5-14-15 - Johnson & Associates, Inc.
The Only Weekly A Busy Rancher Needs To Read. Billings, Montana Thursday, May 14, 2015 by the publisher Pat Goggins As I See It How much energy waste is going on around your place? I was sure surprised on our outfit. It seems as though they found many electrical sources that were alive! After I read that there will be some 14 billion dollars’ worth of electrical power wasted between now and the end of the year on America’s farms and ranches, we started looking. Well, we found that there were quite a few sources between water tanks and planters with computers in them. Several planters for the spring crop had computers still activated that were setting the gauges of placement of seeds. It was estimated by the so-called ‘experts’ that, had we not remedied the situation, it would have cost another $140 to $160 this summer. The convenience of computers and what they do for us are compelling, and I guess we don’t want to live without them; however, there is a cost involved, and maybe these small costs become larger for every endeavor. We must remember that, if we watch out for the nickels and dimes, the dollars will take care of themselves! We’re going to be entering, hopefully, the rainy season soon. For some places, however, we’re also going to be entering down the road a piece the wind and hail season. If you haven’t checked with your insurance people to make sure you’re covered for those situations -- including hail for grass and hay, crops, and buildings - then do so! All of it costs to repair, and all of it has savings, so it’s important to …Cont. on pg 3 Food for Thought: “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” Albert Einstein (1879-1955), German-born American theoretical physicist Sortin’ Pen By Leesa Zalesky Rep. DeLauro calls USDA out on unapproved Thailand chicken products... After disclosure by USDA last week that thousands of pounds of chicken noodle soup -- made from illegal chicken products imported from Thailand -- had slipped past U.S. regulators, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) said the news that the chicken noodle soup -- imported from Canadian company Victory Kitchens -- raises a host of questions about whether USDA’s inspection system should be called into question. A recall was issued after an inspector finally discovered the Canadian company was importing chicken products from Thailand, where farmers don’t face the same regulatory controls as they do in the U.S. Federal inspectors didn’t catch the problem until thousands of pounds of illegal chicken had already been imported into the U.S. and were presumably eaten by consumers. DeLaura said she will investigate how the chicken noodle soup shipments made it past USDA regulators and will consider what steps can be taken to prevent it from happening again. “I’ve long been troubled by systemic issues at USDA’s Food Safety & Inspection Service, and this adds to the list of reasons to be worried,” noted DeLauro. USDA says it has received no reports of consumer illness from the soup. Volume 7 No. 33 More mistruths and flawed legal analysis from CSKT Compact opponents Vandemoer and company By Hertha Lund There she goes again. Catherine Vandemoer’s column in the April 30 issue of this paper illustrates why Montanans should not trust someone to practice law without a license, someone who needs to build a citizens’ group for her income. Vandemoer’s constant mistruths and self-serving rantings have been very bad for Montana agriculture. In her recent rant, Vandemoer questioned whether the CSKT Compact actually passed. She based her question on a recent suit filed by the Flathead Joint Board of Control (FJBC) against the entire Legislature, the Governor, and the Attorney General of Montana. The FJBC argues that language in the CSKT Compact is a violation of the State Constitution prohibition on waiving sovereign immunity. However, the FJBC and Vandemoer have it all backwards. The Compact’s waiver of sovereign immunity is completely the opposite of what the Constitution prohibits. Instead of granting immunity, which is prohibited, the Compact waives sovereign immunity vis-à-vis the Eleventh Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The state of Montana, the federal government, and the tribes are all sovereign. In other words, these entities CANNOT be sued in court unless they waive their immunity and agree to allow suit. For example: The state cannot be sued in federal court or tribal court under the 11th Amendment and related court decisions; the federal government cannot be sued in state court; and …Cont. on pg 16 VSV confirmed in Arizona and Utah... EHV-1 found in Oregon By Leesa Zalesky On May 1, the National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa, confirmed findings of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) infections on premises in Maricopa County, Arizona, and Kane County, Utah. Three horses on two premises in Maricopa County, Arizona, are infected, and one mule in Kane County, Utah, has also been diagnosed. Additionally, a second premises in Kane County, Utah, is under VSV quarantine related to the index case in Kane County. The equines involved in the Utah case had moved from Arizona just prior to identification of clinical signs. In addition to the two confirmed premises in Maricopa County, Arizona, there are five suspect premises in Arizona under movement control for suspicion of VSV. As a result of these cases, state animal health officials are strengthening livestock entry requirements, especially for horses traveling from states with confirmed cases of VSV. VSV... VSV is a viral disease affecting cattle, horses, swine, sheep, goats, many wild animals, and occasionally humans. VSV causes vesicles (blisters) that form in the mouth (tongue, dental pad, and lips), in the nostrils, on areas around the hooves, and on the teats. The vesicles swell and break, exposing raw tissue. In cloven-hoofed animals, the blisters mimic blisters associated with foot and mouth disease (FMD), a foreign animal disease that was eradicated in the U.S. in 1929. However, FMD does not typically cause blisters …Cont. on pg 2 Does your voice matter? Princeton study says, “NO!” By Leesa Zalesky Talk to the leaders of independent livestock organizations -- those without alternative funding mechanisms like insurance programs or commodity checkoffs and who depend solely on membership dues -- and you’ll hear that the biggest problem they have on their hands is apathy. People don’t engage, they say, because they no longer feel like the American political system is responsive to them. A new study, led by professors from Princeton University and Northwestern University, validates that feeling. It shows that 90% of us are political commoners because the political royals made us so. The peer-reviewed study analyzed over 20 years’ worth of data to answer the following question: Does the government represent the people? Researchers found that the number of American voters for or against any idea has NO impact on the likelihood that their opinion will influence Congress. “The …Cont. on pg 3 We spent HOW MUCH for WHAT? The clowns at the USDA had their faces painted again last week by Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), who slammed the agency …Cont. on pg 4 2015 is the year of one GREAT front-page picture after another of rural kids doing rural things, and certainly, this photo is no exception! When Kristyl Blowers shared this photo, she wrote: “Devon (2) and Austin (8) are getting their farm boy pedicures!” Kristyl neglected to say where this photo was taken, however. INDEX Agri-Kids.......................... 10 Classified......................... 18 Farm & Food...................... 5 Markets............................. 17 Barry Naugle.................... 15 Comments........................ 11 It’s the Pitts........................ 8 Ramblings.......................... 6 Bill’s Warbag...................... 5 Cooking in the West........ 12 Letters................................ 2 Sale Reports............... 19-20 2 Thursday, May 14, 2015 Letters We are delighted to print letters from our readers on ag and livestock issues. However, the letters are subject to editing for length, grammar, libel, and pertinence to the industry and/or subject at hand. Editor to the WESTERN AG REPORTER I’ve always felt the writer’s great weapon is the truth and integrity of his voice. And as long as what you’re saying is what you truly, honestly believe to be the case, then, whatever the consequences, that’s fine. That’s an honorable position. Salman Rushdie grouse is the common raven. Across the sage grouse range, raven apparently outnumbers this prey 11 to 1. Whether ravens take one or all eggs in a nest, the nest is abandoned. The average clutch is seven eggs, so seven lives are lost with each predation. Ravens also will eat nestlings. This slaughter evidently takes approximately 1.5M sage grouse annually. An additional 160,000 are lost to wildfire, with lesser numbers to drought, cold, and the agency standby of “trampling by livestock.” The raven is protected by treaty with Mexico, with no effort by federal agencies to change that administrative Editor’s note: I LOVE good quotes! LG convenience. It’s not important that treaty protection has enhanced the roughly 1,000% raven increase over the years. Heads up, Susan! I would like to tell Susan Metcalf that I liked her “Social It is telling that the International Union of Conservation Media” article in last week’s issue and that I agree with her. Naturalists does not consider that the raven requires protecOut of the gazillion websites for recipes, however, I still de- tion, as the IUCN quit counting when it was apparent there pend on Western Ag Reporter and “Cooking In The West.” I were over 16M of these subsidized predators on the hunt. A comprehensive 2010 interagency study indicates that have truly got some of my best eats there. “Mother’s Cherry 100% of the current sage grouse population lives in 62% of Bars” look like they have great potential! Sheila Malone the habitable range of 165M acres. Agencies insist the uninemail habited habitat is due to habitat degradation as a bureaucratic rationale for exerting control over the entire range. Significant predation on 535,000 sage grouse is not acknowledged. These Cracking eggs... The Departments of Interior and Agriculture enforce the spirit areas do have ravens, which are acceptable to the agencies. of the BLM Instruction Memorandum 2012-044: increase In the same way that agencies can justify more tax dollars funding, regardless of sage grouse Endangered Species Act with frequent large fires than with infrequent small fires, they listing. Interior Secretary Jewell recently declared that the rationalize more ravens than fewer. By effectively feeding sage sage grouse California-Nevada Bi-State Distinct Population grouse to the raven, agencies contrive a population crisis to Segment (DPS) does not warrant listing because approved justify increased land management. Essentially, bureaucrats claim that, in agency-specified sagebrush, sage grouse can habitat management is underway. The plan will spend $45M on the 4.5M acres designated as properly hide from ravens. Agency and pilot studies show that taking ravens is inexthe bi-state area. With an estimated local population of 2,500 to 9,000, the value to the agencies is $5,000 to $18,000 per pensive and effective, eliminating the need for decades of bird. If a treatment cost of $500/acre is used, no more than multimillion-dollar bureaucrat swarms. Taking ravens costs 90,000 acres per year will be improved. Locally, this may approximately $20 per eliminated raven. With two years require 50 years. The bureaucracy guarantees its perpetuation, of the annual bi-state habitat budget, potentially all ravens could be eliminated across the entire sage grouse range. In whether sage grouse survive that long. Agency research indicates the greatest predator of sage subsequent years, there would be significantly reduced costs to control migrant ravens, while millions of sage grouse lives would be saved. The agencies do not want this known. The bureauLet’s help sponsor yet another wonderful “Running For The Brand” scientific complex has found event! Join the Montana Running Rancher’s team by sponsoring the relay team headed to it better to feed sage grouse Washington in July. That’s when 12 ranchers from Montana will be running in the 200-mile to ravens in order to feed on Ragnar Relay Race to raise awareness of BEEF as a powerful protein. Let’s help them tax dollars itself. with their expenses to get to Washington! They travel in a couple of vans. Let’s cover Ralph R. Sacrison those vans with our brands and logos. Ranch Brand: for $50, your ranch name and brand will be stenciled on one of the team vans! Agribusiness Brand: for $150, your business COOL comments... name and logo will be stenciled on one of the team vans! Let’s plaster those vans with our “Labeling” doesn’t pay...” brands and logos! Send checks to Montana Running Ranchers, 1407-16th Street South, We’ve all been told this Great Falls, MT 59405, and PLEASE BE repeatedly by the “band of SURE to tuck in a note that says you fools” that it costs. read about this promotion in WAR! Funny how this isn’t the Questions? Contact Aeric truth in other segments of Reilly with the Montana the business models for food Running Ranchers by in this country. The milk phone at 406-570- 5853 industry feels differently by or by email at aeric@ a project they implemented. reillyins.com The choice is simple in the So-call free trade... Linda, the article in the May 7 issue on so-called free trade is very good. It is not free at all; it is giving away our sovereignty. The experience with COOL shows this very clearly. We do not need a fast track to economic slavery! I am sending you some more quotes if you want to use them. Harold Davidson Cody, WY Calling all Montana ranchers! Let’s brand these vans! Sales Calendar CLIP AND MAIL Address ________________________________ City ____________________________________ State ______________Zip __________________ Phone __________________________________ South Dakota residents must ad 4% sales tax to the cost (SD state law) o 1 Year $55 (SD $57.20) o 2 Years $75 (SD $78) o Senior Rate 1 Year Only $35 (80 & over) (SD$36.40) International - Call For Rates (Please include check, money order or Credit Card Information) (Non-Refundable) (CHECK ONE BOX) o Visa o Mastercard o Discover o Am. Express Credit Card Number:_________________________________ Security Code: ________ Expiration Date: ______/ ________ Month Year (Billing Address) City: ________________________________ State: ______________________ Zip: __________________ 22 30 2015 Duppong’s Willow Creek Farm Production Sale, Glen Ullin, ND Shaw Cattle Co. Female Sale, Caldwell, ID JUNE 6 Diamond McNabb Horse Sale, Douglas, WY 13 101 Angus Ranch Complete Dispersion, Jerome, ID 13 Full House Elite Horse Sale, Newcastle, WY 22-23 Northern Livestock Video Early Summer Special, Billings, MT JULY 20-21-22 Northern Livestock Video Summertime Classic, Billings, MT AUGUST 8 Spruce Mountain Ranch Angus Female Sale, Larkspur, CO 22 Lazy U Quarter Horse Sale, Hershey, NE 24-25 Northern Livestock Video Early Fall Preview Sale, Billings, MT SEPTEMBER 21 Northern Livestock Video Fall Premier Special, Billings, MT Signature: _________________________________________ Western Ag Reporter Circulation Department P.O. Box 30758 • Billings, Montana 59107 VSV cont. from pg. 1 in horses. Biting insects and animal-to-animal contact may spread VSV. An infected animal’s saliva and fluid from ruptured blisters can contaminate feed, water, and equipment, further spreading the disease. Livestock usually show signs two to eight days after exposure to the virus. The first noticeable sign is usually excessive salivation due to blisters in the mouth. Animals may refuse to eat or drink and may show signs of lameness. EHV-1... Animal health officials say that two horses in Oregon have been diagnosed with Equine Herpes Virus (EHV1) and that two additional horses are now showing neurological signs of the disease. In addition, another five horses exposed to EHV-1 have developed fevers. All of the equines involved are under active observation by their owners and their veterinarians. Eight farms are currently under quarantine, six in Marion County, Oregon, and two in Polk County. The infected horses and other horses exposed to EHV-1 attended several recent events, including an Oregon High School Equestrian Team (OHSET) meet at the Linn County Fairgrounds April 16-19 and rodeo events at www.westernagreporter.com Branton Arena in Jefferson, Oregon, April 19-20 as well as at the High Prairie Area in Eugene, Oregon, April 2526. Oregon State Veterinarian Dr. Brad LeaMaster said, “All horses that attended the OHSET Willamette district meet on April 16-18 should refrain from any further shows or gatherings for the next 28 days and impose a self quarantine. Owners of stable mates of these horses should consult with their veterinarian to assess risk of exposure. High-risk horse should also refrain from shows or gatherings.” EHV-1 is caused by a virus that may lay dormant for long periods of time and then reactivate during a period of stress, which can result in clinical disease. EHV-1 can cause respiratory disease, abortions in pregnant mares, neurologic disease, and in severe cases death. The virus can be spread through horse-to-horse contact or contaminated equipment, clothing, and hands. Symptoms include fever, decreased coordination, nasal discharge, urine dribbling, loss of tail tone, hind limb weakness, leaning against a wall or fence to maintain balance, lethargy, and the inability to rise. Animal owners are advised to consult with their veterinarian about livestock entry requirements or to report animals believed to be exposed or showing signs of illness. WESTERN LIVESTOCK REPORTER INC. D.B.A. WESTERN AG REPORTER USPS 678-680 MAILING ADDRESS P.O.Box 30758 - Billings, Montana 59107 OFFICE LOCATION PAYS Exchange Bldg. - 18th & Minnesota Ave. Phone (406) 259-4589 - FAX (406) 259-6888 Website: www.westernagreporter.com PATRICK K. GOGGINS MAY Name___________________________________ difference in industries. The corrupt beef checkoff claims to have “returned $11.20 for every dollar invested” ... I will tell you that, without producers paying for their own demise, we passed Country of Origin Labeling and never had to pay out one dime. Returns per head with COOL have been well over $1,000 per head in just a few years. Now which program passed by the U.S. government has had the biggest bang for the buck when evaluated by all segments of the industry? The USA is the largest importer of beef ... so now do you understand why the band of fools want to stop COOL? It isn’t for producers’ best interest! Mike Schultz Brewster, KS Publisher WLR PUBLICATIONS General Manager E-mail:[email protected] JOHN P. GOGGINS Editor E-mail: [email protected] LINDA GROSSKOPF Advertising Manager E-mail:[email protected] BONNIE ZIESKE Accounting E-mail:[email protected] DOROTHY KETCHEM Classified Manager E-mail:warclass@ westernagreporter.com JENI NOWAK Circulation Manager E-mail: [email protected] PEGGY POLLARI Monday - Thursday 8 am - 12 pm Production Manager E-mail: [email protected] KARA FAIRBANK Production E-mail: [email protected] KAREN KLEMENT E-mail: [email protected] PATTI KILTS MIKE GOGGINS Pagination KARA FAIRBANK LIVESTOCK ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES JOHN GOGGINS, Field Editor Montana, Northern Wyoming and Alberta, Canada Cell Phone (406) 698-4159 Office Phone (406) 259-4589 E-mail: [email protected] JASON FREY, Field Editor North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota Cell Phone (701) 300-0845 E-Mail: [email protected] PO Box 155 - Ipswich, SD 57451 MARK FRISBIE, Field Editor Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, California Phone (208) 890-4517 Cell Phone (208) 495-2601 E-Mail: [email protected] 11851 Fantastic Drive - Melba, ID 83641 ALAN SEARS, Field Editor Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming (970) 454-3986 Home/Office (970) 396-7521 CO Cell (308) 660-3866 NE Cell E-mail: [email protected] 61 Westward Way - Eaton, CO 80615 COMMERCIAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES DWAYNE DIETZ (406) 259-4589 - Cell: (406) 672-8500 E-mail: [email protected] DENNIS GINKENS (406) 259-4589 - Cell: (406) 670-9839 E-mail: [email protected] Western Ag Reporter was born on October 1, 2008 by combining Western Livestock Reporter (established in 1940) and Agri-News (established in 1968). Western Ag Reporter (USPS 678-680) is published weekly by Western Livestock Reporter, Inc., Publications, 18th & Minnesota, Billings, MT 59101; P.O. Box 30758, Billings, MT 59107. Periodicals postage paid at Billings, Montana. POSTMASTER: Send change of address to Western Ag Reporter, P.O. Box 30758, Billings, MT 59107 Subscription Rates, non-refundable, US funds: one year $55 • two years $75. MEMBER NATIONAL NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION Founded 1885 Princeton cont. from pg. 1 preferences of the average American appear to have only a minuscule, near zero, statistically non-significant impact on public policy,” wrote the study’s authors, who concluded that U.S. government policies rarely align with the preferences of the majority of Americans but DO align with the preferences of big-spending special interests. “When a majority of Americans favor policy change, they generally do not get it,” they wrote, pointing out that most often the positions of powerful interest groups are NOT substantially correlated with the preference of average citizens.” Titled “Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average Citizens,” the study found something else: this only holds true to the opinion of the bottom 90% of income earners in America. BIG spenders, business interests, and lobbyists with a sizable budget CAN AND DO influence public policy. In other words, money talks on Capitol Hill. “In the last five years alone, the 200 most politically active companies in the U.S. pent $5.8 billion influencing our government with lobbying and campaign contributions,” says the study. “Those same companies got $4.4 trillion in taxpayer support, earning a return of 750 times their investment. The central point that emerges from our research is that economic elites and organized groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on U.S. government policy, while mass-based interest groups and average citizens have little or no independent influence.” It doesn’t take a political scientist to figure out that congressional incumbents have been the chief beneficiaries of the river of graft flowing from Washington DC’s deep-pocketed special 3 Thursday, May 14, 2015 WESTERN AG REPORTER interests. Despite the public disgust with Congress, incumbents typically have re-election rates of roughly 95%. The study, which will be part of the curriculum at Princeton and Northwestern Universities this fall, comes after last year’s Supreme Court ruling in McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission. A special three-judge federal panel in Washington DC rejected McCutcheon’s appeal, and the electrical engineer and Alabama Republican took his case, backed by the Republican National Committee, to the U.S. Supreme Court. At issue in the case were federal laws capping overall combined financial giving to federal candidates and political action committees (PACs); under the law, no individual was permitted to give more than $48,600 in any one election cycle or $74,600 to PACs. (Individuals are allowed to spend much greater sums independently, but cannot hand it over to the candidates themselves.) The competing arguments in the McCutcheon appeal were stark: supporters of campaign finance reform said federal regulations were designed to prevent corruption and undue influence in politics; opponents said campaign