Land and Livestock Post

PRSRT STDUS POSTAGE

PAIDBRYAN, TX 77802PERMIT # 23

JAMES THOMPSONStraight from the horse's mouth.PAGE 3




March 2014— Issue 2

Managing Clostridialdiseases in your herds

Learn how to prevent, treat intestinal illnessesPAGE 16

PRSRT STDUS POSTAGE

PAIDBRYAN, TX 77802PERMIT # 23

GETTINGTECHNICALUsing high-tech tools to learn more about crops.PAGE 4

BEE GOODUSDA working to protect declining honeybees.PAGE 8

HEAD COUNTAg census shows increase in minority farmers.PAGE 12

HELPINGVETS, DISABLEDTexas AgrAbility reaches out to producers.PAGE 19

March 2014— Issue 2

March 2014— Issue 2 The Land & Livestock Post2

NewsFrom theGeneralManager

Mywife and I currently are househunting.With thenewadditiontoour family, things have gotten a

bit cramped.We found the perfect house,put inaoffer—whichwasaccepted—andthen started the wheels in motion to sellour current house.Thosewheels turn kind of slow, and by

the time we were ready to put it on themarket itwastheweekendbeforeThanks-giving. I’m not a real estate expert, buthere is some advice: Don’t put a house onthe market the weekend before Thanks-giving.Traditionally it is the perfect time of

yeartosell something.Consumerdemandis at an all-time high for most anything.Flat screen TV? Sure! Cell phones? Ab-solutely! Clothes, toys, automobiles? Youbetcha’!But houses? Not somuch.I can’tblamethepublic.Throwingmov-

ing onto the lengthy list of things-to-doduring the holiday season is somethingonly a crazy personwould do.

Lookingback, Iwouldconsidermyownmental stateat the time tobemostly sane.Ihadtheconsolationthatafterall thefran-tic cleaningandstaging, followedbymov-ing, we’d soon be in our new house.That didn’t happen.Our contingency pe-

riod expired in Januaryandsomeoneswoopedinand closed on the housewe wanted two weekslater.It’s now been four

months of keeping ahouse presentation-ready,withaninfantandatoddler thrownin themix, and I think I’m starting to loseit.But, we have an offer now, althoughwe

have not found a new house yet. Addinga ticking clock to the stress of finding ahouse does not help with the keeping-your-sanity thing.I’m sure it will all work out somehow,

but as I’mwriting, I’m in the interim and

it’s a stressful place to be.Iunderstand that the trialsand tribula-

tions of buying a bigger house are prettylow on the totem pole of hardships. I alsounderstand that it sounds like I’m whin-ing. Well, I am whining, but I’m not forc-ing you to read— just as I didn’t force thedozen or so peoplewho “aren’t interestedin a house with one bathroom” to comelook at my listing for a three-bedroom,1-bathroom house.OK, I’mdonenow, taking adeepbreath

and getting on to this issue.Whiningandcomplainingrarelydoany

good anyhow, and that is especially truewhen it comes to thehealthof yourcattle.In our cover story, we look at Clostridialdiseases and the risk factors involved.Wealso have news from the census about ag-riculture in the United States, as well asnews and information about upcomingprograms and events.There are also a lot of upcoming sales

that you’llwant to be sure youdon’tmiss,you can find information on them in the

ads throughout the issue.Don’t forget tosignupforoure-newslet-

ter so you can get your ag news e-mailedstraight to your inbox.The Land & Livestock Post also will

haveaboothat theTexas&SouthwesternCattle Raiser’s convention in April — sono matter what happens with my house,I know I’ll have a roof over my head fora few days during trade show hours. Ifyou’re heading to San Antonio for theconvention, come by our booth and say,“Howdy!” I’ll even give you a free paperif you do.’Til next time,

• For more information about content oradvertising, contact Jesse Wright at [email protected].

JESSE WRIGHT

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News

Researchersapplyinghigh-tech tostudycropsBy RoBeRt BuRns

Texas A&MAgriLife ExtensionService

Imagine, if you will, a tractorpulling a fertilizerwagon travel-ling at 8 mph to 9 mph along afield of thousands of sorghumtest plants.As the tractor moves through

the field plots, an onboard com-puter linkedtosensorsmeasureseverythingfromplantheightanddevelopment to nitrogen needs.While you’re at it, imagine the

tractor isdriverless; that itsoper-ationmaybemonitoredremotelyby a human, but the minute-to-minute, hour-to-hour decisionsare being made by computersoftware, said Alex Thomasson,Texas A&M AgriLife Researchagricultural engineer, CollegeStation.And though such a scenario

might sound like science fiction,the reality is not that far away,Thomasson said.Thomasson has been develop-

ing hardware and software forprecisionagricultureandremotesensing formuch of his career.To date, precision agriculture

has been largely about adjust-ing inputs to known variabilitywithin a field. For example, in-stead of applying fertilizer atthe same rate across a 160-acrecenter pivot circle, precision ag-riculture systems use data onsoil type and residual fertilizervariability to define differentmanagement zones within the160 acres. Fertilizer is then ap-plied to the management zonesat optimal rates controlled by aGPS/computer-equippedtractoror throughthe irrigationsystem.But Thomasson wants to take

precision agriculture to anotherlevel. He wants to develop sen-sor/computer hardware andsoftware that can determineindividual plant status in realtime,asthetractorautomaticallytransverses the field.Thomassoncurrently iswork-

ing on a system that will be ableto aid plant breeders in sortingthrough the thousands or even

tens of thousands of plants forthe development of new variet-ies.A team comprised of Thom-

asson; Bill Rooney, AgriLifeResearch plant breeder; andJohn Mullet, AgriLife Researchbiochemist, is designing such asystem for selecting energy sor-ghums — cultivars used to pro-duce bioenergy rather than foodstocks.“In general, energy crops are

likely to be produced with mini-mal inputs in termsof nutrients,water, etc.,” Thomasson said.“Therefore, developingcultivarsthat have high yield, droughttolerance and high nitrogen useefficiency is of vital importanceto a successful sorghum-basedenergy supply industry.”Rooney and other breeders

havebeenworkingonnewvariet-ies for years. Whether producedby conventional plant crossesor genetic manipulation, thefirst selections of any breedingprogram rely a great deal uponobservable characteristics of in-dividual plants — what’s called“phenotyping.”“A major limitation in the

genetic improvement of energycrops is the collection of large,good quality phenotypic data,”Thomasson said. “Traditionalplantphenotypicmeasurementsrelyonhumans,andareslow,ex-pensive and subjective.”The team’s goal is to develop a

phenotyping system for energysorghum with the emphasis onthree important traits: yield,drought tolerance and nitrogenuse efficiency.“It will enable the measure-

ment of plants along their fullgrowth cycle, allowing thetraits such as speed and form ofgrowth, flowering and final bio-mass yield/quality to be investi-gated,” he said.The team is currently consid-

eringdevelopmentandtestingoffive types of sensors:• Down-looking six-band,

multi-spectral camera.•Down-looking thermal imag-

ing camera.

• Light curtain.• Side-looking camera.• Ultrasonic sensor.The six-band, multi-spectral

camera can be used to assessnitrogen content, growth statusand plant size. The thermal im-agingcameracanmeasureplantcanopy temperature and watercontent. The light curtain canmeasure plant height, projectedplant profile and plant size. Theside-looking camera can give aplantprofileview.And theultra-sonicsensorcangiveyetanothermeasurement of plant height.“The redundancy is desirable

as some sensors perform betterin greenhouses, while othersare more suitable for field ap-plications,” Thomasson said.“Having a complementary set of

Texas A&MAgriLife Extension Service photo by Robert BurnsOne of the prototype sensors Alex Thomasson and colleagues are proposing to use fortaking measurements of energy sorghum variety trial plants. Such a system has thepotential to take automated measurements of thousands of plants individually, at amuch higher level of accuracy than humans and even work at night.See HIGH-TECH, Page 5


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devices and techniques for plantmeasurements will enable us tohave different systems suited tospecific environments.”

Other indicators of plant per-formance can be derived from acombination of measurementsfrom the group of sensors.

“For example, combining pro-jected leaf area with plant heightcan be a good indication of plantsize and thus the amount of bio-mass,” he said.

Another advantage of the au-tomated sensor approach is thatreadings on a very large numberof plantscouldbecollectedweek-ly or even daily at a high level ofaccuracy, a process that wouldnot ordinarily be economicallyfeasible using human workers,Thomasson said.

An equally challenging aspectof the project is software devel-opment. First there will need tobe a program running on a com-puter to control and coordinatethe sensors. Second, there will

need be “robust image-process-ing algorithms” able to distin-guish sorghum plants from thebackground. And finally, a spe-cialized program will need to bedeveloped to store sensor outputin a relational database.

Most of the sensors Thomas-son is proposing have been prov-en in one application or another,but not comprehensively forpurposesof selectionof breedinglines, and not on an autonomousplatform, he said.

