Order buyers like Margaret Ann Smith with Southlex Cattle Com-

pany in Lexington, Va., connect stocker cattle buyers in the High Plains
and sellers in the southeast. Smith, her business partner, and the buyers
who work for them attend weekly livestock auctions in Virginia, West Vir-
ginia, and North Carolina, putting together loads of cattle that will end up
on grass or in feedlots in the High Plains.
There are a number of reasons for this connection between the southeast
and the High Plains, but the price of corn has to be at the top of that list.
In February we had a 75 cent positive basis on corn, Smith said. If
that is not a reason to put cattle on a truck and send them 1,100 miles west,
then I dont know what other reason there is.
That is one reason there are not many feedlots in the southeast, which
means those calves have to find a home someplace. Although farmers are
growing more corn in the south and southeast regions of the country these
days, most of that goes directly to export markets, Smith said.
You do not fatten cattle at that kind of price for corn, Smith said.
Sale barns
Smith deals primarily with community, locally owned sale barns that
offer weekly livestock actions. There are few seasonal sales that operate in
the fall and spring, but most of them are weekly.
They sell bull calves to dairy calves and everything in between, Smith
said.
Most of the herds in her area range in size from 12 to 25 head, and the
producers are part-time operators for the most part. The growers market
when it is convenient for them or when they need some quick cash and not
when the market dictates.
1ournaI story by Doug Rich 1ournaI photo by
HoIIy Martin Cover artwork by Lance L. Ziesch
See Stocker Connection, 3A
Or not.
2012 Bayer HealthCare LLC, Animal Health Division, Shawnee Mission, Kansas 66201. Bayer, the Bayer Cross, Baytril and Right the rst time are registered trademarks of Bayer. BL121809
You can wait to treat
BRD bacteria
Treat BRD bacteria upfront with Baytril

100 (enrooxacin) Injectable
now FDA-approved for BRD control (metaphylaxis) in high-risk cattle.
*The clinical signicance of in vitro data has not been demonstrated.
1
Data on le.
2
Blondeau JM, Borsos S, Blondeau LD, Blondeau BJ, Hesje C. (2005). The killing of clinical isolates of Mannheimia haemolytica (MH) by
enrooxacin (ENR) using minimum inhibitory and mutant prevention drug concentrations and over a range of bacterial inocula. In: ASM
Conference on Pasteurellaceae; 23-26 October 2005; Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii: American Society of Microbiology; Abstract B12.
3
Blondeau JM, Borsos SD, Hesje CH, Blondeau LD, Blondeau BJ. (2007). Comparative killing of bovine isolates of Mannheimia
haemolytica (MH) by enrooxacin, orfenicol, tilmicosin and tulathromycin using the measured minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC)
and mutant prevention concentration (MPC) drug values. In: International Meeting of Emerging Diseases and Surveillance (IMED);
Vienna, Austria; February 23-25, 2007; Figures 8-10.
Whether controlling or treating BRD, its important to kill
bacteria to let the calfs immune system get back to work.
Use Baytril

100 (enrooxacin) Injectable rst to reduce

the bacteria load in high-risk cattle right off the truck.
Ba]tril 1OO demonstrated statisticall] signifcant control
of BRD in high-risk cattle in a 14-day study
1
In vitro* studies show that Baytril 100 kills 97% of the
key BRD-causing bacteria in 1-2 hours
2,3
Ask your veterinarian about using Baytril 100 as your go-to
drug for control of BRD in high-risk cattle or treatment of BRD.
For use by or on the order of a licensed veterinarian. Extra-
label use in food-producing animals is prohibited. A 28-day
slaughter withdrawal in cattle is required. This product is not
approved for female dairy cattle 20 months of age or older,
including dry dairy cows. Use in these cattle may cause drug
residues in milk and/or calves born to these cows.
Do not use in calves to be processed for veal.
2A STOCKER CATTLE ISSUE | www.hpj.com | All Editions | April 1, 2013
Public Lands Council and the National
Cattlemens Beef Association are asking
the U.S. Supreme Court to take up and
settle a decades-long property rights case,
Hage v. United States. The high court
would determine whether the U.S. Forest
Service violated the Takings Clause of the
U.S. Constitution when it interfered with
Nevada ranchers Wayne and Jean Hages
stock water rights.
PLC and NCBA were joined by Nevada
Cattlemens Association, Oregon Cattlemens
Association and Washington Cattlemens
Association in their brief of amicus curiae,
filed by Western Resources Legal Center.
We believe that the cases precedent-set-
ting nature and importance to livestock pro-
ducers property rights merits the Supreme
Courts consideration, said Brice Lee, Col-
orado rancher and PLC president. They
deserve compensation for what the Forest
Service took from them. Ranchers cannot
operate without access to the water that is
legally theirs.
The U.S. Forest Service had denied the
Hage family access to ditches supplying their
stock and several meadows with water. The
agency demanded that the family file for
a permit in order to maintain and use the
water. Although a federal claims court decid-
ed the Hages were owed compensation by
the agency for the water taking, the Federal
Circuit Court of Appeals reversed this deter-
mination in part.
This case threatens the ability to carry
out livestock activities both on and off feder-
al land, said WRLC Executive Director and
representing Counsel Caroline Lobdell. The
federal agency, in effect, would be armed
with the authority to unilaterally determine
what constitutes reasonable or routine main-
tenance, and therefore empowered to subju-
gate vested 1866 Mining Act rights-of-way in
favor of whatever policy rules the day.
According to NCBA President and Wyo-
ming rancher Scott George, if the agency is
allowed to demand a permit for Hages ditch
right-of-way, county road rights-of-way
established under the Mining Act (known as
R.S. 2477 roads) would also be in jeopardy.
This would further threaten ranchers ability
to stay in business, George said, since they
often depend on those roads to access their
grazing allotments.
Lee summed up the cases importance
to livestock producers nation-wide. The
implications to livestock producers at-large
are undeniable. This case, if not overturned,
stands to remove the protective boundar-
ies surrounding what constitutes a prop-
erty right versus a permitted use. It will
lay a marker regarding individuals right to
compensation for government takings. We
strongly encourage the Supreme Court to
take up this case.
PLC has represented livestock ranchers
who use public lands since 1968, preserving
the natural resources and unique heritage of
the West. Public land ranchers own nearly
120 million acres of the most productive
private land and manage vast areas of public
land, accounting for critical wildlife habitat
and the nations natural resources. PLC works
to maintain a stable business environment in
which livestock producers can conserve the
West and feed the nation and world.
PLC, NCBA ask Supreme Court to settle Hage case
PROPERTY RIGHTS | Supreme Court urged to take up a decades-long case involving Wayne and Jean Hages stock water rights
There is nothing wrong with
thatit is just the way they do
businessbut it is not based on
market signals, Smith said. Our
sales pick up about the time prop-
erty, income taxes or college tuition
are due, or they need money for
Christmas gifts. People treat their
cowherd like a savings or retire-
ment account.
Because most of these produc-
ers have off-farm jobs, the cattle
may not get the best management
possible but the genetics are there.
Smith said it is not hard for their
cattle to meet a very high-end
grade. That is primarily due to the
large number of purebred breeders
in the area.
You could throw a rock from
our place and hit 10 Angus breed-
ers, Smith said.
Producers can get their hands
on good genetics with their bulls.
That carries over to the calf crop
and that is why their cattle do
well.
The cattle will be from good
genetics; they just may not have
the best management behind
them, Smith said.
Cattle coming into the sale barns
are graded by either a state agency,
such as the Virginia Department
of Agriculture in Virginia, or they
are barn graded if the sale barn
does not pay to have the state do
the grading. The cattle are sorted
on color, quality, muscling, confir-
mation and the commingled into
group pens based on their grade
and weight.
If you tell me it is a No.2
Angus that weighs 550 pounds,
I know what it is, Smith said.
It is a way to group these cattle
together instead of selling them all
as singles.
The cattle have to be structur-
ally correct with no humpbacks,
bad eyes, warts, stocking legs on
black cattle, and no pink-nosed
Charolais. Those cattle still end up
being sold as singles.
Smith said a pot load of cattle
could represent as few as five pro-
ducers or as many as 25. A pro-
ducer might show up at the sale
with five head and the get split five
different ways and one may end up
being sold as a single.