finance limits violate free speech and association. The Supreme Court, in a 5-4 ruling, said these caps were unconstitutional, siding with McCutcheon, who has worked for years with his local Republican party and served as chairman of the Conservative Action Fund, a Republican “super PAC.” Statistics from the Center for Responsive Politics for the 2012 election cycle show that about 600 donors leveraged their money to each give the maximum of $48,600 total, benefiting no more than 17 presidential or congressional candidates. Almost 1,700 contributors forked over the maximum limit to party committees, which totaled up to more than $100 million. Fred Wertheimer -- founder and president of Democracy 21, a long-time activist on campaign spending reform -- says the Supreme Court’s ruling in the McCutcheon case may well open the door to striking down all of the remaining campaign contribution limits, “taking us back to the robber-baron era... an unmitigated disaster.” The McCutcheon case comes on the heels of the “Citizens United” ruling by the Supreme Court, which put corporations on the same ‘free speech footing’ as wealthy individuals, leading to a proliferation of super PACs -- separate political action committees that can raise and spend unlimited amounts of cash from businesses, unions, and advocacy groups. Super PACs operate as “527s” -- named after the tax code governing their operation. After the Citizens United case ended, limits on direct contributions to candidates by corporations and individuals remained in place, driving the McCutcheon lawsuit and subsequent winning appeal. Now what? So how do we get regular people back in the driver’s seat of our government when both major parties are catering to a privileged few at the expense of everyone else? They won’t change unless they’re forced to. The basic law of physics says that an object at rest will remain at rest unless an outside force makes it move. A corrupt political establishment will stay corrupt, and failing parties will keep failing us, unless we make them change. Apathy is our worst enemy. Don’t miss this! Sale Report Index The 2015 Protein Producer Summit, which is a joint meeting of Colorado’s premier livestock organizations, will take place June 15-17 at the Sheraton Resort in Steamboat Springs, CO. The itinerary includes committee meetings, a trade show, panel discussions, McDonnell Angus..................................................................19 Hoyt’s Angus.........................................................................19 Kist Diamond Classic............................................................19 Real Ranch Horse..................................................................20 excellent meals, interesting speakers, and a gondola ride! The registration and hotel deadline for discounted rates is May 29. Questions? Con- tact the Colorado Livestock Association by phone at 970-378-0500 or go to the website www.coloradolivestock.org Like to read eBooks? Then here’s a great suggestion for a brand new book: the Montana Stockgrowers’ digital book for iBooks and iPad called “Ladies and Livestock: Life on the Ranch.” This project has been an effort to reach out to women across the country who would like to learn more about Montana’s ranching families and the work that goes into producing the beef on our plates. “Ladies & Livestock” is a multi-media exploration of the roles of Montana women on the ranch. It features over 130 pages of stories and photographs of the ladies who raise livestock, care for the land, and build their family’s legacy on Montana ranches. Included on 30 pages are video features that play with the touch of the finger! It’s available exclusively on iTunes or in the iBooks store for only $14.99. Proceeds from the sale of the book benefit MSGA’s Research & Education Endowment Foundation. The book was released last September. Its target audience isn’t necessarily those who experience Montana ranch life on a regular basis, but rather those who don’t have that opportunity. Folks are increasingly reading books on their mobile devices, so this book as an innovative way to reach those audiences with Montana ranchers’ stories. If you have any media contacts in other parts of the country that may be able to share this message with urban women seeking information about their beef and the people behind raising our food, we’d appreciate your passing along this story to help reach them. Thanks! Questions? Contact MSGA at 406-442-3420. Call Now and Book your Seed Today!!! ✤ Spring Wheat ✤ As I See It cont. from pg. 1 ✤ Barley ✤ CertifiedTrophy Champion ✤ Hay Barley ✤ Lavina • Hays • Stockford ✤ Oats ✤ ✤ Peas ✤ ✤ Forage Mixes ✤ ✤ Pioneer Alfalfa & Corn Seed ✤ ✤ Custom Pasture & Hay Mixes ✤ ✤ 1st Select Alfalfa ✤ ✤ Matrix Creeping Alfalfa ✤ ✤ CRP Mixes ✤ ✤ Other Items Available Upon Request ✤ WRS keep track of that. If you’re in heavy crop country in an area that has a known history of hail, you know what one of those five-minute hail storms can do to you and your crops. I’ve watched through the years, and it appears there are certain areas that seem to be more applicable to hail and wind damage than others; however, those folks can insure themselves against much of these major disasters. This is between you, the operators of your farm and ranch, and your insurance man. I just hope he hasn’t left his computer on and it’s costing him more through the summer than he’s getting paid for his services! I hope everyone remembered their womenfolk on Mother’s Day. They deserve a pat on the back for a job well done every day but especially on Mother’s Day. Certified Bullseye WB-Rockland • WB-9879CLP Certified Duclair WESTERN RANCH SUPPLY CO. “Serving The Big Country” - Presents - “Earl” Western Ranch Supply carries a wide variety of Sprayers & Chemicals! Stop by or give us a call. P.O. Box 130 Three Forks, MT 59752 406-285-3269 www.circlesseeds.com WestBred®, Improving Nature’s Grains and the Wheat Design are trademarks of Monsanto Technology, LLC New Location! 7305 Entryway Drive • Billings, MT 59101 303 North 13th Street • Billings, MT 59101 • 1-800-548-7270 4000 River Drive North • Great Falls, MT 59401 • 1-800-548-5855 E-mail: [email protected] • ON LINE CATALOG: http://www.westernranchsupply.com 4 Thursday, May 14, 2015 Sortin Pen cont. from pg. 1 in his “Pork Chops” series for awarding a grant last year to develop a quarantine system for chocolate. According to Flake, the agency awarded a $135,615 grant to the University of Readings’ International Cocoa Quarantine Centre to help develop a quarantine system for cocoa. The taxpayer-supported funding was part of a larger $535,835 grant awarded to the university in FY2011. The University of Reading, located about an hour outside of London, said the funding would help “safeguard the future of chocolate.” After cocoa plants spend two years under quarantine, parts of the plant are shipped to cocoa-producing countries, where they can be bred with local cocoa plants to try to build a higher-resistance crop, says the university. Flake’s “Pork Chops” series features a weekly roasting of egregious federal spending. Worth watching closely... USDA is proposing a new administrative review process for government-subsidized school meal programs. USDA’s Food & Nutrition Service’s proposed rule would establish a unified accountability system for school food authorities to follow, the results of which would be posted online. “These proposed changes are expected to strengthen program integrity through a more robust, effective, and transparent process for monitoring school nutrition program operations,” says the agency. The public will have 60 days to comment on the rule change. Senators Introduce bill to end horse soring... A trio of Kentucky and Tennessee U.S. Senators has introduced legislation that they say will “end the contemptible, illegal practice of horse soring once and for all, while preserving the Tennessee Walking Horse tradition.” On April 30, Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), and Rand Paul (R-KY), introduced an amended version of a previous bill introduced during the last congressional session. “The Humane Society bill would destroy the Tennessee Walking Horse tradition,” Alexander said. “In baseball, if a player illegally uses steroids, you punish the player. You don’t shut down America’s pastime. We need to punish and stop any trainer, owner, or rider who engages in the illegal practice of horse soring -- NOT shut down a treasured and important tradition in both Tennessee and Kentucky.” Alexander was referring to a competing bill, advocated WESTERN AG REPORTER by the Humane Society of the U.S. (HSUS), which has also been introduced in the Senate. The HSUS bill would ban many industry-standard training and show devices that do not harm horses on their own. Horse sorting is already illegal under federal law, but Alexander’s legislation would take six additional steps to end horse soring by creating more consistent oversight, requiring term limits for board members of horse industry organizations that provide oversight inspections, protecting against conflicts of interest, requiring input from veterinarians, requiring objective testing, and adding suspension from horse shows as a penalty. Prairie dogs digging up OK cemetery... In the Oklahoma panhandle, prairie dogs have moved from the Rita Blanca Grassland and invaded the cemetery near Felt, Oklahoma, where human bones from gravesites are now visible on the surface and sinkholes have appeared. Local officials say the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) has neglected its job of managing the prairie dog populations because of the agency’s focus on introducing the blackfooted ferret. “The cemetery is being overrun, and there’s no doubt about that,” said State Rep. Casey Murdock (R-Felt). “It is very devastating to those who have family buried there. The dogs are undermining the cemetery and causing destruction no one wants to see. It’s imperative that everyone’s concerns are addressed.” Murdock says he has been in contact with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife, cemetery officials, and the office of Governor Mary Fallin. “What we need is a buffer zone of at least a mile and a half around the cemetery,” said Murdock. “The buffer zone will ensure that no more graves are being dug up and that families of the deceased can rest easy. Taxpayers expect the federal government to perform its duties, plain and simple. We need a solution to this issue as soon as possible.” The USFS recovery plan for the black-footed ferret is expected to cost taxpayers more than $150 million by 2040. Farmland’s portfolio exploding... Farmland Partners, a Denver-based ag real estate company that went public in April 2014, now controls 116 farms totaling 68,439 acres in 10 states. When the company went public last year, it did so with $53.2 million IPO (initial public offering), and at the time the company had just four tenants in two states. Just a year later, the firm now owns ag land extending from southeastern U.S. to the high plains and from the corn belt to the Mississippi Delta. The net value of its real estate assets was $179 million as of March 31, when the first quarter ended. As the company’s portfolio has grown, so has its rental income. While same-property rent Second Annual SHAW FEMALE SALE Saturday, May 30th 12 noon MDT • At the Ranch • Caldwell, Idaho TheLadies BEHIND TheBull BusinessBrand Catalogs mailed on request. Contact the owners or the sale manager to request your copy. Also available for online viewing at: shawcattle.com mcsauction.com Real World, Functional Females Built By Cow Families 275 Females Sell as 150 Lots & 67 HEREFORD | 69 ANGUS | 14 RED ANGUS Donor Dams, Fall Heifer Calf Splits, Fall Bred Heifers, Spring Heifer Calf Pairs …the fall calvers are confirmed safe with heifer calf pregnancies! 2073 3333 3014 went up just $1 year-over-year in the first quarter to $361 per acre, total rental income jumped 219% to $2 million. Monsanto eyeing offshore tax benefits... The Swiss firm Syngenta has rebuffed potential merger bids with St. Louis-based Monsanto, rejecting a $45 billion bid last week. Reportedly, part of the appeal of a merger with Syngenta would be Monsanto’s ability to shift its legal address offshore, lowering its tax liability in the process. Democrats and the Obama administration have proposed cracking down on this sort of merger, commonly called corporate inversions. Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) reportedly urged Monsanto against the merger last week, warning Monsanto that it’s in the company’s best interest to remain headquartered in the U.S., noting that the company has had no problems capitalizing on taxpayer funding. “You and your board must recognize that your company’s continued commitment to America would be good, not only for the country, but also for Monsanto’s bottom line,” Durbin said. The Illinois Democrat specifically mentioned Monsanto’s reliance on National Institutes of Health research, the U.S. education system, and the patent protections offered by the federal government. Don’t miss these! “Through its policy and advocacy efforts every day, the North Dakota Stockmen’s Association (NDSA) works to lead the state’s beef industry through 2015 and beyond,” said NDSA President Steve Brooks, a Bowman, ND, cow-calf and seedstock producer. The 85-year-old cattle producers’ trade organization will be hosting its Spring Roundup series by that very name, “2015 and Beyond,” June 4-5 and 8-11 in Fessenden, Jamestown, Linton, Carson, Killdeer, and Washburn, ND. Each will include a social, supper, and short program on issues like the Dietary Guidelines, the Waters of the United States proposed rule, trade promotion authority, and the recently completed 64th North Dakota Legislative Assembly. District Nominating Committees will meet at the close of each Spring Roundup. There, committee members will identify candidates for the NDSA’s open director positions that will be filled at the NDSA annual convention in September. The Spring Roundup schedule is as follows: - District 1: June 5 at Festival Hall, Wells County Fairgrounds in Fessenden. Social begins at 5:30 p.m. CT, with supper at 6:30 p.m. and the program following. Chanda Engel, livestock research specialist at the Carrington Research Extension Center, will also be a presenter, discussing ways to grow a cowherd using less grass. - District 2: June 10 at the Jamestown Country Club in Jamestown. Begins with golf and an equipment showcase at 3:30 p.m. CT. A social and sponsor showcase follow at 5:30 p.m. with supper at 7 p.m. and the program following. - District 3: June 4 at the Our Club Hall in Linton. The social begins at 5:30 p.m. CT with supper at 6:30 p.m. and the program following. Engel will also be speaking here. - District 4: June 8 at the Grant County Fairgrounds in Carson. Social begins at 5:30 p.m. MT with supper at 6:30 p.m. and the program following. - District 5: June 9 at the Buckskin Bar & Grill in Killdeer. Social begins at 5:30 p.m. MT with supper at 6:30 p.m. and the program following. - District 6: June 11 at River Ag in Washburn. Social begins at 5:30 p.m. CT with supper at 6:30 p.m. and the program following. The Roundups are free and open to everyone. For more information, visit www.ndstockmen. org or call 701-223-2522. ed ! You Amaz CLASSIFIEDS e B W i ll 406.259.4589 145Y SHAW CATTLE CO. 22993 Howe Road, Caldwell, ID 83607 www.shawcattle.com [email protected] HEREFORD | ANGUS | RED ANGUS Since 1946 Greg Shaw Sam Shaw Tucker Shaw Ron Shurtz (208) 459-3029 (208) 880-9044 (208) 899-0455 (208) 431-3311 3432 336A SALE MANAGEMENT incorporated Matt Sims Cell/Text (405) 641-6081 [email protected] www.mcsauction.com Jason Frey, Field Editor North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota PO Box 155 Ipswich, SD 57451 Cell (701) 300-0845 E-mail: [email protected] If you're looking for herd bulls, replacements, registered or commercial females, I've been making the rounds in my territory. I'd like to help. & Farm Food by Alan Guebert of all food sales in at least 32 cities nationwide, and as much as 80% of all restaurant food sales in a handful of cities like Washington D.C. That’s power; that’s dominance; and that, said the FTC this past February, should not happen. On a narrow 3-to-2 vote - three Democratic commissioners for; two Republican commissioners against - the FTC asked a federal judge February 19 to block the Sysco-US Foods deal. In its 24-page, heavily redacted filing with the court, the FTC made its case. Its operative facts arrive on pages 12 and 13 where the Commission explains the market power the new firm will possess if the deal goes through. “The Merger Guidelines and courts measure [market] concentration using the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (‘HHI’)... Under the Merger Guidelines, a merger is presumed likely to create or enhance market power - and is presumptively illegal - when the post-merger HHI exceeds 2,500 and the merger increases the HHI by more than 200 points.” Should Sysco be permitted to buy US Foods... “...postmerger, the market would be substantially more highly concentrated than today. The merger would result in a post-merger HHI of 5,836 and increases in concentration of 2,800 points, or 14 times the increase necessary to establish a presumption of competitive harm.” In the above-mentioned 32 markets where the merged Sysco and US Foods would not compete head-to-head as they do now, the deal would deliver HHIs of “between 2,997 and 10,000.” In fact, notes the FTC report, “By eliminating vigorous competition between Sysco and US Foods, the merger would significantly reduce these benefits, harming businesses that offer food away from Tuesday, May 19, 2015 RegulaR Cattle Sale FeedeRS SpeCial Bill in his prime, about 1915. Diggin' in… Big food’s baloney... Sysco Corporation may not be a topic of dinner conversation most evenings anywhere in the U.S., but it is what many Americans are having for dinner - and lunch and breakfast - almost any day everywhere in America. Never heard of Sysco? Maybe not, but you’ve seen ‘em. Ever pull up to a local fast or fast-casual restaurant, hospital, hotel, nursing home, or school and see a long, gleaming semi-truck and trailer at the building’s back door unloading cartloads of boxed fresh, canned, and frozen foods? That’s Sysco, North America’s biggest distributor of food and food-related products to restaurants, hotels, schools, healthcare facilities, and other foodservice providers. And biggest means really big. According to 2014 figures, Sysco sold $46.5 billion in food and services from 73 distribution centers to 425,000 customers around the U.S. That’s another way you may know the company: its acre-gobbling distribution centers from Albany to Anchorage. Most resemble what they, in fact, are: massive deep freezers stuffed with mountains of basic food ingredients that go into many of the 500 million meals eaten by Americans outside the home every day. But being the biggest isn’t big enough for Sysco. In December 2013, it announced its purchase of chief rival US Foods for $8.2 billion in cash and stock. US Foods, while a distant number two to Sysco in foodservice market share, isn’t tiny. In 2013, it made $22 billion in sales to 200,000 customers from 61 distribution centers nationwide. If done, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the new Sysco would be a $65 billion-a-year battleship commanding 75% of all food sales to larger chain restaurants, more than 50% by Bill Huntington He who laughs last... We had a deal with the fair at Sioux City, Iowa, to put on a show in front of the grandstand but, due to a train wreck, we got delayed and lost our contract. We did ride a couple of horses in front of the grandstand on exhibition. We made few shows east of Sioux City. We had a show in a ball park in a place I have forgotten the name of, but I’ll always remember that show. It was early fall, and the corn was pretty green yet. It was too soft to feed but we didn’t think it would hurt the stock even if it did loosen up their bowels a little. We had two steers that was gentle to handle; we could lead them with a rope anywhere we wanted to but they would always buck. There was a big crowd home and, ultimately, their end consumers.” So, slam dunk, no deal, right? After all, the FTC shows irrefutable data that clearly establishes market concentration will increase by an “illegal” factor from 4 to “14 times necessary to establish a presumption of competitive harm.” In a story published in the May 4 Wall Street Journal - the day before Sysco and US Foods were to begin a seven-day court hearing to refute the FTC filing - “the companies call(ed) the FTC’s math ‘pure fiction’” and promised a hard fight for their deal. No surprise. Too many rules, according to Sysco, is what ails business. The cure, it suggests, is anything that satisfies Big Biz’ big appetite. Even, as in this case, it’s just pure baloney. (c) 2015 ag comm Tuesday, May 26, 2015 RegulaR Cattle Sale & Cow/CalF paiRS FeedeRS SpeCial Consignments & Rep Sales are available at www.milescitylivestock.net For complete details on the market, check out our market report and USDA report at www.milescitylivestock.net Field Representatives Bart Meged Collin Gibbs Andy Wemmer Charles Hellickson 406-421-5377 406-939-0645 406-853-0539 406-853-6037 406- 951-3005 Mark Zehms, Yard Foreman • 406-853-1945 ~ Amanda Kincheloe, Office Manager • 406-234-1790 1-800-755-5177 5 Thursday, May 14, 2015 WESTERN AG REPORTER Visit our website at www.milescitylivestock.net 1-406-234-1790 that day, and standing right along in front of the netting, there was a lot of girls mostly dressed in white. We led out one of the steers right close to the netting so the crowd could see them good. I got on him. He jumped and whirled with his rear end towards the crowd. He let fly with a lot of green paint. It was done so quick those girls in white dresses couldn’t dodge! Then he came around again and gave a repeat performance. I could see it all over their faces and running down their dresses, and even though I was pretty busy, I heard them screaming as if they’d been shot. It was so funny to me that I got to laughing so hard I fell off that bull. He hadn’t shot all of his ammunition, it turned out... he’d saved enough to douse me too. My god, it was awful. The crowd went wild. I never heard so much hollering and yelling and laughing in my life. When I got my eyes cleared out, I looked at the crowd. Those poor girls was still trying to get their faces wiped off with handkerchiefs no bigger than postage stamps. They would wipe it off on their hands and then they wouldn’t know what to do with their hands. Editor’s note: I was browsing through the 1952 archival book containing the issues of our predecessor Western Livestock Reporter when I ran into the following Letter to the Editor in the March 12, 1952, issue. The letter was from Wes Fitzsimmons of Pomeroy, Washington: “I certainly do enjoy the paper, especially the series of stories by Bill Huntington. He certainly has a sense of humor, and it will be a sad day when he finishes the series. I pass each Reporter on to my dad and others, too, and they all get as much kick out of Huntington’s stories as I do.” FYI, I’m here to tell you that that “sad day” never arrived! From the research I did a few years ago for Pat’s biography “As I Saw It,” I can tell you that Gramps (my great-grandfather Bill Huntington) started his writing career in the January 31, 1951, issue of the Western Livestock Reporter. The Reporter was 10 years old, and Gramps was 74. An editorial note in that 1951 issue read: “Perhaps this group of stories means more to those who know and love Bill than to the reader, but it was thought they might have some attraction for their merit as a commentary on the vigorous but fading past.” From this editor’s viewpoint, some 64 years later, I believe that editorial comment had it right as Bill has