By RUDI KELLER,&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

The annual markets outlook from the Food &amp; Agricultural Policy Research Institute anticipates declining farm income, higher costs for producers

U.S. farm income is falling from record highs as low commodity prices, trade headwinds and higher costs squeeze profits, according to a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://fapri.missouri.edu/publications/2024-us-agricultural-market-outlook/?utm_campaign=485145_FAPRI%20Baseline%20Report%20%28March%202024%29&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=Child%20account%20for%20The%20Curators%20of%20the%20University%20of%20Missouri&amp;dm_i=7JGU,AEC9,4NFRO6,1HPH8,1">new report from the University of Missouri</a>.

The 2024&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://fapri.missouri.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2024-Baseline-Outlook.pdf">U.S. Agricultural Market Outlook</a>&nbsp;report released Tuesday by the Food &amp; Agricultural Policy Research Institute, also known as FAPRI, is a 10-year projection of the agriculture economy. It examines production trends and pricing for commodity and specialty crops and livestock and discusses issues like interest rates, consumer prices and biofuel production that impact on farming as a whole.

For producers, the news isn’t especially welcome.

“We got lower commodity prices kind of across the board, except for cattle,” said Pat Westhoff, the agricultural economics professor who serves as the institute’s director.

The annual report is eagerly anticipated in the agriculture industry and its findings have extra significance this year as Congress tries to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4467907-farm-bill-tensions-conservation-fire-food-aid/">pass a farm bill</a>&nbsp;renewing producer support and food distribution programs.

Net farm income nationally is expected to be about $118.2 billion this year, down from a record of about $162 billion in 2022.

Westhoff said he briefed Congressional staff on the report Tuesday and the reaction was a classic glass half-empty, glass half-full split. Some saw the large decline in farm income as a problem, while others noted that income is expected to remain above the average from 2015 to 2019.

“People were using the same numbers and making the opposite arguments,” Westhoff said.

Missouri is second only to Texas in the number of farms, with 87,887 farms that sold $14.7 billion in agricultural products in 2022, up from $10.5 billion in 2017 according to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/AgCensus/2022/Full_Report/Volume_1,_Chapter_2_US_State_Level/st99_2_001_001.pdf">the Census of Agriculture</a>. Missouri farms also received nearly $1 billion in government payments or other income.

With farm production expenses of $10.7 billion, Missouri farms had net cash income of $5 billion.

The 5,596 largest Missouri farms, with sales of $500,000 or more, sold more than $11.6 billion of products in 2022. The 67,400 Missouri farms with sales of less than $50,000 sold&nbsp;$685 million agricultural products.

Prices for grain and oil crops have fallen dramatically in the past year. Missouri farmers were receiving $14.90 a bushel for soybeans in January 2023, and $6.94 a bushel for corn. According to the monthly agricultural prices report from the National Agricultural Statistics Service, the price received for soybeans in January was $12.90 a bushel and for corn it was $4.79.

The issues facing farmers nationally, Westhoff said, are true in Missouri, where corn, soybeans and wheat are the major cash crops.&nbsp;

The FAPRI report projects the decline in commodity grain prices will slow, but continue.

Missouri farmers get a slightly better price than the national average for corn and soybeans because of proximity to large rivers and industries such as ethanol and biodiesel that buy commodities locally, Westhoff said.

“Where you have crushing facilities for soybeans matters tremendously,” Westhoff said. “Where you have ethanol plants matters as well.”

Missouri produced 264.9 million bushels of soybeans in 2023. A decline of $2 per bushel means the farmers producing those beans received more than $500 million less than they did for the same commodity the previous year.

The sharp decline in market prices for soybeans hasn’t been accompanied by a similar decline in prices for fertilizer, fuel and other supplies, said Casey Wasser, chief operating officer of Missouri Soybeans, the industry lobbying association.

“The input prices have not come down at all with the other prices,” Wasser said. “So that’s where that net farm income is going to hit producers pretty tight.”

Missouri has the nation’s sixth largest cattle herd. It also is home to the sixth largest number of hogs, and its farmers sold the seventh largest number of chickens for meat consumption and had the nation’s 12th largest flock of laying hens.

But Missouri is losing farmers – and farmland – faster than the national average.

The number of farms declined 7.8% since the 2017 farm census while nationally the number fell 6.9%. Nationally, 2.2% of farmland was converted to other uses between the surveys, while in Missouri the acreage in farming declined 2.7%.

The smallest producers are being squeezed the tightest, said Tim Gibbons of the Missouri Rural Crisis Center. In a telephone interview after he spent a day lobbying in Washington for changes in national farm programs, Gibbons said the issues facing farmers go well beyond commodity prices and interest rates.

Control of agriculture continues to be concentrated in large corporations, he said. Farm programs are designed to support cheap commodities and large producers, he said.

“What I’m hearing on the Hill is a joke relative to the situation that is farming in Missouri and in the United States right now,” Gibbons said.

Corporate-backed buyers are&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/01/01/boom-or-bubble-high-missouri-farmland-prices-encourage-investors-concern-farmers/">outbidding local residents</a>&nbsp;for farmland and the concentration in meatpacking means producers become dependent on contracts that can be canceled when profits narrow. The decision by Tyson Foods to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2024/03/11/tyson-to-close-perry-pork-plant-in-june/">close a plant in Perry, Iowa</a>, that employs 1,300 people will have a ripple effect on the farmers who raise hogs under contract, Gibbons said.

Missouri has lost more than 1,000 cattle producers a year over the past 25 years, a trend that accelerated to about 2,000 per year in the past five years, according to the farm census. The number of farms producing hogs has declined from 12,133 in 1992 to 2,184 in 2022.

“The policies that have been in recent past farm bills have been written by and for these multinational corporations and lobbyists that lobby for them,” Gibbons said. “We need a very different vision and a farm bill.”

The only area where prices are increasing in the past year are for cattle. That’s because the national herd is at its&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/03/19/droughts-complicated-by-climate-change-result-in-us-beef-herd-hitting-historic-low/">lowest number since the 1960s</a>, in large part due to pastureland drying up because of droughts starting in 2020.

“It’s causing liquidation and we’re not seeing rebuilding right now,” Gibbons said. “That connects with interest rates as well.”

Higher interest rates in the United States, which increase costs for farmers as they borrow to finance annual operations or add land and equipment, put farmers at a disadvantage internationally by making the dollar worth more in exchange, Westhoff said.

One indicator of the impact is that the U.S. has become a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskapublicmedia.org/en/news/news-articles/the-us-agricultural-trade-deficit-could-reach-record-highs-for-2023-is-there-cause-for-concern/">net importer of food and agricultural products</a>, reversing decades of a surplus in the balance of farm trade.

“We are importing lots of value-added products that might otherwise be produced here and of course that has spillover effects,” Westhoff said.

The FAPRI report section on government aid to farmers notes that the cost of the two main programs intended to shore up prices –&nbsp; agricultural risk coverage, or ARC, and price loss coverage, or PLC fell below $1 billion because of recent high commodity prices.&nbsp;

At the same time, crop insurance payments in 2023 totaled $9.3 billion.

“We need to figure out a system of farmer-owned grain reserves and price floors and price ceilings to stop the volatility of the market, and keep that price floor at the cost of production,” Gibbons said.

Missouri Soybean is pushing for changes in federal farm support programs to reset the protected prices at a higher level, Wasser said. Prices on beans could fall another $2 per bushel and Missouri farmers wouldn’t qualify for payments to make up any of the difference, he said.

“We’re still not even close to a safety net, with inputs and $11 beans it’s tough for any farmer no matter what your size or your leverage to be making any profit on that,” Wasser said..

FAPRI’s job is to provide information, not advise on policy decisions, Westhoff said.

The difficulty of getting changes to the programs is cost, he said.

Some “would like to do some changes that would improve the safety net from the perspective of producers but those changes all cost money,” he said. “And unless you’re going to reduce that spending or reduce spending on conservation programs, there’s not any obvious way to put those pieces together.”

The decline in commodity prices should ease inflation in food costs and even reverse some recent increases, such as for eggs and pork, Westhoff said. Food purchased for consumption at home should not increase any faster than inflation generally, the report indicates.

But consumers shouldn’t expect everything in the supermarket to get cheaper, he said.

