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Page 10 • The Bison Courier • Thursday,March 14, 2013 The Prairie Doc Perspective - The path to understanding the proper diet Bison AAU wrestlers headed to State Tournament The club was very busy over the last two weeks. Wrestlers attended the District I tournament in Buffalo South Dakota on the 2nd of March. Thirteen wrestlers represented Bison and eleven advanced on to regionals by placing in the top 8. In the Tot division for wrestlers 6 & under Colt Kopren placed 2nd as did Cooper Mackaben. Rylee Veal and Kaden Glover wrestled in the Bantum division. Kaden Glover worked hard but came up short this time. Rylee was able to wrestle his way into 4th place. Corbin Mackaben and Ashtin Gerbracht wrestled in the 9 & 10 midget group. Ashtin won some matches but couldn’t quite make the top eight this year. Corbin wrestled to a 5th place finish earning his first trip to Regionals. Quite a few of Bison’s Colt Kopren goes for the pin. By Richard P. Holm MD We have long been on the path to understanding the proper diet that prevents heart attacks and strokes. Although most believe a life style of moderate physical activity and avoidance of smoke is important in preventing atherosclerosis, there remains no answer to the question, "Which diet protects against heart attacks and stroke?" For years we thought it was a noegg, low fat, and more vegetarian diet, but in recent years experts have started endorsing more meat. It began when a fad, low-carbohydrate, weight-loss diet became clearly more successful than the standard more vegetarian diet. Reported in the medical journals, researchers found that those eating less bread, potatoes, and sweets lost more weight and felt better than those eating less meats and fats. Alas, after a year both groups were equally unsuccessful in keeping the weight off, but we learned from it. Add to this what we’ve known for years about the medical conditions of food intolerance. There is intolerance to lactose, which is the natural sugar of milk, and celiac disease, which is intolerance to gluten, a protein in many cereals especially wheat. Anthropologists tell us these problems did not occur in huntergather societies until about 10,000 years ago when farming developed and humanity became exposed to animal milk and wheat. It is also intriguing that studies of twentieth century hunter-gatherers, whose diets are about 65% wild game meat and 35% gathered plant food, show them to be generally free of the signs and symptoms of cardiovascular disease. Could it be then that the eating habits of our ancestral pre-farming Paleolithic people living 2.5 million years ago wrestlers fall into the Novice division at 11 & 12 years old. Teigan Clark wrestled to 5th place at 80lbs at districts. At 85lbs Hugh Groves placed 2nd. Both Braden Kopren and Harland Groves wrestled at 90lbs. Braden was 6th while Harland won this weight class. Jaren Beckman wrestled at 105 and came in 2nd. Shane Collins went down to wrestle at 120lbs and came home with a 1st finish. Tanner Cables the lone Schoolboy placed 4th at districts. Regionals were held at Stevens High School in Rapid City. It was a tough day, but the eleven boys wrestled hard and never gave up. Though not everyone was able to make it into the placing rounds, they all did a great job. Colt Kopren was one winning match out of until 10,000 years ago are guiding us along a path to prevent heart attacks and stroke in modern humans? Those who don’t swallow this theory advise us that back then, most people had to walk about an hour a day to survive, had smaller portions of food when they had food at all, and that most didn’t live past 30 years of age anyway. These contrarians state that 500 generations of living with an agrarian diet has been enough to evolve tolerance to lactose and gluten with only an occasional throwback who doesn’t tolerate our modern diet of milk and bread. I think the path to preventing a heart attack is not by avoiding meat and fat, or even milk and bread, but rather by simply eating smaller portions and daily walking along any path. traveling to the state tournament in Brookings. We are proud of his 4th place finish and look forward to watching him in the future. Rylee Veal also wrestled tough through 6 matches to come in with a 6th place finish. Hugh Groves did well for the day and wound up in the 5th place spot. Three of Bison’s wrestlers will be traveling to Brookings for the State AAU Tournament. Harland Groves won all but his last match placing 2nd. Jaren Beckman worked his way to a 2nd place finish, also earning his first trip to the state contest. Shane Collins won regionals again this year receiving a 1st place medal along with his 5th trip to state. We are proud of all our wrestlers and look forward to a promising future for the Bison Wrestling Club. Growing asparagus and rhubarb in your own garden this spring After a long winter with no fresh home-grown