Southern Colorado Ag and Range Newsletter

Colorado State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Pueblo County cooperating. Extension programs are available to all without discrimination.

September 2011

12 Southern Colorado

Ag and Range Newsletter Page 1

ISSUE

Inside this Issue

Message from Emily ................. 1

Drought Update .................... 1-2

Know a Native ......................... 2

Pollinators ........................ 3 & 5

Swath Grazing. ........................ 4

Cantaloupe Press Release

and Food Safety Tips ................ 6

Event Announcements ........... 7-9

Calendar of Events ................. 10

I’m sure enjoying cooler temperatures and hope you

enjoyed the recent moisture we’ve had. While it might not pull us out of our drought, it doesn’t hurt! I have an update on

Pueblo County’s drought status at the bottom of this page and

on the next page.

There are plenty of workshops and learning opportunities

this fall/winter. I hope you check out the event announcements

and calendar of events.

This will be the second year I offer the Building Farmers

and Ranchers program. I urge anyone who is interested in learning more about the business side of farming/ranching to consider taking this course. It is for people of all experience

levels interested in or already involved in farming and ranching. See more on page 8 and I hope to see you in October when Kit

Pharo comes to Pueblo.

Best wishes,

Emily Lockard Extension Agent

Range and Natural Resources Management

Almost Fall

With 0.79 inches of rain and high temperatures averaging 94.3 F in

August, most parts of Pueblo County are still considered to be in an extreme drought as of last week. We will see how our drought

status changes as we enter fall/winter. The slight reduction in parts of the county is little comfort as forage production hasn’t been revived just yet. If you haven’t used these tools, I encourage you

to view them at:

http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/tranel/Drought%20Resources.htm

http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/abm/abmdroughtstrategies.pdf

If you need any assistance navigating the excel worksheets, or

would like a hard copy of any information, please contact me.

Continued page 2

Drought Update

Emily Lockard is the Extension Agent for Range and Natural Resources Management in the Colorado State University Extension Pueblo County office. She can be reached at (719) 583-6566 or [email protected].

Office Hours:

Monday—Friday 8 a.m.—5 p.m.

(excluding holidays)

CSU Extension

Pueblo County 701 Court St., Suite C

Pueblo, CO 81003

Phone:

(719) 583-6566 Fax:

(719) 583-6582

http://pueblo.colostate.edu

All articles written by Emily Lockard unless

otherwise indicated.

Colorado State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Pueblo County cooperating. Extension programs are available to all without discrimination.

Page 2 Southern Colorado

Ag and Range Newsletter Drought Update cont.

Native, warm season, perennial.

Stoloniferous: This means that the plant grows through stolons

(extensions of the plant) spreading through lateral branches. Forms mats.

Starts growth in mid-spring when moisture is adequate. Flowers in

summers and reproduces from stolons and seeds.

Can withstand heavy grazing and dry conditions, cannot tolerate shade.

Good forage value for all classes of livestock and fair for wildlife. Cures

well and can provide good winter forage when not covered in snow.

Found on dry plains on medium to fine textured soils, rare on sandy soils,

abundant on heavily used rangeland.

General nutrient values: Fresh

DM 100%, Protein 10.2%, Crude Fiber 27.7%

Sources: Jurgens, Marshall H. Animal Feeding and Nutrition. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/

Hunt Publishing Company, 2002.

Stubbendieck, James, Stephan L. Hatch, and L.M. Landholt. North American

Wildland Plants. Lincoln and London: University of Nebraska Press, 2003.

The following are maps from the U.S. Drought Monitor. As you may have

heard and can see on the

national map, most of Texas is experiencing an exceptional drought

and drought is also present in

surrounding states including Colorado.

Know a Native— Buffalograss, Buchloe dactyloides

I’ve included a larger map of Colorado,

where you can see drought in Pueblo County classified as both severe and

extreme. This map is updated weekly

and can be viewed at

http://drought.unl.edu/dm

Online if you are viewing the US map, click on the state of Colorado

to view a larger map.

USDA, NRCS. 2011. The PLANTS Database http://plants.usda.gov, 7

September 2011. National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA.

Colorado State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Pueblo County cooperating. Extension programs are available to all without discrimination.

