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Last Updated on Friday, 22 July 2011 10:31

Written by Saige Albert

Buffalo–More than 70 people gathered from around the state on June 15 for the Ninth Annual Diversified Ag Tour, sponsored by the Wyoming Business Council and Wyoming Women in Ag.
The tour boasted its largest group of participants this year in a daylong excursion in and around Buffalo. Six different enterprises operating in the area were featured, including Prairie House Pottery, TA Guest Ranch, IX Ranch, Last Loop Rope Art, Mountain Meadow Wool Mill and Carder Enterprises LLC/Wahoo Toppings.     
Verna Lawrence, owner of Prairie House Pottery kicked off the tour. She learned how to throw pots in a class at Sheridan College and the experience prompted Lawrence to purchase a pottery wheel and kiln.
After 16 years, Prairie House Pottery is now a full-fledged business, according to Lawrence. She attends numerous craft shows every year where she sells her pieces.
“I love to sell it,” said Lawrence. “I love to give it away. I love to make it.”
The most popular items Lawrence offers are her “thumb bowls” that feature no handle, but a convenient and comfortable thumb grip.
A short trip just outside Buffalo to the TA Guest Ranch took the tour to the site of the Johnson County War. TA Guest Ranch’s deep history is visible in the original buildings, complete with bullet holes in the walls.
Barbara and Earl Madsen have owned TA Ranch and raised cattle for about 20 years. Tours and guests also frequent the ranch between May and October.
The TA Ranch was started in 1883, when a doctor from Laramie built the first bunkhouse. The ranch was homesteaded originally before being expanded by land purchase through the years, explains Madsen.
“Every fourth grade in Buffalo, Sheridan and Gillette visits here to learn about the war,” said Barbara.
The next stop on the tour, IX Ranch, features a satellite herd of Potter Ranch horses from Marana, Ariz. Sired by champion performance horses Dinero, MP Thriftwood and MP Rock the Creek, the high-end horses are raised and trained just outside Buffalo.
Owners Bryan and Rita Long run IX Ranch, breeding mares and selling their foals, and their daughter Bryna helps on the marketing end of the operation.
The studs boast a number of winnings in their rodeo careers. Dinero, a PRCA Rodeo champion, has over $600,000 in earnings, while Thriftwood has in excess of $150,000.
Two Shires are part of the herd, as well, and are intended to be a team by the end of the summer. Bryna explained that selective breeding of the horses to produce offspring with a silver gene will hopefully result in silver manes and tails in the foals.
IX Ranch also has a small herd of Corriente steers they sell for roping.
Mountain Meadow Wool Mill in Buffalo is the first wool mill in Wyoming, and one of only a handful in the nation. Karen Hostetler and Valerie Spanos started the mill in 2004, and gathered used equipment from across the nation.
“We thought it was crazy that Wyoming didn’t have a way to manufacture wool at least into yarn, because at that time Wyoming was the number two wool producer in the nation,” said Spanos.    
The mill takes wool from growers in Wyoming and washes, roves and spins it into useable yarn for sale. The finished products are marketed and sold largely in the handcrafting industry.  
Producers are able to gain a higher profit by selling to Mountain Meadow Wool Mill because they reap the benefits of selling a finished product, and Spanos said producers made about twice as much last year by selling to the mill.
The mill also offers benefits to consumers, including labeling the origin of the fine wool.
“People are very interested in where their wool is coming from,” said Spanos.
Hostetler continued, “We were the first U.S. mill to provide that information to consumers, and we’re the only ones who offer that.”
Hostetler and Spanos continually work to expand and develop the operation.
“Today we just found out that we received a Phase 2 grant for treating our wastewater,” said Hostetler. “That is huge. They only fund a small portion of Phase 2 grants.”
The grant will enable the mill to create a wastewater system to extract the byproducts of washing the wool, and those byproducts can be sold, explained Hostetler. The work is being conducted with help from several universities.
Chele Needens, employee at Mountain Meadow Wool Mill and owner of Last Loop Rope Art, makes decorative pieces and furniture from used ropes.  
Needens takes used ropes, acquired through bargaining or purchase, power washes them, and burns the rope together to make baskets, clocks, lamps and footstools, among other items.
“Anything that is circular and can be covered in rope, I can do,” said Needens. “I’ll try anything.”
After being featured in the April/May 2011 issue of Country Woman magazine, Needens’s business took off, she said. She continues to expand her business and make as much rope art as she can.
“This past December I started dying wildrags,” said Needens. “That has turned into a pretty good business, too.”
Needens buys the silk scarves for Wyo-Skies Wildrags and dyes them in a variety of colors and patterns.
The final stop on the tour was Carder Enterprise LLC/Wahoo Toppings, where Carolyn and Jim Carder make a number of toppings and food items ranging from steak sauce to ice cream toppings. Their wide variety of items are sold online and in stores around Wyoming.
Carolyn and Jim handpick all the chokecherries used in their products in the foothills of the Bighorns and transform it into delicious food products, including jalapeño–chokecherry jam and chokecherry drink mixes.
The Wyoming Business Council tour showed that Wyoming agriculture is more than cattle production and traditional farming, and each of the operations highlighted featured a different and thriving aspect of the diverse industry.
Saige Albert is assistant editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