“For the most part, the share of those commodity prices that affect consumer food prices is pretty small,” Westhoff said. “Therefore even a significant decline in the farm level price doesn’t translate to any decline, or not a very big decline, in grocery store prices.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1614189270972.jpeg" alt="Photo USDA" />
 <figcaption>Photo USDA</figcaption>
 </figure>By RUDI KELLER,&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a><h2>The annual markets outlook from the Food &amp; Agricultural Policy Research Institute anticipates declining farm income, higher costs for producers</h2>U.S. farm income is falling from record highs as low commodity prices, trade headwinds and higher costs squeeze profits, according to a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://fapri.missouri.edu/publications/2024-us-agricultural-market-outlook/?utm_campaign=485145_FAPRI%20Baseline%20Report%20%28March%202024%29&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=Child%20account%20for%20The%20Curators%20of%20the%20University%20of%20Missouri&amp;dm_i=7JGU,AEC9,4NFRO6,1HPH8,1">new report from the University of Missouri</a>.The 2024&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://fapri.missouri.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2024-Baseline-Outlook.pdf">U.S. Agricultural Market Outlook</a>&nbsp;report released Tuesday by the Food &amp; Agricultural Policy Research Institute, also known as FAPRI, is a 10-year projection of the agriculture economy. It examines production trends and pricing for commodity and specialty crops and livestock and discusses issues like interest rates, consumer prices and biofuel production that impact on farming as a whole.For producers, the news isn’t especially welcome.“We got lower commodity prices kind of across the board, except for cattle,” said Pat Westhoff, the agricultural economics professor who serves as the institute’s director.The annual report is eagerly anticipated in the agriculture industry and its findings have extra significance this year as Congress tries to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4467907-farm-bill-tensions-conservation-fire-food-aid/">pass a farm bill</a>&nbsp;renewing producer support and food distribution programs.Net farm income nationally is expected to be about $118.2 billion this year, down from a record of about $162 billion in 2022.Westhoff said he briefed Congressional staff on the report Tuesday and the reaction was a classic glass half-empty, glass half-full split. Some saw the large decline in farm income as a problem, while others noted that income is expected to remain above the average from 2015 to 2019.“People were using the same numbers and making the opposite arguments,” Westhoff said.Missouri is second only to Texas in the number of farms, with 87,887 farms that sold $14.7 billion in agricultural products in 2022, up from $10.5 billion in 2017 according to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/AgCensus/2022/Full_Report/Volume_1,_Chapter_2_US_State_Level/st99_2_001_001.pdf">the Census of Agriculture</a>. Missouri farms also received nearly $1 billion in government payments or other income.With farm production expenses of $10.7 billion, Missouri farms had net cash income of $5 billion.The 5,596 largest Missouri farms, with sales of $500,000 or more, sold more than $11.6 billion of products in 2022. The 67,400 Missouri farms with sales of less than $50,000 sold&nbsp;$685 million agricultural products.Prices for grain and oil crops have fallen dramatically in the past year. Missouri farmers were receiving $14.90 a bushel for soybeans in January 2023, and $6.94 a bushel for corn. According to the monthly agricultural prices report from the National Agricultural Statistics Service, the price received for soybeans in January was $12.90 a bushel and for corn it was $4.79.The issues facing farmers nationally, Westhoff said, are true in Missouri, where corn, soybeans and wheat are the major cash crops.&nbsp;The FAPRI report projects the decline in commodity grain prices will slow, but continue.Missouri farmers get a slightly better price than the national average for corn and soybeans because of proximity to large rivers and industries such as ethanol and biodiesel that buy commodities locally, Westhoff said.“Where you have crushing facilities for soybeans matters tremendously,” Westhoff said. “Where you have ethanol plants matters as well.”Missouri produced 264.9 million bushels of soybeans in 2023. A decline of $2 per bushel means the farmers producing those beans received more than $500 million less than they did for the same commodity the previous year.The sharp decline in market prices for soybeans hasn’t been accompanied by a similar decline in prices for fertilizer, fuel and other supplies, said Casey Wasser, chief operating officer of Missouri Soybeans, the industry lobbying association.“The input prices have not come down at all with the other prices,” Wasser said. “So that’s where that net farm income is going to hit producers pretty tight.”Missouri has the nation’s sixth largest cattle herd. It also is home to the sixth largest number of hogs, and its farmers sold the seventh largest number of chickens for meat consumption and had the nation’s 12th largest flock of laying hens.But Missouri is losing farmers – and farmland – faster than the national average.The number of farms declined 7.8% since the 2017 farm census while nationally the number fell 6.9%. Nationally, 2.2% of farmland was converted to other uses between the surveys, while in Missouri the acreage in farming declined 2.7%.The smallest producers are being squeezed the tightest, said Tim Gibbons of the Missouri Rural Crisis Center. In a telephone interview after he spent a day lobbying in Washington for changes in national farm programs, Gibbons said the issues facing farmers go well beyond commodity prices and interest rates.Control of agriculture continues to be concentrated in large corporations, he said. Farm programs are designed to support cheap commodities and large producers, he said.“What I’m hearing on the Hill is a joke relative to the situation that is farming in Missouri and in the United States right now,” Gibbons said.Corporate-backed buyers are&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/01/01/boom-or-bubble-high-missouri-farmland-prices-encourage-investors-concern-farmers/">outbidding local residents</a>&nbsp;for farmland and the concentration in meatpacking means producers become dependent on contracts that can be canceled when profits narrow. The decision by Tyson Foods to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2024/03/11/tyson-to-close-perry-pork-plant-in-june/">close a plant in Perry, Iowa</a>, that employs 1,300 people will have a ripple effect on the farmers who raise hogs under contract, Gibbons said.Missouri has lost more than 1,000 cattle producers a year over the past 25 years, a trend that accelerated to about 2,000 per year in the past five years, according to the farm census. The number of farms producing hogs has declined from 12,133 in 1992 to 2,184 in 2022.“The policies that have been in recent past farm bills have been written by and for these multinational corporations and lobbyists that lobby for them,” Gibbons said. “We need a very different vision and a farm bill.”The only area where prices are increasing in the past year are for cattle. That’s because the national herd is at its&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/03/19/droughts-complicated-by-climate-change-result-in-us-beef-herd-hitting-historic-low/">lowest number since the 1960s</a>, in large part due to pastureland drying up because of droughts starting in 2020.Short supplies are pushing prices up.“It’s causing liquidation and we’re not seeing rebuilding right now,” Gibbons said. “That connects with interest rates as well.”Higher interest rates in the United States, which increase costs for farmers as they borrow to finance annual operations or add land and equipment, put farmers at a disadvantage internationally by making the dollar worth more in exchange, Westhoff said.One indicator of the impact is that the U.S. has become a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskapublicmedia.org/en/news/news-articles/the-us-agricultural-trade-deficit-could-reach-record-highs-for-2023-is-there-cause-for-concern/">net importer of food and agricultural products</a>, reversing decades of a surplus in the balance of farm trade.“We are importing lots of value-added products that might otherwise be produced here and of course that has spillover effects,” Westhoff said.The FAPRI report section on government aid to farmers notes that the cost of the two main programs intended to shore up prices –&nbsp; agricultural risk coverage, or ARC, and price loss coverage, or PLC fell below $1 billion because of recent high commodity prices.&nbsp;At the same time, crop insurance payments in 2023 totaled $9.3 billion.“We need to figure out a system of farmer-owned grain reserves and price floors and price ceilings to stop the volatility of the market, and keep that price floor at the cost of production,” Gibbons said.Missouri Soybean is pushing for changes in federal farm support programs to reset the protected prices at a higher level, Wasser said. Prices on beans could fall another $2 per bushel and Missouri farmers wouldn’t qualify for payments to make up any of the difference, he said.“We’re still not even close to a safety net, with inputs and $11 beans it’s tough for any farmer no matter what your size or your leverage to be making any profit on that,” Wasser said..FAPRI’s job is to provide information, not advise on policy decisions, Westhoff said.The difficulty of getting changes to the programs is cost, he said.Some “would like to do some changes that would improve the safety net from the perspective of producers but those changes all cost money,” he said. “And unless you’re going to reduce that spending or reduce spending on conservation programs, there’s not any obvious way to put those pieces together.”The decline in commodity prices should ease inflation in food costs and even reverse some recent increases, such as for eggs and pork, Westhoff said. Food purchased for consumption at home should not increase any faster than inflation generally, the report indicates.But consumers shouldn’t expect everything in the supermarket to get cheaper, he said.“For the most part, the share of those commodity prices that affect consumer food prices is pretty small,” Westhoff said. “Therefore even a significant decline in the farm level price doesn’t translate to any decline, or not a very big decline, in grocery store prices.”

University  report warns falling prices could squeeze farmers

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a>&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

House-passed bill adds ban against spy drones, aircraft flying below 500 feet

TOPEKA — The Animal Legal Defense Fund filed a lawsuit in 2018 challenging on First Amendment grounds Kansas’ quarter-century-old law thwarting covert investigations into the treatment of animals and workers at feedlots, slaughterhouses and crop production zones.

Ramifications of that legal action continue to vex the animal agriculture industry in Kansas, farm lobbying organizations and rural legislators.

In 2021, the 10th Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals agreed with ALDF’s legal claim and a lower federal court’s decision to strike down provisions of Kansas’ “ag-gag” law — the oldest statute in the United States criminalizing undercover videotaping of alleged abuses.

The appellate court concluded Kansas had embarked on a forthright statutory plan to limit the ability of ALDF and like-mined organizations to slip under the radar in search of proof of the industry’s shortcomings. When signed into law by Republican Gov. Mike Hayden in 1990, he said the legislation was a direct response to damage perpetrated by “radical elements of the animal-rights movement.”