been enjoyed almost continuously since. If anything, his popularity grows with each passing year. LG Morgan Contractors, LLC ◆ General Contractor ◆ Commercial Residential Farm-Ranch Licensed-Bonded-Insured 60 yrs combined experience Southern MT & Northern WY 406-698-9940 www.morgancontractorsmt.com 6 Thursday, May 14, 2015 Ramblings of a Conservative Cow Doctor by Rep. Krayton Kerns, DVM www.kraytonkerns.org Post-Commencement Address 2015 The upcoming presidential election marks the first time that high school graduates of 2015 and 2016 will vote. As these millennials were only 10 years old when I launched this column, eight years of my ramblings may be insufficient to purge their minds of high school propaganda. Certainly, there is a smattering of great civic teachers across the hinterlands that actually taught America’s liberty principles, but most students only heard state-sponsored spin. After graduation, those choosing college will receive indoctrination sufficient to keep them blind well into their 40s with some never regaining the ability to see a political PERRY’S TRAILER SALES Check Out These Stock Trailers WESTERN AG REPORTER truth. Today’s column might be my last chance to enlighten them before they embrace conservatism or progressivism. Adults who read my column strictly out of spite should flip to the classified section because, if you haven’t seen the light by now, you never will. The right wing is home to Christian conservatives, liberty focused Republicans, constitutionalists, and tea party folks. These terms are synonymous. Patriots in this category understand American freedom, individual responsibility, and limited government. They recognize free-market capitalism as the mechanism that best establishes winners and losers because, whenever government manipulates a market, they break it... our national health care system being the perfect example. Prior to Medicaid and Medicare in 1964 and ‘65, health care traded at market prices. By government mandating services and manipulating the expense/ reimbursement equation, leftists instantly established a permanent pool of dependent recipients. This cost-shifted expenses to the producing class and eventually enslaved them in debt. Freedom and free-markets are the lifeblood of conservatism. The left wing is home to secular-progressives, socialist Democrats, Marxists, collectivists, leftist activists, and the ruling class. These terms are synonymous. Comrades in this category view America as inherently evil and feel our nation should be torn apart with wealth taken from those who have earned it and given to those who haven’t, less a small handling fee for the ruling class. Mankind’s natural unequal distribution of talent, intelligence, courage, ambition, ingenuity, and initiative must be erased by government stealing the bounty produced by those working in the trenches and giving it to those sitting on the sofa. Covetousness and theft are the lifeblood of progressivism. Conservatives recognize that God blessed America with coal, oil, natural gas, minerals, and fertile ag and forestry lands. In a free-market environment, industrious Americans can capitalize on this bounty to build an economy Don’t miss this! 2016 Featherlite Model 8127 24' Stock Western Package, 2 Center Gates, 7 1/2 wide stk#8919 2015 Featherlite Model 8413 24' Combo 7' tall, Front Tack, Center Gate, Saddle Racks stk#8453 See our inventory online: www.perrystrailers.com FINANCING AVAILABLE! TRADES WELCOME! Tom O’Reilly 1-800-756-4048 • Cell 406-861-7352 1738 1/2 King Ave. West Billings, MT 59102 1-800-584-9115 2516 COFFEEN AVE. • SHERIDAN, WY 82801 MARK FRISBIE Field Editor Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, California 11851 Fantastic Drive Melba, ID 83641 Cell: 208-890-4517 Home: 208-495-2601 E-mail [email protected] Mark your calendars to celebrate 131 years for that Montana Stockgrowers Association at the organization’s mid-year meeting, June 4-6 in Bozeman. This year’s event will be highlighted by Cattlemen’s College workshops, a tour of area businesses, and live music with Ringling 5 and Crazy Mountain Express! Mid-Year is one of two major meetings MSGA holds annually where members gather to discuss the issues facing Montana ranching families and to set interim policy to guide the association through the rest of the year. Policy Committee meetings this year will be hosted on the campus of Montana State University. Events will kick off Thursday afternoon with Cattlemen’s College workshops pre- that can employ, feed, power, and provide true charity to all mankind. Because personal freedom follows economic freedom, prosperous Americans are free to move about the country. This perturbs progressives, who know it is easier to control an unemployed or underemployed populace, so they established the national religion of environmentalism to block all natural resource development. This false worship begins in preschool and continues throughout institutions of higher indoctrination. A national religion runs contrary to the First Amendment, so progressives simply ignore the Constitution. As implied above, conservatives acknowledge the existence of God as the source of our natural rights as explained in America’s Declaration of Independence. The only function of government is to secure those rights and then only after receiving consent of the governed. To the contrary, progressives worship government as god with mankind’s rights being established or revoked by a decree from the ruling class. America’s political battle is really as simple as outlined above. Choose correctly, honor God, and you will live long and prosper. Choose wrong, worship government, and you will live life a pauper begging government to steal to give you the stuff earned by your colleagues who chose the correct option. Be smart: chose conservatism. Editor’s note: Well, Krayton, while I totally agree with all of the above, I have a bridge to sell you if you truly think any high school kids are going to read much less understand the above. I hope I’m wrong. I’m willing to bet I’m not. If I’ve insulted any well-educated, newspaper-reading high school seniors out there, Hallelujah! I didn’t know of your existence. Don’t get me wrong: it’s not that I think you are dumb; it’s that I think you are not properly educated and also that you spend far too much time on social media to do any serious thinking about the important differences between progressives and conservatives. LG sented by leadership coach, Sarah Bohenkamp. Ranchers will have the opportunity to learn more about growth in leadership, improving time management, and developing skills to build strong relationships that are critical to being successful in the ranching business. Friday’s Opening General Session will feature MSU Ag Econ professor, Dr. Gary Brester, who will provide insight for current record cattle prices and provide context from historical market trends. Association policy meetings will take place on Friday with discussion on topics affecting Montana ranchers today. A review of the 2015 Montana Legislative Session activity affecting the ranching community will also take place during the meeting. Ranchers will gather on Friday night for a steak dinner, fun, and live music from Ringling 5. Area business leaders and the community are invited to a special fundraiser event on Thursday night for MSGA’s Research & Education Endowment Foundation, held at the Best Western GranTree Inn, with entertainment by Crazy Mountain Express. A block of rooms has been reserved at the Best Western GranTree Inn and the Holiday Inn. For more information, contact MSGA’s office at 406442-3420. Registrations are available online for a 20% discount if made prior to June 1. Visit mtbeef.org for more details. Proven Technology That W Proven Technology That Works! We Are Now Selling T-L Irrigation Systems “The ONLY Hydraulic Powered Irrigation System” BILLINGS PUMP & IRRIGATION 2424 MINNESOTA AVENUE IRRIGATION BILLINGS, MONTANA 800-736-5316 COMPANY 406-245-6139 Montana wheat prices slump to five-year low Montana wheat is setting the wrong kind of records as grain prices continue to fall nationally. May wheat prices are now at a five-year low, which could push gross receipts for Montana grain below $1 billion for the first time in several years. Cash prices for hard red winter wheat have been below $5 a bushel. On May 4, the lowest per bushel price offered was $3.92 in southeast Montana. Spring wheat prices were still in the $6 range for the best-quality product. The drop in grain prices, coupled with a decline in Bakken oil production, probably signals the end to rural Montana’s run as state leader in economic growth. “What we’re seeing within the state is a reversion back to the older pattern of urban growth, western growth, and a little less tilt to the east. Part of that’s oil, and part of that’s agriculture,” said Patrick Barkey, Montana Bureau of Business & Economic Research director. Since the recession, Montana’s economic leaders have been Yellowstone County and rural Montana, with heavy contributions from ag and energy, Barkey said. The constructionheavy economies of Bozeman, Missoula, and Kalispell foundered during the recession and have bounced back only recently. Annual sales of Montana wheat since 2007 have surpassed $1 billion with one exception in 2009. There have been some rough patches. The five-year-low in grain prices just sunk beneath what they were in May 2010, when favorable growing conditions globally created a glut in the world wheat supply. With no shortage of grain, wheat prices went into a tailspin in 2010, but prices rebounded that July after Russia announced that, because of drought, it would ban wheat exports. After the announcement, 7 Thursday, May 14, 2015 WESTERN AG REPORTER wheat prices shot up to $8 a bushel, shortly after Montana’s wheat harvest began. It would take a similar weather event, or several small ones, to turn current prices around. Cassidy Marn, marketing program manager for the Montana Wheat & Barley Committee, said globally growing conditions are okay right now, which means low prices will stick around. “There’s a lot of wheat out there,” Marn said. “I’m afraid the price is currently reflecting stocks and not necessarily in the United States, but worldwide.” There’s more than wheat abundance behind current prices, said Anton Bekkerman, Montana State University economist. The strength of the dollar compared to other currencies makes U.S. wheat less competitive. There’s also the corn factor. When corn prices are high, as they were between 2007 and 2013 when corn ethanol production escalated, feedlots begin looking for cheaper grains to feed livestock. Cheap feed wheat becomes a replacement, increasing in value as it does. Quality wheat prices also begin to rise as wheat demand picks up. Economists have long reminded producers that wheat prices were also sure to decline after several years of unusually strong prices. “Obviously we’re getting back to the long-term historical average, which farmers aren’t too happy about because of where prices have been in previous years,” Bekkerman said. Farmers do have a few things working in their favor, Bekkerman said. Fuel prices have fallen dramatically, which cuts wheat production costs. Fall planting conditions were also very favorable, which should help winter wheat quality at harvest. - By Tom Lutey, Billings Gazette, 5/5 CATTLE SALES EVERY THURSDAY AT BLS SINCE 1934 Live Stock Commission . REPRESENTATIVE SALES FOR THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2015 • 2000 Head Sold Good run on all classes here for our Thursday sale. Market mostly steady. Don't forget the Annual Turnout Special, May 28. Thanks for your business! John Robbins James Anderson Fly Creek Angus Inc Stevensons Diamond Dot Inc Willie Doll Draper Ranch Co. Stevensons Diamond Dot Inc Perry Hein Todd Quisel Steinbach Cattle Co Terry Vorhes Bruce Arthun Ishawooa Mesa Ranch Berg Ranch Co Susan Swartz William Drugge T J B J Ranch Co Edward Skillman Berg Ranch Co Elizabeth Beerman Tee Bar Ranch Co Marion Stevenson Edward D. Kreider John D Nation Kenneth Bermes Kenneth D Gilbert Brian Uffelman D & A Ranch Ketchum Cattle Country In Marvin E Mosby Greeley Creek Ranch Inc Berg Ranch Company Greg H Langford Willie Doll Ishawooa Mesa Ranch BULLS Custer 1 Chinook 1 Pompeys Pillar 1 Hobson 5 Malta 2 Red Lodge 2 Hobson 1 Ballantine 2 Livingston 1 Wolf Creek 1 Judith Gap 1 Clyde Park 1 Cody 1 COWS Martinsdale 9 Broadview 1 Chinook 3 Fort Benton 4 Livingston 1 Martinsdale 7 Power 3 Augusta 4 Joliet 1 Sand Springs 1 Lovell 1 Rapelje 2 Big Timber 1 Hardin 2 Big Timber 2 Broadview 3 Winnett 2 Livingston 3 Martinsdale 4 Big Timber 3 Malta 11 Cody 4 Bk Bk Bk Bk Bk Bk Bk Bk Bk Bk Bk Bk Bk 881 916 926 1,232 1,941 2,556 2,251 2,263 2,001 1,856 1,701 1,716 2,106 181.00 179.00 173.00 151.00 148.50 144.50 144.50 144.50 142.50 142.00 141.00 137.50 136.00 Rd/Bk Red Bk Bk Bk Rd/Bk Bk Red Bk Bk Bk Bk Bk Bk Red Bk Bk Bk Rd/Bk Red Bkbwf Bk 1,127 1,401 1,236 1,107 1,211 1,239 1,182 1,278 1,331 1,266 1,196 1,473 1,286 1,433 1,403 1,436 1,423 1,427 1,322 1,542 1,349 1,422 141.00 134.50 134.00 133.50 132.00 129.00 129.00 124.00 122.00 121.00 121.00 120.00 118.00 117.00 117.00 117.00 116.50 116.50 116.00 115.00 114.50 114.50 William H Drugge Steinbach Cattle Co. Charles Schweigert Fly Creek Angus Inc Fly Creek Angus Inc Elizabeth Beerman James Anderson T D Farms Inc Murray Brothers Part. James Anderson Murray Brothers Part. Kyle Markegard James Anderson William Alexander Elizabeth Beerman O'Connor Land & Livestock Nathan Espeland Mark Pederson Tee Bar Land & Livestock Elizabeth Beerman Elizabeth Beerman Willie Doll Willie Doll Marvin Mosby T D Farms Inc Smith River Cattle Charles Schweigert Smith River Cattle James Anderson T D Farms Inc Loyning Ranch Smith River Cattle Tee Bar Ranch Co Tee Bar Ranch Co Chinook 10 Bkbwf Wolf Creek 11 Bk HEIFERS Billings 1 Bbroc Pompeys Pillar 7 Bk Pompeys Pillar 10 Bk Power 2 Bk Chinook 6 Rd/Bk Worland 46 Bkbwf Bridger 10 Bkbwf Chinook 18 Mxd Bridger 20 Bk Laurel 18 Rd/Bk Chinook 14 Bk Roberts 5 Bk Power 18 Bk HEIFERETTES Plevna 1 Bk Fishtail 1 Bk Columbus 2 Bk Malta 1 Bk Power 1 Bk Power 4 Bkbwf Malta 21 Bk Malta 2 Bk Winnett 1 Bk STEERS Worland 14 Bk WSS 7 Rd/Bk Billings 5 Rd/Bk WSS 44 Mxd Chinook 3 Rd/Bk Worland 3 Bkbwf Frannie 18 Bk WSS 13 Mxd Augusta 5 Red Augusta 60 Rd/Bk 1,340 1,302 113.00 110.50 411 463 542 581 536 563 596 603 676 671 694 758 784 282.50 271.00 256.50 254.00 253.00 252.00 247.00 241.50 238.00 231.50 229.00 217.50 216.00 946 986 963 1,031 1,061 1,144 1,015 1,036 1,116 179.00 175.00 175.00 170.00 168.00 162.00 161.00 160.00 154.00 511 377 414 467 484 526 521 564 705 884 318.00 316.00 315.00 308.00 305.00 304.00 299.00 287.00 229.00 201.25 LET ’EM ALL BID — BRING’ EM TO BLS! Sales Coming Up 3 Good at Montana's Pioneer Market Thursday, May 21 Saturday, May 23 BIG ONE DAY ALL CLASS CATTLE SALE HORSE SALE Expecting 1200 Head Loose Horses Sell at 8:00 a.m. Expecting 700 Head ANNUAL TURN-OUT SPECIAL with ALL CLASS CATTLE SALE and NORTHERN LIVESTOCK INTERNET AUCTION Thursday, May 28 Expecting 2000 Head Call to consign or for information. Also consign online 24hours a day at www.billingslivestock.com 406.259.4589 UPCOMING SALE SCHEDULE Thursday , May 21.......................All Class Cattle Sale Saturday, May 23.......................May Horse Sale -Loose Horse 8:00am Thursday, May 28.........................Annual Turn-Out Cattle Special with All Class Cattle Sale & Northern Livestock Internet Auction Thursday, June 4...........................All Class Cattle Sale Friday, June 5.................................Consignment deadline Northern Livestock Video "Early Summer Special” Thursday, June 11 ......................All Class Cattle Sale Thursday, June 18 ..................... Pair & Feeder Special with All Class Cattle Special Monday, June 22 .......................... Northern Livestock Video “Early Summer Special” Thursday, June 25 ........................All Class Cattle Sale Saturday, June 27 ....................June Horse Sale ✁ clip & save clip & save Dan (406) 671-7715 View, Bid and Buy At All Our Cattle Sales LIVE ✱ At www.billingslivestock.com BREEDING Compare Our Market & Give Us A Call. We Would Be Glad To Help! • 100% Protected Minerals • Flax Tub • Digestion Pack • Low Cost to Feed 888.919.4738 | www.rionutrition.net Mineral available in plastic tub, biodegradable tub, loose mineral or sleds. Ty (406) 698-4783 ✃ YEARLINGS • Improved Weight Gain • Foot & Eye Health • Grazing Management • Low Cost to Feed Rio/Nutrition Bill (406) 670-0689 Call today to learn more about this all-new Range RocketTM Lick Sled! 888.919.4738 Check Out What’s Happening at BLS & See Market Reports At www.billingslivestock.com 2443 North Frontage Rd. • Billings, MT 59101 • Ph: 406-245-4151 • Fax: 406-245-0391 Ty Thompson: Cattle Sale Manager & Auctioneer • 406-698-4783 Dan Catlin: Yard Foreman & Field Rep. • 406-671-7715 Bill Cook: Auctioneer & Field Rep. & Promotions • 406-670-0689 Bill & Jann Parker: Horse Sale Managers • 406-670-0773 Montana’s Pioneer Market - Call To Consign 1-800-635-7364 8 Thursday, May 14, 2015 IT’S THE PITTS by Lee Pitts What’s In Your Kit? Livestock publications this time of year often run articles on Spring calving. These articles always start with instructions to make sure your fences are tight, you are well rested, and you are on good terms with a veterinarian so that, when you call the vet at 2 a.m. with a calving issue, he or she is going to pop right out of bed and drive 60 miles in a blizzard to your place to deliver a calf. Ha ha ha. Like that’s gonna happen. The experts suggest writing a schedule so that everyone knows what time they will be on call. For example, the schedule I always taped to our refrigerator door said that, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., I was responsible. From 6 p.m. until 8 a.m. was my wife’s turn to be on call. I considered this a fair division of labor because, as we all know, most heifers calve at night when it is most inconvenient, and women are more rested and handle stress better than men. They are also much better at motherhood and all it entails, so it is only smart and fair that they be on call when a 600-pound heifer tries to give birth to a calf the size WESTERN LIVESTOCK MARKET DIRECTORY MONTANA ADVERTISE HERE! BILLINGS PAYS: Public Auction Yards • Cattle Sales On Wednesdays • Sheep and Hog Sales on Mondays • Special Feeder Sales on Fridays P.O. Box 1781 (406) 245-6447 “Montana’s Largest Auction Market!” BLS: Billings Live Stock Commission Co. • Cattle Sales Every ThursdayMondays (In-Season) • Horse Sales Last Saturday of the Month P.O. Box 31533 Billings, MT 59107 1-800-635-7364 (406)-245-4151 Since 1934“Montana’s Pioneer Market!” GREAT FALLS 406 Vaughn S. Frontage Rd. Great Falls, MT 59404 • Regular Cattle Sales Every Wednesday • Special Feeder Sales Saturdays In Season (406) 727-5400 Manager: Lynn Perry (406) 964-8815 Cell: (406) 788-5400 Yard Manager & Fieldman: Ryan Perry: Cell (406) 788-9869 Office Manager: Sarah McCafferty NEVADA FALLON Fallon Livestock Exchange, Inc. • Sales every Tuesday - 1 P.M. • Cattle, Sheep, Goats, Hogs, Horses • Special Sales by Anouncement Monte Bruck (775)867-2020 2055 Trento Lane Fallon, NV 89406 Nevada Livestock Marketing, LLC. • Sales every Wednesday • 11 a.m. Slaughter Cows, Bulls • 10:30 a.m. Small Barn • 1:00 p.m. Feeder Cattle • Horses Last Jack Payne, Manager 775-217-9273 Office 775-423-7760 Fax 775-423-1813 1025 Allen Road - Fallon, NV www.nevadalivestock.us For Only $10 Per Week 406-259-4589 NEBRASKA VALENTINE Valentine Livestock Auction • Sales Every Thursday Greg Arendt, Manager 126 N. Government Valentine, NE 69201 1-800-682-4874 (Office) 402-376-3611 www.valentine-livestock.com View sales at www.cattleusa.com N. DAKOTA BOWMAN ★ Sale Every Monday ★ ★ Specials As Advertised ★ Harry Kerr, Owner/Manager 701-523-5666 Wayne Miller, Fieldman 701-279-6649 PO Box 58 • Hwy. 85 S Bowman, ND 58623 701-523-5922 Toll Free -877-211-0600 DICKINSON Stockmen’s Livestock Exchange, Inc. • Sales Every Thursday 9 A.M. • Call: (701) 225-8156 James Erickson: (701) 225-1610 Larry Schnell: (701) 225-8156 John Fischer: (701) 290-1606 P.O. Box 1209 Dickinson, ND 58601 www.gostockmens.com WYOMING TORRINGTON Torrington Livestock Markets 626 West Valley Rd. Torrington, WY 307-532-3333 All Classes - Every Friday Yearlings & Calves - Wednesday Bred Cow Specials Go to www.torringtonlivestock.com for current listings, sale schedules & results. Shawn Madden 307-532-1575 Lex Madden 307-532-1580 ADVERTISE HERE! For Only $10 Per Week 406-259-4589 S. DAKOTA FAITH Faith Livestock Commission Co. • Sale Every Monday Cattle & Sheep • Sheep Sale Wed. (In Season) • Special Sales As Advertised Gary Vance (605) 967-2162 Scott Vance (605) 739-5501 Cell (605) 484-7127 3rd Generation Business P.O. Box 397 Faith, SD 57626 (605) 967-2200 [email protected] Sales can be viewed live on website: www.faithlivestock.com LEMMON LEMMON LIVESTOCK, INC. Phone 605-374-3877 or 1-800-822-8853 Box 477 Lemmon, SD 57638 Sales Every Wednesday Special Sales as Advertised Paul Huffman, Owner 605-374-5675 or 605-645-2493 Chad Hetzel, Asst. Mgr. 701-376-3748 Clint Ehret, Field Rep. 406-778-3282 or 406-772-5522 ST. ONGE St. Onge Livestock CATTLE SELL EVERY FRIDAY St. Onge, SD 605-642-2200 • 800-249-1995 Website: www.stongelivestock.com Justin Tupper Cattle Yards Mgr. SHEEP SELL EVERY THURSDAY Newell, SD 605-456-2348 • 800-409-4149 Barney Barnes, Sheep Yards Mgr. & Auctioneer FIELDMEN Ron Frame: 605-641-0229 Tim Tetrault: 605-641-0328 Ray Pepin: 605-892-5072 Dustin Vining: 605-354-9966 Jess Cline: 307-751-8143 Gilbert Wood, Fieldman & Auctioneer: 605-456-2400 AUCTIONEERS Doug Dietterle: 605-788-2963 OFFICE MANAGER Brooke Tupper: 605-642-2200 MOBRIDGE WESTERN AG REPORTER of a hay bale. A BIG bale. The authors of these articles suggest you have a calving kit ready. Not surprisingly, the contents of my calving kit are much more practical than the ones suggested by professors who write such columns. The Docs say you should have a box of plastic sleeves handy in case the calf is upside down or breech. But we all know how easy the sleeves break. Instead I suggest that you take a clean finger and gently poke the heifer or cow in the eyeball and, as if by magic, her calf will automatically right itself. Or not. Another thing they suggest is to have the proper lubricant on hand. I agree wholeheartedly, and although yours may differ, I always preferred a good shot of Crown Royal as my lubricant. You’ll probably need a flashlight by your wife’s bedside so that she won’t turn on the overhead light and wake you up unnecessarily. Better yet, buy an old camper shell, teepee, or cheap RV for the wife to stay in during the night so that she won’t wake you up every two hours and ruin your beauty sleep. Do you know what a shock it gives the system when the wife comes back to bed with frozen feet and “accidentally” jabs them into your warm, cozy body? Lest you think I’m a heartless creep, I always showed my sensitive side by leaving an alarm clock, an energy bar, and a pile of the Sudoku puzzles my wife likes to work so that she had something to do while she was waiting for a stubborn calf to enter the birth canal. Women, you are going to need appropriate clothing including heavy jacket, vest, sweater, long underwear, and hoody sweatshirt, although the price of the hoody might be cost prohibitive. But ladies, please do try to look as attractive as possible for you surely don’t want the first thing a calf sees in this world to be a scary MCA opposes “fast track” By Gary Wold MCA Director Fast Track Authority (TPA) will soon come to a vote in the Senate. If passed, it will give the Obama administration the authority to negotiate the free trade agreements TPP (Pacific Rim countries) and TTIP (European Union countries) with no legislative oversight. Passage of this legislation may also eliminate COOL. Negotiations have been taking place for over five