Ag-Visors

Most think of barns, homes and grain bins when the word “construction” is used. I would argue, however, that the same term, when broken down to its basic definition, can be used in regards to our cattle herds. Merriam Webster defines construction as “the process or art of construction something.” To construct is defined as “to make or form by combining or arranging parts or elements.” Further definition of the word “build” is “to develop according to a systematic plan, by a definite process, or on a particular base or foundation.”

Most think of barns, homes and grain bins when the word “construction” is used. I would argue, however, that the same term, when broken down to its basic definition, can be used in regards to our cattle herds. Merriam Webster defines construction as “the process or art of construction something.” To construct is defined as “to make or form by combining or arranging parts or elements.” Further definition of the word “build” is “to develop according to a systematic plan, by a definite process, or on a particular base or foundation.”

And we are already into April for 2017. This means breeding season is about to start again. And we need to think about getting our bulls tested again. Well, I had him tested when I got him one to five years ago and he was good then, so he should be good now, right? No, no, no. Bulls can go bad and start shooting blanks at any time. If they get a small case of foot rot and spike a fever, it could make them sterile. We could have damage to the epididymis or testicle. We could also just have something wrong with the making of sperm or swimmers and they are not growing right. Any of these could become a problem. And we could also have infectious problems; such as Trich, prostatitis, epididymitis, just to name a few.

The current commodity environment has presented some challenges for all agricultural producers. The further entrenched we get into the current price cycle, the more likely it will be that land sales will continue to increase. For producers that took advantage of the highs a few years ago and socked away cash or reduced their debt load, you may have an opportunity to increase your operation through additional land purchases. Whether you find out about these properties through personal communications with the seller or through auction notices, you will need to be ready to act fairly quickly when opportunities arise.

The current commodity environment has presented some challenges for all agricultural producers. The further entrenched we get into the current price cycle, the more likely it will be that land sales will continue to increase. For producers that took advantage of the highs a few years ago and socked away cash or reduced their debt load, you may have an opportunity to increase your operation through additional land purchases. Whether you find out about these properties through personal communications with the seller or through auction notices, you will need to be ready to act fairly quickly when opportunities arise.