When it comes to evaluating cattle, sheep and pigs – alive or in the cooler – SDSU students are champions.

SDSU’s 11-member livestock evaluation team placed first in the National Meat Animal Evaluation Contest in Brookings March 24-26. Last year’s team also placed on top, making this the first consecutive win by a Jackrabbit team since the competition began in the 1960s.

The SDSU Animal and Range Science Department hosted nine teams from across the United States, including the University of Florida, Texas A & M and Colorado State University.

The majority of the students on this year’s eval team are part the general livestock judging team, and all of them are in the one-credit advanced livestock evaluation class.

The annual contest consists of four parts: meats, market livestock, breeding livestock and communication.

“You look at finished animals and estimate back fat, rib eye area … things like that,” said Jared Knock, a junior animal science major from Willow Lake and member of the winning team.

The meats section had students estimating yield and quality grades, like prime and choice. They “placed classes of carcasses and retail product,” said Knock.

“There is a keep/cull class. You have to pick four animals to keep (for breeding) and four to cull (send to market),” he said, describing the breeding livestock section.

While the students’ individual scores are tallied to make up the team total in the first three areas, communication is completely a group effort.

“Your whole team has to come up with a 12-minute presentation about a topic in the meat industry,” said Knock.

The topics are given out the morning of the contest.

The SDSU students didn’t win the competition by mere chance.

“All in all we did have good livestock kids. Our students are pretty well prepared,” said Tyler Monroe, one of three coaches for the eval team.

Practicing two nights per week and most weekends, the team saw many head of cattle, pigs, and sheep.

“I think we have a lot of experience. We get a really good base of seeing the best and worst of the industry,” said Knock.

The team traveled to the Sioux Falls Stockyards and area farms for practice.

“The producers in the area are pretty cooperative,” said Melroe.

This experience will help the students in their future careers.

“It’s got a huge amount of the practical element. It’s performing the function of a livestock buyer. Say you’re a buyer, you can look at [the livestock] and price them accordingly,” said Knock.

If a student is going back to the farm it helps “to know what to improve on with your livestock,” he said.

Melroe agreed.

“The evaluation skills they learn helps them with marketing their livestock,” he said.

He said it illustrates the concepts that the students learn in their classes. It helps “to reinforce their classes. It’s almost sort of a capstone class,” said Melroe.

Next year’s 43rd annual National Meat Animal Evaluation Contest will be held in Oklaoma City.

#1.885166:3634486898.jpg:ag winners.jpg:Members of the SDSU livestock evaluation team beat out schools like Texas A & M to take first place.:

Driving certain cars, pickups and sports utility vehicles could save you 15 to 25 cents a gallon each time you fuel up.

Flex-fuel vehicles can burn gasoline, up to 85 percent ethanol or any combination of the two. The savings add up because E-85 (fuel that’s 85 percent made from corn) is historically less pricey than traditional gasoline.

There are approximately 4.5 million flex-fuel vehicles on the road today, and only 1 to 2 percent of their drivers are buying E-85.

Matt Einspahr, of Einspahr Auto Plaza, said that he is seeing an increased demand for flex-fuel vehicles. Their most popular models include the Ford Taurus, Dodge and Chrysler minivans and the Ford Explorer.

“I would say flex fuel vehicles are as popular here as anywhere in the country. Obviously we’re in a farming community where we grow a lot of corn,” Einspahr said. “As gas prices stay higher, you’re going to increase demand [for flex-fuel vehicles].”

Those in the market for a new or used vehicle might want to consider the benefits of driving one with flex-fuel technology. Aside from saving some cash, they could help out the environment and the local economy.

“It’s a clean-burning fuel. It’s been proven to reduce greenhouse gases,” said Michelle Kautz, director of communications for the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition.

It is less toxic in a gas spill, too.

“It’s just like pouring alcohol on the ground. It evaporates,” she said.

Flex-fuel vehicles benefit the local economy, Kautz said.

“It is good for our farmers. It reduces our dependence on foreign oil,” she said.

Although there is a 5 to 15 percent drop in gas mileage from burning E-85, the fuel is usually so much cheaper that it compensates for it.

The best part is that there is no mark-up on flex-fuel vehicles.

“There is no extra cost with any of the flex-fuel vehicles we sell,” Einspahr said.

