OFN October 19, 2020

OCTOBER 19, 2020 • 24 PAGES

VOLUME 14, NUMBER 12 • WWW.OZARKSFN.COM

AG MARKETING • PRODUCTION SALE

Eared Cattle and Broilers Producing in Harmony with Nature Bluff Top Farm believes livestock and wildlife can coexist

Rodent Control on the Farm

As winter approaches, mice and rats are looking for new homes

Will Chaney’s farm supports two operations in Green Forest, Ark.

Careers with Cattle Scottie and Kristi Smith are part owners in Fort Smith Stockyards and run their own cattle herd

rumor mill

Higgis hired by Arkansas Farm Bureau: Arkansas Farm Bureau has hired Jenny Higgs as a digital production specialist. Higgs will work with the public relations team to produce videos, podcasts, graphics and social media content that highlights the importance of Arkansas agriculture. Higgs, of Conway, Ark., was previously special events coordinator at the Arkansas Foodbank, where she oversaw major fundraising events and produced photos, videos and social media content to promote the organization and its mission. Higgs earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arkansas and a master’s degree in sports management from California State University, Long Beach. After earning her masters, Higgs worked for a number of wellknown organizations in California, such as the Tiger Woods Foundation, the U.S. Soccer Federation and Discovery Communications. She also played a key role in the Special Olympics World Games held in Los Angeles in 2015.

The Ozarks Most Read Farm Newspaper

OCTOBER 19, 2020

Oklahoma Farm Bureau moves to virtual convention: The Oklahoma Farm Bureau board of directors voted to cancel the organization’s in-person 2020 annual meeting and host a virtual business meeting. With the health and safety of Farm Bureau leaders, members and staff in mind, the virtual business meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 5. “The Farm Bureau convention is always a highlight of the year for our organization and members,” OKFB President Rodd Moesel said. “But as we considered the safety and health of our members and staff, the increasing uncertainty of hosting large group meetings and the ever-changing realities of life in a global pandemic, we feel it is in the best interest of our organization to proceed with caution and care for our Farm Bureau family.” Each Farm Bureau district will host an optional in-person gathering for members to participate in the virtual business meeting together in a safe and socially-distant manner.

The meeting also will be streamed online for members who choose not to attend the in-person district gatherings.

Know a Good Rumor?

OzarksFarm @OzarksFarm

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Do you have a rumor you would like to share with our readers? Mail them to: PO Box 1514, Lebanon, MO 65536; fax them to: 417-532-4721; or email them to: editor@ozarksfn.com

VOL. 14, NO. 12

JUST A THOUGHT

3 Jerry Crownover – Appropriations and Misappropriations

4 5

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Grants announced: The Arkansas Department of Agriculture is pleased to announce the recipients of the $5 million in funding provided by the Arkansas CARES Act Steering Committee and the Arkansas Legislative Council for the Arkansas Meat Processing Grant Program. Recipients in the Ozarks include: B&R Meat Processing (Winslow), Cypress Valley Meat Company (Pottsville), JD Custom Meat Processing (Greenwood), Key’s Family Butcher Shop (Van Buren), Miller’s Quality Processors of Arkansas (Dardanelle), Natural State Processing (Clinton), Ramsey’s Red River Smokehouse (Judsonia) and Tilton’s Processing (Harrison).

Scholarships awarded: The Arkansas Farm Bureau Scholarship Foundation Committee recently announced recipients of the $3,000 Farm Bureau scholarships. Scholarship recipients from the Ozarks for the 2020-21 school year include: Sara Gardner of Fayetteville (University of Arkansas at Fayetteville) and Kacey Williams of Greenbrier (Arkansas Tech University).

Jacob Hollaway of Griffithville (Arkansas State University) received the Leo Sutterfield Scholarship.

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Jody Harris – Family, Farm and Fun Julie Turner-Crawford – Lessons from the pandemic

MEET YOUR NEIGHBORS

7 The Smiths are cattle producers, as well as part owners in a livestock market

10 14

8

Will Chaney mixes cow/calf pairs and broiler production

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Eye on Agribusiness spotlights Midwest Equipment

10

Former jail facility is transformed into a museum

11

Town & County features Chris and Brooklyn Heiser

14

Bluff Top Farm leaves room for wildlife

16 17

Couple moves their farm and herd Youth in Agriculture highlights Sean “Wyatt” Brister

FARM HELP 18 Planning for retirement

16

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

19

Getting ready for calving season

20 21

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ultural appropriation (or misappropriation) has become a “big thing” in recent months. Loosely defined, the term refers to one culture of people adopting the culture revofonfashion, worC ystyle, rreJ yB of another people in terms language, appearance and/or mannerisms.

Examples of cultural appropriation that have made the Jerry Crownover is news of late, and created meltdowns on social media, are: a farmer and former a professor at a major university who pretended to be Afprofessor of Agriculture rican-American for enough years to become a leading Education at Missouri authority on Black studies and a leading activist in the State University. He is a minority community; the use of Native American headnative of Baxter County, dresses by people with little to no Native American ancesArkansas, and an try; white, female celebrities wearing hairstyles that have author and professional traditionally been associated with minority women; and speaker. To contact Jerry, the list goes on. go to ozarksfn.com and Parents are cautioned to refrain from dressing their kids click on ‘Contact Us.’ up in Halloween costumes that might represent the kid as being from a culture other than their own, because of the threat of offending someone from that culture. I certainly hope I did not offend any ghosts when I was a child.

Evidently, many Scottish people are offended when people without a Scottish heritage choose to wear a Scottish kilt as a costume. Since I’ve never had the urge to wear a skirt, I think I’m pretty safe from ever committing that offense. Even people from the areas of Polynesia now take offense if you wear bright, floral designed shirts. Again, I’m safe.

In retrospect of my life, I guess I did, inadvertently, culturally misappropriate at one point.

About 45 years ago, I decided to get a curly perm in my hair. Even though I was trying to look like the singer and performer Mac Davis (he seemed to have no problem in attracting women), too many people were coming up to me and telling me I looked just like Jesse Jackson.

My bad and I apologize to anyone I may have offended.

— Continued on Page 6

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Editorial Julie Turner-Crawford, Managing Editor Jerry Crownover, Columnist Jody Harris, Columnist Production Amanda Newell, Production Contributors Ashley Durbin, Klaire Howerton and Terry Ropp

About the Cover Will Chaney, pictured with his wife Phylicia, combines cattle and poultry production. See more on page 8.

Photo by Terry Ropp Ozarks Farm & Neighbor accepts story suggestions from readers. Story information appears as gathered from interviewees. Ozarks Farm & Neighbor assumes no responsibility for the credibility of statements made by interviewees. © Copyright Ozarks Farm & Neighbor, Inc., 2020. All rights reserved. Printed in USA.

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Got a Great Holiday Recipe?

OFN is looking for recipes to feature in the Annual Country Christmas Cookbook. If you have a holiday recipe you would like to share with our readers, please send it in and get enter for a chance to win a free cookbook*

Freshly Picked

By Jody Harris

F

all is a favorite season for gathering. Even though gatherings may look a bit different this year, life must go on.

Our family traveled up to Iowa for a wedding Jody Harris is a freelance last month. It is one of the most spectacular times communications specialist, of the year in farm country. The John Deere combines hargardener, ranch wife and vesting the corn and bean fields were excellent entertainmother of four. She and ment on the drive up to our family’s farm. My daughter her family raise Angus beef said the harvested corn smell was amazing – not sure if she cattle and other critters on knew it was feed corn, though. their northwest Arkansas After our cousin’s wedding was postponed this summer, ranch. She is a graduate we were all looking forward to celebrating a special day of Missouri State University. with the bride, groom and their families. We drove our To contact Jody, go to RV up from Arkansas and enjoyed camping on our family’s ozarksfn.com and click on century farm for the weekend. There were lots of aunts, ‘Contact Us.’ uncles and cousins to see and visit with. Going back to the farm where my grandparents raised their children is one of my favorite things to do.

The best thing about rural small-town weddings – they are like a big family reunion. The wedding took place in the same church many of our family members have been married in. It is old and lovely. The wedding party climbed aboard a hay wagon and traveled through town being pulled by a pick-up truck after the ceremony. We met up with the wedding party at a local establishment and the celebration began. We ended up in the same ballroom where many wedding dinners and dances had taken place before. I am a sucker for traditions and nostalgia.

Once we got back home, we began our own version of harvesting and gathering. My husband is busy getting the last of the hay brought in from fields. He is also delivering hay to neighbors as they prepare for winter weather. We have been rotating cattle and horses to different pastures to make sure each of them has enough grass. The days are getting shorter and winter days are looming up ahead.

A person can get really worked up over all the things we will miss due to COVID-19 cancelations this season. Instead, I can count my blessings – baseball games to watch, cross country meets, car races, dancing and more with each of our children. The weather is lovely and it’s always a perfect time for a trail ride. Our children are looking forward to a Halloween bonfire at the farm since trick-or-treating looks unlikely to happen this year.

I am hoping to take a fall drive on our country roads to watch the changing leaves and enjoying some pumpkin-spiced anything this month. We are so close to not having to mow our yard for a few months, I know our children are looking forward to that too.

As you gather with your friends and family during this beautiful season of autumn, I hope you have an opportunity to celebrate the harvest, neighbor.

Did You Know?

Agriculture and forestry use more than 95 percent of

PO Box 1514 • Lebanon, MO 65536 editor@ozarksfn.com * No Purchase Necessary

4

Arkansas’ land resources. There are 14.5 million acres of farmland, 6.2 million acres of crops, 8.3 million acres of livestock and hay, and 18.8 million acres of forest.

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

OCTOBER 19, 2020

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Know a Good Recipe? Send in your favorite recipe to share with our readers. Mail them to: PO Box 1514, Lebanon, MO 65536; fax them to: 417-532-4721; or email them to: editor@ozarksfn.com

OCTOBER 19, 2020

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he COVID pandemic has changed how we do many day-to-day things. We can’t go anywhere without being asked to wear a mask, and a night on the town may be a burger from a fast-food joint Julie Turner-Crawford while sitting in your vehicle in the parking lot. is a native of Dallas Many of us had a round of “telecommuting” in the spring.

County, Mo., where she I joke that I always wanted to be a stay-at-home dog mom, grew up on her family’s but after a couple of months of not seeing anyone but the farm. She is a graduate dog and the old cat all day, every day made me a little stir of Missouri State crazy. A trip to the gas station in Conway, Mo., for a large University. To contact fountain drink of Diet Coke was a great adventure. I think Julie, call 1-866-532-1960 the dog and cat even got tired of me being at home. When or by email at editor@ I got “the call” to go back to the office, my computer, phone ozarksfn.com. and other items were packed and loaded. I needed to get back on the road and back to a routine.

