Jump to an event:

• Bareback Riding
• Steer Wrestling
• Team Roping
• Saddle Bronc Riding
• Tie-Down Roping
• Barrel Racing
• Bull Riding
• Breakaway Roping

2022 World All-Around Standings:  1. Stetson Wright; $758,828.78, Milford, UT; 2. Caleb Smidt; $372,964.69, Bellville, TX; 3. Josh Frost; $307,700.96, Randlett, UT; 4. Zack Jongbloed; $235,260.99, Iowa, LA; 5. Marty Yates; $225,732.42, Stephenville, TX; 6. Haven Meged; $214,305.62, Miles City, MT; 7. Coleman Proctor; $212,521.30, Pryor, OK; 8. Rhen Richard; $181,702.95•Roosevelt, UT; 9. Taylor Santos; $159,179.29, Creston, CA; 10. Paul David Tierney; $118,791.57, Oklahoma City, OK

RAM Top Gun Standings: 1. Zeke Thurston, $256,077.6, Saddle Bronc Riding; 2; Stetson Wright; $237,812.24, Bull Riding; 3. Jess Pope; $231,361.07, Bareback Riding; 4. Caleb Smidt, $225,220.79, Tie-down Roping; 5. Logan Hay, $199,960.11, Saddle Bronc Riding; 6. Patrick Smith; $199,726.99, Team Roping (Heelers); 7. Tanner Tomlinson; $199,726.99, Team Roping (Headers); 8.  Lefty Holman; $191,410.28, Saddle Bronc Riding; 9.  Kaycee Feild; $185,347.77, Bareback Riding; 10. Tristen Hutchings; $183,482.33, Bull Riding

Bareback Riding

2022 WORLD CHAMPION: Jess Pope

ROUND 10 WINNER: Kaycee Feild

BAREBACK RIDING LEADERS AS OF ROUND 10

• Average: 1. Jess Pope 778.5/9; 2 Cole Franks 764.0/9; 3 R.C. Landingham 762.0/9; 4 Kaycee Feild 759.0/9; 5 Leighton Berry 752.5/9; 6 Tim O’Connell 750.0/9; 7 Cole Reiner 749.0/9; 8 Ty Breuer 729.5/9; 9 Garrett Shadbolt 723.0/9; 10 Caleb Bennett 721.0/9; 11 Tilden Hooper 676.0/8; 12 Rocker Steiner 666.5/8; 13 Tanner Aus 650.0/8; 14 Clayton Biglow 589.0/7; 15 Orin Larsen 217.5/3
• World Standings: 1. Jess Pope, $390,620.11, Waverly, KS, 2. Kaycee Feild, $316,490.32, Genola, UT, 3. Leighton Berry, $267,273.99, Weatherford, TX, 4. Cole Franks, $263,377.99, Clarendon, TX, 5. R.C. Landingham, $246,696.05, Hat Creek, CA, 6. Tim O’Connell, $234,231.73, Zwingle, IA, 7. Cole Reiner, $228,020.71, Buffalo, WY, 8. Tanner Aus, $206,851.37, Granite Falls, MN, 9. Tilden Hooper, $188,477.28, Carthage, TX, 10. Rocker Steiner, $185,366.74, Weatherford, TX

Steer Wrestling

2022 WORLD CHAMPION: Tyler Waguespack

ROUND 10 WINNER: Jesse Brown

STEER WRESTLING LEADERS AS OF ROUND 10

• Average: 1 Kyle Irwin 42.10/9; 2 Jesse Brown 44.70/9; 3 Will Lummus 47.00/9; 4 Tyler Waguespack 53.10/9; 5 Stetson Jorgensen 55.70/9; 6 Tanner Brunner 65.30/9; 7 Hunter Cure 35.60/8; 8 Rowdy Parrott 36.30/8; 9 J.D. Struxness 37.40/8; 10 Dakota Eldridge 37.60/8; 11 Dirk Tavenner 49.50/8; 12 Timmy Sparing 49.90/8; 13 Ty Erickson 57.10/8; 14 Tristan Martin 30.40/7; 15 Nick Guy 42.60/7
• World Standings: 1. Tyler Waguespack, $268,881.34, Gonzales, LA, 2. Will Lummus, $266,188.44, Byhalia, MS, 3. Kyle Irwin, $249,891.70, Robertsdale, AL, 4. Hunter Cure, $247,309.24, Holliday, TX, 5. Jesse Brown, $241,151.93, Baker City, OR, 6. Stetson Jorgensen, $235,287.94, Blackfoot, ID, 7. J.D. Struxness, $197,227.71, Milan, MN, 8. Ty Erickson, $192, 400.30, Helena, MT, 9. Tanner Brunner, $174,746.36, Ramona, KS, 10. Tristan Martin, $170, 981.07, Sulphur, LA

Team Roping

2022 WORLD CHAMPION HEADER: Kaleb Driggers

2022 WORLD CHAMPION HEELER: Junior Nogueira

ROUND 10 WINNERS: Rhen Richard / Jeremy Buhler

TEAM ROPING LEADERS AS OF ROUND 10

• Average: 1 Tanner Tomlinson/Patrick Smith 53.00/10; 2 Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira 71.40/9; 3 Riley Minor/Brady Minor 73.60/9; 4 Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins 43.20/8; 5 Jr. Dees/Levi Lord 50.20/8; 6 Dustin Egusquiza/Travis Graves 56.20/8; 7 Clay Tryan/Jade Corkill 38.40/7; 8 Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin 39.10/7; 9 Jake Orman/Brye Crites 45.50/7; 10 Tyler Wade/Trey Yates 30.30/6; 11 Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp 32.20/6; 12 Lightning Aguilera/Jonathan Torres 40.80/6; 13 Chad Masters/Joseph Harrison 44.90/6; 14 Rhen Richard/Jeremy Buhler 21.70/4; 15 Clay Smith/Jake Long 50.60/4
• World Standings – Heading: 1. Kaleb Driggers, $340,708.23, Hoboken, GA, 2. Tanner Tomlinson, $307,095.20, Angleton, TX, 3. Clay Tryan, $264,954.96, Billings, MT, 4. Andrew Ward, $226,722.88, Edmond, OK, 5. Jr. Dees, $209,730.32, Aurora, SD, 6. Coleman Proctor, $207,354.76, Pryor, OK, 7. Dustin Egusquiza, $201,830.92, Marianna, FL, 8. Tyler Wade, $196,868.58, Terrell, TX, 9. Rhen Richard, $178,454.15, Roosevelt, UT, 10. Chad Masters, $169,183.99, Cedar Hill, TN
• World Standings – Heeling: 1. Junior Nogueira, $340,708.23, Presidente Prudente, SP, 2. Patrick Smith, $307,095.20, Lipan, TX, 3. Jade Corkill, $231,147.06, Fallon, NV, 4. Buddy Hawkins, $225,180.58, Stephenville, TX, 5. Levi Lord, $211,128.35, Sturgis, SD,  6. Logan Medlin, $207,354.76, Tatum, NM, 7. Travis Graves, $202,545.32, Jay, OK, 8. Trey Yates, $193,306.33, Pueblo, CO, 9. Jeremy Buhler, $179,389.57, Arrowwood, AB,10. Joseph Harrison, $173,855.31, Marietta, OK

