FALL 2016
A COUNTRY MEDIA PUBLICATION
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Page 2
Fall 2016
Will it work?
COUNTRY NEIGHBORS
Part One: Hettinger research center experiments with soybean growth beans in this region. But that trend has changed in recent years, and according to Research Agronomists John Rickertson, there are a handful of farmers who are currently raising the legume. Rickertson works out of the Hettinger Research Extension Center. Rickertson said his department has been experimenting with soybean growth for about 14 years, and he said the yields have averaged about 24 bushels every year, so he knows the crop can be grown in
Author’s Note: The experiment discussed in this article does not include the final results of the two-year trial. They had not been tallied by the time this went to print. Look for part two of this piece in the 2016 Winter Country Neighbors edition. By COLE BENZ Soybeans are predominantly grown on the east side of North Dakota, and 20 years ago it would be difficult to find a producer who grows soy-
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Fall 2016
COUNTRY NEIGHBORS western North Dakota. “We know we can grow them here,” Rickertson said. But now, Rickertson said they have been trying to figure out the optimal time to put the soybean crop in ground. “There’s a lot of data east of us, as far as when is the best time to plant soybeans,” he said. “There’s really nothing out here.” To begin the experiment, Rickertson planted four varieties of soybeans with different maturity rates. The plot of land he has for the trials is about an acre. The crop was planted over three different dates in late spring and early summer this year. Beginning the first week of May, Rickertson planted once that first week, once in the middle of May, and once in the first week of June. Last year he used four different planting dates. The data between the two has yet to be computed, and it may take a few weeks to gather the information, but when its finished, the data should be applicable to a wide range of counties in the southwest part of North Dakota, and the northwest portion of South Dakota. Another part of the experiment, Rickertson said, was to analyze the seeding rate to garner a large enough crop yield. On the east side of the state, it’s recommended that a farmer put 140,000 seeds per acre. Rickertson said that they ran experiments with four different amounts of seeds, and broke it down to totaling 80,000, 120,000, 160,000, and 200,000 seeds per acre. This information could be beneficial for a farmer, because they could potentially save money if they knew they only had to purchase seeds to fill
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80,000 an acre over the larger 200,000 seeds per acre. But Rickertson said they are still analyzing the data. These experiments can also help farmers get insurance coverage as time goes on. Currently, the area does not have many counties that has insurance providers covering soybeans. Right now, if a farmer in southwest North Dakota wishes to grow soybeans, they need a special note to get coverage. “They actually need a letter from a university expert saying that soybeans can be grown here,” Rickertson said. According to Rickertson, this can detour farmers from trying new crops in their fields, and with the information, it could be easier to attain coverage or even qualify a county to get soybean insurance. The end goal of this experiment is to get more information out for producers, because right now, it’s scarce. “There just isn’t a lot of data out there,” Rickertson said. The more data that’s available, the easier it is for a farmer to grow soybeans by providing them with the necessary information on the best practices to properly raise the plant, and get the best yield possible.
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Fall 2016
A work of art
COUNTRY NEIGHBORS
Montana man depicts an ‘honest’ real life through western artwork By SHERRY VOGEL
Y
oung area artist David Graham of
Prairie County, Mont., grew up in Miles City. All his life he was exposed to the Wild West and the
cowboy lifestyle. It wasn’t until he was a senior at Fort Benton High School that this
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self learned artist got introduced to the art of painting. “The class I took my senior year basically taught me the basics about paint and how to clean brushes, ” he shared. But it did much more, sparking in him a keen interest to replicate real
life in an honest way. One would never know from studying his work that he isn’t a graduate of one of the nation’s leading fine art schools. Graham medium is oil; his subject matter is Western art as depicted in the cowboy lifestyle and portrayed in the Na-
tive American culture. He displayed his artwork at Products of the Prairie market place in Baker, Mont., in early September. Graham had on display a collection of prints, from his original oil paintings, that made each market goer step
Fall 2016
COUNTRY NEIGHBORS
Page 5
back to contemplate weather he was selling photography or replicas of paintings. The lighting in many of the prints was so vivid that one believed only natural lighting could be portrayed in such a manner. A wonderful print from a painting of an Oglala Sioux girl, wearing a red buckskin dress, from the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota captured my eye. The piece was titled Prairie Flower. Graham shared the story behind the subject. He is invited to attend the Artist’s Ride event, that takes place each summer at the Pine Ridge Res-
ervation, where artists and photojournalists are allowed to take pictures of the Native American residents who are dressed in full costume for the occasion. He takes numerous photos there, later illustrating them in oils once he gets back home to his studio. That particular painting was sold at auction at the Western Art Week in the CM Russell Art
Museum in Great Falls, Mont., in March 2015. The winning bid was $3,000. Young Graham, the self taught artist is coming into his own. He now sells his paintings in three of the top venues in the west: Jackson Hole, Wyo., Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and Tucson, Ariz. His paintings fetch prices ranging anywhere from $1,000 to $20,000.
