Author: Rachel Gabel
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The significance of the State Land Board siding with the San Luis Valley | GABEL
Some members of the State Land Board don’t like the Trump administration and the decisions made about conservation, which they voiced in the monthly public meeting Nov. 13. The board could have made the mistake of making an exceptionally partisan statement, something that is certainly not in the best interest of conservation or kids. The…
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How to get America’s kids to the ag table | GABEL
When Colorado State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences invites people to come to the table, they’re not just blowing smoke. Manny Deleon has pulled up a chair at the table, and he is adding agricultural research important to producers. He isn’t the typical ag guy and that is a nod to the draw of the…
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While senators stall, Colorado farmers continue to sweat federal shutdowns | GABEL
As the piles grow at the sugar beet processing plants around the region, growers are facing looming deadlines complicated by federal shutdowns. Colorado Sen. Byron Pelton said a number of growers — as well as other commodity producers who face the same issues — have reached out unable to meet their loan deadlines due to…
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Importing beef is not the solution | GABEL
Last week, I wrote, “As usual, cattle producers are waiting on the other shoe drop and trying to read the tea leaves and make the right moves.” The shoe dropped. President Donald Trump made comments on social media and in the news about bringing in Argentine beef to lower beef prices for consumers. That comment…
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Walmart provides plot twist to Colorado beef competition | GABEL
Walmart recently opened a 300,000-square-foot case-ready beef facility in Olathe, Kansas, citing their commitment to a more resilient, transparent and efficient supply chain for Angus beef. This is the first case-ready facility owned and operated by Walmart and brings about 600 jobs to the Olathe area. In 2022, Walmart invested in Sustainable Beef, LLC, in…
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Protection set for La Jara Ranch | GABEL
The State Land Board is meeting Wednesday to decide the future management of several significant properties, including the 46,000-acre La Jara Ranch in the San Luis Valley. Colorado Parks & Wildlife and the Department of Natural Resources have partnered with NGOs to permanently protect recreational access and conservation values on the property, a process long…
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Cattle ranchers, like prairie dogs, are a keystone species of Colorado | GABEL
The war on private-property rights is one battle-tested ranchers in southeastern Colorado know all too well. Now, in a 1,500-page U.S. Forest Service draft assessment that seeks to inform the management of the Comanche National Grasslands in Baca, Las Animas and Otero counties, ranching and private property ownership are listed among the obstacles to management…
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A Colorado ranching legacy further reaching than any executive order | GABEL
Often referred to only as “Dan” or “Our Dan” by the media at the time, photos and articles about former Gov. Dan Thornton were mainstays in the state newspapers in the 1950s. He was Colorado’s own Gipper, born in California, educated in Texas and a West Slope cattleman who entered politics and served as governor…
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Agriculture the answer when security is the question | GABEL
A country that can feed itself is a country that can defend itself. Algeria is rich in oil and gas, but food security and producing enough food in dry conditions remains a challenge. The African country grows a great deal of dryland crops like wheat and pulses, the edible seeds of legume plants, and even…
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Bottling up the pheromones that calm cattle | GABEL
Sometimes the simple solution is the best. For most livestock producers in the state, fall is weaning time for calves which is a stressful but necessary event for livestock. Now, the only essential oils I’m into are the ones that run out of a taco, and I’m no proponent of the many fluffy stress reduction…