OFN February 1, 2021 by Eric Tietze

FARM FINANCE • ANIMAL HEALTH • PRODUCTION SALE

Looking to the Future FEBRUARY 1, 2021 • 28 PAGES

VOLUME 14, NUMBER 17 • WWW.OZARKSFN.COM

Bobby and Kelli McDaniel are building their ranch and herd

Developing a Brand A love for livestock and the feed industry prompted Larry Sutton to start his own company

The Refi Dilemma Refinancing can be beneficial

Keys for Success Jim Singleton believes nutrition, strong health protocols and genetics are important for his herd

rumor mill

U of A facility destroyed by fire: A fire at a University of Arkansas’s Milo J. Shult Agricultural Research and Extension Center caused an estimated $1 million worth of damage. The fire began around 11 p.m. Jan. 19, according to a press release. “It appears we not only lost the shed, but also two plot combines, one full-sized combine and two planters,” said Mark Cochran, vice president-agriculture for the University of Arkansas System. “We also lost some smaller, more specialized research equipment and supplies.” The center is a part of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

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Hall of Fame inductees announced: The Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame has announced that six individuals will be inducted during 2021 due to their leadership and service to the state’s largest business sector. The newest inductees include retired Cooperative Extension Service Director Rick Cartwright of Fayetteville, Ark. Induction ceremonies for Class XXXIV have not been set. The Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame board of directors has decided to forego the traditional time frame of early March and is working to secure a date for mid-summer. Ogden named to board: John Ogden of Oktaha, Okla., has been chosen to sit on the Oklahoma Certified Beef Association Board of Directors. The board was created by the Oklahoma Farmers Union to create a database of ranchers with cows that are born, bred, raised and slaughtered in Oklahoma. The nonprofit organization was created following the passage of HB 3963 into law during the 2020 legislative session.

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VOL. 14, NO. 17

JUST A THOUGHT 3 Jerry Crownover – Gathering bulls 4 Jody Harris – Teamwork 5 Julie Turner-Crawford –

Nominations sought: The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry is now accepting nominations for Agriculture Hall of Fame award through Monday, Feb. 22. The award winner will be announced at a recognition ceremony on March 23, 2021, at the State Capitol as part of the annual Oklahoma Ag Day celebration. Nominees should have high standards of conduct, leadership, innovation and accomplishments in agriculture and should be a role model for young Oklahoma agriculturists. The deadline for all nominations is 5 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 22. Applications can be submitted electronically via email to Tandy Kidd at tandy.kidd@ag.ok. gov or can be dropped off in person at the ODAFF building. The application can be accessed at go.ozarksfn.com/lqt Garden kits offered to schools: Now through March 1, the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry’s Farm to School program is accepting applications for school garden kits on behalf of the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant. The Farm to School program will partner with four public schools and three Early Childhood Centers to provide garden kits for the schools. The kits will include everything needed to build, grow and maintain the garden. Each school selected to participate in the two-year program will receive a stipend for a garden coordinator.

7 10 18 20

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

Why everyone should be interested in ag

MEET YOUR NEIGHBORS 7 Larry Sutton developed his own

supplements and Pro-Energy Feed

Wally Olson says mentors have helped him along the way

Eye on Agribusiness highlights Bekaert Steel Wire

A community rallies to preserve history

Town & Country features Jamie Harmon

Nutrition, health protocols and genetics are key for Jim Singleton

McDaniel Ranch is looking to the future

Youth in Agriculture spotlights Kendal Smith

FARM FINANCE 12 Get financially fit in the new year 13 The importance of financial statements

Budgeting can help maximize profits

17 Should you refinance? FARM HELP 22 Tips from Dr. Tim O’Neill 23 Do you have an SOP? 24 Reducing stress 25 Are your cows/heifers ready for calving?

FEBRUARY 1, 2021

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Life Is Simple By Jerry Crownover

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always dread the day I gather bulls, from all the pastures, to haul them to their winter confines. All the bulls. I presently own are very gentle and rarely cause me any problems, but, as my revowife nwoconstantly rC yrreJ yB reminds me…they ARE bulls. The first pasture gather went fine, with all the cows and Jerry Crownover is the one bull going straight into the corral, when I scattered a farmer and former a few range cubes. After a few unsuccessful attempts to sort professor of Agriculture off the bull into one of the side pens, I simply opened the Education at Missouri main gate and watched every one of the cows exit, leaving State University. He is a the bull by himself at the far end. Mission accomplished. native of Baxter County, The second pasture was at a different farm, but still, evArkansas, and an eryone came in and the bull sorted off easily, although I author and professional could tell he did not like being left without his female speaker. To contact Jerry, friends. He was snorting and pawing when I left, but I was go to ozarksfn.com and confident the really good corral at the creek place would click on ‘Contact Us.’ keep him secure, until I could return with the trailer later that afternoon. The third gather was uneventful, as an older bull seemed more than ready to be captured, understanding that he was headed toward a winter of free-choice hay and daily grain. I believe I could have driven out into that pasture, with my trailer, and he would have loaded himself. With all the bulls safely penned, I decided to unroll hay for the cows at each of the places, before hooking up to the trailer and transporting the bulls. As I drove into the entrance at the creek place, I couldn’t see the bull from the east side, and as I passed by to the west side, I couldn’t see him, either, so I assumed that he was laying up against the barn and was not visible from my vantage point. You see, a huge, 100-year-old, wooden barn makes up the entire south side of the corral at that place. It is a typical old barn for this part of the country with a gambrel roof, side sheds the entire length of the structure, and a huge loft that is used for nothing in my operation, except for being the summer home, to a large flock of turkey vultures.

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Editorial Julie Turner-Crawford, Managing Editor Jerry Crownover, Columnist Jody Harris, Columnist Production Amanda Newell, Production Contributors Kathy Daily, Brian Drane, Erin Harvey, Klaire Howerton, Ken Knies, Dr. Tim O’Neil and Terry Ropp

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Bobby McDaniel and his family are growing their cattle operation. See more on page 20. Submitted photo

Springfield Livestock Marketing Center, Exit 70 I-44 & Hwy. MM

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

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Freshly Picked By Jody Harris

n December, our kids enjoyed a highly-anticipated snow day during the school week. It was just enough snow to play and sled in. The temperatures stayed low and the snow stuck around for a couple of days. The kids bundled up and took turns slinging each Jody Harris is a freelance other around on plastic disk sleds in an open field with communications specialist, an RTV. gardener, ranch wife and mother of four. She and When it is cold outside, my husband and I like to be in her family raise Angus beef the house with a fire. The kids were inspired to build a cattle and other critters on snowman family with the abundant precipitation. Some their northwest Arkansas of their snowmen were constructed to be big and tall (I ranch. She is a graduate think those two depicted the parents). They begged us to of Missouri State University. come out and help them lift the boulder-sized snowballs To contact Jody, go to onto the bodies of the snowmen. My husband told them ozarksfn.com and click on to go get a piece of equipment and figure it out. ‘Contact Us.’ Our kids are relentless when it comes to snow construction. Our oldest son got the skid steer and used it to load and put the bodies of their snow family perfectly in place. His sisters and brother packed snow and decorated faces with whatever they could scavenge up from our front yard. It was a team effort. And an impressive snow family of six emerged. The roads began to clear in Fayetteville, Ark., and school was back on. After doing copious amounts of snow day laundry, I was glad to see everyone back at school. Each day after, the kids took inventory of how much the snow family had deteriorated until they ceased to exist in our front yard. The talk then turned to what they planned to build for the NEXT snow day. Last weekend, a soft blanket of snow appeared on our farm overnight. I checked the weather and told the kids it was not going to stick around long. The next morning our boys were out the door at the crack of dawn. They rigged up sleds with the farm Kubota to drag each other around. They invited the neighbor kids to join in on the action. Things got wild up in the open field because the snow was disappearing quickly due to the rising temperatures. I left for work that morning, hoping my husband was supervising the snow day activities. He was not. It was not long after I left that I got a call that our oldest son had run the Kubota into a flatbed trailer up on the hillside. He was pulling through the gate and looking backward making sure his sled rider was safe and ran right into it, knocking out a headlight and messing up the tire alignment. I did not ask my husband what his reaction was. When I got home the kids and my husband had the RTV jacked up in the shop. My kids tear things up on occasion (so does my husband). Thankfully, they all know to work together to fix mistakes. I have no inkling of how their brains work. I was fascinated when the Kubota was back on the road again the same day. After a contentious presidential election cycle, our country feels broken. Friends and neighbors have had tense disagreements. Social media has just been ugly. Many of us entered 2021 with uneasy feelings. What we all need right now is hope. My personal hope is for us to work as an American team, much like my children, to put our country back together, neighbor.

Did You Know?

Arkansas ranks first in the nation in rice production, producing close to 50 percent of the nation’s rice. More than 60 percent of the rice produced in Arkansas is exported. — Source, Arkansas Farm Bureau

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y job at Ozarks Farm & Neighbor allows me to do what I love most, write stories about farmers and ranchers, and talking about what they do on their farms. It’s pretty awesome, and I Julie Turner-Crawford learn something new with every interview. is a native of Dallas When I worked at a small daily, the reporters under me County, Mo., where she cringed when I said the county fair was coming up or asgrew up on her family’s signed them a farm-related story. They didn’t believe our farm. She is a graduate readership was interested. I didn’t feel I could even send one of Missouri State reporter to the fairgrounds. He said was it was “not possible” University. To contact to take pictures at a hog show, and he tended to be on the Julie, call 1-866-532-1960 “anti” side of many of today’s farming practices. Another or by email at editor@ reporter told me he “didn’t like to get dirty.” ozarksfn.com. Except for items made from metal, stone, and petroleum-based plastics, nearly everything we use has a relationship to the farm. In 2019, 22.2 million full- and part-time jobs were related to the agricultural and food sectors – 10.9 percent of total U.S. employment, according to the USDA. Direct on-farm employment accounted for about 2.6 million jobs. — Continued on Next Page

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Across the Fence Continued from Previous Page Think about your hometown; what jobs there are dependent on agriculture? Let’s start with an easy one – your local grocery store. Even if it’s a small mom and pop operation with 10 employees, that’s 10 people who wouldn’t have a job because there were no farmers to produce and harvest food to be sold to consumers. Without farmers, there would be no restaurants or fast-food places, companies to process the food, or truckers to deliver raw products from the farm or finished products to the store. Aside from food, there would be limited clothing options without farmers. Polyester/nylon pants would soon replace our always-popular denim jeans. For those around in the 1970s, it’s a fashion statement we all hope remains silent. Critics of the industry tend to forget there’s more at stake in our world than just farmers and ranchers. According to the USDA, agriculture, food and related industries contributed $1.109 trillion to the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) in 2019, a 5.2-percent share. The output of America’s farms contributed $136.1 billion of this sum – about

0.6 percent of GDP. The overall contribution of agriculture to GDP is larger than 0.6 percent because sectors related to agriculture rely on agricultural inputs to contribute added value to the economy. Sectors related to agriculture include not only food and beverage manufacturing and food services, but textiles, apparel and leather products; and forestry and fishing. Agriculture is the backbone of everything we do, and without it, it would only be a matter of time before the world as we know would cease to exist. The economy would tank in a matter of days, and people would starve to death; society would crumble. My former staff may not have seen the need to cover agriculture in our newspaper, but we all should be interested in agriculture – unless you like being hungry, naked and unemployed.

