Volume 32 Number 2 • May 9, 2020
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The Weekly News Source for Wyoming’s Ranchers, Farmers and AgriBusiness Community • www.wylr.net
A Look Inside
American sheep industry faces busy start to May
Section 179 deductions can be useful for farmers and ranchers................................. Page 2
“It’s been another big week for the American sheep industry,” states Chase Adams, senior policy and information director for the American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) during an episode of ASI’s podcast pub-
Dick Perue explains the origins of Saratoga’s “big white barn on the hill.”.......................... Page 6 Independent Cattlemen of Wyoming call for an investigation into the meatpacking industry................................. Page 10 Backyard camping has always been an adventure for Lee Pitts............................. Page 12
Quick Bits U.S. Drought For the contiguous 48 states, the U.S. Drought Monitor showed 16.09% of the area in moderate drought or worse, compared with 14.75% a week earlier. Drought now affects 31,962,490 people, compared with 34,468,329 a week earlier. For all 50 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, the U.S. Drought Monitor showed 13.44% of the area in moderate drought or worse.
lished May 1. During the podcast, Adams provides an update on recent happenings affecting the sheep sector of the ag industry, all of which occurred the week beginning April 27.
Paycheck Protection Program First, Adams points to the Paycheck Protection Program, replenished with an additional $310 billion on Monday, April 30. “This is an addi-
tional $310 billion in lending authority and provisions aimed at ensuring those funds go to America’s small businesses,” he states. H-2A guidance Adams also notes the
Please see SHEEP on page 4
NON-TRADITIONAL LIVESTOCK
UW researches progesterone management in reindeer bulls While most animal science related research conducted at the University of Wyoming (UW) is focused around the state’s traditional species of livestock, a small team of UW personnel is currently studying a less familiar animal in order to understand the feasibility of managing male reproductive behavior with progesterone. In collaboration with University of Alaska-Fair-
banks Director of Agriculture and Forestry Experiment Station Dr. Milan Shipka and University of NebraskaLincoln Reproductive Physiologist Dr. Andrea Cupp, UW Professor of Reproductive Biology Dr. Brenda Alexander, UW Professor Emeritus Dr. Gary Moss and UW Undergraduate Student Robert Ziegler have been hard at work studying the effects of utilizing progesterPlease see UW on page 5
Corn Markets The prospect of cool weather in the Midwest raised condition concerns as more than half of the corn crop is in the ground and subject to frost damage. Corn prices rose as buyers grew worried about crop ratings. A surprising rebound in Chinese oil exports last month also underpinned strength in the corn complex. July corn futures prices rose $0.0325 per bushel to $3.175 while September futures were up three cents per bushel to $3.2325.
USDA NRCS Applications are being accepted for the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) Wetland Mitigation Banking Program, which helps conservation partners develop or establish mitigation banks to help agricultural producers maintain eligibility for USDA programs. Wetland mitigation banking is the restoration, creation or enhancement of wetlands to compensate for unavoidable impacts on wetlands at another location.
COVID-19 Coronavirus cases in the U.S. as of May 7 rose by 24,134 to 1,228,609 cases, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. U.S. cases now account for nearly a third of global cases. The death toll rose by 2,353 lives to 73,431 deaths.
University of Alaska-Fairbanks photo
Invasive species Asian giant hornet found in western U.S. After monitoring multiple independent hives on the Canadian border, the Asian giant hornet has been reported in Washington State. Dubbed the “murder hornet” by U.S. popular media, the insect is native to Japan and has been known to kill due to its extremely potent venom, according to Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA). While American press is sharing the insect alone kills up to 50 people per year, Japanese sources cite only 12 people per year die of insect stings, which includes all wasps and bees. WSDA believes the insects made their way to North America via cargo ships from China. At more than two inches long, the hornets are the largest in the world. The hornets are particularly hard on bee colonies as they are able to decimate entire colonies to support their own colonies. They are known to decapitate honey bees and consume the remaining portion of the body. However, the insect does not target honey Please see HORNET on page 4
WCHF announces inductees Wyoming springtime marks the annual selection of the Wyoming Cowboy Hall of Fame (WCHF) inductee class. Nominations were accepted from Dec. 1, 2019 through Feb 28, 2020. Regional committees in 10 different areas of Wyoming read, researched and scored over 70 nominations and sent the top 50 picks to the WCHF State Board of Directors. WCHF State Board of Directors voted on those selections the first weekend of May and voted 41 nominees into the 2020 WCHF class of inductees. The induction ceremony will be at the Little America of Cheyenne, Sept. 19-20, during the annual Wyoming Cowboy and Cowgirl Legacy Week. Formed for exclusively historical, cultural, literary and educational purposes, WCHF’s chief goal is to preserve, promote, perpetuate, publish and document Wyoming’s working cowboy and ranching history through researching, profiling and honoring individuals who broke the first trails and introduced that culture to this state. WCHF plans to collect, display and preserve the stories, photos and artifacts of such individuals and anything else that will honor and highlight their contributions to our history. The WCHF Class of 2020 includes the following individuals from the 10 established regions and a board decision winner. Region One winners are Campbell County’s Butch Please see WCHF on page 12
Feeding Wyoming a top priority For the very first time, Wyoming beef producers will be able to assist in feeding those in need through a collaboration between First Lady Jennie Gordon, Wyoming Stock Growers Association (WSGA), Wyoming Custom Meats, Wyoming Department of Agriculture (WDA) and the Wyoming Food Bank of the Rockies. “This collaboration exemplifies the partnership between related industries all committed to utilizing Wyoming products to care for Wyoming people,” Gordon noted in a press release. “To be affiliated with the First Lady of Wyoming’s Hunger Initiative is an honor,” says WDA Director Doug Miyamoto. “The
employees of the Wyoming Department of Agriculture wanted to help Wyoming families during the COVID-19 pandemic in a way that also illustrated the critical importance of agriculture in the food supply chain.” He continues, “Within a day, we surpassed our initial goal of raising sufficient funds to pay for the processing of a steer and were able to raise enough funds to process two steers. WDA and its employees are proud to be a partner in helping our First Lady tackle hunger in Wyoming.” Wyoming Custom Meats President Jared Hamilton notes the First Lady reached out to them to be a part and they were happy
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Please see FOOD on page 11