“There has been some sensor-basedphenotypingresearchdonein the past on plants, but a turn-keysystemdoesn’texist,”hesaid.“Mygoal isalwaystotrytoget thetechnology to a commercializa-tion phase, and I think this haspotential.

“At this point, however, wewant to demonstrate that ourplatform can provide rapidand cost-effective ranking andscreening of hundreds of candi-date lines for the desired traits,and eventually lead to a more ef-ficient energy sorghum breedingprogram,” Thomasson said.

High-tech, from Page 4


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Possibilityofwar inUkrainepusheswheatmarketshigher

By Mike McGinnisAgriculture.com

DES MOINES, Iowa — Thepossibilities of a war in Ukrainehave the CME Group corn andwheat markets pushing higheron March 3.

At mid-session, the May cornfuturescontract is trading8centshigherat $4.71.TheMaysoybeanfutures contract is 2 cents lowerat $14.12. May wheat futures are37 cents higher at $6.39 per bush-el.TheMaysoymeal futurescon-tract is trading$5.30pershort tonlower at $452.40. The May soyoilfutures are trading $0.66 higherat $42.45.

In theoutsidemarkets, the ICEBrentcrudeoil is $2.01perbarrelhigher, the dollar is higher andtheDowJonesIndustrialsare202points lower.

Mike North, First Capital Ag

senior risk advisor, says hang onfor the grain market ride.

“There is a lot of uncertaintyswirlingaroundthemarket.Thisrally is about the Ukraine con-flict. Ultimately, no one knowswhat to expect next,” Northsays. “There is obvious concernabout export shipments out ofthe Black Sea region. But, alsoto consider is the fact that they(Ukraine) ispreparingfor itsownplanting season. Any disruptionin the planting or growing ofthe crop brings into play greaterstrength in wheat which earlieroffered support to both corn andsoybeans.”


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News

USDAspending$3million to feedhoneybees inMidwestBy M.L. JOHNSONAssociated PreSS

MILWAUKEE — The U.S.Department of Agriculture an-nounced it will spend millionsof dollars to help farmers andranchers improve pastures infiveMidwesternstates toprovidefood for the nation’s strugglinghoneybees.

Commercial honeybees pol-linate an estimated $15 billionworth of produce each year.Many beekeepers bring hives tothe Upper Midwest in the sum-mer forbees togathernectarandpollen for food, then truck themin the spring to California andother states to pollinate every-thing from almonds to apples toavocadoes.

But agricultural productionhas been threatened by a morethandecade-longdecline incom-mercialhoneybeesandtheirwildcousins due to habitat loss andpesticide use. Colony collapsedisorder, in which honeybeessuddenly disappear or die, hasmade the problem worse, boost-ing losses over the winter to asmuch as 30 percent per year.

TheUSDAhopes to stemthoselosses by providing more areasfor bees to build up food storesandstrength forwinter.Thenewprogram will be “a real shot inthearm”forimprovingbees’hab-

itat and food supply, said JasonWeller, chief of USDA’s NaturalResourcesConservationService.

Dairy farmersandranchers inMichigan,Minnesota,Wisconsinand the Dakotas can qualify forabout $3 million to reseed pas-tures with alfalfa, clover andother plants appealing to bothbees and livestock. Farmers alsocan get help building fences, in-stalling water tanks and makingother changes that better enablethemtomove theiranimals frompasture to pasture so the vegeta-tion doesn’t become worn down.The goal is to provide higherquality food for insects and ani-mals.

“It’s a win for the livestockguys, and it’s a win for the man-aged honeybee population,”Weller said. “And it’s a win thenfororchardistsandotherspecial-ty crop producers across the na-tionbecause thenyou’regoing tohaveahealthier,morerobustbeepopulationthat thengoesoutand

Keeping beesAP Photo/USDA, Lance Cheung

A queen Italian honeybee, the large beejust left of center, is surrounded on anapiary nest inWashington,D.C.The USDAhopes to help honeybees by providing $3million to farmers and ranchers in fivestates to improve their pastures.

See HONEYBEES, Page 9

March 2014 — Issue 2 The Land & Livestock Post8

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Newshelpspollinate importantcrops.”TheUSDA is focusing on those

five states because 65 percent ofthenation’sestimated30,000com-mercial beekeepers bring hivesthere for at least part of the year.With limited funds, Weller said,thegoal is toget thebiggestpayofffor the investment.Corn, soybean and other farm-

erscanqualify formoneytoplantcovercrops,which typicallygo inafter theregularharvestandhelpimprove soil health, or to growbee-friendlyforageinbordersandon the edges of fields.Theprogramis just the latest in

aseriesof USDAefforts toreducehoneybee deaths. The agencyhas partnered with universitiesto study bee diseases, nutritionand other factors threateningcolonies. Agriculture SecretaryTom Vilsack also recently cre-ated a working group on bees to

AP Photo/USDA, Lance CheungA honeybee is attracted to a flower near an apiary inWashington,D.C.The USDA hopesto help honeybees by providing $3 million to farmers and ranchers in five states to im-prove their pastures. It turns out that dairy cows and bees likemany of the sameplants.

AP Photo/USDA, Lance CheungHoneybeeswith“saddlebags”of pollen attached to their hind legs return to an apiary inWashington,D.C.The USDA hopes to help honeybees by providing $3million to farmersand ranchers in five states to improve their pastures.

Honeybees, from Page 8

See PASTURES, Page 13

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By Blair FanninTexas A&MAgriLife Extension

Service

WACO — Farmers heard thelatest in alternative cropping so-lutions at the recent BlacklandIncome Growth Conference inWaco.

Clark Neely is Texas A&MAgriLife Extension Servicestate small grains and oilseedspecialist in College Station. Heprovided an extensive overviewof several alternative crops thatcouldhelpdiversify aproducer’scrop portfolio.He said sunflowers is one crop

that could provide opportunityfor farmers, which is marketedboth for confectionary and theoilseed market. He said it’s verydrought and heat tolerant, butdoes use a lot of water.

Yields of 2,000 pounds to theacre are possiblewith 40 percentoil content.“For oilseed, you should plant

roughly 18,000 plants to the acre,while confectionary varietiesrequire a lower planting rate ofapproximately 15,000 plants,” hesaid.“Birddamagecanbeaprob-lem. There’s not a lot you can doabout that,butselectingvarietieswith drooping heads can help.”Meanwhile, sesame is another

crop that requires low inputs, hesaid.“It’sveryheat,droughtanddis-

ease resistant,” he said. “It has afairly short season, so there’s po-tential for double cropping withwheat. Yields are less than someof theothercrops,buthighvalue

and low input costs can make ita profitable crop. The biggestconcern with sesame is poorlydrained soils and weed control.Pre-emergent weed control iscritical.“Seed is very small and con-

tainsabout50percentoil, socom-bine settings are very importantto minimize harvest losses. Ifyou’veseensesameseedsonyourhamburger bun, you know howsmall they are. Sesame doesn’ttolerate soil that doesn’t drainwell, but planting onto bedsmaybeonewayaround that onheavyclay soils.”Another alternative crop is

barley. Neely said he’s takena personal interest in the cropsincehe’sfieldeda lotof callsandreceivedquestionsonthespecies.

“You treat it essentially likewheat — you can use barley forforage, grain or for malting —and it uses nitrogen and watermore efficiently than wheat,” hesaid. “In this regionof theBlack-lands, 70 bushels to the acre isa reasonable goal. The biggestconcern with barley are certaindiseases (i.e. barleyyellowdwarfvirus and fusarium head blight)and insects (aphids).”Looking at returns, Neely pro-

vided a table of prices per acre.The highest-valued crop in 2012

NewsAgriLifeexperts talkaboutprofitablealternativecrops

Texas A&MAgriLife Extension Service photoby Robert Burns

According to Clark Neely, sunflower isone crop that could provide opportunityfor farmers.

See CROPS, Page 11


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News

was sesame at $16 a bushel, fol-lowed by canola at $15 a bushel.Flax, sunflower (confectionary)and safflower were valued at $13,$10 and $10 a bushel, respectively.

“That’s just one part of theequation,” Neely said. “You haveto look at the inputs of the cropand yield potential.”

He said barley and sunflowercan yield close to 70 bushels to theacre — the highest yielding of thealternative crops.

“Confectionary sunflower havethe potential for the highest ex-pected returns at $392 per acre,whilebarley forgrainwouldbringonly $88 per acre,” he said.

Regarding direct costs, Neelysaid canola can be a high mainte-nance crop at $256 per acre, whilesesameat$159 isoneof the lowest.Even though it costs more to pro-duce, canola is favorable becauseit has an established market andprices are relatively stable com-pared to some of the other alter-nativecropsandisgenerallymoreprofitable than wheat.