Life Is Simple Continued from Page 3 As I entered the gate, on my way to unroll hay for the cows, I then saw my bull contentedly grazing – on the lawn of my rental house. At least I thought it was my red bull, but his entire front end was covered in some white substance. I turned around and proceeded to the corral, expecting to find an open gate. All the gates were closed, so I inspected it further to see if the top rails were bent anywhere (the corral is steel and 6 feet tall)…nothing. How did he get out? Confused I stood inside the corral, long enough to eventually see an old wooden door, slightly ajar, there on the north side of the old barn that makes up the south side of my cor-

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

ral. I’ve owned the place for almost 20 years and had never opened that door. I didn’t even know it could be opened, but the bull had licked the latch open and proceeded through a 3-foot wide hallway that connects to several old feed rooms, corn cribs and a milking parlor. I had used the south end of the hallway, to store stuff, including screen doors, wood trim, roof shingles, boxes of fruit jars, old wooden gates, and a 50-pound bag of Ag lime, which explained the white substance on the bull’s head and front end. Everything was completely demolished, to the point that it wouldn’t even make good kindling. Where there’s a bull, there’s a way…….out. FEBRUARY 1, 2021

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neighbors

Developing a Brand By Terry Ropp

A love for livestock and the feed industry prompted Larry Sutton to start his own company Like so many ranchers, Larry Sutton was born into a ranching family. As a young boy, he accompanied his father Dallas to the local feed store. The smell and his love of cattle and horses stayed with him through the years. First, Larry purchased a feed store in 1976 and then extensively traveled when working for a major feed company. While he enjoyed his job, by 1995 he decided the best feed he could sell to retailers would be a liquid feed he developed. Larry’s years in the corporate industry served him well as did his years on the ranch near Lipscomb, Texas, where his dad had worked and where processed cottonseed cake was the preferred feed. “Cottonseed cake proved to be an excellent balance between protein and energy,” Larry said. “Then they began to take the oil out, leaving good protein source but with only minimal energy. I wanted to develop a liquid feed that returned to that cottonseed cake performance profile.” Wanting his feed to be natural, Larry started Pro Energy Feeds and came up with a corn byproduct feed that was 20 percent protein and 5 percent fat. The protein comes from sources other than urea and energy from corn oil and soybean oil. The blend yields the same digestible energy Larry remembers from his childhood. Next, he added an extremely the probiotic Aqua-Zyme Plus, which enhances digestion in addition to strengthening cattle immune systems. While the original formula, most often referred to as “cow feed,” works well for beef cattle, Dairymen wanted higher consumption for their milking herds. Larry decreased the protein level and added molasses. The dairymen were pleased with Dairy Blend 16-5 because they could lower grain intake while maintaining energy and milk production, as well as improving herd health and longevity. Aware of the benefits of Aqua Zyme Plus, the dairymen then requested a similar feed for bottle calves. The result was Initiator, a highly-palatFEBRUARY 1, 2021

Photo by Terry Ropp

Larry Sutton, pictured with his wife Peggy, has been in the cattle and feed business most of his life. Today he owns Pro-Energy Feeds and raises all-natural beef.

able free-choice feed. Now, highly stressed calves start on Initiator and progress to Calf Booster with Dairy Blend 16-5 used for milking herds. While Larry and his first wife Beverly were developing and building their family business, they also ran a cow/calf operation, a favorite with Beverly. When a nearby ranch on the highway came up for sale, Larry bought it because it offered excellent access in addition to a big barn for the business and good land for their cattle. Beverly was by Larry’s side for 45 years and active in developing the business, with oldest son Garrett eventually overseeing production, and youngest son Grayson in charge of semis and deliveries. The business grew and consumed all of his time from fall to spring. After Beverly was taken by cancer, Larry lost interest in

the cow/calf operation and sold the herd. Several years passed with no cattle before Larry added backgrounding steers. The Sutton ranch is a melding of an agricultural business with cattle using an annual cycle that supports both. Larry buys all-natural steer calves in with the steers being sold at 1,000 pounds in November just as his business demands more attention. A Colorado rancher and president of the Mesa County Cattlemen’s Association, invited the Sutton family to honor Pro Energy-Feeds at their 1998 annual banquet. Next, the cattleman invited them to lunch at his ranch. The beef was delicious and extremely tender. After Larry admitted the steaks were Vinita, Okla. easily the best he’d ever had, the rancher explained the Angus steer was raised solely on Colorado grass and Pro-Energy Feed.

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

Larry immediately wondered if he could get the same results with Oklahoma grass. The Suttons have enjoyed raising and eating all-natural beef ever since, using high-grade, natural free-choice mineral and fresh water in livestock tanks. Larry’s beef is highly sought after and sold by private treaty. Due to business growth now encroaching on the summer months, the ranch is on the cusp of modifying again. Larry plans to switch most of his land to hay production with neighbor and friend Randy Henry baling and purchasing the hay and with Larry raising only 15 calves per year on three rotational paddocks. Larry cares for his land as carefully as everything else in his life. After applying a natural soil supplement called N-Zyme for many years, Larry combined N-Zyme with a molasses-based soil enhancer product called N-Forcer. The Bermuda, fescue, clover and bluestem fields are sprayed annually with the combination which feeds the microbes in the soil bringing “life, health and vitality.” Earthworm production is up, the soil absorbs and holds moisture better and the grass and hay remain all natural. As the move toward fewer cattle progresses, the balance of business and agricultural production will level once again. “Neighbor Jim Petty has been my mentor through the years,” Larry said. “Whenever he speaks, I listen because he knows more about cattle and soil than anyone I have ever known. When I used to talk about never marrying again, Jim always said I would know if the situation changed because I would feel peace, and he was right.” When Larry’s son Garrett introduced him to Facebook, Larry saw Peggy who had attended the same high school although he hadn’t known her. They married three years ago. “The Lord has been with me every step of the way as he was for Peggy,” Larry confided. “We are happy and thriving both personally and in business. Most of all, we are very grateful for what we have been given and where we have been led.”

meet your neighbors

Learning from Others By Terry Ropp

Wally Olson says the lessons learned from mentors were crucial for his success Wally Olson was raised by his par- cept was reinforced by Allan Savory’s holistic ents, Willard and Margaret Olson, view, which emphasized working with all you on their cattle ranch in Olsburg, have, not just the obvious. Hoss Hopping, another important mentor, Kan. Willard was Wally’s first mentor, giving his son a deep understanding of the impor- taught Wally the only cow a rancher needs is a “green” or profitable one. The goal is not tance of caring for animals. “Years ago, when colleges and universi- a particular class of animal but profitability ties switched from a major in husbandry to from the animals. Hoss’ profitability cona major in animal science, I believe animal cept eventually led Wally to understand that health and therefore overall profitability the traditional model of buying and selling fosters less profitability due to depreciating generally declined,” Wally said. The difference in emphasis is clear when momma cow value. By selling mommas at looking at the definition of husbandry. The peak value and retaining usually more than major definition is caring for, cultivating one heifer per cow before the cow is sold, and breeding crops and animals. The sec- herd value and profitability increase. An important part of Wally’s knowledge ondary definition is conservation of resources. While the same information is taught in gathering was not relying on chance to put animal science, the range of courses and him in touch with high-quality mentors. compartmentalizing of information due to When people such as Bud Williams and the larger volume now necessary means teachers Dallas Mount and David Pratt of each student will have different parts of Ranch Management Consultants came to the information and certainly not the more his attention, he pursued personal relationall-inclusive and united organization that ships that turned into mentorships. One especially valuable contribution from Dallas husbandry was able to offer. Wally had many mentors through the years. Mount was learning that profitability needs One early on was neighbor Orville Burtis who to be planned using a projection of current market prices. If that helped start the Quardoesn’t work, Dallas ter Horse Associamaintains one of three tion. Orville believed Claremore, Okla. areas or a combination in strictly controlling of them is at fault. expenses and taught These are overheads young Wally to use creativity without that are too high, spending, a process that requires open gross margins per unit mindedness and flexibility. That con-

too low and insufficient turnover. Identifying the problem leads to the solution. Then Kit Pharo refined the idea by pointing out that the unit should be by acre rather than by head. Walt Davis, an Oklahoma rancher and author filled the role everyone needs, a practical hands-on advisor for the myriads of the hiccups that come with ranching. Finally, mentor, Jim Gerrish, explained to Wally that the first step toward ranch failure is the fear of wasting grass. He taught Wally a mantra: “Grass feeds the grass, grass feed the soil, then grass can feed livestock so the first priority should be to take good care of the grass.” “I was fortunate enough to have excellent mentors, and now that I’m retired from hands-on cattle raising, my goal is to be a mentor for others,” Wally said. The severe agricultural difficulties of the 1980s forced Wally to turn his operation into custom haying. Then he and his wife Doris decided they wanted to raise their children in a rural, ranching environment. All that Wally had learned during the preceding years paid off because he was hired to work as a manager at the well-known Kelley Ranch in Vinita, Okla. Wally believes the new position was his perfect job because the owners believed in education and running the ranch as a business while letting let him manage it. One of the modifications he made was sending one of the ranch hands to learn preg checking. “Few ranches spend enough money on ed-

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

Photos by Terry Ropp

ucation,” Wally said. “The truth is we saved 10 times more than the class cost by knowing which cows and heifers were pregnant.” Other modifications included maximizing resources by adding more cows per acre and eliminating the hay production. To compensate, the Kelly Ranch used 38 percent protein cubes made from cottonseed meal and natural fertilization. A time-saving modification was changing the number of pastures so ranch hands had only three stops instead of 22 for feeding and checking cattle. Eventually, Wally leased the Kelley acreage, later “retiring” from hands on cattle raising in order to mentor others through a 2 1/2 day Livestock Marketing School out of Claremore, Okla., where Wally now lives. Details on the highly-specific livestock marketing school are available on his website and Facebook. Nonetheless, a cattleman to his bones, Wally remains active in the production cattle industry but in a novel, hands-off way. Wally finds profitable ranches with tightknit, family-oriented owners who are either unwilling or unable to have enough cows to maximize land usage. Wally then purchases cattle that fit into their operation whether cow/calf, stocker or breeding stock in exchange for a monthly fee for land usage and care of his cattle. The system allows him to retain ownership while retaining control of when and where the cattle will be marketed. An example of his sell-buy system is continuing to sell young cows between 3 to 5 years old when they are at their maximum value and subsequently using the profits to keep heifers and expand his net worth. “If you’re in the business long enough, you learn to have an eye for healthy land, good cattle practices and ranchers who are happy and whose philosophies are compatible with your own,” Wally explained. “This system of using others’ labor and land works well for me.” FEBRUARY 1, 2021

meeting the needs of farmers

Serving Arkansas & Oklahoma

By Terry Ropp

Bekaert Steel Wire

T SMIT R O

OWNERS FIELD Sam Chandler • 918-696-6029 REPRESENTATIVES Scottie Smith • 918-696-0793 Carl Quinton • 479-856-5500 Budge Herbert • 918-658-4781 Dax Tyler • 479-461-3678

Sale Every Monday

agri-business

eye on

FORT SMITH STOCKYARDS

CKYAR

On Farm appraisals • Early drop off pens with 50 grass traps, water, and plenty of shade • Hauling available • Convenient Location • Family Owned & Operated

US Hwy 64 Moffet, Okla.

Location: Van Buren, Ark.

Barn

918-875-3131

Manager: Technical Support Manager for the Western U.S. Keith Taylor History: Bekaert Steel Wire was founded in 1880 in Belgium by Leo Leander Bekaert to meet the needs of farmers, especially sheepherders, in keeping stock where it belongs and preventing damage to the property of others, explained technical support manager Keith Taylor, who began with the company in 1992. The business began with Leo weaving wire and nails together atop an upside down wheelbarrow, using the nails as barbs. Today the company has spread to 120 different countries, including spanning the United States. “I began the manufacturing plating department and changed positions and responsibilities, learning a broad spectrum of the compaPhoto by Terry Ropp ny’s processes. The result is I gained a unique set of experiences that led me to become the technical support manager. The original purpose of the split roles was to tie together the marketing, sales and production teams. Until then there was minimal unity between the teams.” Products and Services: “Our agricultural division offers nearly 25 different styles of high tensile steel barbed wire of varying combinations of points per barb and spaces between the barbs ranging from 3 inches to 6 inches and several different types of coating materials such as zinc, zinc/aluminum, and zinc/aluminum and paint combinations,” Keith explained. “Bekaert’s Van Buren Plant produces roughly 120,000 tons of steel wire products a year. With a big push now being faster rural Internet, the use of Bekaert stranded support cables is very popular. Bekaert also private brands for some of our partner distribution companies. Different parts of the country have different preferences with the most popular in Arkansas being four-point barbs with 5 inch spacing between them. An important part of our communication with the public is the ‘Ask the Fence Pro’ feature on our website. An example of how the site works is a rancher in Montana wanted to use an NRCS program to cost share a fencing project but the NRCS had not approved our fencing. We made that happen.” Philosophy and future: “In the agricultural supply area, the end users are ranch-

ers and farmers who want quality products that will last for generations, a result of using high tensile steel and a variety of coatings. The motto for that portion of the business is ‘Fencing for the Long Run.’ I see the future in my division as strong because there will always be a need for fencing. The average farm size is decreasing with a constant need for fencing and sometimes ranches and farms are right next door to subdivisions.”

FEBRUARY 1, 2021

Wholesale Seed Division

417-725-3512 • 1-800-648-7379

Wt. Lbs.

Total Germ.

$ Lb.

RED CLOVERS

60 HAY ‘N GRAZE MIX, Inoc.

90%

Bag Lb.

1.94

Not Coated, 70% Red Clover, 30% Haygrazer Alfalfa 60 GAINER II MIX, Not Coated 90% 1.94 Inoc., 85% Red Clover, 15% Rampart Ladino 60 LANDSTAR, Forage, Inoc. 90% 1.78 Equivalent to $1.16 coated seed 50 KENLAND, Inoc., Not Coated 90% 1.88 Equivalent to $1.22 coated seed

50 Hay Thickener

90%

75% Red Clover - 25% Hulled Orchardgrass 50 MEDIUM RED, Raw/Not Coated 90% 50 MEDIUM RED, Coated, Inoc. 90% 65% Purity

Wt. Lbs.

Total Germ.

$ Lb.

Bag Lb.