That state law selectively criminalized work of activists critical of Kansas agriculture practices. It didn’t mandate charges against a person who gained access to property without permission with the goal of lauding Kansas animal-handling practices. In other words, Hayden and other Kansas lawmakers interested in squelching dissent were guilty of state-sanctioned discrimination based on viewpoint.

“We reject this approach,” the federal Court of Appeals said. “It elevates form over substance and permits Kansas to do just what the First Amendment prohibits: License one side of a debate to fight freestyle, while requiring the other to follow&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marquess_of_Queensberry_Rules">Marquis of Queensberry rules</a>.”

The U.S. Supreme Court declined in 2022 to review the Court of Appeals’ unraveling of the Farm Animal and Field Crop and Research Facilities Protection Act.

The courthouse outcome was celebrated by the coalition of special-interest groups led by ALDF as a victory for animal rights and free speech. They also could see a path to placing their people — whistleblowers — as employees at targeted facilities to collect insider information for articles and videos about hog, beef and dairy or poultry operations, processing facilities and other agriculture businesses in Kansas.

“The industry works hard to keep its practices secret, knowing consumers won’t accept the intense confinement and other inhumane treatment of animals,” said Stephen Wells, executive director of the Animal Legal Defense Fund.

The Kansas Livestock Association, with more than 5,000 members involved in dairy, swine and beef production along with other farm enterprises, went to work drafting a rebuttal bill. The objective was to refine the state’s protection against trespassers on farm property or people making fraudulent statements on employment applications to gain access to land and facilities.

Results of that effort, wrapped into House Bill 2816, was approved 99-24 this week by the Kansas House after five minutes of floor debate. KLA’s legal product avoided the sticky mess caused by language about “intent to damage” and “effective consent” that helped to undermine the 1990 statute. The package forwarded to the Kansas Senate also clarified criminal penalties and blocked use of drones and aircraft below 500 feet directly above agriculture businesses.

“There are some places that people just shouldn’t go without permission,” said Rep. Lisa Moser, a Wheaton Republican and rancher. “This is tailored language done specifically to address the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision.”

Moser noted the bill resolved the free speech issue by applying sanctions to any unauthorized trespasser on agriculture cropland, farm research facility or animal operation whether those people were engaged in covert investigations or innocent behavior.

None of the likely opponents of the bill, such as the ALDF, the Sierra Club of Kansas or Humane Society of the United States, testified during the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee hearing March 6.

Jackie Garagiola, associate counsel to the Kansas Livestock Association, said the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court not to hear the state’s appeal meant the law had to be revised so “critical protections provided by the act for these facilities remain, but in a manner that does not come into conflict with the First Amendment.”

Under House Bill 2816, Kansas would make it illegal to enter or remain in animal facility or field crop production areas without permission of the owner or to knowingly make false statements on an employment application to gain access to those places. The same standards would apply to agriculture research areas controlled by private, university, federal, state or local government entities.

Garagiola said “effective consent” language in the Kansas law was unconstitutional because it regulated speech as opposed to conduct.

The new bill addressed the federal court’s contention the old Kansas law forbid speech made with the “intent to damage the enterprise conducted at the animal facility.” To clear up constitutional violations, the House-passed bill created the simple prohibition for trespass or use of fraudulent employment applications regardless of intent of the individual.

It would be a class A misdemeanor to enter or remain on these properties without consent and a class B misdemeanor for making bogus statements on job applications to gain access. The penalty for property damage or destruction of an animal or crop facility would be a level 9 nonperson felony for damage ranging from $1,000 to $25,000 and a level 7 nonperson felony for damages of $25,000 or more.

KLA’s approach was endorsed by Kansas Farm Bureau, Kansas Grain &amp; Feed Association, Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association, Kansas Pork Association and Kansas Dairy Association.

Janet Bailey, CEO of the dairy association, said the fastest growing segment of Kansas agriculture — dairying — needed lawmakers to&nbsp; close the gap left by the Court of Appeals’ decision. In particular, she said, the dairy industry was keen to secure criminal sanctions against people seeking jobs under false pretenses. The threat of prosecution has been an effective deterrent to undercover inquiries in the United States.

“Labor is a top concern among those in the dairy industry,” Bailey said. “As such, it can make our industry even more vulnerable to those who might seek employment with motives other than working in the care of our animals and production of milk. Their motives are clear in their desire to damage our industry and the livelihoods of the industry.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711230479923.png" alt=" Janet Bailey, CEO of the Kansas Dairy Association, said the fastest growing segment of Kansas agriculture — dairying — needed the Kansas Legislature to respond to a federal court decision by removing unconstitutional provisions of state law and restoring protections against undercover animal-rights organizations and applicants seeking jobs under false pretenses. (Jill Hummels/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Janet Bailey, CEO of the Kansas Dairy Association, said the fastest growing segment of Kansas agriculture — dairying — needed the Kansas Legislature to respond to a federal court decision by removing unconstitutional provisions of state law and restoring protections against undercover animal-rights organizations and applicants seeking jobs under false pretenses. (Jill Hummels/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a>&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a><h2>House-passed bill adds ban against spy drones, aircraft flying below 500 feet</h2>TOPEKA — The Animal Legal Defense Fund filed a lawsuit in 2018 challenging on First Amendment grounds Kansas’ quarter-century-old law thwarting covert investigations into the treatment of animals and workers at feedlots, slaughterhouses and crop production zones.Ramifications of that legal action continue to vex the animal agriculture industry in Kansas, farm lobbying organizations and rural legislators.In 2021, the 10th Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals agreed with ALDF’s legal claim and a lower federal court’s decision to strike down provisions of Kansas’ “ag-gag” law — the oldest statute in the United States criminalizing undercover videotaping of alleged abuses.The appellate court concluded Kansas had embarked on a forthright statutory plan to limit the ability of ALDF and like-mined organizations to slip under the radar in search of proof of the industry’s shortcomings. When signed into law by Republican Gov. Mike Hayden in 1990, he said the legislation was a direct response to damage perpetrated by “radical elements of the animal-rights movement.”That state law selectively criminalized work of activists critical of Kansas agriculture practices. It didn’t mandate charges against a person who gained access to property without permission with the goal of lauding Kansas animal-handling practices. In other words, Hayden and other Kansas lawmakers interested in squelching dissent were guilty of state-sanctioned discrimination based on viewpoint.“We reject this approach,” the federal Court of Appeals said. “It elevates form over substance and permits Kansas to do just what the First Amendment prohibits: License one side of a debate to fight freestyle, while requiring the other to follow&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marquess_of_Queensberry_Rules">Marquis of Queensberry rules</a>.”The U.S. Supreme Court declined in 2022 to review the Court of Appeals’ unraveling of the Farm Animal and Field Crop and Research Facilities Protection Act.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711230441938.png" alt=" Kansas Rep. Lisa Moser, a Republican and rancher, asked House colleagues to ditch unconstitutional provisions of Kansas law and adopt a revised strategy for thwarting animal-rights activists engaging in undercover work to expose livestock industry practices. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Kansas Rep. Lisa Moser, a Republican and rancher, asked House colleagues to ditch unconstitutional provisions of Kansas law and adopt a revised strategy for thwarting animal-rights activists engaging in undercover work to expose livestock industry practices. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>‘Just shouldn’t go’</h2>The courthouse outcome was celebrated by the coalition of special-interest groups led by ALDF as a victory for animal rights and free speech. They also could see a path to placing their people — whistleblowers — as employees at targeted facilities to collect insider information for articles and videos about hog, beef and dairy or poultry operations, processing facilities and other agriculture businesses in Kansas.“The industry works hard to keep its practices secret, knowing consumers won’t accept the intense confinement and other inhumane treatment of animals,” said Stephen Wells, executive director of the Animal Legal Defense Fund.The Kansas Livestock Association, with more than 5,000 members involved in dairy, swine and beef production along with other farm enterprises, went to work drafting a rebuttal bill. The objective was to refine the state’s protection against trespassers on farm property or people making fraudulent statements on employment applications to gain access to land and facilities.Results of that effort, wrapped into House Bill 2816, was approved 99-24 this week by the Kansas House after five minutes of floor debate. KLA’s legal product avoided the sticky mess caused by language about “intent to damage” and “effective consent” that helped to undermine the 1990 statute. The package forwarded to the Kansas Senate also clarified criminal penalties and blocked use of drones and aircraft below 500 feet directly above agriculture businesses.“There are some places that people just shouldn’t go without permission,” said Rep. Lisa Moser, a Wheaton Republican and rancher. “This is tailored language done specifically to address the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision.”Moser noted the bill resolved the free speech issue by applying sanctions to any unauthorized trespasser on agriculture cropland, farm research facility or animal operation whether those people were engaged in covert investigations or innocent behavior.None of the likely opponents of the bill, such as the ALDF, the Sierra Club of Kansas or Humane Society of the United States, testified during the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee hearing March 6.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711230407996.png" alt="The Kansas Livestock Association’s attorneys prepared House Bill 2816, which easily passed the House, to restore protections of the beef, dairy, hog and poultry industries, crop producers and research facilities that might be targeted by animal-rights organizations. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>The Kansas Livestock Association’s attorneys prepared House Bill 2816, which easily passed the House, to restore protections of the beef, dairy, hog and poultry industries, crop producers and research facilities that might be targeted by animal-rights organizations. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>KLA steps into void</h2>Jackie Garagiola, associate counsel to the Kansas Livestock Association, said the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court not to hear the state’s appeal meant the law had to be revised so “critical protections provided by the act for these facilities remain, but in a manner that does not come into conflict with the First Amendment.”Under House Bill 2816, Kansas would make it illegal to enter or remain in animal facility or field crop production areas without permission of the owner or to knowingly make false statements on an employment application to gain access to those places. The same standards would apply to agriculture research areas controlled by private, university, federal, state or local government entities.Garagiola said “effective consent” language in the Kansas law was unconstitutional because it regulated speech as opposed to conduct.The new bill addressed the federal court’s contention the old Kansas law forbid speech made with the “intent to damage the enterprise conducted at the animal facility.” To clear up constitutional violations, the House-passed bill created the simple prohibition for trespass or use of fraudulent employment applications regardless of intent of the individual.It would be a class A misdemeanor to enter or remain on these properties without consent and a class B misdemeanor for making bogus statements on job applications to gain access. The penalty for property damage or destruction of an animal or crop facility would be a level 9 nonperson felony for damage ranging from $1,000 to $25,000 and a level 7 nonperson felony for damages of $25,000 or more.KLA’s approach was endorsed by Kansas Farm Bureau, Kansas Grain &amp; Feed Association, Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association, Kansas Pork Association and Kansas Dairy Association.Janet Bailey, CEO of the dairy association, said the fastest growing segment of Kansas agriculture — dairying — needed lawmakers to&nbsp; close the gap left by the Court of Appeals’ decision. In particular, she said, the dairy industry was keen to secure criminal sanctions against people seeking jobs under false pretenses. The threat of prosecution has been an effective deterrent to undercover inquiries in the United States.“Labor is a top concern among those in the dairy industry,” Bailey said. “As such, it can make our industry even more vulnerable to those who might seek employment with motives other than working in the care of our animals and production of milk. Their motives are clear in their desire to damage our industry and the livelihoods of the industry.”

