June 5, 2021

Volume 33 Number 6 • June 5, 2021

®

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

A Look Inside Wyoming leatherworker creates cowboy art..............page 5 Ranch management offers students opportunity.......page 7 UW professor presents market research.........................page 8 Hard time from 2020-21 shared by Lee Pitts......page 15

Quick Bits Beef Market Following a cyber attack on JBS systems, production is expected to resume at most plants this week. On June 1, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated total cattle slaughter at 94,000 head versus 121,000 head the week before, a 22% decline, coinciding with the JBS share of production. The disruption is expected to impact spot pricing and tighten the availability for major retailers and foodservice companies.

Global beef supply impacted by Argentinian export ban Argentina recently placed a ban on beef exports in response to severe inflation in the country.

This action encouraged change within the global beef supply chain.

Argentina’s domestic challenges On May 31, Argentina temporarily shut down 12 beef exporters because of alleged illegal and irregular activity. This, in turn, seized over 220 tons of

meat. The 30-day shutdown is the second shutdown the country has faced.

Originally, officials closed six companies in attempt to increase domestic supply. However, this

did not decrease inflation like the government had hoped.

After shutting down another six firms, the country is investigating five more beef exporters Please see BEEF on page 4

Leadership development Young producers share insight on experiences and future of beef industry

Wyoming Stock Growers Association (WSGA) President Scott Sims shared the WSGA Young Producer’s Assembly (YPA) has gained a lot of traction in membership and leadership over the years. At the WGSA 2021 Wyoming Cattle Industry Convention & Trade Show held June 2-4 in Sheridan, the YPA presented a panel consisting of YPA Leaders Will Hudson, Sage Askin, Michael McGinnis, Leif Hanson and Ty Espy.

Throughout the discussion, titled “Our Version of Success,” panelists answered questions from Moderator Kendall Roberts and shared their thoughts on the group is working to position Wyoming’s beef industry for success in the future.

Gaining exposure A focus on efforts WSGA and YPA can utilize to betPlease see WSGA on page 6

Native Trout Five stream segments of crucial native trout habitat are proposed for streamflow protection in Wyoming. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) is seeking instream flow water rights for sections of Burroughs, Sheridan and Stonefly Creeks and the Middle and West forks of Long Creek on the Shoshone National Forest in the Upper Wind River drainage. WGFD notes water rights are important to maintaining populations of Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout in their native range.

U.S. Drought For the contiguous 48 states, the U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) showed 43.42% of the area in moderate drought or worse, compared with 44.21% a week earlier. Drought now affects 89,843,803 people, compared with 86,708,565 a week earlier. For all 50 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, the USDM showed 36.31% of the area in moderate drought or worse, compared with 36.97% a week earlier. Drought now affects 90,627,057 people, compared with 87,379,626 a week earlier.

Animal Feed Montana House Bill 396 established hemp and substances derived from hemp are now approved for use in commercial feed for pets, specialty pets and horses in Montana, so long as they do not contain more than 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). This will be regulated in accordance with the Commercial Feeds Act and the Hemp and Cannabidiol Policy for Use in Animal Feed.

Young producers– At the recent Wyoming Stock Growers Association convention a panel of young producers discussed their role in Wyoming's beef industry. From left to right Michael McGinnis, Sage Askin, Kendall Roberts, Leif Hanson, Ty Espy and Will Hudson. Dennis Sun photo

Trade and science NCBA shares U.S. beef trade and climate issues intertwined With a new administration comes new trade and climate change policy and the new policy will greatly impact the cattle industry in the United States.

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s (NCBA), in a Beltway Beef podcast dated May 21, shares how science impacts trade and climate within the beef industry and how producers can advocate to improve these issues.

Trade and climate When most people think about trade, they are focused on tariff and nontariff issues. However, NCBA Senior Director of International Trade and Market Access Kent Bacus is more focused on the producers.

“In previous administrations – the Trump administration and Obama administration – trade was really a focus to try to expand export opportunities and to bring more value back to American producers,” Bacus shares. “This current administration is continuing in this same step, but with a slightly different focus – trade in addition to climate and other things.”

Bacus shares trade polPlease see NCBA on page 9

Jury finds Rammell guilty Sublette County – Almost two years after being pulled over and cited by a deputy for not having proper brand inspections for four horses and a colt, Rock Springs Veterinarian Rex F. Rammell was found guilty May 26 in a one-day Circuit Court trial presided over by Third Circuit Court Judge Gregory Corpening.

Later, Rammell said he will appeal to Ninth District Court, where months ago he filed a civil petition asking Judge Marv Tyler to rule on the constitutionality of Wyoming Statute 11-21103(a), which authorizes an officer to stop anyone hauling livestock to check for current brand inspections.

The six-person jury returned the verdicts after about 40 minutes of deliberation, with the trial taking place in the larger Ninth District Courtroom. Rammell sought a jury trial on the misdemeanors from June 26, 2019 – the first in Sublette County since the COVID-19 pandemic severely restricted in-person attendance at court hearings.

Trial Rammell’s arguments, limited by previous rulings, brought a handful of objections from Sublette County Deputy Attorney Stan Cannon, most sustained by the judge as Rammell questioned Deputy Ty Huffman, who performed the traffic stop.

During those sidebars, the jury heard “white noise” static as the three talked at the bench.

Rammell represented himself; Cannon prosecuted the case.

Each made opening and closing statements with very different perspectives on the Wyoming law and circumstances.

The only other witness was Wyoming Brand Inspector Mike Vickrey, who was asked to explain the basics of brand inspection Please see TRIAL on page 4

Program jumpstarts youth cowherds James Foss, 14, is a participant in the 2020-21 Northern International Livestock Exposition (NILE) Merit Heifer Program.

The purpose of the NILE Merit Heifer Program is to provide youth with a beef cattle project to get a start in the business. The program awards heifer calves to participants chosen on the basis of merit, future goals and ability to care for the animal.

Foss has grown up on a cow/calf operation near Buffalo. There, he runs five producing cows of his own with his parents’ operation, plus Tilly, the heifer he received last fall through the NILE Merit Heifer Program.

Hands-on learning Foss became involved when his mom saw a post about the program on social media. Then, he completed the application process, which includes filling out an application form along with making a video showcasing goals for the future with the heifer, a facility tour and current 4-H or FFA projects.

Once selected for the program, Foss received his heifer from his donors, Powder River Angus in Arvada. While caring for Tilly, Foss completes a record book each month during the yearlong program.

periodical

periodical

Please see FOSS on page 6

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 33 No. 6 • June 5, 2021

What Is It?

For the last couple of months, we’ve all been hearing about the 30x30 Plan to protect 30 percent of the nation’s land by 2030, and the extension of this plan we are hearing about, to ultimately protect 50 percent by the year of 2050.

From the

The initiative to reach the 30 perPublisher cent goal is called “America the BeauDennis Sun tiful.” There are around 50 countries pledged to do the same.

This initiative is to redefine what we now know as conservation. Currently, close to 12 percent of America’s land is protected and some of us think this number is plenty. This 12 percent doesn’t cover farm and ranch lands currently enrolled in conservation easements.

In a major departure from conservation efforts of centuries past, the new initiative makes the sovereignty and rights of Tribal nations a core part. White House National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy said, “We want to make sure we understand and take advantage of working lands.”

She also said, “Tribal nations have been serving as stewards of their land since time immemorial.”

A report written for the new initiative says over the next decade, the government will support Tribal-led conservation efforts and make restoring Indigenous homeland a priority. It also calls on federal agencies to help Tribal nations access programs which offer funding for conservation projects and to engage with Indigenous people in the management of public land and water.

Also, the U.S. conservation movement is increasingly aware it needs to right past wrongs, such as when Tribes were removed from their lands in the name of protecting “pristine” landscapes, such as when the government created Yellowstone and Yosemite National Parks.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack said, “There is no intent to take land away from farmers. The goal here is to create new opportunities.”

Vilsack also said they want to incentivize farmers and ranchers to use the tools offered by USDA to compensate and pay them for being good stewards of their land.

I understand this whole initiative is being driven by radical environmental groups and progressives thinking this is the way to control climate change and to reduce greenhouse gases. The way this administration is going about describing the initiative and its goals, I feel they are bypassing science.

They haven’t shown data of what their conservation or protection looks like in the report and more important, how they expect those who currently utilize these lands to sustainably feed and power the nation.

