David P. Anderson, Professor and Extension Economist, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service One of the interesting trends in 2019 was the retreat in the number of carcasses grading Choice throughout a large portion of the year. The decline in Choice carcasses, combined with lower weights and fewer steers sent to market resulted in some very tight supplies of Choice beef and a wide Choice-Select spread through much of the last half of the…
Brenda Boetel, Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Wisconsin-River Falls The semi-annual Cattle report was released on January 31, 2020. The report showed what many analysts had already been saying; the total number of cattle and calves in the USA was at 94.4 million head, slightly down from January 2019’s number of 94.8 million head. This number indicates that the industry has entered into the liquidation phase of the cattle cycle. But…
Garth Ruff OSU Extension Henry County Bull buying season is almost upon us, and for the smaller cow-calf operators in the region, I think it time to ask the question: Do you need to buy a heifer bull? Year over year as I sit and watch bull buying decisions being made, I have observed producers faced with the dilemma of buying a calving ease “heifer bull” or a higher performance sire with a…
K-State’s Kirkham says reducing use of plastics may benefit agriculture MANHATTAN, Kan. – A Kansas State University crop physiologist has found that plastic products – which are well known to cause negative impacts on fish and other aquatic animals – also have an adverse effect on land-based organisms, such as farm crops. Mary Beth Kirkham, University Distinguished Professor in agronomy who specializes in the relationship between soil, plants and water, said that fact…
Jeff Lehmkuhler, PhD, PAS, Beef Extension Specialist, University of Kentucky Last winter we had a dramatic increase in the number of cattle deaths compared to previous winters. Excessive rain contributed to these losses and led to wet haircoats and mud conditions in the fields. In the midst of last year’s muddy conditions, we did a series of meetings discussing the effects of rain and mud. I discussed the impacts of wet haircoats on…
Chris Penrose, Extension Educator, Ag and Natural Resources, Morgan County (originally published in the Ohio Farmer online) Stockpiled fescue can be an excellent place to accomplish early turnout, and begin calving. One goal I have had with livestock grazing over the years is to start as soon as I can. I put spring calving cows on stockpiled grass in early March to calve with the hope of not having to feed any more…
By Trisha Gedon STILLWATER, Okla. – Those interested in soil health and composting should mark their calendars for March 10 and attend the Community Soil Health and Compost Workshop. This event will feature industry specialists and experts who will provide the latest, research-based information on these topics. The workshop is free and open to the public. It will take place from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Great Plains Technology center, 4500…
Christine Gelley, Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator, Noble County, OSU Extension Lactating animals are at greater risk of mastitis infections when it is muddy! We finally got some snow and freezing temperatures! At our house, we didn’t get snow a single day that our Christmas decorations were up, but snow on Valentine’s Day was appreciated. Fresh snow provides a refreshing look to the landscape when it covers up all the muck and brown…
WASHINGTON (Feb. 19, 2020) — The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) today joined 20 other national agricultural groups in kicking off Farmers for a Sustainable Future, a coalition of ag organizations committed to environmental and economic sustainability. The coalition was introduced at a news conference on Capitol Hill today. “Today’s launch of the Farmers for a Sustainable Future (FSF) is a defining moment,” said NCBA Vice President, Government Affairs, Ethan Lane, who spoke…
Temple Grandin, the world-renowned professor in Colorado State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences and autism advocate, didn’t have an easy road in life. Far from it. “High school was a disaster for me,” she said. “I was always getting picked on.” She recalled the day she reached her breaking point when a student called her a derogatory term. “I chucked a book at her,” Grandin said. ‘Horses saved my life’ That incident got…