CONNECTING AG to CLIMATE

By Windy Kelley, Northern Plains Regional Climate Hub

Recent and Current Conditions

Wyoming experienced its 26th coolest and 43rd driest April out of 129 years, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Centers for Environmental Information database, retrieved May 30.

Scaling to the county level, the adjacent tables include temperature and precipitation rankings of select counties for the month of April.

The U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) map for Wyoming, released May 25, classifies over 18 percent of the state as moderate to severe drought (D1 to D2) and nearly 36 percent as abnormally dry (DO).

The remainder of the state, nearly 46 percent, is classified as none – in other words, these areas are not experiencing abnormally dry or drought conditions.

To view the current USDM map, visit bit. ly/2S28VTA. Consider submitting a Condition Monitoring Observer Report at bit.ly/3c4WRLR

Eight- to 14-day, one-month and Grass-Cast forecasts

NOAA’s eight- to 14-day forecast for June 7-13, issued May 30, shows Wyoming split into thirds with a 33 to 50 percent probability for below normal temperatures from the southern border of Sweetwater County, north and east into Goshen County.

Meanwhile, the same

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Deadline: Friday, June 16th forecast shows an equal chance of below, near or above normal temperatures from Uinta County, north and east into the southeastern corner of Crook County.

There is a 33 to 50 percent probability for above normal temperatures from Lincoln County, north and east into the northern tier of Crook County.

For the same timeframe, the forecast shows a 40 to 60 percent probability for above normal precipitation for the entire state, with the greatest chance in the southwestern corner of Wyoming.

The June forecast, issued May 18, indicates equal chances for below, near or above normal temperatures for all of Wyoming. For the same timeframe, the forecast shows 33 to 50 percent probability for above normal precipitation for the state, with the great- est chance in the southeast corner of Wyoming. For additional information and NOAA forecasts, visit cpc.ncep.noaa.gov

The 2023 Grass-Cast maps are now available. Recall Grass-Cast forecasts grassland productivity for select areas in Wyoming and beyond.

To view the maps, which are updated biweekly, visit grasscast.unl.edu/ and ask oneself, “If rain through August is above, near or below normal, how much range vegetation might grow in a particular area?”

Windy K. Kelley is the regional Extension program coordinator and state specialist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Northern Plains Climate Hub, the University of Wyoming Extension and WAFERx. She can be reached at wkelley1@ uwyo.edu or 307-367-4380.

* Temperatures are observed daily and then averaged across those days for the given timeframe.

** Rankings & additional information are available at NOAA's Climate at a Glance website.

***Icons from the Noun Project

USBBC elects officers

The U.S. Beef Breeds Council (USBBC) met in late April to elect new officers which will preside over the organization and discuss upcoming goals. Former President Montie Soules of the American Shorthorn Association oversaw the meeting and election of officers.

During the meeting, American Wagyu Association’s Executive Director Dr. Robert Williams was elected president and will serve a two-year term. Mark Anderson of the North American Limousin Foundation was elected USBBC vice president.

USBBC is comprised of U.S. beef breed executives. While addressing shared concerns and goals all breed associations are faced with, USBBC also oversees the appointment of the Ultrasound Guidelines Council (UGC) executive director and board of directors.

During the April meeting, Patrick Wall, UGC executive director, gave an update on the ongoing improvement of ultrasound technology to improve the capture of valuable carcass traits.

Through the leadership of USBBC, establishment of the UGC in 2001 has led to stronger genetic prediction of carcass merit for the U.S. beef industry.

Conservation minded agriculture practices are receiving increased attention as solutions to drought and the ever-rising costs of ag inputs Wyoming producers are no stranger to.

The U.S. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) defines conservation agricultural practices as those which provide permanent soil cover, offer minimal soil disturbance and promote the diversification of plant species.

Cover crops, when managed appropriately, can be used to achieve plant diversity and provide season long soil cover. When paired with no-till seeding methods, all three goals can be achieved with relative ease.

Cover crops and no-till management

Cover crops paired with no-till soil management methods have been shown to increase soil organic carbon concentrations, minimize nutrient losses, improve soil water holding capacity and water infiltration rates, reduce soil erosion, increase soil microbial activity and provide moderate weed suppression.

In spite of the benefits these practices can have in enhancing the stability and fertility of agricultural soils, the shift to these practices can be inhibited by the cost of seed, equipment and chemicals.

Scientists worldwide have invested a great deal of time and effort quantifying the benefits of soil conservation practices, but few have examined the costs associated with adopting the methods.