New Mexico State University Professor Jerry G. Schickedaniz said in a recent opinion – which I surely agree with – “When land is protected with no use or management, the concept of ‘the Balance of Nature’ is envisioned by the general public and is widely believed. It appears in health food brand names and news sources everywhere. It has been promoted in movies such as the ‘Lion King’ when Mufasa explains to his son Simba, ‘Everything you see exists together, in a delicate balance.’ However, this is an enduring myth, as nature is not in balance nor has it been. Man became part of the equation and Darwin’s theory of ‘Survival of the Fittest’ is at play all the time. The earth has been warming and cooling, with wetter and dryer cycles since the beginning of time and changes have been occurring concurrently to the fauna and flora worldwide.”

The big question is, when are we going to find out how this initiative is going to work or will it just happen?

GUEST OPINIONS Preparing the Food and Agriculture Supply Chain for the Next Crisis

By Chuck Conner and Darren Coppock Farm groups and agribusiness associations have a unique opportunity over the next month to help ensure our food and agriculture supply chain is strong enough to meet future challenges. Last month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) issued a request for comments on “Supply Chains for the Production of Agricultural Commodities” to inform a report required by an executive order signed

by President Biden shortly after taking office.

On May 17, AMS extended the deadline for comments until June 21, giving those of us in agriculture the time we need to submit thorough and thoughtful feedback to USDA. Let’s not waste the opportunity for evaluation; to hit the reset button and seek meaningful improvements.

We offer this view from our shared and tremendously difficult experiences of the past 14 months. Agriculture has been on the frontlines as the COVID-19 pandemic strained the supply chain to a near breaking point.

Thanks in large part to the hard work and sacrifice of millions of essential food and agriculture workers – from farmers and ranchers in the field to grocery store employees – American consumers had continued access to safe, affordable and nutritious foods.

At the same time, the pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in specific sectors of agriculture and pointed to potential weaknesses in any future crisis. Meat and poultry production has been the most obvious example.

However, had COVID-

19 been more transmissible or more deadly, or had government agencies and officials made slightly different decisions on the severity of lockdowns, international travel and trade or definitions of essential businesses, it is possible the supply chain would not have held together.

Adding to the urgency of USDA’s report is the number of possible threats beyond a pandemic the food and agriculture supply chain could face. Indeed, we have seen two examples just since the start of 2021, the weather-induced collapse of the electric grid in Texas this past winter and a cyber attack which shut down a major pipeline in the southeast in just the past few weeks.

With the active ingredients used in 67 percent of herbicides, 43 percent of insecticides and 20 percent of fungicides coming from just one country – China – a disaster disrupting the supply chain in the U.S. does not even need to happen here.

Last year, the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives (NCFC) embarked on a project to assist its members as they assess how their businesses and their farmer-owners handled the COIVD-19 crisis and how their co-ops can better prepare for any future crisis. NCFC partnered with Aimpoint Research, a global business intelligence firm with a focus on food and agriculture, to conduct an after-action review (AAR) looking back on the pandemic response and a resiliency planning exercise to look at strengthening sup-

ply chain operations moving forward.

The results of the AAR/ resiliency planning project, along with other work NCFC has done with Aimpoint to focus on the future of the food and agriculture sector, will inform our comments to USDA. In addition, many NCFC member coops are providing the association with comments on USDA’s request, which will also be incorporated.

The Agricultural Retailers Association knew the COVID-19 pandemic would mean disruptions in the supply chain for its members and is now getting a chance to see just how important being deemed essential was in curtailing negative impacts. The potential for disruptions occurred as farmers entered the spring season, the busiest time of year for farmers and the agricultural retailers who supply and support them.

Continuous flows of seed, fertilizers, crop protection and custom application services are most important in the spring and even missing one or two days in tight windows for planting, fertilizing or applying crop protection could have meant significant negative impacts on fresh food and row crop production as well as farm income.

Designating agricultural retailers as essential and exempt from any temporary closures of retail businesses was imperative to the flexibility of the agricultural supply chain. In hindsight, we now see just how critical this was to the 2020 planting season and every other aspect in which American farmers drive the world food supply. We applaud USDA

for trying to find remaining inefficiencies and supply chain disruptions to avoid them in the future.

One theme we have both seen repeated in our own experiences was the lack of coordination among federal, state and local agencies and the private sector. This led to confusion, inefficiencies and far greater health risks and consequences than were likely necessary.

Such coordination problems existed in our own private supply chains, but we are just one link in the supply chain. It is imperative the ag community engage with USDA on this important issue, providing perspectives, feedback and recommendations for improvement.

We believe USDA especially must hear from groups representing the most important link in the supply chain – the farmers, ranchers and growers themselves. Producer organizations bring a unique perspective to the table and can ensure USDA’s final report provides both producers and agribusiness with the tools needed to be resilient in any future crisis.

Our two organizations are taking this opportunity seriously in hopes it might facilitate improved coordination during a national emergency. Collectively, we cannot afford not to.

Chuck Conner is president and CEO of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives and Daren Coppock is president and CEO of the Agricultural Retailers Association. This article was originally published May 24, 2021 on agri-pulse.com.

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 33 No. 6 • June 5, 2021

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NEWS BRIEFS ADMB schedules meeting The Wyoming Animal Damage Management Board (ADMB) will meet on June 10 in Casper and via Zoom. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m.

During the meeting, the board will consider grant applications for wildlife and animal damage studies across the state, and receive updates on various issues.

There will be an opportunity for public comment prior to adjournment.

The Wyoming Game and Fish office in Casper is located at 3030 Energy Lane. For a complete agenda or more information about this meeting, visit the ADMB website at wyadmb.com or contact Jerry Johnson at 307-7776781.

The public is welcome to attend in person, or online through the following link at us02web.zoom.us/j/81773 595322?pwd=Z0YrWTNBcEhvYWE1SjZUNUF1ZHN RQT09, through Zoom with meeting ID 817 7359 5322 with the password 164801, or by calling 253-215-8782 using password 164801.

Watson to be recognized Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (WOGCC) Supervisor Mark Watson will be recognized

by Gov. Mark Gordon, Acting Chair Jen Scoggin and the Oil and Gas Conservation Commissioners at the start of the June 8 hearings. WOGCC hearings are held at the Basko Building at 2211 King Blvd in Casper.

After 38 years at the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission with seven of those as the supervisor, Watson is set to retire July 5.

LaVA workshop offered On June 9 at 6 p.m., the Medicine Bow National Forest will host a virtual public workshop to discuss forest treatments resulting from the Landscape Vegetation Analysis project (LaVA).

As per the project decision, this workshop will provide an annual public forum to obtain and utilize feedback.

Interested stakeholders are being asked to utilize the LaVA story map feature found at usfs.maps.arcgis. com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=ca50896c133c 414490f7255d01565aae to provide focus area/treatment proposal feedback before and following the workshop, through the end of June. Feedback will help with generation and refinement of focus areas and treatment proposals.

During the workshop, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service will give planning and project updates, a brief tutorial on the story map, a review of LaVA Appendix A and will be presenting public and agency-generated treatment proposals. Cooperating agency representatives are also expected to be in attendance.

The public workshop will be virtual using Microsoft Teams. Those wishing to attend should e-mail Joseph Gonzales at joseph.f.gonzales@usda.gov for a link to the event.

The LaVA decision seeks to improve forest conditions in the Sierra Madre and Snowy Range using a wide range of tools on a maximum of 288,000 acres, spread over a 15-year period, which began in 2020.

Additional information about LaVA can be found at fs.usda.gov/main/mbr/home.

Nuclear power advanced TerraPower and PacifiCorp announced June 2 efforts to advance a Natrium™ reactor demonstration project at a retiring coal plant in Wyoming. The companies are evaluating several potential locations in the state.

“I am thrilled to see Wyoming selected for this demonstration pilot project, as our great state is the perfect place for this type of innovative utility facility and our coal-experienced workforce is looking forward to the jobs this project will provide,” said Gov. Mark Gordon.

“I have always supported an all-of-the-above energy portfolio for our electric utilities.”

He continued, “Our state continues to pave the way for the future of energy, and Wyoming should be the place where innovative energy technologies are taken to commercialization.”

The development of a nuclear energy facility will bring welcome tax revenue to Wyoming’s state budget, which has seen a significant decline in recent years.

This demonstration project creates opportunities for both PacifiCorp and local communities to provide wellpaying and long-term jobs for workers in Wyoming communities that have decades of energy expertise.

WGFD hosts CWD meetings The Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) invites deer hunters and other interested persons to attend one of five public meetings to discuss chronic wasting disease (CWD) management within the Laramie Mountains Herd Unit, which includes Hunt Areas 59, 60 and 64.