vegetables many gardeners really look forward to that first spring harvest of asparagus and rhubarb, says David Graper SDSU Extension Horticulturist and Director of McCrory Gardens. "These popular vegetables are actually perennials that come back year after year to provide a bounty of delicious and nutritious food for main meals and desserts," Graper said. "Many asparagus fanciers take to scouring the road ditches and fence lines for these delectable spring shoots while others chose to establish a patch in their own gardens." Graper says the best way to start an asparagus bed is to begin preparation in the fall before the spring you want to plant. First, kill off all of the weeds with repeated cultivation or an application of glyphosate herbicide. He says this can also be done in the spring, but it won't be as easy to get the tough perennial weeds controlled. "Weeds are the biggest problems for asparagus growers so get them taken care of before you begin," he said. Then, in early spring, order fresh 1-year old seedling crowns of the variety you want to plant. It is best to always buy seedling crowns rather than to try to dig up plants from a friend or a ditch, they transplant better and you can select an all-male variety which is usually more productive. Plant by first digging a trench about a foot deep and 8- to 10- inches wide. Place the crowns in the center of the trench - about 18- inches apart and cover with about 3-inches of soil. Small, new shoots will soon begin to grow. As the new shoots develop, Graper says gardeners can gradually fill in the trench, adding another inch or two of soil every few weeks, until you have the trench completely filled up. Allow the new shoots to grow all season without harvesting for the first two years. Only cut them back to the ground after they have been killed by a hard freeze in the fall. It's a good idea to cover the row with a good 3- to 4-inch layer of organic mulch each fall. Shredded leaves and grass clippings work well. "The mulch will also help reduce weed growth in the patch," Graper said. By the third year, he says the asparagus should be getting pretty well established and should be healthy enough to take a couple harvests of the shoots, but then let them grow up and remain until the end of the season again. In the fourth year, gardeners should be able to harvest for about six weeks. But, stop harvesting if you notice that the size of the shoots is getting smaller, down to the size of a pencil. Growing Rhubarb Rhubarb is also best planted in the spring in a clean, weed free area. It needs full sun and a welldrained soil. Most people will plant using crown divisions that they purchase from a nursery but, Graper says gardeners can also get a division from a friend. Work the soil well before planting. Incorporating some compost or well-rotted manure can also help get your plants off to a good start. Dig a large enough hole to easily accommodate the transplant covering the buds with a couple inches of soil. Rhubarb can also be planted from seed in the spring but there are more varieties with the nice red colored petioles or stalks available as transplants than from seed. Also, Graper adds that seed-grown plants tend to produce more seed stalks than the vegetatively produced plants. Once again, it is best to not harvest anything from your rhubarb for the first two years. In year three, you can harvest a few of the stalks but leave the rest to mature and continue to build up the plants. When harvesting, Graper encourages gardeners to grasp the leaf stalks close to the ground and give a firm tug to harvest them from the plant. Cut off the large leaf blade and add those to the compost pile which will leave the edible petiole. If seed stalks develop, cut them off close to the base of the plant. Allowing them to develop will take some energy from the plant so it is best to remove them. Weed control Weeds are the biggest problem with growing these perennial crops. Graper says gardeners can hoe or till right over an established asparagus patch in the spring before the new shoots start to grow. Or, one can carefully apply glyphosate herbicide to perennial weeds before new shoots emerge in the spring too. "But do not get the spray on any asparagus shoots as this can severely damage the plants," he said. A good layer of mulch and keeping a clean border around the plants is the best way to avoid weed problems. Do not use salt to kill weeds. While this may kill the weeds it is also damaging to the asparagus. Both asparagus and rhubarb will benefit from a yearly application of fertilizer after harvest is complete. Gardeners can use a typical garden fertilizer like 10-10- 10 applying about a cup per 10- foot of row and scratching this into the soil or you can use compost or well-rotted manure, applying it an inch or two thick over and around the plants. But be aware that you might be introducing weed seeds to your patch which will mean more weeding later.
