Land and Livestock Post

PRSRT STDUS POSTAGE

PAIDBRYAN, TX 77802PERMIT # 23

JAMES THOMPSONStraight from the horse's mouth.PAGE 3




February 2015— Issue

Ways to eliminate the invasive nuisancePAGE 10

Fire ants haven’t gone far

PRSRT STDUS POSTAGE

PAIDBRYAN, TX 77802PERMIT # 23

TIME IS SHORTFarm Bill program deadline nears.PAGE 3

TRAININGWELLSession set to keep well water safe for owners.PAGE 6

GOOD EATSCamp Brisket teaches better barbecue methods.PAGE 15

COOKING UPTHE FUTURERestaurant owners discuss beef prices.PAGE 16

February 2015— Issue 1

February 2015— Issue 1 The Land & Livestock Post2

NewsFrom the General Manager

Fire ants hold a special placein the hearts of many Tex-ans. There are very few

species that you can say, withoutblinking an eye: “Let’s kill everylast on of ’em!”

I learned abouttheir painfulsting at a youngage. As a kid, Igot into a pileof the thingsand got bittenso many times itlooked like I had chicken pox fromthe knees down. Since then I’vebeen wary of them, treating themwith a degree of fear and respectthat is deserved by such an aggres-sive pest. In fact, whenever I see ared ant pile, I can’t help but stickmy hand in it and marvel thattheir first instinct is not to attack.I didn’t say the fire ant bites made

me any smarter.In our cover story we take a

look at this nuisance and how fireants impact the land, wildlife andcattle. Of course we also will gointo ways to rid yourself of fireants — or at least make a dent intheir numbers.

We also have news about up-coming events and workshops aswell as updates throughout the agindustry.

Hope you enjoy it, and as al-ways, thanks for reading.

’Til next time,

• For more information about contentor advertising, contact Jesse Wright [email protected].

JESSE WRIGHT

FarmBilldeadlinesapproachBy Blair Fannin

Texas A&MAgriLife ExtensionService

Farmershaveseveral impor-tant decisions to make underthe 2014 farm bill, according toa Texas A&M AgriLife Exten-sion Service economist.

Producers have the the op-tion to chose between twosafetynetprograms:PriceLossCoverage and AgriculturalRisk Coverage, and the oppor-tunity to reallocate base acresand update payment yields.

“These are five-year deci-sions,” said Joe Outlaw, co-di-rector of the Agricultural andFood Policy Center at TexasA&M University and AgriLifeExtension economist. “Farm-ers have to decide what is bestfor their operation, knowingthat their choices will extend

through the life of the farmbill.”

Thedeadline forbasealloca-

tionandyieldupdate isFeb. 27.The 2014 farm bill Price Loss

Texas A&MAgriLife Extension Service photo by Blair FanninThe deadline for base allocation and yield update is Feb. 27. The 2014 farm billPrice Loss Coverage andAgricultural Risk Coverage election deadline isMarch 31.

See DEADLINES, Page 9

The Land & Livestock Post February 2015— Issue 1 3

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NewsBlacklandIncomeGrowthbeef sessionset forFeb.3

Special to The Post

WACO— The beef session of the 2015Blackland Income Growth ConferenceFeb. 3 will feature industry experts dis-cussingstrategies toassistbeef producersonhowtocapitalizeontoday’sstrongbeefmarket.Theannualconference, tobeheldat the

Extraco Events Center in Waco, is spon-sored by Texas A&MAgriLife ExtensionService and the Waco Chamber of Com-merce.Brian Uptmore of West Auction Com-

pany will discuss various marketingstrategies, cattle phenotypes and breeds,and management factors producers canincorporate to get the most return in to-day’s market. Steve Hammack, AgriLifeExtension beef cattle specialist emeritusinStephenville,will discuss sire selectionfactors to assist producers inmaximizingmarketpotentialwhenselectingpotentialherd sires.Withhighcalf pricescomehighreplace-

ment costs, and RonGill, AgriLife Exten-sion beef cattle specialist from CollegeStation, will discuss the female side ofthe beef equation.Producers attending also will receive

money-saving tips related to hay storageand feeding losses, aswell asanupdateoncurrent beef industry topics. Producerswhohave completed theBeef QualityAs-suranceProgramwill receive1.5 continu-ing education credits.Registration for the main Blackland

Income Growth Conference on Feb. 3 is$20 per person and includes lunch. Pro-ducers can go to stephenville.tamu.edu/blackland-income-growth/conference-information/ to see specific continuingeducationcredit allocations, sessionsandspeakers.Formore information, call 254-968-4144.

Texas A&MAgriLife Extension Service photo by Blair FanninBeef session attendees at the Blackland IncomeGrowth Conference Feb. 3 in Waco will hear abouttips on restocking or replacing older cows.