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Last Updated on Saturday, 04 February 2012 13:28

Written by Saige Albert

After closing applications for beginning ranchers, the Wyoming Ag Ownership Network (WAGON) program has begun working to match beginning ranchers with appropriate mentors.
    “I sent out 33 applications, and we got 16 back, which is tremendous,” says program manager Scott Keith of the Wyoming Business Council. “Those applicants have been reviewed by our committee.”
    The review committee consists of Keith, Wyoming Business Council,  Agribusiness Division Director Cindy Garretson-Weibel, Wyoming Stock Growers Association Executive Vice President Jim Magagna, University of Wyoming Southeast Area Livestock Extension Educator Dallas Mount, Farm Credit Service in Wyoming Vice President Rick Griffith and Wyoming Board of Agriculture member Shaun Sims. The group met and divided the applicants into three categories: ready, emerging and incubation.
Beginning rancher
candidates
    “The ready category are those who have a significant amount of livestock background and history and a good business background,” explains Keith. “Some of them already have a small cow herd that they are building and are just looking for a place to go, but they could still use the experience of a mentor.”
    The emerging category consists of applicants the committee feels like they could place in an operation easily.
    “They have experience and some financial knowledge and background,” says Keith. “Others have business experience outside of agriculture and some entrepreneurship skills.”
    “The third category is called incubation, and they are good, young people,” Keith says. “They typically are just coming out of college and either don’t have a family operation or the farm isn’t big enough to go back to.”    
    He adds that producers classified as “in incubation” will likely be paired with ranches on an intern-style basis, and given some decision-making authority, as well as the opportunity to continue to learn the ropes of cattle production.
    “Of our 16 applicants, we have five in the ready category, seven that are emerging and four that are in the incubation stage,” describes Keith, adding that the committee members will contact applicants for phone interviews and their references will also be contacted.
    “We had a really strong pool of applicants,” comments Mount. “I’m really excited about the two top groups. They provide some different alternatives for partner ranchers.”
Developing business skills
    Of applicants in the incubation category, or people looking to apply for the next cycle of the program, Mount mentions that there are ample opportunities to continue to learn and develop their financial and business management skills.
    “It was interesting that almost everyone who applied mentioned financial skills and economic analysis as being their weak link,” explains Mount. “Programs like the Ranch Practicum School that we will start in June will provide a great launch pad and training program for the applicants who didn’t make the top cut and people who are interested in entering the program.”
    Mount added that opportunities like the Ranch Practicum School can help new producers to refine their business plans and better understand the economics of ranching as well.
Mentor ranches
    Moving forward, Mount says, “We’ll spend a lot of effort in trying to recruit mentor ranchers. We will be visiting with folks and getting the word out.”
    He continued, “The WAGON program is not just about land transfer. The majority of people we are looking at are looking for someone who would be willing to enter into a business partnership with a beginning rancher.”
    Mount emphasizes that he foresees a very small percentage of the agreements as working toward actually handing over the ranch.
    “They might own cattle together, or the beginning rancher might lease land or equipment usage. It doesn’t have to be an arrangement where the beginning rancher will take over the ranch,” says Mount. “The program gives beginning ranchers a foot in the door and a leg up, so to speak.”
    While several ranches have been identified as possible mentor operations, no final commitments have been made. As soon as mentor ranches are identified, the committee will pinpoint several applicants they believe fit the characteristics and desires of the operation and also meet the needs of the candidate. Mentor ranchers will be given candidates’ applications and will be responsible for any further action, including screening candidates and potentially selecting one for their operation.
    “Once the candidate’s name is in the mentor’s hands, it is out of ours,” explains Keith. “It is the mentor’s responsibility to make the contact.”
    The WAGON committee is currently focused on finding mentor ranches and encourages anyone who may be interested in participating as a mentor to contact one of the committee members for more information.
    Find more information on WAGON at wyomingbusiness.org/program/wagon-program/5724. Saige Albert is editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

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Last Updated on Friday, 16 September 2011 01:00

Written by Saige Albert

The Wyoming Agriculture Ownership Network (WAGON) is a new program launched this year and is now accepting applications for candidates who are interested in starting their own ranching operation.

