Ofn dummy 12 21 15 by Eric Tietze

Changes in Production

Country Christma Farm Pro s & grams Issue

DECEMBER 21, 2015• 32 PAGES

VOLUME 9, NUMBER 15 • WWW.OZARKSFN.COM

Family works with Butterball to improve biosecurity at growing facilities

‘A Good Cowman Knows’ Charles and Kelly Hatfield say a cow’s appearance is just as important as ‘the numbers’

Securing the Future Siblings join forces to keep their family farm part of the family

Protecting Resources Illinois Watershed Project offers conservation assistance to producers, landowners

DECEMBER 21, 2015

Serving More Than 24,000 Readers Across Northwest Arkansas & Eastern Oklahoma

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Young Farm winners announced: Jake Haak of Gentry, Ark., won the Arkansas Farm Bureau’s 2015 Young Farmers & Ranchers Discussion Meet at the 81st annual convention at the Marriott Hotel and Convention Center in Little Rock, Ark. Haak is the chief financial officer for the Rogers School District. Haak also helps on his parents’ dairy farm. The discussion meet provides a forum for young farm leaders to demonstrate their verbal and problem-solving presentation skills while they discuss their views on issues affecting agriculture. There were seven competitors in the Discussion Meet. Honors also went to Grant and Heather Keenen of Washington County, Ark. The couple won the Excellence in Agriculture award. The award recognizes young farmers involved in agriculture but who get the majority of income off the farm. Rodney Wiedower of Greenbrier High School in Greenbrier, Ark., was honored as the state’s Outstanding Ag Educator, and Arkansas Tech University student Lindsey Triplett of Conway, Ark., received the farm group’s social media award, the 2015 AgVocate of the Year award, for her agricultural advocacy efforts. Sequoyah Farm Bureau honored: Oklahoma Farm Bureau recently presented Sequoyah County Farm Bureau with the Lewis H. Munn Farm Bureau Builders Award during the OKFB 74th Annual Convention in Oklahoma City. Sequoyah County Farm Bureau worked to develop relationships with local businesses and people by participating in its local retirement fair, women’s expo and county livestock show. The county promotes its various events with a regular column in the Sequoyah County Times. The county also gained publicity by delivering doughnuts to 12 local businesses, presenting a citizenship seminar at the local school, providing the VFW with a new flag and shrubs, and hosting various OKFB safety programs. Former OSU Ag Dean dies: Charles Benton (C.B.) Browning, longtime dean of the Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at Oklahoma State University, died at his home on Dec. 1 in Gainesville, Fl. He was 84. Browning began his career at Oklahoma State in 1979. His tenure at Oklahoma State saw a boom in funding and facilities, leading the campaign for fundraising for the Noble Research Center for Agriculture and Renewable Natural Resources. It was also during his tenure that the Animal Science Arena was completed. After his retirement he was inducted into the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame.

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DECEMBER 21, 2015

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VOL. 9, NO. 15

JUST A THOUGHT

3 4 5

Jerry Crownover – Christmas memories Jody Harris – A whine-free zone Julie Turner-Crawford – The old cedar tree

MEET YOUR NEIGHBORS 7 The farm of James and Betty Cluck

has seen many changes since 1916

10 13

An Oklahoma community transforms into a Christmas classic

Charles and Kelly Hatfield say a cow’s appearance is just as important as “the numbers”

Town & Country spotlights Krista and Jack Sampson

Arkansas family works with Butterball to improve biosecurity

Siblings join forces to keep their family farm a part of the family

Youth in Ag features Tanner Taylor

White County, Ark., family looks to expand Friesian Sheep operation

FARM HELP 26 When is it time to cull? 27 Looking beyond EPDs 28 Watershed program offers

conservation assistance to landowners, producers

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Clean pastures, water and windbreaks help livestock perform well in colder weather

19 Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

DECEMBER 21, 2015

just a

thought

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have been alive for 63 Christmases and can evoyou nwmight orC yimagrreJ yB actually recall 59 of them. rAs ine, with that many under my belt, I have enjoyed them under varied circumstances. Jerry Crownover is I have celebrated Christmases when times a farmer and former were lean and the old, holey stocking would conprofessor of Agriculture tain only some fresh fruit, nuts and a few pieces Education at Missouri of hard candy. At other times, under better ecoState University. He is a nomic conditions, it seemed like half the Sears native of Baxter County, & Roebuck catalog appeared under the tree on Arkansas, and an Christmas morning. author and professional There have been Christmas mornings when I speaker. To contact Jerry, have awoken to 6 inches of freshly fallen snow, go to ozarksfn.com and while there were others that allowed me to do click on ‘Contact Us.’ the morning feeding in my shirtsleeves, while wading through sloppy mud. I spent one Christmas on the beach in Hawaii where snow was visible on the tops of the volcanic mountains a few miles off, as we laid in the sand at 80 perfect degrees; another in Starkville, Miss., where the closest thing to snow was the cotton trash that littered the roadside leading up the nearest cotton gin. I’ve enjoyed Christmas feasts that included, quite possibly, the largest turkey ever grown in the Western Hemisphere, along with all the sides of mashed potatoes and gravy, three-bean casserole, seven-layer salad, and homemade rolls so large they could have been mistaken for straw-colored basketballs. We’ve also had Christmas dinner that was simply hamburgers cooked on an outdoor grill. The weather wasn’t the factor in our choice of menu, as much as our pocketbook. I’ve been at Christmas get-togethers that may have been as large as 25 to 30 people that included my parents, sisters, nieces, nephews and friends. I’ve also celebrated

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479-846-1002 • Fax: 479-846-1003 E-mail: Member: editor@ozarksfn.com

Sandra Coffman President

Administrative Eric Tietze, Vice-President Operations Kathy Myers, Marketing Manager Sandra Coffman, Accounting Advertising Pete Boaz, Display & Classified Sales Kathy Myers, Production Sales Circulation Stan Coffman, Circulation Editorial Julie Turner-Crawford, Managing Editor Jerry Crownover, Columnist Jody Harris, Columnist Production Amanda Newell, Production Contributors Jessica Bailey, Gary Digiuseppe, Katrina Hine, Pam and Terry Lamb and Terry Ropp

About the Cover Increased biosecurity protocols insure that the James Mast turkey flock is healthy. See more on page 19. 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., 2015. All rights reserved. Printed in USA.

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ast weekend we needed to move cattle from one farm to another to simplify winter feedJody Harris is a freelance ing. It was cold so I asked the kids to buncommunications specialist, dle up. Somehow in the process of getting gardener, ranch wife and ready, our youngest son touched the glass mother of four. She and window of the fireplace. He did it with gusto – all 10 her family raise Angus beef fingers were blistered and he howled like a coyote. cattle and other critters on After nursing his wounds and patching him their northwest Arkansas up, we decided to let one of our older daughters ranch. She is a graduate stay home with him while we loaded and moved of Missouri State University. cows. This was met with whining and gnashing To contact Jody, go to of teeth from our other two children about the ozarksfn.com and click on unfairness of this situation. We proceeded to the ‘Contact Us.’ truck with our grouchy helpers and headed out to the field. The first thing we asked our 10-year-old daughter to do was get the gate. She was mad about having to help so she moved in painfully slow motion to get it done. Finally, the cows were penned and we proceeded to run them through the chute to load them up in the trailer. I watched as our daughter stood in her designated spot with her nose plugged to block the aroma of cattle. I laughed out loud. The cows were moved to the other farm and my husband and I told the kids what we were doing next. More whining. We had both had it with the whining. I told them with every complaint, we’d add on another task. Finally after feeding hay, counting cattle and loading the wood box, they figured out they needed to get tough and do the work if they were ever going to be free to go play. Whining has become an epidemic in this country. Every time I open up a social media page, it’s plagued with whining. Complaints about our government. the price of gas or groceries, low wages, the list goes on! Whatever happened to working hard to make a living and living within our means? Or have we become a sniveling society of whiners? We are starting to get ready for Christmas around here. Christmas today is a far cry from the reality of the first Christmas, but I like to reflect on it anyway. Joseph traveled with Mary several miles across the desert while she was on the back of a donkey. Mary, in her third trimester of pregnancy was likely uncomfortably large on that miserable trip to Bethlehem. When they got there, there weren’t any five-star hotel rooms available for resting. They were left with an animal stable (a smelly cave) to make their bed for the night. Ya know, the night she was going to give birth to the world’s Savior. No cushy private hospital room with accomplished nurses and ob-gyn doctors. No epidural! A primitive spot for the greatest miracle in the world to take place. There were a lot of things missing that go along with childbirth today. You know what else wasn’t there? Whining. The Christmas story in the Bible doesn’t recount anyone whining or complaining about this less-than-ideal situation. It does however mention – joy, singing, and adoration. I once heard a farmer in my hometown say, “The hardest part of farming is learning how to complain properly.” I despise that phrase. I believe there are always reasons to be thankful. Farming is a really great life, even in the toughest of times. I cannot say we’ve stamped out whining completely in our household – it’s a daily battle I fight even with myself. The spirit of Christmas and in life is found in being servants to one another and finding delight in our work. The elf-on-the-shelf has arrived in our home and is making daily whining reports to Santa. I hope the rest of the world takes a break from whining this holiday season too. Merry Christmas, neighbor!

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

DECEMBER 21, 2015

just a thought

Across the Fence

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hristmas is upon us! For the Crawford Ranch, Christmas is a time of joyous celebrations with family, Julie Turner-Crawford filled with lots of is a native of Dallas food and rejoicing. County, Mo., where she I’m sure we all can recall grew up on her family’s happy Christmas memories farm. She is a graduate and traditions from our of Missouri State childhood that still conjure University. To contact up a smile. Julie, call 1-866-532-1960 A tradition my family had or by email at editor@ for many, many years was a big ozarksfn.com. cedar tree for our Christmas tree. Like many places in the Ozarks, cedar trees were never in a short supply in Dallas County, Mo., so we had plenty to choose from. My dad also provided several Christmas trees for elementary classrooms over the years; well, every year I volunteered him to cut one for my classroom at least. We had one corner of the living room where we would put the tree. The tree was always very round and full, and reached the ceiling. We didn’t have a tree stand for our cedar tree, but we did have old medal coffee cans around that served the purpose. We would pack the cans with dirt and rocks to keep the tree straight. It would still require my brothers or I to climb under the tree once we got it in the house to add some rocks to the can in an attempted level it up, of course that was after it was turned and moved a few times until we found the “best side.” I can still remember the aroma of the tree moving through the house. We would fill the tree with lights and the hand-made ornaments my brothers and I made, even if they were just pieces of colored paper with a piece of yard strung through a hole. Sometimes there would be strings of popcorn or, if we were really lucky, there would be a birds nest in the tree. Mom would have to decorate some of the taller parts of the tree when we were little, but most of the decorating was left to us kids. I think she cringed when the boxes of those stringy tinsel icicles would come out. There would be globs of it here and there on the tree, on the floor, in the kitchen,

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just a thought Across the Fence Continued from Previous Page down the hall and everywhere else before we were done. She would tell us that the tinsel was the very last thing you put on the tree. Many times Mom would say, “I really don’t think (the tree) needs any icicles this year,” but you could NEVER have too many decorations or too many icicles on the tree! One year she told me that they quit making the stringy tinsel; good thing I had enough stashed back so we could have it for a couple more years. I found it after that, but Mom said she just kept forgetting pick more up… darn the luck. When Christmas was over, it was time to take the old cedar tree back outside. It was kind of sad to take all of the decorations off of it and pack them away for another year. Luckily the tinsel icicles would continue to stick around and pop up from time to time well into the New Year. I remember asking Mom once why stores sold trees during Christmas; as a

child it was beyond my comprehension why someone would not have a big cedar tree in their house for Christmas. Mom explained that not everyone had land where they could cut their own tree. She just said that was just one more reason why country kids were luckier than those who lived in town. Today, Bill and I put up an artificial tree. It might not be the cedar that we both grew up with, but we are still lucky, and blessed, to live where we do and to have the loving family we will join this holiday season for celebrations. This Christmas, remember to count your blessings and the reason for the season. By the way, Bill won’t let me put any stringy icicles on the tree either.