“Expected returns on confec-tionary sunflower came out awinner at $392 per acre followedbymaltbarleyat $272anacrewith70 bushel yields,” he said. “It’sgreat if you can get a malt barleycontract, but specialty brews us-ing locallygrownTexasbarleyarein their infancy, so the market isvery small. Also, if the weatherdoesn’t cooperate and you don’tmeet strict standards, your cropis downgraded to feed grade andnetreturnsare lowerthanwheat.”

Moreinformationonalternativecrops isavailableatvarietytesting.tamu.edu and @TXSmallGrainson Twitter.

Crops, from Page 10

Texas A&MAgriLife Extension Service photo byBlair Fannin

Clark Neely,TexasA&MAgriLife ExtensionService state small grains andoilseed spe-cialist inCollegeStation,gives an overviewof alternative crops at the recent Black-land Income Growth Conference inWaco.


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Agcensus showsboominAmerican farmsalesBy MARY CLARE JALONICK

Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Americanagriculture has experienced aboom, with market values ofcrops, livestockandtotalagricul-tural products reaching recordhighs even as the amount of U.S.farmland declined, according toa new government survey.Continuing a long-term

trend, the number of U.S. farmsdropped to 2.1 million in 2012,about a 4 percent drop from fiveyears earlier.

But some of the bigger farmsgot bigger. The average farmgrew from 418 to 434 acres.The state with themost farms

was Texas, which saw the num-ber of farms increase slightlyduring thefive years. Still, it lostabout 200,000 farmland acresover the same period.The survey, taken every five

yearsandreleasedFeb.27, showssome growth in nontraditional

elements of agriculture. Whilethe industry is still overwhelm-inglywhite, there’sbeenarise inthenumberof minority-operatedfarms.Andtherearemore farmsinNewEnglandandmanystatesin theMountainWest,while thatnumber has declined in manystates in traditional farm coun-try.In Connecticut, for example,

the number of farms jumped by22 percent over the five years.All told,U.S. farms soldnearly

$395 billion in products in 2012, athirdmorethanfiveyearsearlier.That averaged to about $187,000per farm — or an increase of$52,000 over 2007 totals.In Montana, Department of

Agriculture Director Ron deYongsaid croppriceshave fallensince 2012. “It’s part of the cycle,and we should cycle back upagain,” he said.While most of farm country

is getting older — the averagefarmer is 58.3 years old —more

people under the age of 34 aretrying their hand at farming.Agriculture Secretary Tom

Vilsack said the small boost inthe number of younger farm-ers — around 2 percent — isdue partly to increased interestand government support for lo-cally grown foods and a thrivingexport market. Many youngerfarmers work at smaller op-erations, where the good farmeconomy and a rising consumerinterest in where food is grownhave helped.

Vilsack said he wants farmcountry to“beaggressive”aboutrecruitingandretainingyoungerpeople,asathirdof farmerswereolder than 65 in 2012.“Thereality is, over timethose

folks won’t be able to continuefarming, and the question for allof us is, if they don’t, who will?”Vilsack said after the reportwasreleased.Vilsack has made the revital-

ization of rural America a pri-

See FARMS, Page 14


3390Winbrook Dr.Memphis, TN 38116

News

coordinate efforts across the de-partment.

The work already is paying offwith changes to once-commonbeekeeping practices, such assupplementing bees’ diet withhigh-fructose corn syrup, saidDavidEpstein,aseniorentomolo-gistwiththeUSDA.Henotedthatthe quality of bees’ food is as im-portant as the quantity.

“You can think of it in termsof yourself,” Epstein said. “Ifyou are studying for exams incollege, and you’re not eatingproperly and you’re existing oncoffee, then you make yourselfmore susceptible to disease andyou get sick.”

Tim Tucker, who has between400 and 500 hives at sites in Kan-sas and Texas, said he may takesome of his bees to South Da-kota this year because the fieldsaround his farm near Niotaze,

Kan., no longer provide muchfood for them.

“Thereused tobea lotof smallfarms inourarea thathadcloverandavarietyof crops,whereas inthe last 20 years it’s really beencorn, soybean and cotton and alittle bit of canola,” Tucker said.“But those crops don’t provide alot of good nectar and pollen forbees.”

Tucker,who ispresidentof theAmerican Beekeeping Federa-tion, said the last “really good”yearhehadwas1999,whenhegotmore than 100 pounds of honeyper hive. Last year, he averagedabout 42 pounds per hive.

He hopes dairy farmers, beefcattle ranchers and others willsign up for the new USDA pro-gram by the March 21 deadline.

It’s not a “cure all,” Tuckersaid, but “anything we do to helpprovide habitat for honeybeesand for native bees and pollina-tors is a step.”

AP Photo/USDA, Lance CheungThree of the 80 beehives on Brookview Farm in Manakin-Sabot,Va.,are seen.The USDAis focusing efforts on protecting dwindling numbers of honeybees throughout the U.S.

Pastures, from Page 9


News

ority at USDA. As people havemoved to suburbsandcities,ma-nycommunitieshave increasingpoverty and fewer young peopleto take over family farms. Hehas also argued that the dwin-dling population has led to less

political clout — made evidentby a recent three-year congres-sional struggle to enact a newfarmbill. InFebruary,PresidentBarack Obama signed the bill,which provides farm subsidiesand food stamps.“Myquestion isnot justwho is

going to farm,butwho isgoing todefend them?” Vilsack said.Vilsack said he is most con-

cerned about the survival ofmiddle-sized farms, which de-clined in the past five years. Thenumber of larger and smallerfarmsmostly held steady.He said he believes that de-

cline partly came from a lapsein disaster assistance whileCongress haggled over the farmbill, drought in many states andrising feed costs.Ideally, he said, many of the

younger farmers who are work-ing on smaller farms eventuallywill expand their operations.Oneareaof growthforagricul-

ture is farms that are minority-operated. The number of farmsoperated by Hispanics, AfricanAmericans, Native AmericansandAsiansallgrewbetween2007and2012.Thenumberof Hispan-icswhowereprincipaloperatorsof farmsgrewby21percent.Still,

AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, FileThis Feb. 5 file photo shows Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack speaking in the WhiteHouse briefing room inWashington.The number of U.S. farms is declining even as thevalue of their crops and livestock has increased over the past five years, a new govern-ment census ofAmerica’s agriculture said.Also, farmers are getting older— the averageage is 58.3 years. But Vilsack points to a bright spot: a small rise in the number offarmers between 25 and 34 years old.

Farms, from Page 12

See GROWTH, Page 18


NewsFewerwomen farmers inU.S., butmore inTexas

By CORRIE MACLAGGANand NEENA SATIJAThe Texas Tribune

The number of women farm-ers in Texas is increasing, buck-ing thenational trend,accordingtopreliminarydata fromtheU.S.Census of Agriculture.

The number of women prin-cipal farm operators in Texasincreased 10 percent between2007 and 2012, while the numberof women principal operatorsacross the country declined, ac-cording to the data released re-cently.

About 38,500 farms in Texashad women principal operatorsin 2012, an increase from 35,000in 2007. Meanwhile, the numberof farmsinTexaswithmaleprin-cipal operators declined, as didthe overall number of farms inthe state.

Jason Johnson, associateprofessor at the Texas A&MAgriLife Extension Service inStephenville, said that the grow-ing number of women principalfarm operators in Texas isn’t

surprising because of increasedparticipation among women inagriculture and because morewomen are being left in chargeof farmsaftertheirhusbandsdie.

“Such a large percentage offarm women end up managingthe operation simply becausewomen live longer,” said John-son, the Texas coordinator forAnnie’sProject, a seriesof class-

es that teach women about farmmanagement. (The next seriesbegins in April in Georgetown.)

Across thecountryand inTex-as,women farmersareaminori-

ty.Fourteenpercentof U.S. farmsin 2012 had principal operatorswho were women, a percentagethat has not changed since 2007.Thepercentageof farmsinTexaswith female principal operatorsincreased from 14 percent to 15percentduring that sameperiod.

The data released so far alsoshows that in both Texas andthe nation, farmers in all demo-graphic groups saw a significantincrease in income, on average,despite record drought condi-tions inTexas.Themarketvalueof all crops sold inTexas jumpedfrom $21.1 billion in 2007 to $25billion in 2012. For livestock inparticular, the market value in-creased from $14.4 billion in 2007to$18billion in2012, eventhoughthe drought caused Texas to losesome15percentof its cattleherdbetween January 2011 and 2013.

CarmenFenton,spokeswoman

for the Texas and SouthwesternCattle Raisers Association, saidcattle prices rose in Texas be-cause many ranchers sold offlarge portions of their herd andsupply diminished. Many Texasfood businesses still are dealingwith record-high beef prices, al-though ranchers are beginningto build their herds again as thedrought’s impact has lessened.

Thepreliminaryreport includ-ed demographic information onprincipal farmoperators,butnotonother farmoperators.That in-formation will be included withthe release of the final report,which is expected in May. Dataalso will be released for eachindividual county in Texas andother states.