NewsEastTexasPastureManagementProgramsetFeb. 20

By RoBeRt BuRnsTexas A&MAgriLife Extension

Service

OVERTON — This year’s EastTexasPastureManagementPro-gram, set for Feb. 20 in Overton,will concentrate mainly on thefiner points of weed control,according to Vanessa Corriher-Olson, Texas A&M AgriLife Ex-tensionService foragespecialist.

“Weed control continues to bean important part of our overallforage management plan,” Cor-riher-Olson said. “This programwill provide critical informationto prepare you for the upcomingweed season.”

The 2015 program will be heldat the Texas A&M AgriLife Re-search and Extension Center inOverton.

As in previous years, thisyear’s program will offer thelatest in management strategiesand a newly updated herbicideprice-comparison CD, which isincluded with registration.

“Determining treatment costper acre is important when

evaluating herbicides and insec-ticides,”saidJasonBanta,AgriL-ife Extension beef cattle special-ist and a program presenter.

Advance registration by Feb.19 is $25; on-site registrationwillbe $35.

To register in advance, go toagriliferegister.tamu.edu or callTexas A&M AgriLife ExtensionConference Services at 979-845-2604. Check-in and registrationwill begin at 12:30 p.m., with theprogram adjourning at 6 p.m.

Attendees can earn five con-tinuing education units towardthe renewal of their Texas De-partment of Agriculture privateapplicator’s licenses:onehour inlaws and regulations, one in in-tegrated pest management andthree in the general category.

Program topics and speakersinclude:• “Does storage of pesticides

impact efficacy?” by Mark Mato-cha,AgriLifeExtensionweedsci-encespecialist inCollegeStation.• “How to Properly Dispose of

Empty Containers and Old Pes-

ticides,” Matocha.• “Using Herbicides Under

Trees: Is it Possible?” by PaulBaumann, AgriLife Extensionweed specialist in College Sta-tion.• “Spray Tip Selection and

Equipment Calibration,” Bau-mann• “EffectiveWeedControlwith

WeedIdentification,ProperTim-ing and Herbicide Selection,”Corriher-Olson.• “How to Use the Herbicide

Cost Comparison CD,” Banta.The Overton center is about

two miles north of Overton at1710 F.M. 3053.

For maps and detailed drivingdirections, go to overton.tamu.edu and click on “Info, Mapsand History,” or call MichelleSensing at 903-834-6191 for moreinformation.

Texas A&MAgriLife Extension Service photo by Vanessa Corriher-OlsonA single thistle plant can produce at least 4,000 seeds, which increases the chancefor higher thistle populations in the pasture the following year, according to VanessaCorriher-Olson, Texas A&MAgriLife Extension Service forage specialist in Overton.


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NewsTexaswell-owner trainingset forFeb.5 inNavasota

By Paul SchattenBergTexas A&MAgriLife Extension

Service

NAVASOTA — Anyone inter-ested in private water well man-agement in the Navasota Riverwatershed is invited to a TexasWell Owner Network trainingFeb. 5 in Navasota.Theworkshop is being offered

through collaboration with theTexasSmallFarmersandRanch-ersCommunityBasedOrganiza-tion.The training, which is free

and open to the public, is from8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the TexasSmall Farmers and RanchersTechnologyCenter,CarverCom-munity Center Campus, 1602 S.La Salle St., said Drew Gholson,Texas A&M AgriLife ExtensionService program specialist andnetwork coordinator in CollegeStation.“The [Texas Well Owner Net-

work] program is for Texas resi-dents who depend on householdwells for their water needs, sothey can learn about improvingand protecting their communitywater resources,” Gholson said.“The program was establishedto help well owners become fa-miliar with Texas groundwaterresources, septic system main-tenance, well maintenance andconstruction, and water qualityand treatment.”Hesaidparticipantsmaybring

well water samples to the train-ing for screening at a cost of $10per sample, which is due when

samples are turned in.“Water samples will be

screened for nitrates, total dis-solvedsolidsandbacteria,”Ghol-son said.Well owners who would like

to have theirwellwater sampledcan pick up two sample contain-ers from the AgriLife Extensionoffice, 203 Veteran’s MemorialDrive in Navasota.Bringingwater samples to the

training isnotrequired,Gholsonsaid, but those wanting to havewater samples analyzed mustattend.He said space is limited, so at-

tendeesarerequested toregisterat twon.tamu.edu/trainingorbycalling 979-845-1461 as soon aspossible.The training is one of 30 being

conductedstatewide throughthePreventing Water Quality Con-tamination through the TexasWell Owner Network project.Other scheduled trainings in-clude Seguin, Round Rock andSanAntonio.“The core content of this pro-

gram is the same as other train-ings, but the information is tai-loredto localwaterquality issuesand aquifers,” he said.Gholson saidmore than 1mil-

lion privatewaterwells in Texasprovide water to residents inrural areas and increasingly tothose living on small acreagesat the growing rural-urban in-terface.“Privatewell owners are inde-

pendently responsible for moni-toring thequalityof theirwells,”

he said.“They are responsible for en-

suring their drinking water issafe.Thismeanstheyarerespon-sible for all aspects of the watersystem — testing, inspecting,maintaining—and this trainingwill help private well owners tounderstand and care for theirwells.”Funding for the Texas Well

Owner Network is through aCleanWaterActnonpointsourcegrantprovidedbytheTexasStateSoil and Water ConservationBoard and theU.S. Environmen-tal Protection Agency.The project ismanaged by the

TexasWaterResources Institute,part of Texas A&MAgriLife Re-search, AgriLife Extension andthe College of Agriculture andLifeSciences atTexasA&MUni-versity.

