Eye on Agribusiness highlights Networth Feeds & Feeding

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Networth Feeds & Feeding

By Julie Turner-Crawford

s Location:Rolla, Mo. s Owner:Frank Barnitz

History: For years, longtime cattleman Frank Barnitz sent his cattle out to be backgrounded. Over time, he thought he would keep the calves on his farm.

“I figured we could do just as good a job as anyone, so we started backgrounding in 2001 at our smaller yard,” Frank said. They soon began developing and backgrounding cattle for other producers.

Neighbors then started asking about the feeds the Branitz family used in the feedyard. Frank said that opened the door to offering custom mixed rations.

“In 2015, we built a bigger backgrounding yard and a feed mixing facility that was designed to feed the backgrounding yard, and we would sell some feed on the side. That morphed into a lot more custom-blended commodity feeds. We’ve been doing that since and have been fairly successful ever since.”

Products and Services: Networth Feeds & Feeding has one bull and personal heifer development yard that can house about 500 head. A second yard is strictly for heifer development and steer backgrounding, with a capacity of 1,000 head. They background about 250 bulls a year, 500 heifers and approximately 2,000 to 3,000 steers. Bulls and heifers typically return to the breeder following their stay in the yards.

“We do sell some bulls through private treaty to local buyers, but for the most part, they go back, and the owners market them themselves or through various sales,” Frank explained.

Frank said cattle come into the yards prefer they be weaned and pre-vaccinated. Typically, cattle come in at about 450 pounds.

“They will stay here until they are weighing close to 800 pounds, then we work with our customers to send them to different feed yards that we have relationships with to feed the cattle and for them to retain ownership and sell the cattle as fat calves on the rail. We get them the individual carcass data back, and then they can start making management decisions on what they need to do to make improvements if anything.”

On the feed side of Networth Feeds & Feeding, Frank said the customer base continues to grow each year. “We have had steady growth, which makes it more manageable,” Frank said.

Frank said their most popular mix is a corn, dried distillers grain and soybean hull feed that is custom blended for each customer.

The Barnitz family recently purchased the Rolla Farmers Exchange Coop.

Rolla’s Farmer’s Exchange offers livestock feed, hay, animal health supplies, seasonal items, and many other products.

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Proud of the Blue & Gold

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breeding my pigs in December for spring piglets. Later they’ll be sold for butchering.”

Aside from his FFA pursuits, Carter is an Ash Grove Pirates football player, a member of Beta Club and also on the track team.

Carter’s FFA advisor, Nathan Isakson, has been a very positive influence on him.

“He has always been there for the officer team and anyone in the chapter,”Carter said. “I have gotten close to him. He’s a very good person. He also owns a large cow/calf operation, Isakson Cattle Company in Bois d’ Arc, Mo. I really look up to him.”

Nathan is known for pushing his students to succeed. He is very encouraging and always there to lend a hand and advise his students. Along with his wife, Taylor Isakson, the couple are devoted to the Ash Grove FFA Chapter.

“I’ve seen Carter’s confidence improved

a lot,” mom Rachelle said. “He’s also learning important life skills. One thing that I really admire — everything that an FFA member wants to do must go through an interview process. Whether it’s becoming an officer or attending a convention, an interview is required.”

Carter has learned both interviewing and pubic speaking skills. He’s spoken at FFA events. During his year-and-a-half in Ash Grove FFA, Carter has learned a lot and has grown exponentially.

FFA members are challenged to real-life, hands-on tests of skills used to prepare them for unique careers in agriculture. Carter’s favorite activity is the contest season. Last year, he participated in a dairy cattle evaluation that proved to be an excellent experience. He learned judging, aspects and characteristics, assessing body condition scores, reading pedigrees and farm management skills in the dairy cattle industry. Later, he was required to give an oral discourse to the judges.