This herd unit has one of the highest prevalence rates of CWD in the state and any management actions taken will be done with public buy-in and participation, so assistance from the public is critically important. The five meeting dates and locations are as follows: June 14 in Wheatland, June 15 in Laramie, June 16 in Cheyenne, June 18 in Sybille and June 29 in Glendo.

During the meetings, wildlife managers will provide an overview of CWD, discuss implementation of the statewide CWD management plan and provide information on the history of the Laramie Mountain mule deer herd and the prevalence of the disease in the herd.

“The goal from these meetings is to determine the public’s interest in creating a working group to develop a management plan for the Laramie Mountain mule deer herd unit,” said WGFD Wheatland Wildlife Biologist Martin Hicks.

An online Zoom meeting will be offered in conjunction with the Cheyenne meeting on June 16. Those interested can pre-register by visiting the Laramie Region webpage at wgfd.wyo.gov/Regional-Offices/Laramie-Region.

For more information, contact the Laramie Region Office at 307-745-4046.

NCBA shares concerns On June 1, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) led a letter with the support of 37 affiliate state cattle organizations, urging the leadership of the U.S. Senate and House Agriculture Committees to address critical areas of concern in the cattle and beef industry.

Specifically, NCBA pushed Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Sen. John Boozman (R-AR), Rep. David Scott (D-GA) and Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) to consider swift Congressional action to expand beef processing capacity, broaden labor policies to strengthen the beef processing workforce, increase transparency in cattle markets by reauthorizing Livestock Mandatory Reporting (LMR), support industry efforts to reform “Product of the USA” generic labeling and ensure proper oversight of cattle market players by concluding the ongoing U.S. Department of Justice investigation into the meatpacking sector.

The full text of the letter can be found on the NCBA website.

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USCA requests regulatory relief

Subscriptions are free! Just go to cowboystatedaily.com and “sign in” and you will get your morning news each day about 7:30 a.m.

On June 2, the United States Cattlemen’s Association (USCA) sent a letter to Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg requesting immediate regulatory relief for transporters of live animals and fresh meat products following the impact of the cyberattack on global meat supplier JBS SA. In the letter, USCA requests the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) provide emergency regulatory flexibility for motor carriers and drivers hauling both live animals and meat products.

The letter states, “After reviewing reports from our members regarding the impact of the JBS outage, USCA strongly believes this event warrants immediate regulatory action to ensure grocery store shelves stay stocked of fresh meat products.”

The letter continues, “Further, agency action following the May 7 ransomware attack of Colonial Pipeline provides a precedent for the issuance of such an emergency declaration to ensure supply chain continuity of essential consumer goods.”

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 33 No. 6 • June 5, 2021

TRIAL continued from page 1

ECO-SHRED BEDDING

and livestock forms used.

Rammell argued Deputy Huffman couldn’t prove beyond a reasonable doubt the horses themselves came from Rock Springs into Sublette County.

Cannon used the deputy’s video and testimony to prove the charges’ basic elements.

Rammell argued unsuccessfully that Cannon stated he was not using the video at trial, so he had not studied it.

Sentencing Judge Corpening considered the arguments from both Cannon and Rammell before imposing four sentences.

The judge asked Cannon if Rammell had any relevant criminal history.

“The defendant has a pretty clean record,” he said.

Although he noted, “When I think of the hours my office has had to go through for a ticket, I would ask for the maximum.”

He asked the judge to impose four maximum sentences of six months in jail with all but four days suspended – one for each horse.

Cannon also requested Rammell pay the maximum $750

fines on each horse, or $3,000.

“One of the issues I’ve had in this case is the defendant believes he doesn’t need a brand inspection,” Cannon said. “I don’t know if he ever got a brand inspection on these horses.”

He asked that Rammell receive four consecutive sixmonth terms of unsupervised probation – two years total – and to not violate the brand inspection law or any other law.

Judge Corpening told Rammell he had the right to make a statement if he wished.

Rammell pointed to trial elements he felt were unfair or incomplete, including a statement from Deputy Huffman admitting, “he hadn’t stopped to check many people,” at the time.

“There are people all over this county who don’t get brand inspections,” Rammell said. “I’m not the only one who believes this law is unconstitutional.”

He referred to another brand inspection case where a Farson woman was cited for bringing at least 30 calves to her property in Sublette

County, which was reduced to one charge and one fine.

Rammell shared it was the Sublette County Attorney’s Office which “took the case a lot farther than it needed to go,” for almost two years.

Two-year case On Dec. 10, 2019, Sublette County Magistrate Clay Kainer ruled in favor of Rammell’s evidence motion to not allow the deputy’s report, in effect leaving no case to prosecute. This led county law enforcement to curtail livestock checks and angered some local ranch families who support the stops.

“I won this case originally and Judge Curt Haws certified and ratified it,” Rammell said.

However, the county attorney’s office appealed Kainer’s ruling, arguing he was not properly appointed at the time. Another district judge ruled Kainer’s order withdrawn and the case remanded to Circuit Court for a different legal analysis. At this time, Judge Haws transferred the case to Judge Corpening.

Rammell has represented himself at every court hearing and in every filed document.

“Cannon talks about these hours – he didn’t have to appeal this,” Rammell said.

“He’s gone beyond what he

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needed to do to settle this case.

If it costs someone a bunch of work – that’s their job.”

Further, Rammell said, if he knew Cannon was introducing the 2019 video, he would have proceeded differently.

“I don’t always travel without brand inspections,” Rammell said. “I’ve got a stack of brand inspections; he wants me to be on probation for three years? I bet everyone here has done this.”

Rammell said the drawnout case dragged his name and reputation through the mud and cost him time, money and lost business.

“I have paid a big price already. I know you’re a fair judge,” he said. “I mean, four days in jail for not getting a brand inspection? I rest.”

Judgment Judge Corpening said the jury determined the violations were willful, but he did not feel jail time was important.

He sentenced Rammell to 30 days in jail for each count, to run at the same time, then suspended them. He ordered four rounds of six months unsupervised probation, also concurrent, and fines and fees of $1,255.

Payment would be suspended pending Rammell’s anticipated Ninth District Court appeal of the verdict, the judge added, which he should file within 30 days. The judge then ended the hearing.

Outside in front of the courthouse, Rammell and Cannon, both angry, faced off on the sidewalk. Both walked away, but Rammell said he

BEEF continued from page 1 for similar charges – a total of 17 beef exporting companies.

Beef is regularly enjoyed in Argentina.

However, with the rising cost of local beef, it has become more of a delicacy in the country. This is largely contributed to three consecutive years of recession.

“Some consumers say they are no longer able to afford beef,” shares Dave Sherwood, in a Maximilian Health article. “Inflation has sapped growth and spending power.”

Sherwood credits this inflation to the rapid growth of beef exports, noting, “The country has ramped up beef exports in recent years, especially to the main buyer, China.”

Focusing on Argentina’s economy directly, Sherwood continues, “The government blames fast-rising exports for stoking inflation.”

Learning from previous experience, Argentina’s government hopes to keep beef in the country by banning exports.

If this is successful, beef prices should decrease as supply increases within the South American country.

Effects on China Argentina is the fifth largest global supplier of beef and the second largest contributor to China’s imported beef.

In an article featured

by Bloomberg, Michael Hirtzer explains, “Argentina supplies almost onequarter of China’s beef imports, and the ban is expected to shake up global meat markets, namely by prompting buyers in China to buy more from Brazil and the U.S.” China, still hurting in meat imports from Argentina’s closure and decline in hog herds, is searching from more imports.

With its number two supplier of meat shut down, beef prices should increase globally.

Impact on U.S. beef Between an increase in exports to China, the changing demand from COVID-19 and upcoming summer barbeque season, beef prices in the United States are high.

“Already, as retail

plans further court action, including the appeal. Those could include a federal-court lawsuit “for all the things they’ve done to me” and a complaint about Cannon to the Wyoming State Bar. Rammell’s biggest goal is still to overturn the Wyoming brand inspection law as unconstitutional.

“I think if ranchers really understood what the law was, they’d change their tune,” Rammell said. “They think it’s only on out-of-county vehicles. Under this law, if they run a calf or a horse up the road, they need a brand inspection.”

Joy Ufford is a corresponding writer for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup.

Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net. beef prices surge, there is building political momentum in Washington, D.C. for greater scrutiny of the four companies which dominate the meatpacking industry,” shares Hirtzer.

However, with one of China’s major importers temporarily unavailable, the door for increased U.S. beef trade is open.

“China has already been big in the U.S. market in the last few months before this export ban and I think that only has the potential to increase U.S. beef exports to China,” says American Farm Bureau Federation Economist Michael Nepveux.

