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Agricultureranch farm Rodeo week heatwave & We purchased our rodeo tickets for all three days back in February, but didn't expect the sun and temperatures of mid-90 degrees in April for all three performances. We elected to stay home since the tickets were in south arena with no shade. Did you see the Red Bluff High School Alpine Ski and Snowboard Team float in the parade? I can imagine the team dressed in their ski clothes were very warm as the sun beat down last Saturday. During the summer we will consider a 95 degree day as cool, but I wasn't ready for the heat this early in April. *** Tom Talbot, DVM, a California beef producer and chairman of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association Cattle Health and Well Being Committee noted that the BSE safeguards are work- ing and reiterated Dr.Clif- ford's message saying that this is not a human health risk. "It is important to note that this particular cow died at the farm and was sent to a rendering facility where she was tested as a precaution and as part of the BSE detection system," Talbot explained. Water conference sets speakers, topics exchanges and nitrates in groundwater will be the subjects of panel discus- sions May 3 in Clovis at the 2012 Water Technolo- gy Conference organized by the International Cen- ter for Water Technology (ICWT) at Fresno State. This 2012 conference partners the International Center for Water Technol- ogy (ICWT), California State University, Fresno, American Society of Irri- gation Consultants, American Groundwater Trust, California Agricul- tural Irrigation Associa- tion and BlueTech Valley. The keynote luncheon Water banking and speaker for the event at the Clovis Veterans Memorial Building is author Charles Fishman, whose latest book is "The Big Thirst," at look at water issues from a global perspective. about water banking and exchanges will be con- ducted among Gary Serra- to of the Fresno Irrigation District, Michael Leonar- do, of the city of Clovis and Martin Querin, of the city of Fresno. Dennis E. Williams of GEO- SCIENCES Support Ser- vices Inc. will discuss "Prospecting for Ground- water." A panel discussion the water supply and groundwater will bring together Dr. Thomas Har- ter of the University of California, Davis, Pamela Creedon of the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board and Parry Klassen of the East San Joaquin Water Quality Coalition. Tim Quinn of the Association of California Water Agen- cies will speak about "Coequal Goals: Are We getting Closer or Further The panel on nitrates in Away?" speakers should appeal to urban water planners, growers, irrigation districts, water agencies, engineers and professionals involved or interested in water-relat- ed issues and problems," said Dr. David Zoldoske, director of the ICWT. "Not only is our keynote lun- cheon speaker, Charles Fishman, an incredibly interesting authority and speaker on water around the world, but our other speakers will be discussing timely issues." "This selection of offers more than 20 con- current technical sessions focusing on agricultural, urban and groundwater issues, including drip irri- gation technology, aquifer recharge and trends in soil moisture technology. Joining ICWT as con- ference planners are the cities of Fresno and Clo- vis and the Kings River Conservation District. A complete list of ses- sions and registration information are available at www.icwt.net/wtc. Conference registration is $125 before April 30, which includes breakfast, luncheon, exhibits and all sessions. For more information or to register, contact Laura Ramos, (559) 278- 2066 or lramos@csufres- no.edu. The conference also Over 25 years of experience The North State's premier supplier of stoves STOVE JUNCTION Wood Burning Stoves Did you know? We've Got Exempt From No Burn Days! Serving Butte, Glenn & Tehama Counties Tues-Sat 9am-5pm • Closed Sun & Mon 22825 Antelope Blvd., Red Bluff 530-528-2221 • Fax 530-528-2229 www.thestovejunction.com COMPLETE AUTO REPAIR recommened 30K, 60K, 90K SERVICES AT LOWER PRICES All makes and models. We perform dealer Smog Check starting at$ Pass or FREE retest 527-9841 • 195 S. Main St. (most cars and pick-ups) 2595 + cert. "Consumers should rest assured that U.S. beef is completely safe to consume and beef producers remain com- mitted to pro- ducing safe, healthy beef for consumers,"‰ Talbot says. Courtesy photo The cows were loading in the different compartments on the truck as they headed for spring grasses in the mountains. The loading ramp was designed at an angle, so trucks did not have back directly perpendicular to the chute. and there is a maximum weight allowed. The trucks arrived and Jean "Because this incident was detected prior to slaughter, consumers can be confident that the sys- tem set in place to pre- vent diseased animals from entering the food chain is working as it was designed to." "USDA's ongoing BSE