Thoughts from the Middle of Nowhere

When I hired my new hired hand he was real upfront that he wasn't a cowboy and that his skills on a horse were not very good. Hell, he doesn't even have a saddle which is almost a sin in my book if you want to do this kind of work but what the heck, beggars can't be choosers. Any riding I've had to do since he came I've done myself so I wouldn't have to deal with the situation.

Yesterday I spotted a cow with a touch of foot rot so I bit the bullet and decided to put him on a horse and see how things went while we got the cow in. To kill two birds with one stone I also decided to get in a two-year old heifer that crawled in with the cows a while ago that I had just left there. She was doing fine so she wasn't hurting anything but it's close to calving now so time to get her in.

Back to the hired hand though. I was pleasantly surprised, yes he is no cowboy, but he has more skill on a horse and in the corral working cattle than quite a few guys I've had working here who claimed they were a hand and turned out to be total bums. Hopefully he will improve over time but he is definitly somebody who tries and is willing to learn. Good deal as far as I'm concerned.



Here is the two-year old and cow trailing into the corral. We got the cow doctored and brought her home so she could heal up. She got a little owley by the time we loaded her but she is not bad, just a little upset with us. Don't blame her, jab me with a needle and shove pills down my throat and I would be a little owley too.

I don't get upset over things I can control, because if I can control them there's no sense in getting upset. And I don't get upset over things I can't control, because if I can't control them there's no sense in getting upset. Mickey Rivers

USDA abandons private database concept for NAIS

USDA, after hearing strong opposition from the industry, has abandoned its earlier decision to allow a single private entity to manage the livestock movement database in connection with the National Animal Identification System (NAIS).

But that wasn't the only major announcement from the agency concerning NAIS:

The agency's NAIS coordinator, Neil Hammerchmidt, told last week's meeting of R-CALF USA that there won't be a mandatory ID program by 2009, as previously announced.

And, he said, USDA attorneys are researching whether they have the legal authority to require producers to report livestock movement to a private entity.

This sure looks to me like a bunch of Government speak. I will attempt to decipher it.

"Since people don't like the idea of a private database we will just have the government keep the database and announce that there will be no mandatory program reporting to a private database. This will lull all the opposition to this program, like R-CALF, into thinking it won't be mandatory program down the line in 2009."

Yes, all they are saying is that they won't have a mandatory program that reports to a private database, not that there won't be a program. We need to keep up the pressure on this issue to stop the USDA from handing over production of all our food to the big corporations and factory farms who support the NAIS system. Remember, no ear tag ever stopped a disease.

Hell hath no fury like a bureaucrat scorned. Milton Friedman

The yearlings coming towards the feed wagon.

Happiness resides not in possessions, and not in gold, happiness dwells in the soul. Democritus

The sun reflecting off the ice in a mud hole. Mud at this time of year is unusual and takes forever to dry since it freezes up every night and then thaws, but doesn't dry, every day. I'm tired of the mud. Could be so dry there is no mud though so take the good with the bad.

Small, varied cattle herds becoming more popular

Ranchers like Jonas, who spends about five days a month in Boca Raton, Fla., pursuing his legal work, are a relatively new and growing part of the Montana landscape.

For some, livestock is a hobby. For others, such as Jonas, the cattle hold some business potential. His investments so far have been significant. He put in a new corral and hay barn, and he feeds his cattle organic oats and flaxseed. He even traveled to Italy for a Piedmontese stock show. Yet with only 29 head, his earnings potential remains minuscule.

This just shows the growing trend in Montana land and cattle business. Part time landowners that run cattle as a hobby more than a business. I wish I had a job that I could spend 5 days a month at and then play with my little ranch as a sideline.

From Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary:
Rancher- one who owns or works on a ranch.
Ranch- 1 : a large farm for raising horses, beef cattle, or sheep 2 : a farm or area devoted to a particular specialty

While the idea that this guy is a rancher by what I am used to defining it by is funny, by these definitions, he does qualify as a rancher.

