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Morgan Askins, Miss Rodeo Kentucky 2022

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. — On a colder than normal April afternoon, Morgan Askins is unloading her two quarter horses at the Shelby County Fairgrounds as she prepares to be the flag bearer for the weekend’s Kentuckiana Ranch Horse Association (KRHA) event. She gets her horses settled and prepares for the next day’s activities; a routine she is getting used to as the reigning Miss Rodeo Kentucky.

As part of her duties as the ambassador who will promote the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, the agricultural industry, and the western way of life during the next year, Askins attends many similar shows and rodeos across the state and throughout the nation since winning the prestigious competition last November during the annual pageant held in conjunction with the North American International Livestock Expo (NAILE) and Great Lakes Circuit Finals Rodeo.

“It’s a three-day pageant, and during the duration of it we do a variety of things including horsemanship, where we demonstrate our skills on a horse that is drawn randomly,” she said. “We do a horsemanship interview, which can be any related to equine or rodeo knowledge, along with a written exam. There is also a personality interview and a fashion show.”

As part of the pageant, entrants submit photos that are judged for photogenicity. Contestants are also judged on their speaking ability and how well they interact with the other competitors. There are actually three age groups that make up the entire event: Miss Rodeo, Miss Teen Rodeo, and Junior Miss Rodeo.

Admittedly, pageants have not been something in which she has participated before the Miss Rodeo Kentucky event, but her love of horses and the industry they support has been an integral part of her life.

The 24-year-old resident of Rockfield, Kentucky, completed her Bachelor of Science in Agriculture with a concentration in Animal Science (minor in Entrepreneurship) at Western Kentucky University. Morgan then obtained her Master’s in Equine Nutrition at Tarleton State University and is looking forward to a research assistantship at the University of Kentucky in August as she studies to get her Ph.D.

In December of this year, she will compete at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (WNFR) for the title of Miss Rodeo America 2023.

While Askins is very excited about being in her current position, she credits many of the activities of her past that have helped to pave the way to her current title and her future prospects.

“I grew up in 4-H and FFA programs, so that’s largely where a lot of my background came from in the equine industry and agriculture, aside from of course my mother riding horses and having a pony growing up,” she said. “A lot of my background and interest in agriculture and advocating for the industry came from those youth programs.”

Askins is also a Kentucky Farm Bureau Institute for Future Agriculture Leaders (IFAL) alumnus and participated in the Warren County Farm Bureau Outstanding Youth program. She said it was these and all of the youth programs that have helped to prepare her for her role as Miss Rodeo Kentucky, and for her future, which includes the equine world.

Kimberly Bellah, who is board president of Miss Rodeo Kentucky, Inc. said Askins is the epitome of a rodeo queen with a servant’s heart.

“Many of our monthly board of director conversations center on how our programming will help young women to walk away from rodeo queen pageantry with a better understanding of what it means to be a servant leader and not an entitled person seeking to be served by others,” she said. “Morgan is approaching her title with the attitude that it is a job, and as all desired workers with a tremendous work ethic have, she seeks out opportunities on her own to represent her title, her platform, and her state with grace, professionalism, and a passion for all things agriculture and rodeo. She is an outstanding Miss Rodeo Kentucky!”

Bellah added that, regardless of who leaves with the crown on their head, participants who invest themselves fully in the rodeo queen pageantry process will inevitably grow in their confidence, their speaking skills, their horsemanship, and in every other way as these young women become empowered to develop as strong, independent, assertive leaders in their personal and professional circles of influence.

Askins is using the skills she has obtained to not only benefit herself but an industry she is passionate about.

“I do see myself as an advocate for our industry. In going back to my time in FFA and 4-H, as well as when I went to IFAL and other similar programs, we talked about advocating for agriculture,” she said. “So, coming into the rodeo queen world, that’s something that we also do as we explain and promote animal welfare. We want people to understand the sport of rodeo and how passionate we are about it, and how well we treat our animals. So, being able to take that advocacy for agriculture from that level and use that to build upon now, is so beneficial.”

Askins seems to have a clear vision of where she is headed in the equine world drawing on this and other experiences she has had throughout her life.

“I remember in college, I was finishing up my bachelor’s at Western, and was doing an internship at a pet nutrition company in their lab. And I remember when I went in to give my two-week notice and tell the folks there I planned to pursue my Master’s in Equine Nutrition, they responded by asking if horses were my passion or something that I saw as a full-time job,” she said. “That made me think and realize that it’s not only my passion but also what I want my career to be based around.”

As Askins looks forward to the national competition in Las Vegas, she emphasized how exciting that will be.

“We do a lot of interaction with the Miss Rodeo America and the opportunity to go out and compete and to interact with the rodeo contestants at that level, and just to be out there and even have the opportunity to compete, is absolutely amazing,” she said.

— Kentucky Farm Bureau

Celebrating Beef Month with a look back at cattle drives of the late 19th century

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GREENWICH, N.Y. — Editor’s note: Morning Ag Clips is pleased to announce the launch of a new series of historical articles from our resident historian and editor, Chandler Hansen. Have a topic you’d like to hear more about? Email us at info@morningagclips.com! 

