Fall-Winter 2021 Edition
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Salute to Agriculture Salute to Agriculture is a special supplement to the Brush News-Tribune, Fort Morgan Times and Sterling Journal-Advocate honoring the predominant industry of the region. Inside
Farm couple’s passion yields a unique Morgan County crop............................................... 4 Opportunities abound for growing local agritourism......................................................... 10 Pope Farms is Morgan County’s top agritourism destination ............................................ 14 Local families are giving back through Supreme Heifer Program....................................... 18 Merino FFA enjoyed a busy fall....................................................................................... 20 Ag-ed goes out, learns by doing..................................................................................... 22 NJC Aggies serve up oysters......................................................................................... 23 Fort Morgan FFA chapter makes triumphant post-COVID return......................................... 24 Sterling FFA chapter keeps busy.................................................................................... 26 Livestock Exchange receives 2021 BQA Marketer Award................................................. 30 Water partnership seeks to prove benefits of collaboration.............................................. 32 Culled cows an opportunity?......................................................................................... 34 Copyright 2021, Prairie Mountain Media
Our Staff
Brian Porter, Publisher Sara Waite, Editor Callie Jones, Assistant Editor Jenni Grubbs, Assistant Editor Jeff Rice, Staff Writer Maegan Olmstead, Staff Writer Katie Roth, Staff Writer Steve Buxton, Advertising Kim Francis, Advertising Andrew Ohlson, Advertising Kent Shorrock, Layout
Saluting Farmers & Ranchers
FACT: There are more than 38,900 farms on 31.8 million acres in Colorado, producing cattle, corn, dairy products, hay, wheat and more, with the state ranking among the top 10 in American crops of pro sorghum, peaches, proso millet, sheep and lambs. The Colorado ag industry contributes about $47 billion annually to the economy and employs almost 200,000. Additionally, Colorado totals about $2 billion in international ag exports annually. If you ate today, please thank a farmer or rancher – the ‘Heartbeat of the Plains’
SALUTE TO AGRICULTURE • OCTOBER 30, 2021 • 3
Country Roads Vines and Wines
Sharon and Dan Kauffman outside of their winery Country Roads Vines and Wines in Fort Morgan.
Courtesy photo / Country Roads Vines and Wines
Farm couple’s passion yields a unique Morgan County crop By Maegan Olmstead The Fort Morgan Times
Sharon and Dan Kauffman have a prosperous vineyard in Fort Morgan, growing grapes that will explicitly thrive in that particular environment. Dan is the winemaker and Sharon assists and helps with the sell-
ing and running the winery that they opened earlier this year. They have traveled extensively to educate themselves on varieties of grapes and conversing with other vineyards about how best to cultivate one of their own. Their property is a third-generation farm and has always been agricultural land, and they continue to farm 400 acres of corn and
4 • OCTOBER 30, 2021 • SALUTE TO AGRICULTURE
alfalfa. The only thing that has changed is that starting in 2018 they began planting vines on the land to coincide with their passion for wine. “It’s keeping that agriculture land in agriculture but it’s not taking land out for what Northeastern Colorado is known for with the corn and alfalfa,” said Sharon. They now have 400 vines that
are cold-hearted varieties and can withstand temperatures below 20 degrees and will have a late bud break. This means that the bud will not break until the middle of May to avoid any late spring freezes that can occur in this part of Colorado. When most people think of wines in Northeastern Colorado
See KAUFFMAN, pg. 5
KAUFFMAN from page 4
they may think more of fruit wines, but the Kauffmans grow true grape wines and harvest them and bottle them themselves. “Some of our challenges have been the early freezes in September, like last year, which can be detrimental here to fruit trees and vines,” said Sharon. “The biggest challenge growing out here is the time that the vines take. It’s just Dan and I and it takes a lot of time and labor.” A unique aspect the Kauffmans have found is that while they can hire extra hands to assist with harvesting their corn and alfalfa, they have to be very careful with their vines. At the moment, Dan is the only one who truly is hands on with the vines and ensures that they are growing correctly since he has taken the time to study how it should be done. “Lots of trial by error,” Dan said. “I’ve researched a lot, but then it’s about doing it. We visited several other vineyards and viticulturists, See KAUFFMAN, pg. 6 The vineyard growing behind Country Road Vines and Wines in Fort Morgan.
Courtesy photo / Country Roads Vines and Wines
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Some of the bottles made and kept in the production room at Country Road Vines and Wines in Fort Morgan.
Courtesy photo / Country Roads Vines and Wines
KAUFFMAN from page 5
which was very helpful.” “Everywhere we went, whether in Italy or Arizona or California, everyone is very willing to share,” Sharon said. “The wine industry is a small industry. The industry as a whole wants to grow so they’re willing to help people get started.” The vines the Kauffmans plant-
ed in 2018 were only harvested for the first time in 2021. So unlike other agriculture endeavors where people see a return each year, the wine industry requires a great deal of patience. “The process of the wine making is another labor of love,” Sharon said. “The return on that
investment is very different from the rest of our farming operation with alfalfa and corn. Dan’s farmed all of his life. We have those people that are just naturals and I think Dan is a natural with that. He can be in that vineyard and determine what needs to happen. Some people farm by data
and he farms by instinct. I think when you have a passion for something that instinct becomes natural.” When the Kauffmans first planted their vines, it was at the same time they were remodeling their horse barn to become a winery.
See KAUFFMAN, pg. 7
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KAUFFMAN from page 6
They would quickly outgrow that space in two years’ time and decide to build Country Road Vines and Wines, located at 16985 County Road 21 in Fort Morgan. They did not expect to grow or become the winery they are now today; it all truly started with a passion and as Sharon says, it’s a labor of love. “We really thought moving from the house to the horse barn, that it would maintain itself as a small hobby,” Sharon said. “Even though in 2019 we were licensed to sell, it was the warm welcome from the community and wine drinkers or want-to-be wine drinkers that that’s when we decided we wanted to make more wine. We wanted a space to give back to the community. It really was about a space and the outcome has been the surprising amount of travelers and visitors traveling through our area for weddings, funerals etc., who always have that bit of downtime so this is a great space for that.” Another aspect that the Kauffmans like to capitalize on, is that when people come to their winery, they sit right on the corner of County Road 21 and County Road R, which is a heavily trafficked intersection for trucks. People can hear and smell the moving of agriculture in this community. “What a great space to be able to talk about agriculture,” Sharon said. “You can see 300 trucks go by and the smell of that, good and bad, people often wonder why. It gives us an opportunity to talk See KAUFFMAN, pg. 8 Grapes being harvested for Country Roads Vines and Wines in Fort Morgan.