years. Establishment Republicans, including Senator Steve Daines, are in favor of this legislation. Proponents freely admit that economic and political integration is a goal of these treaties. Just as with NAFTA and the WTO, international tribunals will have authority to overrule our state and federal courts and laws, including the U.S. Consti- tution. Republicans defend their position by saying that free trade is good, that it will open up new markets, and that our balance of trade will go down. Considering we haven’t had true free trade in well over 100 years, and considering what other “free” trade agreements have produced, their defense is more than a little disingenuous. We were told that our trade surpluses with Canada and Mexico would continue to rise if NAFTA was implemented; instead today our deficit with Canada is $78 billion and $60 billion with Mexico. The largest free trade agreement since NAFTA is an FTA (free trade agreement) with South Korea. Our trade deficit with South Korea has gone from $10 billion in 2010 to $25 billion in 2014. In a recent speech, Obama said, “These are the most progressive and greenest treaties ever.” Oddly OILFIELD PIPE SATISFACTION GUARANTEED! BEST QUALITY CLEANEST Located Across From Public Auction Yards, Billings, MT TUBING • DRILL STEM • CASING SUCKER ROD • FENCE CABLE • GUARD RAIL Phone 605-845-3622 or 1-800-658-3598 P.O Box 190 Mobridge, SD 57601 www.mobridgelivestock.com We are in the country every day and would like to visit with you about your cattle marketing needs. Jason Anderberg • 605-848-0038 Tigh Anderberg • 605-845-4877 Casey Perman • 605-848-3338 John Hoven • 605-848-3507 Tom Anderberg • 605-845-3702 Sales Every Thursday Tuesday and Thursday Fall Feeder Cattle Sales Fall Weigh-Up Sales Friday at 2 pm Special Sales as Advertised figure in an old, muddy, and moldy Carhartt jacket and a pair of sweatpants, do you? That could emotionally scar a calf for life. Now for you men... you are going to need a gun in your calving kit. Not to put an animal down, mind you, but to go hunting if things are a little slow on your shift. Rounding out the contents of your calving kit you’ll need two logging chains and a tractor; a large supply of clean rags, which can be found in the dirty clothes hamper; and some antibiotics. These aren’t for the cattle but for the wife in case she feels a little off. You do NOT want her getting sick to the point where you have to switch shifts. So good luck and remember Lee’s rules on calving: the smallest heifers will have the biggest calves; the meanest, most ornery cows will always require the most assistance; and the one time you sleep through your shift will be when all the problems occur. (406) 245-5760 Agricultural Family Owned Business DWAYNE DIETZ Commercial Advertising Representative P.O. Box 30758 Billings, MT 59107 Cell: 406-672-8500 Office: 406-259-4589 E-mail: [email protected] If you're wanting to advertise your commercial business. I'd like to help. enough, he gave this speech at the Beaverton, Oregon, headquarters of Nike. Nike, the leading manufacturer of sport shoes, is also infamous for shipping jobs to overseas sweatshops and establishing foreign tax havens. In 1964, only 4% of American footwear was imported; it is 98% today. Only 26,000 of Nike’s 1 million employees work in the U.S. According to the National Farmers Union, ag exports have slowed, and family farms have disappeared. Nationwide, nearly 180,000 small U.S. farms have gone under since NAFTA and NAFTA expansion pacts have taken effect. Jon Tester wrote, “I believe Congress has a duty to publicly debate all free trade agreements. As a result of fast track consideration in the past, Congress has been forced to vote on trade agreements without having a chance to fully debate or improve them. American workers have suffered from deals that sent American jobs overseas. In order to ensure these agreements are fair to both sides, Congress must have the ability to openly debate these deals.” MCA has sent a letter of thanks to Senator Tester encouraging him to stay firm on his position. Senator Daines and Representative Zinke have also been contacted by MCA, urging them to oppose this legislation. Please contact Tester, Daines, and Zinke expressing your opposition to Fast Track. - MCA, 5/11 Beef industry is traveling to a different drummer this year The beef industry stands alone in 2015 in its continued reduction in supplies available to consumers. The year of 2014 was a special year for the animal production industries with record high farm level prices for cattle, hogs, broilers, turkeys, milk, and eggs. For 2015, a surprisingly fast expansion of poultry, pork, and milk production will cause lower prices for those commodities. Beef stands alone in the continuation toward lower production, but prices remain uncertain. In the first four months of this year, beef production was down by 5%, with slaughter numbers down 7% but market weights up 2%. The reduction is the result of a beef cow herd that had been in decline from 2006, reaching its low point in 2014. Expansion of the beef cow herd began in the last-half of 2014, and current indications are that the expansion continues. Producers can increase cow numbers both by retaining heifers and by keeping older cows for another cycle when they normally would have gone to market. Slaughter of females so far this year indicates that producers are doing both. Heifer slaughter last year was down 8%, and so far this year, heifer slaughter remains down 7%. Beef cow slaughter in 2014 was down 18% and remains down 17% so far this year. While these producer behaviors will build the beef cow herd and eventually increase beef production, the impact for this year is to pull down beef production. Meat availability per person had fallen by about 20 pounds from 2007 to 2014, but is making a sharp comeback in 2015. Current USDA estimates are that per capita meat availability could surge by nearly nine pounds this year. Chicken and turkey lead the way with 9 Thursday, May 14, 2015 WESTERN AG REPORTER over five pounds of increase, and pork adds an impressive increase of near four pounds per person. This means that the meat industry in one year has restored about 45% of the lost meat availability from 2007 to 2014. The impacts of avian influenza will likely reduce poultry meat production in 2015, but are not included here. The recent Cattle on Feed report from USDA also shows some of the adjustments that the beef industry is making. The number of heifers in feedlots as of April 1 was down 10% from previous year levels, most likely confirming a high rate of heifer retention for herd expansion. Secondly, as a result of record high calf prices and weak live cattle futures prices, fewer lightweight calves are moving to feedlots as producers keep those calves on forage diets and background them for longer. The number of calves under 700 pounds entering feedlots in March was down 11%, but the number over 800 pounds was up 16%. In fact, 40% of all placements in March were older calves that were 800 pounds and higher. Improved pasture conditions in the Central and Southern Plains provides some of the explanation, but there were also reports of calves staying on winter wheat pasture further into the spring this year. Implications... What are the implications for cattle prices this year? First, a review of the unusual year of 2014 when finished steers averaged a record high $155 per hundredweight. The normal seasonal price pattern for finished cattle is to peak in late March or early April and then move lower into mid-to-late summer, with a rally into the end of the year. In 2014, finished steer prices began the year at $140 and pretty much Calendar winners announced moved higher throughout the year, peaking above $170 in late-November. So far this year, finished steers have averaged $161.50 compared with $146 for the same period in 2014. Live cattle futures are suggesting a return to a more normal seasonal price pattern this year. Peak finished steer prices in 2015 to-date came in early April in the mid-$160s and have declined since. The futures tone stays weak through summer with prices falling to the middle $140s by the end of summer and then rallying to the low $150s toward the end of the year. With prices so far this year and futures estimates for the remainder of the year, finished steers would average $153, a couple of dollars lower than 2014. USDA forecasters in the April 9 WASDE report have taken a much more bullish path with $163.50 at the mid-point of their annual estimated range. Also of note is that USDA analysts increased the potential range of prices as the year progresses. One reason to increase a price forecast range is because of greater uncertainty. Ultimately, prices may be somewhere between these two. Current high $150s prices could drop to the very low $150s by late summer and recover to the mid-$150s by the end of the year, with annual prices near Montana WIFE (Women Involved in Farm Economics) has announced the winners of its 29th “The Art of Farming” calendar art contest. WIFE received 508 student entries -- judging them was a challenge! Cash prizes and certificates have been awarded to first, second, and third place winners. Only 25 drawings can be used on the 2016 calendar that will be ready for distribution in October. This contest is held in conjunction with National Ag Week, and students draw about their interests in farm life. This year’s winners are as follows: Fourth Grade Kindergarten Isaiah Broesder, Ft. Benton, Taite Weltikol, Scobey, 1st Giavante Evans, Scobey, 2nd 1st Place Kacie McCormick, Wolf Tristan Fladdager, Scobey, 3rd Creek, 2nd Place Khloe Palmer, Miles City, Fifth Grade 3rd Place Ryan Dupuis, Polson, 1st Avah Eggebrecht, Polson, First Grade 2nd Sophia Stewart, Ft. Benton, Lisa Waldner, Cut Bank, 3rd 1st Timmy Pocha, Helmville, Sixth Grade 2nd Josie Tucker, Polson, 1st Zach Plant, Polson, 2nd Henry Kukowski, PlentyJayden Miller, Zurich, 3rd wood, 3rd Seventh Grade Second Grade Amariah Hier, Lambert, 1st Camilla Mandel, Conrad, 1st Renee’ Boyce, Polson, 2nd John Carney, Scobey, 2nd Kadin Graveley, Helmville, Arnie Wurz, Cut Bank, 3rd Eighth Grade 3rd Abria Boze, Scobey, 1st Third Grade Dakota Linder, Scobey, 2nd Mia Handran, Scobey, 1st Sarielle Moss, Shelby, 3rd Jodie Wurz, Conrad, 2nd Emma Lou Slivka, Winifred, 3rd last year’s $155. One thing seems certain: 2014 was an extraordinary year for the animal industries. So comparing this year’s prices to last year’s prices may bring inherent dangers. But the beef industry is the only one that will not increase production this year and therefore has a reasonable chance of seeing annual price averages near 2014 levels. The wide difference of opinions about cattle prices for the remainder of this year points out the large price risks for cattle finishers. Cattle feeders already have record amounts of money invested in the cattle in their feedlots. Even with the lowest feed prices in five years, they are vulnerable to weak live cattle prices as the futures market is currently suggesting. Feedlot managers should strive to price calves based on budgets using current futures prices and then should look to hedge those cattle with either futures or put options. If feedlot managers find themselves bidding so much for calves that they have to have a sizable rally in the live cattle futures to cover costs, they may want to re-think buying the calves in the first place. - By Chris Hurt, Department of Ag & Consumer Economics, University of Illinois, 5/4 A Cowman’s Best Friend at Calving Time! - Enables quick and safe calf catching! - Convenient, step in access of producer! - Reduces danger while working new calves! - Cuts labor, one person does the work! - Quick mount and dismount on both ATV and UTV (Side x Side) units! View Action Video at www.SafetyZoneCalfCatchers.com To Order, call 877-505-0914 TODAY! User-Friendly and Durable, Designed to Ensure Safe & Easy Calf Processing Upcoming SaleS: may Wednesday, May 20 Regular Sale Wednesday, May 27 Regular Sale JUne Wednesday, June 3 Regular Sale Serving the Big Sky Country of North Central Montana Visit us at www.westernlivestockmontana.com Don’t miss this! The annual Rosebud Ranch Horse Competition will be held at the Rosebud Fairgrounds, Forsyth, MT, on May 23. Classes include: Bridle Horse, Junior Horse, $1,000 and $2,000, Rein and Box, and a Rancher Class which does not require a reining pattern. New this year will be Team Branding. For additional information and entry forms, contact Jerry Gereghty at 406425-1411. REPRESENTATIVE SALES • May 6, 2015 • 2159 Sold Steers Alicia Bach James Edwards James Edwards Vermilion Ranch Company Vermilion Ranch Company Vermilion Ranch Company Heifers Fey Ranch LTD John McCafferty James Edwards Dana Ranch Co. Inc. T Lazy M Inc. T Lazy M Inc. Terry Rearden Cbc Grain & Cattle LLC Broken O Land & Lvstck Vermilion Ranch Company Cows Mark Hitchcock Homestead Inc. Matt Eide Oran Benzing Salmond Ranch Co Green Coulee Ranch Bart O’hara V Ranch Inc. Homestead Inc. Green Coulee Ranch Schuler Ranch, Inc. Ed Mott John Krause Gus Mundt Timothy J. Brunner Keaster Land & Livestock Ft Ben Cut Bank Cut Bank Billings Billings Billings 2 3 3 140 140 139 blk blk blk/bwf Mixed Mixed Mixed 618 678 768 878 884 900 264.50 255.00 224.00 199.00 198.50 196.50 Galata Belt Cut Bank Laredo Havre Havre Great Falls Cut Bank Augusta Billings 4 3 7 13 7 8 3 6 25 60 blk blk blk blk blk blk/bwf blk blk blk blk 485 525 565 601 691 736 762 875 843 890 267.00 262.00 260.00 254.00 217.00 209.00 204.50 185.50 184.00 183.50 Dupuyer Chester Whitlash Cascade Choteau Sunburst Fort Benton Valier Chester Sunburst Dutton Simms Augusta Belt Power Belt 1 1 3 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 blk blk blk blk blk blk Red blk blk blk/bwf blk blk blk blk blk blk 1,105 1,130 1,142 1,165 1,023 1,215 1,175 1,090 1,228 1,160 1,420 1,340 1,395 1,390 1,520 1,660 141.00 136.00 135.00 132.00 131.00 128.00 127.00 125.00 121.00 121.00 119.50 119.50 119.50 119.50 119.00 119.00 Chris Boyce Grant Harrer J T Weisner Gary Reddish Hartsell Ranch Inc Walter And Sons, Inc. Keaster Land & Livestock, Jon Hepfner Bulls Robert Wellman Triangle Cattle Co LLC Dean Jacobs Scott Bye Robert Wellman Triangle Cattle Co LLC Grant Harrer Phil Wirth Daniel Dezort Curt Stene Rodney Perry Kingsbury Colony HeiFerettes Stoltz Ranch Green Coulee Ranch Mark Hitchcock Jim Fritz Homestead Inc. Harold Baker Jon Janice Wood Woodburn Inc Heifers Calves Metzger Land And Lvstck Dana Ranch Co. Inc. James Edwards Peggy Johnson Big Sandy Great Falls Augusta Belt Valier Great Falls Belt Belt 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 blk blk blk blk blk blk blk blk 1,170 1,525 1,315 1,518 1,270 1,138 1,295 1,455 119.00 118.50 118.00 117.00 116.00 115.50 115.50 115.50 Valier Carter Stockett Kevin Valier Carter Great Falls Wolf Creek Cut Bank Kevin Cut Bank Valier 1 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 char blk blk blk char blk blk blk blk blk blk blk 2,455 1,898 2,050 1,785 1,890 2,080 2,085 2,180 1,860 2,040 2,085 2,030 155.00 151.00 150.00 148.50 148.50 148.00 147.50 146.00 145.00 144.50 143.50 143.50 Valier Sunburst Dupuyer Chester Chester Choteau Galata Geraldine 2 2 2 1 1 2 3 2 blk blk/bwf blk Red blk blk blk blk 903 893 970 1,060 1,005 1,078 1,140 1,108 187.50 183.50 171.00 167.00 163.00 162.00 161.00 160.00 Havre Laredo Cut Bank Fort Shaw 10 8 4 8 blk/bwf blk blk blk 594 600 500 551 258.00 251.00 246.00 235.00 Listen to Market Reports Monday thru Friday on: John Goggins, Field Editor Montana, Northern Wyoming & Alberta, Canada P.O. Box 30758 Billings, MT 59107 Cell (406) 698-4159 Office (406) 259-4589 E-mail: [email protected] If you're looking for herd bulls, replacements, registered or commercial females, I've been making the rounds in my territory. I'd like to help. KMON-AM 560 KSEN-AM 1150 Great Falls Shelby 8:35 a.m. 6:30 a.m. KOJM-AM 610 KPQX-FM 92.5 Havre Havre Your Golden Triangle Northern Livestock Video Auction Representative. 406 Vaughn S. Frontage Rd. • Great Falls, MT 59404 (406) 727-5400 6:40 a.m. 6:35 a.m. Wednesday, June 10 Regular Sale Wednesday, June 17 Regular Sale JUly Wednesday, July 1 NO SALE Happy 4th of July!!! Regular Sale Every Wednesday Call the Crew at Western To Consign Peggy Johnson Steer Calves J. C. Wiegand James Edwards Steve Young Dana Ranch Co. Inc. Jim Judisch Cow/Calf Pairs Mark DeBryucker Mark DeBryucker Mark DeBryucker Schuler Ranch, Inc. Nw Lvstck Cattle Co LLC Eddie Altenburg Mark DeBryucker Nw Lvstck Cattle Co LLC Mark DeBryucker Mark DeBryucker Fort Shaw 24 blk 642 221.00 Sun River Cut Bank Power Laredo Ledger 2 14 5 3 6 blk/red blk Mixed Mixed blk 505 556 566 607 622 292.50 291.00 282.00 267.50 267.00 Bynum Bynum Bynum Dutton Fairfield Cut Bank Bynum Fairfield Bynum Bynum 30 28 37 12 22 8 13 11 26 22 blk blk blk blk blk blk red blk blk blk 1,543 1,507 394 1,642 1,287 1,401 1,731 1,493 1,587 1,549 3,575.00 3,400.00 3,200.00 3,000.00 2,675.00 2,575.00 2,550.00 2,500.00 2,475.00 2,350.00 View Western Livestock On www.cattleusa.com General Manager: Lynn Perry • Cell (406) 788-5400 Yard Manager & Fieldman: Ryan Perry • Cell (406) 788-9869 Office Manager: Sarah McCafferty Yard Foreman & Fieldman: Tim Brunner • Cell (406) 788-5403 Auctioneer: Casey Weaver • Cell (406) 544-0386 Email: [email protected] Website: westernlivestockmontana.com [email protected] Regular Cattle Sales Every Wednesday • Special Feeder Sales Saturdays In Season 10 Thursday, May 14, 2015 WESTERN AG REPORTER Agri-News 4 Kids Hey, kids, Banjo is a three-legged ranch dog. He lives on a big ranch in Montana with his two-legged family (Hannah & Tate) and his four-legged friends (Rascal, the pesky raccoon; Mrs. McBauck, queen of the hen house; Cowsuela, head mother cow; & Horse Chief Ben, boss of the cavvy). This page is for you kids out there in the rural countryside. Why not send us a picture of yourself doing something fun? Write to Agri-News 4 Kids, PO Box 30755, Billings MT 59107. Surprise! “Grrrr...” growled Tuff as he played. “Let go, boy,” said Tate. “C’mon, drop it.” Tate didn’t want to get too close for fear he’d get drenched. It was a warm spring day, but not warm enough to be soaked from head to toe by the hose. Tuff tugged and ran back and forth with the water hose. It spewed water from the sprinkler and flopped against him as the water pressure pushed through the end, but he was having a ball. Banjo stood next to Tate while he continued to coerce Tuff to let go. Tate charged Tuff. “I’m going to get you!” he yelled. Tate only got a little sprinkled on as he ran towards Tuff. The pup dropped the hose and started running with his tail tucked between his legs, not as though he was in real trouble, just the playful run of a puppy being chased. Tate launched himself onto Tuff. The pup rolled into a lump of wrestling, giggling fun. Tuff licked Tate across his face, and Tate pinned Tuff on his back. He rubbed Tuff’s belly until one of his legs started shaking. Banjo smiled. He loved to watch them play. “Banjo!” called Pudge. He turned quickly. “What is it?” he asked. Pudge was bounding towards him with leaping strides. “What’s gotten into you?” he said as he looked at her. She was covered in muck and tiny feathers. His tone sounded concerned, especially as she panted from running, and because of her appearance. Pudge was normally groomed with the finest clean and shiny coat a cat could have, but not right now. “I can’t get to her,” she said. “Get to who?” asked Banjo. “Osage,” said Pudge. “She’s stuck, I just know it, and she can’t get out.” Banjo thought for a moment. “Osage is a pretty smart duck,” said Banjo slowly. “No, she’s not moving, and I just know something’s wrong. I bet Rascal got to her, and she hurt and stuck and...” “Slow down,” said Banjo, trying to calm her. “Show me where she is, and we’ll go from there.” Pudge wasted no time turning to race towards the corral. Banjo followed, although not with quite as much urgency as Pudge. The black and tan little cat knelt down and tried to angle her head under the big wooden feeder. It was too big, but she could close one eye and spot Osage’s feathers. Banjo stood behind her. “Is she under there?” asked Banjo. “Yes, but something is seriously not right. You have to believe me. I just know it. Look at all the feathers everywhere. You can barely see her, because there’s so many scattered around her,” she said. Banjo knelt down. “Osage,” he whispered. There was no movement. Banjo sighed. He was now feeling concerned, too. “Osage,” he whispered again. “Peep,” she squeaked softly. “Whew,” said Banjo under his breath. “Are you hurt?” he whispered to her. Her white and black head popped above the fluff of feathers she was nestled in. “Peep! No, I’m fine,” she said strongly. “Peep, peep,” came other soft voices. “Peep, peep, peep.” Three more tiny duck heads lifted from Osage’s soft fluffy feathers. Banjo smiled and lifted himself up. “Pudge,” he whispered softly. “There was something definitely going on. Come over and take a look.” Pudge knelt again. She looked, gasped, and jumped to her paws. “Ducklings!” she exclaimed. “Baby ducks!” Banjo and Pudge knelt down and peeked under the feeder once more. “Peep,” said Osage softly. “No wonder you were so quiet and still,” said Pudge. Osage nodded. “They only hatched a little while ago,” she said. “I have to keep them as warm as possible, so I can’t leave or stir too much right now. That’s how we ducks do this duckling business.” She smiled and looked down at her little ducklings as they rooted themselves back under her warm feathers. “Good job, Osage,” said Banjo. “Awww,” said Pudge. “Baby ducks on the ranch and new friends for the spring... yay!” AGRI-KID of the Week According to grandmother Luanne Wallewein, this is her four-year-old granddaughter Sara bonding with a lamb. Fun! Heads up, Nevada! On May 8, House Committee on Natural Resources chairman Rob Bishop released the following statement after a draft revealed the Obama administration’s plans to unilaterally designate 700,000 acres in southern Nevada as a national monument, without Congressional or public input” “The President has been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Several years ago, the Obama administration was caught with a secret plan to create monuments. When outed, they denied they were going to do it. Now apparently, they are doing it. Sneaking around in the dark without any public input is a lousy practice and not the way representative government is supposed to work. If it is good for the country and the land, do it in the light of day through the Congressional process with public input. “As incoming Chairman of the Committee on Natural Resources, I have reached out to this administration to work collaboratively on issues. This type of behavior is purely insulting to Congress and the people we represent. I expected better from this administration. I call on this administration to quit sneaking around under the cover of darkness and do it the right way. “Furthermore, this restrictive designation could pose serious implications for our nation’s military, as the land affected is one of the most heavily used military operating areas in the country. Americans, and our national security, have once again come second to the radical agenda of national special interest groups. This underscores the need for Congress to put a check on this executive abuse. This will be pursued.” Don’t miss this! Get your boots on for Montana agriculture! Save the date of May 19! It’s the Montana Agri-Women’s second annual fundraiser - with an emphasis on FUN! Mark your calendars for May 19 at the Billings Depot, Billings, MT, for a great night of fun and entertainment. Questions? Call 406-281-0594 or check out the website www.mtagriwomen.net WESTERN AG REPORTER 11 Thursday, May 14, 2015 Here’s the branding crew, lined up and waiting for action! These one-year-old cousins hail from Inverness, Great Falls, and Power, Montana, and their names are, L to R, Waylon Phillips, Brun