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The “Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story Of Those Who Survived The
Great American Dust Bowl,” by Timothy Egan, is a fascinating book that
details some of the misery of the Southern Plains through the Great
Depression and Dust Bowl. The book provides a unique perspective on the
daily struggles that people of that time faced.
-- Click on headline to read the rest of this
story by Troy Marshall
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Someone pointed out the other day that this country has had a
revolution of sorts about every 80 years, starting with the
Revolutionary War, and followed by the Civil War, and the Great
Depression and World War II. If that’s the case, we’re about due for
another one.
-- Click on headline to read the rest of this
story by Troy Marshall
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American Agri-Women leaders from throughout the U.S. will meet in
St. Louis April 3-5 to update their positions on legislative and
regulatory policy for the year. The meeting will include sessions on
using the Internet to promote ag businesses and preparations for the
annual Legislative Fly-In to Washington, D.C., June 7-10. Go to www.americanagriwomen.org
for more info.
-- American Agri-Women release
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 Building News: Ventilation, open
space essential for cow-calf housing
If there’s one thing that beef producers need to ensure the safety and
comfort of their cows and calves, it's an indoor shelter. Housing your
cows and calves inside steel-framed, fabric buildings available from
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Become a part of the Legendary Spring Sale and save 15% on select
building models this spring. Visit www.coverall.net or click here
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Bureau of Land Management (BLM) officials said no to Madeleine
Pickens’ (wife of oilman T. Boone Pickens) offer of creating a refuge
for 30,000 wild horses because BLM says the plan doesn’t fit current
federal rules.
Pickens wanted to establish a sanctuary for horses currently in BLM
long-term holding facilities after BLM said it was considering
euthanasia for some of the animals. The refuge would be located on a
million-acre Nevada site made up of both public and private lands. And
she requested a $500/horse/year BLM stipend to fund a nonprofit
foundation to oversee the horses’ care.
But BLM says the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burro Act of 1971 only
allows stipends for private landowners who care for federally-owned
horses. Because public portions of the site lie outside grazing areas
designated by the Act, federally-owned horses can’t be located
there.
Still, Nevada State BLM Director Ron Wenker hopes to work something out.
"We could contract the foundation to care for the wild horses on private
land, or we could give her title to the horses making them private
property without compensation. We haven't closed the door," he says.
-- TheHorse.com
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Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Judd Gregg (R-NH), Ted Kennedy (D-MA),
and Richard Burr (R-NC) introduced the “FDA Food Safety Modernization
Act” that will give the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) new
authorities, tools and resources to reform the nation’s food safety
system. The bill has been endorsed by the Grocery Manufacturers
Association and the National Restaurant Association.
-- Click on headline to read the rest of this
story by P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C. correspondent
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 Good news for beef exports
The U.S. Meat Export Federation reported that for 2008, export volumes
increased 28% to nearly 2.2 billion pounds, while values jumped 38% to
$3.6 billion. Canada and Mexico were the top two destinations for U.S.
beef. Get to know your checkoff — learn
more about how your investment continues to build beef demand around
the world.
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Bruce Anderson, University of Nebraska Extension forage specialist,
offers the following tips on spring cultivation of established alfalfa,
as well as fertilization advice.
- Anderson says some Great Plains alfalfa growers periodically
cultivate their alfalfa stands. It’s usually done to control weeds
like mustards and downy brome, but sometimes light tillage is used to
incorporate fertilizer, smooth rough spots, or lessen compaction.
Some folks believe such tillage increases production by splitting crowns
into two or more plants. Anderson says tillage generally does stimulate
early alfalfa growth by blackening the soil and maybe improving water
infiltration, but most research shows that spring tillage aggressive
enough to provide useful weed control also damages alfalfa stands and
yields. Likewise, light tillage that doesn’t harm stands also usually
fails to control many weeds.