Saddle Bronc Riding

2022 WORLD CHAMPION: Zeke Thurston

ROUND 10 WINNER: Kolby Wanchuk

SADDLE BRONC RIDING LEADERS AS OF ROUND 10

• Average: 1 Zeke Thurston 876.5/10; 2 Logan Hay 863.0/10; 3 Brody Cress 777.0/10; 4 Lefty Holman 785.0/9; 5 Stetson Wright 781.5/9; 6 Dawson Hay 775.5/9; 7 Kade Bruno 757.0/9; 8 Kolby Wanchuk 748.0/9; 9 Tanner Butner 728.0/9; 10 Chase Brooks 687.0/8; 11 Ryder Wright 666.0/8; 11 Sage Newman 666.0/8; 13 Kole Ashbacher 657.5/8; 14 Wyatt Casper 649.5/8; 15 Layton Green 562.5/7
• World Standings: 1. Zeke Thurston, $399,915.64, Big Valley, AB, 2. Lefty Holman, $341,389.58, Visalia, CA, 3. Logan Hay, $339,400.52, Wildwood, AB, 4. Stetson Wright, $335,796.51, Milford, UT, 5. Sage Newman, $320,474.16, Melstone, MT, 6. Brody Cress, $246,275.01, Hillsdale, WY, 7. Dawson Hay, $213,122.25, Wildwood, AB, 8. Kolby Wanchuk, $211,632.52, Sherwood Park, AB, 9. Chase Brooks, $204,126.17, Deer Lodge, MT, 10. Ryder Wright, $192,672.61, Beaver, UT

Tie Down Roping

2022 WORLD CHAMPION: Caleb Smidt

ROUND 10 WINNER: Ty Harris

TIE DOWN ROPING LEADERS AS OF ROUND 10

• Average: 1 Caleb Smidt 82.50/10; 2 Cory Solomon 93.40/10; 3 Zack Jongbloed 95.80/10; 4 Haven Meged 117.50/10; 5 Tyler Milligan 129.90/10; 6 Macon Murphy 136.20/10; 7 Hunter Herrin 87.10/9; 8 Ty Harris 96.80/9; 9 Marty Yates 69.10/8; 10 Shad Mayfield 92.80/8; 11 Shane Hanchey 104.30/8; 12 Riley Webb 66.80/7; 13 Kincade Henry 60.40/6; 14 John Douch 39.40/5; 15 Tuf Cooper 51.50/5
• World Standings: 1. Caleb Smidt, $374,736.70, Bellville, TX, 2. Shad Mayfield, $269,936.43, Clovis, NM, 3. Cory Solomon, $265,302.94, Prairie View, TX, 4. Hunter Herrin, $258,613.06, Apache, OK, 5. John Douch, $254,376.15, Huntsville, TX, 6. Zack Jongbloed, $233,962.22, Iowa, LA, 7. Marty Yates, $228,106.48, Stephenville, TX, 8. Haven Meged, $227,896.65, Miles City, MT, 9. Kincade Henry, $217,107.81, Mount Pleasant, TX, 10. Riley Webb, $188,597.25, Denton, TX

Barrel Racing

2022 WORLD CHAMPION: Hailey Kinsel

ROUND 10 WINNER: Shelley Morgan

BARREL RACING LEADERS AS OF ROUND 10

• Average: 1 Shelley Morgan 137.28/10; 2 Bayleigh Choate 138.98/10; 3 Lisa Lockhart 141.66/10; 4 Jordon Briggs 142.41/10; 5 Wenda Johnson 142.76/10; 6 Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi 143.01/10; 7 Sissy Winn 144.03/10; 8 Hailey Kinsel 146.06/10; 9 Margo Crowther 146.98/10; 10 Kassie Mowry 152.33/10; 11 Emily Beisel 155.50/10; 12 Jessica Routier 158.19/10; 13 Dona Kay Rule 159.34/10; 14 Stevi Hillman 164.56/10; 15 Leslie Smalygo 144.69/9$177,762.92; 4. Dona Kay Rule, $164,956.44; 5. Margo Crowther, $149,774.91; 6. Lisa Lockhart, $144,304.01; 7. Emily Beisel, $$140,340.06; 8. Stevi Hillman, $138,063.82; 9. Shelley Morgan, $137,249.52; 10. Kassie Mowry, $125,404.45; 11. Sissy Winn, $119,309.76; 12. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, $107,758.79; 13. Leslie Smalygo, $106,578.10; 14. Bayleigh Choate (R), $100,892.81; 15. Jessica Routier, $96,863.10
• World Standings Following Round 10: 1. Hailey Kinsel, $302,172.27; 2. Jordon Briggs, $274,520.38; 3. Shelley Morgan, $265,029.69; 4. Lisa Lockhart, $253,196.90; 5. Wenda Johnson, $231,859.61; 6. Emily Beisel, $221,718.13; 7. Margo Crowther, $184,751.16; 8. Bayleigh Choate, $182,970.62; 9. Dona Kay Rule, $171,018.99; 10. Leslie Smalygo, $158,342.95

