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| Vol. 48 - No. 2 | Thursday, January 11, 1996 | $25 Per Year |
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Storm Stymies
East, Fat Lambs Under Pressure
A record-breaking snowstorm already billed the
Blizzard of the Century buried the Northeast early this
week and totally blocked movement of meat to market and
trucks to wholesalers. The weather eased off on Tuesday,
but hit again on Wednesday to again tie down traffic.
Cattle Trade
Like Budget Talks; Both Sides Want Other To Blink
Face-offs are becoming standard fare in the fed
cattle trade, and they’re pushing most sales right
on past midweek. Last week was a no-go situation through
Wednesday, and this week is shaping up to be a rerun
unless buyers and sellers come to a meeting of the minds
in the dark of the night.
Arizonan Adding
Common Sense To Environmental Legislation
Arizona House Environment Committee Chairman
Russell Bowers seems to relish his role as chief
antagonist of the state's environmental establishment.
D&R
Livestock Uses Texas Goats To Fill Niche Markets In East
Donnie Richards only owns five goats, and those
are his pet lead goats. That’s not a good
indication, however, of what the man knows about the goat
industry. After all, he’s been in the business since
he was 16 and in a big way since the mid-1970s.
Glickman Rules
Out Grain Export Embargo
Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman is ruling out
an embargo of grain exports to hold down prices for U.S.
customers, including livestock feeders.
Rural Crime
Rising, Former Fed Cautions
A former Secret Service agent warns America's farmers and
other rural residents that they are not isolated enough
to be immune to violent crime.
Activists
Dodge Blame In Flap Over Firewood
Environmental activists who condemned many poor people in
the Carson National Forest area to a cold winter without
firewood essential to heating and cooking are now trying
to pin the blame on someone else.
Florida’s
Cattle Industry Dates Back To The Spaniards
Tall and rangy, Bert Tucker sprints across a wide
pasture on a favorite cow pony as he and two ranch hands
drive a bellowing herd of big-horned heifers on an
unusually cool morning.
Study Shows Gila
Rangeland Not Overgrazed, As Claimed
An assessment of grazing on the Gila National
Forest commissioned by the Forest Service and New Mexico
State University concludes those rangelands are not
overgrazed.
Coalition
Steps Up Eco-Laws Opposition
A coalition of Western politicians, farmers, miners and
loggers have turned up the volume in their campaign
against the U.S. government and its environmental laws.
Ecos Sue BLM
To Stop Grazing On 1.7M Acres
An environmental group has accused the federal
Bureau of Land Management of failing to protect
endangered species as required by basing grazing rules on
outdated studies.
Article About
Coyote Control Gives Both Positions, Sort Of
Joe Helle says he does everything he can to
protect his sheep from coyotes. Llamas and dogs stand
guard. Propane cannons and blinding lights aim at scaring
coyotes away from lambing areas. He even imports Peruvian
shepherds, who tend his four flocks constantly.
S.D. Governor
Says It’s Time Government Parked Gravy Train
Government, like agriculture, has to be flexible and
responsive to changes, Gov. Bill Janklow told pork
producers here Friday night.
Animal
Activists All Aghast Over Plan To Cull Buffalo
Animal rights activists contend proponents of a
state plan to cull excess buffalo bulls at the U.S.
Army’s Fort Wingate failed to get the proper
clearance under the National Environmental Policy Act.
Hooters And
Goofy Give Clues To Non-Essential Government
As 1995 drew to a close, the size and scope of
the Executive Branch were still very much in flux.
Negotiations continued between Congress and President
Clinton over how the federal government will balance its
budget within the next seven years.
New Mexico
Cattle Growers Urge Consolidation Caution
Dear fellow producers, Anyone who ranches
has probably found themselves pushing too hard to get
something done. We have all fought with stubborn cattle,
balky equipment, frozen water systems, windmills or
something similar. Occasionally most of us have figured
out that we were fighting our head to force something.
That sure seems to be what the national organizations are
doing with the merger.
Angelo Lamb
Prices Strong, Cattle Soft
Price trends were not available for comparison
because of the long delay in marketing during the holiday
period, however, sheep and lamb prices showed strength
while cattle prices softened.
NCA Plans Open
Forum On Merger At Meeting
Anyone with an interest in the cattle industry
will soon have the opportunity to have their questions
about the market and the new industry organization
answered, says the National Cattlemen’s Association.
San Saba
Special Cow Sale Prices Softer
Demand was moderate to good for replacement cattle
at the special cow sale. Pairs sold steady to $30 lower,
bred cows and heifers steady to $50 lower, open heifers
steady to $25 lower.
Rancher,
Banker Kept Rushmore Lights On
Mount Rushmore National Monument glowed right on
through the federal government shutdown, thanks to a
rancher who has been picking up the electric bills.
San Saba
Feeder Calf Prices Off Last Week
Feeder calves sold lower last week, stock cows and
pairs steady, slaughter cows and bulls $2-3 higher.
Receipts totaled 1380 head.
Sheepmen Can Vote
Absentee On Checkoff
The American Sheep Industry Association reminds
sheep producers that they may cast absentee ballots in
the upcoming checkoff referendum vote.
Property Tax
Amendment Vote Will Prove Boon For Wildlife
Bobwhites, bluebirds and buck deer aren't
allowed to vote in Texas, but their voices were heard
loud and clear in last November's constitutional
amendment election.
On The Edge Of
Common Sense
By Baxter Black
McGraw posed an interesting question. If a
cowboy herds a herd of cattle, we call him a herder. If a
sheepman herds a flock of sheep, he’s still a
herder. Why isn't he called a flocker?
Unregistered Bull
in a Hotel Lobby
Choice gleanings from 45-plus years of
Unregistered Bull.
Price controls, a subject of increasing conjecture
everywhere, was John’s topic this week. Other people
may have found it a complex problem, but John, as usual,
was ready to straighten the whole thing out right away.
Pokin' Fun
By Doc Blakely
Recently I was invited by a client to come in a
day early and participate in some of the fun activities
prior to a speech that I had been invited to give to a
group of people who were administrators of nursing homes.
The activities were golf, checkers and white water
rafting.
Shortgrass
Country
By Monte Noelke
Uncle John Noelke died from riding a bronc head
on into the trunk of a mesquite by the gate of the horse
corrals at the Old Ranch. The Big Boss pointed toward the
tree many a morning as he rode off leading a bunch of
cowboys to work. "Laid down at the house for about
four weeks and didn't open his eyes," he'd tell us.
"Died in his sleep, you might say." We never
had time for questions. Perhaps imagination entered in,
but the story always seemed more poignant on the mornings
we were riding a fresh string of winter-rested horses.