“Hey! Who’s the wise guy?!” Rascal called as he tugged on the tack room door. He looked down the barn’s alley, “That mangy dog skunked me again.” He gave the tack room door another hard push with his shoulder to see if it would budge, but nothing…not even an inch. Rascal turned with his paws on his hips, snoot down
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cutting meat slaughterhouse workers in a meat factory
by Kayla Sargent
Two East Coast Senators are questioning foreign investments in the U.S. meatpacking industry. Specifically, Brazilian meat processor JBS S.A.’s move into the U.S. market is of concern, considering its “admitted criminal conduct” and involvement in “illicit financial activities,” Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) wrote in
Read MoreThis past week when we received fourteen inches of heavy, wet October snow I decided it was time to go vehicle shopping. The “Old Farmer’s Almanac” is predicting a polar-coaster winter, and I am tired of shoveling my Ford Taurus out of my half-mile long driveway. While we were vehicle shopping, I hit upon an innovative marketing plan for cattle.
We
Read MoreI’ve been in some form of the auction business for 45 years and have viewed auctions from all perspectives, from buyer, consignor, ring man, auctioneer, clerk, sale manager, etc. So I speak from some experience when I say there are some folks we’d just as soon NOT show up at an auction. Please, don’t be any of these people:
#10- The
Read MoreWe recently motored through 1,300 miles of rural Maryland, Pennsylvania and New York. The trophy wife and I were sporting our new “Stand Up for Betsy Ross” tee shirts and worried we might trigger the perpetually offended blue voters of the eastern states. However, barnyard flags and numerous “Trump-Pence 2020” signs calmed our fears. Outside the socialist quagmire of urban
Read MoreIf government and private estimates are accurate, hundreds of millions of American farm acres will have new owners in the next 15 years.
For example, the National Agricultural Statistics Service, the Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) survey takers and record keepers, predicts 100 million acres of today’s farmland will be sold by its current owners by 2023.
The American Farmland Trust (AFT), a
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Joe Thomas Helle, age 87, passed away in Dillon, Montana on October 8, 2019. Joe was born to Harold and Alice Helle in Williston North Dakota, May 14, 1932.
He spent his youth enjoying the outdoors and began his destiny in the rangelands of the West while working on the Shipstead Ranch in Scobey, Montana. His adventures included chasing wild horses,
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by Kayla Sargent
Like a modern day Boston Tea Party, Kansas cattle producers belonging to the Kansas Cattlemen’s Association (KCA) are protesting what they see as “taxation without representation.” Today’s situation has nothing to do with a tax on tea, but instead a tax on cattle sold. The KCA believes the Beef Checkoff is “taxation without representation.”
After publishing a briefing paper
Read MoreLate last Friday afternoon, President Trump broke the news of what he called Phase 1 of a trade agreement between the United States and China. Soon after, my phone started blowing up with texts and calls from folks wondering if I had heard any details.
President Trump said the Chinese have agreed to buy $40 billion to $50 billion worth of
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by Kayla Sargent
With the enactment of Proposition 12 in November 2018, practices changed for egg, pork and veal producers across the state of California. Commonly referred to as Prop 12, the Farm Animal Confinement Initiative established new confinement standards for certain farm animals and bans the sale of product in the state that was not produced under those standards.
By 2022,
Read MoreIt has been a busy few weeks in the world of ag news. Discussions about markets, trade, packer investigations, the beef checkoff and the seemingly unending battle between our trade organizations have kept journalists and readers alike on their toes. I have noticed over the past month a new wave of producers getting involved, educating themselves and speaking out —
Read MoreBy John Purviance and Chad Edwards
There’s a species on this earth
That no man can deny.
He’s found in towns throughout the West,
And easy to identify.
He’s not a special critter,
No he’s not a real exotic.
He does not hail from Kathmandu
Nor an island in the tropics.
No one seems to know
How or where he originated.
His purpose on this earth
Is a subject that’s debated.
But in
Read Moreby Cattlemen’s Beef Board CEO Greg Hanes
In the few months since I took the helm as CEO of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB) – the governing and administrative organization of the Beef Checkoff – there appears to be many misperceptions, false rumors, and misinformation about how the checkoff works and is administered. Let’s look at its history, what the Beef
Read MoreWhat’s worse than an anti-ag activist? An un-informed anti-ag activist. This week, we’re going to focus on a heavily discussed topic: Greenhouse Gas Emissions.
For the past year or so in the anti-ag and vegan Facebook groups I’m a member of, it seems the “animal-ag-is-bad train” has derailed from the historically consistent, “we shouldn’t kill another living thing,” argument to the
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Most cowboys love their dogs. When your soul is stained with horse sweat and cow manure, it is good to have a little buddy as eager to work at two o’clock in the morning as eleven o’clock at night. Even in their senior years, the great American cow dog holds the day’s task in higher esteem than life itself. They
Read MoreBanjo lifted one sleepy eye open when he heard Tuff burst through the screen door and the wood banged against its frame. Not wanting to move anything other than his eyelid, Banjo tried to ignore Tuff racing towards him.
“Rise and shine,” Tuff called. “The mama is on a rampage.”
With that, Banjo lifted his head.
“Why?’ he asked.
But his question was answered
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Robert T. Smith, 88 of Forest Grove, Montana, died at his home on October 3, 2019 surrounded by family. He was the oldest of five siblings, born February 19, 1931 in Harrison, Nebraska. He graduated 8th grade from Drylander School and then high school in Grass Range, class of 1949.
Robert served in the Navy during the Korean War and was
Read MoreThe internal memo only confirmed what unofficial Washington had been saying for more than a year and what official Washington had been downplaying for even longer: The White House plan to move two U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) agencies to Kansas City will severely cripple USDA data collection, handcuff policymakers who depend on the data and analysis, and gut both
Read MoreIn the late-September Senate Ag Committee hearing on the state of the livestock industry, Senator John Hoeven (R-ND) stressed the importance of unity in our industry. He said it would be much easier for our Congressmen and women to work on our behalf if Congress was receiving the same, clear message from cattlemen across the nation. We have witnessed the
Read MoreBy U.S. Cattlemen’s Association Vice President Brooke Miller
Like most ranchers, I am not too keen on leaving the ranch and getting involved in politics and policy. In fact, if I hadn’t bumped into Jess Peterson at a bull sale in southern Virginia a few years back, I wouldn’t have gotten involved in the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association (USCA). After we chatted,
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C4T founder Couy Griffin recently met with President Trump after the C4T cowboys rode their horses to the site of the 9/11 attacks in honor of those who died in 2001. C4T hopes to work with the President and his administration to solve issues affecting rural New Mexico.
By Jamie Henneman
It’s not certain that riding horseback into Washington D.C.
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Today we’re going to discuss something that isn’t easy to talk about: animal control, specifically in wild horses.
Thousands of wild horses or burros roam American soil. Although movies and books paint the picture of wild horses being beautiful, majestic animals, this is not always the case.
According to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the agency manages and protects approximately 88,000
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Robert was born on October 2, 1934 in New Castle, Nebraska to Marie (Pierson) Koch and Hurbert Koch. Bob was raised in New Castle, Nebraska and graduated from New Castle High School in May of 1952. He married Mary Lou LaDue in March 1957 and to this union five children were born, Kim, Jeff, Jan, Jody and Danelle. Mary Lou
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By Lilly Platts
The Northern International Livestock Exposition (NILE) has been offering participants and spectators alike a place to gather in Billings, Montana each October for over 50 years, and this year’s event, October 12-19, promises to be jam-packed with youth events, rodeo, livestock, top-quality equine, and much more.
Radiant Rodeo is a recently organized event at NILE, which was started to
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by Kayla Sargent
In the heat of the day in mid August nearly, 900 horses find cover in 15,000 acres of high-mountain desert pasture. The grass is far too dry to take a Suburban off the well travelled road, but eight horses meandered to the top of the ridge — four bays and four grays. The horses are fairly quiet and
Read MoreThere is no animal on earth more detestable than a pack rat. I believe it is because they mark everything, so they just ooze as they go, and they build a huge nest called a midden wherein you might find everything that has been missing in an outfitter camp for the last five years. They do not make good tent
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John Robert Chatham Jr., 86, of Huntley, Montana was lifted up to Heaven on Monday, September 16, 2019. He was born in Crow Agency on February 15, 1933 to John Robert Chatham Sr. and Edith (Erickson) Chatham.
John received his education from Antler School on Rotten Grass Creek, Lodge Grass High School, and Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Montana. He married
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by Kayla Sargent
In the midst of the recent Western Ag Reporter (WAR) #FairCattleMarkets campaign, the question and answer session at the Senate Ag Committee titled, “Perspectives on the Livestock and Poultry Sectors,” that WAR initially covered last week, spotlighted several issues and potential solutions to bring competition and transparency back to cattle markets.
