Tuesday August 21 Ag News

Fence Posts for Nebraskans

Area farmers will have a chance to get rid of used posts and at the same time help ranchers in north central Nebraska who are trying to rebuild fences after last month's range fires.

Used fence posts still in good condition, either wood or steel, will be collected Friday, Aug. 31 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at West Point Livestock Auction.

The idea was suggested recently by Harry Knobbe of West Point.  Knobbe deals with ranchers in the fire-affected area on a regular basis, and said they are trying to replace miles of fence and need good used posts and usable rolls of barb wire.

Donations in the form of checks should be made out to North Central Development Center, and they can be dropped off at collection site in West Point or mailed to: 335 N. Main St., Ainsworth, NE. 69210.

The fires were started by lightning and consumed thousands of acres of grasslands in Brown and Keya Paha Counties in July.



Colfax Dodge County Corn Growers Summer Meeting

Tuesday August 28th the Colfax Dodge Corn Growers Association will be holding their annual membership meeting.  This year's location will be at the Ron Bopp farm. Social begins at 6:00 that evening followed by a Steak meal.  Willow Holoubek, organizational director for the Alliance for the Future of Agriculture in Nebraska will also make a presentation.  The Bopp farm is located at 1625 County Road N Hooper.  For specific directions call Steve at Tri County Ag.  We hope to see all Colfax and Dodge Corn Growers and their spouses at this year's meeting Tuesday August 28th.



UNL Celebrates 150th Anniversary of the Morrill Act Sept. 23-29

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln and other land-grant universities across the nation are celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Morrill Act this year. UNL will be "Celebrating 150 years – Growing a Healthy Future" with a week of activities Sept. 23-29.

The Morrill Act created land-grant universities, making education more affordable to all people, educating them in agriculture, home economics, mechanical arts and other professions practical at the time of its passage in 1862. The Morrill Act successfully opened higher education for Americans who previously could not afford to go to college, said Ronnie Green, Harlan vice chancellor of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

"We are excited to celebrate 150 years of growing a healthy future," said Green, who also is University of Nebraska vice president for agriculture and natural resources. "Nebraska should be proud of the advancements made in food, fuel, water and landscapes for the people of our great state and those around the world."

Each day daily themes and events at UNL and across the state will help tell the land-grant story.

On Sept. 23 from noon-5 p.m., the Agricultural Research and Development Center near Mead will celebrate 50 years of research and education through exhibits, presentations, bus tours, food, fun and learning.

Entrepreneurship and youth will be the theme of the day on Sept. 24. From 3-6 p.m. at the Nebraska East Union an entrepreneurship fair will feature alumni and current students. Students also are invited to participate in a quick-pitch competition for a chance to win an iPad.

Life sciences, landscape systems and wildlife encounters will take the stage Sept. 25. From 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Nebraska East Union there will be a Life Sciences Symposium with featured speaker Sonny Ramaswamy, news director of USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture. From 2:30-4:30 at UNL's Maxwell Arboretum, a tree planting will be incorporated with an America

Forests Grant and ReTree Week and from 5-8 at UNL's Hardin Hall wildlife of all kinds will be available to view up close and personal.

Sept. 26 will showcase study abroad tours, international sabbaticals and Fulbright scholars. Food from around the world will be served during this event from 3-6 p.m. in Hardin Hall on UNL's East Campus.

Rural Futures Day will be Sept. 27, offering updates from May's Rural Futures Conference. This event will be from 10:30 a.m.-noon at Pinnacle Bank, 210 E. 23rd Street in Columbus.  U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack is invited.

Also on Sept. 27, "Backyard Farmer" will celebrate its 60th anniversary with a live broadcast outside Hardin Hall on UNL's East Campus from 6-9 p.m.

The week's celebration will culminate with a scheduled forum of former U.S. Secretaries of Agriculture Sept. 28, led by Nebraska's own Clayton Yeutter and Mike Johanns.

The 7:30 p.m. forum at the Lied Center for Performing Arts, 12th and R streets in Lincoln, also will be the first Heuermann Lecture (http://heuermannlectures.unl.edu/) for 2012-13.

Tickets, while free, are needed for this lecture and can be reserved starting Aug. 28 by contacting the Lied Center ticket office between 11 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at 402-472-4747; 1-800-432-3231. Ticket holders are asked to be in the lobby by 7:15 p.m. Sept. 28; unclaimed tickets will be released at that time.