Kansas House tries to fix constitutional flaw to shield agriculture from animal-rights activists

<a href="https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/news-and-publications/news/stories/2024/03/cattle-chat-helping-heifers-ahead-of-breeding.html">By LISA MOSER</a> K-State Research and Extension news service

While it seems like a natural event, getting pregnant is not always as easy as it sounds, especially if the female isn’t having estrus cycles.

Specific to cattle, the experts at the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute offered tips on how to get heifers cycling on a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://ksre-learn.com/CattleChatHelpingHeifersAheadofBreeding">Cattle Chat</a>&nbsp;podcast.

The veterinarians recommend doing a pre-breeding exam on the heifers as early as six to eight weeks ahead of the start of the breeding season to assess the reproductive tract and overall health of the young females. Heifers typically start their estrus cycles around 12-13 months of age.

For heifers that are behind in their body weight and reproductive maturity, the BCI experts suggested a few options to help them along.

“For heifers that are too thin, I’d recommend adding grain to get them to gain between one and a half to two pounds a day,” said beef cattle nutritionist Phillip Lancaster. At that pace, the cattle should be able to add an extra 100 pounds or so in 45 to 60 days, he said.

Along with adding grain, Lancaster also recommends adding ionophores to the feed.

“An ionophore is a feed supplement that changes the fermentation in the rumen that provides additional blood glucose and will help the heifer begin cycling a little earlier than she might otherwise,” Lancaster said.

Along with adjusting the nutrition plan, K-State veterinarian Brian Lubbers said it is important to make sure the heifers have been treated with a deworming product.

“Having heifers on a good deworming program means they are losing less energy to parasites, and they can gain more weight because they are using their calories more efficiently,” Lubbers said.

Another tip is to expose the heifers to an older bull through fence line contact or use a vasectomized bull in the pasture with them.

“Although only a minor effect, research has shown that bull exposure will hasten the onset of puberty in females that are close to cycling,” said K-State veterinarian Bob Larson.

Larson also suggests using an estrus synchronization protocol that includes progesterone. He said this can be done through a feed additive such as MGA (melengestrol acetate) or with a CIDR (a product placed intravaginally for either seven or 14 days).

“MGA works well as long as they get their half milligram every day and it is fed for 14 days, while the CIDR is more expensive but is more flaw proof because if it is in their body, then you know they are getting the progesterone.”

Because of the cost of estrous synchronization and artificial insemination, Larson recommends that heifers that are behind at an eight-week pre-breeding exam be re-evaluated closer to breeding before committing to an artificial insemination mating.

“I normally don’t do the breeding soundness exams twice, but in a herd or group that is behind, I will because it may not be worth the expense of putting in a CIDR and semen in heifer that has a low chance of responding,” Larson said.

To hear the full discussion, listen to&nbsp;<a href="https://ksre-learn.com/CattleChatHelpingHeifersAheadofBreeding">Cattle Chat</a>&nbsp;on your preferred streaming platform.

READ MORE:&nbsp;<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/d7b5a005-9ac6-4d89-ae63-dd9bafd923f4">Shroom-Mates — science leads owners to small-scale agriculture</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711123128274.jpeg" alt="Management interventions can help heifers reach puberty. Image courtesy K-State Research and Extension news service" />
 <figcaption>Management interventions can help heifers reach puberty. Image courtesy K-State Research and Extension news service</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/news-and-publications/news/stories/2024/03/cattle-chat-helping-heifers-ahead-of-breeding.html">By LISA MOSER</a> K-State Research and Extension news serviceWhile it seems like a natural event, getting pregnant is not always as easy as it sounds, especially if the female isn’t having estrus cycles.Specific to cattle, the experts at the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute offered tips on how to get heifers cycling on a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://ksre-learn.com/CattleChatHelpingHeifersAheadofBreeding">Cattle Chat</a>&nbsp;podcast.The veterinarians recommend doing a pre-breeding exam on the heifers as early as six to eight weeks ahead of the start of the breeding season to assess the reproductive tract and overall health of the young females. Heifers typically start their estrus cycles around 12-13 months of age.For heifers that are behind in their body weight and reproductive maturity, the BCI experts suggested a few options to help them along.“For heifers that are too thin, I’d recommend adding grain to get them to gain between one and a half to two pounds a day,” said beef cattle nutritionist Phillip Lancaster. At that pace, the cattle should be able to add an extra 100 pounds or so in 45 to 60 days, he said.Along with adding grain, Lancaster also recommends adding ionophores to the feed.“An ionophore is a feed supplement that changes the fermentation in the rumen that provides additional blood glucose and will help the heifer begin cycling a little earlier than she might otherwise,” Lancaster said.Along with adjusting the nutrition plan, K-State veterinarian Brian Lubbers said it is important to make sure the heifers have been treated with a deworming product.“Having heifers on a good deworming program means they are losing less energy to parasites, and they can gain more weight because they are using their calories more efficiently,” Lubbers said.Another tip is to expose the heifers to an older bull through fence line contact or use a vasectomized bull in the pasture with them.“Although only a minor effect, research has shown that bull exposure will hasten the onset of puberty in females that are close to cycling,” said K-State veterinarian Bob Larson.Larson also suggests using an estrus synchronization protocol that includes progesterone. He said this can be done through a feed additive such as MGA (melengestrol acetate) or with a CIDR (a product placed intravaginally for either seven or 14 days).“MGA works well as long as they get their half milligram every day and it is fed for 14 days, while the CIDR is more expensive but is more flaw proof because if it is in their body, then you know they are getting the progesterone.”Because of the cost of estrous synchronization and artificial insemination, Larson recommends that heifers that are behind at an eight-week pre-breeding exam be re-evaluated closer to breeding before committing to an artificial insemination mating.“I normally don’t do the breeding soundness exams twice, but in a herd or group that is behind, I will because it may not be worth the expense of putting in a CIDR and semen in heifer that has a low chance of responding,” Larson said.To hear the full discussion, listen to&nbsp;<a href="https://ksre-learn.com/CattleChatHelpingHeifersAheadofBreeding">Cattle Chat</a>&nbsp;on your preferred streaming platform.READ MORE:&nbsp;<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/d7b5a005-9ac6-4d89-ae63-dd9bafd923f4">Shroom-Mates — science leads owners to small-scale agriculture</a>

Cattle Chat: Helping heifers ahead of breeding

By OLIVIA BERGMEIER Salina Post

In a shop just outside Minneapolis, Kan. a pair of agriculture entrepreneurs cultivate dozens of pounds of mushrooms each week, ranging from the cloud-like Lion's Mane to the flavorful Shitake.

Rachel and Casey Andre began <a href="https://www.shroom-mates.com/">Shroom-Mates</a> in 2022 after noticing a "mushroom-sized gap" in the Saline County food industry.