When the cattle market plunged following the Tyson
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By Mayzie Purviance
35,173 represents the number of Tweets containing #FairCattleMarkets in a one-week period. 35,173 times people were concerned about unfair cattle markets. 35,173 times people cared about the cow-calf producers and independent feeders across the nation. 35, 173 times people wanted to help the hands who feed them.
President Trump may not have tweeted using #FairCattleMarkets himself, but it’s safe
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Thomas Wayne Dashiell, 100, was born to parents George and Annie Dashiell on June 23, 1919 at the family homestead and farm near Mt. Hope, Washington. Tom passed away peacefully the morning of September 24, 2019 at Palouse Country Assisted Living in Fairfield, Washington. He lived in the area on the same road his entire life.
He was preceded in death
Read MoreSome years ago, I wrote a column on how farm groups sternly preached the value of what they reverently called “sound science” but, in fact, usually endorsed only “science that sounds good” to the groups. Not coincidentally, I noted, most of that good-sounding science was “science” tied to research bought-and-paid-for by the groups themselves.
Examples of this thumb-on-the-scale tactic continue to
Read MoreThe trophy wife and I are training for marathons in Maryland, Pennsylvania and New York scheduled for the first week of October. Last week, my Garmin watch showed I have pounded out 1,746 miles over the previous 12 months. Druann leads me with 1,936 miles.
Interestingly, my app also shows I burned 229,005 calories, so at 3,500 calories per pound of
Read MoreI am so excited my favorite holiday of the year is near. Columbus Day, which is also celebrated on the same day as Thanksgiving in Canada, is the perfect holiday because you don’t have to buy cards or gifts for it, decorate for it, cook for the celebration, or even gather all of the family together for it. It is
Read MoreLast week Banjo thought his biggest problem was Rascal getting his grubby paws into the peanut butter until the sinister snake revealed himself in a surprise attack. Just when Milo the mongoose thought the coast was clear, Banjo realized it was the snake’s plan… it was a ruse. What will happen to Milo? Will the rattler revel in his plans
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Unseasonably green grass was present throughout the tour due to a surplus of rain this year.
Rod Geppert, Angus Area Regional Manager, announces Ryan Effling as the winner of the $1200 Grand Prize Giveaway as Tour Coordinator Justin Urhig congratulates him.
Greg Shearer of Spear U Angus greets the crowd and announces his upcoming Complete Herd
Read MoreOur #FairCattleMarkets campaign wrapped up on Monday this week and reflecting on the grassroots movement, our team is in agreement that it was a success. It successfully reached a total of 1 million people on Twitter alone. But the reach was only a small portion of the success — this led to many more wins.
The campaign successfully started some meaningful
Read MoreSupportive commentary by Phil AcMoody, Butternut Ridge Farms, Michigan, regarding Gilles Stockton’s commentary, “Non-logic and the NCBA” in the August 15, 2019 Western Ag Reporter.
As we look at and talk about the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s (NCBA) media and lobbying push to have the United States Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA) – better known as NAFTA 2.0 – ratified by Congress,
Read Moreby NCBA CEO Colin Woodall
The activist-funded Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) has again resorted to half-truths and smear tactics to pit beef producers against one another. It’s clear that their allies at the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) have taught the staff some new tricks to help tear the beef industry apart from the inside. It should come
Read MoreBy Gilles Stockton, Grass Range, MT
Feeders and ranchers alike have every reason to be upset at the hit cattle prices took following a fire in a Tyson slaughter plant back in August. We can’t call this downturn a collapse because the collapse came in 2015 when Congress rescinded Country of Origin Labeling (COOL). However, we were all hopeful that the
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“What’s the other one taste like?” I asked, “Dog food,” they answered. And that, my friends, about sums up this entire Beyond Beef® vs. traditional beef series.
To give you a recap: Last week at the grocery store I purchased a pound of ground Beyond Beef®, a pound of regular ground beef, hamburger buns, salt, pepper and sliced cheddar cheese to
Read MoreLast Monday the board was higher and in the first few days of our #FairCattleMarkets Twitter campaign, I suggested sticking up for ourselves and trying to reach President Trump could have something to do with the uptick. Some analysts were attributing this to 9 percent lower cattle on feed. They forgot to mention that this decline was due to cratering
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Arlen James Sawyer, 66, passed away Tuesday, September 10, 2019 at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney, Nebraska. Arlen was born January 30, 1953 in Madison, South Dakota to Richard James and Dorothy Elizabeth (Cherrey) Sawyer.
He was raised on his family’s Angus farm near Howard, South Dakota. Arlen graduated from Howard High School in 1971. He was a 4-H member
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By Mayzie Purviance
On behalf of cow-calf producers and independent feeders everywhere: thank YOU! Thank you, from the neighbor who will be hauling steers to their local sale barn this coming weekend. Thank you, from that kid in your child’s class who is wearing muddy jeans to school because she got up early this morning to feed cows and complete her
Read MoreTuff slipped on the wet grass as he raced for the barn. He could hardly believe his eyes, and unless Banjo saw it for himself, he wouldn’t either. The gust of wind helped thrust him through the barn door just in time to see Banjo and Ben leading their way out to the corrals.
“Banjo! Banjo!” Tuff called. “It’s absolutely unbelievable!
Read MoreI entered college in the ‘70s when UW’s Hill Hall boomed with the driving beat of disco. Rock music was foreign to me because FM signals exhausted themselves before reaching our ranch in northern Wyoming. Even AM signals were sketchy until after sunset when Oklahoma City’s KOMA signal made its 925-mile trek to the Big Horn foothills.
I was a poor,
Read MoreI have been fortunate in my lifetime to have owned many amazing horses. In fact, I have hardly ever met a horse I didn’t like. I think the horse is the most majestic creature God has created. I even love horses that don’t belong to me such as Max, the dude horse subject of this often-requested poem I wrote as
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The Heaton family in front of BLS after the sale.
Grant Heaton watches as cattle sell in the fundraiser for DMD at BLS.
September 19 dawned a bit dreary, but the sun shone through the clouds as the sale at Billings LiveStock Commission (BLS) broke for lunch. Resuming the sale after lunch the lots commissioned for the Calves
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Ingredients for burgers.
With a hefty amount of professional etiquette and journalistic integrity, I will give you my detailed review of purchasing, cooking and eating a plain and dry burger made with Beyond Beef®. Please note, everything I am about to say is 100 percent my opinion and could possibly gross you out a little. Read with caution.
Last week,
Read MoreThe Twitter campaign to reach President Trump is in full swing. We asked all of you to tweet our President daily from September 23 to September 30 and we certainly need to flood his account this entire week, but feel free to keep sending tweets for as long as you wish. The first tweet I sent to President on Monday
Read MoreGrassroots advocacy. This is a term that nearly all ag organizations, large or small, like to boast about. But boy oh boy, have we seen the power of it shine over the past two weeks. Between our #FairCattleMarkets Twitter campaign, the Senate Committee hearing on the livestock industry and the wide-spread and respectful responses to Ellen Degeneres urging viewers to
Read MoreBy Joe Maxwell, Organization for Competitive Markets
This week the Beef Checkoff Program budget for 2020 was released, outlining how cattle producers’ $40,900,000 in research and promotion funds will be spent in the coming year. The Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB) Beef Promotion Operating Committee (BPOC) named seven organizations as contractors that will be granted the beef checkoff funds. Once again, the
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After a long, hard fought battle, John P. “Jack” Chase, Jr. passed away at the Sheridan Hospital on September 5, 2019, with his family by his side.
Jack was born on a small farm in Canton, Massachusetts, on July 2, 1934 to Barbara and John P. Chase. He grew up in a large family with an older brother, George, and four
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I’m calling it now, the official word of 2019 is, “fake.” It seems I hear this word on a daily basis. Our president is constantly tweeting about fake news, young girls are constantly calling each other fake and, in the agricultural industry, we’re constantly discussing the topic of fake meat.
Fake meat is a current hot button issue among the food
Read MoreShe knew he was close because Wynonna could smell him. A rattler had a scent unlike any other snakes. This is what set Wynonna above all other rattlesnake wranglers – she could smell the musky odor they emitted. Usually a snake will release a vile odor as a method of self-defense, which most everyone can smell, but for Wynonna she
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AgResource President Dan Basse shared market outlook at the 2019 Feeding Quality Forum in Amarillo, Texas. Abbie Burnett photo.
By Abbie Burnett
Producer Communications,Certified Angus Beef LLC
“Economic and political order has become disorder,” AgResource president Dan Basse said in market analysis comments at the 2019 Feeding Quality Forum in Amarillo, Texas.
