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Article courtesy of Division of Agriculture Research & Extension, University of Arkansas System.

LITTLE ROCK — Three of this year’s inductees to the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame — Fred Bourland, Mark Cochran and Charles Looney — have connections to the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

“The selection of these three into the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame truly attests to the quality and national impact of the people we have working for the Division of Agriculture on behalf of Arkansas’ agriculture industry,” said Deacue Fields, vice president-agriculture and head of the Division of Agriculture. “There is no greater honor — not only for these men, but also for those of us who work with them.”

Fred Bourland is a legend in the cotton industry. Bourland grew up on a farm in northeastern Arkansas and went to the University of Arkansas to escape. It didn’t work.

With Ph.D. in hand in 1978, Bourland went to work as an assistant professor and cotton breeder at Mississippi State University. In 1988, he came back to Arkansas as a professor to breed cotton varieties and teach at the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences. In 1997, Bourland moved to Keiser – roughly 10 miles from his family’s Mississippi County farm – to continue his cotton breeding and research program while serving as director for the Northeast Research and Extension Center. In 2016, he stepped down as director and now focuses on cotton variety development.

His honors include the 2000 Genetics Research Award from the National Cotton Council, the 2010 International Cotton Researcher of the Year from the International Cotton Advisory Committee and the 2015 Cotton Research and Promotion Program Hall of Fame from the Cotton Board and Cotton, Inc., among others.

Mark Cochran spent 40 years working to improve the productivity and profitability of Arkansas farmers and ranchers as a faculty member at the University of Arkansas, including 10 years as vice president of agriculture for the UA System and head of the U of A System Division of Agriculture. He retired in 2021.

Cochran served as chairman of the national Council for Agricultural Science and Technology, from which he earned the President’s Award. One of the most significant accomplishments of Cochran’s career was the creation of the COTMAN program, a computer-based cotton production guide widely used by farmers to help manage costs and improve yield efficiencies.

Cochran also led efforts to obtain funding for the construction of the Don Tyson Center for Agricultural Sciences in Fayetteville, the Northeast Rice Research and Extension Center in Harrisburg and the expansion of the highly successful Arkansas Discovery Farms program, which now encompasses 13 farms and delivers scientific analysis to help determine the effectiveness of on-farm conservation practices.

Cochran came to Arkansas in 1982 to start his teaching career after earning his master’s and Ph.D. in agricultural economics from Michigan State University. He earned a bachelor’s degree from New Mexico State University.

Cattle have been a large part of Charles Looney’s life since he was a young boy in Camden. He is recognized internationally as an expert in cattle genetics and reproductive technologies. He spent 35 years in the industry in Texas before returning to his home state in 2018 as professor of cattle genetics improvement for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. His expertise centers on embryo transfer, in-vitro fertilization, tissue banking for cloning, timed breeding and on-the-farm use of these technologies to improve beef cattle genetics.

Looney has graduate degrees from the University of Arkansas and Louisiana State University. He founded two cattle genetics companies in Texas, namely OvaGenix and Ultimate Genetics, after serving as a scientist and consultant in the field for several years. While he was working for Granada Biosciences, Looney was on the team that produced the first embryo-derived bovine clones. His work at Ultimate Genetics included the world’s first transgenic cloned calves and the first cloned bull.

Looney earned the President’s Award for Outstanding Service from the American Embryo Transfer Association in 2019 and an Award of Distinction from the University of Arkansas in 2014. The Arkansas Cattlemen’s Association presented him with its Producer Education Award in 2022.

“What an amazing group of farmers and those who help our farmers make agriculture Arkansas’ No. 1 business sector,” said Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Chair Debbie Moreland of Roland. “Agriculture is such a critical cultural and economic part of Arkansas. It is what binds so much of our state together.”

“These we will induct have made a national impact on rice, soybeans, cattle and cotton and have helped steer the academic and research efforts that underpin Arkansas agriculture.”

“I say this often to my friends, and it bears repeating; agriculture is one of the great success stories of our state. The Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame is pleased to bring recognition to these individuals who have impacted our state’s largest industry in such a positive way.”

Class XXXVI induction ceremonies are set for 11:30 a.m. March 1 at the Grand Ballroom of the DoubleTree Hotel in Little Rock. Contact Cindra Jones at 501-228-1609 for ticket information or click here to purchase tickets online.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.

About the Division of Agriculture

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.

The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

 By Jameson Brennan, Assistant Professor & SDSU Extension Livestock Grazing Specialist. Additional Author: Krista Ehlert.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (drones or UAVs) have been used widely for precision agriculture within cropping systems. More recently, livestock producers have been interested in utilizing drones as a tool for monitoring grasslands, checking cattle, inspecting fences, and monitoring water sources. A considerable amount of information is out there about the current and potential uses for drones, but if you are interested in integrating drones into your operation, there are a few things to know.