May is Beef Month, which is a perfect opportunity to recognize the U.S. beef industry and celebrate the farmers and ranchers who raise and care for cattle day in and day out. In honor of Beef Month, let’s look back on the cattle drive boom of the late 19th century. While only existing for a short period of time, the cattle drives left a clear “brand” upon American agriculture and popular culture that exists today.

Cattle drives had been happening in Texas and parts of the Southwest since the time that the region was still a Spanish territory. The area boasted both domesticated herds that were moved on ranges and feral cattle that roamed in the area. In the 1850s more organized cattle drives began happening, moving cattle to places like California after the discovery of gold brought more people to the west coast. However, the outbreak of the Civil War dampened these drives.1

The cattle drives as they are remembered today began in 1866. The economy of Texas, like the rest of the South, was in a bad spot after emerging on the losing end of the Civil War, however they had a high supply of cattle. On the other hand, the North was more prosperous from winning the war but they were low on beef. This mutual need led to organized cattle drives where northern buyers would purchase Texas cattle that were driven by cowboys to railheads in the Midwest. The cattle would then be shipped via railroad to eastern and northern markets. Cattle that could be purchased for around $5 a head in Texas could be sold for anywhere from $25 to $45 a head in the east, so businessmen were eager to get in on this potentially profitable market.2

“Round-up scenes in Belle Fouche” by John C. H. Grabill. (Photo: Library of Congress)

Originally, drives went to previously established railroad depots in places like Sedalia and St. Louis, Missouri, and places in Louisiana. But cattle from Texas unfortunately brought with them a tick-borne illness which was called “Texas Fever.”3 While Texas cattle were immune to this disease, it ravaged cattle in other states leading to states like Missouri and Arkansas to eventually ban Texas cattle from their states.

This development plus the continual westward expansion of railroads led to cities further west becoming the end site of cattle drives. Eventually well-established trails were developed by cowboys and their herds. Some of the more famous ones include the Chisholm Trail, which led cowboys and their herds from Texas through present-day Oklahoma (then Indian Territory) and ended in Abilene, Kansas, and the Goodnight-Loving Trail which traveled through New Mexico to bring cattle to endpoints like Denver, Colorado or Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Cattle drives usually lasted 3-5 months, and a crew of 10-15 cowboys would herd a large number of cattle. Herds of 2,000 to 4,000 were typical during this time. Cowboys would be spread out along the massive herd of cattle using hand signals to communicate with one another.4 Cowboys came from all different social and racial backgrounds and were paid $30-40 a month. It was not an easy job. Cowboys faced long days on horseback, little sleep as drovers would take turns watching the cattle at night, extremes in the weather, dust that covered every part of them, and poor food (some staples on the trail included bacon, beans, biscuits, and coffee). While the cowboy life is often depicted as exciting and adventurous, boredom and drudgery were their constant foes on the trail riding day after day.

There were elements of danger cowboys faced though. Crossing swollen rivers, corralling loose cattle, and stampedes were dangers that came with herding the cattle. Though less prevalent, raids from Native American tribes or bandits were a threat. Nat Love, a well-known African-American cowboy wrote about a raiding experience on one drive saying, “Then the Indians and the white outlaws who infested the country gave us no end of trouble, as they lost no opportunity to cut out and run off the choicest part of a herd of long horns, or the best of a band of horses, causing the cowboys a ride of many a long mile over the dusty plains in pursuit, and many are the fierce engagements we had, when after a long chase of perhaps hundreds of miles over the ranges we overtook the thieves…there was no law respected in this wild country, except the law of might and the persuasive qualities of the 45 Colt Pistol.”5

For some cowboys, the danger started when the trail ended as “Cattle Towns” had a reputation for being rough-and-tumble places. In describing Dodge City, Kansas, Nat Love wrote that it was, “…a typical frontier city, with a great many saloons, dance halls, and gambling houses, and very little of anything else.”6 After months of boredom on the trail, cowboys would let loose with booze, gambling, women, and any other form of entertainment they could think of. This mixture of pent-up energy, unethical activities, and competing cattlemen inevitably led to troubles.

The boom in cattle drives continued into the mid-1880s with cattle operations pushing further into the Great Plains into places like North and South Dakota, and Montana. However, this boom became a bust for many operations due to economic, environmental, and technological reasons. Railroads continued to spread further across the west meaning cattle did not need to be moved on long drives any more since there were more depots to bring cattle. The invention of refrigerated train cars eventually meant that cattle did not need to be moved to markets. Meat packing plants sprang up near ranching areas and the meat itself would be shipped by rail.7

By the 1880s several million cattle roamed on the Great Plains. This led to overgrazing of the Plains. This issue came to a head in 1886 and 1887 as historically harsh winters followed by summer droughts in those years led to massive losses. In some areas near 90% of cattle herds were lost in what was called “The Big Die-Up.” Many cattlemen went out of business. Also, the greater prevalence of homesteading farmers in the Great Plains meant cattle could not be driven across open range. In the 1890s into the 1900s cattle operations shifted to raising higher-quality beef on a smaller number of acres.8

Even though the cattle drives lasted a short period of time they left a legacy that is still felt today. The disastrous way they ended led to the beginnings of producers considering resource management and sustainable practices. In fact, one of the cattlemen who went out of business in 1886-1887 was future president Theodore Roosevelt and the event was part of what led him to implement conservationist policies during his presidency. The biggest legacy of the cattle drives exists in popular culture. The cattle drives occurred in a time when the United States was shifting from an agrarian-based society to a more industrial and urban society.9 Because of this shift, the cowboys and ranch-life was looked on with nostalgia as “simpler times” and they became a popular subject for stories, songs, and eventually radios and television.