The down side to alfalfa tillage is that by cutting open some of the
crowns, diseases can enter and start injuring the plant. These crown and
root diseases usually take a while to show much damage, so if the field
will be rotated to another crop in a year or two, losses will be slight
if any. But, if you want to keep that stand for a longer time, don’t
till or diseases might start to thin your stands earlier than normal.
The bottom line is that spring tillage before alfalfa greens up and when
soils are dry does little immediate harm to alfalfa, but it also does
little good.
- How much fertilizer should you apply to alfalfa? One can always
guess, but with increasing fertilizer costs, the smart answer is to
first get a soil test.
Soil tests tell you the amount of each nutrient your soil can provide to
your alfalfa plants. From that, you can determine how much more
fertilizer, if any, should be applied for maximum profits.
Remember that alfalfa gets most of its nitrogen from the air if the
plant roots are well-nodulated. Thus, usually you’re just wasting
money if you fertilize with nitrogen. However, all other nutrients must
come from the soil or from fertilizer.
Collect soil samples as soon as frost is gone from existing alfalfa
fields and also from fields you expect to plant to alfalfa this spring
and next fall. Send the samples to a lab for analyses of phosphorus and
soil pH. If your field is sandy, eroded or highly weathered, also test
for potassium and sulfur.
Most important of all, use the results of these soil tests, with advice
from your Extension educator and fertilizer dealer, to develop an
alfalfa fertilizer program designed for your conditions.
-- Bruce Anderson, UNL Extension forage
specialist
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It’s still too early to tell how a Barack Obama USDA will stack up
for U.S. cattlemen, but the first reports offer some positive and some
concerning inklings, experts say.
-- Click on headline to read the rest of this
story by Joe Roybal
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The Fellowship of Christian Farmers International is continuing its
Hurricane Ike Rapid Response disaster relief campaign in Southeast
Texas. Lodging and meals have been established for volunteer ranchers
and farmers who donate time to rebuild fences destroyed by the
hurricane’s storm surge. Storm water is still standing in some
pastures and more than 1,000 miles of perimeter fences will need to be
built.
One volunteer team went to the area in January and built around 150
miles of fence. For more info, call Dennis Schlagel, executive director,
at 309-365-8710 or visit www.fcfi.org.
-- Ron Hays, Radio Oklahoma Network
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Following a one-week drop, the national average price for regular
gasoline climbed 2.5¢ to $1.934/gal. for the week ending March 2, but
$1.228 below a year ago and $2.180 under the all-time high of July 7,
2008. Meanwhile, diesel fell for the seventh straight week, shedding
4.3¢ to $2.087/gal., the lowest price since Feb. 21, 2005.
Gasoline was up on the East Coast, adding 1¢ to $1.922, while the
Midwest jumped 7.9¢ to $1.887, and the Gulf Coast added 4.4¢ $1.829.
But the Rocky Mountains shaved 1.1¢ ($1.79), and the West Coast 5.1¢
($2.17). California was down 7.2¢ to $2.189.
The national average price for diesel was $1.571 below a year ago and
$2.677 below the all-time high set on July 14, 2008. Prices for the week
were down across the country. The East Coast slid by 4.6¢ to $2.153,
the Midwest 4.1¢ to $2.03, the Gulf Coast 3.1¢ to $2.043, the Rocky
Mountains 6.7¢ to $2.091, and the West Coast was at $2.185. California
tumbled 7.5¢ to $2.144/gal.
-- U.S. Energy Information Administration
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 Fresh water on demand, 24 hours
a day.
From a single horse Stall Fount to fountains that water up to 500 head
of cattle, Ritchie fountains are top quality. The Omni and CattleMaster
families feature a new, domed valve cover designed to reduce dirt and
grime accumulation in the water seal groove. All products feature
stainless steel, heavy-duty polyethylene or a combination of both and a
10-year limited warranty.
