M ay 2 0 0 5 • U n i ve r s i t y of Wyo m i n g

issueIn thisExtension educator unlocksfears about moneymanagementfor jail inmates 2

Range managementschool fosterscommunication, trust 6

CES tackles issues relatingto booming coal-bedmethane development 9

New CES program cooksup tasty, nutritious mealsfor people with diabetes 12

Small acreages posebig problems forFremont County 15

Natrona County 4-HProject Expo big hitwith youths, parents,and leaders 17

DNA technology findingnew home on the range 20

CES leadership institutestake off in Lincoln County,across Wyoming 22

Replacing alfalfa withcool-season grass maylower ranch costs 25

In this issue

This time of year is a busy one for me. It seems that I am out and about,crisscrossing the state nearly weekly in a University of Wyoming car.Sometimes I tire of the driving but never of the wonder I see and the awe I

feel at being a part of such a wild and beautiful place. The flow of the seasonschanges the look and the feel of our land. Though the cycle of change is lesspredictable than the changing seasons, much else about Wyoming is also changing.

Just like you, we in the UW Cooperative Extension Service are working hard tokeep up with change. Each of the articles in thisissue of Extension Connection highlight a newprogram effort responding to the needs of Wyomingpeople as their lives and contexts change. UW CESis organized into nine extension areas, and anarticle highlights a program in each area. I think youwill find interesting the diversity of needs thehighlighted programs represent, from newapproaches to forage production, to coal-bedmethane development issues, to diabetes education,to money management classes for prisoners. This isjust a sampling of our work across the state.

Keeping pace with change is always challengingand occasionally exhausting. Sometimes when Ilook around I feel like the refrain in the Joni Mitchellsong “Big Red Taxi.” Mitchell repeats, “They pavedparadise and put in a parking lot.” Regardless of how I feel, the world moves on.When I was younger, change and time seemed discrete and fragmented. I suppose itis age and experience, but now change and time seems more connected andflowing. I guess the philosopher Heraclitus had figured it out 2,500 years ago whenhe observed, “You cannot step twice into the same river; other waters are continuallyflowing on. It is in changing that things find repose.”

I hope you enjoy this issue of Extension Connection. If you have thoughts aboutthe publication or other aspects of UW CES, please e-mail me at glen@uwyo.edu orgive me a call at (307) 766-5124.

Glen Whipple

2

makinga difference

Extension educator unlocks fears aboutBy Robert Waggener, EditorOffice of Communications and Technology

Thirteen inmates shuffle slowly into a LaramieCounty Detention Center meeting room. Their

blaze orange jumpsuits and green tattoos contrastsharply to the stark white vinyl floors, concreteblock walls, and tile ceiling.

The men are mostly in their 20s and 30s, butseveral are older. There are whites, blacks,Hispanics, and an American Indian. They areserving time for a variety of crimes, mostly relatedto drugs and alcohol.

“How many of you like money?” asks PhilRosenlund, who wears the nametag “VolunteerNo.13.”

Everyone raises their hands.“How many of you handle your money well?”

he asks.Only two respond.“How many of you don’t handle money well?”Eleven arms go up.

Rosenlund, a University of WyomingCooperative Extension Service educator forLaramie, Goshen, and Platte counties, is in theLaramie County lockup today to teach an ongoingclass on money management. It’s called “YourDollars and $en$e.”

“Many of them basically have no money-management skills. Many of them have droppedout of school and have had a difficult timefunctioning in society. They’ve turned to goingoutside of the law just to get by, and if you do that,chances are you willget caught,” Rosenlundsays.

That’s evidentwhen these 13 inmates– a fraction of therecord 279 men andwomen who werebehind bars on thisday in early April –started answeringquestions.

“What are some ofthe poorest choicesyou’ve made with money?” Rosenlund asks.

“Drugs, whatever,” an inmate quickly responds.“Friends who don’t pay back,” a second notes.“I got $100,000 tied up in fines, lawyers, and

bail bondsmen,” reports a third.There’s a short pause before a fourth detainee

blurts out, “Women!”The group starts laughing, and then a number

of comments are exchanged by the inmates beforeRosenlund gets them back on track.

“While the idea of money management mayseem difficult, it’s really not. It’s simply one moreskill to be learned, just like we learn to write, read,

One inmate reviews his math during a checkbook-balancing drill while extension educator PhilRosenlund answers a question.

Making a point, PhilRosenlund talks aboutthe importance ofkeeping out of debt andestablishing a goodcredit rating.

challenge

3

and perhaps drive acar. Believe it or not,no one is born with theskills to be a goodmoney manager, buteveryone can learnthem,” he says.

Teaching moneymanagement to theinmates, however,won’t be an easy taskas evidenced by theoutcome of the firsttest. It’s clear few ofthe inmates know howto subtract numbers.

After talking aboutthe difference betweena savings account and

Another hums the lyrics to Deep Purple’sfamous rock song, “Smoke on the Water.”

Several minutes later, Rosenlund asks theinmates to share their numbers, numbers thatshould be identical.

“$594.29,” the first one answers.“$741.28.”“$641.29.”“$881.39.”“$365.24…”“What about you?” Rosenlund asks.“I got three different answers, but I think the

last one’s right,” the inmate responds.“And what about you?” the educator continues.“I don’t like being wrong so I didn’t do it,”

offers the man in a polite voice.Rosenlund tells the group that not one number

is the same, but he proudly states that one inmatedid get the right answer. The same drill will be

a checking account, the educator gives each inmatea check ledger and a tiny, bendable ink pen(normal ballpoint pens and pencils aren’t allowedfor safety reasons).

Rosenlund asks the detainees to write “$2,000”on the first blank of their ledgers. He then directsthem to a handout, which instructs each participantto subtract a specific amount to cover expenses forthe month ranging from groceries, gasoline, and afitness center membership to house and carpayments, utilities, and savings.

“You should pay yourself first,” urgesRosenlund, who explains that a savings accountprovides a safety net. “It can help keep you out offinancial trouble.”

The inmates, who are in the class voluntarily,go to work trying to balance their checkbooks.

“I hate subtraction,” one quietly whispers to themen sitting next to him.

Laramie County Detention Center inmates visit with University of WyomingCooperative Extension Service educator Phil Rosenlund about managing theirmoney. This is one of several educational classes for detainees in the Cheyenne jail.

money management for jail inmates

real benefits

4

repeated tomorrow, this time using calculatorsinstead of doing the figuring longhand.

“At times the class can be frustrating, but youdo the best you can with all of them,” Rosenlundsays after the session. “Many of them haven’tpicked up much to this point in their lives, and if Ican help them learn one thing, the class will be asuccess.”

Since teaching his first financial managementcourse in the hoosegow last fall, Rosenlund hasworked with thirty-four male inmates and fourteenfemales.

“The women do better at the check ledger drill.Half of them will generally get the right answer,”Rosenlund says.

The extension educator previously taughtsimilar courses to extension homemakers andsingle mothers in Laramie and Platte counties, andwhen Laramie County Sheriff Danny Glick learnedof “Your Dollar and $en$e” he asked Rosenlund toconsider instructing inmates.

“I thought it was a great idea because I believedthis was a population that could really use somebasic skills,” Rosenlund says.

Marion Severson, one of two program directorsat the Laramie County Detention Center, says shebelieves some of the inmates are benefiting.

“Many of them haven’t worked very hard in thepast to achieve something positive, but some ofthem are trying hard. We don’t take big steps inhere, we take little steps,” she emphasizes.

Severson says the center tries to offer a varietyof programming, including spiritual, musical,parenting, and basic life-management, which goesover skills like goal setting and anger management.Another class is designed strictly for females; itspurpose is to help them live independently ofnegative male peer pressure upon their release.

“We also have a GED program, but many ofthem are afraid to participate because their readingskills are so low,” says Severson, who adds that if asmall percentage earn a general equivalency

“Your Dollars and $en$e” helps inmates learn basic financial-management skills including goal setting. A detaineefills out a personal-assessment survey at the beginning of the class.

education

5

diploma or learn how to better handle financialmatters, that’s a success.

“I do believe that some of the inmates walk outof here with a feeling they can do better.Sometimes even a little thing can go a long ways.It’s a slow process, but in the long run every little bithelps,” Severson says.

