14 CapitalPress.com
October 2, 2015
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Dairy/Livestock
Restoring grasslands
with managed grazing
By DOUG WARNOCK
For the Capital Press
Properly managed grazing
improved grassland health
and productivity in a Wash-
ington study coordinated by
Steve Van Vleet, Washington
State University Extension
Educator. The two-year study,
funded by a USDA Sustain-
able Agriculture Research and
Education grant involved 295
acres and three ranchers.
The study was conducted
on state-owned land located on
The Dalles Mountain Ranch
in Klickitat County. This land
had degraded over the years
from lack of use.
“Vegetation was changing
for the worse. They were los-
ing wild flowers, diversity and
plant communities. They were
getting undesirable invasives,”
said Jim Sizemore, one of the
ranchers involved in the proj-
ect. High density grazing and
reseeding with native species
were the methods they used to
regenerate the grassland.
Results of the study showed
Greener
Pastures
Doug Warnock
perennial grass
populations either stayed the
same or increased and annu-
al grasses either decreased
or remained the same. Also,
forbs and total forage cover in-
creased and accumulated litter
decreased. The grazed forage
was more productive and had
a higher protein content than
non-grazed forage. This in-
dicates the grazed area could
hold more cattle and provide
more healthy feed than the
non-grazed area.
All those connected with
the study agreed they wanted
to do what was best for the
ecosystem. Several groups
that initially didn’t recognize
grazing as a method of re-
storing rangeland health were
convinced by the study of its
benefits. This included the Na-
tive Plant Society, Friends of
the Columbia Gorge and some
Washington state officials.
During the project, Van
Vleet’s team conducted work-
shops that trained 230 ranch-
ers, educators and agricultural
professionals on rangeland re-
vitalization and management.
As a result, five ranchers be-
gan working with Van Vleet
to convert over 7,000 acres of
former Conservation Reserve
Program land to grazing.
The success of this project
was recognized by SARE and
the National Association of
County Agricultural Agents
in awarding Van Vleet with a
Search for Excellence in Sus-
tainable Agriculture Award
in 2013. A side benefit of the
improved ecosystem health is
an increase in visitors to the
property, which has a positive
effect on the local communi-
ties’ economies.
Doug Warnock, retired
from Washington State Uni-
versity Extension, lives on a
ranch in the Touchet River
Valley where he consults and
writes on grazing manage-
ment.
Butter soars to record high, then drops
By LEE MIELKE
For the Capital Press
Cold Storage data provided
a backdrop to last week’s CME
cash dairy markets, where but-
ter set a record high and cheese
took a hit.
Spot butter was up the
fourth week in a row, closing
Friday at a record $3.1350
per pound, fueled in part by
August Cold Storage data,
McDonald’s recent announce-
ment switching from marga-
rine to butter and consumer
rejection of margarine.
The close was up 41
3/4-cents on the week, high-
est single week increase since
January 2011, up $1.1450
since Aug. 1 of this year, and
8 1/2-cents above a year ago
when it was at a record high.
Eighteen cars were sold at the
CME last week.
But gears whiplashed in the
other direction Monday, drop-
ping 8 1/2 cents on five trades
and then plummeted 30 cents
Tuesday, to $2.75 per pound,
on a single trade.
Central region churning
is steady to lower as butterfat
components in milk intakes
trend lower, says Dairy Market
Dairy
Markets
Lee Mielke
News. Spot cream availability
for butter production is tight
as active aerated cream, sour
cream, cream cheese and mod-
erate ice cream-frozen dessert
manufacturing draws heavily
on regional cream supplies.
Manufacturers are looking
for bulk butter to fill needs
through the balance of the
year; however, buyers report
there is a scarcity of bulk but-
ter loads available.
Cheddar block cheese
closed Friday at $1.59 per
pound, lowest spot price since
April 20, down 10 1/4-cents on
the week, and 69 cents below
a year ago when it plunged 17
cents. The Cheddar barrels hit
the lowest price since Jan. 26 on
Wednesday, at $1.46 per pound,
but rallied Thursday, jumping 9
cents and renewed a more typ-
ical spread. They closed Friday
at $1.55, up three-quarter cents
on the week, but 75 cents below
a year ago. Four cars of block
traded hands on the week and
33 of barrel.
The blocks were unchanged
Monday but an unfilled bid
marched them 4 cents higher
Tuesday, to $1.63. The barrels
lost 2 1/4 cents Monday but
regained it Tuesday, returning
to $1.55, but put the spread at
a higher-than-normal 8 cents.
Midwest milk intakes con-
tinue to slowly decline, reports
DMN. Steady cheese produc-
tion is making a home for all
available milk. Consumer
cheese demand remains strong.
Some cut-and-wrap operations
report a seasonal increase in
sales, but a few contacts note
the strength of the draw has
not been as strong as last year.
The demand from pizza mak-
ers for mozzarella is good.
Contacts suggest inventories
may be longer than usual for
the end of the Third Quarter
but manufacturers anticipate
stocks can be drawn down by
Fourth Quarter.
Grade A nonfat dry milk
hit 98 1/4-cents per pound last
Tuesday at the market of last
resort, highest level since April
7 but closed Friday at 94 cents,
up 3 cents on the week but 45
1/4-cents below a year ago. It
was unchanged Monday and
Tuesday.
Carol Ryan Dumas/Capital Press
Cattle on feed inventories in large U.S. feedlots were up 3 percent on Sept. 1, and marketings of fed cattle
coming out of feedlots were down 6 percent, USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service reported.
Feedlot placements down
but pipeline building
By CAROL RYAN DUMAS
Capital Press
Placement of feeder cattle
into feedlots in August was
much lighter than the industry
expected, down 5 percent year
over year.