Page 3 Southern Colorado Pollinators

For most farmers and ranchers, designing a crop field, pasture,

water drainage, or roadway takes very little into account of how it will affect pollinators. Some farming and ranching practices encourage

pollinators and some (burning, tilling) harm pollinators. Why should you care? You should care if you consume or grow anything nearby that requires pollination (e.g. vegetables or alfalfa) and 70-85% of flowering

plants require an animal to move pollen. We rely heavily on European Honey Bees, but this bee is experiencing many problems. Since 1950

honey bees have declined by 50% while we have doubled the amount of cropland requiring bee pollination. Diseases, pests, and lack of pollen diversity are blamed for much of the honey bee’s decline, but the cause

of colony collapse disorder is still a mystery. One thing has been

disproved, that cell phones are the cause.

While honey bees have been declining, so have native/wild bees by 70-99% nation wide. Improving habitat for native bee populations can have a great payoff to your pollination

dependant crops. Native bees are active earlier in the day/season and in cooler/wetter weather and don’t require rental fees compared with honey

bees. In a study with cherry tomatoes, when native bees were present

production of Sungold cherry tomatoes almost tripled. (2006, Greenleaf)

Where are these native pollinators? Nearly 70% of native bees nest underground. A nest can look like an ant nest from above ground, can be in turf, but more often are on bare ground. Nearly 30%

of native bees nest in hollow or pithy plant stems, old beetle borer holes, man made cavities and even old snail shells. You can learn how to build

nests for wood-nesting and cavity nesting bees, ground-nesting bees, and bumble bees at http://www.xerces.org/wp-content/

uploads/2008/11/nests_for_native_bees_fact_sheet_xerces_society.pdf.

You can also create a habitat for bees in ―fallow‖ areas, waste areas, or on roadsides. In this context, fallow means that it is set aside

for native bee habitat. If you think this sounds crazy because it will take away from total production, think again. Farms with uncultivated land within 750m of a field had higher bee abundance and higher seed set. In

the absence of honey bees, canola growers make more money on their land if 30% is left uncultivated, rather than planting it all. (Morandin,

2006) Below is a drawing of what 30% of land uncultivated would look like. This allows bees to not travel far from their nest sites to the crop you would like them to pollinate. Bees are limited on how far they will

travel and native bees generally fly between 500 ft and up to 1 mile

between forage and nesting sites.

What can you do on rangelands to improve native bee habitat? You can plant a variety of flowering plants that will provide pollen to bees for much of the year. A list of native wildflowers and native shrubs that

would be good to plant is on page 5. When planting or enhancing an existing site, you should plant a mix of early, mid, and late blooming

plants to give bees an extended season of food.

General habitat design principles are: abundant floral resources, bloom time succession (3 species in bloom each season gives a

continuous source of food during the growing season), connectivity (field

and nest sites connected), distance to crops and nest sites.

Ground nest of native bees.

2.4

km

2.4 km

Bamboo sticks bundled to-

gether for cavity nesting bees.

Holes drilled in wood

for cavity nesting bees

Cont. page 5

Colorado State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Pueblo County cooperating. Extension programs are available to all without discrimination.

Page 4 Swath Grazing Southern Colorado

Ag and Range Newsletter

Dr. Casey Matney, NE Colorado Regional Extension Specialist, Range Management

Ranchers and livestock producers are always looking to find a better way to stockpile and

maintain high quality feed for their cattle and sheep during winter. At the same time, people are trying to find a better method of winter feeding that reduces their costs. In addition to

that, people want to minimize the amount of work they have to do and the amount of equipment they have to maintain. Well, I do not have a silver bullet for this problem yet, but there is some evidence to suggest that swath grazing may be worth trying.

Swath grazing is the practice of taking some of this year’s or last year’s standing forage

production and cutting it into a swath. The swaths can be left alone, raked together with other swath rows to make a larger windrow, or they can be raked and bunched. The purpose of swath grazing is to produce near hay quality forage, while reducing handling and equipment

costs. In reality, creating a swath, a large windrow, or a bunch is the equivalent to creating piles or strips of hay. These piles/strips of hay are a little more exposed to the elements than

covered bales of hay. However, research on the subject has found that the amount of forage that is lost to waste in swaths appears to be equivalent to that of hay (5% to 10%). In some

instances though, Canadian studies have found that as much as 50% of the swath can be lost to waste. Even in that scenario, Canadian researchers found that the swath grazing was more cost-effective than baling hay. Estimates of cost savings in the year 2007, for swath grazing

versus baling hay, ranged from about $20 to $40 per ton of forage.