In a third of the world’s economies today, Germany included,
Read MoreHope all of you are working on setting up a Twitter account if you don’t already have one. Since we started the “Tweet President Trump, Our Cattle Markets Need Help” campaign, I have been pleased with the number of people who have called, emailed, or told me at events that they created a Twitter account – many had to have
Read MoreOn the front page of last week’s Western Ag Reporter, Joe Goggins urged a Twitter attack to combat the crisis in the cattle market. I am up for that! I am sharpening my poison pen, cracking my knuckles and ready to join in the Twitter attack.
Truthfully, I do have a Twitter account, but I don’t really know how to Tweet.
Read MoreDriving home from another long day at the office of getting our Annual Herd Reference Edition off to print and sealing the details of our #FairCattleMarkets campaign, a radio advertisement caught my attention and made me double check what station I was tuned to. “Four companies control over 80 percent of the meatpacking industry,” the ad announced.
Still fired up from
Read MoreYou know you’re deep in the rabbit hole when bad news – say, a government report that shows steep cuts in anticipated 2019 crop yields – is good news because it will hopefully boost prices. Conversely, when good news arrives, like an unexpected week of perfect September weather, it’s actually bad news because it just drags already low prices even
Read MoreJohn was born in Scotland, became a sailor at 13, captained his own ship at 21 and then emigrated to Virginia. He was so enthralled with the dream called America, none were surprised when he joined her fledgling Navy – fledgling being the proper term for a Navy lacking ships, sailors and armaments. John was eventually deployed to European waters
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Multiple species grazing at White Oaks Pasture. Angie Mosier photo.
by Kerry Hoffschneider
You may have seen Will Harris, agriculturist and livestock steward, from Bluffton, Georgia on a recent episode of CNN’s Vital Signs where he confronted Dr. Pat O’Reilly Brown, Impossible Foods founder in a dialogue about “fake meat” vs. beef raised out on the land. Harris is the
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By Kayla Sargent
On behalf of cow-calf producers and independent cattle feeders nationwide, Western Ag Reporter is launching a Twitter campaign asking President Donald Trump for assistance in rebalancing the cattle markets. The ever-widening gap between packer profit margins and producer’s price for cattle has raised concern across the countryside.
“We are dispersing cowherds and seeing farmers wanting to
Read MoreWow, if you read both John and Joe’s commentaries on the front page regarding the cattle markets before you got here, chances are you are fired up — and you should be. Going into the fall run and maybe having calves at home that have yet to sell, you are probably concerned about when this criminal action in the market
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By Joe Goggins
Cow-calf producers and independent cattle feeders, it is time to be heard and it is time to fight. Very seldom do I get the notion to write an opinion in our newspaper, however after reading these comments early this week, my blood began to boil:
An Excerpt from a Monday, September 9, 2019 Report by David Kruse, CommStock Investments,
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By Karla H. Wilke
Producers with a corn crop impacted by the canal breach may want to consider making corn silage out of this year’s crop. Photo credit Troy Walz.
UNL Cow/Calf Systems and Stocker Management
On July 17 when the Gering-Ft. Laramie canal breached, it left over 100,000 acres of irrigated crops in eastern Wyoming and western Nebraska without water.
Read MoreHow long is our government going to continue to allow the packers to have their way with us? Million-dollar question, isn’t it… or should I say billion-dollar question?
Live cattle futures took a big dive again last Friday with the October contract down the limit ($3) to settle a little below $95. Feeder cattle futures followed suit seeing losses of roughly
Read MoreCrime and punishment, the concept is simple: you commit a crime, you get punished for it. Whether that punishment is issued by law enforcement or normal civilians, it’s safe to assume you will get punished if you commit a crime. Evidently, a group of activists didn’t think their plan to “free” rabbits from a rabbit farm in rural Australia was
Read MoreOver Labor Day I went speed camping with my 10 mini-Kimmels and four mini-Kernses. The South Fork of the Judith River is wader-friendly and before tents were pitched the grandkids hit the creek. A couple of my descendants had swimwear, but the youngest bunch stripped to their underwear and jumped into the water. Mountain streams are icy cold so three
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Four-year-old Keegan Peter dove right in and ran the gate while the family sorted fall-calvers from spring-calvers late last month near Quitman, Missouri. His dad Craig Peter and Grandpa Randy McCollam were doing the sorting in the back and he was letting the cows into the triangle pen. Grandpa Randy said Keegan loves to work and help wherever he can
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By Mayzie Purviance
With vegan campaigns popping up in the wake of Beyond Meat and the Impossible Burger, the time to counter these anti-ag movements is now. The great state of Colorado is leading by example and doing just that with the launching of the “Better with Beef” campaign.
The agricultural industry has been catching flak for environmental activists claims that animal
Read MoreA gentle rain washed over the ranch. Banjo and Tuff sat dircetly in the center of the lane enjoying every moment of the mist from the sky.
“Sure is refreshing,” Tuff said.
“You said it,” Banjo replied. “I’m not sure where this front came from, but I’m thankful for a little reprieve from the hot weather. Plus, it helps cut down on
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Branson Grocery opened in an old church building on the edge of Ekalaka in February. Eric Dietrich / MTFP photo.
Getting fresh fruits and vegetables in one of Montana’s most isolated small towns, hours from the nearest shopping center, can be an ordeal. It got more difficult last winter when the only grocery store in the county, the Main
Read MoreMadison Cederberg of Miles City, Montana just turned 2 years old this past August and loves helping her family as a chute hand. Her parents are Dallas and Kimberly Cederberg and her grandparents are Daryn and Kass Cederberg of Three Forks, Montana. “She is no bigger than a peanut, but she loves whipping those cows up in the chute!” Kass
Read MoreThe American Prairie Reserve (APR) is 14,000 acres closer to their goal of creating the nation’s largest nature reserve right in our backyard. The acquisition of another Phillips County ranch last week brings their total control of leased or purchased land to 419,000 acres. This is a far cry from their projected three million acres that they hope to acquire,
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Nine hundred geldings gathered from BLM ranges five years ago now graze 15,000 acres at the Spanish Q Ranch near Ennis, Montana. Karen Rice photo.
by Kayla Sargent
Many envision an iconic stud horse galloping across the prairie with his mane blowing in the wind when wild horses are mentioned. In reality, the image seen in many wild horse herds
Read MoreVaughn Meyer, Reva, SD
A few weeks ago, the Cattleman’s Beef Board (CBB) shared the “good news” results of our producer Return on Investment (ROI) study. Dr. Harry Kaiser, professor of economics at Cornell University, conducted another five-year ROI update embodying more positive attributes for beef producers. Dr. Kaiser’s analysis concluded a 71-cent increase over our 2014 ROI of $11.20. Seventy-one
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Martin “Marty” Allan Swandal, 83, of Wilsall, Montana passed away peacefully at his home on Friday, August 23, 2019.
Marty was born on October 28, 1935 in Livingston, Montana to Chris and Ruth Swandal. He was raised along Flathead Creek in Wilsall. He attended Wilsall schools and graduated in 1954. He married his high school sweetheart Virginia Nelson on June 4,
Read MoreMy friend Woody always has been forgetful. In fact, it’s why he got fired, but I’ll let him tell the story.
“I had this real good ranch job working for an absentee owner who lived in Chicago. He was pleased with my work and I was happy with his money. Then one day the owner writes me from the windy city
Read MoreLast week while Banjo was checking the hillside pastures with Big Ed, a thunderstorm breached the ranch scattered lightning from hilltop to hilltop. One strike was a direct hit on the ranch, threatening the sheep flock with fire. Then, Big Ed and Banjo discovered that fire isn’t the only thing putting the flock in peril. Will the flock make it
Read MoreMany colleges and universities are back in session now and there are packs of mourning mothers walking around suffering empty nest syndrome. My advice to them is that it will pass. I remember when I sent my last child off to college and thought I would be bored and lonely forever, but such is not the case. I saw a
Read MoreHope all of you had a great Labor Day weekend. It sure was hot around our part of the country, but it made for ideal grilling conditions. I hope the majority of the U.S. was able to fire up the grill and throw some beef on for their families. I am anxious to see how beef movement was over the
Read MoreMost rural Americans are old enough to remember when their president noted that “trade wars are good, and easy to win.” That was, after all, several tariff hikes, dozens of trade meetings, and more than 15,000 presidential tweets ago. It may seem like a lifetime, but it was just 19 months ago, on March 2, 2018.