OTHER CLOVERS

50 LADINO, “JUMBO” Inoc.,

90% 3.98 3.78

50 LADINO - Rampart,

85% 3.16 2.96

50 WHITE CLOVER, Ivory 2

90% 4.08 3.88

Not Coated, Giant Leaf, Equivalent to $2.45 coated seed Inoc. Not Coated

Intermediate, Innoc. 50 WHITE CLOVER, “Nitro” 50 ALSIKE, Perennial

90% 3.78 3.58 90% 2.88 2.66

1.88

1.68 1.54

No license req’d to buy 2,4-D or GrazonNext!

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Order Bees NOW For May Pickup!

5 Frame Nucs $178.50

Locally Sourced Bees! Bees Must Be Pre-Ordered

$1.96 lb.

• 70% Red Clover - 30% Haygrazer Alfalfa • Inoculated; Not Coated = High Purity • Increase Protein & Variety to Hay & Pasture Fields • Plant 8-10#/ Acre into Pasture

SAVE YOUR SEED SAMPLE

SUBJECT TO PRIOR SALE

510 W Mt Vernon, Nixa, MO 65714

nixahardware.com

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

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

roots Bringing a Home Back to Life

ozarks

the people, places and traditions that make the ozarks home

By Terry Ropp

A determined community turned a home facing demolition into a museum “Too much is being torn down. Words in a book don’t impart the same meaning as seeing something in person making the general public and, as importantly, student awareness poor,” Ann Lancaster, who works with the Victorian Thompson House, tourist attraction in Tahlequah, Okla., said. Cherokee County owned the rundown 1889 house that was scheduled to be torn down in the 1980s. A quickly-organized group petitioned the County Commissioners to spare the home and the Cherokee County Vicic Cultural Organization was awarded a 99-year lease for $1 as the first step in restoring the home and opening it as a museum. The group believes saving the home offers visitors a better understanding of Cherokee history and the home, which belonged to Dr. Joseph Thompson. Dr. Thompson was the son of a prominent Tahlequah and Vinita businessman named Johnson Thompson, who arrived in the area as a child with his parents before The Trail of Tears Cherokee removal. Thompson was first educated at Indian University and then earned his medical degree at Missouri Medical

College in 1889, the same year he married his wife Lulu Elliot, and moved into the home, where construction began in 1882. In addition to being a respected medical doctor, Dr. Thompson was also an accomplished pianist, an artist, and an expert with Cherokee bow and arrows. Lulu also had artistic tendencies and wove rugs for many Tahlequah homes of the era. The family lived in the house until Dr. Thompson died in 1935 at age 68. Lulu then moved to Arizona. House ownership passed to a loan company and later other entities, such as the Cherokee County Health Department from 1940 to 1976, until it was scheduled to be demolished and subsequently rescued by Tahlequah citizens. Restoration began in 1984 with furnishing completed and the museum opening in 1990. The antiques were purchased outright, donated or given on long-term loan. The front parlor features a Queen Anne bay window with mostly original stained glass, and almost all of the woodwork is original. Another essential feature is a newly acquired dining room set purchased in Washington D.C. in 1902. In the kitchen is an old possum belly cabinet, which was common before built-in cabi-

nets. It has two pullout curved tin drawers at the bottom that resemble a possum, thus the name for those early cabinets. No tax or grant money was involved in restoring the beautiful Queen Anne home. All restoration was completed through fund raising and donations. True to the spirit of Tahlequah, community involvement does not end there. Currently, the Bank of Cherokee County maintains the lawn, County Commissioners help with parking area maintenance and the city of Tahlequah picks up trash, as well as helping with fallen tree limbs. Since student education is a priority, the museum offers students two days during the school year to experience a fun, interactive and information-packed field trip with one group of 40 students coming from rural schools and another from Tahlequah. Students are divided into smaller groups with activities, including shucking and grinding

corn, washing clothes on a rub board with homemade lye soap, singing old songs in the parlor and playing outdoor games. Continuation of the home is heavily dependent upon memberships and annual fundraising events. A large fundraiser is a three-day Victorian Christmas open house on the first weekend in December. The house is fully decorated with several trees sparkling with replica Victorian ornaments. Home baked goods are available with mini loaves of fruit and nut breads and a wide variety of cookies. The Thompson House pepper jelly and fudge have been favorites for many years. Another way of raising money for the museum is renting the house for parties, weddings and baby showers. The Tahlequah Fire Department set a limit of 50 people within the house, though the beautiful grounds can accommodate more.

Submitted Photos

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

FEBRUARY 1, 2021

town &

country

in the field and in the office

Parts • Service • Sales • Family Owned • Local Company

Photo by Terry Ropp

Jamie Harmon By Terry Ropp

Hometown: Stilwell, Okla. Family: Wife Raelynn; son Greyson (13) and daughter Rylee (6) In Town: “Seven years ago, I was out of work and a family friend, Jeff Marriott, owned a heat and air business. I went to work for him and he taught me all the basics. Then he decided to become a general contractor, I worked for other heat and air companies. I work for Franklin Heat and Air in Springdale, Ark. My wife Raelynn has worked as a driver recruiter for 15 years. About a year ago she started working for Larry Williams Trucking out of Colcord, Okla.” In the Country: “Raelynn and I own 20 acres in Stilwell, Okla., but lease an additional 100 acres, including a 40-acre hayfield. We have 35 heavily Angus-influenced commercial cows that are about 75 percent Angus and 25 percent LimFlex. I bought my starter herd from my dad Paul Arnold who lives in Pea Ridge, Ark. Both of us are focusing on enhancing the Angus traits of marbling, efficiency and calving ease so we use registered Angus bulls. I use the same health protocols as my father, working the cattle twice a year. I wean at 7 months and feed out the calves until they reach 800 to 900 pounds when I sell them at the Stilwell Livestock Auction. I cull heavily for temperament because getting beat up is not one of my goals and I want my family safe. I feed a 16-percent protein ration daily, and last year my hayfield produced 400 round bales, all of which I plan to use. I’ve been accused of overfeeding, but I don’t think such a thing exists. What the cattle don’t eat they use as bedding which is fine with me. I fertilize with a commercial fertilizer and broadcast spray with 2, 4-D because it doesn’t harm clover. I follow up by spot spraying with Grazon carefully because it will kill clover. My land is a combination of fescue, Red River crabgrass, ryegrass and clover, with a little Johnsongrass. I really like the crabgrass because it is drought resistant and the cattle love it.” Future: “The farm is not only a source of income but also important in our family life. The kids love to pet the cows and bull, with Greyson showing beef cattle and Rylee showing chickens and goats until she’s big enough to handle a steer. Both belong to 4-H. We also ride horses together, and our children are looking forward to competing in rodeos. Ten years from now I would like to transition to full-time farming with my own 250-acre farm and the cattle to fill it.” FEBRUARY 1, 2021

ALWAYS STRIVING TO OFFER YOU THE BEST SERVICE POSSIBLE

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(417) 864-8511 TOLL FREE (800) 884-2856 springfieldtrailer.com

Quality Feeds and Suplements Farmers Coop can help you maintain weight gains made this summer. Ask one of our Farmers Coop professionals to help you with your livestock feeding program.

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Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

Stilwell, OK 918-696-3191

www.farmerscoop.biz

Tahlequah, OK 918-456-0557

FARM FINANCE 12

Let’s Talk Credit By Erin Harvey

Now is a great time to get financially fit With the arrival of the New Year I’m sure you have seen ads or commercials for exercising, getting your home organized and many other popular resolutions. Now is also a great time to get financially fit. I get asked lots of questions about credit. Scores, freezes, and all the caveats in between? Let’s take a basic look at how it all works. Still today, the five Cs of credit provide us guidelines to protect both lender and borrower from excessive risk. Credit history plays a big role in the Character factor. In today’s environment, credit matters to practically everything. It can affect your ability to get a loan or credit card, a job, renting a home and even your insurance premiums. Lenders, landlords, employers and others want to know how you handle your bills and finances. Most people are surprised to find out that in addition to open debts listed on the report, public records like tax liens are also reported. Often accounts such as utilities, taxes and medical debts that were sent to collection agencies are also reported, in addition to previous bankruptcies. Inquiries are also disclosed so every time a credit report is pulled, it becomes part of the report. Did you know the Fair Credit Reporting Act provides you the right to get a free copy of your credit report once every 12 months from the major credit bureaus (TransUnion, Equifax and Experian). To get your free reports go to annualcreditreport.com. Be sure to take the time to review and check the report for correct information. A great first step in improving your credit is knowing what is actually there. Unlike the free report, unfortunately, there is no free annual credit score. Be careful of services that charge for the score and credit monitoring. You may pay for something you don’t need. Before you decide to pay a company to get your score, ask yourself if you really need to see it. If you know your credit history and performance is good, then your score will be too. While knowing your score is interesting, do you really need to pay money for it. Credit scores are calculated by complicated algorithms and each of the three main bureaus have their own calculation. There are different weighted factors that affect your credit history. While Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

the factors can vary by industry, generally the most popular one that lenders use is the FICO. FICO takes into account how much credit you have, how much is in use, repayment history, types of credit, and length of time you have had accounts. Generally, scores range between 300 and 850. The higher the score, the better, and generally indicates you are less risk, which means you are more likely to be approved for credit and could pay less for your home and auto insurance for example. Having a lower score could make it more difficult for credit approval and potentially cost you more in higher interest rates and premiums. As fraud continues to be on the rise you may have concerns about identity theft and hackers. One way to limit exposure of your report is by placing a credit freeze. This can be done by simply contacting each of the bureaus. Keep in mind, if you do decide to apply for credit at some point, you will need to request those freezes be lifted to allow for the credit check and then put the freeze back on once the lender has retrieved the information. While placing a freeze does prevent access to the report, it doesn’t completely stop the fraudsters. It’s important you still review your bank statements, credit card bills and insurance to ensure there haven’t been charges or changes you didn’t authorize. Bottom line, your credit report and score impact much more than just credit approval and denial. Take the time and dig into your credit. Lenders can quickly determine how well you have handled your finances, so I urge you to ask questions and be open and honest with your lender regarding your credit. This will not have any impact on your credit score, but will go a long way in establishing a long term relationship with your lender. A few other quick tips I can provide you with are to pay all of your bills on time, every time, keep the balances on your revolving credit cards to 30 to 50 percent or less of the available credit, and have at least one active major revolving account, such as a bank credit card. Erin Harvey, is the CRCM, vice president at Community National Bank & Trust in Lamar, Mo. She may be reached at erin.harvey@ communitynational.net FEBRUARY 1, 2021

farm finance

A Good Sign By Kathy Daily

Well-prepared financials reflect good management skills Good production numbers are great, but management skills are a must in today’s environment of tight margins and endless pressures from third parties. Every opportunity you get to show your landlord, banker, integrator, employees and others that you are a good manager will pay off down the road. Management skills can be shown in many ways but I will just focus on just one today. The quality of an operations financial statement is a big indicator of the management ability of the producer. The financial statement is usually pushed to the side and not even thought about until the banker asks for it, and then it’s usually put together at the last minute. We see all types of financial statements. We have received numbers written on a piece of paper that we could barely make out, to detailed financial statements. Good quality financial statements include the detail supporting almost every number you have on the statements. Examples: 1. Crops on hand should list commodity, bushels and price per bushel. 2. Investment in growing crops should include commodity, acres and price per acre invested.

Missouri’s #1 Pathfinder® Program!

3. Loans should include lender, collateral, payment, rate and principal balance. 4. List equipment lease payments on a separate page and don’t include the value of the leased equipment on your equipment list. Some producers are able to do their own financial statements and provide good quality detailed financial statements, but others just don’t have the time or ability to prepare them. Being a good manager doesn’t mean that you have to do it yourself, being a good manager means recognizing that you can’t do it and hiring someone to do it for you. The larger your operation is, the greater the need to have a bookkeeper or accountant prepare your financials becomes. This is also true with operations that have multiple employees, or operations that are diversified. If you have multiple crops and/or livestock you need to be able to see which of those commodities/enterprises are profitable and which aren’t. I’ve seen producers amazed at where their income is actually coming from once they start putting the expenses in the right buckets. Example, trucking and insurance may be getting dumped in one enterprise when it should be split between several. By utilizing the services of a bookkeeper/accountant you are able to make adjustments to your operation quicker and not at the end of the year when you are forced to prepare a financial statement for your banker. Your farm operation is a business just like any other business, and you should be managing your farm financial statement on a regular basis. Having quick access to detailed and accurate financial information will set your operation apart from others in your area and just might make the difference in whether you get the chance to seize on an opportunity when it comes your way. Kathy Daily is the Managing Director of First Financial Bank’s Farm and Ranch Division. To contact her, phone 888-398-4119 or email her at kdaily@ffb1.com.