"We had already talked about starting a farm and what we'd like to do, but the conventional way was kind of out of our means as far as land," Casey Andre said. "So we just said, 'Okay, what can we grow here and start here and expand — what's not available in the community?' So I went to the farmers market and saw nobody was doing mushrooms."

From there, the couple started small with a homemade cultivating tent, a special enclosure to grow mushrooms on a larger scale. 

The makeshift tent first filled their entire basement, but after demand grew, they moved to a shop with an upgraded cultivating tent.

Rachel Andre has worked as a chef most of her life. As she sought to create more delicious recipes at the Rennaisance Cafe, she encountered a challenge in finding varying types of mushrooms beyond Portobello or Button mushrooms.

She and Casey Andre then found a solution — growing their own mushrooms in their basement to sell and use for recipes. This also aligned with the couple's goal of starting an agriculture business.

Rachel Andre said she worked as the executive chef at <a href="https://www.renaissancecafeassaria.com/">Rennaisance Cafe</a> in Assaria for seven years, and she continues to assist the cafe occasionally but remains busy with Shroom-Mates.

"It's more science than it is agriculture," Casey Andre said. I work at Great Plains, so I'm in the ag industry. I grew up on a farm. We wanted to do something that promoted local agriculture and local foods — we're really into that."

Once the couple began growing mushrooms, they dove into the entire process, from sterilizing the substrate to pulling and washing mushrooms from the grow bags.

The process begins with filling plastic bags with a mix of wood chips and soy meal and then taking them to a sterilizing room to prevent mold growth. 

After Casey and Rachel Andre sterilize the growing bags, the bags sit until the substrate turns white with mycelium, or the root-like structure of fungi, to then take to the cultivation tents.

READ MORE:&nbsp;<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/42dbd29f-e625-4828-b08f-570a490b9c4b">Salina Salvation Army continues helping families amid financial challenges</a>

In the cultivation tents, the Andres can control the temperature, light and humidity to create the perfect environment for large heads of Lion's Mane and Oyster mushrooms to grow.

Casey Andre said he enjoys the challenge of growing mushrooms on a business scale.

"It motivates me and gets me interested in it all," Casey Andre said. "I went from knowing almost nothing about mushrooms, other than what you find at the grocery store, and I started looking into these wood-loving mushrooms, and I was like, 'Wow! There's so many kinds of these.'"

Beyond selling fresh mushrooms, the business sells mushroom teas and dried mushrooms, which have medicinal benefits from mushrooms like Lion's Mane.

The couple also invented the name Shroom-Mates. Casey Andre said that while researching other small mushroom businesses, he found many had "serious" names like "Last Name Mushrooms," and he wanted to do something different.

That's when Rachel Andre created the name Shroom-Mates as a play on words to draw people to their stall at local farmers' markets.

Rachel and Casey Andre set up shop this week at the <a href="https://www.salinakansas.org/midamericafarmexpo.html">Mid America Farm Expo at Tony's Pizza Events Center</a> in town, selling boxes of fresh mushrooms alongside bags and jars of various dried mushrooms and teas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711037879382.jpeg" alt="Casey Andre, co-owner of Shroom-Mates, stands inside one of the cultivation tents at their mushroom shop on Thursday, March 14, near Minneapolis. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier" />
 <figcaption>Casey Andre, co-owner of Shroom-Mates, stands inside one of the cultivation tents at their mushroom shop on Thursday, March 14, near Minneapolis. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier</figcaption>
 </figure>By OLIVIA BERGMEIER Salina PostIn a shop just outside Minneapolis, Kan. a pair of agriculture entrepreneurs cultivate dozens of pounds of mushrooms each week, ranging from the cloud-like Lion's Mane to the flavorful Shitake.Rachel and Casey Andre began <a href="https://www.shroom-mates.com/">Shroom-Mates</a> in 2022 after noticing a "mushroom-sized gap" in the Saline County food industry.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711037954083.jpeg" alt="Casey Andre, co-owner of Shroom-Mates, holds a box of fresh Oyster mushrooms ready for sale in his shop on Thursday, March 14, near Minneapolis. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier" />
 <figcaption>Casey Andre, co-owner of Shroom-Mates, holds a box of fresh Oyster mushrooms ready for sale in his shop on Thursday, March 14, near Minneapolis. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier</figcaption>
 </figure>"We had already talked about starting a farm and what we'd like to do, but the conventional way was kind of out of our means as far as land," Casey Andre said. "So we just said, 'Okay, what can we grow here and start here and expand — what's not available in the community?' So I went to the farmers market and saw nobody was doing mushrooms."From there, the couple started small with a homemade cultivating tent, a special enclosure to grow mushrooms on a larger scale. The makeshift tent first filled their entire basement, but after demand grew, they moved to a shop with an upgraded cultivating tent.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711038017599.jpeg" alt="A head of Lion's Mane mushrooms sits ready for harvest in a cultivation tent at Shroom-Mates on Thursday, March 14, near Minneapolis. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier" />
 <figcaption>A head of Lion's Mane mushrooms sits ready for harvest in a cultivation tent at Shroom-Mates on Thursday, March 14, near Minneapolis. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier</figcaption>
 </figure>Rachel Andre has worked as a chef most of her life. As she sought to create more delicious recipes at the Rennaisance Cafe, she encountered a challenge in finding varying types of mushrooms beyond Portobello or Button mushrooms.She and Casey Andre then found a solution — growing their own mushrooms in their basement to sell and use for recipes. This also aligned with the couple's goal of starting an agriculture business.Rachel Andre said she worked as the executive chef at <a href="https://www.renaissancecafeassaria.com/">Rennaisance Cafe</a> in Assaria for seven years, and she continues to assist the cafe occasionally but remains busy with Shroom-Mates."It's more science than it is agriculture," Casey Andre said. I work at Great Plains, so I'm in the ag industry. I grew up on a farm. We wanted to do something that promoted local agriculture and local foods — we're really into that."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711038065881.jpeg" alt="A box of fresh mushrooms ready for sale at the Shroom-Mates cultivation shop on Thursday, March 14, near Minneapolis. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier" />
 <figcaption>A box of fresh mushrooms ready for sale at the Shroom-Mates cultivation shop on Thursday, March 14, near Minneapolis. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier</figcaption>
 </figure>Once the couple began growing mushrooms, they dove into the entire process, from sterilizing the substrate to pulling and washing mushrooms from the grow bags.The process begins with filling plastic bags with a mix of wood chips and soy meal and then taking them to a sterilizing room to prevent mold growth. After Casey and Rachel Andre sterilize the growing bags, the bags sit until the substrate turns white with mycelium, or the root-like structure of fungi, to then take to the cultivation tents.READ MORE:&nbsp;<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/42dbd29f-e625-4828-b08f-570a490b9c4b">Salina Salvation Army continues helping families amid financial challenges</a>In the cultivation tents, the Andres can control the temperature, light and humidity to create the perfect environment for large heads of Lion's Mane and Oyster mushrooms to grow.Casey Andre said he enjoys the challenge of growing mushrooms on a business scale."It motivates me and gets me interested in it all," Casey Andre said. "I went from knowing almost nothing about mushrooms, other than what you find at the grocery store, and I started looking into these wood-loving mushrooms, and I was like, 'Wow! There's so many kinds of these.'"Beyond selling fresh mushrooms, the business sells mushroom teas and dried mushrooms, which have medicinal benefits from mushrooms like Lion's Mane.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711038099731.jpeg" alt="Various mushroom products sold by Shroom-Mates on Thursday, March 14, near Minneapolis. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier" />
 <figcaption>Various mushroom products sold by Shroom-Mates on Thursday, March 14, near Minneapolis. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier</figcaption>
 </figure>The couple also invented the name Shroom-Mates. Casey Andre said that while researching other small mushroom businesses, he found many had "serious" names like "Last Name Mushrooms," and he wanted to do something different.That's when Rachel Andre created the name Shroom-Mates as a play on words to draw people to their stall at local farmers' markets.Rachel and Casey Andre set up shop this week at the <a href="https://www.salinakansas.org/midamericafarmexpo.html">Mid America Farm Expo at Tony's Pizza Events Center</a> in town, selling boxes of fresh mushrooms alongside bags and jars of various dried mushrooms and teas.

Shroom-Mates — science leads owners to small-scale agriculture

<a href="mailto:melgares@ksu.edu" target="_blank">By PAT MELGARES</a> K-State Research and Extension news service&nbsp;&nbsp;

A trio of Kansas State University graduate students recently reported their findings regarding threats to the animals that graze the Kansas prairie – and the impact of prescribed fire on those threats.

They reported their findings&nbsp;<a href="https://www.asi.k-state.edu/events/cattlemens-day/">during K-State’s recent Cattlemen’s Day</a>, which highlights cattle-related research being conducted at the university.

The students’ multi-year research projects compared the effects of prescribed burning of pastures in spring, summer and fall.