“It’s a program to help young people get involved in agriculture,” said Director of the Wyoming Department of Agriculture Jason Fearneyhough at the Wyoming Stock Growers Convention in early June 2011.

The concept behind WAGON is to pair existing ranches, or mentor ranches, with beginning producers looking to start an operation. Through an application and interview process, the two sides will be matched, based on their interests and needs.

“I think it’s got a lot of merit,” says Program Coordinator Scott Keith of the Wyoming Business Council (WBC). “There has been a long time push from the standpoint of Stock Growers and other organizations to keep young people involved in agriculture.”

One of the initial committee members for WAGON and Executive Vice President of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association Jim Magagna says, “It’s one really good tool to address the biggest problem facing Wyoming agriculture and that is ranch succession.”

“I feel like there is a need for this type of program in Wyoming,” says Rick Griffith, WAGON committee member and Wyoming Farm Credit Services Vice President  “We need an option for producers who are looking to retire and need someone to take over their place. We also have a need to help the young producers get a start and stay involved in agriculture. It really is a very good two-way street.”

“There are a lot of older ranchers in Wyoming who want to stay in business, but don’t have the years to put into it and don’t have family to pass the operation on to,” adds Keith.

“On the other side of the equation, there are a lot of young people who want to go into ranching, but don’t have the capital to get into it or buy a ranch and livestock. Both deserve the opportunity, and the two sides need to find each other.”

Keith points out that 10 years ago, the age of the average rancher was 45 years old, but today, the average rancher is about 55 years old. The industry isn’t seeing enough young people pursuing careers in production agriculture, he says.    

“The concept behind WAGON is to provide the network between established ranches and new producers, but also to provide some other support that goes along with it,” says Keith.

Keith adds that the program is set up to provide educational opportunities for young farmers and ranchers as well, including financial guidance and support, production education and farm management education.

“Different beginning producers are going to have certain needs,” says Keith. “The mentor ranches that we are looking to utilize will also have certain needs.”

“The idea started about two years ago with a meeting with Dr. Weldon Sleight of the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture,” says Griffith. “We wanted to explore some ideas to see if we could implement a program in Wyoming similar to the 100 Cow program Nebraska has.”

According to Keith, the 100 Cow program was significantly adapted to account for diversity in Wyoming’s agriculture.

“We looked at the diversity across the state and decided that to require an education portfolio like in the 100 Cow program really just didn’t work,” says Keith, who notes the program’s education needs will be tailored to meet the needs of the new producers.

“After the initial meeting, we had Dr. Sleight speak at the Winter Stock Growers convention and saw some more interest in his program. We formed a committee from there,” adds Griffith. “We have met several times in between that first meeting, and there has been a lot of excitement behind the program.”

The WAGON committee includes seven industry partners. Farm Credit Services of America, University of Wyoming College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, USDA Farm Service Agency, Wyoming Bankers Association, Wyoming Business Council, Wyoming Department of Agriculture, Wyoming Stock Growers Association and Wyoming Stock Growers Agricultural Land Trust have all played a strong role in the development of the program.

From that group, an advisory committee will be selected to conduct interviews with beginning producer applicants and match them with mentor ranches.

Keith notes, “My job as coordinator will be to assist in mentor interviews with the partner who brought them into the program. I also will sort and screen applications from the candidates.”

Currently, the program is accepting applications for beginning producers and is looking for potential mentor ranches. This year, the program will be selecting three or four beginning candidate ranchers to match with mentors.

“It’s gotten its start,” says Keith. “We are accepting applications right now for beginning ranchers.”

Mentor ranches aren’t required to submit an application, but rather go through an interview process.

Keith mentions that he foresees three main categories of applicants for the program.

“One of those is going to be young producers that are just coming out of college and have a farm or ranch background and are looking to get involved in production agriculture in Wyoming,” says Keith. “The second place I see them coming from is people that are already working as a manager or foreman on an existing investor owned ranch.”