Nutrient quality and dry matter for hay versus swathed forage seems to be similar. During 2006, North Dakota State University researchers found that oat hay actually lost more dry matter than swathed oats. Nevertheless, when it came to protein levels, oat hay maintained

slightly higher crude protein than swathed oats. Their conclusion was that swath grazing was a viable option for wintering cattle in southwestern North Dakota.

In addition to stockpiling forage, swath grazing may provide added benefits. Swathing can

help make use of less desirable grasses and older plant material that might ordinarily be left behind or avoided under normal field grazing situations, which makes better use of the forage this year, while hopefully improving the growing conditions for the pasture next year. Swath

grazing in the pasture may also allow some re-growth to be utilized by the cattle in addition to the forage in the swaths. Lastly, swath grazing allows dung and urine to be deposited on site,

recycling and keeping nutrients in the pasture.

When and Where Do I Use Swath Grazing? The climate here in eastern Colorado is well suited to swath grazing, since we have

relatively dry and cold winters. In wetter and warmer climates swath grazing does not work because the swath of forage quickly decomposes.

Forages that work well with swath grazing are alfalfa, mixed alfalfa/grass stands, irrigated grass pastures, and small seeded annual forage crops. Swath grazing may also work well on

non-irrigated rangeland comprised of tall grasses and mid-height grasses where the pounds of production exceeds 2,500 lbs per acre. Situations that will not work for swath grazing are

those areas comprised of short grasses, areas that are low in production, areas that are periodically flooded in the fall and winter, and areas known to accumulate a lot of snow. Areas that you would not consider baling are areas to avoid swath grazing. Now, before you jump on

your tractor and swath everything you’ve got, I would recommend you start small. You can always ramp up your swathing operation later if you find that swath grazing is working for you.

It definitely won’t work for everyone, but it might be worth adding it to your arsenal and give your operation a little more flexibility. If you have questions or want more information, do not

hesitate to contact me by phone at (970) 518-0903 or through my website – www.range.colostate.edu.

Colorado State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Pueblo County cooperating. Extension programs are available to all without discrimination.

Page 5 Pollinators cont. Southern Colorado

Ag and Range Newsletter

Various ranching and farming

practices impact pollinators. While it may not be realistic for all practices

that harm pollinators to be eliminated, it is important to know how various practices impact the surrounding

ecological systems.

Here is a quick overview of

how some practices impact pollinators.

Overgrazing can negatively impact a plants ability to re-grow and

overgrazing can reduce flowers available to pollinators. Hoof impact

can also damage ground nesting sites. Rotational grazing allows bees to have a constant source of rangelands that are not being impacted by livestock. Not only will rotational

grazing help pollinators, it will also help with forage production. Grazing can be used as a tool when

timing/stocking are configured to encourage flowering forbs.

Mowing can remove flowering plants and reduce food available to pollinators. When

mowing a site, if you can mow in mosaic patterns, it leaves flowers for pollinators. Mowing in patches and allowing for re-growth

will help to maintain forage at a desired

height while still providing pollinator habitat.

Herbicides can have multiple affects on pollinators. It can reduce the forage available, but it can also be toxic to pollinators. Being

careful to only treat the minimum area necessary for the control of weeds and minimizing overspray will help to reduce the impact on

pollinators. Also, organic approved pesticides aren’t always safe for bees.

Insecticide applications can be lethal to pollinators. Insecticides that are labeled safe for honey bees may not necessarily be safe for native bees. Insecticides that aren’t allowed on blooming

crops may be allowed on rangeland sites when pollinators are still active and can still negatively

impact native bees.

Minimizing tilling, soil fumigants and using plastic mulch will help ground nesting native bees.

Knowing how various agricultural practices impact pollinators can help to reduce unintentional impacts. Not all practices that negatively impact pollinators can be avoided at all times, but hopefully,

a few can be worked into your production system. Even more, the native bees you work to help will

pay you with better production rates in the future.

References: The Xerces Society: For Invertebrate Conservation www.xerces.org

Greenleaf, Sarah S. and Claire Kremen. 2006 Wild bee species increase tomato production and

respond differently to surrounding land use in Northern California. Bio Conservation: 33, 81-87.