What most have forgotten about
Read Moreby Bill McKee, Colorado
To Governor Jared Polis,
Being neither well educated nor well spoken, I feel unqualified to lend advice to you as a speech writer… but here we go. Two key points when addressing a specialized industry group (farmers, ranchers, rocket scientist, etc.) would be: 1. DO NO HARM and 2. LEARN A FEW KEY FACTS (every industry has a
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By Mayzie Purviance
Have you ever wondered when the best time is to wean calves, potty-train a toddler or even wax the floor? Well, according to the Farmer’s Almanac it’s today, September 6, 2019. The Almanac, which began publishing in 1818 and has since grown into an online and print edition and e-newsletter, claims to be “time-tested and generations approved.”
“It is a
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It’s the top of the ninth in the Activists vs. Agriculture baseball game. The Activists, although playing a dirty game, are up by a number of runs. They came out swinging hard and despite their lack of basic common knowledge and tendency to bribe the umpire, they’re winning.
Agriculture, I regret to inform you, is losing. And we’re going to continue
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by Lilly Platts
Blonde-haired, bright blued-eyed Grant Heaton lives his life like any active ranch kid would. He loves horses, cows and helping his dad out on the ranch. At the age of three, Grant was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). DMD affects 15,000 children in the U.S., and 300,000 worldwide. While rare, the disease has no cure and
Read MoreThe recent market news and manipulations, increasing popularity of fake meat, challenging trade talks and all of the assaults that continually hit our industry can take the wind out of anyone’s sails. And honestly I have been a bit down in the dumps. But when this dark cloud sneaks up on me, I am reminded why I chose to be
Read MoreAs mothers of kindergarteners and college students are mourning the transition of their children from the nest to school, I started looking back through the archives for columns about both of those topics, but I got distracted by this essay I found which Bret wrote for a college composition class. With his wedding approaching, I found it especially noteworthy.
All parents
Read MoreSometime in mid-August, well after fair season and just before corn silage season, my brothers and I endured the hand-me-down season on the southern Illinois dairy farm of our youth. It was just as you suspect. One morning some weeks before school began, my mother watched as we tried on our next older brother’s clothes to see how they fit
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Today, the term “fake news,” made famous by President Trump, is used in everyday conversation. While I, along with many other people, use fake news as a response to outrageous Facebook posts or light-hearted teasing, I’m here to tell you, fake news is no joke.
Fake news is a derivative of the word “spin.” The Open School of Journalism defines “spin”
Read MoreThe morning was cool. Banjo took in a deep breath and released as he gazed across the ranch. Geese flew above his head and heard their wings push up and down through the air. He spotted a clump of quaking aspens whose leaves where changing to a glimmering gold and noticed the south pasture was showing signs it needed water
Read MoreThe news of a nearly finished trade deal with Japan was certainly welcome this week. The deal is not signed, but the nuts and bolts of it are in place. At least some deals are making progress, but a few big ones are still not done.
The United States Mexico Canada Agreement continues to sit in the House having yet to
Read MoreMonte G. Thomas of Milton-Freewater, Oregon passed away on August 21, 2019 at the age of 78.
Monte was born July 16, 1941 in Walla Walla, Washington to Ralph “Zeke” Thomas and Virginia (Tarwater) Thomas. Raised in a ranching family, Monte was a member of 4-H and FFA. He graduated from Wa-Hi and attended Cal-Poly in San Luis Obispo.
After college, Monte returned
Read MoreWhen we went to press with last week’s issue, there had yet to be official news on the severity of the fire in the Tyson plant in Kansas. I noted in my Comments that the pictures made it appear to be a devastating fire, which I assumed consumed a large portion of the plant. Now that more information has come
Read MoreAg Twitter had a big sandbox to play in after the USDA clobbered the agricultural futures markets August 12 with its number-filled Crop Report and World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE). The updated numbers – planted acreage, estimated production, and projected usage – hit the market like a hailstorm. Corn futures snapped under the deluge of unforeseen acres and,
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Six-hundred-fifty feet into the tunnel, workers came across the first pile of dirt and debris from the smaller of the two sinkholes. Goshen Irrigation District photo.
by Kayla Sargent
Since July 17, hay, corn, sugar beets, and dry beans across 107,000 acres have been without water in Goshen County, Wyoming and Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska. An irrigation tunnel collapse leading
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by Kayla Sargent
When a cattleman hears barn burner, it’s generally regarded as great market news. But in a literal sense, as in the case of the Tyson plant fire where an estimated six percent of the nation’s fed cattle packing capacity came to a halt, the effects on the market can be devastating. On the evening of August 9, Tyson
Read MoreIn the sorting alley it’s easy to separate the dudes from the real cowboys. You may be a dude if…
There are sheets on your bed in the bunkhouse.
The camp cookie is a three star Michelin chef.
When you set out for the day’s work you are provided a sack lunch and a wine cooler.
The ratio of riders to cows exceeds two
Read More“What’s in the burlap sack?” Tuff asked. Banjo looked at in curiously.
“I think it’s something that may belong to our new friend, Wynonna,” Banjo said. Like a flash, Wynonna presented herself in front of the two dogs. Tuff looked back and forth with amazement at her speed from where she shot into the open from out of nowhere to be
Read MoreOver the past few weeks, several people have mentioned an article titled, “This is the Beginning of the End of the Beef Industry” written by Rowan Jacobsen and published by Outside magazine in late July. In short, the five page article explains that cattle’s environmental impact and the poor quality of fast food burgers mean “alt meat isn’t going to
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I’m going to confess something I don’t typically broadcast… I am a member of various animal rights and vegan Facebook groups. Dad, if you’re reading this, please do not disown me. I promise I did this for a good reason.
For the past two years I have been a silent member of these groups, observing every shared article, “like,” comment and
Read More“Where is it?” Banjo muttered. He rummaged through an overflowing bucket in the tack room. He tossed out a curry comb, a mis-matched set of gloves, a screwdriver, a wad of baling twine and various other items.
When he couldn’t find it at the bottom of the bucket, Banjo dumped it over to ensure every last remnant of goods had fallen
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by Markie Hageman
From Idaho to the Dakotas, sprawling over rolling hills and stretching across the flat lands, creeping through timber and dispersed amongst cropland, a sea of lemon yellow laps at the horizons. Since mid-June, the prevalence of sweet clover has been the subject of old timers and youngsters, ranchers and townspeople. Conversations range from questioning haying quality to myths
Read MoreOnce again, last Friday I really thought cattle futures would open higher on Monday morning with the news of up to $116 fed cattle. But again, cattle futures were limit down in both live cattle and feeders, they opened limit down and stayed there. The plunge was attributed to the Tyson processing plant burning down in Kansas on Friday night.
Read MoreThe sun is shining, the sky is blue, and the yellow roses along the primrose path are dazzling distractions from what, in a matter of days, has already been a long month for farmers and ranchers. Worse, a long harvest and bitter winter also loom as President Donald J. Trump threatens even tougher trade sanctions on key U.S. food buyers
Read MoreThis past week we saw yet another major meatpacker announce their own venture into the “fake meat” market. Marfrig Global Foods is partnering with Archer Daniels Midland Co. to produce alternative protein products in Brazil. Marfrig Global Foods CEO Eduardo Miron said the “100 percent vegetable protein-based burgers” will have the “same taste and texture of beef.”
Now before you write
Read MoreOne of my biggest regrets in life is that I never got my pilot’s license. I often wonder what kind of career I’d have had if I took the money I spent on getting a college degree and spent it instead on auction school and flying lessons.
I’ve always been mesmerized by small aircraft and I come by it honestly. I
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Levi Carter brought home two goat kids that a nanny wouldn’t accept for his wife Tabi to help care for – their daughter Nova couldn’t wait to get her hands on them.
“There’s no denying that we have ourselves a little farm girl,” Levi wrote.
The family raises goats and cattle near Burlington Junction, Missouri.
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School is about to start, which means teachers are having back to school dreams, kids are buying supplies and clothes, and parents are celebrating the fact that they made it through summer vacation. My thoughts turn to the book I plan to write about education.
As a former English teacher, I absolutely love the manual, “Eats, Shoots, and Leaves” by British
Read MoreBy Gilles Stockton, Grass Range, MT
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is currently making a media and lobbying push to have the United States Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA) – better known as NAFTA 2.0 – ratified by Congress. In their press info NCBA states: “USMCA maintains science-based trade standards while rejecting failed policies of the past, like mandatory country-of-origin labeling.”
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On the afternoon of August 9, 2019, at the age of 85, Chris passed away as a result of a pickup accident while checking cows, his favorite pastime.
Chris was born October 22, 1933 in Miles City to John and Jessie Cameron. He attended school at Dick Creek school until 1944 when his family moved to Miles City. He graduated from
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by Hannah Gill
Although it had been over thirty years since the bareback rider stepped aboard a bucking horse, Montana rodeo legend Larry Peabody said an all too familiar feeling returned when he stepped on stage on August 3. Peabody was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs where he offered an acceptance speech.
