Western (U.S.)

Widespread Warmth, Lingering Drought Dominate Early November Outlook

Wed, 05 Nov 2025 15:54:01 GMT

It’s been an unusually warm start to November, a trend that’s gripping the West and preventing moisture from reaching areas that need it. But that trend could shift later in the month, at least in terms of temperatures.

Several parts of the U.S. experienced their warmest November days on record in 2025, including Denver, Colo., and Tucson, Ariz. Other locations like Goodland, Kan., Sidney, Neb., and La Junta, Colo., also set daily record highs. But just how high are we talking?

Denver : Broke its all-time record November high, reaching 83°F and significantly exceeding the previous record of 78°F
Tucson : Set a record for the hottest day of the year on Saturday with 88°F, then broke its own record the next day with 92°F
Cheyenne : Recorded its latest-ever 70°F
San Jose : Reached 80°F

Meteorologist Brian Bledsoe, of Brian Bledsoe Weather, says through the first half of November, he expects above-normal temperatures across the western two-thirds of the country, with the Southeast seeing slightly cooler conditions.

“The western two-thirds of the country are just going to be a blowtorch,” he says.

Not Good News for Chances of Rain

It’s not just the warmth, but also the lack of moisture in the forecast. Bledsoe says rain chances will stay limited for most regions, especially the Mid-Mississippi Valley and the Gulf Coast, where below-normal precipitation is likely. The Pacific Northwest and parts of the Northern Rockies are the exceptions, potentially seeing wetter-than-average conditions.

“We’re continuing to build on some of these dry areas that have expanded across much of the country,” Bledsoe says. “If you look at the current drought monitor, there’s still a good bit of the country suffering from drought.”

The most recent look at the U.S. Drought Monitor paints a troubling picture heading into winter.

(U.S. Drought Monitor )

He notes that drought persists in the Southwest, where the monsoon season failed to deliver consistent rainfall. Washington, Idaho, and northwest Montana are also struggling with dryness, while parts of the Corn Belt — and even sections of the Northeast — remain abnormally dry.

“Absolutely, we have areas we need to work on,” he says. “But the current pattern just isn’t conducive to big storms bringing widespread moisture.”

Ridge Holds Firm Across the West

Bledsoe explains a strong ridge of high pressure anchored over the interior West — covering Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico — is pushing most storm systems northward.

A look at how the warmth will shift in November.

(Brian Bledsoe )

“That ridge is basically diverting the storm track,” he says. “Meanwhile, farther east — across the eastern Great Lakes and into the far eastern Corn Belt — we’ll be under the influence of a trough of low pressure. That brings a few chances for colder air and maybe some brief moisture, but it’s not a setup for big storms.”

Pattern Shift Possible Later in November

There is some hope for change as the month progresses. Long-range European models show the upper-level ridge beginning to weaken, opening the door for a more active storm track.

“As that ridge gradually breaks down, we’ll start to see less of the drier-than-average pattern,” Bledsoe says. “Areas farther north will likely see moisture first, and then hopefully that extends farther south into the Plains.”

Precipitation outlook for the first half of November.

(Brian Bledsoe )

Snow in the Forecast?

While the heat was the headline to start November, and continues to be the case in the western U.S., there will be a blip of not just cooler air, but much colder air that could bring snow to the central and eastern parts of the country. But it won’t last long.

AccuWeather says you’ll need to brace for a big change this weekend and early next week in the central and eastern United States . AccuWeather meteorologists warn the weather pattern indicates a surge of cold air and at least one storm capable of producing a band of accumulating snow across parts of the Midwest, followed by lake-effect snow and perhaps a bit of snow in portions of the Appalachians to the south.

AccuWeather says cold air will fail to gain a lasting foothold for the remainder of this week, with significant temperature swings from one day to the next in the Midwest and Northeast.

(AccuWeather)

AccuWeather is calling it “Christmastime cold” that’s on the way.
Their meteorologists say a large push of cold air arrives this weekend, which will cause conditions to drastically change.

A significant dip in the jet stream is forecast to begin this weekend for the Central and Eastern states.

“Temperatures will feel more like mid-December or even Christmastime in many places by next week,” AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok says.

A storm is forecast to track along the boundary of the advancing cold air from this weekend in the Midwest to early next week in the Northeast.

(AccuWeather )

But the cold air will fail to gain a lasting foothold for the remainder of this week, with significant temperature swings from one day to the next in the Midwest and Northeast, according to AccuWeather.

It may be temporary, but the colder air will bring chances of accumulating snow in areas of the Midwest and the Appalachians that are farther south and rather low in elevation, according to AccuWeather. The storm is forecast to track along the boundary of the advancing cold air from this weekend in the Midwest to early next week in the Northeast.

“As we see it now, the most likely time for snow showers in Chicago that can bring a small accumulation is late Saturday night to Sunday morning,” Pastelok says. “Around Detroit the most likely timing for accumulating snow showers is from Sunday morning to Sunday midday.”

While an excessive accumulation of snow is not anticipated on the roads, AccuWeather says the snow can fall at a heavy enough rate near the Interstate 94 and 80/90 corridor to make for slushy conditions in some areas.

How Three Ranches are Using Horses Today

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 10:29:20 GMT

The use of horses on the ranch is a tool that continues to be essential on many ranches today. Though it is a time-honored tradition for many, it is also how large ranches with diverse terrain manage daily cattle operations.