I’m thankful I don’t have kids living at home to worry about balancing my job with making sure they get their at-home lessons completed. I don’t know how working parents do it, so kudos to those who are making it through.

The COVID panic caused a great deal of uncertainty in our markets, and there were claims of “shortages” of meat and other food products. Food pantries across the country saw more assistance requests, and limits were placed on products like milk and eggs. Meanwhile, producers and feedyards were holding animals with nowhere to go, buyers weren’t buying more cattle, milk was dumped, and poultry and swine barns were depopulated, thanks to the shutdown of processing facilities in the wake of the pandemic.

Suddenly, consumers started to realize they may have to look elsewhere for food. Farmers and ranchers became the good guys, not the scoundrels they are often portrayed as in the

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Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

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LOOKING FOR FREELANCE WRITERS just a thought Experience in agriculture preferred, but not required. Some photography skills needed. Freelancers should have excellent organizational and time management skills, the ability to produce feature stories following AP style and the guidelines of OFN. Freelancers should have a strong initiative, be able to meet deadlines and follow through with projects. Please send writing samples and a resume to julie@ozarksfn.com.

COMPRESSION ANALGESIA

WEE

EARLY CASTRATION

DELAYED CASTRATION

Continued from Previous Page mainstream media and by anti-agriculture activists.

Consumers have long taken farmers and ranchers for granted, and the thought of there not being food in the grocery store has been somewhat of a blessing to some in the agricultural industry. Panicked people who never thought about purchasing directly from farmers were getting on social media pages and websites looking for meat, milk and eggs, or animals to process. I have talked with several producers who offer meat and other products from their farms, and they are still working hard to keep up with consumer demand.

There has been a tremendous boom for local meat processors. Most are booked through sometime next year. There have been federal funds allocated in the region for inspected and custom processing facilities to increase processing capabilities – great news for those business owners.

With the outbreak of COVID, millions of people had time on their hands and wanted to grow a garden and learn food preservation.

It’s a good thing I have a bunch of canning

jars I have saved over the years, and I tend to hoard rings and flats when I see them on clearance, so I had enough to get my few batches sealed up.

I think, and hope, the “food shortage” is behind us. According to the Food and Drug Administration, inventory reduction is because more people looking to buy in bulk and stock up, not because of an actual food chain shortage.

Things are maybe returning to “normal” on the food front, but I hope consumers remember the lessons from earlier this year. Perhaps they will remember that farmers, not grocery stores, are the ones who feed the world.

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As most of you know, I am a cattleman.

What many of you don’t know (especially if you are a non-cattleman) is that we are a culture of our own. I can usually identify a cattleman from the ground up. Although there are always exceptions, almost all of us wear boots – work boots for everything other than funerals, weddings and the annual mountain oyster feed at the cattleman’s association. Wrangler, cowboy-cut jeans are next – but there are exceptions to this rule, based on the wearer’s age and weight. Shirts, with a button-down collar, top off the wardrobe. Plaid patterns are the norm (our apologies to the Scots and Irish), but solid colors are permitted. The headwear

must be either a cowboy hat (straw from Memorial Day to Labor Day, felts any other time) or a cap that was given to him by the sale barn, feed store, implement dealer or animal pharmaceutical company. If he bought it, it’s probably a NASCAR cap.

In this era of seemingly everyone being so easily offended, I’m writing this column to serve as fair warning. The next time I see someone wearing my culture’s official uniform, they damned well better have some livestock back on the farm, or I’m going to be immensely offended.

Heck, I may even take to social media to demand an apology to me and all my fellow

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Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

OCTOBER 19, 2020

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Careers with Cattle

By Terry Ropp

Scottie and Kristi Smith are part owners in Fort Smith Stockyards and run their own cattle herd Scottie and Kristi Smith grew up in agricultural families. change bulls every two to three years. When purchasing new bulls, the Kristi was raised on her family farm where they produced chick- most important criteria are good milk numbers, strong weaning and en, beef, soybeans, strawberries, squash and wheat. A distinguish- yearling weights and good conformation.

The Smiths use both fall and spring calving, with three quarters of the ing feature of that farm was having broiler, breeding, and laying calves being fall calves. “There’s no real reason for more fall calves. hen houses at the same time.

Scottie grew up on a cattle ranch and remembers going to sale barns It just happened that way,” Scottie said.

Calves are worked once or twice before weaning, which occurs at 6 with his dad Danny and credits his dad for teaching him everything he knows about cattle. Young Scottie believed he should go with his dad or 7 months of age. They receive 4 to 5 pounds of a 13-percent protein every single time and wasn’t very happy if his dad went without him. grain ration before being sold 60 to 90 days after weaning. Cows and Scottie and Kristi attended the same high school and recenlty cel- bulls receive grain in the winter.

The Smiths follow a strong health protocol. They frequently douebrated their 30th wedding anniversary. The couple have a daughter Submitted Photos ble worm cattle and Breanna, a son Chanrotate the method and dler, and grandchildren the product to ensure Rosslyn and Jimmy. efficacy. One practice In addition, the Fort that contributes to herd Smith Stockyards is health is bringing in very part of a three-way famfew outside cattle. Anily partnership. Business other is using Purina 12has grown under the 12 free-choice loose minnew ownership, which eral and making sure to Scottie feels is due to have a high-magnesium new blood and ideas enmixture in the spring. ergized by the purchase.

The land is fertilized About a year ago, with a commercial fertilScottie and Kristi sold izer and treated for weeds their farm in Yellville, at the same time with Ark., and moved to spot spraying for thistles Westville, Okla., to be an ongoing process. closer to the sale barn “Scottie loves to ferbusiness. They settled tilize because he knows on Kristi’s inheritance Scottie and Kristi Smith moved to doing so provides the share of the 340 acres Westville, Okla., about a year ago. good grass cattle need,” her dad and mom, ArAt their farm, they run a commercial Kristi explained. “He lene and Danny Chancattle operation. would love to run a set dler, purchased during of yearlings. but we are the mid-1970s. Though too busy now to do that.

Danny Chandler retains ownership of part of the land, Scottie and Kristi use all of it for their Between the cattle and the sale barn, time is our biggest challenge.”

Granddaughter Rosslyn lived with Scottie and Kristi for two commercial cattle herd. years. Rosslyn knows every cow by sight and They have 110 mostly Angus-cross cows, names them all. Rosslyn’s cow Mitten recenwhich are bred by one registered Angus bull ty had a calf. Rosslyn is so involved with the and two registered Hereford bulls. Females Westville, Okla. herd, Scottie and Kristi called her at school are culled when they don’t raise a good calf, get too much to let her know the calf had been born. age or skip a cycle.

“None of this would work without Kristi,” The couple want to have a cross on the Angus cows and Scott said. “She keeps me in line and knows use the Hereford bulls to raise black baldies as a way of taking how to do it.” advantage of Hereford’s larger and more muscular frame. They OCTOBER 19, 2020

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Eared Cattle and Broilers

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Will Chaney’s farm supports two operations in Green Forest, Ark. Will Chaney of Green Forest, Ark., is one of those men who maintains good relationships with many successful farmers and listens carefully to what each has to say before developing his own system.

Will grew up on the family homestead and bought his first cow/calf pair when he was 15 using an Farm Serice Agency student loan. Will has Beefmaster and Tigerstripe cows he crosses back with six rotating Mead Angus bulls from Versailles, Mo. He believes the combination produces good commercial calves, which he sells straight off the cow at Cattlemen’s Livestock Auction in Harrison, Ark. Will prefers the combination of the Beefmasters and Tigerstripe females because they offer hardiness, longevity and good maternal traits, while the Angus bulls provide what the market wants. An additional advantage is that the Tigerstripe are also “high-headed” enough to handle predators. To make working the cattle safe, Will developed a pen system with 6-foottall panels and additional supports 3-feet deep in the ground.

“When I was a youngster, we used to round up the cattle using dirt bikes and four-wheelers,” Will said. “One day, a 600-pound bull calf took my dirt bike out from under me, and I must’ve looked like a rodeo clown using a barrel to keep a bull away. That was a lesson well learned and the reason four the stout working pens.”

Will purchased the 300-acre family homestead from his grandfather. Years later, 90-year-old neighbor Clifford Fultz

8

Will Chaney, pictured with his wife Phylicia, lease and own more than 800 acers, where they raise cattle and grow broilers.

asked if Will would be willing to lease half to the broiler houses using Google Earth. of his land and purchase half of his herd of Will expressed an interest and gave perCharolais, Salers and Limousin. He want- mission for them to come back the next ed Will to retain his genetics because he day to explore the site. They returned wanted to keep the other half of his cows. with two brand-new excavators and four Will now leases the entire 560 acres from men. They planted dynamite charges in Clifford’s widow Ruth and owns the en- the area. Needless to say, Will was worried tire herd. about his chickens who were due to be out “Clifford liked the exotic European breeds, in three days. He posted someone in each but I prefer a little ear,” Will explained. house before the explosion. However, the The philosophy behind almost every- miners were equally aware of the situation thing Will does is minimizing inputs in and had it in hand. What sounded like one any way he can. Years ago, Mike Armitage boom but was really numerous buried extold Will he should never starve the profit plosions only milliseconds apart. The conout of a cow. Consequently, in addition to sequences were the chickens didn’t even baling 100 round bales of hay for use when raise their heads, and a deal was made with grass is not completely gone in early win- Will sharing in the profits. ter, Will also grows his own silage, using While COVID-19 has temporarily put hay and corn raised on the Fultz acreage the operation on hold, Will expects miners combined with additives like cottonseed back when the situation is more resolved. meal. The resulting silage is Will has since developed his stored in a unique pit. unique silage pit. He believed Green Forest, Ark. One day, two men came up a problem with silage was it to him while he was working rested on the ground. He used on the farm and explained boulders from the mining operthat they mined sandstone and ation and put them together to they had found a very promismake a floor and places the silage on ing spot on his farm very near top. He then seals it with a tarp held Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

in place by some of the sand so that no air can get into it.

Will raises 52-day, 7 1/4-pound broilers with a 21-day period between flocks. Each house contains 31,000 chickens. In keeping with his philosophy of careful input management and his defining character trait of precision in everything, Will maintains his own chicken houses by doing the de-caking, windrowing and cleanouts. An example of his attention to detail is that during cleanouts, he uses a leaf blower on all of the equipment in order to increase longevity.