TexasWell Owner Network photoA Texas Well Owner Network training will be held Feb. 5 in Navasota. Attendees arewelcome to bring well-water samples for testing.


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News

USDAto fundconservationpartnershipprojectsSpecial to The Post

Two water quality and quan-tity announced recently will fo-cusontherestoration,protectionand improvement of water andwetland systems on agriculturelands in 57 counties contiguousto the Gulf of Mexico.The programs will emphasize

conservation practices.Texas State Conservationist

Salvador Salinas announced onJan.14thatmorethan$10millionin funding for the projects willcome through USDA-NaturalResourcesConservationServiceRegional Conservation Partner-shipProgram.Theprojectsbringtogetherpartners to theservice’sconservationmissioninaneffortto harness innovation and ideas,whiledemonstratingthevalueofvoluntary, private lands conser-vation.“[The Regional Conservation

Partnership Program] is a dif-ferent approach to investing innatural resource conservationthat empowers local communi-ties and demonstrates the im-portanceof strongpublic-privatepartnerships in delivering localsolutions to tough natural re-sourcechallenges,”Salinassaid.This year’s projects in Texas

will accomplish awide diversityof agricultural and natural re-sourcegoals fromhelping topro-tect important drinking watersupplies and providing essentialhabitat formany at-risk species,to making farms and ranchesmore sustainable and address-

ing important waterways liketheGulf of Mexico, Salinas said.The Regional Conservation

Partnership Program competi-tively awards funds to conserva-tion projects designed by localpartners specifically for theirregion.Eligiblepartners includeprivate companies, universities,non-profit organizations, localand tribal governments and oth-ers joiningwithagriculturalandconservation organizations andproducers to investmoney,man-powerandmaterials to theirpro-posedinitiatives.Withparticipat-ingpartners investingalongwiththeAgricultureDepartment,US-DA’s $1.2 billion in funding overthe life of the five-year programcan leverage an additional $1.2billion from partners for a totalof $2.4 billion for conservation.“[The Regional Conservation

Partnership Program] puts ourpartners in the driver’s seat,”Salinas said. “Projects are ledlocally, and demonstrate thevalue of strong public-privatepartnerships that deliver solu-tions to tough natural resourcechallenges.”Oneof theTexasconservation

program projects is the LowerRio Grande Valley Water Im-provement Initiative, with Tex-as Water Resources Institute asthe lead partner. The Lower RioGrande Valley is experiencingsignificant population growthwhichhascontributedtodegrad-edwater quality and limitedwa-ter supplies. This has increased

the need for improved irrigationefficiency. Partners, funds andeducational efforts will be lever-aged to work with landownersto reduce nutrient and sedimentloading in local water bodies,as well as improve agriculturalwateruseefficiency.Thisprojectalso will enhance agriculturalproduction in the Valley.The other Texas project is the

Texas Gulf Coast Stream andWetland Initiative, with the Re-source Institute Inc. as the leadpartner. The Texas Gulf Coastregion is experiencing rapidgrowth and development thatis putting pressure on aquaticresources and contributing tothe degradation of the Gulf ofMexico.Theprojectwill focusontherestorationandprotectionofheadwater stream and wetland

systems on agriculture land toimprove function and provideprotection against future devel-opmental impacts.It also will work to improve

water quality and quantity, re-ducesoilerosion,andenhanceorcreate habitat for at-risk speciesthrougheducation,outreachandengagement of landowners andlandmanagers for installingcon-servationpracticesontheir land.Texas is alsopart of anational

project, Rice Stewardship Part-nership – Sustaining the Futureof Rice,with lead partnerDucksUnlimitedInc.TheRiceSteward-shipPartnership,withDucksUn-limited, theUSARiceFederationand 44 collaborating partners,will assist up to 800 rice produc-ers to address water quantity,water quality and wildlife habi-

tat across 380,000 acres in Mis-sissippi, Arkansas, California,Louisiana, Missouri and Texas.Remotesensorswillbeutilized

to estimate bird population car-ryingcapacity in shallowwatersandaField-to-MarketFieldprintCalculator will monitor resultsover time. The program offersseveral innovations to augmentconservation implementationand gain broader producer par-ticipation.More than 600 pre-proposals

were submitted for the RegionalConservation Partnership Pro-gram in 2014. “With so manystrong project propsals, theproject selection process wasextremely competitive. [The Re-gionalConservationPartnership

