Land and Livestock

Forage for the future

LIVING UP TO ITS LEGACYA&M president discusses land-grant status.PAGE 3

SAFETY FIRSTDr. Wikse talks proper vaccine use in cattle.PAGE 7

ALL IS FAIRFirst Brazos Valley Fair begins Sept. 6.PAGE 12

BUFFALO PALS COME OUT TONIGHTJoint effort seeks to save Caprock bison herd.PAGE 28

Annual Forage Issue

S ep tembe r 1 , 2 012

TIPS ON WHEN ANDWHAT TO PLANT PAGE 16

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The Land & Livestock Post • Septem

ber 1, 2012

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News

I’ve lived in Texas my wholelife,but forsomereasonwhenI hear “September” I think of

leavesturninggoldenorangeandbrown, twisting to the groundthrough thecrispautumnair.In Texas,

that is nevert h e c a s e ,though. I fa n y t h n g ,September isan extensionof summer,with 100 degree tem-peratures common, and theonlyleaves that turn brown and fallfrom the trees are the witheredhusks of the victims of the sum-mer heat.

Thankfully, in our region, thevictims are fewer this year andalthough it still is swelteringthroughmost of September, youat leastcanseethelightat theendof the long tunnel of summer.Oncesummerofficiallygoneis,

we can look forward to the twoto threeweeks of autumnbeforewinter sets in. But in the mean-timeit is timeto thinkaboutyourwinter pastures.Our cover story takes a lookat

options foryourwinterpastures,andofferssomegoodsuggestionsonwhat toplant tokeepyourcat-tle fed throughout the year.This isourFallForageedition,

so we have many other articlesto accompany our cover storyand help you get your pasturesin shape.Hope you enjoy it, and thanks

for reading.’Til next time.

From the General Manager

Whatmight be the least-understoodandmost under-appreciated legis-lation ever enacted by Congress is

being spotlighted this year. The object of thenationwide celebration is the 150th anniver-sary of passage of theMorrill Act.Signed into law by President Abraham

Lincoln during themidst of the Civil War, itlaid the groundwork for the establishmentof a series of colleges— “land-grant colleg-es” that now stretch from coast to coast. The77 American institutions that were createdby theMorrill Act—Texas A&MUniversityproudly among them—have had big rolesin bolstering the nation and literally help-ing change the world.At their most basic level, universities that

operate under theMorrill Act’s provisionshave a three-foldmission: teaching, re-search and service. Teaching and researchare the key functions, just as they are at nu-merous other colleges and universities. Atland-grant institutions, however, those two

functions also contribute to services thatdirectly benefit the public.

TexasA&M’smissionasa land-grantuniversity

R. BOWEN LOFTINTexas A&M president

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How the three-foldmissionunfolds at those institutionscan be complex and contributeto the lack of understanding.

ManyAmericans tend tothink land-grant institutionsare “ag schools.” They are, butthey aremuchmore. Others,particularly in earlier times,thought land-grant schoolswere primarily “for kids fromfamilies in the lower portionsof the socio-economic spec-trum.”While there is fallacy inthat assessment, it is true thatland-grant colleges have pro-vided an unprecedented levelof access to first-generationcollege students such asme—youngmen andwomenwhoare the first in their families toattend college.

Why somuchmisconceptionabout the land-grant conceptand the institutions foundedunder its principles? Partly, it

stems from the “land grant”term. It relates to the federalgovernment initiating a pro-gram—backwhen the nationwas in its early developmentwith vast unused acreage—to give large blocks of landto states as sources of fundsto create colleges emphasiz-ing fields of study that wouldstimulate the development ofnatural and human resources.Here’s one of several defini-

tions: “A land-grant collegeor university is an institutionthat has been designated by itsstate legislature or Congressto receive the benefits of theMorrill Acts of 1862 and 1890.The original mission of theseinstitutions, as set forth in thefirstMorrill Act, was to teachagriculture, military tactics,and themechanical arts aswell as classical studies sothat members of the workingclasses could obtain a liberal,practical education.”

Institutions founded underthe 1862Morrill Act includesuch highly regarded schoolsas Ohio State University, Uni-versity of Florida and, in theLone Star State, Texas A&MUniversity, among others. Ma-ny have come to be considered“flagships” alongside “stateuniversities” such as TheUniversity of Texas at Austin.Some universities, such asOhio State, have both “land-grant” and “state university”designations. Texas, consider-ing its size, diverse geographicregions and other factors, oper-ates a system that separates

the two types of “flagship” in-stitutions, with each also hav-ing related statewide systems.Land-grantmisconceptions

are compounded further be-cause almost all the institu-tions founded under the 1862Morrill Act subsequentlydropped “agricultural andmechanical” from their names.Oklahoma State University is agood example nearby.TheMorrill Act of 1890 ex-

panded the land-grant conceptto create a network of “histori-cally black” universities. Theyinclude Southern University inLouisiana and Texas’ PrairieViewA&MUniversity, part ofThe Texas A&MUniversitySystem.What is themodern-day

land-grant prototype? Agood case could bemade forTexas A&M, with its 50,000students and yearly researchexpenditures that exceed $700million— both figures that

place it in the vanguard nation-ally. Bymost determinations,Texas A&M is unsurpassedin remaining true to the land-grantmission. Its College ofAgriculture and Life Sciencesis among the largest academicunits of its type in the nationin enrollment and in providingleaders in varied agribusinessfields. Its related state agen-cies, Texas AgriLife Research,Texas AgriLife ExtensionService, Texas Forest Serviceand Texas Veterinary Diag-nostic Laboratory, providediversified services unmatchednationwide, with a statewidepresence to conduct researchvital to its economy and renderservices to both rural and ur-ban Texans.Likewise, The Dwight Look

College of Engineering— en-gineering generally equatingto the “mechanical arts” notedin theMorrill Act— is among

A&Mkeepsadding to its core land-grantmissionContinuedfromA3

See A&M, Page A6


ber 1, 2012

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the largest of its type in thenation, producing thousandsof graduates in demand in avariety of fields. Its relatedagencies— the Texas Engi-neering Experiment Station,Texas Engineering ExtensionService and Texas Transpor-tation Institute— providevital services, be they in high-tech research that can trans-late into economically viablepatents and inventions thatcan lead to start-up compa-nies, or in life-saving highwayinnovations and specializedtraining for thousands, suchas volunteer firemen in smallcommunities throughoutTexas.

The “classics studies”aspect has been embracedand expanded at Texas A&Mthrough programs at the“college” and “school” lev-els in liberal arts, science,

geosciences, architecture,education and governmentand public service— the lat-ter via its newest unit, theBush School of Governmentand Public Service. The uni-versity also entered into themedical arena via its Collegeof VeterinaryMedicine andBiomedical Sciences and theCollege of Medicine, which isnow part of the Texas A&MUniversity SystemHealth Sci-ence Center.Carrying out the “military

tactics” aspects of the land-grant concept, Texas A&M’sCorps of Cadets continuesto be the largest uniformedstudent organization in thenation and producesmoreofficers for the armed forcesthan any institution exceptfor the service academies. Italso serves as a leadershiplaboratory for youngmen andwomenwho do not plan to en-ter themilitary but want the

leadership experiences anddiscipline that will serve themwell in the nation’s workforceafter graduation.Texas A&Mhas also been

in the forefront in applyingthe land-grant concept intwo other key areas: the sea,as in focusing onways to de-velop coastal resources, andin space, as in helping withspace-exploration and relatedendeavors.The result: a series of fed-

erally designated sea- andspace-grant colleges, withTexas A&Mamong the first inboth categories.Bottom line: Land-grant

translates into teaching, re-search and service— teach-ing and research at the high-est levels and service appliedat the grass roots to benefitthe public good.

• R. Bowen Loftin is president ofTexas A&MUniversity.

Becominga land-grant leaderContinuedfromA4

By Blair FanninTexas AgriLife Extension Service

Rebuildingthecowherdandse-lectionof replacementheifersarejust twoof several topics thatwillbe featured at the Brazos ValleyBeef and Forage Expo scheduledfrom9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 7 at theBrazos County Expo Center inBryan.“Withpastures inbetter condi-

tion compared to last year,manyarearanchersareconsideringre-buildingtheirherds,”saidDustinCoufal,TexasAgriLifeExtensionService agent for Brazos County.“The program will feature in-depth discussion addressing thisas well as strategies to controlweeds in forage and options foranalyzing forage.We think thereare topics that will be of interestto each beef and forage producerthroughout the Brazos Valley.”Cost is $15 and includes lunch

and programmaterials.

ThreeTexasDepartmentof Ag-riculture continuing educationunits will be offered for partici-pantswith aprivate, commercialor non-commercial pesticide ap-plicators license.Featured speakers, all from

College Station, and their topicswill be Ron Gill, AgriLife Exten-sion beef cattle specialist, herdrebuilding; Mark McFarland,AgriLife Extension fertility spe-cialist, soil fertility and analysis;Paul Baumann, AgriLife Exten-sionweedspecialist,weedcontrolin forages;andTonyProvin,headof the Soil and Forage FertilityTesting Laboratory, analysis offorages.Formore information, call 979-

823-0129.