Horses are used in a variety of ways depending on the location and size of the ranch. At K4 Ranch, located 35 miles north of Prescott, Ariz., horses are used daily on their nearly 1 million acres where they manage cattle. In business since 1941, horses have been a staple to their functionality resulting in the addition of raising quarter horses.

“We raise a large number of horses to be used primarily for ranch work and secondly our production sale, The Legacy Ranch Horse Sale,” says Sarah Kieckhefer of K4 Ranches. “It is very important to us to raise performance horses that we use first and foremost as ranch horses for a solid foundation before we go into the arena or for breeding.”

Using horses to check and gather cattle is typically their only option with the rugged terrain.

“We use horses for everything involving cattle,” Kieckhefer says. “Our country in Arizona and California is rough terrain with mountains and ravines so motorized vehicles just don’t work.”

Their Diamond A Ranch, a division of K4 Ranch is the largest ranch in Arizona, running their largest number of cows and employs a large crew with seasonal cowboys and eight camps with full-time cowboys. They also have ranches in California and Oklahoma that they run cows and stocker cattle on.

“On our large ranches with rough or brushy terrain, a good horse can go where a pickup, ATV or side-by-side can’t,” Kieckhefer explains. “Horses can cover long distances, cross canyons and handle steep or rocky country, and a horse allows you to move quietly, ease cattle along and reduce stress, which leads to fewer wrecks and better weight retention.”

(Courtesy of Poss Angus)

Gathering and Sorting

Poss Angus, a registered Angus operation in Scotia, Neb., uses horses to gather, sort and pull heats during the breeding season. In the summer months they doctor and gather cattle on grass.

“Most of our pastures are rough clay hills with ponds and trees, so having a horse to get to where the cows are is definitely necessary,” says Nathan Poss, head cowboy. “Ninety percent of the time, if there is cattle work being done of any kind, there is a horse or two being saddled.”

Poss Angus manages roughly 800 head with a bull sale every February and occasionally a female sale in the fall.

“I don’t typically use a horse in the picture pen but always to video bulls,” Poss adds. “By using a horse in the video pen, it is easier to move the bulls back and forth across the pen. Videoing can also turn into a long couple days, so it’s nice to have a young horse putting in the steps instead of me.”

Poss’ main responsibilities are the health and care of the cattle, including feeding, doctoring, calving and processing.

“I enjoy taking the ranch work and utilizing it to make young horses better through the work. Another great benefit in my mind is when working cattle horseback, the cattle gain respect for you and your horse, over time I feel like those cattle work and handle much easier,” Poss explains. “In my opinion, if it comes down to catching a single animal, a horse must be used. By using a horse instead of a four-wheeler, it keeps the environment quiet, and you can always go the same pace as the animal to help steer them in the direction you need to go. Four wheelers and rangers are also used very heavily on our ranch. Quickly moving a group to another pasture, tagging, putting out salt and mineral, those are all equivalent times to use a four-wheeler or ranger.”

(Courtesy of The Pitchfork Ranch)

Branding and Moving

The Pitchfork Ranch in Meeteetse, Wyo., uses horses heavily during branding seasons and moving cattle on and off mountain pasture. Primarily a commercial cow-calf operation focused on pounds of beef produced per acre, they also retain some cattle every year for their beef program that sells directly to consumers.

Their cattle have to thrive at elevation and harsh winters, then range calve in the spring. The Pitchfork Ranch also hosts an annual ranch horse sale in the spring.

“We use horses in all of our cattle work. In the spring we calve in an 8,000-acre pasture where we then pair cattle out into our branding groups,” says Lindsey Anson, who manages The Pitchfork Ranch. “We head and heel calves at branding and then start working our way up country where cattle summer at 10,000' elevation in the Absaroka range. In the fall as cattle come off the mountain, they are then paired out again horseback into contemporary sex groups until we ship in the first half of November.”

Similar to K4 Ranch and Poss Angus, using horses is often because of the terrain.

“Our terrain also doesn’t allow for the use of motorized vehicles very often so the work has to be done on a horse. Part of our summer range is also in a wilderness area where we still have to pack in salt and mineral horseback,” Anson explains. “Our cattle seem to handle better horseback. In the subtleties of reading cattle, you can make minor adjustments on horseback that you aren’t able to do with something motorized.”

New 2026 Balers and Hay Tools Launched By Case IH, John Deere, New Holland, And Vermeer

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 17:01:14 GMT

Case IH’s new RB6 series variable chamber round baler offers durability and less maintenance with triple seal bearings throughout the machine. This ensures contaminants stay out while lubricants stay in to maintain optimal operation.

The RB566 model includes several enhancement options:

(Matthew J. Grassi)

New double roller windguard increases compression and control for OSF pickups, allowing for increased capacity and ground speed.
The new Bale Weigh capability allows operators to monitor and record individual bale weight on an ongoing basis via in-cab monitoring. This capability weighs the bale in chamber without pausing the machine.
Pro 700 Plus display or Pro 1200 display compatibility.
FieldOps machine and telematics data via mobile and web apps have the ability to monitor individual bale data such as drop location, weight and moisture content.

“Another thing we’ve done is, on our pickup, we’ve went to a double roller windguard on the 566. Our customers who are bailing a lot of corn stalks, they’re dealing with some big windrows,” says Brian Williams, livestock product specialist, CNH Industrial. “And what this does is it pushes those windrows down and smashes them out and allows them to feed into the baler more fluidly so they can go faster.”