To end the week of festivities, an Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources Tailgate will take place before the Nebraska-Wisconsin game. The tailgate will be at the Nebraska East Union from 3-7 p.m. UNL alumni, current students and IANR stakeholders can enjoy food, festivities and a shuttle ride to the football game.

For more information or for questions, contact Jill Brown, IANR director of external relations at jbrown14@unl.edu; 402-472-2871

For a detailed schedule of events, visit http://landgrant.unl.edu/.



Grazing Drought-Stressed Standing Corn
Larry Howard, UNL Extension Educator, Cuming County

Grazing standing corn eliminates the costs of harvesting, transporting, drying, and storing grain. Expenses for cutting stalks for hay or chopping silage also are avoided. Plus, letting cattle do the harvest eliminates yardage expenses, manure hauling, and feed processing and handling.
UNL Extension Forage Specialist, Bruce Anderson states that after a brief learning period, cattle will graze corn ears if any have developed.  Drought-damaged corn may not have many ears, but if much grain has developed, the cattle first need to adapt to a higher grain diet before grazing corn begins. Otherwise, acidosis or other digestive disorders could develop.
Cross-fencing and strip-grazing is needed to minimize trampling waste. Give cattle access to no more than a two-day supply of fresh corn at a time; a one-day supply is even better, especially for younger, growing cattle. Dry cows might do fine if moved just twice each week.
Electric fence is used most commonly for cross fences, but animals must be trained to respect these fences before entering the corn field. Driving over a strip of corn before placing the fence in the strip makes it easier to set up the fence and visually alerts the cattle that the fence is nearby. Constructing multiple strips ahead of time provides a catch area if the original fence fails to keep animals in the desired smaller area.
Determining how much area to give the cattle, especially in the first strip, can be challenging, but adjustments can be made in the size or time spent grazing for the next strip. As a starting guide, each acre of standing corn that is about 6 feet tall and tasseled should provide enough grazing for about 100 cows for one day. In other words, provide 435 square feet of standing corn for each cow for each day of grazing in the first strip. Observe animal behavior and amount of grazable corn available each day, as well as in-field variation, to determine whether to increase or decrease the area allotted with each new grazing strip. Do not bother with back fences to simplify animal travel back to water.
Dry cows may become fat and over-conditioned grazing standing corn, especially if grain is present. Even without grain, barren stalks can be surprisingly high in nutrient concentration because protein and energy that normally would have been transferred to the grain has instead been stored in the stalk and leaves. Diets containing crude protein exceeding 8% and TDN of 55% are usually expected.
Standing corn can be limit-fed to stretch the supply and/or to minimize over-conditioning by reducing the area allotted to the cows and forcing them to eat more of the lower quality stalks. However, nitrate concentration may be high in the lower portion of the corn stalks. Before forcing animals to consume this part of the plant, test the stalks for nitrates and then manage accordingly. In addition, limit-feeding can cause animals to remain hungry even when they have consumed sufficient protein and energy to meet their needs. Behavior problems can occur, including increased pressure on fences. More strands of wire, higher electric voltage, or providing free choice access to poor quality hay or straw may be needed to avoid problems.



2,4-D Resistance Found in Weeds Could Limit Usefulness

Even as crops resistant to 2,4-D herbicide are being developed, populations of weeds are also developing a resistance. A 2,4-D--resistant variety of the waterhemp weed has been found, and its spread could lessen the impact of an herbicide widely used in grassland and crop production. Despite worldwide use of 2,4-D since the 1940s, only 17 weeds were previously known to be resistant to it.

The journal Weed Science reports the discovery of 2,4-D--resistant waterhemp by a grower in Nebraska. Although scarce 30 years ago, waterhemp is now a major problem for crop production in the midwestern United States. This is the sixth mechanism-of-action herbicide group to which waterhemp has developed resistance. After 10 years of treatment with 2,4-D, waterhemp was no longer effectively controlled in a Nebraska native-grass seed production field. The highest doses of 2,4-D that were used in an on-site field study, 33 lb ai/A, were insufficient to control 50 percent of the waterhemp population.