Drone Pilot License Requirements
The use of drones is regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Drone regulations can differ depending on the intended use, recreational or commercial. For those wishing to fly their drone recreationally, The Recreational UAS Safety Test is required and is available for free online on the FAA website. Commercial drone pilots fall under the Code of Federal Regulations Part 107 and are required to be a licensed remote pilot. Though flying a drone over your pasture to view a water tank may seem like a recreational activity, because it is being used on a commercial operation, it is best to err on the side of caution and obtain a remote pilot license.

Part 107 licensure does not require that you take a training course, and free test prep materials are available online through the FAA website. In addition, many third-party Part 107 test prep programs exist, and often times may contain more up-to-date information regarding drone regulations. Topics covered on the test range from understanding airspace classification and regulations, to impacts of weather on aircraft performance. Once you are ready to test, you will start by creating an account on the FAA’s Integrated Airman Certification Rating Application (IACRA) site. From there, you will create an account with a company called PSI, the third-party contractor that the FAA utilizes to run their testing, and schedule a test at an authorized testing center. The cost of the exam is $175, and a minimum passing score of 70% is required. Upon successful completion of the exam, you can formally apply for a remote pilot license, which requires a background check and typically takes one to two months to receive. Your license is good for two years, and a renewal course can be done online for free.

Flying Your Drone
Drones can be registered online before you have a remote pilot’s license by creating an account with the FAADroneZone site. Registration costs $5 per drone and is valid for three years. Drones that weigh between 0.55 and 55 pounds are required to be registered with the FAA if they are flown recreationally, and all drones, regardless of weight, must be registered if used for commercial purposes. No matter what purpose you are using your drone for, registered drones must be visibly marked with their registration number on the outside of the drone.

During flight, drones must be kept within the visual line of sight at all times of the drone pilot or a designated visual observer, must yield to other aircraft, and must be under the control of the pilot at all times. Airports, hospitals, major sporting events, areas with military operations, and many other things can affect airspace regulation, so be sure to use up-to-date sectional charts when planning flights and check the FAA’s B4UFLY app before takeoff to make sure you are in approved airspace.

While they cannot replace eyes on the ground and do require jumping through a few hoops to fly legally, drones could be a worthwhile investment for incorporating technology into your ranching operation. For the safety of your operation and for liability purposes, producers looking to utilize drones on their operation should be familiar with the regulations surrounding drone flights.

Article and photos courtesy of Rice Lake Weighing Systems.

Many moons ago, between Yellowstone National Park and the great Rocky Mountains, the Yellowstone river carved out a canyon for Billings, Montana. At just over 150,000 people, Billings is the largest city in big sky country, where blue jeans and belt buckles meet big-city business, and sometimes are one in the same. Today, the Yellowstone is the lifeblood of Montana’s cattle country, irrigating farm fields and breathing life into an otherwise harsh, but breathless landscape.

It’s here where we came to visit one of the most successful livestock-scale dealers anywhere, Western Ranch Supply (WRS). They sell everything from boots and spurs, saddles and ropes, to branding irons and veterinary medicine, livestock feed and squeeze chutes…and yes, even scales. WRS is the one-stop-shop for everything a Montana rancher needs.

One of WRS’s longest running employees and now co-owner, Rob Erickson, is a real life cowboy and one heck of a salesman to boot. In his younger days Rob toured the country in prorodeo circuits. He worked his way through college, majored in veterinary science, and spent the better part of the last 30 years putting all that experience to work at WRS. “A scale is one of the more fun things I sell because I know it’s going to make the rancher money,” he says. From the top of his hat to the bottom of his boots, he’s just that confident about it. Because in the cattle business, if there’s one thing you can always put your money on, it’s shrink.

The Shrink Factor
In the business world, inventory shrinkage, or “shrink” for short, is what is lost between the point of manufacture and the point of sale. It could be damaged goods, misplaced inventory, or any number of things. More shrink equates to less profit, and vice versa. In the livestock world, shrink is much the same. Cattle leave the seller weighing a certain value, and without fail, arrive at their destination weighing slightly less. It’s the unavoidable side effect of moving cattle from place to place, or stressing them for any period of time.

Cattle are born in spring and weaned in the fall, by that time weighing up to 600 pounds. Fully grown, beef cattle may reach as much as 1,400 pounds. They’ll be sold and transported several times throughout that life cycle, each time by weight. And because digestive-system contents account for as much as 10 to 25 percent of an animal’s live weight, understanding the economics of shrink can be critical to a rancher’s bottom line.

In some cases, animals can be prepared for sale by keeping them in a dry lot overnight, without food or water. In others, a percentage is applied at the time of sale. This value, termed ‘pencil shrink,’ is an agreed-upon percentage between the buyer and seller that takes into account the “fill” of the animal, usually 2 to 3 percent.