However, buying fuel for the vehicle can be difficult. There are only around 400 stations in the United States that sell E-85, but most of them are located in the Midwest. South Dakota has 18. Lloyd’s BP Amoco, located across the highway from the Brookings Inn, is the only station in town to carry it.

Einspahr encourages people to purchase a flex-fuel vehicle.

“We stock flex-fuel vehicles whenever we can,” he said. “I think it’s a great deal.”

#1.885232:574762080.jpg:e85 01.jpg:Llyod´s BP Amoco is the only E-85 station in Brookings.:

Hy-Vee in Brookings is expanding to make room for a host of new offerings, like Starbucks coffee, Chinese Express restaurant and Thrifty White Drug.

Construction of the 10,000 square-foot addition began Feb. 20 and is expected to take only 6 or 7 months to complete.

“We’re trying to have this project done by the time the college kids are back in town. We’re going full steam ahead,” said Doug Dell, store director.

The first step in the multistage project is to move the north wall out, increasing the size of the dairy and frozen foods sections. It will allow for the addition of a health mart, Thrifty White Drug, which will contain natural and organic products. Hy-Vee purchased the business in January and it will be located in the northeast corner of the store with a drive-up window feature.

Dell cites “lifestyle changes” as the driving force behind much of the planned remodeling.

“We’re making [grocery shopping] more of an event for our customers,” he said, noting that the project has been in the works for two years.

Only a handful of Hy-Vee stores across the nation have an in-house Starbucks. The kiosk, which will likely have hours of 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., will greet shoppers as they enter the store.

“Coffee seems to be a big category and continues to grow,” said Dell.

The size of the current salad bar and sit-down eating facility will double, and a Chinese Express restaurant will be added.

Although other departments, such as the bakery and the floral shop, are slated for remodels, Dell said he doesn’t expect many interruptions in customer service.

“We’re going to make it very convenient for our customers,” he said.

Kevin Rehder, a junior general agriculture major, said he is glad to see the changes. As last semester’s food manager for FarmHouse fraternity, Rehder visited the location weekly to buy large quantities of groceries.

“They do need more room because the aisles are kind of crowded,” he said

Brendon McQuown, who has worked at Hy-Vee for seven months, said he too is excited about the change, especially the addition of Starbucks and Chinese Express.

“I think it’s a good idea. It’s good if you like those kinds of things,” he said.

Dell expects to increase sales as well as increase his 380-member staff to around 400.

“It’s good. I think they’re going to need [more employees] to man everything they’ve got coming in,” McQuown said.

Dell said that the entire project “will help customer service.”

#1.885278:4241644697.jpg:hyveestore.jpg:Construction began Feb. 20 in the Brookings Hy-Vee.:

Mad Jack’s Deli and Grill, currently situated in the Brickwood Plaza, will open a second location in March.

The new restaurant, at 1300 South Main St., is patterned after the original, said Leah Brink, Mad Jack’s co-owner and general manager.

“It will be the same sort of feel,” said Brink, commenting that the decor will contain a similar “collected mix of interesting artifacts.”

The menu mimics that of the current restaurant.

“Our core mix of subs and drinks will be the same. There will be a few slight changes,” said Brink, who is not ready to unveil the new selections.

In addition to the wide variety of ice cream treats and beverages, the present menu features hot and cold subs, salads, wraps, grilled and fried items, soups, and Mexican entrees.

“The drive-thru will be a major draw for [the new location],” said Brink, noting that they may open earlier on weekdays, if there is demand for it.

The hours are tentatively slated for Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Mad Jack’s is in the process of hiring 10 to 12 new workers to staff the South Main location.

“There will be some late hours between now and then,” said Brink, commenting that although they still need to set an official grand opening date, the location should open sometime in March.

Holly Maher, who lives along Twelfth Street South, is looking forward to having the dining option in her neighborhood.

“It will be good because I’ll eat there more,” said Maher, a junior nursing major from Timber Lake, who has visited the restaurant a handful of times.

“Then I won’t have to drive as far out as by McDonald’s. The closer the better,” she said.

That was the idea behind the location from the start.

“We thought it would be an excellent place for a restaurant with a large part of the Brookings population there,” said Brink, who bought Mad Jack’s, in partnership with her father and husband, in August.