The third group Keith anticipates applying for the program is people who have been working on ranches, but are looking for the opportunity to start their own operation. However, applicants aren’t limited to any of those groups and will be selected based on merit and the potential to match with mentor ranches.

“We’ll start the process of selecting candidates and doing interview as soon as applications begin coming in,” says Keith. “Each scenario is going to have different needs and different things that each partner is looking for.”

Keith emphasizes that committee will suggest mentor ranches to candidates, but will not be making the final selections.

“We are going to let the mentor and candidate make the final selection. It won’t be our choice whether or not they will work together,” says Keith. “They need to see if their ideas match and the length of time they want to go through the program matches.”

Keith says the program will also require a business plan drawn up between the two parties to facilitate evaluation of the program and to make sure WAGON works as it was intended to.

“We’re going to see where it goes right now and not start out in a big way,” says Keith. “As it grows and develops, we’ll see where it goes.”

“In the future, I would like to see several mentor producers and young, beginning producers be involved in the program,” says Griffith. “I would like to see two or three a year come together at some point in the future.”

“I think it’s going to be great,” says Keith.

Be on the lookout for WAGON’s new website, to be released soon. Applications for the first year of WAGON are due on Dec. 31.

For more information or to apply, contact Scott Keith at 307-259-3274 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Saige Albert is assistant editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

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Last Updated on Wednesday, 15 April 2009 04:12

Written by Christy Hemken

Cheyenne - As the Wyoming Business Council (WBC) celebrates its 10th year the agency continues to focus on facilitating the economic growth of Wyoming with the drafting of a new strategic plan.
    “The board and staff have been working the last few months on a business plan for the Wyoming Business Council, and part of that is a strategic plan looking forward to what the Business Council should be doing in the next few years,” says WBC Agribusiness Division Director Cindy Garretson-Weibel.
    The strategic plan contains three goals: people, business and places. In the “business” section, with a target of promoting business development that complements Wyoming’s assets, is included an increase of agriculture diversification and value-added agriculture.
    Along with current programs and efforts, such as the Forage Promotion Program, Livestock Genetics Program and the Wyoming First Program, the plan lists some proposed programs and efforts, although Garretson-Weibel says it is by no means complete.
    A few of the proposed efforts are a survey of food retailers and consumers regarding interest in purchasing Wyoming food and value-added ag products, exploration of a Wyoming-branded agriculture program, the development of an aggie bond program for beginning farmers and ranchers and incentives for producers to grow crops for alternative energy use.
    “The list of proposed programs is not all-inclusive,” says Garretson-Weibel. “We’re hoping producers will show up and help us set the direction with the things with which they think the Business Council could help. We’d love to hear from them.”
    Regarding the Wyoming-branded ag program, she says it will be a continuation of existing efforts, and that a funding request has been submitted to the legislature for a feasibility study. “We’re looking at everything from being able to source-identify Wyoming commodities like wheat and beef, as well as the value-added programs,” she says.
    The WBC has been in touch with USDA regarding interstate meat shipment and Garretson-Weibel says the federal agency is working on drafting rules and regulations. “The best timeline they could give us for implementation was sometime after the first of the year. As soon as we know something we’ll help get the word out and facilitate whatever we can,” she says.
    A bill that would move forward the aggie bond program has been drafted and has the support of the Joint Ag Committee. It will move through the legislative process this session.
    Although the WBC has been working to educate crop producers on alternative crops for energy use, Garretseon-Weibel says there is currently no funding source to help them. “We’re looking to provide funding because producers are not as apt to try something new without a funding pool,” she says.
    After the comment period the WBC staff will review and compile all comments received with a final recommendation for the board of directors at their December board meeting.
    “This is a good opportunity in the 10th year for us to look at our direction again, and this is an opportunity for folks to comment, but anytime they have suggestions to better the ag community I’d like to hear them,” says Garretson-Weibel. “Please call and let us know what we can be doing to help Wyoming agriculture.”
    “I can’t emphasize enough how important it is for agriculture to weigh in on this strategic plan,” she says. “They have an opportunity to help direct the Council’s activities and I’d hope they take the opportunity.”
    The opportunity to comment on the WBC’s strategic plan is open until Oct. 31. The plan can be found on the WBC website front page at www.wyomingbusiness.org, as well as a schedule of community input forums throughout the state. Email comments or questions to Rachel Girt at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or mail to Rachel Girt; Wyoming Business Council; 214 W 15th Street; Cheyenne, WY 82002.
    Christy Hemken is assistant editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .