Terra, In regard to your latest editorial {July 10 “It’s Time to Mourn for Texas”}. It was most poignant and right on the mark. I was on the receiving end of one of those phone calls you mentioned. A person’s life is changed forever. It is Divine Intervention, real friends and family, and, in the beginning, Compassionate Friends that will matter the most. Unfortunately, because of all the news on this flooding, the grieving parents will be inundated by people with their own agendas to promote; ambulance chasing attorneys; politicians who will want to look good in the public’s eyes; and the...

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We used to shear in the hot days of summer when the “grease” (lanolin) was high. The fleeces were supposed to be heavier. I don’t know if that is true. I tied fleeces for a shearing crew for a couple of summers, and I don’t know if the grease is higher in the summer than in the winter, but I suspect that it is. I do know that wearing leather shoes or boots and handling the fleeces, with the lanolin and dirt in the wool, ruined the leather. Fortunately, Pops told me to wear tennis shoes before I started working...

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On June 30, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced a tentative schedule for reopening various ports along the United States-Mexico border for cattle, bison, and equines based on perceived risk of spreading New World screwworm. This announcement stated that “good progress” had been made in Mexico to increase vital pest surveillance efforts and boost sterile fly dispersal since May 11 when the border was closed. Based on the Sonoran geography and the “history of effective collaboration between APHIS and Sonora,” the Douglas, Arizona, port was set to reopen on July 7 as it would present “the lowest risk” for spreading...

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On June 30, 2025, Representative Paul Gosar (R-AZ) introduced the Enhancing Animal Safety Act (H.R. 4255), which seeks to delist the Mexican gray wolf from the Endangered Species Act of 1973. The Mexican gray wolf is a smaller subspecies of gray wolf, and is a non-essential, experimental population currently listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. They inhabit Arizona, New Mexico, and Mexico. Under the current listing, wolves must meet recovery goals in Arizona, New Mexico, and Mexico before the population can be considered recovered. According to the “Five Year Evaluation of the Mexican Wolf Recovery Strategy,” wolves in the...

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Driving from Limon, Colorado, to Kiowa, Colorado on Highway 86 in the month of June exhibited a spectacular display of thelesperma filifolium, more commonly referred to as greenthread – a type of aster. The Colorado native aster is an annual, but certain years, with the right conditions, create a brilliant display across the rolling plains as entire hillsides turn golden yellow with the blooms. The last time greenthread flowers put on such a display in southeastern Colorado was in 2015 – 10 years prior, according to Elbert County Extension. Above average rainfall conditions allowed the flowers to thrive in what...

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Well, so much for the Mexican border reopening to cattle, bison, and horses! Secretary of Agriculture Rollins closed the border effective immediately upon the discovery of another animal with New World screwworm detected just 370 miles south of the United States border. See our top story this week for more details on this decision and for information about Rollins’ plan to combat an outbreak in the U.S. This closure will have a large impact; we all need to keep in mind that recent years have shown either side of one million head of calves and feeder cattle coming out of...

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I wanted to start this week off with a huge praise. If you’ll recall, I recently wrote a story about Dally Hodgens, a seven-year-old cowgirl from Buffalo, Wyoming, who was involved in a serious horse accident on June 7. She had significant surgery on her brain, and it was pretty uncertain what life would look like for her in the days, weeks, and months that followed. I reached out to close friends of the family recently to see how she’s been progressing, and I learned that she was able to come home on June 27! Here was the rest of...

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The Red Angus Association of America has officially rebranded its Feeder Calf Certification Program as Angus Access. More than just a fresh look, Angus Access reflects a bold evolution of the beef industry's first genetic, age and source verification program – built to USDA-approved standards and trusted by Red Angus producers for more than 30 years. Red Angus cattle undeniably produce high-quality Angus beef, which remains one of the most sought-after beef products among consumers. The new Angus Access name accurately reflects this identity, while supporting broader industry efforts to secure recognition of Red Angus cattle within Angus-branded beef programs....

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Congratulations and thanks to all Western Ag Reporter customers in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, and Wyoming. It is a true privilege to work with so many industry-leading seedstock producers and successful marketers of livestock. The volume and price levels reflect what we have all been seeing across the beef complex: less cattle, higher prices. The increase in prices paid for quality herd sires is the most dramatic number. A true testament to the seedstock industry's commitment to quality and documented data of their breeding programs. Congratulations!

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National Forage Week is recognized by the American Forage and Grassland Council each year. For ranchers across the United States, maintaining a healthy food source is critical. Livestock depend on an abundance of healthy forage for grazing and growing, and ranchers depend on healthy forage as a cost-effective way to feed and grow their herd. Additionally, when the root systems of desirable plants are strong, it promotes soil health, reduces erosion, and increases water retention – all critical parts to preserving land for future generations and contributing to a healthier ecosystem. The threats to nutrient-dense forage sources are numerous and...

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