Rosenlund addresses other topics such asspending tips (for instance, taking cash to thegrocery store instead of a credit card), theadvantages and disadvantages of home ownershipversus renting, the importance of establishing goodcredit, and knowing the difference between wantsand needs.

There is a general consensus that if questionsare asked during a presentation, a speaker isreaching his or her audience. If that’s the case,Rosenlund was reaching the inmates as he fieldeddozens of questions from start to finish.

“How do I reestablish credit?”“What if I’ve never borrowed money?”“Can you get a credit card and not use it to

establish credit?”“Why not use cash instead of a check?”Rosenlund answered most of the questions the

best he could, offering such advice as “If you caneat it or wear it, don’t put it on a credit card.”

After explaining that the average American hasincurred $4,000 in debt, the educator faced morequestions, but he didn’t answer all of them.

“I have $2 million in hospital bills. What kind ofbankruptcy should I file for?” a detainee asked.

“I’m not in a position to answer that one. Itwould be best to visit with an attorney or a financialadviser,” Rosenlund replied.

The discussion was lively, and most of theinmates seemed to enjoy themselves as theyexchanged friendly jabs while sharing stories aboutfinancial successes and failures.

“We often live day to day, allowing thedemands of the present to swallow up our moneyand time,” Rosenlund says. “We watch the money –and usually not enough of it – come in, and wewatch it go out. We often feel we don’t have anycontrol over it, so why should we worry abouttrying to manage it?”

The educator attempts to answer his ownquestion.

“Because managing your money can helpreduce the stresses in your life. It can help give youa plan to take care of unexpected events andexpenses,” he says. “Most importantly, managingyour money can help you meet the goals you’ve setand create the life you deserve.” �

On the Web: http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2004/10/10/news/business/4bcda9c42eedfbdf87256f280021017a.txt

“Volunteer No.13,” Extension Educator PhilRosenlund, helps an inmate during a drill on how tobalance a checkbook.

“I do believe that some of the inmates walk out of here with a feeling they can

do better. Sometimes even a little thing can go a long ways. It’s a slow process,

but in the long run every little bit helps.”Marion Severson

Program Director, Laramie County Detention Center

6

Range management school fostersBy Robert Waggener, EditorOffice of Communications and Technology

Mutual trust, open communication, andeducation are among the key ingredients to

develop a successful rangeland management planon public lands.

Ranchers and land managers generally agreethat rangeland plans will disintegrate if trust breaksdown or communication fails.

Recognizing a need to bring the stakeholderstogether, the Wyoming Section of the Society forRange Management organized rangelandmanagement schools in Sheridan, Rawlins,Cokeville, Cody, Lander, and Upton in 2004 andearly 2005. More than 200 people attended.

The University of Wyoming’s CooperativeExtension Service and state and federal agenciessponsored the classes, which were deemed sosuccessful that additional ones are being planned,including a more in-depth course in Sheridan thisJune.

“Wyoming Rangeland Management School 101is helping ranchers and land managers in the areaof conflict resolution. It puts participants on neutralground and gives them a shared vocabulary,” saysone of the instructors, Zola Ryan, an extensioneducator for Carbon and Albany counties.

“There is conflict surrounding the use of publiclands for grazing. Issues revolve around landmanagement, recreation, and wildlife. Some peopleare questioning if grazing should even be allowed.With these classes, we are trying to get all of thestakeholders in one room and focus on the scienceof resource management, not emotions,” Ryansays. “The meetings have been very cordial andvery beneficial.”

Rangeland 101 includes sessions on plantgrowth, time and timing of grazing, animal nutritionand behavior, rangeland monitoring, and appliedgrazing management.

“The ranchers and land managers areappreciating the information they are getting. Atone of the classes, several ranchers met with one ofthe speakers and talked about the conflict they werefacing and how some were opposed to grazing.Following the class, there were offers to geteveryone together in a room and start the dialog,”Ryan notes.

Among the teachers is Boulder cattle producerJoel Bousman, who was asked to discuss appliedgrazing management after successfully workingwith ranchers and representatives of the U.S. ForestService (USFS) and the federal Bureau of LandManagement (BLM) in western Wyoming to solveresource issues.

“I emphasize that it’s important to havevoluntary, cooperative permittee monitoring,”stresses Bousman, whose first involvement inRangeland 101 was in Sheridan.

“If it’s voluntary, people want to participate. InSheridan, the Bighorn National Forest established amandatory program for the forest, and it fell flat onits face. The way it was set up, it did not promote

Boulder livestock permittee Joel Bousman, center, runsa permanent photograph transect with the assistanceof fellow permittees Susy Michnevich and Mark Jones.

communication

7

communication, trusttrust and communication between the permitteesand the agency,” Bousman says. “One of the mainbenefits of voluntary range monitoring is that youbring range conservationists and permitteestogether before the monitoring begins. They agreeup front on what the objectives are and what kindof protocol will be established to achieve thoseobjectives.”

They work together to locate monitoringtransects and determine how plants, soils, andwater will be monitored, Bousman continues.

“It’s critical that the entire process be donejointly. That way everyone is on the same page.They are all seeing the same thing at the same time.This builds trust, and trust goes a long way towardhaving a good working relationship between federalagencies and the stakeholders of the land.”

Another instructor is Jim Waggoner, extensionlivestock nutrition specialist in the College ofAgriculture’s Department of Renewable Resources.

“There is potential for confusion andmisunderstanding between the people who manageour resources and livestock permit holders, and weare trying to put everyone in a neutral setting andprovide educational materials based on science, notpersonal feelings,” Waggoner says. “Presenting thelatest science helps people make bettermanagement decisions.”

Rangeland 101 starts out with basic informationabout plant growth. Extension Educator BlaineHorn, who works in Johnson and Sheridan counties,teaches participants that for grasses to remainhealthy and productive, they must have a sufficientamount of green-leaf tissue present throughout thegrowing season. This is necessary to produceenergy for their above- and below-ground growth,for the development of basal buds for the followingyear’s tillers, and for reproduction.

“Proper management of grazing is necessary sothat a sufficient level of green leaves is presentthroughout the growing season,” Horn says.

UW Extension Range Specialist Paul Meiman,who is based in Lander, addresses the time andtiming of grazing.

“The time of grazing refers to how long an areais exposed to grazing. Controlling the time canprovide plants with opportunities to grow or regrowin the absence of grazing pressure,” Meiman says.“Timing of grazing refers to when grazing occurs ina given year. Effects of grazing on plants differ withthe stage of the plant development.”

The nutrition and behavior portions of thecourse are taught by Waggoner and Tanya Daniels,an extension educator for Campbell, Crook, andWeston counties.

“The early spring grass is the most nutritiousforage we have in Wyoming, but if you calve inJanuary, February, or March you are missing that.All of the nutrients are coming out of the back of apickup because you don’t have green grass yet, andthat gets expensive,” Waggoner says. “When do thewild animals have their little ones? It corresponds tograss green up, so why are we doing anythingdifferent?”

Turning to behavior, he says, “We emphasizefitting the animal to the resource instead of fittingthe resource to the animal. For example, cows with

Extension Educator Blaine Horn talks about plant growth during aWyoming Rangeland Management School 101 class in Rawlins.

trust

8

young calves typically don’t use real rough country,but a yearling will. Sheep will browse on plantsother than grass while horses will travel longerdistances for water. We’re matching the animal tothe range resource, which includes the soil, water,and plants. It all ties together.”

Zola Ryan teams with Michelle Buzalsky, arange conservationist with the USFS in Cody, toteach range monitoring.

“We emphasize techniques that can beconsistently applied and are easily learned. Thesetechniques help permittees and rangeconservationists to track progress in order to meetobjectives,” Ryan notes.

Other instructors have included Eric Peterson,an extension educator serving Sublette, Lincoln,and Teton counties, and Joe Hicks, a USFS rangeconservationist in Cody who took the lead indeveloping the range school. “Joe was serving aspresident of the Wyoming Section of the Society forRange Management when he put out the call tomembers interested in participating in such aschool,” Ryan says.

Each school concludes with a session taught bygrazing permittees on applied grazingmanagement.