Structural changes to the cattle feeding industry The February Cattle on Feed report released by the USDA Feb. 22 shows a continuation of the trend towards fewer, but larger, feedyards, says Darrell R. Mark, Adjunct Professor of Economics at South Dakota State University. "In fact, there were 2,000 or 2.7 percent fewer feedyards with less than 1,000 head capacities on January 1, 2013 compared to a year ago," Mark said. Mark says the report showed there were 30 fewer feedyards with 1,000-1,999 head capacities at the beginning of this year and there was an increase of 10 feedyards over the last year with capacities ranging from 2,000 to 3,999 head. The number of feedyards with 4,000 to 15,999 head capacities remained constant over the last year, at 515. The number of feedyards with 16,000-23,999 head capacities and 24,000- 31,999 head capacities increased by 2 and 3, respectively, which are 2.3 percent and 5.8 percent increases. The number of 32,000-49,000 head capacity feedyards declined by 5 while the number of 50,000-plus head capacity feedyards stayed constant at 66. In 2012, the feedyards with less than 1,000 head capacities marketed 2.854 million head. "That's only 11 percent of total fed cattle marketings for the year, despite the large number of these small feedyards - totaling 73,000," he said. Further, Mark says this is a decline from 12 percent of total marketings in 2011, and from 15 percent only 10 years ago. "The largest 50,000-plus head capacity feedyards marketed 33 percent of all fed cattle in 2012. This is up from 25 percent 10 years ago. The second largest category of feedyards - feedyards of 32,000-49,999 head - marketed 15 percent of fed cattle last year," he said. USDA's report indicated that the total capacity of the 1,000-plus head feedyards was 16.9 million head on January 1, 2013, a decline of 100,000 head since January 1, 2012. "Despite that decrease, capacity utilization has worsened for feedyards due to larger declines in the number of cattle available for feeding," Mark said. As of January 1, 2013, about 66 percent of total capacity in the 1,000-plus head feedyards was being utilized, compared to 70 percent a year ago. "The data from this report indicates that the structural changes in the feedlot industry that were evident over the last several years continued, and even accelerated, in 2012," Mark said. Mark adds that with high feed costs likely to continue much of 2013 - at least until the 2013 corn harvest - it appears like the number of feedyards will continue to decline - especially for the smaller sized operations, but loss of a few large feedyards this next year will likely occur too. The Bison Courier • Thursday, March 14, 2013 • Page 11 South Dakota Agriculture appreciation By Senator John Thune Nearly every day I meet with groups, agencies, and organizations that are impacted by agriculture production. Some are ranchers and farmers, while others are bankers, car dealers, and lawyers, all of whom take a special interest in agriculture despite not always directly working in agriculture. All of them know that because agriculture is the number one industry in South Dakota, the success of our agriculture producers greatly impacts South Dakota’s economy. In March, we recognize and celebrate the many contributions of our agricultural producers across South Dakota and our country with Ag Appreciation Day. As a past member of the House Ag Committee and now a member of the Senate Ag Committee I have had unique opportunities to shape and draft the past few Farm Bills and address the needs of South Dakota’s and our nation’s agriculture industry. Although South Dakota farmers and ranchers are much more at home and comfortable tending to a newborn calf or lamb, or operating a piece of farm equipment, I sincerely appreciate those who take the time from their schedules and farming operations to visit with me as I travel around the state or in my Washington, D.C. office to share their concerns. South Dakota agricultural producers are very fortunate to have several state-based organizations representing their diverse interests who also provide valuable advice and assistance to me. If I have a question or need information about corn, wheat, soybeans, beef and dairy cattle, hogs, grasslands, or conservation practices, my staff and I know who to call to find accurate answers to our questions or to obtain sound advice about an ag-related issue or legislation. In spite of last year’s widespread drought, thanks to their hard work, willingness to pay for available risk protection tools like crop insurance, and their use of moisture saving tillage practices and drought tolerant crop genetics, South Dakota farmers and ranchers met the weather-related challenges they faced. I not only appreciate the safe and affordable food our ag producers provide, but I also appreciate their willingness to pull their weight in addressing the runaway federal spending that is plaguing this country’s economic wellbeing. Direct payments bring more than $140 million to South Dakota each year, yet South Dakota producers are willing to give up direct payments and other types of assistance in the next Farm Bill. I do not know a single farmer or rancher who would rather receive a government check than profit from what they grow on the farm or ranch. As we celebrate Ag Appreciation Day, we take this opportunity to thank all South Dakota farmers, ranchers, all other ag producers, and ag-related businesses for all they do.
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South Dakota American Legion district meeting ... - Pioneer Review

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