Don't get me wrong, if this is what the man wants to do and how he wants to spend his money, more power to him. As hard as it might seem for Montanans to understand, the large majority of cattle produced in the US come from "ranches" that are smaller than 50 head. I don't have the exact figures in front of me but something like over 70% of the cattle produced in the US come from premises that run less than 50 head total.

SO, what he is doing isn't that unusual but he sure is a different kind of rancher that's for sure. Kind of makes me laugh and cry. Montana's traditional rancher is going by the wayside for types like this. Passing of an era I guess.

Freedom from the desire for an answer is essential to the understanding of a problem. Jiddu Krishnamurti

An interesting list of organizations to help producers number their critters for the "voluntary" National Animal Identification System (NAIS).

Livestock producer registration offered

For more information about registering premises, contact one of these organizations: Montana Beef Network at (406) 994-4323, Montana Department of Livestock at (406) 444-7323, Montana Extension Service. Check with your local agent, Montana Farm Bureau Federation at (406) 587-3153, Montana Farmers Union at (406) 452-6406, Montana Pork Producers Council at (406) 994-3595, Montana Stockgrowers Association at (406) 442-3420, Montana Woolgrowers Association (406) 442-1330.

Real helpful these organizations are in Montana to help the government take away producers rights and subjugate themselves to Government tyranny. I urge producers not to submit to registration of their premises and to fight the whole NAIS proposal. It's just a fancy way the meat packers have to subjugate American producers to their will. While right now it's voluntary, it will be mandatory by 2005 unless producers and consumers can derail it. Remember the part these organizations played in trying to subjugate you producers and stop supporting them.

What we must understand is that the industries, processes, and inventions created by modern science can be used either to subjugate or liberate. The choice is up to us. Henry A. Wallace

One of the whole reasons behind the push for the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) by the USDA is animal diseases such as bird flu. Yesterday USDA-at-it-Again.html">I mentioned the fact that the USDA is proposing to let Chicken from China into the US where, in case you've missed it, bird flu is rampant.

So the USDA wants to count and number all critters in the US to prevent disease, which by the way I will point out an ear tag never stopped a disease, but is willing to allow imports from a country that has the same disease to continue with no problems. Does this make sense to anyone else out there?

I'll tell you it's all about the money, the big meat packers tell the USDA what they want and guess what, they get it. The American consumer gets cheap meat, probable unsafe from foreign sources that don't meet US standards, the meat packers get lots of money and the American producer gets the shaft. What a deal. For safe affordable meat the American consumer needs to wake up and smell the tulips and fight these proposals from the USDA. Otherwise the ability of this country to feed itself will disappear forever.

Neither current events nor history show that the majority rule, or ever did rule. Jefferson Davis

The colors just seem to be falling from the sky during this sunrise a few days ago.

More and more I find that people stop by here for the pictures so I guess another picture is in order. Enjoy.

The grand show is eternal. It is always sunrise somewhere; the dew is never dried all at once; a shower is forever falling; vapor is ever rising. Eternal sunrise, eternal dawn and gloaming, on sea and continents and islands, each in its turn, as the round earth rolls. John Muir

USDA proposes poultry imports from China

The Agriculture Department is seeking to allow shipments of poultry processed in China, where thousands of birds and several people have died of bird flu.

Critics are urging the department to drop the proposal, and the U.S. industry is raising concerns about how it would affect consumers' perception of chicken safety. The United States does not accept poultry imports from countries where the virulent bird flu strain is present.

The Agriculture Department proposed the rule, with no announcement, on Nov. 23. The rule still must be finalized before it takes effect.

Now I know little to nothing about the poultry industry, the few chickens My Darling Wife has around here are enough for me, but importing birds from China which has bird flu problems doesn't seem like the wisest thing in the world to me. Then look at the way they snuck this rule in. Trying to get it in under the radar so people wouldn't oppose it. Does the USDA care about the American consumers and producers, or are they there to maximize profits for the big meat packing companies?

The USDA is out of control and needs stopped. It's job should be about American producers and consumers, not Canadian and Chinese and whoever else can supply the meat packers with cheap meat to maximize their profits.