“Since we started joint monitoring programs,our working relationship with the Forest Service andBLM has improved dramatically,” says Bousman,who is the president of the Silver Creek GrazingAssociation in western Wyoming, which started a

cooperative monitoring program with federalagencies. “I believe this school could similarly helpother permittees and range conservationists in thestate because it gives them tools to make betterdecisions. They are learning about grazing plans,watershed management, and rangelandmonitoring.”

Ryan adds, “There are a lot of grazing strategiesout there, and by understanding what your plantsare doing and what your animals need, you candesign a plan to balance the needs of the plants andthe animals.”

Ryan says an additional 101 class, which willlast one day and take place inside, will be offeredthis fall in Rawlins. Three- and five-day classes,which will be called 301 and 501, respectively, arealso being planned, including a 301 school inSheridan on June 15-17.

“In the 301 series, we’ll be going out into thefield to identify plants, measure vegetative cover,and learn monitoring techniques,” Ryan notes. “Inthe 501 course, we’ll give participants an actualranch scenario and ask them to come up with amanagement plan based on what they have learnedin the first two classes.”

In addition to UW CES, other sponsors includethe USFS, BLM, federal Natural ResourcesConservation Service, and Wyoming Department ofAgriculture. �

On the Web: http://uwacadweb.uwyo.edu/wysrm/

Extension EducatorZola Ryan

Livestock NutritionSpecialist Jim Waggoner

Jim Waggoner, an extension livestock nutritionspecialist, discusses livestock nutrition and behaviorduring the rangeland 101 school in Rawlins.

9

facilitation

CES tackles issues relatingto booming coal-bed

methane developmentBy Robert Waggener, EditorOffice of Communications and Technology

Tanya Daniels’ introduction to coal-bed methanedevelopment in Campbell County was a

baptism of fire, and the water in the baptismalwasn’t always pure.

Coal-bed methane (CBM) activity was alreadywell underway when Daniels became an areaeducator for the University of Wyoming’sCooperative Extension Service in 2001. Hundreds ofCBM wells, noisy compressor stations, overheadelectrical lines, dirt roads, pipelines, and water-discharge reservoirs dotted the arid countrysidearound Gillette.

Daniels immediately started getting calls fromagricultural producers – in some cases not-so-happyones – about how expelled water was affecting theirrangelands and hay meadows. She quickly learnedthat millions of gallons of groundwater were beingpumped to the surface annually in order to releasetrapped methane from coal seams.

Some of the water was suitable for plants, butmuch of it contained high levels of salts that werekilling hay crops and native vegetation. Landownersexpressed concerns to Daniels about how thosedischarges would affect plant communities in theyears to come.

They also worried about water wells going dryand how CBM drilling could hurt the region’saquifer. Livestock operations were being impactedas were the habitats of wildlife and fish.

“We didn’t have a handle on the issue then, andwe still don’t. There are a lot of unansweredquestions, so coal-bed methane’s demands on my

job are actually increasing,” says Daniels, whospends about 10 to 20 percent of her time dealingwith issues directly related to the booming industry.

Just how booming is it?Since the 1990s, when CBM activity started in

Wyoming’s Powder River Basin, nearly 14,000methane wells have been drilled in CampbellCounty, another 3,000 in Sheridan County, and justover 1,300 in Johnson County, according to theWyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.

The industry has brought new jobs and newmoney into the counties. It has financially benefitedmany ranchers. And it has contributed significantlyto the state’s tax coffers. But like other development,minuses have followed the pluses, and many of theranchers who are reaping economic returns are alsopaying costs. Once enjoying peace, quiet, and

Robert Sorenson, who ranches in the SpottedHorse area of Campbell County, shows tourparticipants an area of his ranch that wasscheduled to be developed for coal-bedmethane and the location for a proposedreservoir to hold CBM discharge water.

Participants in a tour coordinated in part by theUniversity of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Servicestudy an irrigation system east of Gillette that uses coal-bed methane discharge water. The reservoir in thebackground contains water discharged from CBM wells.

cooperation

10

solitude, they are now sharing their land withdrilling outfits, heavy equipment, and diesel-powered compressor stations.

And fears about CBM’s impact on groundwatersupplies continue to mount; especially consideringa drop in the water table could have seriousconsequences on municipal supplies in northeastWyoming.

Each gas well produces between five andtwenty gallons of water per minute, according toresearchers at Montana State University-Bozeman(MSU-Bozeman). That means the 18,000 wells nowin production in Campbell, Sheridan, and Johnsoncounties are expelling more than 100 billion gallonsof water annually. As a comparison, the cities ofGillette, Sheridan, and Buffalo combined useapproximately 3.52 billion gallons annually.

“One elephant in our living-rooms that is beingignored by the regulatory agencies is how CBMcould lower the aquifers. That is a big concern ofmine, especially with this long-term drought,” saysNancy Sorenson, who ranches 35 miles northwestof Gillette with her husband Robert. “On our private

and leased land theyhave drilled nearly 60wells, and we’reprobably less developedthan some of ourneighbors,” she says.

Among herneighbors are Don andKathy Spellman, whoraise cattle near the tinycommunity of SpottedHorse. “Six drillingcompanies havedeveloped more than100 wells on our ranch,”Mr. Spellman says.“We’ve run the gamutwhen it comes tocompanies beingresponsible. We had onereal good company, butwe’ve had some lulus.

The development changes how you do things. Youtotally lose your privacy. Dust has become a seriousproblem. And our biggest concern is dischargewater. Some of it has really soured the ground tothe point where nothing will grow.”

Drilling started on the Spellman place in 1998,and at first the couple didn’t know where to turn forhelp. But as the development intensified, so didefforts by local, state, and federal agencies,conservation districts, environmental groups,universities, and even the CBM companiesthemselves to learn more about the impacts andhow they could be mitigated.

Among the people Spellman turned to wereDaniels and her colleagues.

“Tanya and CES have done a good job aboutgetting us contacts at UW and MSU-Bozeman. Theyhave put out valuable information and have startedresearch projects,” Spellman notes. “The universityfolks will talk to you and advise you on what youshould do and shouldn’t do when it comes to water,soils, and plants. I didn’t even realize CES would getinvolved with this, but I’m glad they did. Tanya hasbeen very good about getting information out topeople and not taking sides.”

In addition to disseminating information,Daniels helped organize field trips to impactedareas in Campbell County, and she co-organized amajor conference earlier this year in Sheridan, acentral site for the gathering since major CBMdevelopment is also occurring in that county as wellas areas to the south in Johnson County and to thenorth in Montana.

About 120 people attended the conference,which was titled “The Art of Compromise.” Inaddition to CES, other organizers included MSU-Bozeman and the Campbell County ConservationDistrict. Among the speakers was Spellman.

“I thought the conference went very well. Wetalked about how to cooperate with each other, andhow to survive this development,” he says.

Daniels adds, “People talked about what hasworked and what hasn’t. There are positive andnegative impacts to CBM, and right now the sciencehas not caught up with the development. CBM

Fielding questions from the audience,participants in a coal-bed methane conferencein Sheridan discuss the industry’s impacts onlandowners in northeastern Wyoming. One ofthe event’s organizers was the CampbellCounty Cooperative Extension Service. Amongthe speakers were, from left, WilliamsProduction Co. representative RandyJespersen, Spotted Horse rancher DonSpellman, and Ucross Ranch Manager MarkGordon. (Photo courtesy Mark Heinz, TheSheridan Press)

research

11

started out fast andfurious, and of coursescience takes time. Wedon’t have theinformation we need toknow about such thingsas applying groundwaterto agricultural crops. Andwhen we do get scientificinformation, it’s notbeing quicklydisseminated to

landowners so they can make proper decisions.”Sorenson says she wishes that some

governmental agencies and educational institutionsincluding UW and CES would have become moreinvolved earlier in the process.

“Ranchers really want to know what a certaintype of development will do to their ranch. Theyneed information from sources like UW and CESbefore they start signing surface-use agreements,”Sorenson notes. “The university and CES needed toget on the bandwagon a lot earlier than they did. Forus and a lot of our neighbors the horse is out of thebarn, but if the information they are now compilinghelps other people, we are happy to see that.”