MEAD FARMS Performance-Tested BULL SALE MEAD MERLIN U065

MEAD SPUR T1680 09-24-2019 • Reg. 19743504

1-3-20 • Reg. 4350365 WFL Merlin 018A x 5L Norseman King 2291 CED +14, BW -2.3, WW +77, YW +125, Milk +33, CW +20, MB +0.40, REA +0.51

Call or email to request a sale book and join our mailing list! Mead_2_20_OzarkF&N.indd 1

March 6, 2021 • Noon

At the Mead Sale Headquarters • Versailles, MO

300 Bulls Sell!

225 Angus, 30 Charolais, 25 Herefords, 20 Red Angus

MEAD LONG RANGE U045

11-22-19 • Reg. P44200014 NJW 76S 27A Long Range 203D ET x PW Victor Boomer P606 CED +1.3, BW +2.3, WW +56, YW +92, Milk +35, CW +63, MB +0.07, REA +0.50

Since 1942

#*Connealy Spur x #+*Mead Final Choice L239 CED +3, BW +3.5, WW +82, YW +146, Milk +21, CW +65, MB +1.00, RE +.66, $M +80, $B +185, $C +320

FEBRUARY 1, 2021

Saturday •

MEAD FARMS

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

MEAD COMFORT ZONE U580

1-7-20 • Reg. M945197 M6 Comfort Zone 227 P x LT Rushmore 8060 PLD CED +10.3, BW -2.3, WW +40, YW +77, Milk +24, CW +31, MB +0.21, REA +0.99

21658 Quarry Lane • Barnett, MO 65011 Office (573) 302-7011 • Fax (573) 348-8325 email: meadangus@yahoo.com www.meadfarms.com Alan Mead, Owner (573) 216-0210 Jennifer Russell (573) 721-5512

1/20/21 4:05 PM

slaughter

market sales reports

bulls

(Week of 1/17/21 to 1/23/21) Arkansas Cattle Auction Ash Flat Livestock

beef

62.50-94.00 † 70.00-90.00 †

Benton County Sale Barn - Siloam Springs Cattlemen’s Livestock Auction Cleburne County Livestock Auction County Line Sale Barn - Ratcliff Decatur Livestock Auction

65.00-91.00*

Not Reported* None Reported* 57.00-84.00* 55.00-89.00* 55.00-89.00* 71.00-84.50 † 69.00-95.00 † 85.00* None Reported †

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

1/25/21

5 Area (Tx-Ok, Ks, Neb, Ia, Colo, Nm, Mn) Live Basis Sales - Over 80% Choice Steers: 105.00-110.00; wtd. avg. price 108.81. Heifers: 108.00-111.00; wtd. avg. price 109.58. Dressed Basis Sales - Over 80% Choice Steers: 168.00-168.00; wtd. avg. price 168.00. Heifers: Not Reported; wtd. avg. price Not Reported.

63.00-81.00 † 75.00 †

Farmer’s & Ranchers - Vinita Farmers Regional Sale Barn - Springdale Fort Smith Stockyards Four State Stockyards I-40 Livestock - Ozark Joplin Regional Stockyards Mid-State Stockyards North Arkansas Livestock - Green Forest

cattle

Midwest - High Plains Direct Slaughter Cattle

60.00-87.00 †

sheep &

goats

Norwood, Mo. • Producers Auction Yards Sheep/Goat

62.00-93.00 † 62.50-82.50 † 60.00-100.00 † Not Reported* 73.50-94.00 †

1/23/21

Receipts: 747 A large crowd was on hand for this Saturday sale. No recent price comparison as the last Saturday sale was in November 2020. Supply was light with good demand and active bidding. Both slaughter sheep and goats in the Welch Stockyards 80.00-98.00* 50 to 60 pound range were in demand. Supply included: 59% Slaughter Sheep/Lambs (93% Hair Breeds, 6% 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 Hair Ewes, 1% Hair Bucks); 12% Replacement Sheep/ Lambs (82% Hair Ewes, 14% Families, 4% Hair Bucks); 12% Feeder Goats (100% Kids); 15% Slaughter Goats (78% Kids, 22% Nannies/Does); 2% Replacement (Week of 1/17/21 to 1/23/21) Goats (70% Nannies/Does, 30% Families). † Slaughter Sheep/Lambs: Arkansas Cattle Auction 20.00-57.00 Hair Breeds - Choice and Prime 1-3: 330.00-377.50. 23.50-60.00 † Ash Flat Livestock 25.00-59.00 † Benton County Sale Barn Hair Breeds - Choice 1-3: 250.00-320.00. 25.00-62.00* 2 Cattlemen’s Livestock Auction Hair Ewes - Good 2-3: 102.50-121.00. Cleburne County Livestock Auction 32.00-58.00 † Hair Ewes - Utility and Good 1-3: 80.00-100.00. 11.00-53.00 † Hair Bucks - 1-2: 90.00-125.00. County Line Sale Decatur Livestock Auction Not Reported* Replacement Sheep/Lambs: None Reported* Hair Ewes - Small and Medium 1-2: 140.00-330.00. Farmer’s & Ranchers - Vinita Families - Small and Medium 1-2 w/<20 lbs lamb: Farmers Regional Sale Barn 31.00-61.00* 3 230.00-525.00. 20.00-69.00* Fort Smith Stockyards Hair Bucks - Small and Medium 1-2: 175.00-210.00. Four State 5.00-61.00* 5 Feeder Goats: I-40 Livestock - Ozark 32.00-61.00 † 3 Joplin Regional Stockyards Kids - Selection 1: 385.00-432.50. 21.00-60.50 † Kids - Selection 2: 325.00-360.00. Mid-State Stockyards 68.00* 6 † Slaughter Goats: North Arkansas Live 14.00-58.00 1 Kids - Selection 1: 285.00-445.00. † 30.00-61.50 3 OKC West - El Reno † Kids - Selection 2: 240.00-265.00. 26.00-57.00 Ouachita Livestock Auction Nannies/Does - Selection 1-2: 160.00-244.00. Ozarks Regional 18.00-63.00 † Nannies/Does - Selection 3: 126.00-153.00. Not Reported* Stilwell Livestock Auction Replacement Goats: Tulsa Livestock Auction 35.00-64.50 † 3 Nannies/Does - Selection 1-2: 250.00-400.00. Welch Stockyards 40.00-64.00* 4 Families - Selection 1-2 w/<20 lbs kid: 140.00-150.00.

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.

14 14

1/20/21 934

Cleburne County Livestock✝ 1/18/21 315

County Line Sale Ratcliff✝ 1/20/21 133

Uneven

St-5 Higher

Uneven

----156.00-169.00 120.00-154.00 126.00-146.00 128.00-133.00

176.00-213.00 150.00-182.00 136.00-159.00 120.00-138.00 120.00

135.00-188.00 115.00-180.00 100.00-155.00 92.00-149.00 78.00-132.00

180.00-183.00 161.00-172.00 129.00-150.00 125.00-130.00 -----

153.00-159.00 140.00-164.00 135.00-140.00 ----115.00-125.00

160.00-192.50 144.00-177.50 130.00-146.00 121.00-131.00 -----

159.00-183.00 140.00-167.00 125.00-147.00 115.00-127.00 -----

160.00-185.00 152.00-184.00 131.00-155.00 119.00-130.00 110.00-113.00

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

150.00-165.00 140.00-165.00 120.00-139.00 104.00-115.00 -----

--------130.00 117.00 115.00

140.00-170.00 130.00-150.00 100.00-135.00 100.00-119.00 95.00-105.00

140.00-143.00 120.00-138.50 115.00-121.00 100.00-112.50 105.00

140.00-150.00 127.00-149.00 118.00-133.00 113.00-118.00 -----

110.00-142.00 100.00-146.00 100.00-134.00 90.00-131.00 85.00-120.00

139.00-178.00 126.00-160.00 101.00-131.00 100.00-120.00 -----

135.00-147.00 130.00-135.50 115.00-126.00 111.00-119.00 110.00

Ark. Cattle Auction, LLC - Searcy✝ 1/19/21 746

Ash Flat Livestock✝

Cattlemen’s Livestock*

1/22/21 626

Benton Co. - Siloam Springs✝ 1/21/21 907

St-15 Higher

Uneven

170.00-207.50 160.00-177.50 121.00-166.00 126.00-139.50 120.00-125.00

1/7/21

National Sheep Summary

1/22/21

Compared to last week slaughter lambs mostly steady, few light lambs 4.00-10.00 lower; slaughter ewes mostly steady to 10.00 lower, except at San Angelo, TX and Kalona, IA firm to 10.00 higher; feeder lambs steady to 7.00 higher in light test. At San Angelo, TX 5460 head sold. No sales in Equity Cooperative Auction. In direct

trading slaughter ewes and feeder lambs were not tested. 4,123 lamb carcasses sold with all weights no trend due to confidentiality. All sheep sold per hundred weight (CWT) unless otherwise specified. Slaughter Lambs: Choice and Prime 2-3 90-160 lbs: San Angelo: wooled and shorn 110-165 lbs 158.00-182.00, few 190.00-200.00. PA: wooled and shorn 100-13025 lbs 220.00-285.00. Ft.Collins, CO: wooled and shorn 140-150 lbs 160.00177.00. South Dakota: wooled and shorn 105-150 lbs 170.00178.00; 159 lbs 161.00. Kalona, IA: wooled and shorn 100-145 lbs 167.50-229.00; 155-180 lbs 121.00-167.50. Billings, MT: wooled and shorn 120-150 lbs no test. Missouri: wooled and shorn no test. Equity Coop: no sales. Slaughter Lambs: Choice and Prime 1-2: San Angelo: hair 40-60 lbs 346.00-368.00; 60-70 lbs 340.00-364.00; 70-80 lbs 320.00-348.00, few 350.00-352.00; 80-90 lbs 300.00-326.00, few 332.00; 90-110 lbs 250.00296.00. wooled and shorn 65 lbs 364.00; 80-90 lbs 310.00338.00; 93 lbs 276.00. Pennsylvania: wooled and shorn 50-60 lbs 335.00-350.00, few 370.00; 60-70 lbs 335.00-355.00; 70-80 lbs 300.00345.00; 80-90 lbs 270.00-315.00; 90-100 lbs 270.00-290.00. hair 40-50 lbs 340.00-375.00, few 400.00; 50-60 lbs 300.00-355.00; 60-70 lbs 310.00-325.00; 70-80 lbs 285.00310.00, few 320.00; 80-90 lbs 310.00-322.00; 90-100 lbs 250.00-270.00. Kalona, IA: wooled and shorn 50-60 lbs 305.00-335.00; 67 lbs 322.50; 70-80 lbs 262.50-307.00, few 347.50; 80-90 lbs 255.00-275.00; 90-100 lbs 222.50-235.00. hair 40-50 lbs 292.50-340.00; 60-70 lbs 312.50-330.00; 79 lbs 265.00; 80-90 lbs 257.50-262.50; 90 lbs 242.50. Ft. Collins: wooled and shorn 80-90 lbs 257.50-280.00. hair 40-50 lbs 340.00-360.00; 50-60 lbs 300.00-360.00; 65 lbs 330.00; 70-80 lbs 270.00-287.50; 82 lbs 270.00; 90-100 lbs 245.00-285.00. Missouri: no test. South Dakota: wooled and shorn 60-70 lbs 250.00-310.00; 70-80 lbs 300.00-307.50; 80-90 lbs 250.00-255.00; 90-100 lbs 200.00-215.00. Billings, MT: no test. Direct Trading: (lambs fob with 3- percent shrink or equivalent): Slaughter Lambs wooled and shorn 140-162 lbs - (wtd avg ).

stocker & feeder

104

NONE REPORTED

cows

---------

Farmer’s & Ranchers Vinita, Okla.* 1/20/21 -----

Farmers Regional Sale Barn* 1/22/21 324

-----

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

176.00-180.00 162.00-176.00 146.00-162.00 ---------

164.00-191.00 158.00-187.50 125.00-161.00 105.00-142.00 109.00-127.00

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

146.00-149.00 135.00-146.00 126.00-135.00 ---------

Decatur Livestock*

NOT REPORTED

slaughter

Diamond, Mo. • TS White Sheep/Goat

Receipts: 501 Compared to last month, slaughter sheep traded up to 39.00 higher. Other classes of sheep not well tested. Slaughter goats traded up to 8.00 higher. Other classes of goats were not well tested on a light offering. Demand was good on a light supply. Good buyer attendance. Very muddy conditions with heavy rain the last two weeks affected supply. Supply included: 45% Slaughter Sheep/ Lambs (1% Wooled & Shorn, 90% Hair Breeds, 7% Hair Ewes, 1% Hair Bucks); 3% Replacement Sheep/ Lambs (63% Hair Ewes, 38% Families); 17% Feeder Goats (100% Kids); 32% Slaughter Goats (79% Kids, 9% Nannies/Does, 8% Bucks/Billies, 4% Wethers); 4% Replacement Goats (89% Nannies/Does, 11% Families). Slaughter Sheep/Lambs: Wooled & Shorn - Choice 1-3: 165.00. Hair Breeds - Choice and Prime 1-3: 300.00-352.50. Hair Breeds - Choice 1-3: 232.50. Hair Ewes - Good 2-3: 135.00-140.00. Hair Ewes - Utility and Good 1-3: 105.00-120.00. Hair Ewes - Cull and Utility 1-2: 95.00-105.00. Hair Bucks - 1-2: 155.00-160.00. Replacement Sheep/Lambs: Hair Ewes - Small and Medium 1-2: 147.50-300.00. Families - Small and Medium 1-2 w/<20 lbs lamb: 230.00-370.00. Feeder Goats: Kids - Selection 1: 320.00-335.00. Kids - Selection 2: 245.00-320.00. Slaughter Goats: Kids - Selection 1: 322.50-357.50. Kids - Selection 2: 240.00-305.00. Nannies/Does - Selection 1-2: 155.00-225.00. Bucks/Billies - Selection 3: 115.00. Wethers - Selection 2: 240.00. Replacement Goats: Nannies/Does - Selection 1-2: 235.00-310.00. Families - Selection 1-2 w/<20 lbs kid: 270.00-360.00.

