PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID BRYAN, TX 77802 PERMIT # 23 From pasture to table Many producers utilizing vertical integration to increase profits PAGE 16 PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID BRYAN, TX 77802 PERMIT # 23 FALLING GROUNDWATER AgriLife Research studies past and present. PAGE 4 DOVE, TEAL SEASON Dates set for dove, teal, Canada goose hunts. PAGE 11 TEXAS QUALITY Producers approve Texas Beef Checkoff. PAGE 20 AN AGGIE IN AFRICA A&M student will take knowledge back home. PAGE 23 August 2014 — Issue 1
Transcript
PRSRT STDUS POSTAGE
PAIDBRYAN, TX 77802PERMIT # 23
JAMES THOMPSONStraight from the horse's mouth.PAGE 3
JAMES THOMPSONStraight from the horse's mouth.PAGE 3
JAMES THOMPSONStraight from the horse's mouth.PAGE 3
JAMES THOMPSONStraight from the horse's mouth.PAGE 3
August 2014— Issue 1
From pastureto table
Many producers utilizing verticalintegration to increase profitsPAGE 16
PRSRT STDUS POSTAGE
PAIDBRYAN, TX 77802PERMIT # 23
FALLING GROUNDWATERAgriLife Research studies past and present.PAGE 4
DOVE, TEAL SEASONDates set for dove, teal, Canada goose hunts.PAGE 11
AN AGGIE IN AFRICAA&M student will take knowledge back home.PAGE 23
August 2014— Issue 1
August 2014— Issue 1 The Land & Livestock Post2
News
From the General ManagerThismonth, I will attendmy 12th Beef Cattle
Short Course at Texas A&M. This yearmarks the60th anniversary for short course, so that means
I’ve been to 20 percent of them. I’m nomathematician,but 20 percent is one in five. That’s the same numberof dentists who do not agree with the dental merits ofsugar-free gum. It’s not a staggering fig-ure, but amilestone nonetheless.
The Land& Livestock Postwill havea booth again at the trade show duringthe Beef Cattle Short Course.I’ve always enjoyed trade shows. I’ve
met a lot of great people and have anextensive Koozie collection because ofthem. The first time Imet Nolan Ryanwas at a trade show. I walked up to him,trying to decide whether to talk about cattle or base-ball. He was talking to someone else, and I hoveredawkwardly while inmy head I nervously tried to de-cide, “Cattle or baseball? Cattle or baseball? Cattle orbaseball?” He eventually finished his conversation andI walked up, still undecided.
I stuck outmy hand, “Mr. Ryan, I’m JesseWright,” Isaid.He shookmy hand, “Nice tomeet you,” he said.I stood there for about two or three seconds, just
enough time tomake it awkward, then turned rightaround andwent back tomy booth.There was another time at a trade showwhen I was
sitting with a group of guys on a big leather couch.Wewere talking baseball and I, being an avid Astros fan,threw outmy 2 cents about a pitcher the team had justcalled up. Someone on the opposite end of the couchspoke up and disagreed withmy assertion of the newpitcher. Now, this was one of those plush couchesthat, when you sit in it you sink down so far you prettymuch can only see directly in front of you. So, I leanedforward to tell the person on the end of the couch thathe didn’t knowwhat the heck he was talking about,and that’s when I realized it was Nolan Ryan. I shutmymouth and let the couch swallowme back into thecushions.But, aside from embarrassingmyself in front of Hall
of Famers, my experience at trade shows overall has
been positive, and I am looking forward to number 12.Hopefully you are looking forward to finding out
about vertical integration in the beef business, becausethat’s what our cover story is about. We take a look atwhat that means and how it can be a viable option forsome producers.In this issue we also have news from around the
cattle industry, as well as tips and information to helpwith your herd.Hope you enjoy it, and if you’re heading to College
Station for the Short Course, be sure to stop by ourbooth and say “Howdy!”
• For more information about content or advertising, contactJesse Wright at [email protected].
JESSE WRIGHT
The Land & Livestock Post August 2014— Issue 1 3
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NewsStudy identifies factors for fallinggroundwater tables
By Kay LedBetterTexas A&MAgriLife Extension
Service
VERNON — It’s no secretgroundwater levels have de-clined across the state over thepast eight decades, and that theprimary reason is the onset ofirrigation in agriculture andpopulation growth. But a recentTexas A&M AgriLife Researchstudyhas identifiedother factorshaving an impact.The groundwater declines
have been most severe in thepast four decades, but the newsisn’t all bad, according to Srini-vasulu Ale, AgriLife Researchgeospatial hydrology assistantprofessor in Vernon.“Long-term(1930–2010) trends
in groundwater levels in Texas:Influences of soils, land cover
and water use,” authored bySriroopChaudhuri, formerpost-doctoral research associate atVernon, and Ale, was publishedin the Science of the Total Envi-ronment journal recently.Ale said they conducted the
studybecause,by2060, thestate’spopulation is expected todouble,increasing thedemand forwaterata timewhentheexistingwatersupply is expected to be reducedby about 10 percent.
“Wewanted toknowwhichar-easaremorevulnerable towatershortages,” he said. “In order toplan and implement strategiesto deal with the water level de-clines, we needed to know howthese levels were declining spa-tially and temporally.”Previoushydrologicstudieson
Texas groundwater levels wereconductedmostly on an aquifer-
specific basis, and lacked thestatewide panoramic view Aleand Chaudhuri wanted to pres-ent. They wanted an overviewof trends in groundwater lev-els from 1930 to 2010, and theywanted to identify spatial pat-terns from the 136,930 ground-water level observations fromthe Texas Water DevelopmentBoard’s database.They utilized the boundaries
of theTexasWaterDevelopmentBoard’sdesignatedGroundwaterManagement Areas, or GMAs,for their assessment. The 16GMAs, with boundaries identi-fied in response to legislationpassed in2001, includedallmajorand minor aquifers in the state.The objective behind groundwa-
termanagement area identifica-tion was to delineate areas con-sideredsuitable formanagementof groundwater resources.
“Our results indicated a pro-gressive decline in statewidedecadal median water levels inTexas from about 46 feet to 118feetbetweenthe1930sand2000s,”Chaudhuri said. “We identifiedhot spots of deep water levels inGroundwaterManagementArea8 (North Central Texas) and theTexas Panhandle regions sincethe1960s,mainlyduetoextensivegroundwaterwithdrawals forur-ban and irrigation purposes.”For thepurposes of this study,
thePanhandleregionincludes12western and central counties inGroundwaterManagementArea
1 and three northwestern coun-ties in Groundwater Manage-ment Area 2, he said.Statewide,thenumberof coun-
ties with deeper median waterlevels, a water-level depth below328 feet, increased from two to13 between the 1930s and 2000s,he said. At the same time, therewas a decrease in the number ofcounties, from 134 to 113, havingshallower median water-levelsor groundwater located within82 feet of the ground surface.
“We know irrigated agricul-ture is themajor cause of deple-tion in the Texas Panhandle, ascompared to increasing urban-ization in Groundwater Man-
AgriLife Research investigation shows news isn’t all bad, although demand keeps rising
Texas A&MAgriLife Research graphicTheTexasA&MAgriLife Research study utilized information andboundaries identified bytheTexasWater Development Board.This map depicts both Groundwater ManagementAreas and the smaller inset identifies aquifers.
