Spilyay Tymoo
Warm Springs, Oregon
July 30, 1998 11
Arlene
4-H &
.CTBSBSON
SERVICE
(503) 553-3238
Internet Address: http:www.orst.edudeptwsext
The Oregon State University Extension Service staff is devoted to extending research-based Information from OSU to the people of Warm Springs
In agriculture, home economics, 4-H youth, forestry, community development, energy and extension sea grant program with OSU, United States
Department of Agriculture, Jefferson County and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs cooperating. The Exenslon Service offers Its programs
and materials equally to all people. ' ' '
The Clover speaks
by Sue Ryan
I shared this information on the history of
4-H quite a while back, but thought it would
be a good time to share it again. This info
comes from the National 4-H Council
website.
History of 4-H
4-H began as a simultaneous response to
needs throughout the country, rather than as
the idea of one individual. The goal of the
program was to extend agricultural educa
tion to rural youth by organizing boys and
girls clubs and through "learning by doing."
Early Development
The roots of 4-H began at the turn of the
century when progressive educators started
to emphasize the needs of young people and
to introduce nature study as a basis for a
better agricultural education. Boys and girls
clubs and leagues were established in schools
and churches to meet these needs. To spark
the interest of young people, Farmers Insti
tutes cooperated with school superintendents
by promoting production contests, soil tests
and plant identification. By March 1 904 sev
eral boys and girls clubs had already exhib
ited projects. Most states organized
clubs outside the schools with rural par
ents acting as volunteer leaders and County
Extension agents provided materials. Farm
ers saw the practical benefits and public
support and enthusiasm for 4-H grew through
Illy
Beef producers working to improve product, image
by Robert Pawelek
How often have you stood staring at
the grocer's meat case wondering
whether or not to spend that ten bucks on
a good steak? Most often, you're prob
ably satisfied with your purchase.
Beef quality, or lack thereof, is a hot
topic. Take the April 7 issue of
Newsweek, for instance. An article in
that magazine took a disparaging view of
beef's future. In it, Robert J. Samuelson
wrote, "...our steak isn't very good. Or,
at least, it's not good enough. It's not
tasty enough, tender enough or conve
nient enough-and predictably so-to make
us buy it."
Samuelson is not a cattleman. Nor is
he a retailer. He is a former Washington
Post reporter who now writes an eco
nomic column for Newsweek. In his opin
ion (which Newsweek shared with hun
dreds of thousands of consumers around
the world), cattle raisers have failed to
improve the overall quality of their prod
uct because the industry is too "splin
tered." Samuelson said variable quality is the
main cause for beef's disfavor in
America's changing diet.
This article reinforces two major is
sues for the beef industry-one, the nega
tive impact on consumption of beef as a
result of quality variances and inconsis
tencies, and two, the need to get serious
about changing the packer purchase of
livestock to a "grade and yield" system.
, National Cattlemen's Beef Associa
tion figures mirror some effects of that
failure. From beef's 55 percent share of
the market in 1 975, NCB A estimates that
beef will hold only 25 percent of the
market in 2005 if changes are not made.
STOCKMAN'S ROUNDUP: Wise livestock marketing-private
c
by Bob Pawelek
OSU Livestock Agent
Not all horses and cattle are sold
through the auction yard these days any
more. The stockman has various meth
ods by which to market his stock. There
are now satellite video auctions, where
cattle are seen in the pasture and bids are
placed by phone. Order buyers are also
available, who buy direct from the ranch.
Boileau
Youth
Bob Pawelek Clint Jacks " Deanie Johnson
Livestock Staff Chair. Madras Secretary
Bernadette Handley ZackdelNero Sue Ryan
Home Economics
Natural Resources
out the nation.
Ties To Formal Education & U.S. De
partment Of Agriculture (USDA)
The Morrill Act of 1 862 provided federal
lands to establish land-grant colleges and
universities. In 1 890, colleges and universi
ties for black citizens were established in the
, southern region to insure that all people were
served. The state land-grant universities and
the Cooperative Extension Service of the
USDA maintained close contact with the
development of 4-H. The land-grant
institutions recommended organizing a
distinct administrative division in each land
grant institution to direct the many Coopera
tive Extension activities that were develop
ing. By 1912, virtually all of the land-grant
institutions in the southern states had signed
cooperative agreements with the USDA and
had organized Extension departments.
Formal Establishment of 4-H
Congressional appropriations to the state
land-grant institutions began in 1912 for
development of early Extension work within
the states. In 1914, the Smith-Lever Act
established the Cooperative Extension Sys
tem within the USDA, the state land-grant
universities and the counties. Since the early
legislation Congress has continued to sup
port 4-H.
