News Update
September 25, 2017
Rise Above the Cycle
Is this a good time to expand your cow herd, now that the U.S. beef cattle industry is deep into a fourth year of its rebuilding phase? The consensus has a short answer: No.
They say we’ve already added more than enough cows to produce the volume of beef consumers can afford to buy. Adding to your herd now only aggravates the pending oversupply and sets you up to endure several years of unprofitable calf prices.
You were supposed to respond to those crazy-good prices in 2014 by saving heifers — and thousands did — even though economists figured the cost of the pregnant female by the next spring was more than $2,200 per head. If you bought bred heifers that year, they may have cost $3,000, but what were their calves worth last fall? See? Too many calves already.
I didn’t buy any heifers then, but I’m not buying any blanket advice now.
My answer is a qualified yes, this could be a good time to expand your herd.
Don’t do it if you’re going to buy based on sketchy information or if you just want to raise generic cattle with no plan to advance to above-average production and quality. We already have too many of that kind.
Continue reading this Black Ink with CAB column online.
Outcome-based Grazing Allows Flexible
Livestock Management on Public Land
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Sept. 22 launched a demonstration program allowing stakeholders in the grazing community an opportunity to achieve rangeland health goals on public land while allowing greater flexibility in livestock management decisions. The program focuses on responsive outcome-based grazing on public lands.
Six to twelve “Outcome-based Grazing Authorizations” will be identified by the BLM in the first twelve months, and the selected permittees will participate in the demonstration program. Participants will actively implement a responsive grazing management plan to achieve habitat and vegetation goals on public land. The program will examine the effectiveness of a more flexible approach to livestock grazing on public land.
“Previously, ranchers have been held to a process and prescription method that tells them how to manage their land,” said Dave Eliason, Utah rancher and president of the Public Lands Council (PLC). “It’s irrational to think government officials can make a more informed decision than those who live and work on the land. When responsive management decisions fall into the hands of those who best understand it, the land, animals, and ecosystem thrive.”
For more information, read the PLC news release online.
Public Lands Stewards Recognized by BLM at PLC Meeting
On Sept. 22 the BLM announced three 2017 Rangeland Stewardship Award recipients at the PLC Annual Meeting in Flagstaff, Ariz. Recipients included Utah rancher Bill Kennedy, the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association and The Stewardship Alliance of Northeastern Elko County.
“Public lands ranchers plan their operation around sustaining a healthy, diverse and productive rangeland,” said Eliason. “They invest time, money and resources into the process and it’s exciting to see some of these phenomenal ranchers recognized for their efforts.”
Kennedy, the recipient of The Rangeland Stewardship Permittee Award, manages an operation on a combination of federal, private and state land located southeast of Bear Lake, Utah. Kennedy was recognized for his leadership in livestock management and advocating for proper grazing on public lands.
The Colorado Cattlemen’s Association received The Rangeland Stewardship Collaborate Team Award. The 150-year-old organization has promoted multiple use and sustainable land management through producer-facing programs. The organization also was commended for establishing a productive setting for mediation services and supporting Sagebrush Steppe management objectives.
The Stewardship Alliance of Northeastern Elko County received The Sagebrush Steppe Collaborative Team Award for their work to conserve sagebrush ecosystems while supporting multiple use management.
Read the PLC news release online.
Students Encouraged to Apply
for CattleWomen Upper Class Scholarship
The Missouri CattleWomen’s Association strives to provide students with opportunities to help fuel their passion for the beef industry. Through their scholarship program, the Missouri CattleWomen’s Association is able to assist Missouri’s youth who are passionate advocates by providing financial support for their education.
The Missouri CattleWomen’s Association will award one $1,000 scholarship to a full-time college student who has completed their freshman year, and has a GPA of 2.5 or better. Applicant must have been a full-time student the previous year and not have reached their 23rd birthday by Jan. 1, 2017. Applicant must attend an accredited college or university to collect scholarship; technical schools do not qualify. The scholarship is open to both males and females, and the applicant must be a resident of Missouri.
The Missouri CattleWomen Scholarship Committee will review applications and all applicants will be notified regarding the committee’s decision by Dec. 8, 2017. The scholarship recipient will be honored during the Missouri Cattle Industry Convention & Trade Show, Jan. 5-7, 2018, at the Holiday Inn Executive Center, Columbia, Mo.
The application can be found online.
Agricultural Leasing Workshop Set Oct. 19 in San Angelo
The final program in the 2017 series of Rancher Leasing Workshops covering grazing, hunting and livestock leases is scheduled Oct. 19 in San Angelo by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.
The workshop addresses the legal risks associated with agricultural leases, said Tiffany Dowell Lashmet, AgriLife Extension agricultural law specialist in Amarillo. The goal is to educate landowners and producers on the importance of utilizing written leases as a risk management tool.
The workshop will be from 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Tom Green 4-H Center, 3168 N. U.S. Highway 67. The free program is funded by the Southern Extension Risk Management Education Center.
Lunch will be provided by Ag Workers Insurance. Participants will need to RSVP at least one week before the meeting to Kim Garcia at 806-677-5626 or kim.garcia@ag.tamu.edu.
Joining Lashmet on the program will be Bill Thompson, AgriLife Extension economist in San Angelo.
“We will discuss the potential legal implications of failing to have a sufficient written lease and the potential legal issues and litigation that the development of written leases can help avoid,” she said.
For more information, visit the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events.
Editor’s Note: The articles used within this site represent a mixture of copyrights. If you would like to reprint or repost an article, you must first request permission of Angus Productions Inc. (API) by contacting the editor at 816-383-5200; 3201 Frederick Ave., Saint Joseph, MO 64506. API claims copyright to this web site as presented. We welcome educational venues and cattlemen to link to this site as a service to their audience.