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the holiday when it was just me and my new wife, by ourselves, before children. Through the years, we’ve decorated the house from end to end with lights and tinsel and the prettiest tree that money could buy. But, we’ve also barely decorated some years with not much more than a Charlie Brown equivalent of a scraggly little cedar that I cut from the fencerow of one of the pastures. There was even one year when we didn’t even have a tree. At our farm, Christmas has come and gone for those 59 times that I remember, and what I remember most about every one of them was the excitement building up to the day, and feeling truly joyous and blessed as the day came to a close and everyone waddled to the table

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one last time to get one more plateful of turkey, or roast or hamburgers; feeling like this year’s Christmas was the best one we had ever had. Regardless of the economic conditions, the weather, the location, the food, the decorations, or the size of the crowd, I have never had a bad Christmas. After all these years of celebrating the birth of Christ, I know that the secret is to be in the midst of people you truly love and who love you back, as well. From the Crownover farm, Judy and I wish that everyone can be with people they love this year and every year. None of us are likely to be around for 63 more Christmases, so make every one count. Happy Christmas to all and to all….

DECEMBER 21, 2015

meet your

neighbors

Unafraid of Change By Terry Ropp

James & Betty Cluck have had various farming operations at their Oklahoma farm James and Betty Cluck both came from farming families and live on a 430-acre farm outside of Claremore, Okla., occupied by James’ family for more than a century. After leaving Tennessee in 1833, the Cluck side of James’ family settled in War Eagle Creek near Huntsville, Ark., using only a two-wheeled oxcart and traveling while his ancestral grandmother was pregnant. The Oklahoma side of the Cluck

her mother, Eunice, raised and sold. Betty and Jim met during high school and had their first date when Betty invited Jim to a church sing. In 1925, cotton was too cheap to harvest, and the next year was a flood year resulting in many farm foreclosures. Grandfather James bought a foreclosed dairy herd, the beginning of a dairy operation that continued until 1998 when James decided to switch a commercial cattle herd.

James and Betty Cluck prefer Limousin cattle because of their longevity. Photo by Terry Ropp

James was a crop farmer as well as a family came together to form the basis of the current farm in 1916. At that time two dairyman during the 1970s and 1980s, but farms less than a mile apart “as the crow relinquished 750 to 800 acres of leased flies” merged through marriage with the cropland in 1991 after having bought out Thomas Jefferson Main family. Grandfa- his father in 1983. Betty milked with her ther James Robert Cluck sold cream from children and father-in-law, hooked up Milking Shorthorn and Jersey cows, using equipment and helped remove hay bales, the skimmed milk to feed hogs, and also in addition to taking care of the house and family. raised crops. James wanted a Betty’s grandparcommercial herd ents, on the other Claremore, Okla. with a strong red hand, emigrated Limousin influence from Germany. Betty because, according was raised on a wheat farm where to James, “They her father, Joe Stritzke, also had looked nice and hogs, cattle and a pecan grove, in had good muscle.” addition to the chickens and eggs DECEMBER 21, 2015

The commercial cattle operation consists of 75 mostly Limousin mommas and two full-blooded Limousin bulls. When James started, he retained 15 Holstein heifers from his dairy herd but they produced 13 bull calves and only two heifers. James subsequently purchased 15 bred Limousin cows and six heifers the next year. “Some people claim Limousins won’t breed long, but I’m still getting good calves from two of those original six heifers and have a Holstein cow that has been productive since 2000,” James said. With the exception of an occasional bull purchase, the Cluck’s herd has been closed for 15 years, partially due to using replacement heifers to increase herd size and partially due to the farm’s natural isolation from other herds. Calves are sold at weaning because they don’t lose as much weight and don’t require separate pasture. Most farmers like to tinker with genetics, and James is no different. His youngest son Daniel, who lives just down the road, prefers LimFlex and has Angus bulls, one of which is now at his dad’s place giving James some black calves while Daniel is using a Limousin bull to get more muscle on his calves. The Cluck farm also contains almost 1,000 pecan trees. These include 450 native adult trees, 250 trees planted in rows and 235 grafted ones. When Betty was a girl, her family harvested their pecans by hand onto repurposed and sewn together parachutes. For 15 years James and Betty split shares with someone who harvested their pecans. However, they bought their own new equipment when their partner cut back his workload. James and Betty purchased a shaker, a harvester, a pre-cleaner – which separates debris from 2,200 pounds of pecans – and a final cleaner that separates out another 200 pounds of debris before placing each load in a super sack. The super sacks are sold as whole nuts. James fertilizes his pecan trees with nitrogen twice a year simultaneously fertilizing the grasses. He hays 100 acres per years, 50 of which surround the adult pecan trees. “My ancestors looked for greener pastures and found them so I’m good right here where I am,” Betty said.

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Chad Lepley wants to take his new farm in a lot of different directions. About three years ago Chad, who operates a tree service in Arkansas’ White County, got into sheep raising. He initially researched raising goats, but eventually turned to St. Croix, a hair sheep breed; they yield meat and milk, but no wool.

in terms of milk yield, something Chad discovered right away with a ewe they whimsically named Honey Boo-Boo. “She is anywhere from 1 to 1.5 gallons a day at peak,” he said. “That’s a lot of milk for a sheep.” Chad has names for all the animals in his 26-head flock, and he said new ones come from known bloodlines. One, a ram Photos by Gary Digiuseppe

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Chad Lepley plans to expand his farming operation to include more East Friesian sheep, which are known for their milk production

“That was all there was in Arkansas,” named Stretch, “was the biggest ram I’ve Lepley told Ozarks Farm & Neighbor. “I ever seen. At a year, year-and-a-half old, started looking further, and then I real- he was huge. That’s what I’m hoping for; ized that wool was very valuable. It goes everything you breed the dairy sheep to, they get bigger. They produce more meat.” anywhere from $5 to $150 a pound.” One of his East Friesian/Dorper cross rams He and his wife Dawn spent months looking for the right breed, with good weighed in at a recent sale at 230 pounds. So with more, and bigger sheep, he meat, milk, as well as wool. Finally, needed a bigger farm. In March, they found a woman in Misthe family moved to 20 acres souri who was getting East in the town of Bald Knob and Friesian sheep from a sup- Bald Knob, Ark. dubbed it “Yahuah’s Farm...a plier in Wisconsin. Native place of family. A place not our to northern Germany, the own, but Abba’s.” breed didn’t arrive in the When they got there, the place U.S. until the 1990s, but it is was buried under discarded pallets; among the highest producers

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

DECEMBER 21, 2015

meet your neighbors they’ve gradually cleared it off. Lepley’s goal is a flock of 100, which he said he’ll easily be able to maintain. “We’ll be rotating paddocks where we can hold more sheep all the way around,” he said. “I plan on doing 1.5 acre lots; once we get closer to 100, we will probably do 2-acre lots to be able to evenly eat all the grass, and let it be able to grow back evenly.” He has a lot of plans for the existing flock. He’s been using the sheep’s milk for his own family or giving it away for others to try; he wants to get his kitchen certified by the state so he can make and sell products like cheese and yogurt, and has been looking into bartering use of the facilities or a church or restaurant in exchange for dairy foods. “We’re going big with this,” Chad said enthusiastically. “Nobody around here knows anything about this; when you say, ‘Dairy sheep do what?’ They’ve never even heard of it. We’ve made soap, lotion, shampoo, conditioner, detergent and dish washing liquid.” He said sheep milk is less than a quarter water, compared to three quarters for cow’s milk. “13 to 17.5 grams of protein per cup; it’s like eating a steak when you’ve had a bowl of cereal.” He’s been selling the wool to co-ops on Facebook, and has learned how to shear his sheep himself. Chad also plans to sell dairy foods to a health food store in nearby Searcy; the store also wants lamb, but local slaughterhouses were booked through the winter. Eventually, he wants his product to be federally inspected and to sell it to supermarkets as well. Under Arkansas law, he can sell up to 500 gallons a year of raw milk off the farm. “I’d like to go raw all the way around, no pasteurization,” Chad said. “If it’s better for you, why mess it up? I made ice cream last year, and people went crazy. I had a lady who was 82 years old who hadn’t had milk in 12 years; she loved it. She cried when she handed me the little jar back, because she didn’t get sick from eating ice cream.” It’s a diverse farm. Chad has a young cow, chickens and one goat.

“We got rid of the others,” he laughed. “They get out of everything...You can’t keep them in a fence.” They are also breeding AKC Anatolian Shepherds for their own farm, and for sale. Chad has an electric fence to keep the sheep in, but not thieves or wildlife out; that’s the dogs’ chore. They’ve got a new litter of pups that are 75 percent Turkish Anatolian, 25 percent Pyrenees. Lepley said he sold some dogs to his Missouri sheep supplier, who had lost a dozen sheep to a single wolf and also had problems with coyotes, bears and boars. Those problems have ended, and Lepley said some of his neighbors have experienced theft, but he hasn’t. “Anything gets in this fence that’s not allowed to be here, it’s dead,” he said. Chad hopes to get 100 percent into sheep and dogs, and just maintain the tree service for a few customers. He said he can hand-milk 10 gallons a day. Chad also added that his milking sheep have personalities, especially one ewe. “I can come out here and sit in the chair with no one else around, and she’ll come over there and lay in my lap. She likes that attention.” The hair sheep are wild by comparison, he said; none of them come up to people or are gentle or good with kids. The East Friesians can cost up to $2,000 apiece, compared to $200 for the St. Croix, so Chad plans to breed the hair into the wool sheep. That, he believes, will eventually lead to wooled crosses with plenty of meat. In the meantime, Chad continues to prepare the property for these diverse enterprises. “A neighbor is putting in a perimeter fence for me, and then I’ll start working on paddocks and each little section all the way around,” he said. “We’ve got a sawmill down here, and we’re going to make cedar trim out of all this cedar. Why burn it? Make something out of it. We’ve done a lot, but there’s still more to do.”

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Dickens on the Boulevard

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By Terry Ropp

Oklahoma community transforms into a Christmas classic When people think of Christmas, visions of the Charles Dickens Victorian world bring feelings of joy and anticipation. Claremore, Okla., is home to a twoday celebration on the Friday and Saturday before Thanksgiving, the purpose of which, according to Jessica Jackson, executive director of a nonprofit called Claremore Main Street, is “to jumpstart the joy of the Christmas holidays and fill everyone with child like excitement.” Dickens on the Boulevard begins at 6 p.m., each night and culminates in a street dance beginning at 8:30 p.m. Initially created by a group of merchants called the Claremore Guild, this was the 19th year for the celebration with more than 1,000 people attending during the two nights. Local residents and shopkeepers dress in period costumes along a three-block stretch of downtown Claremore. Other participants were part of living windows displays. In one window sat Russell Grey, handsome in his hospital steward’s dress uniform and his wife, Kim, who represented an important local historical figure named Dr. Mary Edwards Walker. Dr. Walker practiced in the 1860s and was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for outstanding service during the Civil War. The medal was rescinded, though not confiscated, when it was discovered she was female. She refused to return it. The award was finally officially reinstated in the 1970s. Artisans, also period dressed, displayed

time-appropriate skills, such as Tracey Garrison who was throwing and decorating pots, and welder Chuck Waite who was creating a metal rose gilded with brass. Local stores were festooned and decked for the occasion with Victorian-style crafts for sale, as well as antiques, jewelry and book signings by 10 local and regional authors. A favorite spot was an interactive live Nativity with animals and children portraying Mary and Joseph. No Christmas is complete without food. Many merchants gave away hot chocolate, cider and homemade cookies. An interesting coffee shop named SheBrews is an outreach mission helping women transfer from prison life to freedom by providing them with an opportunity to learn job skills and interact with people. The Boy Scouts offered hotdogs and the local Masonic Lodge had barbecue sandwiches while Main Street sold stew meals with cornbread provided by the downtown diner, Dot’s Café. The saloon sold sarsaparilla and water and gave away shelled peanuts. One of the annual events is a costume contest open to anyone and organized by age group: adults, teens and young children. Contestants provide their own costumes and can include those participating in the event. An old-fashioned Western shootout is staged by the Territorial Marshals and the Tri-State Gunfighters. On the streets, local children portraying street urchins played music

Tatum Walker, 9, and Lucy Mitchell, 6, visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus during the Dickens on the Boulevard event. Photos by Terry Ropp

with visitors also able to watch tricks by Hocus T. Pocus, a snake oil salesman portrayed by Dale Peterson. “Dickens on the Boulevard is a favorite among local residents, who keep coming back year after year for a chance to experience life in the 1800s,” Jessica Jackson, executive director of Clairmore Main Street said. Caleb and Diana Reaser agreed. “We have been coming for 10 years, although this is the first year we haven’t dressed to compete in the costume contest. Perhaps next year. We love coming back again and again because we meet

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

up with friends that we may see at no other time during the year, and the celebration is always fun,” Diana said. The event is free and open to the public. One exception is the opportunity to have pictures taken with Santa and Mrs. Claus for $5. Another is carriage rides that take visitors from downtown to the Belvidere Mansion and the Claremore Museum of History, both of which are open for the celebration. A fee is also charged for visiting the upper floors of several old buildings with living history figures presenting “Tales from the Top.”