Zach Duncan, who completed the doctoral degree in ruminant nutrition last December, compared the effects of burning in the three seasons on the growth performance of stocker cattle. The study zeroed in on how fire reduces the growth of sericea lespedeza, an invasive weed that has degraded more than 600,000 acres of native Kansas rangeland – most of that in the Flint Hills region.

“Flint Hills ranches traditionally apply a spring-season fire in April, then intensively graze yearling beef cattle from May to August,” Duncan said. “Unfortunately, this practice has not limited the proliferation of sericea lespedeza.”

Previous research at K-State led by range management specialist KC Olson determined that burning in August or September reduces the presence of sericea lespedeza, but that practice has been limited, Duncan said, “because burning pastures later in the year could have unknown major effects on the growth performance of stocker cattle during the next grazing season.”

The six-year study studied the effects of fire in spring, summer and fall with nearly 2,000 yearling beef cattle grazing the land. Duncan said the results indicate shifting burning from August to October reduced yearling stocker cattle weight gains by 10-14 pounds during a 90-day grazing season.

Ranchers should weigh that finding, however, against the reduced need for herbicides against sericea lespedeza, improved wildlife habitat, and the reduced downwind impacts of smoke on air quality, Duncan said.

In another study, Andrea Salazar – a K-State doctoral candidate in entomology – found that spring- and summer-burned pastures had lower counts of ticks compared to fall-burned areas.

High tick burdens on cattle, Salazar said, results in decreased production, anemia, skin irritations, pruritus (itching) and stress.

“Furthermore, ticks serve as vectors for diverse pathogens, such as bacteria, protozoa and parasites, leading to diseases in animals and humans,” she said.

The study was conducted at K-State’s Beef Stocker Unit west of the Manhattan campus. Salazar said three tick species were found: The Lone Star tick, American dog tick, and the Gulf Coast tick. “Significantly fewer ticks were collected from fire-treated areas compared to non-burned areas during eight months of sampling,” she said.

“Among seasonally burned areas, tick counts in fall pastures were higher than summer and spring pastures,” Salazar added.

“The findings suggest that consistent annual burning of grazing areas, particularly when conducted in the spring, holds the potential to substantially diminish tick populations. This approach presents an efficient non-chemical method for tick control. The strategic timing of prescribed fires is crucial, aligning them with conditions that target specific tick species during vulnerable phases in their life cycle to optimize the impact on tick control.”

The choice of when to burn does not seem to make a difference in protecting populations of dung beetles, an important part of the pasture ecosystem. First-year entomology graduate student Herman Griese said “the difference was not significant” in a study that looked at spring, summer and fall prescribed burns.

Dung beetles feed on or store feces to provide housing and food for their young, which in turn transports nutrients to the subsoil and improves nutrient cycling, soil structure and forage growth on the prairie.

For farmers, the benefits to their land and livestock herds also are real: reduced parasite pressure, better aeration, reduced compaction, reduced runoff after rain events and decreased ammonia levels.

“Based on our study, ranchers who are worried about killing their decomposers (such as dung beetles) by burning their pastures can choose what time of year to burn based on other desired outcomes,” Griese said.

The full listing of research reports presented during the 2024 K-State Cattlemen’s Day is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.asi.k-state.edu/extension/beef/focusareas/24_CattlemensDaySummary.pdf">available online</a>.

READ MORE:&nbsp;<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/e75818b1-80eb-49fc-a472-5e13faca548b">Propane Central celebrates retirement for 26-year employee</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710440580581.jpeg" alt="Recent research on the effects of prescribed burning in Kansas has looked at benefits to the ecosystem. Image courtesy K-State Research and Extension" />
 <figcaption>Recent research on the effects of prescribed burning in Kansas has looked at benefits to the ecosystem. Image courtesy K-State Research and Extension</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="mailto:melgares@ksu.edu" target="_blank">By PAT MELGARES</a> K-State Research and Extension news service&nbsp;&nbsp;A trio of Kansas State University graduate students recently reported their findings regarding threats to the animals that graze the Kansas prairie – and the impact of prescribed fire on those threats.They reported their findings&nbsp;<a href="https://www.asi.k-state.edu/events/cattlemens-day/">during K-State’s recent Cattlemen’s Day</a>, which highlights cattle-related research being conducted at the university.The students’ multi-year research projects compared the effects of prescribed burning of pastures in spring, summer and fall.Zach Duncan, who completed the doctoral degree in ruminant nutrition last December, compared the effects of burning in the three seasons on the growth performance of stocker cattle. The study zeroed in on how fire reduces the growth of sericea lespedeza, an invasive weed that has degraded more than 600,000 acres of native Kansas rangeland – most of that in the Flint Hills region.“Flint Hills ranches traditionally apply a spring-season fire in April, then intensively graze yearling beef cattle from May to August,” Duncan said. “Unfortunately, this practice has not limited the proliferation of sericea lespedeza.”Previous research at K-State led by range management specialist KC Olson determined that burning in August or September reduces the presence of sericea lespedeza, but that practice has been limited, Duncan said, “because burning pastures later in the year could have unknown major effects on the growth performance of stocker cattle during the next grazing season.”The six-year study studied the effects of fire in spring, summer and fall with nearly 2,000 yearling beef cattle grazing the land. Duncan said the results indicate shifting burning from August to October reduced yearling stocker cattle weight gains by 10-14 pounds during a 90-day grazing season.Ranchers should weigh that finding, however, against the reduced need for herbicides against sericea lespedeza, improved wildlife habitat, and the reduced downwind impacts of smoke on air quality, Duncan said.In another study, Andrea Salazar – a K-State doctoral candidate in entomology – found that spring- and summer-burned pastures had lower counts of ticks compared to fall-burned areas.High tick burdens on cattle, Salazar said, results in decreased production, anemia, skin irritations, pruritus (itching) and stress.“Furthermore, ticks serve as vectors for diverse pathogens, such as bacteria, protozoa and parasites, leading to diseases in animals and humans,” she said.The study was conducted at K-State’s Beef Stocker Unit west of the Manhattan campus. Salazar said three tick species were found: The Lone Star tick, American dog tick, and the Gulf Coast tick. “Significantly fewer ticks were collected from fire-treated areas compared to non-burned areas during eight months of sampling,” she said.“Among seasonally burned areas, tick counts in fall pastures were higher than summer and spring pastures,” Salazar added.“The findings suggest that consistent annual burning of grazing areas, particularly when conducted in the spring, holds the potential to substantially diminish tick populations. This approach presents an efficient non-chemical method for tick control. The strategic timing of prescribed fires is crucial, aligning them with conditions that target specific tick species during vulnerable phases in their life cycle to optimize the impact on tick control.”The choice of when to burn does not seem to make a difference in protecting populations of dung beetles, an important part of the pasture ecosystem. First-year entomology graduate student Herman Griese said “the difference was not significant” in a study that looked at spring, summer and fall prescribed burns.Dung beetles feed on or store feces to provide housing and food for their young, which in turn transports nutrients to the subsoil and improves nutrient cycling, soil structure and forage growth on the prairie.For farmers, the benefits to their land and livestock herds also are real: reduced parasite pressure, better aeration, reduced compaction, reduced runoff after rain events and decreased ammonia levels.“Based on our study, ranchers who are worried about killing their decomposers (such as dung beetles) by burning their pastures can choose what time of year to burn based on other desired outcomes,” Griese said.The full listing of research reports presented during the 2024 K-State Cattlemen’s Day is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.asi.k-state.edu/extension/beef/focusareas/24_CattlemensDaySummary.pdf">available online</a>.READ MORE:&nbsp;<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/e75818b1-80eb-49fc-a472-5e13faca548b">Propane Central celebrates retirement for 26-year employee</a>

K-State Cattleman’s Day: Students present research on impacts of prescribed burning

<a href="mailto:lmoser@ksu.edu">By LISA MOSER</a> K-State Research and Extension News Service

Anyone who has ever had a respiratory infection knows how hard it can be to clear the body and how miserable it can make a person feel.

In much the same way, beef cattle can also experience respiratory disease that may start as a virus and turn into bacterial pneumonia, said the experts at Kansas State University’s Beef Cattle Institute on a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://ksre-learn.com/CattleChatMycoplasmaPneumonia" target="_blank">Cattle Chat</a>&nbsp;podcast. The focus of this discussion was on mycoplasma pneumonia, which may require a different treatment protocol than other forms of respiratory disease, said the K-State veterinarians.

“Mycoplasma pneumonia is atypical because it is a smaller bacterium that doesn’t have a cell wall and it is more contagious than some of the other respiratory illnesses,” said K-State veterinarian Brad White.

K-State veterinarian Brian Lubbers added: “Because it is an atypical bacterium, some of the antibiotics that we would use to treat bovine respiratory disease just simply won’t work against mycoplasma.”

The veterinarians said that this type of pneumonia has a longer disease onset than other types of respiratory illnesses.

“Mycoplasma pneumonia often develops in chronically ill animals that have had a severe disease challenge and it may take 30-40 days to appear in the herd,” White said.