SeeWATER, Page 6
August 2014— Issue 1 The Land & Livestock Post4
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News
agement Area 8,” Chaudhurisaid. “We saw a significant dropinmedian groundwater levels inirrigationwells from75to180 feetbetween the 1940s and 1950s intheTexasPanhandle, coincidingwith the initiationof widespreadirrigatedagriculturalpractices.”But he said they knew there
was more to the decline thanjust these uses, because “un-used”wellsmonitoredacross thestatethroughoutthedecadesalsowere showing varying levels ofdecline.That was when they studied
groundwater and surface-waterusepatterns, soil characteristics,geology and land cover types tobetterunderstand thewater-lev-el changes in Texas.For instance, the South Plains
and Panhandle were equallyinvolved in agriculture and ir-rigated crops over the OgallalaAquifer.The sandier soils of the South
Plains, however, allow moreinfiltration and recharge thanthe tighter clay soils of the Pan-handle.In addition to population
growth in Groundwater Man-agement Area 8, the high claycontent in soils coupled withshale/claystone type geologyand more land area covered byhighways and parking lots havelowered theamountof recharge,thus contributing to the declinein water levels.There is a brighter note, Ale
said.“Interestingly, the trends we
observed over the decades showthewater-leveldeclinesare level-ing off recently in some parts ofthestate, includingGroundwaterManagementArea 8, suggestinga recovery fromhistorical draw-down due to implementation ofconservation and regulatorystrategies,” Ale said.The leveling off of the decline
has been seen in the past decadeafter the implementation of the
Groundwater Management Ar-eas and the guidelines and regu-lations that were establishedwiththem,hesaid. Increaseduseof surfacewaterandassessmentof water levels are some mea-sures being utilized to addressgroundwater depletion issuesin the Houston, GroundwaterManagement Area 14, and Dal-las, Groundwater ManagementArea 8, areas.These voluntary conservation
or regulatory strategies, how-ever, have resulted in a variablepattern of recovery in ambientwater-levels, which still are oc-curring frequently at deeperdepths in the hot spots and thuswarrant further investigation,he said.Ale said the need for more
spatially intensive and frequentwater-levelmonitoringhas beenrealized over the course of thisstudy. In addition, further in-vestigation of aquifer-specificinfluences such as groundwaterrecharge andflowpaths, human
dimensions on water-level fluc-tuations and climate are war-ranted.“Overall, our study indicated
thatuseof robustspatialandsta-tistical methods can reveal im-portant details about the trendsin water-level changes and shed
light on the associated factors,”Chaudhuri said. “Due to theirvery generic nature, techniquesused in this study canalso be ap-plied to other areas with similareco-hydrologic issues to identifyregionsthatwarrant futureman-agement actions.”
This graphic was generated by Sriroop Chaudhuri and Srinivasulu Ale, both with TexasA&MAgriLife Research in Vernon, to depict the water-level decline over the decades.
Water, from Page 4
Hawaii grapples withability to regulate GMOsHONOLULU (AP) — Kauai
County’s authority to regulategenetically modified crops andpesticides was the subject of ar-guments in a federal court hear-ing July 23 in a lawsuit by fourseed companies seeking to stopa new law from going into effectthis month.
Syngenta Seeds, DuPont Pio-neer, Agrigenetics Inc., doingbusiness as Dow AgroSciences,and BASF Plant Sciences aresuing for a permanent injunc-tion. The companies argue theordinance is invalidandunfairlytargets their industry.The new law requires compa-
nies to disclose their use of pes-ticides and genetically modifiedcrops. Italsorequires themtoes-tablish buffer zones around sen-sitive areas, including schoolsand hospitals.Ahead of the hearing, U.S.
DistrictMagistrate JudgeBarryKurren had asked lawyers to fo-cus theirargumentson the issueof whetherstateandfederal lawspre-empt Kauai’s law,
We commonly hear the phrase“youcan’tmanagewhatyoudon’tmeasure,” especially in regardsto forage production and pasturemanagement. This statement,however, applies to many otherfacets of beef cattle production.
Cattle are managed in manyways, according to their weight.Stockingrates, feedingprogramsand dosages for antibiotics anddewormers all are based on ananimal’s weight. In public mar-kets, all cattle except for breed-ing females are sold in terms ofweight.
Given the importance ofweight in cattle production, it isimportant to capture weight datawhen necessary to make goodmanagement decisions. Beloware a few ways that this data canbe collected.
Individual chute scales are ef-fective in serving a number of
purposes. Perhaps their mostimportant function is in deter-mining correct dosages for treat-ing livestock. It is important touse the correct dosage becauseunder-dosing can be ineffectiveand overdosing can be costly.
Many of today’s antibioticscost upwards of $4 per milliliterand are administered at 1 millili-ter per hundred pounds. If pro-ducers are overestimating theweight and overdosing, it doesnot take long for this number toadd up.
Chute scales also can be usedto collect individual weight dataon cows and calves to measureproductivity. This data then canbeusedtomakecullingdecisionswhen appropriate. Additionally,duringscheduledworkingswhenall animals come through thechute for vaccinations, weightscan be collected so that an aver-age weight can be calculated andused to design supplementation
Photo courtesy of The Samuel Roberts Noble FoundationIndividual chute scales are effective in serving a number of purposes.
SeeWEIGHT, Page 9The Land & Livestock Post August 2014— Issue 1 7
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Newsprogramsmost effectively.Pen scales are a great tool for
collectingweights on all types oflivestock. These are nice for col-lectingaverageweightsonalargenumber of cattle in a quickman-ner. They typically have tremen-dousvalue for stockeroperators.It is very important to have ac-curate weights in order to makegood marketing decisions. If anoperation issellingcattledirectlyoff the ranch, accurate weightsare essential. A good set of penscales can be a sizeable invest-ment, so these typically are usedby larger operations.An alternative option is to use
the truck scales at a local feedstore, truck stop, etc., to get anaverage weight of a set of cattle.There is usually no cost to usethese scales. Your only costswillbe time, the fuel to get the cattlethere, andwear and tear onyourvehicle and trailer. This is an op-tionthatmanypeoplemayforget.Another type of scale that can
beuseful isonyourpickupfeeder.This ensures the amount of feedthat you are providing is the de-
sired amount. Without scales onafeeder,youshouldat leastknowthe amount your feeder containswhen full, and calibrate to knowhowmuch is released with each“click” on a trip-hopper or per acertain amount of time with au-ger-fed systems. These amountswill vary,however,dependingonthe type of feed you are using,the amount in the feeder and theangle of the truck if you are noton a flat surface. If emptying thefeeder to one set of cattle, this isnot a problem. If, however, youare splitting a feeder betweenmultiple sets of cattle, errorscan occur. Once again, under-feeding can result in decreasedperformance, and overfeeding isoverspending.My hope is that this article
causes producers to ask twoquestions: First, how am I de-termining weights currently tohelp make management deci-sions, and can I improve uponit?Second,wouldpurchasingoneof these types of scales be awiseinvestment?The answer will vary by pro-
ducer, but I encourage everyoneto ask the questions.
Weight, from Page 7
The Land & Livestock Post August 2014— Issue 1 9
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2014EngSymposiumto featurecow-calfproductionsystemSpecial to The Post
SAN ANTONIO — Althoughhigh cattle prices may temptcattleproducers toexpandherds,rising prices for land, fuel andfeed still have some reconsider-ing expansion, according to ex-perts.
Opportunities for efficientexpansion will be discussed in-depthat the2014Dr.KennethandCarolineMcDonaldEngFounda-tionSymposium,scheduledSept.18-19 at the Embassy Suites Riv-erwalk, 125E.HoustonSt. inSanAntonio. The symposium willfeaturecurrent research that ex-plores how cattle producers bestcan meet these challenges andforward-lookingideasandoppor-tunities, saidKenEng,cattlemanand nutrition consultant.
“This year’s symposium willoffer perspectives on opportuni-ties for innovation in productionsystems through strategic inten-sification,” he said. “We’ll ad-dress questions such as: Can in-creasing management intensityincreaseprofitability,reduceriskandenhancethesustainabilityofbeef production enterprises?”
“Innovative Intensification in
Cow-Calf Systems” is thesecondannualsymposia tobesponsoredby the Eng Foundation. TexasA&M University will host theevent, which includes partici-pation by researchers from theUniversity of Nebraska-Lincolnand Oklahoma State University.
Topics include:• Managing energy require-
ments in confined cows.• Drylot beef cow systems in
the Northern Great Plains.• Cow efficiency: Implications
for beef sustainability.•Nutritionalandmanagement
considerations when mergingcow-calf and feedlot operations.•Fetal programming: Implica-
tions and opportunities in con-finement.• Intensified cow-calf produc-
wheat pasture and cover crops.• Herd health observations in
Nebraska drylot cow project.• Does intensification improve
sustainability?The event is open to the pub-
lic. Cattle producers interestedin opportunities to expand pro-duction or increase land-use ef-ficiencyshouldplan toattend, aswellasresearchersandstudents,according to organizers.
Cost is $125 forpreregistrationand$50forstudents.Onsiteregis-tration is$150.Hotel informationandregistration informationcanbe foundat animalscience.tamu.edu/eng-symposium.
Formore information, contactthe Eng Foundation at 575-743-6331,[email protected] theTexasA&MUniversitydepartment of animal science at979-845-1541.