For more information or a distributor near you, contact Ritchie
Industries at 800-747-0222 or visit www.ritchiefount.com
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A bill has been introduced in the Illinois legislature that’s
nearly identical to California’s Proposition 2. The bill amends the
Humane Care for Animals Act and proposes to establish laws for
egg-laying hens, gestating sows and veal calves.
In Ohio, farm groups met with Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane
Society of the U.S. (HSUS) on Feb. 17. The main topic of discussion was
legislation to ban cages for laying hens, gestation stalls for pregnant
sows and veal crates. HSUS asked the groups to have dialogue on a
legislative ban in an effort to avoid a ballot initiative.
And in Connecticut, legislative committee hearings were held in February
on a bill that would eliminate the cage-layer business in the state. A
broad coalition of groups testified against the bill, including not just
ag groups but railroads and the Teamsters union, as well.
-- Animal Agriculture Alliance reports
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Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) on Thursday proposed
special power lines to carry renewable energy generated from solar,
geothermal and wind sources from America’s heartland to population
centers. Reid says the federal government would be able to override
states and direct where the lines would go and who would pay for them.
“This legislation will require the President to designate renewable
energy zones in areas with significant clean energy generating
potential. States, utilities, and generation developers must cooperate
in planning to determine the best way to get that power to the areas
where energy is needed. If there is any delay in the process, then the
federal government would be given clear authority to keep it going to
ensure the new transmission lines are built on schedule and funded
equitably,” Reid says in a release at: reid.senate.gov/.
The measure is expected to become part of a broader Senate energy bill
that the body plans to take up in coming weeks, the Associated
Press reports.
One of the drawbacks with renewable sources of energy thus far is that
they tend to be produced in more remote areas well away from large
population centers where the power is most needed.
-- Joe Roybal
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Oregon’s Union County Cattlemen’s Association (UCCA) and the
Union County Museum are selling maps of historical cattle drive trails.
The map, developed in 1949 and originally folded into the 1952 book
“American Cattle Trails,” depicts historical cattle trails from
1540-1895 and measure 24 by 34 in. Great for a gift, fundraisers or
display, the edges are framed by historical brands, and are available
for $25 each, plus $5.50 postage. You can see an image of the map and
get more info at: orcattle.com/.
UCCA member Sharon Beck says the maps have brought hundreds of dollars
in silent auctions and other fundraisers across the country. Contact her
at 541-963-3592 or email becow@alicel.com.
-- Union County Cattlemen’s Association release
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“The Changing Face of Animal Agriculture” is the theme of the
National Institute for Animal Agriculture (NIAA) 2009 Annual Meeting set
for March 31-April 1 in Louisville, KY. Set for the Galt House Hotel &
Suites, the meeting serves as a forum for building consensus in animal
agriculture and advancing solutions. The 2009 annual meeting will tackle
three key aspects:
- Overview of consumer attitudes and perceptions with respect to
food production and animal agriculture,
- Strategies for development of relevant and accurate messages for
diverse audiences and
- Increase an active industry-consumer communication and
collaboration.
For more info, visit animalagriculture.org or
call 270-782-9798.
-- NIAA release
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The Pendergrass family of Charleston, AR, winners of the 2008
BEEF Stocker Award, will be profiled on the March 10 edition of
“Cattlemen to Cattlemen” on RFD-TV. The program will air at 8:30
p.m. (EST), with reruns on March 11 at 10:30 a.m. (EST), and March 14 at
9 a.m. (EST).
Pendergrass Cattle Co. is operated by father-son team John Paul and John
Frank. The duo captured the Backgrounding Division en route to claiming
the 2008 National Stocker Award presented annually by BEEF
magazine and sponsored by Elanco Animal Health. The award, which
recognizes the nation's top practitioners in three categories – summer
grazing, fall/winter forage, and backgrounder/drylot, is open to any
stocker or backgrounding operation that derives the majority of its
cattle-based income from the stocker and backgrounding businesses. And
2009 nominations are now open at: www.nationalstockeraward.com.