The process also provides disease control since no outsiders ever enter. Not that long ago, Tyson relaxed its restriction of one cleanout per year. Will’s attention to detail makes cleaning out every two years very workable. Blake Moore, his much-appreciated full-time employee, spends most of his time working in the chicken houses.

Will and his wife Phylicia are the parents of Piper, 7, and Parker, 11, with a new family member on the way. Will has just completed a new home for the family, using a variety of woods from his farm, including self-milled cedar, persimmons, walnut and alder.

OCTOBER 19, 2020

eye on

agri-business

FINANCING AVAILABLE

meeting the needs of farmers

Midwest Equipment

HORSE BARNS

GARAGES

WORK SHOPS

By Terry Ropp

HAY BARNS

“We Custom Build To Fit Your Needs”

Location: Harrison, Ark.

BradfordBuildings.com • 877-303-3737

Owners: Justin and Jennifer Wilson Branch manager: Kenny Villines (pictured) History: “Midwest Equipment was founded

by Justin and Jennifer Wilson in 2016 in Green Forest, Ark. At the time, they not only sold equipment but also rented out tractors and construction equipment. In 2018, they eliminated the rental business because sales and service took over the business,” said Harrison branch manager Kenny Villines.The company’s driving force is personalized customer service, including quickly returning phone calls and prompt response to service needs. In April, the Wilson’s opened up a new branch in Bentonville. I began working for Midwest Equipment at the Green Forest branch in 2017, but moved to Harrison to serve as branch manager. I hired a staff who is made up of one salesperson, two mechanics, one parts person, a service technician and a secretary.”

Wholesale Seed Division

417-725-3512 • 1-800-648-7379 Wt. Lbs.

60 COMMON SENSE, 3-WAY BLEND

Bag Lb.

3.06 2.86

Haygrazer, Cimarron & Liberty, Inoc/Not Coated

50 GENUITY-ROUNDUP READY®,

7.48

L446RR Coated 65% Pure 50 HAYGRAZER, Cert. Inoc/Not Coated 90% 2.96 50 CIMARRON-VL400, Cert. Inoc/Not Coated 90% 2.96

GRAINS

Photo by Terry Ropp

Hesston haying equipment. The Hesston line includes equipment for small and large square bales, round bales from 3-foot-by-4-foot to 5-by-6-foot, tedders, disc mowers and mower conditioners. We also sell U.S.-made Spartan and Gravely zero-turn mowers ranging from a residential 34-inch size to commercial 72-inch mowers. We also carry AGCO fluids and parts. Woods implements rounds out our equipment inventory. These implements include, brush hogs, box blades and rototillers. We do maintain a small inventory of preowned equipment for farmers wanting to go that route. We service what we sell and keep a full line of parts, with our service technician ready to help determine what is needed. Our inventory meets most customers’ needs. However, if something needs to be ordered, delivery takes one to five days. Some customers have us pick up their equipment and bring it in, while others bring equipment in themselves. Because of the coronavirus, a growing number prefer having parts drop-shipped to their location and then complete the repairs themselves. Others prefer for us to complete the repair on site. Therefore, we have a service truck and one full-time mechanic who travels within the area to complete repairs. Finally, some fixes, such as splitting a tractor apart, need to be done here. Consequently, our second mechanic stays here and completes equipment repairs in our shop. Those who bring equipment in can pick it up themselves or have us deliver.”

Philosophy and future: “Customer service is our highest priority so we pride ourselves on being reliable and prompt. Farming is time-sensitive, and customers don’t have the time to wait for lengthy repairs or slow responses to queries. We also believe in selling American – made products as much as possible. We have been very successful here in Harrison with space already a pressing issue, which means facility expansion is likely in our near future.”

Custom Mix

Bag

50 COLDGRAZER RYE,

+$1 bg 16.98

50 50 50 50

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Wt. Lbs. Stain Cross Cereal Grain

Products and Services: “We sell 23 hp to 130 hp Massey Ferguson tractors, as well as

OCTOBER 19, 2020

Bulk Lb.

ALFALFA

TRITICALE, Fridge TRITICALE, TriCal 348, Sept. 10 WHEAT-FORAGE MAXX, WHEAT-TRUMAN,

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GRAIN ADDITIVES

50 50 50 50 50 50

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Disease + Drought Resistant

50 POTOMAC, Disease Resistant 50 HULLED ORCHARD, VNS

18.94 19.95 11.74 15.85

$ Lb.

0.79 2.04 1.76 1.88 1.68 1.98

Bag Lb.

0.59 1.84 1.56 1.68 1.48 1.88

Add a Legume Germ $ Lb.

90% 2.26 90% 2.56 90% 1.98 85% 2.64

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Add a Legume Germ $ Lb.

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63% Endophyte-Free KY-31 Fescue, 14% Hulled Orchard Grass, 19% Best-For Plus Ryegrass & 4% Timothy 25 BAR OPTIMA E34, Friendly Endophyte, Sept. 5 ASK 25 MAX Q II TEXOMA, Friendly Endophyte, Sept. 5 ASK 25 ESTANCIA, Friendly Endophyte, Sept. 5 ASK

FIELD GRASSES

Germ

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$ Lb.

0.66 0.66

50 BROME - SMOOTH, “Southland”

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50 TIMOTHY, Horse Approved 50 BEST-FOR PLUS

90% 1.18 90% 1.16

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510 W Mt Vernon, Nixa, MO 65714

nixahardware.com

Nixa Hardware Company warrants to the extent of the purchase price that seeds sold are as described on the container within recognized tolerances. Seller gives no other or further warranty expressed or implied. Prices/Germination subject to change without notice. We reserve the right to limit quantities.

SAVE YOUR SEED SAMPLE

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

SUBJECT TO PRIOR SALE

9

ozarks

roots

the people, places and traditions that make the ozarks home

Old Jail Serves as a Reminder of History

By Terry Ropp

Logan County, Ark., group maintains a museum that continues to evolve In 1871, a small log building serving as the first Logan County, Ark., county jail was built on Red Bench where the county seat remained for only a year.

This area is approximately six miles southeast of Paris, Ark. The consensus was that the area needed defined county boundaries.

A commission was formed and tasked with locating the county seat and taking steps to develop the area. The commission had chosen an area called Ellsworth, east of Subiaco, though many disagreed. After an election in 1874, the county seat moved to Paris and led to the construction of a new log jail just north of the current Paris square. However, that building started to deteriorate with “bandaid” solutions helping until 1886 when a larger, more modern facility was needed.

New information about this third jail was discovered by retired nun Sister Hildegard, who volunteers as an archivist at the Logan County “Old Jail” Museum and serves as the association’s president. When going through boxes of stored and forgotten items, she came across information that indicated the third location near the courthouse. That building was used as a jail until 1903.

Records indicate stones from the third jail were used to construct the foundation for the new one, a brick two-story duplex located high on a hill so that confined prisoners would be well above street level.

The facility housed prisoners until 1971 when it was considered no longer adequate and unsafe for prisoners. A gallows was reconstructed next to the jail as part of the museum’s development when a committee made up of Extension Homemakers’ Club members received approval for developing the museum. The group eventually became the Logan County Museum Association.

Amber Mikles serves as the LCMA treasurer and works as the librarian at the Gattis Logan County Library. In one of those twists that only history can create, her husband Eric’s third great-grandfather, James Garner, was the first Logan County Sheriff and among the most notable of the county’s historical figures.

An important figure in the jail’s history is Arthur Tillman who was the last legally hung person in Arkansas. Perhaps working as a local hired hand, he and Amanda Stephens

10

were sweethearts who used to leave notes hidden on a road.

One day, Amanda was found in the bottom of an old well covered with rocks. Closer examination proved as she had been shot in the head with a .22 and was pregnant. Arrested in 1913 for murder and several appeals later, Arthur was found guilty and hung on July 4, 1914.

“Time sometimes brings new opinions,” Amber explained.

“Because of a lack of hard evidence, some now speculate one of the parents or another relative may have actually committed the crime.”

The museum is filled with a variety of displays. Most have been created by museum director Jeanne Reynolds. Upon entering, an array of 18 photos of the 23 Logan County sheriffs demands attention. Amber recently found another photo, that of W. C. McCubbin, who served as sheriff just prior to J. P. Grady for two years.

Other displays include jail-related exhibits, the history of old schools with memorabilia, and railroad development, including artifacts such as a railroad tie. Equally important is a display of the old Smith Hospital containing paintings of the old doctors, medical equipment and logbooks.

Funds for the museum come from a small county stipend used to help with supplies and repairs, membership dues at different levels, donations and fundraisers. The biggest fundraiser of the year takes place just prior to Halloween and is entitled Logan County’s Hayride through History.

Visitors climb into a hay wagon where they are greeted by a museum narrator dressed in period clothing who introduces the visitors to various historical personalities with the roster changing annually.

In a process known as living history, these personalities or “spirits” come out of hiding and share their stories. Some of the previous personalities have been Dizzy and Daffy Dean of baseball fame and the notorious Belle Starr. Other fundraising efforts typically include participating in Springtime in Paris, a July 4 Patriotic Program including a free lunch, and Frontier Day in early October with reenactments, shootouts and putting someone in jail.

Unfortunately, the coronavirus has eliminated these programs this year which has Amber looking at a variety of grants to help with the shortfall.

Photos by Terry Ropp

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

OCTOBER 19, 2020

town &

country

in the field and in the office

Chris and Brooklyn Heiser

By Terry Ropp

Hometown: Lamar, Ark. In Town: “Brooklyn is the town side of our household. She has worked for my folks, Greg and Marie Heiser, since 2011 by managing the dining area and helping with the waitstaff in their Lamar, Ark., restaurant Sweet Treats,” Chris Heiser said. “Brooklyn also runs the family’s event center behind the restaurant.”

In the Country: “Brooklyn and I have a cow/calf operation. In addition to having acreage of our own, we also use family land in addition to leased hay fields for a total of 175 acres. My wife’s grandparents, Dannie and Judy Wilkins, started building chicken houses in 1965. Her grandfather has since passed so her father Marty Wilkins oversees the 11-house Photo by Terry Ropp operation in terms of paying the bills and managing cash flow while I manage the practical side with help coming from another full-time employee, plus two part-time ones. While managing the chicken business is a full-time job, I have flexibility when the cattle need attention. We run 60 cow/calf pairs with the mommas being Angus crosses. Those at my place are bred by AI, since I am a certified AI technician, with calves being born in the spring. My cleanup bulls are Simmental and Angus. When I select semen, I look for a gentle disposition, weaning weights and efficiency in producing pounds until slaughter. I always have semen from several different bulls so I can match them to the cows and retained heifers using saving 10 percent per year to maintain herd strength.