But that trend will have to
continue and marketings of
fed cattle will have to heat up
before any price recovery oc-
curs in cattle markets, market
analysts say.
Cattle on feed inventories
in large U.S. feedlots were up 3
percent on Sept. 1, and market-
ings of fed cattle coming out of
feedlots were down 6 percent,
USDA National Agricultural
Statistics Service reported.
The report was more of the
same with one piece of good
news — lighter placements,
said Steve Koontz, professor
of ag economics at Colorado
State University.
Relatively light placement
in September and October
could improve the supply sit-
uation next year, creating an
opportunity for price strength
next spring. But lighter place-
ments would have to contin-
ue, he said.
Marketings of fed cattle
have been slow through the
summer, and inventories have
been substantial. There is a
lot of beef on the hoof in the
pipeline that has to be cleared
out before any price recovery,
he said.
The overall number of beef
cattle on the path for slaughter
is tight, but marketings have
been slow and consequently,
carcasses are really big, he said.
Carcasses are now running
20 pounds to 25 heavier than
year-ago levels and heading
for their seasonal peak in Oc-
tober and November, he said.
“There’s just a lot of beef
in the pipeline,” he said.
After earlier losses, pack-
er margins are reasonably
well. But packers are being
disciplined in their buying,
wanting to ensure profit. In
addition, exports of proteins
have declined on a strong dol-
lar and economic uncertainty
in China and Europe, he said.
So there’s a relatively big
supply of beef and competing
meats, especially pork, and
not excellent demand, he said.
Aggressive sales of fed
cattle are needed to generate
price strength, but that’s going
to be tough with all the pork
that’s out there, he said.
Despite August placements
below industry expectations,
feedlot placements in the last
six months are down a total
of 3.5 percent year over year
and not providing much help
for cattle markets, said Derrell
Peel, extension livestock mar-
keting specialist with Okla-
homa State University in the
university’s Cow-Calf News-
letter on Monday.
The large on-feed inven-
tory is increasingly a drag on
fed cattle markets, he said.
“What has been a ‘situ-
ation’ for several months is
turning into a ‘predicament,’”
he said.
Struggling with “lousy”
margins, feedlots have slowed
turnover, adding days on feed
and increasing weights. That
has resulted in not only grow-
ing feedlot inventories but a
growing supply of extremely
heavy cattle, he said.
“The only real solution is
to market our way out of this
predicament. You can’t rely
on lower placements to fix the
problem,” he said.
Placements are already
low and growing feeder sup-
plies indicate placements will
begin increasing in the com-
ing months, he said.
“The fed market has turned
ugly and the only real fix at
this point is to take our lumps,
cough up the heavy cattle, and
likely make the market even
uglier for a period of time,”
he said.
Idaho dairy farmers chosen for national leadership
Two more Idaho Dairy
Products Commission and
United Dairymen of Idaho
board members have been
tapped for national dairy in-
dustry leadership positions,
according to a press release
from United Dairymen of
Idaho.
Agriculture
Secretary
Tom Vilsack has appoint-
ed Kim Korn of Terreton to
serve a three-year term on
the National Dairy Promo-
tion and Research Board,
and Dan Gilbert of Black-
foot was elected to the Unit-
ed Dairy Industry Associa-
tion’s board of directors.
Korn, owner of Korn
Dairy, replaces fellow Unit-
ed Dairymen of Ida-
try Association has
ho and Idaho Dairy
granted Idaho a fifth
Products Commission
seat on its board of
board member Dave
directors, and Gilbert,
Veenhouwer
from
owner of Dan-de Hol-
Veenhouwer Family
steins, was elected to
Dairy in Jerome on the
fill it.
38-member panel.
Dan Gilbert
He joins fellow
Steve
Ballard,
United Dairymen of
owner of Ballard
Idaho board members
Family
Dairy
&
Tom Dorsey of Dors-
Cheese in Gooding
ey Farms in Caldwell,
and a colleague of
John Brubaker from
Korn’s on both Idaho
Knott Run Dairy in
dairy groups’ boards,
Buhl, Brian Esplin
was appointed last
from Diamond Three
year to the National Kim Korn
Dairy in Shelley, and
Dairy Promotion and
Arie Roeloffs from
Research Board and has two Southfield Dairy in Wendell
more years to serve.
on the 43-member UDIA
The United Dairy Indus- board.
United Dairymen of Idaho adds to team
By CAROL RYAN DUMAS
Capital Press
40-4/#4
United Dairymen of Idaho
has hired Will Hoenike as a
consumer confidence manag-
er.
In addition to promoting the
state’s dairy industry through
events and publicity, Hoenike
will manage the organization’s
website and social media pres-
ence, according to a UDI press
release on Monday
“Will’s experience will
translate well in our industry
as we work with various part-
ners in the areas of youth well-
ness, community relations
and digital communications,”
anchor, and producer at
United Dairymen of
KIVI-TV Channel 6 in
Idaho CEO Karianne
Nampa.
Fallow said. “Plus, he
“I loved my time
grew up on a farm and
with the Steelheads,
is committed to helping
but the opportunity for
Idaho dairies succeed.”
growth was too good
Before joining Unit-
ed Dairymen of Ida- Will Hoenike for me to pass up,” Hoe-
nike said.
ho, Hoenike spent six
He earned a bachelor’s de-
years as media and commu-
nity relations director for the gree in communication from
Idaho Steelheads and Centu- Washington State University.
ryLink Arena. He also served He was named ECHL Broad-
as the Steelheads’ director of caster of the Year in 2015, as
broadcasting since 2011 and well as ECHL Media Rela-
its director of season ticket tions Director of the Year in
relations for more than two 2010. He also earned several
years.
awards from the Idaho State
Hoenike spent the prior Broadcasters Association and
decade as a sports reporter, the Idaho Press Club.