If a producer shows up at the
sale up with 25 to 30 head of
uniform cattle, they are penned
together and sold as a one-own-
er group. Smith said this would
be noted on the grade sheet for
the buyers. If the cattle have been
through a pre-weaning or vaccina-
tion program, that will be noted
on the grade sheet, also.
Looking at sale barns from
east to west, the biggest differ-
ences seem to be size and vol-
ume. Load lots and groups of six
or more are common in the west
and Midwest versus the east and
southeast where you see singles
and smaller lots.
Most of these cattle are coming
back to the High Plains and every-
one is trying to fit that order and sell
them accordingly, Mark Markey,
chief executive officer of the Live-
stock Marketing Association, said.
Although Southlex Cattle com-
pany will ship anything from a
200-pound calf to a 1,000-pound
calf, most of their business consists
of cattle from 300 to 600 pounds.
A lot of the 500 to 650 calves are
split loads of steers and bulls. How-
ever, they can do full loads of either
steers or calves.
We have one customer who
only wants 700- to 900-pound
bulls and that is all he will take,
Smith said. It works for his pro-
gram and he prefers that I do not
send him steers.
Supply
Another reason that the south-
east is a popular source for stocker
cattle is availability. The availabil-
ity of cattle does not really change
throughout the year. Numbers at
the sale barns go down the first of
May to the first part of June when
hay season starts and when hunting
season starts in the fall. But cattle are
still available all through the year.
If something else is a priority
the cattle come in second, Smith
said.
The sale barns see a good run
of yearling cattle from October to
February. Smith said a majority of
these cattle will be light to medium
fleshed and wont have a lot of con-
dition on them as yearlings. These
yearlings have been run on grass
with a small amount of protein
supplement.
Typically, when producers in
the southeast have a few cows they
always have a few cows, but Smith
said they saw people sell off cattle
and leave the business when the
economy turned down in the last
few years. When the mortgage
bubble and the housing bubbles
hit the southeast, people sold their
cows to make up the difference.
You know you have a liquid
asset and it is an interesting way to
manage you money, Smith said.
They have value all the time.
Value is the key to this connec-
tion between High Plains buyers
and southeast sellers. As long as
there is value in these cattle for
both parties, cattle will continue
to make the long truck ride to sale
barns in the southeast to grass or
feedlots in the High Plains.
Doug Rich can be reached by
phone at 785-749-5304 or by email
at richhpj@aol.com.
Published weekly by:
High Plains Publishers, Inc.
P.O. Box 760
1500 Wyatt Earp Blvd.
Dodge City, KS 67801-0760
Telephone:
800-452-7171 or 620-227-7171
Fax: 620-227-7173
www.HPJ.com
www.EquipmentForTheFarm.com
www.JournalGetaways.com
Email: journal@hpj.com
Classified ads: 1-888-227-7171
Display ads: 1-800-452-7171
Subscriptions: 1-800-353-1841
Tom Taylor ...................Publisher
Holly Martin ...................... Editor
Jennifer Latzke........ Assoc. Editor
Kylene Scott............. Assoc. Editor
Larry Dreiling .........Sr. Field Editor
Northwest Field Office
785-628-1117
Doug Rich .............Sr. Field Editor
Northeast Field Office
785-749-5304
Jennifer Carrico ......... Field Editor
Midwest Field Office
515-833-2120
John Seatvet .................. Sales Mgr.
Tim Banta .......... Class. Adv. Mgr.
Pete Weil .....National Accts. Mgr.
Rod Swafford ....... Livestock Mgr.
Jeff Keeten .........Circulation Mgr.
Sarah Farlee .......... Marketing Dir.
Todd Fuller.......... Dir. of Consumer
Marketing
Terry Frisbie ...... Production Mgr.
Luke Waldron .................. Art Dir.
Periodicals postage paid at Dodge
City, Kansas 67801. High Plains
Journal (ISSN 0018-1471) is published
by High Plains Publishers, Inc. 1500
East Wyatt Earp Blvd., Dodge City,
Kansas 67801-0760.
Postmaster: Send address changes
to High Plains Journal, P.O. Box 760,
Dodge City, Kansas 67801-0760.
High Plains Journal, including
Midwest Ag Journal, an edition of
High Plains Journal, is an agricultural
publication published weekly, with
a special issue in December, in
five editions for Kansas, Missouri,
Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, South
Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Oklahoma,
Texas and New Mexico.
April 1, 2013
Volume 131 Number 13
Annual Subscription Rates
United States $64.00
High Plains Journal
and
Midwest Ag Journal
An edition of High Plains Journal
April 1, 2013 | All Editions | www.hpj.com | STOCKER CATTLE ISSUE 3A
Continued from 1A
Stocker
connection
The Red and White Dairy
Cattle Association is excited to
announce that their 2013 sum-
mer internship position was
awarded to Cassandra (Cassy)
Krull of Lake Mills, Wis. During
the course of the summer, Krulls
responsibilities will include
assisting with registrations and
transfers, publications and repre-
senting the RWDCA at various
events.
Krull is the 19-year-old
daughter of Cindy Krull and the
late Brian Krull. She was raised
on her parents 800-acre farm
where they are currently milking
40 head of registered Holsteins,
Jerseys and Red and Whites. Her
passion for the dairy industry
began at an early age by working
with her parents on the farm.
She received her first registered
animal when she was 2 years
old and has purchased several
deep pedigreed cattle during
her involvement in the industry.
Krull has been active in judg-
ing and showing since she was
2 years old and continues her
interest by attending county, dis-
trict, state and national shows
and sales and being a leader to
younger members in her county.
Krull is currently a sopho-
more at the University of Wis-
consin-Platteville majoring in
Agricultural Education and Ani-
mal Science with a dairy empha-
sis. Her career goal is to pro-
mote and educate others about
the dairy industry through either
teaching or going back into the
industry and farming herself.
She has been active on campus
by being involved in Dairy Club,
Dairy Judging and other activi-
ties. Krull has also been active in
her countys 4-H, FFA and Junior
Holstein Associations. We look
forward to Cassy joining our
team for the summer months.
For further details, please con-
tact the Red & White Dairy Cat-
tle Association at 608-676-4900
or 4909; rwdcastephanie@gmail.
com or rwdcareg@gmail.com; or
www.redandwhitecattle.com.
RWDCA announces its
new 2013 summer intern
Salers producers are aware of
the importance of performance
data and accurate reporting in
proper and complete contempo-
rary groups. The American Sal-
ers Association recognizes Salers
producers with the annual Perfor-
mance Breeder of the Year Award,
which were presented at the 38th
annual Salers Association Banquet
on Jan. 20. Points are awarded
for the performance trait areas
of calf birth weight, calf weaning
weight, and cow data points of
body condition score, hip height
and weight. These data points are
then awarded based on the num-
ber of active inventory numbers
per herd per year. Two categories
exist in the Salers breed: producers
with 10 to 50 active females in the
inventory, and producers having
greater than 50 females in their
inventory. The 2012 winners are
calculated for the 2012 calf crop.
Performance Breeder of the
Year 2012 (over 50 head)
1. Elm Creek Ranch, Hebron,
N.D.
2. Figure 4 Cattle Co., Eckert,
Colo.
3. Weyer Ranch Salers, Wibaux,
Mont.
4. Parke Ranch, Drummond,
Mont.
5. Diamond J Farms, Somerset,
Ky.
6. MJB Ranch, Lodge Grass,
Mont.
7. Skinner Ranches, Hall, Mont.
8. Z7 Bar Ranch LLC, Tulsa, Okla.
9. Panther Country Salers, Leigh,
Neb.
10 Jasperson Cattle Co., Goshen,
Utah
Performance Breeder of the
Year 2012 (10 to 50 head)
1. Williams Polled Salers, Gard-
ner, Kan.
2. Southern Eagle Ranch, Eving-
ton, Va.
3. Neben Ranch, Lexington, Neb.
4. Bruntz Salers, Bazine, Kan.
5. Rob Bodine, Voltaire, N.D.
The American Salers Associa-
tion, with headquarters in Parker,
Colo., is the Salers breeds lead-
ership voice that records, pro-
tects and promotes Salers cattle.
The ASA has represented Salers
breeders across the nation since
1974.
Margaret Ann Smith, Southlex Cattle Company, procures stocker cattle for
buyers in the High Plains on a weekly basis from sale barns in Virginia, West
Virginia, and North Carolina. Smith said the rolling, hilly land in the southeast
is best suited to livestock production and not grain production. Most of the
grain production in her area goes to export markets, not to feeding cattle.