Researchers gathered waterhemp seeds from this field and performed greenhouse testing against a susceptible waterhemp variety. Twenty-eight days after treatment with the herbicide, visual observation and dry weight values showed a 10-fold resistance in the affected sample. Researchers also found a reduced sensitivity to the herbicide dicamba.

Corn, soybeans, and cotton resistant to 2,4-D are under development; some are already under USDA consideration for nonregulated status. While an engineered crop offers easier treatment of weeds, this biotechnology will bring about an increase in the use of the 2,4-D herbicide. The authors warn that this new biotechnology must come with proper stewardship to retain the effectiveness of this herbicide.

Full text of the article, "A Waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus) Population Resistant to 2,4-D," Weed Science, Vol. 60, No. 3, July-September 2012, is available at http://wssajournals.org/toc/wees/60/3. 



United States and Canadian Cattle Inventory Down 2 Percent

All cattle and calves in the United States and Canada combined totaled 111.3 million head on July 1, 2012, down 2 percent from the 113.5 million on July 1, 2011. All cows and heifers that have calved, at 44.6 million head, were down 2 percent from a year ago.
                       
All cattle and calves in the United States as of July 1, 2012, totaled 97.8 million head, 2 percent below the 100.0 million on July 1, 2011. All cows and heifers that have calved, at 39.7 million head, were down 2 percent from a year ago.

All cattle and calves in Canada as of July 1, 2012, totaled 13.5 million head, down slightly from the 13.5 million on July 1, 2011. All cows and heifers that have calved, at 4.91 million, were down slightly from a year ago.

This publication is a result of a joint effort by Statistics Canada and NASS to release the number of cattle and calves by class and calf crop for both countries within one publication. This information was requested by the United States cattle industry to provide producers additional information about potential beef, mutton and lamb supplies. United States inventory numbers were previously released on January 27, 2012.



United States and Canadian Hog Inventory Up 1 Percent

United States and Canadian inventory of all hogs and pigs for June 2012 was 78.7 million head. This was up 1 percent from June 2011, and up 2 percent from June 2010. The breeding inventory, at 7.08 million head, was up 1 percent from last year and up 1 percent from last quarter. Market hog inventory, at 71.6 million head, was up 1 percent from last year and up 1 percent from last quarter. The pig crop, at 36.5 million head, was up 1 percent from 2011 and up 2 percent from 2010. Sows farrowed during this period totaled 3.59 million head, up slightly from last year but down 1 percent from 2010.

United States inventory of all hogs and pigs on June 1, 2012 was 65.8 million head. This was up 1 percent from June 1, 2011, and up 1 percent from March 1, 2012. The breeding inventory, at 5.86 million head, was up 1 percent from last year and up 1 percent from last quarter. Market hog inventory, at 60.0 million head, was up 1 percent from last year, and up 1 percent from last quarter. The pig crop, at 29.4 million head, was up 1 percent from 2011 and up 2 percent from 2010. Sows farrowed during this period totaled 2.92 million head, up slightly from 2011 but down slightly from 2010.

Canadian inventory of all hogs and pigs on July 1, 2012 was 12.9 million head. This was up 1 percent from  July 1, 2011 and up 3 percent from July 1, 2010. The breeding inventory, at 1.22 million head, was up 1 percent from last year but down slightly from last quarter. Market hog inventory, at 11.7 million head, was up 2 percent from last year and up 1 percent from last quarter. The pig crop, at 7.1 million head, was up 3 percent from 2011 but down slightly from 2010. Sows farrowed during this period totaled 669,000 head, up 1 percent from 2011 but down 4 percent from 2010.

This publication is a result of a joint effort by Statistics Canada and NASS to release the total hogs, breeding, market hogs, sows farrowed, and pig crop for both countries within one publication. This information was requested by the United States hog industry to provide producers additional information about potential hog supplies. United States inventory numbers were previously released on June 29, 2012.



E15 Sold at Second Retail Station in Kansas

The sale of E15 (15% ethanol, 85% gasoline) fuel has expanded to Ottawa, KS at the Zarco 66 station located at 2518 E. Logan (intersection of I-35 & HWY 68). This is the second retail gas station to offer E15 in the United States. A grand opening promotion will be announced soon.

On June 8, 2012, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) gave final approval for the sale and use of E15 ethanol blends in light duty vehicles made since 2001. Late last week, the U.S. Appeals Court for the District of Columbia Circuit sided with the EPA and its partial waiver approval for E15 in a 2-1 decision.