The remainder of the mommas are at my parents’ place and are bred naturally for fall calving using the same bulls. I prefer spring calving because the calves seem to have fewer health issues.

All calves receive two rounds of shots, one at weaning and a second two weeks later. The whole herd receives fly tags in March. Generally, calves are fence line weaned at 6 months or 500 pounds and taken to local sale barns as yearlings. The hay fields are fertilized predominantly with chicken litter from the broiler houses. I also over seed both grazing and hay ground in the fall allowing the hay fields to be used for winter pasture until April 1 and then hayed once. Next I move the cattle to their regular pastures and raise the rest of my hay on that land. I also spray once in early spring and a second time before July 1.”

Professional Organizations and Future: “My wife and I believe in actively supporting the cattle industry. I was elected president of the Johnson County Cattlemen’s Association in 2014 while in college and still retain that position. I have been on the Farm Bureau board since 2016, while my wife and I are both active in the Young Farmer and Rancher Committee, which is to promote agriculture in younger farmers and ranchers. Finally, we have both served on our fair board since 2012. At this point, Brooklyn and I are maxed out on our grazing ground and would like to expand our acreage to handle 100 pairs. In addition, we have been on the Tyson list for three years and look forward to building two mega broiler houses when our turn comes up.”

OCTOBER 19, 2020

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11

slaughter

market sales reports

bulls

(Week of 10/4/20 to 10/10/20)

beef

cattle

Replacement Goats: Nannies/Does - Selection 1-2: 180.00-240.00.

Bucks/Billies - Selection 1-2: 255.00-385.00.

Buffalo, Mo. • Buffalo Livestock Market Sheep/Goat

9/22/20

Receipts: 986 Arkansas Cattle Auction - Searcy Compared to last month supply was moderate. A high † Ash Flat Livestock 72.50-86.00 percentage of the offering were slaughter sheep. Demand Midwest - High Plains Direct Slaughter Cattle 9/21/20 Norwood, Mo. • Producers Auction Yards Sheep/Goat 9/26/20 Benton County Sale Barn - Siloam Springs was strong, with several new buyers. Slaughter lambs None Reported † 5 Area (Tx-Ok, Ks, Neb, Ia, Colo) Receipts: 1,768 Cattlemen’s Livestock Auction sold mostly steady. Slaughter ewes sold 10.00 to 20.00 60.00-85.00* Live Basis Sales - Over 80% Choice Compared to last month, supply moderate with active higher with several quality lots. Feeder and slaughter Cleburne County Live 31.00-82.00 † Steers: 101.00-106.00; wtd. avg. price 103.71. bidding.

Several new buyers.

Slaughter sheep with a large goats sold steady to 10.00 higher. Supply included: 74% 51.00-67.00 † County Line Sale Barn - Ratcliff Heifers: 103.00-106.00; wtd. avg. price 103.35. offering, traded up to 20.00 higher with good demand.

Slaughter Sheep/Lambs (2% Wooled & Shorn, 60% Hair Decatur Livestock Auction Not Reported* Dressed Basis Sales - Over 80% Choice Feeder and slaughter goats traded steady to 10.00 higher. Breeds, 0% Ewes, 33% Hair Ewes, 1% Bucks, 3% Hair Farmer’s & Ranchers - Vinita None Reported* Steers: 162.00-165.00 ; wtd. avg. price 163.08.

Very active bidding on individual lots of replacement sheep Bucks); 2% Replacement Sheep/Lambs (64% Ewes, Farmers Regional Sale Barn - Springdale 65.00-86.00* Heifers: 162.00-165.00 ; wtd. avg. price 163.41. and goats. Supply included: 71% Slaughter Sheep/Lambs 36% Hair Bucks); 8% Feeder Goats (100% Kids); 15% Fort Smith Stockyards 42.00-86.00* (3% Wooled & Shorn, 89% Hair Breeds, 7% Hair Ewes, Slaughter Goats (46% Kids, 49% Nannies/Does, 4% Four State 20.00-83.00* 0% Bucks, 0% Hair Bucks); 3% Replacement Sheep/ Bucks/Billies); 3% Replacement Goats (83% Nannies/ I-40 Livestock - Ozark 67.00 † Lambs (93% Hair Ewes, 7% Bucks); 8% Feeder Goats Does, 17% Bucks/Billies).

Joplin Regional Stockyards 60.00-106.00 † (100% Kids); 15% Slaughter Goats (80% Kids, 18% Slaughter Sheep/Lambs: Diamond, Mo. • TS White Sheep/Goat 10/1/20 Mid-State Stockyards 102.00* Nannies/Does, 2% Bucks/Billies); 2% Replacement Goats Wooled & Shorn - Choice and Prime 1-3: 132.50-230.00.

North Arkansas Livestock - Green Forest None Reported † Receipts: 767 (100% Nannies/Does).

Hair Breeds - Choice and Prime 1-3: 160.00-250.00.

65.00-91.00 † OKC West - El Reno Compared to last sale, supply moderate. Most classes Slaughter Sheep/Lambs: Hair Breeds - Choice 1-3: 135.00-215.00.

40.00-80.00 † Ouachita Livestock Auction of sheep traded steady with the last sale. Goats also Wooled & Shorn - Choice 1-3: 120.00.

Ewes - Utility and Good 1-3: 92.50.

Ozarks Regional Stockyards traded steady with the last sale. Good buyer attendance, Wooled & Shorn - Good 1-2: 77.50.

57.00-89.00 † Hair Ewes - Good 2-3: 122.50-127.50. active bidding especially on replacement classes. Supply Hair Breeds - Choice and Prime 1-3: 185.00-252.50.

Stilwell Livestock Auction Not Reported* Hair Ewes - Utility and Good 1-3: 85.00-120.00. included: 56% Slaughter Sheep/Lambs (1% Wooled & Tulsa Livestock Auction 79.00-95.00 † Hair Breeds - Choice 1-3: 175.00-200.00.

Bucks 1-2: 95.00.

Shorn, 56% Hair Breeds, 6% Ewes, 37% Hair Ewes); Welch Stockyards 70.00-90.00* Hair Breeds - Good 1-2: 140.00-157.50.

Hair Bucks - 1-2: 87.50-155.00.

1% Replacement Sheep/Lambs (50% Hair Ewes, 50% Hair Ewes - Good 2-3: 90.00-120.00.

Replacement Sheep/Lambs: 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 Bucks); 13% Feeder Goats (100% Kids); 23% Slaughter Hair Ewes - Utility and Good 1-3: 75.00-82.50.

Ewes - Medium and Large 1-2: 140.00.

Goats (77% Kids, 21% Nannies/Does, 2% Bucks/BilHair Ewes - Cull and Utility 1-2: 65.00-72.50.

Hair Bucks - Medium and Large 1-2: 340.00-420.00. lies); 7% Replacement Goats (89% Nannies/Does, 11% Bucks - 2-3: 82.50.

Feeder Goats: Bucks/Billies).

Hair Bucks - 1-3: 122.50-177.50.

Kids - Selection 1: 305.00-325.00.

(Week of 10/4/20 to 10/10/20) Slaughter Sheep/Lambs: Replacement Sheep/Lambs: Kids - Selection 2: 260.00-300.00.

Wooled & Shorn Choice and Prime 1-3: 130.00. † Arkansas Cattle Auction - Searcy Hair Ewes - Medium and Large 1-2: 175.00-285.00.

3 38.00-48.00 Kids - Selection 3: 185.00.

Hair Breeds Choice and Prime 1-3: 180.00-255.00. † Ash Flat Livestock Hair Ewes Small and Medium 1-2: 107.50-145.00.

39.00-57.50 Slaughter Goats: Hair Breeds - Choice 1-3: 152.50-230.00.

Benton County Sale Barn - Siloam Springs None Reported † Bucks - Medium and Large 1-2: 410.00.

Kids - Selection 1: 325.00-330.00.

Hair Breeds - Good 1-2: 140.00-152.50.

Cattlemen’s Livestock Auction 35.00-59.00* Bucks - Small and Medium 1-2: 180.00-200.00.

Kids - Selection 2: 250.00-300.00.

Ewes - Good 2-3: 85.00-90.00.

Cleburne County Livestock Auction 31.00-48.00 † Feeder Goats: Kids - Selection 3: 210.00-235.00.

Ewes - Utility and Good 1-3: 75.00.

30.00-48.50 † County Line Sale Barn - Ratcliff Kids - Selection 1: 285.00-310.00.

Nannies/Does - Selection 1-2: 187.50-245.00.

Hair Ewes - Good 2-3: 112.50-125.00.

Not Reported* Decatur Livestock Auction Kids - Selection 2: 220.00-295.00.

Nannies/Does - Selection 3: 132.50-185.00.

Hair Ewes - Utility and Good 1-3: 85.00-110.00.

None Reported* Farmer’s & Ranchers - Vinita Kids - Selection 3: 165.00-180.00.

Bucks/Billies - Selection 1-2: 185.00-225.00.

Hair Ewes - Cull and Utility 1-2: 70.00-82.50.

Farmers Regional Sale Barn 30.00-62.00* Slaughter Goats: Replacement Goats: Replacement Sheep/Lambs: Kids - Selection 1: 280.00-295.00.

26.00-68.50* Fort Smith Stockyards Nannies/Does - Selection 1-2: 200.00-285.00.

Hair Ewes - Small and Medium 1-2: 145.00.

10.00-49.00* Four State Stock Kids - Selection 2: 230.00-282.50.

Bucks/Billies - Selection 1-2: 230.00-290.00.

Bucks - Medium and Large 1-2: 185.00-230.00.

I-40 Livestock - Ozark Kids - Selection 3: 185.00-220.00.

None Reported † Feeder Goats: Joplin Regional Nannies/Does - Selection 1-2: 165.00-200.00.

12.50-75.00 † Kids - Selection 1: 295.00-315.00.

Mid-State Stockyards Nannies/Does - Selection 3: 110.00.

78.00* Kids - Selection 2: 225.00-290.00.

North Arkansas Livestock - Green Forest Bucks/Billies - Selection 1-2: 150.00-165.00.