UW study

A study recently conducted at the University of Wyoming’s (UW) Sheridan Research and Extension Center addresses this issue at a local level.

In this study, a 14-species cover crop mix was used to renovate aging and weedy alfalfa hayfields. The mix was planted for two years and followed with a return to alfalfa in the third growing season.

Researchers compared this approach to the standard method of terminating alfalfa, planting a monoculture annual forage crop (Hayes barley) and returning to alfalfa after one year. Both approaches were conducted with conventional tillage practices and no-till. Additionally, the costs and revenue generated with each method were recorded.

The most consistent finding highlighted in this study was, regardless of what crop was planted, using no-till practices to establish crops was significantly less expensive than traditional tillage practices, even with the added costs of chemicals and application. Furthermore, the savings provided by no-till did not come at the expense of crop yields.

All no-till crops provided similar yields to their conventional counterparts through the duration of the project.

With these issues clarified, the elephant in the room is, of course, the purchase of a no-till drill, but knowing producers do not have to sacrifice yields and can significantly reduce their annual farming expenditures may provide the confidence needed to make the switch.

Research results

Cover cropping has his- torically been challenging for traditional farms as there is no saleable product at the end of the growing period.

In Wyoming, however, farmers and ranchers have the benefit of close proximity to livestock. Grazing cover crops can allow a producer to recover some of the seed and planting expenses incurred by the practice.

Additionally, moving livestock onto cover crop fields can allow a land manager to defer range and pasture grazing, and if timed appropriately, may reduce some of the feed required to support livestock throughout the winter.

Researchers in Sheridan assembled their 14-species blend at a cost similar to the expense of seeding an annual monoculture forage crop. The mix produced one to 1.5 tons per acre (dryland) and provided a grazing resource well into fall.

Results from the study showed no-till practices played an integral role in cost recovery.

Ultimately, the value a producer places on their cover crop will be the deciding factor in determining if the practice is profitable.

This study conservatively derived cover crop value through income which could be obtained via a grazing lease. With this approach, it was difficult to recover expenses without added help from a costshare program like the Natural Resources Conservation Serviceʼs Environmental Quality Incentives Program.

There is certainly an argument to be made when used as a forage resource, cover crop value could also be assigned in a manner similar to hay, especially when they are replacing hay for a portion of the year. to their washing routine so their hair grows, resulting in better performance in the ring.”

The cost of hay is often considerably higher than grazing lease rates, and therefore, would have a greater impact in offsetting cover crop costs.

Many Wyoming producers plant cover crops in place of cash crops, allowing them to persist through the entire growing season.

While producers forgo cash crop income in this instance, the value of their new grazing resource, in combination with the savings of no-till and benefits provided to their soils, may ultimately be enough to justify incorporating conservation minded practices in their forage production systems.

Jaycie Arndt is a University of Wyoming Extension educator. She can be reached at jarndt1@uwyo. edu.

“The final part to the morning routine is letting them out,” he continues.

“This brings us to the night portion of the routine, which starts with working showmanship. Then they get fed once more, usually around 8 p.m. The final step is turning them back in to start all over in the morning.”

Showing off the hard work

This laborious process leads up to the big day, where JJ and other 4-H and FFA exhibitors get to show off their hard work.

While some individuals spend their summers hanging out with friends, relaxing or traveling the world, Wyoming’s 4-H and FFA members spend most their time with their animals and other projects. But, why is this?

JJ explains he likes to show because it is fun and he enjoys promoting his animals so people will buy them at the end of fair week.

Because JJ raises his own show cattle, he spends a great amount of money at the beginning of the year to buy his projects each year. Then, at the end of the summer, he takes the money he makes from selling his beef projects to purchase the next ones.

JJ also notes he loves watching his animals grow and succeed from his own handiwork. And of course, making new friends is a plus.

Showing livestock requires a lot of time and energy and is a challenging skill for one to learn, but it offers incredibly valuable benefits in the end.

“It has taught me how to lose, and it has humbled me,” says JJ. “When you show livestock against other exhibitors with bigger benefits, it humbles you very fast. But, with this, you also learn how to be a grateful and graceful winner.”

Preslee Fitzwater is an intern for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

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Egg prices appear to be taking a supply and demand market-driven tumble, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Economist Dr. David Anderson. Consumers might have noticed lower egg prices over recent weeks, and Anderson expects this trend to continue.

According to Anderson, egg supplies are still below where production was a year ago, but supplies continue to rise amid declining purchases. Rising supplies and weaker demand are driving egg prices downward.