Intrigued by the disruption Argentina has on U.S. beef exports to China, Nepveux shares, “U.S. prices for beef, the cutout, is already starting to hit extremely elevated levels. Now, how much of this is being passed back to the producers is still a point of contention for some.”

Still, the economist is excited about the positive terms of the beef exports.

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

Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 33 No. 6 • June 5, 2021

5

Wyoming leatherworker honors cowboy art tradition through craft “Some of the finest leatherwork comes from Wyoming,” shared New Mexico native and Wyoming resident Eric Hannig. “I’m just trying to be a part of that.”

Hannig and his younger brother moved from the Albuquerque, N.M. area at a young age to live with their aunt and uncle in Cheyenne –

the home of Wyoming’s Tandy Leather Company store. Both Hannig’s aunt and uncle worked, and they told the brothers to find a hobby to keep themselves out of trouble.

Hannig found his calling at a young age – a boy in search of a hobby – at Tandy Leather.

“I walked into the store and was amazed at

all of the different tools and the many kits all over the walls,” Hannig recalled. “I wanted to give it a try, and ended up taking home a kit.”

This kit was just the start of the story for Hannig’s passion for leather art.

Cowboy art After completing the kit at home in the brothers’ bedroom, Hannig began taking classes at Tandy Leather. Soon after, Hannig had set the goal to turn his passion for leather making into a business.

A leather shop was set up in Hannig’s aunt’s house, and he started to make a living for himself, creating timeless western art along the way. Over the years, Hannig started creating larger and more intricate pieces, including saddles, purses and boots.

“I wanted to make beautiful leather, but I also wanted it to be usable, and the kind of work that cowboys admire and appreciate,” Hannig shared.

As the amount of projects Hannig created increased, including his own builds and many repairs, so did his tools, equipment and need for work space.

When Hannig moved out of his aunt’s home, he moved his shop to downtown Wheatland. Currently, Hannig is in the process of moving his shop back to Cheyenne.

Today, Hannig works diligently to continue to sharpen his skills, taking on many different kinds of pieces and repairs.

For more information, or for custom orders or repairs, visit Hannig’s Facebook page at face-

Torrington Livestock Markets PO Box 1097 • Torrington, WY 82240 307.532.3333 Fax: 307.532.2040

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book.com/ericj.hannig.

Averi Hales is the editor of the Wyoming Live-

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

Hours of practice – In his shop, Eric Hannig spends countless hours perfecting his craft, from carving and tooling to sewing. Courtesy photo

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Wildlife taskforce meets The Wyoming Wildlife Taskforce will gather for their first meeting June 16-17 in Casper. The meeting will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn at 1150 N. Poplar Street. There will also be a virtual attendance option. The public is invited to attend and participate in-person and online.

The Wyoming Wildlife Taskforce was convened

by Gov. Mark Gordon, Wyoming Legislative leadership and the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission. Members were selected through an application process.

The taskforce’s charge is to study top-priority wildlife policy issues facing the state related to the allocation of hunting opportunity, sportsperson access and other issues. The topics will be identified by the taskforce members for study over an 18-month period with the goal of presenting conclusions and recommendations to the Wyoming Legislature, Game and Fish Commission and governor to support decision-making on Wyoming’s wildlife resources.

The meeting agenda is available on the Wyoming Wildlife Taskforce website at wyomingwildlifetaskforce.com, along with other supporting documents. The agenda includes registration details for members of the public participating virtually.

Meetings will be recorded and available for viewing online within a week on the website.

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6

Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 33 No. 6 • June 5, 2021

WSGA continued from page 1 ter prepare future members to be successful in their production operations, while advocating for the beef industry has been invaluable.

“My main focus as YPA president was helping WSGA leadership to develop a marketing plan,” shared Hudson.

“Our young producers would benefit the most from the marketing plan in the future, and this project set the foundation for more young producers to join our group.”

Hudson added there are many successes and highlights of the group through attendance at regional meetings, scheduling ranch tours to learn about each other’s operations in different parts of the state and gaining exposure for the group. He noted the group has strong and ambitious leadership, and encouraged any young producer to reach out to members of the YPA. Industry issues Alongside leadership development and industry

advocacy, YPA President Sage Askin explained there are many changes occurring in the ranching industry.

“I’m a fifth generation rancher, but not on the same ranch. So, essentially, I’m a first generation rancher,” Askin said. “It’s different, and a lot of things are changing in the ranching industry, while principles and morals have remained the same.”

Askin noted the biggest difference he’s seen in today’s ranching industry for young producers is the discrepancy of land value.

“Land is no longer valued, bought or sold by it’s productive or intrinsic value – we hope to keep it taxed this way – but, it is no longer sold this way,” he explained. “This creates a strange dynamic many people are uncomfortable with.”

Askin continued, “I always wanted to own a ranch, but in starting from scratch, I’ve learned leasing is the only

For more information on YPA, visit w ysga .o rg /p ro g ra m s /yo u n gproducers-assembly.

viable option.”

Today, land management and land ownership are often roles held by different people, Askin explained, and he only expects this to be more pronounced in the future.

“Because of this, I feel YPA especially, and us as producers, need to work together towards personal development and develop a diverse array of skills in finance and marketing,” he shared. “The new future must consider owning 1,000 cows and no land, or owning 100,000 acres and no cattle.”

McGinnis added the 30x30 Plan, as well as capital gains taxes and the Death Tax to the list of issues older and younger generations of producers are affected by.

In addition, Hudson shared climate change and sustainability are in ranchers’ laps, and producers need to work hard to change the general public’s perception of what happens on the ground.

“Consumers are so separated from agriculture, its hard for them to understand this is our living,” Hudson said.

“Without our caring for the land, the land will degrade and we don’t make a living.”

Espy noted one of the greatest pieces of advice he’s received, especially in regards

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to issues in the cattle industry is sometimes not losing ground is just as good as gaining ground.

“Working together at a collaborative level will only increase in importance,” Askin shared in regards to how YPA can tackle issues. “The number of stakeholders is ever increasing, and WSGA and YPA must remain diligent in working through issues today and in the future.”

Leadership success YPA Secretary Ty Espy said, “Whether by design or circumstance, I have experienced a lot of success person-

ally and in the industry at 25 years old, thanks to industry involvement.”

He noted the older generation of ranchers has been very accepting and encouraging of younger producers to get involved. He also shared young producers need to serve the industry by keeping the option of serving on grazing association boards or committees open to help advance the industry, as well as their own production.

“In 2014, I was thrown into keeping books for the ranch, which prepared me well for college, but it also

FOSS continued from page 1 “The record book has seven to eight questions every month,” he said.

“Some are pretty simple and others are harder. The record book provides background knowledge on the donated heifer, which provides a lot for me to learn from. One of the harder questions dealt with understanding hormone development in my heifer.”

Foss shared, gaining knowledge and having a greater understanding of cattle production will be helpful to him, especially as he works towards growing his herd.

“This is a cow that is going to produce calves for a long time, not just a show heifer,” he said. “It’s valuable to have an animal like her; to make an income in

the future.”

Production decisions Foss noted he has enjoyed the program and has many favorite parts of his project.

“A couple of my favorite things about the program are getting to spend time with my heifer and looking at her pedigree,” he continued. “My dad usually picks what we do with my other heifers, but with her, it’s all my decision. This makes it a lot of fun.”

In the future, Foss plans on keeping his heifer’s future bull calves to breed to his producing cows, alongside keeping heifers as replacements.

Through this entire process, Foss owns Tilly jointly with the NILE. Before Foss gets to keep the heifer, he has to take her back to the NILE this fall and show her as a bred replacement heifer.

For more information or to apply, visit thenile.org/p/events/livestock/ meritheifer.

gave me a seat at the table and this is something other young producers in the state don’t feel they have yet,” he said. “I have been very grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given, and hope to share with other young producers.”

He continued, “In the last few months, we have set YPA up for success. We have done a lot of outreach and are building more momentum. I can’t wait to see where this brings us.”

Averi Hales is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr. net.

After a positive ultrasound, completing the final record books and showing Tilly as a bred heifer, the program is completed and the heifer will be signed off on as Foss’ to keep.

Heifer program Foss strongly encourages youth to apply for the program. In fact, he believes everyone interested in raising cattle should fill out an application and get started on their own beef cattle herd.

He shared, “It’s a great learning experience and helps youth build their cowherds along with learn more about the beef industry. Plus, it is extremely fun.”

The deadline to apply for the NILE Merit Heifer Program is June 30, 2021 by 4 p.m. Any 4-H or FFA members between the ages of 12 and 16 years of age may apply.