Texas A&MAgriLife Extension Service photo by Blair FanninThe2014Dr.Kenneth andCarolineMcDonald Eng Foundation Symposium is scheduledSept. 18-19 at the Embassy Suites Riverwalk, 125 E. Houston St. in San Antonio. Anin-depth discussion about opportunities for cowherd expansion will be discussed.
August 2014— Issue 1 The Land & Livestock Post10
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News2014 dove, teal season dates,bag limits finalized by theTexasParks andWildlifeDepartment
Special to The Post
AUSTIN — Dove hunters willhave more opportunity later inthe season with dates and baglimits finalized by the TexasParks and Wildlife Departmentlast month.TheU.S. Fish andWildlife Ser-
vice has approved the 2014-2015Texas dove season, including a70-day season and 15-bird dailybag statewide, and a 16-day earlyteal and Canada goose season.The traditional Sept. 1 dove
season opening day in theNorthand Central Zones remains —this year falling on Labor DayMonday. The first segment inthose zones will be shorter thanlast season, however, closing onOct. 20. The season will reopenDec. 19 and run through Jan. 7in the North and Central Zones.In the South Zone and Special
White-winged Dove Area, thefirst segment will be shortenedby five days compared to lastyear, and those days would beadded to the end of the secondsegment. The South Zone opensSept. 19andrunsthroughOct. 20.ThesecondsegmentwillrunDec.19 through Jan. 25, 2015.The daily bag limit for doves
statewide is15andthepossessionlimit is 45.The Special White-winged
Dove Area will be restricted toafternoon only—noon to sunset— hunting the first two full Sep-temberweekendsonSept.6-7andSept. 13-14. Hunting in this areawill reopenSept. 19andcontinuethroughOct. 20, and then reopenDec. 19 through Jan. 21. Duringtheearly twoweekends, thedailybaglimit is15birds, to includenotmore than two mourning dovesandtwowhite-tippeddoves.Oncethegeneral seasonopens, the ag-gregate bag limit will be 15 withno more than two white-tippeddoves.A 16-day statewide early teal
and Eastern Zone Canada goose
season will run Sept. 13 throughSept. 28. The daily bag on tealremains six, with a possessionlimit of 18. Bag limit for Canadageese will be three and a posses-sionlimitof 6 intheEasternZoneonly.
Photos courtesy of the Texas Parks andWildlife Department
The 2014 hunting season and baglimits for doves, Canada goose andteal have been set by the TexasParks and Wildlife Department andapproved by the U.S. Fish and Wild-life Service. Top, mourning dove.Above, whitewing dove.
The Land & Livestock Post August 2014— Issue 1 11
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News
SouthTexas study looksat crossbreeding
By Blair FanninTexas A&MAgriLife Extension
Service
CORPUS CHRISTI — Datafrom a Texas A&M AgriLifeExtension Service South Texasstudy shows Brahman and Brit-ish crossbred cattle add signifi-cant value to breeding stock inSouth Texas and performed bestin terms of sale price.“The research here shows the
value of crossbreeds in this re-gion,” saidLeviRussell,AgriLifeExtension economist in CorpusChristi.“The increase in the number
of calves a rancher could expectfrom his or her breeding stockdue to Brahman influence cer-tainly increases profit potentialfor the herd.”Thestudyexaminedtheeffects
of Brahman influence and othermanagerial and market factorsonpricespaid forbreeding cattlein South Texas.The results are available in a
publicationattheAgriLifeExten-sion Bookstore, bit.ly/1ohskqB.The study data was collected
in April at the Tri-County Com-mercial Female Sale in Beeville.The special sale featured 123 lotsfrom which the following infor-mationwas collected: numberofhead sold, coat color, frame size,condition, Brahman influence,physiological stage, polled, priceper head andweight.“Ourworkwiththespecialsale
in Beeville indicates that Brah-man influence in British andContinental breeds is extremelyvaluable in this region,” Russellsaid.“Combining the hot-weather
hardiness of theBrahmanbreedwith the high-gain andmuscling
characteristicsof theBritishandContinental breeds certainlypays off in South Texas,” Russellsaid.Russell teamed with David
Anderson, AgriLife Extensioneconomist in College Station;MatthewBochat,AgriLifeExten-sion agent in Bee County; BrianYanta, AgriLife Extension agentin Goliad County; Joe Paschal,AgriLife Extension beef cattlespecialist in Corpus Christi; andMac Young, AgriLife Extensionprogramspecialist, riskmanage-ment, Corpus Christi.The study found that black
coat color was discounted dueto cattle with black hides beingless adapted to the hot climate inSouth Texas.“However, the study suggests
pricepremiumsdon’tnecessarilyimplyincreasedprofit,whichcanonly be calculated against pro-duction cost data,” Russell said.“It’s also worth noting that it
takes all of these breeds tomakesome of the cross breeds thatcommand a premium.“The biggest surprisewas see-
ing just how much prices haverisen for breeding stock.“This really shows that the
rest of the beef supply chain hasshownagreat deal of increase invalue, asdocumentedelsewhere.Some of our other work showsthat, even with high prices inbreeding females, restocking isstill a profitable proposition.”
Texas A&MAgriLife Extension Service photo byJoe Paschal
A South Texas study conducted by the Tex-as A&MAgriLife Extension Service exam-ined the value of crossbreeds in the region,which is important for producers lookingto purchase new females as cowherds be-gin to build back following drought.
Brahman, British crossbredcattle add ‘significant value’
Steve Wikse - Retired DVM Large Animal Clinical SciencesCollege of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University
WIKSE
ByNational Cattleman’s BeefAssociation
The Environmental Pro-tection Agency and theArmy Corps of Engineers
continue to be in hot water onCapitol Hill over the proposedrule expanding federal jurisdic-tion over “waters of the UnitedStates.” The National Cattle-men’s Beef Association and thePublic Lands Council applaudthe efforts last month of U.S.Rep. Steve Southerland, R-Fla.,to invalidate this rule.Under the proposal, nearly
all waters in the countrywill be subject to regulation,regardless of size or continu-ity of flow. Southerland’s billH.R. 5078Waters of the UnitedStates Regulatory OverreachProtection Act halts any ac-tion of the EPA and the Corpsregarding the proposed defini-tion of “waters of the UnitedStates.”“The EPA continues to claim
that its proposal does not ex-pand the reach of the CleanWater Act,” said BobMcCan,National Cattlemen’s Beef As-sociation president and Texascattleman, “but the way theproposal is written, there is noother interpretation. The vagueand subjective wording givesregulators the authority andaccess to nearly anywater, andwith it, all land use activitiesincluding ranching.”For the first time, ditches
are included in the definitionof a “tributary” andmanywill now come under federaljurisdiction. Activities near ajurisdictional ditch nowwillrequire a federal permit. As aresult, many cattle operationswill be required to get Sec. 402National Pollutant DischargeElimination System permits,Sec. 404 Dredge and Fill permitsor Sec. 311 Spill PreventionControl, and Countermeasurespill plans.The bill also includes a pro-
vision previously offered asstand-alone legislation by Rep.Reid Ribble, R-Wis., that will in-validate the “interpretive” rule,which attempts to define andinterpret the “normal farming,silviculture and ranching ac-tivities” exemptions under Sec.404 of the CleanWater Act.According to the EPA, the 56
exempted National ResourceConservation Service practices,including prescribed grazing,were chosen because they havethe potential to discharge ifthey are done in a “water of theU.S.” Effectively, the agencieshavemade cattle grazing a dis-charge activity, forcing cattleproducers to obtain a NationalResource Conservation Service-approved grazing plan or elsebe subjected to the 404 permit-ting scheme and the penaltiesunder the CleanWater Act.“This proposal takes the
authority Congress grantedEPA far beyond the scope ofCongressional intent,” saidPublic Lands Council PresidentBrice Lee, a Colorado rancher.“Not only is this illegal, but itclearly disregards the SupremeCourt’s interpretation of theCleanWater Act jurisdiction.We appreciateMr. SoutherlandandMr. Ribble’s efforts to pre-vent the agencies from final-izing this regulation, which wesee as the largest federal landgrab in history.”The National Cattlemen’s
Beef Association and the PublicLands Council strongly supportthis legislation and encour-age the House to pass this bill,protecting the rights of privateproperty owners across thecountry.