•Source: 2012 Census ofAgriculturePreliminary Report, issued February2014.

Photo by David BowserDeDe Cummins sits next to an irrigation well at her farm in the Texas Panhandle.


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Poor prognosisManagingClostridialdiseases incattle

By RoBeRt FeaRsSpecial to The Post

When Clostridial diseasesare mentioned, most ofus immediately think ofblackleg; but there aremany species and types

of bacteria in the Clostridium genus thatcause cattle diseases (chart below.

Clostridial diseases are noted forshowing little or no sign of illness untildeath occurs. Most beef cattle producersprotect their herds by vaccinating with7- or 8-way combinations of clostridialorganisms.

According to Dr. Sheila McGuirk ofthe University of Wisconsin, a singlevaccination with most Clostridial vac-cines does not provide adequate levels ofprotection and must be followed within aperiod of three to six weeks by a boosterdose. Young calf vaccination does notyield adequate protective immunity forat least one to two months. As a result,most vaccination programs target thepregnant cow so that maximum immu-

nity is imparted to the calf through thecolostrum.

The focus of this article is Clostridiumperfringens, one of the organisms thatcause enteric diseases. These diseasesare infections that develop in the in-testinal tract and are some of the mostimportant disease syndromes in cattle,affecting both calves and cows. They canbe caused by viruses and parasites aswell as bacteria.

Types and effects“Clostridium perfringens is a spore

forming, anaerobic bacteria widely dis-tributed in soil and the digestive tract ofmany domestic animals,” said Dr. Mi-chael Piontkowski with Colorado SerumCo. “Six Types (A, B, C, D, E and F) havebeen identified on the basis of the toxins

produced, with Types B,C and D beingthe most commonly associated with dis-ease in domestic animals.”

Type B is a highly fatal intoxication ofyoung lambs and is commonly referredto as lamb dysentery. It also has beenassociated with disease in young calves.Type C is associated with hemorrhagicenteritis (inflammation and bleeding inthe intestinal tract) and necrotic enteri-tis in cattle, sheep, goats and swine. TypeD is associated primarily with sheep,less frequently with cattle and goats, andcommonly is referred to as “pulpy kid-ney disease” or “overeating disease.”

“Clostridium perfringens normallyinhabits the digestive tract in smallnumbers without causing disease,”Piontkowski said. “If any toxin is pro-

duced, it is in small quantities and pass-es through the animal without causingproblems.

“When an animal is exposed to a sud-den increase in carbohydrates, such asa heavy feeding of milk, lush pasturesor supplementary concentrates, resi-dent bacteria may multiply rapidly andproduce large amounts of toxin. Thesetoxins may damage the intestines, fa-cilitating the absorption of toxins to thebloodstream.

“End result of this intoxication is usu-ally rapid death. The collective term forthis disease is enterotoxaemia,” Piont-kowski said.

Photo by Robert FearsClostridium perfringens Type D is associated primarily with sheep and less frequently with cattle and goats.

See CLOSTRIDIAL, Page 17

On the coverMost producers help protect their herds by vacci-nating with 7- or 8-way combinations of clostridialorganisms.

Photo by Robert Fears


News

Occurrence in adult cattle“Producers and their veterinarians

have recognized, with increasing fre-quency, a syndrome in adult cattle thatis referred to as Hemorrhagic Bowel,Bloody Gut or Jejunal Hemorrhage Syn-drome (JHS),” McGuirk said.

“While no specific cause has been elu-cidated, Clostridium perfringens type Ais believed to play some role in the syn-drome based on recovery of large num-bers of this organism from most, but notall, cases of JHS.

“The disease syndrome is character-ized by a sudden onset, a cow beingunexpectedly off-feed, little or no milkproduction, a painful or stretched abdo-men, hemorrhage in their intestine,very little manure production, and acutedeath despite medical and/or surgicalintervention.

“Luckily this disease is usually spo-radic and involves individual animals onindividual ranches, but multiple deathsin a short period of time have been com-

mon in some herds,” McGuirk said.McGuirk provided the following risk

factors that have been identified with Je-junal Hemorrhage Syndrome in cattle:• High production.• Less than 100 days lactation.• Second or greater lactation.• Recent feed change.• Feeding total mixed rations and

selection for smaller particles or de-creased long-stem fiber.

• Rumen acidosis• Excessive rumen fill with spillover

into the intestine of contents with highsoluble protein and carbohydrate levels.

• Feeding corn silage ensiled less thanone week.

• Decreased intestinal motility.

Occurrence in calves“In calves, a sudden onset of abdomi-

nal expansion with pain, depression,feed refusal and sudden death are asso-ciated with abomasal ulcers, inflamma-tion and gas in the wall of the stomach,” Photo by Robert Fears

When a animal is exposed to a sudden increase in carbohydrates,such as lush pastures, resident Clostridiumperfringens bacteria in the gut may multiply rapidly.

Clostridial, from Page 16

See DISEASE, Page 18

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McGuirk said. “While there canbemore than one cause for thissyndrome, researchers have iso-lated Clostridium perfringensType A from affected calvesand reproduced the disease byplacing the organism in the ru-men of susceptible calves. Postmortem examination shows in-flammation of the lining of therumen and abomasums, withulceration and hemorrhage.”Clostridium perfringens Type

C causes necrotic enteritis innewborn calves.Affected calvesmay die before they develop di-arrhea. Calves suddenly are de-pressed andweak andmay havean expanded abdomen or showabdominal pain. If diarrheadevelops, it may have blood andtissue streaks. Intensive carewith antitoxin, fluids, antibi-otics and anti-inflammatorydrugs is necessary but frequent-ly unsuccessful.These signs are not spe-

cific for Clostridium and othercauses such as salmonellosis,coccidiosis and unusual formsof E. coli should be considered.“The classic overeating dis-

ease is produced by Clostridiumperfringens Type D and is a syn-dromemore important in lambsthen in calves,”McGuirk said.“The disease is characterized bysudden death in thrifty, well-fedcalves. Other affected calves

may be neurologic, uncoordi-nated, trembling, recumbentwith head back or convulsing.Other diseases such as septice-mia, polioencephalomalacia,lasalocid (an ionophore) over-dose, salt poisoning and E. colican produce similar signs,”Mc-Guirk said.McGuirk relates the possible

risk factors for calves as:• Ingestion of C. perfringens

in the first few days of colos-trum feeding.• Ingestion of protein-rich di-

et in a protease-deficient intesti-nal tract allows rapid growth ofC. perfringens organisms.• Protein-richmilk replacers

and/or high grain consumptionmay be risk factors.• Inconsistent feeding practic-

es— feed changes, temperature,mixing, frequency, volume.

• Limited access to water afterfeed consumption.• Abnormal intestinal flora

from abundant oral medica-tions.• Stressful interventions that

result in erratic intakes.“Most of the difference in dis-

ease levels among herds is duenot tomicrobiological differ-ences, but rather to differencesin the host and environmentalfactors under the control ofmanagement,”McGuirk said.

Disease, from Page 17 Photo by Robert FearsClostridial diseasesaffect both calves andcows, as well as other animals.

farm country remains over-whelmingly white — 92 percentof farms are operated bywhites,while less than 64 percent of thegeneral population is white andtheminority population is grow-ing.Similarly, only 14 percent of

farms are operated by women,andmorethan90percentof thosewere smaller farms.The survey also found:• Most U.S. farms are small;

75 percent had sales of less than$50,000 in 2012.•NewEngland, Texas, Florida

and many states in the Moun-tain West saw increases in thenumber of farms and some sawan increase in farmland. ManyMidwestern, Southern and mid-Atlantic states saw decreases.Vilsack saidmuch of the growthin those states comes froman in-crease in specialty crops, mostlyfruits and vegetables, that in-creasingly are popularwith con-sumers.• The 10 states with the most

farmsareTexas,Missouri, Iowa,Oklahoma,California,Kentucky,Ohio, Illinois, Minnesota andWisconsin. Only Ohio is new tothe list since 2007.

Growth, from Page 14


News

Helpingveterans,producerswithdisabilitiesBy Paul SchattenBergTexas A&MAgriLife Extension

Service

COLLEGE STATION—TimSmith, who has a degenera-tive bone disease, is the ownerof S&L Farms in Anderson, a28-acre year-round organic ag-ricultural operation producinga variety of vegetables, as wellas laying hens and Thanksgiv-ing turkeys.

For years, Smith, now 54, hadto work his land with a 1948Ford tractor and rototiller orplowwith implements eitherbuilt for the antique tractor ordesigned to be pulled by a horse.But that was before he foundout about the Texas AgrAbil-ity Project administered by theTexas A&MAgriLife ExtensionService, part of the Texas A&MUniversity System.“We had to start in January

to get ready to plant inMarch,”he said. “It took twomonths todo field work that should onlytake four to five days.”

