Farm Help

In our direct market meat business, it is not uncommon to field questions from customers who are confused regarding dressing percentage and/or the cutting yield of whatever livestock species they are purchasing for meat. Unfortunately, their uncertainty usually stems from inexperience in the process of converting an animal into a carcass and further fabrication into cuts of meat. Many simply do not understand that a rather large amount of the weight of a live animal does not correspondingly end up in a meat case or freezer.

Pasture planning is a 360-day project. What you plan to do next spring needs to be thought of now. How are you going to pay for practices like over seeding? Are there any programs through the USDA or FSA that might allow you to cost-share some of the forage management techniques?

Nowadays, most cattle keepers vaccinate their animals. Most, but not all. Some farmers and ranchers, particularly those who follow organic or holistic protocols, manage to keep their livestock healthy without any vaccinations at all.

When it comes to calving ease, your chances are better if your cow's pelvis is the right size. "The data nationally would indicate still that anywhere from a low of 18 percent to a high of 28 percent of first-calf heifers have to be assisted at calving," David Patterson, professor of animal science and beef reproduction specialist for the University of Missouri Extension said. "And a high percentage of those assisted births are because either the calf is too big or the pelvic area is too small, or it's a combination of the two."

Every farmer knows there are uncontrollable risks when it comes to farming but what farmers may be less familiar with is ways to hedge against those risks. The USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) is designed to help producers manage their business risks through effective, market-based risk management solutions.

Where to Hunt and Fish, LLC, is providing an opportunity for landowners/ranchers to derive income from their land. A new online site is set up to provide a service for landowners to allow hunting and fishing on their property for a fee. Where to Hunt and Fish, LLC, is the brainchild of two young men from Arkansas, Jeremy Schreckhise and Barry Rowton.

If weeds have taken over your pasture, your best bet is to use a weedkiller.

If you own a farm or a small business, you probably know better than anyone how much time and money you have invested in building it.

Although round baleage is becoming a popular method of harvesting and storing forages for dairy and beef producers, dry round bales is still a common method of handling and storing dry forages. Improperly stored round bales can result in substantial losses for the producer. Outside, uncovered storage of round bales is very common. Many times, bales are stored along a fence row. While this method avoids the cost of a storage structure or site preparation, forage losses can be very high. The amount of forage lost during outside storage depends upon several factors, including the duration of storage, precipitation, site drainage, bale density and bale dimensions. Dry matter loss can range from five percent to more than 40 percent. In the Midwest, with storage periods often exceeding several months, forage loss is seldom below 15 percent.

Renewed interest in locally grown, smaller-farmed food has been met by many producers with an increase in gardening, canning, hand-milking and home-processing the foods and products that consumers want. But many farmers are left with the question of, “Where do I market these home grown and homemade products?” Direct marketing is a great answer.