Bull Riding

2022 WORLD CHAMPION: Stetson Wright

ROUND 10 WINNER: Kaycee Feild

BULL RIDING LEADERS AS OF ROUND 10

• Average: 1 Stetson Wright 684.5/8; 2 Josh Frost 589.5/7; 3 Ky Hamilton 510.0/6; 4 Tristen Hutchings 447.0/5; 5 Trevor Kastner 429.0/5; 6 Trey Kimzey 347.0/4; 7 Garrett Smith 256.5/3; 8 Trey Holston 175.5/2; 9 Jeff Askey 175.0/2; 10 Creek Young 169.0/2; 11 Cole Fischer 159.5/2; 12 JR Stratford 90.0/1; 13 Jared Parsonage 81.5/1; 14 Lukasey Morris ; 15 Reid Oftedahl
• World Standings: 1. Stetson Wright, $592,143.66, Milford, UT, 2. Josh Frost, $409,629.74, Randlett, UT, 3. Tristen Hutchings, $379,785.78, Monteview, ID, 4. Ky Hamilton, $278,412.34, Mackay, QL, 5. Trevor Kastner, $255,179.37, Roff, OK, 6. Jeff Askey, $229,905.37, Athens, TX, 7. Trey Kimzey, $201,999.26, Strong City, OK, 8. Garrett Smith, $197,593.55, Rexburg, ID, 9. Trey Holston, $171,356.88, Fort Scott, KS, 10. JR Stratford, $142,943.19, Byers, KS

Breakaway Roping

2022 WORLD CHAMPION: Martha Angelone

ROUND 10 WINNER: JJ Hampton, Taylor Munsell

BREAKAWAY ROPING LEADERS AS OF ROUND 10

• Average: 1. Cadee Williams, 31.9 seconds on ten head, $13,866; 2. Lari Dee Guy, 40.1, $11,250; 3. Cheyanne Guillory, 32.9 on nine head, $8,895; 4. Beau Peterson, 36.3, $6,541; 5. Erin Johnson, 43.4, $4,709; 6. Joey Williams, 50.5, $3,401; 7. Josie Conner, 51.7, $2,355; 8. Taylor Munsell, 19.9 on eight head, $1,308.
• World Standings: Martha Angelone, $130,303.91; 2. Taylor Munsell, $90,844.53; 3. Erin Johnson, $88,719.77; 4. Lari Dee Guy, $88,584.52; 5. Shelby Boisjoli, $83,807.59

The 2023 Nebraska Extension Fall Seed Guide is now available at cropwatch.unl/varietytest. The online guide has details on yield, protein, test weight, ratings for disease characteristics, location summaries and weather information.

A dry fall contributed to poor fall growth and initial stand, confounded by an incredibly cold winter across the state. Significant freezing temperatures and blizzards occurred in December, led to several regions being affected by winterkill and blowouts, and the variety trials at Lancaster, Jefferson, and Clay counties were lost. Despite a delayed start to spring, timely rains in the western part of the state rescued the crop, and some fields saw extremely good yields. 

The data in the Fall Seed Guide provides information on individual, regional, and multi-year performance of varieties available to growers as well as sneak peeks into experimental varieties being developed by Katherine Frels and the UNL Small Grains Breeding Program and other seed industry partners. Preparations and planting are already underway for the 2024 Winter Wheat Variety Trials. Updates to the testing include the addition of an irrigated trial in Scotts Bluff County. More than 70 varieties will be tested at locations across the state in 2023-2024.

Members of the Crops Testing Team can be reached via email with questions regarding the results and interpretation at ccreech2@unl.edu, bmaust2@unl.edu, or aeasterly2@unl.edu.

Testing would not be possible without the support of our cooperators across the state, who graciously share land to conduct the trials, host field tours, and manage the sites for high-quality data. We would also like to thank the Agricultural Research Division, Nebraska Wheat Board, UNL Extension, and the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture.

CONTROLLING WINTER ANNUAL BROMES

Was cheatgrass, sometimes called downy brome, or wild oats abundant in your pastures this spring? Although difficult, they can be controlled and your pasture revitalized.

Winter annual bromes often invade thin or overgrazed pastures in fall and early spring. Livestock dislike grazing them after they become mature and over time they can take over and make large patches in a pasture.

Research by the University of Nebraska evaluated herbicides for controlling cheatgrass. Products containing rimsulfuron and imazapic (Plateau) can provide good control of cheatgrass from a single application, but control can vary widely from year to year depending on when the application is made, maturity of cheatgrass plants, and the weather patterns. A one-time management operation, utilizing grazing, mowing, or a non-residual herbicide, like rimsulfuron or imazapic, usually does not have a lasting impact on the cheatgrass in the seedbank. To reduce the seedbank, control needs to be close to 100%, and repeated over several years.

Rejuvra is a new rangeland herbicide product from Bayer that works differently from existing cheatgrass herbicides. Rejuvra has limited activity on emerged plants and only controls seedlings as they germinate, so it is best to apply Rejuvra in early fall before seeds germinate. This herbicide can provide control up to two years post application.

For warm-season grass pastures, there is another option. You can use glyphosate herbicides after top growth of these grasses has gone dormant due to a hard freeze or two. This can kill emerged annual brome seedlings or other cool-season species without harming the desirable grasses. With any herbicide, always read and follow label directions.

With these herbicide options and proper grazing management, your pastures can develop thicker stands of the more desirable grasses.

TIMING LAST ALFALFA HARVEST WITH GDD

Allowing for alfalfa to winterize before dormancy is a key factor preventing winter kill across a stand. Traditionally, my recommendation has been to time the last cutting for roughly six weeks before the first frost. 

While this general guideline has proven its worth over the years, many producers would love to have a bit more accurate method to time last cuttings. One way to narrow the no-harvest window down is by utilizing growing degree days (GDD). Work from Dan Undersander with the University of Wisconsin calculated winterkill risk looking at GDDs at a base 41 degrees F accumulating until a killing frost of 24 degrees F. The two GDD levels of importance for alfalfa stands were 500 and 200.  

By providing at least 500 base 41 degrees F GDD after harvest, research trials showed that there was sufficient time for alfalfa to winterize. If harvest occurred with under 200 GDD left, alfalfa plants did now have sufficient time to regrow and deplete carbohydrate reserves to a level that would negatively impact winterization. 

