Land and Livestock Post

PRSRT STDUS POSTAGE

PAIDBRYAN, TX 77802PERMIT # 23

March 2014— Issue 2

Full of beans

Planting warm-season legumes benefits pasturesPAGE 16

CONSUMER CONFIDENCEBeef Quality Assurance boosts beef experience.PAGE 5

SPIRITED AGRICULTURETexas family turns cowpeas into premium vodka.PAGE 20

USING ANTIBIOTICSWELLDr. Wikse discusses stopping pneumonia deaths.PAGE 13

SEEKING GREEN ACRESFFA works to attract city teens.PAGE 9

PRSRT STDUS POSTAGE

PAIDBRYAN, TX 77802PERMIT # 23

April 2014— Issue 1

April 2014— Issue 1 The Land & Livestock Post2

NewsFrom theGeneralManager

Ilooked back over my lastcolumn, and I got a little hos-tile. Sorry about that, I guess

I can’t handle the pressureof house-hunting as well as Ithought I could. But, the valve’sbeen twisted and some of thatpressure is abated because wefound a house!

Now, before I get into the restof my column, I want to let eachand every one of you readersknow how special you are tome.

Some of you I know, someI’ve never met, but I considereach and every one of you —especially those with strongbacks, pick-up trucks or flat bedtrailers — to be an importantpart of my life. I hope I’m animportant part of your life aswell.

So, back to the house.

When you buy a new house,I’ve heard you have to move outof the old one. I’m not a materi-alistic guy, but I am rather fondof my worldly possessions and Iguess I’d like totake them withme to my newhome. Is thereanything morefun than mov-ing? I mean, itis just the bestthing. ...

I can’t do it.I was going to try to Tom

Sawyer you all into helping memove, but I just can’t. I’d rathersomeone ask me for a kidneythan ask me to help them move.This is a rule I adopted yearsago: “Don’t ask me to help youmove, I won’t ask you to helpme.”

It’s gone rather well up to thispoint.

Before I moved into thishouse I’m moving out of now,everything I owned fit nicely inthe bed of an F-150. But aftergetting married and addingtwo kids to the mix, things havepiled up. It all still may fit in thebed of the F-150, but it’s going totake about 20 trips, at the veryleast.

Still, I don’t regret my rule.With my luck, the second I letmy guard down and ask forhelp, the person who helped mewould be set to move the nextweek, with two sleeper-sofas,a gun safe and a loaded deep-freeze.

So, I’ll strain my back andmove as much of my own stuffmyself as I can.

Then, perhaps even more

painful, I’ll pull out my walletand pay someone to help me.

We all need a little help some-times, and in this issue we lookat how warm-season foragesactually can help you keep fromhaving to pull out that wallet.

In our cover story, we lookat the advantages to plantinglegumes and what type may bebest for your neck of the woods.

Keeping with the foragetheme, I found a story about aTexan who found a way to turna field full of cowpeas into anight of bad decisions. You’llhave to read the story to findout how.

We also have some advice onrestocking as well as some goodnews about youth in agricul-ture.

This combined with a fewother stories, sprinkled in with

our regular features shouldmake for a pretty good issue.Hope you enjoy it.

Come by our booth at the TS-CRA convention, and be sure tosign up for our e-newsletter.

And, as always — whetheryou help me move or not —thanks for reading.

’Til next time,

• For more information about con-tent or advertising, contact JesseWright at jesse.wright@theeagle.

JESSE WRIGHT

The Land & Livestock Post April 2014— Issue 1 3

Your SOURCE for Top Quality Registeredand Commercial Brangus Cattle

Bobcat Bottoms Ranch • Persimmon Creek Ranch • Camp Cooley RanchSpringValley Ranch •Windy Hill Ranch •Vista Ridge Ranch

Bobcat Bottoms Ranch • Persimmon Creek Ranch • Camp Cooley RanchBobcat Bottoms Ranch • Persimmon Creek Ranch • Camp Cooley RanchBobcat Bottoms Ranch • Persimmon Creek Ranch • Camp Cooley Ranch

Circle Land&Cattle Co., Ltd. SteveDensmore,CattleMgr.,

(979) 450-0819, cell • (979) 778-1055, homeChrisDuewall,OperationsMgr.,(979) 777-6803, cell

located just offHwy. 6 andOSR1415EastOSR •Bryan,Texas 77808Office: (979) 776-5760 • Fax: (979) 776-4818Website: www.circlexbrangus.com

ProudMembers

of

NewsAgricultural lawblogservesaseducational resource forTexas

By Blair FanninTexas A&MAgriLife Extension

Service

Tiffany Dowell, Texas A&MAgriLife Extension Serviceeconomist and agricultural lawspecialist in College Station, hasseen her Texas Agriculture LawBlog continue to gain popularityduetotimelytopicsaddressingis-suesaffecting landownersacrossthe Lone Star State.“I continue tofieldmanyques-

tions over the phone or at work-shops dealing with oil and gasleases,aswellaswater lawacrossTexas,” Dowell said.“Questions about pasture and

hunting leases are also popular.To keep the latest updated infor-mationflowingonthesetopics,aswell as others, the agriculturallaw blog is a central source ofinformation that servesasagoodreference.”The law blog can be found on-

line at agrilife.org/texasaglaw/.It features a number of differ-ent topics, including updates oncurrent ag-related litigation andevents, information about basiclaws in Texas, and informationon specific legal issues such aspipeline easements and leasing.In January, the blog hadmore

than 2,100 visitors.The source serves not only

farmers and ranchers, but otherTexas landowners as well, shesaid.Site visitors can access infor-

mationonlineorsignupforemailsubscriptionsreceivingthe latestinformationassoonas it’spostedto the site.“Every Friday I provide a

roundup of the week’s hot top-ics and news with links to moreinformation,” Dowell said.She also incorporates ques-

tions she receives via email andtelephone calls and, while re-specting confidentiality, sharesthosequestionsandanswerswithreaders.Someof themost recent topics

Dowell has addressed in the bloginclude:• Underground trespassing

— Earlierthismonth,the TexasSup r emeC o u r theard oralargumentsin a casethat coulddeterminew h e t h e rTexas rec-ognizes un-dergroundtrespass -ing. This case involves a land-owner drilling an injection wellusedtodisposeof wastewateronemile underground, which thencrossed over property lines to arice farmer’s neighboring land.The case could have major im-pacts on the oil and gas industryand landownerrights.TheTexasSupremeCourt currently is con-sidering thecaseandnodecisionhas been issued.• interaction of rights be-

tween surface owners andmineral owners — Dowell hasaddressed what rights the sur-face owner has in the event theminerals have been leased andan oil company wants to drill onthe land.Other topics Dowell has previ-

ouslyaddressed includeeminentdomain andwater law.“Water law continues to be

a hot topic,” Dowell said. “Thisalongwithpasture leases iswhatI’ve been doing a lot of presenta-tions on across the state.”Prior to joining AgriLife Ex-

tension in 2013, Dowell was anassociate attorney with the lawfirm of Peifer, Hanson and Mul-lins in Albuquerque, N.M. Shereceivedher lawdegree from theUniversityof NewMexicoSchoolof Law and bachelor of sciencein agribusiness from OklahomaState University.Dowell grew up on a family

farm and ranch in NewMexico.“Agricultural law has always

been my interest and my back-groundhas preparedmewell forthis type of work,” she said.

TIFFANY DOWELL


Jesse Wright [email protected]

To advertise in MarketplaceContact:

ALL TYPES OF STRUCTURALSTEEL & PIPE

Steel Buildings979-589-23331-866-959-2333pioneerboys.com

Cleere Earthworks L.L.C.TEXAS A&M CLASS OF ‘02

Land Clearing • Ponds • Roads • PadsDozer • Excavator • Scraper • Dump Truck

979-324-8746Travis Cleere

www.cleereearthworks.com

BRAHMAN BULLS/HEIFERS

Anthony Kubicek(979) 324-7391 cell.(979) 567-4201 ranch.Email: [email protected]

22 – 24 Month OldOpen Brahman Heifers Ready to Breed.

Good Selection of GentleBreeding Age Bulls Available.

Registered Gray Brahmans • F1 Brafords

Out ThereGet Your Name

Cattle&

Domestic HogProcessing

TheissSausageCompanyNormangee, TX936-396-9300

www.theisssausageco.com

RANCH FARMRESIDENTIAL

979.779.0420979.218.8674call for appointment or

[email protected] BARNS

PENS GAME FENCESCUSTOMBUILDINGSSTALLS REMODELS

BuddyMicklitz

DEER • RANCHCOMMERCIAL

C 979.218.8674H 979.779.0420

CHAIN LINK

Bryan Credit Office979.775.0404 | 877.775.0404

CapitalFarmCredit.com

Bryan Credit Office3000 Briarcrest Ste 101

979.775.0404 | 877.775.0404CapitalFarm Credit.com

www.cattlemanbullsale.com

NewsBeefQualityAssurance improvesconsumerexperience

By RoBeRt WellsThe Samuel Roberts Noble

Foundation

Ensuring a quality beef-eatingexperience starts at the ranchwhen thecalf is bornandcontin-uesuntil thesteak ispresented tothe consumer as a cooked prod-uct.Every segment of the beef in-

dustry has a role in ensuring aquality dining experience. A na-tionalprogramcalledBeef Qual-ity Assurance was developedmore than 25 years ago to helpproducers increase the qualityof beef they produce by educat-ing ranchers and their employ-ees on the importance of propermanagement and adhering toindustry-accepted guidelines.This program also raises con-

sumer confidence by asssuringthe public that USA beef is thesafest and most nutritious beefavailable.Beef QualityAssurance starts

at the ranch. Ranchers care fortheir cattle daily and strive toprovide a healthy and safe en-vironment for their livestock.Producers need to make surethat their employees and guestson the ranch also care about thecattle. One way to do this is forranch workers to be Beef Qual-ityAssurance-certifiedandlearnthe importance of proper injec-tion techniques, product han-dling and storage, and livestockhandling and transportation, aswell as the importance of docu-mentation.Many ranchers ask if being

