Volume 37 Number 15 • August 2, 2025
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The Weekly News Source for Ranchers, Farmers and AgriBusiness Community • www.wylr.net
A Look Inside Inaugural cow/calf show held at the 2025 Sublette County Fair................................ Page 6 High Uinta sheep grazing approved by U.S. Forest Service................................ Page 7 Beef Industry Long-Range Plan created by task force for 2026-30......................... Page 8 Dairy industry bucks ag’s trade deficit trend......... Page 15
Quick Bits SDSGA Sale The Eighth Annual South Dakota Sheep Growers Association (SDSGA) Premium Yearling Ewe Sale wrapped up July 26. Nineteen lots and 493 head of quality yearling ewes were sold to sheepmen from South Dakota, Nebraska and Iowa. Bidders from five states, both in person and online, helped push the sale average to $421 per head. The high-selling registerable lot was five Hampshire yearling ewes consigned by Gerdes Hampshire, which sold for $375 per head. The high-selling commercial lot was 10 Rambouillet yearling ewes consigned by Cook Sisters for $530 per head.
FMCSA withdraws long-standing speed limiter rule On July 24, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), alongside the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), officially withdrew a proposed rule
requiring heavy commercial vehicles be equipped with mandatory speed limiting devices. The rule, originally proposed to govern trucks with a gross weight of more than 26,000 pounds at 65 miles
per hour (mph), traces back to a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking dated Sept. 7, 2016 and an Advance Notice of Supplemental Proposed Rulemaking (ANSPRM) dated May 4, 2022. Please see FMCSA on page 9
Dog Days of Summer
Department to consolidate offices, relocate employees under new plan
Wyoming faces worsening mid-summer drought conditions and water shortages While some areas of Wyoming have seen drought conditions improve by as many as three categories this summer, the majority of the state finds itself grappling with expanding drought conditions and dwindling water supplies. The hot, dry conditions have led to mounting pressure on ag operations across the state, forcing some producers to cut their grazing short and their hay earlier. Worsening drought According to the U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM), drought conditions intensified across most of the West, with large portions of Wyoming in moderate drought or
worse and some severe areas emerging. In the June 2025 Drought Climate Summary, the National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC) says locations across northeastern North Dakota, southeastern South Dakota, eastern Nebraska, the NebraskaKansas border, western Wyoming and northwestern Colorado saw drought conditions worsen by one to two categories. NDMC further reports temperatures across Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska and Colorado were two to four degrees warmer than usual. A notable heat event
Please see DROUGHT on page 16
USDA Program The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will host a free webinar series Aug. 13-14 for military Veterans, transitioning service members and military spouses on how to work with the USDA to prepare for a career in agriculture. For more information or to register, visit zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_m5F5xoGJS_OofR_YjZIXTQ?utm_ campaign=0728bfrvet webinar&utmmedium= email&utmsource=gov delivery#/registration.
Webinar
Wyoming Wool Growers Association Executive Director Dr. Alison Crane will join North Carolina State University Extension Small Ruminant Specialist Dr. Andrew Weaver in presenting on the benefits of adding sheep and/or goats to a grazing system during the Graze on Over Webinar hosted by the National Grazing Lands Coalition on Sept. 3 at 6 p.m. For more information or to register, visit grazinglands.org/events.
Horse Sale
Consignments are now open for the Colorado Draft Horse and Equipment Auction, set for Oct. 3-4 at the Adams County Fairgrounds in Brighton, Colo. For more information, visit joshwhiteauctions.com or call 970381-3649 or 970-381-3547.
WYLR photo
CHECK OUT THE 2025 WYOMING STATE FAIR AND RODEO GUIDE INSIDE
2025 CFD Rodeo champions crowned The Cheyenne Frontier Days (CFD) Rodeo has crowned its 2025 champions. The rodeo featured several performances across a nine-day period, starting with qualifying rounds on July 19 and culminating in Championship Sunday on July 27. Known as the “Daddy of ‘Em All,” Cheyenne demands a lot of rodeo athletes, but contestants know what they sign up for and deliver accordingly. The top 12 contestants in each event returned to Frontier Park for Sunday’s short-go to take their shot at earning a championship saddle, buckle and chunk of change. History was made and big checks were paid this year, with a total payout amounting to $1,123,706. Money earned in each event boosted winners in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) standings, which are crucial for qualifying for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in December. Records set Hillsdale Cowboy Brody Cress won the saddle bronc riding in front of a hometown crowd on Championship Sunday with a 91-point ride aboard Sankey Pro Rodeo and Phenom Genetics’ The Black Tie. The powerhouse bronc has a reputation for excellence, having carried riders to championship titles in Cheyenne for three years and counting. Cress became the first saddle bronc rider to win four CFD titles with his ride. “It’s amazing to be here in front of this crowd, in this arena, with all of this history,” Cress said in a post-win interview. “To get to make some of my own is pretty special.” Please see CFD on page 4
USDA reorganization
On July 24, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins released plans for a major reorganization of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) aimed at optimizing functions and reducing departmental bloat at the national level. The proposed reorganization would close down underutilized government buildings in the capital and relocate roughly one-half of the department’s Washington, D.C. workforce to five regional hubs across the nation. According to Rollins, the reorganization is a direct result of the Trump administration’s pledge to deliver “real change in Washington” and an attempt at refocusing USDA on its founding mission of serving farmers, ranchers, landowners and rural communities while performing critical public services which benefit all Americans. “American agriculture feeds, clothes and fuels this nation and the world, and it is long past time the department better serve the great and patriotic farmers, ranchers and producers we are mandated to support,” Rollins says. Please see USDA on page 14
Torrington Livestock under new ownership On July 10, Chuck Petersen and Lander Nicodemus assumed full co-ownership of Torrington Livestock Markets LLC after purchasing Lex Madden’s portion of the company. Madden has been experiencing ongoing health issues and is stepping away from operations to focus on recovery. Petersen and Nicodemus will take over all operations of Torrington Livestock Markets, including its affiliate organizations, Cattle Country Video (CCV) and Torrington Livestock Cattle Company. Operations remain in capable hands with Petersen and Nicodemus, who have partnered in Torrington Livestock Mar-
kets alongside Lex for the past several years. “Chuck and I view this role as a major responsibility,” Nicodemus says. “We love this community and felt a responsibility to step into this role to ensure business continues as usual.” Petersen and Nicodemus Petersen began working for Torrington Livestock Markets nearly two decades ago. He started as a field representative in 2008, carrying years of experience from his family’s multigenerational cattle operation in Colorado into the field. Petersen took on a management role
periodical
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Please see TORRINGTON on page 5