While other factors like ground cover and stress of the stand over the course of the year need to factor into the decision for a late cutting, this gives us a more accurate calendar point to shoot for if forage is needed. We also need to keep in mind that late cuttings may have a difficult time drying down in a timely fashion.

Most of the state is right at the edge of our 500 GDD threshold. To decide where you stand, the High Plains RCC CLIMOD (climod.unl.edu) can be used to look at past years GDD. Using accumulated 41 GDD for past years and your expected first freeze dates, we can avoid the 500-200 GDD no harvest zone and plan a late alfalfa cutting if needed. 

FALL ARMYWORM AWARENESS

In previous years, portions of eastern Nebraska have seen unprecedented numbers of fall armyworm caterpillars feeding on alfalfa, brome regrowth in pastures, and newly seeded small grain crops such as wheat, triticale and rye. While reports of armyworm damage have not been received so far this year, it is a good idea to keep an eye out for this insect.

Fall armyworm caterpillars can be distinguished from other Lepidopterans by markings on the head that resemble an inverted “Y” and four spots on the last abdominal segment that form a square. This insect does not overwinter in Nebraska, but rather migrates north from southern states when populations build up in late summer. Once caterpillars are three-fourths inch, they can do considerable damage in a few days. Because of this, it is important to scout fields and pastures in the early morning and late afternoon, when caterpillars are most active, to spot them when they are small.

A reasonable treatment threshold is finding three or more caterpillars per square foot within a field or pasture. There are several insecticides labeled to control this insect including Mustang Maxx, Besiege, and Sevin. For forage crops be sure to check the grazing restriction and post-harvest interval. When considering a chemical treatment option, keep in mind caterpillars three-fourths inch or longer are close to maturity and can be harder to control with an insecticide.  

Fall armyworm feeding declines with cooler temperatures and the adult moths eventually migrate south. In the meantime, be sure to keep an eye on your pastures and newly seeded fields for any sign of infestation.

FORT LUPTON, Colo. — Workers in the agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting industry experienced one of the highest fatal injury rates at 20 deaths per 100,000 full-time workers, compared to a rate of 3.6 deaths per 100,000 workers for all U.S. industries. To foster a culture of safety for people entering those fields, the Aims Community College Agricultural Science program and the U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration Alliance Program are hosting a free safety training on Oct. 27 for students and the general public. 

The safety training begins at 9 a.m. at the Aims Fort Lupton Campus, 260 College Avenue. Topics covered include ag in cooperative programs, grain handling, mental health and personal protective equipment (PPE). “It provides hands-on training applicable to our students in the industry,” said Agricultural Sciences and Technology Department Chair and Professor Amy McFarland. “We try to teach and integrate these things into our curriculum, but sometimes it’s harder than others. So this gives a really specific training opportunity for students.”

The afternoon session consists of a tour of the Molson Coors grain elevator in Longmont. McFarland sees the tour as a complement to the classroom instruction. “There is a benefit of seeing best practices in action with a company and facility known for a high level of safety.”

OSHA’s Alliance Program works with groups committed to worker safety and health to prevent workplace fatalities, injuries and illnesses. Aims signed an agreement with the OSHA Alliance Program in July 2023. The partnership provides student safety training and focuses on hazard identification techniques, programs and methods. The two-year alliance helps current and future agriculture workers foster safe working environments.

“Working together with Aims Community College, we can equip young people — many of whom will enter the agricultural industry — with the understanding of how to recognize workplace hazards and avoid harm. This alliance will also help us educate and inform the general public on staying safe and healthy in the workplace,” explained OSHA Area Director Amanda Kupper.

Space for the training is limited and registration is required. Current Aims students have priority registration. Visit aims.co/osha-training to get more information and sign up for the training.

It seems like a great idea, let’s save gas and run our vehicles on electricity. Although many of us know that the time is not right to switch everyone over to electric vehicles, the U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm set out to prove us wrong.

But her plan backfired.

Her trip proved there were not enough chargers, many chargers take forever to charge a vehicle and many of them don’t work. And these problems will only be compounded as more electric vehicles hit the road unless government officials like Granholm and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg do something to prepare the nation for more of these vehicles.

This is especially scary for over-the-road truck drivers who carry perishable goods and livestock. Unfortunately, nobody ever thinks about this until after they put rules and deadlines in place.

In the meantime, Granholm traveled from Charlotte, N.C., to Memphis, Tenn., to bring attention to the billions of dollars the government is spending to convert U.S. drivers to electric vehicles.

Kudos to her for doing something that would convince many people who oppose electric vehicles, but it’s too bad it didn’t go as planned.

I’m not against electric vehicles but we are not at a point where going all electric is feasible. At this time, these vehicles are too expensive for most Americans, many of the components that go into building the vehicles must be shipped here from other countries, and because they use electricity — most of it from coal — they are far from being able to save the world from climate change. And the main concern I have, being from North Dakota, is how they perform in 30 below zero temperatures? I have heard that a charge doesn’t last as long in cold temperatures as in moderate to warm temperatures.

One person accompanying Granholm on the journey was an NPR staff writer, who reported that at one point in their trip they were worried there would not be enough charging stations in Grovetown, a suburb of Augusta, Ga. To compensate, Granholm had her advance team use a gas-powered vehicle to block one of the working chargers. A family with a baby who were overheating in the hot weather waiting to charge their vehicle called the cops about the gas-powered car blocking the charger.  Not a good look for the energy secretary.

I think electric vehicles work best for those people who just use them to drive to and from work and they plug them in when they get home in the evening.

I currently drive a 2007 Toyota Tacoma — the first brand new car I ever bought — and I will have it until it dies. If it does die, I would consider a hybrid vehicle because it might save me in the long run when gas prices are high.

But I do wonder when electricity prices are going to catch up to the electric vehicle conversion.

Sen. Robert Mendnez, D-N.J., and his wife, Nadine, were indicted for bribery today in a case that involves the senator attempting to influence an Agriculture Department official.

The indictment says that Mendendez “improperly advised and pressured an official at the United States Department of Agriculture for the purpose of protecting a business monopoly granted to [Wael Hana] by Egypt and used in part to fund the bribes being paid to Menendez through Nadine Madendez.”