Morandin, Lora A. and Mark L. Winston. 2006 Pollinators provide economic incentive to

preserve natural land in agroecosystems. Ag Ecosystems & Environment: 116 (3-4), 289-292.

Hoffman, Scott Black, Matthew Shepherd, and Mace Vaughan. 2011. Rangeland Management

for Pollinators. Rangelands. June 9-13.

Native Shrubs for SE Colorado

Early Mid Late

Plum False indigo Fourwing saltbush

Serviceberry Wood’s rose Rubber, yellow rabbit

Threeleaf sumac Snowberry brush

Golden currant Lead plant

Elderberry Shrubby cinquefoil

Native Wildflowers for SE Colorado

Early Mid Late

Penstemon Rocky Mtn Bee Plants Sunflowers

Wild blue flax Milkvetch Buckwheats

Globemallow Western yarrow Goldenrods

Purple poppy mallow Showy milkweed Asters

Beebalms Firewheel Hairy goldenaster

Lupine Prairie clovers Ironweed

Coneflowers

Ironweed

Colorado State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Pueblo County cooperating. Extension programs are available to all without discrimination.

Page 6 Press Release—Cantaloupe Southern Colorado

Ag and Range Newsletter

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 14th, 2011-

Jensen Farms, of Holly, CO is voluntarily recalling their shipments of Rocky Ford whole cantaloupe because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria. The company is working with the State of Colorado and the FDA to inform consumers of this recall. L. monocytogenes is a bacterium that can contaminate foods and cause a mild non-invasive illness (called listerial gastroenteritis) or a severe, sometimes life-threatening, illness (called invasive listeriosis). Persons who have the greatest risk of experiencing listeriosis after consuming foods contaminated with L. monocytogenes are fetuses and neonates who are infected after the mother is exposed to L. monocytogenes during pregnancy, the elderly, and persons with weakened immune systems.

The whole cantaloupes in question were shipped between July 29th, 2011 and September 10th 2011, and distributed to the following states: IL, WY, TN, UT, TX, CO, MN, KS, NM, NC, MO, NE, OK, AZ, NJ, NY, PA. The whole cantaloupes have a green and white sticker that reads: Product of USA-Fontera Produce-Colorado Fresh-Rocky Ford- Cantaloupe or a gray, yellow, and green sticker that reads: Jensen Farms-Sweet Rocky Fords. If the whole cantaloupe is unlabeled, please contact your retail store for sourcing information. Jensen Farms is requesting any consumer that may have one of these cantaloupes to please destroy the products. The recall involves only whole cantaloupe shipped by Jensen Farms, and no other commodities are involved. Jensen Farms feels it is prudent to participate in the recall as the State of Colorado has stated (in their September 12th, 2011 press release) that people at a high risk for infection should not eat whole cantaloupe from the Rocky Ford growing region.

“Jensen Farms continues to stay committed to the highest levels of food safety and maintains many third party safety audits, as we have for many years. We continually look for ways to enhance our protocol,” said Ryan Jensen, partner at Jensen Farms. Jensen Farms is a 3rd generation family farm of the Holly, Colorado community. Consumers with questions may contact Jensen Farms via email at [email protected] or phone 1-800-267-4561 between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. MST.

Cantaloupe

Keeping Food Safe:

Safe Handling & Preparation Storage

Cantaloupe are grown in close contact with the ground, which may occasionally introduce bacterial contamination from soil, water or animals. Contamination from human contact may also arise during or after harvest.

Always wash hands and utensils (knives and cutting boards) before and after handling melons.

Wash outside of melon with clean vegetable brush under cool running water. Blot dry with clean paper towels.

Place washed melon on clean cutting board. Cut about 1 inch off stem end. Position melon on cutting board with cut end facing down. With clean knife, slice melon vertically in half. Wash knife. Scrape out seeds with clean spoon. Continue to cut into slices, or as desired.

Refrigerate cut melon at 41ºF or below.

Discard cut melon if kept at room temperature more than 4 hours.

For more information, contact CSU Extension—Pueblo County at (719) 583-6566 or www.ext.colostate.edu

Colorado State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Pueblo County cooperating. Extension programs are available to all without discrimination.

Page 7 Southern Colorado

Ag and Range Newsletter Event Announcements

Low Input Sustainable Grazing Workshop

Moving from Production to Profit in Ranching

Presentation by Kit Pharo, Pharo Cattle Co.