National Dairy M

Cheese: Barr $1.6100. The (-0.1604) and Fluid Milk/C as stable, stea helped milk p Colorado, an of the countr levels are inc available for Idaho reports Class IV. Cre Region. Calif and most con dryers. F.O.B East, 1.1500 in the West. SPOT PRICE BUTTERFAT - $1.4944 - $

prices

Fort Smith Four State Stockyards* Stockyards Exeter, Mo* 1/18/21 1/19/21 2,939 1,914

I-40 Livestock Ozark✝ 1/21/21 793

Joplin Regional Stockyards✝ 1/18/21 7,124

Steady

Uneven

St-3 Lower

120.00-203.00 120.00-181.00 115.00-165.00 113.00-146.00 -----

175.00-187.00 172.00-184.00 162.00-175.50 139.00-147.25 130.00-142.00

160.00-205.00 143.00-175.00 125.00-161.00 110.00-138.00 117.00-133.50

180.00-195.00 168.00-182.00 151.00-167.00 138.00-151.00 130.00-137.00

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

161.00-174.00 149.00-162.00 130.00-140.00 119.00-133.00 109.00-115.50

----135.00 124.00-137.00 114.00-125.00 106.00-114.00

----150.00-155.00 -------------

122.00-145.00 120.00-135.00 120.00-140.00 100.00-113.00 93.00-103.00

117.00-165.00 109.00-158.00 100.00-156.00 95.00-136.00 -----

126.00-137.00 121.00-140.00 120.00-135.50 125.00-132.00 112.00-122.00

133.00-155.00 130.00-149.00 113.00-133.00 116.00-126.00 107.00-119.00

155.00 138.00-147.25 125.00-143.00 122.00-131.25 120.00-128.50

✝ USDA Reported * Independently Reported

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

Slaughter Ew San Angelo: (fleshy) 106.0 flesh) 114.00 and Utility 1 no test. Pennsylvani (fleshy) 85.00

FEBRUARY 1, 2021

avg 20

14.0

15 10

6.6

5.6

0 Blyt

hev

MidStock

1/1 6

110.00 110.00 115.00 100.00 100.00

100.00 100.00 100.00 95.00 90.00

teady

.00-187.00 .00-184.00 .00-175.50 .00-147.25 .00-142.00

.00-174.00 .00-162.00 .00-140.00 .00-133.00 .00-115.50

.00-137.00 .00-140.00 .00-135.50 .00-132.00 .00-122.00

10 5 0

13.98

155.00 138.00-147.25 125.00-143.00 122.00-131.25 120.00-128.50

FEBRUARY 1, 2021

13.97

6.68

6.64

6.23

5.62

5.64

5.57

5.63

5.42

ille thev

Bly

n Hele

Elain

eola Osc

None Reported * 450.00-700.00 *

500.00-1110.00 † 640.00-980.00 *

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

1000

250

141.00-158.00 131.00-149.00 120.00-138.00 116.50-126.50 100.00-123.00

----162.50-180.00 146.00-161.00 135.00-150.00 127.00-142.00

Week of 12/27/20

***

--------125.00-135.00 --------148.00-157.00 132.00-144.00 125.00-133.00 122.00-132.00 -----

133.94 123.23 Week of 1/3/21

Week of 1/3/21

157.51 133.96 136.00 142.00

130.46

121.85

-----

Uneven

-----

171.00-183.50 173.00-185.50 160.00-174.50 134.00-147.00 119.50-130.00 ----149.00-158.00 141.00-154.00 115.00-130.00 107.00-117.00

122.93 131.84

151.57

129.14

157.45 146.09 139.96 137.54

160.00-180.00 140.00-162.00 130.00-145.00 115.00-130.00 90.00-116.00

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

130.00-165.00 130.00-154.00 125.00-150.00 115.00-130.00 115.00-126.00

133.16

121.00

144.17

122.95

129.00

131.92

152.32

124.90

150.55 154.78 143.79 133.70 135.00

119.75 122.05 119.38

143.45

134.58 128.04

149.93 125 150 175 200 * No price reported in weight break **USDA Failed To Report *** No Sale

129.76 126.56

121.50

147.55

100

125.00

130.38

153.64

164.61

149.50-160.00 143.00-155.00 131.00-144.00 117.00-128.00 111.50-121.50

131.55 122.12

125.12

147.95 170.61

170.00-190.00 150.00-184.00 135.00-168.00 130.00-141.00 120.00-133.85

130.16

120.31

142.88

1/19/21 1,739

120.00

128.75

155.66

2250

118.05 127.08

141.53

1750

129.68 114.67

124.88

140.00

Welch Stockyards*

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

122.21

163.00

Tulsa Livestock Auction✝ 1/18/21 4,557

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

121.14

157.48

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

***

144.38

None Reported *

625.00-1400.00 † Not Reported * None Reported † None Reported †

1250

*** *** *

146.79

730.00 †

Uneven

142.50-156.00 139.00-163.00 126.00-142.00 121.00-133.50 119.00-135.50

***

None Reported *

St-8 Lower

141.00-152.00 129.00-149.00 120.00-137.00 116.00-125.00 116.50-117.00

None Reported *

600.00-1110.00 † 1125.00-1150.00 †

Uneven

100.00-150.00 100.00-146.00 100.00-137.00 95.00-136.00 90.00-127.00

***

600.00-1800.00 †

Uneven

160.00-179.00 149.00-169.00 137.00-153.00 124.00-135.00 114.00-120.00

810.00-1115.00 †

-----

----185.00 150.00 126.00 -----

***

141.55

Not Reported * None Reported *

610.00-1000.00 * 1275.00 *

1/19/21 665

175.00-190.00 147.00-172.00 132.00-144.00 120.00-140.00 109.00

***

153.67

None Reported †

Ozarks Regional West Plains✝ 1/19/21 3,203

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

***

133.16

820.00 †

Ouachita Livestock Ola✝ 1/19/21 695 169.00-185.00 153.00-177.00 138.00-161.00 129.00-144.50 126.00-133.50

***

145.30

850.00-1200.00 †

750

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

***

775.00-1250.00 †

OKC West - El Reno, Okla.✝ 1/19/21 10,980 180.00-195.00 167.00-197.00 141.00-178.00 125.00-154.00 120.00-139.00

2000

None Reported †

N. Ark. Livestock Green Forest✝ 1/20/21 1,449 181.00-195.00 165.00-184.00 145.00-168.00 135.00-146.00 122.50-136.00

1500

pairs

Welch Stockyards

110.00-195.00 110.00-185.00 115.00-161.00 100.00-150.00 100.00-125.00

Week of 12/27/20

250.00-1275.00 † Not Reported *

Oct. 20 Nov. 20 Dec. 20

heifers 550-600 LBS.

***

650.00-1200.00 * 685.00-1710.00 † 775.00-1250.00 †

500

July 20 Aug. 20 Sept. 20

***

None Reported * 810.00-1050.00 * 400.00-1225.00 † 600.00-1550.00 †

Fort Smith Stockyards Four State Stockyards - Exeter I-40 Livestock - Ozark Joplin Regional Stockyards

oc tle R

Lit

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

460.00-795.00 †

Arkansas Cattle Auction - Searcy Ash Flat Livestock Benton County Sale Barn Cattlemen’s Livestock Auction Cleburne County Livestock Auction County Line Sale - Ratcliff Decatur Livestock Auction Farmer’s & Ranchers - Vinita Farmers Regional Sale Barn

13.70

6.67

steers 550-600 LBS.

660.000-740.00 † 30.00-52.00 † Prices reported per cwt Not Reported*

(Week of 1/17/21 to 1/23/21)

Corn

6.62

St-3 Lower

133.00-155.00 130.00-149.00 113.00-133.00 116.00-126.00 107.00-119.00

13.85

Jan. 20 Feb. 20 Mar. 20 Apr. 20 May 20 June 20

Week of 1/10/21

14.02

Uneven

----150.00-155.00 -------------

Soft Wheat

$80

400.00-1225.00 † 1150.00 *

cow/calf

Mid-State Stockyards*

180.00-195.00 168.00-182.00 151.00-167.00 138.00-151.00 130.00-137.00

Daily Report 1/26/21

Soybeans

550.00-1025.00 †

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

avg. grain prices

Joplin Regional Stockyards✝ 1/18/21 7,124

----135.00 124.00-137.00 114.00-125.00 106.00-114.00

1/22/21

$120

600.00-1150.00 †

Ash Flat Livestock Benton County Sale Barn Cattlemen’s Livestock Auction Cleburne County Livestock Auction County Line Sale - Ratcliff Decatur Livestock Auction Farmer’s & Ranchers - Vinita Farmers Regional Sale Barn Fort Smith Stockyards Four State Stockyard I-40 Livestock - Ozark Joplin Regional Stockyards Mid-State Stockyards North Arkansas Livestock - Green Forest

Cheese: Barrels closed at $1.3925 and 40# blocks at $1.6100. The weekly average for barrels is $1.4456 (-0.1604) and blocks, $1.6981 (-0.2139). Fluid Milk/Cream: Western milk production is described as stable, steady, and strong. Mild winter weather has helped milk production in the East, Midwest, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico. Milk production in the rest of the country is growing. Midwest butterfat component levels are increasing while protein is slightly lower. Milk is available for cheese production between $8.50 to $4 under. Idaho reports discounted milk loads up to $4.50 under Class IV. Cream is readily available in the East and Central Region. California cream spot sales are steady to down and most condensed skim loads are clearing through the dryers. F.O.B. cream multiples are 1.0500 - 1.2100 in the East, 1.1500 - 1.2100 in the Midwest, and 1.0000 - 1.1800 in the West. SPOT PRICES OF CLASS II CREAM: $ PER POUND BUTTERFAT, F.O.B., producing plants, Midwestern U.S. - $1.4944 - $1.5724.

$160

Prices reported per cwt

Week of 1/10/21

National Dairy Market at a Glance

I-40 Livestock Ozark✝ 1/21/21 793 160.00-205.00 143.00-175.00 125.00-161.00 110.00-138.00 117.00-133.50

Arkansas Cattle Auction - Searcy

dairy sales

prices

ur State ckyards ter, Mo* /19/21 1,914

(Week of 1/17/21 to 1/23/21)

550-600 lb. steers

$200

Week of 1/17/21

: wooled and shorn 105-150 lbs 170.00s 161.00. wooled and shorn 100-145 lbs 167.50-229.00; 21.00-167.50. wooled and shorn 120-150 lbs no test. oled and shorn no test. no sales. mbs: Choice and Prime 1-2: hair 40-60 lbs 346.00-368.00; 60-70 lbs ; 70-80 lbs 320.00-348.00, few 350.00-352.00; 00-326.00, few 332.00; 90-110 lbs 250.00d and shorn 65 lbs 364.00; 80-90 lbs 310.00276.00. : wooled and shorn 50-60 lbs 335.00-350.00, 0-70 lbs 335.00-355.00; 70-80 lbs 300.00lbs 270.00-315.00; 90-100 lbs 270.00-290.00. 340.00-375.00, few 400.00; 50-60 lbs ; 60-70 lbs 310.00-325.00; 70-80 lbs 285.0020.00; 80-90 lbs 310.00-322.00; 90-100 lbs . wooled and shorn 50-60 lbs 305.00-335.00; 70-80 lbs 262.50-307.00, few 347.50; 80-90 5.00; 90-100 lbs 222.50-235.00. hair 40-50 0.00; 60-70 lbs 312.50-330.00; 79 lbs 265.00; 50-262.50; 90 lbs 242.50. ooled and shorn 80-90 lbs 257.50-280.00. hair 00-360.00; 50-60 lbs 300.00-360.00; 65 lbs lbs 270.00-287.50; 82 lbs 270.00; 90-100 5.00. test. : wooled and shorn 60-70 lbs 250.00-310.00; 00-307.50; 80-90 lbs 250.00-255.00; 90-100 5.00. no test. g: (lambs fob with 3- percent shrink or Slaughter Lambs wooled and shorn 140-162 ).

cows

replacement

Slaughter Ewes: San Angelo: Good 3-4 (very fleshy) no test; Good 2-3 (fleshy) 106.00-116.00; Utility and Good 1-3 (medium flesh) 114.00-140.00; Utility 1-2 (thin) 104.00-118.00; Cull and Utility 1-2 (very thin) 82.00; Cull 1 (extremely thin) no test. Pennsylvania: Good 3-4 (very fleshy) no test; Good 2-3 (fleshy) 85.00-140.00; Utility 1-2 (thin) no test.

