Farm Help

Cold weather means different feed needs, and Ronnie Edwards, manager of Powell Feed & Pet Supply in Harrison, Ark, counsels his customers to take heed of their animals’ requirements.

Managing the health needs of an entire herd of cattle can be a challenging endeavor.

The cash generated from selling off cattle may be counted as taxable income unless farmers take advantage of tax laws allowing up to a $500,000 deduction for qualifying equipment such as livestock handling equipment, hay trailers, fencing and corral materials. Currently, the $500,000 is scheduled to drop to $125,000 in 2012, thus it is important to act in 2011.

Over the past 10 years farms are learning to diversify through incorporating agritourism, where farmers open their gates to tourists. Types of agritourism include corn mazes, pumpkin patches, hosting a farm dinner using local products, cutting down a Christmas tree on a farm, you-pick berry operations, wineries and educational farms to name a few.

Most southern growers don’t apply hay preservation chemicals to their forage crops; it’s generally not cost effective, Darren Redfearn, Oklahoma State University professor in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences and forage specialist for Oklahoma Cooperative Extension, told Ozarks Farm & Neighbor. However, there are times when the antimicrobials can help save a crop.