Courtesy photo / Country Roads Vines and Wines
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KAUFFMAN from page 7
about agriculture. We sit in the heart of agriculture in Fort Morgan. The Kraft dairy farm is just a mile south and then they’re hauling that product to Leprino which is a mile to our northwest. Then two miles south of the dairy is Dinklage Feed Yards, which is a cattle-feeding facility. Those cattle are then processed at Cargill which is a mile west of us, and then on the way to the winery people get to pass Keith Bath’s corn flaking operation, where he is processing unbelievable amounts of flaked corn for dairies.” The Kauffmans are proud to live in Fort Morgan and to recognize the history of agriculture throughout their community. They’re also thrilled to find a different way to bring people to the community with their vineyard and to have the opportunity to expose and educate people to the world of agriculture. “We now have an opportunity to bring tourism to the area and we can talk about agriculture and the importance of agriculture and where food comes from,” Sharon
said. “Mary Kraft from Kraft family dairies was able to get me some children activities books that I give to the kids when they come, which allows them to color as well as learn.” While the Kauffmans enjoy wine, they especially enjoy this process of making and creating wine together. It has been challenging at times but they are thrilled to be able to share their passion with so many others now. “Being together, doing something that’s not been done before has been a challenge, and then the pandemic created its own challenges, which really pushed us to think outside of our original business plan,” Sharon said. “It’s really about achieving something that hasn’t been done before,” Dan agreed. “We get other people now who have seen that this has happened and who have inquired about where our vines have come from and the amount of time so I think we may see more wine grapes
See KAUFFMAN, pg. 9
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Kourtney Smith / Courtesy photo
A close-up look at the grapes on the vines at Country Roads Vines and Wines.
KAUFFMAN from page 8
being grown,” Sharon said. They have built their winery specifically to help curate the best possible wines they can. The winery is 4,800 square feet and includes a sales room where wine is tasted and sold, and a back patio should people like to sit outside and look out at the fields. Then there is the production room, which is kept at 70 degree,s and a storage room, which is kept at 58 degrees and has no windows or extra light, since sunlight can deteriorate wine. Together Sharon and Dan handle all of the corking and bottling of every single bottle of wine they make, which can be very labor intensive, but it is something they truly enjoy. They are thrilled to be able to have the to opportunity to share their passion with people in Northeastern Colorado and in Fort Morgan especially — a place they both have been born and raised and are honored to be able to continue Maegan Olmstead / Fort Morgan Times their family’s tradition of farming Country Road Vines and Wines is located at 16985 County Road 21 in Fort Morgan. with their own twist.
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SALUTE TO AGRICULTURE • OCTOBER 30, 2021 • 9
Opportunities abound for growing local agritourism
Endeavors can supplement producers’ income, but are not risk-free By Jeff Rice Sterling Journal-Advocate
In Vermont, tourists can visit any number of maple tree orchards, tour the facility that produces the famous maple syrup, and buy the farm’s product. Farmers’ markets open every summer and fall across America, bringing fresh produce, eggs, milk and meat directly from the farm to the consumer. And in the
Colorado high country, ranchers guide sportsmen to some of the best flyfishing spots in America. It’s called agritourism and it’s emerging as a viable adjunct to production agriculture. According to the USDA National Agriculture Library, agritourism is “a form of commercial enterprise that links agricultural production and/or processing with tourism in order to attract visitors onto a farm, ranch, or other agricultural business for the purposes of entertaining and/or educating the visitors and generating income for the farm, ranch, or business owner.” Agritourism has been around for a long time. The dude ranch probably originated in the Dakotas in the mid-1880s; the first
recorded ranch was near Medora, N.D., in 1884 owned by the Eaton brothers, businessmen from Pittsburgh. The previous winter had been one of the harshest on record, devastating the cattle
herds on the open range. The Eatons bought a busted ranch and began offering hunting and fishing tours. Most people think of “guest
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See AGRITOURISM, pg. 11
AGRITOURISM from page 10
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Callie Jones / Sterling Journal-Advocate
Hagen Early Education Center preschoolers and their families race to find the perfect pumpkin to take home during a visit to the Baseggio Pumpkin Patch in 2018.
ranches” as places where city slickers mount gentled horses for trail rides through breathtaking landscapes, but tourists have been increasingly interested in actually experiencing the ranching way of life. Cow-calf operations sometimes offer the opportunity to participate in spring branding, or just a week or two of dawn-to-dusk ranch work. But is there opportunity for agritourism on the working farms and ranches in northeast Colorado? According to a couple of experts in the field, the answer is definitely yes … but … Marilee Johnson, director of public information and tourism for Logan County, said there’s plenty of opportunity, and it doesn’t have to be confined to production agriculture operaColorado Mamas' website features the classic image of a Colorado dude ranch, a staple of agritourism. Courtesy photo / Colorado Mamas
tions. “Our area is ripe for (agritourism,)” Johnson said. “There’s the benefit to the producer of additional income, there’s the educational experience that links agriculture and tourism, and it promotes your product.” Johnson said that during a series of workshops on how to make Logan County a tourism destination two years ago, agritourism came to the top as a possibility. She said there already is some agritourism occurring with corn mazes and pumpkin patches being fun spots for family recreation. And Sterling’s annual Sugar Beet Days and area county fairs are examples of agritourism that has been going on for years. Then there’s the Brompton fam-
See AGRITOURISM, pg. 12
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SALUTE TO AGRICULTURE • OCTOBER 30, 2021 • 11
Callie Jones / Sterling Journal-Advocate
The Brompton family, from Crook, is joined by their baby calves as they entertain students with songs at Overland Trail Museum's Prairie School in 2017. The family, which uses oxen on their cow and sheep operation, has a cabin where they host visitors interested in learning more about their traditional methods.