BrazosValleyBeef andForageExposet for Sept.7


ber 1, 2012

7

Ask the Vet

Thismonth I will finishanswering the question“what are your recom-

mendations on safe use ofcattle vaccines” by discussingsafe use of viral reproductivediseasevaccines.The

foundationof a beefherd’s vac-cinationprogram isprotectionagainstinfectiousagents af-fecting the reproductive systemthat aremoderate risk tomostherds. These include bovineviral diarrhea virus (BVDV)and infectious bovine rhinotra-cheitis virus (IBRV or bovineherpesvirus-1).Killed virus vaccines ormod-

ified-live virus vaccines areavailable for protection againstBVDV and IBRV. These twoviruses usually are combinedin the same vial of vaccine.Veterinary virologists and im-munologists agree thatMLVvaccines produce a superiorlevel of protection than killedvirus vaccines. In spite ofthat, killed virus vaccines areused in some herd vaccinationprograms to avoid unwantedside effects that can occur with

MLV vaccines. Most ranchershave heard of these adversereactions at Extension Serviceproducersmeetings or duringcoffee shop conversations withother ranchers. They occur innon-immune females.Abortion is themost feared

side effect because IBRV insomemodified-live virus vac-cines remains virulent enoughto induce abortion. One thingis certain: If you vaccinate anon-immune pregnant heiferor cowwithmodified-live virusBVDV/IBRV vaccine there’sa good chance she will abort.Some clinicians also considerabortion a risk if a non-im-mune pregnant animal comesin contact with animals givenmodified-live virus vaccinethat shed vaccine virus.The inserts of most modi-

fied-live virus vaccines state“do not administer to calvesnursing pregnant cows.” Stud-ies have shown, however, riskof shedding from recently vac-cinated animals is very low andmany thousands of beef calvesnursing pregnant cows receiveMLV vaccines without recog-nized problems. The lack ofproblems is probably due to thelow risk of shedding combinedwith cow herds that have avaccine program that provides

Thesafeuseofviralreproductivediseasevaccines incattle

STEVEWIKSE, D.V.M.

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By Blair FanninTexas AgriLife Extension Service

Texas ranchers consideringrestockingoptions should thinkprofitability first and foremostbefore writing a check, accord-ing to a Texas AgriLife Exten-sion Service economist.Stan Bevers, AgriLife Exten-

sion economist at Vernon, toldproducers at the Texas A&MBeef Cattle Short Course theoutlook for beef cattle prices ispositive given current supplyand demand.“TheU.S. calf crop isat 34mil-

lion compared to 46milliondur-ingthe1981period,”Beverssaid.“The next couple of years thecalf crop, includingdairycalves,is projected to be at 32million to33million.What’s feedlot capac-ity inthiscountry?That’sahardnumber tocomeupwith. It’snotrecorded anyway.Making some assumptions,

you’ll come up with 38-42 mil-lion head.

“Feedlots are going to have tochase calves that are fewer andfewer and now deal with higherprices for corn and roughages.Dowhat you can do to hold ontowhat you’ve got as best you canbecause youwill be rewarded.”“If I choose to restock, I want

some assurance of high prob-ability of that female givingme a calf each of the next twoyears,” Bevers said. “I think wewill have pretty good prices forthe next two to three years. Iwant to be in the game.”Looking at Food and Agricul-

tural Research Policy Instituteprojections, beef cattle pricesare forecast tocontinueasteadyclimbupwardnear$170perhun-dredweight by 2014.Bevers said cattle prices have

seen some softness lately inprice due to the uncertainty ofthecurrentcorncrop.Therewillbe a larger corn crop in the fu-ture, however, and national cat-tle inventory levels are at theirlowest since the 1950s, which

signals high prices for the nextcouple of years.When ranchers consider re-

stocking, Bevers said it’s im-portant to consider the cost ofthe initial investment, annualincome the investmentwill gen-erate, and the salvage value atthe end of the useful life of the

investment.“Collectively, is she a good in-

vestment?” is the question eachproducer should ask, Beverssaid.Some factors Bevers said to

considerwhen lookingatpoten-tial replacement cows are:•Annual cow costs. These are

$588.22, according to Standard-ized Performance Analysis.• Weaning percentage and

weaning weights. The TexasStandardized PerformanceAnalysis database averages are82.1 percent and 525 pounds.• Future calf market prices.Bevers said another factor to

consider is what type of femaledo you want to purchase? Thiscould include cow-calf pairs,bred cows, or those requiringa development phase, such asheifers. He said longevity ofownership also needs to be aconsideration.“The longer you keep a pro-

ductive female, the cheaper sheis to own.” Bevers said.Producersalsoshouldconsid-

er longevity if they borrow themoney to purchase the cow andits genetic potential.Bevers said he has several

spreadsheets that producerscanusetoevaluatetheiroptions.Visit agrisk.tamu.edu for thisand other information.

It’sproducer‘decisiontime’forcattlerestocking

Texas AgriLife Extension Service photo by Blair FanninStan Bevers, Texas AgriLife Extension Service economist, discusses strategies beefproducers can consider when rebuilding herds at the recent TexasA&MBeef CattleShort Course in College Station .


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News

BY DAVID PITTAssociated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa — An-thrax has killed more than 100 animals on ranches in Colo-rado and Texas within the last month, and experts say the risk of infection may be greater with drought covering much of the United States.

Anthrax outbreaks happen oc-casionally in livestock herds and wild animals in the U.S., usually west of the Mississippi River. Animals typically contract the disease by ingesting or inhaling spores that can survive in soil for decades. Once infected, livestock can die within hours.

Anthrax bacteria react to drought and other harsh condi-tions by producing more spores, and scientists said conditions are ripe for disease this year. A drought stretches from Ohio west to California and from Tex-as north to the Dakotas. Many places also have been burned by unusually long stretches of triple-digit temperatures.

“My concern is that if we have more and more drought, if drought frequencies go up, we will see greater frequencies of these outbreaks,” said Mary Stromberger, associate profes-sor of soil microbiology at Colo-rado State University.

More than 60 cows on three

Colorado ranches and nearly 50 sheep from a Texas herd have died so far. Anthrax experts and veterinarians warned ranchers to watch their herds for sudden deaths, the usual sign of an an-thrax infection. Entire herds can be decimated by an outbreak if animals are not quickly vacci-nated.

Anthrax cases have frequent-ly been documented along the route of cattle drives common in the 1800s during the westward migration of pioneers and their livestock. The bacteria’s spores seem to survive better in alka-line soil with high levels of cal-cium, a type abundant in the West. In general, however, the spores are extremely durable and can lie dormant for years. Once ingested, they reconstitute and spread rapidly through the body of warm-blooded animals.

Humans usually get anthrax through direct contact with infected livestock, often when spores get into a cut on the skin.

Without treatment, anthrax can be fatal, but early treatment with antibiotics is very e� ective.

More than 1,600 animals, in-cluding deer, antelope, cows, sheep, horses and llamas, died in a 2001 anthrax outbreak in Texas.

The most recent outbreak was identifi ed last week in a cow herd in northeast Colorado’s Logan County. About 60 cows died at a ranch where one had been diag-nosed with the fi rst anthrax case in Colorado in 31 years, state of-fi cials said. On Wednesday, they announced cows on two adjacent

ranches also had died from an-thrax.

It’s believed all the animals were infected by grazing in an area with spores in the soil since the three ranches share fences, Colorado State Veterinarian Keith Roehr said.

The ranches were quaran-

tined, animals vaccinated and ranch workers treated with an-tibiotics as a precaution, health o� cials said.

About 40 sheep died last month in a separate outbreak on a ranch in western Texas near Mertzon, about 26 miles south-west of San Angelo, said Dr. Pete Fincher, the regional director for the Texas Animal Health Com-mission. The area was quaran-tined and the surviving sheep vaccinated. No animals have died since, Fincher said.

“I would consider this a nor-mal sporadic occurrence,” he

said. “I think it’s mother na-ture’s way of reminding you that it’s still out there, but it’s not cause for any over concern at this point in time.”

Anthrax is found occasion-ally in livestock or wildlife in a

Drought could be a factor in U.S. anthrax cases

Disease occurs when spores enter the body, germinate, multi-ply, and release toxins. The incu-bation period of natural infection in animals is typically 3 to 7 days with a range of 1 to 14 days, or more. In cattle and sheep, the course of illness may last about 1 to 2 hours. Clinical signs, such as fever up to 107 degrees Fahren-heit, muscle tremors, respiratory distress, and convulsions, often go unnoticed. After death, there may be bloody discharges from the natural openings of the body, rapid bloating, a lack of rigor mor-tis, and the presence of unclotted blood. This failure of blood to clot is due to a toxin released by B. anthracis.

Anthrax in horses and related animals is acute and can last up to 96 hours. Clinical manifesta-tions depend upon how the infection occurred. If due to in-gestion of spores, as in cattle, sep-ticemia, fever, colic, and enteritis

are prominent. Anthrax due to in-sect bite introduction (mechani-cal transmission) is characterized by localized hot, painful, edema-tous, and subcutaneous swellings at the bite location that spread to the throat, lower neck, � oor of the thorax, abdomen, prepuce, and mammary glands. These horses may have a high fever and dyspnea due to swelling of the throat or colic due to intestinal involvement.

Swine, dogs, and cats usually show a characteristic swelling of the neck secondary to regional lymph node involvement, which causes dysphagia and dyspnea following ingestion of the bacte-ria. An intestinal form of anthrax with severe enteritis sometimes occurs in these species. Many car-nivores apparently have a natural resistance, and recovery is not uncommon.

— Courtesy of cattletoday.com

Clinical signs of anthrax

Photo courtesy of National Institutes of HealthA magni� ed view of bacillus anthracis.

See ANTHRAX, Page A10

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wildlife in a triangular area of Tex-as along the southwestern borderwith Mexico, and it’s common forranchers in the region to vaccinatelivestock, Fincher said.