You can read more on the Pendergrasses at: www.beefmagazine.com/pendergrass
-- Joe Roybal
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President Barack Obama released his proposed $3.6-trillion budget
for fiscal year 2010. The budget outlines the administration’s
priorities of health care, education and energy independence. The
administration plans to cut the deficit it inherited by half by the end
of President Obama’s first term from $1.3 trillion to $533 billion.
The budget will include pay-as-you-go budgeting. This is a very
aggressive budget. More details concerning the budget proposals will be
released in April.
-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C.
correspondent
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While U.S. beef producers and ag economists are generally
pessimistic about industry and economic factors in 2009, the vast
majority believe the following three years will see significant
improvement in a number of areas.
-- Click on headline to read the rest of this
story by Joe Roybal
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The administration’s proposed budget for USDA proposes more
investments in child nutrition, food safety, rural development and
renewable energy. It also proposes implementing a $250,000 farm-payment
limitation.
The most controversial proposal is the phasing out over three years of
direct payments to producers with sales revenue of more than $500,000.
This proposal was not well received by key Congressional ag leaders and
farm and commodity organizations. Highlights of the budget according to
the administration include:
- More than $20 billion in loans and grants to support and expand
rural development activities, including small businesses, renewable
energy, and telecommunications.
- $50-million increase to address deferred maintenance on the most
critical health and safety infrastructure within our national
forests.
- Implementation of a $250,000 commodity program payment limit to help
ensure payments are received by those most in need.
- Wildfire management and community protection – fully fund
suppression costs at the 10-year average, establish a discretionary
contingent reserve for wildfires, and include program reforms to ensure
fire-management resources are focused where most needed.
- Fully fund the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for women,
infants, and children (WIC).
- $1 billion/year for Child Nutrition reauthorization.
- Pilot program to increase senior participation in the Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program.
- Improved enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act and invest in
the full diversity of ag production, including organic farming and local
food systems.
- Reduce direct payments to the largest farmers, reducing crop
insurance subsidies, eliminating cotton storage credits, eliminating
funding for the Resource Conservation and Development program, and
reducing funding for overseas brand promotion.
-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C.
correspondent
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Beginning April 1, breeding bulls entering Texas from any other
state must be either 24 months of age or younger and certified as a
virgin, or be tested negative for cattle trichomoniasis (trich) within
30 days prior to entry. The entry requirements are part of a regulatory
package adopted by the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) Feb. 24 to
address trich.
-- Click on headline to read the rest of this
release by Texas Animal Health Commission
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The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) is projecting that U.S. beef
sales to Japan could increase by 35% in 2009, thanks to the stronger
yen, which jumped 23% against the U.S. dollar in 2008, and more
age-verifiable cattle eligible for export to Japan. Phil Seng, USMEF
CEO, says exports, including variety meats, may increase to 100,000
metric tons, up from 74,000 last year. U.S. beef exports to Japan,
including variety meats, surged 59% in 2008 from a year earlier.
Shipments by value rose 57% to $383 million, USMEF says.
“We’re still required to provide cattle under the age of 20 months,
and we see this as a limiting factor on our exports,” Seng told
reporters in Tokyo, according to Bloomberg. “We’re hoping our
two governments will be able to resolve this issue in the very near
future.”
Alibaba.com reports that Seng expressed hope that progress would
be made under the Obama administration, noting that Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton had chosen Japan for her first official overseas visit,
which also included stops in Indonesia, South Korea and China.
-- Joe Roybal
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At USDA’s Outlook Forum last week, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack
outlined President Barack Obama’s three goals for USDA, which are
reflected in the administration’s proposed budget. The agency’s
priorities are:
Ensure America’s children have more nutritious food.
To do everything USDA can to expand energy opportunities and the
capacity of land, farm and ranches to produce alternative forms of
energy and fuel.