Beef QualityAssurance-certifiedwillmake themanymoremoneywhen they sell their calves. Theshortanswer is thatbybeingcer-tified you are ensuring that thecattle have received the propercare and treatment that the in-dustry and consumers expect.Thiscertificationmaypromote

the buyer to bid more for yourcalves since he knows that youunderstand the importance ofBeef Quality Assurance and allthat it entails. He also may as-sume that, since you have takenthe time to become Beef QualityAssurance-certified, you havegone above and beyond for therestof yourcalves’management.Additionally, themoreproduc-

erswhobecomecertified, thebet-ter the industry is able to tell ourstory and represent the Ameri-can rancher to the consumer.Furthermore,ranchersneedto

educate all guests on the impor-tanceof beingsure thecattlestaysafewhile they are on the ranch.It is rare that foreign objectsare found in cattle at the pack-ing plant, but it is important toreduce even the potential of thishappening.Beef Quality Assurance has

been an industry standard since1986 as a way to reduce foreignresidues in the beef supply. Thisisanindustryinitiativethatmoreproducers should embrace.Boehringer Ingelheim Vet-

medica Inc. is making it easy byoffering to pay for your certifica-tion until April 15. To do so, visitwww.bivi-bqa.com, then type inthe access code BIVIBQA.

Special to The Post


Cattle&

Domestic HogProcessing

TheissSausageCompanyNormangee, TX936-396-9300

www.theisssausageco.com


NewsTDAseeksapplications tohonorTexas family farmsandranches

Special to The Post

AUSTIN—Continuingaproudtraditionof honoringhard-work-ing Texas farmers and ranch-ers, Agriculture CommissionerToddStaples inFebruary invitedfamilies to apply for the TexasDepartment of Agriculture’sFamily Land Heritage program.The program recognizes familyfarmsandranchesthathavebeenin continuous agricultural pro-ductionby the same family for atleast 100 years.

Applications are due May 1.“Family farms and ranches

are the backbone of Texas ag-riculture,” Staples said. “Cur-rently,morethan98percentof allfarms and ranches in Texas arefamily-owned. Recognizing thisenduring commitment to Texasagriculture is what makes theFamily Land Heritage programso special.

“Through generations of hardwork, perseverance and love ofthe land, these families have op-erated their farms and ranchesfor 100 years or more, makingTexas a $100 billion powerhouseof agricultural productivity.”

The2014FamilyLandHeritageceremony will be held this fallat the Texas Capitol in Austin,

where the Texas Department ofAgriculturewill recognize farmsand ranches established in 1914or earlier.

Eligible farmsandranchesstillmust be owned and operated bythe descendants of the founder,either through blood, marriageor adoption. At least 10 acres ofthe land must be in continuousagricultural production for thepast 100 years or more. There isno cost to apply for the recogni-tion.

To date, the Texas Depart-ment of Agriculture has recog-nized more than 4,800 propertiesin 237 counties across Texas.In 2000, the Family Land Heri-tage program began honoringfamilies for 150 and 200 years ofcontinuous agricultural produc-tion. Since then, 133 farms andranches have been recognizedfor 150 years of operation andsix ranches have been honoredfor 200 years of operation.

Applications for the 2014 Fam-ilyLandHeritagerecognitionareavailable for download at www.TexasAgriculture.gov by click-ing the Family Land Heritageicon in the middle section of thehome page. For more informa-tion, email Jill Selman at [email protected].


CALDWELL LIVESTOCK COMMISSION

Carl Herrmann(979)820-5349

Hwy 36 South, P.O. Box 542, Caldwell, TX 77836Sale Barn Phone: (979) 567-4119

REGULAR SALE EVERY

WEDNESDAY, 1:00 PM

NewsAgriLifeExtensionunveils feralhogmanagementapp

By Steve ByrnSTexas A&MAgriLife Extension

Service

For many farmers and ranch-ers, it may seem as though feralhogsarewell on theirway to tak-ing over the country.But now at least, the new app,

“FeralHogManagement,”devel-oped by the Texas A&M AgriL-ife Extension Service, is here tohelp landowners learn the legalstrategies available to impedethis apparently unending flowof unwanted porcine invaders.“Feral hogs are fast becoming

the number one single most de-structive invasivespecies threat-ening agriculture and wildlifein the U.S.,” said Mark Tyson,AgriLife Extension wildlife andfisheriesassociateatCollegeSta-tion.“They contribute to poor wa-

ter quality issues, disturb nativeecosystems, andwreakhavoc onlandscapes and gardens.“Their growing numbers are

now making them a menace onour roadways, with collisiondamage often exceeding severalthousands of dollars per inci-dent.“Even as they become ‘public

enemy No. 1,’ their populationrelentlesslycontinuestoexplode.“In Texas alone, their num-

bers are now estimated at a con-servative 2.6 million head, with$52 million in damages chalked-up to them annually. And, withan estimated 134 million acresof suitable habitat in Texas forferal hogs, their skyrocketing

numbersareripe forsomemajorexpansion.”For 99 cents, Tyson said the

AgriLife Extension app, avail-able at itunes.apple.com/us/app/feral-hog-management/id784847089?mt=8,provides land-owners with the key to a wealthof theverybest informationnowavailableonvariouscontrolmea-sures.“This app, which is compat-

ible with iPhone, iPad and iPodTouch, gathers years of science-basedinformationandfieldexpe-rience fromahostof sources intoa single easy-to-use format rightat your fingertips,” Tyson said.“Theappprovidesvaluablefea-

tures, notably control methodslikesnare-buildingandstrategicshooting, as well as bait recipesand trap design. The visuals areoutstanding, with the vivid pho-tographs providing users withthe detailed examples many ofusneed tohelpus furtherunder-stand themanagementpracticesoutlined.“With the information in this

app alone, a landowner couldconceivably identify, plan andimplement a highly effective fe-ral hog management plan to ridhis property of feral hogs and,with vigilance, keep it hog-free.”Formore information, contact

[email protected].

Photo courtesy of Texas A&MAgriLife ExtensionFeral Hog Management, a new app devel-oped by the Texas A&MAgriLife ExtensionService, is here to help landowners dealwith feral hogs.


News

FFAlooks to teens tobroaden its appeal

By LISA GRAYHouston Chronicle

HOUSTON—“Annabelle,”de-clared the wooden name plaquehanging over the heifer’s stall.Lauren Campbell, a sophomoreat The Woodlands High School,cooed and rubbed the Red Bran-gus’ nose as if the 1,100-poundbeast were a kitten.“Don’t lick,” she commanded.

Annabelle paid no attention,her big, rough tongue heading

for Campbell’s face. Campbelllaughed. Annabelle, she said,has a “diva personality”: tem-pestuous under normal circum-stances, but all business whenit’s showtime. When Campbellparades Annabelle past judgesat the Houston Livestock Show,sheexpectedtheheifer tobehave.Campbell, a suburban kid, is

what the FFA — formerly Fu-tureFarmersof America—calls

See TEENS, Page 10

AP Photo/The Courier,AlanWarrenCinco Ranch’s Kaylen Senogles hugs BrandonHomann after he sold his Reserve Cham-pionHog during the 2014Katy sSchool district FFA Livestock Show&Rodeo on Feb.22.


Saturday, April 5, 2014 • NoonGroesbeck Auction & Livestock Co., Groesbeck, Texas(Located 2 miles east of Groesbeck on Hwy. 164)

For more information please call:903/599-2403 or817/291-5121

1,350 Head of QualityReplacement Females IncludingPairs, Bred Cows, Bred & Open

Heifers

Certified F-1s, True F-1s, Brangus,Herefords, Brahmans and otherPremier quality replacements

This is a very choice set of replacement cattleconsigned by leading commercial ranchesthroughout Texas. Cattle will be palpated

and sold in uniformly sorted groups to fit anycattlemans’s needs.Tom Johnson

440 FM 246 • Wortham, TX 76693903-599-2403 •Mobile 817-291-5121

Listings of sale cattle will be available onlineMarch 27th at www.johnsoncattlemarketing.com

Motel AccommodationsGroesbeck - Express Inn & Suites, 254-729-3017

Groesbeck - Best Western, 254-729-0077Mexia - Holliday Inn Express, 254-562-0005

CATTLE MARKETINGNOHNSOJMexia

Marlin

Waco Groesbeck BuffaloHWY. 6 &164HWY. 164

HWY. 84

I-45

I-35

HWY.6

News

a “nontraditional member.” In-creasingly, the group is secur-ing its future by making itselfappealing to members such asCampbell.In November, the Texas FFA

Association logged more than100,000 members, setting a re-cord, not just for Texas, thebiggest FFA state in the union,but for any state in the country.Despite ag-teacher cutbacks inmany urban districts, nontradi-tionalFFAchaptersandstudentsabound. School districts such asKatyandGalenaParkoperateag-riculture facilities (read: barns)so that suburban FFAmembershave a place to raise their live-stock.And theTexascountywith the

most FFA members? It’s Harris—home toHouston, Texas’ larg-est cityandthesiteof theworld’sbiggest livestock exhibition.Campbell is one of roughly

10,200FFAmemberswhocompet-

ed at this year’s livestock show.(Another6,000orsoaremembersof 4H.)Thevastmajorityof thosekids, saidLeroyShafer, livestockshow chief operating officer, arerural, reflecting the FFA’s roots.