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

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 33 No. 6 • June 5, 2021

7

Program offers opportunities for young people interested in agricultural careers Today there are many programs to help young people who hope to find work or a career in agriculture. Many colleges and universities offer courses in agriculture, animal science and ranch management. A unique program at Texas Christian University (TCU) in Fort Worth, prepares young people for careers in ranch management.

Unique learning opportunity Many things about ranch management are unique, and the TCU program is also unique because the students get to experience ranch situations firsthand and see many kinds of situations. The students go on five-week-long field trips and visit 70 different operations.

“Many ranchers today say they can’t find good young people who are willing and wanting to work,” said TCU Ranch Management Program Director Kerry Cornelius.

“There is tremendous opportunity within the cattle industry today – whether packing plants, feedyards, ranches, backgrounding operations or farming.”

He continues, “There are also many young women today who are going to agricultural universities and entering many fields – not necessarily just ranch management.

More than 50 percent of the agricultural enrollment nationwide is now female.”

Cornelius shares, even today a high percentage of feedyard employees are women.

“It’s been a slow transition, but I see more opportunities in the future for women simply because there is such a tremendous need for help, and

there are many young women interested in an agricultural career. The women who go through our program are very dedicated and do very well.”

Economics and ecology One of the things required for admission to this program is some experience.

“We want students to know what they are getting into, and understand the terminology,” states Cornelius, noting working outdoors can be difficult, especially in extreme weather. “Some of the students today come from urban backgrounds, and in those instances we require they go get some experience before they sign up.”

“We don’t want culture shock for a student spending all their money and time on an education and then get out there and realize this isn’t really what they want to do,” Cornelius says.

Two of the pieces in the program’s mission statement, which are key to success, are a focus on economics and ecology.

“Ranches can’t have one without the other and be sustainable,” says Cornelius. “We teach our students how to put a dollar value on everything they do. We are a business school focusing on beef cattle production.”

“In the program, we focus on the business side,” he states. “To be sustainable, ranchers need both the economics and the ecology; if they are not leaving the ranch better than they found it, they are probably going the wrong way and it will cost the ranch more.”

He continues, “We teach science and science-based

courses, but even in those courses – whether its range management, nutrition or animal health – we look at what everything costs and the returns.”

If people are in the ranching business for the long haul, it won’t work if they can’t make a profit. In fact, many people today have ranches as a hobby, with an outside source of income.

“Hobby ranches are fine, but there are people trying to make a living ranching,” says Cornelius. “In many of those instances, another job is needed to support the hobby.”

On the other hand, land is often too expensive for most people looking to start a ranch.

Cornelius notes it is cheaper to lease land than to own it.

There are landowners who don’t want to own cattle or do the work involved in ranching; they own land as an investment or for recreation and don’t want to own cattle.

Cornelius notes many of those operations are available for lease.

Another factor is the aging of today’s present ranch owners.

“This often creates an opportunity for young people,” Cornelius shares. “Some older producers may want to find somebody to come in and operate the business or even pass it down,” he says.

Hands-on program Within the program, the five-week ranch tours take students to a variety of operations.

“The first ranch we visit in the fall semester is in the panhandle of Texas and the second one is in south Texas,” Cornelius explains. “In the

Different operations – Students in the TCU Ranch Management Program visit different types of cattle operations to understand production. Courtesy photo

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spring, we go to southwest Texas and then to east Texas.

The last tour takes us into western Oklahoma, western Kansas and into the Flint Hills, the Osage and the Arbuckle mountains.”

He shares, students have the opportunity to see purebred cow/calf operations, commercial cow/calf operations, stocker operations, feedyards, packing plants and any other kind of beef operation in each region for a broad exposure to various aspects of beef production.

“There are three ways to learn something,” Cornelius states. “Students can hear it, see it and do it. They hear it in the classroom, see it on field trips and then we have six

major projects where they put what they have learned into practice.”

Through this, students put their education to work for themselves and be able to think through ranch management issues.

The TCU Ranch Management Program trains students to meet the challenges of agricultural resource management, according to Cornelius. In the rapidly expanding job market for agricultural resource managers there are opportunities in many areas, including commodity investment, agricultural marketing and international trade, as well as ranch management. The goal of the program is to prepare individuals to help shape

the future of agricultural asset management.

The faculty is dedicated to teaching principles of managing soils, water, plants, animals, marketing, finance and people, and the curriculum is designed to teach agricultural resource management by combining academics and practical experience. The faculty strives to prepare individuals for a lifetime of productive and rewarding work.

The program is challenging and requires dedication, hard work, careful study and pride in one’s profession.

Heather Smith Thomas is a corresponding writer for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup.

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

Ranch basics – The TCU Ranch Management Program teaches ecology and economics as the basis of sustainable ranching. Courtesy photo

8

Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 33 No. 6 • June 5, 2021

UW professor one of nine to present at national cattle industry workshop A University of Wyoming (UW) agricultural economics professor is one of nine presenters at a workshop called by the Committee on Agriculture in the U.S. House of Representatives to analyze cattle market issues, particularly related to price discovery.

Chris Bastian in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics is presenting “How Markets Work,” examining price discovery, during the June 3-4 conference in Kansas City.

The event is offered by the Agricultural and Food Policy Center (AFPC) at Texas A&M University.

The AFPC commissioned papers on specific industry topics from experts around the country. The papers and other workshop information will be submitted in a report to Con-

gress at the end of the summer, and a book will be available to the public published from the presented papers.

Market research Bastian’s presentation is from a research article titled “How Market Institutions, Risks and Agent Incentives Affect Price Discovery: Fed Cattle Market Implications,” written with department colleagues Associate Professor Chian Jones Ritten and Research Associate Amy Nagler, all in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

A conference focus is whether there should be intervention in fed cattle markets.

The UW researchers, instead of policy intervention, support the use of a transparent electronic trading platform for spot market transactions to

More about the conference can be found at bit.ly/KCcattleworkshop.

improve price discovery in fed cattle markets, which would use a double auction, such as that used in futures markets.

“We extend this suggestion here as an alternative for consideration to policies focused on mandating increased negotiated cash trade,” they wrote in their paper. “Research suggests a double auction would likely be the best trading institution for such an endeavor.”

One policy fix for markets being proposed would require packers to buy more cattle on a cash basis, which some argue would raise prices.

“If one doesn’t understand more in-depth some of these risks and incentives and some of the stuff that’s going on in the market, they can look at that and think it is probably a really good idea to mandate packers have to buy more cattle on the cash market,” Bastian said.

“But, by understanding the risks and incentives both

buyers and sells face in this market, our work would suggest it is really likely not going to fix all those problems,” he said.

The UW research suggests some buyers and sellers would be better off, some would be worse off, but supply and demand are largely determining general price levels.

“These policy proposals are not going to fix the problems they think they are going to fix,” he said.

Market complications COVID-19 complicated two major factors, which increased concerns in the market, Bastian said. Many worry the use of alternative marketing agreements reduce the volume of reported cash trades to the point reported cash prices do not reflect the true price of cattle.

“So producers are concerned those negotiated agreements may not be using the right cash price as a base price, and this is where this concern

over price discovery is coming from,” said Bastian.

Packing plant closures was another factor. A fire shut down a packing plant last year, resulting in less demand for cattle and depressing prices for cattle until other plants purchased more cattle or increased capacity.

COVID-19 illnesses among workers then shut down some plants periodically, further reducing demand for cattle. This resulted in less boxed beef sold to grocery stores and pushed beef prices up in stores, causing a divergence of prices where beef prices went up in stores, but the prices packers were paying for live cattle went down.

“There was this impression that packers were really just making a ton of money off of live cattle and forcing cattle prices down, and really there were some supply and demand things going

on which explains why those prices went this way,” said Bastian.

The reduced cattle demand drove down prices, he said.

Bastian believes there is nothing illegal happening, not something producers may want to hear, and understandably so, he added.

“There are real concerns out there, and I understand why they have concerns,” Bastian said. “The problem is this is a very complex economic problem, and the simple fix which is being talked about really isn’t going to address all of the risks and incentives that are creating these issues.”

This article was written by University of Wyoming Extension Senior Editor Dr. Steve Miller and is courtesy of the University of Wyoming. Miller can be reached at slmiller@ uwyo.edu. For more information, visit uwagnews.com.

Market analysis – UW professor Chris Bastian presented market research to a U.S. House of Representatives committee workshop.

UW photo

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 33 No. 6 • June 5, 2021

NCBA continued from page 1 icy tends to include more than just trade. The new administration’s agenda focuses more on human rights, labor and climate, and the incorporation of climate allows beef producers to be more involved.

“This is creating some opportunities for us to engage and really tell a story about our industry, about our producers and put a face on the product we produce.”