Wichman, and Quayd Perry! Thanks to John Goggins for capturing this swell photo! Yup... I’m still on the road! I spent some time with my daughter in New York, but not quite as much as I wanted to as Zack called last Tuesday and reported that the transmission in their traveling van was going out and that they couldn’t pull their trailer so off I went to West Virginia to “rescue” them by hooking onto their trailer and getting them to the remaining shows on their tour schedule. Wow, what a schedule! From West Virginia, we went to shows in Tennessee; North Carolina; Dayton, Ohio; Omaha, Nebraska; Des Moines, Iowa; and two days in Minnesota. Let me put it this way... as of Mother’s Day, I have put on over 5,000 miles and driven nearly 100 hours in my pickup since I left home! Keep in mind that I am not home yet. I will have to bail on the band the last couple of shows in Indiana and Michigan as I must get home and dive into the A.I. season. I just pray that the transmission in the van might make it at least the last couple of tour dates! Last week I was able to drive through a lot of country that I have never seen. When it was light, I was able to see tractors in every direction in many states that were planting corn. I made a note to myself to check the corn planting progress over last weekend, fully expecting that the reports would show quite a lot of corn got planted last week. I was right. The estimates as of last weekend were that 55% of the corn is now planted, up a whopping 19% from last week, and 30% as compared to a year ago. Keep in mind the five-year average is 38%, so yeah, things are moving along nicely in the planting department! Of the leading corn-producing states, Iowa is at 68%, Illinois 69%, Minnesota 83%, and Nebraska 57%. Believe it or not, I actually drove through all of these states in the past week or so! No wonder I saw so many tractors going all out in the planting process! States that are lagging are Ohio 21% and Indiana 15%, and now that I think about it, I certainly did not see as much activity in these states. The first estimates of pasture and range conditions were also released this week by USDA with 53% of pastures rated good to excellent (39% last year) and 13% rated poor to very poor (22% last year). This shows that a pretty good area of the country is in really good shape right now. I guess we all know that not all areas are quite as good, but like I said a couple of weeks ago, it is only May, and we certainly have time for some of the drier areas to receive some much needed moisture. I see where it even snowed quite a bit in some areas while I have been gone! Who would have thought... it was 91 degrees in North Carolina when I was there the other day! Cattle prices through the stockyards around the country have been showing some pretty good strength as well the last couple of weeks. USDA has been quoting the markets 3 to 6 higher with most of the cattle weighing 800-1,050 pounds and also reported 170 head of replacement heifers weighing 825 pounds for a little over $214. Not too bad! In closing for this week, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of you Moms out there a belated Happy Mother’s Day! I don’t care what you say: Moms are the ones that are the glue that keep EVERY operation going - no matter what the operation is! Sorry I’m so late in wishing all of you this... I will do better next year! In S to c k N ow ! Pioneer 500 2124 Goodman Rd. • Billings, MT • South of I-90 off the Zoo Drive Exit 406.248.8261 • 1.800.380.5628 Hours: Tues Fri 9-6, Sat 8-5, Closed Sun and Mon www.montanahondaandmarine.com honda.com Pioneer® is only for drivers 16 years and older. Multi-purpose utility vehicles can be hazardous to operate. For your safety, be responsible. Always wear a helmet, eye protection and appropriate clothing. Always wear your seat belt, and keep the side nets and doors closed. Avoid excessive speeds and be careful on difficult terrain. All muv drivers should watch the safety video “multipurpose utility vehicles: a guide to safe operation” and read the owner’s manual before operating the vehicle. Never drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol, on public roads or with more than one passenger. Driver and passenger must be tall enough for seat belt to fit properly and to brace themselves with both feet firmly on the floor. Passenger must be able to grasp the hand hold with the seat belt on and both feet on the floor. Respect the environment when driving. Pioneer®is a trademark of honda motor co., ltd. (03/15) PAYS Hog, Sheep & Goat Sale May 18, 2015 FEATURING: First Spring Lamb Special of the Season! 2015 Summer Schedule June 15 July 13 July 27 August 10 August 17 August 31 Don’t miss this! You are cordially invited to attend the Eighth Annual Stetsons & Stilettos Ball hosted by the NILE Foundation on Friday, May 29 at the Northern Hotel in Billings, Montana. This function is a benefit for NILE youth programs and scholarships; there will be an outstanding selection of live and silent auction items. A four-course steak dinner will be followed by dancing to the Copper Mountain Band. Limited seating. Price increase after May 11. Questions? Call 0406-56-2495. Pioneer 700 ALL sheep and goats consigned for sale at PAYS require Scrapie tags. Call Us Toll Free To Discuss Your Livestock Marketing Needs. 1-800-821-6447 406/245-6447 • P.O. Box 1781 Billings, MT 59103 • www.cattleplus.com 12 Thursday, May 14, 2015 COOKING by Susan Metcalf Peace Corps in Paraguay. Through the miracle of modern technology, we are able to participate vicariously in some of his adventures through his blogs. Susan shared a mother/ son text with him that was priceless: Mom: “Have you seen any snakes?” Chance: “Yup.” Mom: “Poisonous ones?” Chance: “I don’t know. They don’t wear a sign around their necks.” What we now take for granted... I have always dreamed of seeing the world, but my idea of traveling is more of a cruise ship than a donkey trek through the Andes. We went to Jamaica in 1982, and even though we stayed in a five-star hotel in Montego Bay, we felt that venturing out into the countryside was high adventure. One of my lifelong friends, Susan Mergenthal Wilcox, who lives in Anchorage, Alaska, has a son in the Recently while reading one of Chance’s blogs, it occurred to me that our lives are so easy and pre-packaged that we often take things like our next protein for granted. The rest of the world is not so lucky! In fact, it has been close to 20 years since I have butchered a chicken or even cut up a whole chicken I bought from the store. My thanks to Chance for sharing this story with the disclaimer that the views expressed are his and not the Peace Corps’. Murder for Sustenance: A Peace Corps Volunteer’s Guide to Death and Nutrition (Posted on May 6, 2015, by Chance Wilcox volunteering in Paraguay) Today I’m sitting on Ruby’s patio. I’m watching traffic on the Ruta head toward Ciudad del Este, listening to the roar of motos speeding through her neighborhood on their way back from work. Ruby lives in a barrio of Yguazu, a large town in Alto Paraná originally settled by Japanese 1125 Broadwater Ave • Billings, MT immigrants. It’s such an amazingly diverse site: she can Wednesday, May 20 buy imported Japanese products from her cooperative groBands cery store, she drinks Brazilian-style mate with Brazilian señoras, and she even has a cheese factory run by a Swiss Hours man, who makes the best Gruyere that may or may not be coming home with me. KGHL-Country Music Hall of Famer It amazes me how different our sites are, how much more Lonnie Bell to emcee access she has to things, the different projects she does in 5 Great Country Bands site, compared to my campo lifestyle and projects, even Frank & Phyllis • Sweet Briar • Smoke Creek though we’re both Environmental Conservation volunteers who came in at the same time. Ruby does mainly school Cimarron • Crow Country work, teaching English, creating and maintaining a school Free Snacks • No Host Bar • Food Plates Available garden, and teaching about the importance of waste manThis Event is being sponsored as a fundraiser for the agement and recycling. I do agricultural-focused projects: Al Bedoo Shrine Provost Guard. soil conservation, organic gardening, and reforestation For information please call efforts by means of agroforestry. Same G, same sector, same country, same training, only 100 miles apart, entirely different services. Pretty crazy. Sponsored by: Fly In Lube & Wash • Metra RV Center Last weekend, Chara and I had a few of our friends come down to see our crazy campo lifestyle. Hannah, Ruby, Note: This Dance will be recorded as a pilot for video streaming to Branson Missouri Networks! Alyssa, Donovan, and Mya came down (accompanied by Luna, Mya’s spoiled wiener dog). They took the threehour bumpy bus ride from Encarnación, and we all piled into my tiny one-room shack. Due to my lack of access to food products, or really anything, we had the bright idea to ask my family for a chicken to kill to make Only at your local Valley Irrigation Water management tacos (I pre-bought everyis too thing else). Easy. Here’s a important to entrust to anyone other than Valley. chicken. You all know how to kill it, right? Yeah sure, we do... you just snap the neck. Alyssa tried first. Chicken valleyirrigation.com played dead, let its neck go limp, then flipped out, and rose from the dead when she let go. Chara next. Nothing. Live chicken. Alyssa again. Still alive, but more irritated. Chara again. Now we just had an aggravated hen whose puny coop-dominated life was flashing before its eyes. So the last ditch effort was to put its head under a broom on the ground and yank. Hey, it worked! Now we had a dead, delicious, spicy taco chicken, whose foot is The Al Bedoo Shrine Provost Guard presents Shrine Auditorium Dance 5 $ 5 259-4384 PROOF YOU KNOW WHAT YOU‘RE DOING. Your choice of Valley® says it all. You know what it takes to be successful. Water management is too important to entrust to anyone other than Valley. Our commitment to unmatched performance and technology leadership keeps operations like yours thriving. MONTANA VALLEY IRRIGATION BILLINGS 406-248-4418 GREAT FALLS 406-761-8195 WESTERN AG REPORTER still hanging from my patio roof as a testament to the fact that Peace Corps volunteers love murder for sustenance. Night 2: Chara’s house. Hey, let’s kill a duck tonight! Easy. Here’s a duck. You know how to kill it, right? Sure, it’s just like a chicken! Donovan first. Something ripped. Still not dead. Try again. Definitely a sound. Still not dead, more aggravated than the chicken ever was. Try again. More ripping sounds. Not dead. Chara’s turn. Let’s just kill it like the chicken. Get out the broom! Try again. RIIIIP. Blood. Head in one hand. Body in the other. Chara freaking out. Hannah and I somehow end up five steps backward. Donovan calming down Chara. Duck flapping its wings and convulsing as its stubby neck wiggles around. Ruby and Mya yelling because we’re yelling, and everything sinks into chaos. Mmmm ... roast duck. The duck foot still hangs from Chara’s patio roof as a testament that sometimes things go wrong. And bloody. But today I’m sitting on Ruby’s patio. We had a birthday party for Donovan in his site in Caaguazú. (We refrained from ripping the head off of anything for this dinner.) I’m headed back towards my site. May looks good on the horizon, but you never know. Things sometimes go pretty wrong. Assuming that you don’t have to go out and procure your own free-range chicken before dinner, here are some of my all-time favorite chicken recipes to try out! Thanks to Jan Counter of Big Timber, Montana, for giving me the best poppy seed chicken recipe ever! Jan’s Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole boil, bone, and cube one chicken Combine: 1 can cream of mushroom soup 1 pt. sour cream Combine in another bowl: 1 stick melted butter 2 t. poppy seeds 1 stack crushed Ritz crackers Layer chicken, then soup, and then crackers. Repeat layers ending with crackers. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. This recipe works well in a Dutch oven! Mexican Chicken Casserole 6 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained 1 can whole kernel corn, drained 1 large can diced tomatoes with chilies 1 family size can cream of mushroom soup 1 C. sour cream 1 small can sliced black olives 1 bag of Chili Cheese Fritos (do NOT substitute regular Fritos) In a 9 x 13 pan, place all of the very slightly crushed Fritos. Mix all of the other ingredients and pour on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until bubbling nicely. Top with 1 C. finely grated cheese of your choice, and return to the oven for 5 minutes. Serve garnished with sour cream, guacamole, and chopped green onions. (This recipe also works well with 2 lbs. browned ground beef instead of cooked chicken.) Curried Chicken Breasts 6 chicken breasts 1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted 8 oz. sour cream 1/2 C. milk 1 stick butter 6 slices Swiss (or your favorite) cheese 1/4 t. curry powder 2 C. seasoned stuffing mix Place chicken breasts in bottom of buttered baking dish. Top with cheese. Mix soup, sour cream, milk, and curry. Pour over chicken and cheese. Melt butter and mix with stuffing mix. Sprinkle on top. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until the chicken tests done. WESTERNAGREPORTER.COM Alan Sears, Field Editor Nebraska, Colorado, and Wyoming 61 Westward Way Eaton, CO 80615 (970) 454-3986 Home/Office (970) 396-7521 CO Cell (308) 660-3866 NE Cell E-mail: [email protected] If you're looking for herd bulls, replacements, registered or commercial females, I've been making the rounds in my territory. I'd like to help. WESTERN AG REPORTER Forest Service Chief predicts “above normal” wildland fire potential in much of the West U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell presented the Forest Service forecast on the upcoming 2015 fire season in testimony May 5 before the Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources. Forest Service researchers expect 2015 to continue the trend of above average fire activity. “Above normal wildland fire potential exists across the north-central United States, and above normal wildland fire potential will threaten many parts of the West this summer,” said Chief Tidwell. “We anticipate another active fire year, underscoring the need to reform our wildfire funding.” The forecast indicates there is a 90% chance that this year’s Forest Service fire suppression costs will be between $794 million and $1.657 billion, with a median estimate of $1.225 billion, potentially forcing the diversion of funding from other vital programs to support suppression operations. Any costs above the median is greater than the “10-year average” and would force the Forest Service to leverage funding from other land management programs. Diverting funds to cover the cost of wildfire suppression affects other critical Forest Service programs and services, said Tidwell, including efforts to reduce wildfire risk through mechanical thinning, prescribed fires, and other means. Wildfire suppression costs have increased as fire seasons have grown longer and the frequency, size, and severity of wildfires has increased due to changing climatic conditions, drought, hazardous fuel buildups, insect and disease infestations, non-native invasive species, and other factors. Funding has not kept pace with the cost of fighting fire. Over the last 10 years, adjusting for inflation, the Forest Service has spent an average of almost $1.13 billion on suppression operations annually. The President’s Fiscal Year 2016 budget includes a proposal to reform the way that wildfire suppression is funded. Aligned with the Wildfire Disaster Funding Act, these reforms are necessary to ensure the Forest Service continues to deliver the full scope of its mission. Chief Tidwell said the Forest Service has the capability and responsibility to protect life, property, and natural resources. The responsibility to respond to wildfire is not isolated to the Forest Service. It works extensively with partners within the Department of Interior (DOI) as well as state, tribal, and local firefighting organizations to support wildland fire management operations. These cooperators are essential to ensuring that every wildfire receives an appropriate, risk informed, and effective response regardless of the jurisdiction. Within the Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 appropriation for Wildland Fire Management, the Forest Service will be able to mobilize approximately 10,000 firefighters for the upcoming fire season, as well as up to 21 air tankers available for operations on exclusive use contracts, additional air tankers available through “Call When Needed” contracts, and the capability to mobilize cooperator air tankers, if available, through agreements with Alaska and Canada. In coordination with the military, there are also eight Mobile Airborne Firefighting System-capable C-130s available to meet surge requirements, as well as an extensive fleet of more than 100 helicopters available to support operations. The Forest Service has worked collaboratively with its partners to develop the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy, of which fuel treatment is an essential component. In 2015, $32 million of the Hazardous Fuels appropriation was allocated to 50 projects in areas with a likelihood of high intensity fire within populated areas or near important watersheds for municipal water supply. The Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program also assists in the agency’s work with partners to conduct hazardous fuel treatments and ecosystem restoration that encourages economic and social sustainability, leverages local resources with national and private resources, reduces wildfire management costs, and addresses the utilization of forest restoration byproducts to offset treatment costs and benefit local economies. The mission of the Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world. - USFS, 5/5 Nationwide Influence… …Regional Saturation Western Ag Reporter is known, read, and referred to by livestock and agricultural people all over the U.S. Without a doubt, its heaviest and greatest impact is in the Northwest, but if you want to reach out to top notch and progressive beef and livestock industry people all over the country, use the advertising power and prestige of Western Ag Reporter– We’ve got your back! 13 Thursday, May 14, 2015 New ND scholarship available The Tokach Angus Ranch Memorial Scholarship will be added to the North Dakota Stockmen’s Foundation’s scholarship offerings in 2015. The family of former North Dakota Stockmen’s Association (NDSA) President Dick Tokach of Mandan, ND, who died in November 2014, established the endowment scholarship to honor the industry and civic contributions of Dick, who was an Angus breeder, state legislator, and Morton County Commissioner, as well as his surviving wife Theresa, and to support young North Dakotans pursuing beef-related careers. To be eligible for the schol- arship, students must be residents of North Dakota; have a grade-point average of at least 3.0; be enrolled or plan to be enrolled in an institution of higher education in animal science, range science, pre-veterinary medicine, agribusiness, ag communication, farm and ranch management, or another beef-related discipline; have an interest in the state’s beef cattle industry; be an NDSA member or the child of an NDSA member; and submit the required application form, essay, and references. Preference will be given to students who have completed their bachelor degree and are pursuing a graduate education or professional school (such as veterinary or law school). “We are grateful to the Tokach family for making available a new opportunity for youth to advance their education and prepare for a career in the beef industry,” said Towner, ND, cattleman Jason Zahn, president of the North Dakota Stockmen’s Foundation. “We are excited to add the Tokach Angus Ranch Memorial Scholarship to the offering and that it expands eligibility to those who are pursuing advanced education as well.” Application forms and additional information are available under the “ND Stockmen’s Foundation” tab at www.ndstockmen.org Applications will be accepted until June 15. The inaugural scholarship will be presented during the Foundation Luncheon during the NDSA annual convention and trade show on September 26 at the Ramada in Bismarck, ND. Established in 2008, the North Dakota Stockmen’s Foundation supports beefrelated scholarship, leadership, promotion, research, and building objectives. This year, it will be issuing eight scholarships to young people. 