When the organization wasborn in 1928, nearly two-thirdsof Texans lived on farms orranches. These days, fewer than17 percent of the state’s studentsare from rural areas.In 1988 the group re-branded

itself as the National FFA Or-ganization. The idea wasn’t thatfarming had no future. It was,as the FFA website explains, to“reflect the growing diversity ofagriculture.”These days, members aren’t

just future farmers, but also fu-ture biologists, wildlife manag-ers,florists,mechanicsandsmall-animal labmanagers. (Campbellplans either to be a large-animalvet or an ag teacher.) Urban andsuburban schools, where lots ofmembersdon’traiseanimals,aresaid to be particularly strong in

the FFA’s “leadership events”— competitions in areas suchas “public speaking” and “jobinterview.”“I tell kids that it’s like KFC,”

said Kevin Berrigan, one of twoag teachers at The WoodlandsCollege Park High. “It used tobe Kentucky Fried Chicken. Butthey wanted to be a little moremodern.”Annabelle lives at the Conroe

schooldistrict’sag facility,whichis shared by two high schools,The Woodlands High and TheWoodlandsCollegePark. Insum-mer,Campbell spentfivehoursaday with her calf, teaching it towalk on a halter.Now that school is in session,

it’s Campbell’s dadwho stops bythe barn to feed Annabelle mostweekday mornings. (FFA dadsjoke that the letters stand for“FathersFeedingAnimals.”)ButCampbell is hardly off the hook:She spends anhour and ahalf to

Teens, from Page 9

AP Photo/The Courier, Alan WarrenMorton Ranch's Emma Fletcher spends some time with her lamb duringthe 2014 Katy FFA Livestock Show & Rodeo auction at the L.D. RobinsonPavilion on Feb. 22.

See FFA, Page 14


Do you have your Boyd Built Feeder?Do you have your Boyd Built Feeder?

Boyd Industries, Inc.Boyd Industries, Inc.www.BoydBuilt.com

Phone: (800) 611-3540 Fax: (940)-433-8540

Now withCatwalks!

• Fully assembled and ready to use.• Made of heavy-duty materials towithstand the toughest conditions.• Used all over the Southwest forover 40 years.• 1,500 lb. to 60,000 lb. capacity.• Feeders to meet all your feedingneeds.• Available at:


Saturday, APRIL 5 • 1 p.m.Madisonville, TX

Complimentary Lunch served at NOON

21314 OSR • MADISONVILLE, TX 77864KEVIN COUNSIL, SHOW BARN MGR.WWW.COUNSILFAMILYLIMOUSIN.COMJIM, CELL (281) 808-3473 • KEVIN, CELL (281) 808-5511

OWNERS: JIM & CAROLE COUNSILBQA II Certified Herd Certified Brucellosis- and TB-Free

Hotel space limited. Make reservations early._____________________

Contact us for a complimentary sale catalog.View our catalog, pictures and videos on our website.

Our friends at DeMar Farms will alsohave 12 feature lots in the offering.

The 10 open show prospects will be eligiblefor the Lone Star Shoot-Out and Run For The Roses.

Expected Lone Star Shoot-out purse $10,000.Expected Run For The Roses purse $2,000.

Sale Management:SEEDSTOCK CONSULTANTSSPECIALIZED SALESKeith Kissee • Cell: 817-821-6263e-mail: [email protected]

Watch &Bid Live

Consultant: Bill Helton - 256/962-0256

TMCK CASUAL 28Y4/12/11 • HB/P • 75% Lim-FlexAHCCWestWindW544 x BLEL Casual 646SCE: 6 BW: 3.0 WW: 63 YW: 117 MA: 20 CM: 3 SC: 0.8Selling Half Interest, No Possession. A proven donor anddam of the Div. I Ch. Lim-Flex Female at the 2014 NWSS,TMCK Applause 301A, owned by Englewood Farms &Tubmill Creek Farms.

Her daughter, Applause 301A.

TMCK CASUAL 28Y CFLX LUC Y 005Z7/27/12 • HB/HP • 75% Lim-FlexDHVO Trey 133R x VVLC Black Lucy 416RCE: 7 BW: 1.4 WW: 38 YW: 71 MA: 14 CM: 0 SC: 0.3ClassWinner, 2014 NWSS Jr. Show • AI’d 12/29/13 to LH U Haul.Pulled from the heart of our showstring, we hate to let thisone go. She is a full sister to the 2011 AALF ChampionLim-Flex Female, EF Xpect The Best, from Etherton Farms.

A full sister, Xpect The Best.

CFLX BLACK ROBIN 288Z10/15/12 • HB/P • 75% Lim-FlexCFLXWild Card x BOHI Red Robin 282RCE: 7 BW: 2.4 WW: 63 YW: 111 MA: 26 CM: 4 SC: 0.6Donor Prospect. Selling half interest with theoption to double up.AI’d 12/29/13 to LH U Haul.

CFLX TOWN GIRL 307A2/28/13 • HB/HP • 63% Lim-FlexCFLXWoodstock 784W xWulfs Talk Of The TownCE: 1 BW: 4.4 WW: 55 YW: 96 MA: 14 CM: -1 SC: 0.5Open Show Heifer • By our junior herd sire,CFLXWoodstock, a flushmate to the MOE SilverMedal Female, MAGSWoodstock.

CFLX TOWN GIRL 307A CFLX 218A4/7/13 • HB/DP (test pending) • 50% Lim-FlexLH Rodemaster 338R x BOHI Red Robin 282RProj—CE: 14 BW: 0.3 WW: 61 YW: 112 MA: 31 CM: 8 SC: 0.5He is a full brother to the proven AI sire, MAGS UR A Robin.

CFLX FORCE 211A4/3/13 • HB/P • 50% Lim-FlexEF Xcessive Force x BOHI Rhonda 314R (deceased)CE: 11 BW: -0.7 WW: 40 YW: 85 MA: 32 CM: 3 SC: 0.2This is the last opportunity to purchase BOHI Rhondaprogeny as the great donor is now deceased.

Selling 80+ Head as67 Limousin, Lim-Flex

& Angus Lots

9 Haltered Show Heifers1 Angus Show Heifer

2 Donors2 Herd-Sire Prospects16 Spring-Calving Pairs

34 Bred Females3 Three-In-One Splitting Pairs

News

BuffaloResults of the Buffalo Livestock

Market’s March 8 sale:Head: 972Steers:150-200 lbs.,$255-$295;

200-300 lbs.,$230-$290; 300-400lbs., $225-$290; 400-500 lbs.,$200-$252; 500-600 lbs., $190-$220; 600-700 lbs., $170-$195;700-800 lbs., $160-$180.

Heifers: 150-200 lbs., $225-$290; 200-300 lbs., $200-$260;300-400 lbs., $190-$255; 400-500 lbs.,$180-$240; 500-600 lbs.,$160-$217; 600-700 lbs., $155-$182; 700-800 lbs., $140-$167.

Slaughter bulls: $100-$131.Slaughter cows: $65-$114.Bred cows: $975-$2,150.Cow/calf pairs: $1,100-$2,450.

Caldwell

Results of the Caldwell LivestockCommission’s March 12 sale:

Head: 326Steers:200-300 lbs.,$225-$265;

300-400 lbs.,$240-$290; 400-500lbs., $220-$270; 500-600 lbs.,$200-$215; 600-700 lbs., $170-$195; 700-800 lbs., $160-$175.

Heifers: 200-300 lbs., $210-$220; 300-400 lbs., $200-$230;400-500 lbs., $180-$200; 500-600 lbs.,$160-$190; 600-700 lbs.,$150-$185.

Slaughter bulls: $106-$127.Slaughter cows: $66-$118.Stocker cows: $800-$1,500.Cow/calf pairs: $1,500-$1,900.

GroesbeckResults of the Groesbeck Auction

and Livestock Exchange’s March 13sale:

Head: 306Steers: 300-400 lbs., $230-

$287; 400-500 lbs., $200-$260;500-600 lbs.,$180-$217; 600-700lbs., $175-$190.

Heifers: 300-400 lbs., $180-$230; 400-500 lbs., $175-$220;500-600 lbs.,$170-$190; 600-700lbs., $170-$180.

Slaughter bulls: $100-$127.Slaughter cows: $82-$122.Stocker cows: $1,150-$1,900.Cow/calf pairs: $1,300-$2,300.

MilanoResults of the Milano Livestock

Exchange’s March 11 sale:

Head: 525Steers: 300-400 lbs., $132-

$251; 400-500 lbs., $120-$235;500-600 lbs.,$125-$207; 600-700lbs., $120-$191.

Heifers: 300-400 lbs., $130-$267; 400-500 lbs., $125-$201;500-600 lbs.,$125-$207; 600-700lbs., $111-$191.

Slaughter bulls: $91-$100.Slaughter cows: $65-$112.Stocker cows: $1,000-$1,600.Cow/calf pairs: $1,350-$2,100.

NavasotaResults of theNavasota Livestock

Auction Co.’s March 8 sale:

Head: 620Steers: 150-300 lbs., $150-

$310; 300-400 lbs., $150-$275;400-500 lbs.,$125-$245; 500-600lbs., $120-$207.50; 600-700 lbs.,$115-$192.50.

Heifers: 150-300 lbs., $135-$270; 300-400 lbs., $130-$215;400-500 lbs., $120-$210; 500-600 lbs.,$115-$200; 600-700 lbs.,$115-$183.

Slaughter bulls: $75-$126.Slaughter cows: $65-$114.Stocker cows: $950-$1,600.Cow/calf pairs: $1,300-$1,975.