“I really enjoy the public speaking aspect more than anything else,”Carter added. “Recently, our officer team presented a speech that FFA member Ryleigh Morris gave last year at the Fall Public Speaking Contest. We spoke at the Southwest Missouri Cattlemen’s Association meeting in front of a conference room full of people.”

“Public speaking doesn’t bother him at at all,” Rachelle said. “It’s really cool.”

Carter followed his parents’ Josh and Rachelle, also FFA members in their youth. His younger brother, Grady, also wants to follow in his brothers footsteps to FFA.

During his time in FFA, Carter has amassed quite a few awards and accolades for his age. He wears a pin on his lapel for placing as a top competitor at districts, ninth overall. In 2021, he was awarded the chapter leadership pin. Only two people attain

the award every year. He was also selected by his advisor to be the chapters’ delegate at state in Columbia, Mo. Just two delegates are chosen from each chapter per year.

“I was present on the floor at the 2021 State convention,”Carter added. “I got to vote on the price of dues and changes to the FFA handbook. That was a cool experience.”

He also attended the National Convention & Expo in Indianapolis, Ind.

Carter feels very lucky to be a member of the Ash Grove FFA Chapter. It’s one of the most admired in the area, and known for being very connected to the community. The chapter also feels like a family. Currently, they have about 30 members. Carter also enjoys the officer team, which is a very tight- knit group. He attended a leadership conference for officers in Rogersville, Mo.

Missouri Replacement Show-Me-Select Heifers REPLACEMENT HEIFER SALE Fri., Nov. 18, 2022 • 7 P.M.

Joplin Regional Stockyards I-44 East of Carthage at Exit 22

150 Crossbred & Purebred Spring-Calving Heifers

Video Preview and Sale may be viewed at www.joplinstockyards.com

For online bidding: click on Live Auction, then Create New DVAuction Account to register. Account must be arranged in advance along with bank approval at least 4 days prior to sale. For questions or bank approval call Dustin, Misti or Clay at 417-548-2333. • NOTICE: New JRS in-person buyers should bring a letter of preapproval from their bank when registering prior to the sale • Breeds & crosses include: Angus, Gelbvieh, Red Angus, SimAngus, & Hereford. Primarily crossbreds with a few purebreds. • About 35% are black, 40% are black whiteface, 25% are red • Many are synchronized and AI bred. A few Tier II and Show-Me-Plus heifers are in the offering. See catalog for details.

Program Requirements

• Heifers have met minimum standards for reproductive soundness, pelvic size, body condition and weight and are free of blemishes. • Heifers bred to bulls meeting strict calving ease or birth weight EPD requirements. • A strict immunization program has been followed including offi cial Brucellosis calfhood vaccination. Heifers are tested and found negative for PI BVD. • Heifers will calve from February to April 30 and were preg checked within 30 days of the sale.

CONSIGNORS INCLUDE:

David & Danise Cummings, Sarcoxie Hunter Lane Cattle Co., Pierce City Broken S Land & Cattle LLC, Aurora Robert Miller, Aurora Weber Cattle, Lamar Dichotomy Cattle Co., Rocky Comfort John Wheeler, Marionville Kathy Wheeler, Marionville Mast Farms, Lamar Nolan Kleiboeker Farm LLC, Wentworth Kunkel Farms Red Angus, Neosho

For more information go to: https://extension.missouri.edu/programs/show-me-select-replacement-heifer-program For questions contact: Patrick Davis • davismp@missouri.edu • 417-276-3313 | Andy McCorkill • mccorkilla@missouri.edu • 417-345-7551

Sponsored by: Show-Me-Select™ Replacement Heifers, Inc. a non-profi t organization in cooperation with: University of Missouri Extension, MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, Division of Animal Sciences, Commercial Agriculture Program, MU College of Veterinary Medicine, Southwest Missouri Beef Cattle Improvement Association, Missouri Cattlemen’s Association and Missouri Department of Agriculture.

““I’ve seen Carter’s confidence improved a lot. He’s also learning important life skills. “ – Rachelle Vaughn Now Now

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