CommentaryFlorida representative pushesbill to sinkEPA’s ‘landgrab’
Opinion
The Land & Livestock Post August 2014— Issue 1 13
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NewsTexascornproducersneed tokeepaneye for southernrust
By Blair FanninTexas A&MAgriLife Extension
Service
COLLEGE STATION — ATexas A&M AgriLife ExtensionService plant pathologist re-cently met with corn growers ata field day near College Stationdiscussingsouthernrust,a foliardisease that can be problematicfor growers and threaten yields.Tom Isakeit shared practical
advice and application methodsat the 2014CropTour, sponsoredbyAgriLifeExtensionandBASFCorporation, at the Texas A&MUniversity field laboratory nearCollege Station, which serves asaresearchandteachingplatformfor Texas A&MAgriLife.More than 100 area produc-
ers, consultants and industrypartners attended the field day.Southern rust, caused by the
fungus Puccinia polysora, is themost important foliar disease ofcorn in the Upper Coast regionof Texas, Isakeit said. In somewetter years, when very suscep-tible hybrids are grown, it mayrequire a fungicide treatment tominimize yield loss.Isakeit told producers appli-
cation of fungicide early on willhelp prevent rust from develop-ing on leaves, even if the farmercan’t visually see the rust infec-tion.“Southern rust is recognized
by small circular orange pus-tulesandthis is incomparisontocommon rust, which is reddishand more elongated,” Isakeitsaid. “If you have corn that is attasseling to early grain develop-ment stage, you want to checkyour lower leaves. If leaves have3 to 5 percent pustules, that willbe your trigger to spray.”
In determining whether tospray or not, he said when thecrop is still in the vegetativestage, don’t spray. When thecrop isnearfloweringanddevel-opment of the ear of corn, thatwouldbethemostbeneficial timeto apply fungicide.Isakeit said there are many
fungicides from which Texasfarmers can choose, but the keyis prevention of rust on upperleaves during the grain fill pe-riod.“Any fungicide would be fine
underTexasconditions,”hesaid.“You can see rust as early as asvegetative stage, but I’ve seen itmore as corn is flowering. Thereis a limited window of time dur-ing early flowering and ear de-velopment that you would needto worry about disease develop-ment and need to spray a fungi-cide.”
Isakeit suggested farmersread a bulletin he authored onsouthern rust that is available
at agrilife.org/plantpathology/files/2011/05/Southern-Rust-of-Corn_2014.pdf.
Texas A&MAgriLife Extension Service photo by Blair FanninTom Isakeit, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service plant pathologist, inspects cornat the Texas A&M University field laboratory near College Station. Isakeit discussedsouthern rust and use of fungicides as part of the 2014 CropTour sponsored byAgriLifeExtension and BASF.
The Land & Livestock Post August 2014— Issue 1 15
News
Controlling interestVertical integration in thebeefbusinesscanboost income
By RoBeRt FeaRsSpecial to The Post
Vertical integration is theterm used when a beefproducer assumes multiplephases of production anddistribution, from calving
to feeding, from transportation to theslaughter house. The more aspects ofthe cattle industry a producer controls,the greater his or her potential profit.
Advantages of vertical integration in-clude the ability to reduce costs and con-trol product quality throughout the pro-duction and distribution chain. Whena producer sells directly to consumers,forward vertical integration is used. Ifa wholesaler or retailer produces his orher own beef, they are backward verti-cally integrated.
“The conventional beef processingchain for beef calves begins with pro-ducers selling their calf crops throughan auction to a feedlot or a precondi-tioner,” said David Anderson of the de-partment of agricultural economics atTexas A&M University. “Some feedlotsand order buying companies have theirown preconditioning facilities,and there are com-
panies whose sole business is precondi-tioning calves.
“Purchases for feedlots and precon-ditioners are usually made by an orderbuyer. Preconditioners sell their cattle tofeedyards, which later sell finished cattleto packers. After animals are processed,packers sell beef products to grocerystores and restaurants. Grocers and res-taurants, in turn, sell to consumers.”
Anderson said, “In direct marketing,the producer bypasses one or more linksin the beef processing chain. A ranchermay sell directly to a preconditioner,feedlot or to an order buyer who is buy-ing for one of these entities.
“Another option is for the producer toprecondition or background his calveson the ranch and then retain ownershipthrough the feedlot. The cattleman thensells directly to the packer.”
Anderson said, “Some ranches havetheir own feedlots and sell finishedcattle to packers.”
Niche marketingNiche marketing is a type of direct
selling where a group of consumersdesire a particular product that theycannot purchase through conventionalmarketing channels. Examples of nichemarket products are lean beef, organicbeef, natural beef and pasture-finishedbeef. When consumers prefer thesetypes of meat, they usually are willing topay a premium over conventional meatprices.
“Production of specialty beef prod-ucts for niche markets offers addedprofit opportunities,” Anderson said.
“Although a niche market adds prod-uct value, there are downsides. Nichemarketers must develop their own cus-tomer base, identify the desired productconcept and be able to deliver the prod-uct when the customer wants it. Market-ing skills are a must in these types ofbusinesses.
“In addition to production costs, pro-
ducers must derive enough value fromtheir product to pay their marketingexpenses.”
A year-round supply of calves isrequired and a packer must be identi-fied to process these calves on a custombasis. Niche marketers must keep suf-ficient inventory to supply their custom-ers and have the ability to market theless desired cuts of meat.
44 FarmsCameron-based 44 Farms is forward
vertically integrated in the naturalbeef niche market. The operation wasfounded in 1909 by Sherwood and JosieMcClaren, great grandparents of cur-rent owner Bob McClaren. For nearly acentury, 44 Farms produced crops andraised cattle.
McClaren has fond memories of visit-ing his grandparents on the family farmduring his childhood. When the oppor-tunity arose for him to run 44 Farms,he jumped at the chance. Today, 44
See INTEGRATION, Page 17
Below, the Rosewood Ranch at Ennis breeds Wagyubulls toAngus/Brangus cross cows to produce tenderjuicy steaks.
On the cover:Rosewood Ranch’s holisticmanagement of pasturesresulted in grass, even during the recent drought.
Photos by Robert Fears
August 2014— Issue 1 The Land & Livestock Post16
NewsFarms not only produces fine steaks,but also is recognized as one of thepremier Black Angus producers in thecountry.“Bob has always had a keen interest
in supplying the public with tender,juicy steaks evenwhile he was busy de-veloping his breeding stock business,”said Doug Slattery, executive directorof 44 Farms. “It took us a while to getall the right pieces in place for a suc-cessful 44 Farms Angus Steaks enter-prise. We had to overcome the challeng-es faced by any new direct marketerof beef products: a steady supply, theright cuts and a sufficient number ofcustomers to produce a profit.”“A constant supply of product is
achieved byworking with our breedingstock customers,” Slattery said. “Webuyweaned calves produced from 44Farms genetics and raised In compli-ance with 44 Farms RightWay™ pro-gram. Requirements of the programinclude identification of each individ-
ual animal, records of all treatments,agreement to third party inspectionof records, and adherence to industrybest management practices. To qualifyfor the RightWay program, calvescannot be given antibiotics or growthpromotants and cannot be fed animalby-products. These latter requirementsallow the product to be sold as naturalbeef. Calves that have to be treated forsickness with antibiotics are culledfrom the program. Ninety-nine percentof the product for 44 Farms AngusSteaks comes from our breeding stockpartners.”“As required of our suppliers, 44
Farms produced calves aremanagedin compliance with the RightWayprogram. Selections for herd replace-ments, breeding stock sales and theAngus steak program aremade atweaning. Required inventory numbersdrive our sorting decisions,” Slatterysaid. “Our genetics are developed to thepoint that differences in conformation
Photo by Robert Fears44 Farms has developed genetics that fine steaks and premier Black Angus breeding stock.
Integration, from Page 16
See PROFITS, Page 18
The Land & Livestock Post August 2014— Issue 1 17
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Newsand production are very smallwhichmakes our sorting deci-sions very difficult.”Regardless of whether calves
are purchased or produced,they are shipped to aWestTexas feedyard approximately45 days post-weaning. They arecustom fed and then processedunder contract at Hereford.Boxed beef is shipped to a web-based distribution center andto distributors who sell to res-taurants and grocery retailers.The less popular cuts are soldas ground beef, which helpsproduct flow to the consumer.Each cut of meat is traceable toits original source.
