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Hager leading state cattle organization

Hager leading state cattle organization

By MIKE LEWIS, mikel@tmnews.com

Times-Mail (IN)

PAOLI – Perched on a picnic table at the Orange County 4-H Fairgrounds, Rodney Hager smiled as he talked about raising cattle.

“Farming’s something you’ve got to enjoy to do,” he said. “That’s all there is to it.”

Hager enjoys it.

Not only does he run a family-owned, 180-head cattle operation, he also serves as president of the Indiana Beef Cattle Association. And in August, he will open his farm to producers, politicians and policy-makers for a statewide field day.

“I think it’s a feather in Rodney’s cap,” Andy Boston, Orange County Purdue extension educator, said of the field day. Naturally, we’re going to do a little helping with it. … I think it’s very important to have a field day in our part of the state.”

FULL STORY

What’s the Beef?

What’s the Beef?

By Sally Squires

Washington Post

If you’ve ever stood at the meat counter pondering whether to buy plain-old beef or to spring for the various niche varieties proliferating in food stores, you’re not alone.

“Consumers do not understand the difference between all-natural, grass-fed and organic beef,” notes Rick Machen, who grew up on a cattle ranch and is now a livestock specialist at Texas A&M University. “I don’t understand them myself, and I’m a university professor. It’s something that the industry needs to work on so that consumers fully appreciate and understand the differences between those products.”

FULL STORY

Kansas crops and pastures see little relief from heat

Kansas crops and pastures see little relief from heat

The Associated Press

The Kansan

WICHITA, Kan. — A smattering of rain did little to lower temperatures around the state, the Kansas Agricultural Statistics Service said Monday.

In its weekly crop weather summary, the agency said farmers focused on completing the harvests of alfalfa and hay and preparing fields for fall wheat and silage.

Dry conditions persisted in Kansas, with topsoil rated at 35 percent very short, 45 percent short and 20 percent adequate. Subsoil conditions were slightly worse, at 36 percent very short, 45 percent short and 19 percent adequate.

FULL STORY

Commission to receive briefing on feeding operation

Commission to receive briefing on feeding operation

Moberly Monitor-Index (MO)

At their regular meeting on August 3rd the Randolph County Commission will receive a briefing on a proposed cattle feeding operation to be located on the Circle A Ranch.

In early July the Commission received a letter from Three Rivers Engineering. Three Rivers is representing Randolph County’s Circle A Ranch in preparing plans for a cattle feeding operation. Circle A owns 6,500 acres on the east side of State Highway C north of Huntsville.

Presiding Commissioner Jim Myles spoke with Jeff Browning, of Three Rivers Engineering, and invited him to attend a commission meeting to provide information to the commission and the public about the operation.

FULL STORY

If You Are A Cowboy, How Do You Plan To Survive?

If You Are A Cowboy, How Do You Plan To Survive?

University of Illinois Extension

Little boys and girls want to be cowboys. But today cowboys want to be anything other than that. Cattle are dying from the heat. Pasture land is drying up and burning up. Corn may be cheap this fall, but will be higher priced next year because of growing ethanol demand. And we are just beginning the 10 year cycle of cattle expansion. Do you get out, or do you manage your risk? Look at the calendar; today is the last business day of the month, and that is important for your future.

FULL STORY

Feed vs Fuel

Feed vs Fuel

Posted by Cindy

Domesticfuel.com

The food versus fuel debate is more of a feed versus fuel debate when it comes to corn and ethanol, since about half of our corn is fed to livestock. So, what does the livestock sector think about it?

FULL STORY

DDG Replaces About 385M Bu Of Feed Corn

DDG Replaces About 385M Bu Of Feed Corn

Cattlenetwork.com

CHICAGO (Dow Jones–Distiller’s dried grains, the by-product of ethanol production, replaces about 385 million bushels of corn used annually for livestock feed, said an Iowa State University extension agricultural economist.

“Out of a billion bushels of corn processed into ethanol, you get an equivalent of 180 million bushels to replace the corn used in the feed channel, said ISU’s Robert Wisner.

Wisner is a co-author along with Josh Roe from Kansas State University and Robert Jolly from ISU of a study on the impact of DDG’s on the feed industry.

With the current estimate of corn used for ethanol, that equates to 385 million bushel equivalent used by the feed industry.

FULL STORY

Researchers look to beef up cattle feed contents

Researchers look to beef up cattle feed contents

By New Mexico State University

Las Cruces Sun-News

TUCUMCARI – A growing dairy industry in the Southern High Plains and the Rio Grande and Pecos River valleys brings with it increased demands for forage crops that provide feed for dairy cattle. But drought conditions, declining aquifers, urban growth and other factors can limit the amount of water available for irrigation of alfalfa and corn.

Researchers at New Mexico State University’s Agricultural Science Center at Tucumcari are examining alternative crops that could produce dairy-quality feed with less water.

“New Mexico’s number one cash crop is alfalfa, a high quality perennial legume, because we can grow lots of high quality alfalfa in the state,” said forage agronomist Leonard Lauriault of the Tucumcari center. “But, although alfalfa is one of the most water-use efficient forage crops, it still requires a lot of water to maximize production. Because of the declining availability of water for agriculture, producers need alternatives to alfalfa that can still produce sufficient forage to meet the demands of New Mexico’s growing dairy industry using less water.”

FULL STORY

China to resume imports of qualified U.S. beef

China to resume imports of qualified U.S. beef

Shanghaidaily.com

China will resume imports of qualified beef without bones from cattle younger than 30 months from the United States, the State Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (SAQSI) announced yesterday.

The resumption of imports is highly meaningful to promote bilateral trade, said SAQSI.

The SAQSI has informed local departments of inspection and quarantine they should strictly follow inspection and quarantine requirements to ensure the quality and safety of the imported beef.

Recognizing The Value Of Preconditioning

Recognizing The Value Of Preconditioning

Cow Calf Weekly

With weaning time approaching for many cow-calf operations, preconditioning plans should be made to capture the optimum health, performance and value from calves.

Michael Smith has learned the value of preconditioning through a decade of experience. As manager of the Liberty Ranch in Plainville, KS, Smith ships cattle, sells bulls and receives animals regularly through his diverse beef operation, and has learned to rely on a preconditioning program throughout to help keep labor costs down and minimize the effects of respiratory disease.

FULL STORY

Manage Grazing During Drought to Minimize Damage

Manage Grazing During Drought to Minimize Damage

KNEB (NE)

Limited rainfall accompanied by high temperatures has left many pastures in poor condition and producers needing to change grazing management, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln forage specialist said.

Although some producers have no choice but to keep livestock out on pasture during the summer months, there are ways to manage grazing that will keep cattle from permanently damaging grass growth.

“Many cow/calf operations don’t really have feeding facilities available or the capability of putting cattle some place other than pastureland,” said Bruce Anderson, UNL forage specialist. “Pasture ends up being one of the few places where hay or supplements can be fed to support animals.”

FULL STORY