— Special to The Post

LIVESTOCK MARKET REPORT


Young Cow Herd

Brangus X Cows

(7 pairs & 2 Heavy Breds)

1 Reg. Brangus Bull (4 yr old)

Located in Robertson County

call

979-814-0700

Ask the VetUsingantibioticproperlycutspneumoniadeathsQuestion: I’ve got a stock-

er operation in FallsCounty and this winter I

lost more calves to pneumoniathan I can remember.

I know it was a cold winter,but too many calves died afterI gave them strong antibiotics.Can you give me some tips onhow to use these antibioticsbetter?Answer: Sure I can give you

some guidelines for treatmentof calves with pneumonia.First, I would like to discussthe risk factors that affect boththe amount of pneumonia in agroup of calves as well as thesuccess rate in treatment ofpneumonia cases.

The beef cattle industry’sbiggest disease problem is in-fectious bronchopneumonia,commonly called the bovinerespiratory disease (BRD) com-plex.

Factors affectingtreatment success

The number of factors andinteractions between factorsthat affect the occurrence ofpneumonia and survival ordeath of affected calves makeeven disease researchers dizzy!The factors that affect successof treatment fall into threegeneral categories: severity ofdisease, degree of resistance ofthe calf and how properly anti-biotics are given.

Severity of disease dependsmainly on susceptibility ofthe calf, virulence of the infec-tious agents (viruses, bacteria,mycoplasma), and amount ofexposure.

Resistance of the calf isdetermined by its plane ofnutrition, level of parasitismand degree of stress in its envi-ronment (general health), age,genetics and amount of specificimmunity from vaccination.

Proper administration of an-tibiotics depends on startingtreatment early with an antibi-otic that is effective, giving thecorrect dose and treating for along enough number of days.

It’s easy to see that using astrong antibiotic is just onepiece of a com-plex puzzle.Thinking overhow the vari-ous pieces applyto your calvesthis past winterwill help you tounderstand whyyou had a lowerthan usual success rate in treat-ing pneumonia.

A bird’s eye view of yourcalves in their pasture couldpoint to management practicesthat will lower the number ofpneumonia cases next winterand increase treatment successin calves that do get pneumo-nia.

Are your calves parasitized?Is there shelter such as windbreaks in your pastures? Haveyour calves been vaccinatedagainst respiratory pathogens?Are your calves young andsmall?

Metaphylacticantibiotic treatment

If your calves are light-weight and have an uncertainvaccination history, they wouldbe classified as high-risk.Giving a dose of long-actingantibiotic on arrival to calvesthat have a high likelihood ofbreaking with pneumonia iscalled metaphylaxis. As a ruleof thumb, this will reduce thenumber of cases of pneumoniain high-risk calves by 50 per-cent.

All calves are treated withantibiotics on arrival becauseit’s not possible to identify

which calves will become ill.Some calves in early stages ofpneumonia will be stoic andother calves that do not havepneumonia will look sick fromthe fatigue of transportation.

It’s just tough to pull sickcalves accurately.

In a study involving 469 steersfollowed to slaughter, 35 per-cent were treated for pneumo-nia. Of the 35 percent treated,78 percent had lung lesions atharvest indicating prior pneu-monia. However, 68 percentof the steers never treated forpneumonia also had lung le-sions at harvest.

Calves with lung lesions had0.13 lbs less daily gains thancalves without lung lesions.This illustrates that death loss-

es are not the only negative fi-nancial impacts of pneumonia.Steps to prevent pneumoniacan be very cost-effective.

Therapeutic antibiotictreatment

The 5 basic principles of suc-cessful antibiotic treatment ofpneumonia in calves are starttreatment early, treat with aneffective antibiotic, give theproper antibiotic dose, treatlong enough and avoid residuesat slaughter.

Our present arsenal of mira-clemycin antibiotics make itrelatively easy to select an effec-tive antibiotic and follow labeldirections on proper dosage and

avoidance of residues.These broad-spectrum anti-

biotics all are very effective. Inaddition, many of them main-tain lung tissue concentrationsfor five days or more which isan adequate duration of treat-ment for pneumonia. Startingtreatment early is dependent ona rancher’s acumen in spottingthe clinical signs of calves inthe beginning stages of pneu-monia.

Some people may think thatthe most important key to suc-cessful treatment of calf pneu-monia is selection of the properantibiotic.

All of us seem enthralled byeach new antibiotic and our nu-

Dr. STEVEWIKSE

See ANTIBIOTICS, Page 22

The Land & Livestock Post April 2014 — Issue 1 13

BRAZ

OS

• ROBER

TSON • LEON• GRI M

ES•M

ADISON•WALKER•H

OUST

ON•

Leon

Houston

Trinity

Grimes

Walker

mestone

Montgomery

Brazos

Robertson

Waller

leson

Madison

Washington

SanJacint

CUSTOM PROCESSING CATTLE ONLYEXPIRES MAY 31, 2014

SAVE$25

Present thisCoupon

to

ONE COUPON PER CUSTOMER

For all YourProcessing Needs!

JARRETT’SMEAT SERVICE936-348-3868

You deserve to have your animal processedby a professional butcher with integrity. Don’ttake our word for it, ask your neighbors. We arePROUD to let our REPUTATION speak for us!

Centrally Located to YOUR County Fair!

Jarrett’s Meat Service335 Crossroads•Madisonville, TX

936-348-3868

News

two hours each evening feedingAnnabelle dinner and cleaningher stall.

Before her March 16 date withthejudges,Annabelleenjoyedthebovine equivalent of a day at thespa: Campbell would brush andblow-dryher, clipherhoovesandclean her feet.

That’s not how most Wood-landshighschool studentsspendtheir time.

“At my school most people aremore focusedonfashion,”Camp-bell told the Houston Chronicle(bit.ly/O1ZKiv). “They’re notlike, ‘Let’s go pick up cow poop!’They’remore like, ‘I gottagetmynails done.’”

But at the Conroe school barn,it’s easy to see ag’s appeal. LikeCampbell, the other teenagersare outdoorsy, wholesome-look-ing and enthusiastic: farm kidswho just happened to grow up inmaster-planned communities.

Madi Stankevitz, a freshmanat The Woodlands High School,is raising three pigs, one darkcross and two light crosses. “Hisname’s Mo,” she said, motioning

to the dark cross, which weighsaround 250 pounds. “His favoritetreat isTums,andhelikes tohavehis belly scratched.”

He’aven Menard and AbbyJones are best friends, both ju-niors at The Woodlands CollegePark. Menard is raising a goat;Jones, a Hampshire lamb. Theyplan to be roommates at TexasState University and join thecollegiate FFA there. After grad-uation, they want to team-teachhigh-school agriculture classes— just as their own teachers.

Berrigan,whoisgung-hoaboutagandFFA,makes that life seemthrilling.

“Agriculture is the backboneof every great society,” he said.“FFA isn’t super-Hollywood. It’sreal. It’s tangible. It’spureAmeri-cana.

“It’s what we’re supposed tobe like.”

FFA, from Page 10


Zimmatic Systems,For Large Acreages, Center Pivots,Lateral Moves, Mobiles

Greenfield Mini Pivot,Designed To Irrigate 1 to 60 Acres.

$5,350 $16,399

Rural Land LoansCountry Home LoansFarm & Ranch LoansLivestock LoansEquipment LoansOperating CapitalLeasing

Bryan Credit Office1714 E. 29th Street

979.775.0404 | 877.775.0404CapitalFarmCredit.com

T E X A S ’ L A R G E S T R U R A L L E N D E R

Bryan Credit Office3000 Briarcrest Dr., Ste. 101979.775.0404 | 877.775.0404CapitalFarm Credit.com

Brazos Valley LivestockCommission, Inc.

6097 East Hwy. 21 • Bryan, TX

(979) 778-0904

Sales: Tuesdays@ 12 Noon



(979) 778-0904




(979) 778-0904




(979) 778-0904


NewsRangelandmanagement iskey tosurvivingdrought

By Kay LedBetterTexas A&MAgriLife Extension

Service

AMARILLO—Improvedman-agement adapted to changingrangeland conditions will be akey to surviving three back-to-back years of drought, accord-ing to Tim Steffens, Texas A&MAgriLife Extension Servicerangeland management special-ist in Canyon.

“We have just had three of thedriestgrowingseasons inrecord-edhistoryinarow,”saidSteffens,who is also a West Texas A&MUniversity assistant professor,at the recent Panhandle RanchManagement event. “We’ve hadone of the driest falls. We’ve hadone of the driest winters.

“So this coming year, don’t bein any hurry to increase num-bers until we find out for surehow much rain we’ve got, andhow much grass we’re going tohave that can respond to furtherrain showers later in the year.”

Steffens warned that if grassstarts in bad shape from lastyear, it probably will remain introuble this year, even if it rainsnormally.

“If we don’t get rain in thespring to get things started andhavesomegrassgrowingbymid-June, it’sprobablynotgoingtobea good year.

“So by early July, you need toassess the conditions and makedecisions then. Then look againin the fall and determine if youhave enough grass and if youhavehadenoughraintotakecareof the grass.”

Steffens said keys to manage-ment includeprovidingadequaterecoveryforgrassbeforegrazing,which means letting the plantsget a full complement of leavesbefore cattle regraze a plant.Agrazing “system” that does notprovide adequate recovery fol-lowing grazing won’t do muchgood, he said.

Whatever management strat-egy a rancher chooses, adequaterecovery for severely defoliatedplants and leaving enough resi-due after a grazing period “is

what is going to get you whereyou want to go.”

Steffenssaidgrazingdecisionscanprepareresourcestorespondfavorably inthegoodtimesornotgo down so far when things arenot good.

“Right now, I am not worriedabout weeds,” he said. “If itwill grow, I’m tickled to death.Get something to cover up thatground, provide some shade,protect it from the wind, keep itfrom eroding and provide somecoversothatsomethingcangrowlater.”