Thecases inColoradoarestill be-ing investigated, and officials saidthey don’t know what, if any, roledrought played in the cattle deaths.But experts said drought could

contribute to anthrax deaths bystressing animals and weakeningtheir immunesystems.Grazingani-mals, includingcows,alsoeatcloserto the ground in drought and aremore likely to ingest spores whileeating, said Grant Dewell, an IowaState University beef veterinarian.

“It happens in floods and it hap-pens in droughts. Anytime wedisturb that soil layer, we’re morelikely toget someanthrax,”hesaid.Soil oftenbecomes contaminated

with anthrax when infected car-casses thathavebeencutupor tornopen by wild animals are buried,saidMartin Hugh-Jones, coordina-tor of the World Health Organiza-

tion’s Working Group on AnthraxResearch and Control. Tissue andblood spills into the soil, carryingthe disease.He recommended ranchers dis-

poseof infectedcarcassesquicklybyburning themand the surroundingground. Fire kills anthrax spores.Alongwith theColoradoandTex-

asoutbreaks,Hugh-Jones is lookingat the deaths of more than 430 bi-son in Canada’s Mackenzie BisonSanctuary. It’s the largestbisonkillby anthrax in the region’s historyand three times the typical toll inan area that regularly sees anthraxoutbreaks, Hugh-Jones said. Mosthappenduringhot,dryspells in latesummer, when it’s believed bisonpick up the spores during vigorouswallowing in dust baths.It’snotclearwhythisyear ismore

severe.“What seems to have been hap-

pening was it was quietly spread-ing, and people weren’t seeing thecarcasses and suddenly everythingwas right this year for it to take offas an epidemic,” Hugh-Jones said.

Anthraxcan live foryearsContinuedfromA9

provides some degree of im-munity.Lower first-service con-

ception rates are anotherpossible detrimental effectof usingmodified-live virusBVDV/IBRV vaccine. Stud-ies have demonstrated thiswhen non-immune heiferswere given the vaccine theday of breeding. Modified-live virus IBRV vaccine cancause an inflammation ofthe ovaries when given tonon-immune heifers. Thisdoes not happen in heifersthat are immune to IBRVfrom previous vaccinationsand is not a problem in cowsthat have been vaccinated inthe past.The inserts of most modi-

fied-live virus vaccines rec-ommend giving the vaccineto the breeding herd threeto four weeks prior to the

start of the breeding season.Then, if there are non-im-mune females that developinflammation of the ovaries,they will have time to healbefore the first service. Thebest way to usemodified-livevirus vaccine near breed-ing yet avoid conceptionproblems is to have a heifervaccination program that re-sults in immune animals.Most discussions of safe

use of viral vaccines in cat-tle are limited to the adversereactions of modified-livevirus vaccines. Killed virusvaccines, however, can beunsafe when used improp-erly in herds. Then they areunsafe because they failto protect the herd againstdisease.Many beef herds do not

use killed virus vaccinescorrectly because it is dif-ficult to properly implement

a killed virus vaccinationprogram. Two steps arenecessary for a killed virusvaccine to work: administra-tion of a primer dose andbooster dose (twoweeks totwomonths later) to initiateimmunity and religiouslyadministered annual boost-ers (nomore than 12monthsapart) tomaintain immuni-ty. If more than twomonthselapses after the initialprimer dose another primerdosemust be given and thenits booster administered twoweeks to twomonths later.In contrast, a single prim-

er dose of amodified-live vi-rus vaccine can initiate im-munity because the vaccinevirus replicates and servesas its own booster.Just giving annual boost-

ers of killed virus vaccines

Vaccines protect yourherd


ber 1, 2012

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Ask the Vet

without a proper primaryseries of vaccinationsmay notprovidemuch protection andhas been identified as a factorin severe BVDV epidemics. Itis not safe for a beef herd toimproperly use killed virusvaccines in a herd vaccinationprogram.

Bottom LineMany beef herds are chang-

ing from killed virus vaccinestomodified-live virus vaccinesbecause of advantages in pro-tection.Herds that have a very short

breeding season can do so eas-ily by administeringmodified-live virus vaccine to open cowsthree to four weeks prior toonset of breeding.

It is harder, but not impossi-ble, for herds with long or evenyear-round breeding seasons toswitch.A gradual change tomod-

ified-live virus vaccines canbemade in herds with longbreeding seasons by admin-istering two to three doses ofmodified-live virus vaccine toreplacement heifers prior tobreeding. For example, a doseat weaning, then three weekslater and a third dose three tofour weeks prior to breeding.These highly-immune heifers

then can be given a booster ofmodified-live virus vaccine atpregnancy examination andthen annually at pregnancyexamination. Over a periodof 5 years or so the entire herdwould be replaced with femalesvaccinated withmodified-livevirus vaccine. Several phar-maceutical companies havemodified-live virus vaccinesapproved for vaccination ofpregnant females that havereceivedmodified-live virusvaccine within the previous 12months.Finally, always remember

vaccines are only part of aninfectious disease control pro-gramwhich includes vaccina-tions plus biosecurity practicesto keep disease out of the herd,biocontainment to preventdisease from spreading withinthe herd and proper nutrition.All four parts are necessary forsuccess.Your ranch veterinarian is

themost knowledgeable per-son to provide youwith practi-cal measures tailored to yourspecific ranch conditions thatresult in a successful infectiousdisease control program.

• Dr. SteveWikse is a retired profes-sor of large animal clinical sciences inthe the College of VeterinaryMedicineandBiomedical Sciences at TexasA&MUniversity.

Proper use is critical

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) —The federal government is onthe verge of approving a grainmainly used as livestock feedto make a cleaner version ofethanol, a decision officials saycould give farmers a newmon-eymaking opportunity, boostthe biofuels industry and helpthe environment.A plant in western Kansas

already is gearing up to takeadvantage, launching a mul-timillion-dollar renovationso it can be the first to turnsorghum — a plant similarin appearance to corn — intoadvanced ethanol. Advancedbiofuels result in even less life-time greenhouse gas produc-tion than conventional biofu-

els, measuring from the timea crop is planted to when thefuel is burned in a vehicle.The only advanced biofu-

els in the United States noware sugar cane-based ethanolimported from Brazil and do-mestic biodiesel, a mixture ofpetroleum diesel and renew-able sources such as soybeanoil, said Matt Hartwig, spokes-man for the Renewable FuelsAssociation. Advanced etha-nol made from sorghumwouldgive the nation another optionas it aims to meet the federalgoal of producing 36 billiongallons of renewable fuels peryear by 2022.

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Special to The Post

After years of dreaming, months of planning, and lots of hard work, the first Brazos

Valley Fair and Exposition is about to begin. The fair will run Sept. 6-9 at the Brazos County Expo Center Complex on Leonard Road near Texas 47 in Bryan.

What a fair it promises to be, with big name entertainers, a rodeo, junior livestock show, carnival and so much more.

The entertainment will include Texas Aggie Rick Tre-vino at 9:30 p.m. Sept. 8 on the Bud Lite concert stage. Trevino signed with Columbia Records in 1993 and. In 1994, his second album went gold and charted two top singles: She Can’t Say I Didn’t Try and Learning as You Go. Since then, he has been a popular country music performer who continues to be a fan favorite. The Houston na-tive now records for the War-ner Nashville label.

Kicking off the entertain-ment on Sept. 6 will be Cody Johnson at 10 p.m. and Fred Andrews & Honeybrowne at 11 p.m. Johnson was named the Male Vocalist of the Year in 2011 at the Texas Regional Awards. His songs include Nobody to Blame, Pray for Rain and Texas Kind of Way. Honeybrowne leader Andrews is a singer-songwriter who has developed a large following throughout Texas.

Brandon Rhyder takes to the Bud Light Stage at 10 p.m. Sept. 7. The Carthage native released his first album in 2001 and has had five more since then. Per-haps he is best known for his 2010 hit Rock Angel.

Entertainment also will include a special Gospel Fest at 3 p.m. Sept. 9 in the Expo Ballroom, featuring solo and group competitions. Cash prizes will be awarded for best gospel choir, best gospel group, best gospel soloist and most

creative gospel performance. For more information, contact Brazos County Commissioner Irma Cauley, Gospel Fest chairman, at 979-361-4111.

For those interested in en-tertainment of a more physical nature, there will be a Cowboys Professional Rodeo Association rodeo, with stock provided by the award-winning Cadillac Ro-deo Company. The rodeo will be at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 6, 7 and 8.

A special ranch rodeo will be at 2 p.m. Sept. 9.

Mutton Bustin’ will take place during the Sept. 7, 8 and 9 rodeos.

What would a fair be without a youth livestock show? Well, this one will have some of the best animals on display during the Brazos County Youth Com-mercial Heifer Show Sept. 7-9.

Other junior livestock shows include: junior heifer, Sept. 8; meat goat, Sept. 8; lamb, Sept. 9; and steer, Sept. 9.

If art is your cup of tea, there will be a youth western art show all four days of the fair.

Of course, eating is always a part of any fair, and there will be plenty of food booths to de-light any taste. There also will be a Food Challenge Contest for young people, presented by The Eagle. From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 8 in the Exhibit Hall. Teams of young people will be challenged to create their best dishes from a predetermined list of ingredients.

Soup Bone Cattle Co. will have an authentic chuck

Brazos Valley Fair, Expo almost hereInaugural event runs Sept. 6-9 at Expo Complex

Jerry Larson, Waco Tribune HeraldA youngster fall off his sheep while taking part in the mutton busting section at the 2010 Central Texas State Fair and Rodeo. The first Brazos Valley Fair and Exposition will include a similar event.

