Ozarks Farm & Neighbor Newspaper – written for, by & about farmers

When it comes to weeds, first ask why you care. “Is it for esthetics or the bottom line? If for the bottom line, you often can tolerate a lot of weeds,” Tim Schnakenberg, University of Missouri Extension agronomist, said. He and Wendal Rogers, a Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) grassland conservationist pointed to a field of Red River crabgrass and ryegrass studded with weeds: though the pasture wasn’t pretty, the cattle were eating well. Cattle are Rogers’ preferred weed control.

Legislation to address global climate change squeezed through the U.S. House in June, but action in the Senate has been postponed, and farm interests remain divided on the issue.

Calf prices have been up and down, but the Angus advantage keeps growing, even while supplies of Angus calves increased as a share of all cattle. That’s according to nine years of data in the Pfizer Animal Health-supported analysis of Superior Livestock video auction sales.

Most of tax law is in “grey” areas.  For instance, reasonable people, including those within the IRS bureaucracy, will disagree on what constitutes an “ordinary and necessary” business expense – a big area of tax deductions.

In the last 10 to 12 years we have had a new disease come into our area of northwest Arkansas. It has been traveling east for quite some time. The name of this disease is TRICHOMONIASIS, caused by Trichomonas fetus. This disease causes early embryonic death of the fetus, usually in the first 90 days, but may also cause late-term abortion. This is a true sexually transmitted disease (STD) of cattle. Bulls that are infected with Trich (pronounced 'trick,' short for Trichomoniasis) act and appear normal but they continue to spread the disease. Trichomonas fetus lives in the prepuce of the bull’s penis and is transmitted to the cow during intercourse or breeding. This organism is a protozoon and will live in the prepuce of the bull for the rest of his life and for up to four to six months in the cranial vault of the vagina of the cow.

Name:  Matthew Wise
Family:  Dad, Gary; mom, Elizabeth; twin sisters, Rachel and Rebecca
Clubs/Associations:  Live Wire 4-H, FFA, State FFA, Junior Ambassador at Arkansas State Fair