Bacus hopes as producers become more involved and share their story, the image of factory farms is broken and a positive light is shone on the industry.

“I think we are going to have a lot of opportunities over the next couple of years to incorporate a positive story, in addition to advancing our trade policies,” Bacus explains.

Climate change has also been a heavily discussed

topic within the Biden administration, and it is no surprise today’s trade market is focused around this matter. However, climate has been talked about for over a decade in agriculture.

“I think the international story about livestock production is that it contributes anywhere from 14 to 15 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. This is not the case in the United States, and this, I would say, is wholly attributed to the work of our producers,” shares NCBA Environmental Counsel MaryThomas Hart, crediting the advancements to improvements in genetics, utilization of technology and improved grazing management. “This means direct emissions from cattle in the United States only account for two percent of our country’s overall gas emissions.”

9

This statistic can all be attributed to cattle producers implementing efficient practices which can be tracked.

Hart describes these practices as a blueprint. Cattle producers have found what works and showed benefits to the country.

“It adds a significant value to our beef product when we can sell it as a sustainable product globally,” Hart says.

Science-based trade When trade and climate come together, science is the key to success.

“One of the fundamentals the United States has always had is we want market based, rules-based and science-based trade, and as these climate discussions are coming forward, its just as import now to incorporate science in setting all of those standards,” says Bacus.

The United States and NCBA have faced tariff trouble in the past, which has hindered the cattle industry from capitalizing

on foreign trade. Cattle producers and the government have had to work together to put in place protectional measures to trade with European and Asian countries.

Bacus predicts, “Moving forward we are really going to have to do a good job of telling the story and laying out all of those science-based arguments.”

Bacus and Hart both agree science should continue to be a foundation in the trade discussion.

“It is important to emphasis the point of science being the foundation for these decisions and for the United States. Giving the cattle industry a voice in telling the story in sound science and true benefits the cattle industry and cattle producers have to the environment,” Hart mentions.

Sharing the story For trade to continue to be successful, cattle producers need to continue to advocate for the indus-

“One of the fundamentals the United States has always had is we want market based, rulesbased and science-based trade, and as these climate discussions are coming forward, its just as import now to incorporate science in setting all of those standards.” – Kent Bacus, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association try. When cattle producers share their story, it helps consumers appreciate the product.

“What producers have and the story they can tell is so much more valuable than me telling their story,” shares Hart.

Not all consumers understand the daily practices of cattle producers. When producers share about their morning chores or conservation practices, it draws the consumers to the industry.

Bacus explains, “There is a growing disconnect from people knowing how their food is raised and how their food is produced, and this always creates an

Housing help provided On June 1, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack kicked off National Homeownership Month, as part of a nationwide celebration to highlight U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) efforts to provide access to affordable housing for rural Americans. Since 2011, USDA has invested over $2.3 billion to help 12,750 families and individuals buy homes in rural Wyoming.

“Safe, energy-efficient, affordable housing is essential to the vitality of communities in rural America,” said Secretary Vilsack. “The American Rescue Plan is providing critical relief to rural homeowners and helping to keep more Americans in their homes. USDA is committed to using our resources to help support healthy, resilient and more equitable communities through homeownership.”

USDA Rural Development supports rural homeownership through the following programs: the Single Family Housing Direct Home Loan Program, the Home Repair Loan and Grant Program and the Mutual Self-Help Housing Grant Program.

To learn more about USDA homeownership programs, rd.usda.gov/programs-services/all-programs/single-family-housing-programse or contact the Wyoming Rural Development State Office.

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opportunity for us.”

For producers, it is easy to advocate for the industry by sharing the importance to family, community and country. By being involved, there is a chance to share the story.

Ashley McDonald, host of the Beltway Beef podcast, concludes, “The cattle industry and cattle producers are addressing 21st century problems and it is important their story is shared and the cattle industry has a seat at the table in these conversations.”

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

10

Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 33 No. 6 • June 5, 2021

CALENDAR

SALES June 9

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

June 14-20

EVENTS

June 16-17

June 5-6

Colorado Breed Bash Youth Cattle Show, Brush, Colo. For more information, visit facebook.com/Colorado-Breed-Bash or e-mail breedbash@ gmail.com.

June 8 Natrona County Predator Management District Budget and Board of Directors Meeting, 6 p.m., telephone conference. Dial-in to 605-3136272 and enter access code 553517 to access the meeting. Contact Laurie Alexander at 307-258-0024 or ncpmd1@charter.net for questions.

June 9 Wyoming Livestock Board Meeting, 10:30 a.m., Wyoming Livestock Board Office, Cheyenne. For more information, visit wlsb.state.wy.us.

June 9 Medicine Bow Landscape Vegetation Analysis Project Workshop, 6 p.m., online. For more information e-mail joseph.f.gonzales@usda.gov.

June 10 Animal Damage Management Board, 9 a.m., Wyoming Game and Fish Office, Casper. For more information, visit wyadmb.com or call 307-7776781.

June 8-10 2021 National Cooperative Soil Survey Conference, online. For more information, visit nrcs.usda.gov.

June 12-13 24th Annual Wind River Flywheelers Antique Engine and Tractor Show, 10 a.m., East Park, Shoshoni. For more information, contact Carlta Witthar at 307-856-1164 of cmaule@wyoming.com.

June 12-13 Hulett Rodeo, Hulett. For more information, visit the Hulett Rodeo Facebook page, rodeohulettwy.com or call 307-467-5668.

June 13-19 College National Finals Rodeo, Casper, Casper Events Center. For more information, visit cnfr.com.

June 14 Wyoming Game and Fish Department Chronic Wasting Disease management meeting, 6 p.m., First State Bank, Wheatland.

June 15 Wyoming Game and Fish Department Chronic Wasting Disease management meeting, 6 p.m., Wyoming Game and Fish Department Regional Office, Laramie.

June 16 Wyoming Game and Fish Department Chronic Wasting Disease management meeting, 6 p.m., Wyoming Game and Fish Department Headquarters, Cheyenne.

June 16-17 Wyoming Wildlife Taskforce Meeting, Hilton Garden Inn, Casper. For more information, visit wyomingwildlifetaskforce.com.

June 18-19 10th Annual Chris LeDoux Days, Harold Jarrard Park, Kaycee. For more information, visit chrisledoux.com.

June 19-20 World Famous 60th Annual Woodchoppers Jamboree and Rodeo, Encampment. For more information, visit woodchoppersjamboree.org.

June 20-26 North American Junior Red Angus Event, Lebanon, Tenn. For more information, visit najrae.com.

June 21-23 2021 Casper College Livestock Judging Camp, Grace Werner Agricultural Pavilion, Casper College. To register, visit caspercollege.edu/events/ ag-judging-camp. For more information, contact Jeremy Burkett at jburkett@caspercollege.edu or 307-268-2417.

June 28 Wyoming Game and Fish Department Chronic Wasting Disease management meeting, 6 p.m., Thorne/Williams Research Center, Sybille.

June 29 Wyoming Game and Fish Department Chronic Wasting Disease management meeting, 6 p.m., Glendo Town Hall, Glendo.

June 30-July 7 Silver State International Rodeo, Winnemucca, N.V. For more information and to register online, visit ssir.us or contact Kathy Gonzalez at 775217-2810 or silverstate10@yahoo.com.

July 3-11 Laramie Jubilee Days, Laramie. For more information, visit laramiejubileedays.org.

July 9-17 Central Wyoming Fair and Rodeo, Central Wyoming Fairgrounds, Casper. For more information, visit centralwyomingfair.com or call 307235-5775.