She said they will continue to have some live music nights and offer an alternative to the bar atmosphere.

“We always welcome SDSU students in here to hang out and study,” said Brink.

#1.885363:947425701.jpg:Mad Jacks Manager.jpg:Mad Jack´s manager Leah Brink works behind the counter at the restaurant´s current location in the Brickwood Plaza. The new location will feature a similar menu.:

The dairy plant on campus nearly doubled its production of ice cream last year by selling around 15,000 gallons to South Dakota Made Stores, Inc.

The stores, formerly located in Bristol, Hill City and Miller, have sold vanilla, chocolate, cookies and cream and strawberry revel since April 2004. This year, they had the option to sell two seasonal flavors, pumpkin and peppermint. Two of the three locations have changed and stores are now located in Aberdeen, Rapid City and Miller, but they are still marketing the half-gallons of SDSU’s own.

The SDSU ice cream has popped up in other grocery and retail stores across the state, like Sioux Falls Hy-Vee stores, due to an arrangement between the South Dakota Made Stores and HRS Foodservice of Aberdeen and Rapid City.

Tim and Robbyn Conlon opened the first South Dakota Made Store in July of 2002. They approached Howard Bonnemann, SDSU dairy science instructor and dairy bar and plant manager, about selling the ice cream in November of 2002.

“We had wanted to sell South Dakota made ice cream when we opened our first South Dakota Made Store, Inc.,” said Robbyn Conlon. “I had been told that SDSU made a wonderful ice cream on campus. We drove down to SDSU to try the ice cream for ourselves and were convinced. SDSU ice cream is the best ice cream we have ever tasted.”

The couple then began striking a deal to get the ice cream from Brookings to Bristol.

“Our mission has been through the promotion, marketing and selling of the finest of South Dakota made products we hope to foster economic development throughout South Dakota. We felt SDSU ice cream was a perfect fit,” she said.

Bonneman agreed.

“I thought it’d be a good idea to give us increased exposure. And to give students increased experience is definitely good,” he said.

It took nearly 10 months to get a contract in place.

“We had to get permission all the way through the Board of Regents to get approval,” said Bonneman, citing price consideration as another factor in the contract.

The dairy bar and plant is self-sufficient, aside from utilities and being housed on campus.

“We start out the year with no designated state funds,” said Bonneman.

South Dakota Made Stores began moving the ice cream last April.

“We have been very pleased with our initial sales and are looking forward to even greater sales this coming year,” said Conlon.

Their contract with the university allows them to sell up to 43,000 gallons a year. If production and sales reach that level, the dairy bar and plant could net as much as $15,000 to $20,000.

“We would like to get it up to what the contract rates,” said Bonneman. “It would be my hope, income over expenses, to make $15,000 to $20,000, but since we’re not up to that we don’t know that yet,” he said.

Usual production at the dairy plant is between 16,000 and 17,000 gallons, so even the 15,000-gallon increase has changed a few things. Extra income generated from the increased sales helps pay for day-to-day expenses, like store-front help in the dairy bar, as well as unexpected repairs.

“It gives me the option of running a few more hours,” he said.

Bonneman said the partnership isn’t for economical reasons.

“Pricing is based a lot on the market. We set an amount that we needed to cover our expenses,” said Bonneman, who has a total of 25 students employed in the plant and store-front that work from five to 12 hours a week, as well as two full-time staff members. “My function is not to make product, but to train students.”

The added ice cream production has given the student-workers a chance to make larger batches of ice cream and gain more practical experience.

“It caused us some logistical issues here, but in the end it was an advantage,” he said.

An HRS Foodservice truck picks up the ice cream once or twice a week, so an extra freezer for ice cream storage was put in this fall.

In addition to retailing SDSU ice cream in their own stores, the South Dakota Made Store distributes it, through HRS Foodservice, to grocery stores across the state.

“It is rewarding to see the faces of the alumni light up when they see the ice cream,” said Conlon, who gives out samples in Sioux Falls Hy-Vee stores. “Many people in our state are not aware that SDSU makes ice cream.”

She said people who taste the ice cream for the first time are “immediately won over.”

“People are very excited to be able to purchase SDSU ice cream off-campus and love supporting higher education and South Dakota, while eating the best ice cream in the world.”