Farmers and ranchers in North America are more productive than ever before, but it is not showing up on their bottom line. Profit is not the only thing that is deteriorating. The land we

are using is also deteriorating (losing organic matter and fertility). High-production agriculture

is NOT sustainable, but no one wants to address this issue.

Kit Pharo will challenge ranchers to think outside the box (paradigm) they have put

themselves in. He will provide some time-tested, no-nonsense information that can readily and

easily be put to use.

Kit will start out by discussing the difference between being production-driven and being profit-driven. There is a BIG difference! He will emphasize that the only way for agriculture to be

sustainable is for it to be profitable and enjoyable.

Next, Kit will discuss the Three Keys to making the most efficient use of your available forage resources. They are: Planned Rotational Grazing, Matching Your Production Cycle (calving,

weaning, etc.) to fit your Available Forage Resources, and Matching Cow Size and Type to fit

your Available Forage Resources.

Workshop will be Saturday, October 8 from 10 a.m.—2 p.m. Please Register by Friday, September 30. Cost is $10/ person, $15/ couple.

Lunch included! No payments will be taken at the door.

Bring/mail check or cash to: CSU Extension—Pueblo County 701 Court St., Suite C, Pueblo, CO 81003

Call (719) 583-6566 with questions or for more information.

Funded with a grant from:

NOXIOUS WEED CONTROL PLAN

50% Cost Share is available to property owners who apply and are afflicted with a species of

weed listed on the Colorado Noxious Weed A or B List.

Turkey Creek Conservation District highlights their role in Pueblo County’s Noxious Weed

Control Program.

User friendly method of making this cost share an easy reality for landowners.

Contact Turkey Creek Conservation District at 719-543-8386 ext. 116 or email:

[email protected]

website: www.puebloweeds.com

Colorado State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Pueblo County cooperating. Extension programs are available to all without discrimination.

Page 8 Event Announcements

Southern Colorado

Ag and Range Newsletter

If you wish to participate in any of the Extension event/activities listed in this newsletter and need special accommodation, please notify CSU Extension—Pueblo County (719) 583-6566

at least 5 working days prior to the event/activity.

Building Farmers and Ranchers Program

Building Capacity, Building Community

A series of 8 evening classes to provide intermediate and experienced farmers and ranchers with the tools to refine and enhance

their current practices; and to help new farmers and ranchers explore farming and ranching as a business.

Registration and Applications due Friday, October 14th

Wednesdays

October 26—December 14

Dinner: 5:30—6:30 p.m.

Class: 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Presentations from local producers as well as

regional and statewide experts

Registration is limited to 20, $160 for all 8 sessions

At least half of payment is due with registration/application,

other half due at first or second class

CSU Extension—Pueblo County

701 Court St., Suite C

Pueblo, CO 81003

For more information contact

Emily Lockard (719) 583-6566

http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/Pueblo/index.shtml

Colorado State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Pueblo County cooperating. Extension programs are available to all without discrimination.

Page 9 Southern Colorado

Ag and Range Newsletter Event Announcements

For Immediate Release September 13, 2011

Money Talk for Women and their Significant Others

The five-session Money Talk curriculum was developed because women have unique financial needs. Statistics show that 85-90% of women will be on their own financially at some point in their life. Money Talk for Women will provide you with the information you need to take charge of your finances now and for your future.

Lois Illick, Family and Consumer Sciences Agent of CSU Extension-Pueblo County will present the five-session series begins November 14, 6:00-8:00 p.m. The cost is $40.00 per person or $50.00 per couple sharing materials. Pre-registration is REQUIRED. Please contact CSU Extension-Pueblo County at 583-6566 for more information.

Dining with Diabetes

Have you recently been diagnosed with diabetes? Are you having trouble managing your diabetic diet? Are you preparing food for someone with diabetes? Colorado State University Extension’s four-class series will help you learn simple changes you can make to improve your diet.

Dining with Diabetes will meet October 10, 17, 24 and 31 from 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. The cost to participants is $20.00 (Discount for couples, $30.00 per couple) for all four classes!

The four-week series covers topics about how diabetes affects your health, how to make healthy food choices, and tasting new recipes. The Dining with Diabetes series will help you to assess your dinner plate for potential diabetic disaster. Pre-registration is required. Space is limited, so call to enroll now! Please contact CSU Extension at 583-6566 for more information.