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1 Blk Cow, 1450# .....................$6600 1 Blk Cow, 1270# .....................$6450 2 Blk Cows, avg. 1383#...........$6350 Clark, Dale - Worland 1 Blk Cow, 1245# .....................$6800 1 Blk Cow, 1130# .....................$6750 1 Blk Cow, 1405# .....................$6250 Hampton Sheep Co. - Worland 1 Blk Cow, 1550# .....................$6800 Johnson & Schuebel Farms - Cody 1 Blk Cow, 1180# .....................$6750 1 Blk Cow, 1345# .....................$6400 Coble, Mike - Burlington 1 Blk Cow, 1170# .....................$6700 Schuebel Land & Livestock - Cody 1 Blk Cow, 1705# .....................$6700 1 Blk Cow, 1470# .....................$6700 1 Blk Cow, 1195# .....................$6550 1 Blk Cow, 1505# .....................$6450 1 Blk Cow, 1340# .....................$6200 Fabricius, Dale - Burlington 1 Blk Cow, 1400# .....................$6650 1 Red Cow, 1305# ...................$6050 Greer Land & Livestock LLC - Hyattville 1 CharX Cow, 1180#................$6550 Johnstone, Casey - Ten Sleep 1 BWF Cow, 1370#.................$6550 Horton, Darrell - Greybull 1 Blk Bull, 1060# ......................$6500 1 BWF Cow, 1365#..................$6150 Hoyt, Mark - Basin 1 Blk Cow, 1335# .......................$6450 1 Blk Cow, 1585# .......................$6300 1 Blk Cow, 1455# .......................$6250 1 Blk Cow, 1320# .......................$6200 Allen, Travis - Thermopolis 1 Blk Cow, 1290# .......................$6450 Mueller, Terry - Shell 1 Blk Cow, 1275# .......................$6400 1 Blk Cow, 1335# .......................$6200 Hillberry, Dee - Thermopolis 1 Hrfd Cow, 1460# .....................$6350

Danny Vigil Northern Livestock Represenative Gasvoda, Gretchen - Greybull 1 Blk Cow, 1300# .......................$6250 Dewey, Jesse - Otto 1 RWF Cow, 1220# ...................$6200 Redland, Adam - Burlington 1 Blk Cow, 1115# .......................$6100 Ward, Paul - Thermopolis 1 Blk Cow, 1320# .......................$6050 Zeller Ranch - Meeteetse 1 Blk Cow, 1270# .......................$6000 Wiechmann, Jason - Ten Sleep 1 Blk Cow, 1290# .......................$5900 HEIFERETTES Clark, Dale - Worland 1 Blk Hfrette, 1060# .................$9500 1 Blk Hfrette, 980# ...................$9150 1 Blk Hfrette, 995# ...................$8850 Dewey, Jesse - Otto 1 Blk Hfrette, 990# ...................$9300 Gasvoda, Gretchen - Greybull 1 SimX Hfrette, 1330# ...............$8500 Brown, Matt - Thermopolis 2 Blk Hfrettes, avg. 1035# .......$8200 Mueller, Terry - Shell 1 Blk Hfrette, 1115# ..................$8200 PAIRS Horton, Darrell - Greybull 6 BWF Pairs ....................$1375/Hd.

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POSTCARD from the Past

Compiled by Dick Perue rrichardperue@gmail.com

Another Fish Tale from Saratoga ‘Best trout fishing in the World’ The following letter to the editor appeared in the Saratoga Sun over 100 years ago on May 11, 1911.

Shall we Saratogians allow little old New York state to put over a fish story like the enclosed and remain silent?

What has become of our heavyweight fisher-

man? Is the “King Fisherman” dead or only married?

The trout used to bite so voraciously in Saratoga that a good fisherman had to climb a tree to protect himself.

The story in the New York Sun is to the effect that a boy was leaning over the gunwale of a boat looking into the water,

This rare photo is of 10-year-old Garret Price, second from right, and Baldy Sisson, center, with a string of trout this fishing party caught in or near Saratoga in the early 1900s. Price later became a world-renowned cartoonist and wrote in his memoires, based at the UW American Heritage Center, about this fishing experience.

“Baldy Sisson, called the ‘World’s Greatest Trout Fisherman’ got a merciless kidding this particular day,” Price said. “I caught more trout than he.” Price also noted, “I once won a $5 gold piece for the most fish caught –105 – for the fish fry.” This information and photo appear in the newly released pictorial history book, “Saratoga, 150 Years” written by Elva Evans and graced with more than 80 historic photos provided by Dick Perue. Historical Reproductions by Perue

when a trout caught him by the nose and held on until the boy fell back into the boat thus securing a fine big trout at the expense of a bloody nose.

We rather think we can beat that. About 10 or 12 years ago, a boy of 12 wanted to go fishing and coaxed his father to allow him to take his rod and fine fishing outfit. A younger brother, a boy of seven, wanted to go along and made such a fuss about not having a fishing rod that his father tied a twine string to a bed slat, bent a pin for a hook, baited it with a piece of bacon and told the youngster to go, too.

The boys went to the iron bridge that spans the river here and fished. In about 20 minutes, pandemonium broke loose.

It was a warm, quiet day and sounds carried far and a greater part of the inhabitants of the town rushed to the bridge to rescue the drowning boys. But, the yells and whoops and demonical shrieks continued and a motley procession of small humanity came trooping off the bridge, led by the boy with the bed-slat, who had a four pound rainbow trout dangling from his bent pin.

Strange to say the boy lived to be a strong healthy man and retains a very vivid recollection of his first trout.

Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 33 No. 6 • June 5, 2021

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 33 No. 6 • June 5, 2021

Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 33 No. 6 • June 5, 2021

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 33 No. 6 • June 5, 2021

Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 33 No. 6 • June 5, 2021

It’s the Pitts

by Lee Pitts

Covid Prison Blues I can just hear this candid conversation occurring someday.

“Grandpa, were you ever in a penitentiary like San Quentin or Leavenworth?”

“No, little Billy, but I did do hard time in ’20 and ’21, in a far worse slammer called COVID-19. It was worse than any gulag, Chinese prison camp or even Alcatraz. Maybe you’ve heard about the Bird Man of Alcatraz, well I was known as the Bug Man of COVID-19.”

“Why were you called the Bug Man of COVID-19, Grandpa?”

“Because I got so lonely and depressed looking through bars rather than going to them, I made a friend out of a black widow who visited my cell daily. I even taught it to do some tricks.”

“Did you have a cellmate?”

“Yeah, your grandmother.”

“So, I guess you could

say you were a member of a crime family?”

“I guess you could say so.”

“What were you in for?

Robbery, rape or murder perhaps?”

“No, none of those, but I got a stiffer sentence than if I’d have been an axe murderer. Somehow, I got involved in international espionage and a worldwide syndicate, which was spreading a deadly Chinese virus.

One day, a cop saw me walking into the drugstore wearing a mask and figured I was going to rob the place. He tried to shoot me, but missed and busted the Advil display instead. When I went to trial, the judge threw the book at me. He too missed and hit my defense attorney. But, he deserved it.”

“Did you get sent to one of those country club prisons, Grandpa, where the

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guards go to lunch with the prisoners at a nice restaurant every day?”

“Nah, all the restaurants were closed. And it wasn’t like I had a summer cell in the Hamptons. Keep in mind, my cell mate was your grandma. She was so upset at being confined with me that I had to sleep with one eye open and had to learn how to fight. She put me in the hospital and it was like solitary confinement ‘cause no one could visit me. The only good thing about being in solitary was I didn’t have to worry about bending over to pick up a bar of soap in the shower.”

“Didn’t they give you an hour or two each day to go out into the yard for some exercise?”

“Yeah they did, but it tuned out that my neighbors were some crazy people.

There were undesirable char-

acters like One Thumb Frank, Ice, Humpy and the Seagull – all of them cold-blooded thugs. It was the Seagull who stepped on my pet spider on purpose and killed it. So, I made a shiv out of a plastic dinner utensil. But, when I stabbed the Seagull, my shiv broke and he put me back in the infirmary.”

“Is it true Gramps, you can get anything in prison; contraband like drugs and booze?”

“Oh sure. Prisoners were distilling the alcohol out of handi-wipes and hand sanitizer, but it didn’t help me ‘cause I didn’t drink. I didn’t smoke either, so I traded my cigarettes for extra rations.

The only good thing about being imprisoned was the good home-cooked food in COVID-19. That’s why they called it COVID-19. That’s how many pounds I gained per year while I was in the

joint – 19.”

“Did anyone ever try to slip you a file in a birthday cake or did you ever try to break out of COVID-19?”

“Yeah, I dug a tunnel, but somehow got disoriented and when I busted out I came up in the warden’s office. For this, he cut off my free cable TV and took the government stimulus checks all the prisoners got. The warden was on the take. He was the biggest crook in the place.”

“Did you get time off for good behavior, Grandpa?”

“No, but when all the prisons got overcrowded and they started releasing mass murderers, I slipped through the cracks. But, the world had changed completely by the time I got out. I swore upon my release I was running so far away from COVID-19 it would take a hundred bucks in stamps just to send me a postcard.”

New wolf harvesting laws upset U.S. protection groups On May 26, wildlife advocates leapt into action, trying to revive federal protections for gray wolves across the Northern Rockies. Three major wildlife advocates, including the Center for Biological Diversity, Humane Society of the United States and Sierra Club filed a legal petition. This petition asked Interior Secretary Deb Haaland to use her emergency authority to return wolves in the region to protection under the Endangered Species Act. The petition seeks to restore protection in at least six states, including Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, eastern Washington, eastern Oregon and a small area in northern Utah.