Rosewood RanchesOne of the Rosewood
Ranches near Ennis is anotherexample of a pasture-to-platebeef production operation.The Ennis Ranch is one of fiveRosewood ranches located inEllis, Navarro and Hendersoncounties. They are owned bya subsidiary of The RosewoodCorporation, a Dallas-basedcompany, owned by the Caro-line Hunt Trust Estate.Kenneth Braddock, ranch
manager of the Ennis ranch forover 20 years, strives for perfec-tion in everything he does. Thistrait is evident by his holisticpasturemanagement systemsand high-level care of the cattle.Due to proper rotation andstocking rates, the pastureshave produced forage through-
out the drought and the cattlehavemaintained good bodycondition scores.One of Braddock’s goals was
to produce a steak that even themost finicky eaters would en-joy. He tried several breed com-binations andwas not satisfiedtotally with the product until hetriedWagyu cattle. Wagyu bullswere bred to Angus/Branguscrossed cows and Braddock im-mediately liked the appearanceof the calves.He fed one of the calves,
had it processed and prepareda steak dinner for his most“picky” friends and his wife,who Braddock claims is veryopinionated on food quality. Allthe guests said that the steakwas the best they had evereaten, whichmeant that Brad-dock’s new product had passedthe taste test. He was on hisway to producing a natural beefproduct with excellent mar-bling and nutrition for directmarketing to consumers.“After weaning, we precon-
dition our calves here at theranch,” Braddock said. “Calvesselected for the home freezermarket are fattened in theranch feeding pen and the restare shipped to a Nebraska feed-yard for custom feeding. Themeat is processed in Nebraskaand then shipped back to Texasfor sale to five star hotels andresturants.”To address the continuous
supply challenge, RosewoodRanches partnered with Jack-manWagyu Beef Company
last year to form the Jack RoseCattle Company. Jackmanis a Florida-based companywith cattle in Texas. RosewoodRanches further guaranteessupply by loaningWagyu bullsto other producers who havecowswith Angus based genet-ics. The ranch then buys thecalves from the producers. Toparticipate in this program,producers have to be willing tofollow Rosewood Ranch produc-tion guidelines.Rosewood Ranches and 44
Farms have organizations thatefficientlymove beef frompasture to plate through adirect marketing system. Anadvantage of these systems isthe control of product qual-ity throughout the productionandmarketing chain. The twocompanies deliver a naturaland safe product to consumersthat provide a pleasant eatingexperience.
Another big plus for theseprograms is the opportunity for
smaller producers to partici-pate.
Photo by Robert FearsGood nutrition is an essential part of the 44 Farms management programs.
Profits, from Page 17
August 2014— Issue 1 The Land & Livestock Post18
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By summer, cow-calf produc-ers start thinking about wean-ing their spring calf crop andhow best to manage and marketolder,unproductiveandopencullcows. To help provide producersoptions for managing and mar-keting cull cows, researchers atthe Noble Foundation and Okla-homa State University teamedup to conduct a study to evalu-ate theeconomicsof twoalterna-tivemanagementandmarketingsystems for retaining open beefcows.
A total of 161 cows (48 in 2008,42 in 2009 and 71 in 2009) from ablack-hided Angus herd main-tained at the Noble Foundation’sRed River Farm were retained ineither a dry-lot feed system or ina stockpiled native grass pasturegrazingsystem.Inthedry-lotsys-tem, cows were provided a low-cost diet of rye hay, mineral anda 20 percent cubed supplementwhile the native pasture systemallowedcull cowsaccess tostock-piled native grass pasture.
Thissystemallowedcowsgraz-ing access to stockpiled nativegrass. In addition, at the time ofweaning inOctober,bodyweight,body condition score, and USDAgrade and dressing percentagewere obtained for each cull cow.Approximately every 30 daysfor a five-month period, weight,body condition score, and USDA
grade and dressing percentagewerecollectedagainoneachcowthroughMarch(about150days intotal).
Using feed, pasture and laborcosts, body weight, body condi-tion score and USDA grade anddressing data collected in thestudy, net returns were calcu-lated for each management sys-tem at each of five sequentialmarketing periods (November,December, January, Februaryand March).
Inaddition, thebodyconditionscores were used to categorizecull cows into three independentsize categories, including thin(body condition score less than5),medium(bodyconditionscorebetween5and6)andheavy (bodycondition score greater than 6).
In each period, net return wascalculated as the difference be-tween the revenue that wouldbe generated at marketing mi-nus retention, feed, labor andpasture costs minus the revenuethat would be generated if cowshadbeensoldat thetimeof wean-ing. This allowed us to comparethe potential profitability that aproducercouldexpect toearn foreach marketing period beyond
Photo courtesy of The Samuel Roberts NobleFoundation
Researchers at the Noble Foundationand Oklahoma State University teamedup and conducted a study that evaluatedthe economics of two alternativemanage-ment andmarketing systems for retainingopen beef cows.
See CULLING, Page 21
The Land & Livestock Post August 2014— Issue 1 19
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STILLWATER,Okla.—Acon-sistent and appropriate intakeof medicated minerals is criti-cal toasuccessfulanaplasmosisprevention program, but cow-calf producers need tomonitorcloselythat label-recommendedamountsarebeingconsumedbythe cattle.The most popular means of
anaplasmosis prevention is theuse of mineral mixes that con-tain chlortetracycline. Accord-ing to the November 2013 issueof Veterinary Entomology, vol.6, issue 4, chlortetracyclinewillreduce the risk of anaplasmo-sis infectionswhen fed at a rateof 0.5 milligrams per pound ofbodyweight.“However, producers need to
be aware chlortetracycline is
added to minerals for severaldifferent reasons, and theseotherusesrequiredifferent lev-els of drug in themineral,” saidGlenn Selk, Oklahoma StateUniversity Cooperative Exten-sion emeritus animal scientist.Selk cautioned producers to
make sure the product labelstates it is formulated at a ratefor the prevention of anaplas-mosis and gives the specificamount of daily consumptionneeded to supply that level.The next step is for the cow-
calf operator to monitor his orherherd tomake sure theprod-uct isbeingconsumedat theap-propriate rate.If not, theproducermayneed
to look at other products orchange management practicesinorder tocorrectconsumptiondeficits.
“A producer needs to beaware recovered animals willbe carriers of the disease and asource of infection for suscep-tible individuals,” Selk said.“General management rec-
ommendationsaretoclearthemof theorganismwithhighlevelsof antibiotics administered pa-rentally, isolate them from sus-ceptible animals or cull themfrom the herd.”Placementof mineral feeders
and blocks can aid in achievingoptimummineral intake. Placetheminareaswherecattlespenda lot of time: loafingareas, nearwatersources, inshadyareasoranyother location that tendsbea popular place for the herd tocongregate.“Aruleof thumbis toprovide
one mineral feeding station forevery 30 to 50 cows,” Selk said.
“Check feeders at least once aweek and keep a clean, freshsupply of minerals present atall times.”A good feeder should keep
minerals dry, be portable andholdup to abuse and corrosion.Open tubs are not adequate inhigh rainfall areas.“Summer isoftenabusy time
of year for ranchers, especiallyduring haying season,” Selksaid.“Don’t forget to check the
mineral feeders or blocks to becertain they are supplying theminerals needed by the herd.”Selk recommends produc-
ers with questions about ana-plasmosis prevention or whosuspect an animal in their herdhas anaplasmosis to contacttheir veterinarian forhelpwithtreatment.
BeefproducersapproveBeefCheckoffPrograminTexas
Special to The Post
AUSTIN—The Texas Depart-ment of Agriculture announcedlast month that Texas beef pro-ducers have voted to establisha state-level Beef Checkoff pro-gram, which was approved by awide margin of 66.7 percent ofvoters. Overall, 33.3 percent ofvoters opposed themeasure.The department conducted
this referendum upon petitionby cattle industry organizationsunder theauthoritiesdesignatedby the Texas Legislature.“Texas is the largest cattlepro-
ducingstateinthenation,andourbeef isamongthehighest-qualityin the world,” said AgricultureCommissionerToddStaples. “AsTexasrancherscontinue togrowand raise the bar to meet con-sumers’ tastes and preferences,it is my hope these funds will beused inamanner to enhanceourproducers’ profitability and sus-tainability of food production.The Lone Star State is a nationalleader inagriculture, and I’d liketo keep it that way.”Passage of the referendum
establishes a producer-fundedprogram without the use of taxdollars. The Beef Checkoff pro-gram will research ways to con-tinue improvingTexasbeef qual-ity,aswellaseducateprospectiveconsumersof Texasbeef aroundthe world. Texas beef producerswillpayarefundableassessmentof no more than $1 per head of
cattle they sell. Collection of theassessment will begin on Oct. 1and continue until the Beef Pro-motion and Research Council ofTexas notifies cattle collectionpoints to cease collection.“I am proud of my fellow
Texas cattlemen and women forstanding up for our future,” saidColemanLocke, Beef Promotionand Research Council of Texaschairman and Brahman cattleproducer from Hungerford. “Asa life-long Texas cattleman fromalong lineof ranchers, Iwascon-fident our industry’s consumer-focused heritage would result inthis decision to invest in our fu-ture.Our futuresuccessdependson our ability to meet the needsof consumers and reach thoseindividuals with the facts aboutthe quality product we produce,which is exactly what this pro-gramwill accomplish. I look for-
See CHECKOFF, Page 28
August 2014— Issue 1 The Land & Livestock Post20
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News
when cows typically are culledand sold at weaning in the fall.This isalso the timeof yearwhenthe market for cull cows is typi-cally at a seasonal low.