The RB6 series is manufactured in the U.S. in New Holland, Penn. , and order writing is open now. Orders signed this fall will begin shipping in March 2026.

John Deere intros V452M Round Baler with stepped-up automation features

(John Deere)

John Deere says its new V452M round baler provides enhanced productivity and precision ag tech integration for hay and forage operations.

The V452M headlines a newly updated lineup of VR and CR round baler models, introducing a new naming convention and advanced features purpose-built for heavy crop and silage conditions, while the current 1 Series round balers will continue to serve customer baling needs.

Expanding the versatility of John Deere’s round baler lineup, the VM, VR and CR lineup updates include variable-chamber and variable-wrapping combination models.

Key features of the V452M include:

Advanced Bale Chamber Technology: Three starting rolls and two belt drive rolls ensure consistent bale rotation.
Larger Bale Chamber: 4-by-5½ feet chamber width to maximize bale weight.
High-Density Silage Capability: Produces silage bales up to 11.7 pounds per cubic foot.

The full updated Model Year 2026 Deere baler lineup introduces several features to boost productivity (capabilities vary by model):

Industry-Leading Gate Cycle Time: As fast as three seconds for more bales per hour.
Moisture Sensors and Bale Scales: Seamlessly connect to the free John Deere Operations Center for near real-time bale documentation and yield insights.
G5 or G5e Monitor for in-cab adjustments and data-driven decisions.
High-Capacity Feeding System: A 7.2-foot-wide five-bar pickup handles heavy windrows with ease.
Baler Automation With New Unplug Assist automatically stops the tractor when the target bale size is reached and manages the gate cycle. When needed, Unplug Assist automatically stops the tractor and disengages the PTO when a plug is detected.

The VM, VR and CR balers will begin shipping in November 2025. For more information, contact your local John Deere dealer

New Holland rolls out Roll-Belt 1 Series Balers

(New Holland)

New for model year 2026, New Holland is introducing three updated Roll-Belt 1 Series models designed to work smarter, bale faster and ensure producers stay connected.

New Holland says feeding performance gets a boost with its Roll-Belt 451, 461 and 561 models. A newly designed single roller windguard now comes standard on all OSF (OverShot Feeder) pickup models. And a larger 8.4" roller — 60% larger in diameter than its predecessor — helps better compress the crop mat and improve feeding into the chamber.

For those baling larger windrows, a new dual roller windguard is available as an upgrade option on the 561 model. The front and rear rollers pivot independently, providing adaptive control in variable crop and ground conditions. Operators can also lock both rollers together when compressing loose or fluffy windrows.

“Each of these three models has a distinct fit. Take, for example, the Roll-Belt 561. In corn stalks, it truly shines,” says Alex Berwager, livestock and dairy business manager, New Holland. “We’re seeing a 16% improvement in feeding capacity thanks to the dual roller windguard, jumping from 43 to 50 tons per hour. That means less plugging from the controlled crop flow and greater productivity to tackle more when your time is short.”

Vermeer launches fleet of new baler and hay tools for 2026

(Vermeer)

Vermeer’s new model year 2026 baler and hay tool launch is led by the all-new ZR-2200 self-propelled baler.

The launch fleet also includes:

604 S series balers
605S Rancher baler
ZR-2200 self-propelled baler with the Z604S bale chamber
3 new models of carted wheel rakes.

“We’ve taken feedback from dealers and hay producers to build equipment that’s intuitive, durable and designed to deliver results,” said Shane Rourke, managing director of forage, Vermeer.

604S Premium Baler

(Vermeer)

The new 604 S series balers come in three models: Rancher, Signature and Premium (shown above).

Vermeer says the machines are built to help producers get more 6’x4' (1.8-m by 1.2-m) bales put up in a day.

The 604S Rancher is a reliable, straightforward option for value-focused producers who want durable components and convenient operation.
The 604S Signature features enhanced driveline capacity and rugged components, ideal for high-volume operations.
The 604S Premium pulls out all the stops with smart automation, comfort-focused features and productivity tools that help operators work faster, smarter and with less effort.

All three models share common components — including the camless wide pickup with a hydraulic pickup lift, a mechanical netwrap system and the Atlas Pro control system with in-cab density adjustments.

ZR-4S self-propelled baler.

(Vermeer)

Since the launch of the ZR5-1200 self-propelled baler in 2017, producers have consistently asked for a 4' (1.2-m) model that delivers the same level of automation, comfort and productivity.

Vermeer says it is answering that request with the new ZR-2200 self-propelled baler with the Z604S bale chamber (ZR-4S). The ZR-4S (pictured above) features zero-turn maneuverability, integrated automation and a premium cab packed with operator-focused features.

From auto tie and eject to real-time bale data and TempSense bearing temperature monitoring, the ZR-4S self-propelled baler is built to keep operators productive, informed and comfortable.

VRC Carted wheel rake

(Vermeer)

Three new carted wheel rakes — the VRC820, VRC1022 and VRC1224 — offer robust construction, updated hydraulics, and simple adjustments to help producers get the most out of every pass.

With raking widths ranging from 20' (6 m) to 24' (7.3 m), these rakes are designed for longevity and ease of use for operators of all sizes.