Recent History
Through the years, the overall objective
of 4-H has remained the same: the develop
ment of youth as individuals and as respon
sible and productive citizens. 4-H serves
youth through a variety of methods: orga
nized clubs; 4-H special interest or short
term-groups; 4-H school enrichment pro
grams; 4-H instructional TV; 4-H camp
ing; 4-H activities; 4-H centers or as
individual members.
4-H Name
The first use of the term "4-H Club" in a
federal document appeared in 1918 in a
bulletin written by Gertrude L. Warren. By
1924, wider usage of the name "4-H" was
adopted. This was used thereafter through
out the world.
4-H Emblem
The first emblem design was a three-leaf
clover, introduced by O.H. Benson, some
In other words, beef's market share will
have dropped 50 percent in the span of
three decades.
The beef industry's image will prob
ably not improve until producers receive
a profit for making positive changes.
Although the industry has talked for years
about paying premium prices for excel
lent carcasses and discounting poor car
casses, nothing yet has been done for the
rank-and-file cattle producer. So, per
haps the industry is too splintered.
Branded beef products may help to
unite the beef industry. NCBA's goal is
to have managers of commodity beef
operations gear their programs as if they
were producing for a brand name. The
producers would not generate a specific
product; rather they would use existing
technology to increase quality and con
sistency to give consumers "a great beef
experience every time,"
Such beef products probably would
carry a trademark. It would enable con
sumers to identify those beef products
generated through the extra care. They
would carry a higher price tag, and the
objective would be to send these profits
back through the chain to reward cattle
men who subscribe to the initiative.
Consider another commodity-cotton.
Through improvement of cotton prod
ucts and a massive television campaign
that carries the line, "the fabric of our
lives," cotton producers have experi
enced their highest market share in 30
years, from 34 when the campaign
started to 60 last year.
The beef symboltrademark is under
consideration now by NCBA staff for
use by each segment of the industry from
cow-calf producers to feeders, packers,
This method is becomeing popular, but
it pays to be knowledgeable about the
buyer, as well as the method of payment.
A cattle producer may wish to hang on
to some of his steers and sell them as
yearlings. This approach is called a "roll
back," as more pounds of beef are sold,
but at a slightly lower price than for
weaner calves.
Horses are often bought and sold pri
vately. This is a desirable option for
many stockmen. However, some get non
payment problems in return. Reduce your
risk by using a few precautions: Ask for
cash (obviously); Verify the buyer's
ability to pay by calling his bank; Re
tain title to livestock until Final payment
is received. Insist on other acceptable
methods of payment, such as wire trans
fer, cashier's check, money order, letter
of credit, or cash.
When selling by private treaty, a per
sonal check may be written. Make sure
all pertinent information is on the check,
including mailing address, phone num
ber, and date of birth. It would be wise to
4-H Assistant
time between 1907-08. From the beginning,
the three "H's" signified Head, Heart and
Hands. A four-leaf clover design with H's
appeared around 1908. In 1911, Benson re
ferred to the need for four H's suggesting
that they stand for "Head, Heart, Hands, and
Hustle. . . head trained to think, plan and
reason; heart trained to be true, kind and
sympathetic; hands trained to be useful, help
ful and skillful; and the hustle to render ready
service, to develop health and vitality. . . " In
1911, 4-H club leaders approved the present
4-H design. O.B. Martin is credited with
suggesting that the H's signify Head, Heart,
Hands and Health universally used since
then. The 4-H emblem was patented in 1924
and Congress passed a law protecting the use
of the 4-H name and emblem in 1 939, slightly
revised in 1948.
4-H Pledge
"I pledge my head to clearer thinking, my
heart to greater loyalty, my hands to larger
service, and my health to better living. . . for
my club, my community, my country and my
world."
Otis Hall, State Leader of Kansas, was
responsible for the original wording of the 4
H pledge, officially adopted by the State 4-H
Leaders at the first National 4-H camp in
1927. The pledge remained unchanged until
1973, when it was revised to include "and my
world."
National 4-H History
Established in 1976, National 4-H Coun
cil is a not-for-profit organization which uses
pnvate and public resources to fulfill its
mission of "building partnerships for com
munity youth development that value and
involve youth in solving issues critical to
their lives, their families, and society." Coun
cil focuses on diverse groups of young people
in a variety of urban and suburban locales
while continuing to serve youth in rural ar
eas. National 4-H Council helps provide
"hands-on" co-educational programs and
activities to young people nationwide in col
laboration with the youth development edu
cation initiatives of the Cooperative Exten
sion System of the United States Department
of Agriculture, state land-grant universities
and counties.
processors and retailers.