Sorenson says she, too, dropped the ball, notingthat once CES got involved in the issue in 2001,“We should have utilized them more than we did.We did participate in one of the tours Tanya helpedorganize, and we’re also interested in the soiltesting they are doing out here as well as the otherinformation they are putting together.”

Two years ago, Daniels launched a researchproject in an effort to develop guidelines forlandowners on how to monitor the impacts ofdevelopment.

“We have a manual in the rough draft phasewhich is being evaluated by landowners right now.Hopefully it will be published later on in the yearwith their suggested changes. Through this process, Ihave learned that monitoring CBM activities onprivate or public land can become a full-time job,”Daniels emphasizes. “Where development isoccurring, ranchers are spending much of their time

negotiating surface-lease agreements and monitoringroad building, reservoir, pipeline, and power-lineplacement, water discharge, fencing, and effects onwildlife, livestock, and farming operations.”

Another project involves the monitoring of soils,water, and forages on a ranch where heavy CBMactivity has occurred. Involved in the research areDaniels, former Sheridan Research and ExtensionCenter Director Roger Hybner, who is now with thefederal Natural Resources Conservation Service inMontana, and researchers from UW, MSU-Bozeman,and Colorado State University. A CBM company isfunding the project.

“We hope to start another project that willresearch what grass and alfalfa species will growbest with CBM discharge water. I have the funding; Ijust need to find the manpower,” Daniels says.

Spellman says he looks forward to the results ofthe studies and adds that CES should stay on top ofthe issue. “I urge CES to continue putting out asmuch information as they can to help people, andget as many people involved as they can to protectthe land and the resources.” �On the Web: waterquality.montana.edu/docs/methane/cbmfaq.shtml

Thousands of wells havebeen drilled innortheastern Wyomingfor coal-bed methane.

Northeast Area Extension Educator Tanya Danielsmeasures the height of an alfalfa plant to showproduction. The field is being irrigated with dischargewater from coal-bed methane wells. “We have one yearof data, and we don’t know if production decreases aredue to the drought, CBM discharge water or both,”Daniels says. “The drought has given weeds a chanceto become established in some parts of the field.”

12

By Robert Waggener, EditorOffice of Communications and Technology

How does spicy grilled chicken, four-bean salad,glazed carrots, double corn bread, and lemon

cake sound for dinner?Ask a person with diabetes, and he or she may

respond: “It sounds absolutely delicious, but nothanks. I am trying to keep my blood sugar undercontrol.”

But a scrumptious dinner like that may find itsway onto the tables of many persons with diabetesaround the state thanks to a new program beinginitiated by the University of Wyoming’sCooperative Extension Service (CES) in partnershipwith diabetes educators throughout the state.

New CES program cooks up tasty, nutritiousCalled Dining with Diabetes in Wyoming, the

program seeks to improve the health and lives ofpatients with diabetes through tasty recipes that arelow in sugar and fat, and through nutritioneducation and physical activity. It’s also designed tohelp the families of people with diabetes.

“We want to teach people how to eat better andhow to have a healthier lifestyle. In addition topreparing tasty, healthy meals, each of our sessionswill have a physical activity component,” says oneof the program team members, Phyllis Lewis, anutrition and food safety extension educator for BigHorn, Hot Springs, Park, and Washakie counties.

“We’re gung ho to get Dining with Diabetesgoing up here, and we’re excited about making apositive difference in people’s lives.”

Demonstrating how to make chicken “finger strips,” Big Horn Basin Area Educator Phyllis Lewis teaches a lesson in Cody aspart of the Dining with Diabetes program. (Photo courtesy Rob Densmore, Cody Enterprise)

integration

13

recipes were altitude-adjusted and would alsoappeal to our Wyoming participants,” Pelican says.

The pilot-test phase of the program started April11 in Lander when the full five-class program gotunderway. Additional programs have also beeninitiated in Casper, Lusk, Rock Springs, andWorland, with plans inthe works for Pinedale,Riverton, and on theWind River IndianReservation.

“During theprogram’s pilot test,which is scheduleduntil the end of thisyear, it is anticipatedthat most teams willconduct at least oneseries of Dining withDiabetes classes,”Pelican notes. “Wewant to provide needededucation for theparticipants, but we

also want direction from the participants and thefacilitators on how we can make it stronger.”

Betty Holmes, a registered dietitian and projectdirector in the Department of Family and ConsumerSciences, led adaptation and development of allmaterials that are now being used in the classes.The lessons include: living well with diabetes;carbohydrates and sweeteners; fats and sodium;vitamins, minerals, and fiber; and physical activityand recipe demonstrations. At the end of the pilottest, data will be used to seek grants to help fundthe statewide program.

“We hope to have this program in every countyof Wyoming. We’re starting with the counties thatare excited about it, and we hope that excitementspreads to the other counties,” says Lewis, who

One of the participants in the Cody field testtold Lewis and other facilitators that she didn’tbelieve food prepared for people with diabeteswould taste good.

“She was surprised when it did,” says Lewis,who then described how facilitators made “fast”fruit salad, oven-fried parmesan chicken, bakedsweet potato puffs, green beans with cranberriesand nuts, and “poor-man” oatmeal cookies whilethe participants watched.

“They really appreciated being able to see howthe meal was prepared and how they could reducethe fat and the sugar without sacrificing taste,”Lewis adds with a smile.

Another team member, Suzy Pelican, a foodand nutrition extension specialist with the Collegeof Agriculture’s Department of Family andConsumer Sciences, says, “We feel this program willcomplement existing services around Wyoming, notcompete with them, and that our program can bean effective referral avenue for people to get clinicalservices. We’re focusing on meal planning and food,and that’s an area we in extension and our diabeteseducation partners statewide feel is a need.”

Late last year andearly this year, fiveteams field-testedrecipes and classes inCody, Big Piney,Evanston, FortWashakie, and RockSprings.

“The field testingwent very well. It wasimportant to help us‘Wyomingize’ the Diningwith Diabetes programthat was developed inWest Virginia. Wewanted to make sure the

meals for people with diabetes

Extension Specialist Suzy Pelican

“We’re excited

about making

a positive

difference in

people’s lives.”

— Phyllis Lewis,UW CooperativeExtension Service

educator

opportunities

14

credits Virginia Romero-Caron, an extensioneducator for Sweetwater and Uinta counties, withbringing Dining with Diabetes to Wyoming.

“Nina said we needed to be doing somethingfor people with diabetes since the disease is soprevalent in Wyoming,” emphasizes Lewis, addingthat Romero-Caron traveled to West Virginia tolearn more about that state’s program.

Romero-Caron, who is a registered dietitian,was impressed enough that she wanted to“Wyomingize” West Virginia’s Dining with Diabetes.Extension educators from that state came toWyoming to facilitate a training session in Casper.

Attending theNovember gatheringwere extensionnutrition and foodsafety educators alongwith diabeteseducators.

In addition toLewis, Romero-Caron,and Pelican, othermembers of the CESteam who completedthe training werenutrition and foodsafety educators PegCullen, Patti Griffith,Vicki Hayman, StellaMcKinstry, Christine

Pasley, and Denise Smith, Linda Melcher, director ofthe Cent$ible Nutrition program, and Ruth Wilson,CES associate director. Pamela Henderson, acomputer support specialist with CES’s Office ofCommunications and Technology, is assisting withdata collection and evaluation.

Joining the CES team at the training wereprofessional diabetes educators from Big Piney,Casper, Cody, Douglas, Evanston, Lander, Lovell,Powell, Rawlins, Riverton, Rock Springs, andThermopolis. Virginia Wiles, a lay person with

diabetes, also attended and will participate in thepilot testing in Worland.

Field testing got underway in several Wyomingcommunities. Assisting with program developmentand funds was the Wyoming Department ofHealth’s Diabetes Prevention and Control Program(WDPCP).

“Our program funded five field-test sites at$400 each, and we also contributed some of theeducational materials used in the Dining withDiabetes curriculum,” says Wanda Webb, healthsystems specialist with the WDPCP in Cody.

