Farm Help

Alfalfa weevils have increased to threatening levels in central and northern Missouri, said a University of Missouri Extension entomologist. What does this mean for southwest Missouri farmers? Farmers should scout fields for signs of damage so weevil populations can be managed now.

For many farmers, tedding is a necessary evil requiring extra time and money in terms of labor and fuel costs. But a close examination of tedding and tedding equipment proves the process not only offsets the cost, but helps farmers produce quality hay that can be sold at a higher price.

June is National Safety Month, and this year the theme is Make A Difference.
Mike Mulhall, Director of the Occupational Department at the Springfield office, handles varied facets of this program, in Southwest Missouri. He said, "Throughout June, the 2008 National Safety Month program will deal with basic reasons for unintentional deaths and injuries that occur in workplaces and on roads and in homes and communities across America."

The effects of flooding on pastureland can be costly in terms of time, money and production. There are tips, though, to protecting your land from streambank erosion, as well as remedying current erosion problems.

Those tiny flies that stay put on the cattle, unless disturbed, could be causing more trouble than it appears. Horn flies, about 3/16” long, usually rest head down, often with wings in the delta position, on the back, sides or belly of cattle. A horn fly has piercing, sucking mouth parts and can take 20 to 40 blood meals per day. The horn fly will not bite man, but will feed on horses, sheep or dogs, without establishing a breeding population, until cattle are available.

When the pocketbook gets thin sometimes the first thing to get scrimped is the livestock’s diet. We glean a little bit more from the hay, a little bit more from the field, and supplementing becomes less of a priority. Whether it’s time or money that’s running low, how long can the cattle really go, lacking some of those essential nutrients, and still produce?

Acreek running along your property is almost a guarantee that the land next to it will encounter flooding at some point in time. The effects of flooding on pastureland can be costly in terms of time, money and production. There are tips, though, to protecting your land from streambank erosion, as well as remedying current erosion problems.
Prevention is the top solution to the erosion problem, and really the only factor a person can control. As the saying goes, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” The chief protective measure to preventing streambank erosion is to maintain a zone of trees, or a riparian zone, along the streambank. Riparian areas are a best management practice (BMP), reduce nutrient and sediment runoff, provide a wildlife habitat and maintain streambank integrity.

Producers use a rotational grazing system to keep pastures in better condition, and electric fencing is often used to effectively keep animals in specific areas.

The hype is definitely around us. The idea of being “green” is in ad campaigns and merchandise sold everywhere. No doubt, as farmers, we love the land as much, or more than anyone. But in hard economic times, where is the value in “going green?”

Depending on whether you’re looking at a new hay barn, a machine shop or a livestock shelter, you will be analyzing totally different types of structures and the location can vary greatly. Analyzing use and need must be the first step when planning a structure. If the “barn” will be a hay barn in the back, a machine shop in the front, and could even end up as a bottle calf shelter in harsh weather, doors, windows and preservation factors must also go into the planning process.