2022 brought continued drought, a war in Ukraine, supply chain problems, and rapidly rising costs for consumers and agricultural producers alike. Concerns over those issues and others were reflected in the pages of High Plains Journal.
Here’s a look at the top 10 most-viewed articles and columns at HPJ.com written by HPJ editors and columnists in 2022.
At the top of the list was Lacey Vilhauer’s “Diesel Exhaust Fluid shortage a scary reality for the supply chain, agriculture.” Consumers paid more at the pump this year, and rising fuel prices hit farmers and ranchers particularly hard. As Vilhauer reported in her June story, the war between Russia and Ukraine affected supplies of urea, an ingredient in Diesel Exhaust Fluid. A shortage of railway workers also affected the transportation of this critical ingredient.
As Jennifer Theurer explained in her December story “Farm and ranch theft on the rise,” time is of the essence when cattle go missing. Special Agents James Pinegar and Josh Winkler explained how the Livestock and Brands Investigations Unit uses technology and other tools to help ranchers recover stolen livestock. The best strategy is still prevention, though. Theurer shared tips from Pinegar and Winkler on how to protect against livestock theft and what steps to take if it happens on your farm or ranch.
Jerry Nine shares his cattle market commentary as well as tall tales and jokes in his Just a Scoopful column every week. The lack of rain this year was a frequent topic for the livestock columnist and at coffee shops around the High Plains and Midwest. Nine shared that farmers in the Woodward, Oklahoma, area were smiling about much-needed May rainfall in “Rain has changed the mood of many ranchers.”
HPJ’s Antique Machinery cover story is an annual reader favorite, and 2022 was no exception. HPJ contributing writer Amy Bickel shared the story of the K&O Steam and Engine Gas Club in her December story “In living color: Keeping the old machinery new.” Bickel said of the Cowley County, Kansas, club members, “Farmers can be very loyal to their brands when talking about tractors. But woven in the rusting metal and dripping oil tanks is a strong bond that transcends time and age.”
Bickel also penned “Kansas elevator sees more than 100 years of wheat harvest history.” In the July story, she shared how three generations of the Katz family of Turon, Kansas, is keeping Turon Mill and Elevator in operation. The elevator is the oldest continuously licensed grain elevator in the United States.
In his January story “‘Greenhouse gas guru’ responds to meat critics with science,” David Murray discussed the work of Frank Mitloehner, Ph.D., a professor and air quality Extension specialist at the University of California, Davis. Mitloehner aims to provide science-based facts about the real effects of meat production on climate.
Livestock columnist Trent Loos shares his views on a wide range of topics in his weekly Loos Tales column. In the March column “Eliminating me and you,” he expressed his opinion about carbon dioxide management and what he believes is the goal.
For our Myths, Mysteries and Mystique cover story this October, Vilhauer posed the intriguing question, “Mysterious mutilations: Who or what is killing these cattle?” She talked to researcher and author Chris O’Brien and others about strange cattle mutilations that have been reported over the years and the possible explanations.
Cattle deaths were also the topic of Kylene Scott’s “Veterinarian, feedyard operator discuss southwest Kansas cattle deaths.” The cause of cattle deaths in June at several southwest Kansas feedlots was not an unexplained mystery, though. High temperatures, high humidity, and almost no wind resulted in heat stress, which killed thousands of cattle.
Loos had a second column rounding out the top 10 most-viewed stories. In his March column “Are you kidding me, Russia?” Loos shared his concerns about the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Website analytics can’t account for all the stories discussed at the breakfast table or passed along to a neighbor. What stories stood out the most to you as a reader? High Plains Journal conducted a reader survey earlier this year and launched a new size and design in November. We continue to consider readers’ suggestions as we strive to provide the news stories and columns that are important to farmers and ranchers.
Shauna Rumbaugh can be reached at 620-227-1805 or [email protected].