Rod Aydelotte, Waco Tribune Herald The Brazos Valley Fair and Exposition will will include a Cowboys Professional Rodeo Association rodea for three nights. Among the events will be the bareback event, similar to the one here at the 2010 Central Texas State Fair and Rodeo.

See Fair, Page a14


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News

By EDDIE FUNDERBURGSpecial to The Post

Asyouprobablyknow,it’snowtoo late in the summer to sprayfor most pasture weeds. Thereare a few exceptions, but mostweeds in pastures should besprayed in the springwhen theyareyoungandactivelygrowing.That said,youcandosomethingnowthatwill improveyourweedcontrol program next year.Now is a good time to inven-

tory your weed situation. Onething is for sure: If you have alot of weeds in a certain placethis year, you’ll probably havethem again in that place nextyear.Rightnow,weedsare largeenoughtoseeandmostwillhaveseedheadsor fruitingparts thatmake them easier to identify.This greatly aids in inventory-ing the weeds.How should one conduct a

weed inventory? First, identifythe species and abundance ofeach of the weeds you want to

control. The abundance ratingsystem can be as simple as few,many, scattered or “more than Ican shake a stick at.”Mark this information on a

field map and highlight areaswhere there are hard-to-con-trol weeds or particularly highnumbers of weeds. Be sure toaccurately identify areaswhereyou might be able to spot spraydifficult-to-control weeds andsave some money by not spray-ing the entire field.Next, identify areas on the

map you don’t want to spray orwhere you don’t want to spraycertain herbicides. Examplesare areas where you want tomaintain clovers or areas withcertain wildlife foods.In these areas, you may want

to avoid herbicides altogetheror use herbicides that are notas harsh on the plants youwanttokeep.Forexample, if youwantto keep clovers in an area, don’tuse Grazon P+D. As an alterna-tive (although not as good from

a weed-control perspective),you can wait until the cloversproduce seed and spray withsomething such as 2, 4-D. Thisherbicide program will not beas effective because you’re notspraying at an ideal time for 2,4-D to work, but it will controlsomeweedsandnotwipeout theclovers.Afteryouhaveinventoriedthe

situation, sit downandworkouta spray plan and budget that in-cludes the correct herbicides touse andwhen to use them.Manyof theweedcontrol fail-

ures we see are due to using in-correctproducts for thetargetedweeds or spraying at the wrongtime.Creating a spray plan now,

when the weeds are easy to

identify, can be very valuablein controllingweeds at the leastcost in the spring. It can ensurethat you spraywhat youwant tospray, where you want to sprayit, to control what you want tocontrol.

• This article originally appeared inthe August 2005 Ag News and Viewsnewsletter.

Inventoryweedsnow for control next year

Photo courtesy of Texas Cooperative ExtensionRight now, weeds are large enough to see and most will have seed heads or fruiting parts that make them easier to identify.

Prine Tetraploid Annual RyegrassIncreased Plant Size

Wide Succulent LeavesHigh Sugar Content

Excellent Disease ResistanceLeading Variety in Texas: 2000 - 2012

ApacheArrowleaf Clover

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News

Photos by Rod Aydelotte,Waco Tribune HeraldThe carnival of thefirst BrazosValley Fair and Expositionwill open for a sneak previewat 5 p.m. on Sept. 5 and run through Sept. 9. It will be similar to this carnival at the2010 Central Texas State Fair and Rodeo inWaco.

fair, with demonstrations offrontier cooking. Stop by for afee biscuit, courtesy of PioneerMills.No fair would be complete

without a carnival, and thisone is no exception. For thosewho can’t wait, there will be asneak preview of the carnivalfrom 5-10 p.m. on Sept. 5. Thecarnival will be open from4-midnight on Sept. 6 and 7,and from 10 a.m. tomidnighton Sept. 8.There is somuchmore,

including a petting zoo, Clydes-dales, mechanical bull and pigraces.

Gates will open to the publicat 4 p.m. on Sept. 6 and 7, 10a.m. on Sept. 8 and 11 a.m. onSept. 9. Admission is $10 foradults and children 13 andolder, which includes every-thing except the carnival, food,drink and shopping. Children4-12 are $5, which children 3and younger are free. Seasonpasses are $25 andmay be pur-chased at Producers Coopera-tive, Cavender’s and all Com-merce Bank locations.Carnival tickets are $1 each,

withmost rides requiring twoor three tickets. A better deal

Fairwill includecarnival ridesContinuedfromA12

See Rodeo, Page A15


ber 1, 2012

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News

manager is Travis Boeker,with Karl Hengst as assistantmanager.

Funding for the inauguralfair was approved in 2011 byboth the Brazos County Com-missioners Court and the Bra-zos County HOTCommittee

to get the fair off the ground.It is planned to be an annualevenet each Seeptemer. TheHOT Fund is a hotel occupancytax fund that was approved by

the Texas Legislature to fundimprovements andmarketingfor the Brazos County ExpoComplex.The Brazos Valley Fair has

been a dream of many localresidents formany years as away to promote the area and tohighlight the efforts of youngpeople.

Rodeo, concerts, livestock showhighlight first fairContinuedfromA14

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Annual Forage Issue

By RoBeRt FeaRsSpecial to The Post

The effects of the extended 2011drought continue to plague Tex-as. The western two-thirds of the

state still are under drought andmostpastures in the eastern part of the statehave not fully recovered from the 2011dry weather.If you don’t have adequate forage to

feed cattle through the winter, plantingwinter pasturesmight be a good optionin areas that are receiving rain. In addi-tion to providing an economical sourceof nutrients for cattle, winter forageswill stabilize soil in bare areas wherewarm season forages were killed by thedry weather.The best winter pasture options are

annual forage such as small grains,ryegrass or cool-season legumes. It isusually better to plant winter pasturesin late September through Octoberthan in November or December. Sod-seeding equipment is recommendedfor planting because it doesn’t destroythe warm-season forage. This plant-ingmethod is more economical thanpreparing a seed bed and it conservesmoisture.Several popular winter pasture op-

tions were described by Gerald Smith,of Texas AgriLife Research at Overton,during the recent Texas A&MBeef Cat-tle Short Course. Information in thisarticle is largely taken from Smith’spresentation.Smith used the Gould Ecoregions

to define vegetation adaptation areas.Amajority of the Land and LivestockPost readers live and ranch in the PostOak Savannah, Blackland Prairie orthe PineyWoods ecoregions. Plantingoptions discussed in this article are for-ages primarily adapted to the Post OakSavannah and PineyWoods ecoregionsunless otherwise stated.

Ryegrass and small grainsRyegrass is adapted to a wide range

of soil types, including wet soils. Theforage is easy to establish, requiringonly good soil-to-seed contact for ger-mination. Ryegrass produces less earlywinter forage than small grains. Aminimum of 100 pounds of nitrogen peracre in two applications of 50 poundseach is required for production. Annual

ryegrass produces rapid spring growththat must be grazed heavily to allowgrowth of warm season grasses.Rye and other small grains often are

sown in amixture with ryegrass toextend winter grazing. A rye-ryegrassmixture should be planted at 20 poundsof ryegrass per acre and 100 poundsper acre of rye. Rye is best adapted tosandy, light textured soils. Themixturewill provide early andmid-winter for-age from the rye component and latespring production from the ryegrass. Aminimum of 150 pounds per acre of ni-trogen in split applications is required.Wheat is best adapted to loam-clay

soils and is primarily planted outsideLand and Livestock Post reader area.Forage yield fromwheat is similar tothat of rye. Wheat is less cold hardythan rye andmatures several weeks

later.Oats provide earlier fall grazing

thanwheat or rye, but matures severalweeks later thanwheat. This forage isthe least cold hardy of the small grainsproducing themost forage in warmweather. Severe cold can cause standloss, reducing the amount of availableforage. Oats aremost popular in cCen-tral and South Texas.

Cool-season legumesPlanting legumes in pastures results

in several benefits. Legumes often aremore digestible and containmore nu-trients than grasses. As a result, theyimprove animal production. Cloveradds nitrogen to the soil that enhancesgrass growth and reduces the need fornitrogen from fertilizer.Monte Rouquette of Texas AgriLife

Research at Overton discussed pasturesystems and stocking strategies dur-ing the ForageManagementWorkshopportion of the Beef Cattle Short Course.Rouquette said, “We have Bermudagrass pastures over-seeded with cloverthat haven’t received nitrogen in sev-eral years and they continue to producegood forage.”The first legume listed by Smith is

crimson clover. It is best adapted tosandy and sandy loam soils. It is im-portant to plant pre-inoculated, coatedseed to ensure good nodulation. Drillseed into short grass sod with seedplacement about 0.5 inch deep or broadcast on lightly disked sod and drag toensure good seed-to-soil contact. Nitro-gen fertilizer is not needed; however

Planting for the futureWhat toplant andwhen toplant it forwinter growth

Photo provided by Dwight SextonDwight Sexton, Agricultural Extension agent in Gonzales County, clips forage for testing yields at the Luling Foundation.


ber 1, 2012

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Annual Forage Issue

lime, phosphorus and potas-sium should be applied as rec-ommended on a soil nutrientanalysis.Graze crimson clover from