Along with having to useoutdated and uncomfortableequipment, Smith’s health hadbeen growing progressivelyworse, with a partly severed S1nerve thatmakes it increasinglydifficult to perform daily workactivities.

“I have limited to no feelinginmy feet and legs,” Smith said.“Wheremost people can feelwhere to put their feet, I have tolook down to see where I need toputmine.”While at their local trac-

tor supply company, Smith’swife Stacey learned aboutTexas AgrAbility while flippingthrough amagazine. She sug-gested Tim contact Texas AgrA-bility to see if it might havesome ideas on how tomakedaily tasks less difficult.“The Texas AgrAbility pro-

gram sent an occupationaltherapist and amechanical en-gineer fromTexas A&MUniver-sity to evaluate the operation,look at the equipment andmakerecommendations,” Smith said.After years of collaboration

with Texas AgrAbility andthrough funding provided bythe Texas Department of Assis-tive and Rehabilitative Services,Smith was able to obtain a newtractor and rototiller. The trac-

TexasAgrAbility reachesout toassist farmersandranchers remainontheir landTexas A&MAgriLife Extension Service photo

PrestonNorthrop ofBrenham,center,withmembers ofA&MConsolidated’s FFA pro-gram and Erin Pilosi of Texas AgrAbility,next to the tractor the students modifiedwith hand controls and other adaptivetechnology.

See AGRABILITY, Page 22


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NewsLIVESTOCK MARKET REPORT

BryanResults of the Brazos Valley Live-

stock Commission’s Feb. 25 sale:Head: 532Steers:200-300 lbs.,$225-$265;

300-400 lbs., $205-$260; 400-500lbs., $186-$237.50; 500-600 lbs.,$174-$210; 600-700 lbs., $162-$185; 700-800 lbs., $160-$169.Heifers:200-300 lbs.,$195-$225,

300-400 lbs., $185-$217; 400-500lbs., $174-$200; 500-600 lbs.,$160-$190; 600-700 lbs., $144-$171; 700-800 lbs., $140-$150.Slaughter bulls: $99-$119.50.Slaughter cows: $76-$108.Bred cows: $1,150-$1,475.Cow/calf pairs: $1,050-$1,500.

BuffaloResults of the Buffalo Livestock

Market’s Feb. 22 sale:Head: 741Steers:150-200 lbs.,$225-$290;

200-300 lbs., $220-$280; 300-400lbs., $200-$265; 400-500 lbs.,$185-$235; 500-600 lbs., $167-$215; 600-700 lbs., $160-$190;700-800 lbs., $155-$172.Heifers:150-200 lbs.,$200-$275;

200-300 lbs., $195-$270; 300-400lbs., $190-$265; 400-500 lbs.,$170-$225; 500-600 lbs., $155-$210; 600-700 lbs., $150-$176;700-800 lbs., $135-$155.Slaughter bulls: $82-$123.Slaughter cows: $65-$108.Bred cows: $975-$1,625.

Cow/calf pairs: $1,100-$2,300.

CaldwellResults of the Caldwell Livestock

Commission’s Feb. 19 sale:Steers:200-300 lbs.,$235-$280;

300-400 lbs., $220-$265; 400-500lbs., $200-$250; 500-600 lbs.,$180-$210; 600-700 lbs., $160-$195; 700-800 lbs., $140-$170.Heifers:200-300 lbs.,$200-$240;

300-400 lbs., $200-$250; 400-500lbs., $185-$240; 500-600 lbs.,$175-$200; 600-700., $150-$185.Slaughter bulls: $85-$123.Slaughter cows: $60-$115.Stocker Cows: $1,000-$1,400.Cow/calf pairs: $1,025-$2,000.

GroesbeckResults of the Groesbeck Auction

and Livestock Exchange’s Feb. 27sale:Head: 284Steers: 300-400 lbs., $220-

$285; 400-500 lbs., $190-$245;500-600 lbs.,$180-$220; 600-700lbs., $175-$195.Heifers: 300-400 lbs., $190-

$245; 400-500 lbs., $175-$220;500-600 lbs.,$170-$195; 600-700lbs., $170-$180.Slaughter bulls: $97-$124.Slaughter cows: $83-$108.Stocker cows: $1,100-$1,900.

Cow/calf pairs: $1,300-$2,250.

JordanResults of the Jordan Auction and

Livestock Exchange’s Feb. 27 sale:Head: 4,427Steers: $168-$270.Heifers: $160-$237.50.Slaughter bulls: $104.50-$124.Slaughter cows: $85-$140.Cow/calf pairs: $1,200-$1,925.

MilanoResults of the Milano Livestock

Exchange’s Feb. 25 sale:Head: 375Steers: 300-400 lbs., $132-

$251; 400-500 lbs., $120-$225;500-600 lbs.,$125-$199; 600-700lbs., $120-$187.Heifers: 300-400 lbs., $130-

$215; 400-500 lbs., $125-$201;500-600 lbs.,$117-$203; 600-700lbs., $111-$177.

Slaughter bulls: $91-$111.Slaughter cows: $67-$107.Stocker cows: $1,125-$1,675.

NavasotaResults of theNavasota Livestock

Auction Co.’s Feb. 15 sale:Head: 890Steers: 150-300 lbs., $150-

$280; 300-400 lbs., $150-$250;400-500 lbs., $125-$240; 500-600 lbs.,$120-$210; 600-700 lbs.,$115-$190.Heifers: 150-300 lbs., $135-

$250; 300-400 lbs., $130-$225;400-500 lbs., $120-$215; 500-600 lbs., $115-$250; 600-700lbs., $115-$165.Slaughter bulls: $75-$121.Slaughter cows: $65-$104.Stocker cows: $950-$1,625.Cow/calf pairs: $1,300-$1,675.

— Special to The Post


MarchMarch 15 - TheStockman’sKindBull&Female Sale. Leona, TX.(979) 255- 4357

March20 - JordanCattleAuctionSpecial Replacement FemaleSale. SanSaba, TX.

March22– 27thAnnualNational F-1 andBrahmanFemale Sale.Caldwell, TX. 979-450-8588

March26-29–BrazosCountyYouthLivestock Show.Bryan,TX.

March27 -JordanCattleAuctionSpecial BullOffering “FeaturingAngus of ClearCreek” SanSaba, TX.

March29– 44FarmsAbilene Sale, Abeline, TX. (254) 697-4401

March29– EquipmentAuction. Sealy, TX. 979-885-2400

AprilApril 4–7 -Texas&SouthwesternCattleRaiser’s AssociationAnnual Convention. SanAntonio, TX

April 5–Heart of Texas Special Replacement Female Sale.Groesbeck, TX. (903) 599-2403

April 5–CertifiedE6Replacement Female Sale. Columbus, TX210-648-5475

April 12–Collier FarmsAdvantageBeefmaster Sale.Giddings,TX. 210-648-5475

April 17 -JordanCattleAuctionSpecial BullOffering. SanSaba,TX.

April 26–Cattleman’s BrenhamLivestockAuctionSpring SpecialReplacement Female&Bull Sale. Brenham,TX.

April 26– IRBBAAnnualMeeting and “Divas inRed”Heifer Sale&Futurity. College Station, TX. www.redbrangus.org

April 26 - SpringReplacement Female&PremiumBull Sale.Caldwell, TX. 979-450-8588

Do you have a sale or eventyou’d like listed?

Call Jesse Wright at(979) 731-4721 or email

[email protected]

Events Calendarollow us

facebookon

facebook.com/texasllp

NewsTexasnowtrailsNebraska innumberof cattlebeing fattenedLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Ne-

braska has surpassed Texas inthe number of cattle in the statebeing fattened for slaughter, ac-cording to the latest federal sta-tistics.Drought-ravaged Texas lost

its figurative crown after its to-tal dropped 7 percent over thepast year, to 2.44 million head infeedlotswithacapacityof at least1,000animals.Thatcomparesun-favorablywithNebraska’s lossofless than a half a percent, to 2.46millionhead, theLincolnJournalStar said (bit.ly/Mr1f8e).The U.S. Department of Ag-

riculture said that, as of Feb. 1,there were 10.76 million head ofcattle being fattened for slaugh-ter nationally, compared with11.07 million a year ago.Nebraska remains far behind

Texas in the total number ofcattlewith6.5millionhead, com-pared with 10.9 million in Texas.

Kate Brooks, a professor oflivestockproductionandagricul-turalmarketingat theUniversityof Nebraska-Lincoln, saidrecordhigh cattle prices have helpedpush calves through themarket.