14 Thursday, May 14, 2015 Don’t miss this! Montana Agri-Women (MAW) is having its annual fundraiser at the Billings Depot on May 19 from 6-9 p.m. MAW has spent the last 19 years promoting a positive perception of agriculture, and the money raised will further that cause. Last year was the inaugural year of this fundraiser, and it proved to be a huge success. MAW’s goal is to surpass the money raised at last year’s event. Both the silent auction and live auction have expanded. The silent auction has something for everyone, and the live auction includes a guided fishing trip and a package to attend a sculpting school taught by nationally-renowned western artists Jeff Wolf and Bob Burkhart. The fundraiser’s proceeds go towards ag awareness throughout the state through community and school outreach, ag public service announcements, and sponsorships to other ag groups or events. This includes an entire youth educational barn at Montana Fair and speaking to high school students about agriculture and ag employment opportunities. Guests will enjoy the High Country Cowboys as they play throughout the night, giving the attendees ample opportunity to mingle and find a perfect item to take home. The High Country Cowboys hail from Red Lodge, and the three talented brothers have quickly made a name for themselves throughout the region for their musicianship and their smooth sound. MAW’s mission is to support agriculture in all facets. With that in mind, they have elected to have free keg beer at the event since grain is a major ag export of Montana. Also Billings’ own Wine Market & Deli will be catering with “heavy” hors d’ouerves -- no one will leave hungry! Don’t miss this! Non-Lethal Predator Damage Management Workshop The USDA-Wildlife Services program -- in collaboration with Montana State University Extension-Lake County and the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes -- are hosting a one-day, non-lethal predator damage management workshop on Thursday, May 21, at the KwaTaqNuk Lodge on Flathead Lake in Polson, Montana. The goal of the workshop is to provide information to the public on the science behind non-lethal predator damage management methods and the practical applications of these methods as a part of a comprehensive damage management plan for protecting livestock and other property. Presentations from wildlife researchers, natural resource managers, landowners, and other experts will discuss the importance of the non-lethal component of managing predator damage as it relates to resource owners proactively managing predation and will include the following topics: - Development of non-lethal tools for predator management - Update on current wolf and grizzly bear populations and activities in NW Montana - Montana Livestock Loss Board Programs including grants and reimbursements - Carcass management - Electric fence incentive/ cost share program - Mountain lion population trends, issues, and non-lethal methods for managing - Strategic grazing management for co-existence with large carnivores - Predator management by the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes Reservation The workshop is free and open to the public. No registration required. Questions? Contact John Steuber, Wildlife Service’s Montana State Director, at 406-657-6464. ® CONTROL HORN FLIES WITH KAY DEE’S ALTOSID® IGR PRODUCTS! • Altosid® IGR provides effective fly control • Complete & balanced nutrition with true chelates • Only costs $5 per cow/calf pair for the season WESTERN AG REPORTER MT Supreme Court rules on ag land reappraisal lawsuit The Montana Farm Bureau Federation (MFBF) and the Montana Taxpayers Association (Montax) are extremely disappointed with a recent Montana Supreme Court decision. This case stems from changes that the MT Department of Revenue made at the beginning of the last reappraisal cycle to the methodology for phasing in increases in ag values across the state. The Court acknowledged errors by the Department, but chose to require individual taxpayers to challenge those actions on their own, rather than as a group. According to MFBF Executive Vice President John Youngberg, “The Court’s decision fails to hold the Department of Revenue accountable for its failure to adopt proper rules and allows to stand the Department’s denial of the legislatively-mandated property tax mitigation to the vast majority of ag producers in Montana.” Montax President Robert Story said, “This case serves to illustrate the challenges created by Montana’s past lengthy reappraisal cycles and reinforces the value of the two-year cycle Montax and MFBF supported through this most recent legislative session. We look forward to the new system that eliminates the ability of the Department to erroneously push values based on factors other than value.” MFBF, Montax, and their counsel are considering options for assisting the ag producers who still have open appeals pending with tax appeal boards in the state. - MFBF, 4/29 WESTERNAGREPORTER.COM MSGA seeks applications for 2015 Environmental Stewardship Award Do you know a Montana rancher who is a leader in stewardship and sustainability and in implementing conservation practices to ensure the social, economic, and environmental sustainability of his/her operation? If so, encourage them to apply for the Montana Environmental Stewardship Award, presented by the Montana Stockgrowers Association (MSGA). Applications for the 2015 award are due June 30. Each year, MSGA honors Montana ranches that exemplify environmental stewardship and demonstrate commitment toward improved sustainability within their communities. This award recognizes Montana ranchers who are at the forefront in conservation and stewardship and are willing to serve as examples for other ranchers. “Montana ranchers are leaders in this country when it comes to being stewards of our environment and conserving the natural resources that help make Montana such a great state to live in,” said Gene Curry, MSGA President and rancher from Valier. “We are asking the community to get involved in helping us identify ranches that really go above and beyond when it comes to environmental stewardship and conservation in their local areas.” Last year’s recipient of the ESAP recognition was the American Fork Ranch, a commercial cow-calf operation in Wheatland and Sweet Grass counties. The American Fork is owned by the Stevens family and is managed by Jed and Annie Evjene, long-time active members of MSGA. Over the past 17 years, the Stevens and Evjene families have focused on establishing relationships among all key aspects of the ranch: rangeland, water, crop production, cattle herd, wildlife, cottonwood forests, employees, family, community, and the beef industry to integrate a model of sustainability. These cooperative efforts have led to relationships and projects in coordination with professionals from numerous universities, state and federal agencies, area and state Stockgrower organizations, and several youth programs. Today, the American Fork Ranch is home to a diverse population of plant species and managed wildlife populations. Intensive record keeping, over a decade of range monitoring, water development projects, and weed management have led to pasture conditions that promote diverse plant species and thick stands of stockpiled forage for year-round grazing. A heavy focus on riparian area management has allowed for recovery of plant species, Cottonwood forest regrowth, improved water quality, and enhanced wildlife habitat, even in the presence of livestock grazing. Ranches wishing to apply for the 2015 ESAP award and recognition are asked to complete an application packet (available at mtbeef. org), due to MSGA by June 30. Nominations can be submitted by contacting the MSGA office. Ranches must be a member of the Montana Stockgrowers Association to qualify for the award. The ranch chosen for the award will be announced at MSGA’s annual convention and trade show in Billings from December 3-5 at the MetraPark in Billings. The Montana ESAP winner will then prepare its application for the regional and national award competition, which is typically due in early March of the following year. Since 1992, MSGA has honored 22 state winners, 10 of whom went on to win the regional award and 2 that were named national award winners. To learn more, visit mtbeef.org or contact Ryan Goodman by email at ryan@ mtbeef.org or by phone at 406-442-3420. Order Your Copy Today!!!!! Pat Goggins Biography “As I Saw It” Kay Dee’s Granular Mineral Conventional Mineral 500 pages contained in a beautiful hard cover edition with hundreds of photos chronicling the agricultural industry and personal family history of Patrick K. Goggins. $50 postpaid Your Mineral & Protein Experts www.kaydeefeed.com • 800-831-4815 Domestic orders only. International orders, call for postage. Make checks payable to Western Ag Reporter Mail to: Book Order, Western Ag Reporter, PO Box 30758, Billings, MT 59107 I’d Rather Be Lucky Than Smart by Barry Naugle Figs, pigs, and a bear... Rocks Springs, Wyoming, back in the old days, was a small city serving as a supply depot for cattle and sheep men. However, coal mining to supply the Union Pacific Railroad’s steam engines was the main industry. It was here that the stockmen bought large quantities of food, a great deal of it preserved. Besides the ubiquitous canned goods of every sort, there were 8” x 10” x 12” wooden boxes of dried fruit. There were boxes of apples, figs, apricots, and prunes (pitch black and sticky), and no doubt some fruits that I have forgotten. The warehouses were piled high with these supplies, and those fruits stayed preserved for years as they were wrapped in heavy wax paper inside the boxes. The sheep raising business was, at this time, going into a decline. Also, the methods of supplying sheep camps were changing. World War II surplus vehicles with four-wheel drives were replacing the horse and wagons. Livestock raisers were feeding their crews more available fresh produce. As a result of these changes, the supply warehouses had a large backlog of unsold supplies that were eventually condemned. I was working for the 2-U Ranch as a dude wrangler and horse breaker at this time. My boss, Sid Reynolds, saw an opportunity. His brother-inlaw told him of the available condemned boxes of fruit and that he could have all he wanted --free. Sid hopped in his one-ton truck with high horse racks on the sides and cruised the 130 miles to Rock Springs, fully loaded his vehicle with condemned fruit, and lumbered back to the ranch. Brother Tom and I unloaded the truck into the 2-U’s own little storehouse. I must clarify a statement. I called my brother Tom “Brother Tom.” I do not mean to imply that he was a member of some religious order. Au contraire! Nor had he been defrocked, though he may have hung his frock on someone’s bedpost from time to time. Sid’s next venture was to go to Lander, Wyoming, to the livestock sales yard where he purchased two weaned piglets. His instructions to Tom and I were to haul a 50-gallon barrel down to some pens behind the bunkhouse. We were to fill the barrel partially with water from Dead Horse Creek that bubbled merrily through the pen. Then, as directed, we dumped several boxes of assorted dried fruit into the barrel for the piggies. There seemed to be more dried figs than other fruits. YUM. We also made the pen pigtight. One of our children used to say, when something extra good to eat, “That was goodliscious!” That swill must have been goodliscious because those little porkers really ate it up. The piglets grew and grew. Tom or I fed them twice a day, and the piggies squealed with anticipation and delight when they heard us coming. The barrel was placed next to the pen and wired to a post to prevent it from tipping over. We would dip out a nice full bucket from the barrel for their meals. Every few days, we broke open a couple of boxes of dried fruit and dumped them into the barrel and added more water. Now pigs have their own fine perfume, especially when confined. Brother Tom and I scarcely noticed the odor as the bunkhouse was our abode, and the piggy emporium was directly behind it. As the stench grew gradually, we gradually grew used to the stench. However, as the weather warmed and the summer rapidly advanced, certain chemical reactions took place in the old wooden barrel. The water-soaked figs began to ferment. The alcohol process was underway. The aroma was quite heady to Brother Tom and I. However, the heady odor of moonshine in the making was modified by smell of the pigpen. The hogs were stewed on stewed figs. They went to bed happy and arose cranky until fed their morning libation. Somewhere in the hills above the ranch, the combination of these delicious aromas reached the keen nose of a medium-sized black bear. The smell was irresistible to him, and it wasn’t long until he followed his nose to the pigpen one dark night. Perhaps he sized up the pigs and decided that they were not quite ready for him. In any case, he ate and drank all he could hold from the fermenting barrel of hog swill. He got drunk. He became belligerent. He strolled, staggered, and swaggered his way to the main lodge. We were all asleep. On the back stoop of the kitchen stood an icebox. One of our daily chores was to go to the log icehouse, shovel sawdust off a block of ice, and put it in the top compartment DENNIS GINKENS Commercial Advertising Representative P.O. Box 30758 Billings, MT 59107 Office: 406-259-4589 Cell: 406-670-9839 Fax: 406-259-6888 E-mail: [email protected] If you're wanting to advertise your commercial business, I'd like to help. Put WestFeeds To Work For You! 10 OFF $ 00 Per bag on SafeGuard 1.96% and IGR Concentrate Now through June 30 th WestFeeds also has a 12-8 Hi Mag Mineral that works great for tetany control! WestFeeds Hi Mag Minerals are highly palatable to encourage consumption and are weatherized to help prevent loss. 800-283-5505 • westfeeds.net BILLINGS 1420 Minnesota Ave. 252-5196 15 Thursday, May 14, 2015 WESTERN AG REPORTER GREAT FALLS 921 15th St. North 791-4250 DILLON 945 North Montana 683-4111 LEWISTOWN 18 Brookville Lane 538-5451 MILES CITY 512 North 7th 234-2009 of the icebox. There was no electricity at the 2-D. Mr. Bruin challenged the upright icebox to a fight and seized it in the classical bear hug. Over and over, they rolled down a slight slope with the bear scratching and biting the box until the bear and the icebox lodged against the warehouse. The two doors to the cooler remained closed, and the bear left shortly before the sun rose. The bout was a draw. After Tom and I returned to the main lodge from milking that morning, we carried the icebox back to the stoop. We reported the raid to the boss. Sid stated that the bear would certainly be back and that he would have to dispose of it. The bear did not return for several weeks. But when he did, he repeated his shenanigans. He became soused on the fermenting piggy food and again challenged the cooler to a rough and tumble, no holds barred match. The integrity of the doors held once more, but the bites and scratches on the wooden icebox were more severe. You could get splinters going for a head of lettuce. There were several more raids. We all slept through the attacks. Even though Tom and I were close to the hog pen, we never heard the bear slurping up the alcoholic concoction. Summer slipped into fall. Tom and I took a weekend off to enter a rodeo. The bear chose this time to partake of the ready-to-eat pork. Sid was aroused from his slumber by terrible squealing and grunt- ing. Of course he immediately knew that the bear was attacking the pigs. Grabbing his twelve-gauge shotgun and loading it with buckshot, he ran to the pen. There he saw the bear, standing on his rear legs and eating a poor pig as if it were a watermelon. At close quarters, one blast to the bear’s head killed it. The second shot put the pig out of its agony. The other hog had smashed its way out of the pen and disappeared. Just before Sid reached his cabin, he heard the escaped pig following behind him. No use bothering to capture the hog now. Sid returned to bed. The killed bear was skinned, and the meat was cured. The dead pig was butchered, and some of the meat was salvaged. The escaped pig refused to return to the pen. We fed him outside the sty. The rest of the time, that hog spent following his savior, Sid, everywhere. They had bonded. When Sid went irrigating, the pig followed closely behind him, and the two ranch dogs followed the pig. A cat followed the dogs. It was a procession. At night, the pig slept outside Sid’s cabin door. But the nights grew cold, and there was considerable frost in the mornings. The hog yearned for a warmer abode, and one night he found that, by giving the main lodge’s front door a determined root with his gruntle, it popped open. Once inside, he stretched out on the hearth close to the dying embers of the evening’s fire. Eventually, as the ashes cooled, he was bedded down well into the fireplace with each breath puffing out a small cloud of ash from his comfortable nest. Unfortunately, Sid was unaware of piggy’s new boudoir. In the dark of the early morn, he entered the lodge to build a fire in the cook stove. The large porker burst from the fireplace in a great cloud of ash, squealing and snorting in a flashback to the bear attack. Poor old Sid. He fell to his knees, calling to his Savior to release him from the Devil’s grip. The pig charged out the door, and Sid staggered to the liquor cabinet for resuscitation. He was half stewed by breakfast, and that did not impress the few guests that remained at the ranch. Before Sid retired to sleep off the liquid defibrillation, he had orders for Brother Tom and me. “I don’t care what you do today, but you will return that ‘Hog from Hell’ to his proper pen and you will make that sty pigescape-proof.” We did. As that 250-pound hog was eating his 100 proof mash, we each grabbed a hind leg above the hock joint and, by brute strength and awkwardness, dragged him backwards into his pen and slammed the gate closed. We basked in the pleasure of Sid’s approval, enjoyed the smiles and pats on the back. We were the heroes of the day after Sid’s brush with death. We goofed off until evening chores. We found the pig dead in his pen the following morning. Frank (Dick) & Dolores Noble Estate Ranch Equipment AUCTION Thursday, May 21st, 2015 • 10 a.m. Location: From Grass Range go south on Main St., then 4 miles SW on Forest Grove Road TracTors 1975 JD 4430, diesel, 125 hp, 3 pt., 3 remotes, pto, hr meter reads 1270, cab/htr., good rubber, s# 4430 036401R, sells w/JD150 loader, 8’ bucket & grapple 1981 JD 2440, diesel, 60 hp, 2 wd, 8 spd. w/hi-lo, 3 pt., 540 pto, fair rubber, sells w/Westendorf Ta25 loader 1977 JD 4430, diesel, 125 hp, duals, dual pto, 3 rear hyd., 8410 hrs., CAH, new A/C pump, rubber 80%, duals 50%. Ford 800, 5 spd, dual hyd., 3 pt., pto, excellent 13.6 x 28 rubber Trailers Triggs 18’ stock trailer, tandem 2001 Wilray goose-neck flatbed trailer, 20’ wood deck, tandem 7000# axles, ramps, 16” good rubber 1998 superior ideal flatbed trailer, tandem duals, 30’, gn, straight deck, wood, new decking, no ramps, rear rubber near new, front 25% 1996 logan coach horse trailer, 4 horse slant, 19’, gn, front dressing room, rear tack, 4 saddle racks, bridle hooks, boot box, grain compartment, torsion axles, dropdown windows, double rear door, rubber 50% Farm equip JD 12’ cultivator JD 16’ cultivator JD 3 pt. post auger, 12” bit Deerborn 3 pt. tandem disk, 6’ Wallace 3 pt. bale spear Westfield 70-41 pto grain auger Wheatland hyd. hopper auger Hay equip 1998 NH 2550 swather, 14’, diesel, 4027 hrs., hydro, cab w/ air case iH 8820 draper swather, 15’, 1507 hrs, cab w/ air NH 1100 swather, Perkins diesel, 16’ header, double sickle, cond., A/C, new bearings & chains, good rubber. Hesston 1014 swing tongue swather, hydro., conditioner 2005 case iH sBX540 square baler, 14” x 18”, pto, less than 3,000 bales made NH 315 square baler, 14” x 18”, pto, ¼ turn bale chute JD 468 square baler, 16”x18” bale, pto JD 530 round baler, 540 ptoVermeer Wr24 twinrake, hyd., dble 6 wheel iHc 1150 grinder mixer Terms: Cash or Check Day of Auction. Photo ID required to register. liVesTock equip Big Valley maternity pen w/ head catch, 10’ x 10’ pen powder river XL squeeze chute, 8’, auto head catch 25+/- Assorted portable panels 30+/- wire cattle panels sHop Tools/equip Husqvarna 22” chain saw Trenton anvil on stand lincoln 225 arc welder Dura Weld 180 amp welder campbell Hausfeld port. air compressor, 4 hp. macer pump w/ 5.5 hp B/S engine craftsman rototiller, 17”, hvy duty See website for complete list and pictures! www.ShobeAuction.com SALE DAY PHONES Jayson 406-366-5125 Kyle 406-366-0472 Nick 406-451-3899 Lewistown, Montana 406-538-5125 www.ShobeAuction.com 16 Thursday, May 14, 2015 CSKT cont. from pg. 1 the tribes cannot be sued in state or federal court. The truth is exactly the opposite of what the FJBC is alleging in its court filing: the Compact actually ensures that the state, the federal government, and the tribes CAN be sued in an appropriate court for the limited purposes detailed in the Compact. These provisions in the Compact have nothing to do with whether the state of Montana could be sued for a taking of private property, as Vandemoer alleges. Further, Vandemoer continues to promote the argument that irrigators lost property rights because of the Compact. Again, if she were a licensed attorney, she could be held liable for malpractice because of the mistruths she spreads for her personal gain. However, her practice of law without a license does not require her to have the same accountability as that of a licensed attorney. For a taking to occur, an individual must have a property right as defined under state law. Under Montana law, in order to have a property right in water, an individual must have filed for the water right in 1982 or 1996 pursuant to the Montana Water Use Act. Therefore the question is this: Did any of those claiming a taking file and declare their property right so that they have a property interest defendable under Montana law? The opponents’ writings are vague on this issue; however, it appears that three parties -- the CSKT Tribes, the Joint Board of the Flathead Irrigation Districts, and the United States government -- all filed on their irrigation claims. The Compact specifically states that nothing in the Compact changes fee-owned land or authorizes the taking of any water right. Therefore, regardless of the Compact, any of the entities that filed pursuant to the Montana Water Use Act will have their day in the Montana Water Court during the ongoing adjudication proceedings. If there is somebody now claiming a water right in the irrigation project who has not filed pursuant to the Montana Water Use Act, then that person does NOT have a property interest in a Montana water right, regardless of whether the Compact passed the Legislature. The reality is that Vandemoer is attempting to take advantage of Montanans, and their sense of fairness, by alleging the Compact will take private property, which is simply not true. In addition to getting the substantive law backwards, the FJBC also failed to follow the law in their recent filing for a temporary restraining order. Further, the FJBC filed their lawsuit in the wrong court. According to Montana law, the only state district court the lawsuit can be correctly filed in is in Lewis & Clark County. The lawsuit that Vandemoer supports was not filed in the right court, and even if it were the right court, the interpretation of the law that the FJBC and Vandemoer are relying on is simply wrong. “Plaintiffs have presented a purely political, non-justiciable** question that, if seriously entertained by this Court, would wreak havoc in the legislative process,” the Attorney General said in his brief. “It takes little imagination to predict the mischief that plaintiffs’ attorney could create by inventing last-minute claims that a bill is unconstitutional and then suing for a TRO [temporary restraining order] on that basis before the bill is even implemented or applied.” In addition to having the law wrong, the FJBC has gone rogue. According to Paul Guenzler, who is an FJBC board member, he and many other irrigators oppose the FJBC’s actions. “It is a travesty that the FJBC seems to be overrun by a vocal minority, who do not seem to care if they throw me, agriculture within the Flathead Indian Reservation, and all of Montana’s agriculture under the bus for their uninformed legal theories,” Guenzler said. “The irrigators who support the Compact, myself included, are not interested in paying attorneys for the next several decades to profit from some people’s bullheadedness. We are interested in keeping our family ranches or farms viable so we can pass them on to the next generation. Many of the irrigators oppose the money that the FJBC has spent and is currently spending on lawsuits and lobbyists. It is my understanding that the FJBC has spent millions of dollars litigating and that they have lost more than 30 cases and only won one case. I, and many other irrigators, have been trying to rein in this rogue board from utilizing the money which they collect from us when we pay our irrigation fees to the County to fund B LATTNER FEEDLOT EQT. FEEDLOT QUALITY CATTLE EQUIPMENT WESTERN AG REPORTER Soil makes the world go around Soil is such an important and integral part of our daily lives that most folks don’t even think about it. Often referred to as “dirt,” which is just displaced soil, soil is critical for all forms of life. Soil is the basis of all ecosystems from the plant roots for crops that gives us food, fiber, and fuel as well as feeding assorted livestock that provide food and other daily byproducts that we use such as soap, medicine, and leather to name a few. their crazy ideas related to the Compact.” Irrigators on the Flathead Reservation want to move forward without Vandemoer and her special interest crew spending their money on ill-advised lawsuits. It is time for the CSKT Compact opponents to admit that their ideas did not carry the day in the free market of ideas. It is time for those who have moved to Montana to try to take advantage of Montanans in order to build their livelihoods to either move on or to learn Montana law and stop spinning mistruths. ** from Blacks Law Dictionary: “Justiciability” is defined as “the quality or state of being appropriate or suitable for adjudication by a court” and “Justiciable” is defined as “a case or dispute properly brought before a court of justice; capable of being disposed of judicially.” Note: Hertha L. Lund is an attorney, who has more than 25 years working on behalf of agriculture on legislative issues. She worked for irrigators who supported the Compact. with Soil is also the basis of which the Soil Conservation Service, now known as the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), was founded 80 years ago. NRCS provides leadership along with partners to help America’s private land owners and managers conserve and protect their soil, water, and other natural resources. NRCS employees across the U.S. daily provide sound sciencebased technical assistance and conservation planning, tailored