“It was about like getting
Read MoreThis part of summer has always been deemed family vacation time, but in our industry it is county fair season, as you will note in this week’s issue. For the last few weeks in July and the first part of August the ranchers in our area all mark out a week to take “time off” from haying or moving cows
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Bailey McKay Photo
By Heather Smith Thomas
On hot summer days cattle can overheat quickly if they exert. Moving cattle is always safer during the cooler parts of the day, starting early in the morning if possible. Farrier and horse trainer, Billy Greenough, rides/cowboys for several large ranches south of Billings, Montana. Greenough was raised on a ranch on the
Read MoreWith regret and relief, I am closing this chapter of my life. I published my first column on March 1, 2006 and since then I have penned over 675 op-eds plus published three books. Were the spirit to grab me, I have enough material to publish volumes IV and V, but those works may remain my unfinished symphony. After great
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by Kayla Sargent
While it may be a relatively small market, President Trump’s announcement last week regarding U.S. beef sales to the European Union (EU) was considered big news. According to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), U.S. duty-free beef exports, from Non-Hormone Treated Cattle (NHTC) only, to the EU will nearly triple over the next seven years.
The announcement
Read MoreThe U.S.-China Trade War dominated the news this past Monday. President Trump announced he was going to put an additional 10 percent tariff on $300 billion dollars of Chinese goods if a deal was not in place by early September.
China retaliated by manipulating the yuan lower and allowed it to go past 7 to the dollar. Many wondered how the
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Kerry Bouchard of Augusta, Montana sent this photo of her two-year-old granddaughter, Breeze, catching up on the latest from the Western Ag Reporter. Kerry said Breeze enjoys “reading” WAR with her grandpa, but since he wasn’t home when she saw the latest issue, Breeze crawled into his recliner and dug in herself. We certainly agree with Kerry’s statement, “Gotta teach
Read MoreNote: This first appeared in the August 22, 1956, issue of the Western Livestock Reporter.
I remember one time in the early days when a big red bull came walking right down the middle of Montana Avenue in Billings, Montana. Every once in a while, he saw something that he didn’t like and would stop, lash his tail, paw dirt, and
Read More“Come on” called Banjo from the center of the pond. “It feels great out here!”
Marty shook his head. “Uh-uh, no way” he called. “Remember, cats don’t like water and I’m still a member of the feline family!”
Tuff raced from the pasture and directly into the pond, splashing his way to the center and dog paddling toward the wooden pallet island
Read MoreOn the farms of our youths, the dog days of August featured actual dogs and not a whole lot of anything else. Given the unsettled state of today’s growing season, commodity markets, and politics, maybe the best way to get through this August is to slide back to that era and just not say or do much else.
For example, let’s
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by Mayzie Purviance
“The King of Ag News,” a mantra once based off of publisher Patrick King Goggins’ successful publication, also describes our continued dedication to providing unbiased and a timely news to our readership. As someone who has only worked here for a month, I believe we live up to this self-created standard. But you don’t have to take
Read MoreAs a leatherworker I do a lot of restorations. I regularly repair leather-bound boxes to hold antique $40,00 carriage clocks, make knife sheaths for eBay sellers and repair bridles and other tack for cowboy friends. The restorations I dread the most are bringing old saddles back to life. I’ve done dozens, including a couple for a museum and one that
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by Kayla Sargent
It was a Friday afternoon in early August and live cattle traded from $113.00 to $114.00 according to USDA reports on Monday, August 6, 2018. Montana rancher and cattle feeder Shane Eaton was encouraged seeing cattle short and bidding active. But then that Monday he was perplexed when an unusually large number of live cattle were traded
Read MoreFor the past two weeks, we hosted a guest from Florida. During JJ’s visit, she and Chelsie camped on the top of the Big Horns, took a speed trip through Yellowstone and Glacier plus caught the rodeo in Cody. Flatlanders visiting Big Sky Country are always entertaining.
For the second night in a row, an electrical storm struck western Yellowstone County.
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Whitney Klasna Photo
by Lilly Platts
Farmers throughout the country faced one of the most difficult planting seasons in recent memory and many were forced to abandon their original crop plan due to excess moisture, closed roads, missed insurance deadlines, and other complications. In response, some have turned to cover crops, adding to the already growing uptrend in the overall
Read MoreWhile I continually use this space to talk about the emergence of “fake meat” into the national market space, it all became a bit more “real” last week for myself and fellow ranch family and friends when the issue came up in my hometown. It is easy for us to read the headlines and simply think, ‘well, I’m not in
Read MoreOur son is getting married in October and we are incredibly excited for the upcoming wedding. The only problem with the wedding planning: Bret is very frugal, and his frugality is threatening to put a damper on the wedding planning. His eye for the bottom line started long ago — probably when he chose cattle ranching as a profession. Once
Read MoreYou know it’s going to be a long, hot summer if, on the day before you assume the political leadership of the United Kingdom – as Boris Johnson did on July 23 – one of the world’s most authoritative newspapers, the New York Times, prints a column that begins with the phrase, “Boris Johnson, to whom lying comes as easily
Read MoreI am back on the trail this week. I left Sunday morning and will not be home again until next weekend. Upon landing in Billings on Wednesday, after spending three days at the Ag Media Summit in Minneapolis, Minnesota, I drove right from the airport to Great Falls for the Montana State Fair where I will spend the remainder of
Read MoreFourth-generation Montana rancher James “Jim/Luke” Martin Salmond, 77, a ruggedly independent cowboy all his life, died June 27, 2019, at Benefis Teton Medical Center in Choteau after a brief illness.
Jim was born in Great Falls on December 31, 1941, to third-generation ranchers, John C. “JC” and Alice (Johnson) Salmond. Jim was the younger of their two sons by just 11
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by Kayla Sargent
After discussions came to a quiet halt about a year ago, the comment period on the draft grizzly bear recovery plan for North Cascades National Park has reopened. The National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a 90-day extension to the public comment window closing October 24.
The drafted plan suggested four alternative routes all with
Read MoreThe USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service came out with the mid-year cattle inventory report this past Friday. Studying the numbers, one would think herd expansion in the U.S. is coming to a halt. Over the past few months, it appeared there were fewer cows around the country. It has been quite some time since I’ve seen available pasture leases this
Read MoreThe 4-H fair is this week and it brings back a flood of fond memories of my own 4-H years and those of my children. Now, I have transitioned into the role of 4-H grandma and it is more fun and less work than the role of 4-H mom or 4-H exhibitor. I get to show up, watch, visit with
Read MoreLook out, rural America, Congress is headed your way during its annual month-long break in August and its members want to talk trade, trade and more trade.
They don’t, however, want to talk about America’s flagging 2019 agricultural exports or the still-in-place, retaliatory tariffs that are clipping U.S. exports.
No, rural America’s almost entirely Republican representatives and senators want to talk about
Read MoreI spent much of the past week out of the office at my family’s ranch helping prepare for our centennial celebration. It was truly an honor to celebrate 100 years on the same land with four generations of family present. In front of countless friends and neighbors, my mom summed it up best when she said we owe our success
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By Mayzie Purviance
The old saying, “love what you do and you’ll never work a day in your life” is a nice sentiment, but one many fail to embrace. Some spend years paying off student loans for a degree they didn’t want to obtain a job they don’t enjoy and wake up each more dreading the day ahead. Ken Charfauros, on
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by Kayla Sargent
An emergency gather on the Triple B Herd Management Area in 2018. BLM Nevada photo.
Displaying a spirit of compromise, groups typically staged at opposite ends of the spectrum came together to create a proposal for the BLM’s management of wild horses and burros. “The Path Forward” plan, developed in April, was signed by groups including the
Read MoreMy summer is awash with grandkids, so we are suffering clogged toilets. Sheryl Crow’s campaign to save the climate by limiting one’s toilet paper use to a single square is no match for my grandkids spinning the Charmin. Every time the little poopers plug the toilet, they flush it repeatedly until the swirling sewer soup pauses at the crest of
Read MoreThe pair chuckled and moved into place as they watched Rascal move into the tunnel’s dark depths. He continued to follow the crumbs and the lingering strands of alluring smoke gave him hope there was more where these crumbs came from just beyond his paw’s reach.
“Go, go!” Marty said to Kat. She crept slowly toward one side of the tunnel’s
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The North Dakota Stockmen’s Association (NDSA), North Dakota Beef Commission and North Dakota CattleWomen will be joining forces again this year to salute servicemen and women and their families during the 15th annual Beef Industry Military Appreciation Day July 23 at the North Dakota State Fair in Minot.