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left, David Graham, a young artist whose medium is oil, stands by some of his works. Graham was born in Miles City, Mont, and didn’t begin to explore his artistic abilities until a senior in high school.
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COUNTRY NEIGHBORS
Fall 2016
Bob Thielen and children pose with their six blue tick hounds.
Gotta catch ‘em all
Harvesting mountain lions in southeastern Montana By SHERRY VOGEL
Hounds man Bob Thielen, of rural Plevna,
Montana recalls his first harvest of a Mountain
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lion as the most exciting time of his life. “Once you’ve hunted a cat, you won’t care to do any other hunting but chase cats,” he stated. “It’s an adrenaline rush.” The first mountain lion, which Thielen shot in winter 2014, was a four–year-old, 90# female. He was out with his new hunting hounds for the very first time. The blue tick hounds called Pete and Boise are named after Bob’s dad, Ambrose and Uncle Pete, who are both deceased. Thielen begins a typical hunting trip at 2am when he loads his hounds and his twin children, Whitney and Wyatt, age 10, into his jeep. He packs a 22-250 and heads out to the Custer National Forest. This is an area that he says is a perfect habitat for Mountain lions due to the dense forest and rocky terrain. A snowy day is best for tracking. He drives the trails until he finds a paw print, and then sets his dogs loose. Once
they pick up the scent, the excitement begins. If Thielen is lucky, it will be a short matter of time before the Mountain lion is detected. A good hunt ends with the cat up a tree. Once treed the dogs go crazy. After shooting his first cat, Thielen had it mounted at a local taxidermist in Baker. It was discovered during the mounting process that this feline had over 200 porcupine quills in its body. The quills were probably embedded in the cat as a kitten. Thielen lent his hounds to the hunt of a second Mountain lion this past winter. He helped a friend, Marc Rieger, of Plevna. fulfill his dreams of acquiring a big cat. The chase all but ended when a 140# male was treed. In the course of the action the cougar was successful in eluding his assailants by leaping from the tree. Mountain lions are known to leap as high as 15 feet and as far as 40 feet. The cat ran
½ a mile in an attempt to save its life, but met its death when the hunters prevailed. Thielen enjoys the hunt, but after killing two Mountain lions he now feels he has met his lifetime quota. He is now satisfied to work his hounds, but allow the cat to escape. Thielen has added to his pack as he has acquired four more dogs. Thielen feels the state’s regs on a 45-cat bounty per Region 7 should be better divided up between hunting districts. Because if that many cats are harvested heavily from just one district, it will drastically affect the population of Mountain lions in any particular county. He hopes to have a voice in the wiser conservation of southeastern Montana’s harvest of cats, so to ensure healthy populations of Mountain lions for his children and grandchildren to be able to enjoy the chase of the hunt for generations to come.