“A lot of that had to do withcalves coming off of wheat pas-turesearlyduetosomeof thedryconditions we’ve been seeing inthe Plains states,” Brooks said.Many Nebraska feedlots can

boast abundant supplies of cornand water, Brooks said, and thegrowth of ethanol in Nebraskahas created a supply of distillersgrain — a byproduct of the fer-mentation process.Greg Ibach, director of theNe-

braska Department of Agricul-ture, said the figures could fluc-tuate over the next year but thatthe number of feed cattle in Ne-braska generally has increasedover time. Ibach said the stateis a “natural fit” for feed cattlebecause it’s the nation’s second-largest ethanol producer, thethird-largest corn producer anditoffersnearly23millionacresofrange and pastureland.Texas lost 15 percent of its cat-

tle — or about 2 million animals— between January 2011 andJanuary 2013, as ranchers soldthem to out-of-state buyers orsent them to slaughter due to anunrelentingdrought.Atitsworst,88 percent of the statewas in themost severe stage of drought onthe U.S. DroughtMonitormap.Now, according to the U.S.

Drought Monitor, about 58 per-centof Texasremainsindrought.Far less land is in the worst dry-ness categories than in previousyears, while 18 percent of thestate is considered abnormallydry.Thereis littlesevereorworsedrought in East Texas and partsof Southeast Texas,wheremanyof thestate’s cattleareproduced.

Withbetterconditions,expertshave said, more and more Texasproducers are looking at han-dlingmore cattle.

Published by Bryan-College Station Communications, Inc.(979) 776-4444 or (800) 299-7355

President - Crystal Dupré ..................................................... Ext. 4613

Publisher and Editor- Kelly Brown ......................................... Ext. 4656

Advertising Director - Ron Prince ........................................ Ext. 4740

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Published by Bryan-College Station Communications, Inc.,P.O. Box 3000, Bryan, Texas 77805.E-mail: [email protected]

All offices are located at 1729 Briarcrest DriveBryan, Texas 77802.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes toThe Eagle, P.O. Box 3000,Bryan, Texas 77805-3000

The Post is printed in part on recycledpaper and is fully recyclable.

Freezing temps shouldn’t hurtpeach trees, other Texas fruits

By RoBeRt BuRnsTexas A&MAgriLife Extension

Service

The buds of many peach andother fruit trees were not openenough to be damaged by thelatest cold front that stormedthrough Texas, according to aTexas A&MAgriLife ExtensionService expert.Though he doesn’t expect

wholesale damage, it’s still tooearly after the last bout of freez-ing weather in earlyMarch tosay for certain what the damagewas, if any, said Larry Stein,AgriLife Extension horticultur-ist, Uvalde.“It got a lot colder thanmost

people thought it was going toget,” Stein said. “Unfortunately,we did have trees starting to

bloom.We had some peachesthat were bloomed out, but mostthings were just starting tobloom, so we’re optimistic thatwe had enough buds that weretight enough that they will stilldevelop and set a crop. Also, thebud set onmost trees was exces-sive due to the low or no cropthe year before, so some thin-ning was indeed needed.”The problem is not the cold

weather per se, but the warmperiods in between, he said. Ifthe weather stays cool, eventhough fruit trees such aspeaches, apricots, pears andplums have enough cold hoursto bloom, they won’t— un-less there are at least three tofive days of spring-like warm

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Servicephoto by Rick Auckerman

Panhandle temperatureswere in the60s one day and freezing the next,causing some damage to centerpivots.See FREEZE, Page 26


Questions AboutCattle Health?

Ask the Vet!

P.O. Box 3000 Bryan, TX 77805or [email protected]

Submit your questions to:

SteveWikse - Retired DVM Large Animal Clinical SciencesCollege of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University

WIKSE

Newstor thenwas adapted to his spe-cific needs by adding new handholds, a power inverter and aquick-release system for thenew implements.“This last year, we were able

to plant about 2,000 tomatoplants in twoweeks, wherebefore it would have taken usabout amonth to plant only100,” Smith said. “And recentlya financial advisory team fromTexas A&M came out and did aprojected financial analysis ofthe farm for the next 20 years,so I could use that as a basis toask for additional funding.”Agriculture is a high-risk

occupation, and farmers andranchers who are injured ordisabled often have a difficulttime remaining in productionagriculture, said Rick Peterson,Texas AgrAbility Program di-rector, College Station.

“Our goal is to assist, connectand empower producers, theirfamilymembers and employ-ees with disabilities or chronichealth conditions so they canremain in production agricul-ture,” Peterson said.Texas AgrAbility, which has

served thousands of farmersand ranchers throughout thestate through direct contact,education and referral, wascreated through the 1990 FarmBill. It is part of the NationalAgrAbility program of the U.S.Department of Agriculture.The Texas AgrAbility Project

was established in part by agrant from the U.S. Departmentof Agriculture’s National Insti-tute of Food and Agriculture.Additional support for servingits clients has been providedthrough the USDA’s RiskMan-agement Agency and the TexasDepartment of Assistive andRehabilitative Services.

“Our staffmembers haveexperience in production agri-culture, occupational therapyand agricultural engineering,”Peterson said. “Wemake sitevisits and provide recommen-dations for equipment adapta-tion, homemodifications or anyadditional adaptive equipmentthat may be needed for a farmor ranch operation.“We also connect farmers and

ranchers with service providerswho can assist them throughtraining and technical assis-tance, as well as informationand resources needed for theirspecific type of agriculturaloperation, such as assistivetechnology.”Peterson said some of the

assistive technology availableto farmers and ranchersmayinclude uniquely designed toolsand equipment, lifts for trucks

Texas A&MAgriLife Extension Service photoTheTexasAgrAbility Project,administered by theTexasA&MAgriLife Extension Service,works with agencies such as the Texas Department of Assistive and RehabilitativeServices to meet clients’ needs.

AgrAbility, from Page 19

See ASSIST, Page 23


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and tractors, modified all-terrain vehicles, special wheel-chairs with action tracks forrough terrain, motion-sensingsolar-powered gates, even modi-fied milking machines.

He said that from the TexasA&M University System alone,Texas AgrAbility draws exper-tise and skills from agriculturalengineers, economists and agri-business development profes-sionals, occupational therapists,program specialists and AgriL-ife Extension agents throughoutthe state.

“There are currently about50,000 people involved in pro-duction agriculture in Texaswho are affected by disabilitiesor chronic health issues,” Pe-terson said. “Ultimately, whatwe want to do is keep producersin the field and in the driver’sseat — both figuratively andsometimes literally — of theiragricultural operations.”

Another agricultural workerTexas AgrAbility is helpingkeep in the driver’s seat isPreston Northrop, 59, a hayfarmer in Brenham who, fouryears ago, sustained a spinalinjury that ultimately left himparalyzed from the knees down.Northrop has spoken at AgrA-bility workshops, sharing hisexperiences as a person witha disability who has remainedinvolved in production agricul-ture.

“AgrAbility brought a teamof people to assess my opera-tion and see my personal situa-tion and my difficulty in gettingon the tractor and out to thefields,” Northrop said. “Theyplanned out what they thoughtI would need and then whetherwe thought it would work.”

Student volunteers from theFFA chapter at A&M Consoli-dated High School in CollegeStation heard about the project

Assist, from Page 22

See VETERANS, Page 24


Newsand got involved as part of whatis now the project’s Leadershipwith Educational and AgrAbil-ity Programs, or LEAP — a mu-tually beneficial partnership be-tween Texas FFA chapters andTexas AgrAbility. The studentsmade needed modifications toNorthrup’s tractor, allowinghim to control it with only hisarms.

“The AgrAbilty folks gave mesome other helpful suggestions,like installing a solar-poweredself-opening gate, so I don’t haveto get off my tractor,” he said.“Everything the students andAgrAbility folks did helped medo more work and feel moresecure about operating all myequipment. They helped giveme back the freedom to dothings by myself.”

Cheryl Grenwelge, TexasAgrAbility project coordinatorbased in College Station, whosedoctorate is in educational psy-chology, provides day-to-daysupervision and implementa-tion of educational instructionand case management for TexasAgrAbility clients such asSmith and Northrup.

“I grew up on ranches in mul-tiple states, so have a personalbackground in production agri-culture and a professional back-ground in working with peoplewho have disabilities,” Gren-welge said. “This gives me aunique insight and understand-ing of what individuals who arein production agriculture andalso dealing with a disability

may require.”Grenwelge, who noted that

the average age of a farmer orrancher in the U.S. is currentlyabout 60 years old, said fewerand fewer people in productionagriculture are being relied up-on to provide the food, fiber andother agricultural commoditiesneeded.

“It is not only in our social in-terest, but also our economic in-terest to keep as many people aspossible involved in productionagriculture,” she said. “This in-cludes people with a conditionacquired through a catastrophicaccident or as a result of anongoing health situation, suchas arthritis, that limits employ-ment or the performance ofwork tasks.”

The Texas AgrAbility Pro-gram also has a special interestin addressing the possibilitiesfor ranching or farming by ac-tive duty and former membersof the military, Grenwelge said.