The event will include a free roast beef picnic for active duty, reserve
Read More“He’s coming,” whispered Kat to Marty. The mountain lions schemed an epic plan to rid the pesky masked bandit, Rascal, away from his new hideout home. With the help of Banjo, the ranch crew and the covert operatives of the Ranch Underground, they were ready and in place.
Rocky the racoon recruited some her finest resources who were waiting in the
Read MoreWe saw a nice rally in the fed cattle market last week. Cash fed cattle sold for $115 to $116 in the north and mainly $112 to $114 in the south, up $3 to $5 respectively as compared to the week before. Cattle futures enjoyed a nice upswing, especially on Tuesday.
Feeder calves at the auction markets around the country also
Read MoreCall it what you will — coincidence, chance or just bad luck — but on the very day President Donald J. Trump defended his Administration’s almost indefensible environmental record, the Washington, D. C. metro area was deluged by rainfall not seen since Noah.
In fact, the abundance of rain fell so fast on the nation’s capital July 8 that cars attempting
Read MoreLast weekend, I shared campfire smoke with family at our Lake Creek Cow Camp on top of the Big Horns. When we arrived, the ragged-looking crew and guests of Double Rafter Cattle Drives were unsaddling their horses. They just finished trailing cattle into the Little Horn Parks and the daily frog-stranglers made it a tough week. Everyone somberly watched their
Read MoreI absolutely love kitchen tips, and I try to pass them along without too much commentary, but sometimes I just can’t resist sharing comments about the actual practicality of these tips. For example, Martha Stewart claims that if you have a headache, you should rub a cut lime on it. That might work, but it is a bit messy when
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by Kerry Hoffschneider
A group of more than 240 farmers, ranchers and woodland owners make up the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) Soil Health Champions Network and share the goal of increasing the adoption of soil health systems by landowners nationwide. Sims Cattle Company, a fifth-generation family owned and operated ranch in the Rock Creek Valley of southeast Wyoming, is
Read MoreBy Ron Poertner, Winifred, Montana
Poertner is a retired military member and an advocate of rural interests in central Montana.
The American Prairie Reserve’s (APR) External Relations guru, Pete Geddes, recently provided Lewistown News Argus readers with a progress report on APR’s renovation of the Power Mercantile (PM) building and the status of funding for that project.
The message Geddes conveyed seemed to
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by Mayzie Purviance
An invasive species, as defined by the National Park Service, is a “non-native organism whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm, or harm to human, animal, or plant health.” Feral swine could easily fit any of those descriptors.
Feral swine, often referred to as wild pigs or wild hogs, may not be a pressing
Read MoreBy Will Bollum
I recently attended the Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association 2019 Summer Tour. The tour was sponsored by the West Central Cattlemen’s Association and headquartered in Morris, Minnesota.
This was my first Minnesota Cattlemen’s Tour, and I was blown away by the attendance. There were FOURTEEN coach busses booked for the day, and if they were all full, would be about
Read More“The EPA estimates around 25 percent of methane in the U.S. comes from cows.”
This is the fourth sentence in a recently published National Geographic article about “burping cows.” NatGeo has always resonated as a credible source, the EPA would obviously have the facts, cows must be the problem here. Or at least that’s the thought process many readers may have.
But
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If you are like me, you have heard of the American Prairie Reserve (APR), but you really don’t know much about it other than the billboard slogan: “Save the Cowboy. STOP the American Prairie Reserve.” Several readers have asked me to write a column about it, but I really did not know enough about it personally to give a just
Read MoreI love this country and see opportunity everywhere. My life began on a small ranch in eastern Montana. We droughted out twice over our ten years on Blacktail Creek, and since this was the late ‘50s, we were unaware drought was caused by inadequate taxation and regulation. We just thought it was dry.
We moved to the family homestead at the
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by Kayla Sargent
After the meat industry succeeded in prohibiting the words ‘meat’ or ‘beef’ on product labels of plant-based alternative proteins in several states, the “fake meat” industry is pushing back.
Mississippi was one of the first states to prohibit labels containing ‘meat’ or ‘meat product’ on any cell-cultured, plant-based, or insect-based proteins. Passed in March,
Read MorePeople listen when ranchers speak. This week, Susan Metcalf featured a guest writer in her column that packs a very powerful message. Winifred, Montana rancher Jamie Wickens shared a firsthand account of the impacts the American Prairie Reserve (APR) is already having on their community. Hearing it directly from a rancher places a relatable perspective on the issue for
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By Mayzie Purviance
Disease traceability is a pressing issue in the beef industry. In order to rapidly track the source of diseases such as tuberculosis and brucellosis, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has announced that Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags are the solution. They have set the goal of complete, mandatory implementation by January 2023.
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The Fourth of July is behind us now, it’s hard to believe the year is more than half way over. I think our Priest at church said it best this past Sunday, reminiscing on the nice weather, fun barbeque, and fireworks and reminding us that not long ago we were facing snow and bitter cold. But then he went on
Read MoreWriters write and readers read and, always to this writer’s pleasant surprise, readers often write. Most letters and emails are either complimentary or inquisitive. More than a few, however, come nowhere near complimentary and some, in fact, are quite, ah, declarative.
For example, 2019 was just three days old when the editor of an Indiana newspaper that carries the column received this
Read MoreMarty crossed the pasture in his natural camouflage with instinctive stealth moves so nothing could see him. The mountain lion was exceptionally cautious around this corner of the ranch, since Rascal the pesky raccoon had tossed his idle threats into the wind the last time he saw him. Even though there had been no evidence of Rascal’s threats to elude
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By Marci Whitehurst
Knitting or felting conversations may trigger thoughts of our grandmas or the homesteading era; however, fiber arts have made a strong comeback as a way to connect with others, natural resources, and even our roots.
Kami Noyes, fifth generation rancher, has found her way into a niche market by spinning and creating with home-grown
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It pleases me to introduce myself as Assistant Editor of the Western Ag Reporter. I am excited for this new adventure and look forward to upholding the Western Ag Reporter’s stellar reputation of effectively informing readers on agricultural news.
As a native of Rosalie, Texas, I am no stranger to rural lifestyle. Growing up on commercial Angus and Red Angus operations
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By Mayzie Purviance
Agriculture continuously goes head to head with adversity. Farmers are constantly in a close race against mother nature in attempts to get crops planted before rainfall. Dairy farmers are in an uphill battle attempting to educate the public that their practices are humane and keep their market foothold in a space becoming overwhelmed by mislabeled milk alternatives. Food
Read MoreWhen you’ve been in the ag journalism game for almost 40 years, few things surprise you. Floods, droughts, market crack-ups, political crockery, price fixing: none of it is shocking anymore.
And, yet, on June 21, the Washington Post published a farm-based story that made even this graybeard marvel at how tone-deaf and superior-sounding rural politics has become to much of the
Read MoreBetween four weddings in five weekends, Stockgrower’s midyear meeting, and the Northern Livestock Video sale I have been travelling the state and visiting with many producers the last few weeks. There are three main concerns that have surfaced in these conversations.
First of all, people are asking about the calf and yearling market. I think these early video sales have been
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by Kayla Sargent
“I was raised in a time when ag was king and ag was revered. I was raised to praise the farmers and ranchers who provided my food.”
Even growing up in California, Mindy Patterson, founder of the Cavalry Group, said her family always supported agriculture. But times have changed and she is noticing a strong force against the industry
Read MoreAs I always say, the best part of writing a weekly column is going to the mailbox and finding a book or cookbook that was sent to me by a reader in hopes I will like it and review it in my column. Such was the case today, when in my mailbox I found a book by Virginia Johnson entitled
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2019-2020 Beef Improvement Federation Board of Directors: (seated, from left) Tommy Clark, Culpeper, VA, president; Lee Leachman, Fort Collins, CO, past president; Jane Parish, Mississippi State University, BIF executive director; Bob Weaber, Kansas State University, BIF central region secretary; Darrh Bullock, University of Kentucky, BIF eastern region secretary; Mark Enns, Colorado State University, BIF western region secretary; Josh White,
Read MoreGander dove from the sky and landed directly in front of Banjo. The ranch crew had been plotting for a week, thanks to the intel their old friend Wallie the whistle pig shared with them on his recent visit. There was a new pack of coyotes headed right for the ranch and Gander the Canadian Goose was the ranch’s air
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by Katie Schrock
The last ten to fifteen years has seen an upswing trend for Montana’s big game predators of wolves, mountain lions and, especially, the grizzly bear. Hunted to near extinction between 1850 and 1920, grizzlies were eliminated from 95 percent of their original range, which led to their listing as threatened on the Endangered Species Act in 1975. Their
Read MoreI don’t know whether it’s irony or just the nature of the beast that brought our front page together this week. Unfortunately, I’m afraid it’s the latter. I attended the animal rights versus animal welfare presentation last Tuesday evening and had my eyes opened to some of the tactics animal rights groups use to attack our industry. The following day,
Read MoreContrary to the teachings of Walt Disney, animals are different than humans. Critters interact with their kind by scent, noise and subtle behavior cues mostly invisible to others. Interspecies communication is either predator/prey or indifference depending on the circumstances. All other warm and fuzzy animal relationships are Disney fantasy.