A few other items on his man-agement list include:

• Provide adequate regrowthforheavilydefoliatedplants, anddo that every year, if possible.• Improve distribution — get

theanimalsawayfromtheplacesthey are overusing and get them

to places they are underusing.•Provideeveryopportunity for

recruitment of new plants. Mostplants in pastures reproducevegetatively; they don’t have tocome up from seed. But some ar-eas may need more seed. “If youhave to have the seed, try to getsome. But I wouldn’t advise go-ingout thereandwastingmoneynow trying to plant.”

•Maintainstockingratewithincarrying capacity. “If you areoverstocked, I don’t care whatyou do, you are a numerical fail-ure going in.”• Maintain or improve resil-

ience of the plant community.A variety of plants in unstableconditions is a positive thing;there’s always something thereto respond to rain.

Steffens said feeding hay onrangeland does not stop over-

grazing, because if any grassdoes grow, the cattle will go to itbefore eating the hay.

“Getcattleoutof abusedareasand to areas that still have feed,”

he said. “If you have to continueto feed cattle, I suggest gettingthemintoapenandfeedingthemthere, where they won’t be over-grazing plants.”

Texas A&MAgriLife Extension Service photoThree back-to-back drought years have left very little grass in some pastures, andrecovery will be a long-time coming.


For a free weekly market report log on towww.navasotalivestock.com

10th ANNUALSPRINGFEMALE&BULLREPLACEMENTSALE

FOR INFORMATIONCall 936-825-6545 or Greg Goudeau 936-661-8432

SAT. April 12th, 2014 10:00 A.M.

35 Fancy, 2 yr. old Brangus Pairs•

10 2 yr. old Hereford Pairs•

20 3-5 yr. old Brangus Pairs•

25 4-6 yr. old Crossbred Pairs•

25 3-5 yr. old Brangus Bred Cows•

175 3-5 yr. old Crossbred Bred•

Cows

40 Braford Open Heifers•

15 Charolais &Angus Bulls from•

Pat Griswold

Expecting500+ Head

All Livestock mustbe received no laterthanWednesday,

April 9th at 5:00 p.m.

Accepting AdditionalConsignments

All consignmentswill be screenedupon arrival.

Early Consignments Include:

Graham

Custom Feedlot andGrowing Programs

P.O. Box 925, Gonzales, Texas 78629Phone: 830-672-6504

• 30,000 Head Feedyard

• 14,000+ Head Growing Program

• Personal Customer Service

• Licensed Feedyard for Nolan RyanTender Aged Beef

• Pen sizes range from 1-250 head

• Access to all performance and carcass data

Land and Cattle Co.

Dr. Charles W. Graham, OwnerJay Gray, General Managerwww.grahamfeedyard.com

Tyler Graham, OwnerMaurice Janda, Feedyard Manager

e-mail: [email protected]

also home of:

Pete Peterman (830) 857-3562sunset Livestock Carriers, Inc.

News

Has-beansWarmseasonpasture legumesareagood investment

By RoBeRt FeaRsSpecial to The Post

Planting legumes in pastures isa good investment, particularlywith the high nitrogen fertilizerprices.

Legumes can supply nitrogento the pasture system through the nitrogenfixation process. This process is the conver-sion of nitrogen from the air into a formthat plants and animals can use. In addi-tion, legumes add protein to the pastureforage mix.

“Cool-season annual legumes are themost extensively used in the southeasternUnited States,” said Gerald Smith of TexasA&M AgriLife Research in Overton. “Theyare usually overseeded on dormant warm-season perennial grasses. Both annual andperennial warm-season legumes are usedmore for wildlife than livestock.”

It is difficult to grow warm-season le-gumes in association with warm-seasonperennial grasses because the warm-seasongrasses are so well adapted and competi-tive. High intensive stocking rates in a pas-ture rotation system may help alleviatethis disadvantage. Because of their animalnutritional value, it is worth the time spentin studying the various types of warm-season legumes to determine if one or morecan improve the ranch forage program.Warm-season legumes can be annuals orperennials.

Warm-season annual legumes“Cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata) are an-

nual, viney plants with large leaves,” saidJohn Caddel of Oklahoma cooperative Ex-tension Service.

“The species is tolerant of drought, lowfertility and soil acidity. Cowpeas, however,do require adequate levels of phosphorus tobe productive.

“Forage nutritive value is high and plantsare easily established in May through June.

See NITROGEN, Page 17

Graphic provided by Texas Parks andWildlifeThe type of warm season legumes youshould plant varies from region to region.Be sure you know which plants thrive inyour area.

April 2014 — Issue 1 The Land & Livestock Post16

News“Cowpeas are used as a

warm-season planting forwhite-tailed deer to offsetthe negative effects of sum-mer stress. Allowing growinganimals to have creep access tocowpeas provides for enhancedanimal performance duringsummerwhen forage nutritivevalue of other species is typi-cally reduced. Cowpeas does notcause bloat in ruminants andare immediately palatable tocattle.”A&M’s Smith said, “Iron and

Clay (technically a varietymix)is an old forage-type cowpeacultivar that remains vegetativeduringmost of the summer andflowers in early September.“Current cultivars of forage

cowpeas are best adapted inTexas to the PineyWoods andPost Oak Savanah ecoregions.”(Seemap.)

Lablab (Lablab purpureus)is a viney, herbaceous tropi-cal legumewith high nutritivevalue as a forage or browse forruminant animals (aggieclover.tamu.edu/rio-verde). Usefulqualities of this tropical forageinclude drought tolerance, highpalatability, high nutritive val-ue, excellent forage yields andadaptation to diverse environ-mental conditions. Currently,seed of the Australian lablabcultivar, Rongai, are importedinto the United States. It is usedfor supplemental forage plant-ings for white-tailed deer.Rio Verde lablab was devel-

oped through selection primar-ily for tolerance to defoliation,forage production potentialand Texas seed production. RioVerde was developed at the Tex-as A&MAgriLife Research andExtension Center at Overton.

See LEGUMES, Page 18

Nitrogen, from Page 16

Texas Agrilife Extension photoCows grazing.Adding legumes to the forage mix can pay dividends.


NewsLablab tolerates moderate

defoliation from deer browsingand livestock grazing. It may bemost sustainable when eitherrotationally stocked or used as acreep-grazing area for sucklingcalves. Frequent and severedefoliation by the grazing ani-mal may result in loss of plantsand/or stand. When using arotational stocking system, it’srecommended that grazing beterminated when an approxi-mate 4-inch stubble height isreached, and that grazing mayresume when lablab reaches a12- to 15-inch height.

The number of grazingcycles is moisture dependent.Research at Overton indicatesthat lablab is more palatable tocattle than cowpea.

Smith said, “Rio Verde lablabis adapted to sandy, sandy loam,clay loam and clay upland soilsof the southern United States,including the following eco-regions of Texas: Pineywoods;Gulf Prairies and Marshes; Post

Oak Savannah; Blackland Prai-ries; Cross Timbers and Prai-ries; and South Texas Plains.

“As you go west from thePineywoods, low rainfall maylimit forage production oflablab.”

“Soybean (Glycine max) is atemperate grain legume thatcan be used as a grazing andhay crop,” Smith said. “It is notas tolerant of heat and droughtas cowpea and lablab and doesnot regrow well after defolia-tion. Soybean is better adaptedto clay and clay loam soils rela-tive to cowpea and lablab. Latematuring types are suited bestfor grazing or hay crops,” Smithsaid.

In situations where there isa need for additional summergrazing, forage soybeans can bedouble cropped behind a winter

Legumes, from Page 17 Thomas G. Barnes, USDA-NRCS PLANTSDatabase

Illinois bundleflower.

Cover photo by USDA

See NATIVE, Page 24

April 2014 — Issue 1 The Land & Livestock Post18

BESIDES BUILDING THE BEST TRAILERS ON THE MARKET,WE ALSO OFFER A HUGE SELECTION OF:

TRAILER AXLES • HUBS • BRAKES • LIGHTS • JACKSCOUPLERS • TOWING • HARDWARE • CARGO CONTROLTIRES ANDWHEELS • TRUCK ACCESSORIES •WINCHESGOOSENECK HOOKUPS IN TRUCKS • ANDMUCHMORE!

(979) 778-0034See our complete Parts Inventory and order online at:www.goosenecktrailerparts.com

www.gooseneck.net

4400 East Hwy 21, Bryan, TX 77808

BRING IN THIS ADTO ENTER A

DRAWING FOR A$50 GIFT CARDTOTHE RESTAURANTOFYOUR CHOICE!