At first, we excluded the bodycondition scores collected in thestudy and accounted for the netbenefits of all culled animals, re-gardless of their condition, andfound that it wasmore economi-cal to retain them on stockpilednative grass pasture andmarkettheminFebruary.Onaverage, inthis scenario, open cattle earnedan additional $32 per head com-paredtomarketingthematwean-ing in October.
When body condition scoreswere used to separate cull cowsby size, however, the resultssuggested that it would be moreeconomical for producers to goahead and market their heaviercows(bodyconditionscoregreat-er than 6) at weaning in October
and retain the medium and thincows on stockpiled native grasspasture until at least February.This strategy resulted in an ad-ditional net return of $60 perheadabovewhatwouldhavebeenearned selling them at weaningin October.
So producers who have theability to place body conditionscore on their cull cows at thetime of weaning can expect toincrease the salvage value ofthin and medium-sized animalsbeyondsellingthematthetimeofweaning in October. Thin (bodycondition score less than 5) cowsrealized a positive net return of$20perhead in thedry-lot systemduring the February marketingperiod,whichwas$40 lower thanthe pasture system.
Our results suggest that thereare economic alternatives forproducerstoaddvaluetothebeefcows culled out of their spring-calving herds prior to takingthem tomarket.
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NewsA&Mdoctoral studentplans to takehis lessonsback toAfrica
By Kay LedBetterTexas A&MAgriLife Extension
Service
AMARILLO—SilvanoOcheyais a long way from home. But itwon’t be long before he returnsto Kenya or another developingcountry inneedof thenewskillshe’s learned in the U.S.
“I hope to work in a develop-ing country; not necessarily mycountry, but I have a passion tohelp make change in people’slives. That’s my focus,” saidOcheya, a Texas A&M Univer-sity doctoral student in CollegeStation.
Ocheya spent the summer inAmarillo harvesting wheat andgathering data for his disserta-tion project, which he will com-plete in about 18 months underadvisors Shuyu Liu, Texas A&MAgriLife Research small grains
He grew up in Kenya nearKisumu on a farm run by hismother after his father’s deathin 1990. There are five boys andthree girls in his family, and allof them advanced to the collegelevel.ButOcheyawill be thefirstwith both a master’s and a doc-toral degree.
Hisundergraduatedegreewasearned at the University of Nai-robi, followed by an internshipat the International Maize andWheat Improvement Center inKenya. He pursued a master’sdegree in genetics and plantbreeding at the same universityand returned to the center forfour years.
“My mentor was Dr. Dan Ma-kumbi, an alumnus of TexasA&M University,” Ocheya said.
“Heencouragedmetopursuemyeducation further, and recom-mended I apply for Monsanto’sBeachell-Borlaug InternationalScholars Program.”
Ocheya worked on corn withMakumbi. But he said Makum-bi urged him to work on wheatwhile in theU.S. sohecould learnsomething different. Wheat,corn, cassava and sorghum arethe daily food staples for mostfarmers in Africa.
“Working on those crops willmake the biggest impact,” hesaid.“Withthesecrops, the farm-ers can have food and make sur-plus tosell, so theycanbuyotherthings or take the kids to school.Beyond primary school, educa-tion costs money in Kenya.”
Ocheya’s project addresses is-sues dealing with drought and
Texas A&MAgriLife Research photo by Dr. Shuyu LiuSilvano Ocheya takes biomass samples from a Texas A&M AgriLife Research wheatplot near Bushland as a part of his doctoral research.
OVERTON—With the likeli-hood of a moderately strong ElNiño this fall, the prospects forwinter pasture are better thanthey have been in years, accord-ing to aTexasA&MAgriLifeEx-tension Service expert.To help beef and forage pro-ducers capitalize on the expect-ed extra moisture, Jason Banta,AgriLife Extension beef cattlespecialist in Overton, and hiscolleague, Vanessa Corriher-Olson, AgriLife Extension for-age specialist in Overton, willbe conducting a training Aug.12, “Winter Pastures for Centraland East Texas.”El Niño refers to warmer-
than-average ocean water tem-peratures off the Pacific coast ofSouth America, which usuallymeans more moisture to partsof the Southwest and SoutheastU.S. during the late fall andwin-ter, according to climatologists.And for winter pastures, thetiming couldn’t be better, Bantasaid. Improved odds of adequatemoistureduringcriticalplanting
and development stages takes alot of the risk out of establishingwinter pastures.“Haypriceshaveremainedhis-
toricallyhighsince2011,andhayfeeding during thewinter repre-sent one of the highest annualcosts to cow-calf producers,” hesaid. “Planting winter annualforages can reduce both hay andsupplement costs for cow-calfproducers.”The training will be from 9:30a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Texas A&MAgriLifeResearchandExtensionCenter at Overton.Registrationfortheprogramis$60 before Aug. 5 and $75 beforeAug. 11. Registration includeslunch and program materials.Register onlinebygoing to agril-iferegister.tamu.edu, entering“pasture” in the search windoworcallExtensionConferenceSer-vices at 979-845-2604.Corriher-Olson said the pro-gram will address many of theissues people commonly haveabout establishing winter pas-tures, such as:•Cool-season foragesandvari-
ety selection.•Monthly and seasonal forageproduction potential.• USDA web soil survey dem-onstration.• Establishment and fertiliza-tion.•Grazingandutilization strat-egies.• Impact of cool-season annu-als on warm-season perennials.
•Appropriate mineral supple-mentation.•Armyworms and other cool-season forage insects.• Estimated costs of establish-ment.Banta said time will be allot-ted for a question-and-answersession after the presentations.The program will offer twocontinuing education units toTexas Department of Agricul-ture private pesticide applicatorlicense holders: one in the inte-gratedpestmanagementcatego-ry and one in general.Mapsanddrivingdirections totheOverton center can be foundatoverton.tamu.eduandclickingon “Center Information” on theleft panel.Formore information, callMi-chelle Sensing at 903-834-6191.
AgriLife Extension photoAgriLife Extension beef cattle and forage specialists will be conducting a trainingAug.12, called “Winter Pastures for Central and East Texas.”
August 2014— Issue 1 The Land & Livestock Post24
October 25, 2014
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Newsrusts,whicharemajorproblemsfor wheat in the U.S. and manyAfrican countries, includingKe-nya.“We import two-thirds of the
wheat consumed in Kenya,”he said. “So production-wise,we need to pull ourselves up.But there are many issues withdrought. Farmers rely solely onrainfall.We need to breedwheatthat is drought tolerant but alsodiseaseresistant.Stemrust is theprimaryyield-limiting factor forus.”Inhisdoctoral studies,Ocheya
is combining drought toleranceand rust resistance from U.S.and Kenyan wheat cultivars tofind traits that will work underthe Kenyan conditions.
He said the training here isdifferent, because the combina-tionof courseworkandresearch“trains you to be a more well-roundedscientist.And, theavail-ability of facilities completesyour training.”It is that well-rounded educa-
tion that will be needed in thefuture, he said.“We just need to do simple
things,” Ocheya said. “The U.S.has improved their yields by do-ingsimple things:breeding inre-sistanceandtakingit to thefarm-er. We need to do that in thesedeveloping countries— take thetechnology to the farmer.”Ironically, “take it to the farm-
er”was the last thing said be thelate Norman Borlaug, NobelPeace Prize laureate and wheatbreeder at both InternationalMaize and Wheat ImprovementCenter and Texas A&M, accord-ing to Ibrahim.“The time is ripe for this gen-
eration of outstanding Africanscholars, such as Ocheya, tocarry on that legacy and fulfillBorlaug’sdreams,”Ibrahimsaid.“This is verybefitting asOcheyais a Monsanto Beachell-BorlaugScholar.”Liu saidOcheya, inaddition to
the three-year scholar program,was selected this year as one of14 graduate students worldwiderecognized as a “Borlaug nextgeneration delegate.”