AGRITOURISM from page 11 ily of Iliff, who still use oxen to do much of the work on their cattle and sheep operation. Because of their years of experience, the Bromptons are sometimes called on to hold clinics on their farm, and to help other ox owners with the
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whole subsection on agritourism with a long list of things that fit into the genre. Agricultural festivals, birding resources, corn mazes and pumpkin patches, county fairs, distilleries, wineries and breweries, and farm and ranch
vacations are among the possibilities listed. But, Johnson said, the impetus has to come from the producers themselves. “That’s kind of the barrier we
See AGRITOURISM, pg. 13
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AGRITOURISM from page 12
have to get past because producers just don’t have time to show a bunch of tourists around their operations,” she said. “They really have to see an upside for them.” Johnson suggested that someone with ag contacts in the area could take on the project, relieving the producers of the “tourist guide” role and organizing events and tours. “Certainly (the county) could lend our expertise and advice, but it’s not something we could take on full-time,” she said. Dennis Kaan, northeast region director for Colorado State University Extension, prepared a presentation on agritourism several years ago and said there is always potential in this corner of the state. “What we had looked at years ago was experiencing ranch life,” Kaan said. “It has the flavor of mountain tourism, and there’s an element of interest here.” Kaan’s presentation, “Assessing Your Agritourism Resources,” is a step-by-step guide for producers
Courtesy photo
Part of Dennis Kaan's presentation on agritourism is a hard look at the costs and benefits to the producer. A third party tour director could eliminate some of the costs.
who want to add tourism dollars to their operation’s revenue stream. It lays out the various
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kinds of activities that can drive new income, including demonstrations, exhibits and lectures,
festivals, alternative crops and value-added products among others. Again, however, there are hurdles to overcome and the biggest one Kaan sees is liability. “Liabilities became the biggest thing that became the roadblock to those plans coming to fruition,” Kaan said. “Bringing people onto private land is risky stuff.” Kaan agreed that someone who wants to develop an agritourism program would relieve producers of much of the burden and could ameliorate the liability problem. His presentation is still available on the Colorado Department of Agriculture’s web site. As enthusiastic as CDA is about agritourism, there is the reality that tourism activity in ag land must be subordinate to the primary farming/ranching operation. Allowing tours and birdwatching and hunting and fishing can never hinder the production of food and fiber. The word itself clearly states this: Agri comes before tourism.
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Pope Farms is Morgan County’s top agritourism destination Wiggins pumpkin farm receives about 10,000 visitors each fall
Signs around Pope Farms include fun facts about farming. Katie Roth Fort Morgan Times
By Katie Roth The Fort Morgan Times
While Wiggins locals are familiar with Pope Farms, many call it their best kept secret. What began in 1978 as a farm for pumpkins and other produce began introducing agritourism events in 2010. Now people from Morgan County and all across the state of Colorado make their way to Wiggins for fall festivities. Derek Pope’s family had been See POPE, pg. 15
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Katie Roth / Fort Morgan Times
One of the educational signs on the property teaches guests about the parts of a pumpkin.
Toys sit in the corn box.
Katie Roth / Fort Morgan Times
“It’s a thrill for us to come out here every year, absolutely. The whole community gets behind it. I couldn’t ask for anything better.”
Michael Siedelberg Wiggins resident
Katie Roth / Fort Morgan Times
One of the educational signs at Pope Farms teaches guests how corn grows.
POPE from page 14
growing pumpkins and other produce on their farm for decades, so when Pope graduated from college in 2007, he knew he wanted to go back to farming. But due to of the lack of water in the area, he had to find a creative way to stay in the agriculture business. What began as a local pumpkin patch and a place for schoolchildren to visit on field trips has now become a tourist destination and family tradition for many. Cynthia Pope, Derek’s wife, estimates Pope Farms receives around 10,000 visitors during the fall sea-
MORE THAN A WAY OF LIFE
son. Planning starts early. The design for the corn maze is completed in the spring and planted in May. The Popes attend many farmer’s markets each July. This year, they even added a September event: the Sunflower Festival. The Popes make an effort to bring something new to the farm every year. “We make it to be a point to be here. It’s nice to see that they add stuff every year. They keep making it more entertaining,” said Wiggins resident Karine Siedel-
See POPE, pg. 16
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SALUTE TO AGRICULTURE • OCTOBER 30, 2021 • 15
Katie Roth / Fort Morgan Times
Friends take a ride on the cow train.
POPE from page 15
berg. The Siedelbergs saw the appeal of small-town life and moved from Boulder to Wiggins about four years ago. Their daughters loved Pope Farms so much that they have now made it a family tradition to attend every year.
Alexie, the Siedelbergs’ youngest daughter, loves to see people she knows at the pumpkin patch, which includes everyone from her Kindergarten teacher to her teenage sister who has gotten a job working at Pope Farms for the first time this season.
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“We came out here the first year, and the kid had a ball. She’s been loving it ever since, so we keep on coming out,” said Michael Siedelberg. “It’s a thrill for us to come out here every year, absolutely. The whole community gets behind it. I couldn’t ask for anything bet-
ter.” Cynthia Pope loves to see return customers who have made their trip to Pope Farms an annual one. And she also loves creating her own family memories with Derek and their two sons, Barret and
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Families compete to see who can hit the most targets with their pumpkin blaster.
POPE from page 16
Axel. “The best part is just making fall memories every year. It’s fun to see people’s posts of all their pictures. We love watching families grow as they come back year after year. We hope to continue to grow with you,” she said. “Here at Pope Farms we strive to add something new every year to keep people coming back, but at the end of the day we are proudest of our pumpkin crop which finishes out our year. We work all year to make sure the families in northeastern Colorado have a fun, nice space to celebrate harvest and pick the perfect pumpkin.” In addition to the pumpkin patch and corn maze, there are a wide variety of activities for family members of all ages. During the day, some of the activities include a hay ride around the property, pumpkin cannons, a giant slide, zip lines, “The Twister,” a corn box, (rubber) duck races, a spider web climbing net, paintball, a cow train, a sandbox and a bounce pillow which is similar to a trampoline. There are also plenty of photo ops and food options. Daytime attractions close at dark, just in time to make the nighttime events, zombie paintball and the haunted corn maze, that much spookier.
“The best part is just making fall memories every year. It’s fun to see people’s posts of all their pictures. We love watching families grow as they come back year after year.” Cynthia Pope Pope Farms Because the goal of agritourism is to both entertain and educate, the Popes make sure guests leave with a few new facts, as well. Signs around the property contain fun facts about corn, pumpkins and farming in general. On the hay ride, the guide shows guests the different crops of squash, gourds, peppers, sunflowers and corn and also informs riders that the Popes grow 37 different varieties of pumpkins. Unfortunately, the fall festivities are over by Halloween, but make sure to pencil in a Pope Farms weekend on the 2022 calendar.