Zarco 66 was the first retail station to offer E15 on July 10, 2012 in Lawrence, KS with the help from the Kansas Corn Commission and local ethanol producer East Kansas Agri-Energy.

“We are excited to add a high octane renewable fuel choice for our customers on the go in Ottawa, Kansas as we will continue to reduce our dependency on foreign oil through the use of renewable energy sources,” said Scott Zaremba, owner of Zarco 66 stations.

America’s growing use of domestically-produced ethanol reduced wholesale gasoline prices by a national average of $1.09 per gallon in 2011, according to an updated study authored by professors at the University of Wisconsin and Iowa State University.  Specifically in the Midwest, savings were $1.69 per gallon.

“American consumers are looking for a choice when it comes to fueling their vehicles, and they now have one more domestic, renewable fuel option with E15 becoming more commercially available,” said RFA President and CEO Bob Dinneen. “Ethanol continues to help consumers during these difficult economic times by lowering prices at the pump and supporting more than 400,000 jobs across the country that can’t be outsourced.”

The RFA is working diligently with the petroleum industry, gas retailers, automakers, and consumers to ensure E15 is used properly.  E15 remains the most tested fuel ever approved by EPA and is perfectly safe and effective for approved engines. The Department of Energy conducted six million miles of testing on E15 – the equivalent of 12 round trips to the Moon – and found no issues.

In order to offer E15 under the waiver conditions set by EPA, producers and retailers must register with EPA and adhere to the misfueling mitigation plan developed by the RFA and approved by EPA.  That plan is available here.

In addition, the RFA has also developed an E15 Retailer Handbook available at no cost to retailers looking to offer more choices to their customers.  Petroleum marketers and station owners can find more information on E15, blender pumps and incentives by visiting the BYO Ethanol Campaign's website at www.BYOethanol.com.



Infrastructure Investments Could Save U.S. Farmers Millions

U.S. farmers depend on a 50-year-old highway system, a 70-year-old inland waterway system and a railway network build in the late 1800s to move their products from the fields to end users. This aging transportation system has been providing U.S. soybean farmers a competitive advantage in the global market, but a recent study funded by the United Soybean Board’s (USB’s) and soy checkoff’s Global Opportunities (GO) program supports the growing evidence that this advantage continues to be threatened by the deterioration of U.S. highways, bridges, rails, locks and dams. The study, “Farm to Market – A Soybean’s Journey,” analyzed how soybeans and other agricultural products move from the farm gate to customers, highlighting weaknesses found in the system along the way. The study was recommended by the checkoff-funded Soy Transportation Coalition.

“The entire transportation network has been vital to the U.S. soy industry, not only in moving our product to domestic processors but also in delivering U.S. soy to our international customers as well,” says Dale Profit, soybean farmer from Van Wert, Ohio, and USB director. “We need to protect this advantage if the United States is going to remain the preferred source for soy throughout the world.”

The U.S. inland waterway system remains a precarious leg of a soybean’s journey. The deteriorating lock system remains at risk of failure, and dredging needs to be done to encompass new larger ships that will be possible with the expansion of the Panama Canal, due to open in late 2014. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has the responsibility to maintain a depth of 45 feet on the lower Mississippi River, but, due to funding issues, has not been able to dredge to maintain an adequate navigable channel, limiting ships to 42-foot draft, meaning the vessel holds fewer soybeans. If U.S. waterways cannot accommodate these larger ships, the U.S. soy industry may not be able to capitalize on the potential advantages that the expanded Panama Canal will offer. The checkoff-funded study also shows that limiting the volume of soy that can be in one shipment could lead to higher freight costs.

The U.S. railway network has also been under pressure, especially as more U.S. soybeans have made their way to China. The industry has seen an increase in rail movement from the western Soybean Belt to the Pacific Northwest. In 2009-2010, 68 percent of U.S. soybeans traveling by rail ended their U.S. journey in the Pacific Northwest. The study predicts that China’s import of U.S. soy will continue to grow, doubling by 2020-2021.

“Brazil has several proposed infrastructure projects that haven’t been completed yet,” adds Profit. “But if those improvements are made in Brazil, it would put them on par with U.S. soybean farmers as far as transportation costs, and we would lose that advantage.”