(Photo courtesy of Virginia Farm Bureau.)
American Salers Association
recognizes Top Performance Breeders
Looking for a more
complete approach
to sunflowers?
Heres an idea.
From seeds to seedcare
to crop protection and
more, nobody has as
many ways to help you
grow sunflowers as
Syngenta. For ideas to
help your business grow,
call your Syngenta
retailer or dealer today.
Group Creative Director: Jeff Tresidder
Art Director: Donny Brunner
Copywriter: Vince Beggin
Photographer/Illustrator: Jim Gallop
Retoucher: Todd Carlson
Print Production Manager: Sandra Chute
Separator: GLS
Art Producer: Lisa Crawford
Account Manager: Leigh Thiel
Response Planner: Melissa Pryse
Project Manager: Nathan Waldvogel
Digital Production Artist: Lisa Mabley
Syngenta
Specialty Crops/Sunower
Looking for a more complete
approach to sunowers?
Mag., Pg. 4/C Non-Bld.
TR: 7" x 10"
Martin/Williams Job No:
18DC2006-NB2
18DC2006_Sunower_NB2_0224.indd
4A STOCKER CATTLE ISSUE | www.hpj.com | All Editions | April 1, 2013
A U.S. Department of Agriculture scientist is giv-
ing guidance to growers in Montana and the Dakotas
on how grazing sheep when fields are left fallow will
affect soil quality.
Grazing sheep and other livestock was once common
in the region before fertilizers were introduced in the
1950s. While fertilizers increased yields, they also have
increased nitrogen runoff and leaching, made soils more
acidic, and contributed to greenhouse gas emissions,
according to Upendra Sainju, a soil scientist with the
Agricultural Research Service in Sidney, Mont. ARS is
USDAs principal intramural scientific research agency.
Growers looking for alternatives have turned once
again to grazing sheep during seasons when fields are
left fallow. The trend in Montana and North Dakota
prompted Sainju and his ARS colleagues to study the
grazings effects on crop quality, soil chemistry, and
amounts of nutrients in the soil. Each can have long-
term effects on crop yields.
Sainju and his colleagues set up three cropping sys-
tems (continuous spring wheat, spring wheat-fallow, and
winter wheat-fallow) in southwestern Montana. They
compared soil qualities on a series of plots where, during
the fallow season, sheep were grazed, herbicides were
used, or the soil was tilled for weed control.
Over four years, sheep were grazed at rates of up
to 153 sheep per hectare (2.47 acres), glyphosate was
applied at standard rates, and soils were tilled to a stan-
dard depth of 15 centimeters (5.9 inches). Soil samples
from varying depths were analyzed for organic matter,
nutrients, pH and electrical conductivity, which affects
nutrient availability and plant growth.
The results showed that tillage did return more of the
beneficial wheat residue to the soil than either grazing
or the herbicide treatments, resulting in higher levels of
calcium, sulfur, and electrical conductivity in the soil.
But grazing generally had no negative effects on soil
organic matter and crop yields. The sheep returned to
the soil some of the phosphorus and potassium they
ate up in the wheat residue by way of their feces and
urine. Grazing also increased levels of magnesium and
sodium in the soil, possibly because the urine and feces
contained higher levels of them.
The results of this study were published in the Agrono-
my Journal and Soil Science Society of America Journal.
Read more about this research in the March 2013
issue of Agricultural Research magazine at http://www.
ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/mar13/soil0313.htm.
Understanding the impacts of grazing sheep
The Beef Checkoff Program, through a partner-
ship between the New York Beef Industry Council, the
Pennsylvania Beef Council, and the Northeast Beef
Promotion Initiative, will challenge consumers in 11
states in more than 800 retail stores to Reveal Their
Inner Chef by encouraging them to submit a veal
recipe at www.RevealYourInnerChefContest.com from
April 1 to April 30.
The Reveal Your Inner Chef promotion was also
funded by the NCBA Federation Initiative Fund, which
helps transfer state-controlled checkoff dollars from
states with high cattle numbers and low consumer
populations to states that have low cattle numbers and
high populations. This fosters promotions that reach
more consumers. The funds are awarded by the Federa-
tion Executive Committee.
Representatives from NYBIC, PBC and NEBPI
are partnering up and reaching out to consumers and
challenging them to create a veal recipe through the
contest, which consists of on-pack labeling, developed
by Streetmarc Advertising, Marketing and Promotions
of Westport, Conn., placed on veal packages by pack-
ers and retailers. The labels boast the winning recipe
Crispy Sesame Veal with Asian Butter Sauce by Jas-
min Baron, N.Y., from the 2010 veal recipe contest,
along with the rules and website information in which
to submit a recipe. Five finalist recipes will be chosen
and prepared at an independent kitchen where judges
will determine the winner.
The winning recipe will receive a $500 grocery
gift card to the participating retailer where they shop.
There will also be an online survey where consumers
are eligible to win a $100 gift card to William Sonoma.
In addition, the five final recipes have an opportunity
to be part of the next veal recipe brochure, traditionally
developed by the NYBIC.
The State Beef Councils and NEBPI are thrilled to
be part of this project, notes Bridget Bingham, execu-
tive director for the Pennsylvania Beef Council. We
hope our cooperative efforts will help promote veal
consumption and ignite a greater consumer interest in
cooking and preparing the protein.
States participating in the contest include: Con-
necticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hamp-
shire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode
Island, Vermont and Virginia. Retailers participating in
the contest include: Tops Markets, Redners Warehouse
Markets, Kings Food Markets, Weis Markets, Mars
Super Markets, Adams Hometown Market, King Kul-
len, Price Chopper, Fairway Markets, Great Valu/Fresh
Grocer and Hannaford.
For more information about your beef checkoff
investment, visit MyBeefCheckoff.com.
Beef checkoff
to hold ReVeal Your Inner
Chef recipe contest
ARS research has found that grazing sheep on fallow fields in Montana
and the Dakotas, a practice that has declined, generally has no negative
effects on the soil and subsequent yields. (Photo by Upendra Sainju.)
SOIL QUALITY | Grazing sheep is an alternative to using fertilizers during fallow seasons
PICK
YOUR
DEAL
DAYS!
www.foleyeq.com
YOU
CHOOSE
LOW
MONTHLY
PAYMENT!
CASH
DISCOUNTS!
LOW
INTEREST
RATE!
1
2
3
Foley makes it easy to get in
the seat of a new Cat Skid
Steer or Backhoe Loader.
Low Monthly Payment Low Interest Rate Cash Discounts
|ic| t|e Jeel t|et ts ]cu.
.cr t|ese acJels c| ct|e| Cet aec|ires.
PICK YOUR MACHINE! PICK YOUR DEAL!
Kansas City
(816) 753-5300
Sedalia
(660) 829-7400
St. Joseph
(816) 233-2516
Chanute
(620) 431-3600
Colby
(785) 462-3913
Concordia
(785) 243-1960
Dodge City
(620) 225-4121
Great Bend
(620) 792-5246
Liberal
(620) 626-6555
Manhattan
(785) 537-2101
Olathe
(913) 393-0303
Salina
(785) 825-4661
Topeka
(785) 266-5770
Wichita
(316) 943-4211
236B3 SKID STEER
$3,340
in
savings 2.54
%
for
60-months
*
$451
per
month
*
Reui|es 10 Jcwr ue]aert. Mcrt|l] ue]aert Jces rct ircluJe teres erJ Jcc| ees.
0e| .eliJ urtil /u|il 30, Z013 erJ cerrct |e cca|ireJ wit| er] ct|e| ce|s. VeliJ cr irstcc|
aec|ires crl]. |irerce ce|s su|ject tc c|eJit euu|c.el |] Cet |irerce. ||ctcs |eu|eserteti.e.
Includes 2-year, 2,000 hour power train and hydraulics
warranty plus a $750 maintenance credit!
1 2 3
1
Reui|es 10 Jcwr ue]aert. Mcrt|l] ue]aert Jces rct ircluJe teres erJ Jcc| ees.
0e| .eliJ urtil /u|il 30, Z013 erJ cerrct |e cca|ireJ wit| er] ct|e| ce|s. VeliJ cr irstcc|
aec|ires crl]. |irerce ce|s su|ject tc c|eJit euu|c.el |] Cet |irerce. ||ctcs |eu|eserteti.e.
