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Pre-Plant Disease Management Considerations
If the forecast holds true, it looks like it is going to be another year of excessive soil moisture and possible flooding come this spring. The increased level of soil moisture has implications with regards to plant stand establishment as well as root rot and nematode infestations.
Alternative Calving Considerations
Structuring a calving program that best suites farm and ranch operations can be challenging. Of primary concern are: weather, labor, market timing, and animal health considerations, with weather possibly being the most volatile factor, as it ranges from challenging to catastrophic in some years.
SWOT Analysis for Your Ranch (And Don’t Forget About Yourself)
Completing a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis allows you to evaluate your operation's current position and decide on management strategies to achieve your goals for the next year. Learn how to get started today!
Organic Agronomy Starting to Impact
For decades scientists have known that a handful of soil contained more micro-biological organisms than the number of humans on earth. Science is just beginning to discover these organisms and learn about their functions and contribution to their soil ecosystem.
Selecting a Calving Season Based on Matching Nutritional Needs and Resources
Choosing the calving season is a complex and highly individual decision for each beef cattle producer. A primary consideration in pasture-based cow-calf operations is choosing a calving season that will best match the forage supply to forage demand.
Raising Freezer Beef: How To Feed Grain-Finished Beef
A trend that has become more prominent in recent years is for ranchers to finish a few animals and sell beef directly to the consumer. This article will address a few options for hand-feeding a small group of cattle to finish.
Raising Freezer Beef: Management Considerations
A trend that has become more prominent in recent years is for ranchers to finish a few animals and sell beef direct to the consumer. Proper feeding and management is key to capturing extra value and in meeting customer expectations.
Raising Freezer Beef: When Is the Animal Finished?
Many producers have had their own beef processed for years, and some may have been selling animals to their neighbors on occasion. It's another matter entirely when the objective is satisfying customer expectations, especially if finishing cattle hasn't been a normal part of your operation.
Raising Freezer Beef: Meeting Customer Expectations
A variety of factors may lead consumers to purchase beef directly from a producer. When purchasing freezer beef, most consumers expect an eating experience that would be as good or better than buying beef from retail.
Hormones in Beef: Myths vs. Facts
Confusion and concern often surround the use of hormones in beef production. It's important to understand that hormones are naturally occurring in cattle, and if they were eliminated completely, the animal could not survive.