This is not to diminish the human/animal bond, and over my years
Read MoreOne of my summer jobs is watching my three grandsons while their parents are at work. Of course, I love almost all aspects of that job (excluding vomit clean-up), but the one benefit of that job I do not receive is financial reward. Daycare is very expensive, but Grandmacare is free – except to Grandma. I have been recently researching
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A mare from the Assateague wild horse herd, Ms. Macky, recently gave birth to a bay pinto colt on June 21. The National Parks Service is allowing the herd to grow from their current numbers of 76 to up to 100 based on the available space and forage. Photo courtesy NPS.
By Jamie Henneman
In the moist marsh grounds of
Read MoreU.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue doesn’t need to hit the road this summer to find more than enough messy problems to keep him busy through harvest.
There’s the Chinese trade mess, the NAFTA 2.0 trade mess, the European Union trade mess, and the Japanese trade mess.
Also, there’s the mess Mother Nature made of the 2019 planting season. And, too, the
Read More“Who do we have here?” asked Banjo as he watched the old Chevy truck bump down the washed-out pot-hole lane.
Tuff released a couple deep barks and safely raced toward the lane and the rickety truck to greet the newcomer. Banjo walked slowly to the edge of the grass and waited for the truck’s sputtering, ticking engine to stop. As soon
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The 4th Annual Sunday Creek Sheepdog Trial will be held June 29 – July 1 in honor of competitor and trial founder Rene LaBree, who passed away in March 2019.
by Lilly Platts
Rene LaBree started hosting the Sunday Creek Sheepdog trial near Miles City in 2016. This year’s event will be missing its most important participant as LaBree lost
Read MoreI’m happy to report that plant-based and petri dish-protein didn’t make any new, wildfire headlines this week. In fact, Beyond Meat shares saw a slight decrease when Taco Bell announced they have no intention to add their product or Impossible Foods to their menu.
The fast food Mexican restaurant met with both companies before announcing their decision to veer away from
Read MoreThe Cattle On Feed report came out last Friday and contained no real surprises. Cattle on feed June 1, totaled 11.7 million head, up 1.6 percent from last year, and once again this month was the highest since the series began in 1996. Placements in May came in at 2.06 million head, down 3 percent as compared to last year.
The
Read MoreBy Will Bollum, WAR Field Editor
I had the opportunity to attend the 2019 Beef Improvement Research Symposium and Convention (BIF) in Brookings, South Dakota last week. The event drew in over 450 attendees this year. The attendees were largely comprised of purebred and commercial cattlemen, industry professionals, academia, as well as graduate and doctorate students from across the country.
It was
Read MoreA decade ago, I viewed the Arlington Memorial depicting the Marines raising the flag on Iwo Jima. The size of the massive sculpture is inspiring by itself, but this monument so captures Americans putting love of country above self, viewing it at twilight is truly a numbing experience. I felt so small compared to the sacrifice made by the thousands
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Representative Dusty Johnson (R-SD) saw firsthand the devastating conditions South Dakota producers are facing this year. Photo courtesy of Representative Johnson office.
by Kayla Sargent
Mother Nature has thrown her share of curveballs at producers across the Midwest this year. Record snowfall, extreme flooding, and excessive spring moisture has delayed and even entirely prevented some crop planting and created a
Read MoreRaymond Leroy Colyer, 94, of Bruneau, Idaho passed away peacefully from natural causes on Monday, June 10, 2019 at a Boise Nursing Facility. Ray was born September 15, 1924 to Troy Guy and Lois Emery Colyer in Castleford, Idaho. He was raised with four brothers and two sisters and attended school in Three Creek.
After graduating from 8th grade, he went
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Spud Cremer.
The Big Timber Rodeo and all of the associated festivities will be held next weekend. Few people who have not been involved in putting on a rodeo realize how much planning, preparation, and just plain hard work goes into putting on a rodeo. The Big Timber Rodeo has a rich history which began with Leo J. Cremer
Read MoreA few weeks back, a caller to the Dave Ramsey Show declared, “You can be a victim or a Viking.” After initially buying the lie he was a victim, the caller became a Viking and paid off his debt, shredded his credit cards, lived on less than he earned, and built wealth by saving and investing. It is a success
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A Great Week for Gathering Cattle…Men and Women
From Bozeman to Miles City, Montana clear east to Washington D.C., farmers and ranchers took a break from the operation to gather with colleagues in their respective organizations, a move that is critical to move the industry forward MSGA keynote speaker Don Schiefelbein said.
by Kayla Sargent
The secret to eight brothers, their wives, 32
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Ranchers from across the nation made time for a trip to D.C. where they partook in firsthand conversations with the nation’s lawmakers.
By Lilly Platts
Beef producers from across the U.S. came together in Washington D.C. June 10 and 11 to discuss current issues with congressional leaders and representatives from various organizations. The annual United States Cattlemen’s Association (USCA) Washington,
Read MoreClifford Oscar Wolfe passed away June 7, 2019 while residing at Cottonwood Care Home with his daughters, Linda and Ladell at his side. Cliff was born September 28, 1919 in Westfork, Montana to Charles and Thresa Wolfe. Cliff was one of seven children – Alfred, Charlie, Mary, Sylvia, Ruby, and Shirley, who all predeceased him.
Cliff graduated from Scobey High School
Read MoreI was able to attend part of the midyear meetings of the Montana Stockgrowers Association last week in Miles City, Montana. I had to leave early for my niece’s rehearsal dinner and wedding but was able to take in Thursday’s meetings and events. Attendance at these meetings was down a little from normal, but I suspected this while driving to
Read MoreLast week, Marty the mountain lion was trying to find the gumption to talk to the sweet feline he had his eyes on. He and Banjo were also on a mission to get Rascal out of his new hideout and give him a dose of his own meddling medicine. But when Marty was finally able vocalize his plan to his
Read MoreAfter running the article last week about the carbon market, many discussions have led to the simple conclusion that “times have really changed.” This carbon credit program is a foreign idea to most ranchers, and something that would have never even been thought about several generations back.
While a new concept can seem intimidating, the message of the project is the
Read MoreThere’s an interesting paradox occurring in today’s commodity and financial markets. Maybe you’ve noticed it; market watchers certainly have. Here’s what they’ve seen:
Every time President Donald J. Trump takes to Twitter to threaten a nation with import tariffs – most recently, Mexico – the U.S. stock market shoots higher.
Paradoxically, however, every time U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue attempts to
Read MoreMarty had never had such butterflies in his stomach. He watched the golden tan of her fur wave softly in the summer breeze.
“Hm,” he said quietly to himself. “She’s like the sunshine on a rainy day, the flower bursting from the dry ground, the sweet essence of a tomato on top of a salad… awww.”
The mountain lion was smitten. Marty
Read MoreNote: This first appeared in the October 31, 1956, issue of Western Livestock Reporter
When I was just a button, my mother was cooking for the C Bar cattle outfit. I was the only small boy in that country and the cowboys got a lot of fun out of teasing me and telling me big lies when I asked them questions.
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A cow that survived the cold and muddy conditions.
By Kerry Hoffschneider
Gene Dubas owns and operates Dubas Cattle Company and has marketed Silencer Chutes across the nation and world. His team has sold equipment all over the country – Florida, Oklahoma, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Australia, Mexico, and Russia, just to name a few.
Because of his involvement in the cattle
Read More“Our cash flow is not flowing,” I informed my bookkeeper, who just so happens to also be my wife. “I have decided to use my brilliant business mind to raise some cash. Take a letter would you?”
“Who should I address it to?” my secretary/wife asked.
“To anybody with an ecologically sound mind and way too much money.”
“Dear Sucker,” wrote my secretary
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As Father’s Day approaches, I find it hard to believe that my father would have turned 100 this July. He has been gone for 22 years, but he still lives large in my memory. He was one of those people with the classic cowboy look, and that look landed him on the front of the Montana map tipping his hat
Read MoreHow much coffee is too much? The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition recently published a study showing more than six cups per day increases the risk of heart disease by 22 percent. However, this week, UK data showed no deleterious effects until beyond the 25-cup mark. Last Sunday, a personal mishap suggested that a single cup of coffee could damage
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The T. Rex will be on display in the nation’s capital at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History for 50 years.