“His success in his research isbuilt on the success of thewheatimprovement team at TexasA&M AgriLife Research,” Liusaid.“His advising committee is a
strong team, including wheatbreeders, geneticist and stressphysiologist.”Ocheya said in the U.S., the
systemworks right. The govern-menthelps theprocess insteadofhindering it andeveryone seemsto work together.He said there is a time lag in
technological advancements inthe developing countries, add-ing, “the technology people inthese countries are trying toimplementnowhasalreadybeenreplaced in theU.S.Weneed cur-
rent technology to address cur-rent problems.”Often in developing countries,
hesaid, theproblemisafailuretoget new technology to the fields.There is a missing connectionbetween the scientists and Ex-tensionagents.While phoneappuse isgrowing,most farmersstilldon’thaveknowledgeof comput-ers and don’t know where to getinformation.The Ministry of Agriculture
operates theExtensionprogramin Kenya and every county hasan agent. But it is different fromthe U.S. where the agents traveland there is a lot of contact,Ocheya said.InKenya, the agents have lim-
ited capacity to visit the farms,he said. The farms are small,averaging 1 acre, so there aremany more people to educate.And many are run by women,such as his mother, who rely onwhat they produce to feed theirfamiliesandprovidea livelihood.Ocheya knows he wants to
breed new varieties to respondto the issues of climate change,such as drought. But he alsoknows he can be successful onlyif therearemorepeople involvedto ensure the varieties he devel-ops get to the farmer.
“If they don’t, it is a waste oftime,” he said. “I know if I gobackand try toworkalone, Iwillfail. Iwill need everyone to be onboard. Extensionists, patholo-gists and entomologist — every-one has to be on board to makesure the technology reaches thefarmer.“We need varieties that re-
spond well to enhanced agro-nomic practices; but the farmer,at the end of the day, needs afull complete package of educa-tion. If he or she grows the bestvariety, but doesn’t know howmuch fertilizer to apply, it willfail again.”
Ocheya said technology suchas Round-up Ready would allowintensive farming systems. Ad-ditionally, the farmersneedhigh
density crops that provide moreplants per acre to increase theproduction, since the farm sizeissosmall.Thefarmersalsoneedto learn to prioritize the use oftheir resources to make an im-pact.Sowhilehisworkmaynot take
him home when he graduates,Ocheya is sure it will take himwhere he is needed.“I believe my skills are not
needed in the U.S. at this time,”he said. “The yields in the U.S.are over 5 tons per hectare. Butin Africa, for instance, it is 2 to 3tons per hectare. So every yearthey have to import wheat. Andwith oil prices going up, that isnot sustainable at all. This iswhere I am needed.”
Wheat, from Page 23
The Land & Livestock Post August 2014— Issue 1 25
BESIDES BUILDING THE BEST TRAILERS ON THE MARKET,WE ALSO OFFER A HUGE SELECTION OF:
While some parts of Texashave been luckywhen it comesto hay production, others likelywill have an expensive go atfeeding cattle this winter, ac-cording to a Texas A&MAgriL-ife Extension Service expert.“We’ve been blessed with
rainfall during our spring andeven during themid-summer inEast Texas,” said Vanessa Cor-riher-Olson, AgriLife Extensionforage specialist in Overton.“So hay production in the east-ern part of the state has beenhigher than other areas.”Though the rest of the state
has received some rain, droughtconditions persist, which hasof course prettymuch stymiedhay production inmuch of thestate, Corriher-Olson said.“Part of Central Texas,
aroundWaco and along the I-35corridor, did receive some rain-fall, but not asmuch as we havehad in East Texas, and probablydid not providemuch improve-ment in hay production,” shesaid.West Central Texas also re-
ceived some good rains in lateMay and early June, whichhelped hay production, but thearea remains undermoderateto severe drought, according tothe U.S. DroughtMonitor.Though hay production has
been good in East Texas, ithasn’t been as good as it mighthave been because of the fre-quent rains, Corriher-Olsonsaid. Mid-summer is usually adrier time for East Texas, whichis conducive to curing and har-vesting hay. But frequent rainshavemade it a challenge insome areas to get the hay in.She also said she hasn’t seen
much haymoving out of EastTexas or out of the state.“Some are rebuilding their
stocks, andmany have pasturesthat are still recovering fromthe drought of 2011 and sub-sequent droughts,” Corriher-Olson said.With pastures still in recov-
ery, livestock producers will
need hay tomake up for lack ofgrazing.
She also noted that with thechances of amoderately strongEl Niño this fall, the prospectsfor winter pasture are betterthan they have been in years. Astrong El Niño usuallymeansa wetter late fall and winter forall of the Southwest and South-east U.S.“This presents us with an
excellent chance to reduce costsand preserve hay stocks, notjust in East Texas but in Cen-tral Texas and other areas too,”she said.Corriher-Olsonwill be con-
ducting a training, “WinterPastures for Central and EastTexas,” Aug. 12, at the TexasA&MAgriLife Research andExtension Center at Overton.Formore information on the
training, go to today.agrilife.org/?p41113.More information on the cur-
rent Texas drought andwild-fire alerts can be found on theAgriLife Extension Agricultur-al Drought Task Force websiteat agrilife.tamu.edu/drought/.AgriLife Extension district
reporters compiled the follow-ing summaries:Southeast — Soil moisture var-
ied widely throughout the region,with most counties having ad-equate levels, but some reportingas much as 100 percent surplus.Rangeland and pasture ratingsvaried widely too, from excellent togood, with good ratings being themost common. Hay harvesting con-
See HAY, Page 27
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Robert BurnsHay, hay and more hay — a common sight in East Texas this year, according to TexasA&MAgriLife Extension Service experts.
August 2014— Issue 1 The Land & Livestock Post26
30yrs experienced diesel mechanic excellentdown-home service also offering New Zetor& LS Tractors and implements, parts andmiscellanies farm and ranch supplies.
Ask us about Tractor’s Demo Programfor the Forterra HSX 140 HP
COLLEGESTATION—Tra-vis Miller, interim associatedirector for state operationswith the Texas A&MAgriLifeExtension Service, has beenelected to the board of direc-tors for theTexasPlantProtec-tion Association.“We are extremely pleased
to have Dr. Miller join ourgroup of outstanding leaderson the TPPABoard,” said RaySmith, chairman of the TexasPlant Protection Association.“Travisiswellknownthrough-out Texas and has an exten-sive background in agronomythroughout the state.”Miller joined AgriLife Ex-
tension in 1979 as an agrono-
mist based inWeslaco.His responsibilities includ-
ed field trials and educationalprogramming, primarily incotton, corn, sorghum andsoybeans in the Rio GrandeValley.In 1982, Miller became the
state Extension specialist forsmall grains and soybeans,headquartered in College Sta-tion, a position.He earned a bachelor’s de-
gree in agricultural mecha-nization from Texas A&M-Kingsville, and master’s anddoctoraldegrees insoilsciencefromTexas Tech University.More information about
the Texas Plant ProtectionAssociation, including its an-nual conference Dec. 10-11 inBryan, can be found at tppa.tamu.edu/.
Texas A&MAgriLife Communications photo by KathleenPhillips
Travis Miller, interim associate director for stateoperationswith theTexasA&MAgriLife ExtensionService, has been elected to the board of theTexas Plant Protection Association.
tinued throughout much of the re-gion. Spotty precipitation continuedacross Brazoria County, with morerain forecast. Most hay producersjust finished taking either a secondor third cutting. Livestock were ingood condition, and the grain sor-ghum harvest began. In ChambersCounty, rice was maturing fast.Recent rains were not good for therice crop as it increased diseasepressure. Also, the rains did notcome at an opportune time for riceflowering and pollination. Heavyrains in Orange County causedflooding and left standing waterin hay fields. Cooler temperaturesslowed forage growth. In BrazosCounty, scattered showers greatlybenefited pastures and row crops.Central — Soil moisture, range-
land and pastures, livestock andoverall crop conditions were ratedgood throughout the region. How-ever, lack of rain could soon startto slow forage growth in some ar-eas. Cotton was in good condition.Some dryland producers anticipat-ed record yields. Corn harvestingwas expected to start in two weeks,and producers were expecting re-
cord yields with this crop as well.Hay production was proceedingwell. Earlier rains maintained creekand pond levels. Livestock wereholding strong. Producers werestill fighting sugarcane aphids ingrain sorghum. Some had alreadytreated twice with the emergency-use pesticide Transform.