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Green Country Farm & Home Manager: Jameson Poteet (below) Location: Grove, Okla. History: The location has housed an agricultural business for nearly 30 years, formerly as Green Country Co-op, a branch of Afton Co-op, until the family-owned company, Beachner Grain, purchased it in March of 2006. The name was changed to Green Country Farm & Home to encompass all aspects of the business in relation to the rural area and community that it serves. Green Country is the only full-on retail site owned by Beachner Grain with four full-time employees. Jameson Poteet, manager of Green Country since 2013, brings several years of sales experience to the retail store. Products and Services: “Our biggest demand is for grass seed, livestock feed and bag fertilizer,” Poteet said. “However, also being located in the retirement community of Grove has allowed us to diversify to provide for the needs of homeowners with products for lawn care, wildlife feeders and home maintenance. We also carry livestock feeders, hardware, animal health products, straw, propane fill and provide all the materials for fencing needs. “One of the things that sets us apart from large chain ag supply businesses is we only carry the products we know work and are good quality. Plus, all employees are required to be knowledgeable about every chemical and product that we offer. We also educate our customers on the products, especially chemicals, so that they leave the store knowing how to apply the chemical safely at their home or farm.” Philosophy: “The main goal is to build trust because if the customer doesn’t trust you, they won’t come back.” The company wide philosophy is ‘We will provide a timely response to our customers’ needs with a positive ‘can do’ attitude.’ The company constantly provides us with the most up-todate information on pasture management, insect control and modern technology to help producers and homeowners. They even have an agronomist we can contact if we don’t know the answer, plus we provide education sheets from the state Extension Services.”

Story and Photo By Katrina Hine Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

DECEMBER 21, 2015

meet your neighbors

‘A Good Cowman Knows’ By Terry Ropp

Charles and Kelly Hatfield say a cow’s appearance is just as important as ‘the numbers’ Charles (Butch) and Kelly Hatfield own 120 acres completely surrounded by the Bentonville, Ark., city limits though when they purchased the acreage in 1972 they were 2 miles outside of it. They later added 100 acres in Siloam Springs, Ark., and another 120 acres of leased land used for haying. The Hatfields run Hatfield Brangus. They sell bred heifers and bulls by private

and I seem to be getting better calve,” Charles said. The Hatfields switched from Angus to Brangus in 1981 when Charles retained the cows, but used certified three-quarters Brahman bulls, a cross that produced registered Brangus. Charles believes the cattle industry went to extremes in breeding very large cattle and that a more moderate size produces the best results. He prefers bulls at 2,100-2,300 pounds and cows

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Charles Hatfield, along with wife Kelly, switched their cattle operation from Angus to Brangus in 1981 after introducing a Brahman bull into their herd.

at 1,200 pounds because they breed back better and will produce a good-sized calf with few birthing difficulties. “It’s so much fun to watch a birth and then see a calf jumping and getting its treaty, usually within 100-mile radius. The first meal within 10 minutes,” Kelly said. herd has 85 mamas and four bulls from dif- “God is truly alive.” In order to keep his stock ferent bloodlines for genetic within the desired paramediversity with the combined Bentonville, Ark. ters, Charles ranks EPD qualherd topping out at 230. ities: low birth weight, wean“When I was a full-time ing and yearlings weights, and veterinarian, I used to AI but then ribeye size and muscling. now that I am semi-retired, I prefer natural breeding be— Continued on Next Page cause it is more convenient DECEMBER 21, 2015

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meet your neighbors ‘A Good Cowman Knows’ Continued from Previous Page “Paperwork is one tool but not the only one. Anyone can look at numbers but a good cowman knows how to evaluate and ensure that the appearance is as good as the numbers.”

According to Kelly, Charles is a cow whisperer. Charles hand feeds young calves twice a day for 10 to 14 days at weaning. The process familiarizes each calf with Charles and also prevents overfeeding. “They remember me for the rest of their lives,” Charles said. Charles feeds his haylage with 40 to 60 percent moisture content from his first

cutting to weaning calves and young bulls as well as a self-limiting feed to promote muscle growth rather than excessive fat. For cows with calves, he provides liquid feed in the fall but finds it unnecessary in the spring when grasses grow. Although he occasionally feeds grain to bulls to reinforce his personal relationship with each, bulls are grass

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

fed and ready to go to work without significant weight loss. When Charles bought his Bentonville acreage, it had no useful fencing and had not been fertilized for years. One result was that the land had no thistles. Fencing was built and replaced 30 years later and land was fertilized with an annual application of chicken litter, usually about 2 tons per acre, according to a five-year plan with the and Natural Resources Conservation Service based on soil testing. While chicken litter is an excellent fertilizer and promotes strong grass growth, it does contain thistle seeds, meaning Charles now must fight thistles by spraying. He likes a combination of rye grass and crabgrass in fields because they usually reseed themselves after raking. Other fields contain Bermuda and other mixed grasses, as well as crabgrass. Charles tags newborn calves at about 2 months old rather than at birth. The tags contain only the year and a sequential identification number. He then works the newborns and gives them a seven-way blackleg injection. He watches each calf pair up with its mother and records the necessary genetic information. Three weeks before weaning, he vaccinates with another black leg injection and a shot containing IBR, BVD, PI3 and five-way lepto preventative. Heifers are given a lifetime shot for brucellosis because the disease will return if ranchers cease using it as has happened in the past though not to Charles since he has always used the vaccine. This happens because the disease can be carried by other animals and can infect the cattle herd. The timing of the vaccinations provides protection before the stress of weaning. With Charles now semi-retired, the Hatfield household is very busy. In addition to selling Hatfield Pet Specialties products to Walmart, their three children and five grandchildren delight in visiting and share many family gettogethers. Charles also retains membership in a number of cattle and Brangus associations including the Arkansas Cattlemen, the National Cattlemen, the Oklahoma Brangus Breeding Association, and the IBBA. He also is a member of both the state and national veterinary associations. Finally, the couple is active at the Church of Christ in Cave Springs. DECEMBER 21, 2015

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In Town: “I own and operate The Rancher’s Wife retail gift shop.” Krista Sampson explained. “The shop is a pop-up shop, similar to what can be found in Tulsa (Okla.) or other large cities. I contacted a friend of mine who had one in Tulsa that had great success on how to set one up and then I just went around town looking for available buildings. The shop is a holiday shop and is only open a couple months a year for holiday shopping. This year I opened in October and will stay open through Christmas. I focus mostly on locally-made items, such as handmade soaps, jewelry, locally-grown honey, quilts, paper crafts and some of Jack’s hardwood tables on display. “It is a great opportunity for the building owner because it showcases their building and I pay the insurance, utilities, rent and taxes for the months that I am in the store. It is also a plus for the community because it brings in shoppers and fills up a storefront during the holiday season.” In the Country: The Sampson’s moved to Grove, Okla., four years ago from Tulsa, Okla., to raise their three young boys. Jack grew up on a dairy farm outside of Tulsa and Krista, a city girl, grew up in Stillwater, Okla. The couple owns a 300-acre spread east of Grove near the Elk River and currently run about 80 head of commercial cows and calves. Jack owns Elk River Furnishings and uses trees from their property to make his creations. His work can be found in homes near Grand Lake to the Tulsa area and beyond. He specializes in concrete countertops, hardwood tables, mantles and stainless steel cabling for decks and porches. Some of the wood from their land consists of Black Walnut, Sycamore, Cherry and Oak. Krista describes his work as modern farm. Now Jack uses an Amish made sawmill and constructed his own kiln for drying the wood. The couple enjoys rural life and owning their own businesses, it means they can spend time raising their boys in the country. The boys have sheep and Jack hopes to train their new herd dog, Rose, to work both sheep and cattle in the future. Story By Katrina Hine Submitted Photo

DECEMBER 21, 2015

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market sales reports

beef

73.00-90.00 † 70.00-90.00 †

Arkansas Cattle Auction

Ash Flat Livestock Barry County Regional Stockyards Not Reported* Benton County Sale Barn 79.00-100.00 † Cattlemen’s Livestock Auctionn 80.00-94.00* Cleburne County Livestock 78.00-86.50 † Not Reported † County Line Sale - Ratcliff Decatur Livestock 80.00-94.00* 72.00-95.00 † Not Reported †

dairy cattle

Not Reported † 74.00-108.00 † 70.00-93.00*

Norwood, Mo. • Producers Auction Yards

79.00-93.00 † 89.00-101.50 †

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

75.00-95.50 †

100

slaughter

120

140

cows

(Week of 12/6/15 to 12/12/15)

45.00-78.00 †

Arkansas Cattle Auction

† 3 35.00-73.00 Not Reported* 40.00-74.50 †

Ash Flat Live Barry County Regional Livestock Benton County Sale Cattlemen’s Livestock Auction Cleburne County Live County Line Sale - Ratcliff Decatur Livestock

64.00-76.00* 43.00-70.00 † Not Reported † 60.00-74.00* 70.00-92.00*

Farmer’s & Ranchers - Vinita Farmers Livestock Ft. Smith Livestock I-40 Livestock - Ozark Joplin Regional Stockyards Mid-State Stockyards North Arkansas Live

46.00-75.00 † Not Reported † Not Reported † 51.00-84.00 † 40.00-72.00* 40.00-69.50 †

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.

16 16

Ark. Cattle Auction, LLC - Searcy 12/8/15

Ash Flat Livestock

923 10-18 Lower

-----

180.00-232.50 165.00-197.50 152.00-177.00 143.00-157.00 136.00-144.00 ----160.00-185.00 139.00-166.00 133.00-147.00 118.00-135.00 160.00-182.50 148.00-174.00 132.50-170.00 128.00-168.00 -----

110

Benton Co. - Siloam Springs 12/10/15

Cattlemen’s Livestock*

12/11/15

Barry Co. Regional Stockyards* -----

12/9/15

Cleburne Co. - Heber Springs 12/7/15

683

-----

1928

1585

403

-----

Uneven

5-25 Lower

2-10 Lower

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

195.00-235.00 185.00-213.00 149.00-194.00 125.00-156.00 129.00-136.00

178.00-204.00 170.00-199.00 160.00-183.50 147.00-157.00 -----

175.00-200.00 160.00-187.00 151.00-167.50 141.00-148.00 -----

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

193.00-223.00 177.00-201.00 144.00-185.00 132.00-149.00 120.00-131.00

175.00-202.00 168.00-191.00 146.00-173.00 132.00-148.00 -----

----130.00-160.00 140.00-156.00 132.00-140.00 -----

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

171.00-203.00 147.00-177.00 125.00-159.00 125.00-137.00 118.00-140.00

148.00-180.00 143.00-165.00 130.00-162.50 117.00-135.00 122.00-135.00

160.00-182.50 140.00-180.00 140.00-155.00 130.00-137.00 -----

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

goats

Feeder Kids: Selection 1-2 20-44 lbs 175.00. Slaughter Does/Nannies: Selection 1-2 100.00-115.00. Selection 3 85.00. Slaughter Bucks: Selection 1-2 125.00. aged wethers 100 lbs and over 135.00; any grade yearling 130.00. SHEEP: Slaughter Lambs: Choice and Prime 2-3 hair under 80 lbs 170.00-200.00; Good and Choice 2-3 over 80 lbs hair and wool 110.00-120.00. Slaughter Ewes: Utility and Good 2-3 70.00. Slaughter Rams: aged 70.00.