Anything from Rawhide to Yellowstone and many other Western movies and TV shows are derived from the cattle drives and cowboy lifestyle. Certain segments of Country music can trace their roots to the style in which cowboys would sing to pass the time while on the trail. Dude ranches and other similar tourist sites seek to give visitors a taste of what life was like for the cowboys. Sports teams like the Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, University of Texas Longhorns and many others pay homage to their regions’ involvement in the cattle industry and/or cowboy lifestyle. You don’t need to look very hard to see the legacy of the cattle drives in American culture.

Chandler Hansen grew up and lives in Easton, NY. He is a graduate of Gordon College where he earned a bachelor’s degree in History. He serves as a writer and editor for Morning Ag Clips. Although he does not come from an agricultural background he continues to learn more about the industry every day in this job. 

Outside of work, Chandler is involved in his church, is a musician playing the French horn in local music groups, and is a continual student of history (probably reading something about Abraham Lincoln or one of the other presidents). 

1  Cody Assman, “History of Cattle Drives and the Creation of an American Hero,” last modified September 8, 2021, https://www.frontierlife.net/blog/2021/9/6/history-of-cattle-drives-and-the-creation-of-an-american-hero.
2  Ibid.
3  Mary G. Ramos, “Cattle Drives,” accessed May 18, 2022, https://www.texasalmanac.com/articles/cattle-drives.
4  Ibid.
5  Nat Love, The Life and Adventures of Nat Love (Los Angeles: 1907), https://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/natlove/natlove.html, p. 40.
6  Ibid, 44.
7  Andrew Fisher, “Cowboys and Cattle Drives,” accessed May 18, 2022, https://billofrightsinstitute.org/essays/cowboys-and-cattle-drives.
8  Ibid.
9  Ibid.

–Chandler Hansen
for the Morning Ag Clips

Ag, 4-H played big role in UK player’s early life

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LEXINGTON, Ky. — On the court at Rupp Arena, freshman forward Daimion Collins is known for his shot-blocking abilities. While basketball is his passion, the McDonald’s All-American might be just as content riding a Tennessee Walking Horse outside the gym.

Agriculture and 4-H had a big impact on Collins’ upbringing. The Atlanta, Texas, native has fond memories of days spent with his cousins on visits to his grandma’s farm.

“My grandma raised chickens, horses and a garden,” Collins said. “I grew up around agriculture.”

Collins especially enjoyed pleasure-riding the Tennessee Walking Horses at the farm. As he grew older, riding horses became his outlet and chance to unwind.

“I had a couple of horses of my own, and I had cousins that rode too,” he said. “We always had a good time. Riding horses growing up meant a lot to me because it was a chance to get away from everything going on in my life and clear my mind.”

As Collins’ basketball stardom rose and he began to prepare for college, he started looking for ways to diversify his resume. At the suggestion of his mom, he joined Texas 4-H. One of his fondest memories of his time with the youth development organization was attending a 4-H camp at Prairie View A&M.

“4-H helped me a lot,” he said. “It can really help young people as they begin to prepare for their future.”

Collins’ basketball talent brought him to UK, but when it came time to pick a major, he knew he wanted to be in agriculture. He ended up choosing agricultural economics in the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment at the suggestion of his academic advisor and is beginning to take classes in his major.

While his basketball dreams already have and will likely continue to take Collins’ away from the farm, he continues to relish the memories of his rural upbringing.

— Katie Pratt, UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment

Compeer Financial awards 64 county fair grants

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SUN PRAIRIE, Wis. — Compeer Financial’s Fund for Rural America, the Farm Credit cooperative’s giving program, is supporting county fairs with grants to improve facilities and experiences offered to rural communities across the Upper Midwest. Sixty-four fairs received County Fair Facility Upgrade Grants this year, totaling $244,500.

“Our aim with these grants is to positively impact the future of our rural communities,” said Karen Schieler, senior corporate giving specialist at Compeer Financial. “Fairs are the highlight of summer for many of these communities and we hope this will help provide the best possible experience for exhibitors and visitors as they enjoy this important tradition.”

Since the program was established in 2018, the Fund has awarded 304 County Fair Facility Upgrade Grants for a total impact of over $944,742, touching the lives of 8.7 million fair organizers, participants and attendees. The Fund intends to offer this grant again in March 2023.