SALUTE TO AGRICULTURE • OCTOBER 30, 2021 • 17
Callie Jones / Sterling Journal-Advocate
Alie Sator, overall winner of the 2021 Logan County Supreme Heifer Program, spent a great deal of time closely examining heifers provided by local beef producing families before selecting one to add to her herd.
Local families are giving back through Supreme Heifer Program Program created to help grow breeding beef show at fair By Callie Jones Journal-Advocate Assistant Editor
It takes hours and hours of work for livestock exhibitors to prepare for the Logan County Fair each year and in fact they are already
busy preparing for next year’s fair. Saturday morning, Oct. 16, Alie Sator, this year’s overall winner of the Logan County Supreme Heifer Program, was at Sterling Livestock Commission to choose a heifer to add to her herd to show at next year’s fair. According to a press release, the Supreme Heifer Program was created by local families who wanted to provide a program to grow the breeding beef show at the fair and also teach participants and families
18 • OCTOBER 30, 2021 • SALUTE TO AGRICULTURE
what goes into these animals and having your own herd of cattle. There are five local families that partner with the CSU Extension Office to provide the opportunity. “We are blessed to live in a community where we have so much support from community members and keep our local roots strong,” the press release states. Participants in the program are asked to do a special record book, as well as an interview for the project. There are three winners
selected and from those, the overall winner gets to chose one heifer from a pen of heifers provided by local cattle-producing families to take home, raise and breed and then show at the fair. “This is my second year; the first year that you enter you breed a heifer and then it’s entered in phase 1. The next year, you go back with the heifer and its calf and in phase two you show it as a cow-calf pair. I also had one other See HEIFER, pg. 19
HEIFER from page 18
heifer in phase 1 that I’ll bring back next year with its calf,” Sator said. Other participants in this program this year included: Harper Johnson, Grace Wernsman, Lyla Wernsman, Ben Walker, Molly Walker, Wyatt Walker, Madie Johnson, Laney Schliesser, Payton Spielman and Aden Young. “I was excited. A lot of hard work goes into it; to have all my hard work pay off in the end, I was very proud of myself and also my heifer,” Sator said about being selected as the overall winner. “I am grateful to be part of such a cool program and to have such great sponsors that provide the heifers.” Along with Sator, the other winners for this year were Molly Walker for phase 1 and Lyla Wernsman for phase 2. Both received a buckle prior to the Bud Van Berg Memorial 4-H/FFA Junior Livestock Sale at this year’s fair. Judges for the program this year
were Jason Santamoso, Rylie Salyards, Jared Wagner, Logan Guenzi and Jill Hill. As the overall winner, Sator was invited to choose one heifer out of four provided by local beef producing families. It was a tough choice, with the young exhibitor taking her time to meticulously look over each animal, paying close attention to different characteristics that stood out. In the end, it was a heifer from Guenzi that caught her eye. “All four heifers were really good. You just have to nitpick from different things — you say this one is better from this standpoint, but this one does something else a little better. But, I’m happy with my decision and I think we will do good at next year’s show,” Sator said. Organizers of the Supreme Heifer program would like to give a huge thank you to Sterling LiveCallie Jones / Sterling Journal-Advocate stock for allowing the program to After making her selection, Alie Sator poses for a photo with her chosen use their pens to do the heifer heifer. She will show the animal at next year's Logan County Fair. pick.
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SALUTE TO AGRICULTURE • OCTOBER 30, 2021 • 19
Merino FFA enjoyed a busy fall
Courtesy photo
Jake Hettinger and Peyton Nestor are among the Merino High School FFA members who received their state FFA degrees.
Courtesy photo
Freshman members of the Merino High School FFA chapter attended the BIG (Being Involved as a Greenhand) Conference in September at Northeastern Junior College.
Four people receive state FFA degrees
In early August, many members of our organization helped represent our chapter at the local fair. Peyton Nestor, Zoriah Kaus, Andrew Kaus, Jaxson Samber, By Amanda Thorpe Grace Wernsman, Emily Thorpe, Merino FFA Chapter Reporter and Amanda Thorpe all participated this last year. They all worked on these projects for multiple The Merino FFA chapter has months to then exhibit them at our been quite busy this past year. From projects at the Logan County county fair. Not to mention, our chapter president Taryn Goss Fair to organizing monthly meetSee MERINO, pg. 21 ings, we are always hard at work.
Merino High School FFA members have some fun at a monthly chapter meeting. Courtesy photo
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Merino High School FFA members represented at the Logan County Fair Rodeo in August.
MERINO from page 20
helped to represent the Merino FFA chapter in the annual rodeo. By the time the end of summer rolled around, several of our previous seniors even managed to receive their state FFA degrees; these include Kole Armstrong, Peyton Nestor, Andrew Frank, and Jake Hettinger. This school year our chapter’s freshman attended the local BIG conference at Northeastern Junior College, additionally everyone Merino High School FFA members hold up an FFA emblem project they recently created. Courtesy photo
“We Proudly Support our Local Community”
rode in the float at the Merino fall festival. Furthermore, our sophomores recently attended the range judging competition on Oct. 13. We certainly need a driven officer team this year, thankfully we got one with Taryn Goss, Taysa Conger, Tobi Erickson, Oceana Mayhugh, Amanda Thorpe, and Chanelle Gentry. We are absolutely thrilled to take on this year and everything that comes along with it!