The Associated Press reported that the charges follow a yearslong investigation that examined, among other things, the dealings of Hana, a New Jersey businessman and a friend of Menendez’s wife, “who secured sole authorization from the Egyptian government to certify that meat imported into that country meets Islamic dietary requirements.”

Hana, who founded a halal meat certification business, was among the three other people indicted.

The Biden-Harris administration today announced $65 million in grants available for the Farm Labor Stabilization and Protection Pilot Program to help employers bring in workers from northern Central America, through the Labor Department’s seasonal H-2A visa program.

USDA said, “The program makes good on a commitment made and announced as part of the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection and is funded by President Biden’s American Rescue Plan.”

“Eligibility for this competitive grant program is limited to domestic agricultural employers who 1) anticipate meeting all Department of Labor and Department of Homeland Security regulatory requirements for the H-2A program, including demonstrated effort to effectively recruit U.S.-based workers and hire all willing, able, and qualified U.S. workers;

“And 2) commit to, and indicate capacity to fulfill all baseline requirements, as well as any selected (supplemental) commitments that entail additive worker benefits and protections. Eligible employers include fixed-site employers, joint-employers, agricultural associations, and H-2A labor contractors.”

USDA continued, “The maximum award amount is $2 million and the minimum amount is $25,000 per grant agreement (including any sub-awardees). Award amounts will be determined based on the projected number of full-time equivalent agricultural employees, desired award level, as well as the competitive nature of the application.”

“Consistent with the H-2A requirements, applicants must demonstrate insufficient availability of a U.S.-based workforce. The grant window for each recipient is 24 months, allowing producers to use the grant over the course of two agricultural production seasons.”

Applications are due by Nov. 29 at 11:59 p.m.

“Our country is facing growing agriculture workforce challenges that jeopardize our farmers’ ability to be competitive, threatens the resiliency, abundance and safety of our food system, and has repercussions on our overall economy,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in a news release.

“At the same time, record numbers of people are interested in living and working in the United States, including from northern Central America,” Vilsack said.

“This pilot program has been designed with significant input from immigration, labor, and agricultural stakeholders in an effort to help address these immediate challenges. The program will provide incentives designed to simultaneously benefit workers and employers, with the potential to inform the H-2A program, raise labor standards for farmworkers, and help alleviate our agricultural workforce challenges over the long term.

“In addition to helping agricultural producers recruit and retain workers, at the end of the program we will have tested new ways to promote accountability and improve working conditions for domestic and H-2A workers alike — demonstrating how employers benefit by doing right by workers. The effort will also facilitate safe, orderly and humane migration.

“This pilot should be a win for everyone along the agricultural supply chain, from the field to the dinner table,” Vilsack said.

The Colorado Cattlemen’s Association Ag Water NetWORK hosted a webinar to provide an update to agriculture producers on the 2023 Colorado Water Plan and on the Colorado River Basin.

Amy Ostdiek, Interstate, Federal and Water Information section chief of Colorado Water Conservation Board focuses on Colorado River matters and supporting Commissioner Becky Mitchell, Colorado’s principal negotiator on behalf of the state on interstate Colorado River matters. In her update on the Colorado River, she said the 101-year-old Colorado River Compact was developed by the basin states and remains vitally important to understanding water issues and it remains firmly in place today.

Prior to the development of the Compact, Ostdiek said Colorado River Commissioner Delph Carpenter (1877-1951) was looking downstream at California and the high rate of development there. Carpenter, was a lawyer, state senator, and interstate streams commissioner and is credited with persuading other states to negotiate the compact. He was concerned with what California’s senior water rights might mean for Colorado and, at about the same time, a Supreme Court decree that clarified if two neighboring states in the same basin both recognize the prior appropriations doctrine, it would apply across state lines. She said Carpenter recognized this as a problem for Colorado, and through the compact, California was not granted senior water rights on the Colorado River with regard to the Upper Basin states. The compact apportions an equal amount of 7.5 million acre-feet (maf) per year in perpetuity to the Upper and Lower Basin states, which overrides any Supreme Court decision.

She said oftentimes in the news it is reported that the Upper Basin states owe a delivery obligation to the Lower states, though that is untrue, it is a non-depletion obligation. The compact clarifies that the Upper Division states will not cause flow to be depleted below aggregate of 75 million acre-feet over a 10-year period. She credits Carpenter and the other drafters of the compact with recognizing the snowpack levels vary widely and affect the hydrology in the state. For these reasons, she said the Upper Basin states, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming, are opposed to redesigning the compact.

The two major reservoirs on the basin are Lake Mead and Lake Powell and the location of those storage facilities create realities for the basin.

“The very critically important point here is that, as we know, those two major reservoirs are below our use in the Upper Basin,” Ostdiek said. “Once water is in Lake Powell, we can’t pull it back up to Colorado. That means that we in the Upper Basin are fully dependent upon snowpack for our water supply.”

Conversely, in the Lower Basin states with the major reservoirs above them, they can draw down the reservoirs even in years of record low inflows.

“It has given them a degree of certainty and security and allowed them to put in full water orders, and get all that water even when we have record low inflows into the reservoirs,” she said. “We haven’t had the ability to do that in the Upper Basin because, again, we rely entirely on snowpack.”

LIVING WITHIN THEIR MEANS

Ostdiek said this is a good way to keep the Upper Basin states living within their means of what the river provides. Even though the Upper Basin states are not always able to take the total apportionment of the river, she said it doesn’t mean the Lower Basin states shouldn’t share in the shortages and honor the equity that is in place in the compact.

In 2019, Lower Basin use (includes Mainstem Colorado River use by the Lower Basin States and Mexico, as calculated by the Upper Colorado River Commission, not including tributary use) was 9.3 maf while Upper Basin usage was 4.5 maf of the equally apportioned 7.5 maf per basin. In 2020, Lower Basin states used 9.6 maf compared to Upper Basin states’ 4.5 maf, and in 2021, Lower Basin states used 9.9 maf compared to Upper Basin states’ 3.5 maf.

“Yes, we have been in a record drought,” she said. “We all know that in the Colorado River Basin. Climate change is definitely impacting the flows, but that’s only part of the story. As you’ve had record low inflows in Lake Powell, you’ve also had large releases out of Lake Mead.”