Bar JK Livestock ServicesJosh Kinslow

19412 Ransom Rd. | Hearne, TX 77859Cell: 979-574-7914

Home: 979-589-1149

Liquid Feed Supplement


JonHildebrand Endorsed by

R.C. Slocum

“Give These Guys A Shot!” - R.C. Slocum

www.caldwellcountry.com800 Presidential Corridor East Hwy 21,

Caldwell, Texas 77836979-567-1500 800-299-SAVE

News

IngoodspiritsTurning cowpeas into premiumTexas vodka

By STEVE CAMPBELLFortWorth Star-Telegram

FORTWORTH—Worndown by drought anddwindling water sup-plies, Trey Nickelswas disheartened

about his future as a farmergrowing black-eyed peas inMuleshoe.Tending crops spread across

threeWest Texas counties,Nickels often ended up sleepingin the fields andwas runninghimself ragged trying to keepcomplex irrigation and agricul-tural equipment running.Rising land costs, stiff compe-

tition, falling prices and declin-ing consumption of black-eyedpeas added to his worries.Throw the stress of a divorceinto the equation andNickelswas itching for a change.“Late at night, I was sitting

there thinking,What canwe dowith all these beans?My broth-er said, ‘Let’s make beer outof it.’ And I said, ‘Let’s makevodka,’” Nickels told the FortWorth Star-Telegram.Four years later, the pea-sized

notion has become TreyMarkBlack-Eyed Vodkawhich soonwill start pouring out of a600-gallon copper still insidea historic firehouse south ofdowntown FortWorth.“I started doing some re-

search on it. It was just a wildhair. I wondered if it could bedone,” said Nickels, 30.So he built a homemade still

and started experimenting. Hisbuddies didn’t think the raw re-sults were drinkable, but it washigh-octane spirits.It didn’t take long for his

mother, 58-year-old DeborahNickels, who had retired fromrunning the family’s processingfacility about 70miles north-west of Lubbock, to buy into hisblack-eyed idea.“It was a no-brainer forme

when Trey said let’s do this,”said DeborahNickels. “I lived inMuleshoe for 46 years, but Treysaid it was time for a change.”To “prove the idea,” the

mother-and-son team hookedupwith ShermanOwens, a dis-tilling consultant in Shepherds-ville, Ky.Owens came to the same con-

clusion that got Trey Nickelsstarted— peas are loaded withstarch and that’s all you needtomake a fermentedmash thatcan be distilled into liquor.“It’s never been done that

I know of,” said Owens, whoproved the process using a

method developed in Chinato extract starch frommungbeans.“After that, it’s the same dis-

tilling procedure as using cornor potatoes or any other prod-uct,” he said.That’s all the Nickels needed

to get rolling.They “prettymuch sold

everything” to finance thecash-intensive project, DeborahNickels said.“I bailed out and sold the

farm and got out of it the best Icould. I was forced to farm onemore year tomake up for somelosses the year before,” TreyNickels said. “We’ve both in-vested a lot of money in this.”For two years, they scouted

for locations in Texas cities be-fore deciding that FortWorth’s

AP Photo/The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Paul MoseleyAbove, TreyMark Black-Eyed Vodka is distilled in an old southside fire station in FortWorth. Right, Deborah Nickels and her son Trey Nickels have taken their their black-eyed pea crop and turned it in to a new venture, TreyMark Black-Eyed Vodka, locatedin an old south side fire station in Fort Worth.

See VODKA, Page 21


News“hometown feel,” was the bestfit, DeborahNickels said.“This town just fit our history

and roots inWest Texas,” shesaid.Theymoved here late in 2012

and started hunting for a distill-ery location.A site near the FortWorth

Stockyards didn’t pan out, andsixmonths ago they leased thetwo-story, 5,200-square-footbrick firehouse at 503 BryanAve. a block east of SouthMainStreet.The building, built in 1910 af-

ter the original firehouse on thesite burned down, once houseda 15-man horse-drawn firefight-ing crew and then amotorizedunit until themid-1960s, saidowner Bob Higginbotham, whobought it in 1997 and renovatedit to house his audio-visualcompany.

“It was in terrible condition.It was a brick shell with a roof.The windowswere all boardedup, street people hadmadecampfires on the floor and thesecond floor had caved it,” hesaid.The building has had several

tenants since 2000 but had beenempty for about a year, Higgin-botham said.When Trey Nickels first

checked out the building, hethought that with two floors,it wouldn’t accommodate thestill’s 22-foot-tall column.Then he saw the fireman’s

pole from the second floor.The still column now extendsthrough the opening. “It workedperfectly,” he said.Changing the structure’s city

permitting from an office build-ing into a vodka facility hasbeen the start-up company’sbiggest challenge.

Vodka, from Page 20

See COWPEAS, Page 28AP Photo/The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Paul Moseley

TreyMark Black-Eyed Vodka should be available at selected outlets this month.

The Land & Livestock Post April 2014 — Issue 1 21

AprilApril 4 – 6 - Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raiser’sAssociation Annual Convention. San Antonio, TX

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

April 5 – Certified E6 Replacement Female Sale.Columbus, TX 210-648-5475

April 5 – Focused on the Future Production Sale.Madisonvile, TX. (281) 808-5511

April 7-11 – Ranch Management University.College Station, TX. 979-845-4826

April 12 – Collier Farms Advantage BeefmasterSale. Giddings, TX. 210-648-5475

April 12 -RCCC Playday # 2 (books open at 1:00 PM)

April 17 – Advertising Deadline for the Land &Livestock Post

April 19 -RCCC Goat Extravaganza (registration at10:30 AM)

April 17 - Jordan Cattle Auction Special BullOffering. San Saba, TX.

April 26 – Cattleman’s Brenham LivestockAuction Spring Special Replacement Female & Bull Sale.Brenham, TX.

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

April 26 – Springtime in Texas Sale. Brenham, TX.

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

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

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

[email protected]

Events Calendarollow us

facebookon

facebook.com/texasllp

Ask the Vet

merous choices.Manymore calves, however,

have died because antibiotictreatment was started too latethan use of an ineffective an-tibiotic. If damage to lung tis-sue is extensive andwalled-offwhen treatment is started eventhemost potent antibiotic willbe helpless.A calf with the classical signs

of pneumonia will have laboredbreathing, ocular and nasaldischarges, depression, appeargaunt and possibly have a softlow cough. The big problem isthat starting antibiotic treat-ment in that calf may be too lateto save its life. Theremay be toomuch lung damage by then.Successful treatment of pneu-

monia involves pulling calvesdisplaying the very earliestsigns of depression. I got a lot ofpractice spotting calves in early

stages of pneumonia in threeclinical studies involving calvesshipped over a thousandmilesfromTennessee. It’s best tostart by observing calves froma distance. Cattle are prey ani-mals that for their own protec-tion become alert even if sickwhen approached.

Calves in the early stages ofpneumonia will stand off bythemselves with a dropped headand arched back. Some havedroopy ears and sleepy, partlyclosed eyes. They will moveslowly andmay drag their toes.Feeding is a good time to checkfor sick calves. Theymay slowlywalk up to feed or not come upat all. Some calves come up tofeed, but back out after a fewnibbles. These can be found bychecking 15minutes after feed-ing to see if all calves that cameup are still eating.

See CALVES, Page 26

Antibiotics, from Page 13


Metal Roofing &Building SupplyNavasota, TX

936-825-0500 1-800-91-HILCO12503 HWY 6 NAVASOTA,TX 77868

www.hilcosupply.com

• Pipe• Latches• Fence Cable

•Weld Up• Bolt Up• Residential• Agricultural

$12,50000+ TAXPipe /FencingSupplies

METALBUILDINGS

METAL ROOF-ING

40’ X 105’16’ Clearance3 - Sided Hay Barn

(Round Bale)All Galvalume

ALSO30’ X 60’ X 12’ Eave

1 - 10 X 10 FOAll Galvalume

Call for Pricing!


© 2013 Caterpillar All rights reserved. CAT, CATERPILLAR, their respective logos, “Caterpillar Yellow,” the “Power Edge” trade dress as well as corporate and product identity used herein, are trade-marks of Caterpillar and may not be used without permission.www.cat.com www.caterpillar.com

holT agriBusinessholtag.com

San Antonio • 877-882-5992

warren CaTwww.warrencatag.com

Midland866-2WARREN

wagner agwww.wagnerequipment.com

El Paso10501 Dyer Street • 915-821-7651

For Those whoDemanD Tough.one serious skiD sTeerWhether you’re a producer of crops, livestock or both, or a supplier/retailerof seeds, fertilizer or feed, your Texas Cat® dealer has equipment you needto maximize productivity, while minimizing operating costs. When you needa compact machine with the power and versatility to tackle big jobs on thefarm or ranch, look no further than a Cat Skid Steer Loader.

Deliver the muscle and versatility for a wide range of farming applications.

Contact your local Texas Cat dealer to make yourself the preferredcustomer.

geT The Tools To maTChCat Work Tool attachments help you tomaximize asset utilization by giving you theversatility to tackle a wider variety of choreswith the same machine.

musTang CaTwww.mustangcat.com

Houston713-460-2000

customer.customer.

Click on your local Texas Cat Dealerto be transferred to their web page.

xas Cat Dealertheir web page.

Whether you’re a producer of crops, livestock or both,or a supplier/retailer of seeds, fertilizer or feed, your

Texas Cat® dealer has equipment you need to maximizeproductivity, while minimizing operating costs.

For Those whoDemanD Tough.one serious skiD sTeer geT The Tools

To maTCh!geT The Tools

holT agriBusinessHoltAg.com

wagner agwww.wagnerequipment.comEl Paso10501 Dyer Street • 915-821-7651

warren CaTwww.warrencatag.comMidland866-2WARREN

musTang CaTwww.mustangcat.comHouston713-460-2000

CliCk oN logo

CliCk oN logo

CliCk oN logo

CliCk oN logo

VisiT our weBsiTeFOR more inFormaTionwww.texascatdealers.com/cce

Newswheat harvest. This is feasibleonly on productive soils and innon-drought areas.

Warm-seasonperennial legumes“Illinois bundleflower (Des-

manthus illinoesis) is a fern-like, high-protein plant thatnormally grows 3 to 4 feet tall,”said Lee DeHaan, plant breederfor the Land Institute in Sali-nas, Kans.“Defying its name, Illinois

bundleflower’s heaviest popu-lations are found in Kansasand Oklahoma. Yet it’s beenidentified in prairies, pasturesand roadsides fromAlabama toTexas and north as far asMin-nesota.”StephanHatch and Jennifer

Pluhar wrote inTexas RangePlants that the common name“bundleflower” is descriptive

of the unusual arrangement ofseeds in a twisted bundle. Theysaid that Illinois bundle floweris one of the important nativelegumes, valued as forage fordomestic livestock andwildlife.DeHaan added, “The plant

has several strengths that makeit a potential good fit for pasturemixes:• “Fixes nitrogen.• “Growswell in the sum-

mermonths, when cool-seasoncrops slow.• “Palatable to livestock.• “Aheavy seed producer at

about 800 pounds per acre.• “Tolerates bothmoist and

dry soils.”

