News Release
April  29, 2008

Range livestock risk management workshops set in Kemmerer, Farson

Tools that provide producers drought and price risk protection are being offered at range livestock risk management workshops Tuesday, May 6, in Kemmerer and Farson.

Organized by the University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service (UW CES), the Kemmerer workshop starts at 1:30 p.m. in the Kemmerer Library at 518 Emerald St. The second starts at 7 p.m. in Farson at the Cultural Center.

Extension Farm/Ranch Management Specialist John Hewlett will discuss tools available to producers through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency.  

Said UW CES Educator Eric Peterson, “Though I have been an agriculture educator for more than 25 years, I was amazed at the wide array of options that exist – options that certainly ought to be factored into the management decision making of our southwest Wyoming producers.” Peterson organized the workshops with Hudson Hill and Bridger Feuz, all who serve Lincoln, Sublette, Sweetwater, Teton and Uinta counties.

Hewlett will present insurance options available to Wyoming livestock operators, including the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP), pasture, range, forest-vegetation (PRF) index, forage seeding, forage production, livestock risk protection (LRP)-Feeder Cattle, LRP-Fed Cattle, LRP-Lamb, livestock gross margin (LGM)-cattle, and adjusted gross revenue (AGR)-Lite programs. His presentation is tailored to southwest Wyoming.  Hewlett will provide background information on these programs, how they can be applicable to area producers and how producers can better evaluate the application of the various programs in their operations.

Aaron Tattersall, a rangeland specialist for the Silveus Insurance Group, will present the Pasture Range Forage (PRF) insurance program, which is designed to protect producers from adverse drought conditions. Tattersall consults with producers in Wyoming, Colorado, Idaho and Oregon.

The program is designed to protect producers from adverse drought conditions that affect range, pasture or forage production.

“The PRF program is an interesting and new approach to providing producers an avenue to reduce the dramatic financial impact drought has on our range- and hay-based agriculture systems,” said Tattersall. “Unique aspects of the PRF program include the use of remote sensing technology in the determination of drought impact and the ability to cover rangeland productivity on leased or permitted grazing lands.”

Tattersall will provide area-specific information about how the program would have worked in the past illustrating different scenarios and coverage levels.  This is the first year Wyoming producers are eligible to participate in this pilot program. 

Tattersall can also visit with producers about the new carbon credit revenue opportunities.

For more information, contact the Lincoln County CES office in Afton at (307) 885-3132, Sublette County CES at (307) 367-4380, Sweetwater CES in Green River at (307) 872-6310 or in Rock Springs at (307) 352-6775, Teton County CES at (307) 733-3087, and the Uinta County CES office at (307) 783-0570.

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Contact: Steven L. Miller, Senior Editor
Phone: (307) 766-6342
E-mail: slmiller@uwyo.edu
Archived News Site http://uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/UWAG/news.asp

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