Improvements to the transportation infrastructure would make the movement of U.S. soy and other agricultural products more efficient, totaling expected cost savings to U.S. soybean and grain industries of $145.9 million annually, according to the study.

U.S. farmers wouldn’t be the only ones to benefit from improved infrastructure. Several U.S. industries remain fully dependent on oilseeds and grain. These industries annually provide 1.5 million jobs and more than $352 billion in U.S. output, $41 billion in labor earnings and $74 billion in value added on to the U.S. economy.



Anhydrous Price Climbs Higher

Prices of the majority of fertilizers continued to move lower the second week of August, with one notable exception: anhydrous. With fall fertilizer application rapidly approaching, the nitrogen fertilizer was 6% higher compared to the second week of July and had an average price of $811 per ton, according to retail fertilizer prices tracked by DTN.  This marks the first time the average price of anhydrous was back over $800 per ton since the first week of January 2012.  The other fertilizer that was higher compared to a month earlier was MAP. The phosphorous fertilizer was just slightly higher with an average price of $665 per ton.

Leading the way lower, like it has many times in recent months, was urea. The dry, nitrogen fertilizer was 10% lower and now has an average price of $615 per ton. Urea's price has now dropped $151 per ton since Memorial Day.  Also lower were 10-34-0 and the UAN32. The starter fertilizer declined 9% while UAN32 was 7% less compared to a month earlier. 10-34-0 had an average price of $632/ton while UAN32 was set at $423/ton.  Three other fertilizers were also less expensive but just slightly lower. DAP had an average price of $632/ton, potash $626/ton and UAN28 $387/ton.

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was at $0.67/lb.N, anhydrous $0.49/lb.N, UAN28 $0.69/lb.N and UAN32 $0.66/lb.N.

Urea is the only one of the eight major fertilizers still shows a price increase compared to a year earlier. The nitrogen fertilizer is now 5% higher compared to last year.  Six fertilizers are all now actually lower in price compared to July 2011. MAP is 9% lower, DAP is 8% less expensive, anhydrous and UAN32 are 4% lower, potash is 2% lower and UAN28 is 1% lower compared to last year.  The remaining fertilizer, 10-34-0, is now down double digits from a year ago. The starter fertilizer is now 19% less expensive from a year earlier.



Starting the clock on the RFS waiver petition
Matt Hartwig, Renewable Fuels Association

As you know, EPA has acknowledged receipt of the waiver petitions from the governors of Arkansas and North Carolina.  Once that acknowledgment is formally published in the Federal Register, which could happen as early as today, the clock on the 30-day public comment period will begin.  You can be sure the RFA will weigh in.  Publication also begins the clock on the 90-day window in which EPA must rule on the petition request.  Back of the envelope math puts that date sometime in the middle of November – after the election.

As you have seen many times, the RFA believes that the RFS program is working and no waiver is needed at this time.  An estimated 2.5 billion RFS credits accumulated over the past two years as a result of ethanol blending above RFS requirements provide extraordinary flexibility for oil refiners to meet RFS targets.  Together with ample ethanol supplies and slower than expected gasoline consumption, these credits make the RFS workable through the 2012/2013 corn marketing year.

Since the request is being made under the guise of corn and food price concerns, here are a couple of additional points to consider.  While the drought has reduced the size of this year's national corn crop, USDA says it will still be the eighth-largest in U.S. history. Moreover, the corn market is global; this year's world corn crop will be the second-largest ever, trailing only last year's record.  Additionally, it's imperative to remember that the ethanol industry also produces animal feed; one-third of every bushel used by an ethanol plant is returned to the feed market as high-protein feed. Ignoring this exaggerates the impact of ethanol on corn supplies.

As for food pricing in grocery stores, the impact of the RFS is almost imperceptible. That's because 86 cents of every dollar spent on food pays for energy, transportation, packaging, and other supply chain costs. Only 14 cents pays for the agricultural ingredients, of which corn is only one. Thus, fluctuations in commodity prices are largely muted at retail. Food prices are expected to rise just 3% this year and 3.5% next year, compared to an average of 2.9% over the last decade. Globally, corn is much less important to the diet. Wheat and rice, both of which are in ample supply, are much more essential in places like Africa and Asia.