Texas Cooperative Extension photoby Robert Burns

Rio Verde lablab was developed throughselection for tolerance to defoliation, for-age production potential and Texas seedproduction.

Native, from Page 18

See STRENGTHS, Page 25


News

Smith said, “There are sever-al additional species of bundle-flower that are native to Texasand surrounding states.“Two species have been com-

mercialized for use in Texas.Sabine Illinois bundleflower isadapted to North and CentralTexas from about Austin north-ward. BeeWild bundleflowerwas developed by the TexasAgricultural Research Stationat Beeville and is best adaptedsouth of Waco.”All bundleflowers are adapted

poorly to acid sandy soils, sotheir use is restricted to soilsthat are sandy clay loams andheavier with a pH near neutraland above. All bundleflowerscontain tannin which reducespalatability and essentiallyeliminates the potential forbloat.“Recommended seeding

rates for bundleflower is 3 to5 pounds per acre,” continuedSmith. “Seeding into preparedseedbed is the preferredmethod

of establishment, but successfulseedings can bemade followingglyphosate treatment of the as-sociated grass.“Bundleflower is very sen-

sitive to seeding depth, andshould be seeded nomore thanone-quarter inch deep.“On prepared seedbed, broad-

cast seeding followedwith drag-ging or cultipacking has beenvery successful. Bundleflowerlikes warm temperatures soApril andMay seedings are pre-ferred.”Annual warm-season le-

gumes will not fit every ranchmanagement system. Theyshould be considered, how-ever, for amid-summer proteinsource when perennial grassesoften go into semi-dormancyand their nutrient level is low.Asmentioned earlier, an-

nual warm-season legumes canserve as creep feed for calves.Native pasture grazing

should bemanaged in a way toencourage growth of perennialwarm-season legumes such asIllinois bundleflower.

Strengths, from Page 24


Marek Grain Bin Co.GSI Grain Bins•Grain Handling Equipment•Hutchinson Augers•

254-985-2242

Ask the VetPull suspect calves and con-

firm your diagnosis by rectaltemperature. Treat calves witha rectal temperature of 104 F orgreater. That is treatment basedon depression with undifferen-tiated fever (no specific signs ofpneumonia like nasal dischargeyet).

Mass antibiotictreatmentNew cases can be limited in

a severe pneumonia outbreakby treatment of all calves in thepasture with one of the long-acting antibiotics recommend-ed formetaphylactic treatment.The rules of thumb commonlyused by veterinarians formasstreating a pasture of calvesbreaking with pneumonia areto act when 10 percent of thegroupwere treated for two or

three consecutive days or when25 percent needed treatmentin a single day. I don’t thinkanyone would call that beingtrigger-happywith antibiotics.

Bottom lineVery early treatment is criti-

cal for successful treatment ofpneumonia in calves. It’s farmore important thanwhichantibiotic is used. It’s automaticwhen antibiotics are used inmetaphylactic ormassmedica-tion schemes. Early treatmentof individuals depends on keenobservations of animal behav-ior by ranchers and boils downto treatment based on depres-sion with undifferentiated fever.Be sure to consult your veteri-narian for recommendations onspecific drugs and dosages thatare best for each of the threeabove uses of antibiotics.Antibiotics can reduce deaths

and poor weight gains due topneumonia, but it takesmorethan antibiotics to control thisdevastating disease. Manage-ment practices that reduce oreliminate the risk factors ofpneumonia will prevent pneu-monia outbreaks and have agreater financial benefit thantreatment of pneumonia cases.Asmy old boss in practice,

Dr. Douglas, used to say: Pre-ventivemedicine is the bestmedicine.

• Dr. SteveWikse is a retired professorof large animal clinical sciences in theCollege of VeterinaryMedicine andBiomedical Sciences at Texas A&MUniversity.

Calves, from Page 22


SEEDED BERMUDAGRASS STUDYANNUAL DRY MATTER FORAGE YIELDS

2011, 2012, & 2013MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY

STARKVILLE, MISSISSIPPIVariety Harvest Date Total

YieldLB /ACRE

LB /ACRE

LB /ACRE

3YEAR

2011 2012 2013 AVG RANK

Texas Tough + 4,646 11,488 7,618 7,917 1Sungrazer + 3,516 11,281 6,599 7,132 2Buckaroo 3,979 10,881 6,428 7,096 3Cowboy 3,426 10,054 7,301 6,927 4Ranchero Frio 3,051 10,374 7,013 6,813 5Numex Sahara 3,201 10,293 6,772 6,755 6Amarillo King 3,586 9,873 6,561 6,673 7Laredo 3,410 9,975 6,654 6,680 8Highlander 2,379 10,880 6,159 6,473 9Mohawk 3,163 9,739 6,321 6,408 10Cheyenne II 3,612 9,334 5,941 6,296 11Rancher 2,830 9,740 6,085 6,218 12

Planting Date 7/13/201110 lbs (P.L.S.) Planting Rate, LSD (0.05)

Commercially available varieties only included in these results.

America’s Number One

Seeded Forage Bermudagrass!903-597-6637 800-888-1371

[email protected]

Number oneyielding seededbermudagrass inproduction trialsacross the Southin multiple years.

Lower plantingrate (10# per acre)due to being pureseed and notcoated.

More economicalalternative tospriggingbermudagrass.

15% higher yield(four year average)than spriggedCoastalBermudagrass.

Planted in twentystates surpassing500,000 acressince 1994.

Virtually diseasefree, droughttolerant and easyto establish.Stands stayproductive yearafter year.

2013 TESTIMONIALI first planted Texas Tough + Bermudagrass in the Springof 2009 for grazing and baling. I now have close to 200acres in production. My Texas Tough + has been free ofdisease with no loss of stands. My yields have remainedconsistent with no loss in production even through ourdrought of the last three years. It establishes fast withexcellent forage quality and much finer stems than coastalsprigs. In 2013, I thought I might have lost my newlyseeded Texas Tough + because of very cold early springtemperatures but, after receiving rains, the Texas Tough +came on and I had a great stand. By July it was over kneehigh and we turned the cattle in. Some of our fields werecut three times for baling. I have been very pleased withmy Texas Tough + production. It has increased my grazingtime from 90 days on native grasses to 150 days on myTexas Tough stands. I plan on planting more in 2014.

Denny Chaney - Bertram, TX

Bryan, Texas — Capital Farm Credit stockholders will soon receive an all-time record $65 million cashpatronage payment this spring.

The customer-owned lending cooperative continued its track record of strong earnings in 2013,enabling it to maintain its long tradition of returning profits to stockholders through its patronageprogram. Since 2006, Capital Farm Credit has returned over $385 million to its stockholders —equating to an effective annual rate reduction of 1.10 percent on an average loan.

“Capital Farm Credit is committed to the cooperative principle of managing our capital, and ourbusiness in general, for the benefit of our customers,” said Ben Novosad, chief executive officer. “Ourability to return patronage each year sets us apart from other financial institutions. We believe this is abenefit that strengthens customer relations and reinforces our mission to provide financing and relatedservices to support Texas agriculture — while affording our membership lower net borrowing costs.”

Capital Farm Credit has provided financing to Texas farmers, ranchers and rural property owners fornearly a century. Headquartered in Bryan, it has nearly 70 offices spanning most of Texas. For moreinformation about Capital Farm Credit and its patronage program, visit www.CapitalFarmCredit.com

For more information, call Brad Luedke, VP Branch Manager, (979)775-0404

Capital Farm CreditDistributes Largest EverCash Patronage Refund

NewsDrip torches facilitateeffectiveprescribedburns

By Michael PorterSamuel Roberts Noble Foundation

If Icouldhaveonlyfourtools toconductprescribedburnsorfightwildfires, theywouldbematches,adrip torch,anaccurateweatherforecastandapowersprayerwithawater tank transportedbyave-hicle.This article addresses the drip

torch. A drip torch is a portableapparatus that applies flamma-ble liquids to ignite vegetation.Drip torches are available com-mercially from companies suchas Forestry Suppliers Inc., BenMeadows, National Fire FighterCorp.,Gempler’sandseveraloth-ers.A typical drip torch ismade of

aluminum and brass or bronze

to reduce weight and risk of un-desired sparks. It usually has atank that holds 1.25 gallons ofliquid, a handle, an adjustableair vent/breather valve to con-trol liquid flow, a sealable lid, atube or spout attached to the lidwith a 360-degree loop (fuel trap)to prevent flashback or ignitionof liquid in the tank, a one-wayvalve at the base of the tube orspout for additional flashbackprotection, a nozzle on the tip ofthe tube or spout, and a wick. Adrip torch is a relatively simple

See TORCH, Page 30

Photo byf The Samuel Roberts Noble FoundationA typical drip torch is made of aluminumand brass or bronze to reduce weight andrisk of undesired sparks.


Sign up for the Land & Livestock Post

Electronic Newsletter

Visit:landandlivestockpost.com

Ag news you can use,now at the click of a mouse!

And sign up today for Land& Livestock Post news to be

delivered to your e-mail inbox andfor your chance to win a giftcard!for your chance to win a giftcard!

NewsTheworkwas to be complet-

ed inMarch and the first bottlestomarket in April, dependingon completion of licensing bythe Texas Alcoholic BeverageCommission.The Nickels won’t reveal

their start-up costs or theirblack-eyed pea formula.“You have to have faith in

this. One of the struggles is be-ing out all that capital beforeyou can produce anything,”Trey Nickels said.

He says the pea-based prod-uct has a unique taste.