Lubbers said mycoplasma pneumonia can lead to other syndromes in the animal’s body, such as a joint infection or an ear infection.

“In a lot of cases the calf starts with a respiratory infection and then weeks or months later they have swollen knee joints or even a head tilt, which are signs that they may be experiencing mycoplasma infections,” Lubbers says.

If producers suspect mycoplasma infections in the herd, White and Lubbers said that they should reach out to the local veterinarian for guidance.

“The diagnostic test for this bacterium is different and it doesn’t always show on a routine bacterial culture so it is important to work with the veterinarian to get the right diagnosis and treatment protocol,” Lubbers said.

To hear the full discussion, listen to the&nbsp;<a href="https://ksre-learn.com/CattleChatMycoplasmaPneumonia" target="_blank">Cattle Chat</a>&nbsp;podcast on your preferred streaming platform.

READ MORE:&nbsp;<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/5c035236-8057-4520-af42-1a6c07aee2a3">Multiple weather systems moving into Kansas bring chances of severe storms</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710276916560.jpeg" alt="Mycoplasma pneumonia can develop in cattle of all ages. Image courtesy K-State Research and Extension News Service" />
 <figcaption>Mycoplasma pneumonia can develop in cattle of all ages. Image courtesy K-State Research and Extension News Service</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="mailto:lmoser@ksu.edu">By LISA MOSER</a> K-State Research and Extension News ServiceAnyone who has ever had a respiratory infection knows how hard it can be to clear the body and how miserable it can make a person feel.In much the same way, beef cattle can also experience respiratory disease that may start as a virus and turn into bacterial pneumonia, said the experts at Kansas State University’s Beef Cattle Institute on a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://ksre-learn.com/CattleChatMycoplasmaPneumonia" target="_blank">Cattle Chat</a>&nbsp;podcast. The focus of this discussion was on mycoplasma pneumonia, which may require a different treatment protocol than other forms of respiratory disease, said the K-State veterinarians.“Mycoplasma pneumonia is atypical because it is a smaller bacterium that doesn’t have a cell wall and it is more contagious than some of the other respiratory illnesses,” said K-State veterinarian Brad White.K-State veterinarian Brian Lubbers added: “Because it is an atypical bacterium, some of the antibiotics that we would use to treat bovine respiratory disease just simply won’t work against mycoplasma.”The veterinarians said that this type of pneumonia has a longer disease onset than other types of respiratory illnesses.“Mycoplasma pneumonia often develops in chronically ill animals that have had a severe disease challenge and it may take 30-40 days to appear in the herd,” White said.Lubbers said mycoplasma pneumonia can lead to other syndromes in the animal’s body, such as a joint infection or an ear infection.“In a lot of cases the calf starts with a respiratory infection and then weeks or months later they have swollen knee joints or even a head tilt, which are signs that they may be experiencing mycoplasma infections,” Lubbers says.If producers suspect mycoplasma infections in the herd, White and Lubbers said that they should reach out to the local veterinarian for guidance.“The diagnostic test for this bacterium is different and it doesn’t always show on a routine bacterial culture so it is important to work with the veterinarian to get the right diagnosis and treatment protocol,” Lubbers said.To hear the full discussion, listen to the&nbsp;<a href="https://ksre-learn.com/CattleChatMycoplasmaPneumonia" target="_blank">Cattle Chat</a>&nbsp;podcast on your preferred streaming platform.READ MORE:&nbsp;<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/5c035236-8057-4520-af42-1a6c07aee2a3">Multiple weather systems moving into Kansas bring chances of severe storms</a>

Cattle Chat: Understanding mycoplasma pneumonia

K-State veterinarians offer insight into why some calves have an aversion to silage

<a href="mailto:lmoser@ksu.edu">By LISA MOSER</a> K-State Research and Extension news service

When working with animals, often their caretakers have to use clues to understand what might be leading that individual to react differently than expected. And with feed resources, the experts at the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute recommend slowly changing feeds, especially when introducing silage.

In answering a listener's question about why calves were not willing to eat silage, the&nbsp;<a href="https://ksre-learn.com/CattleChatFeedingSilagetoCalves">Cattle Chat</a>&nbsp;podcast experts suggested following the cues of the cattle.

“When introducing silage, you are going to have to watch the calves closely to know when you can start increasing the amount in the diet. And with some groups, you may need to move more slowly,” said K-State veterinarian Bob Larson.

One reason that calves might have an aversion to eating silage is its smell, beef cattle nutritionist Phillip Lancaster said.

“Silage is a fermented feed resource, so it has a different taste and smell than calves are used to,” Lancaster said. “To make the silage more palatable, producers can add silage to the top of a feed source that the calves like. That way the calves have to work through the silage to get to what they prefer to eat.”

Because it is a fermented product, there can be variability in the batches, Lancaster said.

“If it is too wet, then it has a butyric fermentation that gives it a nasty odor that really turns cattle off on eating it,” Lancaster said. “If it is too dry, it can be moldy.”

Lancaster recommends that producers take a sample of the silage and have a fermentation analysis done to make sure there is the right balance of acetic acid, lactic acid and butyric acid. He also said silage inoculates added at the time the silage is made can provide bacteria at a high enough concentration to get an optimum fermentation.

If cattle are inconsistent in their willingness to eat the silage, K-State veterinarian Brian Lubbers said it is important for producers to take and store samples as they work through the feed so when they go off feed they can pull the appropriate sample to test.

“There are microclimates within a silage pit, and so take the samples as you are feeding so that you have a representative sample to help you figure out what is actually causing them to stop eating the silage,” Lubbers said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709739155080.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>K-State veterinarians offer insight into why some calves have an aversion to silage</h2><a href="mailto:lmoser@ksu.edu">By LISA MOSER</a> K-State Research and Extension news serviceWhen working with animals, often their caretakers have to use clues to understand what might be leading that individual to react differently than expected. And with feed resources, the experts at the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute recommend slowly changing feeds, especially when introducing silage.In answering a listener's question about why calves were not willing to eat silage, the&nbsp;<a href="https://ksre-learn.com/CattleChatFeedingSilagetoCalves">Cattle Chat</a>&nbsp;podcast experts suggested following the cues of the cattle.“When introducing silage, you are going to have to watch the calves closely to know when you can start increasing the amount in the diet. And with some groups, you may need to move more slowly,” said K-State veterinarian Bob Larson.<div><iframe style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/3OLqGp0sltaNsnfo9sseNW?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>One reason that calves might have an aversion to eating silage is its smell, beef cattle nutritionist Phillip Lancaster said.“Silage is a fermented feed resource, so it has a different taste and smell than calves are used to,” Lancaster said. “To make the silage more palatable, producers can add silage to the top of a feed source that the calves like. That way the calves have to work through the silage to get to what they prefer to eat.”Because it is a fermented product, there can be variability in the batches, Lancaster said.“If it is too wet, then it has a butyric fermentation that gives it a nasty odor that really turns cattle off on eating it,” Lancaster said. “If it is too dry, it can be moldy.”Lancaster recommends that producers take a sample of the silage and have a fermentation analysis done to make sure there is the right balance of acetic acid, lactic acid and butyric acid. He also said silage inoculates added at the time the silage is made can provide bacteria at a high enough concentration to get an optimum fermentation.If cattle are inconsistent in their willingness to eat the silage, K-State veterinarian Brian Lubbers said it is important for producers to take and store samples as they work through the feed so when they go off feed they can pull the appropriate sample to test.“There are microclimates within a silage pit, and so take the samples as you are feeding so that you have a representative sample to help you figure out what is actually causing them to stop eating the silage,” Lubbers said.

KSRE Cattle Chat: Feeding silage to calves

<a href="mailto:melgares@ksu.edu">By PAT MELGARES</a> K-State Research and Extension news service

Wheat growers in Kansas, take notice: The doctor is in.

K-State Research and Extension and&nbsp;<a href="https://kswheat.com/">Kansas Wheat</a>&nbsp;are hosting a pair of meetings in Dodge City (March 7) and Wichita (March 8) to share what those organizations term “a prescription for producing high-yielding and high-quality wheat in a sustainable manner.”

The meetings – called&nbsp;<a href="https://kswheat.com/growers/resources/kansas-wheat-rx">Kansas Wheat Rx</a>&nbsp;– combine suggested management practices for the economical and sustainable production of high-quality winter wheat in Kansas. The information is based on research conducted at Kansas State University and funded – at least in part – by Kansas Wheat, a cooperative agreement between the Kansas Wheat Commission and the Kansas Association of Wheat Growers.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://kswheat.com/dodgecity">Dodge City meeting</a>&nbsp;will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Depot Theater, 201 E. Wyatt Earp Blvd.&nbsp;<a href="https://kswheat.com/wichita">The Wichita meeting</a>&nbsp;will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Doubletree Hotel at the Airport, 2098 Airport Road.

Registration is available free to&nbsp;<a href="https://kswheat.com/join">members of the Kansas Association of Wheat Growers</a>. The registration fee for non-members is $110, which includes membership to KAWG.

