“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 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
Read MoreThere was an abundance of good news on the trade front this past week. On May 17, Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced Japan had agreed to eliminate restrictions on beef imports from the United States. The U.S. now has full access as Japan eliminated the over-30-month age rule. Think about this for just a moment; Japan is already the largest
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By Bailey McKay
“Let pleasant paths invite the coming and going of reverent visitors and fond mourners. Let no neglect, no ravages of time, testify to the present or the coming generations that we have forgotten as a people the cost of a free and undivided republic,” Union General John A. Logan said as he called for a nationwide day of
Read MoreWhat a wild week for agriculture! With trade talks that are wins one day and losses the next and with the explosive growth of competing markets, I find it helpful to reach out to professionals whom have witnessed agriculture’s trials and tribulations in decades’ prior. Whenever I have the opportunity to visit with industry leaders, whether it be in passing or
Read MoreWhether I am becoming cranky because I am an old veterinarian, or a termed-out legislator matters not. This week, it is straight to my point. America is a constitutional republic and every time I hear a progressive candidate promising to “save our democracy,” my blood pressure pegs. It is not that the candidate is misinformed, to the contrary, they know
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By Kayla Sargent
“We’ve successfully produced the first pieces of beef steak grown from natural cells, without harming any animals,” Aleph Farms CEO Didier Toubia announced. “These first cell-based meat cuts demonstrate our capability of achieving our vision of growing steaks.”
On the heels of this announcement, one of the world’s largest beef processors declared their intentions to jump
Read MoreEvery spring we host the kindergarten field trip to our ranch, and it is the most fun I have all year. As the kindergarteners explore farm animals, no trace camping, nature walking, and “dinosaur” digs, they always have a lot of entertaining comments that leave me in stitches. For example, “I want to ride the polka dot horse!” (referring to my
Read MoreI am sure by now all of you are aware the trade talks between the U.S. and China fell apart again last week. When President Trump sent out his Tweet last week, just days ahead of the scheduled trade talks in Washington, announcing higher and additional tariffs the writing was on the wall that things were falling apart between the
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Lu and Kenny Rieken sat at the café counter recalling the abundant damages they witnessed in the kitchen a month prior. Kerry Hoffschneider photo.
By Kerry Hoffschneider
Not far beneath a photo of the late Fritz and Janet Engel hanging at the Fullerton Livestock Market, is a faint line that starts four-and-a-half-foot high and runs along the wall around the
Read MoreThe folks in white lab coats and low shoes with letters after their names are up to their old tricks again in attempting to build the super cow of the future. And please note I said “build”, not “breed”. It seems the gestation length of the bovine is much too long, and scientists are much too impatient to wait on
Read MoreIn our ranch vacation business, we book a lot of people who have seen ‘A River Runs Through It’ and they automatically assume that everyone in Montana is a fly fishing guide. This is hardly the case, but that does not seem to stop many of our guests from buying the perfect Cabela’s fly fishing outfit from the tips of
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By Melissa Burke
“Stress is defined as a need or demand that people confront which is perceived as burdensome or threatening,” Adele Harty, South Dakota State University Extension Field Specialist, said. “Stress affects our bodies, our minds, and even our actions.”
By nature, agriculture is a stressful occupation. Carrying too much stress can lead to reckless work habits and affect overall health. According to
Read MoreThis week completes our series featuring the overwhelming tribulations Nebraska ranchers battle in the face of the floods produced by the Bomb Cyclone and Winter Storm Ulmer. I encourage everyone reading this to remember our ranching neighbors and continue praying for our industry as a whole.
Mother Nature dealt a bitter blow last winter and this spring in many
Read MoreSanford Bishop and Sonny Perdue go way back.
So far back that Bishop, now a 14-term, Democratic congressman from South Georgia, remembers when Perdue, now the Secretary of Agriculture under President Donald J. Trump, was a Democrat.
Their friendship was tested April 9 when Perdue appeared before the House Appropriations ag subcommittee to defend the President’s 2020 budget request for the U.S.
Read MoreBy Arthur T. Hall
Range Management Specialist (Retired)
Madison Ranger District
For the past twenty-some years, ranchers that graze on the Beaverhead Deerlodge National Forest have had Riparian Use Standards to adhere to: 1. Bank Disturbance; 2. Upland Use; 3. Stubble Height; 4. Willow Use. These were developed to maintain or improve the function of streams and adjacent
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Jean Modesette photo.
By Lilly Platts
Across the country, people are gearing up to kick off summer with Memorial Day events. In Gardiner, the Hells-a-Roarin’ Horse Drive will bring people from across the U.S. and overseas together to support the small town and raise money for veterans. Over the last five years, the event has raised approximately $100,000 for various causes.