“It’s a clean, no-burn vodkawith a subtle nut flavor to greentea on the end,” he said. “It’sgoing to lend itself to mixeddrinks.”Prices will be in the $35 dol-

lar range, which would put itin on the top shelf of premiumvodkas.“The grain is quite a bit more

expensive. Corn could yield18,000 pounds an acre, blackeyes do 2,000 pounds an acre attheir best,” he said.The final product will be a

true field-to-still family opera-tion, DeborahNickels said. Thepeas will come from the fields

of Trey’s older brother, Chad,andwill be ground into flour atthe family’s processing facilityinMuleshoe.

The distillery will be able toproduce about 670 gallons, orabout 3,400 bottles, of 80 proofvodka a week, he said.

The Nickels still are shop-ping for a distributor. In themeantime, it helps that a newTexas law that went into effectSept. 1 allows distilleries to sellbottles and drinks directly tothe public.

Eachmonth, customers canbuy two bottles and distilleriescan sell up to 3,000 gallons inindividual drinks.“That will help as we get go-

ing. Three-thousand gallons is alot of vodka,” Trey Nickels said.

The company initially willconcentrate on production, butthe building eventually will beopen for sales, tours and events,DeborahNickels said.Micro-distilleries are popping

up around Texas likemush-rooms.In 2011, the city’s first li-

censed distillery, Firestone &Robertson Distilling, openedin a renovated warehouse onlyamile or so fromTreyMark’sfacility.There are 56 distilleries now

licensedwith the Alcoholic Bev-erage Commission. That’s upfrom 49 since October andmorethan double the 25 in 2011.And the critics have liked

what Texas stills are cooking.Balcones Distilling inWaco

has wonmore awards thanmost Olympic teams and Fires-tone & Robertson’s TXWhiskey

was named “Best AmericanCraftWhiskey” in 2013.Owens, the industry consul-

tant whowill be assisting theNickels while they perfect theprocess, isn’t surprised by theexplosion inmicro distilling. Hehas helped 24 get going in thepast year.

Consumers increasingly areinterested in local hand-madeproducts, Owens said.

“People have the perceptionthat if it’s craft-made, there ismore care put into it than some-thing coming from themajordistillers which are like big fac-tories,” he said.

Many of themicro distill-eries are turning out vodka,but Owens believes black-eyedpeas will give TreyMark VodkaDistillery a uniquemarketingniche.“Vodka is not tough tomake,

the tough part is getting sales.It’s more of amarketing thingthan anything else,” he said.

“They are going to succeed. Iknow of only onemicro distillerthat has failed. Most of thetime, if they can do themarket-ing, they canmake a fairly goodliving,” he said.Black-eyes also are known

as cow peas and it’s fitting thatcow pea vodkawould originatein Cowtown. The peas are eatenfor luck onNewYear’s Day, andthat tradition also could trans-late into a propitious pour on aday often celebrated with adultbeverages, DeborahNickelssaid.“It’s all coming together per-

fectly. It was an effort of faiththat we could overcome every

roadblock.When things startedfalling in place here, we knew

we had it. We have confidencein our product.”

Cowpeas, from Page 21

Photo courtesy of WFAAThe opening for the fireman’s pole from the second floor of the 1910 firehouse provedperfect for the still’s tower.

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

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

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

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

Advertising Sales/General Manager - Jesse Wright ............... Ext. 4721

Financial Director - Rod Armstrong ....................................... Ext. 4605

Production Director - Mark Manning..................................... Ext. 4671

Circulation Director - Jack Perkins ....................................... Ext. 4752

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

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

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

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


New Subscription

Address Change

Name:

Address:

City:_____________________ St:________ Zip:

Phone #:

Old Address (if applicable):

City: _____________________St: _______Zip:

Email Address:

PAYMENT INFORMATION

Check Enclosed (Please make checks payable toThe Eagle)

Please Bill my: Mastercard VISA American Express

Discover

Account#:_____________________________CIV#:_____________

Name on Card:

Amount: _________________________Expiration Date:

Signature: Date:

SUBSCR IPT IONSubscribe to the award-winning Land & Livestock Post and receive 24 issues

of the latest ag news and information about the issues that affect you!

Mail or Register Online:c/o Land& Livestock Post

P.O. Box 3000Bryan, TX 77805

OR www.landandlivestockpost.comand click “subscribe”.

$19.9524 Issu

es

NEWS YOUCAN USERIGHTIN YOURMAILBOX

3390Winbrook Dr.Memphis, TN 38116


News

devicethat lastsa longtimewhennot abused. The Noble Founda-tion purchased its initial driptorches 31 years ago. They havebeen used on hundreds of pre-scribed burns and continue tobe used with little maintenance.Adrip torch is auseful tool for

prescribed burning and remov-ing fine fuel to stop wildfires be-cause itallowsanignitionpersonor crew quickly and safely to ig-nitefire inspecific locations, andestablishacontinuouslineof firewhen desired. Fine fuels suchas grass, forbs and tree leavesshould burn quickly and thor-oughly along the edge of a burnunit, inablack lineor inother ig-nited locations during aburn, soan ignition person or crew and afire suppression crew efficientlycan progress through the burn-ing/fire fighting process.Slower progress and discon-

tinuous ignition typically occurwhen using alternative ignitiontechniques such as matches oroil-soaked fabric on a stick ordragged object. Discontinuousignition or unburned skips canallow fire to ignite later andburn inundesired areas, suchas

in a black line or next to a fire-break after suppression crewshave moved away. Ideally, allcombustible material should beburned quickly, safely and thor-oughly along a firebreakwhile asuppression crew is present tominimize the risk of spot fire orescaped fire developing outsidethe desired location.Themost common flammable

liquid used in a drip torch is amixture of diesel and gasoline.The mixture is usually 50 to 80percent diesel, depending on theair temperature and ignitioncharacteristics desired by thefire boss and ignition person orcrew. Greater amounts of dieselwithin this range allow themix-ture to adhere to vegetation andburn for longer brief periods oftime. However, too much dieselin themixturemakes ignition ofthe mixture difficult and slowsburning progress.Touseadrip torch, theairvent

or breather valve is adjusted toobtain the desired flow of flam-mable liquid across the wick. Afire usually is started in vegeta-tionwith amatch. Then the driptorch is dipped into the flameto ignite the wick. During igni-tion, thewickportionof thedrip

torchispointedtowardtheground and the drip torchis carried behind or alonga person’s side.Flaming liquid can be

tossed short distanceswith the drip torch to ig-nite difficult to reach ar-eas such as into briers orditches. To cease ignition,the wick portion of a driptorch is simply tilted up-ward. Important note: be-foreapersonwitha litdriptorch steps out of a burnunit, e.g., into or across afirebreak, thewickalwaysshould be extinguished byblowing it out or coveringit with a leather glove ormetal cover to preventstarting an unintentionalfire.

Torch, from Page 27 USGS photo by Eric KnappAfirefighter usesadrip torchduring a prescribed burn atSequoiah-Kings Canyon Na-tional Parks in California.


9 miles N. of Carlos19685 FM 244, Iola, Tx 77861

(936) 394-2507

Jet Dealer & ServiceFor Over 30 YearsSTJS Hardware

Texas Jet Systems, “Specialists in Waste Water Treatment”

3/8 Guy Wire Cable,Cable Ends, Springs,

Clips, Caps

Cable Fencing Supplies

Concrete Products

Water Troughs,Cattle Guard Beams,

Septic Tanks,Storm Shelters

CustomCattle Guards

Also ATV CattleGuards

Cattle Guards

New PipeNo Threads - No Bell Ends1050 Ez Weld .100 Wall1- 5/16 .115 Wall1- 5/8 .110 Wall1- 7/8 .110 Wall2- 3/8 SCH-402- 7/8 .145 Wall4- 1/2 SCH-40

Certified Dealer

WINCO Generator Tractor Driven PTOWINCO Generator Tractor Driven PTO

190 GallonConcreteWater trough

Concrete legfeed trough

Cattle Panels •WaterWell SuppliesWasteWater Chlorine • Corral Panels

Aerobic Sewer Systems • GatesPoly & Galvanized Culverts

WeCarry

Clark Angus Ranch L.L.C.Since 1952

CROCKETT, TEXAS

PRIVATE

TREATYCARCASSDATA

100 REGISTERED BULLS, 18-24MONTHS, EPD’sREADY FOR HEAVY SERVICE

OPEN & BRED HEIFERS - COWS AVAILABLE

CALL FOr AN AppOiNtmeNt

BiLL CLArK936/544-9013888-252-7501

GeNe StOKeS, mGr.WeBSite: clarkangus.comemAiL: clarkangus.aol.com

SemenTested

100%Guaranteed


Quality and Integrity at Prices You Can Afford.

6M & 6R Series Utility Tractorsmeet any need, from

• 105-140 hp† John Deere engines

NAVASOTA, TX936-825-6575

BRYAN, TX979-822-7684

CAMERON, TX254-697-6551

TEMPLE, TX254-773-9916

TAYLOR, TX512-352-5296

CPTRACTOR.COMVisit the newly redesigned

5E Series• 45-75 hp† John Deere engines• Great for utility applications• Tough transmission options

SHOW5D Series• 45-55 hp† John Deere engines• Versatile, powerful and affordable• 2WD or MFWD options

0%FOR60MONTHS1,500OFF**


1800 N. Texas Avenue in Bryan (979) 778-6000 www.producerscooperative.com

YourAgriculture Partner Since 1943

Spring is a busy time!And we’re here to help.

Fertilizers, Planting Seed &Agronomic Solutions

Quality Livestock Feeds & Nutritional Services

Livestock Handling Equipment

Quality Fuels & Delivery

Full Line Animal Health

Fencing & Hardware

Documents

Land and Livestock Post