420F BACKHOE LOADER
$1,362
per
month
*
3.24
%
for
60-months
*
$7,500
Includes 3-year, 3,000 hour power train and
hydraulics warranty plus a $1,500 maintenance credit!
2 3
KANSAS MISSOURI
Up to
Up to
Z013 Cete|uille| /ll |i|ts |ese|.eJ. C/T, C/TER|l||/R, t|ei| |esuecti.e lccs, "Cete|uille| Yellcw,' t|e "|cwe| EJe' t|eJe J|ess es well es cc|uc|ete erJ u|cJuct iJertit] useJ |e|eir, e|e t|eJeae||s c Cete|uille| erJ ae] rct |e useJ wit|cut
permission. www.cat.com www.caterpillar.com
in
savings
FoleyEq-226.indd 1 2/19/13 10:53 AM
8A STOCKER CATTLE ISSUE | www.hpj.com | KS-MO Editions | April 1, 2013
U.S. Department of Agriculture
and university scientists have found
that cattle temperament influences
how animals should be handled,
how they perform and how they
respond to disease.
The team of researchers looked
at stressful eventssuch as weaning,
transportation and vaccination
that beef cattle experience during
routine management practices. The
researchers examined interrelation-
ships of stress and cattle tempera-
ment with transportation, immune
challenges and production traits.
Studies were conducted by ani-
mal scientist and research leader Jeff
Carroll at the Agricultural Research
Service Livestock Issues Research
Unit in Lubbock, Texas; associate
research professor Rhonda Vann at
Mississippi State Universitys Brown
Loam Branch Experiment Station;
animal physiologist Ron Randel at
Texas AgriLife Research, The Texas
A&M University System, in Over-
ton; and endocrinologist Tom Welsh,
Texas A&M AgriLife Research and
TAMU Department of Animal Sci-
ence, in College Station.
Between 24 and 36 calves were
used for each study, depending on
the trial. An exit velocity system,
which measures the rate at which
an animal exits a squeeze chute and
crosses a certain distance, was used
to select for temperament. A pen
scoring system was used in conjunc-
tion with exit velocity to calculate an
overall temperament score for cattle
selected as the calmest, the most
temperamental or as intermediate.
When challenged with a bacte-
rial toxin, cattle showed dramatic
differences in sickness behavior,
depending on their temperament.
The more temperamental animals
failed to show behaviors that allow
detection of sick animals, whereas
calm animals immediately displayed
visual signs and became ill. Studies
also revealed that temperamental
cattle did not have the same vigor-
ous immunological response to a
vaccine as less temperamental cattle
in the same herd.
In related research, the team
found that the main cause of
stress for cattle was not transpor-
tation itself, but being handled
and loaded into a trailer.
However, transportation dura-
tion and conditions were found to
have negative effects on intramuscu-
lar fat or marbling, which is used for
fast sources of energy by cattle being
transported. Marbling determines
the quality grade of beef. Lower lev-
els of marbling reduce quality grade.
Temperamental cattle have less fat
stores, indicating that temperament
makes a difference in the final qual-
ity grade.
ARS is USDAs principal intra-
mural scientific research agency.
Read more about this research in
the February 2013 issue of Agricul-
tural Research magazine.
Temperament plays key role in cattle health
Leaving it to beaver is not
a good idea, despite what the
classic sitcom might lead you to
believe.
Oklahoma State University
Cooperative Extension special-
ists have several tips to help con-
trol a pesky beaver population.
The typical Oklahoma farm
pond dam was built with too
narrow of a top and is too steep
sided, said Marley Beem, OSU
Cooperative Extension aquacul-
ture specialist. Such ponds are
at high risk of failing when ani-
mals burrow into the dam.
Beaver can cause great
amounts of damage by excavat-
ing bank burrows, causing inter-
nal erosion and threatening the
structural integrity.
Pond owners need to keep
a watchful eye out for beaver
activity so they can catch any
damage early or prevent it, said
Dwayne Elmore, OSU Coopera-
tive Extension wildlife specialist.
Look for beaver lodges, slides
or the sound of tails slapping the
water at night.
After identifying, it is best
to control the beaver before fix-
ing any damage they may have
caused. There are a couple
options for controlling the ani-
mals.
First, I would recommend
calling USDA Wildlife Servic-
es (405-521-4039) to see if the
agency might be able to send out
a trapper, Elmore said. Beaver
are not too difficult to trap if you
have a little experience. But, if
you miss them in a trap, they are
very tough to get, so you need to
get them on the first try.
If Wildlife Services can-
not help, pond owners can take
matters into their own hands by
trapping or night shooting.
I advise shooting since the
only legal trap that a private land-
owner can use is a leg hold trap
in a drowning set, which is a little
tricky, he said. Night shooting
works well but you will need
to call the county Conservation
Officer and/or sheriff to let them
know what you are doing.
Using a shotgun is preferred
and much safer when shooting
at water. Once the pest has been
eradicated, repairs to the pond
dam can commence.
If the holes are in the dam,
the pond owner needs to be sure
that property and people are not
at risk from a dam failure, Beem
said. If those risks are present,
then the pond owner definitely
needs to get the expert advice of
the Natural Resources Conserva-
tion Service.
Smaller holes can be filled
with a 90 percent soil/10 per-
cent cement mix, while an expert
from NRCS should handle larger
holes.
Control beaver
damage to farm ponds
Even-tempered cattle can be more productive and respond better to vac-
cines, according to research by ARS animal scientist Jeff Carroll (left) and
animal physiologist Ron Randel from Texas AgriLife Research and Extension
Center. (Photo by Andy Lewis.)
*Based on 23 lbs gain and $1.75/lb sale price.
556 Morrls Avenue - Summlt, N1 0790l - merck-anlmal-health-usa.com - 800-52l-5767
Copyrlght 20l3 |ntervet |nc., d/b/a Merck Anlmal Health, a subsldlary of Merck & Co., |nc.
All rlghts reserved. l/l3 8v-PA-48505-4 PO| P
( z e r a n o l )
wlth beef prlces at an all-tlme hlgh, lmplantlng wlth Palgro

(zeranol) ls one of
the smartest buslness declslons a cow/calf producer can make. 8ecause each dollar
spent on Palgro ylelds a return of $40 at sale, lt helps ranchers meet world demand
sustalnably - and bulld a better bottom llne.
A wlthdrawal perlod has not been establlshed for Palgro ln pre-rumlnatlng calves.
Do not use ln calves to be processed for veal. Por complete lnformatlon, refer to
product labellng.
For every $1 you spend on Ralgro

, you get $40 back

*
ROI
*
4
,
%
(No, Really, Its True)
48505-4HPJ_JR_ROI_021813.indd 1 1/28/13 12:08 PM
12A STOCKER CATTLE ISSUE | www.hpj.com | All Editions | April 1, 2013
The first month of 2013 offered
a mix of good news and challenges
for exports of U.S. beef and pork
during January, according to statis-
tics released by the U.S. Department
of Agriculture and compiled by the
U.S. Meat Export Federation.
Beef exports continued the trend
shown in 2012 with higher export
values on lower volumes while pork
exports improved slightly from
Decembers levels but remained
behind year-ago totals.
Led by sharply higher exports
to Hong Kong, Canada and Tai-
wan, and solid growth to Japan,
beef exports for January rose 9.3
percent in value from year-ago lev-
els on slightly lower (-3.2 percent)
volumes.
Pork exports rebounded slightly
from December, but closed 7.6 per-
cent lower in value on 11.7 percent
smaller volumes compared to Janu-
ary 2012. The ASEAN region was
the bright spot with 17.1 percent
higher volumes and slightly higher
(2.7 percent) value.
The year ahead will offer no
shortage of challenges to red meat
exports, which will require our
industry to be creative and aggres-
sive, said Philip Seng, USMEF
president and CEO. On the beef
side, we are still dealing with mar-
ket access barriers in Saudi Arabia
and significant obstacles in Russia,
but there are signs for optimism in
the months ahead with expand-
ed beef access to Japan and Hong
Kong that will provide a boost.
Also in Asia, Seng noted that an
overabundance of domestic pork
in South Korea is driving down
demand for imports there while
Chinas aggressive efforts to build
its domestic pork industry appear
to be bearing fruit as its need for
imports declines.
Seng also indicated that the con-
tinued devaluation of the Japanese
yen, which has fallen 20 percent in
value versus the U.S. dollar since
last summer, will be a factor in pur-
chasing patterns by this key trading
partner for both beef and pork.