Television ads will carry the beef sym
bol so that over time, consumers and
retailers will identify it with beef prod
ucts. The effort is similar to what Cotton
Inc. did with its symbol. In 1999, the
industry will evaluate and refine the pro
gram. By 2000, it should be ready to roll
out nationwide, , ,
In Nebraska, they're taking a differ
ent approach. The Nebraska Cattlemen's
Association will soon be producing "Ne
braska Corn Fed Beef," a real brand name.
Interested cattle producers attend train
ing to become certified NCFB produc
ers. To become certified, producers have
to be members of the association, and
keep and present accurate records to the
association on cattle enrolled in the pro
gram. NCFB has many specifications, in
cluding: ' No discernible dairy or Bos indicus
(Brahman) influence.
Cattle must be fed at least 90 days on
a high-concentrate corn based ration.
Hot carcass weight of 575 to 900
pminHe
These two attempts at branded prod
ucts indicate different ways the industry
can send economic signals back to pro
ducers who generate the kind of products
that consumers want.
This is a step in the right direction. No
one benefits from a doubtful discussions
of beef s quality spread in national maga
zines. The beef industry is working to
ii deliver a consistent product that is tasty
enough, tender enough, and predictably
convenient enough to be happy about the
ten bucks we spend on a good steak.
jot down the auto license number if you
accept a check from someone you've
never done business with before.
Other stuff...
Some folks might be interested in get
ting the youth on the North End inter
ested in Rockin' 4-H. We need volun
teers. Also lots of interest in getting youth
involved with horses and horse manage
ment. We had a horse health clinic a
couple of weeks ago and it went quite
well.
Lots of dogs again this year. Let's
hope the problem wom't be as severe for
the calves.
Now is the time to think about im
proving forage production for next year.
There are many varietries and mixes
available for less than $2.00 per pound.
Check with me about your plans. Ifll be
glad to help.
The Intertribal Ag Council and Reser
vation Extension Agents will be meeting
together this fall in Reno. Contact Jason
Smith or Evans Spino if youi'd like to
attend the IAC meeting.
Natural Resource
Grazing Management for Riparian
Areas
The following includes review of OSU
Extension Specialist Michael Borman's
article, published in The Grazier, num
ber 296, June 1988.
Riparian areas are among the most
resilient ecosystems and, depending on
condition and potential, they can respond
to management changes more rapidly
than drier upland areas. Rates of change
will vary, depending upon conditions at
the site including topography, soils, and
climate. Krueger (1996) noted that sound
grazing strategies consciously incorpo
rate animal behavior, forage selectivity,
plant responses, plant community
change, hydrology, and practicality.
Ehrhart and Hansen (1997,1998) con
cluded that properly functioning ripar
ian areas in eastern and central Montana
had one major thing in common: con
tinual involvement by the operator or
manager.
Setting operational goals and objec
tives should be the first step in develop
ing your grazing management system.
Good management objectives must be
achievable, measurable, and worth the
effort. In the end, the system should be
designed so as to provide economic prof
itability for you and ecological
sustainability for the land. As noted by
Range Conservationist Dave Smith, it is
in our best interest to properly manage
these areas, as they are home to a host of
culturally significant foods and medi
cines including salmon, chokecherry,
tule, willow, camas, and other roots.
Management must provide adequate
cover and vegetation height on stream
banks and overflow zones to promote
natural stream functions (sediment fil
tering, bank stabilization, flood energy
dissipation, aquifer recharge, and water
storage).
Under the progressive leadership of
the Department of Natural Resources,
significant efforts are being made in ri
parian area management at Warm
Springs. Past management practices have
left us with many, severely damaged ar-
eas, sometimes necessitating temporary
exclusion of livestock while vegetation,
soil, and the stream are allowed to re
cover. Range and Agriculture's Water
shed Crew and the Warm Springs Salmon
Corps have constructed approximately
50 miles of riparian area exclusion fences
and off-site water sources for livestock
along the Deschutes and Warm Springs
Rivers and their tributaries. These im
provements allow for multiple uses of
the riparian area, including fishing ac
cess and limited duration grazing as de
termined by District Grazing Groups.
Plant responses, plant community
change, and hydrology usually become
the focus of many grazing strategies.