“Among all U.S. states, Texashas the second largest numberof military veterans,” she said.“About 45 percent of return-ing vets are from rural areas,and we want to enable them —whether or not they have a dis-ability — to return to the areaof production agriculture theychoose.”

It’s often difficult for militaryveterans to find gainful civilianemployment after their service,said Erin Pilosi, Texas AgrAbil-ity’s military workshop coordi-nator who presents programs

Veterans, from Page 23

See RURAL, Page 25


Newsthroughout the state.

“That becomes more difficultwhen you’re living in a ruralarea, and even more difficultwhen you are a person with adisability,” Pilosi said. “Howev-er, those who have served theircountry typically show the sortof independence, commitmentand work ethic needed to suc-ceed in an agriculture-basedbusiness.”

One of Texas AgrAbility’smost popular programs, “FromBattleground to BreakingGround: A TransformationalJourney,” was designed withinput from AgriLife Exten-sion, Texas AgrAbility, the U.S.Department of Agriculture’sNatural Resource ConservationService, the National FarmerVeteran Coalition, Farm Ser-vice Agency, Texas Departmentof Agriculture, nonprofit or-ganizations and others. Alongwith a presentation by a vet-eran currently involved inproduction agriculture andoverview of the Texas AgrAbil-ity program, the workshop pro-vides information on resourcesavailable for funding, businessplan development, resourcenetworking and more.

Audra Berry and her hus-band Sean, both former mili-tarypersonnel, have attendedthe Battleground to BreakingGround workshop. The couple,currently involved in two differ-ent agribusinesses — one a fam-ily hay-farming operation andthe other a pastured poultrybusiness between Richards andAnderson — is also investigat-ing the possibility of starting anorganic garden operation in thefuture.

“The workshop was veryhelpful in allowing us to net-work with others who arecurrent and former military in-volved in agribusiness,” AudraBerry said. “We were also ableto find out more about financ-ing, which we’re now in the pro-cess of requesting through the

Farm Service Agency.“And the business planning

information was helpful, as washearing from other veteranswho are now actively involvedin agribusiness. I think the net-working was the most impor-tant thing.”

AgrAbility’s Pilosi said TexasAgrAbility also provides infor-mation and support to militaryand non-military women in-volved in production agricul-ture through these workshops.

Another military veteranwho has benefitted from TexasAgrAbility is Doug Havemann,a former Army and ArmyNational Guard member whoserved in Desert Storm. Haver-mann and wife Melissa operateMesquite Field Farm, whichthey describe as “a small off-grid cottage farm located south-east of San Antonio.”

“We produce rotationallygrazed grass-fed beef on about20 acres in Nixon,” said Have-mann, who left the servicein 1998. “We don’t use anychemicals on our cattle, or thefarm for that matter, nor do wefeed them grain. Our cattle eatgrass. After ensuring we hadadequate grass for the cattle,we began operations in earnestin 2013.

“We made good decisions andlast year we were able to in-crease the number of livestockon the property. And 2014 looksto be a great year. In fact, we’vealready sold out of our grass-fed beef to date.”

Havemann said he learnedabout and attended the Battle-ground to Breaking Groundprogram while attending afarm and ranch show last yearon the San Antonio LivestockExposition grounds.

“At the program I got a lot ofgood information about busi-ness planning,” he said. “I onlyregret that I didn’t find outabout Texas AgrAbility sooner— and about possible fundingthrough the Young FarmersGrant. At 46, I’m just one yeartoo old for that. I guess the main

thing I took away from the pro-gram was that I was delightedthat people were finally talkingabout the ways current and for-mer military could get involvedin production agriculture.”

Pilosi also oversees the Lead-ership with Education andAgrAbility Programs effort,which is seeking to bring FFAand 4-H members into the fold.

“LEAP provides a mutuallybeneficial partnership betweenTexas FFA chapters and TexasAgrAbility,” Pilosi said. “Ben-efits include incorporatingstudents with disabilities intoagricultural science programs,service-learning projects thatprovide a meaningful way ofapplying leadership and educa-tional skills to address a com-munity issue, and project op-portunities to meet individualstudent interests.”

Texas AgrAbility is success-ful because of the interest and

involvement of many agenciesand organizations throughoutthe state, Peterson said.

“We realize that people with adisability are proud people, but

everyone needs help from timeto time,” Peterson said.

For more information, go totxagrability.tamu.edu or call979-845-3727.

Texas A&MAgriLife Extension Service photoA Battleground to Breaking Ground workshop for military veterans and active dutymilitary,with our without disabilities,was held recently in Edinburg.Similar workshopsare offered throughout the year in different parts of Texas.

Rural, from Page 24


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News

weather.What was interesting about

this cold spell was that itseemed to travel more easterlythrough Texas, sparing some ofthemore southern fruit-grow-ing areas such as the strawber-ries around Poteet, Stein said.“We kind of dodged the bullet

in that regards,” he said.Also, it’s good news that a lot

of fruit and nut crops still havetight buds, such as blackberries,pecans and apples, so they werenot likely to be damaged by thecold spell, Stein said.“If we get another one of

these in seven to 10 days, it’s notgoing to be good,” he said. “Butby the same token, if it stayscool from now to another freeze,then it’s going to slow downthe development of buds andshoots, lessening the chance ofdamage.”More information on the cur-

rent Texas drought andwild-

fire alerts can be found on theAgriLife Extension Agricultur-al Drought Task Force websiteat agrilife.tamu.edu/drought/.AgriLife Extension district

reporters compiled the follow-ing summaries:Central— The region received

a few scattered showers, but theywere not enough to relievemois-ture stress. Many fruit trees in theareawere budding out before thelast freeze andmay not producefruit this year. Our livestock arebeing supplementedwith cubesand hay. Warmdays and plenty ofsunlight last week really greenedupwheat andmade it grow. It wastime to plant corn and grain sor-ghum, but soils were very dry. Manyproducers planted anyway, hopingfor rain to bring crops up.Coastal Bend— Farmers were

planting corn and grain sorghumdespite highly variable tempera-tures. Temperatures fell about 30degrees in 15minutes when the

Freeze, from Page 21

See FRUIT, Page 31


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NewsSmartphoneapp for livestockproducersnowavailable

By Rod Santa anaTexas A&MAgriLife Extension Service

CORPUSCHRISTI—Livestockproducerspon-dering stocking rates now have an app to helpthem determine that ratio, according to experts.GrazingCalc isanewmobilesmartphoneappli-

cationdevelopedbypersonnelatTexasA&MUni-versity’sdepartmentof wildlifeandfisheries sci-ences, ecosystemscience andmanagementunitsof the Texas A&MAgriLife Extension Service.“One of the most common problems livestock

managersdealwith isdetermining thebestnum-berof livestocktohaveonthe landwithoutharm-ing their resources,” said Blake Alldredge, anAgriLife Extension associate in College Station.“That task has just become easier with the re-

lease of this new app.”

GrazingCalc is now available for iPhone andotherAppledevices at the iTunesStoreat itunes.apple.com/us/app/stocking-rate-calculator-for/id814140174?mt=8, Alldredge said.“Being overstocked beyond what the land can

handlemaylead toovergrazing,”hesaid, “result-

ing in issuessuchasdecreasedforageproduction,erosionproblemsanddegradedwildlifehabitat,”GrazingCalc is applicableanywherebecause it

isbasedonactual forageproductionasmeasuredby the rancher, saidMegan Clayton, anAgriLifeExtensionrangespecialist inCorpusChristiwho,withAlldredge, developed the content of theapp.“Ranchersmayneed todosomework toobtain

forage production on their property,” she said,“but it is easily done, and a video within the appdemonstrates how to obtain this forage produc-tion value from their land.”GrazingCalcallowsranchers tomanipulate the

numberof typesof animals, grazingmonthsandremaining available forage.Funding for the development of this app was

provided throughaRenewableResourcesExten-sion Act grant from the Texas A&M Institute ofRenewable Natural Resources.Formore information,emailClaytonatMegan.

[email protected] .

Photo courtesy of AgriLife ExtensionA smartphone app to help ranchers determine stocking ratesnow is available online.