However, depending on distance, weather, stress, and other factors, actual shrink is typically closer to 7 or 8 percent when transported to a scale offsite. That’s why a scale at the point of origin can be so beneficial for both the buyer and seller, and why for Rob and WRS, Rice Lake’s Legal for Trade MAS-M is such an easy sale. “Let’s say I’m going to pay you $1.60 a pound for your calves, and I’m going to take a 2 percent shrink off the top, because you have a scale and they’re weighed at your farm, not somewhere else. I could take them to town and weigh them there, but for you, it is way better to weigh them here and lose 2 percent than to take ‘em to town and lose seven. You’re making five percent.”

Instant Return
“A guy came to me and he had some cattle to move just one time, so he just wanted to see if I would rent him a scale. He had 600 head at 900-plus pounds each and he had to haul them 30 miles. So I asked him, ‘What do you think they’ll lose?’ He said, ‘Seven or eight percent.’ And I said, ‘You’re right.’ So we calculated it out, and at $1.25 a pound he was going to lose $46,000 dollars hauling those cattle just 30 miles. In his case, he could buy that scale outright, use it once…and still come out ahead.”

Rice Lake’s MAS-M is the only portable livestock scale in North America that can be used for this purpose, because of its Legal for Trade certification. Each 18 x 8 foot scale that Rob sells can be hitched right to a pickup, driven to the point of sale, and set up in minutes to hold anywhere from 15 to 20 head at a time.

“This is an interesting story because it sold a scale for us. We had a customer that had over 400 head of calves he’d taken to a neighbor to weigh. The scale wasn’t the problem; it was the gates around it. The wooden gates around the scale were a little loose, and one of the last calves through was a little wild and kicked the gate off the hinges, so the last four calves got in with all the calves that had already been weighed. So the buyer said, ‘We don’t know which four calves those are that need to be weighed, so we’re going to reweigh them all.’ By the time they were done reweighing them all, they’d lost 35 pounds per head in shrink. With 400 head, he could have given away those four calves and made money. He ended up buying a brand new scale, because he said that was never going to happen to him again.”

It would seem that in the case of shrink, he who has the scale is in control of the transaction. That holds true even for a broker that travels farm to farm buying cattle. Rob tells us that most people think they can’t afford to buy a scale like this. But when you get right down to it, what most people don’t realize is—they can’t afford not to.

Maybe it’s his grin, or the dust on his boots, or the belt buckle that says “All Around Cowboy.” But if Rob Erickson can’t talk you into buying a Rice Lake livestock scale, then it can’t be done. “One of our largest customers came in yesterday morning, and as I was waiting on him I asked him, ‘Our Rice Lake scale people are here this week, do you have anything you’d like me to talk to them about?’ And he says, ‘Just tell them I can’t live without it.’”

5 Factors to Consider when Purchasing a Livestock Scale
Weighing livestock is essential for farmers and ranchers. There are many types of livestock scales to consider and they vary based on the application requirements. Whether it is to sell your cattle or simply care for your animals’ welfare, it can be very difficult to know what kind of scale best fits your needs.

1. Shrink Loss
Whether you are selling hogs, cattle or other livestock, minimizing shrink is a major factor in stretching profit. When transporting livestock, you have to consider the amount of weight the animal will lose on their way to the destination. Depending on the distance, weather, stress and other factors, shrink can be anywhere from 7-8% when transported to an offsite scale. The ability to bring the scale to the animals helps ensure maximum profitability on any transaction.

2. Mobility
Depending on your weighing needs, you should consider whether a mobile, portable or stationary scale is necessary. A mobile livestock scale with wheels is an efficient way to transport it to your livestock by simply attaching it to the hitch of a vehicle. There are also lower cost, portable livestock scale options that can be put on a trailer and then transported to the livestock. A stationary livestock is usually permanently installed on a concrete platform and is efficient for weighing animals right at a central location.

3. Scale Size
Livestock scales come in different sizes and shapes. Some scales are big enough for multiple animals and some are only used for a single animal. It is important to consider the space for your livestock as well as the scale capacity. A single animal scale can be beneficial for weighing livestock being medically evaluated. A multiple animal scale can be used to quickly weigh a large portion of the herd before being sold.

4. Certifications and Regulations
Whether you are weighing livestock for selling or monitoring heard health, it is important to know which approvals you may need. To legally sell livestock, the scale needs to be Legal for Trade. To be considered Legal for Trade, the scale platform must have a National Type Evaluation Program (NTEP) Certification or Measurement Canada Approval. If a scale is only being used to monitor the health of the livestock, then Legal for Trade may not be needed.

5. Animal Welfare
Having a scale on site is beneficial for the general welfare of the livestock. On-site scales help you monitor abnormalities in weight and help determine if medication is needed. When an animal is sick, the vet can visit and you can provide accurate weight. This puts less stress on the animals by avoiding excess travel.

Rice Lake Weighing Systems offers several different livestock scales to fit your weighing needs. Consult with Rice Lake livestock experts to help you find the ideal livestock scale for your needs.