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Fall 2016
COUNTRY NEIGHBORS
Did you know: What really is ‘organic’ farming
In a 1940 London publication called Look to the Land, Lord Northbourne first used the term organic farming. Two years later, J.I. Rodale, credited with being the father of organic practices in the United States, used it in his publication, Organic Gardening and Farming. But what exactly is organic farming? Organic farming or agriculture, as it is sometimes called, is farming without the use of artificial chemicals. All kinds of agricultural products can be grown organically: produce, grain, meat, dairy, eggs, cotton, flowers and processed food products. For a long time, there was no its standard definition of an s organic food. Certifying agencies and states had different requirements and ideas. But in October 2002, that changed. The Department of s is at
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Agriculture recently adopted a national standard for organic foods. According to the new standard, products cannot be defined as organic if they are made by using sewer sludge fertilizers, most synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, genetic engineering, growth hormones, irradiation or antibiotics. The new standard also covers everything, except fish and seafood, honey and beekeeping, culinary herbs, mushrooms, pet food and food for minor animal species, like rabbits. However, the standards for seafood, fish, honey, beekeeping and mushrooms will soon be put into effect. What do the new standards mean? If a food is labeled 100% organic, then it must contain only organic materials. If labeled organic, then it must contain at least 95% organic ingredi-
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ents, by weight or liquid volume, excluding water and salt. Something labeled made with organic ingredients must have at least 70% of such ingredients. These foods will have a USDA Organic label, making them easier to spot on the shelves. Most organic farmers must be certified by an agency that is accredited by the USDA. Smaller farms that sell less than $5,000 a year in organic products don’t have to be certified to call their products organic, but they do have to adhere to the same USDA standards. In some cases, farmers give up their certification and call their products by another name, such as authentic, wholesome or ecological, but by doing so, they give up the right for their products to carry the USDA label. To get certified, you
must first find a certification agency. The agency must be certified by the USDA. Check the USDA Web site to find agencies in your state. The cost for getting certified can be very expensive. If you have more than one farm in the area looking to get certified, it might be a good idea to have them done at the same time. Shop around for a certification agency. Some agencies charge a flat fee, while others charge a user fee in which the farm pays a percentage of their sales. After you have selected an agency, call or write for an application. Chances are there will be a fee. There will also be a questionnaire asking about the farm’s practices. After reviewing your application and questionnaire, the agency will decide whether or
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At the agency, a technical committee or specialist will look over the application, farm records and the inspector’s report. They will then issue a final decision. If the farm passes, an official certificate will be mailed to you and the right to start using the USDA label will be granted. If the farm is rejected, there is an appeals process. This may sound like a lot of work, but in the long run, it could be worth it.
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COUNTRY NEIGHBORS
Fall 2016
NDSU Extension warns landowners about invasive weed
Learning to identify Palmer amaranth is the first step to controlling it The North Dakota Department of Agriculture and North Dakota State University Extension Service advise farmers to scout new conservation plantings for Palmer amaranth, a very aggressive weed that has plagued cropland production in
the South and Midwest. Palmer amaranth is a type of pigweed that has devastated crops in many states. In some areas, herbicide costs have more than doubled, while producers have not obtained complete control of the weed. In Iowa, Minnesota and other states, Palmer amaranth recently has been found in many counties where native seed mixes used for pollinator or wildlife habitats inadvertently contained Palmer amaranth seed. In Georgia, most cotton acres have to be hand-weeded because
Jerel Seamands | Agent 220 S. Main Street P.O. BOX 351 Hettinger, ND 58639 701-567-4358
Palmer amaranth can reach heights of 6 to 8 feet tall. the weed no longer can be controlled with glyphosate. “Landowners are encouraged to check their fields and contact the
North Dakota Department of Agriculture or NDSU Extension Service if a plant is suspected to be Palmer amaranth,” says Brian Jenks, North
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Central Research Extension Center weed scientist. “The plant should be growing and identifiable prior to hard frosts.” Palmer amaranth has several unique characteristics that make it hard to control. In optimum conditions, Palmer amaranth has a rapid growth rate, and can grow 2 to 3 inches per day and reach 6 to 8 feet tall. One plant can produce up to 1 million seeds. While most weeds have a short emergence window in the spring, Palmer amaranth can emerge throughout the growing season. One of the most troubling characteristics is that it is very prone to developing resistance to herbicides. Some populations are known to be resistant to at least five different herbicide modes of action. Palmer amaranth’s distinguishing characteristics are: It has very little hair on the leaves and stem,
compared with redroot pigweed. The petioles are typically as long or longer than the leaf blade. It is dioecious, meaning it has separate male and female plants. The female plants have spiny bracts at the leaf axils. Flowering heads are unbranched and 1 to 2 feet long. The heads of the female plant are sharp (spiny) to the touch, while the males heads are soft. Given the history of Palmer amaranth in other states, learning to identify it so that new infestations can be controlled is important for farmers and agronomists, Jenks says. “This weed is a game changer and will be controlled only by a zero-tolerance policy,” he adds. “Landowners should confirm that any purchased seed does not contain Palmer amaranth.”