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News

SouthTexas research is berry good forTexasBy Rod Santa ana

Texas A&MAgriLife ExtensionService

WESLACO — It’s not easyto find strawberries growingamong the lush, subtropicallandscapeof SouthTexas citrus,sugarcane and palm trees. Butthat could change, according toa Texas A&M AgriLife Exten-sion Service fruit and vegetablespecialist.For several months, Juan An-

ciso has been on a sharp learn-ing curve as he tries his handat growing strawberries a fewhundred yards from his officeat the Texas A&M AgriLife Re-search and Extension Center inWeslaco.His efforts are funded by a

one-yeargrant fromtheNationalStrawberry Sustainability Ini-tiative, funded by the WalmartFoundation and administeredby the University of ArkansasCenter for Agricultural and Ru-ral Sustainability.Anciso is part of the Texas

StrawberryProjectTeam,whosegoal is to make strawberries amainstream Texas-produceddelicacy.“Texas produces very few

strawberries compared to thestate’s tremendous market de-mands,” Anciso said. “The ideais to produce more strawberrieshere,rather thanimporting fromCalifornia orMexico. The resultcouldbeanalternativeprofitablecrop for Texas growers, whileconsumers enjoy a fresher, tast-ier product.”Anciso had planned to hold a

fieldday in lateJanuary to sharehis knowledge with interestedgrowers, but rodents and othervarmints crashed his party.“We planted transplants in

early November and startedproduction near Christmas,”he said. “My plan was to holda strawberry field day Jan. 20,but possums, raccoons and evenbirds demolished my crop, so itwillbesometimeinMarchbeforewe can invite the public.”Fencing off the strawberry

patch with chicken wire a cou-ple of feet tall, plus other con-trol methods, did the trick. ByValentine’s Day, production hadreturned, he said. Bright red,fragrant strawberries litter theground again.Similar strawberry demon-

strationplotshavebeen setupatvarious Texas A&M Universityfacilities throughout the state,including College Station, Lub-bock and Uvalde.Each plot is evaluating eight

strawberry varieties, grown onboth open ground and underwhat are called “high tunnels,”large plastic covered Quonsethut-style structures designedto offer protection from the en-vironment to the close-croppedplants, Anciso said.“The tunnels are 20 feet wide,

about 15 feet tall in the center,and covered with plastic thatcan be rolled up on the sides asneeded to retain or release solarheat,” he said. “They are open-

ended,whichallows farmequip-ment tomove throughthem,andthey lack any type of heat or hu-miditycontrols likeagreenhousewould have.“Here in South Texas they

might serve to fend off coldwinter temperatures, but we’vefound that the plants outside thetunnel are doing much betterthan those under the tunnel. Infact, we’ve had no production inthe plants under the tunnel sofar.”The strawberry transplants

wereplantedonthree80 foot longraisedbedscoveredinblackplas-ticandwateredusingdrip irriga-tion. The black plastic, he said,keeps the soil warm and helpscontrol weeds. The high tunnelscover less thanhalf the lengthofthe rows.Despiteamajorityof cooldays

this fall and winter, Anciso saidit became necessary once latelast year to roll up the sides ofthe high tunnel plastic because

warm daytime temperatureswere curling plant leaves.Anciso also is finding that not

allhis strawberriesareperfectlyshaped.“There are some deformities

amongthem,”hesaid.“We’renotsurewhy. It could be becauseweoverusedfertilizerandplanthor-mones. It’s just one of the manyaspects of growing the perfectstrawberries that we still haveto learn.”A plant fungus also was once

a problem.“We got powdery mildew,

which is usually hard to control.But three treatmentswith a fun-gicide ended that problem.”Anciso suspects that with

continued research, strawber-ries could be profitably grownin South Texas.

“We’ve still got a lot to learn,not only in how best to growstrawberries, but we need tostudy the economics of growinga profitable crop,” he said. “It’sa high-maintenance, expensivecrop to grow with lots of inputsandconstant, staggeredharvest-ing. But because strawberriescan withstand cold, I can seethem in the mix of cold weathervegetableswegrowdownhere inthe winter.”As strawberries continue to

grow,Ancisosaid importantdatawill continue to be compiled, in-cluding yield, quality and shelflife.“We’ll schedule a field day for

some time in mid-March whenwe should have lots of informa-tion to release and lots of juicystrawberries to taste.”

AgriLife Communications photo by Rod Santa AnaJuanAnciso,anAgriLife Extension fruit and vegetable specialist,examinesone of eight varieties of strawberries growing in a demonstration plot inWeslaco.


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NEWS YOUCAN USERIGHTIN YOURMAILBOX

NewsCombinegoodtasteandnutrition forabetterdiet

Special to The Post

If eating right is a challenge,it may be because you are tryingthings you simply don’t like. Thekey isfindingoptions that satisfyyour taste buds, experts say.

“Taste is a major influentialfactor driving what you eat andfeedyourfamily,so it’s importantto strikeabalancebetween foodsyou like and those that providethe nutrients you need,” saidGlennaMcCollum,registereddi-etitiannutritionistandpresidentof theAcademyof NutritionandDietetics.

“Taste and nutrition are notmutually exclusive.”

March is National NutritionMonth, an excellent annual re-minder to take the time to evalu-ate your diet and make positivechanges you can sustain long-term.

Aspartof the“Enjoy theTasteof Eating Right” theme, McClol-lumisencouragingAmericanstoreturn to the basics of healthfuleating by combining taste andnutrition to create meals thatfollow the recommendations ofthe “2010 Dietary Guidelines forAmericans.”

With that in mind, McClollumis providing some expert tips onhow to eat right and enjoy it:• Love sandwiches? — Swap

out white bread for whole grainto increase your fiber intake. In-steadof mayonnaise,useavocadoas a rich addition to your sand-wich.

It’smoreflavorful, and it’salsofull of fiber, potassium, vitaminC, vitamin B6, as well as othernutrients. To stay fuller longer,includefiber-richveggiessuchastomatoes and cucumbers.• Balance — While there’s

always room to indulge, be surethat the majority of your calo-riesaresourced fromvegetables,fruits, whole grains, lean meats,poultry,fish,eggs, fat-freeor low-fat dairy, beans, nuts and seeds.You’ll be filling up on all the nu-trients your body needs withoutall the extra calories. And don’t

forget to limit added sugars, saltand saturated fats.•Don’t skip dessert — Many

diet fads will encourage you toskip dessert, but doing so canseemlikeasacrifice,whichwon’tmake for a sustainable change.Instead, seek out treats that pro-vide nutritional benefits.

For example, mango blendedwith low-fat milk and a splash ofpineapple juice will satisfy yoursweet tooth, while giving you adose of calcium and vitamin C.• Spice it up — A great, low-

calorie way to add flavor and nu-trition to meals without the fat,sugar or salt, is by incorporat-ing beneficial herbs and spices,such as cardamom, turmeric,cinnamon cumin, thyme, basiland oregano.

Citrus juicesareanothergreataddition to recipes.• Ask for advice — Whether

you need to lose weight, want toreduce your risk for disease orjust want to improve your fam-ily’soverallhealth, considercon-sulting a registered dietitian nu-tritionist (RDN), who can trans-late the science of nutrition intopractical solutions for healthyliving. Your RDN can help youplan healthy, delicious meals.

For more tips on healthful,tasty eating and to find a RDN,visit www.EatRight.org/nnm.

This National NutritionMonth, don’t just eat for yourhealth, eat for your happiness.Take steps to find foods that arenot only nutritious, but tastegreat too.

March is National Nutrition Month


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NewsTexasA&MHorticultureClubplans 32nd annual plant sale

By Kathleen PhilliPsTexas A&MAgriLife Extension

Service

The Texas A&M UniversityHorticulture Clubwill hold its32nd annual Spring Plant Salefrom 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 29in College Station.

The sale will be on the lawnof theHorticulture/ForestSci-enceBuildingonTexasA&M’sWest Campus. Free parking isavailable.

The plant sale is the mainfundraiser, and proceeds areused to sponsor individualsandteamsatvariouscollegiatecompetitions and events andto support ongoing projects,according to Leo Lombardini,

associateprofessorof horticul-ture and faculty advisor.A variety of plants will beavailable, including tomatoes,peppers, assorted vegetablevarieties, house plants, annu-als and perennials as well as awideselectionof heirloomandhybrid roses.For more information, con-tactLombardiniat979-458-8079or via email at [email protected] or view the club’swebsite at tamuhorticulture-club.tamu.edu.

Texas A&MAgriLife Communications photo byKathleen Phillips

Student members of the Texas A&M Uni-versity Horticulture Club prepare for the32nd annual plant sale on campusMarch29.

latest winter storm pushed throughthe area. Highwinds accompanyingthe storm depleted topsoil moistureneeded for germination. Pastureswere greening up, but there was nosubstantial amount of forage avail-able. Livestock producers continuedto feed cattle heavily with hay andprotein supplements.East— Cold fronts continued to

push across the region. Countiesreported somewarm sunny daysfollowed by colder temperatures,accompanied by rain and snow.Thewarmer days helpedwinterpastures grow. Livestock producerswere still feeding hay and supple-ments, but hay supplies were be-coming low. Cattle were in fair togood condition. Area cattlemarketsremained active and favorable. Calv-ing continued.Farmers were preparing land for

corn planting and Bermuda grasssprigging. Fruit trees were beingpruned. Trinity County reportedthat with all themoisture receivedduring the past fewmonths, evena small rain caused problems driv-ing over pastures andmany countyroads. Feral hogswere active.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Larry SteinMost peach trees, such as this Red Baron variety, were not in fullbloom during the latest bout of freezing weather and so probably werenot damaged

Fruit, from Page 26


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