil organisms and destroy the structure of the soil.

Principles of high functioning soils “There are four main principles of maintaining highfunctioning soil systems,” Winger said. “We want to maximize living roots, biodiversity and soil cover while minimizing disturbances.”

He explained this comes down to feeding and protecting the soil. We want to fuel soil biology and improve overall soil resilience. When we protect the soil we improve soil aggregates and organism habitat.

“By feeding the soil, we maximize living roots and biodiversity,” said Winger. “This stimulates belowground diver-

sity, improves nutrient cycling, enhances plant growth, break pest cycles and increases predator and pollinator populations,” Winger noted.

“To maximize living roots, we can grow crops in the off-season,” said Winger.

“This will allow us to avoid fallow and decrease the recropping interval.”

“In connection with growing off-season crops, we can increase biodiversity by planting a diverse group of crops and legumes,” Winger stated.

“Some practices that help with this are introducing cover crops and prescribed grazing.”

He explained when we do these things we can also maximize our soil cover.

“Soil cover decreases erosion and evaporation while increasing infiltration, soil organism habitat and food for biota,” Winger said. “Covered soil is also better equipped to regulate temperatures when exposed to extreme cold or heat.”

Importance of soil organisms “There are three functional groups of soil organisms,” said Winger. “Ecosystem engineers, biological regulators and biochemical engineers, all of whom contribute to biodiversity and the overall health of soil systems.”

Winger explained these organisms play a major role in key ecosystems functions such as nutrient cycling, plant productivity and decomposi-

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tion.

“Ecosystem engineers are represented by plant roots, earthworms and other large invertebrates such as centipedes and beetles,” Winger explained. “These organisms build pore networks throughout the soil and improve aggregates.”

“Chemical processors work to regular up to 90 percent of the energy flow in the soil and build organic matter and aggregates,” said Winger.

“Chemical processors include microbes such as bacteria, fungi and protozoa.”

The last group he explained were the biological regulators whose job is to regulate populations of other soil organisms. He explained these organisms to be the top of the food chain, eating many of the smaller organisms in the soil and regulating their population. These species include protozoa, nematodes, springtails and mites.

“Soil organisms physically stabilize soil aggregates,” Winger explained.

“Plant roots enmesh soil par-

ticles and fungal and bacterial filaments do the same.”

“These organisms also chemically stabilize the soil as bacteria bind particles and release polysaccharides,” he said. “Soil proteins and other biochemicals bind soil particles.”

“The soil microbiome can be manipulated by selecting different plant species and varieties or by controlling various plant stages through crop rotation, cover selection and timing and termination,” Winger noted.

Systems thinking “The fact of the matter is Mother Nature does not exist in monocultures,” said Winger. “We have to incorporate diversity in some way to be effective.”

He explained working with nature and not against it is key in mending previously disturbed soils.

“When we fight nature we end up paying more for inputs that are already there or could be more effectively utilized through better practice,” Winger said.

732

As a part of his presentation, Winger conducted a rain stimulator on four soil samples and showed the soil with the least disturbances was better able to utilize the water it received.

“Sometimes water might be limited due to drought condition or just the cost of irrigation system usage,” said Winger. “We want our soil to work for us and use those resources the best it can.”

“We have millions upon millions of particles of nitro-

gen in the atmosphere, yet we write massive checks for fertilizer to mend the shortcomings we caused in the soil system,” he stressed.

He explained that producers, however, cannot just pick one area of disturbance to minimize. It has to be a full systems approach to be effective.

Callie Hanson is the assistant editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup.

Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

Rain simulation – USDA Soil Health Specialist Marlon Winger demonstrated the effects of rain on various soil samples. Callie Hanson photo

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 30 No. 50 • April 13, 2019

It’s the Pitts

by Lee Pitts

Work is a Four Letter Word I recently read about a 23-year-old woman in Spain who sued her parents because they refused to continue to support her. She was living at her parents’ home, had no money, never finished high school and testified that her parents were putting undue pressure on her to get a job.

She had held a couple jobs very briefly, but she quit because, and I quote, “It was too much work.”

Which is kind of the whole point.

The lazy young lady may win her case because the average age at which Spaniards leave home is 29 years old, so she should have six more years of mooching left.

Spain is not alone in this outbreak of laziness. Over 20 million Americans between the ages 18 and 31 are still living with their parents. And I recently read that in the future a good chunk of American males may never have a job in their entire lives.

I personally know a 30-year-old man who has sired two children, lives with his mother and apparently feels in no rush to get a job. I’ve had another millennial young man tell me at age 25 that he feels burned out and hopes to retire at age 30.

I can’t relate to any of this. In high school, I worked every summer. For two summers, I picked citrus alongside

Hispanic crews who could work rings around me. These Hispanics must not have been related to the Spaniards because, where I might pick 30 boxes of lemons per day, they’d pick 50.

Between my junior and senior years, I got the worst job ever. I had to crawl under lemon trees, dig a basin around each tree and paint around its circumference 18 inches high to prevent insects from crawling up the trees. The toxic paint, which I’m quite sure contributed to my health problems later in life, was a nasty substance I can still smell now, 50 years later. For this work, I got paid the princely sum of $1.25 per hour.