Globally, it is equally important to remember that food security isn't simply about the amount of food available – it's about the ability to get the food to those in need.  For instance, the U.N. says one-third of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted. That amounts to about 1.3 billion tons per year, which is akin to taking the record 2011 global coarse grain crop and dumping it in the ocean.



USDA:  July Egg Production Down Slightly

United States egg production totaled 7.73 billion during July 2012, down slightly from last year. Production included 6.68 billion table eggs, and 1.05 billion hatching eggs, of which 983 million were broiler-type and 68 million were egg-type. The total number of layers during July 2012 averaged 335 million, down slightly from last year. July egg production per 100 layers was 2,307 eggs, up slightly from July 2011.
                                   
All layers in the United States on August 1, 2012 totaled 334 million, down slightly from last year. The 334 million layers consisted of 281 million layers producing table or market type eggs, 50.6 million layers producing broiler-type hatching eggs, and 2.78 million layers producing egg-type hatching eggs. Rate of lay per day on August 1, 2012, averaged 74.8 eggs per 100 layers, up 1 percent from August 1, 2011.

Egg-Type Chicks Hatched Down 8 Percent
Egg-type chicks hatched during July 2012 totaled 34.0 million, down 8 percent from July 2011. Eggs in incubators totaled 38.6 million on August 1, 2012, up 4 percent from a year ago.  Domestic placements of egg-type pullet chicks for future hatchery supply flocks by leading breeders totaled 262 thousand during July 2012, up 12 percent from July 2011.

Broiler-Type Chicks Hatched Down 1 Percent
Broiler-type chicks hatched during July 2012 totaled 763 million, down 1 percent from July 2011. Eggs in incubators totaled 611 million on August 1, 2012, up slightly from a year earlier.  Leading breeders placed 6.07 million broiler-type pullet chicks for future domestic hatchery supply flocks during July 2012, down 6 percent from July 2011.



Slaughterhouse Closed After Abuse Video

(AP) -— Federal regulators have shut down a Central California slaughterhouse after receiving undercover video showing dairy cows — some unable to walk — being repeatedly shocked and shot before being slaughtered.

Officials with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which inspects meat facilities, suspended operations Monday at Central Valley Meat Co. in Hanford, Calif., which slaughters cows when they lose their value as milk producers.

The USDA received hours of videotape Friday from Compassion Over Killing, an animal welfare group, which said its undercover investigator was employed by the slaughterhouse and made the video over a two-week period in June.

"USDA considers inhumane treatment of animals at slaughter facilities to be unacceptable and is conducting a thorough investigation into these allegations," said Justin DeJong, spokesman for the Food Safety Inspection Service.

Four minutes of excerpts the animal welfare group provided to The Associated Press showed cows being prepared for slaughter. One worker appears to be suffocating a cow by standing on its muzzle after a gun that injects a bolt into the animal's head had failed to render it unconscious. In another clip, a cow is still conscious and flailing as a conveyor lifts it by one leg for transport to an area where the animals' throats are slit for blood draining.

"The horror caught on camera is sickening," said Erica Meier, executive director of Compassion Over Killing, based in Washington, D.C. "It's alarming that this is not only a USDA-inspected facility but a supplier to the USDA."

Online USDA records show the company has contracted to sell ground beef to USDA food programs.

Within hours of seeing the video, the USDA's Office of Inspector General sent investigators who found evidence of "egregious inhumane handling and treatment of livestock."

"FSIS suspended operations at the facility and is prepared to take further action as warranted by the investigation," DeJong said.

The USDA had at least two inspectors stationed at the site, and federal officials, when asked whether there was evidence the inspectors had neglected their duties, said the investigation is ongoing.

Central Valley Meat Co., owned by Brian and Lawrence Coelho, declined to comment on the video, saying company officials had not seen it.

"We were extremely disturbed to be informed by the USDA that ... our plant could not operate based upon a videotape that was provided to the Department by a third party group that alleged inhumane treatment of animals on our property," said a company statement.

Brian Coelho added, "Our company seeks not just to meet federal humane handling regulations, but exceed them."

Meier said pay stubs confirm the undercover operative's stint working at the slaughterhouse.

The videos show workers pulling downed cows by their tails and kicking them in an apparent attempt to get them to stand and walk to slaughter. Others shoot downed cows in the head over and over as the cows thrash on the ground. In one instance, the video shows workers trying to get cattle to back out of a chute while repeatedly spraying them with water and shocking them.