“I attended the field testing in Cody, and what Inoticed was different about this program thantraditional diabetes education is that theparticipants are very involved. You can have adietitian standing up and telling you, ‘This is whatyou should eat.’ But when you actually watch therecipes being prepared and then you get to tastethem, that is much more interactive teaching,”Webb says.

“The participants are more likely to go homeand try a recipe that they’ve already tasted andliked.” �

On the Web: http://www.wvu.edu/~exten/infores/pubs/fypubs/dinediab.pdf

Area Extension EducatorPhyllis Lewis

outreach

Small acreages pose big problems for Fremont CountyBy Robert Waggener, EditorOffice of Communications and Technology

It was 1999, and concerns about Y2K ranked lowon Ron Cunningham’s priority list.

Cunningham, an educator for the University ofWyoming Cooperative Extension Service’s FremontCounty/Wind River Area, knew the rural populationof the area was continuing to burgeon and so werethe number of issues associated with these small-acreage “ranchettes” and “farmettes,” as theybecame known.

Problems were being reported withovergrazing, erosion, weed infestations, failed septicsystems, contaminated water wells, and disputesover irrigation water, to name a few.

As the problems mounted, so did the numberof calls received by Cunningham and other staffmembers in the Fremont County and Wind RiverIndian Reservation CES offices as well as the PopoAgie and Lower Wind River conservation districts.And Cunningham knew the issue wasn’t going to goaway as approximately 40 percent of the county’spopulation now lived in rural, non-incorporatedareas, and the number of people moving to thecountry was increasing.

“Many of these people had no experiencedealing with noxious weeds, fencing or irrigationdisputes, feeding livestock, or building a yard andlandscape from scratch,” Cunningham says. “Weidentified this as a serious problem, and county andlocal governments had already been stretched toassist people on a one-on-one basis.”

The following year, Cunningham and a team ofextension educators and conservation districtrepresentatives began organizing the county’s first-ever small-acreage seminar to help rurallandowners. The first of what was to become anannual gathering took place in 2001.

“The seminars provide an importanteducational service. We always have them on aSaturday in early spring, right before the growingseason begins. We want to help the rural

landowners improve their places and improve thecounty,” Cunningham says.

The educator adds that it’s difficult to measurethe exact success of the seminars, but he believespeople have walked away with valuable informationthey could use back home.

“They have given small-acreage landowners abetter feel for managing their places, treating the landas a renewable resource. I believe the people arelearning to be good stewards of the land, and they arelearning to be good neighbors,” says Cunningham,who helped organize the sessions with Milt Green,who worked as an extension educator on the WindRiver Indian Reservation before transferring this yearto the CES office in Natrona County.

Cunningham has found that many peoplemoving from cities onto small acreages don’t knowhow to manage their land properly. Some of theowners graze more animals than the land cansupport; others don’t know how to control noxiousweeds; and many know virtually nothing aboutWyoming’s water laws.

Riverton’s Doyle Ward, who runs a well-servicing business inFremont County, discusses how to properly construct and maintainwater wells during a seminar for the owners of small acreages.

15

connection

16

“Water goes through their property, and theyassume they can use it,” he says. “There weredisputes over water just because people didn’tknow about water rights.”

At the same time, Fremont County was enteringa serious three-year drought, which exacerbated theproblems, he notes.

Cunningham says that rural residentialdevelopment was also taxing Fremont Countygovernment, just like it was taxing governmentsaround the state. “It seems like everywhere inWyoming you drive, you see where people aremoving to the country.”

A 2002 study by Roger Coupal, David “Tex”Taylor, and Don McLeod of the UW College ofAgriculture’s Department of Agricultural andApplied Economics, found that while residentialdevelopment does increase the tax base, thisincrease is offset by the increased costs of providingcommunity services such as fire and policeprotection, roads, and busing to area schools.

In a bulletin titled The Cost of Community Servicesfor Rural Residential Development in Wyoming, thethree researchers found that on average, converting35 acres of agricultural land to rural residentialcreates $1.13 in county government and schoolexpenses for every dollar in revenue.

“This does not include the value of wildlifehabitat, water quality protection, maintenance ofview sheds, and other benefits related to openspace that could be added to these figures,” Coupal,Taylor, and McLeod wrote.

Cunningham says this was one more reason toorganize seminars for those people seeking a rurallifestyle or looking for a vacation home.

The first event attracted 94 people, whilebetween 40 and 55 attended subsequent sessionsbetween 2002 and 2004.

Green taught participants how they couldsuccessfully run small numbers of livestock onsmall acreages while Cunningham led programs onweed identification and how to control the morenoxious species including leafy spurge, spottedknapweed, and Canada thistle.

“Some of them have adapted good weed-management plans,” Cunningham says.“Evaluations from the participants showed that theylearned how to recognize other resource issues, howto return the land to healthy and productivelandscapes, and how to use good stewardshippractices to keep the land healthy and productive.”

He adds, “Milt helped some of the landownersset up business plans to use their small acreages asa financial resource. There are many ways you canadd revenue from small acreages such as running asmall flock of sheep or a few purebred horses.”

Cunningham says theFremont/Wind River CESoffices this spring coordinateda workshop to help both cityand rural residents withquestions about trees, shrubs,lawns, and pesticides.

“This was an offshoot ofthe small-acreage seminars,”notes Cunningham, who addsthat residents of Riverton andLander were invited inaddition to the rural folksbecause they all face similarissues when it comes to lawnsand gardens.

Cunningham says a fifth small-acreage seminar willlikely be organized in the future. “We are still seeing thesame problems, but it’s because the number of oursmall acreages continues to expand. The demand is stillheavy for information on everything from weeds towater wells to pastures to xeriscaping.” �

On the Web: http://www.uwyo.edu/CES/PUBS/B1133.pdf

This display on livestock care and ethics was one ofseveral presented at a seminar intended to help theowners of small acreages deal with resource andanimal issues.

Area Extension EducatorRon Cunningham

cooperation

By Robert Waggener, EditorOffice of Communications and Technology

17

Sporting an intent look, one boy “artfully”decorates a cake with white and sky blue

frosting while two of his 4-H buddies watchcuriously as the masterpiece takes shape.

A few steps away in the Natrona CountyAgriculture Resource Learning Center, several girlsmodel clothes they constructed from wool, cotton,and polyester fabrics while another group discussesfirearms and archery safety.

Across the hall, animals are the name of thegame as kids learn about critters ranging from catsand dogs to hermit crabs and sugar gliders.

“What’s a sugar glider?” an inquisitive manasks.

It’s a small, arboreal marsupial that is found inthe forests of Australia, as well as in Tasmania, NewGuinea, and the neighboring islands of Indonesia,Natrona County 4-H leader Rose Jones responds.

“Sugar gliders are nocturnal animals and make

a lot of noise at night. They are not for me, but a lotof the kids like them,” she adds with a smile.

Sugar gliders, like many other small animals,have found themselves in the homes of 4-Hers whohave taken on “pocket pets” as a project. And manyof the critters, along with their 4-H owners, havefound their way to an exciting program in NatronaCounty called 4-H Project Expo.

The expo, which has taken on the flavor of acounty fair, is held the first Saturday of each monthJanuary through May, as well as a number ofevenings throughout the year. Practically every 4-Hproject area is represented at the fair, from cakedecorating and horsemanship to parliamentaryprocedure and record keeping.

“It’s been a sensational program,” says thechief coordinator, Colleen Campbell, a 4-H programassociate in the Natrona County CooperativeExtension Service (CES) office. “The thing I ammost proud of is the education that is taking place,the development of the kids, and their know-how.”

Natrona County 4-H Project Expo big hit withyouths, parents, and leaders

4-H members practice rabbit showmanship during the Natrona County 4-H Project Expo.

bright horizons

18

The expo, in essence, provides one-stopshopping. Instead of a parent taking a child tonumerous different 4-H meetings and workshops ina month, they generally take them to one Saturdayexpo.

“It is working fabulous,” says Jones, who runsclinics on raising poultry and cats as well as cakedecorating. “Meeting once a month doesn’t wasteleaders’ time, and it’s also a lot easier on parentsand 4-H members. It’s usually only one Saturday amonth, which means they don’t have to give up anumber of evenings throughout the month.”

Jones adds, “The expos are convenient.Everybody marks them on their calendars. They allseem to look forward to the clinics.”