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SALUTE TO AGRICULTURE • OCTOBER 30, 2021 • 21
Ag-ed goes out, learns by doing
Caliche animal science class visits Dinklage Feed Yard By Karli Green, Imagine Torres, Stormy Lyons, Starla Van Wyk, Nora Savolt Caliche High School agriculture students
A BIG thank you to Roy Waitley, Tylar Marshal, Bryan Torres (Poncho), and Tatia Banks for helping us experience real life scenarios with animals. The Animal Science Class, after studying in class the ruminant digestion system, went to Dinklage Feed Yard to see how it looked in real life.The four parts of the ruminant digestion system each has a specific function, as well as distinguishing characteristics. We studied them but it was really interesting actually seeing them. While looking at the market heifer we got to see all four compartments of the ruminant digestion system This included the rumen that was actually towards the back, the reticulum looked like a honeycomb, the omasum had a bunch of little finger-like pieces to it, and the abomasum was huge. We also got to see many other parts of the animal including the spleen, heart, lung, and kidney. The spleen actually kind of looked like a big tongue. The heart we found was a third bigger than what it normally is. The lung was really big and smooth, and the kidney looked like a bundle of grapes or a bunch of beans. We went through many things before finding out how the heifer actually died. We got to see the ribs get moved and the heart was cut up. When the heart got cut up you could see the blood clotting, but it looked jelly-like; we also saw the valves and chambers in the heart. After we were done looking at the animal and finding out she
Courtesy photo
Caliche High School animal science students and teacher Todd Thomas look at the kidneys of a market heifer, which look like a cluster of grapes, during a visit to Dinklage Feed Yard
died from dust pneumonia we got to see different medicines that they use to try to prevent such diseases. One of the bottles of medicine cost more than $1,000, while the cheapest was close to $50. We also learned about what each of the medicines did and what diseases they could cure. Being hands on and actually seeing how they can prevent deaths of the cows and finding out how you can find the cause of death was very interesting and goes to show all of the hard work and dedication that agriculturists put into their work everyday. We learned many things about livestock while in class, but seeing it in person and actually experiencing it gave us all Courtesy photo a new perspective to what that job Caliche High School animal science students got to see all the different is like. medicines that are used during a visit to Dinklage Feed Yard.
22 • OCTOBER 30, 2021 • SALUTE TO AGRICULTURE
NJC Aggies serve up oysters
Jeff Rice / Sterling Journal-Advocate
NJC Prof. Andy Bartlett prepares to smooch the swine at the Aggies Oyster Fry. Bartlett "won" the Kiss a Pig contest at the annual fundraiser, but the pig didn't seem all that enthusiastic.
Jeff Rice / Sterling Journal-Advocate
Members of the NJC Aggies dish up Rocky Mountain oysters and sides during the group's annual oyster fry on Oct. 12.
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SALUTE TO AGRICULTURE • OCTOBER 30, 2021 • 23
Fort Morgan FFA chapter makes triumphant post-COVID return By Katie Roth The Fort Morgan Times
Kirstin Dahl and Isaac Strauss have been FFA members since their freshman year at Fort Morgan High School. Dahl has been an officer all four years, and Strauss has been an officer for the past three. Dahl and Strauss, along with Jenna Fritzler, have had much success this year as members of the Horse Judging Team. Each team member placed in the top ten and earned gold at the State Convention with Strauss placing ninth, Fritzler placing seventh and Dahl placing second. The team as a whole also won gold and was named the State Champion, solidifying its invitation to the 94th National FFA Convention and Expo in Indianapolis from Oct. 2730. They are the first Fort Morgan FFA members to qualify at the National level, earning the full support of the Morgan County School District Re-3 and other local sponsors who are helping the team fund their trip to compete in Indiana. “It’s definitely a unique — pretty much a once-in-a-lifetime experience — because it is an expensive Courtesy photo trip to make, so usually you can FFA members traveled to Colorado Springs to attend the Fall Leadership Conference during the first weekend of only go once if you’re lucky See FORT MORGAN, pg. 25 October.
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Katie Roth / Fort Morgan Times
Nathan Gerken (left) and Raelynn Carlock (center) receive their patches for lettering from Fort Morgan FFA President Kirstin Dahl (right).
FORT MORGAN from page 24
enough to get on the list,” said Dahl. “I think a big part of why FFA is so special to us in this community is because we have great community support. So all those things we’ve been able to do… like going to National Convention and competing at State Convention and going to Fall Conference and even putting on the Oyster Fry… we really can only do that because of how much support the community gives us. It’s been so great how involved and active the community is in helping younger generations and high schoolers, whether it’s 4-H or FFA, just learn about agriculture and become involved in the industry,” said Strauss. For the National competition, each member has already completed an individual written exam in addition to five team activities, something that is not done at the District or State Conventions. At the National Convention itself, the three members will individually judge a combination of eight halter and performance classes. Dahl explained the difference between the classes.
“In halter class, you’re judging the horse specifically, their structure, how they move, what they look like. Then performance classes would be how the horse performs with the rider, whether it’s a pattern or just the way the horse moves with it being ridden,” Dahl said. “My favorite is probably the performance classes. I like giving reasons on them because there’s more to talk about. There’s usually four horses you place in each class, first through fourth. They come back and tell you one class you have to give reasons on. So you write out some reasons and memorize them. Then you go present it to someone, and they give you a score.” Strauss prefers judging halter classes. “I like halter class for the same reason: they have fewer things to talk about. For me, there’s less of a chance to mess up,” he said. The team said their individual strengths are obvious and definitely contribute to the success of the group as a whole. They also mentioned how much they have
See FORT MORGAN, pg. 29
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SALUTE TO AGRICULTURE • OCTOBER 30, 2021 • 25
New Sterling High School FFA members try on their blue and gold jackets for the first time.
Courtesy photo
Sterling FFA chapter keeps busy Eight students attending National FFA Convention
By Callie Jones Journal-Advocate Assistant Editor
From welcoming a new advisor, to attending district conferences and festivals, to working on ag related projects, it’s been a busy fall for the Sterling High School FFA chapter. Whitney Reed came on board as the new chapter advisor this year, replacing Kasey Anderson, who moved to a science position at SHS. Assisting her is the chapter officer team, including chapter president, senior Sarah Maker, who is also a student advisor on the officer team for District 16, which includes nine other school districts. “I’m trying to work on building our program back up, getting students back involved and excited
Courtesy photo
Sterling High School FFA chapter president Sarah Maker, front row right, attended the BIG (Being Involved as a Greenhand) Conference at Northeastern Junior College with freshman FFA members.
about FFA, so hosting fun chapter meetings, doing lots of hands-on learning in the classroom,” Reed said. One of the new things she has done this year with her approximately 120-student roster is implementing a junior FFA officer team
26 • OCTOBER 30, 2021 • SALUTE TO AGRICULTURE
to help the senior team, allowing the freshman introduction to ag class to have the opportunity to be officers. “I’m really excited about that and excited to get students more involved and prepared for leadership roles in FFA,” Reed said.