In 2021, 3.5 maf flowed into Lake Powell and 8.23 maf were released from Lake Powell into Lake Mead.”

She said there are two sets of rules and guidelines that are set to expire at the end of 2025 that are important to recognize in terms of understanding the levels in Lakes Powell and Mead. The 2007 Colorado River Interim Guidelines coordinated the operations of the two reservoirs. The 2019 Drought Contingency Plans provide an additional layer of security to protect critical elevations at Lakes Powell and Mead. The Bureau of Reclamation has now called for additional short-term actions to protect critical infrastructure.

In response to the call, the Upper Basin state reservoirs have provided 661,000 acre-feet of water to protect Lake Powell, reduced uses by 25% in 2021 and continue to live within the means of the River every year, and have taken additional measures through the Upper Basin Five-Point Plan. Ostdiek pointed out that this is not a crisis the Upper Basin states have created by using more than the due apportionment.

“From Colorado’s perspective, the most impactful thing that can be done to save the Colorado River system is to live within the means the river provides every year,” she said. “A prior appropriations doctrine in Colorado gives us a good mechanism to do that. That doesn’t mean it’s not painful for water users, it just means it provides some level of certainty of how that will be carried out. If everyone would have lived within their means of what the river provides, we wouldn’t be in the situation we are now.”

A new Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Energy Management for Manufacturing Phase 2 (GEMM-2) air emissions regulations currently in development through the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment will critically impact Colorado beef processing operations, ultimately threatening the beef market. In turn, Colorado consumers may shoulder significantly higher prices at the gas pump and grocery store. According to Zach Riley, chief executive officer of the Colorado Livestock Association, this is yet another example that the current administration is unfriendly to agriculture and business owners in Colorado.

The rule is a secondary phase of a 2015 statute and Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Colorado, SB22-138, changes both the target date and the target amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction goals.

“At present, it’s going to hit the processors — Cargill, JBS, Colorado Lamb — the bigger facilities that run more than a few hundred a day,” Riley said. “There are several phases, and my fear is the next phase will pull in feedlots, CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations), and that’s when the real fight begins.”

Cargill was among the companies to offer public comment at the Sept. 20, 2023, meeting before the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission. In the company’s pre-hearing statement, Cargill reiterated that the revisions to the regulation rule must give GEMM-2 facilities flexible and cost-effective pathways to achieve their greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets and must not inadvertently force facilities to curtail production or limit growth. One of the concerns echoed by a number of commenters was the need for reallocation of GHG reduction targets to more equitably account for each facility’s percent contribution towards cumulative emissions from all GEMM 2 sources between 2015 and 2022. At present, the significant reductions between 2015 and 2022 are not recognized in the reduction goals.

Cargill operates seven Colorado facilities and has more than 2,500 employees. According to Cargill’s statement, Cargill’s Fort Morgan beef facility employs 2,090 people and processes 4,000 head per day, filling an important role for Colorado cattle producers and playing a critical role in the global food chain.

The Fort Morgan plant is the third smallest of the 18 GEMM 2 facilities, based on its maximum of 2021 and 2022 emissions of 39,263 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2e) emissions. Because the higher of the plant’s 2021 or 2022 emissions are equal to or greater than its 2015 GHG emissions, Cargill is subject to the Table 3 GHG reduction percentages proposed in the division’s July 7, 2023 “Courtesy Draft.” For this group of facilities, Table 3 imposes a 2024 interim GHG reduction target of 1.5% and a 2030 GHG reduction target of 13%, equating to a 2030 reduction of 5,104 MTCO2e.

RELOCATING PRODUCTION OUT OF COLORADO

Cargill representatives testified this week that requirements ought to consider the mitigation of leakage, the relocation of production activities to other states that are more friendly.

According to Cargill, many of the entities that operate GEMM 2 facilities in Colorado own and operate facilities in other states that could replace some portion of their Colorado output. For example, Cargill operates seven other beef processing facilities in five other states and Canada, including Kansas, Nebraska and Texas. Cargill is committed to operating its Fort Morgan facility in Colorado and contributing to the Colorado economy, and is concerned with the prospect of these regulations forcing Cargill to shift production elsewhere. However, if Cargill’s only option to comply with its GHG reduction target is to produce less beef in Fort Morgan, it will be forced to relocate production out of state.

House Bill 21-1266 directs the commission to “adopt rules to reduce statewide greenhouse gas emissions” from the industrial and manufacturing sector while prioritizing actions that reduce co-pollutants. According to Cargill’s comment, the legislature intended to regulate emissions, not to stifle the economy, eliminate jobs, or make food and consumer products more expensive or less available. The language of Section 25-7-105 and HB 21-1266 makes it clear that the legislature intended to reduce GHG emissions intentionally, cost-effectively, and without causing adverse impacts on Coloradans. These principles are reflected in Section CRS 25-7-105(1)(e)(XIII), which establishes the GHG targets for manufacturing sources, because it incorporates several related sections of the statute that protect Colorado from adverse economic impacts and avoid driving business out of state.

There are 18 GEMM 2 facilities in Colorado, from largest to smallest: Suncor Energy Refinery; Molson Coors USA, LLC; Avago Technologies; Microchip Technology; Western Sugar Coop; Owens-Brockway Glass; Rocky Mountain Bottle Company; American Gypsum Company; JBS Swift Beef Company; Sterling Ethanol; Anheuser Busch; Natural Soda; Yuma Ethanol, LLC; Leprino Foods (Greeley); Front Range Energy; Carestream Health, Inc.’ Golden Aluminum Inc.; and Cargill Meat Solutions Corp.

“The beef industry fully supports progress to reduce collective GHG emissions,” Riley said. “However, limiting operations and reducing beef processing to meet GEMM-2 emissions standards is not a viable or effective long-term path toward the collective goal of reducing air emissions. Reductions in operations are not a sustainable pathway and threaten the viability of the local and global food supply chain.”

Riley said GEMM-2 regulations should provide flexibility for beef processing facilities while recognizing the important role these businesses play in the local economy and recognizing that curtailing operations is not a “sustainable” pathway to emissions reduction compliance.