February toMay or removelivestock inmid-April to allowseed tomature for reseeding.If reseeding is a priority, allowseed tomature until lateMayand then graze or cut hay.Ryegrass can be planted

with crimson clover at 20pounds of ryegrass per acreand 15 pounds of clover. Donot apply nitrogen fertilizer atplanting but apply 50 poundsin late December and another50 pounds in late February orwhen ryegrass shows nitrogendeficiency by leaf yellowing.Graze themixture from Febru-ary throughMay.Arrowleaf clover also is best

adapted to sandy and sandyloam soils. It is planted thesameway as crimson cloverand is grazed from Februaryto June. A popular variety isApache.White clover is adapted to

clay and clay loam soils. It tol-erates wet and seasonally wetsoils very well. Many varietiesof white clover are availableand they require the sameplantingmethodology as ar-rowleaf and crimson.Whiteclover forage production isfromApril to July.Forage variety trials have

been conducted at the LulingFoundation since 2001. Thesetrials indicate that medic vari-eties performwell in CentralTexas, especially Armadilloburrmedic and Jester barrelmedic.Armadillo burrmedic pro-

vides earlier grazing thanmost other clovers ormedics.It germinates in the fall, growsthrough the winter, beginsflowering in late January orFebruary andmatures and diesin April or earlyMay. Sincemost of its growth occurs earlyin the year, competition withperennial warm season grassesis minimized.The biggest advantage of-

fered by Armadillo and Jesteris their persistence from yearto year. If allowed to go to seedandmanaged properly, these

varieties will re-establishthemselves naturally for sev-eral years.Berseem, ball and rose clo-

vers are adapted to the PostOak Savannah and PineyWoods ecoregions and havebeen described by Don Ball,Extension Forage specialist atAuburn University.Berseem clover resembles

alfalfa and, if planted in thefall, most of its growth occursinmid-spring. It does not havegood cold tolerance, so produc-tion declines as it is plantedfarther north. Rotational stock-ing is the best way to utilizeberseem clover pastures. Thisclover does not reseed welldue to a low level of hard seedproduction. Unlikemost com-monly grown annual clovers,berseem clover is quite toler-ant of wet soils and also alka-line soils.“Ball clover is sometimes

mistaken for white clover, butthe blooms are smaller andmore rounded,” Ball said.“Although it can be quiteproductive, ball clover hasa short growing season andoften yields less forage thanother commonly grown annual

clovers. It is a prolific seed pro-ducer even under high stock-ing rates. A high percentage ofits seed is hard whichmakes itan excellent reseeder. Primaryperiod of growth is early tomid-spring. Ball clover is bestsuited to heavy soils, but is sur-prisingly adapted to fairly drysites as well,” Ball said.“Rose clover has a growth

habit similar to crimson clo-ver, but has lavender-coloredblooms,” Ball said. “It makesmost of its growth inmid-spring. The forage is one ofthemost tolerant clovers todrought and low fertility. Thehardiest variety has similarwinter hardiness to arrowleafor crimson clover. Rose cloverproducesmany hard seed andreseeding is often good. It isbest suited to well-drainedsoils, and is most popular incertain low rainfall areas ofnorth central Texas, central

Oklahoma and California.

Other critical informationSmith concluded his presen-

tation with recommendationsfor planting winter pasture:• Select cultivars based on

comparative evaluations con-ducted in your local regionTexas AgriLife Research,Texas AgriLife Extension orthe Natural Resources Conver-sation Service.• Take a close look at the tag

on any seed that you plan topurchase. Look for cultivarname, seed germination andweed seed content.• Buy only named cultivars

that have been tested in yourregion.Use the following web sites

for planting rates and otherinformation.• overton.tamu.edu.• aggieclover.tamu.edu.• varietytesting.tamu.edu/.

Timeto thinkaboutwinter forage isgettingcloserContinuedfromA3

Photo provided by Dwight SextonInoculated Armadillo bur medic seed.

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32.4 Ac, 8981 Yastic Road, Bremondmostly open pasture, pond, lg hay barn, propertyfronts 2 county roads, fenced, electricity & countywater avail., property is ag. exempt; BremondISD; $113, 500

6.25 Ac, Pin Oak Rd, Franklin80/20 wooded/open, potential home site, electricon site & county water available, fenced one side,native grasses, restricted; Franklin ISD; $68,750

126 LCR 743G, Summer Place1,172 sq. ft., 3/3 bath pier & beam, new CA&H, newwindows, boathouse w/lift & upper sundeck, approx.211 ft. bulkheaded waterfront; $320,000 $299,500

6 Ac, PR 3500, Lake Limestone514 ft. of waterfront, wooded, gated subdivision,

deed restricted, very private, water & elect atroad; $197,000

99.81 Ac, Hanhart Rd. & Gourd Neck Loop,Franklin

60/40 wooded/open, coastal Bermunda,new fence on front third, live creek, smallpond, electricity & metered water, approx,1,675 ft. of county rd. frontage; Franklin ISD;$365,000/$,3650 per acre

532 Ac, Little MS Cemetery Rd, Franklinto be divided into three tracts of 112, 170 & 250Ac; lots of CR Rd. frontage; electricity, RC water,wooded & coastal, water wells, 50% new fence,3 bed, 2 bath brick home on 170 ac tract, waterwells; Franklin ISD; $3,496/ac

48.15 Ac, 3225 Williamsville Rd., Bremond2,380 sq. ft. 3 bed, 2 bath, blt in 1995, bonusfamily entertainment room w/additional kitchen,CA&H, sits on hill overlooking pasture w/hardwood trees along live creek, shop, metalworking pens, water well, (adjust to Bremondmine)Bremond ISD; $248,500

20 Ac, Puckett Ranch Rd., Franklin75/25 wooded/open, great recreational/homesite, live creek & pond, fenced on 3 sides FranklinISD; $100,000

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Annual Forage Issue

By James RogeRsSpecial to The Post

So far, 2012 has been a betteryearclimate-wise than2011.Thefull impact of the 2011 droughton warm-season forages wasnot fully realized until the earlyspringandsummerof 2012,how-everWarm-season perennial

grassesweremuchweaker thananticipated and did not fully hittheir growth mode until lateJune. We are now approachingthe end of warm-season foragegrowth. Management from thispoint forwardwill impactwarm-season growth next spring andcontinueddrought recovery. Bylooking back to the winter andspring of 2011-2012, we can bet-ter plan ahead for winter andspring of 2012-2013 and its im-pactonourwarm-season forageproduction.Warm-season forage stands

weakened by the drought com-

bined with the wet and warmwinter of 2011-2012 produceda heavy influx of cool-seasonforages such as annual rye-grass, Texas wintergrass andarrowleaf clover. This influxshadedthewarm-seasongrassesunderneath, resulting in weak,slow growing stands. The samescenario could happen againfor fall-winter 2012. Warm-sea-son grasses have not recoveredfully fromthe2011drought,withmany stands still thin, allowingample room for cool-season for-ages to takehold provided thereis goodmoisture availability.Knowing that we could have

a possible repeat of a cool-season flush, we can manageto take advantage of the cool-season forages for the benefitof our warm-season forages.For all warm-season perennialgrasses, the time fromAugust tofrost is crucial for the plants tobuild carbohydrate reserves forspring growth.Thiswas limitedin 2011 and management needs

should provide for it in 2012.If possible, weak stands of

bermudagrass and native grassshouldbedeferred fromgrazingfrom August until after frost togive themachance toputon leafgrowth and build those carbo-hydrate reserves prior to frost.Leaving6to10 inchesof residualleaf growthonnativegrassand4to6inchesonbermudagrasswillprovide benefits for the plantand help suppress cool-seasongrasses.For bermudagrass, August is

the time to apply late season ni-trogenfertilizer for fall stockpileproduction. If phosphorus and

potassium are called for, basedon a soil test report, apply thoseas well. This will help the standbecome more efficient in nitro-gen utilization and aid in rootdevelopment prior to frost.A rule of thumb is to provide

1 acre of stockpile per maturecow for 50 to 60 days of stockpilegrazing.Bermudagrass thathasbeen stockpiled will typically flush in

the spring to annual ryegrass.Be prepared to come back intothesepastures followingbermu-dagrass stockpile and graze theannual ryegrass out.Innativegrass thathadstrong

cool-season forages last winter,begin looking for grazing op-portunities in February. Texaswintergrasscameinverystronginmanyrangesitesand isexcel-lent early season forage. Cattleactivelywill seek itoutearly,butavoid it at seedhead emergence.Usegrazingmanagementtosup-press cool-season forages dur-ing late winter and early springprior to native grass breakingwinter dormancy.The take-home message is

that cool-season forages pro-videexcellent forage forgrazingor early season hay production.They, however, can delay andfurther weaken warm-seasonforage stands still recoveringfrom drought.A repeat of the cool-season

flush seen during the fall-win-ter of 2011-2012 is possible. Asa forage manager, be preparedtomanage this flush to your ad-vantage and to the advantageof your warm-season perennialforages.

Helping forage recover fromadroughtBy looking back to the winter and springof 2011-2012, we can better plan aheadfor winter and spring of 2012-2013 andits impact on our warm-season forageproduction.

Western Plains Energy LLCin Oakley, Kan., which makesconventional ethanol, aims tobe the first to upgrade to thattechnology.The plant is installing equip-

ment that will use methanegas from cattle manure ratherthan natural gas, cut down onwater use and turn waste intoa fertilizer.The transition will cost

$30 million to $40 million andcould be done by the end of theyear or early next year.“We’re going to try to pro-

duce over 50million gallons (ofadvanced ethanol) per year,”said Curt Sheldon, the plant’schief accounting officer. “At

today’s prices, we could prob-ably pay for the project in twoto three years.”Western Plains plans to buy

17 million bushels of grainsorghum a year from areafarmers, and if more biofuelplants begin using sorghum,it has the potential to create anew and much bigger marketfor those growing the grain.“Western Plains will be the

first, but from our discussionwith ethanol plants they won’tbe the last,” said Cogburn,whose group helped push theEPA to recognize grain sor-ghum as a base for advancedbiofuel. =The effort also had support

from the National FarmersUnion.