to the land’s ability and the landowner’s goals and objectives. Participation is voluntary, and there is no fee for the assistance provided. NRCS programs also offer financial assistance to those wanting to install conservation practices recommended in their plan for improving soil health, water quality, and quantity, and much more. Franklin Roosevelt said it best in his 1937 letter to all state governors on a Uniform Soil Conservation Law: “The Nation that destroys its soil destroys itself.” It’s as true today as it was back then. With world population is projected to increase from 7 billion in 2013 to more than 9 billion in 2050, it is estimated that food production will have to rise by 70% to sustain this level of growth. Combine that with 14 million acres of U.S. prime farmland lost from 1982 to 2007 to development, improving soil health is going to be the key to long-term, sustainable ag production. NRCS can help farmers, ranchers, and landowners develop a soil health management plan, a roadmap to soil health, which provides environmental, economic, health, and societal benefits. “Through implementing the conservation systems and practices to improve crops and soil functions, producers will see the benefits over time, such as reducing erosion, improving soil filtration, and increasing soil organic matter and water holding capacity, which helps protect against drought and other natural disasters,” said NRCS state conservationist, Salvador Salinas. “Healthy soils also reduce production costs, increase yields, decrease time spent working in the field or pasture, and can increase profits.” - By Melissa Blair, USDA-NRCS Zone 3 Public Affairs Specialist Don’t miss this! The annual membership meeting of the Colorado Livestock Association will be held during the 2015 Protein Producer Summit. It will take place on Wednesday, June 17, from 8:30-11:30 a.m. at the Sheraton Steamboat Resort in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The Colorado Livestock Association invites you to attend the annual Past President’s Luncheon following the Membership Meeting from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Sheraton Steamboat Resort. Low-Stress Livestock Handling Dr. Temple Grandin Curt Pate & Miles City & Baker Dr. Temple Grandin June 2 Miles City, Montana Custer County Fairgrounds Curt Pate Registration Opens Low Stress Livestock Handling Presentation & Q&A Session (Grandin & Pate) 2:30 p.m. Livestock Demonstation (Grandin & Pate) 4:30 p.m. Horsemanship for Stockmanship (Pate) 5:00 p.m. Closing remarks 5:30 p.m. Evening Meal Register by contacting Custer County Extension Office • 1010 Main Street • Miles City, MT 59301 406.874.3370 • [email protected] 6:30 p.m. 4-H/FFA Youth Program with Dr. Temple Grandin “Keeping Livestock Calm” 1:00 p.m. 1:30 p.m. 10:00 a.m. 10:30 a.m. June 3 Baker, Montana Fallon County Fairgrounds Registration Opens Low Stress Livestock Handling Presentation & Q&A Session (Grandin & Pate) 11:30 a.m. Lunch provided 12:30 p.m. Livestock Demonstration (Grandin & Pate) 2:30 p.m. Horsemanship for Stockmanship (Pate) 3:00 p.m. Closing remarks Register by contacting Fallon/County Extension Office • P.O. Box 850 • Baker, MT 59313 406.778.7110 • [email protected] SALESMEN: MICK REINHARDT 406-371-3084 OR MIKE LACHENMEIER 406-208-9172 RSVP by May 26th Registration fee: $20.00 For instant Market News 24 hrs/day 7 days/wk from Billings, call 406-657-6400 24 hour price information: 406-657-6400 Source for Billings Markets: USDA Market News 406-657-6285 For Up-To-Date Market Reports visit our website www.cattleplus.com Public Auction Yards Billings, MT Feeder Cattle Weighted Average Report for 05/06/2015 Receipts: 579 Last Week: 816 Last Year: N/A Compared to last week: Feeder steers and heifers were all too lightly tested for an accurate market comparison. Feeder cattle quality was mostly average with many plain made offerings. Most offerings were light fleshed, but with changing weather conditions many offerings were very full and buyers purchased offerings accordingly. Demand for feeder cattle was light to moderate today on very light offerings. Weigh up cows sold with light to moderate demand on moderate offerings. Weigh up conditions were mixed, with buyers giving heavy discounts to full offerings. Quality was lower this week than last week giving buyers reason to allow prices to slide. Slaughter cows sold steady to weak on breaking and boning cows, but 2.00-5.00 lower on lean cows. Slaughter bulls sold 4.00-5.00 lower on a fuller, lower quality offering. Feeding cows and cows returning to the country sold lower on a poorer quality offering and lighter demand from all buyers. Wet bagged 2-3 year olds sold steady to weak on lighter 17 Thursday, May 14, 2015 WESTERN AG REPORTER demand. Feeder cattle receipts were 51 percent steers, 49 percent heifers; 80 percent weighing over 600 lbs. Offerings were 20 percent feeder cattle, 26 percent slaughter cows, 6 percent bulls, 42 percent feeding cows and cows returning to the country, balance bred cows and heifers. Next sale will be Wednesday May 13th, 2015. Billings Livestock Commission Billings, MT Feeder Cattle Weighted Average Report for 05/07/2015 Receipts: 1,873 Last Week: 3,243 Last Year: NA Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were too lightly tested either last week or this week to develop an accurate market trend for any particular weight category or sex, however steady to weak undertones were noticed throughout the sale. Of note, this weeks feeder cattle were of lower quality compared to last week’s outstanding set of feeders giving buyers pause as they bid on cattle. Feeder cattle quality was average to attractive today with many smaller groups of cattle on offer. Flesh conditions were very light throughout the sale. Many small strings of heifers were purchased as replacement heifers today. The Don’t miss this! Could the soil save us? The answer is right under our feet! Nicole Masters’ “Soil Seminar” will take place at Steve Charter’s 2 Lazy 2 Ranch_(between mile markers 19 and 20 on Highway 87, north of Billings, Montana) on Saturday, May 23_from 1-5 p.m._ Nicole Masters, an agro-ecologist from New Zealand, will teach a public seminar on building soil health, capacity, and productivity using simple and practical methods while taking carbon out of the atmosphere. Masters is an expert at building soil at a rate previously thought impossible. By carefully grazing and growing crops or gardens, one can increase important soil microbes and fungi in the soil. Masters will show how to use inexpensive and practical methods to stimulate the underground life in the soil. In addition to production benefits, attendees will be getting down and dirty in the soil and seeing how to pull carbon out of the air and into the soil (where it can do a lot of good for all of us). Northern Plains Resource Council and the Western Organization of Resource Councils will be hosting the event with Steve Charter and family. The field seminar is $45. The seminar will be followed by a ranch cookout for $15. For information or tickets, call 406-248-1154 or email maggie@ northernplains.org stands were moderately full today with many farmers and ranchers looking to purchase heifers to breed and lightweight calves to run on grass. With rain in the forecast for this weekend buyers were still pushing to purchase grass cattle to develop into yearlings. Several reputation Cow/calf pairs sold on very good demand today as well. Weigh-up cows sold with moderate to good demand today on moderate offerings. Weigh-up conditions were mostly average today. Slaughter cows sold 1.00 to 2.00 higher on breaking and boning cows and mostly 1.00-2.00 lower on lean cows. Demand for all weigh-up cows was moderate to good throughout the day. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested for an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed. Feeding cows unevenly steady on a slightly poorer quality offering compared to last week. Younger 2 year olds to young aged cows purchased to enter a breeding program sold weak on lighter demand from all buyers. Feeder cattle receipts were 44 percent steers, 56 percent heifers; 58 percent weighing over 600 lbs. Offerings were 38 percent feeder cattle, 9 percent slaughter cows, near 1 percent bulls, 40 percent feeding cows and cows returning to the country balance bred cows and heifers. Next sale will be Thursday May 14th 2015. Miles City Livestock Commission Feeder Cattle Weighted Average Report for 05/05/2015 Receipts: 890 Last Week: 1,485 Last Year: NA Compared to last week: Feeder steers and heifers were all too lightly tested for an accurate market comparison. Feeder cattle were of mostly average quality today, with many plain made offerings. Flesh conditions were light and most offerings offered a good weigh up. Weigh-up cows sold on moderate to good demand for moderate offerings. Weigh-up conditions were average today. Slaughter cows sold with very good demand. All classes of slaughter cows sold 2.00-4.00 higher compared to last week’s light test. Notably, slaughter cow quality was much improved from last week. Slaughter bulls sold steady to weak on a poorer quality fuller offering. Feeding cows sold higher on good demand from all buyers. Many buyers are purchasing cows to put on feed to market for the Fourth of July holiday. Young cows sold on very good demand as many buyers hoped to purchase cows that would be young enough to grade. Several sets of cow/calf and heifer pairs sold today on very good demand despite dry conditions throughout Eastern Montana. Offerings were 13 percent feeder cattle, 7 percent slaughter cows, 7 percent bulls, 58 percent feeding cows and cows returning to the country, balance bred cows and heifers. Next sale will be Tuesday May 12th, 2015. Torrington Livestock Commission Co. Feeder Cattle Weighted Average Report for 05/08/15 Receipts: 700 Week Ago: 1140 Year Ago: 530 Blackfoot Livestock Auction Blackfoot, ID 5-8-15 Head count: 742 Cow Trend: steady UT/Boner Cows: 100-110 Cutters: 90-104 Heiferettes: 125-175 Feeder Cows: 100-125 Slaughter Bulls: 115-139 Feeder Cattle Trend: mixed Steers: 400-500, 250-282; 500600, 235-271; 600-700, 205-259; 700-800, 180-232; 800-900, 170-201 Heifers: 300-400, 250-298; 400500, 230-260; 500-600, 220-260; 600-700, 190-231; 700-800, 170219; 800-900, 160-197 Holstein Steers: 300-400, 160-214; 400-600, 150-175 Lemmon Livestock Auction Lemmon, SD 5-6-15 Cowettes: 137-168 Slaughter Cows: 110-120 Low Yielding Cows: 101-108 Heiferettes: 150-171 Feeder Bulls: 00-00 Slaughter Bulls: 138-153 Gordon Livestock Auction Gordon, NE 5-5-2015 Compared to last Friday: Slaughter Cows steady to 1.00 higher; Feeder Cows 1.00-3.00 higher; Slaughter Bulls steady to 3.00 higher. Demand moderate. Supply included 20 percent slaughter cows and bulls; 65 percent feeder cows 10 percent feeder cattle and 5 percent bred cows & pairs. Cattle, Bull – 6 Price Per Cwt 1100 – 1199, 145.00 - 145.00; 1200 – 10000, 149.50 - 144.50 Total – 17,706.64 Cattle, Cow – 157 Head Price Per Cwt 700 – 799, 103.50 - 96.00; 800 – 899, 160.00 - 104.00; 900 – 999, 120.00 - 102.00; 1000 – 1099, 135.00 - 99.50; 1100 – 1199, 119.00 - 10.00; 1200 – 10000, 115.00 - 101.00 Total – 209,928.34 Cattle, Hfr – 3 Price Per Cwt 300 – 399, 305.00 - 305.00; 400 – 499, 250.00 - 250.00; 600 – 699, 200.00 - 200.00 Total – 3,710.75 Cattle, Hfrett – 56 Head Price Per Cwt 600 – 699, 210.00 - 210.00; 800 – 899, 209.00 - 97.50; 900 – 999, 209.00 - 130.00; 1000 – 1099, 200.00 - 117.00; 1100 – 1199, 175.00 - 127.00 Total – 96,660.03 Cattle, Bcalf – 14 Head Price Per Head 0 – 99, 475.00 - 0.00 Total – 2,300.00 Cattle, Bull – 1 Price Per Head 0 – 99, 550.00 - 550.00 Total – 550.00 Cattle, Cow – 1 Price Per Head 1100 – 1199, 2200.00 - 2200.00 Total – 2,200.00 Cattle, Cow_pr – 3 Price Per Head 900 – 999, 2700.00 - 2700.00; 1100 – 1199, 2625.00 - 2625.00; 1200 – 10000, 3100.00 - 3100.00 Total – 8,425.00 Cattle, Hfr – 1 Price Per Head 0 – 99, 0.00 - 0.00 Total – 0.00 Cattle, Hfrett – 2 Price Per Head 900 – 999, 1100.00 - 1100.00 Total – 2,200.00 377 LOTS SELLING! Save the Date! This year’s Stock Growers Land Trust Annual Roundup Barbeque will be hosted by Doug and Susan Samuelson of Warren Livestock Company. It will take place August 29 at the Historic Pole Creek Ranch Headquarters in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Join us for an evening to celebrate conservation in Wyoming with live and silent auctions, a steak dinner, and wonderful Wyoming people. ONLINE UNRESERVED AUCTION • BigIron.com WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015 First Lots Scheduled to Close at 10:00 AM Central Time NO BUYERS PREMIUM FEE & NO RESERVES!! 377 LOTS SELLING! Air Seeders (1); ATVs/Recreational (9); Backhoes (4); Balers (11); Combines (7); Cultivators (17); Dozers (2); Excavators; Forage Harvesters (2); Forage Headers (4); Grain Carts (3); Headers (8); Planters (3); Skid Steer Attachments (4); Skid Steers (1); Sprayers (17); Telehandlers (1); Tractors (9); Trailers (16); Trucks/Pickups (22); Semis (7); Tub Grinders/Bale Processors (1); Plus Much More! BigIron.com Auctions Every Wednesday! BigIron.com is a division of Stock Realty & Auction Co., 1-800-937-3558 SELL YOUR EQUIPMENT ON BIGIRON.COM Call Today! 1-800-937-3558 Works 24/7, just like you. M96S and M108S Chores never end, so you need a tractor that doesn’t know the meaning of quit. That’s why the Kubota M96S and M108S models feature a powerful turbocharged direct injection diesel engine, a versatile hydraulic system and a quiet, climate controlled cab with deluxe suspension seat. Now you can handle the toughest jobs with a tractor that’s ready to work whenever you are. BILLINGS KUBOTA 5548 Holiday Ave. • Billings, MT • 800-775-3266 • 406/245-6702 www.kubota.com ©Kubota Tractor Corporation, 2008 18 Thursday, May 14, 2015 CLASSIFIEDS Regular Deadline: 4:00 p.m. MTZ Thursday of the WEEK BEFORE publication for placing an ad, making changes and/or cancellations. All copy received after deadline will be held for the following week. Word Ad Charges: Minimum charge $15/week for ads of 15 words or less. For ads with more than 15 words: $15/week (first 15 words) PLUS 80¢ per word per week (1 or 2 weeks) or 70¢ per word per week (3 or more weeks). Telephone numbers count as two words. Include all words/numbers in count as well as initials and abbreviations. Most hyphenated words count as two words. Liability: Advertiser assumes all liability for ad content and for claims arising therefrom. WESTERN AG REPORTER Classified Display Ads: $32/column inch for 1 or 2 weeks or $30/column inch for 3 or more weeks. Contract rates available upon request. Brand ads must be run as display ads. Submit a copy of brand papers, not reregistration card; hand drawn brands will NOT be accepted.. No cattle photos or color will be used in the classified section. Payment: All Job Wanted, Real Estate Wanted and some other ads must be paid in advance. We accept MasterCard, Visa, Discover, American Express, personal check, or money order. Remit to Classified Ad Dept., PO Box 30758, Billings, MT 59107 or call (406) 259-4589 with credit card information. All payments must be in U.S. funds; make checks payable to Western Ag Reporter. Other Fees: Blind Box Ads-Add $5 per week for postage and handling. Include complete mailing address for delivery of replies. Do not phone in, fax or e-mail responses; advertisers’ names and locations are confidential. Respond in writing showing the advertised position name on the envelope; your reply will be date stamped and promptly forwarded. •Bold words: add $3/week for bold (max. 4 words). Notice: Publication in this newspaper does not guarantee the legitimacy of any offer or solicitation. Evaluate an offer before you send money or provide personal/financial information to an advertiser. If you have questions or believe you have been the victim of fraud, contact the Montana Office of Consumer Protection, (800) 481-6896 or (406) 444-4500. E-mail: [email protected]. Publisher’s Note: Publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertising not in keeping with the publication’s standards. Publisher assumes NO responsibility for errors in copy received over the telephone. Responsibility for errors made in ads submitted in writing is restricted to the first week of publication. Commissions: Classified advertising is NOT agency commissionable. Nonsufficient Funds Checks: Service charges as allowed by Montana statutes will be assessed on Nonsufficient Funds Checks. Past due accounts will be assessed a monthly service charge. Real estate MaRketplace Real Estate EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Federal and State Fair Housing Acts, which make it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation, or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, marital status, age, and/or creed or intention to make any such preferences, limitations, or discrimination. Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, and pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate that is in violation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. To report discrimination in housing call HUD at 800-877-7353 or Montana Fair Housing at 800-929-2611. www.PhilliPs-Realty.com centRal montana’s Finest Simply the Best. 35,580 acres all in one block with 13 miles of live water through middle of ranch in a 5 star highway location. There are 19,900 acres deeded with about 2000 acres hay with potential for additional farming. A paramount ranch for livestock and wildlife. $21,000,000 cattle Ranch with elk hunting Owner Financing. 12,000± acres all in a block with 1050 acres tillable with scattered timber on about 4000 acres located in the famed 410 hunting district for trophy elk. Includes an 85 acre center pivot, solid buildings, 5 miles of creek, and 10 miles of waterlines. $5,500,000 madison RiveR Ranch south oF ennis A classic fishing ranch in a unique setting between the Madison and Gravelly Mountain ranges along 3 miles of Madison River frontage. Includes 3377± deeded acres with an abundance of water rights. Improvements are highlighted by a spacious owner’s home with dramatic views of the Madison Mountains and a beautiful red horse barn built in the early 1900’s. $9,950,000 — [email protected] — 406.538.5271 SPEAR O RANCH — kirby, MT: The Spear O Ranch needs no introduction, it is considered by many one of Montana’s best ranches. The ranch is located 90 miles southeast of Billings and 45 miles north of Sheridan, WY in the Wolf Mountains. The area is well known for its outstanding production due to its high rainfall and deep fertile soils. The combination of mountain streams, numerous springs, reservoirs, outstanding grass and hay allows for stocking rates that most people dream about in the mountain west. The ranch is very well improved and consists of 6,295 deeded acres and 15,000 leased acres and has been operated as a cow-calf ranch but would also make a great yearling operation. Price $11,000,000 ELK RIDGE RANCH – nEar billings, MT: Set in the world renowned Bull Mountains, the Elk Ridge Ranch is an outdoorsman’s dream. The area is well known for its abundance of wildlife and scenery, and the Elk Ridge Ranch is no exception. If you are an avid hunter looking for a property that is loaded with world class game and located only minutes from Billings, Montana’s largest city, this is it! You won’t find a better hunting ranch this close to all the amenities a big city has to offer. 1,920 deeded acres. $2,304,000 Real Estate ThE hook ranch – souThcEnTral WyoMing: 60,000± acres with approximately 27,000 deeded, 3200 acres irrigated. Excellent improvements with three homes, bunkhouse and cookhouse. World class hunting for elk, antelope and mule deer. Several miles of trout streams. Private and secluded yet only 15 minutes to town on paved highway! Lease option available. $11,500,000 406.598.4332 Save Thousands When Selling Your Land or Ranch • Reduce or eliminate capital gains on the sale of your land, livestock and equipment. • A 1031 Tax Exchange may NOT be necessary. • We specialize in the marketing and sale of Working Ranches. Thistledew Land & Cattle Company 406-962-3310 thistledewland.com John goggins (406) 698-4159 WaynE Wilcox (406) 697-9121 Pat GoGGins • Broker/owner • (406) 259-4589 Po Box 30755 • BillinGs, Mt 59107 Early DEaDlinE: noon, ThursDay, May 21 For WEEk oF May 28 FOR SALE E L.T. – Horses L.H. – Cattle Reasonable Offers Only (406) 980-1844 NEED A BRIDGE? All types of bridge construction— farm, ranch, county, subdivision. Redecking, repair, maintenance, inspection services. Mackin Construction. www.MackinBridges.com. (406) 855-4506. Dogs Ranchette for lease. Long term. For 40-50 pairs. Excellent water, ungrazed for 2 years. New fence. Pasture location, 80 acres farmland, paved road. (406) 477-6077. Queensland Blue and Red Heeler puppies. Registered parents, some ready now. Timberline Stock Ranch, Broadview, MT. (406) 667-2151. Ranch foR Lease Equipment 1500 pairs or up to 3500 yearlings. Large irrigated base. Excellent facilities. South Central Wyoming. Available May 1, 2015. 406.598.4332 Real Estate Wanted Wanted: 200-500 cow ranch to lease year round. (406) 7402159. Brands MONTANA BRAND FOR SALE rogEr Jacobs (406) 698-7686 MONTANA BRAND Real Estate for Lease D bryan anDErson (406) 839-7439 Brands Bridges SOL Office 406.259.2544 • Fax 406.259.2510 Details, other listings, photos: www.pipmontana.com Real Estate Y Real Estate B R.T. – Horses R.H. – Cattle $7500 (406) 562-3520 MONTANA BRAND FOR SALE XT— R.H. – Cattle R.T. – Horses Have Irons; Best Offer 406-452-7909 NH 1049S bale wagon, 3 wide. Field ready. $17,500. (406) 656-6896 or 698-7290. Fencing Hay, Feed, Seed Help Wanted Shell corn and tall wheat grass round bales, Pompeys Pillar, MT area. (406) 860-8924. ____________________________ Full time ranch hand position, purebred Angus operation, west central Montana. Strong background required. Cattle work, haying, irrigation, fencing, A.I. experience a plus. Excellent salary, benefits and housing. Send resumé and references to PO Box 215, Wolf Creek, MT 59648, CUSTOM HAYING. Large rounds or small squares. Cash or shares. (406) 656-6896 or 698-7290. Help Wanted IT'S THE LAW State and federal statutes prohibit discrimination in employment based on age and gender. Montana law also prohibits discrimination based on marital status. In compliance, we cannot publish help wanted ads that specify gender, age or marital status. Thank you for your cooperation. Farm and ranch hand in western North Dakota, year around. If interested, call please (701) 842-3719. ____________________________ Permanent ranch hand position available. Near Miles City, MT. Experience necessary. Calving, fencing, haying, all aspects of animal husbandry. Good wages, housing, benefits. (406) 2325107. ____________________________ Rider wanted for Wise River Stock Association, JuneOctober. Approximately 600 cow-calf pairs on BLM and USFS pastures. Moving cattle, gathering, some fencing. Wage depends on experience. Couples encouraged to apply. (406) 832-3219 or e-mail justinvs@ sff.net. ____________________________ Long haul livestock relocater needed. Class A CDL required. Good MVR. New fancy equipment. $1600+ per week. (307) 752-5420. ____________________________ Insurance PETER YEGEN JR., INC. Insuring Montanans for over 95 years. Call us for Farm/Ranch, Business and Worker’s Comp insurance. www.pyegen.com. Please call (406) 252-0163 or (800) 798-2767. Livestock Cattle SIGGINS POLLED HEREFORDS. Yearling and 2 year old bulls and yearling heifers. Stressing moderate birth weights, milk, and maternal traits. Complete herd records. Polled Herefords have been our business since 1942. Alan Siggins, (307) 587-3786 or Pete Jachowski, (307) 587-3723. [email protected]. ____________________________ Big, growthy yearling and two year old Red Angus bulls. Custer, MT.