Producers continue to rebuild the table egg-laying flock which was hit hard by the avian flu outbreak beginning in Febru-

“In comparison to 2020, conflicts – especially with livestock – increased. This is due to the growing number of bears on the landscape expanding beyond their suitable range and spilling into areas they haven’t been in recent history,” says Brian DeBolt, WGFD large carnivore conflict coordinator.

In the 2022 report,

Egg prices plummet as supplies outpace demand

ary 2022. While egg production has increased, Anderson said demand typically dips after Easter before climbing again around Thanksgiving Day and through the fall holiday season.

“Some of the demand issue is seasonal, but consumer response to higher egg prices is also part of it,” he said. “Meanwhile egg producers continue to increase production, and the market is responding to the supply and demand factors. It’s a good example of how the market works.”

Egg prices falling

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agriculture Marketing Service reported retail eggs nationally were $2.74 per dozen

WGFD notes 21 individual grizzlies were captured, 10 of which were a result of bears killing livestock.

Lawsuits

Following USFS and FWS’s authorization, environmental groups, including the Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club, Western Watersheds Project, Alliance for the Wild Rock- between April 14-20 and were expected to be around $1.08 per dozen during the week of May 22. ies and Yellowstone to Uintas Connection, filed two separate lawsuits in March 2020, arguing the plan violated the ESA, the National Forest Management Act and the Administrative Procedures Act.

Egg prices peaked at $4.82 in January, according to the Consumer Price Index.

Anderson expects the cost of a dozen eggs will continue to decline in other markets in the U.S. because wholesale prices are already down to 84 cents per dozen.

Prices this low could be concerning for producers and are likely to trigger thoughts about slowing production growth.

Declining costs for feed like soybean meal and corn are also helping livestock and poultry producers and may contribute to even lower prices.

They also noted the plan should specify limits on killing female grizzlies and cubs, specifically.

The U.S. District Court of Wyoming originally ruled against the groups, but after

Anderson noted wholesale egg prices peaked at over five dollars per dozen when eggs were hitting historic highs. On the other hand, retail prices did not reach five dollars.

He suspects contracted prices may have held back wholesale costs grocers paid or that grocery stores strategized losses on eggs to keep customers.

“Consumers don’t react well when prices are so volatile, so some stores may have taken losses on eggs to keep people in their stores,” he said. “The falling wholesale egg prices could be a good indicator the next Consumer Price Index might show falling retail prices.”

The contributing factors – increased produc- appealing to the 10th Circuit Court, USFS and FWS’s authorization was deemed “arbitrary and capricious” and ultimately overturned.

In a Daily Montanan article, written by Blair Miller and published on May 27, Western Watersheds Project Appeals Attorney Megan Backsen calls the court’s decision a victory for grizzlies and other wildlife in the area.

“The court recognized USFS cannot ignore its own experts, particularly when those experts warn a decision will harm those species depending on intact ecosystems for their very survival,” Backsen says.

Andrea Zaccardi, legal director for the Center for Biological Diversity’s carnivore conservation program, comments, “We’re hopeful tion and supplies, coupled with lower demand – are already pushing retail egg prices below one dollar per dozen in about one percent of grocery stores surveyed in southcentral U.S.

Avian flu causes significant poultry losses

Egg prices have been historically high over the past year. The decline in the number of table egglaying hens in the U.S. contributed to this trend.

Since February 2022, a highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak has caused significant losses in the poultry industry. In total, 58.7 million poultry birds, including over 43 million laying hens, were lost in 47 states.

In December 2021, the U.S. flock had 327 mil- lion laying hens producing table eggs, and the average cost for a dozen eggs was $1.79. in reconsidering their flawed analysis, the agencies will spare dozens of female grizzly bears previously sentenced to death by the Trump administration. This ruling confirms federal officials can’t sidestep the law to allow grizzly bears to be killed on public lands to appease the livestock industry.”

Egg prices climbed as outbreaks spread and reached $2.05 per dozen by March 2022. Prices continued to rise as egg-layer hen losses mounted, but historic production costs, including for feed, also contributed to the recordhigh prices consumers paid at grocery stores.

Adam Russell is a communication and public relations specialist for Texas A&M AgriLife and can be reached at adam. russell@ag.tamu.edu or 903-834-6191. This article was originally published in the Texas A&M AgriLife E-Newsletter on May 23.

As of May 31, agriculture industry stakeholders have yet to express their opinions on the matter.

Hannah Bugas is the managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

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