“As we learned during COVID, disruptions and limitations in the meat supply chain operations have real and significant consequences,” he said. “All meatpackers were forced to reduce slaughter capacity due to workforce challenges caused by the pandemic. The decrease in slaughter rates had far-reaching impacts throughout the beef supply chain — including downward pressure on cattle prices to upward pressure on beef prices for consumers. This will result in higher beef prices at the grocery store for all consumers, especially those in disenfranchised communities with already limited access to affordable protein-rich food.”

Dutch political commentator Eva Vlaardingerbroek spoke to R-CALF USA convention attendees on Aug. 18 in Rapid City, S.D., encouraging U.S. farmers and ranchers to be grateful for their freedoms and watchful of governmental overreach. Many people in the Netherlands have strong cultural ties to agriculture, and while Vlaardingerbroek did not grow up on a farm, her great-grandfather was a farmer. When she became aware of the plight of farmers in the Netherlands being told to surrender their farms to the government, she decided that she had to speak up.

“My involvement in this issue happened somewhat organically,” Vlaardingerbroek said. “I’m a lawyer, and from a legal standpoint it sparked my interest — taking someone’s farm is a direct attack on their property rights. And if the government goes after the farmers, people will starve.”

Vlaardingerbroek said that she believes the attack on Dutch farmers is part of a bigger global agenda for control.

“The globalists’ strategy is to create a crisis and then their solution is for you to give up your rights,” she said.

‘NITROGEN CRISIS’

A 2019 lawsuit against the Dutch government precipitated a “nitrogen crisis” with the government then issuing rules calling for 30% of farms to voluntarily sell their land to the government and quit farming.

“Government rules stipulated a 30% reduction in cattle,” she said. “This would affect around 50,000 farms, 4 million cows and over half of the privately owned farmland in the Netherlands.”

The ensuing protests by Dutch farmers caught Vlaardingerbroek’s attention, as well as making international news.

“In general, people in my country are open to compromise; they are down to earth, sober and not going to stand up, shout, fight or cause scenes,” she said. “Dutch farmers are even more so, and besides that they are too busy working on their farms to have time to leave. If you can get Dutch farmers to start protesting in this very un-Dutch fashion, it’s a big thing.”

In one of the protests, farmers drove their tractors to a warehouse for one of the main supermarkets, parking them to block the entrance for a few hours. Shelves in the store were bare within that amount of time, and Vlaardingerbroek said that some people took the message to heart. Still, she said it is sad how few people realize where their food actually comes from.

“The farmers protesting had less support in our bigger cities. People are so brainwashed by the media that they think farmers are bad,” she said. “The Dutch farmers were badly demoralized by subsequent media attacks. Some farmers are so desperate that they have committed suicide. I am speaking to international media outlets about the situation to try to rouse them.”

Although her country is small, Vlaardingerbroek said that agriculture is their leading industry, and a source of cultural pride.

“The Netherlands is tiny — South Dakota is five times its size — but it is big in farming,” she said. “Farming is such a big part of our national and cultural identity. It is not just the backbone of our economy. We have some of the most productive farm ground in the world. If you look at Dutch art you see farms; everyone knows us for that. We are second only to the U.S. in agricultural exports and the largest exporter of beef in the European Union.”

SUPPORT IN THE US

R-CALF USA came out in support of Dutch farmers in January of 2022. Bullard described how the Netherlands’ mandate is an extension of efforts by the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB) that enlists global banks, global beef packers, and global retailers to devise and then impose universal production standards and production requirements on animal husbandry in the U.S. and around the world.

Bullard claims the universal production standards and requirements sought by the GRSB through private global corporations can have the same force and effect as the Netherlands’ government mandate. He said this is because global corporations now dominate livestock marketing outlets and can condition timely access to those markets on full compliance with GRSB standards.

“Dutch farmers are facing an immediate threat to their livelihoods, liberty and independence,” said Bullard in the official news release. He added, “America’s cattle farmers and ranchers are on the cusp of suffering the same fate, which is why R-CALF USA supports the Dutch farmer-protestors who are fighting on the front line.”

R-CALF USA President Brett Kenzy said the two conditions that make globalization such a threat to the liberty and independence of all citizens are now exemplified in the Netherlands — “runaway government and runaway concentration.”

Tracy Hunt, a Newcastle, Wyo., rancher and retired attorney, said that convenience has become a high standard for many people.

“We need to understand how urbanization has affected people, many of whom get up every day and go about their business and never touch the land,” he said. “So many people in our cities live every day in a resource extracted economy. Most people in this situation would prefer to have the conveniences they are used to and be enslaved than to not have them and have liberty. This is why the story of these Dutch farmers is so important. We need a change in awareness and people need to understand that this is a global attack on farmers.”

Eric Jennings, current president of the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association, and rancher from the Spearfish, S.D., said that while the climate is likely changing, he does not believe that removing cows from the planet will make a positive impact.

“No doubt the climate is changing, the climate has been changing for eons, ever since the world was developed, but I don’t know that man has had as large of an impact on climate change as some would lead us to believe,” he said. “Mount St. Helens did more environmental damage in a day when it erupted than man could do in years. I’m sure we’re impacting the environment, but I don’t think taking cows off the planet will make a positive impact. It will probably make a negative impact because grazing is part of the natural carbon sequestration cycle.”

Here on the northern plains, and in fact, over much of North America, Jennings said, grasses evolved being grazed.

“If we take the grazers off the grass, our grass won’t be as healthy and our soil won’t be as healthy,” he said. “The grass will continue to take CO2 out of the air but if we don’t have something grazing that grass it will die, rot and then release the carbon into the atmosphere. When grazers nip it off and turn it into high quality protein sources, the whole thing is a cycle. The cows eat the grass, their manure feeds the soil, which provides nutrients to grow healthier grass, and then the cows come along again to eat  more grass. If you take one piece out the whole cycle is broken.”

Jennings said that for South Dakota ranchers, raising awareness about the natural, healthy relationship between grazing livestock and the environment “starts in South Dakota.” One way he shares his story is by hosting groups from Spearfish to come out to his ranch where he has the opportunity to show them what it’s really like and spend time talking about agriculture.