#1.885422:349018501.jpg:Michelle B.jpg:Michelle Bjorklund scoops SDSU ice cream for a waiting customer at The Lodge in Brookings. The university ice cream is being marketed statewide and is also available at various locations in town.:

Sometimes ice cream cravings don’t fall between the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday, when the SDSU dairy bar is open.

Area businesses can satisfy that attack.

Country Kitchen, the Barrel Drive-in and the Lodge Espresso and Coffee Shop serve varying flavors of SDSU ice cream. Half-gallons can be purchased at the Ag Heritage Museum.

Howard Bonneman, dairy bar and plant manager and dairy science instructor, said that he doesn’t recruit businesses to sell his ice cream.

“They come to me asking if they can sell SDSU ice cream,” Bonneman said.

The Ag Heritage Museum does it almost as a service to their visitors.

“People would come in on the weekends to see the museum and would ask where the Dairy Bar was,” said Michelle Glanzer, curator at the museum.

The museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Museum workers would explain that the Dairy Bar wasn’t open on weekends.

“[The visitors] were very disappointed,” he said.

The Ag Heritage Museum now carries “the most popular flavors,” including vanilla, chocolate and cookies and cream, for $5.50 a gallon. During holidays they’ll carry seasonal flavors, and usually they’ll sell other flavors that are available when they place their weekly orders.

“It’s been quite successful,” said Glanzer.

One place SDSU ice cream can’t be found is in Brookings grocery stores.

“It’s set up so that we’re still the primary retail store in Brookings,” said Bonneman, noting that they’re not really set-up to be ice cream wholesalers. “I don’t feel it’s my position to be competitive on a commercial setting. I’m here to train students.”

Students who are interested in showing and fitting livestock, or learning how to, should attend the Little International livestock drawing on Wednesday, Feb. 16 in Rotunda D.

By participating in the 8 p.m. drawing, students register themselves for competition in the Little International agriculture exposition, held March 18 to 19.

“You throw your name in and if you get picked, you get to pick what species you want to show,” said Brian Fruechte, senior agriculture business/business economics major and Little I manager.

Beginner showmen can try their hand at showmanship and fitting, or grooming, of sheep, cattle, dairy cattle and pigs. Experienced showmen can face new competition in these four species, plus horse. Fruedchte said that students who know little about livestock can participate in Little I.

“We’re always looking to attract a more diversified group of students,” he said. “There’s people around all the time that are experienced and are pretty willing to help out.”

The students who get drawn to show an animal will have two weeks in March to work with their livestock.

“People tend to have a lot of fun with it. You’re out there every day working with your animal,” said Fruechte, a Pipestone native who has many years of showing experience under his belt. “It’s kind of what you put into it. If you’re really out there to win, you’re going to have to put in a lot of time.”

Fruechte said that some people bring their own typical species-specific show-gear like halters, brushes, and clippers, but it’s not a big deal if a participant doesn’t have the right equpiment.

“A lot of experienced people bring their own [equipment]. If you don’t have any equipment we can help you find someone that will borrow you some,” said Fruechte.

While there is no cash reward, Fruechte said it is a great way to meet people and learn. Winners do receive plaques for their accomplishments.

Little I requires a $15 deposit that is refundable based on good care of livestock and facilities. They will collect the deposit and liability forms at the drawing.

For more information contact Brian Fruechte at (507) 820-1467.

Okay ladies, here’s a pop quiz:

If a man opens the door for you, you: (A) don’t think anything of it, after all that’s what men are supposed to do: (B) are flattered by such a gentlemanly acts or (C) are taken back, appalled -how degrading that he doesn’t think you can open the door for yourself!

Unfortunately, this situation doesn’t happen too often anymore because too many women answer C. Too many women are offended by this simple act of courtesy and respect.

This is a big deal and apparently I’m not the only one who thinks so.

I was sitting in dance class last Thursday when my professor brought up the fact that people don’t know common courtesy, like opening the door for someone, anymore. Then I went to talk to an advisor and he told me a story where a woman reacted to him like the above answer C. At my marriage class that evening, the topic came up once more. And when I got home and flipped on the TV, there was a woman speaking to the male masses about how women crave chivalry.