Full availability on these new hay tools is expected in Spring 2026.

Your Next Read: Less Work, Better Bales - John Deere Intros Weave Automation

Grit, Grease, and Gears: Meet the Colorado Teen Breathing New Life into Old Tractors

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 15:58:17 GMT

Colorado teenager Tyson Hansen is a shining example of that old saying “If you start them young…”

That’s because Hansen, 17, has cultivated a rare passion for buying and restoring classic tractors. It is a passion passed down from his great grandfather, who started the Hansen family farm and pieced together a massive tractor fleet over the years.

“He had over 200-some tractors, mostly two-cylinder, and when he passed, they had the big auction and my dad bought one to remember him by, and well now it’s our family tractor,” Hansen remembers. “My dad still talks about the first day he let me drive it, and he always says since that first ride, I was just hooked.”

The tractor that launched his lifelong love for tractors - the 1934 John Deere GP in all its glory.

(Photo courtesy of Mecum Auctions)

That first taste of classic tractor heaven was on the hardened steel green seat of a 1934 John Deere GP, a popular two-plow row crop setup John Deere built and sold from 1928 to 1935.

The high school junior says he’s wrenched on about 16 to 17 classic tractors at this point, all while participating in his high school FFA program and wrestling for the varsity team. And it’s not a hobby he tackles alone in a dusty, dark barn – his dad, stepmom, and brother all pitch in and help out. Because everyone knows nothing brings a family closer than bonding over busted knuckles and stripped chassis bolts.

Tyson says his family is “pretty much a John Deere family” but that he has started to feel the pull from other legacy brands.

“I started out as a John Deere guy, but I don’t even actually own any John Deeres,” he says, adding that right now his personal collection consists of two classic Case IH tractors and two Farmalls.

That doesn’t mean a young man can’t dream big, though, and Tyson’s big dream restoration project is to someday fix up a John Deere Model R.

He purchased his latest tractor, a Case 400 Super Diesel Western Special Edition with a hand clutch – one of only eight ever built, he says – with the goal of fixing it up and flipping it to raise enough cash to make that dream a reality.

“Once I got that tractor I went online and looked up some Facebook groups where the guys are all about Case, and I didn’t know anything about them at the time, so I just started asking guys for help and next thing I know within an hour I had about seven or eight texts from guys asking to buy that thing off me,” he says. “That’s when I realized that 400 is a little rarer than I figured it would have been.”

His Case 400 is also going to end up helping his fellow students in the FFA program. Tyson’s FFA teacher has asked him to bring the 400 in and is going to let the young man lead his classmates through a lesson on how diesel engines work.

Work is a key word in any farming family, and the Hansen family is no different.

“I don’t know why, my dad always tells me I won’t like it when I am out of high school, but I like to work,” Hansen says. “I guess I’ve just got a working mindset – I’m not the biggest fan of sitting in the house.”

Check out Tyson Hansen’s latest Tractor Tales spotlight below, where the teen shows off his rebuilt Case 400 tractor. And subscribe to the Farm Journal YouTube channel to get all of the latest Tractor Tale videos.

Also keep an eye on U.S. Farm Report every Saturday morning for the debut of the newest Tractor Tales feature.

Your Next Read: 2001 John Deere Smashes Record With $132,500 Price Tag

The Foundation of the Cattle Industry Is Grass

Thu, 31 Oct 2024 21:34:45 GMT

The last 90 days have been a definite reminder of how quickly conditions in the cattle industry can change and remind us that while record-high cattle prices can generate optimism for cattlemen, the outlook is still largely driven by grazing. While their financial well-being is a function of the market, it is also a function of the availability of grass. Both define the cattle cycle. Furthermore, grazing is critical for rangeland health.

For cattlemen losing a large share of their grazing capacity as the result of wildfires or drought, the rosiest outlook generated by record-high prices can quickly become one of uncertainty. Western states ranchers dependent on Federal lands grazing (BLM and Forest Service), will not just feel the impact of a season of severe wildfires in 2024, but beyond, as restoration of these rangelands could last a period of 4 to 5 years.

Obviously, that period does not include grazing. Record-high prices or otherwise, this is a significant challenge – to say the least. While there was an immediate need for grazing or hay to replace the loss, that loss of grazing capacity must be replaced over the longer term — 2025 and beyond — particularly if it represented a large share of the ranch’s total grazing. Furthermore, it has been expressed that Federal grazing on selected allotments could be sharply reduced or discontinued on selected allotments following the wildfires. I believe this to be a strong possibility.

Beyond the wildfires in the West, the industry is also faced with serious drought conditions across both the West and the Midwest. This situation ranges from a continuation of the problem in selected areas to one that is just beginning in other areas and these drought conditions are one factor leading to wildfires. There are cattlemen who have already liquidated part of their herd or their entire herd. For others, that decision may still be yet to come. The situation poses the same challenge as that of wildfires — replacing forage. The drought situation can still improve over the next several months with good winter and spring moisture conditions. That is not the situation on Federal grazing lands or private lands grazing where wildfire occurred. The cards have been laid on the table and range restoration will include spraying for weeds, seeding, and plant establishment.

I am expressing the conditions related to grazing capacity following this summer’s wildfires and the drought situation to really bring to the forefront the importance of grazing to the cattle industry and rangeland health and its impact on the outlook for the cattle numbers going forward. Record-high prices are certainly a crucial factor in the assessing the direction of the industry, but grass is still the priority for the individual cattleman and the outlook for the cattle inventory.