The
Read MoreWhen the first eggs pelted the possum from the sky, it gave Banjo enough time to roll to one side and get all three legs beneath him. Even though the hit he’d taken knocked the wind out of him, he could rally. Gander and her flock of geese had come to his rescue and rained eggs from the sky. The
Read MoreBecause mixed-animal veterinarians provide medical services at market prices, we must be frugal when equipping our hospitals. Also, unlike our counterparts who only treat the hairless primate called humans, rural critter doctors need a variety of specialty tools unique to each species. Horse doctors have little use for a Frick’s speculum or an Iowa hog holder, while pig practitioners only
Read MoreSunday is Mother’s Day, so I would like to wish all mothers a special day. Those of us who have lost our mothers realize how time spent with our mothers is more valuable than any other gift we could give or be given. I have never written a column that has been requested for reprint more than this column I
Read MoreDecades ago, when discussing the complexity of U.S. tax code, an ag lobbyist friend noted that all he wanted in any tax reform “was to pay the same taxes the generals paid: General Mills, General Motors, General Dynamics…”
He’d still take that deal. In 2018, General Dynamics had an effective tax rate of 17.8 percent, more than three percent below the federal
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by Kayla Sargent
“It has been a WEEK (yes, the all-caps kind) for the world of plant-based meat and dairy,” Good Food Institute Content Specialist Mary Allen wrote. A culmination of “wins” for the “fake meat” industry stacked up last week, prompting this quote that would leave anti-agriculture activists feeling encouraged and agricultural producers feeling threatened.
One of the
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By Lilly Platts
Every third week of May, people converge on Miles City, Montana for the famed Bucking Horse Sale (BHS) weekend. In addition to the excitement of watching broncs, horse racing is a vital part of the event. Since the 1960’s, races have been held between the bucking horse draws, giving the crowd an additional fast-paced event that keeps the energy
Read MoreA gentle spring breeze blew across his fur as Banjo looked upon the group of friends who had come to join their cause. It wasn’t an emergency, but its need was eminent and if not taken care of now, it would turn into an emergency. Gander the Goose had recently arrived back on the ranch and she alerted the ranch
Read MoreBy Gilles Stockton
Grass Range, MT
Instead of apologizing to Montana’s beef consumers and cattle ranchers, the Montana Farm Bureau (MFB) in an OpEd, “State Mandated Placarding Is Not COOL”, chose instead to double down on the half-truths and innuendos used to kill Montana Country of Origin Labeling (Mt-COOL). Senator Al Olszewski of Kalispell introduced SB 206 to reinstate COOL (Country of
Read MoreAs many people around the world were celebrating Cinco de Mayo this past Sunday, Bloomberg reported that China was seriously considering cancelling the trip to Washington, D.C. for the previously planned trade negotiation talks. This came after President Trump sent out a Tweet Sunday saying he’s not satisfied with the pace of the progress and that duties would increase Friday.
Read MoreJust as we sent last week’s issue to press, the fake meat headlines overflowed my email inbox— particularly fake meat in fast food restaurants. I discovered that this new plant-based protein is really gaining steam across the globe. Offering it in grocery stores for those who choose not to eat meat is one thing, but becoming a staple menu
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By Emily Horton
Farmers, ranchers, and good Samaritans in Montana are paying it forward – bringing relief to their fellow producers in Nebraska and they could use more help.
“There is a quote, ‘They say neighbor is a verb,’ and there’s a lot of truth to that,” Michael Takeuchi, a Columbus, Montana resident ready to assist those recovering from devastating weather in
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By Kayla Sargent
Mega food retailers are following a path of vertical integration. Costco Wholesale Corporation began breaking ground on a Nebraska plant to produce their popular $5 rotisserie chickens from farm to finish late last fall. Walmart Inc. established their Indiana milk processing facility last year to supply the Great Value brand dairy products. The most recent announcement
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By Markie Hageman
Federally legalized in the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp production has created a buzz in the agricultural industry. Hemp, Plant Cannabis Sativa, is technically marijuana, with lower THC limits. Industrial hemp will be harvested for its fiber, CBD oil, and grain. While the crop has been federally legalized for research, legalization for production and further research is
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By Kayla Sargent
In a time when Nebraska farmers and ranchers are facing horrendous flood damages coupled with several years of marginal income, the financial strain is nearly unbearable for many producers.
“We are struggling,” Nebraska Farmers Union President John Hansen said. “That’s one of the reasons people whom are in desperate situations will try anything to help themselves.”
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By Kayla Sargent
Following months of bantering amongst a diverse group of stakeholders, a proposal for the management of wild horses and burros finally emerged on April 22. Animal activists, livestock producers, local government, and rangeland management professionals hammered out a four pronged proposal designed to address most of the issues by all of the groups.
The four basic
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By Kayla Sargent
Montana cattlemen contribute nearly $1.8 million into the mandatory beef checkoff each year. These checkoff funds are intended to promote beef, fund research and education, and other promotional campaigns. But pending litigation has a large portion of Montana’s contributions tied up in a frozen account until the case is settled.
Today more than ever, consumer dynamics
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Layers of Concertina wire are added to existing barrier infrastructure along the U.S. – Mexico border near Nogales, AZ, February 4, 2019. Robert Bushell photo.
By Kayla Sargent
While Congress remains at an impasse over border control, illegals continue flooding into the U.S. across ranches too remote and rugged for traffic or border patrol monitoring. The reality of what ranchers
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From the picture window in his home, Ashurst can see the top of the Chiricahua Mountains. He said they are very rugged mountains. From his home at 4,600 hundred feet in elevation it is ten miles to the top of the 10,000 foot high peak.“Those Mexican mules (the name given those people whom carry the drugs) hauling dope
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By Kayla Sargent
A fresh rain during a dry summer spell, a new calf frolicking in the emerging sun – tough seasons end and small rewards can be found daily. That’s why most ranchers keep ranching despite the difficult days.
It’s a lifestyle like none other.
Families work together each day with the ultimate goal of passing on not just a job and
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Category: Comments
Once 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.
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