Volume 35 Number 27 • October 28, 2023
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The Weekly News Source for Ranchers, Farmers and the Agribusiness Community • www.wylr.net
A Look Inside Connecting Ag to Climate outlines recent weather conditions.............................. Page 8 BLM responds to stakeholder requests regarding Rock Springs RMP................ Page 9 Fall color photos submitted by readers.................. Page 13 Food preservation tips offered by UW Extension educators.......................... Page 19
Quick Bits BLM Comment
WLSB hosts public meeting for comment on HB 180 The Wyoming Livestock Board (WLSB) staff veterinarians hosted a public meeting Oct. 24 at the Sublette County Library in Pinedale. The meeting was offered via Zoom to those who could not
attend in person. WLSB is seeking input from livestock producers, veterinarians, Extension specialists, meat processors and others in relation to House Bill (HB) 180 and how pro-
tocol is being developed. HB 180 was adopted into law in February 2023 and became effective in July 2023. It requires WLSB to establish a communication protocol with produc-
ers, veterinarians and brand inspectors regarding nonnegative brucellosis results. HB 180 review Wyoming State Veterinarian Dr. Hallie Hasel and Please see WLSB on page 18
Halloween Harvest
Due to a technical issue with their website, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) restarted the 30-day public comment period for the proposed Tallgrass Southeast CO2 Sequestration Project on Oct. 18. If approved, Tallgrass could store CO2 in approximately 480 acres of sub-surface federal pore space in Laramie County. The comment period will now close Dec. 15. For more information or to submit a comment, visit eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/ project/2026483/510.
Milk Report The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently released the July through September 2023 Quarterly Milk Production Report. According to USDA, Wyoming dairy herds produced 62.5 million pounds of milk during the quarter, up 0.5 percent from the previous year. Milk production in the U.S. from July to September totaled 56.1 billion pounds, down 0.7 percent from the same quarter last year.
Meeting Set The town of Byron will conduct a public meeting on Nov. 6 at 6 p.m. at the Town Hall in Byron. The purpose of the meeting is to allow citizens to review and comment on the Byron Rural Water System Project, which will extend Byron’s water system to rural residents. The meeting will include a presentation of the preliminary design and will discuss the estimated cost of improvements and the plan for funding improvements. For more information, contact Andrew Kauppila at 307-328-4227.
New Judge Gov. Mark Gordon has appointed Sheryl Smith Bunting to be a circuit court judge for the Fourth Judicial District serving Sheridan and Johnson counties. Bunting’s appointment fills the vacancy left by the retirement of Circuit Court Judge Shelley A. Cundiff and is effective Jan. 2, 2024.
WYLR photo
History of widely-celebrated October holiday has roots in ag Like many major holidays, festivals and events celebrated across the world today, Halloween can be traced back to ancient agrarian communities. Although the October holiday has transformed over time, it originally started as a celebration to mark the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. Celtic origins According to multiple sources, Halloween originated from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which translates to “summer’s end,” and was celebrated from Oct.
Wyoming shines at NILE Two exhibitors from Wyoming stole the show during the 2023 Northern International Livestock Exposition (NILE) Merit Heifer Show held in Billings, Mont. Wyoming winners In a tough class of high-quality cattle, Garrett Burkett of Evansville received the “Grand Champion Slap” from Livestock Judge Dustin Frank for his Hereford heifer, which was donated by Sidwell Land and Cattle Company of Columbus, Mont. Fellow Wyomingite Hadley Cooper, a resident of Powell, took home Reserve Champion Merit Heifer honors with her Angus heifer donated by Montana-based Basin Angus Ranch. Following Cooper in the final four placings were Kale Cordill of Cheney, Wash. in third place with a heifer donated by Horseshoe Angus Ranch, LLC of Connell, Wash. and Madison Flowers of Shepherd, Mont. with a heifer donated by Triple 3 Cattle of Cheyenne. NILE Merit Heifer Program According to the NILE’s website, the NILE Merit Heifer Program was created to help youth get a start in the cattle business. Individuals in the program are selected based on their merit, future goals and ability to care for an animal, and those who are deemed suitable are awarded a heifer, which has been generously donated to the program. “Each program participant will own their heifer jointly with NILE until the completion of the program, at which time NILE officials will sign off, and the participant will take full ownership of the heifer,” reads the website. Please see NILE on page 10
31 to Nov. 1. The Celtic people believed this to be a unique time of year when the boundaries between the living and the “Otherworld” – a place inhabited by the dead and supernatural creatures such as fairies, monsters and demons – grew exceptionally thin. “The inhabitants of the Otherworld could make their way to our world and unsuspecting humans could find themselves in the Otherworld by accident of trickery,” Please see HALLOWEEN on page 6
Fruits of hard labor Wyoming growers dominate the giant pumpkin field Giant pumpkin growing competitions are sprouting up all over the country, setting new records. On Oct. 9 at the 50th World Champion Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay, Calif., a new world record was set with an entry weighing 2,749 pounds. The giant pumpkin was grown by Travis Gienger, a horticulture teacher from Minnesota. Wyoming growers are also dominating giant pumpkin competitions, despite Wyoming’s harsh growing season. Growing giant pumpkins is a science, and producers have to cultivate the giant fruits from Atlantic Giant seeds. Closer to home Worland Pumpkin Producer Jay Richard is on a mission to grow a giant. Richard has been growing competitive giant pumpkins for over 12 years, and this year he launched Project P2K. Project P2K began early in 2023, when Richard broke ground to build a custom geothermal-heated greenhouse with the hopes of growing a 2,000-pound giant pumpkin in northern Wyoming. “It was a great growing year even if I didn’t grow Please see PUMPKINS on page 7
WOMEN IN AG Camblin captures stories behind the lens Inspired by heritage and the enthusiasm to create visual stories, Chelsee Camblin was determined to open Chelsee Camblin Photography in 2018. This business venture allowed Camblin to intertwine her passion for photography, ranching and animals, as she captured heartfelt and beautiful visual stories from behind the lens. Camblin is a fourth-generation rancher from Maybell, Colo. and still calls the family homestead home. When she is not on the road snapping pictures, Camblin can be found at the ranch helping her family run a stocker operation.
As a livestock photographer, Camblin strives to showcase her focal points’ best attributes and the environment, whether in the arena, the ring or the pasture. Livestock photographers are an integral piece of the livestock industry as more and more producers are marketing online, creating video sales and publishing sale catalogs. Camblin stated, “Knowing how to get the shot set up and make it look good is the key.” Following a passion Camblin’s passion for photography
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Please see CAMBLIN on page 10