Coastal Bend — Sorghum andcorn growers were busy harvesting.Sorghum yields were averaging in4,000 to 6,000 pounds per acre.Early planted cotton was open-ing bolls. Spraying for bollwormsresumed in some areas. Grasshop-pers continued to be a problemfor pasture and forage crops, aswell as lawn and gardens. Pasturegrasses needed more moistureand a break from the blisteringsummer heat.
East — The region had below-normal temperatures and above-normal precipitation for mid-July.Some counties had 1 inch to morethan 6 inches of rain. San Augus-tine County received 6.5 inches ofrain during a four-day period. WoodCounty, which had remained dryfor several weeks, finally receivedsome rain.
Hay, from Page 26
The Land & Livestock Post August 2014— Issue 1 27
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ward to working withthose who supportedand opposed this elec-tion to earn their con-fidence in their invest-ment.”Voting on the mea-
sure took place June2–6. Beef producers,regardless of age, whoowned cattle in Texasbetween June 6, 2013,and June 6, 2014, wereeligible to vote in theelection.The Beef Checkoff
program will be usedfor thepromotion,mar-keting,researchanded-ucationaleffortsof beefand beef products forprospective consumersof Texas beef aroundthe world.As required under
the Texas Agricul-
ture Code, the TexasDepartment of Agri-culture conducted thereferendum followinga petition from cattleindustry organizationsonbehalf of theirmem-bers.After cattle owners
voted, a canvassingcommitteeof represen-tatives fromthedepart-mentandtheTexasSec-retary of State countedthe votes.Thedepartment con-
ductedaneligibilityau-ditof voters,whichcon-firmed the vote results.
Checkoff, fromPage 20
August 2014— Issue 1 The Land & Livestock Post28
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NEWS YOUCAN USERIGHTIN YOURMAILBOX
NewsSomefolksandgroupsdon’twantus toknow‘whereour foodcomes from’Question: Who would like
RFDtv off the air? OrU.S. Farm Report? Who
would like Farm Bureaus shutdown, along with the NationalCattlemen’s Association, thePork Producers, the Egg Coun-cil, the Northern Ag Network,Range magazine, the DelmarvaFarmer, the Farm Journal, theBeef Checkoff, the BrownfieldAg Network? Who would like tomake it illegal for movie stars,sports stars, heroes, singers andbaby calves to be pictured witha milk moustache?Answer: Any person or
group who does not want peopleto know “where your foodcomes from.”
The first one that comes tomind is the Humane Society ofthe U.S. (not associated with thelocal Humane Society in yourhome town). It makes a livingattempting to make farmersand ranchers look bad. I don’tquestion its motive — it’s a job,it’s how it pays the bills. Its em-ployees come to work each dayand send out letters asking forthe “cash” so they can “fight theevil farmers and ranchers.” Aslong as it can keep its donorsmisinformed, blindfolded andmislead about the whole truth,the “cash” keeps comin’ in!
Another factor that is criti-cal, is to portray agriculture,be it modern or homegrown,as inhumane, environmentallyharmful, and run by insensi-tive, country hicks who have noreal moral attachment to theanimals and the land — that it’sall about money. That is easyfor Humane Society workers tounderstand since so much oftheir own time and effort andcommitment is dedicated to thepursuit of “cash.”
There seems to be endlessquasi-associations seekingfunds to “protect and enhance
the wildlife and the habitat,the heritage and the naturalresources.” They pop up everytime someone can find a causethat will stimulate the “cash.”But just having a good cause isnot enough. They must createa straw man to portray the en-emy. That eliminates any deepinspection of the validity oftheir cause, and ranchers andfarmers,hunters,miners,lumber-jacks andoil fieldroughnecksfill theirbill.
Anotherinfluentialgroup ofpeople who don’t want people toknow “where their food comesfrom” are politicians with aprejudice against those whowork the land. Their reasonsare usually personal; somechildhood animosity that isnow being repaid because theyhave the power, a guilt complexbecause they were born with agolden spoon, maybe the onlyfarmer he knows ran againsthim for office. Who knows?
RFDtv is being dropped fromsome media networks that areintent on merging. The reasongiven is that a network aboutand for agriculture is not rel-evant to the modern urbanviewer. The Humane Society ofthe U.S., among others, will bethrilled!
Agriculture on television isone of the few places wherethe consumer can get to know“where their food comes from.”The presence of agriculture isgrowing. It’s not uncommon tosee or hear news stories aboutfarmers and ranchers. Mostare good. Most reporters are
reasonable people; they eat ba-con and hamburger. They havea general concept that globalpopulation growth will demandmore food, and that the USDArepresents and is involved withkeeping our food safe.
They are like most Ameri-cans: They trust farmers andranchers and expect us to stayon top of things. We are able todo that because we have accessto such a broad source of infor-mation, (see first paragraph).
We continue to educate andinclude the curious urbanconsumers in our thinking.We invite them to see for them-selves; to know the truth aboutour business and to show them“where your food really comesfrom.”
And that, my friends, is thelast thing the Humane Societyof the U.S., the extremist “an-tis,” and vengeful offended poli-ticians want them to know.
• Contact Baxter Black atwww.baxter-black.com.
BAXTER BLACKOn the Edge ofCommon Sense
Rainwater harvestingclass planned in Seguin
By PAul SchAttenBergTexas A&MAgriLife Extension
Service
SEGUIN — The “RainwaterHarvesting for Homeowners”programwillbeheldfrom10a.m.-noon Aug. 12 at the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority’s RiverAnnex, 905 Nolan St. in Seguin.
The program is a joint effortof the Geronimo and AlligatorCreeks Partnership, Texas A&MAgriLife Extension Service, Gua-dalupe-Blanco River Authorityand the Texas State Soil and Wa-ter Conservation Board.
Attendees are asked to RSVPto Ling at [email protected] 979-845-6980 in order to ensureadequate materials.
The Land & Livestock Post August 2014— Issue 1 29
MAGLIME• Maglime is an Agricultural Limestone Materialcontaining about 90% Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3)and 8%MagnesiumCarbonate (MgCO3) and about2% Acid Insoluble.
• Over 4,000,000 tons of Maglime have been spreadon the soils of East Texas and Louisiana. Maglimehas been used to neutralize soil acidity and toprovide calcium and magnesium to the plants andanimals which live on the land.
• Many farmers and ranchers realize they needagricultural limestone when applied fertilizer isless effective than in the past.
• Soils in East Texas and Louisiana become acid forthree reasons. High amounts of rain leach calciumand magnesium out of the soil. Commercialfertilizers are typically acidic compounds. Theremoval of crops and animals from the land takecalcium and magnesium with them as they go tomarket.
• When Maglime is applied to an acid soil, calcium,magnesium, nitrogen, phosphorous, and potashall become more available to the plants as the soilacidity is reduced.
• Maglime is sold in two grades of fineness, premiumand super fine. Studies rate the super fine as 100percent effective while the premium is rated atabout 65 percent effective. Some people findthat the better handling, spreading, and storagecharacteristics of the premium grind offset itslower efficiency.
•Muchof the landonwhichMaglime is spread is usedto grow forage for breeder cows. The fact that milkis a rich sourceof calcium iswidely known.A rapidlygrowing calf demands a lot of calcium becauseits bones are primarily composed of calcium andphosphorus. A fully grown 1,200 pound calf hasabout 200 pounds of bone
• Legumes, such as clovers, soybeans, and alfalfaare a unique group of plants that can transformatmospheric nitrogen into a source of plant food.Legumes typically will grow best in neutral oralkaline soil that is rich in calcium. Where soils areacidic and deficient in calcium and magnesium,legumes typically show a dramatic response to theapplication of Maglime.
• If your soils are acidic or are deficient in calciumor magnesium, give us a call at 800 772 8272. Wewill be glad to put you in touch with a Maglimedistributor in your local area or provide moreinformation regarding Maglime.