The 64 organizations in Compeer Financial’s territory receiving support from the County Fair Facility Upgrade Grant Program include:

Illinois

  • Henderson County Fair Association: new gutters for the livestock barn
  • Henry County Fair Association: painting the swine, sheep and goat show barn
  • Jo Daviess County Agricultural Society: repurposing one of the livestock buildings to a show ring, including new barn lime, replacing boards and electrical
  • Kane County Fair: replacing siding on the rabbit and poultry barns
  • Kankakee County Fair & Exposition, Inc.: purchasing lumber, cages and wire to construct new pens for the poultry barns and repairing or replacing pens in the rabbit barn
  • Kendall County Fair Association Inc.: electric service upgrades to the 4-H livestock pavilion
  • Knox County Agricultural Board & Fair Association dba Knox County Fair: upgrades to the roof and replacing doors on the livestock area restroom, and the livestock area pavilion roof and pillars
  • Lee County Fair Association: purchasing and installing large ceiling fans over the show rings
  • Livingston County Ag Fair: updating electrical wiring in the beef and dairy cattle barns
  • Marshall-Putnam Fair Association: hog barn roof and building repairs
  • McDonough County 4-H Buildings & Grounds Corporation: complete electrical framework installation and PA system the livestock show arena
  • Ogle County Fair Association: replacing electrical outlets, repairing conduct and replacing breakers in barns, replacing wooden electrical panel mounts with metal mounts, and installing underground conduct for new transformer
  • Rock Island County Agricultural Fair Association: installing concrete flooring in the calf birthing barn
  • Sandwich Fair Association, Inc.: replacing rotten boards, preparation for and painting of the swine barn
  • Stephenson County Fair Association: updating the electrical in the barns
  • The Warren County Agricultural Fair Assoc.: updating electrical wiring and capacity in the livestock barns and judging arenas
  • Veterans Memorial Fair Association: repairing guttering and drainage for the covered walkway between the livestock buildings and the livestock review building
  • Western Illinois Fair Association: updating lighting and electric with a new service panel, and replacing water lines in livestock barns
  • Whiteside County Central Agricultural Society: repairing structural posts and exterior boards in beef and dairy barns
  • Winnebago County Fair Association: replacing roof support posts, repainting, and replacing pen gates in the sheep barn

Minnesota

  • Benton County 4-H: updating bulletin boards, fixing swine gates, adding panels in livestock stalls, signage for poultry and rabbits, show tables, signs and a new roof to Little Red Barn, boards in the 4-H exhibit building and signage
  • Brown County Free Fair: installing new cement at the entrance and exits to the cattle barn, and creating a permanent cement block structure to safely house barn waste and manure
  • Carlton County Fair: purchasing electrical and lighting equipment for the indoor livestock show arena
  • Carver County Agriculture Society: replacing and updating the electrical in the horse arena crow’s nest
  • Cass County Agricultural Society – Pillager Fair: new fencing, t-posts, lumber and gates for horse arena, wheelbarrows, shovels, hay forks and a drag for the arena, and waterers and feeders for the chicken area
  • Chisago County Fair: painting the 4-H building, repairing posts in the dairy barn, repairing the roof of the milk house, and repairing the watering system in the hog barn
  • Crow Wing County 4-H: updating the lighting in the 4-H building to LED, and shelving for the dog project’s training equipment
  • Faribault County Fair: rewiring the hog barn
  • Freeborn County Agricultural Society: replacing the overhead door in the cattle barn
  • Itasca County Agricultural Association: repairing the cattle wash rack faucets, and insulating the announcer’s stand and upgrading the speaker system in the judging arena
  • Le Sueur County Fair: replacing a main water line for the large livestock barns
  • McLeod County Agricultural Association: updating lighting in horticulture, crops and pantry building and 4-H exhibit building to high efficiency LED lighting
  • Mower County Fair: upgrading the sound and internet in the barns
  • Murray County Agricultural Society: upgrading the lighting to LED, and new wiring in the Olson Arena
  • Nobles County 4-H: replacing the bleachers in the Olson Arena
  • Rice County Fair: building a barrier fence between audience and animal showing area and constructing a new door in the judging arena
  • Scott County 4-H: repairing broken boards and installing new pen latches on pens in the sheep and goat barn, and overhauling pens to make them appropriate for housing swine
  • Sherburne County Agricultural Society: replacing poultry and rabbit cages and purchasing tables
  • Wabasha County Agricultural Fair Association: expanding the sidewalk in the cattle barns, and expanding the wash rack area
  • Watonwan County Agricultural Association: purchasing a cooking range for 4-H Food Stand, carpet rug runners for the exhibit building and fans for livestock barns
  • Wright County 4-H: purchasing new swing gates for sheep pens