As a youngster, I also worked at a gas station, mowed lawns, delivered newspapers, raised show steers and ran a rabbit business that multiplied rapidly. In the summers between my three collegiate years, I worked in the oil fields and during Christmas and spring breaks. When everyone else went home, I worked at the university livestock facilities.

Through it all, I gained a work ethic that has served me well. I’m 67 now, and plan on working until I take “The Long Nap.” The unwillingness to work entry-level jobs by young people today has created a shortage of workers in

agriculture. Farmers have had to plow under entire crops because they couldn’t find anyone to pick them, and many farmers are now switching to crops that can be picked by machines. Ranchers tell me it’s getting harder to find good cowboys, and many have switched to hiring cowgirls.

Even illegals are passing up farm and ranch work for higher paying jobs in big cities. The shortage of milkers is forcing many dairies to switch

to robotic milking machines, and it’s predicted that, by next year, the agricultural robot industry will be a $16 billion industry.

But inventors can never build a robot to replace the cowboy, can they?

Helicopters are already being used in Texas to gather cattle, and drones could be used for the same purpose by ranchers who can’t afford helicopters. I can envision squeeze chutes that automat-

ically squeeze and release on the their own, and sensors are already available that turn a bright red when an animal has a high temperature. Perhaps a drone will fire a bullet that contains antibiotics at a sick feedlot animal, thereby replacing pen riders.

As robots proliferate, Americans will live much easier lives, but that doesn’t mean it will be any less dangerous. I have a lazy 35-year-old friend who tripped over the round

robotic orb that was automatically vacuuming his carpet, and he broke his ankle.

His unemployment benefits will soon end, but he likes not working so much that he’d like to turn it into a permanent position. I told him that if he was looking for opportunities in the non-employment sector that Spain is nice this time of year.

Last I heard, he was looking for a nice, wealthy Spanish family to adopt him.

RIVERTON LIVESTOCK AUCTION Tuesday, April 9, 2019 Market Report • 460 Head Sold Representative Sales COWS JACKSON 1 Cow, 1140# .................................... $76.00 ARAPAHOE 1 Cow, 1150# .................................... $71.00 FARSON 4 Cow, 1167# .................................... $68.50 2 Cow, 1142# .................................... $64.50 RIVERTON 1 Cow, 1425# ................................... $57.50 LANDER 2 Cow, 1310# ................................... $55.00 CROWHEART 7 Cow, 1133# .................................... $54.50 FARSON 6 Cow, 1237# ................................... $53.50 BULLS RANDOLPH, UT 1 Bull, 2040# .................................... $85.00 1 Bull, 1725# .................................... $84.50 GREEN RIVER 1 Bull, 2205# .................................... $82.50 SHOSHONI 1 Bull, 1680# .................................... $77.50 RANDOLPH, UT 2 Bull, 2160# .................................... $76.00 DIXON 1 Bull, 1915# .................................... $72.50 MANDERSON 1 Bull, 2425# .................................... $66.50 BRED COWS/HEIFERS FARSON 5 Bred Cow, 1382# ...................... $1,600.00 JACKSON 9 Bred Cow, 1380# ...................... $1,525.00 THERMOPOLIS 8 Bred Cow, 901# ........................ $1,525.00 LANDER 2 Bred Cow, 1260# ...................... $1,450.00 FARSON 6 Bred Cow, 1368# ......................... $950.00 TENSLEEP 2 Bred Heifer, 1170# .................... $1,635.00 FARSON 4 Bred Heifer, 1086# ................... $1,625.00 LANDER 9 Bred Heifer, 990# ..................... $1,600.00 BAIROIL 2 Bred Heifer, 1012# ................... $1,500.00 STEERS LANDER 2 Steer, 462# .................................. $194.00

CROWHEART 2 Steer, 492# .................................. $188.00 COKEVILLE 4 Steer, 543# .................................. $177.00 FORT BRIDGER 2 Steer, 590# .................................. $170.50 RIVERTON 6 Steer, 629# .................................. $161.00 HEIFERS LANDER 2 Heifer, 407# ................................. $168.00 1 Heifer, 435# ................................. $161.00 COKEVILLE 4 Heifer, 505# ................................. $158.50 LABARGE 12 Heifer, 584# ................................. $147.00 6 Heifer, 640# ................................. $136.50 HEIFERETTES THERMOPOLIS 5 Heiferette, 835# ........................... $127.00 LANDER 15 Heiferette, 926# ........................... $117.00 RIVERTON 21 Heiferette, 946# ........................... $115.00 WORLAND 8 Heiferette, 995# ........................... $109.00 SARATOGA 5 Heiferette, 978# ........................... $100.50 TENSLEEP 6 Heiferette, 1104# ......................... $100.00 WORLAND 9 Heiferette, 1068# ........................... $99.00 RIVERTON 15 Heiferette, 1150# ........................... $89.00

TUESDAY, APRIL 16 BACK TO GRASS SPECIAL W/ ALL CATTLE CLASSES START TIME 9:00 AM W/ WEIGH UPS, FEEDERS @ 11:00 AM EXPECTING 3,000 HD Stratton Sheep Co - 450 Blk Ang Hfrs 500-600# 315 Blk Ang Strs 500-600#. Connealy & Riverbend sired.