“We have a big responsibility here; we have more cows than people,” he said. “I’m going to think that industry associations are incredibly important. We do a lot through the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association to provide training and opportunities for producers and business to learn more about regenerative agriculture and how to tell their stories. We open conversations about marketing opportunities, including a recent event that showcased incentives available to producers through the SDSU (South Dakota State University) /Agspire’s Climate Smart project. Another presentation featured Adams Land & Cattle and Brazen Beef who spoke to producers about their business of buying cattle, retaining ownership through packing, and marketing that beef to environmentally conscious consumers from Chicago and east. They attach carbon credits to the meat. We’re also active through educating our elected officials and lobbying on behalf of producers.”

Jennings said that sharing this story and the integral knowledge gained from living and working with livestock and land is one reason that generational ranching operations are so important.

“We all just want to have sustainable ranches,” he said.

THREAT TO AGRICULTURE

Unfortunately, Jennings said, many times it’s the people with extreme ideas who have the ear of elected officials. Is the U.S. following a similar path to the Netherlands? While it’s hard to imagine that it could ever get to that point, Jennings knows of several groups including the ASPCA and Farm Action who would like to eliminate animal agriculture completely.

“I think there’s certainly a threat there,” he said. “They have over $800 million that they utilize to spread their message. It’s hard to compete against that. We’re doing our best through our industry associations to tell our story. As producers, we tend to think about the need to educate people farther away in metropolitan areas, but truly, we need to start in our backyard. There are people in our area who don’t understand how our cattle help the environment. If I can tell my story to them, build a relationship, then they can tell their friends. Eric Jennings may not need to talk to people in New York City or Chicago; Eric Jennings needs to talk to somebody eight miles away in Spearfish.”

Jennings has heard time limits set on “eliminating cattle” in the past.

“We’ve had dates before — remember ‘cattle free by ’93’ — which was a push to remove cattle from public land. Those dates come and go. They won’t accomplish their goals by 2030, but they will go on to another date. We need to stay vigilant and keep telling our story about how ranching fits within the conservation mindset.”

Jennings said that food security is not to be taken lightly.

“People seem to think that we can just eliminate entire segments of our food production and not have to worry about where food comes from,” he said. “We got a dose of what happens when the food supply is interrupted during the shutdowns in 2020.”

Vlaardingerbroek believes that this effort to slash food production — which is also happening in countries such as Ireland, Australia, Canada and the U.S. — is simply a means by which powerful globalists intend to control people.

“Most people will do anything other than starve,” she said. “If you can decide what people can eat and when they can eat, you can control them. I can foresee scenes when people lose their minds, act like animals, and then of course the state will have to ‘rescue’ us by declaring martial law and rationing food through digital food stamps.”

Vlaardingerbroek said that the timeline for reducing cattle and farms in the Netherlands is directly related to the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals, part of the 2030 Agenda adopted by the U.N. in 2015.

“On the surface, these goals sound like good things,” she said. “Who is against things like ending hunger and poverty, and ensuring education and equality? But when you take a closer look at how that can happen, it is only if they take away our liberty and rights. It’s not really about equality; it’s communism hiding behind pretty words. The globalists are just copying and pasting from Stalin.”

Tracy Hunt encouraged American farmers and ranchers to stand with the Dutch farmers.

“The ‘climate crisis’ is a patent fraud designed to transfer the beneficial aspects of land ownership from hard working, caring land stewards to global power interests,” he said. “One need only look to countries like Eva’s Netherlands or to Ireland to see where the perpetrators of this fraud intend to take farmers and ranchers in the United States.”

 UNITED FRONT

Vlaardingerbroek said that U.S. farmers and ranchers need to stand strong and stand together.

“It can happen here, and it is up to you to hold the line,” she said. “The globalist agenda is definitely not a short term thing. If they don’t achieve their goals by 2030, they may bump the date back, but they will not give up.”

Farmers in the Netherlands stood up to protest when they felt they had nothing left to lose.

“Don’t let it get that far,” Vlaardingerbroek said. “I am not a farmer, but I sure as hell am proud of you.”

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln team led by Bijesh Maharjan, associate professor and extension specialist at Panhandle Research, Extension and Education Center in Scottsbluff, launched Nebraska Soil Health School in 2023. The school was envisioned, developed and organized in collaboration with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. UNL hosted the school at three locations from west to east across Nebraska in 2023. The school was designed to build upon the UNL repository of soil health-related knowledge and share it with stakeholders to develop an understanding of healthy soil for sustainable and productive agriculture. The schools were attended by over 200 producers, agriculture professionals, conservationists, researchers, educators and students from Nebraska, as well as neighboring states.

“Without over 20 presenters from UNL, USDA NRCS and outside the state, the 2023 Soil Health School could not have been possible,” Maharjan said.

This school was conceptualized to travel to places: agencies, institutes and everywhere there is a need for soil health education. It took place in Bridgeport, North Platte and Concord in 2023. Jerry Hatfield, retired USDA ARS scientist, kicked off the 2023 Nebraska Soil Health School with his keynote presentation in Bridgeport on March 2.

“Soil health is a hot topic with producers but more importantly, it is with society as well,” Paul Jasa, UNL extension engineer and presenter at the schools said. “There are a lot of people thinking about healthy soil, which gives you healthier crops, healthier food, healthier communities.”

The events included talks and demonstrations covering fundamental soil health principles — physics, carbon cycle and biology; soil health practices — no-till, manure, cover crops, economics, livestock integration and Nebraska research; as well as NRCS’s rapid tests and rainfall simulation. The school evolved as it progressed east to expand an agenda that included a panel discussion at UNL’s West Central Research, Extension and Education Center, research plot tours at UNL’s Haskell Ag Lab and student poster competitions.

“Great information, speakers were all great and I look forward to coming again next year,” an attendee at the final school said.

“Nicole and I are grateful for all the support we received from our colleagues to organize the school this year. Nicolas Cafaro La Menza, WCREEC assistant professor, and Leslie Johnson, UNL Haskell Ag Lab extension educator, were simply wonderful in organizing the event at their respective locations,” Maharjan acknowledged.

The other organizing contributors from UNL were Mitch Stephenson, Saurav Das, Gary Stone, Katja Koehler-Cole, Caro Córdova, Paul Jasa and USDA NRCS’s Aaron Hird.

After a successful trio of events, Nebraska Soil Health School will be advancing educational material as well as incorporating more demonstrations and hands-on activities in 2024.