You protect your being when you love yourself better. That's the secret. Isabelle Adjani

I see somebody agrees with my position that the USDA and the big meat packers are in bed together.

On another issue affecting Montana, Schweitzer lashed out again at the U.S. Department of Agriculture over the most recent mad cow disease case in Canada. In the past the governor has referred to the department as “a bunch of stooges working for the multinational meat companies,” and he said this week the USDA still does not represent the interests of Montana consumers and producers.

Personally though I don't limit my criticism of the USDA to "Montana consumers and producers." I think they are screwing all Americans over including Montanans. Your vision can be large, or small, depending on your viewpoint.

I have a fantasy where Ted Turner is elected President but refuses because he doesn't want to give up power. Arthur C. Clarke

Cattle herd expansion continues.

All cattle and calves came out at 97.102 million head or 102% of a year ago. Analysts had been expecting 101% to 101.5%, with an average guess of 101%. Total cows were at 42.311 million head, up 1% from a year ago, in line with estimates. Beef and milk cows came out at 101%, as expected.

Important part for me there is total cows are up 1% from last year. It's not surprising since with the high cattle prices producers are keeping back more heifers to grow their herds to take advantage of the prices. The real trick is to realize when prices are likely to start going down because of overproduction. I don't see that for at least a couple of years yet so I like everybody else, is trying to expand their herds. Boom or bust cycle. Ride the high of the boom and hope you survive the bust.

A little hint, proper planning keeps the bust from hurting you, you don't have to hope, you've got things well in hand and make your moves to take advantage of the situation. That's the key, not hope, planning.

It's much more effective to build a company quietly and soundly during a down market than it is to, say, try and ride a boom-and-bust cycle during a high-flying market. Jim Rogers

The wolf is considered an endangered species in the United States.

endangered species: a species threatened with extinction

Yet in Alaska there are so many of them they kill them to boost moose and caribou populations since the wolves kill so many of them.

If there are so many wolves in Alaska, how are they endangered? If the wolves kill so many moose and caribou, why are we importing this threat to our wild animals, and domestic, down to the lower 48? Since the introduction of wolves, hasn't there been an unexplained decrease in the population of elk in and around the park? Calling them endangered doesn't seem very logical to me. Their prey sounds more endangered.

It's a place of strange, bizarre and illogical things, where people don't do what common sense demands. Chinua Achebe

Hey, I've noticed that it has been a while since I posted any pictures of the critters around here so I guess it's time for some critter pictures.



A couple of My Darling Wife's chickens out enjoying the sunshine yesterday. We are getting all kinds of eggs now.



Mittens enjoying the sunshine while watching me work.



Over where the cows are at there is not much snow or ice left but here around the houses the ice is still giving us problems. Nylon doesn't seem to mind it to much, He's real careful around it.



"Thar be cows!" As you can see there is not much snow left and the cows are really enjoying it. We just finised putting thier hay out and they are busy eating.

Also close encounters make bad pictures because the animal looks ill at ease. I try very hard not to get into these situations. Nigel Dennis

Taiwan to lift U.S. beef ban, not Japan

Taiwan says it is lifting a ban on U.S. beef imports on Wednesday, while Japanese officials have indicated they are in no hurry to lift one reimposed last week.

Taiwan's Department of Health said on its website that American beef can now enter the country – but warned that decision could be reversed if steps aren't taken to prevent higher risk beef from being shipped to Taiwan.

So, as long as some meat packer doesn't send Taiwan something prohibited, like they did Japan, we will be okay. With all the faith I have in the meat packers/USDA the market should be closed real quick because they will definitely screw it up.

Faith consists in believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe. Voltaire

I saw something yesterday I haven't seen in years. A XXXXXXXX. I saw them as a kid sometimes but even seeing one like I did was neat. Hopefully I will begin to see a few more around. It wouldn't hurt my feelings.

By the way, I never admit to seeing a critter that is on or might be listed on the endangered species list. Admitting to it is a good way for the Government to come down on you and control what you can and can't do with your property. That's why I won't identify what I saw. Plausible deniability.

Three can keep a secret if two are dead. Benjamin Franklin