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prices

Decatur Livestock*

-----

1053

662

679

-----

5-10 Lower

Steady

Uneven

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

200.00-240.00 180.00-192.00 160.00-175.00 150.00-158.00 135.00-145.00

175.00-178.00 166.00-178.00 156.00-166.00 141.00-156.00 135.00-141.00

197.50-225.00 179.00-210.00 149.00-175.00 140.00-146.00 -----

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

201.00-206.00 164.00-205.00 147.00-172.50 133.00-147.00 126.00-132.00

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

185.00-200.00 170.00-185.00 140.00-155.00 130.00-141.00 95.00-110.00

161.00-165.00 150.00-161.00 138.00-150.00 123.00-138.00 123.00-125.00

152.00-165.00 141.00-161.00 126.00-146.00 ---------

Farmer’s & Farmers Ranchers Livestock Vinita, Okla.* Springdale 12/9/15 12/11/15

Ft. Smith Livestock ---------

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

I-40 Livestock Ozark -----

Joplin Regiona Stockyard 12/7/15

-----

9943

-----

3-13 Lowe

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

210.00-240.0 168.00-217.5 155.00-201.0 140.00-175.0 134.00-168.5

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

--------150.00-177.0 130.00-148.0 122.50

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

180.00 145.00-177.0 132.00-170.0 131.00-164.0 139.00-157.5

USDA Reported * Independently Reported

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

Nati

Receipts: 914 Feeder Lambs: Choice hair lambs 45-62 lbs 200.00-220.00. Good hair lambs 40-68 lbs 180.00-197.50. Slaughter Lambs: Wool lambs Choice NO. 2 pelts 78-80 lbs 185.00-190.00; 102-150 lbs 140.00-157.50. Hair lambs: Prime 73-85 lbs 180.00-188.00; 100-105 lbs 165.00-175.00. Choice 74-89 lbs 160.00-175.00; 93-102 lbs 147.50-160.00. Good 71-85 lbs 150.00-159.00. Slaughter Hair Ewes: Choice fleshy 3-5 70 lbs 170.00. Good

County Line Sale Ratcliff -----

12/7/15

2-3 Ram 75 l Slau Slau 2 30 190 Slau Sele Slau

12/3/15

Receipts: 1173 SHEEP: Feeder Lambs: Medium and Large 1-2 30-45 lbs 230.00-250.00. Slaughter Hair Lambs: Choice 3-4 50-78 lbs 220.00-245.00; 90-110 lbs 130.00-140.00. Good 2-3 53-78 lbs 200.00-215.00. Slaughter Ewes: Wooled: Good 2-3 155-235 lbs 75.00-80.00. Utility 1-2 100-105 lbs 55.00. Hair Ewes: Choice 3-4 100-135 lbs 100.00-112.50. Utility and Good 2-3 106-170 lbs 70.00-95.00. Rams: Slaughter Hair Rams: Good 2-3 100-205 lbs 70.0095.00. GOATS: Feeder kids: Selection 2 18-38 lbs 200.00-230.00. Selection 3 20-36 lbs 160.00-180.00. Slaughter Kids: Selection 2 43-65 lbs 225.00-245.00; 68-145 lbs 200.00-220.00. Selection 3 40-80 lbs 160.00-185.00. Does: Several drafts of high quality bred Lamancha does 150.00 Per Head. Slaughter Does: Selection 1 48-75 lbs 200.00-210.00. Selection 2 53-92 lbs 130.00-160.00. Selection 3 60-132 lbs 100.00-120.00. Bucks: Several replacement Purebred Boer Bucks: 245.00350.00 Per Head. Slaughter Bucks: Selection 1 85-202 lbs 130.00-155.00. Selection 2 65-165 lbs 100.00-120.00. Selection 3 75-115 lbs 80.00-95.00.

stocker & feeder

130

127 5(3257('

55.00-70.00* 39.00-83.00 †

121( 5(3257('

sheep &

60.00-81.00 † Not Reported † 50.00-75.00 †

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

12/10/15

Receipts: 331 Springer Heifers Bred Seven to Nine Months: Supreme 2025.00-2325.00, Medium Individual Jersey 1100.00. Heifers Bred Four to Six Months: Supreme Individual 1950.00, Approved Individual Crossbred 1600.00, Jerseys 1625.00-1660.00, Medium Individual Jersey 1375.00, Common 160 Individual Crossbred 675.00. Heifers Bred One to Three Months: Approved Individual 1550.00, Individual Jersey 1275.00, Medium Individual 1300.00, Common 675.00-850.00, Individual Crossbred 950.00. Open heifers: Approved 500-600 lbs Pkg 5 hd 554 lbs 970.00, 600-700 lbs 1010.00-1080.00, 700-800 lbs 1100.00-1320.00, Medium 300-400 lbs Individual 390.00, Ind. Crossbred 310.00, 400-500 lbs 500.00-550.00, Crossbreds 490.00-600.00, 500-600 lbs Individual 700.00, 600-700 lbs Individual 850.00. Fresh Milking Heifers and Cows: Supreme 1725.00-1900.00, Approved Individual Crossbred 1525.00, Medium Individual 1075.00, Common 700.00-875.00, Individual Jersey 850.00. Bred and Springer Cows: Supreme Individual Jersey 1725.00, Approved 1600.00-1700.00, Individual Crossbred 1675.00, Medium Crossbreds 1275.00-1500.00, Jerseys 1300.00-1490.00, Common Crossbreds 750.00-1175.00, Jerseys 800.00-950.00. Baby Calves: Holstein Heifers Large 270.00-275.00, Small Individual 180.00, Holstein Bulls Large 220.00-275.00, Small 135.00-165.00, Jersey Bulls 90.00-105.00, Crossbred Heifers Koshkonong, Mo. • Oregon County Goat and Sheep Market 12/5/15 Individual Small 120.00, Crossbred Bulls Pair 250.00, Beef Cross Heifers 270.00-310.00, Beef Cross Bulls 230.00-340.00. Receipts: 107 Springfield, Mo. • Springfield Livestock Marketing Center 11/24/15 GOATS: Slaughter Kids: Selection 1 45-60 lbs 255.00; 61-80 lbs 210.00. Selection 1-2 81 lbs and up 150.00. Receipts: 650 Selection 2 45-60 lbs 240.00; 61-80 lbs 185.00. Selection 1 Springer Heifers bred seven to nine months: Supreme 45-60 lbs dairy influence 150.00. 1810.00-2075.00, crossbreds 1750.00-2050.00, Approved 1400.00-1710.00, ind crossbred 1550.00, Medium 1250.001375.00, Common few 1000.00-1125.00. Heifers bred three to six months: Supreme 1650.00-2050.00,

Not Reported † 75.00-100.00 † 90.00-97.00*

12/13/15

5 Area (Tx-Ok, Ks, Neb, Ia, Colo) Live Basis Sales - Over 80% Choice Steers: 115.00-120.00; wtd. avg. price 117.36. Heifers: 112.00-119.00; wtd. avg. price 117.05. Dressed Basis Sales - Over 80% Choice Steers: 183.00-189.00; wtd. avg. price 186.82. Heifers: 184.00-190.00; wtd. avg. price 187.19.

84.00-135.00*

Farmer’s & Ranchers - Vinita Farmers Livestock Ft. Smith Livestock I-40 Livestock - Ozark Joplin Regional Mid-State Stockyards North Arkansas Livestock

cattle

Midwest - High Plains Direct Slaughter Cattle

ind Jersey 1850.00, crossbreds 1500.00-1900.00, Approved 1300.00-1575.00, ind Jerseys 1375.00, crossbreds 1200.001275.00, Medium 1050.00-1275.00 ind Jersey 1125.00, few crossbreds 1125.00, Common ind Jesey 910.00, crossbreds 575.00-1080.00. Heifers bred one to three months: Approved ind 1200.00, Medium ind Jersey 1150.00, ind crossbred 1080.00, Common ind 900.00, few crossbreds 825.00- 835.00. Open Heifers: Approved 145-295 lbs ind 450.00, crossbreds 380.00-470.00, 320-380 lbs 460.00-660.00, crossbreds 540.00590.00, 405-500 lbs 700.00- 740.00,ind Jersey 475 lbs 1000.00, crossbreds 660.00-790.00, 518-553 lbs 700.00-890.00 pkg 3 crossbreds 553 lbs 1100.00, 605-695 lbs 940.00-1200.00, ind crossbred 1040.00, 745-790 lbs 970.00-1250.00, ind crossbred 970.00. Medium: 635-680 lbs 380.00-490.00, 705-815 lbs 720.00920.00. Common: 610-690 lbs few 360.00-380.00. Replacement Cows: Fresh Cows: Supreme 1550.00-1775.00, Approved 1400.00-1600.00, Medium 1000.00-1225.00, ind Jersey 1335.00, ind crossbred 1375.00, Common 700.00935.00, few Jerseys 590.00- 975.00. Milking Cows: Supreme 1700.00-1950.00, Approved 1400.00-1625.00, crossbreds 1450.00-1575.00, Medium 1100.00-1300.00, crossbreds 1185.00-1310.00, Common 850.00-1025.00. Springer Cows: Supreme 1700.00-2000.00, Approved 1525.001600.00, ind Jersey 1550.00, Medium 1200.00-1375.00, ind Jersey 1225.00, ind crossbred 1100.00. Bred Cows: Supreme ind 2050.00, ind crossbred 1750.00, Approved 1475.00-1660.00, few crossbreds 1475.00-1550.00, Medium ind 1100.00, ind Jersey 1150.00, Common 675.00950.00, few Jerseys 700-875.00, few crossbreds 685.00-800.00. Baby Calves: Holstein heifers 240.00-400.00, Holstein bulls 190.00-390.00, small 45.00-160.00, Jersey heifers 220.00420.00, Jersey bulls few 80.00-200.00, crossbred heifers 310.00430.00, small 160.00-285.00, crossbred bulls 220.00-380.00, few small 130.00-200.00.