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Fall 2016
COUNTRY NEIGHBORS
Page 9
WEATHER MODIFICATION:
WILL IT END? A SPECIAL REPORT
FATE OF WEATHER MOD IN THE BALANCE
By BRYCE MARTIN
Fifty years ago a program began in Bowman County that would radically change the way people perceived man’s role in the control of nature. It was a program that purposely modified the weather, to suppress hail and enhance rainfall, which was to benefit local farmers and ranchers. But now it will be the decision of county residents if the program should continue. John Palczewski, who owns and operates a farming and ranching operation south of Scranton, began circulating a
petition earlier this year to place on the November election ballot a measure asking if the county’s weather modification program should end. A popular saying around Bowman is that there are two things people just don’t openly discuss: politics and weather modification. Many residents, including several farmers and ranchers, echo that sentiment. But Palczewski didn’t shy away from the task. After amassing 358 signatures, 13 more than required, he successfully submitted the petition and it was soon after ap-
proved for the ballot. A simple question will appear for voters: “Should the Weather Modification Authority be abolished?” “I never have liked the program,” Palczewski said. “We watch it every year and this year it really accelerated in June.” After Palczewski had spoken with several local farmers about the program, with them asking what could be done about it, it became his mission to finally get the question on the Bowman County ballot, something that hadn’t been done successfully in decades. One of his first conver-
sations was with Darin Langerud, director of the North Dakota Atmospheric Resource Board, which regulates weather modification within the state. Palczewski tried to explain his side. “It takes rain out of the county,” he alleged. “It’s doing the opposite of what it’s supposed to. “We have no business messing with Mother Nature.” While Palczewski said he only engaged in two heated conversations while getting signatures for the petition, most seemed to agree that people should at least get to vote on the issue.
And now, because of Palczewski’s efforts, they have been afforded that opportunity.
Three Bowman natives get weather mod started in North Dakota
Cloud seeding, the name of the actual process in weather modification, began in North Dakota in the 1950s, pioneered by three Bowman County residents, farmer-rancher Wilbur Brewer and his pilot neighbors, Bill Fisher and Bill Mazaros. The three had heard of
weather modification testing conducted by scientists with General Electric Co. in New York, according to historical accounts of the program’s origin, thinking it could be a solution to the problem of hail damage to crops. They went on to found Weather Modification, Inc. in Bowman, the state’s first all-airborne commercial cloud seeding company. Seeding first for just a few townships, then later entire counties, the program expanded and spread eastward throughout much of North Dakota. The pro-
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COUNTRY NEIGHBORS
Fall 2016
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Fall 2016
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Fall 2016
COUNTRY NEIGHBORS gram at that time was entirely locally sponsored. The state didn’t get involved in regulating and permitting until 1975, at which time the North Dakota Atmospheric Resource Board began its oversight. Weather Modification, Inc., relocated its headquarters to Fargo in the early 1990s and the three founding members have since passed away.
What exactly is cloud seeding?