(406) 861-1113 or 861-4272. ____________________________ MYDLAND ANGUS RANCH yearling and 2 year old Angus bulls. Performance tested; EPD’s available. Home raised. (406) 962-3404 or 5913404. ____________________________ Registered Black Angus bulls. Low birth weight, 800-900 lb. wean weights. Good dispositions. Please call (406) 8552692. ____________________________ Corral boards/timbers. Rough full sawn. Full bundles only. Ashland Sawmill, Ashland, MT. (406) 375-4223. ____________________________ AG CAREERS ag ProDucTion/agri-businEss Hansen Agri-PLACEMENT CROSSWIRE INC FENCING. Good fences make good neighbors! If you need better ranch fences, call Ryan Foard. (307) 899-6125. ____________________________ hansenagriplacement.com Eric: 308-382-7351 Louis & Kathy Dubs • biLLings, Mt Cattle [email protected] Fiberglass electric fence posts. All sizes from 3/8" to 1.5". See at www.hcam.net. (800) 7779960. ____________________________ Great Divide Fence LLC. Honest, reliable, efficient. New fence installation and repair. Ranch, home, business. (406) 839-4446. ____________________________ CATTLE GUARDS, extra heavy duty. Grates are 6' x 6.5'. $750 each. Duane Long, (406) 245-0575. Buy It, Sell It, Trade It in Classifieds 56TH AnniversAry View Job Listings At angus yEarling bulls Private treaty SaleS Bridger, Mt Call for catalog 406.652.7515 LD 406.208.8643 SO For Sale Private Treaty Large sire groups Performance and fertility tested Delivery available Trangmoe Angus Ranch Glendive, Montana More Classifieds Next Page 19 Thursday, May 14, 2015 WESTERN AG REPORTER SALE REPORTS Hoyt’s Angus Ranch 28th Annual Production Sale Vernon, Bobby, & Ryan Hoyt Families May 6, 2015 At the Ranch McHenry, ND 1st Annual Kist Diamond Classic Turn-Out Bull Sale May 9, 2015 Kist Livestock Auction Mandan, ND Auctioneer: Seth Weishaar Sale Manager: Vern Frey Reported By: Jason Frey Auctioneer: Roger Jacobs Reported By: Jason Frey Sale Averages: 3 Two-Year-Old Bulls.................................................$4,500 44 Yearling Bulls.........................................................$3,445 Sale Average: 94 Bulls .....................................................................$2,777 Sale Highlights: Lot 34, AA Harry Potter 406, consigned by Amundson Angus of Larimore, ND sold to Schmidt Angus of Solen, ND for $5,500; JAR Harry Potter 6104 103 x SAV Mandan 5664; BW +3.7 WW +63 YW +108 M +24 Lot 47, NSR Mr Tucson B51, consigned by Valley Ridge Simmentals of Leonard, ND sold to Lance Doll of New Salem, ND for $5,000; Hart Tucson 614Z x CNS Dream On L186; BW 0.2 WW 67.0 YW 96.6 M 19.7 Lot 51, NSR Mr Tucson B65, consigned by Valley Ridge Simmentals of Leonard, ND sold to Lance Doll of New Salem, ND for $5,000; Hart Tucson 614Z x BR M218 Snake Eyes; BW 0.1 WW 69.3 YW 150.0 M 21.7 Lot 52, NSR Mr Tucson B72, consigned by Valley Ridge Simmentals of Leonard, ND sold to Lance Doll of New Salem, ND for $5,000; Hart Tucson 614Z x CCCR Mr Dream On G779R; BW 1.6 WW 66.4 YW 98.3 M 21.7 www.westernagreporter.com Sale Highlights: Lot 1, HAR Upward 413-2614, sold to Sabinash and Sons of Kensal, ND for $6,000; Spring Valley Upward 8184 x Roths Mill Creek Unique; lassifieds ontinued lassifieds ontinued BW +3.2 WW +49 YW +85 M +21 Lot 6, HAR Upward 6-2724, sold to Hoyt Wagner of PetCattle Cattle Pasture Horses Ranch Supplies tibone, ND for $5,250; Spring Valley Upward 8184 x SAF Right Time 124-20; BW +3.3 YEARLING BLACK ANGUS PUREBRED ANGUS PAIRS. SUGAR BARS LEGACY Wanted: need pasture for pairs. Giant rubber water tanks. 1800 WW +53 YW +94 M +21 BULLS for sale. VanDyke 20 mixed ages older pairs for SALE. Wanted: consignments Will consider all options. (406) gal., 13' diameter, indestrucLot 4, HAR Upward 4052- bloodlines. 1100+ pounds. Sev- sale at ranch. Musselshell of Sugar Bars and non-Sugar ____________________________ tible. Great and economical 738-4428. water storage. Neal Ranch, 2746, sold to Hoyt Wager of eral suitable for use on heifers. Angus Ranch, Please call (406) Bars bred saddle horses for 570-1337. Legacy sale in Sheridan, WY Wanted: pasture for 100-200 (406) 639-2505. 429-6801. Pettibone, ND for $5,000; (406) ____________________________ ____________________________ on Sept. 21. LeRoy, (605) 347- pairs; prefer eastern MT. (406) Sitz Upward 307R x BC 947-2471. RED ANGUS 50 purebred Hereford and 8120. ____________________________ Bushwacker 41-93; BW +2.8 50-60 ____________________________ REPLACEMENT HEIFSouth Devon yearling heifers. Scales WW +58 YW +106 M +31 Need summer and fall pasLot 5, HAR Upward 5177- ERS. 2015 heifer calves avail- Approx. 850 pounds. Ready Dismantling entire horse opera- ture for any number up to 500 Oct.-Nov. Beckton and to breed. $2000 or offer. Keith tion. 14 complete box stalls, ROCKWELL SCALES, 2696, sold to Dan Birkeland able 5L sires. Rosa Ranch, Willow (208) 523-2286 or Layne (208) Powder River feeders. (406) animal units. Will consider all Montana’s only scale manuof Sheyenne, ND for $5,000; Creek, MT has been selecting 681-0765. options. Yerger Ranch Co. (406) 669-3245. facturer. We sell Livestock, Sitz Upward 307R x Hyline calm, thrifty, fertile females ____________________________ 350-1315. Truck, Pallet, Mining and Bale Right Time 338; BW + 2.7 for 30 years. Bangs and shots; Quality long, thick polled Herscales. We service all makes WW +57 YW +108 M +31 asture for ease eford bulls. Reasonably priced. no brand. David Spencer, (406) Pasture and models of scales. AffordLot 40, HAR Irish 282-269, 581-2500. Eugene Forster, near Big 1500 pairs or up to 3500 yearable service contracts; many sold to Eddie Womack of ____________________________ Timber, MT. (406) 932-6560, Wanted: summer and/or fall lings. Large irrigated base. Exupgrades and options to choose Tulia, TX for $5,000; Con- WANTED; April through June leave message. pasture for 400 replacement cellent facilities. South Central from. Call us for all your scale nealy Irish 0204 x Ellingson calving commercial herd lookheifer plus bulls and/or 300 Wyoming. Available May 1, needs. (406) 799-3945 Visit us Aberdeen 0028; BW +1.3 ing for guaranteed premiums pairs. Please call Huntsman 2015. $ by serving as a cooperator online at www.RockwellScales. Cattle Services WW +51 YW +95 M +23 Ranch Company, (406) 276- •C C •C C P embryo recipient herd. For details, Chris, Thistledew Land and Cattle, (406) 962-3310 or [email protected]. ____________________________ McDonnell Angus Beef Country Genetics May 6, 2015 Bowman Livestock Auction Bowman, ND Auctioneer: Lynn Weishaar Reported by: Dennis Ginkens 75 Angus Bulls averaged................... $5,020 Top-Selling Bulls Lot 30 at $9500 McD CON IN FOCUS 4520 DOB 3-292014 REG# 18055904 CONNEALY IN FOCUS 4925 x SF FOREVER LADY 6200; Sold to Frazer & Hay Cow Company, CA Lot 5 at $8750 SL UNO 409 DOB 2-28=2014 REG# 17949877 CC A UNO 049 x SL MISS SPADE 972; Sold to Six ESS LLC, Ekalaka, MT Lot 37 at $8500 McD SF WAYLON 4550 DOB 3-30-2014 REG# 18036801 Baldridge Waylon W34 x SF Forever Lady 6200; Sold to Nissin Angus, Chinook, MT Lot 14 at $8500 McD PERFORMER 4111 DOB 2-42014 REG# 17945054 CC UNO 049 x McD NOTCHESS 968; Sold to Sodak Angus, Reva, SD Lot 10 at $8250 McD PERFORMER 4110 DOB 2-15-2015 REG# 17945055 CCA UNO 049 x McD MIGNONNE 939; Sold to Sodak Angus, Reva, SD BLACK MAXIMIZER BULLS. Add free heterosis to improve low heritable traits. Every pound counts! Black, polled, good feet, deloused, dewormed. Quick delivery negotiable. Great value. Virgin, yearlings. Please call (406) 656-5443. ____________________________ DENNING RANCH TRUCKING. Rancher owned trucking business. Insured, experienced cattleman. (406) 899-0595 or 264-5056. E-mail: [email protected]. C lassifieds Work! Cattle Stokke AnguS Yearling registered Black angus Bulls for sale Forsyth, MT ✰ Sons and Grandsons of: • Connealy Capitalist 028 • Connealy Confidence 0100 • BDAR Capitalist Z078 • Sitz Upward 307R • Brusett Pure Product 43Z ✰ Good Quality ✰ Priced Reasonably sam stokke (406) 698-8968 Zach stokke (406) 698-2703 3459 ____________________________ • L 406.598.4332 com. ____________________________ CLASSIFIED AD FORM — Minimum Weekly Ad Charges — Word Ads - $15/week min. • Display Ads - $32/week min. Mail to: CLASSIFIEDS, P.O. BOX 30758, BILLINGS MT 59107 Phone: 406-259-4589 • Fax: 406-259-6888 E-mail: [email protected] Web address: www.westernagreporter.com We reserve the right to refuse any advertising not in keeping with our standards. We assume NO responsibility for errors in copy received over the telephone. Our responsibility for errors made in ads submitted in writing is restricted to the FIRST week of publication. Word Ads — Minimum charge: $15/week for ads of 15 words or less (phone number counts as two words). For ads with more than 15 words: $15/week (first 15 words) PLUS 80¢ per word per week (1 or 2 weeks) or 70¢ per word per week (3 or more weeks). Display Ads — $32 per column inch for 1 or 2 weeks or $30 per column inch for 3 or more weeks. Contract rates are available upon request. BRAND ADS MUST BE DISPLAY — One inch minimum and must be submitted with a copy of State brand papers showing brand; hand drawn brands will NOT be accepted. Reverses, art, etc. are used in display ads only. There is a $5/week charge for blind box ads and a $3/week charge for bold (max. 4 words). Real Estate Wanted, Job Wanted, and some other ad categories MUST be prepaid. Monthly statements include charges for ONLY those ads which ran during that month. Please make checks payable to Western Ag Reporter. RegulaR DeaDline: 4:00 p.m. ThuRsDay Week BeFORe puBlicaTiOn eXcepT nOOn, ThuRsDay, may 21 FOR Week OF may 28 Private treaty angus Bull sale 100 Yearling & 25 Two Year Old Angus bulls Ron Frye 406-600-7514 [email protected] Greg Strohecker 406-285-3660 [email protected] Like us on Facebook at Western Ag Reporter Phone # ( _____________ ) _________________________________________________ Name:: ___________________________________________________________________ Co. Name: ________________________________________________________________ Address: _________________________________________________________________ City: _________________________________ State: __________ Zip: ______________ Payment: Check____ Discover ____ Visa ____MasterCard____ American Express ____ Card Number ____________________________________ Security Code _____________ Expiration Date ________ Signature___________________________________________ Ad Classification: ________________________________How Many Weeks? _________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ 20 Thursday, May 14, 2015 WESTERN AG REPORTER SALE REPORTS 9th annual “Real” Ranch Horse Invitational Sale April 18, 2015 Yellowstone Boys & Girls Ranch Billings, MT The top 5 horses averaged $21,800; top 10 $18,425; top 20 $14,387; and all horses sold averaged $9,455. High-selling horse (tie) was Lot 25 “Im A Bama Gangster” a 6 year-old AQHA sorrel gelding consigned by Toby and Amy Vineyard of Arvada, WY, and purchased by Gary Funk of Frazer, MT, for $25,000. Lot 25 “Im A Bama Gangster” consigned by Toby and Amy Vineyard of Arvada, WY, and purchased by Gary Funk of Frazer, MT, for $25,000. Visit us online at: www.publicauctionyards.com Lot 45 “Cats Black Coyote” consigned by Roen Ranch of Musselshell, MT, sold for $25,000 to a ranch at Dillon, MT. View and Buy on www.CattleUSA.com Public Auction YardS • Billings, MT SUMMER TIME MARKETING IS IN FULL SWING AT PAYS MONDAY • MAY 18 HOGS - SHEEP - GOATS First Spring Lamb Special Hog 9:00 a.m. - Sheep & Goats 9:30 a.m. We will have a big run of sheep and goats with many spring lambs on the books. NEXT HOG-SHEEP-GOAT SALE ON JUNE 15. WEDNESDAY • MAY 20 Th e Weekly Cattle Sale LIV EST O TIO CK VIDEO AUC N Early Summer Special June 22 1000 Cattle Expected Consignment Deadline - June 5 The cattle market continues to be in good shape. Take advantage of these top prices and Consign Today! Summertime Classic July 20-22 Consignment Deadline - July 3 Early Fall Preview August 24 UPCOMING SALES Wednesday, May 27 Memorial Week Special Cattle Sale Wednesday, June 3 Weekly Cattle Sale Wednesday, June 10 Weekly Cattle Sale Monday, June 15 Hogs, Sheep & Goats featuring “new crop” lambs Wednesday, June 17 Weekly Cattle Sale with a Dry Cow Special Monday, June 22 Northern Livestock Video’s “Early Summertime Special” Wednesday, June 24 Weekly Cattle Sale Wednesday, July 8 Weekly Cattle Sale f Northern Ca Best o ttle! Monday, July 13 Hogs, Sheep & Goats “Big Lamb Special” Wednesday, July 15 Weekly Cattle Sale with “PAYS Summertime Dry Cow Special” Monday - Wednesday, July 20-22 Northern Livestock Video’s “Summertime Classic” Wednesday, July 22 Weekly Cattle Sale with “1st Yearling Special of the Season” Monday, July 27 Hog, Sheep & Goats “Big Lamb Special” Wednesday, July 29 Weekly Cattle Sale Consignment Deadline - August 7 Fall Premier Special September 21 Consignment Deadline - September 4 CALL TODAY AND CONSIGN: 1-800-616-5035 Call Us Toll Free To Talk About Marketing Your Livestock: 1-800-821-6447 REPRESENTATIVE SALES Cattle Sale • Wednesday, May 6 Steers Tertelgte, Karen ........................ Columbus ................1 ..Blk ................891 .......192.00 Strauch, Wm Or Linda ............... Laurel ......................9 ..Blk ................946 .......183.50 Shirley, Stuart H Or Annie.......... Melstone .................3 ..Blk ................637 .......256.00 Herman, Allen D Or Mary J........ Lodge Grass ...........5 ..Blk ................682 .......251.00 T Bar C Ranch ........................... Big Timber ...............2 ..Blk ................678 .......250.00 Becken, Paul Or Carol ............... Big Timber ...............7 ..Rd/Bk............696 .......235.00 Becken, Paul Or Carol ............... Big Timber ...............4 ..Bk/Bwf ..........628 .......245.00 Chandler, Kevin ......................... Absarokee ...............1 ..Xbred ............616 .......259.00 Heifers Schleder, Leonard ..................... Shepherd ................1 ..Blk ................806 .......197.00 Cows Triangle H Land & Lvstk Inc....... Billings.....................2 ..Blk .............1,461 .......108.50 Strobbe,Ruby M Trst- ................ Pompeys Pillar ........1 ..Blk .............1,386 ....... 111.50 Christensen, Richard C ............. Billings.....................1 ..Charx .........1,386 ....... 118.50 Christensen, Richard C ............ Billings.....................1 ..Blk .............1,451 ....... 110.00 Cross O Cross Ranch Llc ......... Billings.....................2 ..Bk/Bwf .......1,221 ....... 111.00 Kraft, Brad & Lori Stibal ............. Billings.....................1 ..Blk .............1,481 ....... 112.00 Smith, Todd C Or Delilah ........... Livingston ................2 ..Red ............1,346 ....... 114.00 Raths Livestock ......................... Roundup .................3 ..Blk .............1,434 ....... 115.50 Wald Ranch Inc ......................... Lodge Grass ...........1 ..Red ............1,166 ....... 116.00 Springwater Colony ................... Harlowton ................1 ..Blk .............1,361 ....... 116.00 Gaugler, Carol J......................... Judith Gap...............1 ..Blk .............1,346 ....... 111.00 Ballard, James D ...................... Lavina .....................2 ..Blk .............1,298 ....... 113.00 Bainter, Sage A Or Cynthia ....... Big Timber ...............2 ..Bk/Bwf .......1,486 ....... 114.50 Swandal, Richard C ................... Wilsall......................4 ..Blk .............1,306 ....... 114.00 Swandal, Richard C .................. Wilsall......................1 ..Blk .............1,396 ....... 118.00 Kern, Rubert Wayne .................. Pryor .......................2 ..Bk/Bwf .......1,411 .......120.00 Kern, Rubert Wayne .................. Pryor .......................7 ..Bk/Bwf .......1,254 ....... 115.00 Kern, Rubert Wayne .................. Pryor .......................2 ..Blk .............1,568 ....... 118.00 Daniel, Arthur D. O .................... Fishtail.....................1 ..Blk .............1,566 ....... 110.00 Schneidt, Mary Jane .................. Molt .........................1 ..Blk .............1,411 ....... 115.00 Horpestad Ranch Inc ................. Lavina .....................3 ..Blk .............1,552 ....... 114.00 Horpestad Ranch Inc ................. Lavina .....................5 ..Blk .............1,339 .......120.00 Stief, Jay .................................... Joliet........................1 ..Blk .............1,546 ....... 111.50 Stief, Jay .................................... Joliet........................1 ..Blk .............1,441 ....... 116.00 George Farms ........................... Cody........................6 ..Hol .............1,736 .......109.00 Goertz, William Or Michael ........ Billings.....................2 ..Blk .............1,251 ....... 116.00 Kehler, Richard L Jr ................... St Xavier .................1 ..Blk .............1,566 ....... 115.50 Camas Creek Cttl & Shp Co ...... White Sulphur .........4 ..Rd/Bk.........1,209 ....... 113.00 King, Marc C. Or Lana R. .......... Big Timber ...............1 ..Blk .............1,341 ....... 116.50 Frank, Marvin S Or Linda K ....... Joliet........................1 ..Blk .............1,406 .......126.00 Miller Cattle Co ......................... Hardin .....................1 ..Blk .............1,351 ....... 114.00 Jones, William ........................... Broadview ...............1 ..Blk .............1,446 ....... 114.00 Heiken, J C & Jeralee ................ Broadview ...............1 ..Blk .............1,421 ....... 110.00 Shirley, Stuart H Or Annie.......... Melstone .................5 ..Blk .............1,301 ....... 113.50 Flanagans Diamond Hngng ....... Absarokee ...............1 ..Blk .............1,291 ....... 113.00 Pearlie Lee & Co ....................... Billings.....................3 ..Blk .............1,317 ....... 116.00 Blaylock, Wayne Or Jess ........... Columbus ................1 ..Blk .............1,446 ....... 119.00 Nelson, Marcus B ...................... Lavina .....................1 ..Blk .............1,401 ....... 114.00 Wientjes, John ........................... Molt .........................1 ..Blk .............1,316 ....... 114.00 Elk Creek Cattle Co ................... Grass Range ...........1 ..Blk .............1,541 ....... 118.00 Montgomery, Kate ..................... Worden ...................1 ..Blk .............1,436 ....... 114.00 Ostrum, Chad R......................... Fishtail.....................1 ..Blk .............1,161 ....... 114.00 Bulls Seitz, James Or Lavonne .......... Acton .......................1 ..Blk .............1,931 .......142.50 Barragree, Brian ........................ Absarokee ...............1 ..Charx .........2,081 .......150.50 Nordlund, Larry & Shonny ......... Lewistown ...............1 ..Blk .............2,021 .......143.50 Roen, Glen ................................ Worden ...................1 ..Blk .............2,236 .......135.00 Stenberg, Stuart Or Dava J ....... Mcleod ....................1 ..Blk .............2,136 .......141.00 Arnold Green Meadow............... Absarokee ...............3 ..Blk .............1,022 .......165.00 Shortridge, Kathy ....................... Absarokee ...............1 ..Red ............1,871 .......140.50 Bred Cows Arnold Green Meadow............... Absarokee ...............1 ..Blk .................3-4 ....2,475.00 Heifer Calves Miller Cattle Co Or Welch Catt Hardin ........................4 ..Bk/Bwf ..........636 .......234.00 Fishtail Basin Ranch .................. Fishtail.....................3 ..Blk ................536 .......250.00 PAT GOGGINS President 245-6447 BOB COOK Manager 373-5143 eve. Cell: 670-0078 BILL COOK GREG GOGGINS ALAN CLARK TY THOMPSON JAIME OTTUN Auctioneer, Fldmn 373-6844 eve. Mobile - 861-5664 Auctioneer/Fieldman 406-200-1880 Auctioneer 406-698-4783 Office Manager Wheelchair ramp and deck available at PAYS Cattle Arena Heifers Stene, Kristopher Martin ............ Big Timber ...............2 ..Blk ................661 .......225.00 S Hanging H Rch Inc ................ Red Lodge ............10 ..Blk ................890 .......189.00 Heiferettes Seitz Ranch Limited Partnershi Molt ..........................1 ..Blk ................981 .......172.00 Majerus, Julie E Revocable ...... Roundup .................3 ..Blk .............1,147 .......157.00 Gregorich, Tyson J ................... Big Timber ...............1 ..Bbf .............1,206 .......145.00 Schneidt, Mary Jane .................. Molt .........................1 ..Blk .............1,026 .......165.00 Cumin, Tye Or Rosiland B ......... Big Timber ...............1 ..Blk .............1,036 .......159.00 Randall, Ray Or Marilyn Or Eri Bridger ......................1 ..Blk .............1,026 .......168.50 Spaulding, Dustin Or Bree ......... Belfry .......................2 ..Blk .............1,166 .......151.00 Diamond B Red Angus Llc......... Billings.....................4 ..Red ............1,291 .......160.50 King, Marc C. Or Lana R. .......... Big Timber ...............1 ..Blk .............1,151 .......151.00 Bergin Farm & Ranch Llc .......... Melstone .................1 ..Red ............1,256 .......152.50 Blaylock, Wayne Or Jess ........... Columbus ................1 ..Blk ................931 .......172.00 Keller, J William ......................... Custer .....................1 ..Red ............1,246 .......150.00 C Bar J Ranch Llc...................... Two Dot ...................2 ..Here..............901 .......168.00 Visit us online at: This year there were also four unstarted two-yearolds. All four head averaged $3,815. The high seller was Lot 63 “Blue Light Jethro” an AQHA gray gelding consigned by Ashley QH’s of Forsyth, MT, and purchased by Nicole Norwood and Jason Fales for $5,000. Next year’s sale dates are April 15 and 16, 2016. For more information, call 406670-3400 or go to www. realranchhorses.com www.publicauctionyards.com View and Buy on www.CattleUSA.com Buyers must be pre-registered Phone: (406) 245-6447 Call Us Toll Free 1-800-821-6447 Auctioneer, Fldmn 406-670-0689 Yard Foreman 406-860-0993 Bull Calves Jones, William ........................... Broadview ...............2 ..Blk ................538 .......235.00 Nine head of “Young Ranch Horses” (less experienced) also sold, with the top five averaging $6,800 and all of them averaging $5,628. High selling (tie) young horse was Lot 18 “Smiths Blue Hancock” a 5 year-old AQHA bay roan gelding, consigned by John Wollenburg of Red Lodge, MT, and purchased by Ken Overcast of Havre, MT, for $8,000. Second high seller (tie) young horse was Lot 60 “Hookem Up Bartender” a 4 year-old AQHA red roan gelding consigned by Froelich Ranch of Selfridge, ND, and purchased by Nicole Norwood and Jason Fales of Cody, WY, for $8,000. P.O. Box 1781 • Billings, MT 59103 Any of these people are ready and willing to visit with you about your marketing needs. JUST GIVE US A CALL… JOE GOGGINS Steer Calves Miller Cattle Co Or Welch ......... Hardin .....................3 ..Blk ................539 .......272.00 Wientjes, John ........................... Molt .........................1 ..Blk ................556 .......263.00 Second high seller (tie) was Lot 45 “Cats Black Coyote” an 11 year-old AQHA black gelding consigned by Roen Ranch of Musselshell, MT. Sold to a ranch at Dillon, MT, for $25,000. Third high seller was Lot 27 “Cellphone” an 11 yearold grade black QH/Draft gelding consigned by Jason Ward of Dillon, MT. Sold for $21,000 and went to southern Wyoming. Fourth high seller (tie) was Lot 51 “Severes Flounder” a 9 year-old AQHA bay gelding consigned by Lazy J 3 QH’s of Melstone, MT, and purchased by Matt Brown of Lodge Grass, MT, for $19,000. Fifth high seller (tie) was Lot 56 “Cheyenne Point” a 6 year-old APHA bay tobiano gelding consigned by John Wollenburg of Red Lodge, MT, and purchased by Joe Poteat of Livingston, MT, for $19,000. Public Auction YardS • Billings, MT Listen to Market Reports Monday thru Friday on: KGHL KOJM KIKC KXLO KPOW KMTA KMON Billings Havre Forsyth Lewistown Powell, WY Miles City Great Falls 6:35 6:18 6:40 6:40 6:25 7:07 6:45 a.m. a.m. a.m. a.m. a.m. a.m. a.m. Like us on Facebook ®
© Copyright 2024