127 5(3257('

(Week of 12/6/15 to 12/12/15)

127 5(3257('

bulls

127 5(3257('

slaughter

DECEMBER 21, 2015

es reports

avg. grain prices

ion 1 85-202 lbs 130.00-155.00. 0.00-120.00. Selection 3 75-115 lbs 11/24/15

air lambs 45-62 lbs 200.00-220.00. bs 180.00-197.50. lambs Choice NO. 2 pelts 78-80 lbs bs 140.00-157.50. lbs 180.00-188.00; 100-105 lbs 4-89 lbs 160.00-175.00; 93-102 lbs 85 lbs 150.00-159.00. hoice fleshy 3-5 70 lbs 170.00. Good

Soybeans

12 8 4

8.97

5.13

5.10

3.91

3.99

0 Blyt

hevil

Hele

Sorghum

8.92 6.74

8.94

5.20

3.87

Elain

8.57

5.07 3.93

eola

Osc

5.61 4.67

Mid-State North Arkansas OKC West - El Reno Ouachita Livestock Auction Ozarks Reg Stilwell Livestock Auction Tulsa Livestock Auction

3.54

usta

Aug

Joplin Regional Stockyards 12/7/15

Mid-State Stockyards*

-----

9943

-----

3-13 Lower

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

Corn

I-40 Livestock Ozark -----

127 5(3257('

Soft Wheat

210.00-240.00 168.00-217.50 155.00-201.00 140.00-175.00 134.00-168.50

12/7/15

N. Ark. Livestock Green Forest 12/9/15

OKC West - El Reno, Okla. 12/9/15

452

1614

11707

10-20 Lower

4-18 Lower

St-15 Lower

180.00-218.00 168.00-203.00 155.00-187.00 140.00-159.00 -----

189.00-210.00 172.00-202.00 157.00-185.00 144.00-165.00 137.00-155.00

224.00-276.00 189.00-222.00 161.00-210.00 144.00-169.00 134.00-166.00

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

--------150.00-177.00 130.00-148.00 122.50

155.00-211.00 150.00-197.50 131.00-172.00 108.00-141.00 94.00-133.00

184.00-200.00 157.00-188.00 144.00-174.00 135.00-153.00 129.00-146.00

200.00 186.00-200.00 149.00-181.00 135.00-151.00 -----

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

180.00 145.00-177.00 132.00-170.00 131.00-164.00 139.00-157.50

160.00-194.00 152.00-174.00 139.00-159.50 128.00-150.00 -----

168.00-184.00 138.00-160.00 125.00-146.00 122.00-132.00 117.00-123.00

187.00-231.00 166.00-204.00 149.00-171.00 131.00-161.00 138.00-154.00

DECEMBER 21, 2015

1000

* 175.72 * 163.73

180.42 181.65 179.99 ** 185.00

Week of 11/15/15

157.90 * ** 156.33

** ** *

** 180.00

pairs

179.12

168.92

***

*** 177.74

1000.00-1575.00 † Not Reported*

156.86 ***

*** *** 180.40 *** *** ***

*** 160.92 *** *** ***

171.68

153.73

***

*** 194.54

171.43 159.42

176.43

880.00-1875.00 * 1025.00-1800.00 †

1550.00-2325.00 † Not Reported †

** 165.50

193.46

800.00-2300.00 †

1500.00-2000.00*

157.79

171.61

None Reported †

3000

4000

5000

Ouachita Livestock Ola, Ark. -----

Ozarks Regional West Plains 12/8/15

Stilwell Livestock Auction* 12/9/15

Tulsa Livestock Auction 12/7/15

-----

4256

2282

4585

-----

5-15 Lower

Lower

-----

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

Ash Flat El Reno Ft. Smith Green Forest Heber Springs Joplin Ouachita Ozark Ratcliff Searcy Siloam Springs Springdale Tulsa West Plains

2750

* 181.74 ** ** **

* 154.37 ** ** **

173.47

160.64 149.53

174.36 165.74

142.95

* 155.94

174.13

154.87

180.73

198.00-210.00 180.00-212.50 162.50-190.00 154.00-169.00 138.00-152.00

210.00-260.00 170.00-222.00 150.00-210.00 140.00-166.00 100.00-133.00

238.00-248.00 193.00-203.75 169.00-190.50 155.00-164.00 135.00-148.00

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

----160.00-180.00 140.00-165.00 130.00-153.00 125.00-130.00

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

210.00-229.00 171.00-200.00 152.00-183.00 137.00-154.00 125.00-135.00

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

172.50-176.00 155.00-171.00 141.00-160.00 131.00-145.00 130.50-134.50

180.00-214.00 135.00-169.00 125.00-160.00 115.00-147.00 105.00-132.00

186.00-235.00 180.00-190.00 162.00-195.00 140.00-152.50 130.00-158.00

Oct. 15 Nov. 15

heifers 550-600 LBS.

195.50

725.00-1900.00 †

2000

July 15 Aug. 15 Sept. 15

Barry County Regional Benton County 1100.00-1800.00 † Cattlemen’s Livestock 1540.00-2225.00 * Cleburne County Livestock Auction - Heber Springs None Reported † County Line Sale - Ratcliff Not Reported † Decatur Livestock 1500.00-2100.00* Farmer’s & Ranchers - Vinita None Reported * Farmers Livestock - Springdale None Reported † Ft. Smith Livestock Not Reported † I-40 Livestock - Ozark Not Reported † Joplin Regional 1000.00-1450.00 †

Week Ended 12/15/15

ices

ith ck

Ash Flat Live

steers 550-600 LBS.

850.00-1675.00 † Not Reported † Not Reported †

cow/calf

Apr. 15 May 15 June 15

Ash Flat El Reno Ft. Smith Green Forest Heber Springs Joplin Ouachita Ozark Ratcliff Searcy Siloam Springs Springdale Tulsa West Plains

12/11/15 Mid-State Stock 750.00-1475.00 * Cheese: Barrels closed at $1.4225 and 40# blocks at North Arkansas Live 850.00-1100.00 † $1.4450. The weekly average for barrels is $1.4760 (-.0335) 1025.00-1875.00 † OKC West - El Reno and blocks, $1.4765 (-.0680). Ouachita Livestock Auction Not Reported † Fluid Milk: Farm milk production varies across the nation. 500.00-1800.00 † Ozarkss Increases are appearing across the southern tier of the U.S., 1200.00-1700.00 * Stilwell Livestock Auction although some localized weather conditions have challenged Tulsa Livestock Auction 1425.00-1875.00 † milk production trends. Across the northern tier, milk is generally steady. Demand from bottlers is active, with some 250 750 1250 1750 2250 milk suppliers indicating interest exceeded expectations for the week. Many grocery outlets are bundling minimum dollar amount purchases with discounted gallons of milk. However, suppliers are already reporting lower sales for next week based on orders from school districts. SPOT PRICES OF CLASS II CREAM, $ PER (Week of 12/6/15 to 12/12/15) POUND BUTTERFAT F.O.B. producing plants: Upper Arkansas Cattle Auction - Searcy None Reported † Midwest - $3.4538-3.7442.

ent Purebred Boer Bucks: 245.00-

ock Market

71.00-83.00 † Prices reported per cwt Not Reported † 1200.00-1400.00* 1210.00-1400.00*

Dec. 14 Jan. 15 Feb. 15 Mar. 15

Week of 11/22/15

on 1 48-75 lbs 200.00-210.00. .00-160.00. Selection 3 60-132 lbs

National Dairy Market at a Glance

$160

750.00-2300.00 † 1250.00-1975.00 *

Week of 11/29/15

election 2 18-38 lbs 200.00-230.00. .00-180.00. n 2 43-65 lbs 225.00-245.00; 68-145 ion 3 40-80 lbs 160.00-185.00. gh quality bred Lamancha does

900.00-1675.00 † Not Reported*

Ash Flat Livestock Barry County Regional Stockyards Benton County Cattlemen’s Livestock Auction Cleburne County Livestock Auction County Line Sale - Ratcliff Decatur Livestock Farmer’s & Ranchers - Vinita Farmers Livestock Ft. Smith Livestock I-40 Livestock - Ozark Joplin Regional

Week of 11/22/15

Choice 3-4 50-78 lbs 220.00-245.00; 0. Good 2-3 53-78 lbs 200.00-215.00. d: Good 2-3 155-235 lbs 75.00-80.00. 5.00. 100-135 lbs 100.00-112.50. Utility and .00-95.00. ams: Good 2-3 100-205 lbs 70.00-

$195

925.00-1400.00 †

Arkansas Cattle Auctionn

** 167.07 151.00 165.39 ** ** **

134.23 145.92

Week of 12/6/15

Medium and Large 1-2 30-45 lbs

$230

(Week of 12/6/15 to 12/12/15)

dairy sales

12/3/15

550-600 lb. steers

$265

Week of 11/29/15

heep and Goat Sale

cows

12 Month Avg. -

$300

Week of 12/6/15

ction 1-2 125.00. aged wethers 100 y grade yearling 130.00. mbs: Choice and Prime 2-3 hair 0.00; Good and Choice 2-3 over 80 0-120.00. y and Good 2-3 70.00. 70.00.

replacement

2-3 99-127 lbs 100.00-115.00; 75-152 lbs 72.50-90.00. Rams: Few young purebred Dorper replacement rams Choice 75 lbs 215.00; 90-113 lbs 140.00-155.00. Slaughter Hair Rams: Good 2-3 155-210 lbs 70.00-88.00. Slaughter Kids: Selection 1 47-70 lbs 230.00-245.00. Selection 2 30-71 lbs 200.00-225.00. Selection 3 35-60 lbs 165.00190.00. Slaughter Does: Selection 2 83-135 lbs 130.00-165.00. Selection 3 115-135 lbs 100.00-135.00. Slaughter Bucks: Selection 2 85-185 lbs 140.00-165.00.

127 5(3257('

1-2 20-44 lbs 175.00. es: Selection 1-2 100.00-115.00.

USDA Reported * Independently Reported

145.82 ** ** ** 141.94

157.89 152.31

133.85 133.50

157.69 171.98

168.78 144.74

165.83 140

161 182 203 224 245 * No price reported in weight break **USDA Failed To Report *** No Sale - Holiday

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

Serving More Across Northwest Arkansas & Eastern Oklahoma Serving MoreThan Than24,000 24,000Readers Readers Across Northwest Arkansas & Eastern Oklahoma

125

142 159 176 193 210 * No price reported in weight break **USDA Failed To Report *** No Sale - Holiday

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

17 17

#blessed

BACHMAN BRED The Source for RED

As the leaves fall and the snow arrives, Bachman Cattle Farms would like to say thank you to our customers. We are grateful to the buyers who believe in our genetics. Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas, as we celebrate the birth of Christ, our center. Truly blessed...

BIEBER STORMER Z433

BROWN MS P707 X7580

BIEBER FEDERATION B544

BIEBER MAKIN HAY X390

BROWN MS P707 Y7697

BIEBER REAL MCCOY Y124

LSF SRR TYSON 3025A

FEDDES BLOCKANNA R64

LSF PROSPECT 2035Z

REDstock

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Chillicothe, Missouri • Litton Ag Center

SATURDAY, MARCH 12, 2016

660-247-1112 • scott_bachman@yahoo.com 17520 Hwy JJ • Chillicothe, MO 64601

Save the date for our 2nd annual sale - the second Saturday in March Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

BachmanCattleFarms.com DECEMBER 21, 2015

meet your neighbors

Changes in Production By Terry Ropp

Family works with Butterball to improve biosecurity at growing facilities

Photo by Terry Ropp

When James Mast left Ohio for warmer weather and a smaller community at 19, he had no idea he would end up being a turkey farmer in Huntsville, Ark. He and his wife Glenda met while volunteering at the Mennonite operated Hillcrest Nursing Home in Harrison, Ark., owned by Boone County. Volunteers are provided housing and a small part of the county wage, with the rest going to missions. On their first date, the new couple visited friends who were volunteering at the nursing home and continued to Branson, Mo., for dinner. Eventually, they married and bought 40 acres from Glenda’s father, Pete Hochsteler. The purchase included three Increased turkey houses built in 2002, biosecurity where James had worked for protocols insure that the Pete for four years. The couJames Mast ple has three children: sons turkey flock is Braden, 4, and Chandler, 2, in healthy. addition to daughter Marissa only 4 months old. For the last couple of years, upon the finishing weight Butterball seButterball has been transitioning from the traditional rotational style of lects. When the chicks arrive from North raising turkeys to one in which the entire Carolina, two-thirds are put into the flock arrives and leaves at the same time middle house, which will initially serve as with a three-week resting period for thor- a brooding house, with the other third being placed in half of one of the ough cleanout. This is done remaining houses. Typically, to put one more protective Huntsville, Ark. 800 chicks are placed into 42 layer between the birds and cardboard rings secured in the disease. James began using rice hull bedding and next to this system last year. two propane-powered stoves to James receives 29,600 to 33,000, 1- to 2-day-old chicks, with the flock size depending — Continued on Next Page DECEMBER 21, 2015

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meet your neighbors keep them warm. The rings provide a feeling of security and make it easier for the chicks to find food and water. They are hand fed with a poultry bucket for the first four days. On the fourth day, the cardboard is removed and burned for additional disease control with the buckets and waters remaining in place until the young birds find and learn to use the new sources of feed. Feed composition changes from crumbles to pellets as the birds mature. After six weeks, half of the chicks in the brooding house are moved to the empty one while the chicks in the partially used house are given access to the entire house thereby allowing the young turkeys sufficient room to grow to their pre-determined shipping weight. Once the houses are empty, they are carefully cleaned. Cleaning includes removing litter and replacing the rice hulls, as well as spraying disinfectant from a sprayer tank behind a tractor. The tank has different sets of nozzles for the sides and ceiling. Stoves are disinfected with a power washer. Water lines are also flushed before a new flock arrives in addition to being flushed once a week while the birds are there. An additional disease prevention mandate is having a different pair of boots for each house as well as a disinfectant pan to clean the boots before entering. This is especially important for the Butterball serviceman who comes once a week to check on the birds’ progress and update mortality sheets.