Morepromise thancornContinuedfromA11


ber 1, 2012

19

News

By ROBERT BURNSTexas AgriLife Extension Service

COLLEGE STATION — An El Niño currently developing in the tropical Pacifi c could mean an improved agricul-tural outlook for all of Texas, according to John Nielsen-Gammon, state climatologist and regents professor at Texas A&M University.

“An El Niño refers to unusu-ally high tropical temperatures which shift the pattern of trop-ical convection, and usually leads to a cool and wet winter for Texas,” Nielsen-Gammon said.

Though an El Niño’s e� ects usually are stronger in south-ern parts of the state along the Gulf Coast, it generally causes shifts in weather patterns for the entire state, he said.

“It’s a nice switch from the last couple of years, which

were La Niña events which generally favor dry condi-tions,” he said.

La Niña episodes are when the tropical Pacifi c tempera-tures are lower than average, he said.

Unfortunately for the Mid-west and Mississippi Valley, an El Niño generally “signals” a drier-than-normal winter, ac-cording to Nielsen-Gammon.

Currently, tropical Pacifi c temperatures are about 0.9 to 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit above normal, Nielsen-Gammon said.

“Right now, it looks like a weak to moderate one,” he said. “It would have be [2.7 to 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit] above normal to get a strong one.”

But even a weak-to-moderate El Niño should have a pro-nounced e� ect of this fall’s winter weather, he said.

“I just want to emphasize

El Niño this fall should bene� t Texas agriculture

Texas AgriLife Extension Service PhotoA center-pivot sprayer provides needed water to a � eld in North Texas, which still is recovering from the 2011 drought.

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Events CalendarSeptemberSept. 6-9 : Brazos Valley Fair & Expo. Bryan,TX. (979) 823-3976Sept. 6 : Jordan Cattle Auction, Stocker-Feeder & PremiumWeaned Calf Sale. SanSaba, TX.Sept. 13: Advertisng Deadline for Land &Livestock Post : 2012 Bull Issue.Sept. 15: 4 States Limousin Association Sale.Mt. Pleasant, TX. 281-808-5511Sept. 17: Jordan Cattle Auction, Stocker-Feeder & PremiumWeaned Calf Sale. Mason,TX.Sept. 22 : Farm & Ranch Equipment Auction.Sealy, TX. 979-885-2400Sept. 24-26 : TSCRA Fall Meeting. Austin,TX.Sept. 27 : Advertising deadline for Land &Livestock PostSept. 29 : Rudy Mueller Estate, Real EstateAuction. Cat Spring/ Millheim Area. (979)885-2400OctoberOct. 5 : Return to the Remuda. 2012 AnnualSale, 6666 Ranch. Guthrie, TX 806-596-4424

Oct. 6 : Heart of Texas Special ReplacementFemale Sale. Groesbeck, TX . 903-599-2403Oct. 9 : Powell Herefords 15th AnnualProduction Sale. Ft. McKavett, TX. 903-599-2403Oct. 10 : R.A. Brown Ranch 38th Annual Bull,Female & Quarter Horse Sale. Throckmorton,TX 940-849-0611Oct. 11: Jordan Cattle Auction, Special BullOffering. San Saba, TX.Oct. 11 : Dudley Bros. 51st Annual Bull Sale.Comanche, TX. 325-356-2284Oct. 19 : W4 Ranch, Annual Production Sale.Morgan, TX. 817-595-1121Oct. 19 : Briggs Ranches 9th Annual SantaGertrudis Bull Sale. Bloomington, TX. 361-573-7141Oct. 20 : 35th Annual Tri-Star SantaGertrudis Sale. Bloomington, TX. 361-573-7141Oct. 21 : Texas Hereford Fall Classic. Buffalo,TX. 903-322-4940Oct. 27: Oak Creek Farms Forage Tested BullSale. Chappell Hill, TX. 979-836-6832Oct. 27 : 44 Farms Fall Bull & Female Sale.Cameron, TX. 254-697-440 1

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that wet conditions from anEl Niño are not a sure thing,just like dry conditions withLa Niña are not a sure thing,”he said. “Last year, we saw LaNiña conditions, but we endedup having above-normal rain-fall across the state.“For the sake of West Texas,

I hope this El Niño comesthrough for us and gives us wetweather, but there’s no guaran-tee of that.”North Atlantic temperatures

are still running high, which is“a strike against us, especiallyfor summer and fall,” Nielsen-Gammon said. “But sometimearoundNovember, statisticallythe Pacific starts to take over,having a bigger effect on ourweather.”More information on the

current Texas drought andwildfire alerts can be found onthe AgriLife Extension Agri-

cultural Drought Task Forcewebsite at agrilife.tamu.edu/drought/.AgriLife Extension district

reporters compiled the follow-ing summaries for the week ofAug. 14-20:

Southeast —High temperatureswere in the low tomid 90s, withlows in the 70s. Spotty showers al-lowedmoderate forage growth insome areas. Brazos County received0.5 inch to 1.5 inches of rain, whichwas expected to improve pastures.Burleson County had continued hotand dry weather, whichwaswither-ing existing forages. The corn andgrain sorghumharvests were com-pletedwith average yields reported.Some hay harvesting continued.The first rice-crop harvest wounddown.

Central — Some countiesreceived rain but only triflingamounts. Soils were dry, thoughnot as severely as last summer.

Pacific cooling encouragingContinuedfromA19

See State, Page a24


ber 1, 2012

21

News

By PAUL SCHATTENBERGTexas AgriLife Extension Service

With significant populationgrowth expected in the Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston metroareas, current water quality is-sues and an increasing demandforcleanwaterwillplacegreaterpressure on natural resourcesof the Trinity River basin, saidaTexasAgriLife ExtensionSer-vice expert.Trinity Waters, a landowner

organization based in the Trin-ity River basin, and the TexasAgriLife Extension Service arehostingaseriesof workshopsforlandownersandotherinterestedstakeholders in the region.“Thefirstroundof workshops

is intendedtoraiseawarenessofwater and landmanagement is-sues in the basin among inter-

ested members of the public,”said Blake Alldredge, AgriLifeExtension associate and educa-tion and outreach coordinatorfortheBuildingPartnershipsforCooperativeConservation intheTrinity River Basin project.Alldredge said continuing ed-

ucationunitswouldbeavailablefor attendees of the first roundof workshops to be held in Sep-tember,OctoberandNovember.Theno-cost,half-dayworkshopswill addresswaterresourcepro-tection and improvement.Times and locations for the

initial workshops are:• Sept. 7 from 8 a.m. to noon,

IOOF Event Center, 600 N. 45thSt, Corsicana.• Oct. 29 from 8 a.m. to noon,

Texas Freshwater FisheriesConservationCenter,5301Coun-ty Road 4812 Athens (includes

reduced entry fee to the visitorcenter).• Nov. 1 from 8 am to noon,

Walker County Storm Shelter,455 Texas 75 N., Huntsville.According to the Trinity Wa-

ters organization, about 40 per-cent of Texans get their waterfrom the Trinity River. A wide-spread habitat loss throughoutthe basin has led to reducedwildlife populations, particu-larly grassland birds.“Private landowners own the

majority of the land in themid-dle Trinity basin, so providingthem with the information andresources they need to accom-plish conservation goals withinthe basin is critical,” Alldredgesaid.“Quality landmanagementlinkscommongoals in livestock,wildlife and water manage-ment.”

Hesaid therewillbe threesetsof workshops, each subsequentworkshop with more detailedfocus than the previous, to ad-dressvariousaspectsof naturalresource conservation and landmanagement. Thesewill culmi-nate in a summit workshop.Coordinators said the initial

set of workshops will give par-ticipants a better understand-ing of basic water quality andwatershed principles, aswell asthe strategies state and local or-ganizations use to improve andprotect water resources.“Participants in these first

workshops will also hear frompersonnel with the Trinity Riv-er Authority who will explainhow effective watershed man-agement practices can benefitsociety as a whole,” Alldredgesaid. “The programs will alsoinvolve discussion by an arealandowner who has employedvarious conservation practicesand, as a result, has improvedcattle production and increasedincomefromdevelopingwildliferecreational opportunities.”Coordinators said a second

round of workshops is beingscheduled for November and

December. The focus of thesesubsequent workshops will bemorespecific land-managementinformation and techniques forlandowners to enhance theirproductivity and improve wa-tershedmanagement.“Thisnextseriesof workshops

will includepresentationsontheTrinityRiver InformationMan-agement System, or TRIMS, anonlinemappingtool,habitatres-toration tips and how landown-erscanbenefitfromdevelopingawaterqualitymanagementplanthroughtheTexasStateSoilandWaterConservationBoard,”All-dredge said.Coordinators said a third

round of workshops is beingscheduled for January andFebruary and will include pre-sentations on pasture manage-mentandrowcropfarmingtech-niques to protect water quality;feral hog management; and fi-nancial assistance programsthrough theU.S. Department ofAgriculture’sNaturalResourceConservation Service.“Following these workshops,

therewill be a capstone summit

Trinity River basin water quality, landmanagementworkshopsbeginSept. 7

Texas AgriLife Extension Service graphicTheTrinity River basinwatershed area provideswater resources for about 40percent of the state’s population, including theDallas/Ft.Worthmetroplex.

