Farm Help

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) offers several programs to help landowners address natural resource concerns related to pasture management. NRCS grassland specialists and conservation planners work with farmers on resource assessments of pastures to help design effective grazing systems. All owners and managers of private grazing land are eligible to receive technical assistance from NRCS.

It was a tough summer for Southern Plains livestock producers, many of whom were faced with a problem that had no solution. The historic drought left pastures barren and forage supplies scarce.

Producers must keep track of their costs. This was the shared sentiment between Logan Wallace, livestock specialist with the University of Missouri Extension and Brian See, agriculture agent with the University of Arkansas.

An early November announcement by the Japanese government could be good news for a lot of U.S. cattle producers… but bad news for a few.

When it comes to blanketing your horse during colder temperatures the first question should be, should you even blanket your horse? Dr. Martha Rasch, clinical instructor and equine ambulatory specialist at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine, suggests you should observe the overall comfort of the animal and use that as a gauge. “When horses are blanketed prematurely, they will often start sweating or even panting underneath the blanket,” she added. “A horse should never be over-blanketed because the sweat will actually often make them colder overall.”

"Farmers and ranchers use a variety of small engine equipment daily,” said Mark Larose, service manager at S&H Farm Supply, Rogersville, Mo. “ATVs, UTVs, chainsaws, log splitters, chippers and a variety of lawn equipment keep a farm running.”

Regular maintenance is crucial in order to get your diesel engine to last. Although, diesel engines tend to last longer without major repairs than gasoline engines, they do require regular maintenance mostly in the form of frequent oil and filter changes.

With cold weather coming, it’s a good idea before you put machinery away for the winter to check the antifreeze. Even if you’re not sure you’ve got it.

To keep farm equipment running during the winter, one thing to remember – is that it’s winter. “A lot of times, they forget about shutting off the A/C unit,” explained Gary Busselman of S&H Farm Supply in Lockwood, Mo. “They contradict each other when you'd rather have heat and the A/C is still running; there's a valve on some units that will have to be shut off.”