Beef export highlights
For the month of January, U.S.
beef exports totaled 86,608 metric
tons valued at $443.8 million. The
decline in volume versus January
2012 was more than accounted for
by a 91.5 percent drop in exports
to Russia, which has been delisting
U.S. beef plants for detection of
growth promotant residues.
Canada emerged as the top vol-
ume and value market for U.S. beef
exports in January, buying 16,586
metric tons (up 32 percent from
last year) valued at $102.9 million
(42 percent increase).
Hong Kong saw its U.S. beef
purchases rise 144 percent in vol-
ume and 115 percent in value to
7,004 metric tons valued at $37.1
millionpushing it to No. 6 on the
beef export list.
Taiwan continued its recovery
as an export market with its Janu-
ary purchases rising 14.5 percent
in volume and 39.7 percent in
value (3,167 metric tons valued at
$22.6 million).
The value of beef exports to
South Korea rose 12.2 percent to
$58.2 million on slightly lower vol-
umes (down 1 percent to 11,602
metric tons).
Anticipating the Feb. 1 expan-
sion of the market to beef from cat-
tle under 30 months of age, Japan
increased its U.S. beef purchases 5.5
percent in volume and 21.6 percent
in value to 10,217 metric tons val-
ued at $72.5 million.
Pork export highlights
For the month of January, pork
exports totaled 186,681 metric tons
valued at $523.7 milliondeclines
of 11.7 percent in volume and 7.6
percent in value from last January,
but up slightly from Decembers
totals of 186,135 metric tons valued
at $515.9 million.
Japan remains the value leader,
buying 37,745 metric tons of U.S.
pork (-9.5 percent) valued at $173.6
million (+1.7 percent).
Mexico remains the volume
leader, purchasing 55,103 metric
tons (-9 percent) valued at $102.7
million (-6.9 percent).
Russia posted the largest pork
export gains at 3,314 metric tons
(+8.2 percent) valued at $10.2 mil-
lion (+9.7 percent), although some
of that purchase may have been
made in anticipation of Russias
closing of its borders to U.S. pork
and beef in February.
The ASEAN region posted a
17.1 percent gain in pork volume
(to 4,921 metric tons) and a 2.7
percent bump in value to $10.8
million.
Looking ahead, USMEF is
focusing on building demand for
chilled and branded pork in both
Japan and Korea as well as over-
all consumer demand for pork in
Mexico, said Seng. We will see
benefits from these campaigns in
the year ahead.
Lamb export highlights
Exports of U.S. lamb also were
mixed, up 16.6 percent in value
over last Januarys totals on lower
volumesdown 28.2 percent.
Totals for the month were 984 met-
ric tons valued at $2.4 million.
Mexico remains the top export
destination, buying 851 metric tons
(86.5 percent of total exports) val-
ued at $1.6 million (64.3 percent
of total value). Sales to Mexico rose
37.2 percent in value on 16.7 per-
cent lower volume for the month.
Canada and the Caribbean are
the No. 2 and No. 3 regions for
U.S. lamb exports, and both posted
double-digit declines from year-ago
levels.
Complete export results for
pork, beef and lamb are available
online at http://www.usmef.org/
news-statistics/statistics.
Export statistics refer to both
muscle cuts and variety meat unless
otherwise noted (one metric ton =
2,204.622 pounds).
Challenges frame 2013s opening red meat export report
FOREIGN MARKETS | Producers observe retail promotion of U.S. beef and pork in Peru
Commodity presidents: Agriculture is relevant
Page 20B
Congress
passes budgets
Page 6B
Cattle on feed
numbers released
By Kylene Scott
Sustainability, relevance and telling the
agriculture story were all discussed by the
presidents of the major commodity organiza-
tions at the annual Commodity Classic held
in Orlando, Fla., during the events general
session March 1.
Leaders from the National Corn Growers
Association, American Soybean Association,
National Association of Wheat Growers and
the National Sorghum Producers each took a
turn sharing what affects their association.
Danny Murphy of the ASA led off the
discussion explaining protocols ASA has put
in place for sustainability. The group calls it
their Soybean Sustainability Protocol, and its
a joint effort between ASA, the United Soy-
bean Board and the United States Soybean
Export Council.
We really, due to requests from consumers
and our customers mainly from other parts
of the world, really have asked for sustainably
produced products, Murphy said. We know
that U.S. soybeans are the most sustainably
produced soybean in the world, so we wanted
to document that in a label. We benchmarked
it against other sustainability protocols from
other nations and we match very favorably.
Murphy thinks that the United States now
and moving forward, soybeans will remain on
top and will provide an opportunity for ASA
to share its message of improved sustainability.
As the most exported crop in the U.S., soybean
groups are starting to feel the pressure.
As we look at other nations, they are
making demands on our sustainabilitythat
our products are sustainably sourced, Mur-
phy said.
On a personal level, sustainability means
something more to Murphy, one that is gen-
erational.
Most farmers, probably 95 percent of all
U.S. farms, are family farms and most of them
have been multiple generations, Murphy said.
So its really, when we make decisions on what
we do on the farm, we want to make sure were
making a decision for today but were also
making it for the future too. We want our chil-
dren and grandchildren to inherit those farms
or one day join us on the farm.
Now farming with his brother on a farm his
grandfather started in 1944, Murphy is moving
to new technologies and hoping it will help the
farm remain productive.
To me thats really the definition of sus-
tainabilityis weve taken a piece of land that
was not productive 70 years ago and made it
more productive today and be ready to feed
those 9 billion people who were going to have
on earth in a few years, Murphy said.
Pam Johnson, president of the NCGA, said
for corn growers, sustainability means not only
having continuous improvements on farms
but also on the way corn is grown.
So that means producing more grain with
less inputs and it means that we have access to
the best seed genetics, technology, agronomic
practices so we can grow a corn plant that can
maximize water and nutrients and sunlight
and I think bottom line for usyou know we
talked about our grandchildren is sustainabil-
ity for us is leaving the land in a better shape
and a better place for the next generation,
Johnson said.
Even with sustainable production practices,
if the story of how corn is grown is not com-
municated and shared, it will be all for not.
We have a great story to tell and I think
that the sad part is that we dont have very
many farmersand especially Id like to call
to action everybody thats in the audience
todaywe dont have a lot of people that are
out there actually telling their story and its
hurting us, Johnson said. Its hurting us in
Washington, D.C., with our policy. Its hurting
us on all the issues with consumers because
they want to know who we are and what we do
and that their food is safe.
The commodity group presidents were
briefed by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom
Vilsack prior to speaking at Commodity Clas-
sic, and Johnson was sobered by his remarks.
She described it as looking dismal in Washing-
ton because of the sequesters going through.
She reminded the audience they need to be
active and called them to action.
We were frustrated last summer when
we didnt get the farm bill done, but the farm
bill is like the small flea on the back of an
elephant because I think everybody out there
that as an American and a farmer needs to
call their congressman and tell them, Were
mad as hell and were not going to take this
any more. Quit pointing fingers, quit having
blame and lets get something responsibly
done in Washington.
Johnsons comment received a round of
applause and she continued, stating hope only
can come from getting people in rural com-
munities engaged.
You know, we just came through one of
the worst droughts in history. A lot of us really
had a hard summer looking out the window
every day and seeing our equity start draining
away, Johnson said. What kind of story is that
to tell? And if you arent telling it, shame on
you, and they really do need to hear from you.
Johnson said legislators count phone calls,
and if voices arent heard, the blame can be
placed on those who dont speak up.
Theres some really serious things coming
down the pike and we want to make sure we
can position corn growers in the best place
because once we start production, get back
producing again, which hopefully is this year,
Johnson said. We want to be competitive in a
global market place where we are the produc-
ers in the world that can help feed and fuel a
population of nine billion by 2050.
The youngest leader on the panel, Erik
Younggren, president of the NAWG, said for
wheat, sustainability means telling the story.
When Younggrens dad farmed he had to
deal with water and other issues, but as time
has progressed public questions have raised
other issues.
As time has gone by the public has got-
ten involved and started asking questions as
to how our product is being grownwhere
their food comes from and how we do the
things that we do, Younggren said. So its
important to us to go out and say, this is what
we do, and this is how we do it and why we
do it. It all ends up being food on your gro-
cery store shelves.
Younggren said wheat producers need to be
telling their story.