Wisconsin

  • Adams County Agricultural Society: building and installing swine waterers for the swine exhibitors and building carts to store the poultry and rabbit cages
  • Ashland County Fair: building a pavilion to host the market sale and show the animals
  • Barron County Fair Rabbit Program: purchasing new rabbit cages and setup supplies
  • Barron County Pro Rodeo Inc: building a new announcer stand/booth with lighting, sound and wi-fi
  • Buffalo County Agricultural Fair: new doors and headers in the beef barn, and replacing the wash racks
  • Calumet County Agricultural Association: fixing the roof and replacing windows in the dairy barn HG buildings
  • Crawford County Fair: adding and upgrading electrical receptacles in the animal barns
  • Dunn County Fair: pouring concrete in the sheep and llama barn and installing fans in the dairy and beef barn
  • Eau Claire County Friends of the Fair: improvements and signage in the milk house
  • Elroy Fair: adding outlets, upgrading power boxes, and increasing breaker size in the hog and sheep buildings, adding more power supply in the beef barn, installing outlets and upgrading breaker boxes in the exhibit building, and replacing all the public address wire in the older buildings and public address horns
  • Green County Agricultural Society and Mechanics Institute: completing lighting upgrade project to LED lighting in the exhibition hall building
  • Green Lake County Fair: replacing the milk house roof, purchasing free-standing goat pens, updating the cow – heifer headboards and ties, replacing water lines inside the dairy barn, and replacing the vacuum pump for milking
  • Iron County Fair Association: purchasing industrial grade LED light fixtures and electrical wiring supplies to improve lighting inside the livestock barn, small animal barn, and livestock show arena
  • Jackson County Ag Society: purchasing a new stage
  • La Crosse County Ag Society – La Crosse Interstate Fair: purchasing ceiling fans and hanging brackets for sheep and swine show ring
  • Lafayette County Fair: construction of a manure push-off area in the swine, goat and sheep barn and reconstruction of the stall areas in the dairy and beef barn
  • Pierce County Livestock Committee: construction of a new sheep wash rack, expanding the swine wash rack, and adding a holding tank
  • Polk County Fair Society Inc.: cement floor in the small animal, poultry and rabbit barn
  • Richland County Fair: electrical upgrades and additional outlets in the Connection Building and upgrading lights in the grandstand area
  • Rusk County Livestock Committee: adding clay and leveling the dirt floors in the animal barns and adding fill on the outside of the barns
  • Trempealeau County Agricultural Society, Inc.: upgrading the electrical service in the Farm Progress Arena
  • Washburn County Jr Fair Assn: repairing beam in the connecting link between the dairy and beef barn and the sheep and swine barn
  • Winnebago County Fair Association: replacing barn water lines, leveling ground with additional gravel screenings, adding electrical, and replacing pins in sheep pen gates

For more information about the Country Fair Facility Upgrade Program, visit compeer.com/giving-back.

About the Fund for Rural America
The Compeer Financial Fund for Rural America is the corporate giving program of Compeer Financial, structured to support Compeer Financial’s mission to enrich agriculture and rural America. Compeer Financial’s Board of Directors has dedicated one percent of annual net earnings to support the Fund’s focus areas of agricultural advocacy and development, agriculture education, cooperative initiatives, rural development and community enrichment; and youth engagement. The Fund is managed by a Board of Trustees, made up of team members from Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin and members of the Compeer Financial Board of Directors. More information about opportunities available through the Fund can be found at Compeer.com/giving-back.

About Compeer Financial
Compeer Financial is a member-owned Farm Credit cooperative serving and supporting agriculture and rural communities. The $27 billion organization provides loans, leases, risk management and other financial services throughout 144 counties in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Based in the Upper Midwest, Compeer Financial exists to champion the hopes and dreams of rural America, while providing personalized service and expertise to clients and the agriculture industry.

Compeer Financial is the third largest cooperative of the Farm Credit System, a nationwide network of lending institutions supporting agriculture and rural communities with reliable, consistent credit and financial services. Learn more about Compeer Financial.

— Compeer Financial

Invasive tick new to Ga. now confirmed in two counties

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MACON, Ga. — The Georgia Department of Agriculture announced May 3 that the Asian Longhorned Tick (ALT) species has been found on multiple cattle on one Hall County farm. This is the first confirmation of the tick this year following detection of the tick species on a cow last fall on a Pickens County farm.

ALT is an invasive species with the potential to cause severe anemia and tick fever in livestock.

“The Asian Longhorned Tick looks very similar to other ticks in Georgia, so we don’t expect people to be able to distinguish them. One distinctive aspect of Asian Longhorned Ticks is they tend to occur in large numbers. If an animal has one tick it’s probably our common Lone Star Tick,” UGA Entomologist Dr. Nancy Hinkle said. “If a cow [or other animal] shows up with hundreds of ticks on it, we’re going to be very suspicious that we’re looking at an Asian Longhorned Tick infestation.”

Last September when the first confirmation of ALT was made in Pickens County, Georgia’s State Veterinarian Dr. Janemarie Hennebelle said she would not be surprised if more reports of ALT were made this spring because ticks hibernate in cool weather.

“We want folks to be on the lookout. It is likely that the tick will be identified in additional Georgia counties,” Hennebelle said. “Updates will be provided on our [Georgia Department of Agriculture] website going forward.”

GDA information on ALT in Georgia may be accessed at https://gfb.ag/gdaaltupdates.

What does it look like?

Asian Longhorned Ticks (Haemaphysalis longicornis) are light brown and can be smaller than a sesame seed before expanding to the size of a pea when full of blood, according to the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Most ALTs are female and can reproduce without a male.

One female ALT can produce 1,000 to 2,000 eggs at one time without mating, APHIS reports. This is how a single animal could find itself hosting hundreds of ticks.

What is its impact to animals?

APHIS explains that an individual animal with such a heavy infestation of ticks will be stressed and experience reduced growth and production. A severe infestation could potentially kill the animal from excessive blood loss.

In other countries with established ALT populations, the species can transmit bovine theileriosis (infectious anemia) to cattle and babesiosis (tick fever) to several domestic animal species, according to APHIS.

Where did ALT come from?

This tick species is native to eastern Asia and had spread to Australia, New Zealand and western Pacific islands (New Caledonia, Fiji) by the early 1900s. In these countries, the species is called bush tick, cattle tick or scrub tick.

In late 2017, the USDA confirmed the ALT was present in the United States when the species was identified on a sheep in New Jersey, according to the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife.