And just as important, she continues, “Theexpos are raising project awareness. For instance, ifa 4-Her is involved in only a beef or sheep project,they get to see many other projects on ExpoSaturday. I was amazed with how kids flocked to thepocket pet clinics when they saw how fun theproject looked. You won’t believe some of thevarieties the kids are bringing in: sugar gliders,parakeets, parrots, tarantulas, guinea pigs, andhermit crabs.”

On average, Campbell says, 150 people attendeach expo including 50 volunteer instructors.

“Some of the people who teach these clinics arelocal business owners, company representativeswho sell feed or animal medical supplies,veterinarians, University of Wyoming professionals,and a lot of community volunteers, 4-H leaders, andeven some of the kids who have gained a lot ofexperience in a particular project,” Campbell notes.

Among the youths who are teaching clinics isJones’ daughter, Amanda. The Natrona County HighSchool sophomore leads classes in poultry, rabbits,cats, and cake decorating.

“Amanda’s involvement in 4-H has really helpedbuild her confidence, especially with publicspeaking. Instructing classes and communicatingface-to-face with judges has given her and otherkids a leg up in communication,” Jones says. “I hadalways wanted to be involved in 4-H when I was agirl, but I never had the opportunity. I wantedAmanda to be in 4-H so I got involved as a leader ayear before she was eligible to join. It’s been a greatexperience for both of us.”

Jones says the 4-H Project Expo program hasadded to that experience. “It’s working well for usright now. I believe it is boosting participation in 4-Hand the various projects.”

Campbell says theproject was launched bythe Natrona County CESoffice in January 2003.

“When I started inthe office three summersago, nearly 20 swinedidn’t make theminimum weights for thecounty fair. We had someupset kids, and that wasmy first week on the job.As a result of that, westarted to launch someeducational programs on animal feeding andselection. We offered workshops on beef, sheep,and swine, and those got so popular we addedgoats, rabbits, poultry, dogs, cats, and pocket pets,”Campbell says.

Casper Mountain provides a backdrop as Suze andRachel Oakes of the 4-Winds 4-H Club work togetherto trim a goat in preparation for a show.

4-H Program AssociateColleen Campbell

19

“We have worked with theyoung people on animalselection, housing, health care,feed rations, and how to showtheir animals. If they have amarket animal, they learnabout ultrasound results andhow the data can be used tojudge meat quality. They learnhow to market animals forsale.”

Campbell adds, “We alsotouch on such things as showethics, record keeping,showmanship, and dressingappropriately for a show.”

The success of the program continued to grow,and CES responded.

“We have added so many projects includingentrepreneurship, shooting sports, entomology,baking, cake decorating, sewing, and parliamentaryprocedure. There’s vegetable, meat, and wooljudging, fashion revue, and clothing selection. Ifthere’s an interest, we’ll offer a class at the expos.”

4-Hers move from one project area to anotherevery 45 minutes. At the March 5 expo, forexample, classes on rabbits and swine started at 9a.m. These were followed by beef, dairy goats, careof young lambs, and cat clinics at 9:45.

How to purchase and feed market goats, a clinicon sheep, and learning how to bake were next inline, and then there were additional classes onbaking as well as meat judging.

Goats were the featured critter at noon, whileclinics on how to sell livestock and how to identifyvarious breeds of dogs started at 12:30.

The Natrona County 4-H Junior Leaders Clubmet at 1:15 p.m., and then came classes on cakedecorating and pocket pets. Three other 4-H clubsheld meetings during the day.

“Now, we’re constantly meeting goals in termsof raising animals because the nutrition and overallcare are better, and training and showmanship skillshave improved,” Campbell says. “We rarely see fairanimals not making weight. And when animals

Kelsey Knight of the City Dudes 4-H Club demonstrates horse-saddling safety.

Putting the final touches on a cake, 4-HerGabriel Carlson, left, spreads frosting whilea 4-H friend and his brother, Jeffrey, watchclosely.

don’t make weight, the kidsnow know the reasons why.They know their selectionprocess may have had a flaw,that they didn’t feed as well asthey should have, or maybethat there was some heatstress that could have beenprevented.”

The expos continue toevolve.

“In the beginning, theywere very formal, but theteachers and 4-H membersnow know what to expect.We’re finding fewer parents

just dropping their kids off. Many of them are nowstaying and participating in the learning. We’re evenseeing grandparents,” Campbell says.

“The expos are helping young people prepare forthe county and state fairs, but beyond that they aregaining knowledge about a variety of subjects. By thetime each expo is over, the kids have learned somuch. And they are having fun, so much fun.” �On the Web: http://www.uwyo.edu/CES/County_Info/Natrona/Natrona_Newsletter_Main.html

20

Law officers and prosecuting attorneys for years have used DNA technology to put criminals

behind bars.That same technology is now finding a home

on the open range as more ranchers are applying itto their cattle operations.

“Today, there are tests that predict carcasscharacteristics of offspring, coat color, and polledstatus. There are also tests that can assign apermanent and unique identity as well as identifyparentage,” says Bridger Feuz, an agriculture andnatural resource assistant extension educator for

Uinta and Sweetwatercounties.

“Tests in the nearfuture will not only beable to predict anoffspring’s carcasscharacteristics, but theywill also be able topredict an animal’sgenetic potential as itenters a feedlot.”

Feuz is sharing thisinformation with cattleproducers insouthwesternWyoming. Earlier thisyear, he taught classesin Evanston, Lyman,and Farson.

“Out of the 25 or so people who attended,about 20 are interested in having more in-depthclasses on the subject. I will definitely plan on doingthat,” he says.

DNA technology has been slow to take hold inWyoming, but Feuz notes that a couple of CowboyState ranches were among the first in the country touse DNA profiling. They include Beckton Stock Farmand Buffalo Creek Red Angus, two purebred Red

Angus operationslocated in SheridanCounty.

Beckton, BuffaloCreek, and about 10other ranches inWyoming that raisepurebred cattle areusing DNA analysisto help determineparentage becausethey run multiplesires in pastures,Feuz says.

“Some of the pastures in Wyoming are so bigit’s hard for one bull to get the job done. This allowsranchers to take advantage of large-pasturesituations by putting in multiple bulls, whichreduces the risk of having open cows,” he notes.

Gini Chase, who co-owns Buffalo Creek RedAngus with her husband, Jack, and their children,says, “We started using DNA to profile some of oursires and dams shortly after the technology becameavailable, and it has worked well for us.”

Chase says Buffalo Creek’s cows generally havetheir calves unassisted on the range, and samplesfrom some calves are taken, especially twins, toensure parentage.

Feuz says the majority of DNA analysis takesplace on purebred operations, though morecommercial breeders are taking advantage of thetechnology.

“The value of DNA testing is limited forproducers selling calves at weaning, since weaningweight is a trait that can be emphasized successfullywithout the use of DNA. But DNA profiling is a wayto capture more value, through retained ownership,by improving the carcass quality genetics of yourherd,” he says.

Commercial ranchers interested in retainingownership of their calves can take blood samples ofeach calf on a DNA sampling card. The cost is about$1 per calf.

DNA technology finding new home onBy Robert Waggener, EditorOffice of Communications and Technology

Assistant Extension EducatorBridger Feuz

Bridger Feuz, an agriculture and naturalresource assistant extension educator forUinta and Sweetwater counties, recordsinformation from a calf, including the ear tagnumber and date, after taking a blood samplefor DNA testing.

technology

21

“When they sell their calves through retainedownership, they can get carcass data back on thoseanimals, and based on that data, they can learnwhich calves were responsible for premiums andwhich calves were responsible for discounts.”

Feuz says ranchers can then submit DNAsamples taken from the top 10 percent of thepremium calves and bottom 10 percent of thediscounted calves for DNA testing. Tests areapproximately $20 to $25 per calf.

“You would then match the tests back to thesires, which enables you to determine which siresproduce the premium calves as well as thediscounted ones. On many of the retainedownership programs now, grid marketing is inplace. They will give ranchers premium pricesdepending on what the objectives of the particularprogram is – yield or quality of meat.

