Ranch Group Urges Opening of CRP Lands to Slow Cattle Supply Chain

Billings, Mont. – R-CALF USA sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue asking the Secretary to consider opening the 24 million acres of land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to help alleviate the backlog in the live cattle supply chain caused by the COVID-19 pandemic that has reduced slaughter capacity. The group estimates there are 500K or more fed cattle currently backed up in feedlots with no immediate prospects for…

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2020 National Junior Angus Show Contests Go Virtual

To adhere to social-distancing recommendations, numerous NJAS in­–person contests go virtual. It is the goal of the American Angus Association® to keep the health and safety of the Angus Family at the forefront of every decision made in relation to the Coronavirus. Consequently, the American Angus Association and the National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) have elected to modify a few of the contests associated with the 2020 National Junior Angus Show (NJAS) and…

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Condensed Version of Beef Quality Assurance Manual

A more condensed version of the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Manual is now available to BQA followers in digital or print form. The BQA Field Guide is a more compact version of the manual that can be used as a convenient reference piece. It covers the key points of the BQA program without program background and other information that may not be useful in the course of day-to-day operations. The BQA Program is…

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Targeting optimum cow size

The average return for an extra 100 pounds of cow weight is five to seven pounds of additional weight of the calf at weaning.. K-State beef cattle specialists discuss factors that influence the most efficient cow size MANHATTAN, Kan. – Genetics, feed resources and calf marketing windows are just some of the influencing factors that determine the optimum size for cows to grow, according to the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute’s team…

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Kansas Forest Service notes bagworms are most easily controlled in May and June

MANHATTAN, Kan. – A Kansas Forest Service official says mid-May is an important time to start scouting for bagworms, a perennial problem that affects many trees common to Kansas landscapes. Ryan Armbrust, the forest health coordinator with KFS, said bagworms negatively affect ornamental landscape conifers, windbreak trees like eastern redcedar and arborvitae, and Scotch pine Christmas tree farms. “While deciduous broadleaf trees can recover from the defoliation that bagworms cause, conifers are often…

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Remove cool-season grass seed heads before they emerge

WEST PLAINS, Mo. – “Missouri livestock producers have some options to manage tall fescue seed head development and the toxic endophyte issues we have in Missouri,” says Tim Schnakenberg, University of Missouri Extension field specialist in agronomy. Seed heads emerge in tall fescue grass pastures by mid-May across most of Missouri. Sarah Kenyon, MU Extension field specialist in agronomy, says it is important to know how forage grows to understand the effect seed…

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CHB Recipe: Country Fried Steak

Country-fried steak will be a family-favorite for years to come. This version is made with Certified Hereford Beef cubed steak and pairs well with mashed potatoes and gravy. Ingredients: 1 4 Certified Hereford Beef cubed steaks (about 4 ounces each) 1 egg1 tablespoon water1/2 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs2 tablespoons olive oil1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes with herbsShredded Parmesan cheese (optional) Beat egg and water in shallow dish until blended. Place bread…

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App helps researchers learn about gamebird reproduction

By Trisha Gedon STILLWATER, Okla. – Wildlife biologists in Oklahoma have some new insights into the annual reproduction of gamebirds, thanks to a smartphone app that was developed last year. Oklahoma State University wildlife specialists, along with experts from the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, created the Gamebird Brood Observation app to help gain a better understanding of gamebird reproduction, said Dwayne Elmore, OSU Extension wildlife specialist and Bollenbach Chair in the university’s…

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Crop Residue, Cover Crops Impact on Soil Health Parameters

David Karki SDSU Extension Agronomy Field Specialist Additional Authors: Anthony Bly Written collaboratively by David Karki, Anthony Bly, Sandeep Kumar and Shannon Osborne. Interest in no-till and cover crops has been on the rise among South Dakota (S.D.) crop producers. In 2019, half of S.D. crop ground was under no-till management and about 900,000 acres were planted to cover crops (U S.D.S-NRCS). Growers have indicated that improvement in soil health is one of…

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Protein Supplementation Options With Grazing Cattle

Adele Harty SDSU Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist Additional Authors: Ken Olson COVID-19 and the energy economy has had a dramatic negative impact on the ethanol industry, resulting in limited availability of corn distiller’s grains. This has changed availability and pricing of protein feeds. As cow/calf producers consider how this affects their feed purchases currently and into the future, there are some key points to consider and evaluate. In South Dakota grazing operations, many…

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