Both she and Maker have worked together this year to really try to get as many students involved in FFA as possible. “I keep encouraging kids, I try to get to know them more, I try to get some one-on-one time with them,
See STERLING, pg. 27
STERLING from page 26
just get to know them more, get to know to what their background is, why they want to be in ag,” the chapter president said. According to Maker, Sterling students have been busy this fall attending monthly chapter meetings and working on SAEs (Supervised Agricultural Experiences), CDEs (Career Development Events) and LDEs (Leadership Development Events). Also, 22 members attended the BIG (Being Involved as a Greenhand) Conference, several students helped out at Sugar Beet Days and right now eight students are at the National FFA Convention, in Indianapolis. “I’m really excited about going to National Convention. This my first year teaching, I’ve been to National Convention as a student, but never as an advisor, so I’m excited to see it from this perspective and to give my students the same types of opportunities that I had when I went,” Reed said. Students attending the convention are: Maker, junior Alex Rodine and freshman Paycen Keen, Addi-
Young concert with FFA members from around the country. Of course the convention also provided plenty of learning opportunities too, including touring agriculture sites in Nebraska, Iowa and Indiana. With the convention having to be conducted virtually last year due to COVID-19, Maker and her fellow FFA members were excited to get the chance to go to an in-person event again. “I went sophomore year and it was pretty fun; it was a really good experience when we went,” Maker said. Students are also busy working on things like SAEs and LDEs. For one of her SAEs, Maker raises and shows goats for both 4-H and FFA. This year she was the reserve Courtesy photo grand champion at the Logan Sterling High School FFA students built Temple Grandin cattle facilities out County Fair and also showed at the of graham crackers and peanut butter for one of their projects this fall. Colorado State Fair and the Aksarben Stock Show, in Nebraska. son Pasko, Tyla Thomas, Alie vention; “we’re just going to go and Maker will get new goats in March to begin raising for next year’s conSator, Emma Stumpf and Grace have some fun,” Maker said. One tests. Petersen. They are not competing of the highlights she was excited See STERLING, pg. 28 in any contests at the national con- for was being able to attend a Brett
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Courtesy photos
Sterling High School FFA members represented at Sugar Beet Days in September.
STERLING from page 27
Her second SAE is a radio show she hosts on KMPX every Thursday at 6:30 a.m. Maker is also participating in different LDEs including employment skills. Students competing in this area must complete a job interview, write a resume and thank you letter and fill out a job application. After completing the application and interview, students
have 30 minutes to write about how the interview went. The FFA chapter president is also doing a prepared public speaking LDE for the first time this year. For this event, students must write a speech about a topic in the ag industry right now, memorize it and then recite their speech at sections, which is the chapter contest, and then if they’re
lucky enough they will move on to the district, state and national conferences. In addition to all of that, Maker has been interning at the Sterling Animal Clinic with Sara Mildenberger, as part of a class SHS provides for seniors, gaining experience to help her as she pursues a career as a vet tech. After high school, she would like to go to vet
tech school and has been looking at enrolling at Colorado Mountain College, Eastern Wyoming College, Northeastern Junior College or a college in Kansas. Having been involved in ag and FFA throughout her entire high school career, Maker feels it has helped her prepare for the future. “It’s been a fun experience. I feel like I’ve improved a lot,” she said.
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FORT MORGAN from page 25
learned and grown over the years. Strauss recalled placing 50th in the District Convention as a freshman because he forgot to fill out an entire class. Then, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, all competitions were completely cancelled during their sophomore year. “To watch us go from that right to representing the state at Nationals… I think that’s been a really cool thing,” said Strauss. The Fort Morgan FFA Chapter as a whole has also seen a lot of success so far this year. From leading ag tours for elementary schoolers to sending members to the Fall Leadership Conference in Colorado Springs to competing in the Colorado State Fair to serving over 700 meals at the Oyster Fry and raising over $12,000 from the Hired Hand Auction fundraiser, there isn’t much slowing down for this year’s FFA members. “It’s really nice because last year we weren’t able to do any of this stuff, so a lot of the members were discouraged by it and no one really participated. I think it actually helped us out this year because everybody really wants to get out and help. Everyone’s been super involved and helpful this year, so it’s been a lot of fun,” said Dahl. Following Nationals, the FFA chapter will began a fruit sale fundraiser and is considering having a bowling fundraiser, as well. A golf tournament fundraiser that was originally scheduled for the fall will be rescheduled to happen sometime in the spring. In February, FFA members will take the lead in teaching their classmates about the organization during FFA Week, and in March, they will participate in another competition. After graduation, Strauss is planning to attend Oklahoma State University to study Ag Business in hopes of eventually becoming a land developer. Dahl is still undecided on her college choice, but plans to join an equestrian team and earn a degree in finance to go into banking and financial advising. Both plan to stay involved in ag groups at their colleges, give credit to FFA for helping them find their paths and encourage all high school students to give FFA a
try. “It’s really encouraged me, pushed me. It’s made me realize that I want to go into an agricultural field. I think it’s really taught us skills that we can use as leaders in our community after high school,” said Strauss. “It really is for everyone. We have a really diverse program and organization and people from all walks of life. There’s a place for everyone, and everyone will accept you and be excited that you’re there.” “You don’t have to be from an ag background, and you don’t have to be a super outgoing person. That’s something you work on and skills you develop. My freshman year, I couldn’t stand up and talk in front of everyone. Now I’m the President, and I basically lead the events and do most of the talking. I actually enjoy getting up and talking to people now,” said Dahl. “My experience (in FFA holds) some of my favorite memories of high Courtesy photo school, some of the things I’ve enjoyed the most. I would say defi- FMHS FFA President Kirstin Dahl participated in the Colorado State Fair, winning Grand Champion in Western and Reserve Grand Champion in English. nitely do it.”
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Grant Company LLC / Courtesy photo
The Livestock Exchange, LLC was recently named the winner of the 2021 Beef Quality Assurance Marketer Award. Robin Varelman is the owner of LELLC in Brush.