None Reported † Kids Selection 3: 215.00. † Replacement Goats: 27.00-64.00 OKC West - El Reno Slaughter Goats: Nannies/Does - Selection 1-2: 130.00-210.00.

Ouachita Livestock 18.00-56.00 † Kids Selection 1: 270.00-325.00. † Ozarks Regional 10.00-67.00 Kids Selection 2: 225.00-265.00.

Stilwell Livestock Auction Not Reported* Kids - Selection 3: 162.50-230.00.

Tulsa Livestock Auction 39.00-62.00 † Nannies/Does - Selection 1-2: 135.00-185.00.

Welch Stockyards 45.00-66.00* Bucks/Billies - Selection 1-2: 175.00.

57.50-80.00 †

sheep &

4

Steers, Med. & Lg. 1 300-400 lbs.

400-500 lbs.

500-600 lbs.

600-700 lbs.

700-800 lbs.

Bulls, Med. & Lg. 1 300-400 lbs.

400-500 lbs.

500-600 lbs.

600-700 lbs.

700-800 lbs.

Heifers, Med. & Lg. 1 300-400 lbs.

400-500 lbs.

500-600 lbs.

600-700 lbs.

700-800 lbs.

12 12

24

44

64

84

stocker & feeder

104

10/7/20 1,013

Cleburne County Livestock✝ 10/5/20 350

County Line Sale Ratcliff✝ 10/7/20 201

Uneven

St-8 Lower

St-5 Higher

Uneven

167.00-172.00 140.00-161.00 135.00-145.00 120.00-130.00 125.00-126.00

162.00-203.00 134.00-174.00 130.00-149.00 115.00-133.00 110.00-117.00

140.00-176.00 125.00-159.00 110.00-145.00 110.00-139.50 115.00-132.00

150.00-180.00 150.00-165.00 137.00-150.00 130.00 -----

140.00-148.00 131.00-141.00 130.00 ---------

137.50-180.00 131.00-156.00 121.00-143.00 110.00-125.00 -----

146.00-160.00 130.00-147.00 120.00-143.00 ---------

155.00-196.00 140.00-163.00 120.00-144.00 114.00-120.00 110.00-117.00

---------------------

139.00-170.00 126.00-141.00 117.00-141.00 100.00-120.00 -----

--------120.00-130.00 115.00-123.00 109.00

130.00-145.00 114.00-147.00 119.00-141.00 105.00-138.00 109.00-123.00

136.00-143.00 120.00-132.00 110.00-125.50 113.00-122.50 115.00-115.50

131.00-143.00 110.00-136.00 105.00-130.00 119.00-129.00 105.00

110.00-150.00 105.00-140.00 94.00-128.00 85.00-129.00 70.00-121.00

137.00-151.00 120.00-141.00 110.00-134.00 110.00-117.00 106.00-112.00

119.00-120.00 111.00-121.00 110.00-120.00 127.00 -----

Cattlemen’s Livestock*

10/9/20 751

Benton Co. - Siloam Springs✝ 10/8/20 1,910

St-8 Higher

St-5 Lower

155.00-187.50 140.00-175.00 133.00-158.00 120.00-140.50 115.00-135.00

NONE REPORTED

0

cows

Ark. Cattle Auction, LLC - Searcy✝ 10/6/20 1,598

Ash Flat Livestock✝

Cheese: Barrels closed $2.6475 The weekly av (+0.1980) and blocks, Fluid Milk/Cream: Se temperatures, is comm and in turn supports a milk output. In the Ce of the region milk show Florida’s output is pick the Northeast. Western throughout the region, New Mexico. Handler of milk across the state demand has increased Cream markets are act their demand for availa negotiated for next yea Classes are 1.30-1.42 in and 1.05-1.26 in the W SPOT PRICES OF C POUND BUTTERFA Midwest - $1.9309 - $2

avg. g

Soybean 16 12

10.89

10.8

8

6.05

6.0

4.12

4.1

le hevil

Hele

4 0 Blyt

prices

---------

Farmer’s & Ranchers Vinita, Okla.* 10/7/20 -----

Farmers Regional Sale Barn* 10/9/20 440

-----

-----

-----

St-10 Higher

St-3 Higher

St-15 Lower

Uneven

-----

---------------------

150.00-176.00 154.00-160.00 146.00-154.00 144.00-146.00 -----

145.00-167.00 129.00-153.00 120.00-136.00 110.00-136.00 105.00-110.00

150.00-191.00 131.00-176.00 120.00-150.00 114.00-139.00 -----

138.00-156.00 140.00-157.00 136.00-149.00 132.00-149.00 140.00-154.25

143.00-163.00 137.00-150.00 123.00-142.00 118.00-136.00 125.00

----152.00-165.00 148.00-161.00 140.00-152.00 135.00-154.00

150.00-200.00 150.00-177.00 145.00-162.00 130.00-155.00 100.00-125.00

---------------------

---------------------

---------------------

---------------------

140.00-149.00 136.00-140.00 120.00-138.00 117.00-124.00 -----

--------112.00-135.00 99.00-124.00 109.00-119.00

---------------------

---------------------

---------------------

138.00-146.00 130.00-138.00 126.00-130.00 ---------

117.00-127.00 114.00-127.00 109.00-120.00 104.00-111.00 80.00-108.00

128.00-161.00 123.00-152.50 115.00-135.00 105.00-134.00 -----

120.00-145.00 117.00-138.00 115.00-138.00 115.00-140.25 127.00-136.50

131.00-148.00 110.00-136.00 111.00-125.00 111.00-124.00 111.00-120.00

140.00-142.00 130.00-135.00 130.00-133.00 125.00-144.00 125.00-136.00

130.00-155.00 125.00-144.00 120.00-144.00 95.00-124.00 90.00-113.00

Decatur Livestock*

NOT REPORTED

slaughter

goats

National Dairy Market at a G

Fort Smith Four State Stockyards* Stockyards Exeter, Mo* 10/5/20 10/6/20 1,978 1,925

I-40 Livestock Ozark✝ 10/8/20 740

Joplin Mid-State Regional Stockyards* Stockyards✝ 10/5/20 10/5/20 368 5,082

✝ USDA Reported * Independently Reported

Ozarks FarmFarm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com Ozarks & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

OCTOBER 19, 2020

8

6.05

4.12

le hevil

6.04

4.13

na

Hele

4.05

e

Elain

4.17

eola

Osc

Little

k

Roc

prices St-15 Lower

St-3 Higher 138.00-156.00 140.00-157.00 136.00-149.00 132.00-149.00 140.00-154.25

Welch Stockyards

0

Joplin Mid-State N. Ark. Regional Stockyards* Livestock Stockyards✝ Green Forest✝ 10/5/20 10/5/20 10/7/20 368 5,082 3,634

143.00-163.00 137.00-150.00 123.00-142.00 118.00-136.00 125.00

Uneven ----152.00-165.00 148.00-161.00 140.00-152.00 135.00-154.00

Mid-State Stockyards North Arkansas Livestock - Green Forest OKC West - El Reno Ouachita Livestock Auction - Ola Ozarks Regional Stockyards Stilwell Livestock Auction Tulsa Livestock Auction

4.00

----150.00-200.00 150.00-177.00 145.00-162.00 130.00-155.00 100.00-125.00

Uneven 157.50-175.00 151.00-179.00 133.00-163.00 105.00-157.50 124.00-147.00

250

OKC West - El Reno, Okla.✝ 10/6/20 6,623

Ouachita Livestock Ola✝ 10/6/20 637

Ozarks Regional West Plains✝ 10/6/20 3,147

St-3 Lower

Uneven

St-4 Lower

----149.00-173.00 139.00-159.00 132.00-149.00 136.00-144.00

178.00-179.00 142.00-150.00 129.00-149.50 120.00-138.00 119.50-126.50

167.50-170.00 155.00-168.00 139.00-166.00 142.00-157.00 132.00-141.00

140.00-149.00 136.00-140.00 120.00-138.00 117.00-124.00 -----

--------112.00-135.00 99.00-124.00 109.00-119.00

---------------------

---------------------

157.00-168.00 139.00-146.50 118.00-131.00 108.00-122.00 124.00

----147.00 139.00 119.00-133.50 110.00

141.00-188.00 137.00-150.00 111.00-132.00 108.00-119.00 113.50

145.00-155.00 132.00-155.00 137.50-138.00 ---------

120.00-145.00 117.00-138.00 115.00-138.00 115.00-140.25 127.00-136.50

131.00-148.00 110.00-136.00 111.00-125.00 111.00-124.00 111.00-120.00

140.00-142.00 130.00-135.00 130.00-133.00 125.00-144.00 125.00-136.00

130.00-155.00 125.00-144.00 120.00-144.00 95.00-124.00 90.00-113.00

138.00-156.00 129.00-145.00 113.00-138.50 105.00-136.00 115.00-137.50

----133.00-146.00 121.00-134.00 116.00-137.75 128.25-139.00

130.00-154.00 127.00-143.00 119.00-132.00 105.00-122.00 101.50-114.50

138.00-151.00 130.00-143.00 126.00-139.00 127.00-147.00 128.00-130.00

OCTOBER 19, 2020

140.29 136.00

2000

127.22 133.36

154.49

134.92

120.55

136.21 129.37

139.43 150.35 132.72 136.98 *

119.25 114.38

123.40 130.86

146.72 151.31

139.11

134.88

118.23

133.81

119.34 128.02

149.00

900.00-1175.00 †

125.58

138.60

2250

Stilwell Livestock Auction* ---------

Tulsa Livestock Auction✝ 10/5/20 3,888

Welch Stockyards*

-----

St-5 Lower

-----

147.32 144.18 130.41 142.00

150.00-203.00 140.00-171.00 135.00-156.00 120.00-146.00 120.00-144.00

162.50-177.00 141.00-157.00 128.00-141.00 110.00-129.00 119.00-122.00

150.00-170.00 120.00-145.00 120.00-135.00 100.00-123.00 90.00-120.00

---------------------

139.50-150.50 130.50-143.50 126.00-136.50 124.50-136.00 114.50-130.50

130.00-150.00 120.00-150.00 110.00-141.00 115.00-138.00 115.00-136.00

116.37 116.34

127.92

138.85

10/6/20 1,313

136.68 122.40

118.15

137.78

133.90

147.46

---------------------

137.42

154.13

117.13

137.00 138.00

121.50

150.00

131.22 129.58

143.03 152.24 135.45 130.05 130.00

116.15

130.82

152.62 121 152 183 214 * No price reported in weight break **USDA Failed To Report *** No Sale