The North Dakota Cloud Modification Project is a program that seeds clouds for hail damage reduction and rain enhancement in western North Dakota. Counties currently participating in the program are Bowman, McKenzie, Mountrail, Ward, Williams, and several townships in Slope County. Each year during the summer months — June 1 to around Sept. 1 — a meteorologist and assistant meteorologist hired through the program live in Bowman, the District 1 operations area, and
monitor cloud formation using the radar at the Bowman Municipal Airport. Aerial cloud seeding is the process of delivering silver iodide, a seeding agent, by aircraft either at the cloud base or cloud top. According to Langerud, the methods of hail reduction and rain enhancement work together, depending on the types of clouds forming. The chemical accelerates the formation of precipitation at the expense of growing large hailstones. When there is a cloud system that doesn’t have the capability of producing hail, the cloud can still be seeded, instead in an attempt to increase rainfall.
Why disband weather modification in Bowman County?
To Palczewski, the issue seems black-andwhite. “I don’t see how anybody could say it’s not taking rain away,” he explained.
But this year’s seeding operation seemed to especially irritate farmers and ranchers as it kicked off in an already dry season. “A very good friend of mine — that’s very pro-weather mod — said he was frustrated with the program this year,” Palczewski said. “There’s no reason they should be flying every single cloud.” Palczewski claimed the seeding accelerated the dry conditions. It wasn’t until after Aug. 9, when rain enhancement was suspended, that Bowman County experienced its greatest amount of rainfall, nearly four-and-a-half inches. Palczewski used that pivotal fact in his argument that cloud seeding
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is more than just unnecessary; that it’s actually hindering producers in Bowman County and even down-wind in areas like Adams County. “As farmers and ranchers, if we get hailed out or get in a severe drought where we don’t have any rain at all, it’s an easier pill to swallow for us than the same conditions due to weather mod,” Palczewski affirmed. Langerud suggested a contrary perspective of the program, one that he claimed is backed by scientific data and countless studies. As an explanation as to why Bowman County saw its most active rainfall once rain enhancement was suspended, Langerud said that
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despite its suspension, pilots are still actively seeding for hail suppression and that still has the potential to increase rainfall. If weather modification were disbanded, the impacts would be tremendous, according to Langerud, who has been involved with the program since 1991. “You would expect … that rainfall would be reduced,” he said. “Without the program, you may also see a spike in crop hail losses.” That would represent millions of dollars in lost revenues. There have been sevnD eral independent stud8 ies that scrutinized the program throughout its nearly seven decades of operation, offering statistics and scientific data that suggests the program is, indeed, effective. Generally the precipitation during the three-month seeding period increases by 5 to 10 percent, according to Langerud. That claim is backed by observed rainfall from gauges within the seeding area, he explained. Data to support the prevention of hail losses to crops is based upon a study of crop hail insurance. The trend in insurance claims is compared to a historical period when there was no seeding. Langerud said evaluations have shown a reduction in crop hail losses of nearly 45 percent. Those studies are conducted by outside entities, such as North Dakota State University and the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City, to ensure nonbiased information, he said, and rainfall studies are provided by sources such as University of North
Dakota and University of Oklahoma. “There’s a lot of scientific evidence to support the programs that are in place,” he said. Weather modification isn’t special to North Dakota. Programs are ongoing in 10 other western states, some include summertime work, similar to North Dakota’s program, in Kansas and Texas, but also during the winter in mountain states to increase snowfall for skiing and to increase melt-water for ranching and irrigation, hydroelectric power and municipal drinking water. A portion of the funding for Bowman County’s program comes from the county’s general fund. The total project cost is funded by an equal cost-share with the state. Around $115,000 comes from the county each year, which includes roughly $15,000 from Slope County, and the same amount comes from the state.