Since then, scientists have retrospectively identified archived tick samples that were previously unidentified as being an ALT. The samples were taken from:  a white-tailed deer in West Virginia in 2010; a dog in New Jersey in 2013, and a possum in North Carolina in 2017.

According to APHIS, the ALT probably arrived in the U.S. in or before 2010 via domestic pets, horses, livestock or people.

Since 2017, the species has been identified in 17 states, ranging from lower New England to Arkansas. Georgia is the latest state added to the list.

Other states where the ALT has been identified are: (listed geographically from north to south to west): Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Missouri and Arkansas, where it has been detected along the state’s border with eastern Oklahoma.

What should producers do if they discover a suspected ALT infestation?

Georgia livestock producers are encouraged to help UGA and the GDA determine the extent of the ALT’s presence in the state by monitoring their cattle, goats, horses and sheep for large infestations of ticks.

“I want folks to take a step back and not just think about Pickens County. Any warm-blooded animal is a potential host,” Georgia State Veterinarian Janemarie Hennebelle said. “In other states, the No. 1 species this tick is being found on is dogs.”

Anyone who finds large infestations of ticks on any one animal – cattlemen, horse people, backyard poultry producers, pet owners, hunters – should call their veterinarian and report it to the Georgia Department of Agriculture Animal Health Division at 404-656-3667.

Can livestock producers control ALT population?

The GDA recommends that livestock producers or backyard poultry growers work with their veterinarian and/or UGA Cooperative Extension agent to develop an appropriate strategy to fight tick infestations of any type.

“Right now, all of your normal tick control products are going to work on controlling the Asian Longhorned Tick, so you don’t have to deal with an infestation and the consequences if you are already treating your animals with preventative tick medicine,” Hennebelle said. “Work with your veterinarian and your Extension agent to develop a control program.”

Visit www.gfb.ag/UGAlivestockpestwww.gfb.ag/UGAlivestockpestmanagement and scroll down to the section on ticks for a list of pesticides UGA Cooperative Extension recommends for treating cattle and other livestock for ticks. All treatment should be done in consultation with a veterinarian to ensure proper withdrawal times are observed and that a product is not overused to allow resistance to a product to build.

“The good news is that products registered for use on cattle that are recommended for other tick species will be effective against ALT,” Hinkle said.

–Jennifer Whittaker, Georgia Farm Bureau

Trees aren’t a climate change cure-all

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SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — When people talk about ways to slow climate change, they often mention trees, and for good reason. Forests take up a large amount of the planet-warming carbon dioxide that people put into the atmosphere when they burn fossil fuels. But will trees keep up that pace as global temperatures rise? With companies increasingly investing in forests as offsets, saying it cancels out their continuing greenhouse gas emissions, that’s a multibillion-dollar question.

The results of two studies published in the journals Science and Ecology Letters on May 12, 2022 – one focused on growth, the other on death – raise new questions about how much the world can rely on forests to store increasing amounts of carbon in a warming future. Ecologist William Anderegg, who was involved in both studies, explains why.

What does the new research tell us about trees and their ability to store carbon?

The future of forests is on a knife’s edge, with a tug of war between two very important forces: the benefits trees get from increasing levels of carbon dioxide and the stresses they face from the climate, such as heat, drought, fires, pests and pathogens.

Those climate stresses are increasing a lot faster as the planet warms than scientists had expected. We’re seeing immense wildfires and drought-driven forest die-offs much sooner than anyone had anticipated. When those trees die, that carbon goes back into the atmosphere. We’re also seeing evidence that the benefits trees get from higher levels of carbon dioxide in a warming world may be more limited than people realize.

This tells us it’s probably not a great idea to count on forests for a widespread carbon sink through the 21st century, particularly if societies don’t reduce their emissions.

Trees and forests do all sorts of other amazing things – they clean the air and water, and they provide economic value in terms of timber and tourism and pollination. So, understanding how they will grow matters for many reasons.

There’s an argument that, with more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, trees will simply grow more and lock that carbon away. What did your study find?

Two key things affect tree growth: photosynthesis, which is how trees turn sunlight and carbon dioxide into food, and the process of cell division and expansion.

There’s been a long-standing debate about which is the biggest driver of tree growth.

A good metaphor here is a cart with two horses. The cart moving down the road is the tree growing, and there are two horses attached, but we don’t know which is actually doing the work of pulling the cart. One horse is photosynthesis. That makes a lot of intuitive sense – it’s where all the carbon comes from for building cells. But we know there’s another horse – in order to grow more wood, trees have to grow layers of cells, and the cells have to expand and divide. That cell growth process is very sensitive to climate changes and tends to shut down when conditions are dry.

Large parts of the Western U.S. have faced severe drought conditions for years. About half the contiguous U.S. was in drought in May 2022. Drought Monitor/UNL/NOAA/USDA

People assume that photosynthesis is the dominant process almost everywhere. But we found stronger evidence that these cellular processes that are sensitive to drought actually do more to drive or limit growth.

We used tree ring data from thousands of trees across the U.S. and Europe and measurements of photosynthesis from towers in nearby forests to check whether tree growth and photosynthesis were correlated over time. If they followed the same pattern, increasing or decreasing in the same years, that would have suggested photosynthesis was the horse pulling the cart. Instead, we found no correlation.