Livestock Exchange receives 2021 BQA Marketer Award
certification drawn from common sense husbandry techniques and accepted scientific knowledge on The Livestock Exchange, LLC how to raise cattle under optimum (LELLC), a regional livestock aucmanagement and environmental tion market located in Brush, Colo- conditions. rado, recently received the 2021 The Livestock Exchange specialBeef Quality Assurance Marketer izes in cattle marketing. Although Award, according to a news release. LELLC doesn’t own the cattle it’s Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) is selling, the team still treats them a nationally coordinated, state like they were their own, according implemented program funded by to the release. the Beef Checkoff that provides The town of Brush was estabU.S. beef producers guidelines and lished because of the cattle drives By Special to The Times
30 • OCTOBER 30, 2021 • SALUTE TO AGRICULTURE
coming into town. Brush was built on cattle and according to Robin Varelman, owner of LELLC, she’s going to keep it that way. “I took it upon my calling to fix, repair and mend the fences to bring cattle buyers and sellers back to the community,” Varelman says. “Brush was built on cattle, and as long as I’m living, I plan to see that it continues that way.” LELLC has more than 50 years of rich tradition in marketing cattle, having been in operation since
1969. In 2014, Varelman purchased the LELLC, relying on about three decades of experience in the auction business to provide the best customer experience and high-quality service for all livestock marketing needs. Varelman helped change the facility’s culture by enhancing its commitment to employees, buyers and sellers, and the cattle that are traded through its doors, according to the release. At LELLC, it’s cattlemen taking See AWARD, pg. 31
AWARD from page 30
care of cattlemen. Varelman’s grandfather was a cattle buyer, and she’s spent a lifetime as a cattle producer. Her team provides opportunities for their clients to benefit from programs that will offer additional premiums for their cattle. One such commitment has been their dedication to BQA. “BQA is a full spectrum from beginning to end – it’s a necessity,” Varelman says. “We’re here to make the experience for the cattle as pleasant as possible.” LELLC is the only Colorado auction market to request an in-person BQA training to certify every staff member, from the owner to secretarial staff to field representatives. In addition to hosting BQA training for their team, LELLC hosts trainings for their clients and community members and hosted the first inperson BQA Transportation certification events in Colorado. Both sellers and buyers benefit from a livestock auction market that professionally manages cattle. The team at LELLC believes in not only understanding the details of BQA as the beef industry’s foundational management program but embodying it, which helps to bring a level of value and comfort to both buyers and sellers, according to the release. “Our cattle buyers want BQA certified cattle, and we work with each individual to try and best fit their needs and the needs of their operation,” says Paul Chard with Cattlemen’s Resource Inc. “When we sell their cattle through a sale barn, they have the best opportunity to perform well.” LELLC is also unique in that it is
Fort Morgan Times file photo
A hay auction at Livestock Exchange in Brush ran alongside its "Team Meat" barbecue to educate people about agriculture on MeatOut Day in March.
in a region of Colorado with a booming dairy industry, and consequently, it markets much of Colorado’s cull dairy cow population. Realizing that this segment of the beef industry is typically at higher risk of being compromised, whether from a health or mobility perspective, LELLC built a sound environment to promote and execute highquality cull cow sales. This includes strict veterinary oversight when marketing cull cows and bulls, gen-
erating strong relationships with local dairies to communicate expectations for cow quality, as well as identify trends in animals coming through the sale to adjust management at the dairy. For Varelman, her first priority is education and continuous improvement. “I’m not going to stop educating people. I love the industry, I love cattle, and there are no better people in the world than farmers and
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ranchers,” she says. “I believe that we have to continue to be strong in our values and keep educating people on such a wonderful protein – beef.” The BQA Marketer Award is funded in part by the Beef Checkoff with additional support from Cargill. For more information on The Livestock Exchange, LLC and other 2021 BQA Award winners, visit: www.bqa.org/about/bqaawards.
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Water partnership seeks to prove benefits of collaboration By Jeff Rice Sterling Journal-Advocate
The Platte Valley Water Partnership has an image problem. The partnership between the Lower South Platte Water Conservancy District and the Parker Water and Sanitation District is viewed with skepticism and sometimes outright hostility by the very people it’s supposed to benefit – irrigators. During its regular meeting Oct. 12, the LSPWCD board of directors came face to face with the fact that a project they’ve been working on for years may not generate much enthusiasm among their friends and neighbors because of one name: Parker. Board Vice President Gene Manuello said even a recent article in the Journal-Advocate didn’t do much to calm fears among farmers in the valley, even though it spelled out benefits to everyone involved. “They started to read it, and as soon as they see ‘Parker,’ that’s it, that’s all they need to know,” Manuello said. “It’s really frustrating, because we’ve worked really hard for a long time on this, and it’s going to benefit everybody.” The Platte Valley Water Partnership is a joint water supply project to use a new water right that the partners own along the South Platte River near Sterling. The project will make use of new and existing infrastructure to store and transport water for agricultural use in northeastern Colorado and municipal use along the Front Range. The partnership involves the phased development of the water right. The early phases would involve a pipeline from Prewitt Reservoir in Logan and Washington counties to Parker Reservoir, which supplies the City of Parker. Later developments would see a 4,000 acre-foot reservoir near Iliff
Fort Morgan Times photo
Prewitt Reservoir in Washington and Logan counties is the key to the Platte River Water Partnership between Parker and South Platte Valley irrigators.
its residents. That has led to fears of what is called “buy and dry,” the practice of buying productive cropland and taking the irrigation water off of it for municipal use upstream. While that hasn’t happened to any alarming extent in the South Platte Valley, there are two famous examples of it that still send chills down the spines of irrigators across the West. The first is what Marc Reisner, in his 1986 book “Cadillac Desert,” described as the “rape” of the Owens Valley in California. Beginon land owned by Parker, and a ning in 1905, the City of Los Ange72,000 acre-foot reservoir near les began buying land in the valley Fremont Butte north of Akron. A pipeline, pump stations, and treat- at exorbitant prices with the purpose of sending water used to irriment facility will also be built as gate crops there to slake the thirst part of the project. of a burgeoning Los Angeles. In But the partnership with the the process of drying out a reaCity of Parker comes with some sonably productive valley, Los baggage. Over the past couple of Angeles officials managed to kill a decades the city has bought U.S. Bureau of Reclamation projshares of the Prewitt Reservoir ect that would have provided and farmland in Logan County ample irrigation water for generawith the express purpose of providing long-term water security for tions.