See PROJECTS, Page 9

February 2015 — Issue 1 The Land & Livestock Post8

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NewsCoverage and Agricultural RiskCoverage election deadline isMarch 31.“I can imagine some farmers

are thinking that isa fewmonthsaway,” Outlaw said. “The actualdeadlinemaybesooner forsome.If a producer wants to purchasethe Supplemental Coverage Op-tion from their crop insuranceagent, this decision will need tobe made during the normal in-surance sign-up. They are ineli-gible for [SupplementalCoverageOption] if they eventually choseAgricultural Risk Coverage.“With the early planting dates

of SouthTexas, thede factodead-line is the crop insurance pur-chasedeadline,whichwillbeJan.31. Farmers need to make their[Price Loss Coverage and Agri-culturalRiskCoverage] decisionbefore theymeet with their cropinsurance agent.”To assist farmers with these

decisions, several web-based de-

cisionaidsweredevelopedundera Farm Service Agency grant bythe National Association for Ag-riculture and Food Policy — acoalition co-led by the Agricul-tural and Food Policy Center atTexas A&M University and theFood and Agriculture Policy Re-searchInstituteat theUniversityof Missouri-Columbia. The deci-sionaidscanbeaccessedatusda.afpc.tamu.edu.Outlaw said he encourages

farmers to use these resourcesif they have not already done so.

Deadlines, from Page 3

Program] is a 5-year $1.2 billionUSDA commitment; projects notselected in this first year may beeligible in subsequentyears,”Sa-linas said.Formore informationonTexas

Regional Conservation Partner-ship Program projects, visit theNatural Resources ConservationService’s Texas webpage to viewthe full list of projects.

Projects, from Page 8


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News

Getting antsyAprogrammedapproach tofire ant control

By RoBeRt FeaRsSpecial to The Post

During periods of cold weather, there ispractically no surface activity and peopletend to think that fire ants have disap-peared.Red imported fire ants cause very little

concern this time of year, because they are asmuchas three or four feet deep inside their moundswhere the soil is warm.Whenwarmweatherreturns, fire ants again can become aproblem, so we should start think-ing about a control program fornext spring.“Populations of fire ants have seemed to

decrease during the last two years duringthe drought,” said Paul Nester, Extensionprogram specialist – Integrated PestMan-agement, Texas A&MAgriLife ExtensionService.“This perception is probably due to fire

antsmoving deep into the groundwherethere is moisture and an escape from theheat. With rain finally falling in some areas ofTexas, it is probable that fire ants will return tothe earth’s surface and once again become a nui-sance.”“Fire ants have been the number one insect pest

in Texas formany years,” saidMichaelMerchant,professor and Extension urban entomologist, TexasA&MAgriLife Extension Service. “It has been esti-mated through research that fire ants cost Texansapproximately 300million dollars annually, includ-ing damages to livestock and property and theexpense of control.“Fire ants are perhaps best known for

their painful, fiery sting,”Merchant said.“The stings can cause allergic reactionsin some people and send thousands ofpeople in the United States to emergencyrooms each year.”Ecological impacts of fire ants aren’t fully under-

stood and are being studied further by researchers. Ac-cording to the Texas A&MAgriLife Extension Service,high numbers of fire antsmay reduce populations ofother ground-dwelling insects. This reductionmay

affect the survival of birds andmammals that rely onthe insects for food. Fire ants alsomay attack youngground-nesting birds, reptiles and other wildlife.

PredatorsTexas A&MAgriLife Extension Service says that

armadillos, antlions (doodlebugs), spiders, birds andhorned lizards have been known to eat fire ants whengiven the opportunity, but are not believed to have amajor impact on imported fire ant populations.Tawny (Raspberry) Crazy Ants prey on fire ants as

well as other ant species. According to researchers atThe University of Texas, crazy ants are displacing fireants in areas across the southeastern United States.The UT researchers studied two invasion sites onthe Texas Gulf Coast—where the Tawny Crazy Antpopulation is the densest— and found that fire antswere eliminated. Even in regions where crazy ants areless dense, fire ant numbers were drastically reduced.Other ant species, particularly native species, also wereeliminated or diminished.

Although crazy ants are good competitors with fireants, it has been observed that fire ants return to areaswhere crazy ant populations have diminished.Several species of phorid fly that are native to Ar-

gentina and Brazil are enemies of the fire ant. Over thepast 20 years, some of these Phorid flies have been im-

ported into the United States, reared andreleased throughout the South. Theycurrently are established in at least27 Texas counties.

“The phorid fly species that attackfire ants are small and about 1/16 inchlong,”Merchant said.

“The Phorids fly rapidly and hoverabove disturbed fire antmounds oralong foraging trails, waiting foran opportunity to swoop downand parasitize workers by de-

positing an egg into them.“Once in the

ant, the eggquickly

hatchesinto a tinymag-got. Themaggotfeeds inside the ant for aboutthree weeks before the parasit-

ized ant dies. The ant’s head fallsfrom its body as enzymes produced by the parasite

dissolve the connective tissue.“During the final stage of attack, themaggotconsumes all of the head’s contents. Pupari-ation, the onset to the larval-pupal transi-tion, occurs in the severed head capsule and

the adult fly emerges from the ant’s head about threeweeks later.”

