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Saturday, July 30, 2011 – Daily News 5A Agriculture & farm The Centennial Ranch, Bridge- port, California was missing 24 yearling steers on the old Owens Estate, west of Red Bluff when they gathered this spring. These Mexican steers were branded with a WL (L is under the W) on the left shoulder and they had eartags in both ears. They were behind locked gates on the Mont- gomery place, the owner, John Lacey, told me when California Beef Cattle Improvement Associa- tion visited Centennial in June. The Bridgeport valley is amaz- ing because there were about 25,000 head of cattle grazing on the lush green meadows this summer. The snow covered mountains to the west were beautiful, and the melt- ing snow fed the underground aquifers. We were told the valley is a gravel basin with only 16 inches of soil, and the water table is high, especially when planting a fence post. An old barn was originally in Bodie, and rebuilt piece by piece. The fence posts were juniper, and the old fences had barbed wire on both sides. The ranchers have a constant battle with the wild iris, since it is considered a noxious weed on the meadows. It was in bloom when we were there, and it looked pretty. Cattle watered at the irrigation ditches, and we noticed the ditches were fenced off except for a narrow alley to the flowing water. The cat- tle don’t stay when it is a narrow space; rather they get their drink and get out of there. One of the Centennial ranches we visited was the old Fred Dressler ranch, and a story told was when George Milovich, ag com- missioner of Mono County would test and certify the scales Mr. Dressler would always be present until he was 98 years old. The scales are in a building and are still being used. ranch Centennial Ranch in Bridgeport Courtesy photo California Beef Cattle Improvement Association tour members were inspecting the hog scalding vat that was used a hundred years ago. Jean Last call for producers to file Tehama County USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) Executive Director Darci Cullers, reminds producers that they must submit an Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) verification consent form (CCC-927 or CCC-928) to the IRS as soon as possible in order to maintain eligibility for 2009 and 2010 program benefits. The consent form authorizes IRS to verify for FSA whether a pay- ment recipient’s AGI meets the eligibility requirements for FSA programs. The form became a requirement for payment eligibility begin- ning with the 2009 crop year, however many pro- gram participants have not yet submitted this form for 2009 and 2010 program benefits. "Producers who fail to file these forms before September will receive a notice from the National Office stating that the pro- ducer is ineligible for 2009 and 2010 pay- ments," Cullers said. “The producer will be responsi- ble for fully refunding all payments received under programs subject to AGI limitations," she said. IRS requires written consent from all individu- als or legal entities before verification of the average AGI can be provided to USDA. Individuals must submit form CCC-927 and legal entities must submit form CCC-928. Without these forms on file, eligible producers will not receive USDA program payments. Cullers further clarifies that these consent forms are required for payments received from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) as well as those received through FSA. Completed forms must be returned to the IRS. For more information on AGI eligibility require- ments or the AGI verifica- tion process contact the Tehama County FSA office at 527-3013. Today’s Burning Issue Chimney All Summer? Spring is chimney cleaning time: Extend chimney life: reduce odor; prepare for repairs or upgrades; be ready for fall. Just Leave (corrosive Creosote In The There were penciled weights written on the racks and frame, with a sign stating five cents per head for cattle, and one and a half cents per head of sheep when the scales were used by others. There was an old slaughter house, with a trap door for the ani- mals’ carcasses to fall into the cut- ting room. Overhead was the rail and hooks going into the cold room. Outside was the hog scalding vat. The meat was used in the nearby mines a hundred years ago. Some pastures had Mexican cat- tle that had been imported weigh- ing between 280 and 350 lbs and will gain between 150 and 170 lbs during the summer. Other ranches had cow/calf pairs, and the calves would be weaned in October and shipped to the Owens Valley in November. The steers will weigh about 600 pounds, since they were born in the spring. 400 heifer calves will be kept for replacements, and will start breeding April 18 after pelvic mea- suring the heifers. The cows will stay in Bridge- port Valley untill Thanksgiving time, and then shipped to a lower elevation. The winters are cold, and it can be 30 to 35 degrees below zero, and two to three feet of snow. We enjoyed two delicious meals at Bridgeport B Ranch in town, where many social events are held. Lunch was huge hamburgers, ground beef chuck patties (home- style) (thick, 80/20) from Harris Ranch Beef Co; potato salad and cookies. In the evening there was Bar- becued New York steaks with a sweet corn tamale, toss green salad, salsa and toasted French bread accompanied by flavorful wines and a vivid red sunset over the snow covered peaks as we dined on the outdoor patio. It was a great tour. I heard a suggestion Barton on how to brand your hamburgers or steak. Take a minature brand, two inches or less, a sheet of stainless steel, and a plasma cutter or rod of stain- less steel bent into the brand. The whole grill surface will brand your steak or hamburger since the meat was cooking on a grill of expanded metal that gave the traditional criss-crosses. *** At the Livestock Identification and Transportation Committee during CCA MidYear Meeting, John Suther, president, Rural Crime Prevention Task Force pre- sented an update. A couple of cases were in court, a yearling bull had been sold; there was a butchered animal and they got the hide and carcass; someone had rebranded some bucking bulls and that was a $300,000 case. One case owed $1 million to two people in restitution. And then there was Tehama County; five ranches with four owners reported 50 calves missing, with one rancher missing 20 calves. There is a $12,000 reward being offered. Another ranch had 24 head of steers missing in the BEAUTIFULLY BLOOMING Crape Myrtles COMPLETE AUTO REPAIR All makes and models. 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Suther mentioned that it is amazing the number of eartags that have been cut out of stolen cattle, and branding is the best identifica- tion. *** Tehama County CattleWomen participated in the Tehama County Library Summer Reading Olympics when Junior Beef Ambassador Bailey Brownfield and member Kelly Mouton had dummy roping for the young read- ers. Assisting were Lynsie Birt and Cathy Tobin, as they signed off on the check list when the child roped. Eileen Hancock had beef informa- tion and gave beef snack sticks, and I took pictures. The next event will be the Beef N Brew, on Sept. 17 in partnership with Downtown Red Bluff Busi- ness Association. Once again there will be sampling of the micro brews in the stores on Main and Walnut Streets, and beef appetizers to enjoy in the late afternoon start- ing at 5 p.m. There will be dancing at the Cone Kimball plaza with Rough Cut band, and Chad Bushnell will sing and play his guitar between 6 and 7 p.m. Vic Woolery will grill the tri tip for sandwiches and local celebrities are being asked to be beer pourers. Presale will be $15 and at the gate it will be $20. Jean Barton can be reached at jbarton@theskybeam.com.