Jerry Crownover – A costly free calf

What’s On Your Mind, Ozarks? just athought

Life Is Simple By Jerry Crownover Life is Simple By Jerry Crownover

Jerry Crownover is a farmer and former professor of Agriculture Education at Missouri State University. He is a native of Baxter County, Arkansas, and an author and professional speaker. To contact Jerry, go to ozarksfn.com and click on ‘Contact Us.’ I ’ve always said that there’s a million ways to make money on the farm. Living in the greatest country on earth, freedom to choose what we do and when we do it, and beneficiaries of a booming economy, all afford us great opportunities, thus…

In September of last year, one of my neighbors called to see if I might help him with a cow that was having calving problems. When I arrived, I could see only the nose and one foot at the business end of the bovine. It was an unusually hot day and after a couple of attempts to drive her to the barn, we decided to sedate her, in the shade of a small grove of trees. Working together, the neighbor and I managed to retrieve the other foot, and pull the bull calf to freedom. Both cow and calf were soon back to normal and everyone was good.

Five days later, the same friend called again and asked if my wife, Judy, wanted a free calf. He went on to tell me that the cow we had assisted in calving, for whatever reason, had abandoned the calf and wanted nothing to do with it, and he didn’t think he could save it. Always up for a challenge, Judy agreed, and I went and brought the calf to our home. Suffering from hunger and dehydration, my wife worked tirelessly for 10 days, nursing the little guy back to health. He required a feeding tube, utilized at three-hour intervals, for the first few days, but was sucking from a bottle and doing fine by the end of the second week. For the next three and a half months, the calf lived and thrived (mostly) in a pen in the barn, that we usually reserve for orphans and ailing critters.

However, since calving season is fast approaching, and I fully expect to need his pen for other animals, I sold the calf last week at the cattle auction. It brought a whopping total

— Continued on Page 6 Fort Smith Stockyard F O R T S M I T H S T O C K Y A R D S US Hwy 64 Moffet, Okla. Serving Arkansas & Oklahoma Barn 918-875-3131 Sale Every Monday OWNERS Sam Chandler • 918-696-6029 Scottie Smith • 918-696-0793 Budge Herbert • 918-658-4781 FIELD REPRESENTATIVES Carl Quinton • 479-856-5500 Dax Tyler • 479-461-3678 On Farm appraisals • Early drop off pens with 50 grass traps, water, and plenty of shade • Hauling available • Convenient Location • Family Owned & Operated

30 TH EDITION BULL SALE Saturday, March 21, 2020 1 p.m. Central At the Ranch • Carthage, Mo. Visit our website for video’s and sale catalog. Offering 95 Bulls 75 Charolais • 10 Halfblood Akaushi 10 Fullblood Akaushi 20 3-in-1 Pairs Bred Akaushi

LIVE INTERNET BIDDING AT: www.cowbuyer.com

Larry & Peggy Aschermann Carthage, Missouri (417) 793-2855 cell • (417) 358-7879 e-mail: hayhook@gmail.com www.aschermanncharolais.com

Toll Free: 1-866-532-1960 479-846-1002 • Fax: 479-846-1003 PO Box 1514, Lebanon, MO 65536 E-mail: editor@ozarksfn.com Member:

Eric Tietze Publisher Administrative Kathy Myers, Marketing Manager Eric Tietze, Accounting Advertising Pete Boaz, Display & Classified Sales Kathy Myers, Production Sales Circulation Eric Tietze, Circulation Editorial Julie Turner-Crawford, Managing Editor Jerry Crownover, Columnist Jody Harris, Columnist Production Amanda Newell, Production

Contributors Lance Albin, Greg Benton, Kelli Joe Buettner, Larry Burchfield, Kathy Daily, Erin Harvey, Klaire Howerton, Ken Knies, Kathy Parker, Chad Pittillo, Jordan Robertson, Terry Ropp and Brian Watkins. About the Cover The Froud family has a long tradition in the cattle business, starting when Lee Froud made is way to Greenland, Ark. See more on page 22.

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

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