Chemical controlFire ants normally nest outdoors, but frequently

enter homes in search of food andwater. Theymostcommonly are active during spring and fall. This iswhen people often treat mounds with various baitsand insecticides. Baits contain food, usually cornmeal,treated with insecticide. Proper application of baits can

photo courtesy of web.biosci.utexas.edu web.biosci.utexas.edu

See FIRE ANTS, Page 12


News

Photo by Robert FearsFire ant baits can be purchased in shakers for individual mound treatment.


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Newsdestroy an entire ant colony.Insecticides applied as gran-

ules or liquids kill ants on theground surface, but do not af-fect ants below ground.“Foraging ants take bait to

the oldest larvae (fourth instar)that digest thematerial on theoutside of their body by regur-gitating digestive fluid,” Nestersaid.“The digestive fluids contain

the bait’s active ingredient,which is passed throughoutthe fire ant colony, resulting inthe death of winged reproduc-tive ants and queens. Foraging(worker) ants and queens can-not swallow solid food. They canonly suck liquids.”

“An area-wide or whole-yardapproach to fire ant controlis muchmore effective thantreating onemound at a time,”Merchant said. “The TexasTwo-Step program is recom-mended for fire ant control. Thefirst step in the program in-volves broadcasting fire ant baitover the entire yard or infestedarea. For yards and small areas,a seed spreader can be used toensure uniform coverage at lowrates of 1.0 to 1.5 pounds peracre.”For larger areas, such as

pastures or roadsides, Nesterrecommends a low-volume ap-plicatormounted on a tractor,pickup truck or ATV (all-ter-rain-vehicle). Aerial applicationmay be a good alternative toground equipment on 200 acreor larger areas.

“It is important to apply onlyfresh baits,” saysMerchant. “Asealed package of fire ant baitwill last up to two years; butonce opened, it should be usedquickly. Application of baits,that are not fresh, is probablyone of the primary reasons forunsuccessful treatments.”“Step two is individual

mound treatment where neededafter broadcast treatment,”Merchant said.“Mound treatments include

liquid drenches, granules anddusts.“The key to success with

liquid drenches as well asgranular products (non-baits)is to wash them deep into themound. This usually requiresone to two gallons of water permound. Failure to use enoughliquid to thoroughly drench themound is amajor cause of fireants surviving andmoving to anew location.”Formore information about

fire ant control, see the factsheet at www.agrilifebookstore.org/Two-Step-Method-and-Oth-er-Approaches-to-Fire-Ant-p/ento-034.htm.

Fire ants, from Page 10 Photos by Robert FearsFire ants have been known to harm youngwildlife and livestock.

On the cover:Aerial application can be aneconomical way to treat fire ants on areasmorethan 200 acres.


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NewsLIVESTOCK MARKET REPORT

Brazos ValleyResults of the Brazos Valley

Livestock Commission’s Jan. 13sale:Head: 321Steers: 200-300 lbs., $350-$440;300-400 lbs., $335-$390; 400-500 lbs., $270-$345; 500-600lbs., $245-$292; 600-700lbs., $220-$250; 700-800 lbs.,$205-$212.

Heifers: 200-300 lbs., $285-$335;300-400 lbs., $265-$305; 400-500 lbs., $250-$285; 500-600lbs., $192-$225; 600-700 lbs.,$195-$229; 700-800 lbs.,$190-$210.

Slaughter bulls: $120-$138.Slaughter cows: $85-$111.Bred cows: $1,400-$2,650.Cow/calf pairs: $1,600-$2,200

BuffaloResults of Buffalo Livestock

Marketing’s Jan. 10 sale:Head: 611Steers: 200-300 lbs., $350-$460;300-400 lbs., $315-$400; 400-500 lbs., $265-$335; 500-600lbs., $245-$300; 600-700lbs., $220-$295; 700-800 lbs.,$210-$245.

Heifers: 200-300 lbs., $275-$440;300-400 lbs., $245-$355; 400-500 lbs., $230-$330; 500-600lbs., $220-$300; 600-700lbs., $195-$255; 700-800 lbs.,$175-$237.

Slaughter bulls: $105-$140.Slaughter cows: $65-$120.Stocker cows: $1,450-$2,725.Cow/calf pairs: $1,100-$1,900.

CaldwellResults of the Caldwell Live-

stock Commission’s Jan. 14 sale:Head: 205Steers: 200-300 lbs., $400-$445;300-400 lbs., $350-$400; 400-500 lbs., $275-$340; 500-600

lbs., $265-$300; 600-700lbs., $230-$270; 700-800 lbs.,$220-$230.

Heifers: 200-300 lbs., $380-$440;300-400 lbs., $290-$350; 400-500 lbs., $270-$335; 500-600lbs., $250-$275; 600-700 lbs.,$225-$260; 700-800 lbs.,$230-$320.