With a combination of classes (taught by Colorado State

University professors and other horticulture experts) and fun,

“hands-on” activities, you’ll learn how to:

Develop water wise techniques for lawns, vegetables, rock

gardens...all your plants

Manage landscape weeds

Diagnose plant health challenges

Evaluate soils

Extend the vegetable growing season

Make wise plant choices

Many more advanced gardening skills too numerous to list

Take Your Gardening Skills to the Next Level

Earn Your Certificate as a Colorado Master Gardener

For more information visit the Colorado Master Gardener

website at www.cmg.colostate.edu.

New evening classes

Begin January, 2012

To receive

information, contact

CSU Extension/

Pueblo County

701 Court St., Ste C

Pueblo, CO

719-583-6566

Colorado State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Pueblo County cooperating. Extension programs are available to all without discrimination.

Page 10 Southern Colorado

Ag and Range Newsletter Calendar of Events

September

Thursday, September 29, 2011 from Noon-1:00 p.m. Fundamentals of Small Acreage Swine Production Webinar This webinar is an introduction to raising pigs for meat or for breeding. We will discuss feed, facilities, health,

nutrition, and proper management of small-scale swine production. Presented by Brett Kaysen, animal science

professor at CSU, and expert in swine production. To register for the swine production webinar, please go to:

https://spreadsheets0.google.com/viewform?

hl=en&hl=en&formkey=dG1sUWpDYnlHcGNCT0FVSTFtNldrSnc6MQ#gid=0

or visit the Hot Topics section of CSU Small Acreage Management website at www.ext.colostate.edu/sam/

If you are not able to connect to the internet on your own and would like to participate, please notify CSU

Extension—Pueblo County 5 working days before this webinar and we will make the webinar available in our

office. Call (719) 583-6566 for more information.

Friday, September 30, Registration Due for Kit Pharo, Moving From Production to Profit See full information about this presentation below under October.

October

Saturday, October 8, Kit Pharo, Moving From Production to Profit Location: Pueblo County Conference Room, 1001 N. Santa Fe Ave Registration/cost: $10/person, $15 couple

(lunch included), register by September 30th. Mail/bring check or cash to CSU Extension 701 Court St., Ste C

Pueblo, CO 81003. Call (719) 583-6566 for more information.

Applications Due October 14, 2011 and Classes Start October 26, 2011, Building Farmers

and Ranchers Program Learn from local experts and create a business plan. Dinner included!

Location: Pueblo CSU Extension Office, 701 Court St., Suite C. Contact: Emily Lockard (719) 583-6566

Download an application from our website http://pueblo.colostate.edu and check us out on

facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Colorado-Building-Farmers/220025304677481

October 15, 8 a.m.-4:15 p.m., Small-Scale Livestock Workshop in Longmont, CO Beginner and experienced livestock owners are invited. Workshop will be at the Clover Building at

Boulder County Fairgrounds. Valuable hands-on presentations will focus on health, production,

nutrition, housing, and know-how. In-depth discussions will build on pre-recorded introductory

webinars which participants should watch prior to the workshop. Bring your questions! Brought to you by CSU

Extension, and NRCS. Register online at www.ext.colostate.edu/sam/livestock

November

November 8-10, Quivira Coalition’s 10th Anniversary Conference Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico. The mission of the Quivira Coalition is to build resilience by fostering ecological, economic and social health on

western landscapes through education, collaboration, and progressive public and private land stewardship. For

more information go to http://www.quiviracoalition.org/

December

December 7-8, Colorado Section Society for Range Management This joint meeting with CWMA will be at Cheyenne Mtn Conf. Center in Colorado Springs. For more information

go to http://www.cssrm.org/

Monthly meetings:

Pueblo County Stockmen’s Association meets the first Thursday of each month at Mesa Vet Clinic at 7:30 p.m. (7 p.m. after daylight savings Nov. 6)

Turkey Creek Conservation District meets the 2nd Tuesday of every month, Time: 2:30 p.m. Location: 200 S. Santa Fe Ave., 4th floor, Call: (719) 543-8386 Ext. 116 for details

South Pueblo Conservation District meets the 3rd Thursday of every month, Time: 7:30 p.m.

Location: 200 S. Santa Fe Ave., 4th floor, Call: (719) 543-8386 Ext. 3 for details