Make sure USDA is working hard at doing the research necessary to
allow, over time, ag to transition away from its current dependence on
fossil fuels. -- P. Scott Shearer,
Washington, D.C. correspondent
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The postmark deadline for W.D. Farr Scholarship applications is
April 15. The National Cattlemen’s Foundation (NCF) is offering two
annual $12,000 graduate scholarships in honor of the third-generation
Coloradoan, beef-industry pioneer and visionary who died Aug. 13, 2007
at the age of 97.
The scholarship is national in scope and will be awarded to two
outstanding students pursuing graduate degrees in animal science,
environmental science (water) or agriculture. Scholarship criteria
include a cover letter, resume, description of the applicant’s
professional goals and leadership experience, statement of belief in the
industry, review of applicant’s graduate research, and three letters
of recommendation.
Submit applications to: NCF, Farr Scholarship, 9110 E. Nichols Ave.,
Suite 300, Centennial, CO 80112. Find more info at: www.nationalcattlemensfoundation.org/schoW.D.FarrLegacyScholarship.aspx,
or contact Roxanne Johnson or Jonathan Beitia at ncf@beef.org.
-- National Cattlemen’s Foundation
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Greg Moore knows what it’s like to manage on the edge. He runs 500
mother cows near Wagon Mound, NM – country generously described as
“semi-arid.” Calving is April and May and he maintains a 94% calving
rate and works to produce a 500-lb. weaned calf.
Getting that kind of production from pastures that are often dying for a
drink is no small feat. It starts with an aggressive mineral program
tuned to seasons, rainfall and forage.
“We start our mineral program in November, about the time grass starts
getting brown,” he says, adding that he tries to leave half his land
ungrazed to promote forage growth. “It’s a free-choice mineral and
we control the consumption with a little salt.”
He feeds a high-phosphorus mineral, “about 8% phosphorus,” and a
supplement that includes the other macro and microminerals that are
recommended for his area. “We need to be reminded every now and then
as to what minerals are required,” Moore says.
Beyond mineral supplementation, a protein supplement is provided “on a
visual basis,” he says, based on drought and other weather conditions.
Due to a mild winter heading into February, he hasn’t needed protein
supplement for the season. “The goal is to get a calf produced without
any form of protein supplement,” he says, “but if you have a tough
winter, you can’t do it without adding a supplement.
“If that happens, you keep the supplement going until April or May
when the grass greens up. We try to not have to sell any cows because of
a drought or dry spells. So we must be flexible.”
Chemistry lesson. Ted McCollum, Texas AgriLife Extension beef
cattle specialist in Amarillo, defines macrominerals as those required
in grams per day or head. They are required for bone formation and
integrity, muscle functions, neural function, protein synthesis and
energy metabolism. Macrominerals are calcium, magnesium, phosphorus,
potassium, sodium and sulfur.
Microminerals are usually measured in parts per million. They include
cobalt, copper, iodine, iron, manganese, selenium and zinc. They’re
required for vitamin synthesis, hormone production, enzyme activity,
tissue synthesis, oxygen transport and other physiological processes.
“A mineral supplement is a management tool just like supplement feed.
Failure to provide adequate mineral supplement may not result in
clinical deficiency symptoms but instead unseen production losses,”
McCollum says. These unseen losses may include calf growth at a reduced
rate, reproductive losses and increased susceptibility to parasite and
disease problems.
Of course, naturally occurring mineral concentrations are greatest when
pastures are green. They shrink when grass is dormant. “And contrary
to some beliefs, cattle are not able to determine which minerals are
lacking,” McCollum says.
“Following periods of deprived mineral consumption, cattle may consume
several times the recommended level of supplement. But research shows
that phosphorus and calcium-deficit cattle did not consume enough
free-choice dicalcium phosphate to correct the deficiency.”
He advises producers to “let the mineral content of forage and feed
and daily requirements determine what and how much mineral to feed –
rather than basing the decision on whether the cattle will or won’t
consume a supplement.”
