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Ukraine accuses Russia of deliberately destroying this year’s grain harvest
National, thefencepost.com

Ukraine accuses Russia of deliberately destroying this year’s grain harvest

By Chris McCullough | The Fence Post Dozens of Ukrainian arable farmers have accused Russia of deliberately bombing their crops in the fields setting them alight and destroying this year’s harvest. According to the Ukrainian Agri Council (UAC), it has received dozens of reports from Ukrainian farmers about the deliberate destruction of fields by the Russian invaders. The UAC says the Russians are deliberately shelling fields in the big grain regions of Sumy, Dnipro, Odesa, Kherson, Kharkiv, Donetsk and Luhansk, resulting in the burning of hundreds of hectares of crops. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE FENCE POST
State vet: 1.8 million head of poultry depopulated due to bird flu in Weld County
State, thefencepost.com

State vet: 1.8 million head of poultry depopulated due to bird flu in Weld County

By Rachel Gabel  | The Fence Post The most recent report of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has resulted in the depopulation of 1.8 million head of poultry at a commercial table egg facility in Weld County. Colorado State Veterinarian Dr. Maggie Baldwin said the state’s dairies and poultry facilities have cooperated with her office diligently to reduce the spread of HPAI. Baldwin said the monitoring, testing and reporting of HPAI in Colorado is a result of the cooperation between producers and partners, including the State Veterinarian’s office and is important to reduce the spread between dairies and poultry facilities. “Do I think Colorado has the most cases in the nation? No. Do I think Colorado has the most reported cases in the nation? Yes. Absolutely,” Baldwin said....
Longmont’s Schlagel family has farmed sugar beets for four generations under shadow of Rocky Mountains
Northern Colorado, thefencepost.com

Longmont’s Schlagel family has farmed sugar beets for four generations under shadow of Rocky Mountains

By Rachel Gabel | The Fence Post Paul Schlagel’s family was one of the many Volga German families who came to Colorado more than a century ago and grew the crop they knew: sugar beets. Their first sugar beet crop in northern Colorado was harvested in 1911. His father purchased the farm from his mother and began farming on the current farm in 1963. Next year will be his 50th crop. The operation also includes Coors barley, corn and alfalfa on all irrigated farm ground. In recent years, he said they have invested a great deal into irrigation and have transitioned from flood irrigation to mostly sprinklers. “It’s made us better farmers,” he said. “That was always, it seems like, a shortcoming to get things irrigated properly and our crop yields have increased substantially since ...
Study: Pasteurization cures milk from bird flu, but steer away from ‘raw milk’
National, thefencepost.com

Study: Pasteurization cures milk from bird flu, but steer away from ‘raw milk’

By The Fence Post (via Hagstrom Report) Officials from several government agencies said today that tests for the presence of remnants of high path avian influenza (HPAI) in milk and dairy products show that pasteurization inactivates the virus, making the dairy products safe, but testing continues. The officials said that preliminary results from 297 total retail dairy samples of fluid milk, cottage cheese and sour cream have shown those products to be safe. Infant formula is also being tested, a Food and Drug administration official said. Raw milk headed for pasteurization is being tested, and the government continues to urge people not to consume raw milk. READ FULL STORY AT THE FENCE POST
Gray wolf from Great Lakes population caught in coyote trap in Elbert County
State, thefencepost.com

Gray wolf from Great Lakes population caught in coyote trap in Elbert County

By Rachel Gabel   | The Fence Post A rancher in Elbert County, Colorado, contacted Colorado Parks and Wildlife after discovering a wolf-like animal in a legal coyote trap on April 3 on a ranch in eastern Colorado.  U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service confirmed that this animal is a gray wolf from the Great Lakes wolf population. This is not a wolf from the 10 recently released by Colorado Parks and Wildlife in December 2023. As a federally listed species under the Endangered Species Act, the service is investigating this incident and is working in coordination with Colorado Parks and Wildlife. As an open and active investigation, no additional details are available at this time. The animal was an 84-pound male captured by a trapper using a legal leg-hold trap on a 30-day agricultura...
In open range Colorado, brand inspectors key in cattle shooting case
State, thefencepost.com