He is also on call whenever James wants to examine a possible issue. “Each house has a water meter, and dropping consumption is often the first clue that something is going on,” James explained. The turkey litter is put to good use by being spread on Pete’s farm, as well as on neighbors’ land according to government regulations and individual-approved plans. Pete currently maintains an Angus herd, which James may buy in another year as part of Pete’s life simplification process. “Adding cattle will bring additional income as well as new experiences for our children,” James said. “The best part of being a farmer’s wife is having him here so the children can be involved in everything we do,” Glenda added. “That more than makes up for the odd and often long hours which are especially difficult during haying season.” James bought a bulldog puppy when he moved from Ohio. A fellow church member, Jonathan Miller, asked if he wanted to raise puppies and got him started. James has 10 females and two males with five to seven puppies per litter. Some females have two litters per year while others only have one litter in a year and a half. James breeds pet-quality rather than show quality dogs and generally sells through a broker. “My boys play with the puppies more than help, but Braden is getting old enough to actually help feed them,” James said.

“

Clean rural water produces healthier birds and that’s what we use with our flocks. – James Mast

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Siblings join forces to keep their family farm part of the family Some families do everything they can in order to take charge of the future and ensure that farms stay within their family. Junior and Jenelle Dotson moved to Junior’s father’s 85-acre commercial cattle farm in 1973 when their daughter, Julie Clark, was 9. Two years ago, the family decided that Julie, her sister Joni and her brother Jason and their families would

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through two government programs with each program comprising half of the loan. The first was a Farm Service Agency loan secured through agent Kelly Bollinger, who then pursued the rest of the monies through the Arkansas Rural Endowment Fund and guided the family through the extensive paperwork. The endowment fund was established in 1959 as a nonprofit and is not an official part of either the fedPhoto by Terry Ropp

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Jenelle Dotson, Julie Clark and Katie Clark are part of a multigeneration farming operation in Berryville, Ark.

buy the farm from their parents as a fam- eral or state governments though access is through its association with FSA. ily operation, now named Blest J Farms. “It’s hard letting go after all these years, Even though all of the families have homes on the land, they have off the farm but Junior and I know this is the right jobs making time the biggest issue. Some thing to do to ensure an economically initial decisions included details of im- advantageous transition. Nonetheless, plementing the transition and assigning letting go of some of the decision-making is difficult,” Jenelle said. tasks and income dispersion. “I am amazed by how the “I’ve worked since I was Berryville, Ark. family pulls together to get 14 and full-time since I was things done. We call for a Sat16,” Julie said. “I told my dad urday workday, and everybody he had to teach me because I comes,” Julie added. “These days didn’t know much.” The purchase, finalized only last August, was made possible — Continued on Next Page DECEMBER 21, 2015

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meet your neighbors Securing the Future Continued from Previous Page are fun as well as productive with my hus- mental bloodlines in bulls. Some heifers band Rickey and Joni’s husband David are sold and some are used as replaceworking right along with us.” ments with other heifers being purJulie’s daughter Katie is a common chased because of more favorable pricpresence, in addition to Jason’s wife ing rate right now. Jackie and Joni’s daughter Hannah. JuGrasses are mostly fescue and Bermuda, nior still does the daily work, such as with rye grass added this fall for better feeding and checking of the cows, while winter forage. Pastures are sprayed in the the rest of the family works on improve- spring and spot sprayed as needed. The ments and maintenance. biggest problem has been carrot weed, a One of the major changes in the new wild carrot member of the parsley family. family business is the development of Junior and Jenelle used Chaparral with a record keeping system since Junior surfactant added and have the problem never kept written records but kept now well under control. everything in his head. Julie and Katie Chicken litter has been the fertilizer took pictures of of choice, espeall of the cattle as cially when Jua pictorial record nior and Jenelle with Junior now raised chickens. telling Julie when However, a comhe sells animals or mercial fertilwhen calves are izer was used this born. The goal is year with good to keep records results, although from birth to aucgood rains may tion, but right have contributed now that process to that success is rudimentary. meaning the deciInfrastructure desion will have to mands immediate be revisited later. attention with and Half of the land is improved corral hayed while four system as the highto five other cliest priority. Howents supply addiever, the decision of tional income to – Jenelle Dotson when to sell is based the farm through on weight and Jucustom haying. nior’s “coffee shop The farm charges talk” with neighby the bale, as it bors and sale barn customers in terms of does with the Passion Play in Eureka current pricing. This year, because the grass Springs, Ark., since they need all their was good and prices not so much, calves are hay, or bale on halves. being kept longer for more weight gain and Katie loves being part of the Blest Farms. hopefully a better market. “Workdays are when we can all get toGrain is used sparingly when calves are gether, enjoy each other’s company, and weaned and before they are sold, and oc- get work done at the same time. I really casionally with the bull to keep him “re- love being outside and part of this adsponsive.” Cubes are used occasionally venture,” she said. with cows for the same reason. Blest J Farms is beginning a new chap“Grain is Junior’s dog,” Jenelle said. “It ter in its life. The family hopes someday brings the cows in.” to be able to lease more land around The current herd is comprised of 40 their farm and perhaps purchase some momma cows with a preference for Sim- additional land in the future.

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

“It’s hard letting go after all these years, but Junior and I know this is the right thing to do to ensure an economically advantageous transition.”

DECEMBER 21, 2015

youth in

agriculture tomorrow’s ag leaders

Tanner Taylor Age: 15 Family: Father, Shon; mother, Joy; and 9-year-old brother, Hayden Hometown: Vinita, Okla. FFA Chapter: Adair FFA Advisors: Devin Delozier and Shane Johnson What is your favorite aspect of agriculture? “While I like all the animals, I especially enjoy cattle and sheep. Because there was no agricultural program in Ketchum, I decided to drive to Adair for school instead of Vinita because Adair is closer to where dad works which makes transportation easier.” Who is the most influential person in your life? “The most influential was my great-grandfather because he taught me that every day is a good day, some days are just better than others. Another important person is Zeb King, a family friend who worked with my dad when my dad worked at a feed mill. Zeb and his family were highly competitive in cattle and loaned us equipment to get started and gave me advice that really paid off. He still goes to shows with us and preps the animals for the show because he showed a lot of club bull calves.” What is your current involvement in agriculture? “I am beginning to raise my own commercial cattle herd. I used AI on one Angus cow so I could raise show calves from her. When I choose semen, I look on the Internet for what lines are hot right now and also what their show calves are selling for. My grandpa raises sheep and we bought 12 ewes and a ram as a beginning herd for me. In FFA, I also compete in prepared speech, cattle grading and judging livestock, equine and dairy.” What agricultural memories stand out in your mind? “My earliest memory is going to Quarter horse sales when I was 5 or 6 while my dad was still raising and selling Quarter horses. I also remember backing the feed truck out of the barn when I was 10 with my dad cautioning me to be careful because it was a tight squeeze. Of course I thought I had it, but I didn’t and scraped the truck on a feed bin. My favorite memory is winning reserve market steer with a steer I raised from my own cow. I didn’t have a lot of confidence and did not expect to win, so I was thrilled when I did.” What are your future plans? “In the short run, I want to run for an FFA State office when I am a senior in high school or freshman in college. I plan on going to a junior college first and then transferring to Oklahoma State to get a degree in animal science before becoming a vet. I haven’t figured out yet whether I want to focus on large animals or be a general vet.”

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Advice from

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Year-End Thoughts By Jessica Bailey

Producers should begin looking at plans for 2016 now

t’s the end of the year and we are in the midst Jessica Bailey is an of the holidays. Everyone’s mind is filled with agricultural lender at thoughts of family, friends, food, gifts and parHometown Bank in ties. For the farmers and ranchers among us, Neosho, Mo. A resident those are joined by thoughts of harvest, winof Newton County, she ter planting, year-end stockyard sale days and new also raises cattle on equipment discounts. We are making decisions on her family’s farm and whether to sell the harvest now or later, to buy that is an active alumni of new tractor or not, to cull that cow, to keep that the Crowder College heifer. Any and every decision we make, regardless Aggie Club. of the time of year, has a lasting effect on our operations and the well-being of our families. The majority of the decisions made this time of year are tax related, as several of the examples above indicate. But let’s take taxes out of the equation. How different would our thought process be then? Would it affect our management style? How would it change our expansion, or consolidation, plans? Would we look at the goals for our farms and lives differently? Even with the recent decline in cattle prices, margins are still decent for the cow/calf operator. Some of the options that could be considered at this time are: when do I sell the calves, do I keep back heifers, do I cull cows, do I purchase that new cab tractor? All options that can affect the amount of taxes paid next year, as well as affect the future growth of the operation. But, if we are removing taxes from the equation, how would those decisions look? The weather is changing now – as I write this, the temperature is dropping and the rain is coming down. How will that affect my calves’ sale weight? Will I need to use additional feed and hay to just hold them at their current weight until sale day? And what about their health with the changes in the weather? Does the possible gain of income outweigh the possible loss if I wait to sell until first sale day of 2016? Or what about the breeding side of the situation? We’ve always been encouraged to keep a young herd. Can we make our goals if we hold back, grow and breed our own heifers while culling older cows already in production? Should we sell our heifers and buy new blood to enhance our current bloodlines? Does it pencil out to keep the older cow who calves every year right on schedule, or is it time to retire her from the herd? And that new cab tractor – if taxes were not in play, would we still make the purchase? Does it make sense to put that payment on the farm at this time – does it cash flow? Is the depreciation expense enough to balance out the payment? We all would like to see that new equipment in our fields, but does what we have now still operate and work efficiently for us? My intent here is not to discourage or change any decisions we make for our operations at year end currently. Taxes are one of the few things we can be certain of in this life. I would, however, like to just encourage us to take a step back and evaluate our farms, our goals and make the decisions that would help us reach those goals faster while allowing use to keep our farms in the family for generations to come. After all, we do live and work in the best and highest industry of all – agriculture.