Oregon Ranchers Are Continuing to Battle Grueling Wildfires as Financial Losses Mount

Wed, 07 Aug 2024 14:35:44 GMT

As of Friday, more than 1.1 million acres has burned in Oregon. Lightning continues to spark new fires and with the flames still not under control, it will go down as one of the most devastating wildfire fires in the state’s history.

Clint Sexson ranches in eastern Oregon. He says between cattle lost and grazing areas burned, it’s been a grueling summer. The exact livestock losses are unknown at this time.

“I don’t even want to speculate,” Sexson says. “I mean, the one that’s pretty public is that the 300 head in the Durkee Fire that were lost,” Sexson says. “I know one producer who has lost probably hundreds.”

That particular fire, the Durkee Fire, has been a monster. At 86% contained, it’s already scorched 295,000 acres.

Plenty of Fuel for Fires

Just this week, lightning sparked more fires. Sexson says the reason the fires have been so bad is the amount of grass available to fuel the fires.

“There’s more fuel on the ground,” Sexson says. “Some of these areas have burned before. There hasn’t necessarily been a clean up after a burn, so there’s just a lot of fuel.”

A Devastating Loss of Grass to Graze

The livestock losses are heartbreaking and severe, but the amount of grass burned is causing concern in the state. As the fires rage, the losses of valuable grazing ground are mounting, which impacts livestock producers across the state.

“This part of the world is different,” Sexson says. “A lot of people don’t feed cows, but maybe 30, 60 days a year. The rest of the year, we are grazing cattle. It’s a budgetary thing and a management thing that they will have to work through. Emotionally, it’s tough on those people, especially those generational ranches.”

Sexson was fortunate. On July 20, as the fires raged and closed in on his land, he was able to get cattle out thanks to fellow ranchers who showed up with trucks and trailers.

“I work for Select Sires and every one of those trucks that showed up, they were all customers,” he says, as his voice cracks and tears fill his eyes. “We got the cattle out and right back to a customer’s feedlot. They were ready for them, and we were pretty fortunate.”

An Emotional Sale of Support

That emotion was felt late last week as Superior Livestock Auction sold special benefit lots as part of their video sale in Winnemucca, Nev. This was an example of ranchers helping ranchers. That money went to the Oregon Fire Relief Fund, which will help those producers in need.

“These are primarily purebred breeders who have made donations in sale credit or semen credit,” Sexson says. “They’re not directly focused on their customers alone. They’re just focused on the general beef industry in Oregon and the devastation some of these people are dealing with. I know two or three people who had their entire ranches burned by the fires. They may not have lost a cow, but it burnt all their private grazing ground.”

The special sale was a touching gesture, as the ranching community comes together at a time of need and the fires continue to burn. Emotions are high, losses are mounting and cattle producers impacted are feeling the financial pain.

Research Shows Benefits of Grazing Livestock in Sagebrush Environments

Tue, 06 Aug 2024 20:03:33 GMT

While a cow grazing in a field isn’t typically remarkable, United States Department of Agriculture scientists have identified potential ecological benefits of strategically applied livestock grazing in sagebrush communities across U.S. western rangelands.

As recently published in the scientific journal Ecosphere , the collaborative research effort among Agricultural Research Service (ARS) rangeland scientists at Burns, Ore., and Fort Collins, Colo., challenged the outdated dogma that livestock grazing in the sagebrush steppe always negatively impacts these ecosystems and, in fact, can convey desirable outcomes, particularly in regard to limiting both wildfire risk and invasive annual grasses.

In addressing these ecological challenges, ARS scientists discovered that strategically applying livestock grazing prior to the occurrence of climate-induced wildfires can modify sagebrush steppe characteristics in ways that decrease fire probability and severity in the communities, promote biodiversity while reducing postfire annual grass invasion, fire-induced loss of native bunchgrasses, and fire damage to soil biocrusts, the collection of bacteria, fungi and mosses on the soil surface.

The ARS team compared moderately grazed and ungrazed sagebrush steppe and observed the grazing induced shorter flame lengths, slower rates of fire spread, and smaller burning fronts.

Similarly, strategic grazing in annual grass-dominated rangelands reduced flame length and rate of spread — modifications that resulted in safer and more effective fire suppression. Still another benefit of modified fire characteristics, the scientists reported, is a decrease in the area burned and overall mosaic of burned and unburned patches.

Grazing by non-native livestock such as sheep, cattle and horses dates back to the mid-to-late 1800s by Europeans, these early practices were not ecologically sustainable and led to widespread overuse and degradation to include loss of perennial grasses and forbs, reduced biodiversity, erosion, overabundant unpalatable species, and non-native plant invasions.

“There were concerns about the negative consequences of non-native livestock grazing in sagebrush communities, especially since these communities are experiencing unpreceded threats from invasive annual grasses, altered fire regimes, and climate change,” said Kirk Davies, ARS rangeland scientist. “But strategically applied grazing can spur desirable social-ecological outcomes such as reduced non-native annual grass invasion, decreased wildfire probability and spread, reduced fire suppression cost, and prevent undesirable ecological transformation post-fire.”