NOT REPORTED

hter ewes and feeder lambs were not tested. arcasses sold with all weights no trend due lity. All sheep sold per hundred weight s otherwise specified. mbs: Choice and Prime 2-3 90-160 lbs: wooled and shorn 110-165 lbs 158.00-182.00, 0.00. nd shorn 100-13025 lbs 220.00-285.00. O: wooled and shorn 140-150 lbs 160.00-

12 Month Avg. -

$240

Week of 1/17/21

ales reports

✝ USDA Reported * Independently Reported

225

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

99 118 137 156 * No price reported in weight break **USDA Failed To Report *** No Sale

175

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

15 15

farm finance

Budget to Maximize Profits By Landon Snook

For each enterprise, producers should develop a separate budget The time we have been anticipating is finally here. It’s a new year and 2020 is in our rearview. I think we can all agree 2020 is one for the record books. Which brings up another topic on everyone’s mind for 2021. What will the year hold and how do I plan accordingly? You probably begin each year by looking at your previous records, budgets and plans. This year, pay extra attention to past trends and consider what-if scenarios. It may also be useful to include enterprise budgeting. An enterprise budget is an estimate of costs and returns to produce a product or enterprise. If you raise cattle and grow crops, then you develop an enterprise budget for each. For example, an enterprise would be an acre of corn, an acre of wheat or a cow producing calves. Each enterprise requires different resources. This type of budget will help you evaluate your options to ensure you are using resources in the best possible way when making farm management decisions. An enterprise budget should include all estimated income and expenses for each enterprise. This includes all sources of income, variable or operating costs, and fixed costs in order to estimate profitability. Begin by estimating your income or total receipts. For example, an acre of corn that yields 150 bushels at $4.80 would be $720 total receipts. Next, calculate your variable costs. These could include fuel, seed, fertilizer, chemical, labor and interest. Then evaluate your fixed costs, which could include taxes, interest and insurance. Depreciation is also a fixed cost. You will want to consider depreciation with machinery, grain bins and other facilities. Your break-even point is when total receipts equal total costs. Knowing your break-even

point is important to determine which enterprise is most profitable. You will want to keep this updated as things change with your operation, whether that is new machinery purchases or input cost modifications. Finally, you will want to determine net receipts, also known as your profit. The net receipts are calculated by subtracting total costs from total income. You may ask why put all this effort into budgeting for each enterprise? The answer is simple. To maximize profits. When you know how to allocate your resources and know the estimated profitability from each enterprise, you are in control and can make better decisions. The key is that an enterprise budget allows you to identify profitability as it relates to each product versus a whole farm budget. It provides more finite detail. For example, you raise livestock and grow crops. You want to consider expansion. Your enterprise budget will show which product is most profitable and help you decide if expansion is the right thing to do at the time. You will also know how to allocate resources to the most profitable piece of your business. A bonus is that your lender will also be able to see the detail per enterprise helping them determine the profitability and risk involved with expansion. Remember, enterprise budgets are estimates. Therefore, you want to capture the best information available. Historical data can help you form accurate estimates. Reviewing your previous years’ plans and doing an internet search are helpful. You may also consider reaching out to your local Extension. If anything, 2020 taught us that we should be prepared for the unimaginable. Enterprise budgets may not solve pandemics and supply chain issues, but they can help you adjust resources and make decisions when the unexpected happens. Make 2021 your best year yet. Landon Snook is the Farm Credit Services Financial Vice Presdient, Joplin

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

FEBRUARY 1, 2021

farm finance

The Refi Dilemma By Ken Knies

Refinancing can be beneficial Given the highly publicized info regarding “historically low” interest rates, the obvious question for many of us is “Should I refinance?” Clearly, we are in a low interest rate environment. Before we jump into another refinance cycle, let’s look at the justification to either refi or stay the course. Much of this info is applicable to vehicles and machinery, homes or farm refinancing. There’s no one measurement or threshold to answer all questions regarding whether to refi or not. While a lower rate may look appealing, we need to account for the details surrounding this decision: n What are the total costs involved? n How about timing – How long is the process? n When can I lock my new rate? n Do I have any pre-payment penalties or costs? n How long before I recoup my costs? Let’s explore these in more detail. Regarding cost, most banks and lenders will have fees involved to refinance a loan. I’ve seen cases where the lender preferred to renew or re-write the loan instead of assigning a new rate. When we focus on the expense side of refinancing, we can gain a better idea of the actual benefits. Here’s one calculation to consider: Identify your annual savings (old payment minus new payment) and multiply by 12 if on a monthly schedule. Identify the cost to refinance. This can include loan fees, the need for an updated appraisal and possibly other costs to close. Divide the fees by the annual savings to identify the number of months it will take to recover your refi costs. For example: $250,000 farm real estate loan. Let’s say the rate offered is 5 percent vs. your previous rate at 6.50%. The payment difference on a 20 year loan term would result in saving ~ $2,628/year. If the cost to refinance is $3,000, the recoup time would be 1.14 years or 13.7 months. Sample equation: (Fees at $3,000/payment difference of $2,628 equals 1.14 years) If you plan to keep your property for an extended period, this makes sense. After 13.7 months, you’d be truly saving money. However, you may consider selling or later need to refinance your loan for other purposes. Then the decision becomes less clear. Discuss your dilemma with a FEBRUARY 1, 2021

trusted source to gain clarity if needed. Note, tax rules often differ depending on loan type. Check with your Accountant or CPA regarding any tax consequences and allowable deductions. In a best-case scenario, you may have an option to change your rate at a reasonable or little cost. Ask if you can change the rate without having to renew or reset your loan. If you must renew or re-amortize your loan, you can lose the time benefit you have attained with your current loan arrangement. By re-amortizing, your payments revert to a new amortization schedule, meaning your payments are weighted to interest in the first half of the loan cycle. If you can change the rate without changing your current loan schedule, chose that option. Some other considerations and questions when looking to refinance: n Adjustable or fixed rate (consider locking-in a fixed rate in this environment) n Credit scores (higher scores > 700 can help you gain a lower interest rate) n On-Line Offerings (lower rates available – consider your banker relationship as well) Keep in mind, if you’re in good standing with your bank or lender, they won’t want to lose your business. Before you plan your in-person, phone or virtual meeting, do a little research on available rates and refi costs to better arm yourself with solid information. Interest rates, like so many other loan variables, can often be negotiated. Leverage your good standing a history with your lender to get your best available rate. Some websites to consider: n Refinancing 101: Are Refinance Costs Tax Deductible? | LowerMyBills n www.bankrate.com n When Is the Best Time to Refinance My Home? Be aware, Be informed and be proactive. The financial value and benefits of refinancing can be substantial – perhaps even life changing! Ken W. Knies is an agricultural and rural consultant. He holds a bachelor’s of science and arts from the University of Arkansas and a master’s of business administration from Webster University in St. Louis, Mo. He formed Ag Strategies, LLC as a business unit focused on quality borrowers and lenders.

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meet your neighbors

Keys for Success By Terry Ropp

Jim Singleton believes nutrition, strong health protocols and genetics are important for his herd Farmers are aware of the com- he graduated, he served an internship with plexity and diversity of agricul- the Federal Land Bank, a turning point in tural. Jim Singleton of Gravatt, Ark., his life. He was offered a full-time position uses that complexity to his best advantage. even though his degree was in ag education. Jim was raised within a mile and a half The Federal Land Bank’s highest priority in of where he now lives. When he was 5, he hiring was finding someone who was both would sometimes go to his grandfather’s knowledgeable and comfortable talking with Grade C dairy farm where he was expected farmers. Jim accepted the offer and never looked back. Eventually, the Federal Land to bucket feed calves. “I realized that the calves were depend- Bank evolved into Farm Credit Services. Jim ing upon me for their food and that made was employed by FCS for 17 years, before reme feel valuable and important,” Jim said. locating to Arvest Bank as Community Bank He nad wife Lisa raised two children on President of the Gravette bank, a position he their farm, daughter Jordan and son Jacob. has held for more than 19 years. An advantage of Jim’s job is that the They now have a young grandchild named Wells to introduce to the marvels agriculture. constant flow of economic, political, social Jim’s original intent was to become an ag and technological information keeps him up to date for both his farm career. teacher and FFA advisor. In 2020, his family was named the BenHe belonged to both 4-H and FFA and held various offices, including serving as Gravette ton County Farm Family of the Year. Singleton Brangus Farms is comFFA Chapter president his senior prised of 115 acres, though Jim year. He attended the University Gravette, Ark. leases and farms a total of 350 of Arkansas and completed a deacres with a herd of 110 cows. gree in ag education. Half of the Brangus are Ultra Prior to graduating college, Black commercial Brangus, while however, Jim realized he really the other half are registered Brangus wanted to own and operate his breeding stock. own farm. The summer before

Submitted Photos

“The Brangus combination of Angus and Brahman brings together Angus maternal traits and carcass merit with Brahman heat tolerance and disease resistance,” Jim said. Jim also keeps 15 to 20 replacement heifers and markets 15 breeding bulls every year. His home place has good working facilities and is where most of the registered stock are kept for AI breeding purposes. Jim breeds on natural heat cycles, using a cellular connected heat detection system that sends text messages to his cell phone once a cow comes into heat. This system has led to higher conception rates, and less time checking heats on cows. Jim’s primary selection criteria for AI use on the main cow herd are maternal characteristics, as well as weaning and yearling growth while AI bulls for heifers are selected for calving ease, pedigree and performance data. However, bull traits for use on the remaining herd are length, as well as heavy bones and muscles. A strict 60day calving window is employed. Breeding bulls are on the leased land

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

with no heifers. They are kept for five or six years, with females being culled earlier if they have health issues, show up open at preg check or calves are not of good quality. Local technician Amanda Price preg checks all females on site using ultra sound 30 days after bulls are pulled. Breeding bull calves and high-quality replacement heifers are sold off the farm at approximately 15 months old. The remaining bull calves are kept as market steers, processed under the Beef Quality Assurance Program criteria, and sold at 600 to 750 pounds at auction. Jim believes success in beef cattle production comes from applying three important practices. The first is providing good nutrition, which is dependent on the animal’s production stage. In order for a calf to live up to its genetic potential, it must receive proper and adequate nutrition. Annual hay quality testing powers the nutrition program. Jim’s hay usually tests at 15 to 16 percent protein, with 75 percent total digestible nutrients, thereby reFEBRUARY 1, 2021

meet your neighbors

FEBRUARY 1, 2021

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quiring minimal grain. However, last year’s cold, wet spring resulted in poorer quality hay and more grain usage than usual. Additionally, high-quality mineral is available to the cow herd year-round. The second practice is following strong health protocols, including vaccinating and worming all breeding age females twice a year, which wards off disease, limits abortions, and provides excellent immunity to newborn calves. The last important practice is utilizing high quality, predictable genetics through evaluating EDDs on all AI and natural service bulls. Quality water is also extremely important in cattle production. Jim was one of the first participants the Beaty Creek Watershed Project, first of its kind where two states, Oklahoma and Arkansas, formed a partnership to improve water quality. The program helped Jim install 5,500 feet of water lines leading to freeze proof water tanks and high tensile electric wire fencing to promote rotational grazing according to the time of the year and grass growth rates. In full rotation periods, his home farm acres can be transposed into 50 individual grazing paddocks, each with water access. Jim not only produces hay for his own herd but also sells Bermuda hay locally. He uses a combination of poultry litter and commercial fertilizer in accordance to the Spavinaw Watershed Program poultry litter application regulations. Soil samples are pulled each year to determine how much litter can be used, with commercial fertilizer making up the difference. Jim overseeds 70 percent of the Bermuda grass pastures with small grains and ryegrass. The result is high early spring growth. The land typically produces horse quality hay in three or four cuttings per year marketed to small horse and cattle farmers. To maintain the high quality, he fertilizes after every cutting. County Agent Robert Seay was a mentor who worked with Jim on the Benton County Bermuda Grass Program. This program emphasized cleaning up the fields and spraying weeds early before the weather turns warm. That process prepares the grass to be set on go and ready to take off as early as possible. “It’s been said before, but using best practices in all areas of farming is important and necessary for the highest efficiency possible, especially in today’s economy and environment,” Jim explained.