In open range Colorado, brand inspectors key in cattle shooting case

By Rachel Gabel  | The Fence Post When brand inspectors Jesse Phillips and Brenna BeGeer arrived to a property in Larimer County, Colorado, seven head of cattle lay dead and another was injured and needed to be destroyed. Baby calves were orphaned, bred cows were killed, and a bull was shot and killed. They worked to identify ownership of the cattle and contact the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office. They also assisted in determining the value of the cattle killed. According to law enforcement reports, Michael Hester was taken into custody on April 1, 2024, after they responded to a call in a rural neighborhood west of Fort Collins. Jordan Yarber runs his cowherd on his family ranch right alongside the herd belonging to his grandmother, Dixie Gibbens, who still owns the family ranch....
Johnson: CPW needs to act so producers know what is allowable to protect livestock from wolves
Commentary, thefencepost.com

Johnson: CPW needs to act so producers know what is allowable to protect livestock from wolves

By Rona Johnson  | The Fence Post The wolf or wolves that killed a calf in Grand County, Colorado, were ones that were moved from Oregon to Colorado about three months ago. Initially, Colorado Parks and Wildlife did not report that the killer wolf or wolves were from Oregon, but eventually in response to pressure from the press and Colorado livestock producers the CPW caved and admitted the truth. Before the wolves from Oregon were introduced into Colorado, CPW Director Jeff Davis and his staff testified before the House Agriculture Committee on Sept. 12, 2023, that they would do everything they could to not bring problem wolves to Colorado.
CattleWomen call on state lawmakers to suports ag license plate
Eastern Plains, State, thefencepost.com

CattleWomen call on state lawmakers to suports ag license plate

By Rachel Gabel  | The Fence Post A group of cattle producers left the Eastern Plains for the Colorado Capitol as the sun came up and finally made it home long after it set. Members of Logan County CattleWomen testified in support of HB24-1369 Colorado Agriculture Special License Plate before the House Agriculture Water and Natural Resources Committee. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Richard Holtorf, R-Akron, and Rep. Matt Martinez, D-Monte Vista, and passed the committee on a unanimous vote and now moves to the House Finance Committee. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE FENCE POST
Congress tells BLM: Fewer roundups, more humane fertility control
National, thefencepost.com

Congress tells BLM: Fewer roundups, more humane fertility control

By The Fence Post (Via American Wild Horse Conservation) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Last week, Congress took decisive action to prioritize humane wild horse and burro management practices over controversial helicopter roundups. President Joe Biden signed into law a $460 billion package of fiscal year 24 spending bills on Saturday, March 9, narrowly averting a government shutdown. Among the provisions was a significant spending cut for the Bureau of Land Management’s Wild Horse and Burro Program budget, emphasizing the need for a shift toward humane and sustainable in-the-wild conservation strategies. The bill allocates $141.9 million for the BLM program, marking a $5.9 million reduction from last year’s budget. Notably, the legislation preserves $11 million in funding specifically designa...
Weld County Livestock Association to award $8,500 in college scholarships
Northern Colorado, thefencepost.com

Weld County Livestock Association to award $8,500 in college scholarships

By The Fence Post The Weld County Livestock Association will be awarding the $1,500 Sharon and Gene Inloes Scholarship, the $1,500 Willie Burbach Memorial Scholarship, the $2,500 Boyd Collins Memorial Scholarship, and two additional $1,500 college scholarships for the 2024-2025 academic year. Boyd Collins, who passed away in 2023, was a longtime WCLA board member and officer. Willie Burbach, who also passed away in 2023, spent his career in the cattle industry. The late Gene Inloes was a teacher and mentor to many in the livestock industry.  READ THE FIULL STORY AT THE FENCE POST