By Hannah Johlman
Short of their wedding day and the days that their children were born, Tom and Kathy Wankel, who ranch near Angela, Montana, said one of the most exciting days of their life was the day
Read MoreNational companies are finally acknowledging the importance of intact grasslands and managed livestock grazing, AND Montana ranchers are being paid to offset the carbon footprints of these companies. This is great news for our industry. Even though this is a small-scale project right now, the concept is something that needs to be highlighted across the country.
I titled the front page
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Roger Indreland welcomed NativeEnergy representatives, potential carbon credit purchasers, soil scientists, ranch consultants, and Montana ranchers to their family ranch near Big Timber, Montana for an educational field day.
by Kayla Sargent
Montana ranchers have the opportunity to adjust their grazing practices in order to increase carrying capacity, and get paid to do it. Acknowledging the critical role that livestock
Read MoreLast Friday, the U.S. Meat Export Federation released data detailing April 2019 export numbers. I know trade talks have been on the forefront of everybody’s minds since China negotiations fell apart a couple of weeks ago. This leaves many wondering what the status of U.S. exports has been throughout the turbulent trade environment.
After reading this release a couple of times
Read MoreThe month of May left as it arrived: riding in a rowboat from flooded farm field to flooded farm field across the Midwest. Worse, June is sloshing in with more rain, more mud, and more worry.
Complicating an already complicated spring, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced a broad, new scheme that could pay U.S. farmers up to
Read MoreI know I discuss this quite often, but the fake meat issue is one that can’t be ignored. Each week, I hear news of new developments, more money, more supporters, new market introductions… They tend to meld together as each one is similar, but each one is particularly concerning to me.
Last week, as the stock market fell, shares in Beyond
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Cheers, kids!
Nancy Okerman shared this photo of the kids enjoying a Root Beer break at their branding south of Miles City, Montana. With it she wrote, “To me this photo personifies children born and raised in the country looking to entertain themselves without television or electronic devices.”
She’s right – what a great way to raise children!
From left to right on
Read MoreBanjo watched from afar.
“I wonder what he’s doing?” he said to himself.
The summer sun warmed against his fur. Banjo ambled along the fence line to the tree where he saw his recently returned friend, Marty the mountain lion.
“What are you doing?” he asked as he walked up beside him.
The mountain lion was gnawing a weathered old deer bone.
Marty looked up.
Read MoreI mentioned last week that grilling season officially opened on Memorial Day weekend. Up until that time most of the country had been seeing cold, wet weather conditions and many people mentioned to me it sure didn’t feel like grilling season. Well, looks like that sure has changed around most areas of Reporter Country. We have been seeing temperatures in
Read MoreMichael McDonnell Robertson was born at home on the kitchen table in Two Dot, Montana on September 5, 1936, the son of John Marion (Buster) Robertson and Rose Ethel McDonnell. Mike joined his older brothers Frank, Elmer, and John Marion who became his heroes. Later, a little sister, Cathryn, was added to the family.
He attended grade school in Two Dot
Read MorePresident Trump is not a real Republican and here is why:
In the ‘90s, I purchased small groups of cow-calf pairs to restock my ranch. I mustered the cattle at a local feedlot before trucking them to Wyoming. A handful of city friends graciously offered to help me brand them and since we were only doing about 20 head at a
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An aerial photo of South Dakota farm fields covered in water. Laura Edwards photo.
By Lilly Platts
Major crop producing states in the Midwest have been experiencing serious delays in planting this spring due to a string of unfavorable weather. The delays have forced farmers to make difficult decisions and will have lasting effects through harvest. In addition to extreme
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By Markie Hageman
Beginning farmers and ranchers have a lot on their plates. From possible student loans, lack of resources, or a vast array of other obstacles, many experience barriers to entry in production agriculture. It is common for those who don’t grow up with access to land, livestock, equipment, to become discouraged and overwhelmed with the dream of running their
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Western Ag Reporter Field Editors, John Goggins and Dwayne Dietz taking bids ringside at a spring performance sale. Montana Ag Photography photo.
by Kayla Sargent
As the last bull left the ring and the Western Ag Reporter (WAR) field editors caught a break from the road, they began tallying results from the Fall 2018 and Spring 2019 sale seasons. WAR
Read More“Will this do?” asked Banjo. “I think it’s the safest place on the ranch for you.”
Marty the Mountain Lion nodded. “I think it’ll do,” he said as he looked around. “Actually, I think it will be great!”
Banjo smiled.
Since Marty had been acquainted with Rocky the Raccoon and the Underground Crew, the newly found hollowed tree was a perfect place to call
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The Nelson family from left: Jayce (3), Coy (5), Amelia (10), Mel and Cody.
By Kerry Hoffschneider
Cody Nelson’s dream of farming and ranching is being paved by his passion for helping others. That journey began when he was growing up on a small cow/calf operation in Central Minnesota.
“We were not exactly in cow country when I was growing up surrounded
Read MoreSeptember 28, 1941 – April 28, 2019
William “Bill” Larry McLean left us very suddenly on April 28, 2019. Bill was born September 28, 1941 in Wenatchee, Washington to William “Harold” and Winifred McLean. Bill attended Mold School from first through third grade. When the school closed, he transferred to the Coulee City School District, where he graduated in 1959.
After graduation
Read MoreJune is the time when I decide to roll up my sleeves and clean out some junk. However, my parents were children of the Great Depression, so I can still hear their voices ringing in my ears when I think about pitching stuff that could potentially have some use in the future – even though it has received no usage
Read MoreIt’s a truism in American agriculture that food-growing technology undergoes an industry-shaking metamorphosis every generation.
When Grandpa (both yours and mine) farmed, hybrid seed corn came in and oat-eating horsepower went out. His sons, our fathers, were early adopters of anhydrous ammonia, 2,4-D, and, whoa, combines.
Twenty-five years later, our generational farm-changing moment arrived with genetically modified seed. It revolutionized farming as chromosomes replaced
Read MoreBy Gilles Stockton, Grass Range, MT
Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Purdue probably expects his press release announcing more access to Japan’s market for U.S. Beef will have cattle ranchers dancing a jig. But frankly, there is not enough of a musical beat in this trade agreement to cause anyone to even tap their toes. All that Japan did was lift a
Read MoreMy middle-school coaching years taught me not to worry about losing the lead early in a basketball game because then you have plenty of time to comeback. If you are down 20 before the end of the first quarter, your opponent is in real trouble, or so I told my players. Our record was less than stellar, and other than
Read MoreBy Laurie Fischer, CEO, The American Dairy Coalition
It isn’t often that U.S. farmers and dairy producers’ side with the EPA. However, in the case of a growing number of suits targeted at farming practices, and one ingredient in particular, U.S. farmers and dairy producers are supporting the EPA and its science-based approval system as it links to glyphosate. Glyphosate, or
Read MoreSome of the statistics cited in the recently introduced Merger Moratorium were shocking to me. Not only does the beef industry face “the Big Four” but so does America’s grain, pork, seed, and chemical industries. Essentially, the entire food chain, from farming crops to harvesting them, then to feeding the livestock and processing them is encapsulated by four majority firms
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By Lilly Platts
Big Sky Cheese, LLC, has submitted a proposal to Cascade County, Montana to build a processing plant on land owned by Madison Food Park, LLC. Madison Food Park previously submitted a proposal in August 2017 to acquire a special use permit for a food processing facility on the 3,018 acres of farmland they acquired near Great Falls, Montana.
Read MoreNo one I know has ever witnessed a train wreck as it happened. As such, when a friend or colleague says or writes that an event “was like watching a train wreck happen,” I’m pretty sure it wasn’t like watching a train wreck happen.
Until Sunday, May 5, that is, when President Donald J. Twitter used his thumbs to announce he
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By Kayla Sargent
Amidst a turbulent trade environment, cattlemen earned a win with Japan late last week when the country agreed to remove the 30 month age restriction on U.S. beef imports. This marks the first time since 2003 that beef from any age cattle can be shipped to Japan and could increase U.S. exports by up to $200
Read MoreLast week the plot to end the brood of bandits had begun, and Banjo was stuck right in the middle of it as the plan thickened, literally once the concrete hardened. But a friend from the ranch makes a surprise return visit and helps rid the ranch of the pesky possum. What will they do next to keep the varmints
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Comments
Category: Comments
One of our biggest fights in livestock agriculture since the 1970’s has been all of the “Health Experts” recommending consumers in the United States and the rest of the world eat less red meat. The last few years have even seen recommendations of NO red meat consumtion.
Last week a new report came out that may prove to be some of
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