Weve been doing this for hundreds of
years in some cases, and we are a sustainable
business, he said. We are producing more
and more with less and less all the time.
The moderator of the discussion ques-
tioned how wheat producers can communi-
cate to a younger generation and/or get others
interested. Younggren is interested because it
affects him and his community.
As soon as I got involved with this I started
hearing people who wanted to protect the farm
for their kids. I thought well, I dont have kids
and Im in the middle of my farming career, so
I want to be involved directly and the policies
and the things are going to shape the next 20
years of my farming career personally, Young-
gren said. When we talk to my classmates that
are no longer on the farm as we move another
generation away from the farm, we need to
See Commodity presidents, 2B
Leaders of the major commodity groups in attendance at the annual Commodity Classic event spoke during the general session March 1 in Orlando, Fla. From left moderator Mark Mayfield
questions Terry Swanson, chairman of the National Sorghum Producers from Walsh, Colo.; Danny Murphy, president American Soybean Association, from Canton, Miss.; Pam Johnson, president
of National Corn Growers Association from Floyd, Iowa; and Erik Younggren, president of the National Association of Wheat Growers from Hallock, Minn. (Journal photo by Jennifer M. Latzke.)
2B NEWS | www.hpj.com | HIGH PLAINS JOURNAL | Western Kansas Edition | April 1, 2013
With the NASCAR racing sea-
son well underway, Kansas corn
farmers are entering their third
year as a sponsor of the American
Ethanol partnership with NASCAR.
E15, a 15 percent ethanol fuel, has
been used in all NASCAR racing
vehicles since 2011. When NAS-
CAR switched to ethanol-infused
fuel for its race cars, it proved to be
an environmentally beneficial deci-
sion and also boosted performance
by lowering emissions and increas-
ing horsepower of race cars in all
three of the sports marquee series.
American Ethanol recently
announced its plans to enhance its
partnership with Richard Childress
Racing and driver Austin Dillon
for the 2013 NASCAR season. Dil-
lon will race the No. 33 American
Ethanol Chevrolet in the NASCAR
Sprint Cup Series at Michigan Inter-
national Speedway on June 16. He
will also drive a RCR-fielded entry
in the NASCAR Camping World
Truck Series at Eldora Speedway
on July 24 with an American Etha-
nol paint scheme. Dillon was NAS-
CARs 2012 Rookie of the Year.
It feels good to help spread
the news about American Etha-
nol and encourage every Ameri-
can to run the fuel of the future
in their personal vehicles, Dillon
said. If American Ethanol can
withstand the rigors of NASCAR,
it can withstand everyday driving.
Homegrown biofuels like American
Ethanol have stepped up to help our
nations economy and are proving to
be a better fuel.
Veteran fan favorite Kenny Wal-
lace is also returning as a spokes-
man for American Ethanol. This
season, Wallace is aiming for his
900th NASCAR start.
Survey results show that Ameri-
can Ethanol is making a positive
impression on racing fans. NAS-
CAR commissioned an online panel
of more than 2,000 adults to assess
the attitude of avid, casual and non-
fans related to the environment.
The survey showed that 78-percent
of avid fans support the American
Ethanol partnership and use ethanol
in their own cars. This number has
grown from the low 50-percentile
for the programs target audience
and is compared to todays numbers
of 40 percent for non-fans and 53
percent for casual fans.
When the program started in
late 2010 only 57 percent of the
avid NASCAR fans supported the
idea of using ethanol in NASCAR
races. After two years of exposure
and education that number is now
78 percent.
Since the beginning, the Kan-
sas Corn Commission has been a
strong supporter and partner in
American Ethanol, along with the
National Corn Growers Association
and several state corn associations.
In Kansas, ethanol is making a
big splash at the Kansas Speedway,
which will again host two NASCAR
weekends in April and October
this year. Last fall the Kansas Corn
Commission and Nebraska Corn
Board helped to sponsor the Ameri-
can Ethanol display, featuring an
Austin Dillon #3 American Ethanol
showcar, a New Holland combine
and an ethanol blender pump. The
effort reached thousands who came
to the midway area to see driver
appearances and get information
from the exhibitors.
We reached thousands of race
fans with a positive ethanol message
when we were operating the Ameri-
can Ethanol display at the Kan-
sas Speedway at the track last fall,
Kansas Corn Commission Com-
munications Director Sue Schulte
said. Then when you look at the
millions who watch NASCAR on
TV you realize how powerful the
American Ethanol effort is.
find out how we can contact those
people and go on their turf.
Younggren said social media
tools like Twitter, Facebook, You-
Tube or any number of the outlets
and tell the story.
We can show our story better
now than we ever could, Young-
gren said.
National Sorghum Producers
ChairmanTerry Swanson said hes
learned a lot from his familys his-
tory. His grandfather moved from
a wet area to right into the center
of the Dust Bowl, and in turn, he
believes they have become better
conservationists because of it.
Weve been in a survivabil-
ity mode for a long time, and so,
as these other folks have alluded
to, we have generations that are
going to succeed us and so we are
charged with moving from surviv-
ability to sustainability, Swanson
said.
Sorghum thrives under stress
and has a lot of advantages, he said.
One of the big things that sor-
ghum has going for it in our area
because we just dont have very
much water to start with and a
lot of where our crop is grown
with aquifers that are in depletion
mode or already depleted, Swan-
son said. A sorghum crop actually
saves water, and its probably well
adapted naturally to the heat stress
that weve all seen in the last year or
two years especially. It naturally is a
sustainable one.
When Swansons farm started
raising two crops in three years
in a crop rotation using no-till in
the 80s, they found a good fit with
sorghum.
In fact, we like that in the mix,
and the new thing thats came
about thats making us more sus-
tainable, Swanson said.
At the NSP booth prior to the
general session, Swanson said a
sustainability expert came by and
he questioned her about the defini-
tion of sustainability, and she said
it comes down to profit. And that
is pretty important in any farming
operation, he said.
Swanson lives in an area that
he describes as where they write
documentaries about us and you
can tell the soil type in the air, and
it makes conservation imperative.
He also believes farmers need to
work with regulatory agencies to
help encourage a transition to more
sustainable crops and methods to
grow those crops.
We can be proactive in that,
Swanson said. We can also make
our sustainable crops more prof-
itable, which makes our second
generation more profitable.
In the end, the panel-
ists wrapped up with their final
thoughts. Murphy stressed the rel-
evance of agriculture.
I think its a real challenge
for our organizations to really
talk aboutto tell our story to
make the consumer aware that
were relevant, Murphy said. To
remind Congress that were rel-
evant and how much we con-
tribute to this economy, and its
important that each of you out
there take that message home and
talk to your neighbors. Talk to
your local Lions Club or Rotary
Club. Call your congressman and
tell them how important that
agriculture is to the nation, to the
economy.
Kylene Scott can be reached by
phone at 620-227-1804 or by email
at kscott@hpj.com.
Continued from 1B
Commodity
presidents
Ethanol fuel has driven success on the NASCAR racetrack for 3 years
What is a fair cash cropland
lease rental rate? The rapid surge
in commodity prices during the
past few years has escalated land
values and cropland leasing rent-
al rates.
Historically, the Kansas Agri-
cultural Statistics Service has
been the key source for annual
rental rates change information.
However, government cutbacks,
discontinued the Kansas Ag.
Statistics annual mass survey in
2009. The U.S. Department of
Agriculture still publicizes an
annual Agriculture Land Val-
ues and Cash Rents at http://
www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_
State/Kansas/index.asp, but local
data is limited.
As a result, Kevin Dhuyvetter
and Mykel Taylor, K-State Exten-
sion economists, began publish-
ing an annual projected going
rates for farmland and rental
rates. The latest 2012 Kansas
County-Level Land Values and
Cash Rents for Non-Irrigated
Cropland and Pasture and the
K-State Farm Management pub-
lication, MF-1100 Kansas Land
Prices and Cash Rental Prices
are now available at www.agman-
ager.info.
In the fall of 2012, the K-State
Research and ExtensionRiver
Valley District conducted a leas-
ing survey with 166 random rural
River Valley residents. Then,
survey responses were compiled
from these local surveys with
a 37 percent response rate. A
potential limitation to these sur-
veys is that they do not reveal
the year in which a rental rate
being reported was negotiated.
Therefore, if a contract between a
landowner and tenant was nego-
tiated five years ago; the rate may
be low causing a wide range in
reported values. Also, the sur-
vey does not reveal the quality
of land, parcel size, land tech-
nology, productivity and other
demand factors.