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meet your neighbors

Looking to the Future By Terry Ropp

Bobby and Kelli McDaniel are building their ranch and herd Three years ago, Bobby and Kelli McDaniel purchased a 560-acre farm because it was close to the Robson Ranch, where Bobby works as a foreman. Frank Robson owns four stocker ranches with four full-time ranch hands and three day-workers used when working the cattle, spraying, haying and other labor-intensive activities. Bobby’s job consists of managing employee numbers and performance, as well as the logistics of buying and selling cattle, organizing haying, purchasing grain and other duties. Bobby’s grandfather Theron managed Watt Henry Ranch in Adair, Okla., while his father John also worked there later, taking over as the manager when Theron retired. Bobby learned to ride as soon as he could walk. One of his clearest early memories was riding to get where the cattle were being worked and watching the fire branding. Bobby attended college and then earned a master’s degree in agricultural nutrition from Oklahoma State University, where he began his professional career taking care of the research facility. Kelli also came from a farming background. Her parents Linda and Johnny were full-time educators who also ran a small farm with 30 to 40 head of cattle. Kelli was also influenced by her parents’ educational careers, with a mother working as special education teacher and a father as a middle school principal. Taking after her parents, Kelli became a special education teacher and is now employed at Vinita High School as a resource teacher. She sees mostly special education students enrolled in regular classes and helps with social goals and emotional growth as well as tutoring. “It’s a rewarding career as I try to steer my students in a better direction when they’re having difficulties of any kind, Kelli explained. Because the McDaniel ranch is in its beginning stages, many of its practices are still in development. An example is that Bobby is still not retaining heifers for replacements because that need has not yet arisen. The ranch supports 93 Angus/Gelbvieh cross cows and six Balancer bulls. “The market prefers black cattle and the Angus/Gelbvieh cross adds better milking ability to the Angus and produces a great calf,” Bobby explained. This year Bobby bought two new bulls, which he believes will suffice for the next two years as long as they don’t get too big. He considers milkability and calving ease when looking at the EPDs, but learned from his father and grandfather that “what you see with your eye is what you get.” Bobby, therefore, analyzes the confirmation of a perspective bull and prefers a sloping shoulder, a straight and flat back and straight hind legs for breeding ease.

At this point, Bobby is not interested in running a registered herd because his position at the Robson operation takes up a great deal of time. Consequently, his own operation is streamlined for efficiency. An example is selling calves right off the cows at 7 to 8 months, with the steers averaging 656 pounds and the heifers 625 pounds. The calves most often are sold at the nearby South Coffeyville Stockyards because Bobby believes in personal relationships and they have taken excellent care of him for years. “Mr. Robson taught me not to put all my eggs in one basket,” Bobby said. “Selling calves twice a year means if the prices are lower at one sale time, I hopefully can make up the difference at the next.” Both groups of cattle are worked in the spring and in the fall. Bobby believes one of the most important improvements in the cattle industry is in pharmaceuticals with a strong and carefully followed vaccination program being essential. Watching the stockers at the Robson operation Bobby found those calves who are not vaccinated often don’t do well. “Some don’t think about the other guy in the cattle industry, but selling poorly conditioned calves raises rancher outputs and consumer prices,” Bobby said. “What often happens at Robson’s is unvaccinated calves need more than a booster and may never reach target weight goals.” Nutrition is the other obvious health component. Bobby raises his own hay with some hay ground having prairie grasses, such as big and little bluestem, switchgrass and Indian grass. He also has fescue and Bermuda hay fields. The growing seasons of the grasses fit together in a pattern that allows for maximum nutritional value at different times of the year. Additional nutrition comes from 14-percent protein, cornbased cubes that are sometimes fed to the cattle all winter depending upon forage availability. While Bobby is just starting his ranch, Submitted Photo he looks to the future. He thinks the industry may someday change with calves going straight to the feedlot as a more efficient production method. Further, Bobby is planning on raising replacement stock relatively soon and perhaps eventually entering the breeding stock market. “No one learns the cattle industry in a vacuum,” Bobby said. “I’ve learned much from many people but my father and grandfather as Vinita, Okla. well as Oklahoma State University professors Gerald Horn, Bob Wettemann and Bob Cropp stand out as teaching me the most. Always learning and to keeping up with new advances in the industry is essential in retaining profitability.”

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

FEBRUARY 1, 2021

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By Terry Ropp

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How did you get started in agriculture?

“My grandfather, Lonnie Tobert, started a tradition of membership in 4-H because he believed it was a good program to be involved in. He led my older cousins, Connor and Dalton, to join when they were young. My doing so when I was in fifth grade simply continued that tradition, and it’s a good one.”

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What is your favorite aspect of agriculture?

“I love livestock with my focus on swine right now. I raise show pigs and show them with this year being the first with a litter that I raised. I got to see my champion born and was with him during the whole growing and showing process. He was the Grand Champion Market Hog at the Franklin County Fair where I also won overall showmanship.”

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Who is the most agriculturally influential person in your life?

“My cousin Connor Palarino is a really important influence because he has taught me the most about agriculture and always said a good work ethic pays off if you stick with it. Winning reserve grand champion market hog at our Franklin County Fair and then reserve grand champion Duroc at the state fair in Little Rock, Ark., when I was 15 brought home the truth of what he said although I had been working with that concept since joining 4-H. Winning at the fairs was simply confirmation of its truth.”

What is your current involvement with agriculture?

“I am the president of our FFA chapter. I encourage members to try to recruit others because agriculture is so obviously essential, especially consider the exploding world population and accompanying increased food needs. I also supervise and work at the school farm where I especially enjoy helping with our few cows. My membership in both FFA and 4-H go handin-hand. In addition to raising and showing pigs, I also help Connor and Dalton who recently started their own hog production operation, Palarino Livestock.”

What are your future plans?

“I want to attend college and be on the livestock judging team, maybe at Eastern Oklahoma University. Later, I would like to have my own cows and pigs while continuing to help my cousins.” FEBRUARY 1, 2021

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The Udder Side By Dr. Tim O’Neill

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inter is upon us. We have had some mild and nasty weather. Cattle and animals burn calories to stay warm. Added protein will sometimes be Dr. Tim E. O’Neill, DVM, burnt up as energy for staying warm and owns Country Veterinary not to build muscle. This will depend on the temperature, Service in Farmington, wind and wetness of the environment. Ark. To contact Tim go And this time of the year, we are all feeding hay. Hopeto ozarksfn.com and fully, we know what type and quality of hay we are feeding. click on ‘Contact Us.’ When it is mild and if our cattle have the right body condition score, we can feed the poorer quality hay. Those that are too skinny or a lower body condition score will need the better-quality hay. I have gone through these recommendations in previous articles, but it never hurts to have a refresher. To explain why cattle do not need a lot of protein, they make their own in the rumen with the bacteria and yeasts naturally there. We call these microbes to shorten the description. Now to also explain the rumen and regular function. To simplify a couple years of biochemistry and microbiology, let us think of the rumen as a vat of fine wine brewing. If you screw up a small step in the process with wine, you will normally get vinegar. The same holds true with the rumen. When you do everything exactly right with the wine, you get fine wine and something great to drink. When you do everything right with the rumen, you get white gold out of the udder and pounds on the hoof. This becomes very evident when you feed the rumen too, much starch. Then we can get amenities, liver abscessation, kidney problems, and/or a systemic infection, possibly from the ulcers. Now to explain this acid-base balance, we have starch digesters and forage digesters. The starch digesters like a pH of 3.5 or lower. The forage digesters like a pH of 8 or so. Huge difference between the 2. When we are feeding mostly hay, the rumen should be at a pH of around 7 to 8. When we feed grain, the rumen pH should be around 5 to 6. Now we need to balance these out. Most beef cows should be around a rumen pH of 7 or above, while most dairy cows should be around a pH of 6.2 to 6.6. This is because of the amounts of grain-fed. We must feed more grain to dairy cows to get them to produce more milk. But there is a rule of thumb that ALL cattle must have 6 pounds of long-stem hay per head per day. I normally error on the conservative side and say 8 pounds. This contributes to the scratch factor in the rumen and good rumen health. Also, when you are changing the diet of cattle, it should be done slowly so these different digesters can get kicked into gear. Without them, we have no digestion in the rumen.

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

FEBRUARY 1, 2021

farm

help

Making farming a little easier

Animal Health SOPs By Klaire Howerton

Assessing risk factors and creating standards for health can help producers achieve efficiency and consistency Raising healthy animals is the goal for livestock producers. But how can producers achieve a healthy herd or flock? Writing up standard operating procedures, or standard operating protocols, for health issues and maintenance can be beneficial for both people and animals.

What are SOPs?

Standard operating procedures, or SOPs, are documented step-by-step instructions that an organization has in place to help people carry out routine operations consistently and efficiently. Many producers may find they already have some form of SOP in place – programs and protocols are terms that are frequently used to reference what is essentially a standard operating procedure. Farmers and ranchers can save time, money, and hassle by drafting SOPs for many aspects of agriculture.

Establishing Animal Health SOPs

Creating SOPs can seem like a daunting task. University of Missouri Extension Veterinarian Dr. Craig Payne advised producers

what do you say? How can animal health impact profits?

FEBRUARY 1, 2021

to break it down into manageable steps and start with risk assessment. “Get an idea of the risk factors, and put things in place to address them,” Payne advised. He explained risk factors will differ by farm. For example, a producer with a closed herd will have different bio-security risks, and therefore procedures than an open herd producer who frequently has animals coming and going. Animal health practices a producer might create SOPs for include vaccinations, calving, lambing or kidding, quarantining a new or sick animal, etc. Payne noted the majority of operations can, at minimum, benefit from creating a bio-security SOP, and encouraged producers to evaluate risk factors in that area. Depending on the size of the operation, getting a team together of employees, family members, and veterinary and Extension professionals familiar with the farm for input on SOPs can help make the task more manageable, Payne suggested. A written the plan is crucial, as is having the SOP in an easily accessible location for all parties involved. A binder in a central location or in a computer file saved to a

“The healthier the animal, the less money you have to put into it and the more profit you make.”

sharing server such as Dropbox or iCloud are a couple of ways producers can store their animal health SOPs. Once a producer has animal health SOPs established, Payne suggested an annual review of the protocols. However, like many things, SOPs can constantly evolve and change, and some situations might require a more immediate review of and change in protocols.

Why Are Animal Health SOPs Important?

Payne explained SOPs contribute to efficiency, consistency and speed of animal care and treatment. “Last-minute planning can be risky in and of itself,” he said. “Having SOPs in place helps avoid rushing around last minute.” Time is often critical when it comes to animal health emergencies, and sick, injured or distressed livestock stand a better chance of recovery if treatment is administered quickly. Animal health SOPs can benefit everyone who is involved with the farm. In the event of an emergency or routine practice, everyone knows what to do and how to do it consistently. Even for a small operation,

“Poor animal health knocks a hole in your profits. When I buy stockers, I buy calves whose origins are sound rather than from a sale barn.”

Michelle Bartlett Pope County, Ark.

SOPs are beneficial to have in the event that a producer must leave the farm for an extended period of time. Whoever takes care of the animals in the producer’s absence will have step-by-step instructions to keep things running smoothly. Another reason SOPs are important is because giving animals the best care possible is simply the right thing to do. SOPs allow a producer to do that while also documenting and showing their consumers their stock have a high-quality of life. “The agriculture industry faces a lot of scrutiny from outsiders,” Andy McCorkill, MU livestock field specialist explained. “The animal side in particular has, at times, received a black eye because of the perception of squeezing every penny out of the animals we raise at their expense. We need to do everything possible to keep that negative image from being a reality.” “We’ve reached a point where the market is demanding healthy animals because morbidity costs the industry a lot of money. Animals that have a verifiable history of vaccinations, nutrition, and genetics will simply bring more money than comparable animals that don’t.”

“Cattlemen can spend 10 times more healing a sick calf than vaccinating.”

Calvin Moore Muskogee County, Okla.

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

Jim Singleton Benton County, Ark.