115.88

120.86

134.72

90

130.88 123.40

124.21

139.37 147.11

The&Ozarks Most•Read Farm Newspaper Ozarks Farm Neighbor www.ozarksfn.com

139.49 122.92

116.72

145.05 143.08

Not Reported *

185.00-199.00 164.00-175.00 144.00-155.00 133.00-145.50 125.00-137.50

122.77

140.54

None Reported † 750.00-1300.00 †

---------------------

124.28 *

151.98

138.00

950.00 †

1750

141.37 125.23

115.81

131.22

None Reported * None Reported †

1250

Week of 9/13/20

156.27 138.76

143.19

None Reported †

750

125.86

133.66

Arkansas Cattle Auction - Searcy Ash Flat Livestock 835.00-1125.00 † Benton County Sale Barn - Siloam Springs None Reported † Cattlemen’s Livestock Auction 1335.00 * Cleburne County Livestock Auction 800.00 † 800.00-1275.00 † County Line Sale - Ratcliff Decatur Livestock Auction Not Reported * Farmer’s & Ranchers - Vinita None Reported * Farmers Regional Sale Barn - Springdale 810.00-940.00 * 670.00-1240.00 * Fort Smith Stockyards None Reported * Four State Stockyards -Exeter I-40 Livestock - Ozark None Reported † Joplin Regional Stockyards 950.00-1500.00 †

6.03

6.09

134.30

145.09

750.00-875.00 †

10.56

120.56

143.27

(Week of 10/4/20 to 10/10/20)

Corn

10.87

pairs

1500

123.30

138.00

700.00-1180.00 *

1000

Ash Flat Cleburne El Reno Green Forest Joplin Ouachita Ozark Ratcliff Searcy Siloam Springs West Plains Tulsa

*

200.00-1300.00 † Not Reported * 700.00-1175.00 †

July 20 Aug. 20 Sept. 20

heifers 550-600 LBS.

Week of 9/20/20

10.81

Ash Flat Cleburne El Reno Green Forest Joplin Ouachita Ozark Ratcliff Searcy Siloam Springs West Plains Tulsa

Apr. 20 May 20 June 20

Week of 9/27/20

12

10.86

steers 550-600 LBS.

620.00-810.00 †

500

Feb. 20 Mar. 20

Week of 10/4/20

10.89

Oct. 19 Nov. 19 Dec. 19 Jan. 20

650.00-1560.00 †

cow/calf

16

Blyt

r

0

Daily Report 10/9/20

0

I-40 Livestock Ozark✝ 10/8/20 740

OKC West - El Reno Ouachita Livestock Auction Ozarks Regional Stilwell Livestock Auction Tulsa Livestock Auction Welch Stockyards

$80

Week of 9/13/20

10/9/20

Soft Wheat

$120

450.00-900.00 †

470.00-1135.00 † Ash Flat Livestock Benton County Sale Barn - Siloam Springs None Reported † Cattlemen’s Livestock Auction 1075.00 * Cleburne County Livestock Auction 710.00-910.00 † County Line Sale - Ratcliff 400.00-1150.00 † Decatur Livestock Auction Not Reported* Farmer’s & Ranchers - Vinita None Reported * Farmers Regional Sale Barn -Springdalee 560.00-870.00 * Fort Smith Stockyards 425.00-1050.00 * Four State Stockyard - Exeter None Reported * I-40 Livestock - Ozark 60.00-86.00 † Prices reported per cwt Joplin Regional Stockyards 450.00-1200.00 † Mid-State Stockyards 650.00-1200.00 * North Arkansas Livestock - Green Forest None Reported †

avg. grain prices

4

Four State * Stockyards Exeter, Mo* 10/6/20 1,925

Arkansas Cattle Auction - Searcy

Cheese: Barrels closed at $2.0550 and 40# blocks at $2.6475 The weekly average for barrels is $2.0100 (+0.1980) and blocks, $2.6465 (+0.0690).

Fluid Milk/Cream: Seasonal fall weather, with cooler temperatures, is common over most of the United States and in turn supports a steady to high trend in farm level milk output. In the Central region, the southern portion of the region milk shows yields are higher. In the East, Florida’s output is picking up, while farm milk is steady in the Northeast. Western milk production is generally stable throughout the region, with slightly higher volumes in New Mexico. Handlers report there are few movements of milk across the state line into Arizona. Class I bottling demand has increased as more schools open their doors.

Cream markets are active as Class II and Class III increase their demand for available supplies. Contracts are being negotiated for next year. F.O.B. cream multiples for all Classes are 1.30-1.42 in the East; 1.24-1.38 in the Midwest; and 1.05-1.26 in the West.

SPOT PRICES OF CLASS II CREAM, $ PER POUND BUTTERFAT F.O.B. producing plants: Upper Midwest - $1.9309 - $2.0817.

Soybeans

$160

(Week of 10/4/20 to 10/10/20)

Week of 9/20/20

National Dairy Market at a Glance

cows

$200

Week of 9/27/20

eipts: 986 pared to last month supply was moderate. A high entage of the offering were slaughter sheep. Demand strong, with several new buyers. Slaughter lambs mostly steady. Slaughter ewes sold 10.00 to 20.00 er with several quality lots. Feeder and slaughter s sold steady to 10.00 higher. Supply included: 74% ghter Sheep/Lambs (2% Wooled & Shorn, 60% Hair ds, 0% Ewes, 33% Hair Ewes, 1% Bucks, 3% Hair ks); 2% Replacement Sheep/Lambs (64% Ewes, Hair Bucks); 8% Feeder Goats (100% Kids); 15% ghter Goats (46% Kids, 49% Nannies/Does, 4% ks/Billies); 3% Replacement Goats (83% Nannies/ s, 17% Bucks/Billies). ghter Sheep/Lambs: led & Shorn - Choice and Prime 1-3: 132.50-230.00.

Breeds - Choice and Prime 1-3: 160.00-250.00.

Breeds - Choice 1-3: 135.00-215.00. s - Utility and Good 1-3: 92.50.

Ewes - Good 2-3: 122.50-127.50.

Ewes - Utility and Good 1-3: 85.00-120.00. ks 1-2: 95.00.

Bucks - 1-2: 87.50-155.00. acement Sheep/Lambs: s - Medium and Large 1-2: 140.00.

Bucks - Medium and Large 1-2: 340.00-420.00. er Goats: - Selection 1: 305.00-325.00.

- Selection 2: 260.00-300.00.

- Selection 3: 185.00. ghter Goats: - Selection 1: 325.00-330.00.

- Selection 2: 250.00-300.00.

- Selection 3: 210.00-235.00. nies/Does - Selection 1-2: 187.50-245.00. nies/Does - Selection 3: 132.50-185.00. ks/Billies - Selection 1-2: 185.00-225.00. acement Goats: nies/Does - Selection 1-2: 200.00-285.00. ks/Billies - Selection 1-2: 230.00-290.00.

replacement

dairy sales

9/22/20

NOT REPORTED

lo, Mo. • Buffalo Livestock Market Sheep/Goat

550-600 lb. steers

12 Month Avg. -

$240

Week of 10/4/20

sales reports

✝ USDA Reported * Independently Reported

132.74 245

Prices Based on Weighted Average for Steers and Heifers 550-600 lbs.

90

112 134 156 178 * No price reported in weight break **USDA Failed To Report *** No Sale

200

Prices Based on Weighted Average for Steers and Heifers 550-600 lbs.

13 13

meet your neighbors

Photo by Terry Ropp

Producing in Harmony with Nature

The dairy goat herd at Bluff Top Farm has 37 goats from three breeds.

By Terry Ropp

Bluff Top Farm believes livestock and wildlife can coexist “We raise a variety of livestock, but also believe it is important to provide a place for wildlife,” Debbie Taylor of Dover, Ark., said.

Bluff Top Farm has 220 acres with about 75 in pastures, while also managing 400 acres owned by extended family who live elsewhere. Debbie and her husband Randall raise commercial cattle, dairy goats, chickens for egg production and pigs for meat. In addition, the Taylor farm sells flowers, plants, herbs, native seeds and garden produce. Part of the 400 acres is used for timber production in plantation-style land, that is pasture transitioned into rows of planted pine trees for harvest. The most mountainous part of the acreage is left for wildlife.

Local predators include coyotes, mountain lions, bears and bobcats, as well as rat snakes that love chicken eggs. To handle the predator issue, the farm uses Great Pyrenees dogs and a guard donkey.

“We try to live in sync with nature rather than oppose it,” Debbie explained. “We don’t even kill the rat snakes but simply capture and relocate them to a remote part of the farm.”

One aspect of the multi-species operation is membership in an online farmers market called Russellville Community Market. Growers enter what they have to sell for the week while buyers purchase from Friday to Sunday. Then the buyers go to the RusThe farm sells chicken eggs from miscellaneous breeds with the goal of selling fun, mulsellville train depot to pick up and pay for their purchases during a specific time frame on Tuesday. When customers arrive, growers will have already delivered their products ticolored eggs. The project got started when Debbie and Randall’s now adult children were in 4-H. Some experimental cross breeding has resulted in unusually colored eggs. which are then handed to buyers by a worker who also collects the purchase prices.

“One advantage of this system is that nothing goes to waste,” Debbie commented. “We On the other hand, some of the chickens are just for fun, such as the Polish, which have big pom-poms on their heads. bring only what people have purchased and also save valuable farming time Debbie and Randall met at Debbie’s boyfriend’s house but didn’t start dating by not having to stay at the site all day to sell what products we decide to until a year later. When they married, they came to Arkansas to live on land bring. One drawback is not getting to interact with buyers.”

Randall’s father Elmer planned to use for retirement, but never did. The couple While many businesses are having a difficult time during the coronavirus Dover, Ark. moved into the farmhouse and began their adventure with dairy goats in 1974. pandemic, the Russellville Community Market growers have seen their busiThe herd currently has 37 purebred, registered Alpine, Nubian and Toggenburg feness increased tremendously. Buyers appreciate not having to go to grocery males that not only produce milk for sale, but also provide breeding stock, which means stores where contagion control is less certain. Workers deliver goods to buythe breeding bucks must be kept separate. ers and wear masks, while buyers never have to leave their cars.

14

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Barn

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meet your neighbors

OCTOBER 19, 2020

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Be sure to like coupons, our Powell Feed & Milling Co. Inc.MUCH Facebook page to keep giveaways, and MORE! Yellville • 801 Hwy. 62 West www.powellfeedstores.com up with new products, specials, coupons, giveaways, and MUCH MORE!