Dryland rental rates response
(ranges and averages) were as
follows:
Clay County, $40 to $105, aver-
age of $72 per acre;
Cloud County, $50 to $100, aver-
age of $63 per acre;
Republic County, $45 to $95,
average of $76 per acre; and
Washington County, $40 to
$140, average of $78 per acre.
Irrigated rental rates response
(ranges and averages) were as
follows:
Clay County, $150 to $250, aver-
age $200 per acre;
Cloud County, $150 to $180,
average $165 per acre;
Republic County, $20 to $275,
average $233 per acre; and
Washington County, $60 to
$125, average $ 91 per acre.
Mykel Taylor, K-State Exten-
sion economist, says that his-
torical returns (rent to value per-
centages) have been 5 percent for
dryland and 7 percent for irrigat-
ed acres. The 2012 rent to value
increases were 3 percent for dry-
land and 4 percent for irrigated.
This correlates with a 14 percent
rental rate increase in 2011, and a
12 percent increase in rental rates
for 2010. Overall, rental rates
may still seem low compared to
current land values dramatically
increasing in the past four to five
years, but land sales have some-
times been limited.
More information and River
Valley leasing slides are avail-
able at www.rivervalley.ksu.edu
or through the K-State Research
and ExtensionRiver Valley
District offices in Belleville at
785-527-5084; Clay Center at
785-632-5335; Concordia at 785-
243-8185 or Washington at 785-
325-2121.
River Valley District shares
land lease survey results
Vermeer and the Vermeer logo are trademarks of Vermeer Manufacturing Company in the U.S. and/or other countries.
2013 Vermeer Corporation. All rights reserved.
Watch it work at vermeer.com.
Vermeer

Super M Series Balers.

Raise your expectations on the quality of the package,
the density of the bale, the ease of the operation and the smooth,
dependable bale wrapping process.
Vermeer R2800 TwinRakes.
Smooth, quiet, gentle handling. Up to 28' (8.53 m) raking widths;
2.5' (.76 m) - 7' (2.13 m) windrows. Hydraulically adjustable
windrow widths, basket lift/fold/unfold. Field to transport in minutes.
Now with optional Powered Splitter.
MORE HAY!
In a Day.
KANSAS
GARDEN CITY
Becker Alfalfa
620-276-6102
GLEN ELDER
Winkel Manufacturing
785-545-3606
GREAT BEND
Gottschalk Equipment
Sales
620-793-5120
HAYS
Gottschalk Equipment
Sales
785-625-8830
COLORADO
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS
Farror Repair &
Service, Inc.
970-879-0130
NEBRASKA
BENKELMAN
Bob & Dee Stamm
308-423-2892(Dee)
308-423-2441(Bob)
McCOOK
Cappel Sales, Inc.
308-345-5115
PIERCE
Polt Brothers
Equipment LLC
402-329-6051
WESTERN
Schwisow Hay
402-433-2136
WYOMING
DOUGLAS
C-Sales
307-358-3891
888-307-3891
HPJ6x6BwIncentiveWESTERN.indd 22 3/21/13 5:58 AM
April 1, 2013 | Western Kansas Edition | HIGH PLAINS JOURNAL | www.hpj.com | IN BRIEF 3B
This Week
Cattle on feed numbers released
The inventory for U.S. cattle and calves on feed was 7 percent below a
year ago, according to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service,
Agricultural Statistics Board.The Kansas inventory, also down 7 percent
from last year, is the lowest March 1 inventory since 1999. The South
Dakota inventory was down 12 percent from 2012, Nebraska was down 5
percent, Iowa was down 4 percent, Texas was down 10 percent, and Okla-
homa was down 10 percent.
From the Editor
See complete story 20B
TOP NEWS
COLUMNS
You may have noticed something different. And you would be right.
Its spring and spring means its time to freshen things up. To start
with a clean slate. To get ready for a new look.
And thats what weve done with your Journal. Its the same informa-
tionand a few extrasall wrapped up in an updated look.
Over a year ago, our design staff began researching new designs.
We began by taking a critical eye to the way our publication looked.
We didnt want to lose the feel of the Journal, but we knew things were
looking outdateda little like that orange shag carpet in the basement
hanging around from the 70s. Not quite that bad, but you get the idea.
Congress passes budgets, Obamas up next
By Larry Dreiling
The House voted 221 to 207
to pass its fiscal year 2014 bud-
get resolution, which provides a
spending blueprint for the next
10 years. The vote saw 10 Repub-
licans join all of the Democrats in
opposition.
The Senate, meanwhile,
has voted 50 to 49 to approve
a $3.7 trillion budget blueprint
that would raise taxes on cor-
porations and the wealthy, trim
spending, invest new revenue to
build infrastructure and tamp
down the federal deficit. The vote
saw four Democrats join all the
Republicans in opposition.
The House budget resolution
that passed cuts farm bill spend-
ing by $184 billion over 10 years.
Of this total, $135 billion would
come from the Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program,
$31 billion in cuts would be split
between commodity program
and crop insurance subsidies,
and roughly $18 billion would
come from cuts to farm bill con-
servation title spending, accord-
ing to the National Sustainable
Agriculture Coalition.
In contrast to the House budget
resolution, the Senate resolution
cuts farm bill spending by roughly
$23 billion, which would come
entirely from commodity and
crop insurance spending. Unlike
the Houses proposal, this proposal
does create a viable path for get-
ting a farm bill done this year
because the cuts are smaller and
more consistent with the cuts that
Senate and the House Agriculture
Committee accepted as part of the
last years farm bill debate.

WHEAT SOYBEANS CORN
s s s
SPECIAL FEATURE
MARKET TRENDS
See complete story 6B
See complete story 7B
Dodge City Markets on March 27, 12 p.m. See complete markets 5B
SORGHUM
7.65 7.19 13.98 7.10
s
Holly Martin
Editor
Out with the orange shag carpet
IN BRIEF
Ken Root Red capitalists 6B
Jennifer Latzke Wheres my party? 17B
Trent Loos Simple nutrition is the key 22B
SECTI ONS
New Products 13B
Weather 14B
Home & Family 15-16B
Stayin in the Loop 18B
Livestock 19B
Livestock Markets 23B
Livestock Buyers Guide 25-26B
Hay Markets 27B
Bucklin High students
travel to Topeka
On March 18, students from Bucklin High School traveled to Topeka
to meet with legislators to discuss the unique qualities of rural Kansas
schools and urged lawmakers to keep the challenges facing small, rural
schools in mind as they consider issues impacting K-12 education.
See complete story 11B
See complete story 4B
Great Bend Farm & Ranch Expo
set for April 10 to 12
The 2013 Great Bend Farm & Ranch Expo will be held April 10, 11
and 12, 2013 in Great Bend, Kan., at the Expo Complex west of town.
The show hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on April 10 and 11, and 9 a.m. to 4
p.m. on April 12.
There are more than 700 booths filled with exhibitors from 27 states,
Canada and Australia. The Great Bend Farm and Ranch Expo spans over 80
acres and is one of the largest farm shows in the region.
4B OPINION | www.hpj.com | HIGH PLAINS JOURNAL | All Editions | April 1, 2013
Dont look now, but the United
States Congress is somewhat func-
tioning. The president has signed
into law the latest continuing reso-
lution that keeps the federal gov-
ernment funded through the rest
of this fiscal year, ending Sept. 30.
While this is the basic responsi-
bility of elected officials in D.C.,
getting budgets passed, no matter
how long, is certainly tricky.
The continuing resolution,
known simply as the CR, did keep
the majority of budget cuts due to
sequestration. The main excep-
tion is that U.S. Department of
Agriculture was directed to move
some dollars around to continue
meat inspections without having
to furlough inspectors. Sequestra-
tion will still impact other areas of
the economy, including military,
defense, airport control towers,
and even White House tours.
Depending on your perspec-
tive there is additional good news.
According to the Congressional
Budget Office, base discretionary
spending has decreased from 6.4
percent of gross domestic prod-
uct in 2007, to only 6.2 percent
today. It is important to note that
the CBO does not reflect entitle-
ment spending, largely exempted
from sequestration and on an
upward trending path. Those
costs have not been curtailed and
are expected to continue to grow.