32 • OCTOBER 30, 2021 • SALUTE TO AGRICULTURE
Closer to home, between 1968 and 1985, the Arkansas River Valley in southeastern Colorado saw a massive buy and dry. Farmers and ranchers in Crowley County sold their shares in the Colorado Canal, a mutual ditch company that watered some of the most productive acreage in Colorado, to growing cities and special municipal water districts in Pueblo, El Paso and Teller Counties, as well as one city outside the Arkansas Basin. Brian Devine, a graduate student in environmental studies at the University of Colorado, described the result in his 2010 master’s thesis: “Following the sales, Crowley County sank from one of the preeminent agricultural counties of the state to one of the poorest, and has suffered massive ecological and social consequences.” With that history, it’s no wonder South Platte Valley irrigators shudder when Front Range cities come looking for water. And if
See WATER, pg. 33
Jeff Rice / Sterling Journal-Advocate
Spring runoff fills the South Platte River near Sterling in May this year. A collaboration between LSPWCD and the City of Parker would capture excess runoff for both municipal and irrigation use.
WATER from page 32
there is a city that symbolizes buyand-dry to farmers in the valley, it’s Parker, Colo. That’s a largely unfair characterization, however. While Parker has bought, it hasn’t ever dried, and city officials there emphasize they have no intent to do so. Instead, the plan is to capture excess water that would otherwise leave Colorado, primarily during spring runoff and storms. Colorado and Nebraska have an interstate compact that requires a certain amount of water to leave the state for downriver users, but in some cases millions
of gallons of water in excess of that escape across the state line. The PWSD wants to divert as much of that excess water into the Prewitt and, in the short term, pump some of that water back uphill to Parker Reservoir. The rest of the excess water would be available for agricultural use. The Lower South Platte district and the PWSD have been in talks with each other and with landowners for several years. Lower South Platte general manager Joe Frank publicly briefed his board of directors in December 2019 about prog-
ress on the project and negotiations have been ongoing since then. And there are plenty of negotiations yet to come. The Platte Valley Water Partnership is only in the earliest stages; it could take years or even decades for it to reach its final form. The Chimney Hollow reservoir southwest of Loveland took 20 years of litigation and planning before ground was broken earlier this year. Meanwhile, the Lower South Platte district is planning an information and education effort to tell
the public that the Platte Valley Water Partnership is the answer to buy-and-dry. Not only that, but in this case the Parker folks are actually good guys. LSPWCD board member Brad Stromberger pointed out at the Oct. 12 meeting that it’s not a matter of whether to work with Parker, but how to best do it for everyone’s benefit. “Parker already lives in this community, they own property in this community,” Strombeger said. “They could do a project without us, but they came to us so we could benefit from it.”
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Culled cows an opportunity? By Scott Stinnett CSU Extension agent
This is traditionally the time of year cattle producers will bring cattle to market, including culled cows. These cows have been culled for a variety of reasons, but the base reason is a producer feels they will no longer be a profitable animal. This focus by one producer on their profitability may provide an opportunity for another producer to take an animal of low value, increase their value and turn a profit. The lowest prices for cull cows typically come in October through December due to an increase in the number of cows brought to market. Prices paid for market cows during this time can be 60% less than during the high seasonal prices in the late spring and early summer. Taking advantage of buying cows at the low price and selling at a higher price is possible if a few things are kept in mind. A producer needs to identify cows that can be increased in value. Producers should look for cows that are not too old, are healthy but may have a low Body Condition Score (BCS). A healthy cow will be able to use feed efficiently as her body will be focused on growth and not recuperation from illness or injury. As for age, the younger the cow, the more likely she is to convert feed to gain. Studies show cows may continue to grow to mature skeletal size and weight until five years of age and possibly up to seven years of age. Younger cows that have not reached full physical maturity may be able to gain weight more easily. The focus for increasing value should be on increasing BCS and weight gain will follow. BCS can run from a low of 1 (extremely thin) to a high of 9 (extremely obese). A producer would like to sell a cull cow in BCS 4 to 6 to receive the highest price with cows providing good muscling and appropriate finish. Identifying cows who are BCS 2 or 3 and feeding them to increase to BCS 4 gives a producer the best possibili-
Courtesy graph hic / CSU Extensiion
ty to turn a profit. Most cows can average a rate of gain of 2 or more pounds per day. Feeding them for 45 to 90 days can result in a weight gain of 100 to 200 pounds. A rule of thumb says for every 75 to 80 pounds of weight gain, a cow will increase one body condition score. Therefore, a gain of 150 pounds on a cow with a BCS of 2 should show an increase to a BCS of 4. Determining the price to pay for cull cows is based on two main factors: predicted cow prices and feed costs. Data from the Livestock Marketing Information Center (LMIC) shows the price difference from November lows of under $55/cwt. to over $65 cwt. in January is a change of $10 to $15/cwt. in a 60 day period. As an example, calculating for a 1000 pound cow purchased at $53/cwt. ($530), that gains a minimum of 2 pounds per day (120 pounds) and is sold at $65/cwt., she could have an estimate end value of $728 (1120 pounds X $65/cwt. = $728).
34 • OCTOBER 30, 2021 • SALUTE TO AGRICULTURE
The cost of feed is the other major determining factor in the final profitability. Using the estimated change in value over the number of days of feeding a producer can calculate their maximum daily feed cost. Using the previous example, an estimated $198 increase in value over 60 days leaves a maximum daily cost of $3.30. A cow can typically ingest 2 to 3% of her body weight of feed daily. Continuing with our example, a 1,000-pound cow will need between 20 to 30 pounds of feed daily. The maximum feed cost is then found by dividing the maximum daily cost by the maximum daily intake. In this, instance maximum feed cost would be $.11 per pound ($3.30 per day ÷ 30 pounds per day of feed = $.11 per pound). Buying and reselling cows is usually not a high profit enterprise. Variation in the price at purchase and sale of the cow, the price of feed, the cow’s rate of gain
or daily feed intake could easily make or break profitability. Other costs including labor, transportation, and veterinary expenses need to be accounted for as well. Like any enterprise, there are risks associated with buying and reselling cull cows. Proper planning is essential. Resources: 1. Peel, D.S., & Doye, D. (2008). Cull cows grazing and marketing opportunities. Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service Fact Sheet AGEC-613. Stillwater, Oklahoma. https://extension.okstate.edu/ fact-sheets/cull-cow-grazing-andmarketing-opportunities.html 2. Rasby, R. J., Stalker, L. A. & Funston, R. N. (2007) Body condition scoring beef cows: a tool for managing the nutrition program for beef herds. University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension EC07281. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/extensionhist/3541 Scott Stinnett is a CSU Extension agent with the Golden Plains Area.
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