Fall isn’t just for pumpkin spice – it’s for planting trees, too

By Trisha Gedon By Trisha Gedon STILLWATER, Okla. – The October 2020 ice storm and frigid temperatures in February took a toll on trees in Oklahoma. The sound of chainsaws filled the air as homeowners and parks employees cleared debris. Many trees were too damaged and had to be removed. Others will take years to fully recover, said Mark Bays, urban forestry coordinator with the Oklahoma Forestry Services. While people often take them for…

Continue ReadingFall isn’t just for pumpkin spice – it’s for planting trees, too

It was a good year for Kansas canola

Cool weather in April and May helped to extend canola's bloom period in 2021. K-State’s Stamm says cool temps helped lead to extended bloom By Shelby Varner, K-State Research and Extension student news writer MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas farmers know well that having a bountiful crop year is pretty exciting. So, a Kansas State University agronomist said this year’s winter canola likely brought a few smiles.  Mike Stamm said that the combination of…

Continue ReadingIt was a good year for Kansas canola

Cattle Chat: Considerations for allowing cattle in ponds

Ponds allow cattle to cool off on a hot summer day. Beef cattle experts talk benefits, drawbacks of giving cattle access to ponds MANHATTAN, Kan. — On a hot summer’s day, there is nothing like a cool dip in the pond to leave a person refreshed. Not only do people enjoy a swim, cattle do too, said veterinarians at the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute On a recent Cattle Chat podcast, they discussed the…

Continue ReadingCattle Chat: Considerations for allowing cattle in ponds

Commercial Creep-feeding?

Why creep-feeding rarely pencils out for commercial cattlemen. by David Lalman, Oklahoma State University Occasionally the question of whether creep-feeding is a cost-effective practice comes up. The simple answer for commercial cow-calf operations is “not in most circumstances.” This is particularly true for spring-calving operations. Calf weaning weights can be increased anywhere from about 20 pounds (lb.) to 80 lb. However, in most cases, the value of added weight gain will not cover…

Continue ReadingCommercial Creep-feeding?

Cattle Chat: Experts share tips for managing health outdoors

Rabies and blackleg are two deadly diseases that cattle are exposed to living outdoors MANHATTAN, Kan. — Just as nature-loving humans can experience anything from a twisted ankle to a bug bite when they are in the outdoors, living in nature can also come with risks for illness in cattle. On a recent Kanas State University Cattle Chat podcast, three veterinarians discussed two rare diseases that can impact cattle – rabies and blackleg. Rabies “Rabies…

Continue ReadingCattle Chat: Experts share tips for managing health outdoors

Reducing Development Costs for Replacement Heifers

Kiernan Brandt Background Regardless of how efficiently reproductive success is managed on the ranch, beef producers are tasked annually with incorporating new females into the herd in the form of replacement heifers. Whether purchasing females off the farm or retaining heifers from this year’s cohort of marketable calves, both represent significant input costs to replace the 10–15% of cows leaving the herd annually, plus any additional heifers to expand the size of the…

Continue ReadingReducing Development Costs for Replacement Heifers

The magic of fall is found in the garden

By Gail Ellis   STILLWATER, Okla. – When summer begins to fade, don’t hang up that gardening trowel just yet. A renewed season of fall vegetables awaits in your own backyard.  Oklahoma’s mild climate is ideal for fall gardening, and Oklahoma State University Extension provides educational opportunities for both experienced and novice gardeners to extend the growing season.  “Small farmers and producers have figured out there’s a successful cool season in the fall, and they’ve really upped their production with…

Continue ReadingThe magic of fall is found in the garden

OSU research has potential to save cattle industry millions

By Alisa Boswell-Gore STILLWATER, Okla. – Oklahoma State University molecular biologists recently received a grant worth nearly $500,000 from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture for research that has the potential of saving the cattle industry millions of dollars. Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) costs the beef industry $540 million in direct costs and $5 billion in indirect costs each year. The viral disease can be caused when bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1) infects the upper respiratory tract…

Continue ReadingOSU research has potential to save cattle industry millions