That suggests that droughts, rather than the amount of carbon dioxide in the air, may have the biggest impact on how quickly trees grow in the future. We’re already seeing more frequent and severe droughts in many regions.

What did you learn about the risk of tree death in the future?

In the other study, we found that lowering global greenhouse gas emissions could have a huge impact for avoiding damage to forests from wildfires, drought and insects.

We used years of satellite observations, climate data and a network of about 450,000 tree plots across the U.S. where each tree is monitored for climate stress and survival. With that historical data, we built statistical models of the risk U.S. trees face from wildfires, insects and climate stress, primarily related to drought. Then we looked at what might happen under future climate scenarios, with high carbon emissions, medium emissions and low emissions. You can explore the results on an interactive map.

The big picture: As the planet warms, wildfire risk increases substantially over the current century, especially in the Western U.S. In a scenario with medium emissions, wildfire risk is projected to increase by a factor of four. Drought and insect risks increase by about 50% to 80%.

What does this mean for the use of carbon offsets?

Together these studies suggest that the benefits carbon dioxide has for growth won’t be nearly as large as people thought, and the risk of climate stress, particularly wildfire, drought and insects, will be much larger than people anticipate.

That has huge implications for using forests as carbon offsets.

So far, carbon offset protocols and markets have not really grappled with this updated scientific understanding of the risks that forests face from climate change. This tells us that climate policymakers and offset developers need to be very careful about how they count on forest offsets to deliver benefits.

The more hopeful message is that our actions in the next decade matter enormously. If we can rein in the speed of climate change and take a lower-emissions path, that does a huge amount to lower risk and increase the benefits. This isn’t a “throw up our hands and panic” situation – it is our chance to take steps that make sure resilient and sustainable forests last for the future.

What we do with our own emissions and efforts to slow climate change matters immensely for the future of forests.

–William R.L. Anderegg
Associate Professor of Ecology, School Of Biological Sciences, University of Utah
The Conversation

Why are my tomato leaves curling?

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COLLEGE STATION, Texas — As the weather warms up and everything in the garden begins to grow, some gardeners may notice their tomato plants have twisting or curling leaves.

Although the yellowing of tomato leaves is one problem, the curling of tomato plant leaves is often quite another.

According to Joe Masabni, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service vegetable specialist from the Department of Horticultural Sciences, based in Dallas, the leaves of the tomato plant may be curling due to many reasons, but environmental, chemical or biological changes are typically to blame.

Specifically, when Masabni sees a curling tomato leaf, he checks for mites, viruses and herbicide drift as well as one of the latest challenges — herbicide residue in compost. However, curled leaves can also be caused by other issues, including weather and water.

Broad mites and viruses in tomatoes

Although broad mites are so small that you need a microscope to identify them, they can do significant damage. The mites attack a variety of vegetable plants and flowers and prefer to feed on young leaves and flowers. The toxins they inject into the leaves make them distort and curl.

Tomato plants also can be affected by hundreds of viruses, but the most common one associated with yellow and curling leaves is the tomato yellow leaf curl virus. This virus is spread by the sweet potato or silverleaf whitefly, which can be managed through insecticide oils and soaps.

For identification and assessments, the Texas Plant Disease Diagnostic Laboratory can help based on a sample sent in from the leaves of the plant.

Herbicide drift with tomato plants

“Tomatoes are especially sensitive to herbicide sprays or herbicide drift,” said Muthukumar Bagavathiannan, Ph.D., a Texas A&M AgriLife Research weed scientist, associate professor in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences and Chancellor’s EDGES Fellow’21.

Crops and pastures are often treated with herbicides for controlling weeds, and the movement of liquid particles from herbicide, called drift, can severely damage nearby tomato plants.

“Physical herbicide drifts are often limited to few yards,” Bagavathiannan said. “However, vapor drifts that can occur with certain herbicides and environmental conditions can travel for miles. While minor damage may not kill the plant, the damage may result in curled leaves and likely reduced fruit yields.”

Wind speeds as low as 5 mph can result in considerable herbicide drift that can be damaging to tomatoes, especially when applied nearby. Though commercial applications of herbicides over large acreage are usually associated with herbicide drift, weed killers for lawns and landscapes often contain growth regulator herbicides such as 2,4-D and dicamba to which tomatoes are highly sensitive. These should be used with caution.

Applicators must carefully follow the herbicide label for appropriate use considerations for reducing drift, Bagavathiannan said.

Herbicide residue lingering in soil

Masabni said the most common and biggest challenge he has seen in the last few years is unexpected herbicide residue in compost, which can remain in the soil for an extended period, unless treated or removed.

“In Texas, we have a lot of cattle and horses, and people are taking advantage of manure that they are getting, because it is free fertilizer,” Masabni said. “What they don’t know is that even if the manure has been drying out in the sun for five years and the animal consumed straw from fields treated with the herbicide aminopyralid, that herbicide is still active in the manure. It does not break down. Even through composting, the herbicide residue will survive the heat of the composting.”

This problem is not just temporary, once it is in the garden, it is in the garden for a long time, he explained. For gardeners utilizing raised beds, the solution is to get rid of the old soil and replace with new soil not tainted with the herbicide residue.