It’s all about risk management
“(Weather modification) is a difficult thing to explain and difficult to prove beyond any shadow of a doubt,” Langerud suggested, despite having firm scientific data. “When talking about statistics you’re always working towards eliminating doubt, but it’s rare when you get to the point where you can say unequivocally that this is the absolute answer.” He admitted that weather modification is not a perfect program, but is just another tool for farmers and ranchers when it comes to risk management. Langerud said there are no absolute certainties with the program: “We’re talking about risk
management, spending money to manage risk.” He said it’s similar to purchasing crop insurance. Still, Palczewski claimed that the majority of Bowman County agricultural producers don’t want the program to continue. Their chief concern, among others, remains that weather modification is taking rain away. “There is no evidence that has been collected or evaluated on this program in North Dakota that would substantiate the claim that cloud seeding is reducing rainfall,” Langerud stated. “Nor do they show that in other programs where this activity is conducted.”
A program with much criticism
Chemically manipulating the weather certainly comes with its share of criticism and skepticism, according to Langerud, who as one of the top officials in the state dealing with the program is
occasionally at the brunt of it. One common opinion from producers that he has received is the claim that seeding clouds ahead of the producers makes them “rain out” so downwind there is no rain. “Actually the evaluations show the opposite,” he said. “There’s actually a slight increase in rainfall that exists downwind of the area.” There also have been no observations, said Langerud, of seeding creating larger storms after clouds pass over the seeded area. He went on to explain that while it reduces violent storm capability over the seeded area, its effects are also felt down the line since it takes some time for the seeding agent to be “purged” from the system. When a person goes outside and observes a seeding plane flying near clouds, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re being seeded, he explained. “The clouds have to be good candidates before
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they’re seeded” needing to possess an updraft, having warm, moist air moving up into the cloud to sustain it and produce rainfall and have zero to limited ice particles, depending upon the pilot’s goal to suppress hail or increase rain. “Sometimes the perception from the ground is that the airplane flies to a location, circles underneath the cloud and then flies away, and then 10 minutes later that cloud dissipates, so that cloud was killed by the seeding,” he indicated. “No, in a lot of cases what happened was the airplane went to that location, the pilot determined that cloud
Bean bag toss
wasn’t going to live much longer so they moved on to something else.” One of the biggest misconceptions that lead to misunderstandings of the project, according to Langerud, is Bowman’s radar. When viewing the online weather radar from the North Dakota State Water Commission and areas of yellow and red are seen above Bowman County, but nothing’s happening on the ground can be confusing. Basically, the cause lies with the radar’s capability and not with weather modification, as some may suggest, he said. The Bowman radar produces a composite
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Page 16
COUNTRY NEIGHBORS
Fall 2016
image, which computes the highest reflectivity — the colors seen on the radar image that depict higher amounts of energies and thus more particles in the atmosphere, meaning more or larger precipitation — and compresses them onto one plain. The problem is, however, that the radar cannot see directly above itself nor at the base elevation, which is what radars from the National Weather Service provide. Many times there can be high reflectivities above the county showing on the radar, but it could be that those reflectivites are four or five miles overhead and that precipitation, with the prevailing wind, may land down-wind a few miles because it takes a while for that raindrop to fall before it hits the ground. “I think there is a little bit of confusion in interpreting the radar data because we’re showing a different version of the data,” he
said. Bowman does not currently have coverage by the National Weather Service’s radar; the closet available is located in Hettinger. But Langerud indicated that a conversation has been started to make a modification in the software to allow base elevation data available in the future. Langerud said one of his goals is to inform the public of the capabilities and limitations of the program. He reiterated that it is “not a hail elimination project and it’s not a perfect project.” Still, he said it is the right of the people to be able to vote if they want the project to continue or not. “But when you look at the economics of that increase in rainfall and of the reduction of hail you’re talking about millions of dollars per year in additional gain for crops sold and economic activity, which far exceeds the cost of the program on an annual basis,” he said.