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For 25 years, Bluff Top Farm sold goat milk to Ozark Milk Products, where it was turned into canned evaporated milk. Now, however, the Taylors list milk on the online site, but, in accordance with Arkansas law, the buyers have to pick up the milk at the farm. Milk is sold mostly by word-of-mouth and to repeat customers, with a few goats produced for meat through a custom order process. Some goats and kids are also sold to 4-H and FFA members, mostly for showing. Debbie enjoys seeing pictures of the farm’s animals and their young owners.

“When you raise goats, you quickly discover how prolific they are and you have a choice,” Debbie said. “You either limit the quantity of animals or go commercial, and we decided to go commercial producing both milk and breeding stock.”

In addition to health protocols, the goats are tracked in the Dairy Herd Improvement Registry (DHIR) and have been for 40 years.

DHIR tracks milk production quantity as well as quality including protein and butterfat percentage. The herd also participates in Linear Appraisal where a trained appraiser comes to the farm to score each animal. The scoring consists of a whole animal conformation score, plus scores for the individual parts of each animal. Data is sent to the USDA and is available for individuals to research.

“These records not only help me keep track of my own herd, but assist in finding a buck that meets whatever traits I especially need at that time,” Debbie explained.

In 1996, Debbie and Randall developed a commercial cattle herd, which now consists of 15 crossbred females. Calves are typically born in March and are mostly sold at weaning in a sale barn, though some are sold to friends or processed for meat at a USDA facility.

“There is a real need for more USDA processors in our area,” Debbie said. “You have to make reservations many months in advance.”

Just to keep things interesting and make sure they have enough to do, Randall, a mostly-retired logging contractor, harvests trees. At one time, they were using a half Clydesdale horse named Jeff to skid logs. One night they went to get pizza, throwing the leftovers in the back of the truck as a treat for the dogs. They came home and forgot about the pizza only to discover that Jeff had found it and ate it.

“You’ve never seen a horse with such a surprised and half-disgusted looking expression,” Debbie laughed. “He was a real trooper, however, and finished what he started.”

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15

meet your neighbors

Rebuilding a Farm and a Herd

Terry and Carma Davis culled their herd to 25 head of registered Angus and SimAngus.

By Terry Ropp

50x100x16

One side sheeted.

One gable sheeted materials.

50x100x18 Roof only Materials

40x50x12

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16

Terry and Carma Davis moved their registered cattle operation to her family’s long-neglected farm Terry and Carma Davis moved from a well-established farm in Yellville, Ark., to Carma’s family’s homestead on land that has been in the family since the 1850s.

Carma’s great-great-grandfather, Allen Blount, purchased the land from the government before the Civil War. When Carma’s Photo by Terry Ropp father Coy V. Blount passed in 1999, the land was divided between Carma and her two sisters, with Carma inheriting the homestead ed, so Carma was the stand in. At a very young age she and her piece of 60 acres. Terry and Carma have since purchased another father worked with the cattle every day, with her telling her father what she saw in terms of cattle health. That was a key to developing 20 acres with more a possibility for the future.

The couple faced a huge challenge because the land had not been a good eye for cattle health, as well as a knowledgeable working used for 30 years, and was overgrown and in disrepair, which meant vocabulary.

By the time Carma was in her early teens, her father trusted her multitudes of thistles and black locusts, as well as dilapidated fencing and run-down outbuildings. They had less than a year to work on the with feeding by herself and repurposed a chicken house so she could safely do so. He cut holes for the cattle to put their heads place before COIVID-19 hit and slowed things down considerably.

“You should’ve seen this place before I started working here,” Ter- through in order to reach the feed.

The Davises goal is to produce thick, productive and docile catry said. “There’s still a lot to do and getting everything in optimum tle. Specific qualities include a longer and tight neck, good hip working order is still our biggest challenge.”

The land is divided into two pastures, one for the cows and un- structure, a well-set tail, good feet and bones, as well as good udder weaned calves and one for the remaininder of the herd with free- location combined with ample milk production.

Carma is in charge of finding semen. A few years ago, she spied a choice mineral always available in each pasture.

Commercial fertilizer is applied in the spring and weeds are bull named W/C Bankroll. He is highly popular because his calves broadcast sprayed, but supported by spot spraying for thistles and do so well in the show ring.

Carma usually selects semen from two bulls each year, one for the black locust. Because of the limited amount of land, the Davises heifers and one for the mature cows. Sometimes she selects semen purchased quality hay locally.

Prior to moving, Terry and Carma heavily culled their registered from a bull she has used before if the results have been exceptionSimmental and SimAngus breeding stock, keeping only 25 of their ally good. In addition, Carma occasionally purchases semen from a company or directly from bull owners. Though Carma usually 75 females.

One feature that makes Nice Breeze Farm unusual is they have no purchases semen from homozygous bulls, she treasures her stock of bull, not even a cleanup bull, because of their AI insemination prac- W/C Bankroll’s semen even though he is heterozygous.

“I believe a really good bull meets the needs of any cow, and tice and experience, dating back to 1983. If females doesn’t breed back well, she is culled and replaced with a heifer from their herd. therefore I don’t buy semen for a specific female,” Carma explained.

The Davises sell to multiple markets. Steers are sold at sale barns.

The heavy culling has paid off because some of the cows are 12 years Weaned bull calves and heifers are also sold by private treaty for old and still producing show- and breeding stock-quality calves.

Another distinguishing feature of the farm’s procedures is not show and breeding purposes.

“We are stewards of God’s gifts,” Carma said. “The most synchronizing the herd, which means the calving seaimportant thing to us is honestly representing all of sons are longer and weaning, typically at 6 1/2 months, Floral, Ark. the cattle that we sell so customers know exactly what occurs so as not to conflict with calving. they’re getting.”

An important part of the farm’s routines includes the Terry and Carma are considering entering into a partnercattle coming into a pen every morning, during which ship for a bull growing program. Instead of selling their bulls time they receive feed and a health check, as well as so young, the partner would finish out the bull with the price of extra spraying for flies, if needed. This routine evolved the more mature bull shared when sold. from Carma’s childhood. Coy never got the son he wantOzarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

OCTOBER 19, 2020

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“I also enjoy showing. Showing itself is pretty easy and doesn’t take too long, but getting ready to show involves training them and then preparing them for when we go into the ring.

I like winning things but also making new friends, though I have to wait until the next year at the fair where we find each other and pick up where we took off. Right now, I’m showing at jackpots to prepare for the county and state fairs so I walk my pigs every day. I also mix the feed, which is pretty easy now but gets harder as show time gets closer. While some people use eggs, we add cake mix to the feed to get them to eat all of it.”

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What are some of your early memories?

“One time there were five of us, including my cousin Trevor. We were riding horses in the pasture to gather up the cattle to move them to a different pasture. On that day, as always, one steer didn’t want to move because he was used to eating where he was and didn’t want to miss a meal. We also have one horse named Scaredy-Cat. Once he got hit by a cow and doesn’t like it when one of them comes at him. One day was both a little funny and a little scary at the same time. My cousin Tyler was riding Scaredy-Cat. The scary part was when a cow was running really fast next to him and the funny part was seeing Scaredy-Cat spinning and trying to get away.”

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Advice from

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Retirement Savings

By Ashley Durbin

T

he lifestyles of today’s retirees are vastly different from past generations. Today’s retirees have active lives that include traveling, playing golf, taking up a hobby and making time for the grandkids.

Ashley Durbin is a If this is the goal for retirees, most people apclient advistor with proaching retirement age need to think about protecting Arvest Wealth their investments to ensure they’ll have enough income Management throughout their retirement to enjoy this active lifestyle.

After the relatively calm and steadily rising stock market most investors have enjoyed during the last several years, it’s not hard for retirees to feel nervous about the recent market volatility and how it has affected their investments. Triggers for market volatility can come in many forms – policy uncertainty, earnings reports, geopolitical unrest, etc., and the current health crisis. And market swings can rattle even seasoned investors’ nerves. But volatility is part of investing.

Volatility may cause investors to rethink their portfolios and feel skeptical about investing in stocks. Within the current environment, here are some options to consider as investors refine their retirement plan.

Save more while working. Be sure to take full advantage of any company-offered retirement plan. If you participate in a 401(k) plan, contribute as much as possible and at least enough to earn the entire match the company may offer.

Set up an automatic savings plan. Try to set a certain amount to be deducted from each paycheck and deposited into a separate account for retirement. Also, examine monthly household spending to see if there are ways to spend a little less. Refinancing the mortgage, increasing insurance deductibles and reducing spending on discretionary items can add up quickly.

Earn more on retirement assets. Take time to develop a well thought out asset allocation for investments, one that incorporates a time horizon and risk tolerance, in order to provide diversification and some peace of mind. Generally, the younger a person is, the more long-term investments should be in equities. Over time, high quality stocks have produced greater returns than bonds and cash investments. Keep in mind that the money invested should be working hard, too. Take advantage of higher interest rates on accounts that provide less liquidity and on longer-term CDs if the money in the accounts or CDs can be left alone for longer periods.

Work longer until retirement. Delaying retirement enables individuals to have more for retirement in several ways. While working, it’s possible to save more in a retirement plan and through regular savings, especially with a tax-deferred retirement account. If all the funds are left in the account, it enables them to grow faster. For example, if an individual delays retirement for five years and earns just 5 percent on the funds, they will have about 27 percent more just from the earnings.

Delaying when to start collecting Social Security will also increase monthly benefits. If an individual is currently 55 years old, they can start collecting full Social Security retirement benefits at age 66. If they start at age 62, they will only get about 75 percent of that amount and if they wait and start collecting at age 70, they will get about 130 percent of that amount.

Spend less during retirement years. Most retirees want a “full and active lifestyle” during retirement. Perhaps they should consider changing exactly what that “full and active lifestyle” means. Less travel, less expensive cars or foregoing a second home (or opting for a smaller one) will make a difference.

For older individuals with less time until their planned retirement, a review of their financial future may be essential. Don’t be afraid to consult an investing professional who can help determine what steps need to be taken to achieve desired retirement goals.

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

OCTOBER 19, 2020

farm

help

Making farming a little easier

Preparing for Calving

By Klaire Howerton

The final months of gestation are critical for cow health and calf development The last trimester in a cow’s gestation can be critical to the success of her calf. Additional preparation and management on the part of the producer will go a long way toward her health, and the health of her calf.