However, animal behavior and forage
selectivity are the driving management
forces affecting those resource interac
tions. Foraging behavior involves three
distinct levels of selection: spatial (land
scape), species, and plant part choice
(Stuth 1991). Water is the principal fo
cus around which most livestock orient
their foraging strategies. Periodic over
Open house-August 12, 1998, 1-5 p.m. at the
Education bldg, first floor conference room, to
welcome aboard OSU Extension agents: Zack
del Nero, Bernadette Handley & Diane Bohle.
Everyone is invited!
Remember the trees and shrubs
by Bob Pawelek
You've been faithful about watering
the vegetable garden. That's great, since
it has been so hot.
How about the trees you planted last
fall? Every newly planted tree and shrub
needs extra attention their first two years
after planting.
Different trees and shrubs have dif
ferent needs. For instance, young Quak
ing Aspens require more thorough wa
tering (almost every day) during the hot
summer months. Russian Olives on the
other hand, can handle drouthier condi
tions, but that is not a reason to neglect
them.
Fruit trees must have sufficient water
during flowering and when harvest is
near.
Water the root zone slowly and ad
equately. To test for moisture, insert a
soil probe or porous stick to a depth of 8
12 inches. Feel the soil brought to the
surface and provide water if it is needed.
It is unwise to prune your trees and
shrubs in the heat of the summer, unless
your goal is to retard growth. That may
be the case for such trees as elms, and
you can probably get away with doing
just about anything to an elm tree any
way. They are practically indestructible!
notables-
utilization of the riparian area continues
to occur when upland water sources are
unavailable or less accessible. Providing
off-site stock water developments and
improving upland forage conditions are
techniques proven to attract livestock
away from the riparian zone.
Herd management and animal hus
bandry practices that promote mobility,
including herding and culling practices,
are essential to optimizing your opera
tion. For more specific information on
these practices, including examples of
successful programs here at Warm
Springs, please contact OSU Livestock
Agent Bob Pawelek.
Determining the appropriate season
and duration of use depends on a number
of factors, including: response of plant
species, potential impacts of grazing, and
potential for soil compaction. Spring use
may be appropriate when: upland forage
is attractive to livestock, cool tempera
tures may discourage cows from loiter
ing in the bottoms, and site soils are well
drained enough to reduce the possibility
of compaction. Be sure to identify the
soil types in your pasture, as conditions
vary across the reservation. Fall use can
be effective when: riparian plant com
munities are herbaceous (grasses, sedges,
forbs) rather than woody (trees & shrubs),
cool season grasses are available in the
uplands, and or off site water is avail
able near quality forage sources. Fall
grazing must be monitored closely so
that adequate cover is left to handle peak
flow energies during runoff. Summer use
is often damaging to riparian areas. How
ever, it may work under certain condi
tions: 1) grazing is limited in duration
and frequency by close monitoring and
livestock are moved as needed, 2) effec
tive management actions have been taken
to encourage livestock movement out of
the riparian area, and 3) time of use and
weather provide opportunities for veg
etation regrowth or the area is not grazed
annually. Winter use can work if soils
are sufficiently resistant to compaction
and pastures are large enough to provide
supplemental feeds away from the stream.
As in summer grazing, the riparian area
must be monitored closely to protect
against damage. .
In all cases, your constant involve
ment is the most effective tool in herd
management. Riparian areas can be im
proved and maintained using several
strategies, including those mentioned
above. For more information on riparian
area grazing, please contact Range and
Ag or the OSU Extension Service.
Later on in the fall, say after Thanks
giving, prune your tree to open up its
interior, letting in sunlight. Always prune
without exposing trunk tissue. Postpone
the pruning when foliage is wet or damp.
Disease organisms spread quickly in
moist conditions.
To rejuvenate shrubs, prune approxi
mately one-third of the oldest branches
to ground level. Trimming away old
growth increases light and air for the
plant and prevents woody, unattractive
and unproductive growth.
Tender leaves of shrubs are like a
salad bar to critters such as aphids. Check
the underside of the leaves carefully. If
you're getting like me, have someone
younger look at the leaves for you. You
may wish to adopt a season-long insecti
cide spray program to control insects.
Always follow label directions for ap
propriate application.
As with all chemicals, read the label
and follow the instructions exactly. A
little bit is good, but a lot is too much and
will certainly damage the plant.
Keep the lawn away from the trunk of
the tree or shrub. Place a flower bed,
ground cover, or mulch around it. This
protects the tree from an overly aggres
sive lawnmower.
Sun '