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

DECEMBER 21, 2015

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farm

help

Making farming

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When is it Time to Cull? By Gary Digiuseppe

Hoof and leg issues, age, reduced production are factors to consider A cow that remains open for a season is an obvious candidate for culling, but there are many other aspects of the animal’s condition that should be taken into account when deciding when it needs to go to town. One of the first things you should look at is the overall structure, Dr. Tom Troxel, University of Arkansas Extension beef cattle specialist, told Ozarks Farm & Neighbor. “For example, look at the feet and legs to make sure that they’re sound, to make sure that they’re not lame and not showing any adverse problems with the foot, hoof and toes, and that they’re walking properly and not showing any signs of abnormal gait,” he said. The need for soundness also extends to their eyes; watch for signs of a disease that can cause blindness like pinkeye, which could be common this year due to the tremendous amount of flies, or white spots around or in the eyes that could grow into a bigger problem later. Also, when making a culling decision on an older cow that’s still in good body condition and productive, always examine the teeth. When teeth start to fall out, the cow may no longer be able to graze well, and may lose body condition as a result. Cows that are not carrying a calf should be culled before wintertime, when feeding becomes very expensive and an open cow would create an even bigger loss. The producer should also monitor records, and cull cows that aren’t producing good, growthy calves; this is also a way to make sure one of those cow’s daughters isn’t retained in the breeding herd. Troxel recommended calves be weighed at weaning to be sure they’ve attained approximately 50 percent of body weight. By adjusting performance to a 205 day weaning weight, he said, “You’re taking the age factor out of the weaning weight consideration, and you’re also taking out the milk production factor. We all know that a 2-year-old female does not produce as much milk as an 8-year-old cow, so they’re adjusting the weight of the calf to compensate for that.”

what do you say? What is the best farm tip you have been given?

“My dad taught me to reseed with wheat in order to promote the nutritional value of winter grazing.” Scott Ramsey Washington County, Ark.

Research at the University of Arkansas has demonstrated cows that produce calves at the low end of the scale one year are also likely to produce poor-performing calves in subsequent years. It’s not only cows that should be considered for culling. Eldon Cole, University of Missouri regional livestock specialist, said the bull also needs to be taken into consideration if he’s been injured, and did not do his job of getting the cows bred in the just-concluded season. “A lot of times, we don’t have the luxury to cull a bull because he consistently weans subpar animals,” Cole told OFN. “Some people may get around to it, but most of them think, bulls are so expensive, I’ll just keep this one for another year. That’s probably a mistake. I’m a firm believer in doing the breeding soundness exam on bulls and, if you have the luxury of knowing how his calves have been doing at weaning time and as a yearling, and you see one that is falling way behind the rest of the herd, that’s when you need to pull the trigger, load him up in the trailer and take him to the sale.” He said prices for cull cows and bulls usually perk up toward February, even if they’re going to the packer. Disease is also an issue; bulls that have tested positive for trichomoniasis cannot be cured and need to go to slaughter. Cole said there is also more attention being paid to persistently infected BVD cattle, which contract the virus in utero, perform poorly throughout their lives and shed so much virus they endanger their cohorts; Cole recommended culling both cows and bulls that are BVD-PI. Is there an age at which cows need to be culled, no questions asked? “Cows reach their peak milk about 10 years of age, and then after about 11-12 years of age their milk production starts to drop off,” said Dr. Troxel. “I have seen cows still very productive at 13-14 years of age, and you always wish that you could cull the cow one year before they don’t reproduce or one year before they fail to produce a quality calf, so you almost have to have a magic crystal ball.”

“I was taught growing up you never take anything from the land but always leave it better than when you found it.”

“Take care of your livestock before you take care of yourself, and they will take care of you.”

Larry James Madison County, Ark.

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

Phil Hofschulte Ottawa County, Okla.

“They say you have to have money to make money. Well, you have to have cows to lose one, and losing one is just part of the process.” Amy Roberts Adair County, Okla

DECEMBER 21, 2015

farm help

Looking Beyond EPDs By Gary Digiuseppe

Structure, udder development, performance are important factors in females Estimated Progeny Differences (EPDs) can provide a good starting point when selecting heifers to retain in your herd, but there’s more to the decision. “We can do what is called a pedigree estimate, just using the sire and the dam’s EPDs, and that’s probably a little bit better than the use of things like the mother’s regularity of calving,” Eldon Cole, University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist for the Southwest region told Ozarks Farm & Neighbor. “But I still like to look at the bigger picture and take a number of things into consideration when selecting a replacement heifer. Many people in the past have selected the biggest heifers to save, but bigness is not always an indicator of greatness when it comes to a replacement heifer. She might be a nice looking female, but she might not be the one that is going to stand the test of time and be a consistent producer. I think a lot of folks now look at the mid-ranged heifers, as far as size.” Producers also should look for heifers that were born early in the calving season; that’s an indicator of the mother’s fertility and ability to retain the fetus. As for EPDs, you can look at the sire’s potential for milk production and docility, data on which are now offered by most of the breeds. You can also look at the dam’s udder to gauge how the heifer’s udder will develop – positively, for size, or negatively, for structural issues that could pose problems in an older cow. And in fescue country, Cole likes to see how the mother has performed. “If she’s a regular calving female with a nice 12-month interval then she’s probably stood the test of time, but fescue and any other conditions that might cause that cow to not breed as regularly should be a consideration when selecting the heifer,” he said. DECEMBER 21, 2015

Dr. Tom Troxel, University of Arkansas Extension beef cattle specialist, said once the heifers have been selected, their performance should be monitored. They need to achieve at least 65 percent of their mature weight by first breeding, so they should be weighed at weaning and their target weight at breeding should be calculated. “Once you’ve got that established, it’s very important to put together a nutritional program to help those heifers gain the weight you want them to gain,” Troxel told OFN. “You can work with your county agent and develop a feeding program with the hay or the forage that you have, and you might have to put together a little supplement program to help those heifers gain that Average Daily Gain that you want. “ You don’t want the heifers to gain too much and become overconditioned, nor too little; if they’re not at the proper weight, they won’t be exhibiting estrus cycles when you put the bull out. Continue weighing the heifers every 30 or 45 days to make sure your feeding program is on target; if it isn’t, adjust the feeding program to increase or reduce their ADGs. Troxel said it’s an individual decision whether to raise your own replacements or to procure them. “Many people would like to raise their own replacement heifers because genetically, you know what you’re getting; it’s also a biosecurity issue – they’re not buying any diseases or other people’s problems,” he said. “Other people, though, when they buy replacement heifers want to make a genetic change in their herd. Many people would rather buy bred heifers and pay a little bit more for them, but yet they’ve gotten over that long period of feeding replacement heifers and so they’re kind of ahead of the game, but they pay a price.”

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farm help

Protecting Resources By Pam and Terry Lamb

Illinois Watershed Project offers conservation assistance to producers, landowners Progress has been made in several areas of the Illinois Watershed Project. The Illinois River begins in the Ozarks region of northwest Arkansas, near Fayetteville, Ark., and meanders west into Oklahoma, 5 miles south of Siloam Springs, Ark., near the town of Watts, Okla. “Work by the Natural Resources Conservation Service and our partners, such as the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission (ANRC), Illinois River Watershed Partnership (IRWP), Washington and Benton county conservation districts, and landowners in six sub-watersheds in the IRWI project area contributed to the delisting,” said Mike Sullivan, NRCS State Conservationist in Arkansas. High turbidity levels in the upper Illinois River in Arkansas resulted in the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) adding a 2 1/2-mile segment of the Illinois River to the Clean Water Act’s list of impaired waters in 2006. Peacheaer and Tyner creeks are tributaries to the Illinois River and Lake Tenkiller in northeastern Oklahoma and have problems associated with excessive phosphorus and sediment since at least the early 1990s. Peacheater Creek landowners implemented riparian buffers, alternative livestock water sources and better animal waste management techniques. As a result, nutrient loading to Peacheater Creek declined. In addition, stream bank erosion declined and biological communities improved. The Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) promotes coordination between the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and its partners to deliver conservation assistance to producers and landowners. The NCRS provides assistance to producers through partnership agreements, program contract or easement agreements. Assistance is delivered in accordance with the rules of Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) and the Watershed Operations and Flood Prevention Program in certain areas. The RCPP encourages partners to join in efforts with producers, owners of agricultural land and non-industrial private forestland to increase the restoration and sustainable use of soil, water, wildlife and related natural resources on regional or watershed scales. The NRCS and its partners are able through RCPP to help producers install and maintain conservation activities in selected project areas. Producers may apply for RCPP assistance in several ways; at the producer’s request, a partner may submit the application for participation in a selected project area,

directly at their local USDA Service Center in a selected project area or directly at their local USDA Service Center in a critical conservation area designated by the Secretary of Agriculture. The IRWP was established 10 years ago to bring funding agencies and organizations together with local landowners and community stakeholders in an effort to improve and protect the water quality. The IRWP is the lead partner for the project that covers 484,947 acres. Project goals include improving water quality by reducing nutrient loads entering the watershed, increasing plant and soil health, decreasing soil erosion, improving energy efficiency and improving wildlife habitat. The IRWP communicates easily adapted water management practices to individuals and business through their programs. The IRWP teaches improving, installing and maintaining healthy riparian buffer zones along streams to reduce the erosion of stream banks dramatically decreasing the amount of sediment entering streams decreasing turbidity. The IRWP has used education, outreach, water quality monitoring, conservation and restoration projects to accomplish its goals. “Agricultural producers know NRCS practices are based on sound science that helps them remain productive and competitive while providing water quality and environmental protection,” said Delia Haak, executive director of the IRWP said. IRWP’s education and outreach programs involve a music program, after school program including art and nature camps for kids; an urban workshop for educators; a rain garden academy and annual conference many Photo by Pam and Terry Lamb of which are offered at their Watershed Learning Center and Watershed Sanctuary at Cave Springs, Ark. IRWP water quality monitoring projects have included a USGS Biological assessment project, a phosphorous removal structure project with Oklahoma State University, watershed-based management plan stakeholder meetings, world water monitoring day, make a difference day and creek cleanups. IRWP conservation and restoration projects have included a riparian project; rain garden projects; growing conservation and greenhouse project; NRCS EQIP education/demonstration workshops and low impact development and green infrastructure projects along the Razorback Greenway and Watershed Sanctuary in Arkansas. In 2015, 17,189 people participated in IRWP conservation projects contributing 29,619 hours to the community for watershed conservation, education and volunteerism resulting in an economic impact of $621,989.

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

DECEMBER 21, 2015

farm help

Keeping Stock Healthy in Winter By Gary Digiuseppe

Clean pastures, water and windbreaks help livestock perform well in colder weather The best way to keep livestock comfortable in the winter, according to Dr. Heidi Ward, is to keep them healthy. That means updating the animals’ vaccines in the fall, Ward, a University of Arkansas Extension veterinarian, told Ozarks Farm & Neighbor. “Make sure they do that plenty ahead of time so they have a full three weeks for the vaccines to take effect,” she said. “Mainly protect again the respiratory diseases; those tend to take a toll on cattle during the wet, cold months in the late fall and winter.” Livestock can also be made more comfortable by deworming them in the fall, and putting them on a clean pasture. That keeps their intestinal parasite burden relatively low, so they’re not competing with worms in their gut for needed nutrition throughout the winter months. Producers should make sure cattle have access to fresh hay or feed if forage supplies are low, and fresh water. “Ensuring fresh water also means to check their water sources every day to make that they’re not freezing over, breaking them up if you have to, and adding more water,” Ward said. “That may be something you have to do in the morning and the evening, to make sure you get good water every day. And especially towards the end of winter, most producers have to provide hay, usually in round bale or block bale form, just to be sure that you’re meeting their nutritional quota.” Well before winter arrives, the producer can build some sort of wind block on the pasture, either by planting a protective stand or erecting a structure in common areas where wind comes through. If a particular pasture is subject to flooding, make sure there’s higher ground to which they can be moved. Eldon Cole, University of Missouri Extension regional livestock specialist, said DECEMBER 21, 2015

any kind of adverse weather will affect cattle performance. “A little bit of wetness, a little bit of wind, a little bit of mud – those all impact animal nutrient needs and their comfort,” Cole explained. “If you can minimize the amount of bone chilling conditions that the cattle are faced with, you’re going to be better at the end of the winter than somebody who has them out on a flat area where there are no windbreaks. A windbreak might only be a ridge or a hillside where they can get on the southwest side of it; it might be as simple as a cedar break, where there’s a little bit of wind or timber.” Although it’s helpful if the animals can be kept dry, Cole warned putting them in an enclosed area that is not properly ventilated only places more stress on them. “An animal that has good nutritional intake on a daily basis can probably withstand being out in the cold more so than if you worried about trying to get it under roof,” he said. “We can create a lot of moisture coming off of those cattle if you put them in a barn.” If there is mud, try to figure out a way to keep the cattle out of it. Cole said there are enough rocks, slopes, hillsides, fields and pastures around to avert too many muddy conditions. When snow comes around, he said, “My favorite is to unroll big round bales of sorry hay; usually most people have some that is only fit for bedding in the first place. The younger the animals, the more they need a place to lie down, and it kind of helps keep them out of the mud.” Finally, keep them comfortable by keeping them well fed; an animal with its body fat depleted will have a hard time tolerating wind chills. “Good feeding habits, getting plenty of energy and adequate protein into them, is critical to keep that body condition score up,” Cole said. “On cows, we would like to be up above a 5-6 Body Condition Score range, minimum.”