Nutrition

Cows need an increase in groceries during the last trimester to support themselves and their calf. If they went into their pregnancy well-conditioned, chances are it won’t be a drastic change.

“For many cows in the herd, meeting third-trimester nutritional requirements isn’t too difficult,” Dr. Shane Gadberry, ruminant nutrition specialist with the University of Arkansas Extension, explained. “Nutritional needs do increase during this time from about a 7-percent protein diet to a 9-percent protein diet.”

He explained the type and stage of forages play a factor in protein-improved forage varieties can often meet the 7- to 9-percent protein requirement, but overly mature grasses or true native grasses may not have sufficient protein for late gestation.

Meeting diet digestible nutrient needs may be a little more challenging than meeting protein needs.

“While protein needs only increase by a couple of percentage points, as cows approach calving, their diet digestibility needs increase to 6 to 8 percentage units from 52-to 58-percent TDN over that three-month period before calving,” Gadberry explained.

“Some cows may be on the thin side at calf weaning, and they may need special attention leading up to calving. If there are several thin cows in the herd, it may be economically feasible to separate them from fleshier cows, if they are going to need supplement in addition to forage, to get them back to a good body condition for calving. These cows need to be confirmed pregnant before spending the additional money in supplements.”

Some producers may worry about overfeeding cows during the last trimester and creating birthing issues. Gadberry and Andy McCorkill, livestock field specialist with the

what do you say?

How can producers improve the price they receive for their animals or farm products?

OCTOBER 19, 2020

University of Missouri Extension say that is unlikely.

“Most of the nutritional requirement increases we see are going into final trimester are fetal development; basically, we’re feeding the cow to grow the calf she’s carrying.

Although it is possible to over feed a cow in any stage of production and cause problems, I think there is more of a tendency to underfeed out of fear of causing an increase in calving difficulty rather than overfeeding,” McCorkill said. “This practice is just as apt to cause problems caused by thin heifers that don’t milk and don’t breed back. Small weak calves that lack energy to survive are another side effect of underfeeding cows in the last trimester of the pregnancy.”

Poor nutrition in the final trimester has lasting impacts.

“If the cow isn’t properly fed, the calf is more likely to be small and weak at birth, which is often coupled with a malnourished cow that won’t produce enough, or quality, colostrum or milk, making the situation worse,” McCorkill said. “The setback doesn’t stop there, it leads to carcass, growth and frequent health issues for the rest of the stunted calf’s life.”

Housing and Shelter

Whether or not the shelter requirements change during the last trimester will depend on if the producer is working with mature cows or first-calf heifers.

“With mature cows, there isn’t much need to do anything special in the way of housing; having some timber cover to get out of the elements is advisable. Preferably, calving pastures would be located near working facilities or a barn to leave the cow and new calf in if the need arises to provide any assistance,” McCorkill suggested. “With heifers, it’s more important to keep them closer to facilities as it’s their first calving experience and may need help with the calving process or pairing up with the calf.”

“One way to improve the price is to increase purchase choices, such as adding eggs and vegetables. Doing so increases and understanding of agriculture and local food security.”

“Some of the best ways are to change up genetics to produce higher weaning weights, supplement mothers with grain to keep them in good milk production and use creep feed to increase offspring weights.”

Clint Ballard Logan County, Ark.

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“Because Hank the farmer gets to set the price, selling directly to the consumer is the easiest way to improve profit. However, that’s not always possible so monitoring prices before selling to find the best time and place can help too.”

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

Brooke Bradford Van Buren County, Ark.

“Prices for animals increase by making sure the animals are healthy through proper vaccinations and a good general health protocol, including minerals and continually visually checking each animal.”

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19

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Rodent Control on the Farm

By Klaire Howerton

As winter approaches, mice and rats are looking for new homes

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As winter approaches the Ozarks, rodents everywhere will begin looking for warm places that are well stocked with food to spend the winter. Barns, livestock shelters, equipment and farmhouses fit the bill.

Mice and rats can create extensive property damage if left unchecked, and harbor several diseases transmitted to humans and other animals. Implementing a pest control and management plan now can save producers some grief come winter.

Reduce Spilled Feed

While a bit of spilled feed here and there might not seem like something that would have far-reaching consequences, it doesn’t take much for a mouse or rat to find it and utilize it as a food source. That draws other rodents, and then they breed, creating larger

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

problems. Cleaning up feed as soon as it is spilled, putting feed in bins or tubs instead of storing it in paper bags, and pest-proofing bulk feed bins will make it harder for rodents to find a consistent food source on the farm.

Physical Control Methods

If a producer’s rodent issues are limited to small numbers of mice and rats, traps and non-toxic baits can be enough to control the problem. Popular traps are traditional snap traps (be cautious of the location if young children, barn cats or farm dogs frequent the area), sticky traps or homemade bucket traps, where rodents fall into a bucket with a small amount of water in the bottom. Producers will want to check traps regularly and dispose of any caught rodents for cleanliness and sanitation.

Biological Control Methods

If a producer is dealing with an infestation of rodents, a biological control method such as rodenticide may be required to get the situation under control. Some rodenticides can be harmful to pets, wildlife and humans, so producers should visit their local Extension office to learn which active ingredients are safe to use for their situation.

Attract Natural Predators

By implementing land management strategies that attract predators such as owls, hawks and foxes, producers can create a long-term pest control strategy that saves money down the line.

Acquiring a barn cat or two is also a standard natural method of pest control.

OCTOBER 19, 2020

farm help

Celebrating 30 years of Serving the Tri-State Area.

Marketing with a Plan

By Klaire Howerton

Marketing strategies can benefit all producers Marketing is typically a necessary part of running an agricultural operation. Marketing strategies for individual farms will look a bit different, but having a marketing plan in place helps producers reach their consumers, tell their story and showcase what sets them apart, ideally improving the bottom line for the operation.

Market Genetics

No matter what type of livestock, genetics will typically show up in a marketing plan, especially if a producer sells seedstock and breeding animals. Consumers want to know what they are buying.

“Planning for marketing livestock involves conveying the message of what your animals and your program have to offer. This holds true whether you’re selling feeder calves right off the cow or premium seedstock,” Andy McCorkill, livestock field specialist with the University of Missouri Extension, said. “You’re selling yourself and your management as much as the attributes of the livestock. In this day and age, having data to help tell your story is a helpful tool. Usage of genomic testing, some performance information on herd offspring, the like will help back up the message you are trying to depict.”

Select Efficient Animals for Marketing

Many producers specialize in one area or another, such as grass-fed, a heritage breed, specific lines and pedigrees. While this is an excellent way to set an operation apart and create a reputation, it’s wise to make sure livestock performance in other areas are still up to par.

“I think it’s important to find and market those animals that can ‘do it all,’” McCorkill explained. “Granted, while individual animals will be better at some attributes than others, they should be good in several areas.

OCTOBER 19, 2020

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Single trait selection for particular areas like low birth weight or carcass traits, for example, can leave some holes in other areas of the production. The real trick to marketing seedstock is discussing with your potential customer where they honestly evaluate their own herd’s attributes and shortcomings and then selecting the right animal to fit the bill and fill in those holes.”

Market Additional Offerings

McCorkill explained that many seedstock producers have ways of adding additional offerings to their consumers to make doing business with them more appealing.

“Whether it be a sheet to verify the genetics of the calves sold, aid in helping find a new home for heifers, or setting up a retained ownership program, one of these options might be a good move to consider,” he said.

Have Patience

Creating and benefiting from a marketing plan can take time, and producers should not be discouraged if they do not see results from their extra efforts immediately. Some producers might also consider hiring a marketing professional to help sell their operation, although this is not always necessary.

“Some folks are better at marketing and sales than others,” McCorkill said. “If you’ve got the knack for it, you may not need the help of someone else, but that doesn’t mean another doesn’t. Ultimately, your cattle and management should be able to sell themselves. Sometimes it takes time and some leg work to get to the point of people recognizing your brand, program, or whatever you choose to call it and associating it with a satisfying experience. Just remember the old saying about Rome not being built in a day and have some patience as well as the work ethic and pocketbook to make it all happen.”

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OCTOBER 19, 2020

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“A Passion for Agriculture”

Four State Shorthorn Association Sale Saturday, Nov. 14 • Noon

TS White’s Equine Center • Diamond, Mo.

Don’t Delay! Call Today!

Toll Free: 1-866-532-1960 ads@ozarksfn.com

Selling :

Bulls Bred Cows Bred Heifearsnd Pairs For More Information: Show Heife rs Alden Auction Steer Prosp ects 816-465-0777 Hamilton, MO • ronalden1959@gmail.com

10/19/20

OCTOBER 19, 2020

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

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WELCOME TO

WE ARE OPEN AT ALL LOCATIONS!

Wood Motor Company is constantly working and sanitizing to ensure a safe environment. WITH OUTSTANDING INCENTIVES, NOW IS THE TIME TO PURCHASE A NEW CAR OR TRUCK. So for a safe, sanitized sales experience come, call, email or text.

WE’LL DELIVER TO YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS! — WOOD MOTOR COMPANY WOULD LIKE TO THANK OUR CUSTOMERS FOR RECORD SALES MONTHS AT BOTH LOCATIONS! — MISSOURI ARKANSAS

We’ve got Heavy Duty Trucks Ready to upfit to your specific needs with several brands of Cab and Chassis models to choose from!

With More Arriving Soon!

WE HAVE USED CARS & TRUC KS AVAILABLE!

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE @ WOODMOTOR.COM • UPDATED DAILY WITH THE BEST DEALS ON USED CARS AND TRUCKS

JUST IN (3) 24’ GOOSENECK TRAILER! CALL FOR PRICE!

Wood Motor Company has been a Gooseneck Brand dealer for over 30 years, we stock the trailers that you want to buy and We will not be under sold on a Gooseneck brand livestock trailer – Period!

Email or Call Mark Hanshaw with your Specs for a Quote! mhanshaw@woodmotor.com or 870-715-9177 Financing Available!

A SOLID NAME YOU CAN TRUST

WOOD WOOD WOOD WOOD

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MOTOR MOTOR MOTOR MOTOR

CHEVY • 877.203.6897 • 600 US-62, HARRISON, AR 72601 NISSAN • 888.202.2709 • 600 US-62, HARRISON, AR 72601 FORD • 417.952.2992 • 94 HIGHWAY 00, JANE, MO 64856 CDJR • 417-708-5746 • 94 HIGHWAY 00, JANE, MO 64856

Check Out More Of Our Inventory at WoodMotor.com OCTOBER 19, 2020 Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com