Davies’ findings also indicated that grazing can modify competitive relationships in introduced bunchgrass seeding to favor native species recruitment. This can be particularly valuable for reestablishing sagebrush, a critical shrub for many native wildlife species.

With careful attention to the timing, duration, frequency, and intensity of use needed to meet vegetation objectives, strategic grazing has the potential to reduce the detrimental impacts of invasive annual grasses, promote native species in introduced grasslands, and encourage native shrub recovery.

“Recognizing livestock grazing as a tool that can achieve desired outcomes could improve our ability to achieve meaningful rangeland management outcomes in sagebrush and likely other rangeland communities,” Davies said.

John Phipps: Why Water is the New Oil for Landowners

Wed, 09 Aug 2023 13:38:50 GMT

There are signs that water is the new oil.

This is a question sent in by U.S. Farm Report viewer David Marshall of Lafayette, Indiana: “You’ve covered the subject of foreign land ownership and rightly noted that it’s a very small percentage. I think the issue that we really need to address, especially in the southwestern states, is the purchasing of farmland by corporate entities that have nothing to do with farming but who solely want to obtain the water rights that the purchase of the ground includes. Their main reason for purchasing the land is to have a resource that they can sell to the highest bidder. How long before hedge funds and corporations own all the water rights and the farmer and the public are left to be the highest bidder or do without the needed resource?”

As Mark Twain said, “Whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting”. While our arguably arcane water rights laws have provided thousands of billable hours for water lawyers in the West, I don’t think we’ve seen anything yet.

“First in time, first in line” may have seemed like a good idea centuries ago when rivers and groundwater appeared inexhaustible, the enormous use by modern agriculture - about 80% of our nation’s resources - is testing the practicality of those laws. I can’t imagine modern lawmakers reforming our laws with the needed speed, so the backup method of acquisition for water consumers is to buy the water needed from agriculture.

Bluntly put, there is a price for every gallon, and many farmers are just now realizing how extremely valuable those gallons are.

As I have argued in every land-use debate -from solar panels to suburban development - with rare exceptions due to location or unique qualities, the rights of landowners should be preeminent to allow the market to redistribute those assets.

Consider the rapidly growing cities of the Southwest, like Phoenix. Spending millions to buy water rights from nearby farmers currently growing alfalfa in the desert to feed dairy cows, when milk is being dumped in Wisconsin, looks to me like an inefficient market hampered by regulation and unable to rationally allocate assets.

Between our outdated milk pricing programs and water laws, the outcome you describe is capitalism’s way of solving a problem. Farming may always be the optimal use for our ever-scarcer water.

I think not, but I think this is a problem being solved by accountants, not lawyers.

'It Looks Like a War Zone': Texas Farmer Describes Wheat Crop Now Ravaged by Sunday's Derecho and Dust Storm

Mon, 27 Feb 2023 20:54:26 GMT

Scenes across Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas this week strongly resembled the Dust Bowl era of the 1930s. Winds topping 100 mph only added to the scars the two-year drought has etched into the area. Now, growers are dealing with a dryland wheat crop that could already see abandonment as high as 80%.

Photos and videos from the area portray scenes from Sunday’s storm. Quentin Shieldknight, a farmer in Spearman, Texas, says the area had already been ravaged by high winds this month. Sunday’s storm then finished off some of the wheat crop.

PEAK WIND GUSTS 2/26/2023 - Memphis, Texas takes the cake for highest wind yesterday by a long shot. I have seen my fair share of wind gusts near 100 mph before but have never seen one at 114 MPH until yesterday for our region.#txwx #okwx #nmwx #phwx @ABC7Amarillo @StormSearch7 pic.twitter.com/z4L9xMIv04
— Corbin Voges WX (@CorbinVogesWX) February 27, 2023

“I would say the dryland wheat’s probably done,” Shieldknight told Farm Journal. “I would say the static electricity generated by that storm yesterday is probably going to be rather significant.”

That area of the Texas Panhandle sees an average rainfall total of 17 inches per year. However, it has seen only 12 inches of rain the past two years combined. “It’s been a two-year drought for us where we haven’t had a significant rain event,” he says. “What rains we did get got some crops up on the dryland fields, but it didn’t sustain them. This northeast corner of the Texas Panhandle into the Oklahoma Panhandle into southwest Kansas, it almost looks like a ‘war zone,’ is what somebody called it. It’s just so bad.”

This is unpleasant. pic.twitter.com/rqzBnFVIxJ
— Brad Heffington 🌵🌵🏈 (@BradHeffington) February 26, 2023

Brad Heffington lives just north of Littlefield, Texas. He says Sunday’s dust storm was as bad as he’s seen in his 35-year farming career. He also is growing less optimistic about crop prospects this year, with his estimate of losses being at least 80% on dryland winter wheat. Heffington says it’s getting so bad, even some of the irrigated wheat in his area has ben killed off by the dry and windy weather.

While crop losses could continue to mount, Shieldknight says adjusters will be assessing fields this week, but winter wheat abandonment on dryland could be as high as 80% in his area. That’s after Sunday’s weather was created, a picture that eerily resembled the Dust Bowl.

“Even before the storms built up behind all that wind, there was just significant dust in the air,” he says. “It was hot, extremely high winds. You had to be careful if you were in a high-profile vehicle. If you were driving and went around a corner or drove by a set of bins, you better be hanging onto the steering wheel pretty good. There were times where you couldn’t see 10 feet in front of your face if you went by certain fields that were blowing.”