TrinityRiverBasin

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News

By MIKKEL PATESAgweek

RUGBY, N.D. — Life is turn-ing out exactly as Kevin Leierhoped.At age 23, he has a new ca-

reer as a high school teacher inRugby. The job is 20 miles fromthe Heartland Bison Ranch hehelped his parents build. He’san assistant football coach, hasa new family and is an emerg-ing leader in what he sees as ahealthy bison industry.Leierwas elected to the board

of theNorthDakotaBuffaloAs-sociation when he was 19. Hewastheyoungestboardmemberon any regional bison board inthe nation and was elected vicepresident of the 150-membergroup in December 2010.“I cantellyouthatonthestate

level, the board of directors isconstantlyconcerned that thereare too few animals and too fewproducers,comparedtoadecadeago,”Leiersaid.“Thepopulationof medium-sizedherds ishalf ofwhat it was. We need to push toget more people to come in. Wewant to get the word out that ifyouwant todiversifyyourrancha bit, this is a good possibility.”Leier acknowledges there

are some high-rollers in thebison business on a continen-tal scale. It’s a good sign thatsmaller operators have come toNorth Dakota from as far awayas Missouri, Kansas, Texas andMontana.NorthDakotacanusemore herds in the average size

of about 65 to 85 cow-calf pairs,he said.TheNorthDakotaBuffaloAs-

sociation recently implementedamentoring program, availableonline, at www.ndbuffalo.net.“It’s set up to give anybody

who’s looking at getting intobuffalo some real people to talkto,” Leier said. “My Dad and Iare one ranch in the mentoringprogram. There are about fiveor six.”The Leiers are cow-calf spe-

cialists, but others specializein feedlots, handling or feed ra-tions.Leier’s main mentor was his

dad—naturally.Kevinwasbornin 1988, the fourth of eight chil-dren, and started life with thefamily when his parents livedin Las Vegas.“Dad would tell us about

growinguponthe farminNorthDakota, and it was something Iwantedtodo,”Leiersaid.Hewas8 when the family moved fromLasVegas in1996tostart thebuf-faloranch.Thelivebisonmarketbottomed out in 2002, andKevinwas 16 when he took out a Be-ginning Farmer loan from thefederal Farm Service Agency.“I thought, if I got some now,

and things kept inching up, itcould be a good move for me,”he said.The market came back, and

the bison helped pay his collegebills.Leier played football in high

schoolandgraduated in2007.HecontinuedfootballatMinotStateUniversity and was often homeon the ranch. He met his wife,Anne, at a friend’s wedding.Kevincameoutof MSUwitha

social science education degreein 2011. He expected to comeback to the ranch eventually,maybe starting as a full-timesubstitute teacher. But a long-time social studies teacher inRugby decided to retire. Kevin

applied and got the job, andwasnamed defensive coordinatorfor the Rugby Panthers footballteam. Anne landed a teachingjob at an elementary school intown.Teachingfits nicelywith rais-

ing bison, Leier said.“In the winter, when I’m

teaching, the bison areminimal

Working togrowAmerica’sbisonherd

AP Photo/The St. Paul Pioneer Press,John Doman

An older female bison, left, and anolder male keep constant company asthey graze on the prairie grass at BlueMounds State Park near Luverne, Minn.State conservationists now want to usethe herd to help build genetic diversity,creating healthier NorthAmerican bison,and someday to bring the native giantsto more state parks — where experts saythey once lived.This could make Minne-sota pivotal in conserving an animal thatwas near extinction,saidCraigBeckman,manager at Blue Mounds State Park.

See Using, Page A26


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News

Texas AgriLife Extension Service photoA series of three water protection and conservation workshops relating to theTrinityRiver basin will be held this year and next.

where landowners and otherstakeholders in the basin willcome together and discuss thebest course of action for water-shed planning,” Alldredge said.TheBuildingPartnerships for

CooperativeConservation intheTrinity River Basin project isfunded by the Texas State Soiland Water Conservation BoardthroughaCleanWaterActgrantfromtheU.SEnvironmentalPro-tection Agency.

For more information on theTrinityWaters organization, goto www.trinitywaters.org.

Those interested in attendingany of these workshops shouldcontact Alldredge at 979-845-0916 or [email protected] RSVP and reserve a spot. ToRSVPelectronically, go to natu-ralresourcestraining.tamu.edu/schedule/andlookfor“Coopera-tive Conservation in the TrinityRiver Basin” and the date andlocation of the workshop.

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Most hay fields were still green butshowed very little growth. Manyproducers hoped to take a thirdhay cutting if they get a substantialrain. Producers began preparingfields for plantingwinter wheat andoats. Stock-tankwater levels weresufficient but dropping. The cottonharvest began. Cotton producerswere defoliating. The harvesting ofcorn, milo, sunflowers and soybeanswas nearly complete. Pecans lookedvery good.

Coastal Bend —Most of thearea received somemuch-neededrain, from 0.25 inch to 4 inches.Despite the rain, hot, dry conditionsremained the rule. In areas wherecottonwas yet to be harvested,growers were using growth regula-tors in a struggle to keep ahead ofvegetative growth. Sesamewasma-turing rapidly. The rainmeantmanyhay producersmight be able to takeonemore cutting of hay before fall.Winter wheat was being planted.Pecan tree limbswere breaking dueto the heavy crop load. Cattle werein fair conditionwith herd numbersholding steady. Producers were stillsupplementing cattle with hay andprotein.

East — Asmuch as 2.5 inchesfell across the northern part of theregion, but southern counties re-mained inmuch need of rain. Pondsand pastures were in good shapewhere there was rain. A few produc-ers were selling hay. Cattle were ingood condition, with calves being

weaned. Feral hogs stayed close towater sources. TheWest Nile virusoutbreak resulted inmany calls tocounty offices aboutmosquito con-trol. Grasshopper and armyworminfestations continued.

Southwest — Some areas re-ceived from 1 inch to 3 inches ofrain, improving some pasture condi-tions. Dry conditions persisted inother areas. The sorghumharvestbegan but where there was rain, thecotton harvest was temporarily onhold. The corn and grain sorghumharvests were nearly done. Pasturescontinued to decline under hot anddry conditions, and the danger ofwildfire was high.

Far West — Highs were in thetriple digits and lows in themid toupper 70s. Rangeland and pasturesremained in very poor conditionbecause of the excessive heat anddrought. There were scatteredshowers reported, with AndrewsCounty getting asmuch as 1.4inches and Upton County 3 to 4inches. Other areas, such as PresidioCounty, only reported 0.1 inch. InGlasscock County, irrigated cottonwas progressingwell, but there wassome boll-drop after the rains. Mostdryland cotton is at cutout, thegrowth stage prior to boll setting.Grain sorghumwas ready to har-vest. Producers continued to pro-vide supplemental feed to livestockandwildlife.

North —The region receivedmuch-needed rain, and soil-mois-ture levels were adequate inmostcounties.

State still needs rainContinuedfromA20


ber 1, 2012

25

Annual Forage Issue

By EDDIE FUNDERBURGSamuel Roberts Noble Foundation

As of July, urea costs about$750 per ton. This means thata pound of nitrogen from ureacosts about 82 cents. This is ahigh price and leads to the logi-cal question, “Is it worth thecost to fertilize winter pasturefor stockers?”I’ll trytoanswerthisquestion,

but let’sdefine thegroundrules.First, you already have the

winterpastureplantedandyouronly question is whether or notto fertilize it.Second, the pasture will be

grazed out completely by stock-ers and you are receiving 70cents per pound of gain.Third, soil test phosphorus

and potassium levels are highand only nitrogen is needed foroptimum yields.To determine if it is worth it

to fertilize, you must know thebenefits of fertilization. Figure1 shows the results of apply-ing nitrogen to winter pasture.ThisstudywasconductedontheNobleFoundationRedRiverRe-searchandDemonstrationFarmfrom 1979 to 1992.About 2,000 pounds of dry

matter forage were producedwith no fertilization, and about4,000 pounds of dry matter for-age were produced when 100pounds of actual nitrogen peracre (217 pounds of urea peracre) were applied. When 100pounds of nitrogen were ap-plied, each pound of nitrogenresulted in a yield increase of20 pounds of dry matter forageper acre.In winter pasture graze-out

situations, we generally as-sume that cattle eat all the for-age produced except for about500 pounds per acre. If no fertil-izer was used, that means thatthecattleateabout 1,500poundsof dry matter forage (2,000pounds produced - 500 poundsnot grazed). Stocker cattle gen-erallywillgainabout1poundforeach8poundsof drymatterwin-ter pasture forage consumed.This means that stocker calvesgrazing unfertilized winter for-age will gain about 188 poundsof beef per acre (1,500 poundsdry matter forage consumed ÷8 pounds dry matter per poundof gain). At a value of gain of 70cents per pound, the beef gainis worth $132 per acre. There is

obviously no cost for fertilizeror application in this situation.If you apply 100 pounds actu-

al nitrogen per acre, the cattleshould consume about 3,500poundsof drymatter forageperacre(4,000poundsproduced-500pounds not grazed). This willresult in a gain of 438 poundsof beef per acre (3,500 poundsdry matter forage consumed ÷8 pounds dry matter per poundof gain). At a value of 70 centsper pound, the gross gain valueis $307 per acre. The cost of fer-tilizer plus application must besubtracted from this. At a fertil-izer price of 82 cents per poundof actual nitrogen, the fertilizercost for 100 poundsnitrogenperacre is $82 per acre. Add an ap-plication cost of $5 per acre, andthe total cost of fertilization is$87 per acre. Thismakes the netvalue of the gain from fertilizer$220peracre ($307peracregross- $87 per acre cost).The short story is that apply-

ing 100 pounds of nitrogen peracre to winter pasture shouldgenerate $88 per acre more netrevenue to the operation thannot fertilizing the same field.