“I am not aware of anyone in Wyoming whohas used this strategy, but I have personally workedwith producers in Nebraska and Texas who have,”says Feuz, who previously worked for a companythat researched and found new DNA geneticmarkers for desirable traits in cattle.

“One of the things that I learned when teachingthe DNA classes in southwestern Wyoming is thatsome producers in this area desire moreinformation on retained ownership,” he notes.Under this plan, a rancher retains ownership of hisor her calves through the feedlot instead of sellingthe calves to a buyer at weaning time.

“If people are willing to manage their herds tospecific targets, there can be more profit in retainedownership. The disadvantage is that you areextending your risk for a longer period of time,”Feuz stresses. “Unless commercial ranchersdetermine that retained ownership is a goodstrategy for them, DNA testing probably won’t bean important program to add.”

Feuz says a number of southwest Wyomingcattle producers expressed interest in retained

ownership, and that’s why he scheduled a class onthe topic. He brought three industry experts toLyman on March 31. “My objective is to work withproducers. I want to help them increase the value intheir herds and then to capture that value.”

Feuz says hetouches on the futureof DNA testing in hisclasses, and one of theexciting newdevelopments is calledbovine genomesequencing. “Privatecompanies anduniversity researchersare focusing onunderstanding geneticmarkers that affectcertain traits in beefcattle. The potential toselectively andaccurately breed cattlefor specific traits suchas improved meat yieldor tenderness has beengreatly enhanced withthe release of the firstdraft of the bovinegenome sequence,”Feuz says.

“Scientists say thatthis work, which is nowavailable to researchersin public databases,will underpin cattleresearch for the nextseveral decades.” �

On the Web: http://www.bcm.edu/pa/bovine-genome.htm

Bridger Feuz gently pricks this calf’s ear with aneedle to obtain a blood sample.

After pricking this calf’s ear with a needle,Bridger Feuz presses a DNA sampling card tothe ear to obtain a single drop of blood forDNA analysis.

the range

progress

22

When the idea of aLincoln County

leadership institutesurfaced, someresidents of the countywere skeptical.They thought it wouldbe better for theUniversity of WyomingCooperative Extension

Service to organize an institute for southern LincolnCounty including the towns of Kemmerer,Diamondville, and Cokeville, and a separate one forthe northern portion of the county including Afton,Thayne, Alpine, and surrounding communities.

Mary Martin, an extension educator for Lincoln,Sublette, and Teton counties, worked a localsteering committee made up of individuals frombusiness, industry, and government. “It took meabout a year of meetings to get the Lincoln CountyLeadership Institute (LCLI) up and running. Wecreated a dedicated steering committee whichworked hard to create a viable curriculum for theinstitute.”

Local sponsors included the Cokeville Chamberof Commerce, Lincoln County, Lower Valley Energy,the Kemmerer/Diamondville Chamber ofCommerce, PacifiCorp, Silver Star Communications,and the Star Valley Chamber of Commerce.

“We know that successful counties haveeffective bridges and bonds, bridges between theirpeople, communities, and groups within thecommunities. There are many programs that dealwith issues but not many programs that help peopleto develop the skills necessary to deal with theseissues,” Martin says.

LCLI was established in the fall of 2004 toprovide an understanding of community issues andresources and to foster the development ofleadership skills and abilities. The first of six full-daysessions was December 1, and it dealt with teambuilding and leadership styles.

Other class topics included communication andconflict resolution, individual leadershipassessment, critical thinking and effective problemsolving, effective meeting management, and socialresponsibility. The twelve participants went throughgraduation ceremonies April 28. Governor DaveFreudenthal gave the “commencement” address.

“Governor Freudenthal talked about leadershipand social responsibility, and then he opened it upto questions,” Martin says.

Based on initial feedback, the extensioneducator says the LCLI was a tremendous success inpart because such a cross-section of the county wasrepresented.

CES leadership institutes take offBy Robert Waggener, EditorOffice of Communications andTechnology

Jeannee Sager of Afton, left, and Carolyn Reed ofCokeville work on a writing project during individualleadership assessment day in Thayne. This leadershipinstitute session was sponsored by Silver StarCommunications.

23

The participants included:• Afton – Dan Docksteder, Star Valley

Independent newspaper publisher; and JerryHansen, KRSV radio general manager.

• Bedford – Karen Haderlie, Star Valley Chamberof Commerce executive director; and RussMotzkus, real estate broker.

• Cokeville – Kelly Hoffman, Lincoln County firewarden and area technician for All WestCommunications; Darren Moody, high schoolmaintenance supervisor and wrestling coach;and Carolyn Reed, chamber of commerceeconomic development manager.

• Kemmerer – Garth “Doc” Dana, south LincolnCounty road and bridge superintendent; ToddMoores, field operator for BP (BritishPetroleum); and Mike Turner, county computersystems administrator.

• Smoot – Janet Gleue, homemaker and schoolbus driver who wants to become more involvedin her community; and Jeannee Sager, SilverStar Communications marketing assistant.

“They’ve been saying this was a hands-downgreat experience. It helped them improve theircommunication skills, and they learned otherpractical skills that can be used in the home andwithin organizations, city and county government,and businesses,” Martin says. “The participants aretelling me they are excited for another leadershipinstitute in Lincoln County. They are saying theirfriends and colleagues are hoping a second one isoffered.”

Haderlie says, “The institute has been acommitment, but it has been such a goodexperience. As far as I can tell, everyone in the classwill encourage others to become involved in asimilar one. I see them as ambassadors to build theparticipation.”

Asked why she committed six full days,Haderlie responds, “Our office serves 12 smallcommunities in northern Lincoln County, and it isdefinitely a challenge to get people to work togetherand be supportive of each other. I was alsointerested in building relationships with peoplethroughout the county because that will benefit allof us in so many ways.”

Haderlie says the LCLI gave her a number oftools to more effectively work with others.

“We learned about different personality styles,how to recognize them, and how to build teamsbased on the strengths of each style. We learnedhow to effectively handle conflicts that may arise.On leadership assessment day, the teachers gave usfeedback to help us develop our own strengths andto improve on our weaknesses,” she notes.

The chamber director was told that she is agood listener, is open to ideas shared by others, andis able to help groups stay on task to reach theirgoals.

Haderlie then adds, “I learned that I can dobetter to express myself and to be morecomfortable and confident in front of groups.Improving in those areas will be beneficial at workand in the home.”

“Leadership development and

civic engagement are key

elements of successful

communities and successful

economic development.”

Mary Martin, UW CES educator

collaborationin Lincoln County, across Wyoming

24

Martin says the individual leadershipassessment day appears to be offering participantsthe greatest opportunity for personal growth andassessment.

“The participants were given five leadershipsimulations, and trained observers providedpersonal feedback in four important leadershipdimensions including the ability to influence,decision making and judgment, planning andorganizing, and communication.

“This is a component of the EVOLVE-sponsoredprograms that is unique,” Martin says.

EVOLVE is short for Extension VolunteerOrganization for Leadership Vitality and Enterprise.The leadership institute is one of CES’s EVOLVEcommunity-development programs created by thestate’s Enhancing Wyoming Communities andHouseholds (EWCH) initiative team, which Martinchairs.

Among the EWCH members is Rhonda Shipp,an area extension educator for Big Horn, HotSprings, Park, and Washakie counties.

“Rhonda led several leadership institutes inPark County, and that was before extension agreedto make the institutes a part of the statewidestrategic plan. I am very appreciative of Rhonda’sencouragement. She has been a fabulous mentor tome,” Martin says.

In May, representatives from a number ofwestern states spent a week in Cody learning about

EVOLVE. It was their intention to start similarprograms back home.

The success is spreading across Wyoming, too,as leadership institutes are also occurring in BigHorn, Crook, Fremont, Lincoln, Sublette, Teton,Uinta, Washakie, and Weston counties.

“Institutes are beingorganized in countiesanxious to host them,and once word getsaround about howsuccessful they are, wehope more spring up,”Martin says. “Leadershipdevelopment and civicengagement are keyelements of successfulcommunities andsuccessful economicdevelopment.”