The lineup of wheat experts includes K-State faculty members Romulo Lollato, Carlos Bonini Pires, Kelsey Andersen Onfore, Dorivar Ruiz Diaz, Dan O’Brien and Gregg Ibendahl, as well Carlos Bonini Pires and Logan Simon.

Among numerous topics, they will discuss:

● Cover crops and soil health. ● The benefit of wheat to cropping systems. ● Soil fertility. ● Important wheat diseases and fungicides. ● The economics of wheat production.

The full agenda is&nbsp;<a href="https://kswheat.com/wichita">available online</a>.

“We cannot change the impact of weather on each year’s crop, but we can arm wheat producers with the knowledge they need to maximize profitability through the genetic potential of new varieties and best management practices,” said Aaron Harries, vice president of research and operations for Kansas Wheat.”

Kansas Wheat has funded much of the research conducted at K-State, “from the importance of variety selection to the practices and tools farmers can use to improve quality,” according to Harries.

Much of the university’s wheat research is available in&nbsp;<a href="https://kswheat.com/growers/resources/kansas-wheat-rx">numerous publications available online</a>. More information is also available at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/about/statewide-locations/">local extension offices in Kansas</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709391563055.jpeg" alt="Wheat harvest. Image courtesy K-State Research and Extension" />
 <figcaption>Wheat harvest. Image courtesy K-State Research and Extension</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="mailto:melgares@ksu.edu">By PAT MELGARES</a> K-State Research and Extension news serviceWheat growers in Kansas, take notice: The doctor is in.K-State Research and Extension and&nbsp;<a href="https://kswheat.com/">Kansas Wheat</a>&nbsp;are hosting a pair of meetings in Dodge City (March 7) and Wichita (March 8) to share what those organizations term “a prescription for producing high-yielding and high-quality wheat in a sustainable manner.”The meetings – called&nbsp;<a href="https://kswheat.com/growers/resources/kansas-wheat-rx">Kansas Wheat Rx</a>&nbsp;– combine suggested management practices for the economical and sustainable production of high-quality winter wheat in Kansas. The information is based on research conducted at Kansas State University and funded – at least in part – by Kansas Wheat, a cooperative agreement between the Kansas Wheat Commission and the Kansas Association of Wheat Growers.The&nbsp;<a href="https://kswheat.com/dodgecity">Dodge City meeting</a>&nbsp;will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Depot Theater, 201 E. Wyatt Earp Blvd.&nbsp;<a href="https://kswheat.com/wichita">The Wichita meeting</a>&nbsp;will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Doubletree Hotel at the Airport, 2098 Airport Road.Registration is available free to&nbsp;<a href="https://kswheat.com/join">members of the Kansas Association of Wheat Growers</a>. The registration fee for non-members is $110, which includes membership to KAWG.The lineup of wheat experts includes K-State faculty members Romulo Lollato, Carlos Bonini Pires, Kelsey Andersen Onfore, Dorivar Ruiz Diaz, Dan O’Brien and Gregg Ibendahl, as well Carlos Bonini Pires and Logan Simon.Among numerous topics, they will discuss:● Cover crops and soil health. ● The benefit of wheat to cropping systems. ● Soil fertility. ● Important wheat diseases and fungicides. ● The economics of wheat production.The full agenda is&nbsp;<a href="https://kswheat.com/wichita">available online</a>.“We cannot change the impact of weather on each year’s crop, but we can arm wheat producers with the knowledge they need to maximize profitability through the genetic potential of new varieties and best management practices,” said Aaron Harries, vice president of research and operations for Kansas Wheat.”Kansas Wheat has funded much of the research conducted at K-State, “from the importance of variety selection to the practices and tools farmers can use to improve quality,” according to Harries.Much of the university’s wheat research is available in&nbsp;<a href="https://kswheat.com/growers/resources/kansas-wheat-rx">numerous publications available online</a>. More information is also available at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/about/statewide-locations/">local extension offices in Kansas</a>.

State wheat experts to outline best practices for growing wheat in Kansas

K-State veterinarians say weight and reproductive maturity are two factors to assess

By&nbsp;<a href="mailto:lmoser@ksu.edu">LISA MOSER </a>K-State Research and Extension news service&nbsp;&nbsp;

Walk through the halls of a high school and it is easy to see that not all kids develop at the same pace – some look like mature adults while others appear younger than their age.

Similarly, individual animals in a cattle herd also reach maturity at different times, say the experts at Kansas State University’s Beef Cattle Institute.

Speaking on a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://ksre-learn.com/42RTP6n">Cattle Chat</a>&nbsp;podcast, the experts addressed factors that influence the pace at which heifers reach their maturity.

“Most heifers reach puberty at 12-13 months of age; there are some Brahman-influenced breeds that are a little older when they begin cycling,” said K-State veterinarian Bob Larson.

To help producers identify the heifers that are most likely to get bred early in the breeding season, Larson advises that producers complete a pre-breeding evaluation of the heifers.

“The two things that drive maturity are their age and their body weight,” Larson said.

When Larson conducts the pre-breeding evaluation, he assesses their reproductive tract.

“As they get closer to puberty, their reproductive tract starts to feel more like an adult tract with a thicker, larger uterus and some follicle structures on the ovaries,” Larson said.

He said there are two main times these evaluations are done.

“Six weeks before the breeding season, I can get an idea of the likelihood they’ll be cycling at breeding, and I still have time to help that along with nutrition. The other time is when we are getting ready for a synchronization protocol and I can separate the ones that are not likely to get bred,” Larson said.

Another factor affecting development is the amount of body fat heifers are carrying, which can be controlled by the heifer’s diet. The experts agree that the easiest way to measure that is through weighing the heifers.

“As heifers grow, they start to deposit more fat in each pound of gain and less muscle. So when they get to about 60-65% of their mature weight, the hormones will signal to the body that it is time to ovulate,” said K-State beef cattle nutritionist Philip Lancaster.

If these are retained heifers, Larson said, often producers will know a target weight that their females in the herd start to cycle. While it varies among herds, for many he said that is about 850 pounds.

Six weeks before breeding, Lancaster said producers can evaluate the heifer’s body condition and adjust accordingly.

“We can safely increase their nutrition to get more energy in their diet to push them to gain 2-2.5 pounds per day. As long as we start 70-90 days before the breeding season, many of those heifers will reach puberty on time,” Lancaster said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1709136994000.jpeg" alt="Image Courtesy KSRE" />
 <figcaption>Image Courtesy KSRE</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>K-State veterinarians say weight and reproductive maturity are two factors to assess</h2>By&nbsp;<a href="mailto:lmoser@ksu.edu">LISA MOSER </a>K-State Research and Extension news service&nbsp;&nbsp;Walk through the halls of a high school and it is easy to see that not all kids develop at the same pace – some look like mature adults while others appear younger than their age.Similarly, individual animals in a cattle herd also reach maturity at different times, say the experts at Kansas State University’s Beef Cattle Institute.Speaking on a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://ksre-learn.com/42RTP6n">Cattle Chat</a>&nbsp;podcast, the experts addressed factors that influence the pace at which heifers reach their maturity.“Most heifers reach puberty at 12-13 months of age; there are some Brahman-influenced breeds that are a little older when they begin cycling,” said K-State veterinarian Bob Larson.To help producers identify the heifers that are most likely to get bred early in the breeding season, Larson advises that producers complete a pre-breeding evaluation of the heifers.“The two things that drive maturity are their age and their body weight,” Larson said.When Larson conducts the pre-breeding evaluation, he assesses their reproductive tract.“As they get closer to puberty, their reproductive tract starts to feel more like an adult tract with a thicker, larger uterus and some follicle structures on the ovaries,” Larson said.He said there are two main times these evaluations are done.“Six weeks before the breeding season, I can get an idea of the likelihood they’ll be cycling at breeding, and I still have time to help that along with nutrition. The other time is when we are getting ready for a synchronization protocol and I can separate the ones that are not likely to get bred,” Larson said.Another factor affecting development is the amount of body fat heifers are carrying, which can be controlled by the heifer’s diet. The experts agree that the easiest way to measure that is through weighing the heifers.“As heifers grow, they start to deposit more fat in each pound of gain and less muscle. So when they get to about 60-65% of their mature weight, the hormones will signal to the body that it is time to ovulate,” said K-State beef cattle nutritionist Philip Lancaster.If these are retained heifers, Larson said, often producers will know a target weight that their females in the herd start to cycle. While it varies among herds, for many he said that is about 850 pounds.Six weeks before breeding, Lancaster said producers can evaluate the heifer’s body condition and adjust accordingly.“We can safely increase their nutrition to get more energy in their diet to push them to gain 2-2.5 pounds per day. As long as we start 70-90 days before the breeding season, many of those heifers will reach puberty on time,” Lancaster said.To hear the full discussion, listen to&nbsp;<a href="https://ksre-learn.com/42RTP6n">Cattle Chat</a>&nbsp;on your preferred streaming platform.