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Carla Adkisson Branch Manager
OIL FIELD SUPPLY STORE Box 320 • 413 6th St NE • Bowman, ND 58623
Location: Highway 85 • North between the curves
Phone: 701-523-4764 Fax: 701-523-4784
Be on the lookout when buying a new tractor When you buy anything used, you're taking a gamble that whatever you purchase will last longer than the time it takes you to get it home. When you're talking about something small, the fact that it could turn out to be a lemon may not seem like a big deal, but when you're talking about something as large as a tractor, that's an entirely different matter. Here are some pointers on buying a good used tractor. On the day of the sale, most tractors are sold "ride and drive," which means that you can drive the tractor after you buy it to make sure the block is solid, the differential is fine and the transmission works. If you find something wrong with any of these three, you are not
obligated to buy the tractor. If, however, you find something else wrong, you must go forward with your purchase and buy the tractor as is. To ensure the latter doesn't happen to you, check out the tractor carefully before you bid on it. Here are some other important tips to ensure you buy a good used tractor:
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• Check the dealer's suggested retail price for the tractor and don't go above it. • Check with the owner to find out why the tractor is being sold and ask to see the maintenance records. • Check with the dealership regarding service and replacement parts for the tractor. • Check that the tractor hasn't been stolen or mortgaged. • Check the transmission, brakes, clutch, exhaust, air intake, steering and gauges when taking the tractor for a test drive. • Check the engine for smoke or knocks. • Check the overall appearance of the tractor. Look for new welds, rust, holes, cracked hoses and belts, faded paint, cakedon dirt and loose nuts. Make sure that any body repairs have been done properly. • Check the cooling system for rust and contamination. • Check the air filter for leaks in the seals, intake hoses and connections. • Check the tires for cuts, breaks or cracks.
• Check the grease fittings to see if a grease gun has been used. • Check the hydraulic oil pressure and flow. • Check the oil for signs of age and leaks. While you're at it, inspect the rings, valves, bearings and cylinder walls for excessive wear. • Check the hydraulic connections for contaminated plugs. • Check the front wheel rotation. Jack up the machine and rotate the front tires, looking for side clearance in the seals and bearings. • Check the hydraulic and transmission fluid for contamination and filings. • Check the bearings, pulleys, chains, shafts and bushings for excessive clearance, and the belts and pulleys for alignment. Make sure there is no excessive vibration in any of these areas. • Check the hydraulic lift. Keep in mind that it may run fine without anything on it, so add some weight to it and test it out. If the tractor has remote hoses, activate the remote hose spools with the motor running. If you hear them lug down the motor, there's a good chance the lift is fine. When buying a tractor at auction, there is no surefire way to guarantee you won't get burned. Going in armed with the knowledge of what to look for, however, may help you avoid coming away with a lemon.
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COUNTRY NEIGHBORS
Rodeo Drive Apartments
Fall 2016
Page 17
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Page 18
COUNTRY NEIGHBORS
Fall 2016
Keeping up with the trend: Specialty crops One of the latest trends in farming is specialty crops, which are profitable crops grown on limited acreage by a small number of farmers. Growing specialty crops is not for everyone. Before you make the decision, there are several factors that you must consider.
Before you commit to raising specialty crops, you need to ask yourself a series of questions. These include: • Do you know for certain that there is a market for specialty crops in your area? • Do you have the time, money, equipment and land to follow through
once you get started? • Do you feel like you can sustain your interest when things go wrong? • Do you have the labor needed to harvest the crops, or will you need to hire others to help you? Can you afford to hire others? • Do you get along with people well enough to
sell the crops yourself, or will you need to hire someone to sell them? Can you afford to hire someone? • Do you have a way to get the crops to buyers? Before planting any crops, you must check your site and make sure it has good soil, sufficient drainage and access to
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quality water. If it does not, you will need to make the necessary adjustments. You must also find out what the seasonal water table is like and what kind of wildlife roam the area. Keep in mind that there may be wildlife that could either be harmed by your crops or damage your crops. In either case, you will need to take steps to protect your crops from contact with wildlife. When planning crops, you must find out which ones customers are likely to buy and buy often. Apples, cucumbers, summer squash and tomatoes are good candidates for consideration. Popular seasonal items include asparagus, peaches, sweet corn and strawberries. Ask around
to see if there is someone who would be willing to supply you with other types of crops. Avoid going all out and growing lots of crops. Focus on a few and learn everything you can about them before branching out. Of those few, find one that you can grow very well and make it your signature crop. Specialty crops in general require more delicate handling at harvest than regular produce. The decision to raise specialty crops is not one to be taken lightly. They tend to require more work than other crops and provide a smaller harvest. It is these very qualities, however, that generally create a market for such products.