Besides passing a CR without
major threats of a government
shutdown for the first time in
nearly four years, both the House
of Representatives and the United
States Senate have passed bud-
get resolutions for the next fiscal
year. In a process referred to as
vote-a-rama senators were able
to offer and consider an unlimit-
ed number of amendments to the
budget resolution on the floor.
The amendments ranged from
the Keystone Pipeline, health-
care, all the way down to geneti-
cally engineered fish. In the end,
the resolution passed the Senate
by a 50-49 vote. The House of
Representatives also passed their
fiscal year 2014 budget resolution
narrowly by a vote of 221-207.
Reconciling the two budget
resolutions may be an impossible
task this year. With the Senate
controlled by Democrats and the
House by Republicans, the differ-
ences between the two propos-
als are vast. Just look towards
the agriculture budget where the
Senate has the goal of reducing
spending by $23 billion over ten
years. The House budget would
reduce USDA spending by $184
billion over ten years.
If implemented, the majority
of the House savings would come
from the Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program and other
nutrition programs. That piece
would equal around $135 billion
while another $30 billion would
be split between commodity pro-
grams and crop insurance, and
another $18 billion would have
to be found in savings under con-
servation programs.
In recent years, budget resolu-
tions or the lack of the legislation,
have become messaging pieces
with little intention of implemen-
tation. This year is different in
that both the House and Senate
have offered and passed the reso-
lutions, before the President even
offered his budget plans.
Even though the result may
not be a final budget all of D.C.
can agree upon, at least the Con-
gress is moving ahead in a regular
order. This breath of fresh air has
been sorely needed in the nations
Capital.
Editors note: Seymour Kli-
erly writes Washington Whispers
for the Journal from inside the
Beltway.
You may have noticed some-
thing different. And you would
be right.
Its spring and spring means its
time to freshen things up. To start
with a clean slate. To get ready for
a new look.
And thats what weve done
with your Journal. Its the same
informationand a few extras
all wrapped up in an updated look.
Over a year ago, our design staff
began researching new designs.
We began by taking a critical eye
to the way our publication looked.
We didnt want to lose the feel of
the Journal, but we knew things
were looking outdateda little
like that orange shag carpet in the
basement hanging around from
the 70s. Not quite that bad, but
you get the idea. We knew we
needed fonts that were easier to
read. We knew we wanted a clean
look. And we knew we needed
to capitalize on the photography
skills of our staff.
We spent the last several
months working and reworking
designs until we loved what we
saw. The design is cleaner and
utilizes more photographs. Weve
updated our fonts so they are larg-
er and easier on the eye.
There have been other changes
as well. Our page numbering sys-
tem has been changed. The A sec-
tion is our special full-color pages.
The B section is all of this weeks
news on newsprint and the C sec-
tion is our classifieds.
You will also notice that weve
moved some pages around. The
grain market page has changed
and moved to the crops section.
Weve added grain market prices
from all over our coverage area.
We hope to be improving this
page in the coming weeks, so stay
tuned for those changes. In addi-
tion weve moved our hay markets
to the back of the publication near
our livestock section. Weve also
begun alternating horticulture and
horse pages, called Stayin in the
Loop.
One of the most useful changes
is the page right before this one
on Page 3A, called This week in
brief. The idea of this page is not
only to serve as an easy-to-read
index, but to also give you a quick
glance at this weeks news. It gives
you grain market trends. You can
read some of the most important
news headlines and a brief sum-
mary. If you are absolutely so busy
that you cant read anything else
that week, read page 3A and youll
have a good idea of the weeks
news.
As with anything, it might take
a week or two to get used to the
changes, but in the end, we know
it will be a positive change. Just
as you continually try to improve
your farm or ranch, we too are
striving for the same success. We
will continue to tweak pages here
and there, but we hope that you
like our new look as much as we
do.
Holly Martin can be reached by
phone at 1-800-452-7171 ext. 1806,
or by email at hmartin@hpj.com.
From the
Editor
Holly Martin
Washington
Whispers
Seymour
Klierly
Some doors are open
OpinionEDITORIALS
Out with the orange shag carpet
Most common in rural areas,
bright orange Slow Moving Vehi-
cle triangles on tractors and other
farm equipment also are spotted
by motorists in suburban and
(sometimes) urban areas, espe-
cially as spring planting season
approaches. Farmers and ranchers
are encouraged to use SMV signs
and follow other farm and ranch
safety protocols through initia-
tives such as the Agricultural Safe-
ty Awareness Program, which is
spearheaded by the Farm Bureau
Safety and Health Network.
This year, the theme of the
program is Agricultural Safety:
Your Best Investment. Through
the program, farmers are urged
to take just a few minutes to think
about and implement safety pre-
cautions before heading out to
the field. This can save lives and
resources by preventing accidents,
injuries and lost time.
According to the latest fig-
ures from the Centers for Dis-
ease Control and Prevention, 243
agricultural workers suffer lost-
work-time injuries daily in the
U.S. Five percent of these injuries
result in permanent impairment.
That equates to 12 workers daily
who sustain injuries resulting in
permanent disabilities.
One bright spot is the sharp
decline in the total number of
youth injuries on farms and
ranches. Ag safety statistics com-
piled by the National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health
indicate that over the 11 years
from 1998 to 2009, the rate of
childhood agricultural injuries per
1,000 farms declined by 57 per-
cent. The rate of injuries per 1,000
household youth (those living on
farms) declined by 60 percent dur-
ing that same period.
These statistics emphasize why
state Farm Bureaus continue to
place a priority on making farms
and ranches safer for farmers, their
family members and employees.
Cyndie Sirekis, director of
news services, American Farm
Bureau Federation
Take time for agricultural safety awareness
By John Schlageck
Kansas Farm Bureau
For farm and ranch families
across Kansas, the corporate farm
bill being worked in the Statehouse
represents a unique opportunity
to access new markets, to diversify
operations and to attempt a new
strategy to invigorate rural com-
munities and offer young people a
rural alternative.
While no piece of legislation
is likely to address all of the issues
of outmigration or depopulation,
removing the real or perceived
hurdles to bringing a new busi-
ness venture online can encourage
growth in the industry and in turn
attract jobs and residents to rural
communities.
The new proposed corporate
law could provide diversification
to economies, better markets to
producers and a brighter future for
families who want to continue to
live and thrive in rural Kansas.
Kansas is now one of just nine
states in the country that prohibit
or restrict certain farms from doing
business in the state. Courts have
struck down the corporate farming
restrictions in three of those states.
The Sunflower State now lists
18 exemptions that allow corpo-
rations to engage in production
agriculture in Kansas. Even with
these exemptions, agribusiness,
hog, dairy and poultry producers
have approached Kansas about the
possibility of locating here, only to
learn that current corporate farm-
ing laws would hamper their ability
to operate efficiently, or at all. Many
of these economic opportunities
are modern, efficient, environmen-
tally sound corporate citizens.
A crucial part of this story
remains the privately held farms in
Kansas. When comparing land val-
ues from 15 states, both with and
without corporate farming restric-
tions, there was no correlation
between land values and restric-
tions on corporate farms.
Also, the size of farms in Kan-
sas was compared to eight states
without corporate farming restric-
tions. Kansas ranked second largest
average farm size at 702 acres. The
number of smallest farms among
these eight states grew 5.24 percent
compared to .35 in Kansas, and
the number of large farms grew 55
percent, compared to 110 percent
in Kansas.
Our current law has restricted
this states ability to attract and capi-
talize on the potential in Kansas,
and to capture the opportunity to
keep families on the farm and rural
communities alive and well. For
many years weve simply watched
as farm consolidation occurred
and rural communities ceased to
exist.
For farmers and ranchers of all
sizes, the proposed corporate farm
bill represents a unique opportu-
nity to access new markets, diver-
sify operations and attempt a new
strategy to invigorate rural com-
munities and offer young people a
rural alternative.
Farmers and ranchers look at
real numbers and real value, not
emotional, unsubstantiated argu-
ments. In todays global economy
Kansas will continue to struggle
if we as a state fail to embrace
concepts of free and open mar-
kets. This is a concept farmers and
ranchers have long supported.
A change in the law will open
our state to new development by
removing barriers for entering, or
in some cases remaining in busi-
ness in Kansas. It will allow multi
generational family operations to
continue to work in Kansas instead
of making future generations ineli-
gible to own or operate the farm
or ranch. Farmers and ranchers
want nothing more than to leave
a legacy for the next generation of
producers.
Law change provides rural opportunity