I agree. I like for someone to get the door for me, to treat me like a lady. Sure I can get in there and do stereotypical “men’s work” with the rest of them. After all, I am a farm girl, but that’s just the point: a farm girl. I am still a female. Driving a tractor, feeding calves or changing my oil doesn’t change the fact that I’m female and have a different role in my relationship. Men were designed to be the protectors, warriors, and women the nurturers, the caregivers.

While women’s empowerment movements have brought about some good and needed changes to our society, they have also messed with some important traditional customs.

We have lost that fundamental concept of respect that so many of our grandparents practiced so religiously. We have created an environment in which some men are actually afraid to treat women like ladies, for fear of sending the wrong message.

How can we correct this problem?

Ladies start acting like ladies, men start acting like gentlemen.

The next time you are walking into a building and there is a woman next to you. Get the door. If she is offended, explain to her that you were just trying to be polite and dismiss it.

Remember, not all of us are on a power trip or personal quest to prove we are as manly as you.

Miranda Malo is a junior ag/journalism major.

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Imagine collecting $27,000 in less than a month.

The SDSU Dairy Club does. From late November through the end of finals week, they run their annual cheese fundraiser, when they sell $27,000 worth of cheese and earn around $10,000 for their organization.

“This was the first year we’ve offered them before Thanks-

giving,” said Annie Milbrandt, dairy club president and cheese box chairperson. “It’s going very well. We have a better feeling this year. We’re more organized.”

The official on-campus sales began Nov. 22 and will end Dec. 17.

The majority of the cheese is sold in boxes of four, with 17 flavors ranging from bacon cheddar to jalape

What if I told you there is a fuel available that is cheaper, burns cleaner, and helps our economy more than traditional gasoline?

Well, there is.

In recent weeks, while working on an article for the magazine writing course that I’m taking, I’ve come to a realization: very few people know anything about E-85. I’ve made it my mission to change that.

E-85 is a blend of ethanol, a renewable fuel made from corn. It is, as it’s name would suggest, made of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent traditional fossil fuel.

You should care about it because it could save you a lot of money. E-85 is typically 20 to 30 cents cheaper per gallon than regular gasoline. At the time that I wrote this article E-85 was only 17 cents cheaper in Brookings. It was $1.72 while regular gas was $1.89.

The only place that sells this renewable fuel in Brookings is the BP Station near the interstate.

For those of you who are unmotivated by personal economics, it also helps the United States economy in two ways. First, it increases the bottom line for farmers. Currently between 11 and 13 percent of the nation’s corn production is used to make ethanol, which has caused an estimated fifteen to twenty cent per bushel increase in price of corn. Secondly, E-85 decreases our dependence on foreign oil.

Not to mention it is better for the environment. It has the highest oxygen content of any fuel on the market, so it burns cleaner.

The biggest caveat is that it slightly decreases gas mileage.

“There is a lit bit of drop in efficiency. It is so much less expensive than unleaded gasoline that it more than compensates,” said John Caupert, who sits on the ethanol committee of the National Corn Growers’ Association.

This approximate five percent drop in efficiency is, however, accompanied by an increased performance in the way of horsepower. And to be fair, things like aggressive driving or low tire pressure could decrease gas mileage even more.

So weighing the pros and cons, why not use E-85? Reduce toxic emissions, save yourself some cash, and help your agricultural neighbors out.

But before you all go rushing to the East edge of town to fill-up with E-85, there is a catch. You must drive a flex-fuel vehicle to use E-85. (A flex-fuel vehicle is one that can run on E-85, gasoline, or any combination of the two.)

If you put E-85 in a vehicle that’s not a flex-fuel vehicle it won’t “ruin” it on the spot, but prolonged use isn’t good. The vehicles should be specially equipped to read the higher amounts of oxygen in E-85 fuel.

Ford, GM, and DaimlerCrysler all make flex-fuel models, so either consult your owner’s manual or go to the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition Web site (www.E85fuel.com) to find out if your model is one of them. The same Web site also contains a listing by state of fueling stations that carry E-85.

So if you’re one of the millions of Americans who own a flex-fuel vehicle, but you’re not included in the two percent that take advantage of it, start. Fuel up with E-85.

Miranda Malo is a junior ag journalism major.

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