Almost paradise in west Texas 🥴

Top wind hit 78mph in Morton! pic.twitter.com/kmyYwsuiN9
— Railey Silhan (@RaileyKayBrown) February 27, 2023

What’s also scary to Shieldknight is how early the wind events started this year. Typically, March and April are the months that start producing high winds. That was the case last year, when a similar wind event took out much of the winter wheat crop in April. This year, the month of February produced two windstorms, with the major one hitting on Sunday.

Now, the Texas farmer is considering changing up his planting plans for this year, as the long-term weather prospects don’t look promising for the spring-planted crops.

“One thought in my mind last night was I might need to load up on some sorghum instead of more corn, because sorghum uses less water. The risk’s there that we will have more days like this all the way into April or May,” he says. “It’s going to change some crop plans from corn to low-use water crops, because that risk on corn could be significant. If our long-range weather forecast for July and August doesn’t change, I think guys have got to really start thinking about what crops do we need to roll back to and not have that risk out there.”

The sun is almost still visible pic.twitter.com/csTYDTFdpS
— Mr Optimism🤔🌵 (@bwhite70) February 26, 2023

Shieldknight is also aware of some of the criticism around why farmers in the area don’t plant more cover crops to help prevent dust storms like Sunday’s event. But the Texas farmer points out you need moisture to get any type of crop established, something that the area hasn’t really seen this year. Any cover crop or wheat that’s been planted in dryland is barely hanging on or was already killed off from drought and wind.

Farming in that area of the Plains is tough, which is why the area is also heavy into strip-tillage and other minimal-tillage practices to preserve any drop of moisture they can. But in years when it doesn’t rain, on fields that don’t have irrigation, there’s not much area farmers can do.

“We are in a unique place in the Texas Panhandle. You have to have a heck of a backbone and a strong faith in God, and it really takes a big one, because if it does not rain there is no chance you can get a crop up. There’s just not a chance,” he says. “And we have windows where we get rain, and if you can’t get a crop up in those windows, or planting at a time it doesn’t rain, it’s nearly impossible. And so, most guys do the best job they can to leave cover on. That’s why we try to plant winter wheat, or we try to leave our sorghum stalks or stuff on our dryland, because we can’t raise dryland corn here.”

The weather hasn’t only been devastating to wheat farmers, but also cattle producers who typically use those fields for grazing this time of year.

Public Lands Council To Congress: Federal Wild Horse Control Critical

Tue, 06 Sep 2022 18:04:37 GMT

The current system of managing wild horses and burros on public lands “has been crippled to the point of catastrophic failure” and Congress needs to step in to improve the system “to the benefit of all wildlife, rangelands, and the multiple uses of those rangelands,” according to Ethan Lane of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and the Public Lands Council (PLC). Lane testified on behalf of NCBA, PLC and the National Horse and Burro Rangeland Management Coalition at a hearing held by the Senate’s Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining on July 16.

During his testimony, Lane identified several problematic situations happening on West’s public lands: while the rangeland can only support about 26,000 wild horses and burros, more than 88,000 currently roam across 10 Western states as of March 2019, according to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM.) Even more concerning is that on-range populations are doubling every four to five years, with a population of approximately 366,000 on-range horses and burros likely by 2028.

“Excessive populations deplete scarce food and water resources on the arid rangelands, leading to starvation and dehydration of the horses and burros,” Lane testified. “Maintaining the status quo places our public lands - and all animals and multiple-use activities that rely on those rangelands - at risk.”

In addition to laying out a variety of specific ways that wild horse and burro populations could be brought under control, Lane also endorsed and submitted for the record a compromise proposal that has been agreed to by stakeholders across the political spectrum - from ranchers to municipalities to national humane advocacy groups.

“The management recommendations set forth are the product of extensive negotiation, debate, and compromise amongst groups with wildly disparate views on this issue,” Lane pointed out. “Such compromise between political opponents is a rarity in the modern political arena, and I would urge the Committee to look closely at what we have managed to accomplish through good-faith collaboration.”

Click here to view Lane’s full written testimony , and click here to view the compromise proposal, entitled The Path Forward for Management of BLM’s Wild Horses and Burros.

Additional coverage from Drovers:

Wayne Pacelle: Deep Dive into Flawed Wild Horse Federal Removal Plan

Some Horse Advocates Buck at New Plan to Save Wild Mustangs

BLM Offers Wild Horse Adoption Incentive

Wanted: More Pastures for West’s Overpopulated Wild Horses

Anger Over Anaplasmosis

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 02:24:22 GMT

Jason Lewis discovered the first dead cow in September of last year. It was the beginning of an odyssey that left him, the ranch owner and several other area producers questioning their management, relationships with suppliers, and even government oversight on how medicated feeds are produced and the new Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD).

Over the next few weeks the number of dead cows on the 5,200-acre Division Ranch, near Strong City, Kan., where Lewis has been manager for 23 years, had grown to 13. As with any sudden loss of cattle, the deaths were at first a mystery. Initially he thought the deaths were due to blue-green algae, but an analysis of pond water was negative.

Risk of Cattle Contracting Anaplasmosis Grows

This interactive map shows the greatest risk areas for anaplasmosis infections. Every state, except Hawaii has reported cases of anaplasmosis in cattle. An experimental vaccine from University Products LLC has been approved for veterinarian use in 26 states and Puerto Rico. Roll over each state to see more information. (Produced by Lori Hays)

Lewis then called on Tom Jernigan, DVM, to investigate with a necropsy and blood samples from other cows.