Fertilizer still pays in this situ-ation even though it is very ex-pensive.The thing that makes fertil-

ization profitable at this price isthe very high value of gain. If

the value of gain declines, thatwould greatly affect the ques-

tionof profitabilityof fertilizingwhen prices are high.

Is nitrogen fertilizerworth the cost forwinterpasture?

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News

work,”hesaid. “Youput the feedout there, and they’re content.”Inawindshieldpasturetourin

lateJuly,Leierexplainedthattheherd iskept inanareaof naturalsprings inthewinter.Theycomeuptoa115-acrepasture—sandysoil, formerlycropland—wheretheycalveontheirown.Thebesttime is the first or second weekof April, butall shouldbecalvedout by the end of May.“Every four or five days we

come out and check them,” hesaid. “They’ll single themselvesoff in groups, and go off intothe trees and bushes. We don’tsee them for about six or sevendays, and they come back withbabies.”The bison come in to be

worked in an annual Thanks-giving weekend roundup. Thewhole family comes.“We try to work them really

slow, with the least amount ofstress as possible,” Leier said.Gate systems are run pneumat-ically, with an air compressor.“One guy from one spot, here,can control six gates,” he said.“For separating calves from

cows, itworks realwell. Usuallythey’llcomeinbythemselvesbe-cause they only see one way togo.Oneguywalksonthecatwalkabove them.”Leier said his long-term goal

for his family is to become part-time teachers and full-timeranchers. He doubts either heorAnnewill ever give up teach-ing entirely.His mother, Rebecca, seems

pleasedwith thewholearrange-ment. Kevin and Anne live amile away, where they have 10acres of their own.In 2010, Kevin and Anne

moved into a ranch house theyrelocated from a farmsteadabout 100 miles south in Wood-worth. He’s fixing it up with alog cabin decor — the start of anew household.The Leiers are philosophical

about the whipsaw bison wentthrough 10 years ago. They fig-ure the industry encounteredlogical cycles of growth andchange.“Now they can’t kill enough

animals to meet demand,” Kev-in said. “It’s a whole differentballgame than it was in the late1990s.”

Using genetics to savebuffaloContinuedfromA22

AP Photo/The St. Paul Pioneer Press, John DomanA young calf sticks close to its mother as they mill around the outskirts of a buffalowallow at Blue Mounds State Park near Luverne, Minn.

By MATTHEW BROWNAssociated Press

BILLINGS, Mont. — Bisoncould roam year-round in largeareas adjacent to YellowstoneNational Park under a proposalreleased lastmonthbyMontanaofficials who want to furtherease restrictions on the iconic,burly animals.For decades migrating bison

have been slaughtered or hazedback into the park to preventthem from passing the diseasebrucellosis to cattle.The planwould allow the ani-

malstoremainyear-roundintheHebgen Basin and surroundingareas of the Gallatin NationalForest.To the north, some bison

would be allowed year-round inthe Gardiner Basin.Current rules allow some bi-

sontomigratetograzingareasinMontana each winter. But theymust return to the park eachspring — a perennial source of

friction between conservation-istswhowantmore room for bi-son and ranchers who say theyare a disease threat.Theproposedchangesarecer-

tain to stoke the argument.Someinthe livestockindustry

already are lining up in opposi-tion.“They try to talk it down

and say we’ve downgraded thedisease,” said John Youngbergwith theMontanaFarmBureauFederation.“There’sstillbrucel-losis in those bison up there. Ithasn’t gone away.”Yellowstone has one of the

largest and most genetically-pure bison populations in theworld.About 40 percent of the ani-

mals test positive for exposureto brucellosis, which can causepregnant animals to miscarrytheir young.No bison-to-cattle brucellosis

transmissionshavebeenrecord-ed in the wild.Under the administration of

Gov. BrianSchweitzer, the state

has steadily ratcheted back itsrestrictionsagainst theanimals.That’s allowed the animals toenter new areas and stretchedout the date by which they arereturned to the park.Now the state wants to take

that a step further, eliminatingthe May 15 deadline for bisonto be returned to Yellowstone’swest side and, for bulls, theMay1 date for the north side.Federalrulespenalizingstates

with brucellosis infections incattlehaveeasedinrecentyears,partially defusing one of themain concerns about allowingbison on a broader landscape.Yet many in the livestock in-

dustry remain adamant thatbison pose a potential danger tocattle. They also bristle againstthe possibility of bison compet-ing for grazing land and knock-ing over livestock fences.Afinaldecisioncouldbemade

in time for the 2012-2013 winter,said Christian Mackay, execu-tive officer for the Montana De-partment of Livestock.

Bisonroamingwithoutborders


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News

By Donnis BaggettSpecial to The Post

QUITAQUE — No one’s sureabout the origin of the nameQuitaque, but some say it wasan Indian term meaning “endof the trail.”During Texas’ pioneer days,

Comanchewarpartiesgatheredhere after raids on the settle-ments and sold their captives toComanchero traders. Quitaquebecame literally the end of thetrail for terrified mothers andtheirchildrenas theyweresepa-rated and sold into slavery.The region where the table-

flat High Plains crumble andtumble a thousand feet to meetthe rolling plains of northwestTexaswas almost the end of thetrail for theAmerican plains bi-sonaswell. But instead itwouldbecome a new trailhead for thebuffalo,andacenturyandahalflater,America’s iconicmammalis thriving again.On the morning of July 4, a

buffalo bull in the prime of lifecelebrated IndependenceDay ina big way. He lay panting heav-ilybesideayoungheifer, clearlyin a state of happy exhaustion.Fortwodayshehadfollowedherwithaglazed look inhis eye andloving on his mind. Now, as theTexas Parks & Wildlife pickupapproached slowly across therangeland, he curled his upperlip and uttered a long, low bawl— an ominous blend of growl,grunt and roar.That brought a smile to the

face of Donald Beard, 45, super-intendent of Caprock Canyons

State Park. “He’s telling us nottoget tooclose tohisgirl,”Beardsaid.Covering 15,000 acres, remote

Caprock Canyons is Texas’fourth-largest state park, butone that’s not particularly wellknown.“We’re kind of a secret. A lot

of folks call us a hidden gem,”Beard said.This region 90 miles north-

west of Lubbock and 90 milessoutheast of Amarillo was theundisputed territoryof the Indi-anand thebuffalo for centuries.In the late 1800s that eracame toa rapid and violent endwith theIndian wars and the arrival ofbuffalo hide hunters.Around that time, pioneer

cattleman and Texas RangerCharles Goodnight establishedthe JA Ranch, which sprawledbetween Quitaque and PaloDuro Canyon, about 40 miles tothe northwest.After running out of buffalo

to shoot farther north, the hidehuntersturnedtheirgunsonthesouthernherdwithgruesomeef-ficiency.Goodnight’swife,MaryAnn,wastormentedbythebawl-ing of orphaned bison calves asshelayinbedatnight.Sheurgedher husband to capture a fewcalves to save them, and he did.Before the great western mi-

gration began, an estimated 30millionto70millionplainsbisonroamedNorth America.By the time the Goodnights

saved their buffalo calves, lessthanathousandheadremained.Thebuffalo is theposterchildofsurvival, however, and slowlybut surely the Goodnight bison

— along with handfuls of oth-ers saved by private rancherselsewhere on the Great Plains— pulled the species from thebrink of extinction.As theyearspassed, offspring

of the Goodnight herd went tothe Bronx Zoo, to Yellowstoneand elsewhere to build otherherds and bison numbers re-boundedremarkably.Nowthereareabout500,000 inNorthAmer-ica, the overwhelmingmajorityof them under the stewardshipof private ranchers.But a few years ago therewas

another near miss for the Pan-handle herd.After generations of inbreed-

ing, remnants of the Goodnightherd that had remained in theCaprock region began to sufferfrom infertility.“From1872on, theyneverhad

any influence from outside ofthesecanyons,”Beardsaid.“Sci-entists said we had to do some-thing or we were going to losethese really cool animals that

had unique genetics not foundanywhere else in the world.”By 2008, the herd’s calf crop

had dropped to zero, and theGoodnight animals—which bythen had been donated to thestate and became the officialTexas state herd — was threat-enedwithextinctiononceagain.Thanks to the teamwork of gov-ernment, higher education andyet another high-profile privaterancher, that didn’t happen.New blood obviously was

needed, but not just any newblood would do.Determined to preserve ge-

netic characteristics uniqueto the southern herd, JamesDerr of Texas A&M Universityhelped Parks &Wildlife find de-scendantsof Goodnightanimalsthat had been shipped to otherranges long ago.Tests showed bison at Ted

Turner’s Vermejo Ranch inNew Mexico were genetic de-scendants of some Goodnightanimals shipped to Yellowstone

in 1902, whose descendants lat-er were moved to New Mexico.Turner donated four bulls toParks &Wildlife, and the partywas on.“We went from zero calves in

2008 to 19 calves in 2009,” Beardsaid, smiling again.So it was that the Texas herd

avoided extinction once again.The park will commemoratethat victory Sept. 14-16, with itssecond annual Bison Celebra-tion Days.Events will include 19th-

century living history encamp-ments, a barbecue cookoff, arti-fact exhibitions, craft vendorsand a concert by Asleep at theWheel. Proceeds will go towardsustaining the park.Beard hopes Texans will de-

scend on Quitaque to toast thehealth of their state herd—andcelebrate the fact private ranch-ers helped save the buffalo notonce, but twice.“That’s pretty cool to think

about,withoutadoubt,”hesaid.

Cooperating tosave theTexasbisonherd


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