Higher prices. Like just about everything in cattle production,
mineral prices are higher, especially phosphorus and potassium. “The
200-300% price increases of supplements grabbed the attention of
producers and feed companies,” McCollum says. But cutting mineral
supplementation can hurt cattle performance.
“Don’t just put something out based on purchase price only,” he
stresses. “Items such as trace-mineral salt aren’t the same as
complete mineral mixes and are many times inadequate. A complete mineral
mix contains salt and concentrated macro and microminerals.”
Also, McCollum says don’t be fooled by low-cost mineral mixes that may
include higher levels of salt and less expensive macro and microminerals
that are inferior sources and not as effective. “Know what you’re
paying for,” he says.
A scaled-down program can be used when forage is good. This may involve
simply putting out white salt. “During the fall and winter, as forage
quality wanes and cattle requirements change due to physiological stage
and possible winter stress, move into a ‘full-service’ mineral
supplement,” McCollum advises.
“And additional savings may be possible by custom-formulating a range
cube that incorporates the mineral package into the protein/energy
supplement.”
Adjust seasonal use. Seasonal adjustment of mineral supplement,
based on mineral concentrations in forage, supplemental feed and water,
may be another way to economize. It can be easy to overfeed mineral if
all aren’t considered, McCollum says.
“Offering protein/energy supplements fortified with mineral in
addition to a mineral mix can easily provide some minerals in excess of
a cow’s requirements,” he says. “Overfeeding is not necessarily
detrimental to production but is a potentially unnecessary cost.”
In gauging methods of reducing the cost of supplemental minerals, the
amounts available in range cubes as well as mineral mixes should be
considered. Be sure to account for cattle types and characteristics.
“To make these adjustments, one needs to know the nutrient
requirements of the particular class of cattle and nutrient content of
the feeds and forages,” McCollum says. “Also, the mineral content of
water, particularly if it’s high in iron or sulfur, should be
determined."
For commercial producers, the year-round use of organic trace-mineral
sources generally isn’t economically warranted, he adds. “Consider
therapeutic use as opposed to routine use,” he adds.
Recommendations by region. Even in semi-tropical regions of the
country, mineral recommendations are similar, says John Arthington,
University of Florida beef cattle specialist in Ona.
For example, copper is often deficient in Florida beef cows, which may
cause them to fail to respond to vaccinations and have a rough, dull
hair coat. “Dietary sulfur is an important component in the
copper/molybdenum interaction,” he says. “Researchers suspect that
dietary sulfur levels greater than 0.35% are highly likely to interfere
with both copper and selenium utilization in cattle.”
He adds that blood copper concentrations may be elevated in stressed
cattle, suggesting a higher copper requirement. “Consider using copper
sulfate, tri-basic copper chloride, or an organic source when
supplementing copper,” he says. “Copper oxide is poorly utilized in
cattle and should not be used in the formulation of their
supplements.”
Arthington says signs of zinc deficiency may include compromised hoof
integrity, bull reproductive failure, especially young developing bulls,
and anorexia and weight loss, notably in calves.
Signs of iron deficiency may include anemia, immune suppression and
decreased calf weight gain. An iodine deficiency may produce reduced
fertility; enlarged thyroid; or stillborn, weak and/or hairless calves.
Signs of cobalt deficiency include loss of appetite leading to weight
loss, listlessness, diarrhea and anemia.
Arthington notes that selenium can be difficult to supplement because it
has a narrow range between deficiency and toxicity. “Many regions are
concerned with selenium toxicity in pasture forages,” he says.
“Selenium is essential for the maintenance of tissue integrity. One
widely recognized deficiency symptom is the degeneration of tissue,
resulting in a condition referred to as ‘white-muscle disease.’
“Sodium selenite is a commonly used source of supplemental selenium.
Because of the selenium-rich pasture forage problem in other regions of
the country, selenium inclusion in supplemental feeds is federally
regulated at a maximum inclusion level not to exceed 3 mg/d.
-- Larry Stalcup
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