67 Red Ang Hfrs 500-600# 30 Red Ang Strs 500-600#. 5L Red Angus sired.

All Rec Titanium 5 +PHM, 7-way w/ Somnus

Early Consignments & poured. Reputation, high desert, proven performers!

Arapahoe Ranch - 225 Blk Ang & AngX Strs 475575#.

250 Blk Ang & AngX Hfrs 475-575#. All sired by Diamond Peak Blk Ang & Colyer Hereford bulls.

100% all natural. Grass fed. Reputation, high elevation!

Devries Livestock - 60 Blk Strs 450-650# 20 Blk Hfrs. Comp vacc. Hay fed & green!

Campbell Livestock - 70 Blk Ang & CharX Hfrs 700-750#. One brand, one raising. High elevation. Bangs vacc.

Mark Hoover - 65 Blk Ang & Red Ang Hfrs 600#.

Long time weaned. Hay fed. Green & fancy!

Robert Stewart - 30 Blk Ang replacement Hfrs 750#. 100% Paintrock sired. High elevation. One brand, fancy!

30 Blk Ang Strs & Hfrs 500-550#. Hay fed. Nice calves!

Ron & Jackie Lucas - 50 Blk Strs & Hfrs 400-600#.

Sired by Registered Blk Ang bulls, in the top 15% of the Breed for growth & carcass. Comp vacc @ Branding & Weaning. Conditioned for grass.

Choice, one brand, green!

Glenn & Georgianna Burgett - 50 Blk Ang Hfrs 650#. Comp vacc. Long time weaned. Hay fed.

Fancy!

V Ranch - 30 Blk Ang/SalerX Hfrs 650-700# 14 Blk Ang/SalerX Strs 650-700#. Reputation quality. Bangs vacc. Green!

Jim Fabrizius - 33 Blk Ang/AngX Strs & Hfrs 700800#. 100% all natural. Fancy!

Eyre Ranch - 32 Blk Strs 650#. Hay fed. Green & fancy!

Wakely Ranch - 30 Blk Ang Strs & Hfrs 650# Mike Robison - 30 Blk Strs & Hfrs 475-500#. 45 day wean. Bunk broke. Rec Pyramid 5 & Vision 8 (2X). Choice calves!

Nicholas/Twitchell - 30 Blk Strs & Hfrs 500-600#.

Weaned early Nov. Comp vacc. Fancy!

Trudy Julian - 20 Blk Strs & Hfrs 650-700#. Long time weaned.

DNKC Revocable Trust - 17 Blk Ang/HerefordX Strs & Hfrs. Comp vacc with 8-way, BRV & poured. All natural. High elevation. One brand, fancy!

Marincic Ranch - 5 Blk Ang & AngX Strs 750# 11 Blk Ang & AngX Hfrs 700#. Choice, high elevation cattle!

Al Coyle - 3 Blk Ang Yrling Virgin bulls

TUESDAY, APRIL 23 BRED COW SPECIAL, START TIME 9:00 AM W/ WEIGH UPS, BREDS @ NOON Spear T Cattle - 200 Crossbred 3-6 Yr old Cow/ Calf Pairs (Approx 40% Char/Red AngusX, 30% Hereford, 20% Blk & BWF, 10% Other) 60 Crossbred 3-6 Yr old Bred Cows. Cows are bred to & calves are sired by Red Angus & Hereford bulls. Calves are majority tagged to match. Complete dispersion of cows that have been ran on high desert range and are well adjusted range cows.

80 Crossbred (EnglishX) Strs & Hfrs 375-450#.

Hay fed. Light & green!

TUESDAY, APRIL 30 BACK TO GRASS PAIR, BRED COW & BULL SPECIAL W/ ALL CATTLE CLASSES & SHEEP & HORSES START TIME 9:00 AM W/ SHEEP & WEIGH UPS Pam Noriega - 30 Blk Ang Hfr Pairs. Calves sired by Schaff & Connealy Blk Ang bulls. Rec 7-way w/ C & D @ Birth. Tagged to match. Hfrs originated from Lyman Ranch. Stout, powerful calves at side!

Lazy BV Cattle - 10 Blk Sim/AngX Yrling bulls.

Semen tested. 100% AI sired by ABS bulls.

High elevation, stout bulls. Ready for turnout.

Contact: Riverton Livestock Auction (307) 856-2209 • Jeff Brown (307) 850-4193 • Tom Linn (307) 728-8519 • Mark Winter (580) 747-9436 • www.rivertonlivestock.com • Also watch our live cattle auction at www.cattleusa.com

1490 South 8th Street East • River ton, WY 82501 • (307) 856-2209