Slaughter bulls: $117-$136.Slaughter cows: $75-$110.Stocker cows: $1,700-$2,000.

GroesbeckResults of the Groesbeck Auc-

tion & Livestock Co.’s Jan. 15sale:Head: 374Steers: 300-400 lbs., $330-$380;400-500 lbs., $270-$330; 500-600 lbs., $260-$295; 600-700lbs., $250-$270.

Heifers: 300-400 lbs., $275-$355;400-500 lbs., $240-$310; 500-600 lbs., $210-$290; 600-700lbs., $260-$290.

Slaughter bulls: $130-$156.Slaughter cows: $86-$116.Bred cows: $1,400-$3,300.Cow/calf pairs: $1,700-$2,900.

MilanoResults of the Milano Livestock

Exchange’s Oct. 14 sale:Steers: 300-400 lbs., $280-$319;400-500 lbs., $274-$307; 500-600 lbs., $247-$287; 600-700lbs., $226-$239.

Heifers: 300-400 lbs., $265-$289;400-500 lbs., $230-$271; 500-600 lbs., $209-$245; 600-700lbs., $193-$231.

Slaughter bulls: $120-$133.Slaughter cows: $81-$116.Bred cows: $1,200-$2,000.

NavasotaResults of the Navasota Live-

stock Auction Co.’s Jan. 13 sale:Head: 1,784

Steers: 150-300 lbs., $225-$450;300-400 lbs., $225-$420; 400-500 lbs., $185-$355; 500-600lbs., $175-$315; 600-700 lbs.,$170-$262.50.

Heifers: 150-300 lbs., $195-$425;300-400 lbs., $185-$375; 400-500 lbs., $185-$325; 500-600lbs., $175-$280; 600-700 lbs.,$170-$255.

Slaughter bulls: $100-$1474.Slaughter cows: $85-$117.Stocker cows: $1,300-$2,350.Cow/calf pairs: $1,800-$2,950.

—Special to The Post


FebruaryFeb. 1 - 46th Annual Commercial HerefordHeifer Sale. FortWorth, TX. (817) 831-3161

Feb. 1 - Cowtown Select Hereford & PolledHereford Sale. (817) 831-3161

Feb 4- 7 -NCBA Cattle Industry Conventionand Trade Show. San Antonio, TX

Feb. 14 - Bradley 3 Ranch, TheWide BodySale. Estelline, TX

Feb. 27 -Angus Bull Sale, Rutherford Ranches.Buda, TX (713) 964-3421

Feb, 28 - Prime Cut Bull Sale, 44 Farms.Cameron, TX. (254) 718-5193

Feb. 28 - Red Alliance Bull Auction. BryanTX

MarchMarch 1 -Reputation All Breed Bull & FemaleSale. Industry, TX

March 3& 4 –All Breeds Bull & CommercialFemale Sale@Houston Livestock Show andRodeo. Houston, TX

March 7 - South Texas Cattle Marketing’s“Cattleman’s Opportunity” Replacement FemaleSale. Nixon, TX (830) 334-8227

March 7 - Foundation Angus Alliance Sale,Luling, TX 979-777-7571

March 13 & 14 - The Black Hereford Sale.Waxahachie, TX

March 21 -ABBA Brahman and National F1Sale. Caldwell, TX

March 27-29 - Cattle Raisers Convention

Do you have a sale or event you’d like listed?Call Jesse Wright at

(979) 731-4721 or email [email protected]

Events Calendarollow us

facebookon

facebook.com/texasllp

NewsCampBrisketdrawsallwalksof life to learnfinerpointsofbarbecue

By Blair FanninTexas A&MAgriLife Extension

Service

From doctors and computerinformation technologists torestaurant owners, 2015 CampBrisket participants learned thefiner points of cooking one ofthe most popular barbecue cutsfound throughout Texas.Jeff Savell, distinguished pro-

fessor in the department of ani-mal science at Texas A&M Uni-versity, led the camp and wasjoined by Davey Griffin, TexasA&MAgriLifeExtensionServicemeat specialist, and Ray Riley,manager of the E.M. “Manny”Rosenthal Meat Center at TexasA&M.The camp is a partnership

between Foodways Texas andthe meat science section in thedepartment of animal science.Eventregistrationsoldout inlessthan five minutes, according toorganizers, andvariousnationaland state media reported fromthe event.According to Savell, “There

are three foods in Texas: Texasbarbecue, chicken fried steakand Tex-Mex. You don’t see any-bodystanding in line forchickenfried steak or Tex-Mex, but theyare standing in line for the bestbarbecue.”More than 100 attendees

learned where the brisket andother barbecue cuts come fromon a side of beef, proper trim-ming and preferred seasoningmethods,plus themanydifferenttypes of barbecue pits andwoodsmoke used during cooking.“Youfindalotof peopleattend-

ing this campwhohaveachievedsuccess incookingothercuts,butthey keep coming back to bris-ket,” Savell said.Trying to cook brisket con-

sistently is one of the mostunique challenges amongbarbecue cooking, Savellsaid. Griffin provided anoverview of the anatomy ofa brisket demonstrating thevarious cuts from a side ofbeef.Barbecuerestaurantown-

ers and experts also werefeatured speakers duringthe two-dayevent.Apitmas-terpaneloncookingbrisketsfeaturedBryanBracewellofSouthside Market and Bar-

becue in Elgin, Aaron Franklinof Franklin Barbecue inAustin,WayneMuellerof LouieMuellerBarbecue in Taylor, and RussellRoegels of RoegelsBarbecueCo.in Houston.Though beef prices continue

to be high due to lack of supply,Savell said, consumers’ hungerforbarbecue isgreater thanever.