Veterinarians specializing in humane handling were a part of the USDA's rapid initial inspection that led to the shutdown at Central Valley Meat Co. The USDA told plant officials Sunday that it was withholding inspection marks and "immediately suspending the assignment of inspectors at the facility."

"It's a good sign that the USDA is taking this seriously, but I want to see what comes next," said Meier, adding the video will be posted on the organization's website Tuesday. "The footage clearly speaks for itself, but this is not an isolated incident. Investigation after investigation of these places is revealing cruelty."



Reserve Buys 150,000 MT Acres

(AP) -- A conservation group said Tuesday it has bought a 150,000-acre Montana ranch in a major step toward its vision of a national park-caliber prairie wildlife preserve that has stoked fears of change in the heart of cattle country.

Steve Page with Page Whitham Land and Cattle confirmed that the family-owned South Ranch near Glasgow had been sold for an undisclosed sum to the American Prairie Reserve. The Bozeman-based group aims to create a multi-million-acre grasslands wildlife complex around northeast Montana's C.M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge.

Scientists familiar with the reserve describe it as an unprecedented initiative to restore an often-overlooked ecosystem that supports hundreds of species of birds, mammals, plants and insects. The South Ranch purchase more than doubles the amount of land under the reserve's control. It includes both private land and public land with long-term leases.

Yet some local ranchers see the group's plans as an assault on their way of life as families that stuck with the cattle business through generations of blizzard and drought are bought out.

Those critics lump the reserve's goals with a contentious federal proposal to convert a vast swath of eastern Montana into a new national monument -- an idea that continues to reverberate more than two years after U.S. Interior Sec. Ken Salazar repudiated it.

The sprawling South Ranch traces its history to a pair of Civil War veterans and professional bison hunters who moved into ranching after bison were wiped out from the area. But Page said restrictions on public grazing and higher government fees -- combined with the prospects of a national monument -- made ranching on the land no longer viable.

"We have concluded that traditional ranching operations in south Valley and south Phillips counties are in jeopardy of becoming history in the not so distant future," Page said. "We are not suggesting this to be the correct decision for others, but consider it to be right for us."

Page said that little will change immediately on the ranch. The terms of the deal give Page Whitham a 12-year lease to continue running cattle on the property.

Yet the ranch is now on path for dramatic alterations over the long term.

American Prairie envisions a herd of up to 10,000 bison roaming its holdings and adjacent federal and state lands. It already has started pulling fences on other properties it has acquired in the area.

"When the reserve is built out, we hope to have a prairie-based, fully-functioning ecosystem which includes the free flow of wildlife across the landscape," said Scott Laird, American Prairie's director of land acquisitions. "That is the end-game, but to get there is a coordinated process. There are other people we have to work with -- the Bureau of Land Management, the state of Montana and neighbors."

To date the group has raised $48 million through contributions and pledges. It plans to spend approximately $500 million to build up its land base over the next 20 to 30 years, a figure that includes maintenance costs, said spokeswoman Alison Fox.

The group had total assets of $33 million at the end of 2010, according to its 2010 tax return, the most recent available.

Major donors have included John and Adrienne Mars, candy industry billionaires who have given at least $5 million. Brother Forrest Mars Jr. gave at least $500,000. The chairman of the reserve's board of directors, Gib Myers, is a California venture capitalist who donated with his wife, Susan, at least $2.5 million.

Donald Kennedy, president emeritus of Stanford University and chairman of the reserve's scientific advisory council, said most of North America's grasslands have been drastically altered by grazing, the introduction of non-native plants and other pressures.

The proposed scale of the American Prairie Reserve offers visitors the chance to see those grasslands as they once were, he said.

"They're getting up to a level on which an awful lot of Americans can visit and develop an idea of what the environment was really like at a time before human occupancy changed it," Kennedy said.

But for those who still work the land, that prospect puts the fate of the community in doubt.

"They keep saying they're saving it. But it already looks beautiful. They're not saving anything," said Vicki Olson, a reserve opponent and third generation Phillips County rancher. "If they get their way, they're going to sell it back to the government and they're going to take it off the tax rolls. It's going to kill the community economically."

Reserve representatives said even if their long-term goal is realized, the amount of land involved comprises only a small corner of Montana.