Baxter Black, DVM: A GLIMMER OF HOPE FOR THE WILD HORSES

Baxter Black, DVM:  A GLIMMER OF HOPE FOR THE WILD HORSES

It’s been a long time since I’ve felt anything but sadness for the wild horses.

Full Story

Crossbreeding – Its Cool Again! Part 2

Crossbreeding – Its Cool Again! Part 2

Dr. Scott P. Greiner, Extension Animal Scientist, VA Tech

Note:  This article is Part 2 in a three part series dealing with crossbreeding.

Part 1 of this series dealt with the fundamental principles of crossbreeding.  The primary advantages of crossbreeding beef cattle are heterosis (hybrid vigor) and breed complimentarity. The power of crossbreeding results from the advantages of the crossbred cow, due to her advantages in fertility, weaning weights, and longevity.

Full Story

Let the Cows Do the Work

Let the Cows Do the Work

Becky Mills

Progressive Farmer/DTN

Virginia Producer Uses Carefully Planned Rotation, Stockpiling System

"Our operation isn’t fancy," says Robert Shoemaker. "We let the cows do the work." And work they do. Using rotational grazing and stockpiled forages, the Delaplane, Va., cattleman runs 250 cows and 50 bred heifers year-round with little hay or supplement.

Full Story

Steve Cornett: New Year Certainties

Steve Cornett:  New Year Certainties

Beef Today

It would be easy to look back on beef’s 2009 and find things to complain about. But that would be, well, complaining. And we don’t do that, do we? If we weren’t all optimists we wouldn’t be expecting to support our families off something coming out of that end of a cow anyhow, would we?

Full Story

Westchester Foundation Scholarship

Westchester Foundation Scholarship

After 12 years, The Westchester Foundation is still staying true to their mission: to identify and assist outstanding students with leadership capabilities committed to a career in agriculture by providing financial assistance to ensure that these potential leaders of our industry successfully complete their education.

Full Story

Progressive producers: Cashing in on individual cattle management

Progressive producers: Cashing in on individual cattle management

Shelby Haag

Farm and Ranch Guide

You cannot manage what you cannot measure – the simple principle of the Decatur Beef Alliance which aims to get progressive producers out of the commodity business and into the value-added beef business.

Full Story

Selecting a Cattle Feedlot Site

Selecting a Cattle Feedlot Site

Gary DiGiuseppe

American Cattlemen

Curt Zimmerman believes the cattle industry is starting to return to the Midwest—and he’s here to help.“Not that it’s ever left entirely,” says Zimmerman, who is livestock development supervisor for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. “But we get more and more calls and inquiries from the western and southern state operators who are looking to relocate.

Full Story

Some state farmers now keeping pasture-raised beef cattle

Some state farmers now keeping pasture-raised beef cattle

BRIGITTE RUTHMAN

REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN

In a state once known for its bucolic hillsides dotted by black-and-white Holstein dairy cattle, farmers are beginning to experiment with pasture-raised beef cattle instead.

The state has no commercial beef farms, Department of Agriculture spokesman Rick Macsuga said, but a growing number of farmers are experimenting with beef cattle either to diversify from dairy or simply keep land in agricultural production.

Full Story

Red Angus events slated for 2010 National Western

Red Angus events slated for 2010 National Western

Guitars, cattle and country music will draw in Red Angus breeders during the National Western Stock Show for a special endowment to the Junior fund of the Red Angus Foundation, Inc.

Brent Lonker of Medicine Lodge, Kan., a Red Angus breeder and country music writer and vocalist, has donated an acoustic guitar signed by himself and world champion bull rider, Tuff Hedeman of Morgan Mill, Texas. The guitar will be auctioned off Sunday, Jan. 10 during the “Reds On Ice” Sale held at the Doubletree Hotel, Quebec Street, Denver, Colo.

Full Story

AgriLife Extension administrators sum up 2009 in agriculture

AgriLife Extension administrators sum up 2009 in agriculture

Robert Burns, Texas A&M University

Southwest Farm Press

Drought, flood, fluctuating energy costs, high feed costs, low milk prices – 2009 was a challenge for many Texas producers.

Nearly all of the state’s agriculture was adversely affected by atypical weather during the year; some areas fared better than others.

Texas AgriLife Extension Service district administrators summed up the year in agriculture for their regions.

Full Story

Taiwan Bans Some U.S. Beef Imports

Taiwan Bans Some U.S. Beef Imports

New York Times

Taiwan lawmakers voted Tuesday to ban imports of some kinds of United States, reversing a deal the government had negotiated with Washington.

The lawmakers’ move to reinstate a ban on American ground beef and offal reflected public concern that Taiwanese health officials lack sufficient safeguards to prevent mad cow disease.

Full Story

State’s farm show to feature exhibits, food and entertainment

State’s farm show to feature exhibits, food and entertainment

TOM LAVIS

The Tribune Democrat

As many as 400,000 people are expected to converge on Harrisburg for the 94th annual Pennsylvania Farm Show, which begins this weekend.

The farm show, which is the nation’s largest indoor agricultural showcase, opens Saturday and continues through Jan. 16 at the Farm Show Complex, located off Exit 23 of Interstate 81.

Full Story

Who Will Grow Your Food? Part I: The Coming Demographic Crisis in Agriculture

Who Will Grow Your Food? Part I: The Coming Demographic Crisis in Agriculture

Sharon Astyk

Scienceblogs.com

As of 2002, the average American farmer was nearly 56 years old. The average American small farmer is over 60. More than one out of every four farmers is over 65 years old and rapidly facing retirement, and less than 6% of all American farmers are younger than 35 years old.

Full Story

College students opine on horse slaughter

College students opine on horse slaughter

Amanda Nolz

Tri State Livestock News

In 1986, a horse named Ferdinand took the racing industry by storm. A Kentucky Derby winner, Ferdinand boasted a resume of $3.5 million in winnings. In the early 90s, Ferdinand was sold to Japan, but when he didn’t produce any talented offspring, he was sent to processing.

Full Story

Calves and the Cold

Calves and the Cold

Dr. W. Dee Whittier, Extension Veterinarian, Cattle, VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, VA Tech

Calf losses due to cold can result from both severely frost bitten parts as well as from freezing to death or hypothermia.  Appropriate management can help cattle producers avoid many of these losses for those operations that have calves born during the cold season.

Full Story