The diagnosis was anaplasmosis, a disease prevalent in the Kansas Flint Hills area. Lewis and Division Ranch owner Guy Pickard were well aware the ranch was in a high-risk anaplasmosis area. But that only deepened the mystery of the cow deaths because they were feeding mineral with an antibiotic designed to prevent anaplasmosis. The mineral was purchased from a local feed company that mixed chlortetracycline (CTC) into the product under a VFD written by Jernigan.

“We knew anaplasmosis was prevalent in this area,” Lewis says. “But we thought our preventative measures were protecting us.”

Over the next few months, Lewis and Pickard searched for answers to the tragedy they say cost the ranch north of $35,000. What they found is a system they believe is flawed, and now they hope their experience will serve as a warning to other cattlemen to be more vigilant.

Anaplasmosis is a disease caused by the blood parasite Anaplasma marginale. It is transmitted from animal to animal by biting flies, ticks and contaminated needles or surgical instruments. Once infected, an animal’s immune system attacks the invader, but also destroys infected red blood cells. In an acute infection, the loss of red blood cells inhibits the animal’s ability to provide adequate oxygen to tissues, and death occurs due to suffocation at the cellular level.

Producers have long known about anaplasmosis, and the most popular means of prevention is the use of mineral mixes with CTC.

Veterinarians say feeding CTC at a rate of 0.5 mg per pound of body weight will prevent anaplasmosis infections.

When Pickard and Lewis began to suspect a problem they contacted the Kansas Department of Agriculture. A KDA representative visited the ranch, collected samples and sent them to two different labs for testing, KDA and the South Dakota Agriculture Laboratories.

While KDA found no evidence the mineral batch to be faulty, they reported “the amount of CTC available to the cows was deficient by 56 mg to 151 mg per head per day, or 9.5% to 24.3% of the required amount to control and prevent death loss caused by anaplasmosis.”

“That appeared to be the answer at first,” Pickard says. “But the deficiencies of CTC in the mineral were within the allowable limits. So, while we were paying for a CTC-mineral mix that we thought would prevent anaplasmosis, what we were getting was a product that could legally be 30% short of the VFD as written.”

A 30% allowable variance (meaning the CTC amount could be from 70% to 130% of the VFD) is one few producers—or even many veterinarians—know about, a crucial piece of information Pickard and Lewis want to make known to other producers.

The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Veterinary Medicine is the federal agency with oversight regarding the use of antibiotics in food animals. As a member of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Pickard was counseled by NCBA to contact the FDA. He was referred to the FDA’s medicated feed specialist, Dragan Momcilovic, DVM. He confirmed to Pickard the FDA allows a variance of 30% for CTC in mineral mixes, a regulation that dates back at least 50 years.

In correspondence with Pickard, Momcilovic wrote regarding the justification for the variance, “the issues boil down to stating that the assay limits take into account the inherent variability in the feed assay method and give some extra allowance for variability due to mixing/sampling.

“As I would put it,” Momcilovic wrote, “the assay limits are a result of necessity dictated by and laws of physics/chemistry.”
For cowboys like Pickard and Lewis, however, the allowable variance still seems excessive. After all, both labs that tested the mineral samples from the Division Ranch indicated their tests to be 99% accurate or better.

“It’s not that simple,” says Gary Sides, beef cattle nutritionist with Zoetis, the manufacturer of Aureomycin (CTC), the only product approved by FDA for feeding as free choice in mineral to beef cattle and one many veterinarians say is the best tool for anaplasmosis prevention.

“There are valid reasons to have a 30% variance because you can have such variation when you sample,” Sides says. “How many samples were taken? Were there any weather events such as heat and humidity? There’s just so many variables that if we reduced the variance there would be horrible ramifications for the feed companies.”

Also, it’s important for producers to understand assay variations do not predict the effectiveness of the product, says William McBeth, DVM, director of veterinary medical information and product support for Zoetis.

“It’s a pass/fail system,” McBeth says of testing samples. “There’s real variability across all free-choice pasture mineral programs. The product is either within the allowable variance or it’s not. The assay limits are not a random number. They were developed by analytical chemists who run hundreds of samples each week.”

There’s also the crucial factor of daily intake. A VFD for CTC does not guarantee that the medication will be consumed by the cows at the recommended rate.

“The producer has to make sure the cows are consuming the product at the recommended rate or it can’t be effective,” Sides says.

As for the feed company that provided the CTC-mineral mix to Division Ranch and others, no one believes they intentionally shorted the product. Indeed, even one of their competitors that spoke with Drovers about this story calls them “a good competitor with a good reputation.” He says like any other business, misrepresenting a feed or mineral product is a quick way to ruin their business.

“I don’t know any company that deliberately puts in 70% of what’s required,” Zoetis’ Sides says. “It’s just not done.”
Yet, the whole episode has left Lewis and Pickard feeling bitter. They provide their cattle with excellent care and management, they have a close working relationship with their veterinarian and they played by the rules of the VFD.

“We still lost 13 cows,” Pickard says. “What I want to emphasize to other producers is to be vigilant about anaplasmosis. You may be providing CTC, but it’s not a guarantee against the disease.”