Haderlie adds, “I wouldhighly recommend aleadership institute toothers, and I hope theCooperative ExtensionService offers a secondone in our county.” �On the Web: http://www.subletteleadership.com/pages/institute.htm

Leadership institute participants Karen Haderlie of Bedford, Russell Motzkus of Bedford, and Dan Docksteder ofAfton, from left to right, interview Gwen Hansen, a secretary in the Teton County Cooperative Extension Serviceoffice, during individual leadership assessment day in Thayne. This was a mock interview to improve interviewquestioning skills.

“I would highly

recommend a

leadership

institute to

others, and I

hope the

Cooperative

Extension

Service offers a

second one in

our county.”

Karen Haderlie,Star ValleyChamber

of Commerceexecutive director

potential

25

By Robert Waggener, EditorOffice of Communications and Technology

Rancher Ray Daly got tired of plowing up alfalfafields every six or seven years and watching

white-tailed deer chew down potential secondcuttings.

Like the deer leaping over fences to reach lushalfalfa fields each evening, Daly said he jumped atthe chance to participate in an irrigated cool-seasongrass study when he received a flyer in the mailfrom the Johnson County Cooperative ExtensionService.

“I have been trying to find something thatwould produce nearly as much tonnage as alfalfabut not nearly as many headaches,” says Daly, whoranches on Lower Piney Creek near the Johnson-Sheridan County line northeast of Buffalo.

Daly may have found what he’s looking for –cool-season grasses to replace alfalfa in the irrigatedpastures.

Two years ago, Blaine Horn, an area extensioneducator for Johnson and Sheridan counties, seedednine cool-season perennial forage grasses into plotson the ranch that Daly leases from Sheridan Countyresident Neltje. The same varieties were planted onLarry Vignaroli’s ranch along Lower Clear Creek,also northeast of Buffalo.

“We got good stands of grass. Some of themlook real promising,” says Horn, who specializes inrange forages. “The two pubescent wheat grassesare really looking good in terms of production.”

Horn is cautiously optimistic that the project

will help northeastern Wyoming ranchers in thecoming years, but he emphasizes, “The verdict isstill out on just how long the stands will hold up,especially under haying conditions.”

Just why did the extension educator launchsuch a study?

Horn says alfalfa produces high-quality hay withgood yields under irrigated conditions in the twocounties, but the newer varieties generally only dowell for five to seven years. Fields then get plowedunder, and the alfalfa is replaced with oats or milletfor one to two yearsbefore alfalfa isreplanted.

“There are anumber of farmingoperations, and this getsquite expensive,” addsHorn, referring tomanpower, equipmentcosts, and seed.

Alfalfa expert AlanGray, who is the directorof the University ofWyoming’s PowellResearch and ExtensionCenter, notes there are acouple of reasons whyalfalfa peaks inproductivity during the first four years of stand life.

“First, alfalfa is a legume, and legumes have aunique ability to fix nitrogen (N). However, allforage crops – alfalfa and grasses included – require

Replacing alfalfa with cool-seasongrass may lower ranch costs

Area Extension EducatorBlaine Horn

26

supplemental phosphate (P) tomaintain high levels ofproduction. Consequently,annual maintenanceapplications of P are requiredfor both grass and alfalfastands,” Gray says.

Irrigated grasses have thesame requirement for P andN as alfalfa, but grassesrequire a substantialannual nitrogen subsidy toremain as productive asalfalfa, he notes.

“Second, the plantpopulation in an alfalfa stand tends to

diminish over time because the plants can’t spreadvegetatively like grasses, nor can alfalfa standsreseed themselves because mature plants areallelopathic to alfalfa seedlings.”

Therefore, Gray says, an alfalfa stand is difficultto thicken because it doesn’t tiller and spread like

grass does. Over time, even if a rancher starts witha good stand of alfalfa, it tends to thin out. He addsthat alfalfa seeds will successfully germinate in anestablished stand, but a mature plant produces agrowth regulator that prevents alfalfa seedlings fromcompeting and becoming permanently established.

“An alfalfa stand is at its best about 12 monthsafter establishment. It’s all downhill from then,regardless if you start out with a great stand or apoor one,” Gray stresses.

Horn says he decided to launch the studybecause of alfalfa’s downfall coupled with the factthat Sheridan and Johnson County ranchers growapproximately 64,000 acres of irrigated alfalfa hayannually.

“If hay yields of cool-season grasses are similarto that of alfalfa, are of good quality, and remainproductive for more years, the overall costs for hayproduction could be lowered,” he predicts.

The educator sent out flyers outlining his study,and Daly and Vignaroli eagerly agreed toparticipate. Plots were seeded in May 2003 with six

Justin Horn, son of Area Extension Educator Blaine Horn, seeds grass for the University of Wyoming CooperativeExtension Service research project that is underway on two ranches northeast of Buffalo near the Johnson-Sheridan county line.

27

relevance

varieties of wheatgrass, two varieties of brome, andone of wildrye. The first harvest occurred in lateJune 2004.

Horn says that forage yields of the grassesaveraged two tons per acre with an average crudeprotein content of 9 percent and an average totaldigestible nutrient (or energy) content of 63percent. These numbers compare favorably to mid-bloom alfalfa hay averages in the two counties.

According to research cited by Horn, beef cowsneed between 6 and 11 percent crude protein and45 to 60 percent TDN in their diets depending onthe stage of production. Thus, he says, the cool-season grasses would provide an adequate amountof energy for a beef cow and an adequate amountof crude protein, except when she is in earlylactation.

“Although the financial impacts of ranchers’raising cool-season perennial forage grasses for hayin replacement of alfalfa remains to be determined,this first year’s data indicate that these grasses dohave potential as a viable alternative to alfalfa forhay production in this region,” Horn says.

Though he believes the quality analysis of thegrass hay, including protein and energy contents,likely won’t change, it will take three or fouradditional years of study to determine how thegrasses hold up to factors such as weather,mechanical harvesting, and consumption by cattle,deer, and other animals.

But Daly said he is already so pleased with thepreliminary results that he decided last spring toplow an additional 35 acres of alfalfa and seed sixdifferent plots with six grass varieties.

“The two bromes (Manchar smooth and Regarmeadow) did well, but two of the wheatgrasses(Luna pubescent and Manska pubescent) have doneamazingly well. The whole field averaged three tonsper acre for the first full year of production,” Dalysays.

“Before I plowed the alfalfa down, the field wasonly producing two tons of hay per acre. It neededto be plowed down real bad. My alfalfa has a shortlifespan in part because we have so many white-tailed deer. They eliminate a lot of the second

cuttings and take the stored reserves for late-fallgrazing,” he continues.

“So far, I’m real pleased with the grassproduction I’ve seen off of the field.”

Daly then starts laughing.“I’m hoping that 20 years from now, when I’m

ready to retire, I’ll know what I should have beendoing all these years.” �On the Web: http://uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/UWCES/Johnson_main.asp

On the Web: http://www.uwyo.edu/ces/PUBS/MP111_04.pdf

Luna pubescent wheatgrass, along with two othervarieties of wheatgrasses, have produced the highestyields so far among the nine grasses that are beingstudied for yield, quality, and longevity.

May 2005

EditorRobert Waggener

Layout and DesignTana Stith

Send comments orsuggestions to:Glen WhippleDept. 33541000 E. University Ave.Laramie, WY 82071(307) 766-5124glen@uwyo.edu

The University of Wyomingis an equal opportunity/

affirmative action institution.

Printed on recycled paper

University of WyomingCooperative Extension ServiceDept. 33541000 E. University Ave.Laramie, WY 82071

PRESORT STANDARD

U.S. POSTAGE PAID

LARAMIE, WY 82072

PERMIT No. 1

Professor David Koch, anagronomy specialist in theDepartment of Plant Sciences, wasone of three featured speakers at ameeting of extension specialistsMarch 29 in the College ofAgriculture. Koch shared a fewstories about his career and alsodiscussed research that is takingplace with forage plants in an effortto extend grazing seasons. “We’regetting more and more interest inresearch of plant species thatprovide grazing animals with theirnutrient needs for a longer time.This, in turn, reduces the need forexpensive hay and helps ensurelong-term profitability,” Koch said.The other speakers includedAssociate Professor Jim Waggoner,livestock nutrition specialist in theDepartment of RenewableResources, and Warren Crawford,state 4-H/youth specialist.