surveillance pro- gram tests approximately 40,000 high-risk cattle annually, bringing the total of tested animals to more than 1 million since the program began. BSE is fast approaching eradi- cation worldwide. According to USDA, there were only 29 cases of BSE worldwide in 2011, which is a 99 per- cent reduction since the peak in 1992 of more than 37,300 cases. "We commend USDA and animal health experts for effectively identifying and eliminating the potential risks associated with BSE." *** The loaded cattle trucks are seen going north and east as the ranchers start shipping to summer feed. Tehama Angus Ranch shipped three truckloads of fall calving cows each day to their mountain ranches. The evening before the cows were put in a dry-lot or corral, so they travel better. Also they won't weigh as much the next morning, Barton the trucker tells the cat- tleman how many head he wants in each com- partment of the semi. Kevin, Mike and Quentin separated off the required number and Linda recorded their identifica- tion numbers as Kevin read them off. Bryce worked on the outside urging them up the chute and onto the truck, and the trucker worked the oth- erside of the chute. Going north there was the Sacramento Canyon. Bella Vista left Red Bluff and went through Man- ton. the Belle Mill Trail that went up the Hogsback by Lyonsville to Miner- al and beyond. We were familiar with Vina area used the Deer Creek Trail, while the cattle ranchers used the Lassen Trail stopping at Obe Fields, Round Val- ley, Deer Creek Mead- ows and on to Soldier Meadows. The sheepmen in the George U. Roney wrote that cattle drives lasted from seven to ten days depending on the number of cattle, desti- nation, type of cattle, and time of year ( a spring or fall drive). In the spring the herd would travel about 10 miles a day. In the fall about 15 miles a day. The fall drive, going downhill, usually took a The Campbell Trail started at the Live Oak School while further south was the Humbug Trail. ferent trails leading out of Tehama County for the sheep men, according to my mother, Anne Willard-McNabb. To the west there was Trinity Mountains, the Yolla Bollas, and the Log Springs Trail from Paskenta. A hundred years ago there were seven dif- shorter period of time with different stops, and it took fewer cowboys. The trail boss usually figured that, for the first 100 head of cattle, it would take three cow- boys. Another cowboy was needed for every 100 cattle added. One cowboy would ride in the lead to make sure the cattle stayed on the trail and were not strung out too far; he was called the lead man. Two or more cow- boys would ride on the sides to keep the cattle moving, since they occasionally stopped to graze or wandered off. When the cattle were given feed at a night stop, either hay or feed in a meadow, they were more inclined to travel without straying. counted as they started the drive in the morning. When the cows were all tallied and the horses and dogs cared for, the cowboys would rest, have their evening meal, and go to bed when the sun went down. Emma Roney remem- bers removing only jacket, hat and boots, and crawling into the bedroll, always placing jacket and boots under a tarp to keep them from getting wet from dew and rain. This made dressing easier in the chilly mornings. I remember doing the same on Mallery cattle drives in Lassen-Plumas County many years ago. In the mid-1960s, the At the "drag" (end) of the trail herd, one or more cowboys were needed to keep the cattle moving. This was the dustiest position and was usually the women, children and tender- foot's assignment. Trail drives usually started at daybreak. At around 10 a.m. the cattle rested for an hour or so at one of the stops. Calves "mothered up" and nursed. The drive continued on until three or four in the afternoon, when they stopped for the night and counted the cattle into a corral. If there was no corral at that stop, then the lead cowboy would try to have the cattle strung out in a line by twos or threes. They were also Roney brothers turned their spring trail drive into a recreational event. They advertised in sport magazines and Bay Area newspapers. "Paying guests range from airline pilots, nurs- es, engineers and other professional people, welcoming the chance to get away from tele- phones and radios and experience anywhere from a day to a week in the saddle, urging cows and calves through the California mountains as part of an Old West trail drive" (Sacramento Bee, June 9, 1967). This enterprise only lasted a few years; the economic benefits did not offset the work it involved. Jean Barton can be reached at jbarton2013@gmail.com. GIANT PUMPKIN CONTEST Saturday, April 28 @ 10am Kick-Off Learn how you can grow giant pumpkins Please call to reserve your seat Soil Amendment Bumper Crop 3 Bags you buy You get 1 FREE For Every Red Bluff Garden Center 527-0886 766 Antelope Blvd. (Next to the Fairground) Saturday, April 28, 2012 – Daily News 5A The