Volume 33 Number 5 • May 29, 2021
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The Weekly News Source for Wyoming’s Ranchers, Farmers and AgriBusiness Community • www.wylr.net
A Look Inside Cattle market updates provided by Certified Angus Beef... ...................................... Page 6 From the Kitchen Table shares summer recipe.............. Page 7 Cow nutrition discussed for a successful breeding season..... ...................................... Page 9
Cheney addresses packer concentration, conservation Packer concentration, conservation plans and carbon capture are a few issues facing agriculturalists and consumers, especially in western states. Wyoming House Representative Liz Cheney recently addressed
some of these issues and provided input from her position in Congress in a recent meeting with the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Cheney noted with many of the big issues, both sides have generally been
able to push past their disagreements. Because of this, there have been a number of times shared bipartisan partnership is valued, but conservative ideas don’t come through in final products. “During the campaign,
Biden said he was going to help agriculture, and now it gives us some leverage to hold him accountable,” she said. Packer concentration “Packer concentration Please see CHENEY on page 5
Weather and drought conditions forecasted for June........... .................................... Page 15
Quick Bits Fire Safety The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Wyoming State Forestry Division would like to remind everyone to celebrate Wyoming public lands and take precautions to prevent wildfires. “Our firefighters are preparing for fire season, and they need your help to prevent human-caused wildfires,” said Paul Hohn, BLM Wyoming State Fire Management Officer. “About 87% of all wildfires across the nation are human caused, which means they are preventable.”
SWE Update Statewide snowpack or snow water equivalent (SWE) is at 58% of median. The Tongue Watershed has the highest SWE in the state at 120% of median, while the Upper Bear Basin has the state low at 36% of median. The majority of the snowpack below 9,000 feet has melted. Snowmelt will again become more active below 9,500 feet by the middle to end of the week, as above average temperatures are expected.
Montana State University set to host research facility, wool lab
Horse health
Keep traveling horses safe with a CVI
As events start to open up across the country, animals will be traveling to different events. As horses move across state lines – and even within – it is important to take the proper safety measures to protect other horses.
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Edition • Wyomin
Please see HEALTH on page 8
Averi Hales photo
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2021-2022 Rocky
“Heath Certificates, or Certification of Veterinarian Inspection (CVI), proves a veterinarian has looked at an animal and deemed it free of infectious diseases. This is needed for travel with animals,”
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Check out the 2021 Rocky Mountain Horse Edition inside this week's Roundup
Bird Farm Diamond Wings Upland Game Birds, a bird farm near Powell, hatched Greater sage grouse chicks from eggs collected from leks under close watch from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department for the first time. The historic moment for the conservation of the bird highlights the ability of captured breeding and the ability to diversify sage grouse genetics.
Crop Progress Despite scattered precipitation, there is a severe lack of sub-soil moisture and overall soil moisture remains critically low. With warmer summer temperatures on the way, there is a dire need for substantial moisture in the state. Emergence of corn and sugarbeets is slightly behind for this time of year. Corn was reported at 30% emerged, compared to 39% this time last year, and surgarbeets were reported at 60% emerged, compared to 73% this time last year.
Wool lab On May 16, Montana House Bill 14 secured funds to build a new wool lab for Montana State University (MSU). The $6 million project allows for more advanced research and testing to be completed on the campus. Finding funding The Montana Wool Growers Association (MWGA), in conjunction with MSU, introduced a bonding bill. The bill, in addition to funding from COVID-19, will allocate $5 million to the project. “Governor Gianforte felt House Bill 14, which covered all those facility needs for the university system, was important enough that we can back fill COVID-19 money and make it a cash deal,” explained Dave McEwen, president of the Montana Wool Growers Association. On top of this, the government granted MSU and the association the ability to raise an additional $1 million to fully cover project expenses. “The legislature was very good to us and very supportive. The president’s Please see WOOL on page 4
Magee joins Roundup The Wyoming Livestock Roundup is pleased to announce Cameron Magee has joined the team as an intern. Magee is a current student at Casper College, studying agriculture communications and animal science. Magee developed a love for the agriculture industry very early, growing up on her family’s hay farm near Glenrock. For as long as she can remember, there have always been fields to irrigate and endless fences to fix. Magee also has a small flock of commercial Cameron Magee Hampshire ewes and registered Southdowns, which she artificially inseminates. From these herds, she raises club lambs to show at both her county and state fair. Additionally, Magee has been actively involved in both 4-H and FFA for many years. She has made many memories and takes pride in many of the lessons she’s learned from her years of showing. Please see INTERN on page 15
Day: Hope for 2021 weather The million-dollar question many producers across Wyoming and other western states are hinging their decisions on is the weather. At the Wyoming Bankers Association Agriculture Bankers Conference held May 12-13 in Saratoga, Meteorologist Don Day provided a forecast for summer 2021 and his insight on what can be expected from current weather cycles. Weather changes “The Rocky Mountain West and High Plains areas are extremely sensitive to changes in weather over the Pacific Ocean,” he explained. “When
the Pacific gets colder near the equator, this area gets dry.” These changes are largely based on solar cycles, Day shared. When the Pacific is warmer, this area acts like steam from a hot shower and creates moisture in the air. On the other hand, when the Pacific is cool, no condensation is formed, just like it wouldn’t form from a cold shower. “The prediction for the summer is a weak La Niña, compared to summer 2020, in which the La Niña was moderate,” Day said. “This gives us hope
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