For gardeners working on their own land that has been exposed to herbicides in the soil or the amendments, adding activated charcoal, or biochar, can be an effective solution, but these products can be expensive, Bagavathiannan said. In studies led by the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences in  Bryan-College Station, application of activated charcoal greatly reduced injury to tomato and other vegetables by a number of pasture herbicides.

Checklist to consider when assessing tomato leaf curl:

  • Did you add composted manure or raw manure from a cow or horse? Chicken litter is not a problem. If yes, then herbicide residue may be the most likely cause. If no, next possibility is mites.
  • Broad mites cannot be seen with the naked eye or a magnifying lens. You will need a microscope to confirm their presence or send a sample to the Texas A&M Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab.
  • If the leaf curl is caused by mites, the best solution is to spray a miticide.  Then new growth will be normal and plants will be fine. However, the damaged leaves will remain damaged and should be removed. Spray at least two times about one week apart.
  • If the new growth continues to show curling or twisting, then the cause is herbicide residue in the soil or compost. In this case, remove tainted soil or add activated charcoal.

For more in-depth information on assessing curled leaves on tomato plants, view the free AgriLife publication “What makes tomato leaves twist or curl” that provides even more detailed information on assessment and solutions for this tomato challenge.

–Laura Muntean
Texas A&M AgriLife Communications

NAEAA to present 2022 awards

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LOGAN, Utah — The National Association of Equine Affiliated Academics (NAEAA) is pleased to be honoring faculty and staff at the 13th Annual NAEAA Conference May 31-June 2, hosted by Utah State University. The NAEAA Don Henneke Educational Impact Award was created in 2013. For the rest of the awards, this is the inaugural year for their awarding. Please join us in congratulating the awardees.

2022 NAEAA Awardees:

  • Junior Faculty Award – Aubrey Jaqueth, Ph.D., Wright State University

  • Senior Faculty Award – Bob Coleman, Ph.D., University of Kentucky

  • Don Henneke Educational Impact Award – Betsy Greene, Ph.D., University of Arizona

  • Teaching Award – Angelo Telatin, Ph.D., Delaware Valley University

  • Research Award – Shea Porr, Ph.D., Murray State University.

  • Service Award – Sara Mastellar, Ph.D., Ohio State ATI

  • Support Staff Award – Jenna Reigle, Delaware Valley University

NAEAA annual conferences are designed to advance the equine academic discipline through increased cooperation and communication. Founded in 2007, NAEAA is a non-profit professional organization representing individuals from public and private institutions and the equine industry that strive to educate undergraduates within an equine academic program. The core belief of the organization is that there is educational and societal value in the equine disciplines of study. The mission is to strengthen post-secondary equine academic programs, provide networking opportunities, and facilitate increased cooperation and information sharing among our members. More information about NAEAA, the award descriptions, and the 2022 conference can be found at www.naeaa.com.

— National Association of Equine Affiliated Academics

McKeon new WNC Ag Center and WNC Mountain State Fair manager

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RALEIGH, N.C. – Sean McKeon has been hired as the new WNC Agricultural Center and WNC Mountain State Fair manager, replacing long-time manager Matt Buchanan who retired earlier this year.

Sean McKeon, photo by NCDA&CS

“The WNC Ag Center is an economic driver for the community, drawing events and visitors to the grounds year-round. Sean’s background with agriculture, plus his experience in marketing, corporate relations and business development will be a great fit for the Ag Center,” said Kaleb Rathbone, N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services assistant commissioner for Western N.C. Programs and Small Farms. “He is quickly getting up to speed on plans for the upcoming Mountain State Fair Sept. 9-18, and we are excited for him to join the staff.”

McKeon has served most recently as the state executive director of the USDA Farm Service Agency in Dover, Del., where he managed a staff of 16 overseeing a variety of farm, loan, disaster and conservation programs. Prior to that he served as the director of communications and community relations for Mountaire Farms Inc. in Delaware and North Carolina, where he focused on government and community relations, business development and marketing. He also has served as the association president of the N.C. Fisheries Association from 2005 to 2013.

McKeon attended Columbia College in New York.  He and his wife Sheri have four children, two of whom, his daughters, spent their formative years in Pamlico County when he worked in the fishing industry.

The WNC Agricultural Center, operated by the NCDA&CS, hosts horse and community events and trade shows throughout the year. Improvements to the grounds and the addition of new buildings have provided more rental opportunities and flexibility for event promoters. In addition, the facility is home to the 10-day WNC Mountain State Fair.

–Andrea Ashby, NCDA&CS

Genesee County Open 4-H Gymkhana Horse Show: June 3

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BATAVIA, N.Y. — The Genesee County 4-H Horse Program will be hosting an Open 4-H Gymkhana Horse Show on Friday, June 3, 2022. The show is scheduled to begin at 6:00pm at the Genesee County Fairgrounds, 5056 East Main Street Road, Batavia, NY.

Divisions will include Walk/Jog, Youth and Open.  The show is open to 4-H members age 8-18 and adults 18 and over.  New York State 4-H Horse Show Rules will apply to all participants.  Proceeds from the show will support the Genesee County 4-H Horse Program.

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/bataviahorseshow or contact the Genesee County 4-H Office at (585) 343-3040 ext. 101.

–Cornell Cooperative Extension Genesee County