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Page 19
Effective cropping systems reduce winter feed costs
a- By KRIS RINGWALL
Grazing of crop rotational systems that st include cover crops and crop residue is a managerial change that can ne decrease beef production costs. This change is further enhanced when calving time is shifted to when cool-season pasture grass is available, opening the y doors to more extended ch grazing and less need for harvested forage. Implementation of these changes may take several seasons and, depending on location, several managerial options. However, the impact of lowering costs never will be realized if changes are not made. Keep in mind, cattle producers must choose a system that works for them. Change for change’s sake is counterproductive, but change because increasing costs are causing a negative impact on the bottom line is certainly a discussable point. The Dickinson Research Extension Center embraced the delayed calving season, turning bulls out Aug. 1. This allows cattle to graze longer because the third trimester does not start until mid-February, which means an opportunity to cut winter feed costs. As the center changed, the opportunity to document the change was welcomed. Visiting
n-
BEEF|TALK
Fall 2016
scholar Songul Senturklu and center animal scientist Doug Landblom cut the cost of traditional confined forage feeding by 33 to 67 percent when incorporating late-season grazing of cover crops, winter grass and crop residue. Total winter feeding costs per cow were $208.81 for traditional hay and supplement feeding, $140.59 for adding cover crop and crop residue prior to winter feeding, and $73.33 for adding stockpiled grass and corn residue. So often, cattle production is trapped in historic production systems. Truthfully, current production methods are not historic. While the production of calves through cows has been around for several thousand years, those systems were small, sustainable and had a local reach. Cattle would have had to walk or be herded across many geographical barriers to be otherwise. Until refrigeration, no sharing of meat occurred. Even today, the lack of refrigeration immediately suspends the movement of most products. Today, most cattle production changes have occurred during the careers of those who currently work in the beef business. This is significant because the expectation that beef products can feed the world is a relatively new concept. The
relationships and how hands are joined to make that process work are historically untested, as is the equitable exchange of value, an effort for all parties to share in fair market value. To make things even more complicated, the many individuals involved in the various transactions want, or expect, a share in the value of the product. So how many participants can the cow pay? Likewise, when producers ponder how they can better manage their operations and make management changes, significant pushback may occur because payout to participants down the beef chain may decrease. So current issues are not historic; rather, they’re a product of insouciance, a nonchalant drifting through time, a passing of the torch further and further from the one who births the calf to one who consumes the calf. Some would say this is consumerism, producing, in this case, beef that fits the scope of those who consume. Most recently, the effort of meeting the consumer demands places tremendous pressure on producers to meet those demands, to conform. But as the beef business reaches out further and further to supply product, the product becomes more distant from the one who births the calf, the beef
producer. In comparison, the poultry and swine industries have encased themselves to genetically and managerially meet the world of specification meat. This has widened competition, exposing the beef industry to competitive weak spots. But beeves are not intended, nor have evolved, to be a specificity meat product. Beeves evolved to be a very broadbased user of forage and other products that we, as humans, could not utilize. The integration of beef into the cycle of life, the carbon cycle and soil health, is critical to the sustainability of food production systems. Beef, in many respects, is a product of cropping systems that are enhanced by the addition of cattle to the crop rotation to maintain healthy soil, although that statement sometimes is forgotten within agricultural gatherings. The value of working together is the key. In closing, the center did move from grain and hay production to a forage base with an option for the forage to be grazed or put up as
hay. With minimal grain production, expanded forages, longer grazing and later calving, the center has changed. Grazing forage systems keeps cows and calves grazing well into
the winter months, and beef production is good. Why? Well, cutting the cost of traditional latefall and winter feeding by 33 to 67 percent helps. May you find all your ear tags.
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Page 20
Fall 2016
COUNTRY NEIGHBORS