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aCovered Pens Great Service, aEasy Unloading a Cattle Received Wednesday & Thursday Low Rates! Comfortable Seating with Commission Rates a Good Views of Sales Arena 2.5% on all calves 3% on all cows & bulls aHauling Available Please contact one of our Field Representatives for more information! Cody Vaughn 479-790-3432 Joe Simpson 918-207-7123

Listen Friday a.m. KURM 790 Sale Barn Report!

3870 Highway 412 East, Siloam Springs, AR • 479-524-2371

Fayetteville 479-582-0700 300 N. College Ave. 2971 N. College Ave.

Springdale

Huntsville

479-751-9260

479-738-2147

5178 W. Sunset Ave. Ozark Center Point Place

312 W. Main St. 432 Harmony Rd.

todaysbank.com

Serving More Than 24,000 Readers Across Northwest Arkansas & Eastern Oklahoma

NMLS#341187

Know What’s Coming,

Before It’s Here…

ozarks’ farm

calendar

December 2015 21 Pesticide Applicator Training – 1 p.m. – Carroll Electric, Huntsville, Ark. – 479-738-6826 25 Free Community Christmas Dinner – Delaware County Fairgrounds, Jay, Okla. – 918-253-4332 January 2016 5 Pesticide Applicator Training – 6:30 p.m. – Marshall Assembly of God, Marshall, Ark. – 870-448-3981 14 Pesticide Applicator Training – 6 p.m. – Baxter County Fairgrounds, Mountain Home, Ark. – 870-425-2335 for more info 16 Pesticide Applicator Training – Noon – Arvest Bank, Gravette, Ark. – 479-271-1060 19 Pesticide Applicator Training – 6 p.m. – UACCM Auditorium, Morrilton, Ark. – 501-354-9618 19 Pesticide Applicator Training – 6 p.m. – Pope County Extension Center, Russellville, Ark. – 479-968-7098 22 Arkansas Farmers Market State Meeting – Little Rock, Ark. 25 Pesticide Applicator Training – 5:30 p.m. – University of Arkansas Extension Office, Van Buren, Ark. – 479-474-5286 26 Pesticide Applicator Training – 6 p.m. – Fulton County Fairgrounds, Salem, Ark. – 870-895-3301 28 Pesticide Applicator Training – 6 p.m. – William Carl Garner Vistor Center, Heber Springs, Ark. – 501-362-2524 30 Pesticide Applicator Training – 9 a.m. – Washington County Extension Office, Fayetteville, Ark. – 479-444-1755

The new Ozarks Farm & Neighbor look ahead email is now available. Receive directly in your email: • A brief look at the coming issue. • Additional content not in the print edition. • Information about upcoming agricultural events in the Ozarks.

February 2016 8 Pesticide Applicator Training – 6 p.m. – Bald Knob School Cafeteria, Bald Knob, Ark. – 501-268-5394 22 Pesticide Applicator Training – 5:30 p.m. – Pauline Whitaker Animal Science Arena, Fayetteville, Ark. – 479-444-1755 March 2016 10 Pesticide Applicator Training – Searcy County Extension Office, Marshall, Ark. – 870-448-3981 10 Pesticide Applicator Training – 6 p.m. – ASUBB Farm, Beebe, Ark. – 501-268-5394 17 Little Red River Beef Cattle Conference – 11 a.m. – $20 registration fee – Pruitt’s Mid-State Stockyards, Damascus, Ark. – 501-745-7117 28 Pesticide Applicator Training – 2 p.m. – Washington County Extension Office, Fayetteville, Ark. – 479-444-1755

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February 2015 9 Oklahoma Quality Beef Network Vac-45 Sale – McAlester Stockyards, McAlester, Okla. – 918-423-2834

1-866-532-1960 30

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

DECEMBER 21, 2015

Cattlemen’s Seedstock Directory

Livestock - Equipment

Dogs For Sale

FRENCH BULLDOG

The Tuffest Made

Jac’s Ranch - Bentonville, Ark. - 479-273-3030 44 Farms - 501-940-0299 www.rosebudfeeders.com

14 GA., 2 3/8” Pipe & 5/8” Sucker Rod Starting At ....$3,565

tricia.hill346@gmail.com or (717)314-0921

918-507-2222

Balancers

Livestock - Cattle

Bob Harriman Genetics Montrose, Mo. - 660492-2504

Brangus

Hatfield Brangus Bentonville, Ark. - 479273-3921 - 479-531-2605 Rose Bud Feeders - 501940-0299 - www. rosebudfeeders.com Townsend Brangus - Rose Bud, Ark. - 501-9400299 - 501-556-2046

Charolais

Rose Bud Feeders - 501940-0299 - www. rosebudfeeders.com

Gelbvieh

Triple D Farms Mountain Home, Ark. 870-481-5603

Herefords

Allen Moss Herefords - Vici, Okla. - 580-9224911 - 580-334-7842 mossherefords.com

Sim Angus

Bob Harriman Genetics Montrose, Mo. - 660492-2504

Simmental

Lazy U Ranch - Haskell, Okla. - 918-693-9420

12/21/15

8 Sisters Ranch

Santa Gertrudis Dark Red Polled Breed developed south. Texas all American for live calves & profi t. Bulls are gentle in nature.

417-926-7256

12/21/15

Hudspeth Farms CHAROLAIS, SIMMENTAL & RED ANGUS BULLS Greg Hudspeth • St. Joe, Ark.

870-439-2285 or 870-365-8969

2/22/16

Trade Website Design For Fresh Beef

532-1960

Machinery Used Tractors

• ‘95 Belarus 400 AN........$5,500 • ‘11 NHT5070, cab, 4x4 w/NH 835TL ldr., 24x24 pwr. shuttle, 1,720 hrs................... $58,500 • ‘09 NH T6020, cab, 4x4, w/ NH 830TL ldr., 16x16 semi pwr. shift, pwr. shuttle, buddy seat, 747 hrs...................... $64,500 • ‘87 Ford 6610, 2WD, ROPS, w/ldr........................... $12,500 • ‘80 MF 230, dsl., low hours... .................................... $8,500 • ‘12 NH T5060, cab, 4x4 w/NH 835 TL ldr., 12x12 PS, 1,080 hrs............................. $61,500 • 2-Ford 5000, dsl.... $6,950 Ea.

Round & Square Bales

If You’re Looking For A Website For Your Farm, Here’s Your Chance. I’m Looking To Do Some Trading For Fresh Beef. Turn-Key Package Includes Full Website Design, 1 Year of Hosting and 1 Year of Domain Name Registration.

417-322-4711 TFN

Livestock - Equipment

24,000 Readers

1-866-

New Holland TL90A 2wd Cab w/loader, 2000 hrs $27,500

920-397-6313

John Deere 1530 2wd w/loader $7,750

6/27/16

New Holland T5060 4wd Cab w/loader, 1076 hrs $46,500 Kubota M7040 Cab, 4wd, Loader, 375 hrs $37,500

Reach More Than Who Are Primarily Livestock Producers, By Placing Your Ad In the Purebred Corral, Call Today!

www.work-your-cows.com

• ‘09 NH 7070, new belts, net... .................................. $17,950 • ‘12 JD 348 wire tie sq. baler, 6,000 bales, like new....$18,900 • ‘99 JD 348 wire tie sq. baler, hyd. swing, shedded.... $9,500 • NH 658 twine, 4x6..... $7,950 • ‘09 NH BR7090 specialty crop, endless belts & net, 5,494 bales................ $29,500 • ‘09 BR7070, net & twine, NH 5,748 bales................ $23,500

Used Hay Tools

• JD 704 rake............... $2,550 • Krone EC320 caddy... $8,950 • NH 256 rake...................$850 • H&S 8 whl. rake......... $2,500 • Krone AM403............. $6,500 • Rhino DM124, 10’ w/caddy... .................................... $6,950 • Tonutti 10W rake, like new..... .................................... $3,000 • H&S 12 W hi-cap....... $8,950 • H&S 12 W bi-fold...... $5,950

OUR 65th YEAR

JUG Livestock Waterers Call Wes at

515-771-6036 www.weslynn.net

Massey Ferguson 393 Cab, 2wd, loader $18,500 New Holland TN70 2wd, loader $16,750 2015 John Deere 6115D 4wd, Cab, loader, 400 hrs $61,500 2010 John Deere 6115D 4wd, Cab, Loader, 2,400 hrs $37,500 New Holland TS115A 4wd, Cab, Loader $47,500 New Holland TN75D 4wd, Cab, Loader $26,500 New Holland TT60A 4wd, Loader, 1,000 hrs $19,500 Ford 7740 2wd, Cab, 2842 hrs $17,500

Williams Tractor

2501 Shiloh Dr. • Fayetteville, Ark.

479-442-8284

www.williamstractor.com 12/21/15

Sell Your Farm Equipment

Country Veterinary Service Tim E. O’Neill, DVM

479-267-2685

Farmington, AR countryveterinaryserviceinc.com

26 years of serving both farm and family.

Interested in writing for Ozarks Farm & Neighbor?

Call Today To Add Color To Your Classified Ad for as Little as $8!

OFN is looking for freelance writers in the following counties in Arkansas: Franklin, Johnson, Logan, Newton, Pope, Scott, Searcy, Sebastian, White and Yell In Oklahoma: Craig, Le Flore, Mayes and Ottawa

866-532-1960

Interested writers can email writing samples to julie@ozarksfn.com.

Get Spotted With Color

Selling Cattle, Hay, Tractors or Anything Else Farm Related? There’s No Better Way To Reach Cattlemen In The Ozarks! The Cattlemen’s Sweetspot Reaches More Than 58,000 Readers in 60 Counties!

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classified ad for as low as $13.18 per issue!

Call Today for Details! Hwy. 69 South Pryor, Oklahoma 918-825-2044 chuppimplement company.com

866-532-1960

3/28/16

DECEMBER 21, 2015

Wanted

WANT TO BUY MILK TANKS

RECENT TRADES

chocolate, stud, very healthy, 17-months old. Up to date with vaccinations, vet checked, and proven. Must sell! $5,000.

Angus

Vets

Machinery

Serving More Than 24,000 Readers Across Northwest Arkansas & Eastern Oklahoma

1-866-532-1960 ozarksfn.com

THE TRUCK SPECIALISTS! We know what you want ... Big Selection + Low Prices!

We’re farmers, too! We know what farmers want, and we keep the most popular models in stock at the lowest prices you’ll find in North Arkansas! Family owned and operated for over 43 years!

Absolute Top Dollar offered on all trades!

See why we are the area’s #1 Truck Volume Dealer!

We’re BIG on Heavy Duty Trucks!

600 Highway 62-65 Harrison � 870-741-8211

WoodMotor.com

North Arkansas’ Volume Dealer! FINANCING AVAILABLE!

Call Mark Hanshaw: 870-715-9177 (cell) 870-741-8211

We stock the trailers farmers use most! Whether it’s a golf cart, a 4-wheeler trailer or one of the big boys, you’ll find it at Wood Motor Co. We’ll NEVER be undersold! Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

DECEMBER 21, 2015