Duringa three-yearperiodbe-ginning in 2010, drought condi-tions led to 1 million fewer beefcows in Texas alone.Nationally, cattle inventory

levels are the lowest since the1950s“There are fewer briskets to-

day, but stronger demand,” hesaid.

Texas A&MAgriLife Extension Servicephoto by Blair Fannin

Jeff Savell, Texas A&M Universitydistinguished professor in the de-partment of animal science, andAaron Franklin of FranklinBarbecuein Austin, demonstrate the properslicing of brisket at 2015 CampBrisket held at Texas A&M.


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NewsTexasbarbecuerestaurantownershearbeefprice forecast

By Blair FanninTexas A&MAgriLife Extension

Service

Texas barbecue restaurantowners and managers met re-cently at Texas A&M UniversityinCollegeStation fora townhallmeeting discussing meat trendsand issues.

The meeting was led by JeffSavell, university distinguishedprofessor, regents professor andE.M. “Manny” Rosenthal chair-holder in the department of ani-mal science at Texas A&M andholder of the Cintron UniversityProfessorship inUndergraduateTeaching Excellence.

HewasjoinedbyDaveyGriffin,Texas A&M AgriLife ExtensionServicemeatspecialist,whogaveanoverviewof certifiedbeef pro-grams and their requirements.He also led a cooler demonstra-tion on brisket cuts and trends.Ray Riley, manager of the E.M.“Manny” Rosenthal Meat Sci-enceandTechnologyCenter,pro-videddiscussiononmeat trends.

The group, all part of the de-partment of animal science atTexas A&M, previously has con-ducted a series of educationalworkshopstohelp furthereduca-tion in cooking Texas barbecue.

“Several of you have been uphere (to College Station) for a lotof ourmeetingsandworkshops,”Savell said. “Almost everybodyI’ve talked towhen theygot backhome has changed somethingthey’vedone.Somehavechangedhow they are trimming briskets,changed their wood. We’ve also

received a lot of questions aboutavailability, grades….Wedecid-ed,whydon’twehaveameeting.”

Savell said the meeting washeld on a Monday since it is a‘darkday’ formostbarbecueres-taurants. The town hall meetingattracted close to 30 individualswho enjoyed prime rib sand-wiches and home-prepared foodfor lunch.

Oneof the top issuesdiscussedwasthepriceof beef,particularlybarbecue cuts such as brisket.To get a better understanding ofwhat lies ahead with regards topricing and availability, DavidAnderson, AgriLife Extension

Texas A&MAgriLife Extension Service photos by Blair FanninAbove, Jeff Savell, Texas A&M University distinguished professor in the department ofanimal science, leads a discussion on beef cuts for barbecue during a recent barbecuetown hall meeting. Right, attendees were served prime rib slices for sandwiches atthe barbecue town hall meeting recently at Texas A&M University in College Station.

See BARBECUE, Page 17

February 2015 — Issue 1 The Land & Livestock Post16

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Newslivestockeconomist, gaveanout-lookon the livestockmarkets for2015.Anderson said beef cattle

prices are expected to remain onhigher as cattle producers con-tinue to rebuild herds followingthe drought of 2011. He said beefcattle inventories are at low lev-els not seen since the 1950s andthat herd expansion is a slowprocess.“We’ve got the fewest cattle in

decades, and that’s going to staywith us,” Anderson said.Overall,Andersonsaid, trends

in the market for 2015 are tightsupplies of fed cattle and cows,but expansion is underway.“We are looking at a couple of

years before production increas-es,” he said. “You are looking ata longer time period for heiferproduction. The expansion isunderway,which is going to takea couple of years for those heif-ers to mature and have calves.When you talk to rancher audi-ences, they really like this as itwill keep prices high.“Overall, there are two ways

we are going to expand: We’vegot to quit killing cows and startholding back heifers.”Andersonsaidin2015 it’s likely

therewillbe lessbeef productionascattleproducersexpandherds.“Asweholdmoreheifers back

and turn them into cows havingcalves, that’s even less beef pro-duction. I think in 2015 we willhaveafewmorecowsthanwedidthis year and in 2016 even morecows.“But big droughts in big pro-