“If an animal isn’t healthy, it doesn’t grow well, and show animals have to be in prime condition for winning and selling.” Connor Palarino Franklin County, Ark.

farm help

Reducing Stress on Calves By Klaire Howerton

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Reducing stress for calves of all ages is important for their overall health Stress is detrimental to livestock of any age, but it can be especially rough on calves. Taking steps to reduce stress can help calves perform well throughout their lifetime. For newborn calves, especially those born in the colder months, keeping them dry is vital to reducing cold related stress. “For calves this time of year, having some coverage from the elements of winter weather is a key factor,” Andy McCorkill, livestock field specialist with the University of Missouri Extension, explained wind, snow or, worst of all, cold rain can take their toll on young calves. Besides what comes from above, having some insulation from the mud and cold below is important. Unrolling hay is one alternative that works well.” If a calf does become chilled and stressed, Eldon Cole, livestock field specialist with MU Extension, advised producers get the calf dried off as quickly as possible and into a warm location, such as a heated pickup cab or even a warm mudroom or kitchen. Cole also suggested producers research commercial calf warmers and consider purchasing one to have on hand. Another way to reduce stress on young calves is to provide them a creep-style area where they can get out of the way of adult cows or older calves to eat and rest. As calves get older, there will be some experiences where stress is almost unavoidable, but even in those situations, there are things a producer can do to make it easier on the animals. “Weaning and shipping stresses are probably the worst a calf will encounter,” McCorkill said. He recommended producers utilize the fence line weaning practice where cows and calves still have nose-to-nose contact, or at least visual contact, for a few days until the calves calm down and ease up on the crying. “Make sure they still have adequate access to feed and water,” he advised. “Going without will severely affect the microbe population of the gut and put the animals behind and more likely to get sick. Place feed and water in a way that it is along a fence where they will find it quickly while investigating their new environment.” The way a producer handles calves can also help reduce stress. Handle them calmly, McCorkill said, and try to keep things that may make sudden noise, such as loose tin or old feed troughs, out of the weaning pen. Vaccinations to reduce the incidence of sickness will also reduce stress. Spreading the stressors calves experience around weaning out over time will help keep them healthy. “Castrate and dehorn early and it will be less stressful and one less thing to add stress at weaning,” McCorkill said. “I like to have at Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

least one round of vaccinations in them prior to weaning, if possible, as well. That way they are more protected against respiratory illness that often come with added stress. Having them used to feed ahead of weaning is also helpful and reduces the time off feed as they learn new surroundings,” he suggested. Signs of stress can include tense or excitable behavior, freezing, shivering, scours, not eating or a significant decline in weight. If producers notice any of these signs, they should evaluate the situation to determine the cause of stress and take steps to reduce it. Consulting with the herd veterinarian is always a good option to ensure stressed calves receive the treatment or management changes they need. FEBRUARY 1, 2021

farm help

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Are They Ready?

FEBRUARY 1 - APRIL 30 , 2021

By Klaire Howerton

Cows and heifers in optimal condition at calving will have fewer calving issues Getting females in top shape should be at the top of a producer’s list for calving season preparation. A well-conditioned female will typically have an easier time calving, produce better qualities and quantities of colostrum and milk, and breed back faster. To set their cows and heifers to succeed, Eldon Cole, livestock field specialist with the University of Missouri Extension, explained producers should start evaluating condition four to six weeks in advance of calving to ensure enough time to help get animals where they need to be in terms of Body Condition Score (BCS). “Mature beef cows should be in a 5 to no more than 7 body condition at calving, on the standard 1 to 9 scale,” Andy McCorkill, livestock field specialist with MU Extension, said. “On the bottom end of that, at a 5, you might see a faint outline of the last few ribs, but they won’t be pronounced. hip bone structure will be visible but will have a rounded over appearance, and there won’t be a lot of far carried through the brisket area. A 7 body condition will not have any visible ribs, the hips will be well rounded over and the brisket relatively full looking. Fat pones around the tailhead might be forming but they won’t be excessively large at this point.

Each condition score will represent about 75 pounds of additional weight the cow is carrying. Having cows in good shape will not only make it easier on them at calving, they will be more apt to breed back in a timely manner and keep on a 365-day calving interval. “For cows calving in late fall to early spring, I like to see them on the heavier side of that 5 to 7 range; fat is stored energy, and it will help them maintain production through poor winter conditions.” A calving-related management question that producers will often ask is “should I separate first-calf heifers from mature cows?” “Definitely, yes,” Cole said. McCorkill agreed. “If at all possible, this is the first sort I encourage in the cow herd,” he added. First-calf heifers have greater nutritional needs than mature cows, since they are still growing themselves. Ensuring proper nutrition can enhance heifers’ colostrum production, Cole noted. Keeping heifers separate from mature cows during calving can give a producer easier access to the group if a heifer needs help her first time giving birth. As always, producers should consult with their veterinarian to help ensure they are doing everything they can to keep their cattle in top shape heading into calving season.

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FEBRUARY 1, 2021

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Self-Paced Courses • Backyard Chickens – Time Limit: 30 days – Cost: $20 – for questions call 405-744-4357 – to enroll visit go.ozarksfn.com/db0 • Understanding Food Labeling Regulations – Time Limit: 90 days – Cost: $600 – to enroll visit go.ozarksfn.com/hv1 – for questions call 405-744-4357

February 2021 Now Beginning Farmer Classes – Online via Zoom – Cost: $10 per class – 6-8:30 p.m. – Dates: Feb. 2, Feb. 4, Feb. 9, Feb. 11, Feb. 16, Feb. 18, Feb. 22, Feb. 25 – register online at https://farmandfoodsystem.uark.edu/payments/ 4 Pesticide Applicator Training – 11 a.m. – Madison County Extension Office, Huntsville, Ark. – seating is limited – call 479-738-6826 to register 11 Pesticide Applicator Training – 11 a.m. – Madison County Extension Office, Huntsville, Ark. – seating is limited – call 479-738-6826 to register

ozarks’

auction block

February 2021 13 Conley Cattle and Penner Ranch Annual Angus Bull Sale – Southern Oklahoma Livestock Auction, Ada, Okla. – 580-436-5033 13 8th Annual Crooked Creek Angus Sale – Clarinda Livestock Auction, Clarinda, IA – 816-244-4462 13 Rifle Creek Cattle Company Bull Sale – Anselmo, Neb. – 308-749-2553 15 Albrecht/Penz 10th Annual President’s Day Angus Bull & Female Sale – Clay Freeny Ranch, Caddo, Okla. – 816-532-0811 20 63rd Annual Magnolia Hereford Association Sale – SAU Story Arena, Magnolia, Kan. – 870-818-7067 20 Byergo Angus – Savannah, Mo. – 816-261-5198 22 9th Annual Hereford Heritage Bull Sale – Perkins, Okla. – 405-464-2455 27 Seedstock Plus North Missouri Bull Sale – Kingsville Livestock, Kingsville, Mo. – 877-486-1160 28 Missouri Angus Breeders’ Online Futurity Sale – Columbia, Mo. – 734-260-8635 March 2021 5 Express Ranches Spring Bull Sale – Yukon, Okla. – 405-464-2455 6 Hilltop Farms Gelbvieh & Balancer Bull & Female Sale – Joplin Regional Stockyards, Joplin Mo. ¬– 417-529-0081 6 Mead Farms Performance-Tested Bull Sale – Mead Sale Headquarters, Versailles, Mo. – 573-302-7011 6 Peterson Farms Charolais Bull Sale – Mountain Grove, Mo. – 417-926-5336 or 417-746-4410 6 Satterfield Charolais & Angus – at the farm, Norfork, Ark. – 870-499-5379 or 870-499-7151 6 Seedstock Plus Arkansas Bull & Female Sale – Hope Livestock, Hope, Ark. – 877-486-1160 12 Wall Street Cattle Company – Lebanon, Mo. – 816-532-0811 13 Express Ranches Honor Roll Sale – Yukon, Okla. – 405-464-2455 13 Heart of the Ozarks Angus Association Spring Angus Consignment Sale – West Plains, Mo. – 417-293-8002 13 OYE Futurity Heifer Sale – Oklahoma City, Okla. – 405-464-2455 13 Seedstock Plus RED REWARD Bull & Female Sale – Wheeler Livestock Auction, Osceola, Mo. – 877-486-1160 13 14th Annual Wright Charolais Bull Sale – at the Farm, Kearney, Mo. – 816-776-3512

Pesticide Applicator Training – 11 a.m. – Madison County Extension Office, Huntsville, Ark. – seating is limited – call 479-738-6826 to register 18 Pesticide Applicator Training – 5:30 p.m. – Faulkner County Extension Office, Conway, Ark. – Cost: $20 – seats limited to 9 people – call 501-329-8344 18-22 Junior Livestock Show – Cherokee County Fairgrounds, Tahlequah, Okla. – for more information please call 918-456-6163 20 Pesticide Applicator Training – 9:30 a.m. & 1 p.m. – Faulkner County Extension Office, Conway, Ark. – Cost: $20 – seats limited to 9 people – call 501-329-8344 25 Private Pesticide Applicator Training – 9 a.m. – Fulton County Fairgrounds, Salem, Ark. – Cost: $20 – seats limited to 9 people – call 870-895-3301 25 Pesticide Applicator Training – 6 p.m. – Fulton County Fairgrounds, Salem, Ark. – seats limited to 9 people – to register or for questions call 870-895-3301 25 Pesticide Applicator Training – 11 a.m. – Madison County Extension Office, Huntsville, Ark. – seating is limited – call 479-738-6826 to register 25 Pesticide Applicator Training – 2 p.m. – Faulkner County Extension Office, Conway, Ark. – Cost: $20 – seats limited to 9 people – call 501-329-8344

20 Aschermann Charolais 32nd Edition Bull Sale – at the Ranch, Carthage, Mo. – 417-358-7879 – 417-793-2855 20 Blubaugh Angus Ranch Annual Production Sale – Tonkawa, Okla. – 405-464-2455 20 Pinegar Limousin Herdbuilder XXVII – at the Farm, Springfield, Mo. – 1-877-PINEGAR 21 Magness Land & Cattle Southern Div. Bull Sale – Miami, Okla. – 402-350-3447 26 Sexton Genetics Annual Spring Bull Sale – Fort Gibson, Okla. – 405-464-2455 27 Arkansas Bull Sale – Heber Springs, Ark. – 205-270-0999 27 8 Story Farms Charolais Cattle 3rd Annual Production Sale – Altamont, Mo. – 660-749-5834 27 Seedstock Plus South Missouri Bull & Female Sale – Joplin Regional Stockyards, Carthage, Mo. – 877-486-1160 27 Worthington Angus 6th Annual Spring Production Sale – at the Farm, Dadeville, Mo. – 417-844-2601 29 Southwest Missouri All-Breed Performance Tested Bull Sale – Springfield, Mo. – 417-293-8002 29 Live Wire Auction Foundational Female Sale – Springfield, Mo. – 417-293-8002 April 2021 2 Ade Polled Herefords Annual Bull & Female Sale – at the farm, Amsterdam, Mo. – 765-583-4875 3 B/F Cattle Company – Butler, Mo. – 660-492-2808 3 Four State Angus Association Production Sale – Springfield, Mo. – 417-389-9806 3 MBS Charolais Bull Sale – Bowling Green, Mo. – 573-324-5411 or 573-324-2528 3 Vaughan Family Ranch Bull Sale – Derby, Kan. – 316-213-5484 6 Hubert Charolais Ranch 42nd Annual Bull Sale – Oakley, Kan. – 785-672-2540 10 Ozark & Heart of America Beefmaster Sale – Springfield Livestock Marketing Center, Springfield, Mo. – 210-648-5475 11 OSU Cowboy Classic – Stillwater, Okla. – 405-464-2455 18 P Bar S Ranch Limousin, Lim-Flex & Red Angus Proof of Progress Sale – Sand Springs, Okla. – 402-350-3447 22 Valley Girls Online Geno-Pheno Heifer Sale – www.LiveWireAuction.com – 417-569-6940 24 Missouri Red Angus Association Show Me Red Sale – Springfield Livestock Marketing Center, Springfield, Mo. – 417-327-7870 24 Wienk Charolais 52nd Annual Bull Sale – at the Ranch, Lake Preston, SD – 605-860-0505 – 605-203-0137 – 605-203-1082

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

FEBRUARY 1, 2021

Cattlemen’s Seedstock Directory

Farm Equipment

BRANGUS Horsehead Ranch Talala, Okla. 918-695-2357 www.HorseheadRanch.net

Country Veterinary Service Tim E. O’Neill, DVM

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RED ANGUS Watkins Cattle Company Harrison, AR 870-741-9795 – 870-688-1232 – watkinscattleco@ windstream.net

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Wanted OFN IS CURRENTLY SEEKING FREELANCE FEATURE WRITERS

ULTRABLACK Horsehead Ranch Talala, Okla. 918-695-2357 www.HorseheadRanch.net

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ozarksfn.com

Freelancers are required to travel to farms to conduct interviews and take pictures.

Please submit a current resume and writing samples to julie@ozarksfn.com

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Sell Your Farm Equipment or Livestock with an Ad in Our Classified Section! Be Sure to Ask About Our Rate Discounts!

Don’t Delay! Call Today!

Toll Free: 1-866-532-1960 ads@ozarksfn.com FEBRUARY 1, 2021

Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com

WELCOME TO

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OFN February 1, 2021

Articles inside

Are your cows/heifers ready for calving?

Do you have an SOP?

Youth in Agriculture spotlights Kendal Smith

Reducing stress

McDaniel Ranch is looking to the future

Nutrition, health protocols and genetics are key for Jim Singleton

Should you refinance?

Budgeting can help maximize profits

Get financially fit in the new year

Wally Olson says mentors have helped him along the way

Larry Sutton developed his own supplements and Pro-Energy Feed

Eye on Agribusiness highlights Bekaert Steel Wire

Julie Turner-Crawford – Why everyone should be interested in ag