This push came after lawmakers in Idaho and Montana made it much

easier to lethally remove the predators. Legislation in recent weeks allows hunters and trappers to kill an unlimited number of wolves in the Idaho and Montana area.

Legislative changes In May, Idaho’s Legislature passed Senate Bill 1211, allowing the state to hire private contractors to kill up to 90 percent of Idaho’s wolf population.

Montana’s Senate Bill 314 could lead to potentially setting back 85 percent of the wolf numbers.

Aggressive tactics, such as hunting from ATVs and helicopters, utilizing night-vision scopes and setting lethal snares that some consider inhumane are allowed under these resolutions. Idaho’s law also allows the state to hire private contractors to

remove wolves.

“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was very clear a change in state law which allowed for unregulated, unlimited take of wolves would set off the alarm,” said Humane Society of the United States Attorney Nicholas Arrivo.

“This is essentially an attempt to push the population down to the very minimum.”

Andrea Zaccardi, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, said “These newly enacted laws could decrease the gray wolf population dramatically.”

Behind the scenes The reason for this legislative change in Idaho comes from lawmakers who introduced the goal to reduce the state’s 1,500 wolves to the allowed min-

imum of 150 to protect livestock and boost deer and elk populations.

In April, Montana signed a law requiring wolf numbers to be reduced, but not below the 15 breeding pairs of the animals.

“It wasn’t to reduce them to zero, it was to reduce them to a sustainable level,” said Greg Lemon, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

“We’ve got the track record and the statutory framework to ensure they are managed at that sustainable level.”

Idaho should be able to track how many are killed through a mandatory reporting system.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has long contended it’s not necessary for wolves to be in every place they once inhabited

WAIC shares bookmark finalists Wyoming Agriculture in the Classroom (WAIC) holds a bookmark contest each

year for Wyoming students in second through fifth grades. Students create a message centered

around the state’s natural resources and industries to illustrate their message.

The finalists, along with

their families and teachers will be honored at an annual celebration in Cheyenne.

to be considered recovered. It’s also noted that Idaho has slowly loosened hunting regulations over the last decade without a spike in animals hunted and there haven’t been any dips of low numbers.

Resolution The protection agencies would like for the Interior Secretary to act before July 1, as this is when the laws will go into

action in Idaho.

Bob Brown, Montana state senator and bill sponsor, said during a legislative hearing in March “We can’t sit by and allow our game, the thing which feeds so many families, to be taken off the table.”

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

24TH ANNUAL Wind River Flywheelers Antique Engine and Tractor Show June 12 & 13 • East Park in Shoshoni, WY

SCHEDULE Saturday

10 a.m. – Tractor Drive – Highway 11 a.m. – Tractor Games 1 p.m. – Auction 1:30 p.m. – Tractor Pull

Sunday

10 a.m. – Tractor Drive – Highway 11 a.m. – Tractor Pull 2 p.m. – Raffle Drawing

$1 each or 6 for $5 • Do NOT have to be present PEDAL TRACTOR 4020 John Deere & lap quilts Tractor Donated by Stotz Equipment

ON-GOING ACTIVITIES Car Show • Engine Exhibits • Blacksmith Craft & Food Booths • Dutch Oven Cooking Steamed Corn • Museum Trailer

For Kids

Barrel Train • Pedal Tractors Sand Box

FREE TO ATTEND! 2021 Finalist – Lily Barker, Fifth Grade Uinta Meadows Elementary, Evanston. Sponsored by the Wyoming Natural Resource Foundation.

Food vendors and music (Packin the Mail) will be available for lunch, including Dutch oven cooking.

For more information, contact: Carlta Witthar 856-1164

or e-mail:

cmaule@wyoming.com

Vendors – call:

Cindy Leonhardt 856-6804.

2021 Finalist – Wyatt Williamson, Fifth Grade Moorcroft K-8, Moorcroft. Sponsored by First Northern Bank.

Branch 72 Early Days Gas Engine and Tractor Assoc.

Supported by Wind River Visitors Council and Shoshoni, WY Chamber of Commerce

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 33 No. 6 • June 5, 2021

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RIVERTON LIVESTOCK AUCTION Tuesday, June 1 Market Report • 632 Head Sold Representative Sales

COWS THERMOPOLIS 4 Cow, 1127# ................................... $82.50 COKEVILLE 3 Cow, 1035# ................................... $76.00 DANIEL 3 Cow, 1010# ................................... $75.00 THERMOPOLIS 11 Cow, 1272# ................................... $69.50 SHOSHONI 4 Cow, 1490# ................................... $65.50 THERMOPOLIS 3 Cow, 1295# ................................... $64.50 7 Cow, 1453# ................................... $64.25 LANDER 5 Cow, 1296# ................................... $63.50 DANIEL 6 Cow, 1195# ................................... $63.00 BOULDER 6 Cow, 1270# ................................... $62.00 3 Cow, 1371# ................................... $61.50 LANDER 3 Cow, 1510# ................................... $61.00 4 Cow, 1235# ................................... $60.50 RIVERTON 3 Cow, 1228# ................................... $58.50 LANDER 5 Cow, 1154# ................................... $57.00 BIG PINEY 5 Cow, 1076# ................................... $56.00 OPAL 3 Cow, 1190# ................................... $53.00 BULLS SARATOGA 1 Bull, 1225# .................................. $102.00 ALCOVA 3 Bull, 2076# .................................... $96.50 RIVERTON 1 Bull, 2155# .................................... $94.50 LANDER 1 Bull, 2100# .................................... $91.50

SARATOGA 3 Bull, 1886# .................................... $89.00 LANDER 1 Bull, 1980# .................................... $88.50 PAVILLION 1 Bull, 2095# .................................... $85.00 PAIRS SAVERY 4 Pair, 1277# (2-Yr Olds) ............ $1,625.00 SARATOGA 8 Pair, 1310# (ST) ....................... $1,000.00 STEERS & HEIFERS FARSON 10 Steer, 734#.................................. $134.00 14 Steer, 597#.................................. $130.00 RAWLINS 5 Heifer, 426#................................. $154.00 MCKINNON 11 Heifer, 505# ................................. $144.00 FARSON 13 Heifer, 543#................................. $141.00 54 Heifer, 637#................................. $140.50 5 Heifer, 691#................................. $136.00 HEIFERETTES SARATOGA 9 Heiferette, 794# .......................... $107.00 MOUNTAIN VIEW 6 Heiferette, 913# .......................... $103.00 DANIEL 3 Heiferette, 945# .......................... $101.00 SHOSHONI 3 Heiferette, 951# ............................ $95.00 FARSON 2 Heiferette, 982# ............................ $95.00 LANDER 4 Heiferette, 1000# .......................... $91.50 DANIEL 7 Heiferette, 963# ............................ $90.00

E-mail us at riverton@winterlivestock.com

Early Consignments TUESDAY, JUNE 8

TUESDAY, AUGUST 3

NO SALE

NO SALE

TUESDAY, JUNE 15

TUESDAY, AUGUST 10

ALL CATTLE CLASSES START TIME 9:00 AM W/ WEIGH UPS

TUESDAY, JUNE 22 NO SALE

TUESDAY, JUNE 29 ALL CATTLE CLASSES W/ SHEEP & HORSES START TIME 9:00 AM W/ SHEEP & WEIGH UPS Hellyer Ranch - 41 Blk Ang Pairs (Approx 20- 3 Yr Olds, 9- 4-6 Yr Olds, 12 - 7-8 Yr Olds). Rec Virashield 6 VL5 & poured this Spring. Popo Agie genetics. One brand, fancy Pairs!

TUESDAY, JULY 6 NO SALE

TUESDAY, JULY 13 ALL CATTLE CLASSES START TIME 9:00 AM W/ WEIGH UPS

TUESDAY, JULY 20 NO SALE

TUESDAY, JULY 27 ALL CATTLE CLASSES W/ SHEEP & HORSES START TIME 9:00 AM W/ SHEEP & WEIGH UPS

ALL CATTLE CLASSES 4-H RESALE (NOON) START TIME 9:00 AM W/ WEIGH UPS

TUESDAY, AUGUST 17 NO SALE

TUESDAY, AUGUST 24 ALL CATTLE CLASSES W/ SHEEP & HORSES & 4-H RESALE (NOON) START TIME 9:00 AM W/ SHEEP & WEIGH UPS

TUESDAY, AUGUST 31 NO SALE

All sales are broadcast live on the internet at www.cattleusa.com.

Please register online to bid on livestock. Be sure to check out our country cattle listings at www.cattleusa.com

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