ductionareasof cowswouldholdusback furtherandkeepus from

being able to expand.”Weekly prices for wholesale

boneless, 90-percent lean beefhave been priced at $3 per poundor $300 per hundredweight.“There’s not much relief

in sight with tight supplies ofcattle,” Anderson said. “That’scoupled with slaughter steerprices of $1.72 per pound or $172per hundredweight.“Weproduce 23 billionpounds

of beef here in the U.S. It wouldtake 26 billion of pounds to getprices to$210perhundredweightor $2.10 per pound for fresh90-percent lean weekly prices.”In the meantime, barbecue

restaurants will continue to paypremiums forcutsof brisketandother beef cuts used for menuitems, he said.Anderson said he projects

higher pork production in 2015.The porcine epidemic diarrheavirushas led to lessporkproduc-tion in 2014.“That’s resulted in fewerhogs,

but we’ve had heavier weights(due to low feed costs),” Ander-sons said.“Expansion has already be-

gun, fueled by prices and feedcosts. Ithasstartedbecauseithasbeenprofitable toraisehogs, andI think we will have more porkin 2015.”He also expects chicken pro-

duction to increase in 2015.“Wehadcoldweather thiswin-

ter, and that caused effects on

placements and growout,” An-derson said. “Therewas delayedexpansion due to reproductionissues. I think in 2015 we couldsee a heck of a lotmore chicken,which consequently will lead tolower prices.”Griffingaveanoverviewof the

many certified beef programsthat have product in the retailmeat case. He said these pro-grams are gaining more popu-larity among consumers. Griffinsaid in the past, it was the as-sumptionthecustomerknewthegrocery retailer had control oftheproduct since it left the farm.“Today’s beef consumer is

muchmorebrandconsciousthanever before,” he said. “Now cus-tomersarecominginandlookingfor a beef product that is associ-ated with a brand name.”Griffinalsoprovidedademon-

stration of trends in brisket cutsbefore attendees.For more information about

Texas barbecue, go to bbq.tamu.edu/.

Barbecue, from Page 16 UStoresumefirstbeef importsfromIrelandsincemadcowLONDON (AP) — The United

Stateswillpermit importsof beeffrom Ireland, the first EuropeanUnioncountryallowedtoresumesales since the mad cow diseasescaremore than 15 years ago, of-ficials said Jan. 12.Simon Coveney, Ireland’s

minister for agriculture, foodand the marine, issued a state-ment announcing that access tothe lucrative U.S. market will berestoredafterAmericanauthori-ties inspected Ireland’s beef pro-duction systems last year. Au-thoritiesestimateannualexportscouldbeworthat least 25millioneuros ($30million).The U.S. lifted its ban on beef

from the European Union inMarch 2014, but inspections arenecessary before exports are al-

lowed to resume.The European Commission

praised themove, saying it sent apositive signal to otherEUmem-ber states and that the “re-open-ing of the market is a welcomefirst step to abolish the dispro-portionate and unjustified” U.S.ban that followed theonsetof thecrisis in the 1990s.“It is now desirable that the

(U.S.)actsexpeditiouslytoextendtheapproval to therestof theEu-ropean Union and to fully bringtheir import conditions in linewith international standards,”the statement said.Mad cow disease, or bovine

spongiform encephalopathy, isfatal to cows and can cause a fa-talhumanbraindisease inpeoplewhoeatmeat frominfectedcows.


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NewsMandatorymeat labelsprovenotworth the internationalfight

Special to The Post

MANHATTAN, Kansas —When you pick up a pound ofmeat fromthegrocerystore,haveyou noticed the label indicatingwhere the meat originated? Ac-cording to new research, mostshoppers have no idea the labelexists — but that little label iscausingabig stir among theU.S.,Canada and Mexico.

In October 2014, the WorldTrade Organization ruled in fa-vor of Canada and Mexico, find-ing that the mandated country-of-origin labels in the U.S. arenot trade compliant and hurtbusiness in nearby countries.The U.S. is appealing the deci-sion.ResearchfromKansasStateUniversity, in collaboration withOklahomaStateUniversity,how-ever, finds that most consumersaren’t willing to pay extra for thelabel.

“Lessthanone-thirdof thepar-ticipants surveyed know that itis a law to label where the meatoriginates,” said Glynn Tonsor,

associate professor of agricul-tural economics at Kansas StateUniversity.

The labels were implementedin 2009 to provide shoppers moreinformation about the origin oftheir meat. In 2013, the labelswere revised to provide morespecificsabout theorigin, includ-ing where the animal was born,raised and slaughtered. Tonsorsurveyed consumers in 2009 andin 2013 and found the same re-sults: The majority of shoppersaren’t interested in these labels.

“Time and time again, we findthat food safety, price, freshnessand taste tend to be attributes,regardless of the meat productwe’re talking about, that rankhighly in importance and drivepurchasing decisions,” Tonsorsaid. “Social issues like origin,environmental impact and sus-tainability matter to consumers,butdonotdrivepurchasingdeci-sions.”

A decision on the appeal is ex-pected in early 2015.


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